Experiencing Taiwanese Night Markets with Boy & Girl Globetrot
One of my favorite ways to get to know a country is through its markets. And nothing can introduce you to Taiwan quite as well as a Taiwanese night market. Usually, these markets are wedged down alleyways off of really busy roads and crammed in between tall, dilapidated apartment buildings. They are crowded, humid, smelly, loud, and rudimentary. I often feel like I float through one, kind of like the picture above suggests. And every time I leave one, I am a little shell shocked by my experience.
At the market, scooters weave in and out of people. Pig heads and chicken feet hang out in the open. Locals bombard you with their excitement and jibber-jabber at you in Chinese. Sweat drips down your back and beads on your forehead. Scents, some delicious and others not so much, overwhelm you.
What is for sale at these traditional markets? Fruits veggies meats tofu noodles seafood. Usually, I don't buy anything. Instead I just take photos of it all. Which includes the adorable dogs that are helping their owners strum up good business.
Taiwanese markets may be a little dirty and stinky, just like Taiwan itself. You may get really overheated and sweaty. And sometimes you will brush more than just shoulders with the people around you. But they are still something extraordinary to be experienced, even if only once.
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To read more Taiwanese travel stories, head on over to Boy & Girl Globetrot!
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