Ep 15: Donggang Fish Market in Pingtung
Donggang，a medium-sized town about an hour south of Kaoshiung, was our next stop. Upon arrival, we found that the usual malls, night markets, and hustle-bustle of Taiwanese towns was nowhere to be found!
Everyone did seem to be rushing about their daily business, so one can’t exactly describe it as a sleepy town, either. We were curious to find out what the local produce for this town was, and after making a few friends, learnt that it was responsible for something particularly succulent, mouthwatering and divine... SEAFOOD. 
From early May through July, Donggang – southern Taiwan's biggest fishing harbor – is obsessed with the Pacific bluefin tuna. The gigantic fish, which can weigh up to 500 kg, is known to sashimi aficionados as "the Rolls Royce of fish meat." The underbelly, called "toro" in Japan, is source of one of the most expensive sashimi cuts due to the fatty meat's beautiful snowy-pink color. In fact, Japan used to buy 80% of Donggang's tuna catch, but since the Donggang Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival was held for the first time back in 2001, more and more Taiwanese have gained a taste for the melt-in-your-mouth meat, and keep more for themselves.
Donggang is also home to the Donglong Gong Temple, the religious center of Donggang residents and one of the biggest traditional temples in Taiwan. The 99.9 gold plated arches have a cost of nearly 100 billion Taiwanese dollars, and is the pride of the region. Donglong Gong Temple was established in 1706 when settlers salvaged vast quantities of wood with the lacquer mark of Wen. This was then revealed to be a divine miracle from Lord Wen. Realizing that a Divine Being lived in the vicinity and that Donggang would become a famous place, the people hence erected a Temple with the name of Donglong, which means Prosperity to Donggang.
Upon setting foot, the city itself may have given the impression of unremarkable, but we later found that not only was it THE PLACE to get your freshest seafood catch, or to witness the grandiose of worship, it is also an important spot as boats leave from the Donggang Port to visit nearby Little Liu Qiu Island.
For more information:
Donggang Fish Market Donggang Township, Pingtung County |
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