Housewife Chuchen Pao-kuei, now 58, has been living in Qidong Street in the downtown Taipei district of Zhongzheng for 30 years. She likes her neighborhood, citing its greenery and the presence of old-style houses, and she hopes the area can stay that way, but admits that is a tough battle to fight. "Our community features a cluster of historical Japanese houses. These days it's a sight rarely seen in Taipei City," she says. "In the morning, we're woken up by the birds. When we stroll around, we can see the beautiful sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees and smell the fragrance of flowers."
She remembers how, in the old days, housewives would sit beneath the trees in the afternoon to knit or chat as their children played nearby, or how the residents would share meals together on the tatami mats in one another's houses.
In late 2002, however, Chuchen was surprised to find that two of the old Japanese houses on her street had been torn down overnight, with the old camphor and mango trees alongside them uprooted as well. She later discovered that it was the property owner, the Bank of Taiwan, that had ordered the demolition and subsequently sold the pieces of prime real estate to developers.
The event triggered a feeling of sadness for Chuchen and motivated her to do something to stop more destruction of this kind. She called on community residents and supporters to join forces to launch a "rescue campaign" for the houses on her street.
"I know that times change, and city renewal programs spur local development, but we need to give more thought to what should be preserved and what could be revamped, rather than adopting this 'out-with-the-old, make-way-for-the-new' approach single-mindedly," she says. "People in the local community should have a say in related planning, too."
Diamonds in the Rough
Taipei is home to approximately 2,000 wooden structures built during the Japanese rule of the island between 1895 and 1945, as well as some 4,000 trees that have been growing in their surrounding gardens since that time. Most of the buildings were houses for ranking Japanese officials and thus many are located near major government agencies or state-run enterprises from the period. From 1945 on, many of these government properties were used as homes for civil servants.
Michale Teng, division chief of the Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs (DOCA), says that most of the city's traditional Japanese-style structures are one-story houses featuring refined design and decor, as well as private gardens. They are visually pleasing and add charm to the city landscape, he adds.
"The old Japanese houses stand out in Taipei's metropolis, where high-rises and luxury residences are found in increasing numbers. They bring a sense of beauty to the environment," Teng says. What is more, they are part of the city's history, and they represent the original "green" building technique, Teng explains. Japanese houses use large windows, wooden materials and plants extensively, with the emphasis on natural light and ventilation. "They should be cherished," he adds.
Chang Kun-chen, associate professor at the Graduate Institute of Architecture and Urban Design of National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT), says the houses also have educational significance.
"As well as having historical value, they exemplify the city's development over time. These Japanese houses showcase Taiwan's cultural, as well as cityscape, diversification," Chang says. "They tell a lot of stories about the city's changes and make it an interesting place to explore."
Chang notes some of the characteristics of the Japanese-style structures such as black-tiled roofs, red brick walls, wooden floors, tatami mats and sliding paper doors. A typical design also features a garden graced by stone lanterns, a small pond and often an osmanthus tree, he says. As a concession to Taiwan's climatic conditions of high humidity and rainy season downpours, a few modifications were made, including the design of "rain boards"--weatherboard siding to keep out the rain--and an elevated floor up to 60 centimeters off the ground.
"Appreciating these old houses can enable us to understand the way that Japanese lived as well as their architectural traditions. That's educational," Chang says. "And from the perspective of landscape, they are usually surrounded by big trees and grass that add recreational and leisure opportunities. All this adds to their significance as part of the city's cultural and environmental legacy."
Traditional designs use large windows extensively for natural light and ventilation. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)
Taipei architect Sun Chi-jong says in Europe, people are proud of their centuries-old houses and furniture and make a lot of effort to keep them intact. Europeans also emphasize control over the look of the built environment. These issues, however, appear to be neglected in Taiwan, Sun says, where many buildings with historical or aesthetic value have vanished from the urban landscape.
In particular, the structures built during the Japanese colonial period are part of a cultural legacy that distinguishes Taiwan's city landscape, Sun continues. "In Taiwan, you can see buildings in the Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Spanish or Dutch style," Sun adds. "They illustrate not only our colonial history, but also cultural diversity."
It is a point echoed by Qidong resident Chuchen Pao-kuei. "Communities should endeavor to preserve and reuse their original features since that is what makes places more valuable," she says. "The preservation of traditional spaces, like the preservation of culture, is not an impediment to a society's evolution. Actually, it's an important part of progress and sustainable development."
Amid rapid urban development, however, government policy has changed in recent years, resulting in the divestment of national real estate assets. As a result, a considerable number of these historical abodes have been sold to the private sector--often demolished before or after sale.
When Chuchen and her group began their mission in 2002, their first move was to ask representatives from the DOCA to pay a number of visits to their community to evaluate the historical and cultural significance of the remaining Japanese-style buildings. They also organized tours of the area and invited scholars and experts to give seminars introducing the characteristics of the Japanese structures in terms of style, construction materials and functionality so that people could learn more about the buildings.
Comprehensive Census
In response to the requests from the Qidong Street residents as well as other groups, the DOCA initiated a comprehensive survey of Taipei's Japanese houses in 2003. NTUT's Chang was commissioned by the city government to conduct research on the city's existing Japanese houses and found that most of the remaining structures were located in the Zhongzheng, Da-an and Zhongshan districts of central Taipei. Of those, six places, including Qidong Street and Da-an's Qingtian Street, registered better preservation of the Japanese domiciles. This prompted the city government to take action by formally declaring a number of structures as heritage sites under local conservation law in an attempt to preserve some of the city's architectural legacy.
The regulations on whether a building can be classified as a significant "cultural asset," the DOCA's Teng explains, follow a number of guidelines. These include the current condition of a property, the uniqueness of its construction in terms of style and the materials used, the age of the structure and if any important public figures lived there or if any significant events took place there.
Consequently, the Taipei City Government officially designated one Japanese house located in Lane 53 Qidong Street as a "historic site" in 2004 and another 10 similar structures nearby as "historical buildings." In 2006, the city government proclaimed all the residences surrounding Qidong Street as a "conservation area."
Under current laws, a "historic site" has the highest level of protection with changes to the site prohibited and the owner required to undertake conservation work. The rules for sites designated as "historic buildings" are less stringent, with owners allowed to make minor modifications on a case-by-case basis. In "conservation areas," residents are encouraged to preserve original structures although this is not mandatory. At the present time, Taipei has a total of 23 Japanese-style buildings listed by the city government as historic sites and 65 structures listed as historic buildings.
The research survey was followed by a number of restoration projects, with the department inviting local scholars and professionals to take part. As far as Qidong Street is concerned, Teng says only three of the listed Japanese houses there are under the ownership and management of the Taipei City Government, while the others belong to the Bank of Taiwan. Thus, he says, the city government can carry out planning and restoration work only for those three structures under its control.
Difficulties of Preservation
Architect Sun Chi-jong knows about the current legal framework and other challenges of conservation work. In 2005, Sun was asked to renovate a Japanese-style dormitory built in 1927 situated in the city's Wenshan district. After conducting a thorough investigation of its historical background, construction and place in local history, the architect oversaw a complete restoration of the site. He was then entrusted by the Taipei City Government to restore the historical Japanese buildings at Qidong Street earmarked for conservation.
The Qidong project, Sun says, has several technical difficulties, including a lack of historical data about the construction of the buildings. It also faces larger problems such as malicious damage to the properties. "Conservation of historic sites is becoming a tougher task amid the booming real estate market, which involves huge commercial interests," he says.
Typical features of Taipei's Japanese-style structures include black-tiled roofs. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)
Sun says that although the national government promulgated the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act back in 1982 to protect historic structures, the law has not yet been effectively enforced. According to the law, those found to have intentionally damaged a historical site are subject to imprisonment of up to five years or a penalty of between NT$200,000 (US$6,500) and NT$1 million (US$33,000). However, given the value of land in expensive districts--real estate in Qidong Street, for example, can sell for up to NT$800,000 (US$26,200) per ping (3.3 square meters)--Sun says it is little wonder that buildings have been demolished or damaged beyond repair by those eyeing huge potential profits.
"The law outlines several major 'ideals' to preserve our valuable cultural assets," he says. "However, the questions remain: Is Taiwan a law-abiding society? Is the government determined to defend these assets by seeking any possible solution? For the time being, it seems that some people still break the law to pursue personal interests and the government has not yet taken an aggressive stance against them." This, Sun adds, leaves him feeling helpless at times. "Still, I'll keep striving to restore the original features of these buildings and have them reutilized so that their architectural, cultural and historical significance can be fully appreciated," he says.
Sun himself was once engaged in the building industry, but felt unhappy about what he was doing. "Our work was to help real estate developers achieve the maximum economic benefit, oftentimes at the expense of the aesthetics of space and environmental heritage like old buildings and trees," he says. It was not until 1999, when he was invited to join the project in Wenshan, that he could realize his own ideals on architecture and the consideration of local culture and environment.
NTUT's Chang has shared some of the same frustrations, saying that preserving heritage sites while pursuing urban development has been something of a tug of war in the midst of the island's rapidly modernizing capital. In fact, he says, urban development seems to be gaining the upper hand.
"Initially, when I first threw myself into the conservation of historical buildings, I often felt frustrated. It seemed our endeavors could not match the rate at which old buildings were being demolished and I also regretted not making an earlier start," Chang says. "Now, I think as long as we continue our campaign, every single house we manage to save will count a lot."
After the Restoration
In addition to the technical problems of restoring historical buildings, architect Sun thinks another challenge is the subsequent management of sites and how they are utilized. He hopes the authorities in charge can come up with some creative planning ideas, adding that the Wenshan site is now used for exhibitions of art, traditional handicrafts and local produce, as well as for hosting events. This was a consensus decision reached through public hearings attended by local residents, Sun says.
Michale Teng of the DOCA says members of the community initiated the conservation effort for the city's Japanese houses, so he would also like to see their participation in the decision-making process for how the sites are used. "We are open to any possibility regarding the utilization of these historical Japanese buildings providing it involves public access and, preferably, a cultural mission," he adds.
Previous renovation projects of some historical buildings have included reutilization as a cafe or tea house, a restaurant, a museum and a community cultural center. One idea under consideration, Teng says, is for the restored Japanese houses to offer short-term accommodation to tourists interested in experiencing this style of housing. Under this plan, management of the site could then be entrusted to the hotel industry. That could also reduce the government's financial burden in preserving these structures, he says.
Qidong Street resident Chuchen Pao-kuei hopes that the Japanese houses in her neighborhood could become a kind of "living classroom" for schoolchildren as well as a place of interest for visitors to learn of historic architecture and local history. She and other residents will be glad to offer guided tours. Or, the former homes could be used as a library, for exhibitions and performances or as a venue for public discussions, she adds.
"We often walk too fast, forgetting to stop and appreciate the aesthetic value of our surroundings. Once those beautiful old structures and trees are lost, they're gone forever. That would be terrible," she says.
Write to Kelly Her at kelly@mail.gio.gov.tw