Partying 'til dawn at Under Park

By A.S. Keller

      Late-night partying in Taichung now goes a little later with the addition of Under Park Air Web Party Lounge to the list of dance venues for the wee hours. In fact, when all the other places are shouting last call, things at Under Park are generally just getting underway.

      Hidden in the basement beneath the Great Earth cinema building on Chunghua Road, facing the Luchuan Canal, Under Park literally offers something for everyone. Want to play basketball? The place has an enclosed indoor three-on-three half-court. Feel like lounging on a porch swing? There's half a dozen or more of these at varying distances from the dance floor.

      Speaking of the dance floor, even the most rythmically-challenged can manage to keep the beat at Under Park, as the floor is mounted on huge springs...you simply cannot miss the downbeats. Add a state-of-the-art, wall-of-sound audio system, hypnotic laser light array and some the funkiest techno beats in Taichung and you have all the necessary ingredients to keep any party going 'til long after sun-up.

      When we arrived, just past midnight, the place was jumping, with a packed dance floor and basketball game in progress. Yours truly managed to get in a game of one-on-one and was severely trounced (I'll blame it on the beer). We danced until we cramped up and had to stop, gasping for breath. Standing by the giant vertical floor fans, as the cool blasts of air washed over us, was a welcome relief from the sweaty grind of the music.

      The only drawback to the entire night was that it didn't end. There's something disconcerting about walking out of a dark dance club--feeling like it should still be night--and into the bright 8 a.m. sunshine. But that's just a hint at how good the party was inside--no one wanted to leave.

Whether you want to dance until you can't, shoot some hoops, or sit in a quiet corner and people-watch, Under Park is the place for the late-night party crowd.