Breaking into an Abandoned, Eerie Japanese-Era Dormitory: Tainan’s Tugou’s New Attraction “The Nonexistent Room”

Reported and photographed by Chen Hanyin / Tainan

Under the dusk, children run home barefoot and dirty with satisfied smiles on their faces — this was once the most beautiful sight of early rural Taiwan. But with the passage of time, the rise of high-rises and outflow of population, these simple scenes have vanished. To help modern people escape the city and rediscover the most genuine emotions, a group of like-minded artists have been deeply rooted in Tugou Village, transforming the entire rural area into an open-air art museum.

▲ The autumn artwork “The Nonexistent Room” at Tugou Rural Art Museum.

▲ An old, abandoned Japanese-era teacher’s dormitory has become a new hotspot for photos.

For a farming society that lives at the mercy of the weather, relying entirely on solar terms and the farmer’s almanac, Tugou Rural Art Museum has launched its autumn exhibition “The Wind Whistles in Summer, the Rain Slaps in Autumn,” which will officially open on August 19. Visitors can ride a bike and spend half a day or a full day exploring the entire rural area with a treasure-hunting mindset. The first artwork to be exhibited this autumn, “The Nonexistent Room,” is definitely worth a visit.

▲ The historic old building carries a slightly eerie atmosphere.

A revamped abandoned Japanese-era teacher’s dormitory, the building is over 50 years old and is an artwork created in homage to Ms. Ku Yan-Bixia, a victim of the White Terror. The old glass windows are covered with red, pink, and orange translucent paper, delicately simulating the light of dusk as it streams through the windows — as if stepping back into the past. In your ears, the murmurs of nuns seem to whisper, and the air seems to solidify. The mysterious and slightly eerie atmosphere lingers in your mind, unforgettable.

▲ The wooden table legs in Min-style symbolize early Taiwan.

▲ The interior repeatedly plays recordings of nuns’ spiritual dialogues.

“The Nonexistent Room”
Address: Opposite Houpi Elementary School (No. 195, Houpi Li, Houpi District, Tainan City)