NDC starts renovation of Cold War housing in Taipei’s Zhongshan

NDC starts renovation of Cold War housing in Taipei’s Zhongshan

2024-03-11

Taiwan has launched the renovation of a U.S. dormitory complex in Taipei’s Zhongshan District. The homes were built 71 years ago, for U.S. civilian personnel sent to Taiwan during the Cold War. Now in a state of disrepair, the dorms will be renovated and repurposed in a project by the National Development Council.

A cozy Western cottage with Japanese roof tiling. Step in the door to find a living room with a fireplace, three spacious bedrooms, an American-style kitchen, and ample storage on the side. This dorm was built by the KMT for U.S. officials 71 years ago. It’s about to get a new lease on life through a restoration project.

Kung Ming-hsin
National Development Council minister
The renovation won’t alter the buildings’ exteriors, which will continue to testify to American support for Taiwan. But there will be changes on the inside. We will tear down all the walls you see now to create an open space. This space will no longer be used only by personnel of the National Development Fund and the National Development Council. It will be open to all borough residents.

This dormitory complex offers a glimpse into history. In 1949, the KMT government moved to Taiwan, and the Korean War broke out the next year. Seeking to unify the region against the Communist threat, the U.S. sent military, economic, and technical support to Taiwan. This led to the construction of the dorms in 1953. The homes were initially used by American officials, as well as personnel of the Sino-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction. After the U.S. cut ties with Taiwan in 1979, they were used by personnel of the AIT. To the north of the cluster is Taipei’s first American school. There’s also Zhongshan Girls High School, which was established during the Japanese colonial period. Jianguo Brewery is another landmark in this historically important neighborhood.

Jeremy Cornforth
AIT deputy director
This ceremony is a testimony to the long-standing and robust ties between the United States and Taiwan. Since that time, Taiwan has developed into a model advanced economy and a vibrant democracy, and the United States-Taiwan partnership has steadily deepened.

There are old American dormitories all across Taiwan. The best-known ones in the north include the Yangmingshan military housing and the civilian accommodations on Chang’an East Road and Longjiang Road. Similar accommodations can be found along Taichung’s Meicun Road and Kaohsiung Zuoying District. Taiwan officials say the goal is to eventually preserve them all, so that they can continue to bear witness to history.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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保存文化歷史! 國發會辦美援宿舍修復再利用工程典禮

2024-03-11

位在台北長安東路二段上，作為歷史建築的美援宿舍，從興建至今，已過了71年年老失修，今天國發會舉行修復及再利用工程，要將這頗具歷史重大意義的建物完整保存。

黑瓦日式洋小屋的外型，從大門走進一看，有著美式的壁爐客廳，三間寬敞的臥室，一邊則是美式廚房和儲物間，這些都是國民政府遷台後，提供給美國文官住的宿舍，如今71年過去，也將透過修復及再利用工程，迎來新風貌。

[[國發會主委龔明鑫]]
“後續的整修以後，我們外貌都不會改變，持續的見證了美方對台灣的支持，但是內容上會有一點改變，我們會把這個現在看到的圍牆，全部把它拆掉，變成一個開放式的，它不再只是國發基金或國發會人員使用而已，而且所有的里民都可以來適用這個範圍”

美援宿舍群，如同歷史縮影，1949年國民政府迫遷來台、1950年6月韓戰爆發，美國重新思考東南亞布局，提供自由陣營，軍事、經濟以及技術的援助，對抗共產勢力的擴張，1953年催生美援宿舍，提供美援時期美方人員，和早期農復會官員使用，1979年台灣與美國斷交後，也一度做為美國在台協會的職務宿舍。而基地北側，有台北最早的美國學校、日治時期就成立的中山女高，還有建國啤酒廠的廠區，如今能完整保留，具有重大歷史意義。

[[AIT副處長柯傑民]]
“這場典禮見證了美國與台灣之間，長時間以來穩固的連結。自從美援時期，台灣已發展為先進經濟體和民主的模範，美國與台灣的夥伴關係也穩定深化中”

美援宿舍遍及全台，北部較知名的，除了有陽明山給武官住的美軍宿舍、長安東路、龍江路給文官住的美援宿舍，另外台中美村路和高雄左營周遭，也都有美軍官員住過的痕跡，希望日後能一一修復保留，作為歷史的見證。

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Using railway imagery, the artist simulates the colonizers’ perspective on Indonesia. Although these colonial and authoritarian cultures are no longer part of Indonesia today, there are still traces of memories and indelible relics remaining in the fabric of daily life.

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