What difference is there between the Lalu now and one hundred years ago? In 1901, Mr. Ito, a Japanese businessman, built a mansion on the shores of Sun Moon Lake. In 1919, this first version of Lalu was moved to its current location due to the construction of a hydropower plant. Later, this was renovated by the Taichung (Taichū) Prefecture government into a two-story reception hall. The structure was made of Chinese cypress, with an exterior of Chinese fir. Not only did it become an important local landmark but it also was graced by countless high officials and notables from Japan. While this edifice on the shoreline saw different regimes come and go between 1919 and 1945, after the war it became a favorite temporary dwelling place for the former president Chiang Kai-shek after he came to Taiwan. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the 9/21 earthquake. Today the Lalu Hotel stands on the same spot, built by a financial group that continued the use of the name.
The Lalu at Sun Moon Lake
- NCL Special Collection / Wang Bi-yun / Japanese Colonial Period (1895-1945) / 14×9cm / 《Visual Feast》