Urban Centers for Tea, Talk, Study

June 1982

中文

All workers in the Lotus Garden are college students. Their amiable attitude helps them to get along with customers.

Last year, two unique coffee shops opened in Taipei, one in downtown Hsimenting, the other in a business area near National Taiwan University. As well as close-to-cost tea and coffee and snacks, they provide young people with a healthy, cozy meeting place.

The golden calligraphic characters on a dark ground, signifying "Green Garden," are dwarfed by dazzling business signs nearby.

Several wood steps leading down to a basement are flanked by high wood walls hung, here and there, with photos of youth activities. The checkered-glass window of the door seemed to shut out the world of gaudy plastic beauty outside. Inside is another world--unpainted wood tables, chairs, counter, and quick-lunch bar. A wall-to-wall brick floor is brought into relief by fluorescent lamps hidden within a paneled ceiling. At an extreme end of the room dozens of plants are arranged. Masterworks of Chinese calligraphy and painting run down the side walls; the end wall is decorated with the two huge characters signifying "Green Garden."

The coffee shop is neatly divided into three parts--a non-smoking area, a tatami (straw mat) room and a smoking area. The non-smoking area is a conference room when the doors separating it from the rest of the shop are closed.

A TV-set stands in a corner of the small lobby, surrounded by shelves of books published by Youth Bookstore and copies of the better magazines of the country. As well as regular TV programs, video films of interest to young people are also presented.

The "Green Garden," sponsored by the China Youth Corps (CYC), can accommodate 150 persons at a time. Except for an hour's "recess," from 5︰30 to 6︰30 p.m., the coffee shop is always open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. "We are always in need of helping hands," said manager Shih Kuo-hao. "Now we have ten part-time paid students and several voluntary workers, besides myself and my assistant, Liu Hsin-hua. Most of the staff and most of our guests are students, and they know how to keep the environment clean and neat."

In prime hours, students sometimes have to queue up to wait for entrance to the "Green Garden." But, in spite of the crowds, "it is impossible for us to reap a significant profit," Shih commented. "Once a student comes in, he is reluctant to leave. Since serving them is our main goal, we never drive students away. See the thermos bottles on top of some of the tables? Now, we only offer two kinds of drinks--coffee and tea. If a guest orders tea, we serve it to him with a thermos bottle so he can stay as long as he likes," Shih said.

Since its major goal is to serve young people, the "Green Garden" was constructed with that function clearly in mind. Architect Ma Han-pao decided that wooden walls provided the best backdrop for display of masterworks in painting, calligraphy, paper-cutting, photography and other visual arts. A small stage in the conference room accommodates folk activities, especially folk song concerts. Bridge and chess tournaments and numerous seminars take place there. The "Green Garden" also furnishes quality hi-fi equipment, used by the students for everything from folk songs and Chinese and Western classical music, to pop tunes.

Kai Shih-hua, a frequent visitor, commented: "I come here almost everyday. It is a nice place to study because it helps relieve the tension that builds up in preparation for entrance examinations. 'Green Garden' is not as complicated and noisy as other coffee shops. Also, you feel more free studying here than at the library. And I can't stand studying at home, alone. So I come here."

Part-time worker Chang Hsin-hua is a junior at Fu Jen Catholic University. She works three days a week at "Green Garden." "I don't think working here interferes with my studies. I headed several student organizations before. Working here is another stage in my life, because now I talk with people from all walks of life. Though the pay is not very good, I learn a lot more about people than I did as a leader of student clubs," she said.

The CYC's activity centers share the principle of combining a natural and family-like ambience with multiple-purpose premises. The "Lotus Garden" in Hsimenting's entertainment district is no exception. Its manager, Liu Hsiang-ling, said: "CYC believes society must provide activity centers in the city as well as at the seaside and on the mountaintops. Young men need places to meet and chat with friends." A major in business administration, Liu paid visits to area coffee shops and restaurants to take advantage of their practical experiences.

The first floor of the "Lotus Garden" is a book store. Wood staircases lead from the second to fourth floors, circling a center patio. Seating areas follow a wood balustrade. The overall design looks something like an old Spanish ranch house in the Western U.S. or a tea house in ancient China. Though at the expense of usable room, the patio and open upper floors help establish a special atmosphere.

Newly opened on April 11, the "Lotus Garden" has not yet been fully decorated. According to Liu, a large fabric painting of lotuses will hang from the ceiling, and book shelves and large refrigerators will be added. For safety reasons, the railings will be doubled in size.

"I intend to stage concerts on the platform connecting the stairways between the third and the fourth floors. Youths may sit on the staircases to watch the performances. In this way, we may mingle together.

An extra service of both places is to offer psychological counseling for troubled students. The "Green Garden's" vice manager Liu Hsin-hua, recalled: "I would not deny that, sometimes, juvenile delinquents try to make trouble here. It is our duty to try to find out what their problems are and to try and help solve them."

[Picture Caption]

1. All workers in the Lotus Garden are college students. Their amiable attitude helps them to get along with customers. 2. The Lotus Garden has a romantic atmosphere while being elegant and clean. 3. Young people can listen to music and read books in comfortable surroundings. 4. Seats are arranged around a wooden balustrade circling a central patio. To the left is a screen for film projections.

1-4. Young people gather to study and engage in conversation. 5. The conference room at the Lotus Garden is open for students to hold meetings or seminars free of charge.

Amid the hustle and bustle of downtown Hsimenting, the Lotus Garden is a welcome haven.