Taiwan Literature Base Introduction
Taiwan Literature Base is located in the Japanese dormitory complex on Qidong Street, one of the few areas in Taiwan where historical buildings have been preserved so completely. It is also one of the first groups of Japanese dormitories preserved under the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. The area includes one designated historic site and nine historical buildings, which not only contain rich local stories and connections to the experiences of citizens but also highlight the contemporary significance of revitalizing and reutilizing the remaining Japanese dormitory community in Taipei. In the orderly center of Taipei, Qidong Street is like a casual smile that cuts through between Jinan Road and Zhongxiao East Road. Behind this smile lies a long history—over 200 years ago during the Qing Dynasty, this area was an ancient road leading to Songshan and connecting to Keelung, known as "Sanbanqiao Street". At that time, the land was filled with endless rice paddies and ponds. Between the irrigation ditches, rice fields, and ponds, Qidong Street emerged without a name, taking on the heavy responsibility of transporting essential goods like rice and coal. During the Japanese occupation from 1920 to 1940, the Governor's Office successively built Japanese civil servants' dormitories here, which are now the Qidong Street Japanese dormitory complex. At the same time, various companies and factories gradually gathered in the area, leading to increasingly developed commercial activities and prompting the establishment of the "Chengdong Association," which frequently organized community lectures, theater appreciation, performance appreciation, and film screenings, creating a cultural experience wave of that era. After the war, the government continued to use this area as dormitories for central government officials. Major General Wang Shuming, then Deputy Commander of the Air Force, also lived at No. 27, Section 2, Jinan Road, later holding titles such as "Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force" and "Chief of Staff of the Ministry of National Defense," until he moved out in 1992, marking this old Japanese house as the "General's Residence." After 2000, due to its central location, Qidong Street faced the fate of demolition in the rapid urban development environment. Fortunately, local residents, out of recognition for the architectural cluster, old trees, and environment, formed the "Qidong Historical and Cultural Workstation" in 2002. With the efforts of residents and expert scholars, the preservation of the adjacent nine row houses in the Japanese dormitory was achieved, which is considered "an important and priceless cultural asset for the citizens of Taipei." With urban development, new houses, schools, and factories were built and established, "Sanbanqiao Street" slowly disappeared from the map, leaving only the smile curve between Jinan Road and Zhongxiao East Road as a reminder of its former existence. In 2011, the Ministry of Culture commissioned the Taipei City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau to repair the Qidong Street Japanese dormitory (No. 25 and 27, Section 2, Jinan Road) and named this historical building "Qidong Poetry Dormitory." In July 2014, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature began managing and planning exhibitions and literary promotion activities. With the completion of the restoration of five historical buildings on Lane 53, Qidong Street, in 2021, the "Taiwan Literature Base," dedicated to innovation and cultural transmission, officially opened on this winding smiling lane! (Source: Taiwan Literature Base official website)
