As a child I lived in a market district. My father ran an ice shop on the ground floor of our house. Morning shoppers at the market would visit us for fruit juice and shaved ice while enjoying a moment’s peace and quiet. When he wasn’t busy, my father would take me round the market, buying me whatever foods I fancied. This father-and-son ritual survived into my adulthood. Whenever I had a few days off and returned to my hometown, I would pay a visit to the market with my father.
It is probably because of these childhood memories that I have a soft spot for traditional markets. A market is not merely where people conduct business. It is a place where kindness and hospitality abound. Nowadays many people prefer to visit superstores that offer convenient parking, where they can get all they want in one go. As a result, traditional markets have been in decline.
Hsinchu City’s once-prosperous Dongmen Market still functions as a traditional market in the mornings. Most visitors are faithful old customers; you do not come across many young people here at this time of day. In order to revitalize the historic market, the city government has offered youngsters incentives to set up shop here. Some of these new establishments have attained celebrity status online. Every evening, the traditional market metamorphoses into a conglomeration of characterful international eateries, attracting many young customers.
To cater to the tastes and habits of the younger generations, old markets across Taiwan have been undergoing transformation or refurbishment in recent years. Some shopping malls have even deliberately modeled themselves on traditional markets, providing a better shopping environment and recreating a sense of old-time hospitality. In a traditional market, people of all ages can find something that is ordinary but that plucks at the heartstrings.
For more pictures, please click 《Old Markets, New Soul》
