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Top 10 Amazing Facts about Shilin Night Market

The Shilin night market is the largest  night market in Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan. It comprises two main sections sharing a symbiotic relationship. One section formerly housed in the old Shilin Market building contains mostly food vendors and small restaurants and the surrounding businesses and shops selling other non-food items. 

 Shilin Night Market is a maze of sprawling alleyways packed with all manner of food and merchandise vendors. It offers endless opportunities to eat, shop, or even just walk around and enjoy the crowded atmosphere. There are always many tourists at  Shilin Night Market, but you’ll also see plenty of locals doing their weekly shopping. 

It has a food court of 539 stalls and a parking lot for 400 cars on the second floor.vendors begin opening around 16:00hrs and close at 01:00hrs or 02:00hrs.

Here are the top 10 amazing facts about Shilin Night Market

1. Visit the Shilin Cixian Temple

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 Shilin Cixian Temple is also known as Shilin Mazu Temple and is dedicated to the Goddess Mazu. It was originally known as Tianhou Temple. The Temple was built In 1796 with funding from a local merchant named He Chin-tang at the site of the Present-day Shilin Tourist Night Market. 

The temple is a major tourist attraction at the Shilin Night Market. It consists of two halls, two galleries, and two wings that together form five courtyards. The two halls are linked by a gallery in a style typical of southern Fujian temple architecture.

The exquisite paintings of the Palace Maiden and the door gods Wei Chi-kung and Chin Shu-pao are among the other artistic attractions at the temple

2. Interact with Tourists from Different Countries

Shilin night market is not only the most popular Taipei night market for the locals, but it is also Taipei’s attraction for visitors from overseas during their visit to Taipei. It is famed for its wide range of genuine Taiwan eateries and fashionable clothes.

Most of the shops are indoors and other shops and stalls are lined along the streets. Tourists are attracted to the Shilin night market for its good food and good Nightlife. There’s a wide variety of clubs and karaoke bars.

3. Neighbour to Several Schools and Universities

Shilin Night Market is characterized by a large number of nearby schools including several colleges and universities. It is therefore based mainly on students and the prices are affordable.

Students are a big influence on the market and hence the opening hours. Local Businesses and vendors start setting up their booths ready for selling at the time when students begin returning home from School.

Students also set up booths in the market to earn some money for their tuition fees. Student booths are therefore a special place in Shilin Night Market.

4. Taste Stinky Tofu Snack

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 Apart from being known for its different kinds of food and snacks, the Shilin market is famous for its Stinky tofu. Stinky tofu is a Chinese form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor.

It is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands as a snack and some lunch bars sell it as an aside dish. Traditionally the dish is fermented in a saltwater solution with vegetables and Meat for months. 

The Shilin Market stinky tofu is cooked in a giant piece, then wrapped like a hotdog bun, and served with two skewers on each side for handling. Inside the stinky tofu, the piece is a pickled cabbage and an assortment of sauces.

5. Enjoy the Best Night-life at the Salon Cocktails

Being a huge tourist attraction, Shilin Night Market has the best nightlife. In addition to the food court, side streets and alleys are lined with storefronts and roadside stands. Cinemas, video arcades, and karaoke bars.

 One of the most popular clubs in the market is Salon Cocktail. It is located across the street from the main night market and a must-visit. Amazing cocktails and a great bartender.

This is a great place to meet for a drink or two to start a night; it’s all that you can ask for in a pub, it has an outdoor patio, TVs, and games.

6. Visit the National Palace Museum

photo by Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. from

 Uniquely located in Taipei‘s northern  Shilin District,  Shilin Night Market lies between the crowded city and the green countryside. There are a lot of things to see and do nearby before heading to the market when it starts to open.

Home to museums, parks, and entertainment facilities,  Shilin District is a great place to do some sightseeing and experience the culture of Taipei.  One a must visit is the National Palace Museum. The museum is in Taipei, Taiwan.

It was Established in 1925 in Beijing, it has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks, many of which were moved from the Palace Museum as well as five other institutions throughout mainland China during the ROC retreat, making it one of the largest of its type in the world.

7. Pepper Pork Bun at the Shilin Night Market

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One cannot leave Shilin Night Market without tasting the Pepper pork Buns. Located on the main road on the outskirts of the Market, the barrel tandoor ovens are an attraction and one would want to know what they are cooking.

The pork pepper bun is a round of dough filled with marinated pork and green onions, wrapped into a bun, and cooked in the barrel oven.

The buns are served hot and fresh, and they are very delicious. Along with a pork-filled bun, one can also have a sweet bean-filled bun, it is also prepared in the same method.

8. Shilin Night Market Aiyu Jelly Juice

 Another drink that you have to try at the market, lemon aiyu jelly juice is refreshingly cold with just the right amount of sweetness. Aiyu jelly is made out of the seeds of a type of fig and served with lemon juice and honey to enhance the flavours.

When combined with water and rubbed, the seeds from the fig will produce a yellowish gel. This gel will then be set after being placed in a refrigerator.

Aiyu jelly is very nutritious; it is rich in pectin, promoting good digestion and better absorption of plant foods. The Taiwanese dessert also contains vitamins and dietary fiber which can help decrease blood cholesterol levels and regulate metabolism. 

9. Shilin Night Market is the Biggest in Taipei

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 Shilin Night Market is the biggest night market in Taipei. The food court has more than 500 stalls and parking for more than 400 cars which are on the second floor It comprises two well-defined sections sharing a mutual connection.

One section is in the old Shilin Market building, containing food vendors and small restaurants and the other section are businesses and shops selling non-food products. It is described as a maze of sprawling alleyways packed with all manner of food and merchandise vendors.

 It offers endless opportunities to eat, shop, or even just walk around and enjoy the crowded atmosphere. There are always many tourists at  Shilin Night Market , but you’ll also see plenty of locals doing their weekly shopping. 

10. How to get to Shilin Night Market

The official address of  Shilin Night Market is No. 101, Jihe Road, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111. It occupies almost an entire neighborhood and its boundaries are marked by Dadong Road, Danan Road, Wenlin Road, and Jihua Road.

Shilin Night Market can be easily reached via the Taipei Metro System, which has greatly increased tourist traffic to the market over the last several years. It is just a short walk from Exit 1 of  Jiantan Station , which is on the Tamsui-Xinyi Line.

Most vendors at Shilin Night Market begin opening their stalls between 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Activity tends to wind down around midnight and by 1 a.m. The busiest time at Shilin Night Market