Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Jun(e), compiled and reported
Located near Taipei’s Guting Station, amidst the bustling city, you’ll suddenly come across a very Japanese-style old building, offering a feeling of finding an unexpected oasis. This is the Kiirun’an Literary Forest. In addition to its historic building with over a century of history, there is also a newly built facility nearby, combining to form Taipei’s first literature-themed arts and cultural space. By integrating the Japanese-era old building with the literary history of southern Taipei, it has become one of the most popular spots for literary-minded visitors.
Taipei’s First Literature-Themed Arts and Cultural Space – Kiirun’an Literary Forest (Image Source / Kiirun’an Literary Forest)
Kiirun’an Literary Forest is located in a site of great significance in the history of post-war literary development in Taiwan (Image Source / Kiirun’an Literary Forest)
The historic Kiirun’an opened in 1897, operated by the Hiramatsu family, who named their restaurant after their hometown (Image Source / Kiirun’an Literary Forest)
The historic building, formerly the Kiirun’an restaurant, consisted of a three-story main building, a long banquet hall called Rikuya, and a separate annex for important guests (Image Source / Kiirun’an Literary Forest)
The fate of the Kiirun’an historic site has been full of twists. Originally built as a restaurant famous for its scenic views to commemorate a former home in Japan, it unexpectedly became a temporary shelter for the wounded during the Pacific War. After the war ended in 1945, it served as temporary housing for Japanese residents, and after the retrocession, the Nationalist Government repurposed it as staff dormitories for provincial government employees.
The fate of the Kiirun’an historic site has been full of twists. From being a scenic restaurant to enduring the changes of war and two major fires, its journey has been anything but smooth (Image Source / Kiirun’an Literary Forest)
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