Huashan 1914 Creative Park, Taipei: From Historic Winery to Creative Hub

Arriving at Huashan 1914: Rewinding Time

In the summer of 2017, I saw Taipei through the eyes of a "traveler" for the first time. During a short three-week visit home, I stepped into the Huashan 1914 Creative Park on a weekend afternoon. The red brick walls still bore the marks of its sake-brewing past, yet the air was filled with the fresh aroma of coffee. Eight years later, I pick up my pen again. In my memory, the old distillery has already matured into a creative hub—but the delight of “encountering history in the heart of the city” remains unchanged.

Having lived abroad for so long, returning to Taiwan naturally puts me in a sightseeing mood. Of course, being a local, I have friends and family all over Taipei, so it’s different from the tight itineraries and budgeting of traveling overseas. But when I look at Taipei’s attractions through the lens of a foreign tourist, I start to notice their distinctiveness more clearly. It becomes easier to understand the kind of cultural vibe Taipei offers to outsiders.

From Orchid Sake to a Hundred Kinds of Creative Fermentation

The story of Huashan begins in 1914. The creative park was originally the Taipei Winery. Built during Japanese rule, the newly constructed winery produced its first batch of the famous orchid sake in October 1914. From there, the company, then known as Fang Nian She (which later became Taipei Winery), rose to prominence and eventually transitioned into a camphor company. After the Japanese colonial era, the Republic of China government took over both the winery and the camphor factory, switching production from sake to rice wine.

In the 1980s, Taiwan’s economic boom and the water pollution caused by liquor production led to dual pressures—soaring land prices in Taipei and growing environmental concerns. In 1987, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation decided to relocate to Linkou as part of Taipei’s urban planning. The site was left idle. In 1992, the Legislative Yuan even considered it as the location for a new parliamentary building, but the idea was abandoned due to budget issues. It wasn't until 1997 that cultural activists like Tang Huang-Chen discovered the long-abandoned site and advocated for it to be repurposed as a space for arts and cultural events. Around 2002, it began transitioning into a creative park. In 2007, the Taiwan Cultural and Creative Development Co. officially moved in, and the term “Huashan 1914 Creative Park” finally became etched in Taipei residents’ minds.

一轉眼，展覽換了好幾輪

Nowadays, Huashan is still a diversified arts and cultural space. The old distillery buildings have been converted into stores, and the exterior of these monuments has been well-maintained, making it especially relaxing to walk around the park. With a variety of special exhibitions and a movie theater, the park is a collection of the best of Taipei's arts and culture.

說起華山漸漸成為現在文青小店聚集的商圈，是2007年台灣文創發展公司進駐園區後才慢慢開始。這也差不多正是我離開台北移居國外時，因此到今年才第一次來。我離開台北定居國外那段時間，華山像瘋長的酵母，一口氣膨脹出各式展演。最近如果踏進園區，十之八九會先被快閃店的排隊人龍攔下。

轉角遇見的，是咖啡香還是書頁聲？

If you like handicrafts, leather jewelry, wood carvings and other small items, you can't go wrong with shopping in Huashan. There is a good mix of culture and commerce here (which I've recently discovered is one of the key points of Taipei's cityscape), and the goods are all quite unique, making it an enjoyable afternoon of shopping for someone who doesn't like to shop.

餐廳選擇也很豐富。光是逛來逛去，看街頭藝人表演，一毛錢也沒花莫名的就流連忘返了一下午。二樓還有隱藏的書店，可以暫時遠離喧鬧安靜坐著看書喝咖啡(又是另一個台北特色)，享受一下當文青的感覺。由二樓的開放空間往下看，是不是很有藝術感呢？

所以，如果你也計劃在台北留一個沒有行程表的下午，不妨走進華山。或許你會像我一樣，在紅磚牆與咖啡香之間，重新認識這座城市持續發酵的創意滋味。

Further reading

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