A motorcycle drove through the quiet Chongyi Evening Market

Motorcycle driving through Chongyi Evening Market

After leaving the bustling Chong De Market, I set off toward my next destination—the Chongyi Evening Market.

I've always believed that markets are the best places to understand local life. The chatter of vendors, the way people inspect produce, the mix of scents and sounds—a market contains the very heartbeat of a city.

But the moment I stepped through the entrance, something felt off.

There was no one.

Tables had been cleared away, metal shutters remained tightly closed, and not a single sign of lingering activity remained.

Then it hit me. The name "Evening Market" wasn’t just for show—this place only comes to life in the evening. I had arrived far too early.

I wandered through the dimly lit aisles, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Not a single soul. Not even a stray cat.

Then, suddenly, the silence was broken.

A motorbike engine roared through the emptiness. A man, cigarette between his lips, emerged from the depths of the market, his headlight cutting through the stillness.

Without so much as a glance in my direction, he rode past and disappeared into the distance, leaving only a fleeting trace of movement in this otherwise frozen world.

And then, silence returned.

With nothing left to do but wait, I stood there, alone, as Tainan’s evening slowly approached.

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