Built on the banks of the Keelung River more than a century ago, the unassuming Tsehsien Temple (
It began as a wholesale market for fruit and vegetable dealers from Taipei and Sanchung who off-loaded their goods by boat. The riverbank has moved, but the market continues to thrive.
Tsehsien Temple, like many others along the coasts of Taiwan and southern China, was originally erected in honor of Matsu (
PHOTO: DAVID VAN DER VEEN, TAIPEI TIMES
The students come to pray to images of the Wu Wen Chang (五文昌), or "five patron gods of the educated," which were installed beside the image of Matsu. The students pray for good grades before major exams. After results of the recent Joint University Entrance Exams were released last month, students admitted to their desired colleges could be seen lighting giant red candles with their names on them to express their gratitude.
The youthful crowd sets a vibrant tone for the Shihlin night market, which has dozens of stores offering the latest fashions and providing inexpensive everyday goods for pennywise students.
PHOTO: DAVID VAN DER VEEN, TAIPEI TIMES
The market stretches from the Chiantan MRT Station down Chiho Road to Futeh Street and into the surrounding alleys and small streets. The market is the largest in Taiwan with over 500 shops and stalls, displaying a dizzying variety of goods, including record shops, gift shops, comic book stores, brand-name clothing outlets, as well as the obligatory traditional foods and snacks.
PHOTO: DAVID VAN DER VEEN, TAIPEI TIMES
Roaring business compels most shops and food stalls to open as early as 4pm. As night sets in and wave after wave of customers descend upon the market, visitors may find themselves rubbing shoulders with over 10,000 people, especially on weekend nights.
Gourmands can start at the makeshift food court set up opposite the temple under an iron roof, where many of the market's most famous food stalls are located. Many of the stalls have been in operation for several decades and the time-proven quality of their food accounts for the massive crowds that file through the labyrinthine courtyard. The stifling heat from the stoves in the poorly ventilated space may be off-putting in hot weather, but the powerful fragrance of the tepanyaki, stir-fried squid and congee that fills the air, and the joy in ultimately tasting these foods make the struggle more than worthwhile.
PHOTO: DAVID VAN DER VEEN, TAIPEI TIMES
The snack that has become almost synonymous with the Shihlin night market goes by the interesting name ta ping bao hsiao ping (
The snack is said to have originated when two stall owners set up in front of the Tsihsien Temple selling bread. One sold chewy round pastries while the other sold crispy deep-fried bread. One day, while they were having a chat, it occurred to them to experiment by wrapping the one's smaller bread inside the other's bigger bread. The innovation proved immediately popular and led to the "merger" of the two stalls. The present lineup of flavors is the result of three generations of improvement on the fillings.
Past the bread shops along Chiho Road are a line of restaurants selling yao tun pai ku (
The restaurant invented the medicinal dish by selecting 12 seasonal herbs, boiling them in a tall traditional Chinese medicine vessel for more than four hours, and then adding tender pork ribs and allowing the stew to boil for two more hours. The soup is valued as an effective traditional health supplement and is said to spur blood flow and relax joints, which makes it especially popular in winter.
One snack that enjoys year-round popularity is the shaved ice at Hsin Fa Ting Ice Shop (
The ice shop's fame comes from its mix of fruit, red beans, green beans, glutinous rice balls and crispy peanuts on shaved ice topped with the shop's special syrup. Another highlight is the shop's jam- or chocolate syrup-covered snowflake ice made from shaved blocks of milky ice. The white flakes are so thin and soft that they melt the moment they enter your mouth.
On the south side of the Yangming Theater is a street lined with food stalls.
Shanghai sheng chian bao (
Apart from food, the night market has much else to offer. Along Wenlin Road, south of Yangming Theater, is a string of brand-name clothing outlets, where big discounts are offered throughout the year. For something more original, exotic clothing from China or Nepal and handmade trinkets can be found in the stalls in front of these shops.
Along Chiho Road, near the recently renovated City Jungle shopping mall, are several traditional gaming stalls, including marble table, knife-throwing and balloon-shooting. Shoot off five marbles for NT$10 to accumulate points for prizes like candies, drinks and stuffed animals. For those with exceptional aim, loop-throwing is the game to play. Expensive prizes, such as mobile phones, microwave ovens, TVs and stereos are spread out a few meters from players. For NT$100, gamers get a bucket full of bamboo loops and win the prizes by throwing the loops onto poles set atop the items.
Another surprise on Chiho Road are novelty shops selling, among other items, Buddhist statues and Chinese folk toys, like monkey drums, bamboo dragonflies and chi chiao ban (
Early next year, visitors can expect orderly arrays of registered shops along Hsiaopei Street (
For Chen Tu-cheng (
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