Ministry of Culture Cultural Heritage Park Introduction
The Cultural Heritage Park managed by the Ministry of Culture covers an area of 5.6 hectares and was formerly known as the privately-owned "Taihoku Brewery Co., Ltd." established during the Japanese colonial period in 1916. After the Japanese government implemented a monopoly system for alcohol in 1922, it was nationalized and became the largest brewery in Taiwan in 1928. After the restoration of Taiwan in 1945, the brewery was renamed twice, first to "Taichung Brewery" and then to "Fifth Brewery." In 1947, the government transformed the Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly into a public sale and the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation took over the brewery, which was renamed "Taichung Brewery of the Taiwan Provincial Tobacco and Liquor Corporation" in 1957. As time progressed and in response to urban planning needs in Taichung City, the brewery relocated to a new site in Taichung Industrial Park in 1998, leaving behind a large industrial heritage site and historical buildings. In July 2002, the Taichung City Government registered the main buildings of the area as historical structures, allowing the old brewery to be completely preserved. It has since developed into one of the five major cultural and creative industry parks promoted by the Ministry of Culture. The old Taichung Brewery has revitalized from an industrial heritage site into a base for promoting cultural and creative industries. After the brewery moved to the new site in Taichung Industrial Park, the old brewery remained as a testament to the development history of Taiwan's brewing industry from the Japanese colonial period to the present. Thus, in July 2002, it was registered as a historical building by the Taichung City Government. The National Property Administration transferred the ownership of the 5.6 hectares of land and buildings to the Executive Yuan's Council for Cultural Affairs, ensuring the complete preservation of the old brewery. The Executive Yuan also designated it as one of the five creative cultural parks in the creative industry development plan—"Taichung Cultural and Creative Industry Park"—aiming to serve as a base for Taiwan's cultural and creative industries and develop into a center for architecture, design, and artistic performances. Additionally, the central authority responsible for cultural assets across Taiwan, the Bureau of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, is also located here. Its policy promotion goals include effectively combining local governments, universities, private entities, and community organizations to shape a complete cultural asset protection network, construct an ecological environment suitable for the development of cultural assets, and promote international cooperation in cultural asset preservation. Today, various halls and factories have new identities. The Weishui Building, once a packaging materials warehouse, now houses the library of the park. The Yatang Hall, originally a finished rice wine storage and semi-finished product storage, is now a large exhibition venue for multifunctional purposes, contributing to Taiwan's cultural and creative industry. The International Performance Hall, located at the corner of the central square, was formerly used for packaging operations and currently hosts various exhibitions, showcasing aspirations toward internationalization. A total of 21 buildings are located within the park, waiting for you to come and appreciate them. Below is the layout of the park. Visitor Information: 1. To organize events in the park, a prior application must be submitted according to regulations and may proceed upon approval. 2. To maintain the quality of visits, please refrain from making noise, chasing, or playing after entering. 3. To keep the exhibition space clean and comfortable, smoking, chewing betel nuts and gum, as well as bringing pets, food, and drinks into the exhibition hall are prohibited. 4. Commercial photography and videography in the park is not allowed. Personal photography must comply with exhibition rules. 5. To ensure your safety, please do not enter non-public spaces or bring dangerous items into the facility. 6. Motor vehicles are prohibited from entering the park and parking in violation of regulations; construction vehicles for events must park according to park regulations.
