Shilin Night Market

 Shilin Night Market is one of the largest night markets in Taipei. It is incredibly famous for its various snacks and eatery. If you are taking the Taipei MRT, you just need to go down the Jiantan station and from there its just a short walk. Even as you step out of the subway there are already food stalls leading to Shilin Night Market. Aside from food, Shilin Night Market is also a best place to buy souvenirs. Items are cheaper than in other places. They have ref magnets, cable holders, shirts, key chains, and others. There are also games or activities wherein you can win some prizes.

There are a lot of good food stalls in Shillin Night Market. For us to maximize our visit, we already did research of the best food stalls. There are also some food stalls that has been given the Michellin Bib Gourmand. A Bib Gourmand is more likely to offer comforting favourites at their best.

There are stalls that offer tanghulu. Tanghulu is a candied fruit snack. Originally it is made frum hawthorn berries, but it can made with other fruits as well like strawberry, grapes or plum.

One of the must-try is Raohe Street Fuzhou Black Pepper Buns. The famous black pepper buns in Raohe Night Market is alson in Shilin Night Market. Just like in Raohe, the buns are roasted to perfection inside a clay oven.

Another must-try is Guan Zheng-zong’s Original Small Sausage Wrapped in Big Sausage. It is Taiwanese sausage inside sticky rice sausage. They offer different flavors for the sauce of the sausage like garlic, spicy, satay, honey, soy sauce, and more. 

 Hometown BBQ Chicken is one of the best Taiwanese fried chicken selections at Shilin Night Market. They have a stall located near the Jiantan station. The chicken is big and crispy.

If you want to try these stalls, I suggest you come in early as there is always line in these food stalls. Shilin Night Market opens at 6PM although not all stalls are open at this time. Some are just starting their set-up but coming in early will give you more chance to go around the night market.

Going Around Ximending

Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in Taipei. Ximending is a popular theater street in Taipei in the past. Today, Ximending has twenty theaters and is a popular area for small concerts and street performance. Every night there are different street performances.

One of the famous place in Ximending is the Red House Theater. It was built in 1908 by Kondo Juro, a Japanese architect. The Red House started as a public market then shifted to bookstore, cinema and to a theater. The Red House is now a platform to promote Cultural and Creative Industry making Ximending as most iconic location of Cultural and Creative Industry in Taiwan.

Aside from being an entertainment and shopping hub, Ximending is also a place for food. And I mean really nice food! But I’ll be sharing my food trip in another blog. So aside from the entertainment and food, what else can you do in Ximending?

At the main intersection, just near the Red House is the Rainbow Six Crossing, one of the most popular spot in Ximending. It is close to the LGBTQ+ bars and the whole are around it has huge billboards and neon displays.

Just a short walk from Ximending is Taipei North Gate which is a historical landmark dating back in the 1880s and is located in Beimen North Gate Square.

From Taipei North Gate you can walk to Beimen MRT Underground station where you can ride a train to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. The hall was built in a previous army headquarters. The square in front of the memorial hall is a popular gathering place. The National Concert Hall is located on the left side of the memorial hall and on the right side is the National Theater. The square between the two halls is used often for performances and musical activities.

The famous Taipei 101 is just six stations away from Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. Taipei 101 from outside looks like a bamboo stalk towering the other building. In the basement of the building is a decent food court. The famous Din Tai Fung is located at the ground floor. Tickets for the observation on the 88^th and 89^th floors is at the 5^th floor. You can have a 360 view of the Taipei at the 88^th floor. If the weather is good, you can also try the outdoor deck at the 91^st floor.