National Taiwan Library Introduction
Hiding within the Fourth Park, the National Taiwan Library has a history of over a century, originating from the "Taiwan Governor-General's Library" established before World War II! The library was founded in 1915 and was the first modern library in Taiwan, as well as the largest and most well-stocked library during the Japanese colonial period, responsible for guiding the development of library services across Taiwan. Its collection can be traced back to the "Taiwan Bibliotheca" set up by the Japanese at the Tamsui Museum (the site of the Dengying Academy during the Qing Dynasty). By the time of the war, the collection had reached about 200,000 books in Chinese, Japanese, and Western languages. The Taiwan Governor-General's Library was located in Shuyuan Town, Taipei City, in the former Lottery Bureau Hall on the northwest side of the Governor-General's Office. The building was damaged during World War II due to bombing by American forces; fortunately, the then director, Shan Zhongqiao, managed the evacuation well, allowing most of the collection to survive the ravages of war. Due to the library's vast area, it has planned age-specific services to assist the public in finding books, and for its historical collections, it has established a "book hospital" to conduct restoration work on both Chinese and Western books, regularly opening for the public to observe the "treatment" process for the books. Additionally, the "Quiet Thought Corridor" outside the library, with its classical arched design, has become a must-take photo spot for many visitors!
