What It Is

審計新村 (Shen Ji New Village, lit. "Audit Bureau New Village") is a cluster of Japanese-style and early postwar wooden dormitory buildings that housed government audit bureau staff from the 1950s. When the bureau relocated, the compound was slated for demolition. In 2015, the buildings were leased to young entrepreneurs and creative practitioners by Taichung City Government as part of an adaptive reuse programme. The result is a compound of low-rise structures, courtyards, and lanes filled with independent coffee shops, ceramics studios, small galleries, vintage clothing, illustration print shops, and design stores.

The compound is directly adjacent to the Calligraphy Greenway — accessible via a lane off 民生路 in West District. The architecture is the draw as much as the shops: wooden eaves, corrugated metal roofing patched and repainted, narrow lanes with potted plants and hand-painted signs. On weekday afternoons it is quiet. On weekend afternoons (12:00–20:00), additional pop-up vendors set up in the lanes, and the whole compound functions as an open-air weekend market.

Where

Address: 西區民生路368巷, West District, Taichung (entrance via 民生路368巷, off 民生路 between 英才路 and 中興街)
From Calligraphy Greenway: Turn right (west) off the greenway at 民生路 — the compound entrance is within 100m.
From 宮原眼科: 15-minute walk north on 中山路 then left onto 民生路.

Hours

Individual shops set their own hours. The compound lanes are open and accessible at all times. Most permanent shops: Tue–Sun 11:00–19:00 or 20:00; some closed Monday. Weekend pop-up market: Sat–Sun approximately 12:00–20:00 when active. No admission fee to enter the compound.

What Is Here

  • Coffee: Several independent roasters and café stalls operate within the compound; queue times are short on weekdays, longer on weekend afternoons.
  • Ceramics and handcraft: Studios selling Taichung-made pottery, hand-printed fabrics, and illustrated goods — most items are production-small-batch or one-of-a-kind.
  • Vintage: Two to three vintage clothing and accessory shops; stock rotates regularly.
  • Food stalls: On weekends, pop-up food vendors sell Taiwanese snacks, fresh-squeezed juice, and specialty desserts in the courtyard lanes.

Positioning in the Day

審計新村 fits naturally between the Calligraphy Greenway walk (from the museum) and either the National Taichung Theater (10 minutes west by taxi/bike) or Rainbow Village (15 minutes south by taxi). It is the correct early-afternoon browsing stop: low-key, shaded by trees and building eaves, and easy to cut short if the schedule is tight. Allow 30–60 minutes.

On weekdays: quieter, more open seating at cafés, better for photography. On weekends: more vendors active, more atmosphere, higher foot traffic. Both are worth visiting for different reasons.