The Red House
The Red House (西門紅樓)Location: No. 10 Chengdu Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei City
Hours: 11:00am – 9:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday (closing time
extended to 10pm on Friday and Saturday)
Website: www.redhouse.org.tw
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| The Red House |
The Red House, which is located at Chengdu Road, is a western-styled architecture designed by Kondo Juro and built in 1908. It was once Taiwan’s first public market and later became the entertainment center of Wanhua during the Japanese Colonial Rule. Subsequently, after the World War II, the Red House began to enjoy popularity among the westernised moviegoers through the screening of martial arts movies and local costume films, etc. Nevertheless, business declined due to the stronger emphasis on eastward urban developments. Fortunately, in 2007, the Taipei Culture Foundation was commissioned to operate the Red House. Under their operation, this iconic site was transformed into a must-visit landmark. Today, the Red House continues to showcase a plethora of performances varying from Jazz to Taiwanese Opera.
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| Central display area |
Apart from showcasing performances, exhibitions such as Kai-Hsing Hung Solo Exhibition and The Cradle of Cultural Creative Dreamer are also available on a seasonal basis. A small gallery is also set up at the entrance which vividly describes the history of The Red House through the display of some artifacts.
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| Exhibit found at central display |
Furthermore, interesting designer products can also be found at The Red House’s Creative Boutique. This includes hand-made rings to metal robots keychain. While the products sold may be pricier than other products found along the Ximending Street, the former are much more exquisite.
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| Products sold at the Red House's Creative Boutique |
Interesting Facts
The market’s entrance takes the shape of an octagon which Chinese perceive as “Eight Trigrams” (八卦). According to Chinese fengshui, such design is symbolical of protection and luck.The golden age of performance was from 1945 to 1963. During this period of time, The Red House held a wide variety of performances including Peking Opera, Cantonese Opera, popular music, dance shows, comedy routines and dramas.
The Red House was awarded the 7th Urban Landscape Award in Historical Space Redevelopment Category in 2008.
Throughout 2009, it has hosted over 1,000 arts and literature themed events
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| Exhibit celebrating the Red House's 104th Birthday |
Directions
MRT: Take to Ximen MRT station and exit at Exit 6. The building is found on the left side of the exit, one pedestrian crossing away.
Bus: Sanchung-bus (Wugu-Taipei, Jhonggang-Beimen, Huilong-Taipei) 3, blue 2, 9, 12, 18, 25, 49, 52, 201, 202, 205, 206, 209, 212, 218, 221, 223, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 253, 257, 513, 624, 621, 640
MRT: Take to Ximen MRT station and exit at Exit 6. The building is found on the left side of the exit, one pedestrian crossing away.
Bus: Sanchung-bus (Wugu-Taipei, Jhonggang-Beimen, Huilong-Taipei) 3, blue 2, 9, 12, 18, 25, 49, 52, 201, 202, 205, 206, 209, 212, 218, 221, 223, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 253, 257, 513, 624, 621, 640
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