Luojin Collective - Lukang Main Street Revitalization Hub

Luojin Collective: A century-old house reborn, with young people from Lukang collaborating on revitalization. 'Luojin' is an ancient elegant name for Lukang; the Taiwanese pronunciation of 'Luo' is the same as 'Lu' (deer), and 'jin' means port. 'Zǔhé' (Collective/Combination) embodies the space's versatility and spirit of collaboration. This is not limited to a single business; rather, it shapes a unique operational model through diverse, multi-functional, and multi-industry cooperation. This space is also the spatial brand of the Lukang Kids team on Lukang Main Street. The building originally housed Shengxing Commercial Co., one of Lukang's eight major trading guilds (specifically the dye guild), symbolizing the historical legacy of the space. After renovations in 2022 and 2024, undertaken by Lukang Kids Cultural Enterprise in collaboration with the owner and utilizing relevant government subsidies for hardware and software, this century-old house was reborn. Since 2023, it has been jointly operated with Skinny Cafe Lukang Main Street. Here, the aroma of coffee attracts people to linger, offering visitors self-roasted coffee, art and cultural exhibitions, and local selections. It creates a warm atmosphere where nostalgia and innovation intertwine, allowing more people to personally experience the beauty of Lukang and showcase the diverse charm of an old house. Inside, traces of past life can still be seen, including the curved indentations on the threshold formed by years of foot traffic, two wooden staircases leading directly to the second floor, a well-like floor opening (樓井), a courtyard (天井), and existing layouts. These preserve the form of Lukang's Qing Dynasty street houses. The spacious floor opening and wood carvings, in particular, were symbols of wealth for prominent families of the time. The newly designed facade incorporates wooden window features from two classic old houses representative of Lukang – Baichuan Hospital and Huang Zihui's Residence – becoming the face of Luojin Collective and paying tribute to these two no longer existing old houses. Lukang Main Street (currently Zhongshan Road) is also known as Wufu Main Street and Buketian Street (literally 'Street Where You Can't See the Sky'), serving as the primary commercial thoroughfare of Lukang. Hexing Street, where Luojin Collective is located, was a main gathering point for dye shops and was surrounded by numerous fabric stores. (*Wufu Main Street includes: Shunxing Street, Fuxing Street, Hexing Street, Taixing Street, Changxing Street). The base has two floors. The first floor is a dining space, while the second floor, in addition to dining, can be flexibly arranged as a venue for cultural experiences, themed exhibitions, and guided tours. Since its operation, it has combined team planning and local collaboration advantages to regularly host interdisciplinary activities, attracting people to step into the old house, experience the atmosphere of living in such a space, and giving the old house possibilities and imaginative spaces beyond residential and commercial use, truly breathing new life into a century-old house standing on Lukang Main Street. As the main building's renovation gradually completes, the base plans to collaborate with the local organization, Changhua County BaoLu Movement Association, to launch one-day experience tours. These tours will be based on local characteristics, combining the team's years of fieldwork and community engagement experience, and will cover five major themes: architectural space, industrial craftsmanship, cultural memory, local languages, and festivals. Through local guided tours, lectures, and experiential activities, the aim is to encourage participants to actively engage in the preservation and innovation of local culture, spark interest and passion for local culture and handicrafts, and personally understand and participate in activities such as old house restoration, traditional craft innovation, and local exhibitions in Lukang, thereby inspiring a sense of responsibility and mission for cultural inheritance and innovation.