|
T A I P E I C I T Y G U I D E
|
Hot Tip
If you're prone to anxiety attacks in crowds, the Shihlin Night Market is not for you. But if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of what the Chinese fondly refer to as a renao (or "hot and clamorous") atmosphere, then add it to your itinerary while in Taipei. During the daytime, the lanes near the intersection of Wenlin and Jiho roads in the northern Taipei area of Shihlin--just northwest of the recently refurbished Grand Hotel--resemble an average business district. But as the sun starts to set, peddlers of a mouthwatering variety of snack foods begin wheeling their mobile stalls into place, while other vendors roll in racks of jeans and shirts and begin setting out costume jewelry, sunglasses and other cheap and cheerful wares atop plastic sheets in the middle of the alleys. By around 7 p.m., pedestrians are left with narrow footpaths to negotiate as they peruse the instant bazaar, which stays open well past midnight.
Similar night markets are found in other neighborhoods in the city, but Shihlin's is the largest and most popular. For teenagers, who often arrive by motorscooter, it's a favorite spot to hang out or come for an inexpensive date. Parents with small children head for the games arcade and the coin-operated kid-sized cars decorated to look like lions and tigers.
Over the buzz of countless conversations and heated haggling, hawkers attempt to attract shoppers by announcing sales via a microphone or standing on chairs and sporting placards boasting their bargains. One imaginative footwear seller wears a hat with a lady's shoe perched on the top.
You can always take a break by following your nose. The air is redolent with the mixture of dozens of odors emanating from the foodcarts bearing grilled squid, corn on the cob basted with soya sauce, "stinky beancurd," thick waffles with sweet fillings, chicken's feet and pig's ears. And if all else fails, there's a KFC and a Starbuck's just up the street.
--Don Shapiro
|
|
|
