Imagine that five days a week, for about six months, the bus you are on passes by this building. That in your bus seat you can just barely see over the surrounding wall and catch a glimpse of this building that is unlike any other in the city. Would you ponder what it is? Who lives there? What it's like inside? All the time knowing that you'll never actually get to know for yourself.
Well this is how I felt every time the bus passed this building on my way to work. I always wanted to go in and explore for myself but i knew there was no way I'd ever be able to go in, as this area of the city is full of houses for the president and other officials, and are strictly off limits. That is until years later (more specifically last month) I by accident found out that this building is open to the public one day a month. So I set my calender for the next opening (April 7th) and then finally went.
This is the "Taipei Guest House" called so because it is used to receive domestic and international political guests. Before this, it was used as the home of the "Governor-General of Taiwan" basically the person the Japanese government put in charge of running Taiwan.
It was great to finally go in, even if it in no way would be able to live up to my ever more extravagant daydreams while on my daily commute. But I do so enjoy these old Japanese buildings which showcase an asian touch on european architecture. I also did enjoy that in a cute twist, this is also the site where the treaty was signed in which Japan gave back Taiwan to China, after WWII.
