Hualien Night Market
A Taste of Taiwan's East Coast
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Dongdamen Hualien Night Market
Get ready for the clinking of games and the steam and sizzle of food vendors as you stroll through the corridors of the lively Dongdamen Night Market and immerse yourself in local Hualien “nightlife”
Opened in 2015, the Hualien Night Market is the largest (and certainly most entertaining) market on the East Coast of Taiwan. Also known as the Dongdamen Night Market, the sprawling wide-laned marketplace is a must visit experience when spending an evening in Hualien.
With over 400 vendors at the night market, the amount of food on offer is incredible. And it isn’t just Taiwanese food either, you can find items from mainland China, America, Thailand, Japan and numerous other regions as well. Due to the enormous amount of food on offer and the variety you can sample, it is an easy place to get a unique, inexpensive dinner.
Along with food, you will find entertainers including singers, guitarists, drummers, dancers and more. Visitors can eat and drink while enjoying the musicians croon hit cover songs, traditional aboriginal songs and the occasional original ballad. There are also several sections of the night market featuring carnival style games such as dart throwing, ring toss or crossbow shooting. You may even be lucky enough to win a prize while there!
Where is the Hualien Night Market
Hualien Night Market is situated on the eastern edge of the city near the ocean. At the corner of Zhongshan Road and Beibin Street, the market has taken over the old grounds that were once home to the Hualien train station. The smaller night markets that once dotted the city have now come together which has led to Hualien Night Market being the largest in the area. If you walk down Zhongshan road towards the ocean in the evening, you can’t possibly miss it!
*Map Not To Scale – From the train station it is a 30-35 minute walk to the Dongdamen Hualien Night Market by the coast. We suggest a taxi for around $100 TWD.
Experiencing the Night Market
The Hualien Night Market is made up of three wide walking lanes that feature most of the food stalls and shops.
A stroll down Taiwan Market Lane will bring you to the sights and smells of local and regional Taiwanese food. Sample Taiwanese “double layer sausage”, green onion pancakes, clams in garlic and a host of other local dishes.
Running North to South, Aboriginal Street provides a large, unique variety of traditional aboriginal food offerings allowing you to sample authentic foods created fresh each day. The street is perfect for visitors seeking something different. Items such as fried wild boar, mountain vegetables, bamboo rice, magao pepper cocktails and more can be found at the food stalls down Aboriginal Street. Aboriginal singers and dancers can also be found here some nights.
The third street is filled with authentic Chinese food stalls that offer items from mainland China and more. The Chinese food street is easy to spot as it is decorated with red Chinese lanterns! Noodles, dumplings and more can be sampled here.
Some of the popular items to try at the market include coffin bread, BBQ skewers, tofu fries, and a staple of many stalls, fresh seafood. The variety of food is immense with some other favorites being grilled corn, sugar coated tomatoes, and ice cream in summer.
Challenge yourself to taste pigs blood cake (a street food served on a stick made from sticky rice soaked in pigs blood then fried or steamed and typically coated in peanut flour and cilantro), stinky tofu, horned snails or the infamous hundred year egg!
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When to Visit the Hualien Night Market
Open from 6pm to Midnight every day, the best time to visit the Hualien Night Market is from 6pm-8pm when all of the stalls are open and aren’t yet sold out.
On the weekends, locals and tourists from all over Taiwan descend on the night market. Making it crowded but exciting. The top food stalls can have long queues and it may take some time to be served by the vendors, but if you like crowds and entertainment, this is the time to come!
However if you are looking for a more relaxed experience, weekdays are also a fun time to visit.
Crowds can be dictated by the weather too as cool temperatures or rain can limit the number of people who visit the market. Tourists may use this to their advantage however and explore the Hualien Night Market with significantly shorter lines.
A Must Visit
A trip to the Hualien Night Market is a great way to end a day of sightseeing around Hualien. It is a sight in itself and a true glimpse into the food and culture of Taiwan. Hualien Night Market isn’t just a place to sample great eastern Asian foods, it is a must visit experience that shouldn’t be missed.
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Based in Hualien, Taiwan (adjacent to Taroko Gorge National Park), Island Life Taiwan designs all of our unique daily itineraries to help you discover the rich natural beauty and culture of Taiwan, in the most enjoyable, and most immersive way possible. We’re dedicated to showing you the most amazing locations in eastern Taiwan, while having the most fun and avoiding the crowds. More than just a tour operator and adventure outfitter, our team truly loves showing this awe-inspiring part of the world to our guests, and when you love what you do, it shows.
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