This historic park is Taipei’s hottest Lunar New Year spot

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914文化創意產業園區), a cultural center in Taipei's Zhongzheng District (中正區), offers visitors a variety of activities during the Lunar New Year vacation. The historic venue features pop-up shops, food vendors, movie screenings, and exhibitions celebrating Taiwan's artistic scene. The park, which began as a winery in 1914 under Japanese colonial rule, provides an ideal destination for those seeking cultural experiences during the holiday break.

The park features pop-up shops selling merchandise from licensed creative brands, known as "IPs" in industry slang, including popular Japanese characters. Visitors can find merchandise from Chiikawa Baby, Opanchu Usagi, Rilakkuma, and the hit anime "Apothecary Diaries" at the venue. The croissant shop Yi Croissant (宜可頌) sells pastries with Taiwanese flavors like red bean and taro, and all shops operate on a limited-time basis during the holiday season.

Exhibitions at Huashan delve into Taiwan's local history and ecology, featuring paper-cutting masterpieces by artist Cheng Johan. Cheng has traveled across Taiwan and Japan to create works inspired by unique places, using her art to tell the story of alcohol brewing at Huashan. A bird-watching event and lecture exploring the relationship between humans and bird species will take place on Feb. 22, offering visitors an ecological perspective.

SPOT Huashan, a small-scale movie theater at the park, screens a range of cinema, from classics to international film festival award-winners. The theater will premiere the Taiwanese film "Double Happiness" (雙囍) on Tuesday (Feb. 17), depicting a groom secretly holding two weddings in one day to please his dueling parents. Notable foreign films screening in February include "Hamnet," "Arco," and "Sirat," offering diverse viewing options for moviegoers during the Lunar New Year holiday. ◼