Being a night person myself, I really enjoy the night markets that are so prevalent in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. One of my favorites is the Liuhe Night Market in the XinXing District near the Formosa MRT Station. It is a very popular and well known place for locals and tourists visiting Kaohsiung, whether from Taipei or overseas. During the day, Liuhe 2nd Road looks like any other road with thru traffic and storefronts, but after 6:00 PM the barriers go up and it becomes a pedestrian market.
As I indicated it is popular with tourists and there are definitely more traditional markets (like the Ruifeng Night Market in Zuoying) around the area that I’ve visited. While I’m usually the one to forsake tourist traps in favor of more local flavor, this is one case where I break from tradition and actually recommend the tourist oriented option.
The Liuhe Night Market is a brighter, more colorful, spacious and vibrant market atmosphere that just propels you into the spirit. The vendors here enjoy presenting you with one colorful display of food after another. Some of the stands are actually restaurants, allowing you to pick your fresh seafood and then walk to the back to enjoy it at a comfortable table. While seafood definitely dominates the market, you can still partake of many other Chinese culinary delights and shop for clothing and accessories, too.
Since tourists are their bread & butter, the vendors are friendlier, more jovial, patient and understanding of questions. You can sense that many of them literally enjoy the spectacle and the crowds, and this goes on nearly every night of the year.
You find yourself happily wandering from stand to stand, repeatedly stuffing yourself with food you just can’t resist trying. It is a great way to quickly sample many Taiwanese dishes all in one place. Granted it may be a little more expensive than the other night markets that locals frequent, but it is only slightly more expensive and still very cheap by western standards.
To see more pictures of this colorful market checkout my Liuhe Night Market Photo Gallery.
