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Ximen Honglou has been in existence for over a century since its completion in 1908. It was originally the first official public market built by the government in Taiwan, and is also the oldest and most intact third-grade historic building of a market. It was designed by Japanese architect Togo Juzo, who was then working in the Department of Public Works under the Governor-General of Taiwan. The market entrance adopts an "eight-angled shape" symbolizing the gathering of people from all directions, while the main body of the market is in the shape of a "cross," which is not only unprecedented but also the first of its kind in both Eastern and Western architectural history. The octagonal building and the cross-shaped building, along with the north and south plazas on either side, are collectively known as "Ximen Honglou." In November 2007, the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs entrusted the Taipei City Cultural Foundation to operate and manage Ximen Honglou. By organizing cultural and creative activities, it has re-shaped the second-floor theater, central exhibition area, display shelves, Ximen Honglou Tea House, Ximen Honglou Boutique Area, 16 workshops in the straight section of the cross-shaped building, the Cultural and Creative Dream Incubation Base, the Ximen Honglou Exhibition Hall on the horizontal section of the cross-shaped building, the Creative Market on the North Plaza, and the Open-air Coffee Area on the South Plaza. These diverse zones have been combined to enhance the overall service capacity, creating a new creative space and expanding the boundaries and sections of Taipei's cultural and artistic heritage, successfully transforming Ximen Honglou into the Center for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries in the West District of Taipei. In 2008, it won the "Historical Space Revitalization Award" in the 7th Taipei City Urban Landscape Awards. In 2009, Ximen Honglou took over the "Taipei City Movie Theme Park," planning the "Urban Show Case Urban Art Cube" public art installation, creating a memory space for the city. It won the "Gold Award in the Public Open Space Category of Urban Makeup" in 2010, and planned the performance management of street artists in the Ximen pedestrian zone. By connecting multiple points, it extended art and culture. In 2009, the total number of cultural and artistic activities exceeded 1,000, with more than 4 million visitors. In 2010, it continued to promote the concept of cultivating creative brands, establishing a cultural and creative industry development center in the cross-shaped building. In recent years, it has continuously expanded innovative cooperation platforms, enhancing the vitality of cultural and creative clusters and presenting a new look for the historic buildings.