After nearly four decades in business, Taipei’s Nanmen Market is closed for renovations. All of the market’s vendors have now settled into a new temporary location.
During the soft opening of Nanmen Market’s temporary new home, regulars flocked to find their favorite stalls. These frequent customers say they’d do anything to get to the new location, just so that they can buy their favorite foods.
The market opened 38 years ago, but it has closed for renovations. Different vendors are having different reactions to the temporary home they’ll be using until renovations finish.
The most popular stalls are firing on all cylinders, waiting to welcome back their old customers. This shop worker says that familiar faces began arriving at her shop as early as eight in the morning. But another shop owner says he’s still getting used to the new environment.
Customers say the market’s temporary location is much more organized than its original home. There are also extra amenities for shop owners, like a food processing facility.
The new location will take some getting used to, but the flavors and the sense of community remain unchanged.