▁painted ▁with ▁white ▁c ement ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁to ▁avoid ▁U . S . ▁bomb ing ▁attacks , ▁the ▁building ▁saw ▁very ▁little ▁action ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁any ▁important ▁purpose . ▁It ▁was ▁converted ▁again ▁to ▁a ▁We ather ▁Bureau ▁Observ atory ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁shortly ▁before ▁Taiwan ▁was ▁handed ▁over ▁to ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ; ▁it ▁remained ▁in ▁this ▁state ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁forty - one ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁the ▁Ka oh si ung ▁municipal ▁government ▁commission ed ▁Li ▁Ch ien ▁Lang ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁former ▁cons ulate ▁as ▁a ▁museum ▁in ▁which ▁to ▁store ▁historic ▁documents ▁and ▁cultural ▁products ; ▁it ▁was ▁declared ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁Second ▁Class ▁Historic ▁Site ▁the ▁next ▁year . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁the ▁building ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁created ▁Cultural ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Ka oh si ung , ▁which ▁appointed ▁the ▁King ship ▁Cont inental ▁Hotel ▁Group ▁to ▁finish ▁the ▁rest oration ▁and ▁manage ▁the ▁building . ▁An ▁opening ▁ceremony ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁September . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁the ▁former ▁cons ulate ▁was ▁the ▁first - place ▁recip ient ▁of ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁Y uan - Y eh ▁Award ▁and ▁recorded ▁over ▁ 4 0 0 ▁ 0 0 0 ▁visitors . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁over ▁one ▁hundred ▁art istic ▁and ▁cultural ▁activities