It’s been a busy day at Taichung with so much activities packed in like the Chungshe Flower Market and Houfeng Bikeway. But the night is young and the city has one of the most lively night life in Taiwan. What better way to spend the evening? It’s strolling (or shopping) through Taiwan’s biggest and oldest night market, Fengjia Night Market in Taichung. Taiwanese loves their night markets for their great bargains and variety tasty and cheap street food. A trip to Taiwan is never complete without a visit to a night market.
Mother of Night Markets
The Fengjia Night Market, also called Feng Chia Night Market due to its close proximity to Fang Chia University in Xitun District, was first established in 1963. With shops setting up originally at Wen-Hua Road (also called Wenhua Night Market Before), its popularity rose and expanded to nearby streets of Fengjia, Fuxing road, Xi-an road and other small alleys and intersection.
Found in Central Taiwan, Fengjia Night Market became a favorite stop for tourist as well, transiting either to north or south of Taiwan. In 2015, the Fengjia Night Market was commended by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) for its excellent management, tourist-friendly environment and sustainable practices. Earning a four-star praise.
Street Food Galore
It was a bad idea to have a “light snack/dinner” that afternoon. Fengjia Night Market have so may tasty looking food but I was still so full I wasn’t able to try some of them aside from a Bubble Milk Tea. But if ever going here again take note of these Taiwanese specials at Fengjia Night Market:
- Dachang bao xi ochang: A special sausage-on-sausage bun
- Minglum Egg pancake roll: a flattened dough with egg, spring onions and choice of sauce
- Aniki Potato: Japanese mashed potatoes shaped into 30cm stick fries. Deeply fried to a crisp but keeping the softness inside.
- Non-battered and “massaged” fried chicken
- Da Jia yutou cheng: creamy textured yam dessert
- Pig blood cake: A mix of pig blood and glutinous rice dabbed in peanut butter and topped with sweet and chili sauce
- Overlord Taichung: Grilled pork meat and beef cubes served on paper cups
- Cuttlefish: deep fried cuttlefish and your choice of sauce
- Lazy People Prawns: de-shelled grilled shrimp and prawns on a stick
- Di jun charcoal grilled peppery bun: A Micheline listed Taiwan snack of charcoal oven-fired buns.
Going to Fengjia Night Market
The Fengjia Night Market usually starts at 2pm and crowd peaks around 6pm.
From Taichung Railway Station, take bus number 25 or 35 and alight at Feng Chia University. Travel time is around 45 minutes.
Coming from Taipei, take a HSR Train to Taichung. From HSR Station, ride Shuttle Bus #160 that passes to Feng Chia University.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
