【Introduction】

The Monopoly Bureau of the Governor-General's Office was established in 1901 (the 34th year of Emperor Showa), which soon became a business entity for profit, exclusively dealing with commodity transactions on opium, salt, camphor, cigarettes, liquors, and other supplies for livelihood needs. In the 1940s, matches, petroleum, and standard weights and measures also came under the Monopoly Bureau's authority. The construction began in 1913 (the 2nd year of Emperor Taisho). The two transepts were built before the central pavilion, which was finally completed in 1922. After Taiwan’s retrocession, the Monopoly Bureau was named the Monopoly Bureau of Taiwan under the jurisdiction of the Taiwan Provincial government. The building was designed by Matsunosuke Moriyama, an engineer/architect working at the Construction and Maintenance division of the Governor-General Office. The building is a three-story structure; the central section of the building is topped with a tower adding to a total of six stories. The building is made of red bricks resembling a Victorian architectural style. The horizontal white stone bands on the red walls form a decoration contrast between these two colors. The dome above the entrance portico, the broken pediment over the gate, and the ornate columns are representative of Baroque architectural style. With an elevated ceiling in the main hall on the first floor, the central staircase of the hall is decorated with exquisite lime sculptures along both sides of the stairs. Above the entrance there is a decorated sculpture surrounded with whirling patterns and circular lines often found in medals and emblems; the fine workmanship exemplified by the intricate floral decoration is a standard technique by Matsunosuke Moriyama.

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