My wife and I usually come here after visiting Guanghua Digital Plaza and Syntrend to get some fresh air after being surrounded by tech nerds in those buildings. FYI, I’m also a nerd.
Anyway, we like to come here to see what events are happening. They almost always have pop-up stores or exhibitions. Most permanent buildings are little gift shops that have “OK” souvenirs.
Use this guide to help you decide whether it’s worth visiting.
Table of Contents
Huashan 1914 Creative Park Overview & History
| Is It Worth Visiting? | Yes |
| Average Time Spent | 2 hrs |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Hours | 24/7 |
| Best Time to Visit | When it’s not too hot or rainy |
| Address | No. 1, Section 1, Bade Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, 100 |
| Website | huashan1914.com |
| City Located | Taipei City |
| Free Wi-Fi | iTaiwan or Taipei Free |
| Chinese Name | 華山1914文化創意園區內的 |
| Luggage Storage | Lalalocker, your hotel |
| What if It’s Raining or Too Hot? | Things to do indoors |
Traveler Tips
- If it suddenly rains, they have plenty of covered areas.
- There’s a nearby parking lot. Use it if you’re renting a car or motorbike.
- You’ll find a park (Central Art Park) adjacent to the Creative Park; check it for events or concerts. Or go there and set up a picnic.
Other Guides to Read
What to See & Where to Go
Here’s a list of what I usually do:
- Umay Theater: Watch Taiwanese plays & dance performances.
- Watch street performers.
- Relax in the park: They often have concerts or promotional events.
- Stroll through events inside warehouses: These are marked as 2, 3, 6, & 15 on the Creative Park’s map.
- These events are typically free to enter, but some could charge up to NT$400.
- Stroll through craft shops: Many have hand-crafted goods; great souvenirs.
- The Spot: Hosts film festivals & plays films from around the world.
- Legacy: Watch indie bands.
It’s also known for having an upside-down house. It doesn’t have that exhibit anymore.
Restaurants & Cafés That I Recommend
Here are the restaurants and cafés you’ll find in Huashan Creative Park:
| Restaurant | Chinese Name | Food Served or Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Piccola Botega | NA | Italian |
| Alleycat’s Pizza | 巷貓 | Pizza |
| Al Cicchetto Huashan Restaurant | 義麵坊華山小酒吧 | Italian |
| Deja Vu | 音樂魔幻餐廳 | Owned by pop star, Jay Chou |
| VVG Thinking | 好樣思維 | Various (e.g., steak) |
| Simple Kaffa | 興波咖啡 | Taiwan’s best coffee |
I usually get food from around Huashan. Huashan’s foods tend to sit on the higher end of the price spectrum and aren’t fantastic for budget travelers.
No matter your budget, I recommend visiting the first Simple Kaffa store. They serve the best-, cleanest-tasting coffee that has entered my body. I had to wait 20 min for a reservation and pay over NT$150 for a small(ish)-sized coffee, but it was worth every penny.
If you’re a coffee snob, this is a third-wave coffee shop.
International barista champion (in 2016) Berg Wu opened this store and so far has won various awards like:
- The World Gigs: Bronze medalist in 2016
- Asia’s No.1 best coffee shop in 2019 and 2020
- The TCA Barista: 1st place in 2021
- World’s No.1 best coffee shop in 2019 and 2020
- The Taiwan CIGS: 1st place in 2015
These are all awards I found on their window.
You probably don’t care about their awards and want to know what I recommend. It depends on your taste. I got the Smoky Southern Taiwan signature coffee and loved it.
If you want the best experience, deal with the process of booking a reservation for the Simple Kaffa on the 88th floor of Taipei 101. I don’t have a first-hand guide on this (yet), but here’s a blogger who does.
I recommend buying coffee beans from here. If you’d rather order it online, here’s how to do so:
get simple kaffa souvenirs onlineWhat’s Nearby?
| Attraction | To-Do | Avg. Time Spent |
|---|---|---|
| Syntrend & Guanghua | Browse electronics | 1 – 2 hrs |
| Shandao Temple | Observe the temple | 20 minutes |
| Dongmen Market | Eat food and shop | 1 – 2 hrs |
| Jianguo Flower Market | Check out flowers, jade, and art | 1 hr |
| Miniatures Museum of Taiwan | Browse miniatures | 1 hr |
I’d provide an itinerary for this place, but I’m heavily biased toward Syntrend and Guanghua and would spend the day there. Use other locations I recommend as starting points for planning your day.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park is in an odd location regarding distance to typical attractions. It is adjacent to Guanghua and Syntrend, which are obvious spots to visit for air conditioning, food, and electronics.
There’s a Don Don Donki nearby, where you could stock up on souvenirs.
If you want to spend more of your day in Taipei Main Station, you could head toward Shandao Temple, then relax inside and around Taipei Main Station.
Or you could head north and visit the Miniatures Museum of Taiwan, browse some dope miniatures for an hour, and then, if it’s night, head to Liaoning Night Market.
Or head south, walk around Daan Park for a bit, then head toward the Jianguo markets. There are 3 markets in this area:
- Flower Market: Has some food, a lot of flowers, and super humid.
- Artists Corner: Locals sell (expensive) art, but they make for great souvenirs.
- Jade Market: More than a hundred stalls selling jade.
These routes give you flexibility depending on Taiwan’s weather, which can never make up its mind. Most of them offer plenty of cover and access to air conditioning.
How to Get There
1. MRT / Subway: Take the Taipei Subway (MRT) Blue or Orange Lines to Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station. It doesn’t matter what line you take; they intersect here.
Follow the signs inside the station and leave from Exit 1. From there, walk straight for 3 – 5 minutes.
2. Bus: I recommend downloading the Bus+ app to make tracking buses easier.
Take buses to one of the following stations:
- Guanghua Market
- Huashan Cultural and Creative Industries Park
- National Taipei University of Technology
There’s also the Taipei Sightseeing Bus Red Route. Get off at the Huashan Creative Park stop.
3. YouBike: There are a lot of YouBike stations nearby:
4. Uber / taxi: The price for taking a taxi will vary by where you order it from.
- I honestly recommend downloading one of these apps to book a taxi:
- Find Taxi (English): Book a taxi ahead of time and know the driver’s ratings (like Uber…)
- 55688 (English): Same as Find Taxi, but with a reward point system.
5. Driving:
The closest parking is in Skytrend Creative Mall’s underground parking lot. Though, you may find surrounding parking lots. Expect to pay around NT$50 per hour for cars and NT$20 per hour for motorbikes/scooters.
Brief History
Huashan 1914 Creative Park was formerly Taihoku Winery in 1914 and used as a factory to produce sake. In 1987, the winery was reloaded, and the area served as a museum to showcase the building’s industrial machinery.
In 1999, it became a venue to showcase exhibitions and performances from local artists. And that’s what it is now.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park Photos
