Taipei’s historic Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in Ximending is celebrating its centenary today, hoping to establish itself as a hotspot for cultural and creative industries in the capital.
The octagonal-shaped two-story structure, designed by Japanese architect Kondo Juro, was built in 1908 to house the first municipal market in Taipei. It was turned into a stage for Chinese opera, plays and folk art performances after 1945 and into a movie house in the 1960s.
The theater fell into disrepair in the 1970s after a large number of Western-style movie theaters sprang up in the Ximending area. Reopened in 2000 after restoration by the Taipei City GovernmeAnt, it houses a small cafe and a display on the history of the structure on the first floor and shows live theater performances on the second floor.
Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs is sponsoring a retrospective exhibition chronicling the development of the theater starting today through Dec. 31.
Lin Hui-feng (林慧芬), executive secretary of the Taipei City Archive, said the exhibit would feature photos and documents showcasing the building’s rich history — from its start as a public market during the Japanese colonial period to its current use as a site for live performances and a crafts market.
Memorabilia such as matchboxes, posters and movie pamphlets from the Japanese colonial period will also be on display as part of the exhibition, Lin said.
Commissioner of the department Lee Yong-ping (李永萍) said the department would turn the small cafe into a teahouse with outdoor seating next month to attract more visitors. The first floor of the theater will also house a total of 16 workshops with various artists showcasing their artwork.
A pub hosting live bands will be launched in the back of the first floor next month, while a crafts market will continue to be held outside the building, with independent designers selling handmade T-shirts, jewelry and other clothing and fashion accessories, Lee said.
A decision to describe a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Singapore’s Taiwan policy as “erroneous” was made because the city-state has its own “one China policy” and has not followed Beijing’s “one China principle,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) said yesterday. It has been a longstanding practice for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to speak on other countries’ behalf concerning Taiwan, Tien said. The latest example was a statement issued by the PRC after a meeting between Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on the sidelines of the APEC summit
Taiwan’s passport ranked 34th in the world, with access to 141 visa-free destinations, according to the latest update to the Henley Passport Index released today. The index put together by Henley & Partners ranks 199 passports globally based on the number of destinations holders can access without a visa out of 227, and is updated monthly. The 141 visa-free destinations for Taiwanese passport holders are a slight decrease from last year, when holders had access to 145 destinations. Botswana and Columbia are among the countries that have recently ended visa-free status for Taiwanese after “bowing to pressure from the Chinese government,” the Ministry
‘SIGN OF DANGER’: Beijing has never directly named Taiwanese leaders before, so China is saying that its actions are aimed at the DPP, a foundation official said National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) yesterday accused Beijing of spreading propaganda, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had singled out President William Lai (賴清德) in his meeting with US President Joe Biden when talking about those whose “true nature” seek Taiwanese independence. The Biden-Xi meeting took place on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru on Saturday. “If the US cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in seeking Taiwanese independence, handles the Taiwan question with extra
HEALTHCARE: Following a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, Taiwanese traveling overseas for six months would no longer be able to suspend their insurance Measures allowing people to suspend National Health Insurance (NHI) services if they plan to leave the country for six months would be abolished starting Dec. 23, NHIA Director-General Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said yesterday. The decision followed the Constitutional Court’s ruling in 2022 that the regulation was unconstitutional and that it would invalidate the regulation automatically unless the NHIA amended it to conform with the Constitution. The agency would amend the regulations to remove the articles and sections that allow the suspension of NHI services, and also introduce provisional clauses for those who suspended their NHI services before Dec. 23, Shih said. According to
RSS