Taipei City Government

On April 29, Mayor Ko Wen-je attended the inauguration ceremony for the city-designated historical site “Zhongshan Art House”—the former venue for a job search office during the Japanese Colonial Period and the former office for the Department of Health.
According to the mayor, Zhongshan Art House will serve as a place for holding history-themed guided tours and where physically-challenged artists will be given priority to set up exhibitions or performances.
He expressed his gratitude to the Department of Social Welfare and Children Are Us Foundation for remodeling the facility for the benefit of the disadvantaged. The government needs strong support from the private sector to promote social welfare, Ko stressed.
Noting that he was impressed with the opening dance at the event performed by a group of hearing-impaired artists, Ko believes that the venue will allow the disabled to showcase their talents, as well as displaying paintings or handicrafts by handicapped artisans thereby boosting their potential income.
The mayor reckoned that the transformation of Zhongshan Art House is part of the city government’s effort to manage the rich historical assets of Taipei. More than 80 city-owned sites of historical significance have yet to undergo adaptive reuse, despite the successful but slow implementation of Department of Cultural Affairs’ Old House Project.