The building was originally constructed in 1926 as a dormitory for public servants during the Japanese colonial period.
The structure survived extensive urban redevelopment due to its status as a designated historic building within the Yilan City cultural heritage zone.
The museum gained widespread attention after being featured as a filming location in the popular Taiwanese television drama 'The Way We Were'.
The restoration process utilized traditional Japanese carpentry techniques to preserve the original integrity of the wooden frame and layout.
Yilan Literature Museum is housed within a preserved 1920s Japanese-style wooden structure that formerly served as the official residence for the Yilan Agriculture and Forestry School principal. It is located within the Yilan Memorial Hall park complex, surrounded by century-old camphor trees. The site emphasizes the connection between regional literature and Yilan's cultural evolution. Architecture features traditional shingle roofing, wooden corridors, and tatami-mat interiors that reflect colonial-era administrative housing designs. The museum serves as a hub for local writers to display manuscripts, thematic literary exhibits, and personal artifacts. It functions as a functional literary salon rather than a traditional high-security museum gallery. The facility maintains a tranquil setting designed to integrate with the surrounding historical architecture of Yilan City.
The elevated wooden veranda overlooking the garden of the Yilan Memorial Hall.
Remove your shoes before entering the interior wooden spaces, as is required for all visitors.
Check the official website for rotating exhibition themes as the collection focuses on temporary literary showcases.
Walk the perimeter of the building to observe the original exterior shingle cladding and historical structural details.
Do not attempt to touch the artifacts or run on the wooden floors, as the structure is historical and fragile.
Closed on Mondays and the day following national holidays.
Socks are required inside the building; silence is expected due to the delicate nature of the wooden structure.
