Qidong Street Japanese Houses

Qidong Street Japanese Houses (pinyin: Qídōng Jiē Rìshì Sùshè) is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. During the Qing Dynasty, Qidong Street was a major lane for transporting rice from the Taipei basin to harbours along the river. Prior to the construction of the Taipei City Walls in 1884, one could travel from Bangkah (today's Wanhua District) past the East Gate area and along Qidong Street which joined Bade Road, leading to modern-day Songshan, Nangang, and eventually Keelung. The history of Qidong spans the Qing era, the Japanese era, and contemporary times. The group of dwellings, located in the center of a modern-day residential district for city officials, housed Japanese civil servants and later provided housing for Republic of China central government figures. After World War II, the Japanese-style dormitory area was taken over by the Bank of Taiwan and converted into residences for bank executives. During Japanese rule, the area belonged to the Saiwaichō civil servant housing group, of which most of the architecture dates from the 1920s to the 1940s. The buildings feature distinctly Japanese architectural features and their overall layout remains largely complete, a state rarely seen in the current day. The house at #11, Lane 53, Qidong Street, currently the Taipei Qin Hall, is particularly well preserved with original porch, doors, and in

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