The Wistaria Tea House, the Wisteria House, or Wistaria House is a historical teahouse in Daan District, Taipei, Taiwan. The establishment is situated in a Japanese-style wooden house built in the 1920s on Xinsheng South Road. The teahouse is named after the three wisteria vines planted in the front courtyard forming a shaded area leading to the entrance of the building. The teahouse, with its circa 1930s decor, was reopened to much fanfare after a long needed renovation in 2008.[1]
The teahouse was used during the filming of Eat Drink Man Woman.
History
The house served as a residence for the Governor-General of Taiwan under Japanese rule prior to 1945 and became government dormitories under the Republic of China administration in 1950. The building became a teahouse and gained its present name in 1981 and was meeting place for political dissidents such as Lei Chen (雷震) fighting for a democratic Taiwan during the 1980s after Kuomintang liberal Chou Te-wei moved in. Since then, Wisteria House has been and continues to be a favored meeting place for Taipei literati, artists, and academics. It has since been designated as a historic monument by the Taipei government in 1997 and operation of the teahouse was turned over to the Wistaria Cultural Association by the Taipei City Cultural Bureau.[2]