Former Pok Oi Hospital

In 1918, “Taiwan Pok Oi Hospital Kulangsu Branch” was founded by Japanese and Chinese merchants jointly, while Japanese merchants were in the name of the "Zen Rin Kai" charity under the Health Department of the Taiwan Government House. The following year saw the establishment of an affiliated medical college. The Pok Oi Hospital closed down in 1937 at the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War broke out. However one year later, following the Japanese occupation of Xiamen ,it opened again and changed its name to the “Pok Oi Hospital Kulangsu Branch”.
The Pok Oi Hospital was a general hospital. Its building on Lujiao Road near the shore was designed by Japanese architects and in early modern architectural style that was popular in Japan in the 1930s. The construction took place from 1934 to June 1935. The building occupies a site of 11354 square metres with a floor area of more than 4700 square metres. It was built in the shape of a letter ‘B’ in order to meet functional requirements. One of the two open-air patios was used as a badminton court, while the other was used for in-patients to do outdoor activities . The external walls were painted in a light beige and with detailing in darker beige glazed tiles. The interior decoration also reflects the typical Japanese style.
The Pok Oi Hospital was the best-equipped hospital in Xiamen with the most skilled staff in the 1930s. It was a major part of the already advanced and integrated medical system on Kulangsu in the first half of the 20th century. At the same time, its style reflects international architectural trends of the time.