Coastal Fishing Village Mituo: A Hidden Treasure Box of Time

Text & Photo / Kaohsiung City Government Information Bureau
 
Despite being a coastal fishing village, Mituo surprisingly has mountains, water, and a harbor. The Nanliao Fishing Port in Mituo, which was selected as one of the nation’s top ten charming fishing ports ten years ago, also opened the militarized Laodi Mountain area around the same time. Over these ten years, the hidden charm of Mituo has been truly astonishing.

Just thinking about it makes you hum “shī” (referring to shrimp/milkfish)
When visiting Mituo, most people come to try the local snack — milkfish balls. “Half of Mituo’s land is for the fish,” is a light-hearted joke locals often make. What sets Mituo’s milkfish apart from those elsewhere is the water quality. Being close to the sea, the fish farms here strike the perfect balance between saltwater and freshwater, so the milkfish doesn’t have an earthy taste. Similar to crop rotation in farming, fishermen let their fish ponds rest and recover, using sunlight to sterilize and enrich the soil, before refilling the water and releasing the fish — a cycle that repeats endlessly.

Strolling along Zhongzheng Road, Xingyi Fish Ball Shop is always bustling with visitors. Owner Xie Shengbao starts work at 3 a.m. every day. The shop’s 40-year reputation for excellence comes from his meticulous dedication to the product. In addition to using only the back meat of milkfish, he also adds pork fat, pepper, spices, garlic, and other secret ingredients. The sweet, springy texture of the fish balls is all thanks to the experienced touch of a true milkfish artisan.

Seeing the mouthwatering process of making fish balls, don’t you want to dig into a bowl of fresh fish ball soup right away? To taste the authentic local flavor, try the Fish Ball Tong Mian Shop, established in 1951. It’s Mituo’s oldest and most iconic snack spot — a time-honored family-run business with four generations under one roof.

Its founder, Chen Chaofu, started the business with his four sons, using fresh milkfish and swordfish to make fish balls. With their homemade fish balls and fish ball soup, they opened a noodle shop. Neighbors called it “Fish Ball Tong,” and it soon became a famous name on Mituo’s old street. Zhang Zhennan revealed that the old man left behind the iron pot used for cooking fish balls, which was later donated as a local cultural asset.