I heard from my co worker in Kaoshuing. She mentioned closed down for good, if so end of era. Changing tastes and young people going elsewhere and tastes. I seldom go there now so not much to miss, do hope local food shops stay open. Not sure how night marketing are doing in other cities.
I read about that yesterday. They are losing $1 million a day. Management said the lights will fall at the end of next month. They concede that nothing will be the same even if they were to reopen. People are too afraid.
The tv news was just showing all of the closed shops everywhere.
Read where someone in the government said that Taiwan can’t afford to send each citizen $10,000.
This is already a nightmare
3 Likes
Yes, not good news for some. (I do not go anymore recently). I think it was in a slow decline and COVID19 made it come quicker. Maybe the goverment will help out and it will reopen in miniature version of the nightime market.
1 Like
The U.S. has been dropping money onto its population during the last year, as well as have other countries.
Taiwan has nothing to fear by using its printing press. All governments are now doing it. Best to do it now when it’s normal to do so. Inflation you say? Well, that’s another topic.
1 Like
I hope this makes the government extinguish night market (as they are now) in the whole of Taiwan. How nice would be if we had nice fixed ‘stalls’ made of brick and mortar in Chinese architectural style, in a designated pedestrian only place serving the foods they serve now but with a better hygiene. I think they would attract more tourists and be more enjoyable once this is over.
The night markets is all ‘fun and all’ but it is subpar to even the dirtiest places back home. To take a decent picture to show home I need to be very mindful of the angle and not showing anything below waist level where they can see how stuff is cooked and disposed.
2 Likes
do you know how night markets first started?
I don’t. Don’t really enjoy them as they are now and never searched about it’s origins.
Well, they started around temples.
Temples had a few festivals around the year, and so food stalls would be set up to sell to all the attendees.
All the big famous ones are around Temples, even the old Shih-lin Night market.
3 Likes
That whole industry is in the midst of a profound shock and disruption.
What will emerge from this is difficult to imagine.
Guy
3 Likes
No wonder. Then the result is they grew independently and out of strict regulations so not easy to control, I’d imagine. If I make a vlog style video or take carefree pictures people say it is not Taiwan, and something like some extreme poor country. I just feel it doesn’t match the image Taiwan wants to be seen in. But it might be much more inherent in the culture and religion culture as I thought and maybe no further changes in sight or even wanted.
I spent some time looking for the article. Was from yesterday. You are very correct. Ever since 09 everyone should have been printing to keep the baskets even. No better time than now.
???
What are you people talking about?
Guy
1 Like
Correct, the older ones just spread out along all the streets/alleys leading away from the temples, like a spider web.
The problem that I see with getting rid of them in their current state and just putting them into specific spots (like Shih-lin is now), is that HKers, Singaporeans, Japanese, Koreans, and other Asian residents to very very large degree visit Taiwan with those special night markets at the top of their list.
But, anything may happen by autumn, when many of the night markets will still be closed if not severely curtailed.
Some of those stall owners borrow lots of money at underground interest rates. There really is no way for them to survive.
2 Likes
not sure if hygiene would become better and they would attract more.
1 Like
I haven’t been a big visitor of night-markets since my first year here when they were an exciting novelty (and before I first saw a rat scurry through one), but it’s still sad. There will surely be some lost food stalls that won’t be replicated anywhere in the city. And surrounding businesses (I know German Soul is nearby) may also be impacted.
4 Likes
We have those. They’re called old streets.
Ok, they’re Japanese houses instead of Chinese but yeah.
Many of them I think are actually late Qing, with British influenced red brick architecture.
Guy
There’s an easy fix for this problem. Usd TWD rate is at a historic low, around 27.5. Taiwan should print money until that ratio is closer to 35. It would fix most money problems and people wouldn’t have to go to work.
Oh wait that won’t work, the country is ruled by the rich and the last thing they want is to see their investments suffer.
