Listen to local live music or browse art exhibits and crafts markets in the revamped warehouses of the Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei. It’s a great place to visit to get inspired and to mingle with the more alternative and creative residents of the Taiwanese capital.
To better appreciate this art hub, you have to know its history. In 1916, when the Japanese still ruled the region, the Taihoku Winery opened its doors in the industrial Zhongzhen District. The government soon took control of the operations and added tobacco to the production line.
When the Chinese took control, the city grew fast and the winery was moved out of the city in 1987. A decade later, a theater company moved in to hold stage shows in the disused warehouses. The squatters successfully protested the demolition of the complex and the Council for Cultural Affairs developed the Huashan 1914 Creative Park in 2003.
Where once ginseng and rice wine were produced, you will now find a wide range of artistic venues and community spaces. The park’s events calendar shows a wide range of theater performances, art exhibits, movie screenings, concerts and dance performances.
Start your tour of the Huashan 1914 Creative Park by visiting its Information Center to see what’s on and grab a map. Then follow the Art Boulevard to the interconnected warehouses, each with a different purpose. Find the art-house cinema at the back of the complex and bigger art installations and a skatepark outside.
Browse the boutique fashion shops and bookstore inside the warehouses or visit the flea market if it’s on. Local community groups also use the warehouses for their social programs and you may be able to sign up for workshops or classes.
To reach the Huashan 1914 Creative Park in the Zhongzheng District of downtown Taipei, walk west from the Zhongxiao Xinsheng metro station. The public park is accessible 24/7 and there are often late-night performances on the weekends. Restaurants, bars and coffee shops have also moved into the revitalized buildings, so you can stay here all day without having to go thirsty or hungry.
