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【Sunday Slow Time】Zhongxin Market, Unearthing the Flowing Years in Baoshan

Published: 2026-09-26 👁 102 views

Last updated 2026-09-26 — Stepping into Zhongxin Market, you’ll see rain shelters stretching two or three stories high, some of which have been replaced with transparent corrugated panels to let sunlight filter into these narrow alleys. Though the daylight remains somewhat dim, the atmosphere is still quite different from that after nightfall...

By TRAVELER Luxe

Stepping into Zhongxin Market, you’ll see rain shelters stretching two or three stories high, some of which have been replaced with transparent corrugated panels to let sunlight filter into these narrow alleys. Though the daylight remains somewhat dim, the atmosphere is still quite different from that after nightfall.

The most popular area of Zhongxin Market is around the colorful public restroom. (Photo provided by TRAVELER Luxe)

After the Black & White Cut Art Gallery brought contemporary art into this long-faded market, young people with dreams gradually moved in. Over the years, some shops open occasionally, some owners rarely show up, while others keep regular hours. Although time seems to stand still here, the flow of people is just as dynamic as the outside world.

On weekends, the most popular spot in Zhongxin Market is around the colorful public restroom. Fang Datou, owner of the self-proclaimed “Zhongxin Market Visitor Center” – Feng Coffee, has been here the longest.

Feng Coffee is located right across from the restroom on the right. The three-square-meter space is almost completely empty, with no doors, walls, or windows to obstruct the view. You can see straight through. Fang Datou often sits on the wooden stairs leading to the second floor reading a book. On the low table next to him sit the flannel pour-over coffee and specialty coffee beans sold in the shop — essentially the counter area. On the other side, there’s a row of slender glass tables, and then just some artworks hanging on the inner wall.

Feng Coffee’s space is completely visible at a glance. (Photo provided by TRAVELER Luxe)

Fang Datou says this shop is a collective creation, bringing together ideas from many people. The gradient wall painting was done by Ms. Zheng, owner of the Zhongxin Folk Art shop diagonally across, the tables were made by Yang Guai, owner of Play or Die across from the restroom, and the swallows on the outer wall were drawn by artist Ye Peiru using charcoal as she climbed a ladder. "It’s also where people who appreciate art can directly admire the pieces, whether they’re casual visitors taking a stroll or residents living nearby who pop in. They can see the artworks right here and feel the emotions behind them more directly."

Zhongxin Folk Art has been here for nearly four years. Its owner, Ms. Zheng, is from Taipei. Originally, her dream of opening a folk art shop kept growing in her heart, but she couldn’t realize it due to the high rents in Taipei. Introduced by a friend, she came to Zhongxin Market and fell in love with the place at first sight. Still, she hesitated for three months before deciding to rent the space.

It’s not hard to find Zhongxin Folk Art here. Outside the door are many old tables, chairs, cabinets, bicycles, and iron window grilles, while the bright red front wall and deep purple side wall prominently announce its presence. Inside, lamps, bowls, plates, teacups, accessories, clocks, ties, bags, and suitcases are displayed densely across the space.

The fully open display wall is designed to bring art into daily life. (Photo provided by TRAVELER Luxe)

Ms. Zheng doesn’t limit the collection by era. Any everyday items with cultural significance and not mass-produced are included — such as bowls from the 1940s, handbags from the 1980s, and lamps from 10 years ago featuring tungsten filament lights shaped into 3D forms — all placed on old cabinets. She says beauty and art don’t have to be learned in schools. The imaginative works created purely to showcase craftsmanship by artisans in the past, without formal academic training — like the paintings on those old bowls — carry a stronger local cultural flavor and more direct emotion, earning consistently high praise in the folk art community.

Next, past the colorful public restroom, is Play or Die. Owner Yang Guai transformed the exterior wall into a yellow castle and added a drawbridge commonly seen in fairy tales at the entrance. This spot specializes in renting, selling, and teaching tabletop games, along with selling all kinds of drinks — the perfect companions for gaming.

Yang Guai says the joy of playing tabletop games is similar to video games, but even more valuable is the face-to-face interaction it encourages. Those unfamiliar with tabletop games might assume they’re all like Monopoly, but beyond competition, there are games that test imagination or require players to work together toward a common goal. Forbidden Island, for example, involves players searching for treasure on an island — either everyone wins or everyone loses. And the most precious one is SENAT, the oldest known tabletop game originating from the pyramids of Tutankhamun. It has just been translated and officially launched. There are even suitable games for solo players. If you want company, Yang Guai is happy to help arrange that.

● Read More:

【Sunday Slow Time】Old Houses in Tainan, A Leisurely Day Trip Through the City

www.mook.com.tw/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=9525

The route for the European Metro Mission is extremely complex. (Photo provided by TRAVELER Luxe)

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