Guomao Market

When asked what best represents their own country, many people in Taiwan are likely to say it's the culture of night market. But for foreign tourists, it really takes a lot of courage to sample some food untasted before in stalls with unknown signboards on a dimly lit street. On the contrary, the morning market—considered ordinary by common people—boasts scenes that rarely seen in western developed countries. Middle-aged vendors calling out loud to get attention; the elderly holding their grandchildren's hands buying groceries on the street—these seldom happen in the West since morning markets have been replaced by large supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Many people in Kaohsiung may wonder why Zuoying’s Guomao Market is worth mentioning. Yet its clean environment, abundant light, and great layout design make it comfortable to go shopping here. In the market surrounded by the neighborhood, you can find raw food, cooked fare, desserts and snacks, fruits and vegetables, pots and pans, even granny panties. More importantly, unlike the indifferent atmosphere in urban supermarkets, vendors here are very enthusiastic. In the storefronts of the neighborhood stand some well-known old shops, including Kuanlaishun Breakfast (寬來順早餐店), Liu Family Sweet-Olive-Flavored Braised Chicken (劉家桂花燒雞), and Aunt Wu's Dumplings (吳媽家餃子). Tourists who don't buy groceries can sample some delicacies at these stores. Another feature worth attention is its architectural design. Arc-shaped buildings surrounding a park in the middle, the collective housing was built after a navy's dependents' village was demolished. Tourists may think the building quite distinctive, yet the residents definitely do not feel so. The building inevitably makes people associate it with the crowded living environment in Hong Kong.