Design & craft shopping in Dadaocheng & Datong

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Toothpicker

The beautiful ArtYard is a relaxing place for tea, coffee and craft shopping

Dadaocheng:

ArtYard ( 67, Sec. 1, Dihua St)- Converted from a historical building built in 1923 near the Xiahai City God Temple, the airy and relaxing ArtYard is consisted of a craft shop, art gallery, tea room and cafe. Some of the beautiful ceramics are sourced from Japan, but others are locally produced including their own brand, Hakka blue. I love the small courtyards within the building and the retro South St. Delight tea room… if only this were in London, I would probably visit it everyday even if I am not really a tea lover!

Further down the street inside the A.S.Watson building, there is smaller ArtYard (1, Lane 32, Sec. 1, Dihua St), which houses a textiles studio/ shop InBloom, Bookstore 1920s, Luguo cafe and Thinker’s theatre. These artistic lifestyle shops and cafes blend extraordinarily well in this old neighbourhood and has given it a new spirit without destroying its soul.

ArtYard: InBloom and Bookstore 1920s

Datong:

Walking towards the Taipei Train Station into the Datong district, there are two gems hidden in a narrow alleyway… Ri Xing Typography ( 13, Ln 97, Taiyuan Rd) is a small factory that houses the world’s last complete set of traditional Chinese character molds for lead-type casting. This family-run factory was founded in 1969 and it now hopes to turn the factory into a museum and digitise lead type into computer fonts as part of its preservation and restoration plan.

The factory is not very big but it is like a living museum full of lead types. With only Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau still using traditional Chinese characters these days, preservation is essential to pass on this irreplaceable heritage. Hence the owner’s effort to preserve this heritage is highly commendable.

Last of its kind: Ri Xing typography shop

Opposite the Ri Xing typography shop is another wonderful letterpress workshop and stationery shop, 324 print studio ( No. 16, Lane 97, Taiyuan Rd), created by artist/ illustrator, Yang Jung-Ming. This shop not only sells letterpress stationery but it is also full of vintage curiosities. I am always excited to find independent and quirky shops like this when I travel, when streets around the world are becoming more homogenous, shops like this is like a breath of fresh air!

A letterpress lovers’ haven: 324 print studio

Not far from the MRT Zhongshan Station, there is a colonial-style building ( built in 1926) that once served as the residence of the U.S. ambassador. This building was abandoned for almost 20 years before it was turned into SPOT Taipei Film House ( 18, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd.) in 2002. It is run by the Taiwan Film and Culture Association with the international acclaimed Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien as its president. Apart from an art house cinema, it also houses a gallery, a coffee shop and a branch of Eslite Bookstore that stocks a large collection of film-related materials and local designs and crafts.

Spot Taipei film House and shop

Between MRT Zhongshan Station and MRT Shuanglian station, there are many interesting independent shops including:

Booday ( No.18-1, Lane 25, Nanjing W. Rd), a Taiwanese lifestyle brand that sells t-shirts, fashion accessories and stationery. All the products are handmade in their studio including a range of cute letterpress cards. The small shop also has a cafe upstairs with regular art exhibition and even cooking classes.

Next to Booday is Lovely Taiwan, a gallery-like shop that promotes Taiwanese culture and sells crafts made by local artisans including the Taiwanese aborigines.

One of the most interesting design magazines in Taiwan is called PPaper ( No. 2, Lane 26, Section 2, Zhongshan North Rd), this publishing house also has a retail outlet in the area selling stationery, home and fashion accessories ( N.B. the shop is only open from Wednesdays to Sundays).

Ruskasa ( No. 15-1, Lane 26, Section 2, Zhongshan North Rd) is a Taiwanese handmade furniture shop that delivers simple but well-crafted wooden furniture that are similar to the styles of the Japanese and Scandinavian.

Hidden in an alley near the Museum of Contemporary Art is 61 Note ( No. 6, Alley 10, Lane 64, Nanjing West Rd), a small gallery/ cafe/ shop that stocks timeless and well-crafted Japanese designs that are hard to find in other local shops.

Top left: Booday and Lovely Taiwan; top right: PPaper shop; Main: Ruskasa; Bottom left: 61 Note

Earthtree/ Motherhouse ( No. 8, Lane 20, Section 2, Zhongshan North Rd) both share the same retail space and values, selling fair trade and eco-friendly products. Earthtree carries People Tree and Nepali Bazaro, while Motherhouse is a Japanese brand that specialises in leather handbags and accessories produced in developing countries.

Walking into Mymilly zakka ( No. 6, Lane 33, Section 1, Zhongshan North Rd) is like wandering into a neighbourhood household store in Japan ( or a Japanese family’s home)… it is cosy and full of wonderful Japanese household products including tableware, stationery and textiles. A sweet shop!

Similar to the bamboo shops in Kaohsiung, Lin tien Coopery ( 108 Zhongshan N Rd Sec 1) is the last of its kind in Taipei. Housed in a Japanese style red brick building, this shop has been trading at the same spot since 1928. The founder, Lin Xinju had worked as an apprentice and learned his skills from his Japanese master before setting up his own store. The shop still sells handcrafted buckets and barrels made form red cypress like it did all those years ago, amazing!

Top left & main: the wonderful myMilly Zakka shop front; Top right: Colourful birdhouses above Earthtree/ Motherhouse

Food & drinks:

Next to the Lin tien Barrel Store is a Baroque style red brick building that has been carefully restored and converted into Monument cafe ( No. 2, Changan West Rd) by its passionate Taiwanese owner. A lover of historical architecture, he hired a restoration team from Tainan and after 8 months’ of work, the cafe was born in 2006, and it even won him a restoration/ architectural award in 2007.

Home to much of the Japanese colonial administration under the Japanese occupation, this area is still full of Japanese restaurants, though the most popular one must be Fei Chien Wu ( 1F., 13-2, Alley 121, Chungshan N. Rd., Sec. 1). This cafeteria-style restaurant is famous for its low prices, generous portions and grilled eel! It is not a place to linger but it is fast, tasty and very reasonable. Arrive either earlier or later to avoid long queues at the busy lunch hour!

Almost opposite the myMilly Zakka is a dark brown Japanese style wooden building which used to be a former residence of a Japanese photographer almost 90 years ago. The building was restored by a local architect and now the ground floor functions as The Island cafe ( Lane 33, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road) with the architect’s office on the first floor. This cafe reminds me of the cafes in Karuizawa, Japan… dim, subtle, atmospheric and very relaxing. A perfect spot for a light lunch or coffee after some sightseeing in the area.

Main: Monument cafe; Middle & bottom left: The Island cafe; Middle right: Grilled eel over rice at Fei Chien Wu; bottom right: Lin Tien Barrel Store

There are many other interesting shopping areas in Taipei such as Yongkang St and the East district, but I will save it for some other time…

In search of old Taipei: Dadaocheng

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Toothpicker

Top left: Dadaocheng wharf; top right: Xiahai City God Temple; Main & bottom: traditional shops and food stalls

After visiting the Lin Liu-hsin Puppet Theatre Museum, I decided to explore the flavourful and historical Dadaocheng district. Walking towards the museum, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful colonial architecture that are rare to find elsewhere in Taipei.

The area was once an important trading port in the 19th century, especially for tea. But over time, the area lost its appeal and many historical buildings have been deserted. In recent years, the city’s government started to preserve and revamp the area again, reviving this once prosperous area.

Dihua Street was where all the commerce took place back then, and even today there are still many traditional dried food stores. I was later told by a kind sales lady ( who spent about 20 minutes explaining the area’s history to me) that the area is especially crowded before and during Chinese New Year because of shoppers doing their festive shopping here.

Top left: Chen Tian-lai Residence; second row right: Lee Chun-sheng Memorial Church; third row left: Fa-chu-kung Temple; third row middle: A.S. Watson & Co. Building

For architecture lovers, there are many interesting sights here ( some can only be viewed from the streets) including:

Lee Chun-sheng Memorial Church – a church built in the memory of the famous Dadaocheng tea merchant and ardent philanthropist Lee Chun-sheng, and has a facade that resembles a face!

Chen Tian-lai Residence – a grand three-story Baroque style former residence built in 1920 that belonged to a well-known tea merchant.

Koo’s Salt House – a late-Renaissance style residence built in 1910 by Koo Hsien-jung, the father of Koo Chen-fu, former chairman of Straits Exchange Foundation.

A.S. Watson & Co. Building – a prominent colonial building on Dihua street built in 1917. It was the first western medicine pharmacy in Taiwan, ( now it is known as Watson’s, the world’s largest health and beauty retail group based in Hong Kong) but the building underwent 12 years’ of restoration because of a fire that destroyed the original structure.

Xiahai City God Temple ( with web link) – a small but historical and famous temple built in 1859. It is especially popular with singles seeking love…

Fa-chu-kung Temple – a rather strange looking temple was originally built by a tea merchant in 1878 and was rebuilt in 1996 designed by Taiwanese architect, C.Y. Lee ( the designer of Taipei 101). It is now a narrowly-shaped five-story building with a modern lift, which is rare to see in any Asian temples.

Opposite the temple is a plague commemorating the 228 massacre that started at that spot in 1947.

Dadaocheng theatre – a theatre where one can enjoy traditional opera including puppet shows, Taiwanese, Hakka and Beijing opera.

Yongle market – next to the Dadaocheng theatre and on the first ( or second if you are non-British) floor of the Yongle market is a haven for fabrics lovers. The market is like a maze but it has everything one needs for sewing!

URS44 story house ( with web link) – this small “story house” is located inside a 1924 colonial building and it is part of the city’s Urban Regeneration Station ( URS). Visitors can learn about the area’s history from writings, old photographs and architectural models.

Top left: Dadaocheng theatre; top right: Yongle fabric market; Main: paper craft of the Chinese zodiac signs; Bottom left: URS44 Story house; bottom right: plaque marks the spot where historical 228 massacre started.

Since this area’s history is intertwined with tea trading, so a stop at the 106-year old Wang’s Tea shop is a must. This shop/ factory has been here since 1935 and it has a shop for tea and teaware, and a working refinery factory at the back. Not realising that factory tours need to be booked in advance, I turned up unannounced but managed to get a brief tour by their kind staff. Walking around, I felt like I was transported back in time, I could imagine the place looking quite similar a century ago!

Opposite the tea house is the Chaoyang Tealeaf Park established in 2003 by the city’s Government. The park itself is not very special, but what caught my attention was the floor plaques that illustrated the process of tea making or manufacturing which is quite thoughtful and educational.

Top left: Wang’s tea shop front; top right: Floor plaques outside of the Chaoyang Tealeaf Park; Main, bottom left & right: Wang’s tea refinery factory

Taipei’s paper and puppet museums

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Toothpicker

There are many arts and crafts museums in Taipei but I found these two museums particularly unique and charming, especially for those who are interested in traditional arts and crafts. Suho memorial paper museum is located in a busy business district and can be easily missed, but once inside, the museum has a tranquil quality that is hard to find elsewhere.

Like the Japanese, the Taiwanese are very fond of paper, and this museum is dedicated to the memory of Su Ho Chen, the founder of Chang Chuen Cotton Paper, whose dream was to establish a museum devoted to paper.

My favourite spot: the tranquil bamboo hut on the roof top

The architects and curators have done a splendid job in converting a long narrow 4-storey old building into a multi purpose space without feeling cramped. On the ground floor, there is a mini paper factory and a wonderful shop selling a variety of paper products, stationery and books. The permanent and temporary exhibition area is located on the next two floors, but my favourite is the rooftop where all the DIY paper workshop and other cultural activities take place. I was so pleasantly surprised when I discovered this indoor bamboo hut opposite the paper workshop, as I stepped inside, I immediately felt calm and I couldn’t help but meditated for a little while…

Left: Love the exhibit outside of the toilets: The culture of cleaning. Right: My DIY scrap book!

Soon it was time for the paper-making workshop, with an extra NT$80 ( less than £2), I was given an opportunity to make a beautiful piece of paper with small flowers. After it was dried, they gave me the handmade paper, which came with a cute paper-making workshop certificate! Also, visitors are encouraged to make their own scrapbook by the paper, strings and stamps provided… a nice touch!

The museum’s small shop itself is worth the trip for paper lovers, it stocks very unique paper-related products including vintage diaries published by Chang Chuen Cotton Paper. A few shops down the street is another paper shop that sells a variety of handmade paper and stationery which is also worth visiting.

A small but informative and wonderful museum full of surprises!

Near the river in an old Taipei district is where another wonderful but quirky puppetry museum is located. The Lin Liu-Hsin Puppet Theatre Museum was established by The Taiyuan Arts and Culture Foundation and it has its own in-house troupe that give performances at home and abroad.

With an even more difficult task than the Su Ho Museum, architects and curators had to fit an incredible amount of information and props into a historcial and narrow building with steep staircases, and result is quite fascinating. Although slightly cramped, they have done an amazing job in utilising every space available… with the help of strong graphics/ colours and partitions.

This 4-story museum has permanent and temporary exhibitions on Taiwanese, Chinese and foreign puppetry with interesting history and facts displayed in a creative way. On the ground floor, there is a small shop and an open workshop for visitors to see how puppets are made. Again, my favourite spot is the top floor where visitors can experience what “hell” is like according to the Chinese traditions and customs!

The museum also has a mini-theatre where regular performances are being held and a roof-top with a wooden water theatre where visitors can try out Vietnamese water puppetry themselves! Cool!

This museum is not only about preserving traditional Taiwanese heritage, it also pays tribute to a traditional craft and historical entertainment that is slowly dying… By supporting these museums and craftsmen, we can keep these traditions and crafts alive, allow them to integrate with new ideas and evolve into a new art form that will appeal to the younger generation.

Taipei’s bid for 2016 World Design Capital

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Toothpicker

The Red House in Xiemen

The reason why I want to emphasise Taipei’s bid to become the next World Design Capital ( after Cape Town in 2014) is because their effort can be seen and felt while I was in Taipei. They even dedicated a website for this, so they are quite determined to make this happen. And from what I have seen, I think they rightly deserve the title.

Taipei is one of my favourite Asian cities and it is often overlooked by travelers from the West because it is less exotic than Bangkok, not as ‘cool’ as Tokyo nor as cosmopolitan as Hong Kong. Yet Taipei is a city full of hidden gems, it is culturally rich, eco and heritage conscious, but best of all is that the people there are generally warm, welcoming, polite ( mostly well-educated) and humble.

Top and main: Songshan Cultural and Creative Park; bottom: Huashan creative park

In recent years, several heritage buildings and sites in Taipei have been restored and converted into creative parks. One of them is Huashan 1914 creative park, a 7.2-hectare former winery built in 1914. Now art or photography exhibitions and concerts are regularly being held here, but there are also shops, cinema and restaurants on the site. Another similar site is the 6.6-hectares Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, a former tobacco plant built in 1937. This park is home to the Taiwan design museum and design center, however, it is a a rather confusing site with many warehouses and not enough clear directions. It is especially easy to get lost in the maze-like factory building.

Inside The Red House

Another interesting building is the The Red House originally built in 1908 in the Xiemen district. This historical octagon building has been transformed into a cultural hub with a theatre, exhibition area, shops selling local designs, tea house as well as outdoor cafe and handicrafts market.

Treasure hill artists village

Treasure hill was home to many former veterans since the 1940s, now the shantytown-like area has been transformed into an artist village called Treasure Hill artist village. The village reopened in 2010, although not many of the original families moved back to the village, it is still interesting to see the local and art community living or working side by side. Not all studios and exhibition space are open at all times, however, it is worth visiting the area because of its unique atmosphere and history.

Seed project IV – A mobile museum near Taipei 101

The concept of the Seed project is quite unusual, it aims to integrate art, culture, architecture and community together and has “popped up” annually in different parts of the city since 2009. The 4th seed project is a mobile museum that hosts temporary exhibitions on art, architecture and life. The current exhibition is “Breathing architecture” ( until 10th May), featuring work by WOHA, a Singaporean architectural firm with strong emphasis on nature in order to create a greener and healthier living environment.

Efforts that aims to make the city greener and livable for all

The Taipei city government should be commended for their efforts to transform the city’s urban landscape. Walking around the city, I often noticed abandoned or concrete space between buildings that have been turned into small community gardens with plants and seating. I love this idea and I think all cities should do the same to make the city greener and more livable.

Honestly, I am not sure how these World design capitals are selected, but I think it is about time that Taipei and Taiwanese designs are being recognised by the international world!

Good luck Taipei!

toothpicnations

is a theme-based online shop and platform that showcases contemporary Asian designs.

Tag Archives: Taipei

Design & craft shopping in Dadaocheng & Datong

In search of old Taipei: Dadaocheng

Taipei’s paper and puppet museums

Taipei’s bid for 2016 World Design Capital