Kishuan Forest of Literature

Taipei


This sleepy wooden lodge was built by a Japanese family in 1917 and was lovingly reconstructed after two fires in the 1990s almost destroyed it. Visitors can tour the inside and chill on the open verandahs, provided they slip off their shoes and wear socks to protect the polished floors. It is managed by the Taiwan Literature Development Foundation, and occasional art exhibitions and film showings are held here.

The two-storey building next door houses a genteel Taiwanese restaurant and teahouse, as well as a bookshop with English-language copies of the Taipei Chinese Pen, a journal of contemporary literature from Taiwan. The grounds are home to three protected elder trees that are between 70 and 100 years old.