North Spice Market District

Located at the corner of People's Central Ave. and the Northwall Road, it is an old town district that dates from either the 900s or the 1500s depending on whom you ask. Historically it served as a spice market, a salt market, a clothing goods market, and even housed butchers at some point in history. In the late 1890s, a fire broke out in one of the grain storages in the northeast corner of the market, burning away a significant number of buildings and requiring rebuilding. This is why the style of the buildings in that corner is slightly different from the rest of the district. It then fell into disuse in the years following World War II. By the late 1990s, many buildings were showing signs of dilapidation, and aged plumbing became an issue, so some parts of the district was torn down to make way for newer buildings.   Around 10 years ago, the city government started a rennovation project to preserve the historic buildings in the area and upgraded the area for tourism. Previously dilapidated buildingswere refurbished, modern electricity cables buried under the roads so long electricity poles were no where to be found, and walls freshly painted. Buildings were modified to have air conditioning. There was even a TV show series in the previous years where well known architects were commissioned to renovate the houses in the area to suit modern living needs, while staying faithful to the styles of old.   Ceramic roof tiles in dark navy grey imitating those of the 1800’s were commissioned and applied to houses, now painted to a uniform washed-out ivory to resemble historic building styles. Many of the older residents sold or rented their houses to become shops. Shop stalls line the side of the streets Red laterns, filled with eletric bulbs, hang under the eaves of buildings, lighting up the streets at night. It now had a charm- a cozy flair that combined the stoic facade of the old, with the conveniences of modern times.

The promotion of the area as a tourist destination was very successful. According to the local business center, the North Spice Market recieved an average of over 8 million visitors per year in the past 5 years, with a general increase of about 8% expected in the next five years.