I see a lot more modern food carts and trucks and decline of old night markets which more and more locals shun. Not sure Shilin market will return to old busy night markets. With social media carts and trucks are doing much better with locals here in Kaoshuing.
Shilin Night Market in Taipei struggles to find way out of COVID slump | Taiwan News | 2021/03/14
They mostly sell gimmicky crap. As for the food court itself, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to descend into that dungeon to eat something. It’s a no-brainer.
It will go back to normal. The borders will open. The tourists will descend onto the market and there’ll be a mad rush for rentals.
Wow 60% decrease in visitors is pretty steep. Yea that night market is mainly a tourist one, it’s amazing for the first couple times you visit, a vast labyrinth of food and skimpily dressed girls. But it’s not as appealing for me now, takes a long time to walk around and find anything decent. How about other night markets? can’t really imagine they would be affected as harshly.
Some of old night markets here in Kaoshuing are short on Vendors or shut down on some days now and not open everyday (a few are gone). Less young local people going now.
FIFY
Why? because of food panda uber eats?
Part of the reas0n I guess. As mentioned now new food carts and food trucks that have better food, as well nice cafes to hang out vs. hanging out at the night market. As the new story mentions night markets have become more dependent on out of town visitors with less locals going. Like me I almost never go unless someone coming from Taipei or out of the local area, but this is even less now. Also with the rise of phones easier to find cool eateries a not longer the need to go central spot.
There’s a bit of this in Pingtung as well. A burger truck visits Fangliao every Friday evening, and there’s a pizza truck at the Shuidiliao Night Market sometimes. Unfortunately for me the pizza is all vegetarian.
Thousands of TBAs have come back to shelter from the plague and they’ve all opened food trucks to sell fake American food to all the other TBAs, ie each other.
Great success.
My wife likes them more than I do. What’s obvious when you visit any night market is how gritty and dirty most still are and they haven’t really upgraded in twenty years. I think that’s the main problem myself.
Taoyuan night market is also obviously getting less popular and they never had tourists. Also places that in familiar with in miaoli, they’ve been steadily getting smaller over the years.
Another big factor is the number of young people is declining…I’m guessing it’s food panda that is also ‘eating away’ night market business and also people buying their clothes and gadgets online now.
There’s still some decent ones out there of course attracting a good weekend crowd. Weekday business is absolutely dead I feel sorry for some of the vendors.
The tourist night markets will still boom as long as there are tourists though !
So has there been a mad rush with the open entry for tourists? The food carts and trucks seem be here for good, at least the south not sure out there in the North.
I seldom go to night market, but recent visit there was quite a bit less traffic, but there was a few high end cars driving though which I thought odd.
That’s quite a common sight for me, luxury cars pulling up to get cheap food. I have a 永和豆漿 near me where you can basically get full for an entire day for ~$40, and you see Teslas and Cayennes pulling up at all hours.
I remember reading somewhere that 80% of the people driving fancy cars in the US are massively overextended, and are basically burning through half their salaries to pay off the loan. Perhaps it’s the same in Taiwan.