Natural Way Six Arts Culture Center, West District, Taichung City, Taiwán
Built in 1937 in the Japanese Colonial Period, Natural Way Six Arts Center was a place for Japanese wardens and police officers to practice martial arts. Being the only well-preserved martial arts hall in Taichung, it is extremely valuable for historical, architectural studies and adaptive reuse.
The dojo complex includes a main martial arts hall and a subordinate building east of the main hall. The main hall was constructed based on a symmetric design with a shrine in the middle towards the back of the hall. The area to the left of the shrine is for Judo practices, and to the right is for kendo practices. As it is categorized as a smaller sized facility for martial arts practices, seats are on one side only.
The architectural structure is designed based on the model of a typical Japanese martial arts hall with an elevated base, imitation wood structures, hip-and-gable roof design, large Japanese gargoyles and bargeboards.
In addition to appreciating the historic architecture, visitors can take part in a variety of events like tea ceremonies and themed lectures. You can even sign up for courses to learn about tea ceremonies, guqin, an ancient instrument, literature or archery.
Epic Taiwan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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