Many travel guide books and blogs don’t mention Taichung Second Market as a must-visit Taichung tourist spot. This hidden gem in Taichung is one of the most traditional markets in Taichung and is definitely worth paying a visit.
What is Taichung Second Market?
Taichung City’s second public market (referred to as the Taichung Second Market or Taichung 2nd Market) is a traditional market that was built in 1917. The market is located at the intersection of Section 1, Sanmin Road and Section 1, Taiwan Avenue in Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan. Taichung Second Market has 54 shops, including 200 regular booths, and 100 temporary booths.
This is the market place where local people come and hang out, buy their groceries, and fill their stomachs with yummy Taiwanese food and drinks.
Why visit Taichung Second Market?
Top three reasons why you need to visit Taichung Second Market:
- Meet the local people and experience the local culture. The market is where you will find the locals having their traditional breakfasts and lunch, as well as bargaining at the grocery shops. Hidden inside the market, Wude Temple serves as a spiritual pillar for many residents nearby. You will smell the strong incense as you walk past the temple. Many local people at the market are keen to meet visitors, so be sure to check out the different shops inside the market.
- Taste the authentic Taiwanese local foods and drinks. The foods and beverages that you find at the Taichung 2nd Market are as local as you can get. There are a lot of different foods for you to choose from at very reasonable prices.
- It’s fun a place to be. Visiting the Taichung 2nd Market is like walking through a corn maze because of its unique architectural style. You can easily spend more than an hour there just strolling through the inside of the building.
What to eat at the Market?
If you are visiting Taichung Second Market in the morning, be sure to try the Wang Family’s fried radish cake, rice sausage, egg combo at the entrance of the market. You will not miss the shop because there is always a long lineup for their food. Either get there early or be prepared to line up for 10-15 minutes to order. Since they don’t have the menu in English, you can show them these Chinese characters for the dish 菜頭粿 + 米腸 + 蛋.
If you are feeling brave on the day of your visit and wanted to try a truly authentic Taiwanese dish, then order the pig’s colon and pig’s blood soup. Not even all Taiwanese people eat this, so if you do try it, pat yourself on the back. The Chinese characters for the plate are 大腸豬血湯.
In case you can’t make it in the morning, make a visit to the market during lunchtime or in the afternoon and have lunch at 聰明擔仔麵 which serves delicious Braised Minced Pork 肉燥飯. This dish is almost as famous as Taiwan Beef Noodle in Taiwan.
After the radish cake or the braised minced pork, you need to wash it down with the Kumquat and Aloe juice 金桔蘆薈 or Simmering Plum Tea 梅煎茶. The Simmering Plum Tea is made with five ingredients that are often used in traditional Chinese medicine: Plum, Roselle, Hawthorn, Tangerine peel, Chinese licorice. You may think that the plum tea will taste like Chinese Medicine, but no, the simmering plum tea tastes nothing like Chinese Medicine at all. The flavour is so fresh and sweet, all the ingredients put together silently bring out the plum flavour. This drink is a must-try!
Important information about Taichung Second Market
- Address: No. 87, Section 2, Sanmin Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
- Hours of operation: Opens from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm, Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays)
- How to get there:
- From Taichung Station. If you are coming Taichung Station, after you exit the train station, walk north on Section 1, Taiwan Boulevard, then take any of the Bus #82, #101, #108, #201, #301, and get off at the Taichung Second Market station. Once you get off the bus, walk northwest towards the intersection of Section 1, Taiwan Boulevard and Section 1, Sanmin Road. The bus ride from Taichung Station is about 8 minutes.
- From Taichung High-Speed Rail Station (THSR). If you are coming Taichung High-Speed Rail Station, go down to Exit 6 at 1F level. Take bus # 158 at Platform 14. Get off at Meirong Pharmacy station, then walk one block northeast on Section 1, Sanmin Road. The bus ride from THSR is about 36 minutes.
So if you have some free time in Taichung, check out the Taichung 2nd Market, and you will find yourself immersed in Taiwanese culture and its people.
Click on the link to watch our short video on Taichung Second Market! https://youtu.be/XAdyqDrhlZc
