Mei Garden Introduction
Beitou Meiting was built around the late 1930s and serves as a Western-Japanese style villa that stands witness to the wartime era and adapts to the local culture of Beitou. It has stood for nearly a century near Beitou Park. Since the Japanese era, its owners have included the Governor-General of Taiwan, the Minister of the Army, and Taipei Prefecture. After World War II in 1945, it was primarily used as a private residence, and in 2006, it was registered as a historical building in Taipei City due to its architectural features. Located along the Beitou Stream, the villa takes advantage of the natural landscape by integrating the mountain view to the south with the flowing stream, featuring a Japanese wooden upper structure and a lower level with a reinforced concrete basement designed as an air-raid shelter. In the style of contemporary Japanese street houses, it stands out as unique and historically significant. The entrance features a plaque labeled "Meiting," inscribed by calligrapher Yu You-ren. Within the courtyard, there is a protected camphor tree (No. 1679) under the "Taipei City Tree Protection Self-Governance Act." The surrounding walls are built with quarried "Qili'an stone," and the interior space is carefully arranged, utilizing Beitou's abundant geothermal resources to establish a "hot spring bath." An "attic" was constructed for observation and storage, which also aids in regulating indoor temperature and preventing moisture, serving as both the ceiling for the lower floor and a support structure for the building. The entrance is adorned with "glazed mosaic" tiles alongside stone pillars, showcasing the beauty of craftsmanship. The "octagonal windows" on the walls reflect the Western-inspired decorative style that arose during the Japanese period, presenting a refined elegance that emphasizes the beauty of its era and construction. In 2021, the Taipei City Cultural Affairs Bureau commissioned the Taipei City Cultural Foundation to operate and maintain the site, with the aim of enhancing the reuse of cultural assets and local promotion. In the future, it will continue to embody the unique cultural characteristics of Beitou by combining historical heritage with artistic and cultural activities, creating a vibrant space for living, history, and arts.
