Guang Hua Digital Plaza
Encyclopedia
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
: 光華數位新天地 or 光華商場) is a six-story, indoor technological and electronics market located in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. It is located at the intersection of the Zhongzheng and Daan Districts.
History
Guang Hua Market was established by the Taipei City GovernmentTaipei City Government
Taipei City Government governs the city of Taipei, Republic of China.- Administration :The head is the mayor of Taipei and the vice mayor...
in 1973 as a retailer market, using the space beneath the old Guanghua Bridge. Originally, the market specialized in old books, giving it the nickname "old books street" (舊書街). Within a decade, however, electronics retailers gained presence in the market and surrounding streets.
Due to underground railroad construction in 1992, Guang Hua Market was moved to an underground location at the corner of Bade Road and Xinsheng South Road
Xinsheng Road
Xinsheng Road is a major arterial in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting the Da'an District in the south with the Zhongshan and the Shilin districts in the north...
. By this time, the area became known for electronics, with many new stores opening, and the establishment of other electronic markets such as the International Electronics Market (國際電子廣場), Contemporary Life Market (現代生活廣場), and Sanpu Market (三普廣場).
In 2006 due to the demolition of the Guanghua Bridge, Guang Hua Market was moved to a temporary location at the corner of Jinshan North Road and Civic Boulevard
Civic Blvd Expressway
The Civic Blvd. Expressway is a 4 to 6-lane highway located in Taipei, Taiwan. It was completed in 1997 as part of a multi-modal reconstruction project to improve transportation networks in congested central Taipei...
. The temporary building consisted of five warehouse-like halls, providing a total of 196 retail stores. Not soon after market moved into its temporary location, construction began on the current six-story Guang Hua Digital Plaza building, which has been its current location since July 2008.
Overview
The Guang Hua Digital Plaza building today consists of six stories above ground and one story below ground. The first story above ground is an exhibition space for electronic products. The second and third stories are the new locations for the 196 vendors of the original Guang Hua Market. The fourth and fifth stories are the new locations for the vendors of Xining Guozhai Electronics Market. The sixth floor is reserved for repair shops, education classes, and offices. The basement floor is parking. The market attracts tens of thousands of visitors each day.It is located on the corner of Xinsheng North Road
Xinsheng Road
Xinsheng Road is a major arterial in Taipei, Taiwan, connecting the Da'an District in the south with the Zhongshan and the Shilin districts in the north...
(新生北路) and Civic Boulevard
Civic Blvd Expressway
The Civic Blvd. Expressway is a 4 to 6-lane highway located in Taipei, Taiwan. It was completed in 1997 as part of a multi-modal reconstruction project to improve transportation networks in congested central Taipei...
(市民大道) and is accessible from MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station
The Taipei Metro Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station is a transfer station for the Nangang Line and the Xinzhuang Line located in the Da'an and Zhongzheng districts in Taipei, Taiwan.-Station overview:...
. The surrounding area and streets are also full of shops selling electronics. Large companies, including Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and Intel
Intel Corporation
Intel Corporation is an American multinational semiconductor chip maker corporation headquartered in Santa Clara, California, United States and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker, based on revenue. It is the inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most...
, regularly unveil products at Guang Hua Digital Plaza.
Future Developments
The area around Guang Hua Plaza is currently being utilized as parking space. However, the city government plans to build the "Taipei Information Park" in the surrounding area to complement the current electronics plaza. The new park will be built at the intersection of Civic BoulevardCivic Blvd Expressway
The Civic Blvd. Expressway is a 4 to 6-lane highway located in Taipei, Taiwan. It was completed in 1997 as part of a multi-modal reconstruction project to improve transportation networks in congested central Taipei...
and Jinshan South Road. The new building will have a total of 21 floors (15 aboveground, 6 below) and occupy a total floor space of 2,678 ping. The park will also include hotel rooms, offices, and restaurants.
On April 27, 2010, the build-operate-transfer (BOT) project was awarded to the Hon Hai Group
Foxconn
The Foxconn Technology Group is a multinational business group anchored by the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. , a Taiwan-registered corporation headquartered in Tucheng, Taiwan...
, beating out four other bidders. The park will also feature a technology exhibition center, digital entertainment zone, and business cultivation center. It is expected to open by March 2014.