A Glimpse into the Traditional Chinese Market

Written by Tim Brantingham, this article was originally published by Topics, a publication of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, in September 1996. The article features two of the best traditional Chinese markets in the immediate vicinity of downtown Taipei -- "Lungshan Temple District: The Queen of Traditional Mayhem", and "Tihua Street Market: Re Nao with a Japanese Twist".

The article begins with the following observation:

"In Taiwan, a traditional market is not defined by the wares being sold, but the atmosphere of selling. This 'atmosphere' is an intuitive feeling that grabs you in the gut. It is a feeling that the Chinese call re nao, roughly translated as 'hot and noisy', but is closer in essence to carnival confusion. It is when a salesman uses a foghorn to speak to you when he is practically riding on your shoulders. It is when buyers and sellers, hawkers and gawkers become one bubbling, steamy river of nondescript human faces. Re nao, in short, is intended chaos. It is the one cultural continuum that has always epitomized Chinese markets. It is, therefore, the one real aspect that you can still label as 'traditional'..."