Wisteria Tree Pavilion Introduction
Wisteria House is a teahouse, but it is more than just a teahouse. It is the first designated historic site in Taiwan and the first living historic site in Taipei that is specifically designated with cultural, historical, and public space aspects in mind: "It serves as a gathering place for Taiwan's democratic movement, opposition movements, and free scholars, exuding a cultural atmosphere with educational, cultural, and political functions and characteristics, strongly reflecting the cultural significance of civic life and having preservation value." Wisteria House is an elegant wooden building in an area of traditional Japanese residences, originally built in the 1920s, with a secluded environment that is tranquil and refined. After the war, it was taken over by the Ministry of Finance and later opened as a teahouse by the descendants of its residents, named "Wisteria House" due to the old wisteria vine stretching along the eaves. The entire old house is filled with an artistic atmosphere, attracting many individuals concerned with current affairs, avant-garde culture, and artists who frequently gather here, which has led this place to gradually become synonymous with liberalism and spaces for social and political reform movements. To highlight the cultural value of Wisteria House, after efforts from cultural and artistic circles, it was designated as a historic site in 1997, preserved not due to the age of the tree or the building, but for its spirit. (Source: Wisteria House)
