Introduction
Museum of Meteorology(Former Tainan Meteorological Station), as the name suggests, serves as a meteorological observation station. Its architecture is unremarkable, focusing solely on the efficient observation of meteorological phenomena. The design and spatial arrangement of this building are similar to those of the Taipei Meteorological Station and the Penghu Meteorological Station. Established during the Japanese colonial period, the Tainan Meteorological Station is the predecessor of the Central Weather Bureau's Tainan Weather Station. During that era, the Japanese government set up seven such stations across Taiwan, including in Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan, as well as marine observatories in Kaohsiung and high-altitude stations in Alishan. Today, only the Tainan Meteorological Station remains largely intact, preserving significant historical and cultural value. In 1998, it was designated as a city historic monument, becoming an integral part of Tainan's cultural heritage.
The most prominent feature of the station is its central circular tower, commonly referred to as the "Pepper Pot" by locals. This two-story structure houses various meteorological instruments. Extending from the central tower is a roofed extension that reaches the outer walls, with tiles arranged in 18 radial sections. Spatially, the building consists of three concentric circles: the innermost and middle rings serve as walkways, while the middle and outer rings are designated as offices. To ensure unobstructed meteorological observations, the station was constructed as the tallest building in Tainan during its time, standing as a significant landmark in the city during the Japanese colonial period.
