The memories of Keelung’s traditional market | Grocery shopping in Keelung Mian Jie Fish Stall is situated within Huilong Market. Because the lady boss does not know how to ride a motorcycle, she has struck a long-standing deal with the ice merchant to deliver the fishes that she picks early each morning from Kanziding Fish Market to her stall alongside … Read More
Culture of Taiwan’s Traditional Markets | Characteristics of Taiwan’s Traditional Markets | Disappearing Traditional Markets | History of Taiwan’s Traditional Markets Compared its heydays, Huilong Market is finding it harder to attract passerby and a steady stream of patrons. The vendors instead rely on their regulars to sustain them. During Keelung For A Walk’s interview with Zhou, a butcher at … Read More
Keelung is one of the few places I’ve visited where I’ve spent days without seeing another tourist, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve loved staying here. Sometimes it can be hard to get off the beaten track and find somewhere truly authentic; yet Keelung is a place that I feel really offers that experience (as well as being very … Read More
How Curry Arrived in Keelung As a native Keelunger, our taste for curry is much stronger than for other foods with curry-based dishes found throughout the city. Some popular types of curry in Keelung include pan-fried buns filled with curried minced meat, curry fried rice, as well as curry satay noodles. Originating in India and derived from the word kari … Read More
Keelung’s Hidden Museum: Mayor’s Mansion If you’re tired of touristy museums, Keelung Mayor’s Mansion, painted with decades of history, is perfect for you. Anyone who has spent some time on walks through Taipei or other cities in Taiwan will surely have noticed the countless abandoned and decayed old Japanese homes and thought: It’s a shame that nobody takes care of … Read More
For musician Chen Wen-Ji, Beiguan music was a chance discovery that led to a lifelong love affair. Origins of Beiguan Music In a cramped room with no heating or light, I sat with my friend Mila across Chen Wen-Ji in an informal interview setting. Distant suonas (嗩呐) cut through the air with its uniquely loud screeching, gus (鼓; drums) … Read More
Taiwanese Culture: Origins of the Taiwan Ghost Festival There is a rich history attached to Taiwanese culture. The seventh month of the lunar calendar is recognized as Taiwanese Ghost Month or seventh month festival. In the northeastern part of Taiwan stands the sleepy port city of Keelung. For over 163 years, the small city has mobilized to host an entire … Read More
The Keelung Heartbeat series is based on snippets of conversations we hear from the amazing Keelung locals when out and about in the city. We love telling you about the beautiful places in our city, its culture and its food—but what makes Keelung Keelung is the people. By capturing short moments of interaction between Keelung locals in an everyday setting, … Read More
The Keelung Heartbeat series is based on snippets of conversations we hear when out and about in the city among the Keelung locals. We love telling you about the beautiful places in our city, its culture and its food—but what makes Keelung Keelung is the people. By capturing short moments of interaction between everyday people in an everyday setting, we … Read More
I came to visit Keelung directly after I lived in Beijing for a year. I taught English and hung out mostly with Westerners, so a huge chunk of that year was spent in my native tongue. I still picked up a little bit of the language, so I guess I’m like a 2 on a scale of 10 in Mandarin. … Read More