Taipei City Government

Our friend James, who hails from England, married a Taiwanese-lady, and the happy couple has set up a home in Taipei. James has become an aficionado of Taipei's famous night-markets, and the place he thinks that has the best collection of “the people's food” is Ningxia Night Market. Here is where you'll find the best selection of Taiwan's deep supply of traditional snack foods—best in quality, best in range.

"Taiwanese are absolute gourmets. Therefore it really isn't hard to find where the good food is. Just find the longest line and add yourself to the queue!" James frequently snakes around the endless vendors within Ningxia Night Market with his wife, hopscotching between vendors with long lines. Like a true Taiwanese, many traditional grain-based snacks have stolen his heart. Braised-pork rice, chicken rice, oyster omelets, followed up with sweet mochi, crispy taro cake, or red-bean cake, makes James feel even more reassured that it was his inevitable destiny to be a "son-in-law of Taiwan."

Vendor Stalls Streetside and Street-Middle—A Grand Bazaar of North/South Snack Foods

After a long day of work, a stroll down the night market while getting your favorite food, and only spending a fraction of what you will usually spend at a restaurant, yet satisfying your grumbling belly is, in fact, the epitome of Taiwanese night market culture. With more than 60 years of history, Ningxia Night Market used to sell garments and accessories. But with the emergence of large department stores and hyper markets, traditional snack food vendors quickly replaced the garment stores, resulting in the Ningxia Night Market we have today.

The head of the Ningxia Night Market Cooperative Association, Lai Bing-xun, says that “When you come to Ningxia, you're coming here to eat. We have over 200 stands, and the vast majority sell eats. Some have been selling in the same spot for 30 to 40 years, and even have the second generation of the same family running them.” Ningxia Road runs about 300 meters; there are stalls along the streetside and mid-street, and beyond streetside are the shop facades. Together, they sell an amazing collection of Taiwanese treats originating from all corners of the land. Lai proudly notes that this is not only the unique street market licensed by Taipei City Government, but also primarily dedicated to the selling of food.

Information

Transportation Exit MRT Shuanglian Station and head down Minsheng W. Rd. toward Chengde Rd. Turn right at Ningxia Rd.; the market lies directly ahead.

Each day, the crowds come streaming into the market as the street lights are turned on. To heighten the quality of the visitor's experience, the city government has established a pedestrian-only venue and worked closely with the vendors to introduce a grease interceptor that keeps grease from entering the sewage system, thus eliminating hygiene-related problems. In 2008, another public-health program was launched to promote the use of eco-friendly chopsticks. Booth staff are also encouraged to wear red uniforms, heightening even further the overall visual appeal of the market. Ningxia most certainly has a solid case to declare itself the city's most “eco-friendly night market”.

The Market Administration Office has great news for night market fans! Ningxia Street Night Market accepts reservations for “snack banquet” – a banquet featuring top delicacies from the various booths at the night market, all at your table!

For those who prefer to relax and save themselves the trouble of having to wait in line at the individual booths, the “snack banquet” option allows consumers to enjoy the delicious specialties of the night market at a clean and tidy environment, without having to suffer the hassle of queuing.

The snack banquet features well-known night market favorites such as oyster omelet, Taiwanese spring roll, pork with rice, and more! To order the NT$2,500 snack banquet, the night market association reminds visitors to make the reservation three days in advance.

To make reservations, please dial 0915-692480.