Guardianship: The Practical Management of a Small Museum
By｜Ku Cheng-chun、Wu Shao-fen
Weathering caused the old residence to gradually decay, and its century-old roof tiles were broken. By a stroke of fate, Ku Cheng-chun seemed to hear the call of her ancestors; she left her successful career behind, moving from resistance to a miraculous decision to return to Daxi. She "restarted the hearth" under the shop name "Yuan Gu Ben Pu," adhering to her father's insistence on repairing the old to preserve the old, retaining and recreating the traces of time and daily life.
Ku Cheng-chun has become a spokesperson for the management of private old houses in Taiwan, shaping "Yuan Gu Ben Pu" into her own vision. It has become a place where successive mayors of Taoyuan receive international guests. Neither passion nor destiny can fully define why and how she did it; she is single-mindedly dedicated to showcasing the family aesthetics spanning five generations. This living 180-year-old residence is very much a part of everyday life, yet very much a museum.
