※ In accordance with epidemic prevention policies, starting from today (May 15, 2021), the market will be temporarily closed. The date of re-opening will be announced separately depending on the epidemic situation.
The Shinboku Town Food Market was completed in 1935, and it belongs to the later period of the Japanese colonial era's public markets. The buildings within the market include various construction materials of that period. The main building of the market, shaped like a horseshoe, has a flat roof supported by reinforced concrete beams, and the walls are made of reinforced brick. In addition, there are wooden Japanese-style dormitories and brick public restrooms as auxiliary buildings. The appearance of the public restrooms also symbolized the modernization process of the market at that time, but unfortunately, they have not been fully preserved over time.
In 1930, the Taipei Prefecture government announced the "Rules for the Sale of Food Products Market," and based on health considerations, it made detailed regulations on the structure and spatial layout of the market buildings. Under this background, the "Shinboku Food Products Market" was completed. At the same time, other markets such as the Taiping Town Food Products Market (completed in 1938, now abolished), the Ko Town Food Products Market (completed in 1938, now "Koan Market"), and the Irifune Town Food Products Market (completed in 1938, now "Chokko Market") have been renovated or abolished, making the Shinboku Market a precious example of public market buildings from the Japanese colonial period that reflect new hygiene standards and architectural styles.
When the Shinboku Market was built, the site was about 506 tsubo, and the building area was about 199 tsubo. The site was surrounded by red brick walls about 160 centimeters high. The main building's walls are made of reinforced bricks, and the exterior walls have a refined horizontal decorative line made of pebbled concrete. Each entrance has a rain shelter above it, and the roof is made of concrete and supported by reinforced concrete beams. The overall architectural style is simple, with little decoration, and it has strong functionality. For example, its horseshoe-shaped floor plan is rare among public markets in the whole country. Not only does it create a smooth shopping route, but its unique central courtyard also meets the needs of ventilation and lighting inside the market.
(Data source: Shinboku Town Cultural Market website)