Borrowing from western urban-regeneration models, this early-20th-century wine factory has been restored as Taipei's most retro-chic venue. Remodelled warehouses now hold live-music performances and pop-up shops sell innovative Taiwanese-designed products, there are ever-changing exhibitions, and a host of stylish restaurants, cafes and bars will have you loving the ambience as much as the food. Many of the exhibitions are aimed at children and take over the giant spaces. Don't forget SPOT around the back, Taipei's best independent cinema.
The factory opened in 1916 as a private wine-making facility, and was finally shuttered in 1987. The area would likely be just another block of overpriced city apartments today if not for arts groups. In 1997, they discovered that the old factory provided a perfect venue for performances, workshops and installations – the warehouses are spacious, have high ceilings and are flooded with natural light.
In 2003, after years of pressure, the city gave management of Huashan to the Council for Cultural Affairs. After a multiyear restoration, Huashan emerged as a popular gathering spot for families and hipsters alike, a source of urban pride, and a venue for both the promotion and dissemination of new ideas about both art and urban living.
Hours for individual shops, restaurants and performance venues vary. There's an information centre near the front as you face the grounds off Bade Rd.