The former residence of Chia-kan Yen, in Bo'ai Special Zone, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan, was the official residence of Chia-kan Yen, the fifth president of the Republic of China, and is now a national monument.
The former residence of Chia-kan Yen was initially the official residence of the vice president of the Bank of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period,[1] with a total area of 843.73 ping (2788m2).[2] The building's main body is a Western-style two-story building[3] with a prominent steeple on the roof.[4] [5] The building area is more than 200 ping (660m2). An additional Japanese-style wooden house was built in 1920.[3] The wall surrounding the building collapsed by 20 meters in the 1963 Su-ao earthquake.[6] The garden trees were planted during the Japanese colonial period. Most of these trees are native Taiwanese species such as ring-cupped oak, subcostate crape myrtle, banyan trees, and liquidambar. There are also three green maples of large diameter.[7] The Western-style cement walls are topped with East Asian-style brick eaves. The building's interior is also decorated in Western style with East Asian-style beams.[8] The first floor of the building includes a reception room, a large dining room, and a Japanese-style wing. The second floor consists of a study, bedroom, and living room.[9]
Chia-kan Yen took over this residence from the Japanese government in 1945 when he was a member of the National Government's Taiwan Taking-over Committee.[9] He became the chairman of the Bank of Taiwan the following year and moved there.[10] When Yen was elected vice president, the Office of the President bought the residence from the Bank of Taiwan in lieu of his presence.[11]
On July 17, 2001, the National Historic Site Inspection Committee of the Ministry of the Interior approved what it termed Mr. Chia-kan Yen’s Former Residence as a National Historic Site.[12]