| Consulate General of the United States, Taipei Taipei Film House | |
|---|---|
光點臺北 | |
 | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Former diplomatic mission Movie theater |
| Location | Zhongshan,Taipei,Taiwan |
| Completed | 8 December 1926[1] |
| Opening | 10 November 2002 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Floor area | 375 square feet (34.8 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Taiwan Real Estate Co., Ltd. |
| Website | |
| www.spot.org.tw | |
TheEmbassy of the United States, Taipei (Chinese:美國駐台北大使館;pinyin:Měiguó zhù Táiběi Dàshǐ guǎn) is a formerUnited States diplomatic mission inZhongshan District,Taipei,Taiwan. The building currently houses theTaipei Film House (Chinese:光點臺北;pinyin:Guāngdiǎn Táiběi) as amovie theater.
At the end of the 19th century, flourishing commerce intea andcamphor led many Western foreign countries such as theUnited States, theNetherlands, andBritain to establish consulates and trade offices in theDadaocheng district ofTaihoku Prefecture. The United States built its consulate at this location during theJapanese rule in 1926 as theAmerican Consulate in Taihoku. FollowingWorld War II, it served as the US Ambassador's residence. AmbassadorsKarl L. Rankin,Everett F. Drumright,Alan G. Kirk,Jerauld Wright,Walter P. McConaughy andLeonard S. Unger all made this building their home. It now stands as an historic witness to relations between Taihoku andWashington, D.C.
In 1913, seeing that Formosa's strategic position was gradually becoming more important, the U.S. government upgraded their offices in Formosa.
In 1941,World War II broke out betweenJapan and theUnited States in thePacific, forcing the American consulate in Taihoku to close.
After theJapanese surrender ceremonies were conducted by theRepublic of China on 25 October 1945, the United States established its consulate at the building on 4 April 1946. In 1948, it was upgraded to a consulate-general as theConsulate of the United States, Taipei and handled American business in Taiwan at the present address in Taipei's Zhongshan District. The first appointee to be stationed as consul general at the consulate wasRobert C. Strong.
In 1950, theKorean War broke out, the United States again started aiding the Republic of China. In addition, an ambassador was accredited to the Republic of China. In 1953, it was upgraded to an embassy status four years after taking overNanjing.
In 1957, there wereprotests at the embassy after a killing and alleged murder of a Republic of China national.
On 1 January 1979, the United States switched diplomatic relations from theRepublic of China to thePeople's Republic of China and subsequently theAmerican Institute in Taiwan was established on 16 January 1979 to maintain non-diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The US embassy in Taipei was closed on 28 February 1979 and the building was left abandoned.[2]
On 20 February 1997, the building was listed as historic monument by thegovernment of the Republic of China. In 2000, theTaipei City Government and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) under the Cultural and Educational Foundation began renovating the building. The building now houses theTaipei Film House.
The building is a two-storymansion with white exterior wall with Victorian and American colonial style. The main hallway faces north with jutting veranda on its east side. The interior layout is designed around the central staircase.
The building is accessible within walking distance northeast ofZhongshan Station ofTaipei Metro.[3]
Embassies are the main entries, whileconsulates-general are shown as sub-entries for each country. A full list can be found atList of diplomatic missions of the United States. | |||
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‡ Missions which are located in countries or cities that may be considered a part of more than one continent 1 Consulates-General which function as an embassy (ie. consul reports to State Department, not the respective country's ambassador) 2 The American Institute in Taiwan is ostensibly a public, non-profit organization to promote US-Taiwanese relations, but through State Department staffing & assistance, functions as an informal US diplomatic mission. | |||
25°03′11″N121°31′20″E / 25.05306°N 121.52222°E /25.05306; 121.52222
