Taipei: Ningxia Night Market

Shirley Hsieh, M.A. International Trade and Investment Policy 2015,

Sigur Center 2013 Chinese Language Fellow, 

National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

Learning a new language is hard work, as I found out soon after arriving in Taipei; it is one that requires determination, focused hard work, endless hours of studying, undaunted perseverance, attention to detail, and many other sacrifices. Thankfully though, all the hard work also justifies walking that extra mile for nourishment. If you are in Taiwan, the extra mile is made absolutely unnecessary by night markets that seem to exist in almost every corner - ready to feed the hungry till late into the night, or even early morning. But before I go on, let me back up a bit.

Night markets are common through out East and Southeast Asia. It's a market that opens late in the evening, stays open till very late, at times even till the early hours of morning. In Taiwan, these markets are found through out the island and form a major draw for tourists. Taipei alone boasts of at least two dozen of them. Each of these is known for something or the other - some, for inexpensive and fashionable clothes, some others for electronic goods. But what is impossible to miss in these markets - is the food.

Food, unquestionably, is at the center of every night market experience, and close to the heart of every night market visitor. What is on your plate is limited only by your imagination, and your knowledge of the Chinese language. This stall, for example, had me believe that I was about to devour frogs' eggs.

It was only after I had taken the first sip (I admit, with a lot of trepidation) was I told that the 'frogs' eggs' were actually made of tapioca. But that must not deter the adventurous. There is still stinky tofu to sample and chicken feet to eat!

For someone looking at safety in the known, spring onion wrapped in bacon - or grilled sausages with vegetables that you choose to get fried and pan-fried.

But the night market experience is not just about taste - it is a feast for the eyes, ears and nose, as you push through the sea of people, from students tourists for a taste of the unique experience. In the video below, I tried to capture some of the flavors at ShiLin night market, one of Taipei's largest.

What did I have for dinner, you ask? Excellent question. I chose to end my night with this!

Deep Pal, M.A. in International Affairs, 2014
Sigur Center 2013 Summer Language Fellow
National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Hari Raya Puasa is around the corner and Geylang Serai has already soaked into the festive mood with it's streets brightly lighted with colourful lights and a stretch of pasar malam (night market) offering a wide range of traditional Malay food, home wares, handicraft etc.

The traffic condition around the area is pretty conjested. We managed to park our car at SingPost (Paya Lebar) and walked over to the pasar malam to have a feel of the festive season.

The Hari Raya Bazaar sale is currently on-going till 29th August 2011. Even as the night falls, the crowd continues to grow. It has been awhile since I have been to such an extensive night market. There are so much to see and makan around the area. Apart from Malay food, there are also other local delights.

We bought snacks, had supper at the Haig Road Hawker Centre, passed by the Malay Village and Tanjong Katong Complex before heading home.