Qidong Street Japanese-Style Dormitories
Qidong Street Japanese Dormitory Village, located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, is one of the most well-preserved Japanese-style residential settlements in Taiwan. Today, it houses several cultural institutions, including the Taipei Qin Hall (Taipei Guqin Institute) and the Taiwan Literature Base (formerly Qidong Poetry Salon). The area not only reflects the historical development of Taipei during the Japanese colonial period but also stands as one of the first historic districts to be officially registered for “area-based preservation” under Taiwan’s Cultural Heritage Preservation Act.
During the Qing Dynasty, the area was known as Sanbanqiao Street, serving as an important “rice route” connecting Taipei City to Keelung for the transportation of grain and goods. Because the early roads followed the natural terrain, the district still retains its irregular and winding alleys—unlike Taipei’s modern grid layout—making it one of the few neighborhoods that preserve the city’s original spatial patterns.
Between the 1920s and 1940s, under Japanese rule, this area was developed as the Saiwai-chō Official Residence District (幸町職務官舍群), featuring numerous wooden Japanese-style houses built for government officials and their families. These residences, with tiled roofs and tranquil gardens, contrasted sharply with nearby Taiwanese shophouses, lending the neighborhood a distinctly foreign charm. After World War II, the Bank of Taiwan took over the properties, repurposing them as staff housing, which later became one of the few surviving clusters of traditional Japanese dwellings in postwar Taipei.
Today, several of these historical structures remain along Lane 53, Qidong Street and Section 2, Jinan Road. Among them, No. 11, Lane 53, Qidong Street is designated as a municipal monument, while Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13 on Qidong Street and Nos. 25, 27 on Jinan Road are recognized as historic buildings.
With growing awareness of cultural preservation, the dormitory cluster has undergone restoration and adaptive reuse. The building at No. 11, Lane 53 was renovated and reopened in 2013 by the Chinese Guqin Society as the Taipei Qin Hall, a cultural venue promoting guqin (a traditional Chinese string instrument) music through performances, workshops, and lectures, all set within a serene Japanese-style garden. In 2014, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature took over the management of Nos. 25 and 27, Jinan Road, initially naming the site Qidong Poetry Salon before rebranding it in 2020 as the Taiwan Literature Base (TLB).
The Taiwan Literature Base serves as an “experimental hub for literary and cultural innovation”, expanding its scope to include buildings Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, Lane 53. It hosts literary exhibitions, writer residencies, adaptation workshops, interdisciplinary performances, book fairs, storytelling events, and guided history walks—creating an open platform for dialogue between writers and readers.
Strolling through Qidong Street today, one is greeted by rows of low wooden houses nestled among old trees and stone paths. The preserved architecture evokes the calm rhythm of old Taipei life. The district is not only a living witness to the city’s history but also a new stage for creativity and literature, carrying Taipei’s memories and stories forward through time.
