In the city centre of Taipei, distinguished writers, poets, artists and major figures in politics, including delegations from Russia, Canada and Israel, as well as Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, gathered at Astoria Cafe in May to celebrate the 66th anniversary of its founding in 1949.

Astoria Cafe, a three-storey building on Wuchang Street, a narrow but busy alley near Taipei Main Station, was founded by Archiybold Chien and his Russian friends. The idea of a cafe or salon was an entirely new concept back then, as were Russian pastries and cuisine, thanks to which Astoria Cafe first achieved its fame.

In the 1960s, the nation’s economy began to prosper, leading to tremendous changes in people’s lifestyles. Indigenous writers strived to record those changes. It was a time when writers and poets began spending all day at the cafe’s dining tables, scribbling and exchanging ideas.