Cow Market of Shanhua(善化牛墟)

A "Cow Market” was where agricultural communities came to trade cattle. The Shanhua Cow Market started doing business around 1870 and is one of the larger and better-known cow markets in Taiwan.
Cow markets disappeared into history after the government banned the buying and selling of cattle at cow markets in 1999 due to the Foot-and-Mouth Disease epidemic.   Shanhua Cow Market is now a regular farmer’s market that is held on the 2nd, 5th, 8th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 25th and 28th of each month. Everything that a farming family may use including engines, seedlings, baby chicks/ducks/geese, plants, fruits, vegetables, poultry, bamboo baskets, stainless steel pots, hand-made brooms and other everyday items can be found in the busy market.
The cow market is also famed for its food. Gourmands rave over the boiled beef and beef stir-fry. Shanhua has the largest cattle slaughterhouses in Taiwan so Tainan is also famed for its fresh beef soup.