Beimen Wuwang Bridge Roasted Sweet Potato Introduction
Tu Zhushan (born in 1947) is from Keelung. He worked in fish ponds and has also sun-dried salt. After the salt fields stopped production, he went to Fengshan, Kaohsiung, to learn the skill of roasting sweet potatoes from his older brother, Tu Zhuqing (born in 1943). After mastering the technique, his brother gifted him a roasting oven. Tu Zhushan began selling in front of Yong'an Temple in Keelung and later decided to venture further for sales, riding a "li zi ka" (a small vehicle) to the Xuejia Vegetable Market in the morning and to the site of Wuwang Bridge in the afternoon. As he aged, he stopped going to Xuejia Market and instead settled at the northern end of Wuwang Bridge for sales. He has lunch at 10 AM and then heads out to the market. While at home, he roasts a batch of sweet potatoes first, and upon arriving at the market, he roasts one or two more batches while selling. He finishes selling and heads home, which could be as late as 2 or 3 PM. Tu Zhushan's selling hours are not fixed; he doesn’t sell when it rains, when the sweet potatoes are not good, or when he has other matters to attend to. To enjoy Tu Zhushan's roasted sweet potatoes, you really need a bit of luck. A solitary "li zi ka" sits at the head of Wuwang Bridge, without shelter, enduring the scorching heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter. However, Tu Zhushan does not find it burdensome. As long as conditions permit, he stands under the blazing sun or against the cold winds to sell, hoping for the return of loyal customers...
