The people’s Presidential Office Building
After entering the Presidential Office Building from Gate No. 3, at the intersection of Baoqing Rd. and Bo’ai Rd., one sees a very large Chinese character: fu (府). As the exhibition text explains, one component of the logograph is 付 (likewise pronounced fu), which can be interpreted to mean “entrusted by the people,” emphasizing that presidential power comes from the citizenry. Thus the Presidential Office Building embodies the people’s trust and expectations—it is, as the exhibition’s theme declares, “the People’s Presidential Office Building.”
The Presidential Office Building 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition, themed “Fu 100,” is an extension of the permanent exhibit, “Power to the People.” The number “100” represents the building’s hundred-year history, while the zeros stand for “two circles, or ‘eyes’ and ‘1’ symbolizes the people,” explains Lee Hou Ching. “The idea is to show the Presidential Office Building as seen through the eyes of the people.”
The highlights of the exhibition include not only works selected from a photography contest, symbolizing that everyone can interpret the Presidential Office Building according to their own perceptions, but also a collection of photographs from the past hundred years. In the space filled with the historical photos, curators have ingeniously installed several arched porticos, modeled on those that grace the building’s outer walls, echoing the exhibition’s theme, according to Presidential Office spokesperson Sydney Lin.
Taiwanese citizens and international friends alike are welcome to visit, and volunteers provide introductions to the exhibits in Mandarin, Japanese, and English. Those from neighboring Southeast-Asian countries may be somewhat familiar with Taiwan, or may have heard the names of its presidents, but might not be completely acquainted with the nation’s path to democracy. Watching the volunteers recount the achievements of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance system, Taiwanese athletes’ successes in international competitions, and the course of various social movements, we see foreign friends’ astonished reactions to Taiwan’s progress and liberalization. Standing to one side, in addition to recalling this part of Taiwan’s history and its interconnections with our own life memories, we can’t help but feel a rising sense of confidence in being Taiwanese.
One section of the permanent exhibition includes an especially moving feature, “The People,” an assembly of Taiwanese voices from every sector of society. The power of citizens’ collective appeals ensures that those in government will hear them.
A concert held in April of this year in front of the Presidential Office Building featured another kind of collective voice.
The program included a once-in-a-century gathering of classical, popular, indie, Hakka, indigenous, and Hoklo musicians, all taking part in the concert. Sam-seng-hiàn-gē, a Taiwan indie group whose sound blends musical elements drawn from temple festivals and religious processions, and Aboriginal singer Sangpuy, performed on a platform atop the Presidential Office Building’s porte-cochère, from where President Chiang Kai-shek once reviewed military parades and addressed the nation. It is especially significant that local musicians now stand in the same place, Lee Hou Ching says.
“Taiwan has always been known to the world for manufacturing. The concert brought together Taiwan’s pluralistic culture and showcased the strength of Taiwan’s cultural presentations. This is a more refined expression of national strength,” says Sydney Lin.
At the end of May, President Tsai Ing-wen personally welcomed international visitors to spend a night in the Presidential Office Building, inviting them to offer suggestions on how to experience the edifice. The move was unprecedented in any presidential mansion anywhere in the world: “This is a good way of letting the world see Taiwan,” Lee Hou Ching says.
Do you remember when we elected our first female president? And do you remember the hundred-table wedding banquet on Ketagalan Blvd. celebrating same-sex marriages? In recent years, Taiwan’s international visibility has risen dramatically, and discussions of its future directions are increasingly diverse. We should have more confidence in ourselves, and make friends with the world. The Presidential Office Building, bearer of Taiwan’s memories and witness to so much of its history, still stands tall and proud. As time passes, we hope that it will become even more approachable, and, under the Taiwan sun, accompany the people on their chosen paths.
The people's Presidential Office Building (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)
(photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
The century-old structure’s arches and arcades, and the façade’s alternating red and white ornamentation, are among the Presidential Office Building’s most arresting features.
As a child, Lee Hou Ching lived near the Presidential Office Building. In recent years he feels it has grown closer to the people.
Taiwanese aesthetics inform the Presidential Office Building’s reception rooms. The “Taiwan Green Hall,” shown here, features a work by a master calligrapher and a carpet decorated with images of Taiwanese flora and fauna. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
The “Fu 100” exhibition allows visitors to view and interpret the Presidential Office Building from personal perspectives.
(photo by Chuang Kung-ju)