Ningxia Night Market 寧夏夜市

7/8/2024

Ningxia Night Market is one of the most popular night markets in Taipei. The night market takes up two city blocks and includes food stalls as well as sit-down areas and restaurants. Popular delicacies here include Oyster Omelet, fried chicken, fried squid, and much more. The night market is also very close to the Dadaocheng historical area and is often considered to be a part of it. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Taipei.

Planning your trip to Taipei?

Here are some top travel tips for you:

Best time to visit: March-May, and October - November when the temperatures are nice and there is not as much rain
How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
Best places to stay: Yuanshan Grand Hotel or Fu Chang Hotel
Book tours and activities in Taipei on Klook
Stay connected with a local SIM
Rent a car to explore distant sights

Historical Background:
Ningxia Night Market began as a few food stalls on on the Jiancheng Roundabout (建成圓環) on Chongqing North Road, not long after the Danshui Railway Line was built in 1908. It was the most popular night market in Taipei during the Japanese Era. After the ROC took control of Taiwan, it continued to be a popular night market known for great food and cheap prices. After Chongqing North Road was widened in 1973, most of the stalls moved north to either side of Ningxia Road.
Ningxia Road was refurbished in 2006 making it more sanitary and environmentally friendly. In 2015, it was named the best night market for shopping, the friendliest night market, the most charismatic night market, the most environmentally conscious night market, and the best-tasting night market in Taipei.

As for the roundabout, the local government saw it as a run-down area with lots of illegal stalls. There were also two large fires there in 1993 and 1998.
In 2002, then Taipei Mayor Ma Yingjeou tore down the old roundabout and built a glass restaurant area in its place. However, restaurant owners found that the new building was poorly designed and bad for business, and the popular restaurants moved out. Later on, in 2008 the area was rebuilt again, but there was a scandal involving how the area was rented, and so the area shut down in 2011. In 2016, the roundabout was made into a park.

Hours:
Open from 5 PM until 1 AM, every night.

Tours:
You can book a food tour of Ningxia Night Market on Klook here or TripAdvisor here.

Hotels in Taipei:
We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here).
We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here).
Budget Hotels: We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:
By MRT: Take the Red Line to Shuanglian Station and then take exit 1 or 2 west out of the station. The night market is about two blocks down the road. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Scooter: Take Chongqing North Road in central Taipei until you reach Ningxia Road. You can park on the side of the road near Ningxia Road. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Car: Take Chongqing North Road in central Taipei until you reach Ningxia Road. You can park on the side of the road near Ningxia Road. There are some paid parking garages around the night market. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.

Map:
See below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Ningxia Night Market twice. It is a little far from where I live in East Taipei, so I don't visit very often. But it is clear that it is one of the busiest and most vibrant night markets in Taipei City, and attracts many foreign tourists.

You can book a food tour of Ningxia Night Market on Klook here or TripAdvisor here.

View from the north side of the night market.

When we went, the "Xia 夏" character in the night market name was broken.

Basic map of the night market and nearby attractions.

View of the night market from an alley to the East.

People lining up for some Guabao.

Fired chicken for sale.

Sashimi and soymilk chicken.

Balloon game.

Fried chicken.

View from the front of the night market.

We decided to walk around the side of the market instead.

On either side of the middle of the night market are sit down areas to eat.

Another view of the side of the night market.

More seating areas.

Oyster Omelet, one of the delicacies here.

Hakka Chicken.

Turkey Rice.

Circle Oyster A, one of the oldest and most well established restaurants in the night market, dating back to the Jiancheng Roundabout.

You can book a meal here on Klook here.

There is also an elementary school here. I can't imagine what a nightmare it is for parents.

Near the elementary school it can get really packed.

View of the central night market area.

Ice restaurant.

View of the middle of the night market.

View looking south near a bunch of gaming stalls.

Guava juice stall.

Fried seafood stall.

Another view of the middle of the night market.

Finishing one full round of the night market.

Last view from the front of the night market.

You can see more photos of the area above.

For some better photos of Ningxia Night Market, check out this blog by Josh Ellis.

You can book a food tour of Ningxia Night Market on Klook here or TripAdvisor here.

Dihua Street and Dadaocheng 迪化街及大稻

Dihua Street is Taipei City's biggest and oldest Old Street. Here you can find a large area with historical buildings and unique old-style shops. Also, there are many art spaces, museums, and restaurants to explore in the area. You should definitely make a stop in this historically rich area on your trip to Taipei...(read more)

You can also book a Private Walking Tour or Changing Cheongsam Tour at Dadaocheng on TripAdvisor here.

Check out our full blog on Daodaocheng here.

You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here or KKday here.

Check out our Taipei Night Market guide here.

Also be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here.

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.

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