There is no better way to get to know the local culture than to be a part of it. This morning, we went off the tourist track to visit Shuanglian Morning Market (双莲菜市场) where the locals do their morning shopping for fresh produce and prepared food.
For us who have been used to shopping in air-conditioned supermarkets, the open air market experience was a refreshing change.
Stalls and shops lined side by side along both sides of Minsheng West Road (民生西路). Vendors laid out their colourful mix of produce and products for prospective buyers’ browsing and selection.
From fresh cuts of meat to cooked ones.
From poultry to fruits and vegetables.
Preserved food products, garments, footwear and flowers are also sold in the market. Besides fresh fruits to enjoy back in the hotel, I also bought some Hakka Mei Cai (客家梅菜), a type of pickled Chinese mustard of the Hakka people; for some mouth-watering home-cook stew pork with the pickled mustard back home.
Most of the shops are quite specialised in the type of goods they sell. So, this shop left a deep impression in me with its unusual combination of sales product; fish and undergarments all within a shop.
There is a Temple of Wenchang (文昌宫) in the center of the market. This temple is dedicated to Wenchang Wang, a Taoist deity known as God of Culture and Literature. Parents and students usually offer prayers and offerings to Wenchang Wang in hope for some academic help, especially during exams period. As an anxious Mummy, I also went in and offered prayers in hope for divine help in my 2 little footsteps’ academic learning journey.
Shuanglian market is a good venue for a morning stroll and definitely worth paying a visit to take in the sights and sounds.
But i do admit we have a soft spot for farmers’ market. 🙂
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Useful information:
Nearest MRT station: Shuanglian MRT Station
Address No. 198, Minsheng West Road, Datong District, Taipei (near exit of Shuanglian MRT station)
Operating time: Early morning till 10am