Behind the event ・ Year-end parties ・ Updated 2026

A year-end party venue in Taichung: turning Yilu Hall into a 1920s Old Shanghai nightclub

Holding a year-end party in Taichung has its advantages: stable weather, grand venues and plenty of choice. This time, at the invitation of friends at the Wufeng Farmers' Association, iTour visited Yilu Hall (議蘆會館) of the former Taiwan Provincial Council, and for a cookware and kitchenware manufacturer client, turned the hall's restaurant into a grand Old Shanghai dance hall from the early Republican era.

Is Yilu Hall a good venue for a year-end party?

It used to be the Taiwan Provincial Council, and the accommodation is the former councilors' dormitories. The renovation kept a great many historical elements, almost as they were, giving you a glimpse of the old days. Most rooms have two small beds (councilors usually came alone to stay overnight for meetings), and the bed frames and cabinets have the retro-modern feel of 1970s military housing just after renovation, with lots of wood, very atmospheric for vintage photos. All rooms have showers; basically, it's a place to have a good shower and sleep at night.

Surroundings: a whole Provincial Council green park

Behind the hall there are lots of walking paths, perfect for morning and evening exercise or a heart-to-heart stroll. Outside, it's all large shaded green spaces, like a Provincial Council park; it's lovely for a picnic with pets or kids. There's plenty of convenient parking (paid from July 2022, NT$20 per hour with a daily cap). There's also about 16,500 m² of open lawn, ideal for family days or large events.

The café in the hall is designed to suit the historic building perfectly: dark green wood with white-and-yellow wall decor and lighting, with the feel of a café the great writer Hemingway would have loved. In the evening, dim the lights a little and add lace table lamps or old green banker's lamps for an even stronger sense of another era. The space holds about 60 people; a party dinner here for a group of 30–40 would be full of atmosphere.

Why an "Old Shanghai nightclub" theme?

The focus this time was the Yilu restaurant: newly renovated, clean overall, with a touch of design. Because the client wanted something more distinctive, after the site visit the iTour team decided the theme should connect with the era of the hall itself, so we went with the style of an early Republican-era Old Shanghai grand dance hall (nightclub), so the party design blended seamlessly with the venue.

And since the client makes cookware and kitchenware, we worked with the hall to build the client's pots, pans and kitchenware into the dinner menu, and invited Yilu's chef to cook a classic dish on site with the client's kitchenware as a highlight of the evening, giving the client's employees and guests a one-of-a-kind experience.

Less than two weeks: could we pull off Old Shanghai?

There were plenty of challenges: the venue had a fixed raised stage and a projection screen (lowered halfway), with only about 50 cm between the screen and the stage wall, not enough for a full evening backdrop; the tables were standard 5-foot tables, much bigger than the small 4-person round tables of an old dance hall; and the whole planning time was under two weeks.

How the iTour team used clever ideas to get the job done, with the decoration and execution details of the evening, is what this event was all about.

Themed year-end parties in Taichung: FAQ

How many people can Yilu Hall hold for a dinner?

The restaurant suits gatherings of about 30–40; the outdoor lawn can take much larger events. For bigger groups, combine it with the outdoors or plan by zones.

How far in advance do we need for themed decoration?

This one was pulled together in under two weeks, but that depends heavily on the venue and how much customization you want. Allow at least 3–4 weeks for enough room to customize.

Can the client's products be built into the event?

Yes, and it works very well. Here we built the client's kitchenware into the menu and a chef-cooks-live moment. How products are featured depends on the industry and the type of event.

See themed event design See corporate & employee travel

Further reading: iTour party | Natural greenery neon nightclub ・ Starry-sky cocktail BBQ party in Cingjing