[Tainan’s most beautiful European Baroque architecture recommended attractions]

Governor’s Residence Living Hall

Today we will take you to the historical site – Tainan Governor’s Residence, which is only a 15-minute walk from San Dao Men Hotel

When the Tainan Governor’s Residence was first built in 1900, it was planned to be the official residence of the chief executive, “Tainan County Governor’s Residence”. The governor at that time was Genichi Imai. In November 1901, the county was abolished and the Tainan Prefecture was established. The official residence of the chief of Tainan Prefecture was moved to the nearby “Tainan Prefecture Chief’s Residence” on today’s Yule Street. During this period, the original Governor’s Residence was managed by the Tainan Office. The “Japanese-style (Japanese-style)” part was loaned to the Army and was converted into the “Residence of the Brigade Commander”; the Western-style part was used as a “Reading Club for Tainan Office Members” and other purposes. However, its main name and positioning were the “Governor’s Tainan Residence” when the Governor visited Tainan and the “Imperial Residence” when the Imperial Family visited Tainan.

From this stage on, it served as both the Governor-General’s residence and the residence of the imperial family. When the Japanese imperial family, including Prince Kan’in Daihito and his wife, visited Tainan, all of them stayed here. When the Japanese imperial family, including Crown Prince Hirohito, visited Tainan, all of them stayed here. With the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War (1937) and Japan’s entry into World War II (1941), Taiwan also entered a wartime state. In order to prevent air raids, the governor’s official residence built an air-raid shelter on the southeast side of the Japanese Pavilion. The surface of the shelter was covered with old stones and was well camouflaged. Fortunately, the official residence was not bombed or damaged during the war.

When you come to the Tainan Governor’s Residence, let me introduce you to the four must-see attractions!

The Governor’s Residence is a 20-story building with a typical British colonial style built in Southeast Asia. It has arcades on all four sides, with the middle and two sides bald and octagonal. The brick walls of the arcades and arches are exposed, and the red and white parts are different from the gray and white mud parts of other merchants.

The beauty of wood craftsmanship: the handrails of the wooden staircases are intricately carved, and the curtains and door curtains are also made of wood with unique shapes.

The Palace’s Glittering Nights: As the night falls, this century-old building appears dazzling at night.

The clock tower is restored, and the sign outside the square retains the original Baroque gable. Through the dislocation, we can recall the style of the clock tower in the past.

After World War II, as agencies under the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan one after another, the building (the western-style building part) was initially used by the salt police, which may have been a salt tax police-related agency under the Police Department of the Taiwan Salt Administration Bureau or the Taiwan Provincial Salt Tax Police Corps. After the Salt Tax Police moved out around 1951, the Civil Defense Command, the Land Office, the East District Office, the Military, Public and Teacher Welfare Center, the Tainan City Government Employees Consumer Cooperative Union and other units moved in and out one after another. Most of the time, multiple units shared the same building, and finally the entire western-style building was used as the Military, Public and Teacher Welfare Center. It was designated as a municipal historic site in 1998. After becoming a municipal historic site, the Tainan City Government’s Cultural Affairs Bureau embarked on a ten-year restoration project and began outsourcing its management in 2010.

Now, the Tainan Governor’s Residence has transformed into a popular spot for IG celebrities to take photos and check in. There is a chinaberry tree and bougainvillea outside. When the chinaberry flowers are in full bloom, it is a good place for many photography masters to practice shooting. The photos taken at night are even more beautiful!

Image source: Tainan City Government Tourism Bureau