Cultural Heritage Park, Ministry of Culture Introduction
The Cultural Heritage Park of the Ministry of Culture covers an area of 5.6 hectares and was formerly the private "Taiheiji Sake Company," established during the Japanese Colonial Period in 1916. After the Japanese government implemented the alcohol monopoly system in 1922, it was nationalized and became the largest brewery in Taiwan in 1928. After Taiwan's retrocession in 1945, the brewery was renamed twice, first to "Taichung Brewery" and then to "Fifth Brewery." In 1947, the government transitioned from a tobacco and alcohol monopoly to a public sale system under the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, and in 1957, it was renamed to "Taichung Brewery, Taiwan Provincial Tobacco and Liquor Corporation." With changing times and urban planning needs in Taichung City, the brewery relocated to a new site in the Taichung Industrial Park in 1998, leaving behind a large industrial heritage site and historic buildings. In July 2002, the Taichung City Government registered the main buildings in the area as historical buildings, allowing the old brewery to be fully preserved. It has since developed into one of the five major cultural and creative industry parks of the Ministry of Culture. The old Taichung Brewery has been revitalized into a base for promoting cultural and creative industries. After the brewery moved to the new site in the Taichung Industrial Park, the old site preserved large industrial heritage and historic buildings, witnessing the development history of Taiwan's brewing industry from the Japanese Colonial Period to the present. In July 2002, it was registered as a historical building by the Taichung City Government, and the National Property Administration transferred the ownership of the 5.6 hectares of land and buildings to the Executive Yuan's Cultural Construction Committee. This allowed the historic site of Taichung Brewery to be fully preserved and planned as one of the five creative cultural parks in the creative industry development plan — the "Taichung Cultural and Creative Industries Park," positioned as a base for promoting Taiwan's cultural and creative industries, and aimed at becoming a center for architecture, design, and artistic performances in Taiwan. Furthermore, the central authority responsible for cultural heritage matters across Taiwan, the Cultural Heritage Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, is also located here. Its policy goals are to effectively connect with local governments, universities, private entities, and community organizations, creating a comprehensive cultural heritage protection network, constructing a suitable ecological environment for cultural heritage development, and promoting international cooperation in cultural heritage preservation. Currently, various buildings in the park have taken on new identities. The former Weishuilou, once a packaging material warehouse, now serves as the library of the park; the Yatang Pavilion, once a warehouse for rice wine products and semi-finished goods, now serves as a large exhibition hall for multifunctional purposes, contributing to Taiwan's cultural and creative industry; while the International Exhibition Hall at the corner of the central plaza, once used for packaging operations, now hosts various exhibitions, showcasing aspirations towards the international arena. There are a total of 21 buildings located within the park, awaiting your visit for appreciation and exploration. Below is the layout of the park. Travel Tips: 1. To use the venues within the park for events, you must submit an application in accordance with the regulations and proceed only upon approval. 2. To maintain the quality of the visit, please refrain from loud conversations, running, or playing inside the venue. 3. To keep the exhibition areas clean and comfortable, smoking, chewing betel nut and gum, and bringing pets, food, or beverages into the exhibition hall are prohibited. 4. Commercial photography and videography in the park are not allowed; personal photography must comply with the exhibition regulations. 5. For your safety, please do not trespass into non-public areas or bring dangerous items into the venue. 6. Motor vehicles are prohibited from entering the park and parking violations are not allowed; activity vehicles should be parked in accordance with the park's regulations.
