After inspecting three newly remodeled historical sites in Tainan, an area famous for its temples and historic buildings, Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai lauded the community for combining traditional elements with contemporary aesthetics and breathing new life into the old buildings.
At the first stop of the trip, Tainan Cultural and Creative Park, a former stronghold of Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, Lung said the park, which is located in a convenient spot, could attract visitors from both northern and central Taiwan.
Such a historical building like this plays a role of helping local residents keep in touch with the land's culture and creativity, Lung said, adding that the park has successfully retained the essential characteristics of local cultural assets.
Lung also instructed the Bureau of Cultural Heritage to invite military history experts to appraise the building of the reopened Lin Department Store, a five-story historical building where fragments from World War II bombings were discovered.
The Lin Department Store, which was first built in 1932 and reopened in late June, was one of the most popular shopping malls during the Japanese colonial period. It fell under the ownership of the government after WW II and became listed as a protected historical site by the Tainan City Government in 1998.
The cost of restoring the building totaled NT$80 million (US$2.67 million), with half coming from the Ministry of Culture and the other half from the Tainan City Government, marked a good example of collaboration between central and local governments in revitalizing cultural assets, Lung noted.
Before concluding her two-day inspection trip to southern Taiwan, Lung also visited Ten Drum Culture Village, the home base of the Ten Drum Art Percussion Group in the idle Jenteh Sugar Factory.
Seeing how Ten Drum Culture Village has preserved all production facilities of the sugar factory, Lung expressed the hope of incorporating more idle sugar factories around the country in future cultural revitalization plans.
Through tailored policies and supportive measures, the Ministry of Culture will also continue to provide marketing plans and channels aimed at matching local crafts with domestic and international sellers, she added.