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City decides to give Shihlin night market a face-lift

A vendor works to draw customers to his stall in the Shihlin night market on Sunday night. The Taipei City Government will refurbish the market next year. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

For better or for worse, the crowded, jumbled and odorous Shihlin night market is going to get a face-lift early next year after Taipei City Government moves the half-century-old market indoors.

Nearing completion, the new temporary government facility -- located a stone's throw away from the main market and right next door to the Chientan MRT station -- will be used for three years until the old market is refurbished and made ready for business.

Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) administration is relocating the market "To convert the traditional market into a safer and more comfortable environment," said Chen Shih-hui (陳世輝), vice director of the Taipei City Market Administration under the Taipei City Government. "But in order to do that we have to temporarily relocate it."

According to Chen, the government has invested NT$130 million to establish the two-story temporary market, formerly a parking lot. The ground floor will host about 500 stalls and the second floor will serve as a parking lot for 377 cars and 600 motorbikes.

The plan is to squeeze 539 booths -- approximately 200 food stalls and 339 retailers selling clothing, accessories, vegetables and meat -- into the temporary location at the end of February next year.

But the new permanent facility -- a nine-floor building built on the original location of the Shihlin market -- will lack much of the disorder and chaos that made the market so unique.

Though the idea of providing a better environment sounds good in theory, retailers have mixed feelings about the plan.

"Currently, our customers complain its hard to find parking spaces nearby, but with the new parking lot I believe more people will come here, said Hung Ching-yi, (洪靜宜), a 38 year-old mother of three, who has operated a noodle stall for over 20 years in the market.

However, one restaurant owner argued that the temporary facility is too small to run a business.

"The official stall size is only two pings. Within such a small space it's almost impossible to cook food and serve customers," said Chang Po-wen (張柏文), a 46 year-old restaurateur who has run a teppenyaki stall in the market for 17 years.

"I may be forced to convert into a take-out service or switch to smaller-scale operation, such as serving pearl milk tea."

A two-ping stall in the temporary market is expected to fetch between NT$40,000 and NT$60,000 per month.

Regardless, the government left entrepreneurs with few options.

"This was a government decision. All we can do is move there first and try to adapt our business," Chang said.

Another vendor questioned the government's ability to keep to its schedule.

"The rebuilding project of Taipei's Lungshan Market near Lungshan Temple in downtown Taipei is already a year behind schedule," a snack-shop owner surnamed Lin said. "I think we have to plan on being in the temporary market for more than three years."
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