In times past, Taiwan’s markets derived their names from the goods they specialized in, such as rice, fabrics, firewood, or fish. As these places catered to a greater variety of needs, they took on more generic names. Thus in many towns you will come across a First Public Market, Second Public Market, and so on.
There are also markets named after their locations close to old city gates, such as Dongmen (“east gate”) or Nanmen (“south gate”). Others, like Jiufen Market, Ruifang Market, and Jianguo Market, carry local place or street names. Still others have folksy names, such as Bingzai Market in Tainan; these usually started out as wholesale markets that attracted soldiers stationed nearby, bingzai meaning “soldiers.” With the passage of time, even local bus stops came to be called “Bingzai,” while former official names fell out of use.
From north to south, Taiwan is dotted with a vast variety of markets. Be they traditional morning or evening markets, or markets specializing in fish, flowers, or other particular products, these bustling hubs have been providing for our daily needs for generations. This month’s Cover Story showcases characterful markets that are known for the special produce they sell, or for their cultural and architectural charm. We reveal Taiwan’s most down-to-earth facets and celebrate our local diversity and abundance.
We also explore several other topics that are characteristic of Taiwan: the Academia Sinica’s participation in the international Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration; the craft of tea production; the blend of science education and entertainment at Taipower’s D/S One venue; the National Space Organization’s work on satellites; the audio economy; and the carbon reduction efforts of machine tool makers. We hope our reports can help broaden your horizons, and that the stories of Taiwan’s markets will encourage you to visit them and discover their charms.
A poem by Yang Mu vividly portrays the market that once occupied Taipei’s Jiancheng Circle: “Those stalls arranged like mathematical matrices, / Eccentric writings and red pendant lights, / Ceramic bowls piled high like hillocks, / Vapors that rise and whirl like clouds, / Passageways that wind and intersect, / Spices strange and familiar…”
These places, which attract people from all walks of life, tell the story of our everyday lives—a story by turns sad and happy. Many of us have deep memories of them.
This issue’s Readers’ Photos, on the theme “See the Sound of Ideas—Local Music and Musicians,” continue to channel local energies and give shape to ideas, encouraging us to join forces and march together into a challenging future.
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