day 86_shilin night market

Night market visit!

Saturday night on my mission to find more fabulous Christmas gifts, I decided to hit up a night market for some fun finds at reasonable prices. The night market is to Taipei as... hmmm.... Coca~cola is to America. It is pretty classic, and if you haven't visited a night market during your time in Taipei - you haven't experienced the heart of the city. During the summers especially, these evening markets give everyone a chance to beat the heat once the sun goes down and still get out of the house for some fun.Even still, the night markets are busy year round - especially on a Saturday night. [If you ever come to Taipei, be sure we visit a market while you're here!]

I figured if I was going to venture out, might as well go all the way - so I picked the biggest and most famous night market in Taipei for my outing: Shilin Night Market. Shilin Night Market is gigantic with hundreds of street vendors and street food vendors lined up along the outside of the permanent stores on a cluster of city blocks. The stores vary from typical "GAP" type equivalents who open stay open late for the evening crowds, to tiny stalls one person can barely even enter offering hundreds of goods packed into their tiny spaces. As usual, the photos don't quite do the market justice, but here are a few of my pics...

One of the many streets in the market - it was packed!

Plenty of games to play, Prizes to win

Snack foods on a stick.
Taiwanese are not fans of finger foods... but you can buy just about anything on a stick! 

Candy-coated fruit snacks on a stick.

Jellies and juices.

Unlimited shopping.
The Shilin Market specializes in clothing, accessories and food.

The cattle-like crowds are pretty hard core, but if you are willing to put up with the herd, the markets are fun fun fun. I made out with a pretty serious stash on a modest budget, and if I get the chance I might even visit the market just once more before I hit the States!