Located in North District, National Taichung Library used to be Provincial Taichung Library and then renamed Jing Wu Branch National Library of Public Information. After taking over from Ministry of Education, Taichung City Government invested NT$77.53 million in the renovation with a focus on Learning of Taichung. The cultural area and the social innovation laboratory are established to fulfill the first stage of the social empowerment plan promoted by Taichung City Government. Jing Wu Branch was opened today (February 1). Mayor Lin hoped that creativity could be realized in Jing Wu Branch, making Taichung a true cultural city; Minister without Portfolio of Executive Yuan Audrey Tang also indicated that the opening of Jing Wu Branch would result in more and more social innovation bases.

After the planning of Taichung City Government, Jing Wu Branch National Library of Public Information was reopened today. Mayor of Taichung Lin Chia-lung, Minister without Portfolio of Executive Yuan Audrey Tang, Chief Secretary of Executive Yuan Chu Nan-hsien, Director of Culture Affairs Bureau Wang Chih-cheng, Director of Local Tax Bureau Chen Chin-hsiung, Deputy Director of Social Affairs Bureau Chen Chung-liang, and Taichung City Councilor Yang Tien-chung and Liu Shu-lan toured around Jing Wu Branch and interacted with the communities and businesses at the social innovation laboratory base to experience the multiple functions and vitality of Jing Wu Branch.

Mayor Lin indicated that Jing Wu Branch was one of the regeneration plans promoted by Taichung City Government and was an important indicator of Taichung as a cultural city. By upgrading hardware and adding elements of diverse learning and social innovation, Taichung City Government hoped that creativity could be realized in Jing Wu Branch, making Taichung a true cultural city

Mayor Lin further explained that the social innovation base was located on 5F~7F of Jing Wu Branch and reflected the first stage of the social empowerment plan promoted by Taichung City Government. The social innovation base is where diversity meets innovation and develops talents and social enterprises. In the future, Taichung Social Innovation Unit, former Joint Logistics Guest House, will work with the international nongovernmental organization (INGO) stationed at Guangfu Village in Wufeng to turn Taichung into a city of social innovation.

Minister without Portfolio of Executive Yuan Audrey Tang indicated that cross-field and cross-culture cooperation in Taiwan was very strong, which could improve industrial competitiveness and emphasized the power of social innovation. The central government pays much attention to the promotion of social innovation, and there are many social innovation bases in Taichung, which is a good start. To be held in May 2018, the first Asian Social Entrepreneurs Summit is located at the Cultural & Creative Industries Park. The purpose is to make people in Asia know that in addition to industrial innovation Taiwan strives to promote social innovation and gather power from every community in the society.

Cultural Affairs Bureau indicated that Local Tax Bureau Minchuan Branch has an information desk set up on 1F of Jing Wu Branch. As the collection of Jing Wu Branch, Learning of Taichung demonstrates the history of Taichung and important memories for life. Civic Culture of Taichung Park and Learning of Taichung is on display on 1F. Welcome citizens to visit.

The reading area is located on 1F~4F. Since 2016, new books amounting to NT$6 million have been purchased; 90 journals and works of Taichung writers and relating to Taichung are available; in response to migrant workers in Southeast Asia, 3000 books about Southeast Asian languages and 10 kinds of publications are also purchased

Located on 5F~7F, the social innovation base is the first stage of the social empowerment plan promoted by Taichung City Government. It provides consulting service for non-profit organizations, social enterprises, and young entrepreneurs and experiments on different innovation and creativity through course planning, organizational diagnosis, and interaction in co-work space. An independent workspace is set up on 5F for long-term stations, interaction and cooperation; brainstorming rooms, dialogue rooms and multi-purpose classrooms are set up on 6F to organize a variety of courses and activities and get inspired; the social innovation portal is located on 7F for cross-field consultation, counseling, and application for experience membership; co-work space is also available for short-term stations of individual members or groups.

Jing Wu Branch uses French windows to create a transparent and spacious environment. Decorated with white furniture and diverse lighting, Jing Wu Branch balances learning and leisure through the combination of reading, learning, exhibition, and book display. Colors and landscapes indoors are maneuvered to create Senior Area, Children’s Area, Literature Area and Taichung Writer Area where citizens enjoy wonderful reading experience.

Cultural Affairs Bureau indicated that 50-year Jing Wu Branch was renovated through hardware upgrade from the building structure, public facilities to interior space into a place of history, learning, innovation, and future where readers and young start-ups meet and come up with new ideas. As unlimited soft power of Taichung, Jing Wu Branch takes the lead to bloom with a new future.