Taichung’s post-war pillar-supported housing over water

Liuchuan is a river that runs through the very heart of Taichung City. After the war in 1949, large numbers of people began to populate the area and build pillar-supported houses that extended out over the banks of Liuchuan River. These timber-framed houses generally consisted of two floors: the upper floor, where people lived, was relatively well ventilated and dry; and the lower floor, which was used to raise pigs or cattle and store things.

After sixty years of wind and rain, the pillar-supported houses over Liuchuan River were demolished to make way for an elevated portion Taiwan Railway, a move that made many residents and cultural workers sad and reluctant at the time. However, ten years on, the second phase of the renovation project in Liuchuan is gradually beginning to take shape.

以下為中文對照

戰後落腳城市 台中吊腳樓

柳川是一條貫穿台中市精華區的都市河流，民國三十八年，隨戰後大量移入人口，居民即在柳川沿岸築起了一棟又一棟出入及取水方便的吊腳樓。吊腳樓是半干欄式的二層以上木造建築，上層較為通風、乾燥，做為住居使用，下層則是養豬、養牛或用來堆放雜物。

經歷了六十年的風霜，吊腳樓卻因為台鐵高架化而面臨拆除，當時引起許多居民及文化工作者的不捨，然而十年後的今日，柳川第二期整治計畫已逐漸嶄露出新的風貌。

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