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In my quest to visit every major night market in Taiwan (read my guides to the best night markets in Taipei, night markets in Tainan, night markets in Taichung, and Keelung Night Market) I’ve found that each city’s night market style is different.
In Taipei, night markets tend to take place on regular streets closed off to traffic at night, while in Tainan they are usually held in large vacant parking lots on certain days of the week. When it comes to night markets in Kaohsiung, you can find both styles, as well as several night markets along busy main roads where streams of locals pull up directly to the stalls by scooter and take their food away.
Kaohsiung’s night markets offer the chance to sample some of the best Taiwanese foods in the city. As of 2022, Michelin even has a Kaohsiung guide, with 39 restaurants and food vendors receiving a star or Bib Gourmand listing. In this article, I’ve mentioned the ones that are in or near night markets.
Liuhe Night Market is one of the most popular places to visit in Kaohsiung among tourists. But when I last visited, it appears to have taken a real hit with the lack of tourists traveling to Taiwan in recent years. Meanwhile, other night markets that are preferred by locals seem to be as busy as ever. Kaisyuan Night Market, on the other hand, once the largest night market in Taiwan, is in its final throes of death.
In this article, I’m going to describe each of the 9 major night markets in Kaohsiung’s city center, including the location, what’s distinctive about it, and some famous food stalls or ones I liked. At the end, I’ll mention a handful of other Kaohsiung night markets outside of the city center.
Unless otherwise noted, Kaohsiung’s night markets are open from around 5:30 p.m. to midnight. For more general info about the city, see my Kaohsiung travel guide.
Table of Contents
Kaohsiung Night Markets in the City Center
The following night markets are located in the Kaohsiung city center and are MRT or LRT accessible. If night markets are a priority for you, find out which hotels to stay in Kaohshiung in order to have the best access to the below night markets.
Liuhe Night Market
Liuhe Night Market (六合夜市) has origins going back to the 1950s, when it was called Dagangpu Night Market. As I mentioned above, it is the one that most tourists visit when in Kaohsiung. It is known for having lots of seafood as well as Halal foods.
Many locals look down on it as touristy and overpriced, but local opinion seems to be changing as the market adapts to the lack of tourists during COVID in Taiwan. Still, when I last visited, there were fewer food stalls than pre-COVID times, and while it wasn’t totally dead, there were hardly any visitors and definitely no lines.
In part, tourists flock to Liuhe because of its convenient location. It is just a short walk west of Formosa Boulevard KMRT station, where the famous Dome of Light glass art installation is found.
Exit 11 leads right to the eastern end of the night market, which occupies about four blocks of Liuhe 2nd road, with around 100 stalls in total. You can also get there from exit 1 on the big traffic circle, which features four beautiful glass MRT exit structures.
Similar to Taipei’s night markets, this is a regular road that is totally closed to traffic at night, another reason that tourists enjoy it. The market stalls are quite spaced out, too, so even in busier times, it never feels ridiculously crowded, nor do you have to worry about getting hit by a scooter.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- Zheng’s Old Brand Papaya Milk (鄭老牌木瓜牛奶): One of the most famous food stalls in Liuhe Night Market is this papaya milk stall dating to 1965. One cup of the good stuff costs NT60 (sweetened or unsweetened). If coming from exit 11, it’s one of the first stalls on the left, before the night market’s traffic barricade.
- Draft beer at 7-Eleven: Walking in from exit 11, not the first 7 (on the right), but the second one (on the left) serves beer on tap at a very reasonable NT119 for a pint. They had Buckskin and Sapporo when I visited.
- Bird Egg Shrimp Balls (鳥蛋蝦球): Fried quail eggs with a whole shrimp in each one.
- Xiong Dongshan Duck Head (雄東山鴨頭): A famous luwei stall, evidenced by their board of magazine covers and celebrity visit photos, at the far end of the night market on the left.
For vegetarians and vegans, see my recommended vegetarian food stalls at Liuhe, Ruifeng, and other night markets across Taiwan.
For other food streets in Taiwan, see my guides to Shenkeng stinky tofu village, Yongkang Street in Taipei, Lukang Old Street, Nanzhuang Old Street, Anping Old Street, Ximending street foods, Dihua Street, and Burma Street in New Taipei.
Nanhua Night Market
Nanhua Tourist Night Market (南華觀光商圈) is a short walk from Liuhe, on the southeastern side of the Formosa Boulevard traffic circle. It is also sometimes called Xinxing Night Market (新興市仔) and Ladies’ Street (女人街) for its many clothing shops.
Nanhua Market is quite different than the others in this list because it is a covered, daytime market mainly selling clothing and everyday items, but it does have a few noteworthy food stalls.
From the traffic circle (exit 3 or 5 are best), walk south down Nanhua Road, which is parallel to Zhongshan Road. The covered market goes south for several blocks. Most of the food stalls are located at the far southern end of the market, at the intersection of Nanhua Road and Fuheng 1st road as well as Datong 1st road.
Unlike typical night markets, the couple dozen stalls in this market here are mainly open starting from 9 to 11 am, and closing by 9 PM or earlier. Although the market name has “tourist” in it, the market is primarily frequented by locals.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- Chilled Aiyu (清涼愛玉冰, #58 in the covered market area) or Pure Aiyu (純正愛玉冰, #326 at Fuheng 1st road): Two popular iced aiyu stalls, serving this tart jelly dessert that is especially refreshing in summer in Taiwan.
- Shanxi Handmade Knife-Cut Noodles (山西手工刀削麵): Delicious chunks of knife-cut noodles fried or served in various soups, at Fuheng 1st road.
- Grandma & Grandpa’s QQ Balls (阿公阿婆QQ蛋) deep fried sweet potato balls (small bag NT 30, big bag NT 50) or fried sesame balls (2 for 30). They are best eaten right away while still warm.
- Shufu Zhanggui (蜀府掌櫃): A Sichuan and classic Chinese dish restaurant one block west of Nanhua Night Market on Zhongshan road that has Michelin Bib Gourmand status
Ruifeng Night Market
Ruifeng Night Market (瑞豐夜市, also spelled Rueifong Night Market) is Kaohsiung’s most famous night market among local youths. It is located in Zuoying district, north of the Kaohsiung city center, where the Kaohsiung (Zuoying) High Speed Rail station is. Note that the night market is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Ruifeng is comparable to Shilin Night Market in Taipei or Fengjia Night Market in Taichung in that it is the place where creative new snacks are introduced, but traditional classics still feature prominently. I also saw a lot of international food, with several stalls serving paella, German pig knuckles, laksa, shawarma, and so on.
The market is scooter-free and semi-covered, occupying a permanent space. Parking and access is along Yucheng Road at the southern end.
The night market is rectangular in shape, with about 10 north-to-south lanes and three east-to-west lanes. There are more lanes at the back, but I found them mostly unoccupied, making me wonder if the market is currently experiencing some decline due to lack of tourists (though nowhere near as bad as Kaisyuan – see the last entry below).
Still, if I had to guess, I would say that Ruifeng is the largest “classic” night market in Taiwan, that is, one made up entirely of food stalls in an enclosed area, rather than strings of restaurants along a main road (see those below). It’s stall count is said to be in the hundreds.
Although it is located in the same district as Zuoying HSR station (see my Taiwan High Speed Rail guide) and famous Lotus Lake, it is not close to either. The best way to get there is by walking (5 minutes) west from exit 1 of Kaohsiung Arena Station on the red MRT line.
When I spent the night in Zuoying at A Touch of Zen (see on Booking / Agoda), I got to Ruifeng Night Market by bike, stopping at Lotus Lake along the way.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- Angel Jipai (天使雞排-瑞豐店): A super popular jipai (deep fried chicken fillet) stall fronting Yucheng road roughly equidistant from the eastern and western ends of the market.
- Wen’s Fresh Milk Mochi (文鮮奶麻糬): This was some of the best mochi I’ve ever tasted. The balls were so soft, they were almost liquid. You can find it just in from Yucheng road, on the third lane in from the eastern end of the market.
- Xinchuang Mandarin Duck Milk Tea (鑫川鴛鴦奶茶): Super creamy milk tea – each cup is made with a newly opened fresh bottle of milk. They also do the same with coffee. It’s at the southeastern corner of the night market.
- Master Shao’s Shanghai Soup Buns and Oyster Omelets (邵師傅上海湯包) Soup buns and excellent oyster omelets – I found them larger and crisper than usual, with a choice of oyster, shrimp, squid, or all three, plus the option to add fresh ginger slices, vinegar, and spicy sauce yourself. You can find it at the back end of the second row from the eastern end of the market.
Yanchengpu/ Pier-2 Night Market
Yanchengpu Night Market (鹽埕埔夜市), also known as Pier-2 Night Market (原駁二夜市) is, as the name suggests, located in Yancheng district, near the famous Pier 2 Art Center and Cijin island. This small night market takes place on Saturday nights only.
Despite its location near some of the most popular tourist sights in Kaohsiung, this is a very local night market. The market sets up on Jianguo 4th road, stating at the Green Galley of Yancheng District (鹽埕綠廊) and running a few blocks towards the harbor front.
You don’t really need to go out of your way or plan your trip around this night market, but if you happen to be around Pier-2 on a Saturday night, it’s worth making the 5 to 10-minute walk over. There are around 50 stalls in total.
Yanchengpu is my favorite area to stay in Kaohsiung. It is close to Pier-2 and several other major Kaohsiung sights, as well as the ferry to Qijin Island. I highly recommend the hostel KLA B&B (塩晶棧) (see on Booking / TripAdvisor / Agoda)
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
There are no particularly “famous” stalls at this pop-up night market. Expect typical Taiwanese classics like giant fried squid, takoyaki, douhua, peanut brittle ice cream wraps, and iced teas.
The QQ ball stand (超級QQ蛋-駁二夜市) at the northern end of the night market seems to be one of the most popular stalls.
Lingya/Ziqiang Night Market
Lingya Night Market (苓雅市場, sometimes incorrectly spelled Linya Night Market), also called Ziqiang Night Market (自強夜市 or Zihciang Night Market), is one of the busiest night markets among locals in the Kaohsiung City Center.
The night market is located in Lingya district, at the intersections of Lingya 2nd and Ziqiang 3rd roads. Most of the stalls are located west of the intersection on Lingya 2nd, and south of the intersection on Ziqiang 3rd.
Lingya Night Market, as well as the following three night markets below, are what I consider a “Kaohsiung-style” night market. Rather than a closed off pedestrian street like in Taipei, or an enclosed parking lot full of stalls like in Tainan, Lingya is just an area of streets that have a lot restaurants and food stalls along them.
Most people drive up on scooters to their desired spot, order and wait, then drive off with their food. This is yet another reason why most visitors prefer night markets like Liuhe and Ruifeng. Because of this, I found Lingya Night Market to be less pedestrian-friendly, not to mention that it isn’t super close to any MRT station.
The night market is a 10-minute walk east of Glory Pier station on the LRT, or 12-minute walk northwest from Sanduo Shopping Center station on the red line of the MRT.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- Old Fashioned Baitangguo (老牌白糖粿): This is probably the single most well-known food stall in Lingya Night Market. The stall’s main specialty is baitangguo (“white sugar rice cakes”), which are deep fried then coated in a mixture of sugar, peanut powder, and sesame seeds. They are warm and gooey on the inside, and only NT15 for a large piece. The stall also sells sweet potato cakes and white radish cakes prepared in a similar way. It’s right at the corner of Lingya 2nd and Ziqiang 3rd, in front of the FamilyMart.
- Huang Family’s Luwei (黃家滷味): A popular luwei (braised foods) stall right across from the baitangguo place.
- A-wen Sushi (阿文壽司): Food stall further west on Lingya 2nd road doing sushi, udon noodles, and other Japanese fare.
- Vegetable Dumpling Shop (菜粽李粽店): A vegetarian traditional zongzi (rice dumpling) shop just around the corner from the western entrance to the night market, and of Michelin Bib Gourmand status.
Jhongsiao Night Market
Jhongsiao Night Market (忠孝夜市, or Zhongxiao Night Market), not to be confused with the night market of the same name in Taichung, is also located in Lingya district.
This one is similar to Lingya Night Market in that it’s a regular road lined with restaurants/food stalls, and most people drive up. But Jhongsiao is smaller and less busy (both in terms of traffic and crowds) than Lingya, and even less touristy – you’re unlike to see any foreign faces here.
Being almost exclusively frequented by locals, the 60 or so restaurants and food stalls specialize mainly in classic and traditional Taiwanese fare. It is one of the best places in Kaohsiung to sample Tainan specialties like eel noodles (鱔魚意麵). You can also get some quick bites like NT 10 sticks of BBQ.
The night market runs along Zhonxiao 2nd road, between Qingnian 1st road and Siwei 3rd road. It’s a 15-minute walk from Central Park station or from Sanduo Shopping District station on the red MRT Line.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- Gezailai Eel Noodles (閣再來繕魚意麵): This is the night market’s most popular eel noodles shop. The dish is sweet, savoury, garlicy, and vinegary all at once, and really hits the spot. Their salmon fried rice is also excellent.
- Zhongxiao Vegetarian (忠孝素食): Specializing in traditional vegetarian dishes like noodles with curry, danggui (當歸, a traditional Chinese herb), vegetarian ribs, or sesame sauce.
- Star Fruit Juice (楊桃湯): I quite enjoyed the star fruit juice at this juice stall. In Chinese it’s called 湯 or “soup” because it is prepared with herbal ingredients. It’s sweet, sour, and a hint salty all at the same time. It’s at the southern end of the night market – watch for the mounds of starfruits and huge jugs of the juice on the stall.
Guanghua Night Market
Like the previous two entries, Guanghua Night Market (光華夜市) is a mainly drive-up night market running along a road, Guanghua 2nd road, right on the border between Lingya and Qianzhen districts. It first started over 60 years ago as food stalls popped up around Guanghua Theater.
One cool feature of Guanghua Night Market is that there’s a temple at either end: Kaohsiung Linshui Temple (高雄市臨水宮) at the southern end and Daitianfu Temple (代天府廟) at the northern end.
If you like visiting temples, see my guides to the best temples in Taipei and temples in Tainan.
Guanghua Road is a very large thoroughfare, so you won’t be able to walk right on the road itself like at other similar night markets.
As a pedestrian, you’re limited to the sidewalk running in front of the food stalls, which tends to be clogged with parked scooters as people crowd around waiting for their foods. It can be frustrating as a pedestrian, but the crowds, traffic, and lights can make for cool pictures.
In terms of sheer size, Guanghua is probably the largest of this type of night market in Kaohsiung, with well over 100 stalls and restaurants lining either side of the road. Because many are regular restaurants, they are also open for lunch, but dinnertime is definitely busiest.
Unlike Liuhe and Ruifeng, but like Lingya, Guanghua Night Market is as busy as ever, because it’s mainly locals who eat there. Although it’s not the most pedestrian friendly, if I lived in Kaohsiung, I’d slowly work my way through this night market, trying out each restaurant, one meal/day at a time!
The night market is a 10-minute walk west of Wucyuan Elementary School Station on the LRT or 15 minute-walk east of Sanduo Shopping District.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
Guanghua Night Market is known for its traditional dishes and flavors of Southern Taiwan. Most places offer take-away meals such as soups, stews, congee, and noodles, rather than bit-sized snacks or desserts.
- Brother Hui’s Eel and Calamari Noodles (輝哥鱔魚花枝麵): specializing in the Tainan specialty eel noodles, with the addition of squid. Found at #438.
- Qianzhen Duck Head (前鎮鴨頭): a famous, 40+ year old luwei stall at #343 at the southern end of the night market.
- Luo Fatty Shandong Handmade Dumplings (羅胖子山東手工水餃): a popular dumpling spot at #337.
Singjhong Night Market
Singjhong Night Market (興中夜市, or Xingzhong Night Market) is a very small night market located in Sanduo Shopping District, by the MRT station of the same name.
The night market consists of a single street with a couple dozen food stalls surrounded by large shopping malls. This gives shoppers and mall employees the chance to step outside and enjoy some cheap and delicious street food. If you are just visiting Kaohsiung for a short time, though, you don’t need to go out of your way for this one.
The night market is on Wenheng 2nd road (thus it is also sometimes called Wenheng Night Market), starting from the northeast corner of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Kaohsiung Sanduo Store. Some of the stalls are open for breakfast and lunch, but there are more in the evening.
Mainly you can find typical Taiwanese classics here, like green onion cakes, aiyu, and sweet potato balls, as well as Tainan specialties like eel noodles.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- Yansu Ji (鹽酥雞, or deep fried chicken and other foods): This is the most popular type of food in this night market, with at least four stalls devoted to it.
- Lazy Person’s Chicken Fillet (懶人披薩雞排): A jipai (deep fried chicken fillet) shop whose specialty is pizza chicken fillet.
Kaisyuan Night Market
Kaisyuan Night Market (凱旋觀光夜市 or Kaixuan Night Market) used to be billed as Taiwan’s largest night market, but it is all but dead now.
In its prime, Kaisyaun Night Market, in combination with the adjacent Jin Zuan Night Market (金鑽假日市集) and Yide Night Market (一德勞工夜市) supposedly had some 1000 stalls. The latter two night markets are now totally closed, and only a few dozen food stalls remain open at Kaisyuan.
If you want to make the journey out to Kaisyuan, perhaps to marvel at the night market “ruins”, you’ll have to ride the MRT to Kaisyuan, then transfer onto the LRT and ride it one stop further (or walk 10 minutes) to Kaisyuan Rueitian station.
Kaisyuan is currently only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I wouldn’t be surprised it is closes entirely in the next year or two.
Famous Food Stalls/What to Eat
- A-Sheng Seafood (阿昇活海鮮) This quick fry restaurant right at the front of night market seemed to be one of only two places that had customers when I visited. Most of them were elderly men who probably live in the area.
- Pork King Rib Noodles (豚皇肋排麵) This pork rib noodles was the other restaurant that actually seemed open and serving several customers when I visited. It was right next to A-Sheng.
Besides those two restaurants, there were a couple dozen other food stalls surviving in the night market’s mostly empty aisles. I didn’t see any other customers walking around besides myself. To be honest, it was a little sad!
Night Markets in Greater Kaohsiung
Here are a half dozen other night markets is Greater Kaohsiung, outside of the Kaohsiung city center area.
- Zhonghua Street Night Market (中華街觀光夜市) and Haiyang Night Market (海洋夜市) in Fengshan District
- Houjing Night Market (後勁夜市) in Nanzih District
- Gangshan Night Market (岡山夜市) in Gangshan District
- Luzhu Night Market (路竹夜市) in Luzhu District
- Qishan Night Market (旗山夜市) in Qishan District
Thank you for reading, and I hope you’ve found all the info you need to get out and explore Kaohsiung’s night markets. Let me know in the comments below if I’ve missed anything. If you have any questions, please join my Taiwan Travel Planning group on Facebook!
We’ll be following this guide. Thank you so much, Nick! <3