Dongmen Market was once Hsinchu's most bustling commercial hub—home to the city's first escalator and more than five hundred stalls, humming with activity from morning to night. The rise of large-scale supermarkets and shifting consumer habits left the market to wither, one steel shutter at a time. The turning point came in 2015, when Chen Hung-wei, a PhD student from Tsing Hua University's Institute of Service Science, joined forces with students and local youth to establish the Open Door Studio. Working in partnership with the Hsinchu City Government under a university-community initiative (Project of Co-startup Platform of Dongmen Market in Hsinchu), the team drew on expertise in architecture, design, and service science—and secured the resources needed—to attract young entrepreneurs and breathe new life into the market's idle spaces.

The market's revival owes just as much to Chen Chien-chang, the fourth-generation fishcake vendor who chairs the market's self-governing association. Deeply aware of what Dongmen Market means to his family and to the city, he put it simply: "This market raised us. I had to see it shine again." He courted young business owners to fill the vacant stalls, setting the stage for an unlikely harmony between indie creative stalls and time-honored food vendors. Walk through Dongmen Market today and you'll find a legacy fish stall standing shoulder to shoulder with a café, a dessert shop, and a cocktail bar. Among the newer arrivals, Candy Bird has emerged as a gathering place for the artsy crowd—a space where art, design, and local culture converge.

Old Meets New: The Market's International Appeal

The market's rebirth has also given rise to new flavors. In 2025, Dongmen Mifen Stall caught the attention of the international culinary world, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation. The owner's husband, a former hotel chef, brought professional kitchen know-how to the partnership; together, the couple transformed a humble street staple into something far more refined. A steaming bowl of their mixed seafood mifen soup layers melt-in-your-mouth taro, crispy sea bass chunks, and springy milkfish balls over thick, chewy rice noodles in a broth that is at once sweet, rich, and deeply savory. Nearby, Dongmen Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) has built its reputation on thin-skinned dumplings packed with filling and bursting with soup, and A-Cheng lu wei (Taiwanese braised foods)—known for its intensely seasoned, slow-braised cuts—has long been a favorite among serious eaters. Together, these vendors old and new compose the rich, varied culinary spectrum that defines Dongmen Market today.

From vendors who have tended their stalls across generations to young entrepreneurs bringing fresh energy and ideas, Dongmen Market has found a new identity in the harmony of old and new—and reclaimed its place as one of the city's defining landmarks. It has long since transcended its role as a place to buy ingredients, becoming instead a living museum of Hsinchu's collective memory.

☛　Hsinchu's Dongmen Market has been selected as one of the Ministry of Culture's inaugural 100 Culture Bases.