It’s hard to miss this particular building while walking in the heart of a busy Taichung city. This large distinctive multi-purpose commercial building, Qianyue Building, has become a sort of a landmark in Taiwan. It’s actually not an “abandoned” building, since some floors are still inhabited; perhaps we should call it a “semi-empty” building complex? Anyway, many Urbex pay a visit to this place due to its ease of access.
活気あふれる台中の街中。とてつもない存在感を放ちランドマークと化している複合施設ビルの廃墟、千越大樓。台湾でもっとも有名な廃墟と言われている物件ですが、実際は廃墟と呼ぶのはちょっとちがうかもしれません。なぜなら現在も住民の方が住んでいるから。つまりは、半ゴーストビルと呼ぶのが正しいかと思われます。アクセスが容易という点から多くのUrbex愛好家にも人気の場所です。
A Little History
Qianyue Building was originally built in 1970s as a multi-purpose commercial complex. The place was a home to huge department store, restaurants, night clubs, and karaoke around the 80s, but it didn’t last long. By the 90s, majority of the business owners have left, along with the residents. In 2005, a fire broke out in a dance club on the 7th floor and that put an end to the life of Qianyue Building.
千越大樓は、複合商業施設と移住階を持った高層ビルです。1970年に建築され、1980年ごろには、百貨店、レストラン、ナイトクラブ、カラオケなどが入っていましたが、長くは続かず1990年ごろには店のほとんどは閉鎖して半ゴーストビルに状態に。2005年に、７階にあったダンスクラブで火災が起こり、千越大樓から人々は去って行ってしまいました。
This is what you would see in a horror movie
Avoiding the heat of the day, it was time to go inside. Taiwan is a pretty safe place to be, but I had to put an extra effort before entering this spooky building at night. I wouldn’t say it was pitch-black, but the inside was dark and lights weren’t working properly. I was a little worried about running into Jianshi (Chinese hopping vampire). The elevator was still in service, although it only went up to the 6th floor. I used the good old stairs for the rest of my way up the building.
暑い昼間を避け、夜にビルに突入。台湾の治安は良い方ではありますが、この不気味なゴーストビルに入るには少しだけ勇気が必要でした。薄暗く、蛍光灯が明滅するビル内。「キョンシー出たらどうしよう」と内心ハラハラ。6Fまではエレベーターが稼働いるのでそれに乗り込み、６階以降は真っ暗な階段をひたすら登ります。
Exploring Video
Cyberpunk
The dome-like structure on the rooftop is called an UFO tower; it was originally a karaoke facility (KTV). The panoramic view of neon signage in Taichung from the rooftop reminded me of the Ghost in the Shell. On my way down, an intrusion of cockroaches appeared from the collapsing walls of the building. I JUST DID NOT SEE THAT. This place would be great to explore in daylight too. I’ll bring meat buns and Sarsaparilla with me next time for lunch on the rooftop.
屋上の丸い建物は、UFO塔と呼ばれ、元はカラオケ施設 (KTV)だった場所。落書きだらけの屋上から、ネオン光輝く台中の夜景はGhost in the shellの世界。ボロボロの崩れる壁からは、ゴキブリの群れがザワザワと出現。悲鳴をあげそうになりながらも見て見ないふりで平静を保ちます。ここは昼間に来ても本当に面白い廃墟だと思うので、次回は、昼間に訪れ屋上で肉包子と黒松沙士（台湾コーラ）を片手に、ランチタイムを過ごしたいものです。
