The magnificent Taipei Guest House – a top-notch spot for New Year’s Day

On the first day of 2018, the magnificent yet rarely opened Taipei Guest House, which sits adjacent to the Presidential Office Building with its flags flapping in the breeze, was opened to the public. During the Japanese era, this gem of a Renaissance building served as the office of the Governor General of Taiwan. In addition to being the governor's residence, it was also used to receive members of the Japanese royal family. Since the time of the National Government’s arrival in Taiwan, successive presidents have met with many important guests here and it was also chosen as the venue for the 2016 meeting between President Ma Ying-jeou and President-elect Tsai Ing-wen.

In addition to the magnificent interior decoration, the outdoor European-style garden always attracts many tourists wishing to snap a special keepsake or hone their sketching skills. Each year on New Year’s Day, people come and enjoy the beauty of Taipei Guest House in their own unique way, from snapping and sketching pictures to just taking a quiet stroll around the fabulous building and soaking up the ambiance.

以下為中文對照

2018年的元旦，總統府旗海飄揚，而在總統府周邊就有一處鮮少開放的古蹟－台北賓館，一棟充滿文藝復興風格的建築，在日治時期是台灣總督官邸，除了是總督的住所，也用於接待日本皇室成員，國民政府來台後，歷任總統也在此接見許多重要貴賓，像是2016年的雙英會談就在此舉辦。

除了富麗堂皇的內部裝潢外，室外的歐式庭園也吸引了許多遊客駐足拍照，也有一些民眾還特地前來寫生。民眾或拍照，或寫生，或僅僅只是靜靜的在館內漫步著，在新的一年，用不同的方式，體驗台北賓館的美。