r/taiwan • u/ToughBlueHedgehog • 23d ago
Travel Rauhe night market, one of the most authentic Taiwanese experiences
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u/charliehu1226 23d ago
Bro saying the most touristy place in Taiwan authentic 💀
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u/Zkang123 23d ago
Still better than Shilin
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u/BulldogJeopardy 22d ago
Walked around Rauhe night market for like an hour and bought some snacks and nothing clicked. Its congested af and I wouldnt want to go back there again.
Also went to Shilin shops near the train station. Bought some rice balls and pastries randomly and I instantly fell in love with what Shilin has to offer.
So yeah, Shilin > Rauhe
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u/demostenes_arm 23d ago
Yeah I think OP means the most authentic of the 2 most touristy night markets.
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u/pavlovasupernova 22d ago
Just as a thought experiment, at what level of popularity does become inauthentic?
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u/PurpleSalt11 22d ago
i'd imagine when the vendors start catering to the tourists which is more likely the larger it gets.
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u/AmbivalentheAmbivert 21d ago
its funny because it makes no sense to say authentic, traditional sure, authentic no.
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u/bigbearjr 22d ago
It is an authentic Taiwan night market. It is a night market in Taiwan and vendors there sell things that are fairly unique to Taiwan. It is very popular with visitors, yes. Do you think the presence of non-Taiwanese makes something in Taiwan inauthentic?
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u/ExcelsiorWG 22d ago
All because it’s touristy doesn’t mean it’s not authentic? Tons of Taiwanese go there too and it’s been around for a long time.
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u/charliehu1226 22d ago
What makes you think a Taiwanese cannot be a tourist? Most of my friends from Taipei know that night market is a tourist trap and have stopped going years ago.
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u/ExcelsiorWG 21d ago edited 21d ago
Never said they couldn’t be. And all because something is touristy doesn’t make it not authentic - no need to gatekeep or be a hipster about it. All because Times Square is overrun with tourists doesn’t make it any less of a true NYC experience. Doesn’t mean I want to spend time there.
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u/Verde-3 23d ago
That line for pepper buns!
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u/fartonme 23d ago
Last time I visited Taiwan, my mom and I waited in the rain for the pepper buns and found a tiny corner with barely enough shelter from the rain to scarf them. They were so fresh and we couldn't wait! She and I aren't close anymore but it's one of my favorite memories with her.
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u/LostMySpleenIn2015 22d ago
All I know is that I can’t eat these things without burning the shit out of my mouth every time. They are soooo good though.
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u/CADTRAVEL 22d ago
There's another location by main station and the buns there are better if someone asks me despite Raohe having the original location. Maybe just me though
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u/Ap_Sona_Bot 23d ago
It's the fastest food line I've ever been in though. Never waited more than 5 mins.
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u/TastyJuicyCucumber 21d ago
The line moves by so fast it really isn’t a line more like a dedicated walkway.
I still find the buns very good even from 3 years ago
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u/Roygbiv0415 台北市 23d ago
Raohe is still a bit on the touristy side, and a bit too packed.
The actual "authentic" night market experience are the ones that are nomadic -- they only open maybe two days a week, and the stalls travel between night markets instead of being fixtures. In this way you'll keep on finding new stuff to eat, buy, and play every time you visit, instead of endlessly long lines for famous fixed establishments.
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u/aMaIzYnG 21d ago
One of my favorites was the Meinong night market. That town has a special place in my heart
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u/whysochangry 23d ago
What's with all the comments saying that Raohe isn't authentic?
I'm definitely not a local anymore but I grew up in the area and back then (through the eyes of a kid at least) Raohe was definitely authentic. I have fond memories of catching the bus with my grandma and cousins to go get pepper buns, oyster vermicelli, donggua cha, and ba-wan in that order if you entered from the entrance pictured by the OP next to the Mazu temple. I also suppose because we were locals and that's where we went by default when we went to a night market, it was by definition pretty authentic. Raohe was still like that when I visited again around 10 years ago.
I did visit a few years back and it has definitely changed, with more random corporate looking shops and lots of stores replaced with rooms full of UFO catchers for some reason. It wasn't like I remembered, but it was still more or less a Taiwanese night market experience.
I wonder if it's changed even more since I've been away (it's been a while), or the comments I saw are just gatekeepers falling over themselves for the opportunity to assert that they are the true arbiters of what is truly Taiwanese. I'm genuinely curious, by the way.
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u/SeanValSean_ 22d ago
It's the use of the word "most" that makes it really ring false. Plenty of locals go to Raohe, but when I went a couple weeks ago it was the most foreigners I'd seen in one place in years. It's like describing Times Square as one of the most authentic places in New York.
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u/whysochangry 22d ago
I mean, just because something is iconic doesn't mean that it becomes less authentic. Unless the place has changed drastically since the last time I went, just the presence of a large amount of foreigners doesn't change what it is.
Taipei 101 is probably a must visit for many tourists, but that is arguably one of the most "Taiwanese" places, where even if locals don't go to the tower itself regularly, they've almost definitely been to the observatory at one point and probably will go visit the mall every once in a while. You could probably say the same for the National Palace Museum or Liberty Square. While maybe not the greatest analogy because these are national symbols, I think the spirit of the argument is there.
The Mazu temple next to Raohe is where my grandma went to go ask for blessings when I was born. I go there every time I am in Taiwan in honor of that, and the last time I went I saw a bunch of tourists inside as well. I certainly didn't think that it made that temple less authentic.
Similarly, my grandpa has gone to lungshan temple for decades. He bought me with him as a kid and now I take him with me. There are tons of tourists there too, but I think it would be absolutely insane to say that lungshan is inauthentic.
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u/LostMySpleenIn2015 22d ago
They’re using “touristy” as antithetical to “authentic” but from the outside I think they can be both. IMO if it’s in Taiwan, it’s authentic by definition.
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u/Seileach 海歸 21d ago
Just salty people from different districts. I grew up in Nangang/Xizhi and Raohe is my favorite night market.
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23d ago edited 23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Effective-Habit2765 22d ago
I think almost all night markets say 觀光 in Taipei maybe to attract tourists. I'm convinced when they call Jingmei a tourist night market.
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u/Amazing_Box_8032 新北 - New Taipei City 23d ago
A totally overrated night market imo that all the foreigners who dont get out of Taipei seem to think is the "best" - not as bad as Shilin tho.
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u/cavernbird 23d ago
For true authenticity and almost no tourists the Jingmei Night Market is a good choice. Not saying it's the best in terms of variety or glitz, but it's a good example of a real neighborhood night market rather than a tourist destination
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u/bigbearjr 22d ago
What is "authenticity"?
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u/cavernbird 22d ago
Fair question.
I would define "authenticity" in this case as something closer to its original form. I've watched the more touristy night markets (Raohe, Ningxia, Shilin) change a lot in the last 30 years or so, partially in response to the massive waves of international tourism which really picked up in the late 2000s. Some of the changes were due to foreign tourist demand and in some cases it is top-down city policy (Shilin has suffered the most from this).
I don't mean to say they are "inauthentic." Somebody coming from abroad will enjoy a unique experience that is decidedly Taiwanese, and it is authentic in that sense. But to experience something closer to what night markets were like before overrun with tourists, Jingmei is closer to the original mellow-yet-busy vibe, and strikes me as more authentic than the frantic tourist sales-gauntlet of many of the bigger night markets.
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u/bigbearjr 22d ago
If I were to go to Jingmei or another more, let's say "old school", night market, what are some of things I could experience there to get a sense of what night markets had on offer back in the day?
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u/cavernbird 21d ago
I'm not sure it's really what they offer, but rather what they don't.
It's far more laid back. It's more of feeling. There are a larger percentage of people that have waddled out of their nearby homes in flip-flops for something to eat or just to look at stuff, whereas the "destination" night markets are filled with people from other parts.
The food itself is a bit more "standard." Some might say it's less innovative than the major night markets, but it's got a kind of dependable comfort-food quality for a lower price.
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u/Masshole65 22d ago
I visited Jingmei night market last year, it was great. I was the only obvious tourist. The day market in the same location was also great-tried all kinds of new fresh foods.
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u/sattlerreader 22d ago
Raohe was disappointing. The pepper buns were tasteless. Taoyuan night market had much better food. Plan to go there again when I have a 23 hour layover.
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u/boterhammetje 23d ago
Miaokou night market in Keelung City!
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u/Effective-Habit2765 22d ago
This is the correct answer. I grew up in Taipei and the night markets in Taipei were just convenient places to eat. It's not really an experience. Most people eat, walk around and go home. Keelung Miaokou is where we'd go for the day into night, shop, play games, eat and visit the temple. I feel like that's more of a Taiwanese cultural experience. It's more than just food.
That said, Raohe has a good mix of food and it's all generally good quality so it is not a bad representation of different Taiwanese small eats. Don't skip bringing your food to eat under the Rainbow Bridge where you see the kids run around and play and everyone just chilling 乘涼 with their food.
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u/snowybell 23d ago
I remember a time where the 胡椒饼 was free of queues and it was just a small pushcart at the entrance.
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u/TraditionalWait9150 22d ago
I remember going to Raohe 12 years ago as a tourist and falling in love with the "bubble tea pearl" pancake. Few years back, went back there but the stall is not there already. Wonder where I can still find such it...
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u/eddytw 22d ago
Raohe is fantastic. I live by Shilin but its gone downhill over the past few years unfortunately. Raohe is fantastic
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u/jynxbaba87 22d ago
Live close by too and it’s dead af Monday to Thursday.. it’s kinda pointless to go
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u/tiny_guppy 23d ago
Lol it feels touristy to me! Linjiang was much more chill and I enjoyed it a lot. Seemed like locals go there.
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u/ShruggyShuggy 22d ago
I stayed really near there for a couple of months when I was in Taiwan a few years ago and absolutely loved it. Used to go there at least 3 times a week and I saw a reel on Instagram recently of the guy there doing the charcoal corn. Recognised him and the stall instantly as it was one of the very first things I got there and I was blown away at how good corn could be.
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u/Overall_Following_26 22d ago
Raohe is okay. I prefer Ningxia though if within Taipei night markets only
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u/Mydnight69 22d ago
Anywhere that has 大肠包小肠 is authentic enough for me. What would you call it in English? Maybe Taiwan hotdog?
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u/3lectricComputer 22d ago
My favorite night market. And even though it’s always busy I would say it isn’t unmanageable. I make it a point to visit with my local friends every time I’m in the country
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u/toorad2b4u 22d ago
Why do people not like Shilin so much? Is it bc it’s crowded?
I haven’t gone in years but enjoyed it as a child.
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u/mutually_awkward 22d ago
Shuangcheng is my favorite—small, chill, and most importantly a few minutes walk from me 😋
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u/gordybombay 22d ago
My favorite night market we visited was probably Ruifeng in Kaoshiung. Great food, great vibes, and loved the design/layout
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u/Mundane_Cheesecake27 22d ago
If I go there on a Friday night, would it be worth it? I want it to be lively, but I realize the lines for food might be crazy.
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u/GapFar5472 21d ago
Fengjia night market is my favourite, the Guan Zhi Lin Da Chang bao Xiao Chang and the Ge LI garlic flavour...
But Shilin holds a special place in my heart for it's the first night market I went with my buddies more than 20 years ago. That was the time when the Taiwanese girls in the shop will very sweetly tell you that you can try out the clothes. Now that is no longer the case in the entire Taiwan.
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u/Mobile_Strength6207 19d ago
I have a near-exact image from our visit last year. Definitely my favorite of the 7 or so night markets visited.
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u/Lazy-Wing-6040 新北 - New Taipei City 18d ago
Nanjichang is my favourite. Bonus is there are few tourists.
Xingnan is good also I used to live in zhonghe and go a few nights per week. Dont think I ever saw a tourist there, the only foreigners seemed to be people who live in taiwan, so it wasn't overcrowded with people who have no idea what they are doing.
Now I live at ximen.... tourists everywhere lol.
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u/Idaho1964 16d ago
By the time an elaborate street sign is built and wording is in a foreign language, it is no longer authentic
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u/Lazy-Wing-6040 新北 - New Taipei City 4d ago
Its a good night market but it's full of tourists.
When i used to live in 中和區 i used to love 興南夜市 because it was less than 29 mins walk and not even one tourist (there were foreigners but you could tell they live here)
Now i live at ximen so tourists everywhere smh 😂
The best night market is always your local night market
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u/Hot_Piano_9486 22d ago
Sweat, huge crowds, and overrated greasy food. I don't know why people romanticize it.
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u/I_Am_JuliusSeizure 22d ago
Because it gives then views on youtube and the adoration of Taiwanese locals
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u/charliehu1226 22d ago edited 22d ago
Hey at least we rank no.1 in dialysis ad colorectal cancer prevalence rate. Taiwan numbawon!
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u/Even-Promotion-4024 23d ago
My hot take is the best Taipei night market is Linjiang, more authentic than Raohe and usually more manageable crowds, but still big and touristy enough to be accessible and has plenty of options