A bustling night scene at Shilin Market, illuminated by colorful lanterns, with people strolling and shopping under the rain. The ground reflects the lights, enhancing the vibrant atmosphere.

Overview

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) is one of Taipei’s oldest and best-known night markets. Its history is closely connected to Cixian Temple (慈諴宮), where vendors gathered as the surrounding Shilin area developed into an important commercial district.

Today, Shilin Night Market spreads across the streets surrounding the temple and the historic Shilin Market building. Unlike smaller night markets that mainly focus on food, Shilin Night Market combines Taiwanese street food, restaurants, shopping, souvenir stalls, and traditional night market games in one large area.

For international visitors, it is also a great introduction to Taiwanese night market culture. Beyond famous snacks, you can find decades-old family-owned shops, traditional dishes, modern food stalls, and plenty of places where local residents still come to eat.

General Info

Neighborhood Name : Shilin District, Taipei City

Location : LINK

MRT : MRT Jiantan (R15) – Exit 1

Best Time to Visit : 6 PM – 10 PM, Monday – Saturday

Important : Most stalls and shops are closed every Monday.

Recommended Time : 2 – 3 hours

Best for :

Food : ✅
Explore : ✅
Family-Friendly : ✅
Souvenir : ✅
Shopping : ✅

History

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) is one of Taipei’s oldest and best-known night markets. Its history goes back to the early 1800’s, when vendors gathered around Cixian Temple (慈諴宮).

Exterior view of an ornate temple with intricate roof decorations, stone lion statues, and glowing red lanterns, set against a cloudy evening sky.

Cixian Temple is an important center of local religious life in Shilin

During the Japanese colonial period, a formal public market was established in 1913, and food stalls gradually expanded into the surrounding streets. Over time, this developed into today’s sprawling night market covering areas around Danan Road, Dadong Road, Wenlin Road, and Jihe Road.

By the late 20th century, the old Shilin Market had become increasingly outdated. Aging structures, poor ventilation and sanitation, and concerns over fire and public safety led Taipei City to plan a major reconstruction beginning in 1998.

Vendors were relocated to a temporary market opposite MRT Jiantan in 2002, and the old market structures were demolished for redevelopment. After years of construction, vendors finally moved into the rebuilt Shilin Market in December 2011. The new market officially opened on December 25th, 2011, beginning a new chapter in Shilin Night Market’s century-old history.

A bustling night market scene featuring a large building with bright signs in Chinese, filled with food stalls and crowds of people walking by.

The old Shilin Night Market in 2010

A modern architectural building with a large spherical structure and a facade featuring a mix of glass and concrete, surrounded by trees and parked cars on a city street.

The old Shilin Night Market was at the large building you will see after exiting MRT Jiantan

Cixian Temple

Cixian Temple (慈諴宮) is one of the most important historic temples in Shilin and has been a center of local religious life for more than 200 years. Its predecessor, Zhilan Street Tianhou Temple (芝蘭街天后宮), was established in 1796. After the original temple was destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt and eventually relocated to its present location in 1875.

A vibrant indoor temple setting adorned with numerous red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Gold decorations and a central altar are visible, along with colorful floral arrangements and prayer offerings on tables.

The main worship hall inside of Cixian Temple

The temple’s principal deity is Mazu (媽祖), officially known as Tianshang Shengmu (天上聖母). Mazu is traditionally worshipped as a protector of sailors and travelers, but in Taiwan her temples often serve as important centers of community religious life. Cixian Temple is commonly known locally as the Shilin Mazu Temple (士林媽祖廟) and remains one of Shilin’s major religious and cultural centers today.

A vibrant display of statues and decorations in a traditional Chinese temple, featuring multiple ornate figures, elaborate gold designs, and offerings like flowers and incense on a marble table.

The left altar where Guan Yu is enshrined

Interior of a traditional temple featuring ornate decorations, lanterns, and statues of deities, with colorful banners and a richly detailed altar.

The main altar where Mazu is enshrined

Game Area

The red-brick building is the original Shilin Market, built during the Japanese colonial period. After renovation, much of the original red-brick structure was preserved, while the interior was reinforced with modern steel and concrete. This gave the more than 100-year-old market a new life while maintaining its historic appearance. During the morning, the building operates as a traditional morning market. At night, it transforms into the Game Area of Shilin Night Market.

A red brick building with large windows, featuring a distinct gabled roof. Motor scooters are parked in front, with a blue sky and scattered clouds in the background.

The red-brick building you see in Shilin Night Market is the original Shilin Market building, built in 1913

A vibrant market scene featuring various fresh vegetables, including cabbages, greens, and root vegetables. Two vendors are seen engaging with produce, while shoppers browse nearby stalls under bright lights.

The red-brick building serves as a traditional morning market during the day

A bustling indoor market aisle featuring colorful plush toys on display. Various sporting balls are arranged on tables with red cloths. Shoppers of different ages walk through the vibrant stalls, surrounded by bright lights and merchandise.

At night, the red-brick building transforms into part of Shilin Night Market, with stalls offering games

The Game Area has plenty of activities that parents and children can enjoy together, making it a great place to bring kids. You’ll also find several stalls selling souvenirs and T-shirts. If you’re lucky, you might even meet Bonny, the pet duck belonging to one of the balloon-shooting game stall owners.

A white duck standing on a dark, textured surface.

Bonny the Duck

A vibrant arcade stall featuring various stuffed animals and toys, with a display of colorful plastic eggs and game prizes. In the foreground, there are toy guns arranged on a camouflage tablecloth, while a person relaxes nearby.

A BB gun balloon-shooting game stall, a commonly found stall at Taiwanese night markets

Two women interacting with shrimp in tanks at a seafood market, with colorful buckets and skewers in the background.

A shrimp-fishing game stall

A vibrant market scene featuring a ring toss game setup with colorful rings arranged in baskets, surrounded by various toys displayed on a wall, and a person in the background walking by.

A ring toss game stall

The Night Market : How to Navigate Around

Shilin Night Market is one of the largest night markets in Taipei, and its boundaries can be a little confusing. A simple rule to remember is : as long as you continue seeing food stalls, shops, and vendors lining the streets, you are probably still within the night market area. Just remember there are three main roads in Shilin Night Market : Jihe Road + Dadong Road + Danan Road.

A bustling night scene at Shilin Market featuring colorful lanterns and vendors under a light rain. People are shopping and enjoying the atmosphere in a vibrant market setting.

Jihe Road (基河路)

Many visitors assume this is the main entrance to Shilin Night Market, but it is actually just one of several entrances. Inside the main Shilin Market building, you will find mostly game stalls and souvenir shops

Location : LINK

A busy street market scene filled with crowds of people walking among various shops and illuminated signage at dusk.

Dadong Road (大東路)

Along Dadong Road, you will find many clothing shops and street food stalls, making it one of the busiest shopping areas within Shilin Night Market

Location : LINK