National Museum of Taiwan Literature

No. 1號, Zhongzheng Road, West Central District, Tainan City, Taiwan 700

The National Taiwan Museum of Literature is housed in a building with unique neoclassical architecture, which used to be the Tainan city hall. The museum researches, preserves and displays artifacts and literary works, condensing the formation and development of Taiwanese literature from the Japanese colonial period to the present. The museum has a large collection of local works in Taiwanese, Japanese, Mandarin and Classical Chinese. Besides the great cultural significance, the museum also attracts visitors by the very special architecture of the building.

The building was built in 1916 according to the distinctive neoclassical architecture during the Japanese colonial period. The museum's designs are classically French with the Mansard roof, a distinctive side-roof with two sloping roofs on each side, usually fish-scale or hexagonal, along with oeil-de- boeuf (bull's eye shape) or roof in the attic. Located right next to Confucius Temple designed in traditional Chinese style, the architecture of the National Taiwan Literature Museum has a clear contrast, stands out with a distinct value, is a historical proof. It is important in the history of the Westernization and colonization of Taiwan under Japanese domination. In addition, thanks to the sharp lines and subtle color scheme, along with the red brick dome along with the bright natural light inside the building, the museum has become an ideal place for couples to visit. for wedding photography.

In fact, the nearly century-old structure was almost ruined by bombing during World War II. Then only the outer walls remained. The building was abandoned for four years. After many renovations, the building was finally chosen to become a museum, collecting a lot of historical documents about modern Taiwanese literature. Tainan city was chosen by the Taiwanese government as the location for the National Museum of Literature because the city has many historical imprints and is considered as a cultural center of the country.

The museum features exhibits detailing the development of Taiwanese literature from the pre-Han period by indigenous peoples to the modern era, with original documents, explanations, interpretations, and more. documentary footage and special monuments related to literature. In addition, you will be surprised to enter a specialized exhibition area, mainly displaying 'literary works in mother tongue' covering languages such as Hakka, Old Taiwanese and some dialects the other way…

If you are a person who likes to learn about literature or language, this will definitely be an indispensable destination in your journey to explore the beautiful city of Tainan. You can freely explore the museum through the automatic audio tour system.

The museum is open every Tuesday to Sunday from 09.00 AM to 06.00 PM, closed on Mondays. The museum does not charge an entrance fee. From Tainan Station, you can walk along Zhongshan Road for about 15 minutes to reach the museum.

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Nearby attractions

National Museum of Taiwan Literature

Wu Family Garden

With typical traditional Chinese design, the garden of the Wu family, also known as the "purple spring garden", is one of the four famous gardens of the island nation of Taiwan. Coming here, you will have the opportunity to admire a unique architectural complex, combining classical European, Japanese and Chinese styles.

Tainan Judicial Museum

Built in 1914, this is an extremely unique architectural work with large columns finely carved, a circular roof in the baroque style. The floor is paved with colorful Victorian decorative tiles. In addition to the display of judicial documents, it still retains a courtroom, a secret information storage room, and a detention house. If you are someone who likes to admire beautiful architecture and learn a little about the Taiwanese judicial industry, you should definitely not miss this attraction in your journey to discover the ancient capital of Tainan.

Tait & Co corporate headquarters (Tait & Co Merchant House)

Located next to An Binh tree house, a lovely white building built in a classic Western style is the headquarters of Tait & Co company, which was established right after An Binh port came into operation. Tait & Co is one of only five foreign companies that can do business in Taiwan, its main branches are mainly sugar export, camphor, tea and opium import. Today, the building has ceased to function as a business and is used for a new purpose- Taiwan Kaituo Shiliao Wax Museum, which uses wax figures to re-introduce Taiwan's major commercial activities in the past. the first days of economic opening.