TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The restoration of Jukuiju Mansion (聚奎居), a Taichung City-designated historic site, has been completed, and the grounds will be open to tourists soon.

The residence was built in Wuri, Taichung by a wealthy businessman in 1920 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. Though it was designated as a historic site by the city government in 2012, restoration was not completed until May of this year, with a total cost of NT$60 million (US$2 million), according to Taichung Travel Net.

Taichung Cultural Bureau Director-General Chang Ta-chun (張大春) said that a hidden three-level pond used for washing vegetables and clothes was found during the construction, which he regarded as a delightful surprise.

The architecture of Jukuiju Mansion, fashioned in the style of a traditional Fujianese U-shaped courtyard house, uses brick as its primary material. The two-story western-style house has a total of 86 arches on the outside of the veranda, and the terrazzo flooring on the second level is backed by reinforced concrete.

The old residence, along with the former Wuri Police Station and Wuri Town Hall, will form a belt of cultural attractions in Taichung. The mansion, in addition to serving tourists, will also be used as an exhibition and commercial space.

(Taichung Cultural Bureau photos)