David on Formosa

I have written about Beitou's museums before and now there is a new one to add to the list. The Taiwan Folk Arts Museum (北投文物館) recently reopened after being closed for five years for renovations. The wooden building that houses the museum was originally a club for Japanese officers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs converted it into the Jia Shan Guest House after the war before it was later sold to a private owner and converted into a museum.

The two storey wooden building has been lovingly restored. It maintains all the features that would have been present during the Japanese era such as the courtyards and paper screens. The exhibitions include a range of items from the Japanese era as well as Taiwanese aboriginal artifacts. There is also another building which is a tea house, but it wasn't open when I was there. You can still walk around it and appreciate the Japanese aesthetic in the garden. 

The exhibits are all clearly labelled in Chinese and English. I borrowed an English-language audio guide which gives extra information for a self-guided tour. The museum is located at No. 32 Youya Road in Beitou (北投區幽雅路32號). It is open from 10:00 to 21:00 and closed on Mondays. Admission is NT$200. It has a restaurant, but I didn't check the menu. It is quite a walk up the hill to the museum so you might consider taking a bus or taxi. 

This lovely covered bridge has been repaired since I last visited Beitou.

In the afternoon I wandered up to the Sulphur Valley (硫磺谷). It was cold and windy but the volcanic vents were still steaming and letting out sulphur fumes. Note the couple getting their wedding photos taken in the bottom right-hand corner of the photo.