Xinzhuang Temple Street Night Market

The quick read

Why go

Xinzhuang Temple Street is a different proposition from every other market on this site. The street itself is over 300 years old, lined with historic temples and traditional shops, and the evening stalls are the newest layer on a very old cake. You come here as much for the walk as the food.

Arrive in the late afternoon, wander the temples and alleys while there is still light, then eat as the stalls come alive: spring rolls, red yeast rice meatballs, old-style cakes, shaved ice. Its review score trails the pure food markets. We keep it in the five anyway, because nothing else in New Taipei offers this.

What to eat

• Traditional spring rolls
• Mongolian barbecue
• Pickled cucumber pork rice
• Red yeast rice meatballs
• Oyster omelette
• Traditional cakes
• Shaved ice

Stalls to research before you go

These are leads, not guaranteed recommendations. Confirm the stall still operates and check its current hours.

• Traditional spring-roll vendors
• Red yeast rice meatball shops
• Pickled cucumber pork-rice vendors
• Old-street cake and shaved-ice shops

Getting there

Address area: Xinzhuang Road, Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City

Strengths

• More than 300 years of old-street history
• Concentration of historic temples and traditional alleys
• A genuinely different experience from purely food-driven markets
• Easy MRT access
• Good choice for combining an afternoon heritage walk with dinner

Know before you go

• Lower Google rating than the other four selected markets
• Quieter and less visually dramatic than Lehua, Nanya, or Sanhe
• Street traffic is a concern during daytime and transition hours
• The area is marketed under several different English names