The Taiwan Literature Base (TLB, 台灣文學基地) in Taipei was inaugurated on Jan. 18. Housed in the best-preserved Japanese colonial-era housing complex in Taipei, the literary hub managed by the National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL) is an extension of the Qi Dong Poetry Salon (齊東詩舍).
At a press conference, Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te said it is expected that the TLB will serve as a space and a platform of literary creation and exchange for creators of all forms of literature, including novels, prose and poetry. It is also a literary creation hub for various ethnicities, languages and cultures, he added.
Poet Wu Chen (吳晟), director Tsai Tsung-hsiung (蔡宗雄) of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Taipei City Government, and writer Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子) also attended the press conference.
Situated between Jinan Road and Qidong Street, the historical buildings are the best- preserved Japanese-style housing complex in Taipei.
Lee described the establishment of the TLB as an important milestone. The planning began years ago under former Culture Minister Cheng Li-chun. The Bureau of Cultural Heritage (BOCH) under the Ministry of Culture had set aside budget for the restoration of the seven historical buildings and the refurbishment works were carried out by the Taipei City Government.
On occasion of the TLB inauguration, Lee said he is grateful and heartened to see the accomplishments of the joint efforts of different government agencies.
He also raised the fact that there are numerous examples of interdisciplinary collaboration in the content industries in recent years, and he expressed the hope that the TLB will become "an important platform for exchange across different artistic disciplines."
The seven buildings of the TLB house the "Qidong House," "Reading Hall," "Exhibition Hall," "Muse Garden," "Literature House," "Creative Workshop," and "Matcha One," for exhibition, reading, sharing creativities, and residences for writers.
Su Shuo-pin (蘇碩斌), director of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, expressed his gratitude that the museum will be managing the operations of the TLB once the refurbishment is completed.
He noted that the Japanese-era buildings were once the residence of a general after the Second World War. As a result, the space holds special memories for Taiwanese people across different eras.
Su added that to have a place dedicated to Taiwanese literature in Taipei City is worth cherishing, and he hopes to see the TLB thrive as a place of literary creation and a venue of cultural events.