Once a popular gathering spot for former members of the dangwai (黨外, outside the party) and student movement, A-tsai’s restaurant (阿才的店), located at the crossroads of Jinshan S Road and Renai Road in Taipei City, is soon going to close down permanently or relocate as a result of an urban renewal project, according to A-hua (阿華), the store’s owner.
The term dangwai refers to individuals who participated in politics, but were not members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in the period before the formation of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 1986.
The student movement refers to the Wild Lilies Student Movement (野百合學運) in 1990, when over 6,000 students gathered in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to protest the National Assembly’s decision to grant its members a nine-year extension in office despite never having been elected in the 40 years since the Republic of China (ROC) government arrived in Taiwan.
Photo: Chiu Shao-wen, Taipei Times
A-hua opened the restaurant in 1987 and has been there ever since. It was five to six years ago that construction firms started making inquiries about possible urban renewal projects.
“I took those construction companies to court over the urban renewal project, but I lost the case,” he said
However, the judge ruled that the construction firms should notify him six months prior to the beginning of demolition work even though he was just a tenant.
“I have not received notification yet,” he said.
However, the road has been blocked and a banner hangs from one of the empty homes near the restaurant indicating that the area is due to be demolished for an urban renewal project
A-hua says that this has not only infringed on people’s right of way, but has also hurt his business because many of his customers thought he had closed.
Meanwhile, many former members of the Wild Lilies Student Movement and dangwai movement expressed sadness at the restaurant’s fate.
Former Governmental Information Office minister Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said “A-tsai’s restaurant holds many memories.”
Shen Fa-hui (沈發惠), another member of the student movement and now a New Taipei City DPP councilor, said there were very few stores or restaurants like the vintage atmosphere and decor of A-tsai’s, adding that even though many restaurants had attempted to capture the feeling, A-tsai’s was still the only one with that authentic feel
“During the student movement, if you wanted to have a drink, but you couldn’t find anybody to drink with, A-tsai’s was the place to go, because you were bound to meet someone you knew there,” Shen said, adding that “A-tsai’s was a location that held the memories of an entire generation, and if it [the store] just disappears, it would leave behind many regrets.”
DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said A-tsai’s was the equivalent of the “holy land of democracy” and even now many who took part in the Wild Lilies Student Movement still get together there from time to time.
Urban renewal projects should benefit the public, but even before the project gets under way, the construction companies are closing off the roads and -undermining the public interest, Chen said, adding that such an approach was “little different to that of a local thug.”
“I would be very sad if A-tsai’s just vanished,” he said.
DPP Legislator Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君), who also took part in the Wild Lilies Student Movement, recalled that those who gathered at A-tsai’s usually discussed the student movement itself and revolutionary ideas.
“The restaurant, for these people, represents ‘years of youth and rebellion,’” she said.
As to the issue of urban renewal projects, Cheng said far more factors should be taken into consideration before they are approved.
They should seek to “rebuild” the city, she said,, adding that the “historical, sentimental, and cultural value” of existing buildings should also be taken into consideration.
“It would be hard to preserve the original atmosphere of A-tsai’s restaurant even if it relocated,” she added.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS