Sin Fang Chun Tea House Introduction
Dihua Street was once the gateway for Taiwan to the international market. Through the export of tea and camphor, a vibrant integration of modern Western civilization and traditional Han culture emerged along the banks of the Dihua River, showcased through modern dramas and performances by apprentice troupes, as well as the dazzling interplay of coffee salons and tea culture. In the first half of the 20th century, Dihua Street thrived. The "Hsing Fang Chun Tea Shop," built in 1934, witnessed this glory; it was the family home of tea merchant Wang Lianhe, who moved from Anxi, Fujian to Taiwan with his father to develop their business. This building, a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles from the Japanese colonial period, is one of the few preserved mixed-use Western-style buildings in Taipei. It was designated as a city monument in 2009 and underwent a four-year restoration from 2011 to 2015. In the same year, the original owner donated this historically significant monument to the Taipei City Government. After the Taipei City Government's Department of Cultural Affairs officially took over the Hsing Fang Chun Tea Shop in May 2016, they launched special exhibitions in September 2016, such as "Return to the Glorious Days of Dihua's Tea Shops," "Stories of the Historic Hsing Fang Chun Building," "Aesthetic Exhibition of Purple Dihua," and "Revisiting the Fragrant Era of Dihua Tea," which aimed to reintroduce the industrial history and cultural context, and to present to the public the heritage of the monument and the glory days of Dihua tea merchants. In 2018, the Department of Cultural Affairs commissioned the Taiwan Creative Content Agency to manage the monument, injecting innovative energy through three main themes: "Living Tea Story Museum," "Tea Creative Development Platform," and "Connecting Through Tea." The tea shop recreated the historical sales environment through a concept of integrating exhibitions and sales, planning a four-in-one complex space featuring "books, creative products, tea drinks, and exhibitions" for domestic and international tourists and the public. The inaugural exhibition theme "Tea Path of Spring - The Golden Years of Taiwanese Tea" celebrates Taiwan’s tea export industry to Europe and America, which had captivated the world at expos, while also narrating the rich history of the Hsing Fang Chun Tea Shop’s trade with the Southeast Asian market through its extensive artifacts, allowing visitors to gain a deeper understanding of Dihua and appreciate the historical charm of Hsing Fang Chun Tea Shop. (Source: Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs)
