East Village Dormitory Introduction
"Nanzhuang East Village Dormitory" was established in 1935 and renovated in 1940. Its original full name was "Nanzhuang Brain Production Storage Station," which in Japanese means an office for the distribution and management of brain production. The original planning included a "storage warehouse," a "manager's office," and "inspector dormitories." In 2007, in response to local preservation calls, the Miaoli County Government assessed that this dormitory was an auxiliary forestry building and a significant example in Taiwan's industrial historical architecture, as well as an important building from the Japanese colonial period within Miaoli County. It is well-preserved and located in a beautiful environment, making it highly valuable for preservation and reuse. Thus, on June 14 of that year, it was announced as a historical building. Currently, this historical structure consists only of the manager's dormitory, inspector's dormitory, bathroom, and restroom. The building has a total of one floor and is connected by three structures. The architectural feature combines office and residential functions and is one of the few remaining small public bath buildings for residential use in Taiwan. The layout comprises an L-shaped office and manager's dormitory, a M-shaped inspector's dormitory, and a separate public bathroom and restroom for dormitory use. The roof features traditional Japanese gable ends and ridge tiles, with a frame structured like a small house. The exterior walls are made of unembossed "armor view" rain boards, with a brick foundation and raised flooring, contributing to its high cultural heritage preservation value. This site preserves local historical memory and connects to the expanded Nanzhuang tourism circuit. In 2018, the historical building was formally allocated for restoration and reuse; it continues to operate under a "cultural tourism" model, linking the surrounding attractions of Nanzhuang Old Street and diverse cycling routes in Shizitou Mountain, enriching the entire cultural tourism characteristics of Nanzhuang, allowing the historical significance of the building to be transmitted and continued through visitors.