Have your evening well spent at the Ximending Night Market where there are endless things to do, eat, shop and see at your expense. Located in West Taipei, Ximending Night Market is one of the top tourists spots among local and international tourists alike. It offers a huge selection of fashionable clothing and accessories in various styles such as Japanese, Taiwanese and Western. At this market, it is almost impossible not to be sucked into buying something cute, artsy, chick or just stylish. Just like Shibuya in Japan, Ximending is similar in the way it is also designed to attract younger people and younger adult crowd with an array of actvities and entertainment. For the locals, the market is a popular hang out site especially for the younger people and has been marked as the most fashionable and prominent shopping area in Taiwan.
Ximending shopping begins from small vendor stalls, unique shoe and accessory shops to department stores and many more. They also have various CD stores, movie theatres and various karaoke joints that cater to everyone’s budget and preferences. Apart from the typical things you will find in a street market, Ximending night market also has some less than ordinary shops and products. For example, Chen Ba, a shop that offers Do-It-Yourself (DIY) organic soap and lip balm is run by an owner who is patient to explain everything about the process. If you’re tired of fashion trends, and wearing the same things the majority does, there are self designed bag shops, stationery and other knick knacks. It’s a great way to connect to your artistic and creative side or simply have it as a gift to someone back home.
Ximending night market is often crowded with visitors and being the hot spot in Taipei, many international and in house artists and celebrities host concerts and major events in this spectacular place. Apart from that, there is also amateuristic cosplay fashion display by enthusiastic youngters, which is a performance art where people dress up to represent characters from anime. Street performances fill the road and hundreds of people going through the place on weekends makes people watching an enjoyable activitity for those who are less drawn to the shopping aspect. However, if you like to explore the night market without being sandwiched between packs of people, try going on a weekday instead of a weekend to avoid the busy crowd.
A big part of visiting the Ximending night market is filling one’s belly with all the sumptuous street and restaurant food. There are plenty of food beginning from the street markets to the conventional shops. From fried battered chicken, famous rice noodles to mango ice shave, there is so much that it is impossible to try them all even if you wanted to. There are also restaurants and cafes of all sorts which are pet friendly. Locals seem to be pet lovers as every few steps, you see them walking along the streets together with their pets and eating inside the shops with them. It is recommended to also venture into the smaller alleys for more street vendors than staying on the main street counterparts which may be barraged with long queues and is slightly more expensive. Ximending is easily accessed through the MRT, right above Ximen Station on the blue and green lines and is definitely worth a visit for an amazing mix of night culture.
