The first coffee shop opened in Penghu, Taiwan is 60 years old.

▲ Since 1957, the glass window at the entrance of Barry Garden directly tells you how old it is. (Photo/Reporter Deng Zhijie Photographed)

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Starbucks Penghu set a record for sales on its opening day. Although its surrounding products are the main source of high sales, it is also an indisputable fact that Starbucks Coffee, an American brand, is deeply rooted in people's hearts. According to data, Starbucks 'largest market in the world is in Asia, and Asia's largest market is in Taiwan, and it not only captures the middle-class consumer group, but even sells it in 7-11 convenience stores as "City Cafe", thus winning the mass and low-priced market.

▲ The name of the store "Barry Garden" comes from the Japanese translation of "Paris". When the proprietress Huang Chun was 25 years old, she was transferred to her sister-in-law by her mother-in-law and then transferred to her management by her sister-in-law. It has been half a century since then. (Photo/Photo taken from old photo provided by store)

Looking back on history, from catering to the needs of the US military in Taiwan (including Penghu) to completely changing Taiwan's beverage culture, drinking coffee has almost become a national movement; but do you know where the first coffee shop opened in Penghu was? What is commendable is that this cafe named "Barry Garden" still stands on Civil Rights Road in Magong City.

Since 1957, the glass window at the entrance of Barry Garden tells you how old it is. Yes, it is exactly one sixty years old. The speed of social phenomena and progress in Penghu has always lagged behind Taiwan by several years, but only the opening of coffee shops has not fallen behind."Barry Garden" is not only the first in Penghu, but also the second in Taiwan. It is only one year behind the "Fengda Coffee" opened in Taipei's Ximending in 1956.

▲ Penghu villagers praised it as the beautiful appearance when the senior temperament beauty took over the business. (Photo/Photo taken from old photos provided by the store)

The name "Barry Garden" comes from the Japanese translation of "Paris" meaning, the owner Huang Chun at the age of 25, through her mother-in-law transferred to her sister-in-law, and then transferred to her management, has been half a century. "At first, my father-in-law just wanted to run an ice cream parlor with fruit juice and cold drinks. Later, he changed it into a coffee shop because the US troops stationed in Pengzhou wanted to drink coffee." Huang Chun, whom Penghu residents call a senior beauty, recalls that her father-in-law wanted to open a shop, so he asked Chen Wenbo to write to his third brother in Japan to help him think about it. As a result, his third brother took the name "Barry Garden" and registered it with the government, becoming the first shop in Penghu to register as an ice fruit shop.

True beauty never gets old. (Photo/Reporter Deng Zhijie Photographed)

In those days, the decoration of "Barry Garden" was very advanced and fashionable, and the table and chair room was also decorated with yellow coconut potted plants with strong tropical wind. The following year, 823 artillery battle broke out, the u. s. military advisory group stationed in magong, chen wenbo, an english teacher was invited to be a translator, often with the u. s. military patronize the ice fruit room, for their needs, the store also made an exception to sell beer, and at their request, began to sell coffee. Her mother-in-law was in charge at the time, and she could only brew eight cups of coffee at a time in an American-style coffee pot. Just boiling the water would take ten or twenty minutes.

After Huang Chun took over, in order to cope with the constant flow of garrison guests, she asked the US Army Welfare Agency in Taiwan to buy a new coffee machine when the US military working at the radar station was on vacation. Together with a bucket of imported coffee powder bought in Kaohsiung, this new coffee machine can brew 30 cups at a time. When it is brewed, the room is full of coffee fragrance.

▲ From 8 cups at a time to 30 cups at a time to Japanese style racing pot, Ms. Huang Chun has become a coffee master at the ancestor level. (Photo/Photo taken from old photo provided by store)

In the 1960s, there were more and more soldiers in Penghu, and business at "Barry Garden" was so good that reservations had to be made before seats could be available. Ms. Huang Chun also gained new knowledge of coffee through reading Japanese journals, and continued to innovate and improve. She even started to brew coffee in the "Saifeng" pot heated by alcohol lamp in 1968, and bought an electric grinder in 1972 to grind coffee beans by herself.

Today, the times have changed, Starbucks has become synonymous with coffee, but similar to the "Barry Garden" this type of existence has been a Jiazi old shop, although the young people patronize not much, but from the time tunnel to the 4th and 5th grade Huajia Wengpo, it is still "I love you, so I love coffee" The sweetest warm memories.

▲ For the 4th and 5th grade Huajia Wengpo who came from the time tunnel, it is still the sweetest and warmest memory of "I love you, so I love coffee". (Photo/Reporter Deng Zhijie Photographed)