Night markets
Shilin, Raohe, Ningxia: whole streets of stalls open past midnight.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 30 min
Best time
Between 7 and 10pm
Open
Every evening
Entry price
Free
The night markets are Taipei's social institution, and there are about thirty of them. Each has a character: Shilin is the largest and busiest, Raohe the oldest and densest along six hundred metres, Ningxia the most focused on food, with no clothing stalls.
The benchmark dishes are the giant fried chicken cutlet, oyster omelette, black pepper buns baked in a tandoor oven, and stinky tofu — whose smell is the first obstacle and which is excellent fried. You pay in cash and eat standing, on the move.
Getting there
Shilin: Jiantan metro. Raohe: Songshan metro. Ningxia: Shuanglian metro, then ten minutes on foot.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Headlamp
Rules on site
Almost everything is cash only. Eating or drinking while walking in the metro is banned and fined in Taipei, drinks included: finish before entering the station.
