The Khoo Tsu-song Old House is one of the better-preserved examples of Japanese colonial architecture remaining in Keelung. Built in the early twentieth century for a prosperous merchant family of Hoklo Chinese heritage, the house blends the Japanese colonial civic style with traditional southern Chinese spatial arrangements. The exterior retains its original facade with period details largely intact, making it stand out conspicuously among the surrounding postwar buildings.
Keelung's rapid postwar development erased most of its Japanese-era built fabric, so surviving examples like this carry extra weight. The house is a designated heritage site and has undergone conservation work. It is a quiet and overlooked stop compared to the bigger sights, but worth ten minutes if you are walking through the old downtown between the night market and the harbour. The surrounding streets preserve some of the old commercial district character, with traditional apothecaries, incense shops, and noodle stalls that have been in the same location for decades.