Long-term residents of Taipei share some fond memories: sipping tea at Lungshan Temple; picnicking at Fort San Domingo in Tamsui; buying newly issued stamps at Taipei's main post office; having their fortunes told at one of the stands in front of the Taiwan Land Bank across from New Park.

Some of these places have already been classified as historic sites, while some can only be termed buildings that are "getting on in years." But all of them have fused into the life of the people and become part of the collective consciousness.

News of the recent decision to tear down the Taiwan Land Bank because of its antiquated interior and insufficient office space and replace it with a 20-storey modern office building provoked an uncommonly strong public reaction.

But Chung Ching-fa, a manager who has been with the bank for many years, finds nothing lovely about working in a place that others find beautiful: "The lighting and soundproofing are lousy, and if people start making a ruckus you don't know what might fall down from the ceiling. It's not safe."

Cheng Yuan-chun, who works across from the bank at the Taiwan Provincial Museum, concurs: "The Land Bank is low and squat compared with the buildings around it. It's not a first-class or second-class historic site, and it's not worth preserving. It's a shame not to make better use of such a good location."

But many building preservationists, such as Lin Heng-tao and Li Chien-lang, maintain that the bank, which was built in 1933 in an eclectic combination of styles, is a high point of 1930s architecture and the only building of its kind still preserved intact. They recommend that it be listed as a third-class historic site.

Yet except for scholars and cultural figures concerned about the preservation of old buildings, does anybody else really care?

"Very few people will be sorry to see the Land Bank go, because most of us simply don't pay any attention to it," one citizen says, indicating just where the problem lies. If a building is really a historic site, people feel, the government will make sure it is cared for properly. The Land Bank, though, like a secondary wife, is "unclear in status."

Advocates of demolition insist that the bank lacks both the age and the qualifications needed to be called a historic site.

"But age is a relative concept," Li Chien-lang replies, "and the recognition of a historic site should emphasize cultural factors instead. Otherwise every stone in Choshui Creek would be a historic artifact." The criteria set forth in the Cultural Resources Preservation Act, he points out, include such factors as the site's connection to a historic event or personage, its repre-sentativeness, rarity, and state of preservation, but not its age.

Be that as it may, owners of buildings that have not been formally classified as historic sites may earn a considerable amount of money by tearing them down and putting up new ones. If asked to preserve the old buildings, won't they suffer a loss?

"Their losses should be compensated by society rather than borne by the owners," says Han Pao-teh, director of the National Natural Science Museum.

However, the Cultural Resources Preservation Act not only lacks a method to protect buildings with historical value and compensate their owners; it stipulates that no changes can be made to buildings classed as historic sites. Owners of historic sites have to pay the same property taxes as before, but they must forgo the benefits of rebuilding... so who would want their property classified as a historic site or a protected building?

With that problem in mind, the Ministry of the Interior is convening the relevant government, agencies to discuss ways of revising the law to produce a more satisfactory result.

Meanwhile, why not take a stroll in the city's center and enjoy the beauty of the Presidential Building, the Control Yuan Building, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan Provincial Museum, and other buildings constructed during the same era as the Land Bank?

As you do, you may come across some students lingering nearby, carefully observing the buildings and making notes. "The old buildings are vanishing from Taipei!" That's the warning they've heard from their teachers, and it's a worry troubling the minds of many other concerned people as well.

[Picture Caption]

The ranks of Greek style pillars alter the monotony of the square building; the height allows natural light into the interior. From these features you can tell the deftness of the design.

For the convenience of traffic, the National Taiwan University Hospital has a circular drive. At the height of the curve are pillars, each set having one square and two round columns. This not only makes easier the mechanics of the structure, it also adds some change.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Monopoly Bureau is done in northern European style. The top of the main entrance is done as a semicircular peak, which has the function of offsetting the sharp spire behind it. The carving at the top of the semi-circle is exquisite, made from a mold. The entrance is not raised, signifying that it is close to the people.

The main building of National Taiwan University Hospital has windows decorated in baroque style.

The Presbyterian Church, done in Gothic style: receding pillars replace flying buttresses; this is a method commonly used by the new art movement of the 19th century.

With a circular lobby as the hinge and the two wings slanting back, the Control Yuan presents a different look from its contem-poraries. The building slants at an angle, and pressure is evenly distributed. This exquisite design conforms to both aesthetic and mechanical principles.

The glass flower-design window at the museum is not as lavish as in Western buildings; this is where one finds "eclecticism."

The museum was built on the site of the Tienhou Temple. It is a Greek Doric style structure. It includes six circular pillars, creating a stable atmosphere; the entrance has a peak, with a dome at the center. The lines are simple and smooth, revealing a rational beauty.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

For the convenience of traffic, the National Taiwan University Hospital has a circular drive. At the height of the curve are pillars, each set having one square and two round columns. This not only makes easier the mechanics of the structure, it also adds some change.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Monopoly Bureau is done in northern European style. The top of the main entrance is done as a semicircular peak, which has the function of offsetting the sharp spire behind it. The carving at the top of the semi-circle is exquisite, made from a mold. The entrance is not raised, signifying that it is close to the people.

The main building of National Taiwan University Hospital has windows decorated in baroque style.

The Presbyterian Church, done in Gothic style: receding pillars replace flying buttresses; this is a method commonly used by the new art movement of the 19th century.

With a circular lobby as the hinge and the two wings slanting back, the Control Yuan presents a different look from its contem-poraries. The building slants at an angle, and pressure is evenly distributed. This exquisite design conforms to both aesthetic and mechanical principles.

The glass flower-design window at the museum is not as lavish as in Western buildings; this is where one finds "eclecticism.".

The museum was built on the site of the Tienhou Temple. It is a Greek Doric style structure. It includes six circular pillars, creating a stable atmosphere; the entrance has a peak, with a dome at the center. The lines are simple and smooth, revealing a rational beauty.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.

From these details, we can see eclecticism in action--freely choosing from Western classical, German new art movement, Oriental... any form.