At the entrance of the Budai 543 Story House, there is an art installation called Budai Zui, which is the old name of Budai, and the Story House was formerly known as Budai Detention Center of Kaohsiung Customs Bureau, Ministry of Finance, commonly known as Customs by the locals. Now, the historical changes and humanities of Budai in the past are exhibited through art curation, and visitors can learn more about Budai in an innovative and interesting way.
On the first floor of the Story House, paintings are used to illustrate the 400 years of historical changes in Budai, with one painting representing a colonial period, namely the prehistoric period of Taiwan, the Dutch/Koxinga period, the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese rule period, and the period after Taiwan's restoration, in which Budai and Chinese maritime transport flourished at the beginning of the restoration period, giving it the name of "Budai Little Shanghai". There is a children's reading room in the Story House, which was based on the prosperous boathouse back then, with tatami mats inside, so that the children can sit in the boathouse and read the picture books. The exterior is decorated with famous stores such as Yongle Tea Shop and Yilai Xiang, as well as rice and sugar, which were the most exported items at that time, highlighting the former glory of Budai.
On the second floor of the exhibition area, old photos and installation art are used to present the life of the residents of Budai. One of the three-dimensional paintings is very impressive, which looks like a flat oil painting when photographed, but in fact, it is a large installation art made by the artist who painted the tables and chairs and other three-dimensional real objects with oil painting-like colors. It makes you feel like you are the main character in the painting when you visit this place.
The next time you come to Budai, don't forget to visit the Budai 543 Story House to learn more about the bits and pieces of the past about Budai through art experiences, in addition to tasting delicious seafood at the fish market and enjoying the High-Heel Wedding Church.
