taiwanese grilled sausage — *Taiwanese sausage are a classic Taiwanese street food item, you’ll find them everywhere*

Much like my home country of Thailand, Taiwan is the country of street food night markets, and it may be sacrilegious to say this but… I think Taiwan does night markets better.

Being a huge foodie, I’ve been to multiple Taiwan night markets in search of delicious street foods. From the dense Ningxia Night Market full of michelin guide food stalls, to a fantastical Studio Ghibli-esque Jiufen Old Street high up in the mountains, here are 10 of the best Taiwan night markets that you must visit if you are a foodie like me.

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Taiwan Night Market Culture

ximending walking street night market — *Some Taiwan night markets are like fesitvals*

Taiwan is a country whose night market culture is on another level! And when I say night market, I mostly mean street food night markets, yes if you are a huge foodie like me, then Taiwan won’t disappoint.

Night markets have a long history but modern day Taiwan night markets feel more like festivals decorated with vibrant posters and neon signs filled with dozens, if not hundreds of street food stalls whose vendors are all shouting for your attention. It is often at these places where you can find the most delicious of Taiwanese street foods.

Though Taiwanese night markets are focused mainly on street food, you can also find some shops selling clothing and souvenirs. Some markets you can even find some fair games like darts or those shooting gallery ones.

10. Shilin Night Market - Taipei

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.1/5 (15,200+ Reviews)

Address: No. 101, Jihe Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111

Opening Hours: 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Mon - Sun

Built in 1899, Shilin Night Market is the largest and arguably the most famous in all of Taiwan. The inner section of the Shilin Night Market is a building housing over 500 street food stalls, while the surroundings of the main build has an additional hundreds of stalls selling clothes and souvenirs. Here is where you can find classic Taiwanese street foods like Taiwanese sausage and Stinky Tofu which is surprisingly my personal favorite Taiwanese street food snack.

It can seriously be confusing and you’ll likely get lost exploring this massive night market. If you are at a lost for what to see and eat, I recommend taking a tour such as the Shilin Night Market Food Walking Tour, this tour is really great as it includes a local English and Chinese speaking guide who will bring you to try all that Shilin Night Market has to offer. The tour takes 2 hours, that might seem like a short time but believe me, you’ll be full before you even reach the one hour mark.

A word of warning though, the market is always packed full of people especially the younger crowds as Shilin Night Market is located close to a school. The market especially livens up around 6:00PM when a lot of the shops start opening and a lot of people are starting to get hungry.

9. Raohe Night Market - Taipei

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.2/5 (68,780+ Reviews)

Address: Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105

Opening Hours: 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM | Mon - Sun

Another incredibly famous Taiwan night market is the Raohe Night Market located next to the Songshan Ciyou Temple which sits right next to the entrance of the market.

Raohe Market stretches for about 500 meters long, that might seem short but note that within the market there are about 400 street food stalls, remember length doesn’t matter ;)

While exploring Raohe Night Market I was being squeezed on by the large number of visitors here, if you’re claustrophobic well I’m sorry to say but the lanes here are so small and cramp.

If you can get past the ideas of waddling through huge crowds, one particular Taiwanese street food item that I highly recommend you try here are Black Pepper Pork Buns, more specifically the ones by Fouzhou Pepper Buns. These guys are juicy pork buns that are cooked in this large cylindrical oven, the resulting bun is warm and crunchy on the outside while the pork on the inside is hot, juicy, and full of black pepper spice.

Be sure to check out the Songshan Ciyou Temple on your way out too!

8. Ningxia Night Market - Taipei

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.2/5 (55,100+ Reviews)

Address: 103, Taiwan, Taipei City, Datong District, Ningxia Rd

Opening Hours: 5:00 PM - 1:00 AM | Mon - Sun

Ningxia Night Market is my favorite night market for Taiwanese street food just because it’s the first one I’ve been to, also not to mention that this street food market has the highest concentration of Michelin restaurants and stalls in all of Taiwan.

While Ningxia Night Market is smaller than the previous markets with only about 180 street food stalls, its location is close to the Taipei Main station making for easy access, only a 10 minute walk from the station.

While the market opens at 5 PM every day, I recommend you come around 7 PM, that’s when a lot of stalls will be fully open and the night market vibe starts to come to life.

I’ve actually written a full blog post dedicated to Eating through Ningxia Night Market, if you like some more information about the market you can check out the linked post :)

One of the dishes that I highly recommend here is the Lou Rou Fan, or the stewed pork over rice. On my previous Taiwan trip I ate 3 different bowls of Lou Rou Fan but the one at Ningxia Night Market is the best one I’ve ever had.

Some other Taiwanese street foods that I recommend you try at Ningxia Night Market are:

Rou Jia Mo - A flaky pastry resembling a burger bun filled with a generous amount of tender and fatty stewed pork.
Fried Stinky Tofu - A fried version of the classic stinky tofu, served with pickled vegetables and a sour tangy sauce.
Braised Meats - You’ll find this all over Taiwan, various meats and organ meats stewed in a sweet broth.

7. Huaxi Night Market - Taipei

huaxi night markt — *If you’re brave you can try some snake wine here*

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 3.8/5 (8,050+ Reviews)

Address: Huaxi St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

Opening Hours: 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Mon - Sun

Huaxi Night Market is a bit of a strange one on this list, although that makes it a very interesting place to explore. I will warn you however that this might not be a family friendly market.

Located right next to a sketchy Red Light District (yes really), it’s common to find shady people and business dealings going on here. However, you’ll also be able to find a lot of things at Huaxi that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

Exotic items like shops selling Snake Liqour and Snake Meat. This is because back in the old days Huaxi Night Market used to be famous for showcasing live butchering of snakes, though fortunately (or not?) this practice is long gone.

Whatever your opinions may be, Huaxi Night Market has an old timey charm to it which makes sense as much of its patrons are of the elderly type, it’s like a little snippet into the history of Taiwanese Night Market culture.

I also want to mention that Huaxi Night Market is part of a cluster of markets that are within walking distance (~10 minutes) from each other. These markets are:

Guangzhou Street Night Market
Wuzhou Street Night Market
Xichang Street Night Market

I went to Huaxi Night Market as part of the Historic Huaxi Street Night Market Food Tour and it was really great as the local guide brought us to try 8 iconic Taiwanese street food dishes. Not to mention, we also learnt a lot about the history behind Taipei’s oldest district.

Also, Pro Tip: these markets are also nearby the famous Longshan Temple, an iconic buddhist temple dedicated to the God of Mercy. So once you’re satisfied with snakes, make sure to visit this iconic attraction as well :)

6. Jiufen Old Street - Jiufen

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.2/5 (94,760+ Reviews)

Address: Jishan St, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM | Mon - Sun

The Jiufen Old Street is a bit different compared to the other night markets I’ve mentioned. As the name suggests this market is more like a maze of alleys selling all sorts of goodies from delicious street foods (of course) to local handmade trinkets.

What makes Jiufen Old Street stand out from the rest of the market is it’s atmosphere. You’ve ever watched Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, Jiufen will remind you of exactly that.

While street food is present at Jiufen, this market is mostly well known for its tea culture, you’ll find dozens of famous teahouses all perched on cliffs overlooking the whole town. In my opinion some of these tea houses are more like “Tourist Traps” because the teas and snacks can be insanely overpriced…

That being said, Jiufen is quite difficult to reach as the town is located on a mountain and the only available transport is via public bus or a taxi.

If you would like more information, I’ve written a Jiufen Travel Guide which will provide you will all the necessary information for traveling to Jiufen.

Juifen Old Street is my personal favorite amongst Taiwan’s Night Markets due to it’s unique and gorgeous traditional aesthetic, plus my girlfriend is a huge Studio Ghibli fan :)

5. Linjiang (Tonghua) Night Market - Taipei

linjinag tonghua night market — *Food, food, food, It’s all about food at Taiwan night markets*

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.2/5 (25,970+ Reviews)

Address: Linjiang St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106

Opening Hours: 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Mon - Sun

Another popular night market in Taipei is the Linjiang Street Night Market, also known as the Tonghua Night Market.

If you’ve been to Taipei before no doubt you’ve heard of the iconic landmark of the city, the Taipei 101 Observatory. Well, the Linjiang Night Market is located next to Taipei 101!

The Tonghua Night Market is known for its traditional atmosphere and also being home to 4 stalls taht have been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand.

These stalls are:

Liang Chi Lu Wei - serves a variety of braised dishes as well as duck wings and dried tofu.
Lo Chi Hsiao Chao - famous for stir fried dishes like lamb, beef, and clams.
Tien Hsiang Stinky Tofu - Intense fried stinky tofu!
Yu Pin Yuan Iced and Hot Tangyuan - A dessert shop serving sweet glutinous rice dumplings served on top of shaved ice with various toppings and syrups.

4. Nanjichang Night Market - Taipei

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.3/5 (30,980+ Reviews)

Address: Lane 307, Section 2, Zhonghua Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

Opening Hours: 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Mon - Sun

Described as one of the most local and non toursit-y (yay!) night markets in Taipei, Nanjichang is a great night market full of various street vendors selling classic Taiwanese street food. Nanjichang is also well known for being a good place to find some vegetarian food!

Being a night market frequented by locals the best thing about Nanjichang Night Market is the price. You can expect prices for food and shopping here to be cheaper than the other markets.

There is also a few Michelin awarded street food stalls here though some of them are unnamed… One such stall though is A Nan Sesame Oil Chicken, a local home-style restaurant serving rice noodles and a rich and creamy chicken soup. The soup is no joke guys, the rich and flavorful soup is served with a few pieces of tender stewed chicken that literally falls off the bone.

3. Keelung Night Market - Keelung

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.2/5 (67,420+ Reviews)

Address: 200, Taiwan, Keelung City, Ren’ai District

Opening Hours: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Mon - Sun

Located right in the heart of Keelung City, the Keelung Night Market is famous not only for being a great place to try some Taiwanese street food but also because the identity of the market is tied closely the the nearby Dianji Temple.

In the early years of the market, local monks and pilgrims would make their way to the Dianji Temple, eventually shops and food stalls would open next to the temple to cater to the increase in visitors. Over time this area gradually turned into a full on market and is a must-visit attraction in Keelung.

Out of all the night markets on this list, I feel like Keelung is the cleanest and easiest to explore and browse through as all the street food vendors clearly show their offerings and the stalls are neatly arranged.

Though the temple vibes are present, make no mistake, Keelung Night Market is all about the food. You can find just about anything here from classic Stinky Tofu or Lou Rou Fan to more uncommon and unique dishes like a Buttery Crab Soup stall complete with a poster of Mister Krabs from Spongebob hanging in front of the shop.

Foodies and fellow feasters, eat your heart out!

2. Ruifeng Night Market - Kaohsiung

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.2/5 (34,820+ Reviews)

Address: 804, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Zuoying District, Yucheng Rd

Opening Hours: 5:00 PM - 12:00 AM | Closed on Mondays and Wednesdays

If you are in Kaohsiung City, Ruifeng Night Market is the premiere night market in the city! It’s also the most crowded as it’s a huge tourist attraction. Much like the other night markets on this list you can find all kinds of classic Taiwanese street foods here in addition to clothing and other knick-knacks.

Housing over 1000 street food stalls laid out into 21 different alleys. You’ll have a hell of a time exploring, I’ve been here only once and I probably only explored a 1/10th of the available stalls.

I will say though, eating your way through Ruifeng Night Market is very tiring, not because there is a lot of walking but because of the huge crowds. The market is located near a few high schools and universities so that doesn’t help with the crowding issue.

But that also comes with a positive side, since the visitors are mainly the younger generation, you’ll find a bunch of innovative and trendy street foods creations and many options to choose from.

Also a little pro exploration tip: There is a hidden gambling/games alley where you can play to win some prizes ;)

1. Ximending Night Market - Taipei

Rating: ★★★★☆ | 4.4/5 (11,650+ Reviews)

Address: No. 9, Lane 50, Hanzhong St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108

Opening Hours: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM | Mon - Sun

The Ximending Night Market is more like an entire district rather than a Night Market. There is lots to do at Ximending as it' is THE shopping district in Taipei. The area is popular with the younger crowds with hundreds of street food stalls, restaurants, clothing shops, and more to explore!

Also if you are part of the LGBTQ+ crowd, Ximending is the place to be as this shopping district is home to a large LGBTQ+ community with lots of gay bars and such. I personally have never been to one as I don’t have any interests in them but if you are into that sort of stuff then you’ll have a great time at Ximending!

While the district is open basically 24 hours a day, things start to get lively around 5PM, that’s when a lot of shops and street vendors will start to open.

If you would like more information you can check out my blog post on Exploring the Ximending Shopping District.

taiwan mala hot pot — *Whenever I eat hot pot I always order the Mala soup base*

One specific dish that I recommend you must try here is Mala Hot Pot. While you can get Mala Hot Pot all over Taiwan, Ximending has the largest concentration of hot pot restaurants to choose from.

Hot Pot is a very popular meal here in Taiwan with many prefering the Mala version which is a spicy and oily soup base made with a variety of spices and the iconic mouth numbing Sichuan peppercorns.

But word of warning, PLEASE book in advance! Seriously it was an absolute nightmare for me and my girlfriend to find a place that wasn’t full, We’ve been to 7 different places and all of them required you to book in advance!

Looking for Things to Do in Taiwan?

Museum of Marine Biology - Explore the best aquarium in the world in Kenting!
Yehliu Geopark and Jiufen Tour - A day tour through north eastern Taiwan
Taipei 101 Observatory Ticket - Pre-purchase to avoid large crowds and long wait times.
Discounted Tickets - Browse a variety of attractions, tours, and transports all for a great price

Useful Resources for Traveling in Taiwan

Tourism Information - All the information you need when traveling in Taiwan
High Speed Rail Ticket - Tickets for convenient travel across Taiwan via High Speed Rail
EasyCard - Refillable fare cards for use with public transport across Taipei and Kaohsiung