The Architect – What are the impacts of colonization & migration on Taiwanese architecture?
When I was in high school, I took a World History class in hopes to get a broader perspective of history. I was one of two African American students in the class. When we reached the Chapter on Africa, the teacher completely skipped it and moved on to the “Middle East”. We requested a meeting with the teacher to ask why she would skip an entire continent. She was polite, but conveniently said that she skipped it because the Chapter was outdated. It likely was, since the entire book was outdated, but it was difficult to understand how she could teach a world history class and leave out part of the world. Unfortunately, architectural history and art history have also been taught with a very limited lens and scope. For the pre-requisite for the Master of Architecture degree, I had to take two Art History courses and while in graduate school, I had to take an additional two Architectural History and Theory courses. Most courses would make mention of Egypt, then Greece, Italy, and the remainder of Europe. Colonization and migration impacts culture, social systems, and architectural space. I am a contextualist, and I seek to understand the context for which spaces are created. In visiting Treasure Hill and Toad Mountain, I became increasingly aware that I needed a better understanding of the architectural history and spatial and social forces of Taiwan
The city of Taipei has a unique tapestry of architectural styles, and throughout Taiwan, there are a variety of building representations. My sense is that diverse cultural variables have impacted the look and feel of the city. This was of particular note as I was walking through Treasure Hill and Toad Mountain and noticing very stylized spatial conditions. What guided the decision making? The cultural context from where they migrated or the current context in which they lived?
Taiwanese indigenous cultures date back to 3000 BC and there are currently over 800,000 indigenous people living in Taiwan currently. In 1628, the Spanish built a fort in Northern Taiwan that was eventually taken over by the Dutch in 1642. In the 18th Century the Han Chinese migrated to Taiwan and Hakka’s from the Fuijan and Guangdong province of China. (Separately, the Fujian province is known for a very particular style of Chinese vernacular architecture.) In 1662, the Dutch were driven out by the Ming Dynasty, and the former was defeated by the Qing Dynasty in 1682. In 1895 after, the Qing Dynasty turned over Taiwan to Japan. In 1945, the Republic of China ceded Japan. This is a condensed view of history to illustrate the vast potential for cultural impact. Even in the layers of colonization, cultures such as China, Japan, and migrants from China also contribute to the aesthetic.
From the collage below, you can see that within one neighborhood there are a variety of styles. In the coming weeks, I’ll be featuring a building from each period of occupation. This week’s spatial exploration was built during the Qing Dynasty. I toured the “Lin Mansion & Garden” located in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The style is characterized as Fujianese style. This style can be characterized with red roof tiles, brick walls, and centralized courtyards. The Lin Family migrated from Zhangzhou, Fujian province in mainland China in 1784. The family built wealth through rice trading, and eventually real estate. The estate currently is partially open to the public for tours and viewing. Rather than walk you through with extensive descriptions, I’ll let you view the photos below. Since Leila is my co-researcher on weekends, and her attention span has a a time limit; we only toured the exterior. I’ll be returning for the interior perspectives in a follow-up visit.
The Matriarch + Life in Taipei – Moon Festival
On September 24, Taiwan celebrated the Moon Festival and Leila enjoyed a day home from school. The city was quiet. Most of our friends had left to celebrate with extended family since it is a very family centered holiday. Just after Moon Festival, we were invited by a Taiwanese Family for a moon cake making event at Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry. The family that extended the invitation also has a daughter very close to Leila’s age, so they immediately became best friends. The moon cake is a rich pastry with a red bean paste inserted inside. If you have the main two ingredients, it is pretty easy to assemble the cakes. While the cakes were baking, the venue had an interactive museum-like tour that was followed by an area where the children could play games.
