< Visited in Aug 2016 | Nov 2014 | Jul 2014 >
This quiet little place emerged among the many lovely memories of Taiwan. A combination of several elements I love - old house preserved for new use, interesting tale of history, IG-friendly, and great for a good couple of hours to sightsee and dine. QingTian 76 (aka Geo 76) 青田76 , near popular district Yongkang Street 永康街, was a gem discovered when I researched guided heritage tours for a July 2014 solo trip. I eventually signed up for their 60-minute guided tour plus made a reservation for their lunch menu, before I departed Taipei later in the day. Loved the place so much that I revisited in November 2014 for afternoon tea, and again in August 2016 for dinner.
"Qingtian Geo 76 is a Japanese-style residence embodying a western design. It was designed by its first owner, Japanese professor Adachi Masashi, and has been built since 1931. After World War II, Professor Ma Ting-ying arrived Taiwan to take over what is known today as National Taiwan University, and resided here till old then handed the residence over to National Taiwan University. In a recent movement to preserve and utilize old buildings, the Department of Cultural Affairs has designated Professor Ma’s old residence as cultural heritage and subjected it under the management of a professional team. In June 2011, Qingtian Geo 76 was opened to the public and offered tours and dining services to become one of the most popular cultural attractions in Taipei City."
- Taipei Film Commission's website
Nestled within Taipei's Da-an district, Qingtian Street 青田街 used to be a residential estate for Japanese lecturers teaching in the local universities. The precinct remains a quiet little neighbourhood now, with new swanky private apartments alongside some very old Japanese-style houses, and the odd art gallery here and specialty furniture shop there. Not too far away from the bustling Yongkang Street 永康街 (which you will walk through first after exiting Dongmen MRT Station 东门站), Qingtian Street 青田街 retains its rustic charm in a zone that feels private and exclusive, shyly reminding visitors of its part in the history of Japanese-occupied Taiwan, and extremely suitable for ardent fans of back alley exploration and (granted fine weather) shaded strolls.
The premises present a different charm in the day and after sunset (from late afternoon).
My free guided tour in July 2014 started punctually at 10am (best to arrive earlier for attendance taking), conducted that morning by Miss Shuxian. My group of about 20 people consisted of mostly locals, some Hongkongers (who seemed rather knowledgeable about Chinese history) and myself. After quick formalities at the front entrance of the house, with Miss Shuxian confirming if everyone understood Mandarin, a quick check where participants were from and if anyone had lunch reservation after the tour (presumably to manage her tour duration), the programme proper started outside the house, then backyard, and finally heading indoors. Each segment had its own nuggets of stories to tell and the history of this house came alive through the narration of Miss Shuxian.
We were introduced to the east-meets-west architecture of the house and how subsequent refurbishment was done to accommodate new users and purpose. We were told that Professor Ma was an avid gardener, planting many lovely blooms in his spacious front yard. There were also stories of how Professor Ma's son, Mr Liang Xuan (also currently a volunteer guide here), was a defiant child and had naughty moments (scribbling on the walls in the house) and some tense periods with his father.
<Above> Coconut trees which apparently were not common in Taiwan back then but were brought in by the Japanese from South East Asia.
<Above> A koi pond takes the place of the original Japanese bath room - old pipe holes can still be seen on the tiled wall beside the koi pond.
< Professor Ma was a geologist and amassed a huge geological collection - here, some of the samples found in and out of Taiwan are displayed below the 366 (not 365) birthday flowers created by Golden Seeds Education Organization which runs QingTian 76 >
< A small retail store beside the rock wall sells merchandise such as notebooks, bookmarks, coasters with customized laser carving technology under the brand of UBook >
Entering the house proper...
<Above> Socks are mandatory to protect the old wood flooring of the interior. Buy a pair at NTD10 if you don't have your own.
The tour ended with all of us seated on the tatami floor in what used to be the bedroom of Professor Ma, listening to Miss Shuxian's sharing of funny tales between the father and his son. We were allowed to explore the house on our own after the tour proper (as long as we do not disturb lunch patrons streaming in from 11.30am), and Miss Shuxian invited willing participants to pen some words in her personal notebook. I spent some time appreciating the Japanese interior of this lovely old house, which - with its heritage closely linked to Japan - has even impressed some Japanese to come all the way here to visit.
<Above> Panels for ventilation between rooms
<Above> Storage space for tatami, bedding and furniture
After the guided tour, the house operates as a restaurant, utilizing different parts of the house for seating. Reservation is highly recommended (I called about a month prior to the trip) as many walk-in lunch customers were politely turned away or advised to come back later for afternoon tea or dinner.
Other parts of the house were just as intriguing.
<Below> Entrance to the small loo, with modern facilities if you are wondering.
<Above> The kitchen has a customised built-in wooden shelves, to fit the existing structure of the house.
<Above> The top of the dictionary was apparently torn by a flying bullet.
<Above> A preserved door knob from within the house
<Above> This ingenious & efficient Japanese design allows light to permeate both rooms, even when the separating door is shut.
Finally the F&B... ( Check out their menu here .)
<Above> Ordered this beverage separately - an interesting concoction of sugarcane juice and black coffee - tried it for the novelty but can't say I was into the taste even though I like both sugarcane juice and black coffee.
<Above> A very flavourful and filling prawn tempura lunch set. The menu offers a good variety of set meals to choose from. >
< Complimentary dessert - coffee jelly >
< Prawn tempura set lunch, including refillable hot tea NTD480 + sugarcane coffee beverage NTD160 (both before 10% tax).
I would say it was worth the price in view of the portion, ambience and overall experience. >
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Afternoon tea some months later in November 2014... personally, I prefer the quality of lunch over my afternoon tea. The pastries are passable, and I ordered a safer option of ice drip coffee this time. Nonetheless, still good enough to spend a lazy afternoon thinking about nothing!
< Afternoon tea set (pastries + drink) NTD350/set >
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Finally rounding up my Geo76 experience with a dinner visit in August 2016, it was probably this round that allowed me to appreciate the finesse of their cuisine.
< Dinner for three NTD3245, consisting of 2 x Geo76 set dinner, 1 x Kurobuta Pork set and 1 x sashimi platter >
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QingTian 76 | 青田76
Address --- No. 6, Lane 7, Qingtian Street, Daan District 大安区青田街7巷6号
Nearest MRT Station --- Dongmen 东门 (R7 / red line) (O06 / yellow line), exit 5 to Yongkang Street 永康街
Note: For guided tours, call (02) 8978-7499 during operating hours or check slots to register online. Reservation opens mid month for the subsequent month. Do notify them in advance if you need to cancel your booking, so that guests on wait list can take over your complimentary slot.
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