National Taiwan Library Introduction
Hiding within the No. 4 Park is the National Taiwan Library, which was formerly known as the "Taiwan Governor-General's Library" established before World War II, boasting a history of over a century! The library was originally founded in 1915 as the "Taiwan Governor-General's Library," Taiwan's first modern library and the largest library in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, responsible for guiding the development of library services across the entire island. The library's collections can be traced back to the "Taiwan Library" established by the Japanese at the Danshui Pavilion (the site of the Qing Dynasty's Dengying Academy). By the time of the war, its collection had reached approximately 200,000 volumes in Chinese, Japanese, and Western languages. The Taiwan Governor-General's Library was located in Shuyuan District, Taipei City, in the original lottery bureau building on the northwest side of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. The building was damaged by American bombing during World War II; fortunately, the director at the time, Shan Zhongqiao, successfully evacuated and most of the library's collections were preserved from the ravages of war. Due to the vast area of the library, it has planned age-appropriate and audience-oriented services to facilitate the public in finding books. Additionally, for its historical collections, it has set up a "Book Hospital" to carry out restoration work on both Chinese and Western books, with regular openings for the public to observe the "healing" process of the books. Furthermore, the "Quiet Reflection Corridor" outside the library, designed with classical-style archways, has become a must-take photo spot for many visitors!
