Tainan is promoting a new form of tourist-friendly design: multilingual signs in markets and night markets. The wider program is being tested in the city’s popular West Market and Garden Night Market – and also includes better-optimized menus and other friendly services to create a more welcoming environment.

The city government announced on Monday, August 17, that Tainan’s traditional markets aren’t just for shopping, but popular cultural experience sites. They believe the new foreign language program will increase the markets’ reach with international tourists, with the demo sites now offering information in English, Japanese, and Korean, among others. 

The market management office noted that Tainan markets are also implementing other international-friendly services. In addition to multilingual menus, other signage such as route indicators, public facility signs, and maps are also offered in multiple languages to help tourists navigate more easily.

Vendors can get assistance to create illustrated menus, and payment options in multiple languages are also being promoted. Through creativity and flexibility, Tainan’s markets are being upgraded with the hope of lowering barriers to entry – allowing more foreign tourists to enjoy these hubs of traditional culture.