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Changhua Railway Hospital (formerly Kaobin Pavilion)

2023-08-25
886-4-7285599
彰化縣彰化市陳稜路228號
The Changhua Railway Hospital, formerly known as Gaobinge, is located on Chengleng Road—Changhua’s “food street”—less than 300 m from Changhua Station. Nearby are the city’s signature dishes: ba-wan meatballs, cat-mouse noodles, and plain noodles. Unlike traditional, symmetrical architecture, the building’s streamlined form resembles an ocean liner: the left side of the roof copies a ship’s bridge, the walls have porthole-like round windows and long rectangular ones, and the lines are crisp. For a Japanese-era structure it was strikingly avant-garde and is now counted among Taiwan’s landmark modernist buildings; it was registered as a county monument in 2011. During the Japanese period Gaobinge was central Taiwan’s largest banquet hall; the adan (geisha) and nagashi (roving minstrel) culture flourished here, and together with the surrounding hotels and bars it created a lively entertainment district radiating from the train station—one of the birthplaces of Taiwan’s modern leisure life. Writers and intellectuals gathered to mingle and discuss politics, among them Lai He, “father of modern Taiwanese literature,” and Tu Tsung-ming, “father of Taiwanese medicine.” After WWII the Taiwan Railways Administration acquired the building and turned it into a railway hospital. Spanning eras, it carries profound meaning in Taiwan’s cultural and rail history and embodies the colorful past of Changhua City, forming part of local memory. The first-floor walls are clad in pastel-blue square tiles that exude retro charm; the lobby displays vintage furniture, antique ornaments, and posters recounting the hospital’s history and architectural features. Today the ground floor is an exhibition space housing an independent second-hand bookshop, pallet-furnished lounge, apparel and accessories shops—arranged in serene good taste. After sampling Changhua’s street food, visitors can drop in for photos and a literary stroll, soaking up nostalgic Changhua vibes.
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