Modern Times: Records Turned, Pop Was Born

Exhibition location: Taipei Music Center Cultural Center, 2F Special Exhibition Hall (No. 99, Section 7, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City) Exhibition time: 10:00 on May 24, 2025 to 18:00 on August 10, 2025 Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00~18:00, last admission 17:30

Official website: https://tmctaipei.tw/tt04tRbyy Beiliu FB: https://tmctaipei.tw/tt04EbEvu Beiliu IG: https://tmctaipei.tw/tt04KbmA3 Beiliu LINE official account: https://tmctaipei.tw/tt04LnIJz Cultural Center FB: https://tmctaipei.tw/tt04VauUz

Exhibition Introduction

"Modern Times: The Records Turn, the Pops Are Born" travels through time and follows "Black Cat" and "Black Dog" back to the modern era of the 1930s that was full of creativity and vitality! With Taiwan records as the center, the show weaves together the gaps between time and space through precious historical relics and music stories, allowing the audience to return to the source of pop music.

This exhibition uses "Dadaocheng" as the narrative background. Through this representative venue, it reviews the unique perspective of island music and humanities: entering the "Time and Space Old House" exhibition area, the grand hall opens the sound prelude; through the visual transfer of gradient lighting, the "Day and Night of Dadaocheng" presents the old rice river style; "Brazilian Tea Shop" is a tea shop run by the first Taiwanese female star Chun Chun, and there are romantic interactions between musicians in the shop.

In "Modern Times: The Turn of Records and the Birth of Pop", you can enjoy more than a hundred treasures, including a century-old phonograph, 78-rpm records, private manuscripts, never-before-seen recordings and photos, etc. In addition, Beiliu has specially recreated the famous "Peacock Coffee Shop" from the 1930s in the lobby on the first floor of the Cultural Center, using the original cocktail recipe to create new cups of wine, allowing your tongue to fully enjoy the purest modern romance and old-fashioned luxury.

Through the sound waves in the record, we will reconnect the past and the present, glimpse the shadows of classic songs flowing through time, and re-understand the cultural influence generated over the past century.

[Peacock Restaurant]

In the 1930s, coffee shop culture became a trend in Taiwan, combining exquisite cuisine, alcoholic beverages and female escorts, becoming a corner of the city where modernity and romance intertwined. The women chat with people to relieve their boredom and provide emotional comfort, allowing people to temporarily forget their worries in the fragrance and light.

In 1932, tea merchant Guo Bo-Jung opened the "Que Coffee Shop" in Dadaocheng, creating a modern space with gorgeous decoration and 21 prostitutes; he later founded "Bo-Yo Music Records", combining music and entertainment, leading the early development of Taiwanese pop music.

The special exhibition "Modern Times: Records Turn, Pop Is Born" is a replica of the "Peacock Coffee Shop" on the first floor of the Taipei Pop Music Center Cultural Hall. With the coffee shop as the center, it integrates the musical elements of Boyu Music and reproduces the coffee culture of a hundred years ago through space design and retro details.

In addition, you can redeem a "snack" for free with your exhibition admission ticket (including physical ticket stub and electronic ticket). We invite you to drink a glass of wine that travels through time and space and reminisce about that charming and dreamy era.