Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum Introduction
The Time Tunnel Historical Data Museum in Chiayi is located within Chiayi Park, which is rich in cultural materials and precious history, resembling a microcosm of modern Taiwanese history. The Zhai Pavilion has an area of 267 square meters, and the Social Affairs Office covers 208 square meters, with a corridor connecting the two buildings. The central corridor acts as an axis of connection, creating a spacious overall space. The layout of this Japanese-style "Shuyuan-style" architecture is quite rare in the country, featuring unique architectural elements and service functions, with an elegant artistic expression and high reference value in craftsmanship. The two buildings of the Historical Data Museum belong to the Japanese "Shuyuan-style" architectural form, using elements such as ceilings, paper sliding doors, and external corridors. The roof is of the "Irimoya-style," similar to the Chinese traditional hipped roof, with eaves, ridges, windbreaks, hanging ridges, and main ridges made using Japanese architectural elements. The upper part of the building's exterior walls has boat-shaped wooden brackets (dou-gong), while the lower half adopts the "Zhenbi" style. The base is constructed in a low platform style, and regarding doors and windows, most doors are sliding doors, with only a few being push-pull doors; the windows include four types: glass sliding windows with fixed lattice, fixed lattice plus sliding glass windows, and paper sliding windows. The Zhai Pavilion, Social Affairs Office, Water Purification Pavilion, and Ritual Equipment Storage are representatives of the living culture left by the Japanese, with the Ritual Equipment Storage having a concrete exterior imitating wooden construction, which is quite unique. Later, the city government commissioned professional units to restore the buildings based on principles such as "not changing the main structure," "preserving the original appearance," "restoring according to original architectural elements," and "considering compatibility with the park environment." Historical Encyclopedia: The two buildings of the Chiayi City Historical Data Museum are the Zhai Pavilion and Social Affairs Office affiliated with the Chiayi Shrine during the Japanese occupation period, which is listed as a city-designated historic site. It was established in Showa 18 (1943), where the Zhai Pavilion served as a place for purification and preparation before rituals at the shrine, while the Social Affairs Office served as the administration office for shrine management. In October 1998, these two buildings were officially designated as a city historic site by the Chiayi City Government and named "Chiayi City Historical Data Museum." The museum opened on September 15, 2001, displaying information about the people and events of Chiayi, intertwining the past and present to showcase respective glories, thus inspiring feelings of local love and attachment among the public. The Historical Data Museum is the best place to learn about the history of Chiayi. Understanding Chiayi begins with a visit to the Historical Data Museum.
