Kishu An Literature Forest Introduction
The Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs has established the "Kishu An New Building" at the end of Tong'an Street as Taipei's first dedicated literary and artistic space. Since June 2011, it has been managed by the Taiwan Literature Development Foundation. The "Kishu An New Building," named "Kishu An Literary Forest," integrates with the Southern City Literature Park, providing readers with a comfortable and pleasant space for indoor and outdoor reading, writing, enjoying tea, sipping coffee, and conversing with like-minded individuals. Readers and book lovers can also unexpectedly encounter their favorite writers, critics, and publishers here. The "Kishu An" historic building, which was a Japanese-style teahouse during the Japanese colonial period, was converted into housing for civil servants' families after the war. Located in Southern City, it radiates outward, encompassing nearby Tong'an Street, Xiamen Street, Kinmen Street, and Guling Street, stretching as far as the National Taiwan University and National Normal University areas. This place has played a crucial role in the history of post-war literary development in Taiwan. It was the birthplace of organizations and publications such as the "Lanse Poetry Society," "Literary Magazine," "Modern Literature," "Prairie," "University" magazine, as well as literary institutions like the "Chinese Literary Association" and "National Language Daily." Publishers such as Pure Literature, Hongfan, Erya, and Yuanliou, along with writers like Lin Haiyin, Lin Liang, Yu Guangzhong, Wang Wenxing, and Yindi, have all expanded their literary ideals here. Thus, there is an expectation to use "Kishu An" and "Kishu An New Building" as a core and starting point to recreate the historical context and treasures of literature in the future.
