Taichung Prefectural Office Introduction
The history of Taichung City's government construction began during the Qing Dynasty under the administration of Liu Ming-chuan, when the largest city walls in Taiwan were built, originally intended as the provincial capital to control the flow between the north and south. After the cession of Taiwan in the乙未 Treaty, the Japanese military established the "Taiwan Civil Administration Branch" within the official building complex at the northwest corner of the small North Gate of the city walls. Following changes in governmental structure, different designations like Taichung City Hall and Taichung Prefectural Office emerged during the Meiji period. In the Taisho era, the new construction of the Taichung Prefectural Office was carried out in phases, utilizing this area as a development base, progressively demolishing the Qing Dynasty office buildings from the outside in and from east to west to construct modern government offices. The prefectural office was part of the "permanent hall construction" project during the Japanese colonial period and was designed simultaneously with the original Taipei Prefectural Office (now the Control Yuan) and the original Tainan Prefectural Office (now the National Center for Cultural Heritage). It was positioned as a new office building among the three first-class prefectures at the time; along with the Taiwan Governor-General's Office (now the Presidential Office), it served as a pioneering model transitioning from temporary wooden structures to primarily reinforced brick construction, playing an important role in the architectural history of Taiwan. When compared to other existing examples and sister works in terms of construction results and current preservation status, the Taichung Prefectural Office has mostly well-preserved structural integrity since its original period, possessing significant preservation value and research importance in modern architectural history. It continues to serve as a local administrative center and represents regional historical events and changes, currently registered as a historical building. Construction of the Taichung Prefectural Office started in 1912 and was completed in 1913 after the first phase, undergoing four expansions to reach its current scale in 1934, designed by Japanese architect Moriyama Matsunosuke. The Taichung Prefectural Office governed Taichung City, Changhua County, and Nantou County; the Taichung City Office was the actual city government at that time. After World War II, the Taichung City Government moved to its current location, while the Taichung Prefectural Office was designated as a city historic monument. The overall design of the Taichung Prefectural Office is in the style of the French Beaux-Arts, with a distinctive "Beaux-Arts" style roof on its façade. The main body is an L-shaped two-story building oriented eastward, with a tower-like structure protruding from the center and corner towers on either side to seamlessly connect the two wing structures. The first-floor entrance features Corinthian columns, while the second floor adopts Ionic columns, with a recessed balcony enhancing the shadow effect of the façade. The architecture of the Taichung Prefectural Office highlights its political status and importance in the city, aligning with the urban planning of Taichung City by positioning the main entrance at a corner of a significant street, characteristic of government buildings during the Japanese colonial period.
