The museum was built in 1916 as the Tainan Prefecture Office, and was a work by Japanese architect Matsunosuke Moriyama, whose other works included the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office (now the Presidential Office Building) and the Taichu (Taichung) Prefecture Office.
The façade makes use of brick, stone, and pebbledash to create a combination of modern and classical European styles. Later, due to demand for office space, the building was extended, creating the familiar sight of today. During World War II, US bombing raids led to the destruction of the mansard roof and the wooden window frames, leaving only the main brick structure.
The roof was given some basic repairs in 1949, after the Air Materiel Command took up residence. Later, when the Tainan City Government made the building their office space, even they found themselves unable to restore the characteristic mansard.
In 1992, the Council for Cultural Affairs (now the Ministry of Culture) chose to make the building home to the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and the National Center for Research and Preservation of Cultural Properties. With the precious old building having lost its luster thanks to historical and human factors, the CCA set to reviving it.
Through seven years of restoration, the old mansard roof, watchtower, dormers, and more were brought back to their former brilliance. In 2003, the ribbon was cut and the transformation was complete, with the former prefectural office now Taiwan’s first literature-focused museum.
Now, over a decade later, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature has become a must-visit for those interested or involved in literature in Taiwan, boasting a collection of 150,000 items donated by writers themselves or their families. Most of the collection, including manuscripts, letters, newspapers, and other artifacts, is stored underground. It includes handwritten manuscripts by Chu Hsi-ning, donated by her daughter Chu Tien-wen; manuscripts by Sanmao (Echo Chan) and tokens of love shared between her and her husband José Maria Quero y Ruiz; and scripts from playwright Yao Yiwei, along with the suitcase he brought with him to Taiwan from China.
As a well-known literary destination, the museum shares close links with other artistic and cultural destinations in Tainan. Next door sits the former Tainan Police Department, now restored and serving as the home of the Tainan Museum of Fine Arts, and not far away one can find the Confucius Temple Cultural Park, Yeh Shih-tao Literature Memorial Hall, and various stores in restored buildings like the Hayashi Department Store.
To help foster literary appreciation in Tainan, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature organizes “literary walking tours.” One such tour leads readers around scenes from the daily life and writings of Tainan author Ye Shih-tao, while another combines literature and history by exploring ten religious and cultural destinations in the city tied to classical poetry. Local literary experts like writers Chen Xiaoyi, Xue Jianrong, and Zeng Guodong are even invited to lead such tours.
With its mansard roof and unique fusion of Eastern and Western classical styles, the Tainan Prefecture Office building was the work of Japanese architect Matsunosuke Moriyama, and stands as one of his many contributions to the Taiwanese architecture of the early 20th century. (courtesy of Tainan City Government)