Former Japanese-era liquor warehouse transformed into a cultural and creative restaurant in Hualien — “Heng Hao” preserves historical charm

▲The multifunctional restaurant “Heng Hao” in the Hualien Cultural and Creative Park was once a liquor storage warehouse from 80 years ago during the Japanese colonial period.

Reported and photographed by Lin Yuying / Hualien

With weathered walls and an air of nostalgia, old buildings always possess an indescribable charm. Stepping into the multifunctional restaurant “Heng Hao” located in the Hualien Cultural and Creative Park, you can clearly see traces of liquor jars on the floor — this was once a storage warehouse for a sake brewery during the Japanese colonial period. The 300-ping space now combines dining, floral art, a bookstore, a gift shop, and even a children's play area. While breathing new life into the building, it also retains its historical essence. Since its official opening in February this year, it has been a hot topic and has become a must-visit spot for both locals and tourists in Hualien.

▲To perfectly blend modern cultural creativity with historical charm, elements such as the high-raftered wooden roof structure and the traces of liquor jars on the floor have been preserved. The dining tables and chairs were made using templates from ancient European architecture, meticulously restored and crafted by skilled craftsmen.

Liang Ziang, CEO of “Heng Hao,” fell in love with this 80-year-old historic building at first sight. A lover of travel, reading, food, and a father himself, he decided to integrate all these elements together.

To seamlessly merge modern cultural creativity with historical charm, he preserved the traces of liquor jars on the floor and the high-raftered wooden roof structure. In addition, antique furniture, a long cabinet originally from a town hall in a southern French village, and even a “century-old piano” manufactured in London in 1908 were brought in. The long wooden dining table and chairs in the restaurant were made using templates from ancient European architecture, carefully restored and crafted by master craftsmen, allowing the entire environment to harmonize with the historic building without any sense of incongruity.

▲Antique furniture, a long cabinet from a southern French town hall, and other elements make the entire environment resonate with the historic building.

A spice-carrying ship from ancient India, loaded with flowers, is moored next to the floral art area. This section sells fresh flowers, preserved flowers, dried flowers, and various vases, bursting with color and warmth that soften the otherwise industrial-style space. The bookstore offers books related to design, architecture, travel, cooking, floral art, and more, available in Chinese, English, and Japanese.

The restaurant has hired Spanish head chef Sergio Lahora, who serves authentic Spanish and European cuisine. It is said that the chef is very particular about food quality, not sparing even the smallest details — salad dressings and desserts are made fresh daily, with different flavors each day. In the center, there is a large 9-meter-wide bar made with Dutch tiles and classic Hungarian wall tiles, offering delicious coffee and desserts.

▲The floral art area is designed to contrast warmly against the cooler industrial-style space.