The Birth of the Site Park

Given the significance of the Peinan Site, Professor Wen-hsun Sung suggested that an outdoor museum be built at the site in 1982. After years of discussion, the decision to build "Peinan Cultural Park" at the Peinan Site was finalized in 1991. The surface area of the first stage plan was 18.4ha. Based on the outcome of the trial excavation, Chung Chih Environment and Landscape Consultant Co., Ltd. was appointed to undertake planning and construction of the museum and this began in 1994. In 1999, the major facilities in the first stage plan were nearly completed. Unfortunately, due to the unresolved protests by the local farmers about the broadening of the roads in the park up to then, the license for the use of the Visitor Center could not be obtained for a long time. It was only after the active intervention of the Tourism Development Commission of the Executive Yuan, that the matter was resolved. In December 2002, the Peinan Cultural Park officially opened to the public, the birth of the first site park in Taiwan.

The management principle of the park is to deem the site as a museum of the universe. In order to realize the principle of co-existence with the site, as well as bringing the architectural technology of the late 20th century into full play. The layout, the architectural landscape design, and the building materials have all been chosen after thorough consideration. In coordination to the distribution of the underground historical artifacts, the gentle slopes at the west side of the park were planned as the facility usage zone and the native planting area, while the east side was presented as a large lawn. The Visitor Center was designed as one-story building on the sloping terrain, and coated with an integrated truss structure and gray stainless steel tiles, creating an open space with a simple structure. The arched entrance of the square was constructed with materials that were well integrated and steel tubes to form suspension beams shaped like a shell, which reflects the stability of the entire structure. The Open-air Amphitheater made use of the natural terrain in building the arched stands that blend in with the surrounding gentle slopes. All the facilities in the park are well matched to the natural green environment.