投稿類別 : 英文寫作類. 篇名 : 越夜越美麗 : 台灣的夜市文化 A Discussion on Night Markets in Taiwan

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1 投稿類別 : 英文寫作類 篇名 : 越夜越美麗 : 台灣的夜市文化 周珮柔 國立員林家商 外二乙班 邱惠柔 國立員林家商 外二乙班 曹喬維 國立員林家商 外二乙班 指導老師 : 黃襦慧老師

2 I. Introduction It is not a complete visit to Taiwan without a short tour around night markets. Night markets are street markets in which vendors get together in a certain plaza at night and visitors can have a leisurely walking, satisfy a shopping desire and eat local delicacies rather than businesslike meals. The atmosphere of night markets gets us to relax and enjoy. It is not uncommon to come across night markets in Taiwan. They can successfully catch everyone s eye and easily remind us of the past experiences in night markets, a sense of déjà vu. Some precious memory comes to our mind when we think of or go to night markets. Take a recent Taiwanese film, Night Market Hero, which features a panorama of night markets, for example. It has been approaching an approximate 10 million box-office according to the Liberty Times. Therefore, we pick up this topic and take a teenager s approach to examine night markets. First, we introduce how night markets come into being. Next, we have a detailed explanation of some notable foods and games in night markets. Finally, we aim to know what teenagers think of night markets and reflect upon if there is something possible that we can glorify a pride of Taiwan, night markets. II. Thesis 1. the origin of night markets Have you been to night markets? Almost the response is Yes. Have you really thought about the origin of night markets? It is worth searching the answer. It is said that the origin of night markets is the Sung Dynasty. The development of business broke the limit of closed streets. From then on, every store extended their operating hours. Vendors gather together to form night markets. Therefore, night markets are made up of vendors and show up every night. Night markets are popular in the later 1970s when the traffic is convenient. Now night markets are everywhere, at the edge of city and countryside. 2. the cultures of night markets 2-1. foods Everyone has experienced to eat foods of night markets. In different angles, someone would rather turn to foods of night markets than select main meals in some restaurants. So, the existence of night markets becomes more and more common and 1

3 important. Popular foods are essential when they go to night markets. Foods in night markets are always regarded as an important segment of our life. In fact, some famous vendors become prosperous and have their own stores in the end. One of the prestigious foods in night markets is Stinky Tofu. Do you know how to cook Stinky Tofu? Soy beans, rich in protein, are used as the main stuff. In the process of deposing the protein, a foul smell appears. Some people do not accept it, while someone loves it beyond imagination. Another is Oyster Omelet, composed of vegetables, an egg and liquid flour. Oysters play an important role in this dish. Oyster Omelet is not only delicious but also representative. Our visit to night markets is not complete without getting a bite of Oyster Omelet. The other is Pearl Milk Tea. It stands for the culture of bubble tea. When milk tea is mixed with the pearls made of tapioca, it becomes a special beverage. As we are walking in a strange environment, a shop selling pearl milk tea just catches our attention. It is not an exaggeration that Pearl Milk Tea has become an important cultural and financial phenomenon in Taiwan. Recently, some novel foods are created in night markets, such as Froth Ice. The approach of making froth ice which is mix the ice and jam with the strength and power of the hands. The most important part of the ice is exquisite. It is cold but not as cold as chilly ice. The appearance of forth ice is engaging for many people. Almost everybody would like to try on new foods which have a strong lure. picture1: Stinky Tofu source: picture 2: Oyster Omelet source: http: //tour.jschina.com.cn/ 2-2. games Nowadays, most of the children have experienced to have a dispute with their 2

4 parents in a night market for more games to play. Likewise, parents have a hard time keeping their kids from game-playing. Taiwan night markets include many classical games such as Balloon Shooting, Fishing, Ring Tossing, Claw Vending Machine and so on. These games are so popular that we can see them in every night market. People who have ever been to night markets must have given it a shot to play the unique games. Adults play the games to recollect their childhood. Teenagers enjoy the interaction with friends during the games. Children like to play many various games because they can get some toys or candies as gifts in return after games. Here are some examples to show you some information about night market games. First, Taiwanese Pinball is one of the traditional games. To play this game, we can have ten or more marbles as usual at first. Then, we use a board made from plastic or wood to hit the marbles. The marbles run to the top of a long path and fall down on account of terrestrial gravity later. In dropping, the pins on the panel cause the marbles to run variably. The last places where the marbles stop and stay are called grids. Different grids have different scores. The more scores we gain, the better gifts we get. To win the biggest trophy, we need to control our muscles and pay attention to the angles before pushing the board. Second, Fishing is very exciting. To net fishes, we need to be wise enough to control a plastic bar with a circle covered by rice papers. If we were too nervous or too irritable, our rice papers would be broken by water easily. The vendors of fishing prepare many fishes. Some are big and some are small. Usually, we can bring the fishes we net home. The equipments of the games improve as time goes by. Taiwanese Pinball and Fishing are no exception. Instead of a plastic or wood board, a comfortable gadget with good elasticity is used. The twinkling bulbs which are eye-catching take the place of the pins. Moreover, when a marble runs into a certain grid, there is some fashion music as sound effects. Also, Fishing has changed the way. We are probably netting toy fishes rather than real ones. Whether it is old or new, some would prefer innovation and others would favor tradition. Although the ways people play games change, the pleasure aroused in night markets do not alter with the passing of time. 3

5 picture 3: Taiwanese Pinball source: picture 4: Fishing source: environment First, in night markets of Taiwan, when cars enter, the place will become very crowded. Accidents may happen. So, it is sometimes very dangerous to stroll in night markets. If the government can have a law which separates people from the traffic, the problem may improve. Those who stroll in night markets can get a sense of safety. Second, the public trash cans are indispensable, but they are uncommon in night markets of Taiwan. That is why night markets are often accused of dirtiness. If there are some public trash cans in night markets, the environment would be better than now. Fortunately, some local governments design and plan to do something. For example, some trash cans are used, some slogans are set up, and dustmen are arranged and so on. Third, the atmosphere of night markets give a sense of warmness to the singles or lonely. When they keep a busy step and feel isolated from work or life, going to a crowded night market comforts them. Also, hanging around in night markets can have a close touch with their friends. picture 5: a silhouette of Liohea Night Market source: 4

6 3. the analysis of night markets in Taiwan Form 1. representative night markets of Taiwan night markets location features Lodung Night Market I-Lan amicable Keelung Temple Night Market New Taipei City palatable Shilin Night Market New Taipei City charismatic Huahsi Street Night Market New Taipei City easy to shop Fengjia Night Market Taichung City creative Liohea Night Market Kaohsiung hospitable The Keeling Temple Night Market and Lodung Night Market are selected as foreigner-friendly. There are signboards written in Chinese, English and Japanese; moreover, the vendors always wear a warm smile. The Liohea Night Market and Shilin Night Market are selected as gorgeous because a lot of foreigners visit there every year. The Keelung Temple St Night Market and Fengjia Night Market are famous for their food because the representative and innovative foods. The Huahsi Street Night Market is selected as shopper-friendly because the roads are so big. 4. a survey on teenagers opinion of night markets To understand how teenagers feel about night markets, we design a questionnaire on night markets for the sophomores of Applied Foreign Languages at National Yuan-Lin Vocational High School of Home Economics and Business. The following part is our analysis and discussion. Table 1. why night markets appeal to teenagers 5

7 The chart above shows how teenagers think of night markets. First, the main factor is they can find something to eat. Night markets always have various foods to choose and it is no wonder that night markets are the paradise of foods. But we also learn that to get a sense of relaxation is another important element. Table 2. if a world exhibition makes night markets of Taiwan more popular The chart above demonstrates that most of the teenagers think that a world exhibition really helps night markets be more popular. To have an exhibition also means to attract more and more people to be closer to night markets. After all, the more people pay attention, the more Taiwan s good characteristics are publicized. Especially, the theme song of Taiwan Pavilion in 2010 Shanghai Expo details how good and special Taiwan is. Table 3. if night markets are Taiwan's tourist attractions 6

8 The statistics above points out that it is one-hundred percent correct to say night are Taiwan's tourist attractions. Many foreigners come to Taiwan would have a tour of night markets instead of dining in a five-star hotel. To be specific, both foreigners and locals also view night markets as pride of Taiwan. Table 4. how teenagers feel about the aura of night markets According to the chart above, some think the atmosphere between vendors is one of night markets features and some think they are very dirty. Although night markets are considered risky and crowded, they are still worth-visiting. III. Conclusion Because of this thesis, we have something to say about night markets. First, our investigation shows how popular night markets in Taiwan are. According to a report, more than seventy percent tourists love night markets. Night markets become more and more important in tourism. The tourism industry has been regarded as one of the six new properties. The government wants to list night markets as vital development of tourism. But, there is room for improvements of night markets such as its environment and sanitation. In fact, many big and popular night markets are re-organized to be more visitor-friendly. To provide a good atmosphere, the committee of night markets is willing to improve. Second, we know how night markets influence and stand for Taiwan. For example, Pig Blood Cake was voted as the most disgusting and weirdest food of the top ten around the world by a traveling website of British a few years ago. This question Does Pig Blood Cake turn our stomach? may 7

9 confuse many Taiwaneses. In fact, different concepts result in different diet cultures. Furthermore, in the 2010 Night Markets Competition held by a TV show, different people from different counties of Taiwan have a fierce and enthusiastic on-line discussion to earn more votes for their local night market. In other words, night markets indeed play an essential role. If asked why we choose night markets, we just cannot put aside its significance. Anything related to night markets in our mind is so vivid. Because of night markets, night life of Taiwan is brilliant. In the process of completing this work, we know how to organize information, to cooperate and to take responsibility. We stumble upon a lot of problems certainly. Sometimes, it is really difficult to reach a certain agreement and it is inevitable to have a dispute. All of us believe that we must be proud of our baby work at the end. We want to highlight again that night markets have a special place in our hearts. Night markets are firmly on track to be as an international tourist attraction. Local and international visitors to night markets not only can have a glimpse at what is Taiwanese hospitality and vitality but also can satisfy their various and picky taste buds. Finally, if teenagers want to have fun on foot, just put on a pair of nice shoes and have an empty stomach to a heaven of hanging out, night markets! IV. Reference 1. 台灣地方小吃美食網站 ( ), 2. 台灣交通部觀光局官網 ( ), 3. 張菫宸 (2011) 嗆辣雞排破億在望 自由時報,2011 年 2 月 14 日, 影視名人版 8