Taiwan’s cultural and creative industry started receiving large-scale public sector attention in 2002 after inclusion in the central government’s six-year national development plan. Eight years later, progress under the initiative was cemented with promulgation of the Law for the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries.
A street performer entertains visitors at HCP.
The most visible result of such efforts was the establishment of five creative and cultural parks in the cities of Taipei, Taichung, Chiayi and Tainan, and Hualien in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan, respectively. Each facility utilized refurbished structures formerly operated state-run Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp. (TTL).
One of the leading examples of this successful repurposing initiative is Huashan 1914 Creative Park (HCP) in the heart of Taipei. Originally used as a distillery, the site traces its origins to Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945). Upon commencement of operations in 1920, the facility was one of the largest of its kind in Taiwan.
A former packaging facility at HCP is reborn as an art house cinema.
HCP was managed for more than four decades after the end of World War II by Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau, which was incorporated and renamed TTL in 2002. Distillery operations ceased in 1987, and the facility sat unused for more than decade.
In 2002, a restoration project was initiated by the central government with the aim of transforming the site into a cultural and creative park. Since opening in 2005, the 7.21-hectare facility overseen by the Ministry of Culture has grown into one of Taiwan’s most vibrant cultural centers. It is home to a celebrated live music venue, Legacy Taipei, as well as popular art house cinema, Spot Theater.
Stores selling locally crafted designer goods can be found in the alleys and corridors of HCP.
HCP regularly hosts concerts, exhibitions, lectures, theater shows and workshops. It is also a base for stores selling locally crafted designer goods, as well as stylish bars and restaurants. And on weekends, HCP is the location of a popular bazaar offering all manner of handicrafts and food items.
The transformation of HCP into a mecca of culture and creativity underscores the success of government policies aimed at breathing new life into Taiwan’s many storied structures. Preserving the past while raising public awareness of the country’s history is a core component of the MOC’s mission statement. (E) (By Kelly Her)
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(This article is adapted from Envisioning a Creative Future in the May 2011 issue and Centers of Creativity in the May/June 2016 issue of Taiwan Review. The Taiwan Review archives dating to 1951 are available online.)