Nanfang'ao Cultural Market Introduction
Xinfucheng Food Bazaar was completed in 1935, belonging to the later period of the Japanese colonial era public markets. The structures within the market include various building materials from that period. The main building of the market has a horseshoe shape with a flat roof supported by reinforced concrete beams, while the walls are made of reinforced brick. Additionally, auxiliary buildings include wooden Japanese-style dormitories and brick public restrooms, which symbolize the modernization process of the market at that time, though unfortunately, they have not been fully preserved over time. In 1930, the Taipei Prefectural Government announced the "Food Bazaar Regulations," which provided detailed specifications for the structure and spatial layout of market buildings based on hygiene considerations. Against this backdrop, the "Xinfucheng Food Bazaar" was completed; contemporaneously built markets such as the Taipingchong Food Bazaar (1938, now abolished), the Xingchong Food Bazaar (1938, now "Xing'an Market"), and the Rufen Food Bazaar (1938, now "Zhi Xing Market") have either been renovated or abolished, making Xinfucheng a valuable case demonstrating modern sanitary standards and architectural styles in Japanese colonial public market architecture. The construction site of Xinfucheng covered about 506 ping, with a building area of about 199 ping, surrounded by a red brick wall approximately 160 cm high. The main building's walls are made of reinforced brick, with the exterior featuring sophisticated horizontal decorative stripes made of washed stones, and every entrance is topped with a rain canopy. The roof is made of concrete, supported by reinforced concrete beams. The overall architectural style is simple with few decorations and a strong focus on functionality, such as its rare horseshoe-shaped layout among public markets in Taiwan, which not only creates a smooth shopping flow but also a unique central skylight that meets the needs for ventilation and lighting within the market. (Source: Xinfucheng Cultural Market website)
