The Changhua County Government adheres to the cultural heritage preservation concept of "restoring the old as it was before". Today (30th), the Changhua County Government held a blessing ceremony for the restoration project of the Nanguo dormitory complex, announcing that the restoration project can extend the life of the century-old building.
The restoration project of the Nanguo Dormitory Complex in Changhua City is coming to an end. When the construction team was repairing the official residences from the Japanese colonial period, they accidentally discovered the well-preserved "dongzha" from the Japanese colonial period, which was like an identity card of a century-old house, recording in detail the construction time, participants and other information. Following the preservation concept of "restoring the old as it was before", the county government held a blessing ceremony for the building today (30th) to put this wooden sign that bears witness to history back to its original place, which also symbolizes that the life of this century-old building can be continued from generation to generation.
The Nanguo Dormitory Complex was built during the Japanese colonial period and was originally a dormitory for Changhua County officials. It has a history of more than a century. Among them, Nanguo Dormitory No. 5 and 5-1 were registered as county historic sites in 2018, and the rest of the dormitory complex was registered as a settlement building complex in 2019. It is one of the few Japanese-style official residences in Changhua that has been completely preserved.
The county government will launch a restoration project in 2025. The county government will raise 236 million yuan of its own funds. It will be carried out in two phases, including the repair of 7 Japanese-style buildings and 1 public toilet. The first phase of the project is expected to complete the restoration of four dormitories by the end of this year (2026), and the second phase is expected to be completed in May 2027.
When this project started in March last year, the county government stated at that time that the old building had been exposed to wind and sun for many years, and part of the structure had been damaged. If it was not repaired, it would be too late. Therefore, it was decided that the county government would fully invest the restoration funds to rescue precious cultural assets.
During this construction process, the restoration team discovered "dongzha" left over from the Japanese colonial period in the roof trusses of the Magistrate's Category A official residence. The so-called "Tongzha" is an important wooden sign placed in the house when the beams are being raised in traditional Japanese buildings. The upright wooden sign is equivalent to a construction history, which records building information such as the construction authority, craftsmen, contractors, technicians, and dates.
Changhua County Mayor Wang Huimei said that the Nanguo dormitory complex is not only an old house, but also a witness to the urban development of Changhua. In recent years, the county government has successively completed preservation and redevelopment plans, restoration and reuse plans, and promoted restoration projects, hoping to fully preserve the precious historical features. The discovery of the "dongzha" this time has added a layer of cultural significance to the restoration work, and also allowed the outside world to get closer to the architectural story of a hundred years ago.
After the restoration of the dormitories planned by the county government is completed, it will be transformed into the "Nanguo Youth Entrepreneurship Base", attracting investment and introducing young entrepreneurial teams to settle in, planning youth brand stores, special exhibition rooms and accommodation spaces, and connecting nearby cultural attractions.
