Contents(11)
- Ocean Cultural Market: Food First!
- Marine Life Egg Waffles by HaveFun雞蛋糕
- Nudibranch Wagashi by 海邊大媽製菓所
- Horseshoe Crab Chocolate by 歐勳洋行 Oceanartlab 創藝耍廢室
- Watch Your Wallet — the Ocean Cultural Market Is Too Good to Resist!
- Ocean-Friendly Bath & Body Products by Milletural
- Sea Glass Handcraft by JadeHandmade
- Marine Life Concrete Planters by Echo's海洋手作
- Whale Fall Bucket Hat by 有 fu 手作
- A Hugely Successful Ocean Market — and the Squid Season Is Up Next!
- Don't Miss the Upcoming Squid Season!
Do you enjoy browsing markets? Blu heard that there's an incredibly buzzy ocean cultural-creative market called "Embrace the Wave" making waves in the diving community — held right at 35-coffee in Keelung. Blu simply couldn't miss it.
For those who couldn't make it in person, check out the livestream video below to relive the lively atmosphere of market day. Most importantly, make sure you watch all the way to the end — there's a giveaway! (Don't say Blu didn't warn you.)
The moment Blu arrived at the market, the excitement was impossible to contain — there were not only adorable ocean-themed snacks to satisfy my appetite, but also a dazzling array of ocean-inspired design items. I'm sure fellow ocean lovers will go just as crazy as I did. Follow Blu's lead and let's explore together!
Oh! Almost forgot to mention — this was the first time the Embrace Keelung Mountain & Sea market series partnered with EasyPay. Just pay with EasyPay and enjoy a 10% discount per transaction (plus the EasyCard's regular 2% monthly bonus). Pretty great deal, right?
Join Blu at the "Embrace the Wave" Ocean Cultural Market!
Ocean Cultural Market: Food First!
You may have already noticed — Blu is a serious foodie, so the very first stop at any market is always eating and drinking. The coolest thing about this market was the abundance of marine-life-shaped snacks: absolutely adorable and delicious. Worth noting: the Embrace the Wave market provided eco-friendly food containers and cups for rent, reducing waste while letting visitors enjoy eco-discounts at every stall.
Marine Life Egg Waffles by HaveFun雞蛋糕
These fragrant egg waffles came shaped like sea turtles, cuttlefish, pufferfish, and Grouper — beloved by kids and adults alike (and by chubby cat Blu). Made with pure, wholesome ingredients and not a drop of water added, they completely won Blu's heart. The stall also showcased an upcoming ocean board game that Blu is already looking forward to!
Marine life egg waffles — a hit with kids and adults alike.
Nudibranch Wagashi by 海邊大媽製菓所
Moving along to this charming wagashi shop, Blu immediately picked out a Mexichromis festiva nudibranch to devour — let me explain: it was a wagashi crafted in the shape of a Mexichromis festiva nudibranch! The colours and form were strikingly lifelike. The shop owner shared that each individual wagashi piece takes a full hour of hand-crafting, which explains the extraordinary detail. Blu is truly in awe.
Handcrafted nudibranch wagashi by 海邊大媽 — cute and delicious.
Horseshoe Crab Chocolate by 歐勳洋行 Oceanartlab 創藝耍廢室
Chocolate shaped like a horseshoe crab is already pretty special — but add a Kinmen-style sorghum liquor flavour and even this cat feels a little tipsy. Even more impressive, this chocolate line has a National Palace Museum collaboration edition, and the profits go toward horseshoe crab conservation. Eat chocolate, love the ocean! Beyond the chocolates, the stall featured beautifully crafted air plant globe sculptures shaped like various marine creatures — a must-have for any ocean lover's collection.
Exquisite air plant globes — highly recommended for ocean-art enthusiasts.
Watch Your Wallet — the Ocean Cultural Market Is Too Good to Resist!
Before stepping into the market, repeat after Blu three times: "Ocean lovers shop mindfully." Because it's genuinely so fun and so tempting that your wallet will surrender before you know it. Think Blu's exaggerating? Come browse and find out for yourself!
Ocean-Friendly Bath & Body Products by Milletural
Blu loves eating fish — but never imagined that fish scales could be used to get squeaky clean! Milletural's fish-scale collagen peptide ocean bath and body range is truly remarkable. Owner Maggie explained that they extract ingredients suitable for shampoo and body wash from fish scales, which would otherwise be discarded as waste — embodying a "circular economy" that is far kinder to the environment. A sneak preview: they'll soon launch packaging bottles made from 100% recycled plastic. Blu says thank you on behalf of the Earth.
Discarded fish scales transformed into bath products — ocean care woven into daily life.
Sea Glass Handcraft by JadeHandmade
Jade creates fully handcrafted jewellery pieces, each one full of character. Blu's favourite is the "sea glass" series. Jade explained that sea glass is a form of human-made marine debris — but by collecting it and crafting it into jewellery, each piece not only removes one piece of litter from the ocean but also gives sea glass a new lease of life.
Discarded sea glass transformed into artwork — textured, refined, and utterly unique.
Marine Life Concrete Planters by Echo's海洋手作
The moment Blu spotted the marine-life-shaped concrete planters, I couldn't help but buy several on impulse. They're perfect for planting cute succulents, or simply as desk decorations for a calming touch. These concrete planters also double as aroma diffuser stones — just drop your favourite essential oil on the base and let a gentle fragrance drift through your space.
Nudibranch-shaped concrete planter ornaments — a splash of colour for everyday life.
Whale Fall Bucket Hat by 有 fu 手作
Beyond small accessories, Blu also wanted to add some oceanic flair to the wardrobe! A "whale fall" bucket hat at 有 fu 手作 caught my eye immediately. The owner shared the inspiration behind the design — conveying how a whale's death simultaneously brings new vitality to other marine creatures — giving this hat a soul of its own. The stall also featured many hairbands and fish-tail necklaces, all very popular with ocean enthusiasts.
Marine life-themed hats — an ocean lover's summer essential.
A Hugely Successful Ocean Market — and the Squid Season Is Up Next!
A group photo with the whole team — so many wonderful vendors to meet. Keep up the great work, everyone!
Beyond the fantastic stalls, the Embrace Keelung Mountain & Sea market series had one more signature treat: swimming alongside marine life via an AR experience app that brought Whale Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, and other majestic creatures right into the party — keeping Blu and many other visitors snapping photos non-stop. After all that photo-taking and browsing, guests could sit back and enjoy live music from a resident singer. This cat was absolutely in heaven.
This ocean market attracted approximately 16,000 visitors and generated around NT$370,000 in sales — ocean lovers, you are truly the most enthusiastic bunch!
Don't Miss the Upcoming Squid Season!
Squid Season is here! Now's the time for night fishing and a night visit with the squid.
It turns out this was also the final market in this year's Embrace Keelung Mountain & Sea series — but luckily, Blu spotted an upcoming event at the venue: "Squid Season," featuring night fishing experiences, night squid-watching tours, and a sea fishing academy you can sign up for! Blu registered for a night fishing session straight away. The thought of spending a summer evening — peak squid season — as a day-trip angler, then savouring freshly caught seafood right on the boat... Blu simply can't wait! If you're interested in the Squid Season activities, head over to the official event website now.
- Organiser: Keelung City Government
- Executive organiser: Keelung City Government Department of Industrial Development
- Co-organisers: Keelung Port East 3 & East 4 Visitor Services Centre (35-coffee), EasyCard Corporation
- Executing units: BlueTrend, Heng Rui International Marketing Co., Ltd.
- Event page: Embrace Keelung Mountain & Sea
Further reading:
