Shenji New Village (審計新村), also written Shen Ji, is a few lanes of old government housing in the West District, brought back to life as a village of small shops. Independent brands, studios and cafes have moved into the low dormitory buildings, and on some weekends a creative market spills into the lanes. It is small, easy to wander, and one of the five places we send everyone first.
- Address Ln. 368, Minsheng Rd., West District (at the corner of Minsheng Road and Zhongxing Street)
- Hours Each shop keeps its own hours
- Markets Creative markets on some weekends
- Getting there TAXI Taxi from Taichung Station
A short history
Shenji New Village was built by the Taiwan Provincial Government in two stages, in 1969 and 1972, as housing for staff of the Taiwan Provincial Audit Office (審計處), which is where the name comes from: 審計 means audit. It was the third group of provincial government dormitories built in Taichung. When the provincial government was cut back, the dormitories emptied and sat unused for years. The land is now looked after by the National Property Administration.
The Taichung City Government then turned the compound into a base for young entrepreneurs, renting the old houses to small creative businesses through a private operator. The whole village covers only about 0.52 hectares.
What you find there
- Independent shops: small creative brands in the old dormitory buildings.
- Studios: creative studios share the lanes with the shops.
- Cafes and snacks: places to sit between the lanes.
- Weekend markets: on some weekends, creative markets set up in the open spaces.
Good to know: each shop sets its own hours, so if you are going for one shop in particular, check its own page first. A weekend gives you the best chance of a market.
Around Shenji
The village sits next to Park Lane by CMP, a shopping and arts area, and is in the same part of town as the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, so it pairs well with a museum visit or a walk along the greenway.
→ The West District and the Calligraphy Greenway · National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts · Shopping in Taichung · Tea and coffee
Sources
Building dates, the Audit Office, the National Property Administration and the city's reuse plan from the West District Office's Shengping Village introduction (PDF). The startup base, the weekend markets, the size, the address and Park Lane by CMP from Taichung Tourism (Shen Ji New Village). Checked October 2026.