Kishu-An Literature Forest Introduction
The Taipei City Government's Cultural Affairs Bureau has created the "Kishu-An New Pavilion" located at the bottom of Tong'an Street as Taipei's first dedicated literary arts space, which has been operated by the Taiwan Literature Development Foundation since June 2011. Named the "Kishu-An Literary Forest," the pavilion integrates with the Southern City Literary Park, providing readers with a comfortable environment for reading, writing, enjoying tea or coffee, and chatting with fellow enthusiasts indoors and outdoors. Readers and book lovers may also have unexpected encounters with their favorite authors, critics, and publishers here. The historical building of "Kishu-An" was originally a Japanese inn during the Japanese occupation period and later transformed into a housing complex for public educational personnel after the war. Located in the Southern City, it extends to the nearby Tong'an Street, Xiamen Street, Kinmen Street, and Guling Street, reaching as far as the National Taiwan University and National Taipei University areas, making it a significant venue in the history of post-war literary development in Taiwan. It is the birthplace of literary groups such as the "Blue Star Poetry Society," "Literature Magazine," "Modern Literature," "Prairie," and "University" magazine, as well as cultural institutions like the "Chinese Literature Association" and "Guoyu Daily," alongside publishers such as Pure Literature, Hong Fan, Erya, and Yuanliu. Notable writers such as Lin Haiyin, Lin Liang, Yu Guangzhong, Wang Wenxing, and Yin Di have all furthered their literary ideals here. Therefore, there is an anticipation that "Kishu-An" and the "Kishu-An New Pavilion" will serve as core starting points for re-presenting the historical context and treasures of literature in the future.
