[Taichung 台中 ☼ DayTrip日游] Qingshui 清水 : Qingshui Elementary School Dormitory Cluster 清水公学校日式宿舍群 @ Lynda's Taiwan-logue

< Visited in Jul 2019 >

In 1935, the Japanese-run, then-named Qingshui First Public School 清水第一公学校 moved to its current relocation (circled below). To create staff accommodation, a cluster of dormitories was constructed at 1 side of the school, styled in a fusion of Japanese-western architecture (和洋折衷式建筑). The Qingshui Elementary School Dormitory Cluster 清水公学校日式宿舍群 (boxed below) we get to admire now, is one of the remaining buildings of this style in Taiwan.

Opened to the public after school hours on weekdays, and on weekends, there are several "mini museums" housed within the beautiful Japanese buildings - some of which were closed (or unoccupied) when I visited.

The buildings have been refurbished and are air-conditioned, thus the closed doors which should be handled with care. Visitors are also required to remove footwear before treading on the wooden and tatami floors indoors. (Thus, my delayed visit that rainy day, to allow my wet socks to dry, over cake and coffee at Yorimichi Patisserie 顺道菓子店 a short walk down the same street.)

If you are an avid fan of old architecture, chinese history and cultural museums like me, you will appreciate the effort put into setting up such public exhibitions to remember the past. By no means haphazardly done despite being free, I am often floored by the ambience and attention accorded to artefacts and curation. My blog will not detail the content, as I am sure you will prefer to appreciate it yourself when you visit.