One reason I absolutely love visiting Taiwan is because the seafood is SO fresh and SO good. And one of the places to go if you are a seafood lover, is Donggang (東港) in Pingtung County! This fishing town in south Taiwan is a famous spot for lots and lots of seafood, especially bluefin tuna.
Donggang is one of Taiwan's major fishing hubs, and when it's bluefin tuna season, which is around April to June? The entire town comes alive!
BTW don't be confused if you see a lot of references to 'black tuna' there. In Taiwan, bluefin tuna is commonly referred to as 黑鮪魚 (hēi wěi yú), which literally translates to "black tuna" in English. So when you see signs, menus, or festival names in Taiwan, they often call it “black tuna.”
Anyway, annually there is a Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival (東港黑鮪魚文化觀光季) that kicks off with events like tuna auctions, culinary competitions, and just... lots and LOTS of delicious sashimi and seafood.
Donggang Fish Market
First of all, definitely go to the Donggang fish market. You can buy the delicious fresh seafood, and then you can pay someone to cook it right there! And also, just people watching is such a fun experience.
Check out all this SUPER FRESH seafood when I was there:
What to eat (and how to eat it)
As mentioned, you can buy the fresh seafood, and then walk on over and get people to cook it.
But first things first. SASHIMI. FRESH SASHIMI.
There's sashimi stalls in the market, and you just hop on a stall and order. Check out how freakin' fresh this sashimi is.
We not only had the sashimi, but we also ordered one where they took out a culinary torch and cooked it in front of us:
After you eat some tasty sashimi, go buy some of your favorite seafood!
Then head on to the area by the port where there are seafood restaurant vendors - you can pay them to cook your super fresh seafood for you!
Here's what we got
For us we got some shrimp, clams, and fishes such as Nageyu (那個魚), aka "That Fish".
Nageyu (那個魚) aka "That Fish"
Seriously, that is what it is called!
Nageyu (那個魚) directly translate to 'That Fish'. In English it's scientific name is Harpadon microchir. It's a mid sized, semi transparent fish. It's known as 'That Fish' because it's real name is a mouthful and not commonly known amongst consumers.
It's a popular fish tho! And I recommend you try it! It's delicate, tender and subtly sweet in flavor. You can literally eat the bones. I recommend getting it deep fried!
Shrimp
Fun fact I'm actually allergic to farm raised shrimp. Which is why when I know shrimp is wild caught I eat way too much of it LOL So yes, definitely get them to cook some fresh shrimp.
Also you can pick how you want them to cook it but we prefer it light so we can still taste the flavor of the shrimp:
Clams
Get some fresh clams and have them cook that as well! So fresh so tasty. There's also so many types of clams so be sure to pick your favorite!
Get whatever else you want - we ordered some veggies and MORE sashimi lol
And sit there and enjoy the view while you stuff your face!
Get something to go
There's lots of stores around, but since we still got seafood on our minds, we visited "My Only" (Wei Yi Foods 味益食品) store across the street from the fish market.
Wei Yi Foods was founded in 1975 in Donggang. It's a family run business and popular for their premium Taiwanese style ground fried fish floss. (BTW I hate that the translation of this food is 'floss' but I can't go back in history and change it.)
Fish floss is basically fluffy shredded fish that's cooked down and seasoned until it's light, savory and so tasty! It's a little sweet, a little salty, and super umami. I love sprinkling it over rice (especially, congee) or sandwiches or buns!
Wei Yi has swordfissh floss, tuna floss, cuttlefish floss, sakura shrimp snacks, and more!
So we bought our tasty fish floss, and we grabbed some frozen mango popsicles there too (literally it's a piece of mango completely frozen on a stick! So tasty. Don't get me started on how fresh fruits are in Taiwan.)
Final Thoughts
Donggang is a well-loved destination for a reason. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Taiwanese seafood or visiting for the first time, there’s something electric about being there during tuna season. The energy, the flavors, the tradition—it’s all part of what makes Donggang unforgettable.
And yes, stretchy pants or loose clothing are still recommended!