| Presidential Office | |
|---|---|
 The Presidential Office Building facade | |
 Interactive map of the Presidential Office area | |
| Former names | Government-General of Taiwan (臺灣總督府) |
| Alternative names | Presidential Palace |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Renaissance-baroque |
| Location | Taipei,Taiwan, 122 Section 1 Chongqing South Road,Zhongzheng District |
| Coordinates | 25°2′24″N121°30′43″E / 25.04000°N 121.51194°E /25.04000; 121.51194 |
| Elevation | 8m |
| Current tenants | ROC President ROC Vice President |
| Construction started | 1 June 1912 |
| Completed | 31 March 1919 |
| Cost | ¥2.8 million |
| Height | 60m (tower) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Uheiji Nagano (長野宇平治),Matsunosuke Moriyama [ja] |
| Type | Government |
| Designated | 30 July 1998 |
| Office of the President | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中華民國總統府 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 中华民国总统府 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Government-General of Taiwan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 臺灣總督府 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kana | たいわんそうとくふ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kyūjitai | 臺灣總督府 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shinjitai | 台湾総督府 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ThePresidential Office Building is the work place of thepresident of the Republic of China onTaiwan. The building, located in theZhongzheng District in the nationalcapital —Taipei, was designed by architectUheiji Nagano during theperiod of Japanese rule of Taiwan (1895–1945). The structure originally housed the Office of theGovernor-General of Taiwan. The right wing of the building was damaged inAllied bombing during World War II, which was restored after the war byChen Yi, the governor-general ofTaiwan Province. It became the Presidential Office in 1950 after thegovernment of the Republic of China lost control ofmainland China and relocated the nation's capital to Taipei at the end of theChinese Civil War. At present, this Baroque-style building is a symbol of thecentral government and a famous historical landmark in downtownTaipei.
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At the time Japanese rule ofTaiwan and thePescadores began in 1895, the governor-general of Taiwan set up temporary headquarters at the formerQing dynasty secretariat.[1] The new rulers began making long-term plans for development of the island. The plans soon included building a new headquarters for the governor-general. A two-stage architectural design contest was held in 1906 and 1910.
Thearchitectural design of Uheiji Nagano was selected in 1910. Aspects of the design typical of Japanese architects in Taiwan's colonial period include a façade facing east and a creative blend of traditional European elements (Renaissance, Baroque andneoclassical). Plans were submitted to Tokyo where revisions were made to Nagano's original design. Tokyo authorities increased the height of the initial six-story central tower to 11 stories and made defensive improvements to the defense and corner towers. Construction began on 1 June 1912 and was completed on 31 March 1919 at a cost of 2.8 million Japanese yen. It became one of the best-known buildings in Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule after construction finished.
During theSecond World War, the building suffered heavy bombing from theAllied Powers and was severely damaged. On 31 May 1945, during theRaid on Taihoku, bombs hit the front left side, main lobby, and northern sections of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. The fire burned for three days, damaging large parts of the building. Forty-five days after the air raid,Japan surrendered.
The building was not repaired until 1947, when theTaiwan Provincial Government initiated a restoration plan funded through private donations. The restoration involved approximately 81,000 workers and was completed at the end of 1948, looking only slightly different from the original building. Since the timing of the restoration's completion coincided with the 60th birthday of PresidentChiang Kai-shek, it was renamedChieh Shou Hall. ("Chieh Shou" means "Long live Chiang Kai-shek".) Beginning in mid-1949, the building served as the southeast military affairs office and, following the retreat of the ROC central government from mainland China to Taiwan, it became the Office of the President in 1950. In 2006 the name Chieh Shou Hall was dropped. The structure is officially referred to in English simply as thePresidential Office Building. It was previously known as the Presidential Palace.
The Presidential Office Building occupies the city block between Chongqing South Road and Bo'ai Road in downtown Taipei. It is designed in the shape of two squares stretching from Baoqing Road to Guiyang Street.
The 130 meter-wide facade faces east down multi-laneKetagalan Boulevard. This reflects the concerns of its Japanese architects, who often oriented important structures toward the rising sun at the head of long avenues. (This feature may also be seen in Main Library ofNational Taiwan University.)
The building has ten entrances but only the front entrance and west gate are used for official functions. In the original design an ornate Baroque-style domed entrance hall greeted visiting dignitaries. This entrance hall was reconstructed with simpler interior features after destruction of the first hall in World War II. The west gate, the formal rear entrance of the building, features a grand marble staircase and porch lined withIonic andCorinthian pillars.
The two-part main building, six stories high, mainly houses government offices and maintenance services. The office wings feature balconies and long corridor that allow view of the sunlit North and South Gardens.
The 60-meter tower at the center of the building was the tallest structure in theTaipei Basin during Japanese rule. When the Nationalist regime took power, a platform was built at the top floor to enable martial flag-raising ceremonies.
The Presidential Office Building stands within walking distance of theJudicial Yuan Building,228 Memorial Park, theNational Taiwan Museum, the originalhospital of the National Taiwan University, the original East Gate of the City of Taipei, theChang Yung Fa Foundation Building (formerly Kuomintang Party Headquarters) and theNational Theater and Concert Hall atChiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. A few blocks to the west is Taipei's popularXimending shopping district with its historic cinema andZhongshan Hall. A few blocks to the north isTaipei Main Station andShin Kong Life Tower.
The building is accessible within walking distance South West fromNTU Hospital Station of theTaipei Metro.
Former President Chen Shui-bian revealed that the grounds of theShilin Official Residence contain the entrance to a hidden tunnel that connects to the Presidential Office Building.[7]
In 2019, Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building, in collaboration with theGeneral Association of Chinese Culture [zh] (GACC), organized a program called 'Spend A Night at Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building,' allowing international guests to visit and stay overnight at the building.[8] Ten groups of participants from 11 countries were selected.[9] The event was held again in 2023, and 15 groups of participants were selected from 12 countries.[10]
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