Old Town Adventure: Taipei Market Experience & Educational Mini-Trip

By MOOK Travel Editorial Team
 
“This is a cleaning cloth that can wash dishes without using dish soap!” An elderly vendor who has been selling in the market for over 30 years enthusiastically introduces various types of cleaning cloths. To allow travelers to experience local Taipei life and taste traditional market cuisine, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Information and Tourism specially organized the “Wanhua Market Learning Journey” experience activity. Led by Chou Yu-ju, founder of Urban Yeast, both domestic and international travelers explored the Wanhua “Xinfuli Market” and “Dong San Shui Street Market.” Through engaging with these traditional markets, participants gained an in-depth understanding of daily life in Taipei.

Upon entering the market, you’ll see the elderly vendor passionately introducing her cleaning cloths. Upon closer inspection, the hand-painted figures on the market’s hanging cloth turn out to be the vendor herself. Next door, the nationally treasured “Granny’s Fried Rice with Preserved Meat” wafts a rich aroma of rice—this old-school fried rice is the market’s signature dish. Dong San Shui Street Market is like a living classroom, offering a feast for the senses with its variety of fresh produce and local snacks, while the eclectic mix of hardware shops and high-end jewelry stores is truly astounding.

The event visited long-standing stalls that have been in business for over 30 years. Participating travelers from around the world not only learned how to select the freshest seasonal fruits and vegetables, watched the noodle-making process, and picked up knife skills for preparing meat, but were also pleasantly surprised to discover ultra-practical dish-washing cloths that don’t require soap, laundry soap bars, and traditional scissors. Foreign visitors experiencing Taipei for the first time were amazed by the hidden treasures of everyday life found in the market.

Xinfuli Market and Dong San Shui Street Market were the most bustling traditional markets during Taipei’s Japanese colonial era, home to over 135 entrepreneurial stories and specialties. Among them, “Xin Du Ru Ni Yi Flower Garden” and “Shi Fu Vegetable Shop” are participants in the city government’s “One-Day Market Stall Makeover” project. The third-generation family-run “Shi Fu Vegetable Shop,” after being redesigned by professionals, now features classical rattan pendant lamps that illuminate its colorful array of vegetables, highlighting both design beauty and everyday elegance.

Another hidden gem is the 60-year-old flower shop “Xin Du Ru Ni Yi Flower Garden,” tucked away in a corner of the market. Its newly refreshed storefront in warm tones resembles a European street-corner florist at first glance. These small businesses challenge common perceptions of traditional markets, allowing participants to understand the century-old wisdom of the market and the hidden details of daily life. Throughout the activity, interactions with the vendors gave travelers a chance to experience local Taipei life, ingredients, and culinary culture.

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