Dadaocheng Gu Family Mansion Introduction
Gu Family Salt Warehouse, located at Lane 9, No. 303, Guisui Street, was built in 1910 by Koo Hsien-jung, the father of former Taiwan Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Koo Chen-fu. Since the Koo family was engaged in the salt industry at that time, this grand residence has also been known as the "Salt Warehouse." It faces the Tamsui River Wharf, as the house was originally built by the river for business purposes, allowing ships to dock directly in front of the house. In 1961, the Koo family moved out of the residence, and in 1963, the current site was established as Rongxing Kindergarten, which continues to operate today. This building is quite distinctive, designed in a late Western Renaissance style, featuring a porch in the front, light yellow façade bricks, elegant arched windows, and glazed railings. The intricate ornaments and relief decorations on the central gable of the façade reflect the eastward influence of Western culture during that era, representing the homes of the wealthy at that time. Inside, the finely crafted cypress wood ceilings and staircases have been remarkably well preserved, and there are still markings from the Dahe Trading Company managed by Koo Hsien-jung on the walls. Gu Family Salt Warehouse not only witnesses the prosperity of the Koo family but has also become a part of Taipei's history.
