Wisteria Tea House occupies a central position in the political culture of Taipei. During the 1950s, Prof. Chou Te-wei and a group of leading academics met here regularly to discuss, study and promote western liberalism in Taiwan. After the pro-democracy Kaohsiung Incident in 1979, it became a meeting place for political dissidents and avant-garde artists. The building was first turned into a tea house in 1981 by owner Chou Yu. Chou named it Wisteria Tea House after the old wisteria vines growing along the building eaves. In 1997, the tea house was designated as a city historic site.