The ASEAN Plaza nearby Taichung Railway Station was originally the First Public Market in the Japanese colonial period. The soaring buildings were indicators of a once prosperous shopping district. Today, it is transformed into a cultural hub featuring an integration of ASEAN culture and local Taiwanese culture. It has an underground parking lot, boutique clothing stores, foot court, movie theater, KTV, billiard pool, western-style restaurants, etc. Since it also has an abundance of Southeast Asian food vendors and stores, it is where migrant workers like to gather and hang out. Thus, it is nicknamed Little Southeast Asia. A visit to the ASEAN Plaza would feel like a trip to Southeast Asia not only because of the unique shopping experience, but also of the Vietnamese coffee, satay, fried bananas and other Southeast Asian delicacies available in this exotic area in downtown Taichung.
