Department of Cultural Affairs

Taipei Story House (formerly Yuanshan Villa)

Hours of operation: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays.
Telephone: (8862) 2587-5565
Link:www.storyhouse.com.tw
Address: No. 181-1, Zhongshan North Road, sec. 3, Taipei City

Transportation
By MRT: Disembark at Yuanshan Station on the Tamsui Line, and transfer to the “Red 2" shuttle bus.
By bus: Lines 40, 42, 203, 208, 216, 218, 220, 224, 247, 260, 277, 279, 287, 308, 310 or 612; disembark at the Yuanshan bus stop.

History
Between 1913 and 1914 (during the Japanese colonial period), Chen Chaojun, a prominent tea merchant of the Taipei district of Dadaocheng, built Yuanshan Villa, a charming cottage in the British Tudor style, in the Yuanshan area near the banks of the beautiful Keelung River, as a place to entertain local dignitaries and overseas guests. In 2002, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government invited retired attorney Ms. Chen Kok-choo to help found Taipei Story House. Formally opened to the public in 2003, it offers Taipei City a new space for relaxation, art and culture. It promotes a rich lifestyle centered on the humanities through a variety of events, in the hope of reviving in the minds of local and foreign visitors alike the beautiful memories of Taipei in days gone by.

The building's design includes a first floor of brick support walls, and a second floor built of wood. Across the outside of the upper wall, curvilinear wood strips wind vertically and horizontally, forming an elegant tree-branch pattern, a special feature of British architecture during the Tudor period. The design of the staircase is reminiscent of a small pagoda. Its roof, built of copper plates, has gradually acquired a patina of green, attesting to the passage of time. The gable above the entrance features stained glass in green, yellow and red. Inside, you will find two elegant fireplaces, as well as a large number of Art Nouveau tiles and ceiling lamps with bas-relief floral patterns, popular at the beginning of the 20th century and rich in natural images of flowers and trees. This form of architecture is extremely rare among the extant historical buildings of Taiwan.

Taipei Story House includes: 1. Exhibition Galleries: Three multifunctional areas suitable for refined small-scale exhibitions, lectures, tea ceremonies or events related to historical sites, lifestyle, art and culture. 2. Audio-visual classroom: For small-scale seminars, classes, conferences, and for the presentation of audio-visual information related to exhibitions. 3. Gift Shop: Presents exquisite works created by artists in a variety of media. 4. Story Tea House: Refined Western-style cuisine provided by The Landis Taipei Hotel.