Morning Markets in Taipei

Still as bustling, vibrant and fascinating as ever, the morning markets in Taipei play a major role in most ‘ordinary’ people’s daily lives. Taipei’s markets are highly organized, the produce is local and fresh, and the sheer volume and variety of things for sale is remarkable. Once you’re in the embrace of one of these markets you leave the modern façade of the big stores far behind, and enter a more colourful, friendly, and personal world. 

 Here you will find some of the friendliest, liveliest, most convivial people in the city

I often have friends asking me whether it is convenient to locate a market easily around the city and if they would be able to find everything there. And this is what I always tell them -Yes it is! Every district in Taipei has a morning or an evening market. Some small - some big! But a multitude of products are available for purchase including: vegetables, dried fruit, meats, spices, sweets, candies, herbs, pickled vegetables, tobacco, preserved eggs, toys, utensils, clothes, etc. The concept is similar to our "Sabzi Mandis" in India but with a much larger variety of things.

Colourful Pumpkins!

Fresh Seafood on Display!

To best appreciate Taipei’s markets, visit during the mornings; the earlier the better. At this time of the day, the produce is at its freshest and most colourful, and the markets are at their busiest. Nothing can beat the morning rush and the glory of fresh produce at the beginning of a new day. From 10:30 am, the best has been bought and the customers long gone. Come with a sense of adventure, and expect products (and aromas) both wonderful and weird.

Chinese Ceramic & Pottery

Luck Charms

Through the narrow market entrance there’s a tight outer circle of stalls specializing in all sorts of dried goods, kitchen equipment and bottled sauces. Absolutely everything seems to be on sale here.

For first timers understanding the language and the pricing could be a problem initially. But with frequent visits, one gets accustomed to the market place. Also one must understand certain units of measurement for eg. in Taiwan 600 gms is equivalent to a kg displayed as  "一公斤" (Yī Gōngjīn).

It is interesting to just wander around the market sometimes to explore the daily life and chit chat with the local vendors. 

Thriving, bustling, vibrant..Xizhi morning market

This is during a stroll through the market on a  typical Tuesday morning,

The above pics are all taken from Xizhi market near my house. This market is pretty large, so go with a shopping list. It has a great selection of fresh produce, gifts and fashion, along with plants for those with a green thumb. 

Timings

Markets don't have fixed opening hours, and individual stands will open at different times, and even close early if they're sold out. Normal morning street markets will be most active between 07:00 am and 11:30 am – the stands will usually be completely closed by midday.

This is a list of of the famous morning markets in Taipei,

Xizhi Market
Datong Road, Section 2, Xizhi District, New Taipei City, 221

When: Tuesday to Sundays, 7:00 am - 12:00 noon (Most of the shops are closed on Mondays)

Shuanglian Market

雙連市場

No. 198, Minsheng W Rd, Datong District Taipei City, Taiwan 103

4:30 am - 10:00 am

ChengGong Market

成功市場：臺北市大安區四維路192巷內 上午7時30分至下午2時
Lane 192, SìWéi Rd, Da-an District, Taipei City
Near Far Eastern Hotel
7:30 am - 2:00 pm

DongMen Market

東門市場：台北市信義路二段81號 上午7時至下午5時

81, Section 2, XìnYì Rd, Jhongjheng District

7:00 am - 5:00 pm

NanMen Market

南門市場：羅斯福路一段8號 上午7時至晚上8時

No. 8, Section 1, Roosevelt Rd, Jhongjheng District

MRT Green line, Xiaonanmen station

7:00 am - 20:00 pm

ChingGuang Market

晴光市場：臺北市中山區農安街2巷及雙城街12巷 上午9時至下午9時

Lane 2, NóngĀn St, Jhongshan District, Taipei (near Zhong Shan N Rd, Sec 3)

MRT red line, Minquan W.Rd station,

ChungShan Market

中山市場：臺北市中山區長安西路3號 上午9時至下午3時

No. 3, ChǎngĀn West Rd, Jhongshan District (near Zhong Shan N Rd, Sec 1)

MRT red line, Zhongshan station,

9:00 am - 15:00 pm

YongJi Market

永吉市場 臺北市信義區永吉路278巷1弄30號 上午7時至下午1時

30, Alley 1, Lane 278, YǒngJí Rd, Sinyi District (near Zhong Xiao E Rd, Sec 5, Tango Hotel)

MRT blue line, Yongchun station

7:00 am - 1:00 pm

YongChun Market

永春市場：信義區 臺北市信義區松山路294號 上午7時至晚上8時

294, SōngShān Rd, Sinyi District

MRT blue line, Yongchun station

7:00 am - 20:00 pm

XinYi Market

信義市場：臺北市大安區信義路3段107號 上午7時30分至下午2時

No. 107, Section 3, XìnYì Rd, Da-an District (near Junction of Xin Yi Rd Sec 3 and Jian Guo S Rd)

7:30 am - 2:00 pm

GuangFu Market

光復市場：臺北市信義區光復南路419巷146號 上午7時至下午4時

146, Lane 419, GuāngFù South Rd, Sinyi District

Near Hyatt Hotel, near corner of RenAi Rd and JiLong Rd

7:00 am - 4:00 pm

TongHua Street Market

通化夜市：台北市大安區臨江街96號

96, LínJiāng St, Da-an District

Near Hyatt Hotel (15 minutes walk), and Far Eastern Shangri-la Hotel (15 minutes walk)

Xihu Market

西湖市場：臺北市內湖區內湖路一段285號(捷運西湖站出口1)

285, Nèi Hú Rd Section 1, Neihu District, Taipei

The market is on the first floor of Xihu MRT station. If you're arriving at the station, you can get to the market from exit 1.

Open 5:00 am - 13:00 pm, Closed on Mondays

Beitou Market

北投市場：台北市北投區新市街30號

30, Xīn Shì St, Beitou District, Taipei

Near to Beitou station, on the MRT red line,

Open 7:00 am - 13:00 pm, Closed on Mondays

The above is not a complete list. There are many smaller street markets not included above.

Odd Jobs

One of the best parts about some of the traditional markets is to get the services of cobblers, hairdressers & tailors, which is otherwise very difficult & expensive to find in the city.

Points to Remember

Price of vegetables, fruits, seafood & poultry is seasonal. Significant increase in the prices of vegetables & fruits (sometimes by upto 25%) take place during the typhoon season in Taiwan which is from June to October as the harvests and crops gets affected then. 

Bargaining Culture 

Since most items are already well priced and have fixed rates, bargaining is generally not acceptable at most of the markets.

Comparison Chart - Morning Market vs Marts (Approx Price Indicator)

Items	Price in morning market (in NTD)	Price in Carrefour/Welcome/PX Mart (in NTD)
Tomatoes - 1 kg	40 -50	60-70
Onions - 1 kg	40-50	60-65
A bunch of coriander leaves	10-15	39-45
7-8 lemons	15-30	60-70
Ginger	15-20	45-50
A bag of Garlic	70-80	90-110

                                          
Hope you enjoyed reading this post and found the information helpful. Please feel free to write to us for any further questions. Would also appreciate your comments and feedback.