Fuyuan Restaurant

Date CapturedApril 26th, 2015 at 09:57 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 7.1Shutter Speed1/200 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value13.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

A striking imitation of Suzhou’s Lingering Garden (留園), designed by architect Xià Zhùjiǔ (夏鑄九) and built over five years at great expense on Linyi Street in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. Opened in the early 1990s by restaurateur Yáng Shūzhēn (楊淑貞), it served high-end Jiangzhe (江浙) cuisine in private rooms themed around the four classical arts (琴棋書畫) and was patronized by senior KMT politicians, foreign dignitaries, and underworld figures alike. The building was dogged by zoning violations from the start, as the site was zoned residential, and quietly closed around 2014. The distinctive octagonal tower and cypress-clad exterior remain intact but the building sits idle.