By Hsiao-Ting, LI
Tracing Taipei’s development history and identifying locations on the map known as old neighborhoods, many people would think of Dadaocheng in Taipei City. Dadaocheng was once a vast, flat area used for grain drying. In those days, it attracted wealth and nobility, with the gentry culture evolving over time to reveal the unique character of this place. Today, it is not only a tourist destination that leaves a deep impression on foreigners, but also an urban cultural landscape that preserves many memories of the lives of old Taipei residents. Century-old buildings line the streets, including the Lin Feng Yi Shop, Li Ting Xiang Cake Shop, Bolero Restaurant, and Long Yue Tang Cake Shop. Strolling through the alleys feels like taking a journey through a time tunnel.
The preservation of local culture requires attention from government agencies, as well as active participation from civil institutions and local residents. In Dadaocheng’s historic neighborhood, there lies such a magical little place—it’s a small team studio for local cultural and historical preservation and storytelling, while also serving as a small living room where nearby residents gather to eat and drink. Its location offers a tranquil escape from the bustling Dihua Street. Turn into a side alley, look up to see the red hanging curtain printed with “Suki Lane,” and pass through to view the studio’s facade. The message on the door curtain—“Encountering beautiful things from long-lost reunions”—captures the Suki Lane team’s feelings about the historic neighborhood and the sentiment they wish to share with everyone. The studio space is filled with objects that have been taken to various markets and are gifts from nearby residents. These seemingly ordinary decorations are actually treasures with stories to tell, creating a welcoming environment for all who visit from afar to experience the warmth of human connection and the beauty of history. What charm does Dadaocheng possess that motivates them to overcome obstacles and establish a permanent presence here? How are old city districts connected through market activities and performances?
A Small Working Team with Diverse Talents
Suki Lane is a two-person working team formed by Huang Fei-lin and Chen Wen-wei, who met on December 12, 2014, at an event during the Qingshan King Festival through the introduction of a friend. During the interview, as they describe their journey from meeting to forming a team, and seeing the antique pieces tastefully arranged in the space, one can fully sense their passion and enthusiasm for antique accessories, local culture, and history that exceeds that of ordinary people. This enthusiasm has supported their persistent struggle to this day.
In previous events organized by Suki Lane, concepts incorporating local elements were often evident, showcasing their ambition to promote local culture. Suki Lane’s ability to flexibly use creative markets to represent the local cultural atmosphere was inspired by co-founder Chen Wen-wei. Chen Wen-wei, who began participating in creative markets during his student years, transitioned from being a market vendor to planning and organizing markets. This change provided him with a multi-layered perspective on creative markets. This unique format successfully enables outsiders to participate while providing local artisans with a platform to be recognized.
The other co-founder, Huang Fei-lin, said, “In shaping creative markets, it should be Wen-wei’s idea; but if it’s about marketing or integrating merchandise, I might contribute more ideas, so we’re quite complementary.” Huang Fei-lin, a graduate of the Graduate Institute of Applied Media Arts at the National Taiwan University of Arts, took on an interview and editing job in Kyoto and Fukui, Japan, in 2011 after graduation. He documented how local organizations implement regional revitalization strategies. “I experienced their daily routines, observing them create boxes and visiting local tourist factories…Their vitality was evident.” To this day, Fei-lin maintains strong relationships with the interviewees from that period. This journey, which combined interviewing with hands-on experiences, sparked his interest in regional revitalization. The proceeds from the interviews also served as a funding source for establishing the studio. “My thinking approach is more akin to that of an integrated marketing company rather than the conventional logic of an arts unit.” However, after founding Suki Lane, Huang Fei-lin started to shift his work mindset. He began to learn how to manage spaces from an artist’s perspective and how to incorporate artistic creation into public domains—all models that he gradually developed over time. Both of them share the same birthday and zodiac sign. One is a writer who travels for interviews, while the other is a quiet, introverted graphic designer. They have different strengths and characteristics: one is more outward-focused, while the other is more inward-focused. Together, they complement each other by dividing their work according to their unique skills.
For them, this journey represents both their entrepreneurial process and personal rooting. The point where these two aspects intersect is Dadaocheng. Now, through the interplay of fate, they have chosen to deeply invest themselves in Dadaocheng. Although it was a bit challenging at first, they embraced this experience with gratitude. “Both Wen-wei and I start from a heart that loves old city districts.” Due to their shared passion for historic neighborhoods and the increasing number of items resulting from their market activities and studio operations, they recognized the need for a physical workspace to sustain their studio. Various factors presented an opportunity for them to search for space in Taipei’s old city.
From the decision to search for space in the greater Taipei area to Suki Lane finding its current location, the key figure behind this was actually an expert in qipao: Master Chen Chung-Hsin’s introduction. The connection with Master Chen came when Chen Wen-wei was practicing drawing Pat Ka Chiong facial makeup at Master Chen’s tailoring table. Master Chen told them at the time, “This space hasn’t been opened for a long time, and the daughter-in-law of this family just happened to be cleaning it—come and see quickly.” After back-and-forth message exchanges with the property owner, they finally rented this space with stories to tell. “Master Chen helped make the connection at that time,” and “the aunt next door also helped us persuade the landlord to give us a better price.” The Suki Lane team speaks of their connection with Dadaocheng with full gratitude. Having rented the space and planted the seeds of old souls, Suki Lane gradually grows and takes root in Dadaocheng at a “comfortable” pace, just as the Taiwanese pronunciation of their brand name suggests.
Cultivating Dadaocheng with Heart: Connecting the Friendship Between North and South Old City
The annual fireworks festival in Dadaocheng, which has been held since 2005, attracts many couples, photography enthusiasts, and tourists each year. In 2016, the event was combined with the Taipei Riverside Music Festival, significantly increasing its scale and impact. That year, the winning tenderer invited Suki Lane to assist with organizing the festival. “Because they said we (Suki Lane) were working on old city issues, and no one was doing this at that time, or at least not talking about it as much as we were.” During that time, they had completed the project at the Guo family’s old house in Shilin, successfully introducing craftspeople with rich stories to creative markets within the historic residence.
Located on the bustling night market street of Shilin in Taipei, the residence of Dr. Guo Xiu-cong, known as Taiwan’s Schweitzer, is at 54 Dadong Road, Shilin District. By chance, encountering this space and being called by the old house, the Suki Lane team visited libraries and searched everywhere for materials, preparing for three months. Suki Lane has developed a new strategy for arts performances: “Allow the public to enter the beautiful cultural longhouse in Taipei and explore the ingenuity of traditional Shilin family houses within the three-section space. Through the performances of dreamcrafters, guests will be transported back to Dr. Guo Xiu-cong’s family banquet, where they will hear captivating stories of the new century.” Approaching from the perspective of family banquets, Suki Lane organized engaging performances at the Shilin longhouse, calling for “craftspeople who share their dream stories,” “artists with performance practices,” and “social enterprises committed to good deeds” to join the lineup.
Taiwan Panorama magazine took notice of them and conducted an interview, which garnered significant attention. During that time, Taipei was undergoing development with the West District Gateway project and the Light Up Taipei project. The efforts and issues they had been focusing on were increasingly being recognized by the public. Suki Lane has organized the Dadaocheng Valentine’s Day fireworks event for several years. Even when the tenderer changed, they continued to collaborate with them, demonstrating that they had built a strong reputation and that their contributions to Dadaocheng have been recognized during this time. “Big money has big money methods, small money has small money methods”—doing as much as one can with available funds. But Project planning involves more than just money. They believe that whether organizing markets or managing communities, the key is to effectively accumulate and maintain networks, influence those around them, and spread impact in order to unite and accomplish goals together.
Dadaocheng was historically a key trading center for tea and textiles, benefiting from the geographical advantages of the Tamsui River, which facilitated trade with other nearby ports. Today, Suki Lane utilizes Dihua Street as its foundation, not limiting itself to a single area, engaging in exchanges and interactions with other historic neighborhoods along the Tamsui River and throughout Taiwan. Continuously stepping outside of social comfort zones and engaging with old communities while trying to foster dialogue with local communities has always been Suki Lane’s ongoing effort. “Revitalization is always a method that is close to the land, facilitating dialogue with local communities.” Suki Lane organized walking tours throughout the city, which provided them with numerous opportunities to meet local teams from various historic districts. In June 2020, during a capacity-building workshop at Shin Len Yuan Art Space, Huang Fei-lin connected with the Sanuhu Bari team. Like Suki Lane, they were dedicated to revitalizing the old cities and recognized the deep historical and cultural ties between their two locations. As a result of their discussions, they agreed to collaborate and arranged a visit to Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, for an exchange and sharing event in July of the same year.
After exploring numerous old cities rich with stories, when asked why Suki Lane decided to settle in Dadaocheng and what allows them to continue their cultivation there, they confidently responded, “Discovering memories and reclaiming recollections has endless possibilities, but it can only happen here, in Dadaocheng.” After visiting numerous historic cities in Japan and Taiwan, Dadaocheng is the place where Huang Fei-lin and Chen Wen-wei have the most fond memories. Suki Lane has a long-standing presence in this area. “Failure is unavoidable, but you should continue to try until you succeed”—this phrase perhaps best encapsulates their current situation. They entered earlier than many others and continued to persist when others gave up. The objects in the space that they can’t bear to part with, even though there is almost no room for them, symbolize Suki Lane’s growth during this period. They carry memories and represent the deep emotions shared between the residents of Dadaocheng and everyone they have encountered.
From Performative Market to Cultural Promotion
Beginning around the year 2000, Taiwan experienced a series of creative markets driven by young individuals, showcasing handmade items where each piece reflected the creator’s unique style and personal story, inviting visitors to engage with the stories behind the pieces. Chen Wen-wei, who started setting up stalls at various creative markets while in university, shared his observations from past market participation: “Markets used to feature many felted and sock dolls.” However, handmade items that showcased the vendors’ personalities have gradually been replaced by more refined products. As markets became more frequent, organizers transitioned to a more systematic management approach, while vendors began expecting organizers to provide bright and spacious venues and to establish a unified visual design or storefront style. Although the cultural threshold for setting up market stalls has lowered, the procurement costs have increased. It’s not just the products sold in markets and organizers that have changed; shifts in customer demographics are also significant factors in the changing landscape of creative markets.
For Suki Lane, creative markets represent more than just buying and selling; they hold a deeper significance. “Organizing markets means performing and developing in market format—it’s one strategy for discovering new possibilities in things or places you thought you were familiar with, and also a way to create deeper connections with each other.” Designing markets as a series of activities, combining rich and highly diverse performances to promote local culture, is a characteristic of Suki Lane’s market organization. For example, using short talks and walking tour formats to help participants understand surrounding neighborhoods, coordinating with seasonal periods or festivals, and combining local craftspeople and unique local shops. Diverse activities ensure that visiting markets is more than just a superficial weekend leisure activity. This aspect makes them unique in planning creative markets and emphasizes their differences from other markets. Utilizing markets as a medium for cultural promotion, primarily to support local revitalization and provide a platform for local craftspeople, Suki Lane was the first planning team to employ markets as a performance method. Faced with questioning voices, they decided to take further action, uncovering more local craftspeople hidden in alleyways and characteristic shops, with the aim of dismantling barriers between groups by offering more open platforms.
Entering Schools, Letting the Land Tell Its Stories
Traditional culture is preserved through oral traditions and written records, and Suki Lane fully recognizes their significance in the community. When the 108 Curriculum was implemented, knowing that schools needed guides familiar with local history to lead students, they took on this role. Having previously led adult walking tours, Huang Fei-lin had a deep understanding of the principle that “seeing with one’s eyes helps people understand faster than just talking.” By taking students out of the classroom and guiding them on field trips, he embarks on root-seeking journeys with them. His goal is to help students recognize their environment and themselves, while also documenting disappearing cultures through various approaches and perspectives.
Organizing walking tours and promoting education may not show quantifiable results from participants in the short term, but they can plant cultural seeds in participants’ hearts. In contrast to intangible cultural transmission, such as language and knowledge, creative markets with a commercial atmosphere transform culture into products. Through the buying and selling process, vendors can quickly understand customers’ opinions regarding their content. Regardless of the method, as long as one can extend the timeline and persistently continue, cultural accumulation will surely continue through generational transmission.
“(Organizing markets or local revitalization) isn’t just handling a curatorial problem—the ability to continue surviving depends on community support systems… Information exchange between communities is very important. In interactive emotions and exchanges, we hope to establish trust with others.” Past experiences at Shilin longhouse taught them that organizers showing sincerity in market interactions, using markets as a process of accompanying local communities—these efforts can be directly felt by participants, as was the case with the Shilin longhouse experience. When the Suki Lane team stumbled upon the old house in Shilin, they immediately felt a strong connection to it. They not only invited craftspeople to showcase their work inside the house, but also brought musical groups to the second floor, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that resembled a family banquet at the market. The homeowner, recognizing their genuine interactions with others, willingly shared additional photos of the ancestors who once lived in the old house with the team members, providing them with deeper insights into the historical significance of the old house. For the Suki Lane team, recalling experiences—whether through their own efforts or through dialogue between people and objects across time and space—feels very moving and memorable.
Conclusion: Endless Imaginings for Preserving the “Comfortable” Culture of the Old City
From Shilin’s old house market to establishing roots in Dadaocheng, Suki Lane has been cultivating the community locally for eight years, nurturing a partnership with the land of Dadaocheng. After gaining the space, Suki Lane developed deeper community interactions with local communities, with interaction partners changing from fellow vendors during stall periods to neighbors near the later studio, extending throughout Taiwan. This way of eating together, chatting, and establishing shared living experiences is their secret to building emotional connections with others, deeply cultivating local communities, and maintaining a long-term presence. Huang Fei-lin stated in the interview, “Starting a business means finding an environment suitable for your life… finding balance between making money and what you want to do.” After some exploration, Suki Lane found their comfortable place in Dadaocheng and is working to establish a balance in cash flow.
Weak ties in their social circles create various unexpected opportunities for Suki Lane—through surrounding friends’ understanding, observation, and trust built through interactions, leading to introductions and referrals. The Suki Lane team uses various methods to connect different groups, including adults and children, as well as local areas and the entire country of Taiwan, to share their love and knowledge of the land. Utilizing performative market methods to revitalize historic homes can breathe new life into these structures. This approach considers various angles, creating opportunities for deeper understanding. Organizing local walking tours encourages people to explore neighborhoods and immerse themselves in the local scenery. Additionally, entering schools to develop educational programs that promote local culture allows students to engage with their heritage, helping to preserve and pass down culturally significant memories to future generations. All of Suki Lane’s actions are centered around a guiding principle: “Encountering beautiful things through long-lost reunions.” This reflects the desire to share the warmth of this land with visitors, allowing the stories of dedicated craftspeople who live each day in the old city to be passed down through generations. We eagerly anticipate Suki Lane sharing more enlightening perspectives on historic cities in the future.
Hsiao-Ting, LI