Old Chaozhou Post Office (Pingtung Folk Art Story House) Introduction
The Old Chaozhou Post Office is one of the important official buildings in the Chaozhou area during the Japanese colonial period, established around 1897. During that time, Chaozhou had a significant administrative status, as it housed the Chaozhou Township Office and the Chaozhou District Office, which are located where today's Chaozhou Township Office stands. A small part of the district office building remains, while the rest has been demolished. The Chaozhou Township Office later became the Chaozhou Post Office, which recently relocated to a new site away from this historic building. Due to the introduction of Western urban planning methods during the Japanese colonial period, Chaozhou Street became the only area in Pingtung, besides Pingtung City, with parks and shrines as part of its urban planning. However, these shrines and the malaria research institute can no longer be seen in modern-day Pingtung, as they have all been demolished. To witness the architecture of the official buildings from the Japanese colonial period, the Old Chaozhou Post Office is currently the only remaining structure. The preservation of the Old Chaozhou Post Office not only allows for an understanding of historical development but also showcases the marks left by urban development in Chaozhou Township. Since 2011, it has been planned as the "Pingtung Opera Story Museum," showcasing a new life for the old building.
