Wu Family Garden (Former Tainan Public Hall)(吳園(原台南公會堂))

The Wu Family Garden (吳園) is one of the most interesting historic sites in Tainan, and from Minquan Road (民權路) the first glimpse of the site will be of the Tainan Public Hall (台南公會堂) building constructed of a Baroque style, and which blends on one side into the Day Break 18 Teahouse (十八卯茶屋) built in a Japanese wood structure style and which features on another side a classical flower garden built in a Chinese style. The flower garden is now encircled at the rear by tall buildings, and in this place there is a strange feeling of the crisscrossing of generations as buildings from different decades all sit side by side. On an average afternoon, the lawn and steps in front of the Wu Family Garden are full of crowds of people sunbathing or chatting and enjoying a picnic. There may also be groups of people standing in the Chinese style flower garden feeding carp and enjoying a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle elsewhere. Day Break 18 Teahouse is also popular, and the Public Hall often features all kinds of art exhibitions, thereby ensuring that this place is a treasure trove not only of architectural merit but also of living and breathing art and culture.