Taipei Botanical Garden Recreates the Forgotten Nanmencho 323

For many people in Taipei, Ximending is a familiar place name that once stood for bustle and prosperity. But far more people do not know that Taipei also has a place called "Nanmencho," located amid the quiet Taipei Botanical Garden. To enrich the forestry culture and character of the Taipei Botanical Garden, the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute under the Council of Agriculture restored a Japanese-style building called "Nanmencho 323" beside the lotus pond, and opened it to the public today.

Huang Yu-hsing, director of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute under the Council of Agriculture, said the name "Nanmencho 323" was chosen mainly because the land registry records for this wooden building during the Japanese colonial period listed it as "Taihoku Prefecture, Taihoku City, Nanmencho 6-chome, 323-banchi," hence the name "Nanmencho 323."

Restoring Japanese-style Structure, Recreating the Beauty of the Garden

Chen Pao-chi, minister of the Council of Agriculture, said that during the reconstruction of Nanmencho 323, government funding was tight, and the project relied heavily on sponsorship from the Wu Tsun-hsien Culture and Education Foundation, the PX Mart Ching-hsiang Charity Foundation, and the PX Mart Pei-hua Dream Social Welfare Foundation to support the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute's operating and management budget for the Taipei Botanical Garden. He expressed special thanks for the donations from the business community.

Huang Yu-hsing, director of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, said that regarding special exhibition information, inside Nanmencho 323 there is a botanical drawing exhibition guided by teacher Chen Chien-pei of the Graduate Institute of Plastic Arts at Tainan National University of the Arts and completed entirely by Taipei Botanical Garden volunteers. Inside the city-designated historic site Chinchai Hangtai, there is a special exhibition on dye plants planned and curated with the assistance of the Taiwan Natural Dye Society. The public is welcome to find time to visit.

Nanmencho 323, Taipei Botanical Garden

Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 15 people admitted every half hour (closed Mondays)

Upcoming exhibition: Taipei Botanical Garden Volunteer Botanical Drawing Exhibition

Exhibition period: 2014.9.2 (Tue) to 2014.11.2 (Sun)
Venue: Nanmencho 323, Taipei Botanical Garden
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 15 people admitted every half hour (closed Mondays)

Upcoming exhibition: Special Exhibition on Dye Plants
Exhibition period: 2014.9.2 (Tue) to 2015.1.4 (Sun)
Venue: Chinchai Hangtai, Taipei Botanical Garden
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed Mondays)