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Red House

  • Date:2015-09-03
Red House

  • Chinese Name: 西門紅樓
  • Located At: Ximending, Taipei (Northern Taiwan)
  • Did You Know that… ?
  • The Red House, which was originally built as one of Taipei's earliest public markets, is the most well-preserved historic site in Taiwan. Nearly 2.5 million visitors have been registered at its octagonal and cruciform buildings.
  • Address:No. 10 Chengdu Road, Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Contact:www.redhouse.org.tw


Built in 1908 during the Japanese rule of Taiwan, the Red House is a Western-style brick structure designed by Japanese architect Kondo Juro. Its market entrance, which was designed according to the concept of Eight Trigrams (bagua), was considered an innovation at the time of its construction.


Following the retrocession of Taiwan after World War II, a large portion of mainland Chinese communities, who followed the Nationalist government to settle in Taiwan after the Communist takeover of mainland China, found comfort in Beijing opera, talk shows and dramas staged at the Red House Theater, giving rise to the Red House's glorious days.


The Red House was designated as a Class III historic site by the Taipei City Government in 1997, but the Red House Theater was closed down later that year.


In November 2007, the Department of Cultural Affairs under the Taipei City government commissioned the Taipei Culture Foundation to manage the Red House. The area has since undergone a series of cultural transformations, including the establishment of the Creative Boutique marketplace for artists and designers in the Cruciform Building, the opening of the Moonlight Movie Theater during weekends, and the creation of the Outdoor Café in the adjacent square.


Recently, the Red House has been developed into a venue for designers to showcase their creativity and exchange information. In 2008, the century-old Red House was honored as the Best Historic Site Revitalization Project at the 7th Taipei Urban Landscape Awards, for its regional development plan that underscores diversity.