Abstract
In the Japanese Colonial period (1895–1945), Japanese Buddhists built branch monasteries in Taiwan to proselytize; they also set up schools, which, after World War II, were transformed into non–religious, private schools, which continue to coexist with public schools. This paper takes the Private Taiwan Buddhist Middle School as an example to illustrate its background and academic activities in connection with the space and form of its campus buildings. It also examines the development and changes in Buddhist–run school architecture at various stages. All these things make it clear that in spite of the unwillingness of the authorities to consent to privately–sponsored middle schooling at first, the ardent desire the Taiwanese people expressed for education later turned the fate of their schools around. The schools eventually earned official support, and became certified, changing from academies for trainee priests into public–school equivalents for ordinary people. Accordingly, the architecture of the school buildings took a favorable turn away from the traditional Buddhist temples toward modern western–style complexes.
