Zhongshan Hall, Taipei City Introduction
The Zhongshan Hall in Taipei City, formerly known as the Taipei Public Hall, was built in 1936 and designed by Kaoru Ide, the chief of the Construction Division of the Governor-General's Office during the Japanese colonial period. The overall design is grand and elegant, making it a rare large public building in Taiwan at that time. After the victory in World War II and Taiwan's liberation in 1945, it was renamed "Zhongshan Hall." In 1949, when the government relocated to Taiwan, Zhongshan Hall served as the venue for the National Assembly and Legislative Yuan. In 1969, it came under the jurisdiction of the Taipei City Government's Civil Affairs Bureau. In 1992, it was designated as a National Second-Class Historic Site by the Ministry of the Interior; in 1995, following an amendment to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, it was listed as a municipal historic site under the jurisdiction of the Taipei City Government. In 1999, Zhongshan Hall was transferred to the Cultural Affairs Bureau and remains under its purview today. The Main Hall and the Liberation Hall have become one of the key venues for performing arts in the city, hosting events such as the Taipei Traditional Arts Festival, Children's Arts Festival, and Taipei Film Festival each year. In 2011, the interior space of Zhongshan Hall was renovated to include exhibition rooms, Taipei Academy, and cultural salons, and has been fully opened for public visits, becoming a multifunctional venue for education, arts, and leisure in Taipei City. In 2019, it was promoted to a National Historic Site by the Ministry of Culture.
