At the time Japanese rule of
Taiwan and the
Pescadores began in 1895, the governor-general of Taiwan set up temporary headquarters at the former
Qing dynasty secretariat. The new rulers began making long-term plans for development of the island. The plans soon included building a new headquarters for the governor-general. A two-stage architectural design contest was held in 1906 and 1910. The
architectural design of Uheiji Nagano was selected in 1910. Aspects of the design typical of Japanese architects in Taiwan's colonial period include a façade facing east and a creative blend of traditional European elements (Renaissance, Baroque and
neoclassical). Plans were submitted to Tokyo where revisions were made to Nagano's original design. Tokyo authorities increased the height of the initial six-story central tower to 11 stories and made defensive improvements to the defense and corner towers. Construction began on 1 June 1912 and was completed on 31 March 1919 at a cost of 2.8 million Japanese yen. It became one of the best-known buildings in Taiwan during the period of Japanese rule after construction finished. During the
Second World War, the building suffered heavy bombing from the
Allied Powers and was severely damaged. On 31 May 1945, during the
Raid on Taihoku, bombs hit the front left side, main lobby, and northern sections of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. The fire burned for three days, damaging large parts of the building. Forty-five days after the air raid,
Japan surrendered. The building was not repaired until 1947, when the
Taiwan Provincial Government initiated a restoration plan funded through private donations. The restoration involved approximately 81,000 workers and was completed at the end of 1948, looking only slightly different from the original building. Since the timing of the restoration's completion coincided with the 60th birthday of President
Chiang Kai-shek, it was renamed
Chieh Shou Hall. ("Chieh Shou" means "Long live Chiang Kai-shek".) Beginning in mid-1949, the building served as the southeast military affairs office and, following the retreat of the ROC central government from mainland China to Taiwan, it became the Office of the President in 1950. In 2006 the name Chieh Shou Hall was dropped. The structure is officially referred to in English simply as the
Presidential Office Building. It was previously known as the Presidential Palace.
Chronology • 1895 (June 5): Sukenori Kabayama, the first Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan, lands on the island and sets up a temporary office at Keelung. • 1895 (June 14): Kabayama moves his office to the former Qing Dynasty Taiwan Provincial Administration Compound as part of his decision to move the seat of government to Taipei. • 2015: a replica of the Presidential Office Building was seen during a
People's Liberation Army exercise in
Inner Mongolia. • 2017: a man attacked a building guard with sword stolen from the
Republic of China Armed Forces Museum. • 2024: the building hosts Taiwan's first tabletop exercise simulating a cross-strait crisis. == Architecture ==