Physicist Chu Ching-wu's Former Residence Accidentally Demolished; Councilor Urges Taichung City Government to Propose Restoration Plan
Taichung City Councilor Yang Dian-zhong urged the city's Cultural Affairs Bureau to submit a restoration plan for the former residence of renowned superconductor physicist Chu Ching-wu, which was accidentally demolished. The residence, located in Qingshui Xinyi New Village, was registered as the only cluster of architectural heritage in Taichung and was planned to be a 'Celebrity Story House.' The Cultural Affairs Bureau fined the Ministry of National Defense NT$300,000 for the demolition by a contracted vendor.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 17:21
- 🔍 Collected: April 17, 2026 at 17:31 (10 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 18:10 (38 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Hao Hsueh-ching, Taichung, 17th) Taichung City Councilor Yang Dian-zhong of the Democratic Progressive Party today addressed the incident where the former residence of renowned superconductor physicist Chu Ching-wu in Qingshui District was demolished without notification, demanding that the city's Cultural Affairs Bureau submit a restoration plan. The Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that it would coordinate with the military to propose a restoration plan as soon as possible.
Chu Ching-wu studied in Qingshui for six years, including junior and senior high school, graduating from Qingshui Senior High School in 1958. He served as president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and an academician of Academia Sinica in Taiwan. In 2024, Chu Ching-wu visited his former residence in Qingshui and his alma mater. His former residence, originally located in Xinyi New Village, was planned to be developed into a 'Celebrity Story House' but was accidentally demolished by a vendor outsourced by the Ministry of National Defense. In addition to fining the Ministry of National Defense NT$300,000, the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau also demanded that a cleanup and restoration plan be submitted.
Yang Dian-zhong stated during a query at the city council's education and culture committee today that Qingshui Xinyi New Village is the only registered cluster of architectural heritage in Taichung City, and Chu Ching-wu's former residence within it was originally planned as a 'Celebrity Story House.' However, it was demolished and destroyed in December 2024, turning an important cultural asset into nothing in an instant.
Yang Dian-zhong questioned the city government's passive attitude towards cultural heritage protection, noting that not only did it fail to publicly explain the incident immediately after it occurred, but it was only revealed half a year later due to a councilor's query. Furthermore, in the deliberation meeting for the penalty for the damage case, the demolition contractor, the supervising unit, the military agency responsible for temporary management, and the Taichung City Government were all deemed not responsible, and the subsequent cleanup and restoration work is still far off.
Yang Dian-zhong believes that in the incident of Chu Ching-wu's former residence being demolished, the city government was derelict in its temporary management, failed to disclose information, and delayed the cleanup and restoration of cultural heritage, demonstrating a failure in cultural heritage protection. He demanded that the Cultural Affairs Bureau submit a restoration plan for Chu Ching-wu's former residence to the council within three months.
Taichung Deputy Mayor Zheng Zhao-xin stated that the Cultural Affairs Bureau would require the Ministry of National Defense to conduct cultural heritage cleanup and propose a restoration plan. For the second phase of the Qingshui military dependents' village restoration project, the Cultural Affairs Bureau would also be asked to monitor the project progress, hoping to see the results of the second phase restoration project next year.
Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Chen Jia-jun pointed out that because Chu Ching-wu's former residence has cultural heritage status, work was ordered to stop the day after the demolition, and the Cultural Heritage Office was instructed to post a notice on site. Afterwards, the city government also strengthened patrols and protected the site with fences. The accidental demolition occurred because the contractor did not clearly read the contract specifications and the cultural heritage site's markings before construction, which led to the NT$300,000 penalty in the disciplinary meeting.
Chen Jia-jun said that due to funding issues, the Air Force only began cleaning cultural heritage components in March this year, and the cleanup period will last until the end of the year. Subsequently, the city will assist the military with the content of the restoration plan and cost estimation. As for the city government's temporary management of Chu Ching-wu's former residence, it will coordinate with the military to propose a restoration plan as soon as possible. (Editor: Hsieh Ya-chu) 1150417
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(Central News Agency reporter Hao Hsueh-ching, Taichung, 17th) Taichung City Councilor Yang Dian-zhong of the Democratic Progressive Party today addressed the incident where the former residence of renowned superconductor physicist Chu Ching-wu in Qingshui District was demolished without notification, demanding that the city's Cultural Affairs Bureau submit a restoration plan. The Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that it would coordinate with the military to propose a restoration plan as soon as possible.
Chu Ching-wu studied in Qingshui for six years, including junior and senior high school, graduating from Qingshui Senior High School in 1958. He served as president of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and an academician of Academia Sinica in Taiwan. In 2024, Chu Ching-wu visited his former residence in Qingshui and his alma mater. His former residence, originally located in Xinyi New Village, was planned to be developed into a 'Celebrity Story House' but was accidentally demolished by a vendor outsourced by the Ministry of National Defense. In addition to fining the Ministry of National Defense NT$300,000, the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau also demanded that a cleanup and restoration plan be submitted.
Yang Dian-zhong stated during a query at the city council's education and culture committee today that Qingshui Xinyi New Village is the only registered cluster of architectural heritage in Taichung City, and Chu Ching-wu's former residence within it was originally planned as a 'Celebrity Story House.' However, it was demolished and destroyed in December 2024, turning an important cultural asset into nothing in an instant.
Yang Dian-zhong questioned the city government's passive attitude towards cultural heritage protection, noting that not only did it fail to publicly explain the incident immediately after it occurred, but it was only revealed half a year later due to a councilor's query. Furthermore, in the deliberation meeting for the penalty for the damage case, the demolition contractor, the supervising unit, the military agency responsible for temporary management, and the Taichung City Government were all deemed not responsible, and the subsequent cleanup and restoration work is still far off.
Yang Dian-zhong believes that in the incident of Chu Ching-wu's former residence being demolished, the city government was derelict in its temporary management, failed to disclose information, and delayed the cleanup and restoration of cultural heritage, demonstrating a failure in cultural heritage protection. He demanded that the Cultural Affairs Bureau submit a restoration plan for Chu Ching-wu's former residence to the council within three months.
Taichung Deputy Mayor Zheng Zhao-xin stated that the Cultural Affairs Bureau would require the Ministry of National Defense to conduct cultural heritage cleanup and propose a restoration plan. For the second phase of the Qingshui military dependents' village restoration project, the Cultural Affairs Bureau would also be asked to monitor the project progress, hoping to see the results of the second phase restoration project next year.
Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Chen Jia-jun pointed out that because Chu Ching-wu's former residence has cultural heritage status, work was ordered to stop the day after the demolition, and the Cultural Heritage Office was instructed to post a notice on site. Afterwards, the city government also strengthened patrols and protected the site with fences. The accidental demolition occurred because the contractor did not clearly read the contract specifications and the cultural heritage site's markings before construction, which led to the NT$300,000 penalty in the disciplinary meeting.
Chen Jia-jun said that due to funding issues, the Air Force only began cleaning cultural heritage components in March this year, and the cleanup period will last until the end of the year. Subsequently, the city will assist the military with the content of the restoration plan and cost estimation. As for the city government's temporary management of Chu Ching-wu's former residence, it will coordinate with the military to propose a restoration plan as soon as possible. (Editor: Hsieh Ya-chu) 1150417
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FAQ
Why was Chu Ching-wu's former residence demolished?
A vendor outsourced by the Ministry of National Defense accidentally demolished it without thoroughly checking the contract specifications and the cultural heritage site's markings before construction.
What actions did the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau take?
The bureau fined the Ministry of National Defense NT$300,000 and demanded a cleanup and restoration plan. They also ordered a halt to construction the day after the demolition, posted notices at the site, and increased patrols.