Fengyi College opens to public in Kaohsiung

2014-11-04

Historic Fengyi College was opened to the public Oct. 31 in a special ceremony marking completion of restoration work on the Kaohsiung City-based institution built two centuries ago.

“We are grateful to the original occupants of the site for their cooperation in relocating and to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs for funding nearly half the budget of NT$170 million [US$5.7 million],” Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu said.

“The contributions to the project, as well as revival of the Wenchang worship ceremony at the college, of scholars such as Chao Chung-chin, Lee Chian-lang and Wu Mi-cha have also been invaluable.”

Initiated in 2009, the project was made possible following the college’s earlier listing as a heritage site by the Ministry of the Interior and years of relocation consultations and negotiations with the representatives of more than 100 households living on the grounds.

Shih Che, director-general of Kaohsiung City Government’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs, said to help visitors visualize life of yesteryear at the college, statues have been erected depicting the arrival of the Fengshan County magistrate, student scenes from a classroom and a cattle auction.

Lee, a professor in the history of Taiwan architecture at Taipei City-based Chinese Culture University, said Fengyi College is considered the biggest Qing-era college still standing on the island.

“The funding for the maintenance of the college mainly depended on payments from the use of Tsaogong irrigation system situated on the Kaohsiung Plain and taxes levied on farms throughout the surrounding Fengshan District,” he said. “The name Fengyi literally means the arrival of phoenix that signifies auspiciousness.”

The college was first built to ready students for the civil service during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). It was not until 1895 did the institution cease functioning due to Japanese annexation of Taiwan.

After disbandment, the college was used as a branch of Tainan Garrison Hospital. It was later changed into a silkworm farm before becoming a dormitory for staff of Fengshan District Government until the end of Japanese rule in 1945.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=223619&CtNode=413)