Xinfu Township Cultural Market Introduction
The Xinfu Town Grocery Market was completed in 1935 and is one of the later public markets built during the Japanese colonial period. The buildings within the market feature various construction materials from that era. The main building of the market is in a horseshoe shape with a flat roof supported by reinforced concrete beams, while the walls are made of reinforced brick. Additionally, there are ancillary structures, including wooden Japanese-style dormitories and brick public toilets, which symbolize the modernization of the market at that time, though they have not all been preserved over the years. In 1930, the Taipei Prefectural Government announced the "Grocery Market Regulations," which provided detailed specifications for the structure and spatial arrangement of market buildings, primarily for hygiene considerations. Against this backdrop, the "Xinfu Grocery Market" was established; the Tai Ping Town Grocery Market (1938, now demolished), the Xing Town Grocery Market (1938, now "Xing'an Market"), and the Ru Ship Town Grocery Market (1938, now "Zhi Xing Market") were also built around the same period but have been modified or demolished, making Xinfu Market a precious example of public market architecture from the Japanese colonial period that showcases modern hygiene standards and architectural styles. When the Xinfu Market was built, the site covered approximately 1,676 square meters, and the building itself was about 660 square meters, surrounded by a 1.6-meter-high brick wall. The main building's walls are made of reinforced brick, with the exterior decorated with refined horizontal lines made of pebbles, and every entrance features an awning. The roof is made of cast concrete and supported by reinforced concrete beams. The overall architectural style is simple with minimal decoration and a strong functionality, such as its unique horseshoe layout, which is quite rare among public markets in Taiwan, creating a smooth shopping flow while also meeting the needs of ventilation and natural lighting within the market. (Source: Xinfu Town Cultural Market Website)
