IN PHOTOS: Taipei at Night

Taipei at night is a fascinating sensory experience, from dazzling lights, mouthwatering street food, the buzzing crowds, to the midnight urban calm.

“Taiwan is open again? How strict are the borders?” Asked many of our friends when I posted photos of our trip during the first few days of our Taiwan sojourn last January.

On one hand, the queries made sense—in the past few years, the island country garnered praise for its exceptional handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included strict border controls.

On the other hand, the volume of questions signaled that not everyone (in the Philippines, or among our friends, at least) has gotten word of the return of the 14-day visa-free travel schemes for incoming Filipino tourists. More details may be found on the website of Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, but here’s the gist: we’re now free to roam Taiwan for two weeks—up until July 31, 2023, at least.

Admittedly, we were there on a personal vacation, and I’m still relishing the memories (read: I haven’t sat down and reflected on the possible stories from the trip—trust me, there are a lot!). However, if there’s one thing that I want to put out there immediately, it’s that Taipei is a city that, for all its busyness during the day, gains so much more life and character at night.

Check out these photos below:

Ximending is the city’s major shopping district. Here, streets are lined up with shops selling anything from cute hats to designer shoes; food stalls that serve delectable chicken poppers and sweet milk tea; and innumerable alleyways housing quaint surprises: an indie bookstore, an after-work speakeasy, or striking graffiti art.

There’s bound to be a food stall or small eatery at every corner in Taipei. While the menus are in Mandarin, establishments are usually prepared with English translations. (Unofficial rule for tourists: the more inconspicuous the restaurant, the tastier the meals are.)

Pictured above is a restaurant (台南意麵水餃) serving classic dumplings and noodle dishes. The leek dumplings and duck noodles fill a drunken man’s stomach to immense satisfaction. (In this context, I was the drunken man for a few days.)

Night markets fuel Taipei’s nightlife. Ningxia Night Market is renowned for its diverse and delectable selection of food stalls, including Yuan Huan Pien, the home of the famed oyster egg omelettes that garnered the restaurant its coveted Michelin star.

The oyster omelette in question, which finds its origins in Tainan cuisine. They are cooked successively and in batches, since people flock Yuan Huan Pien incessantly. It was worth lining up around half an hour for these omelettes drenched in sweet sauce.

A staple of the city since 1965, Yuan Huan Pien has been featured in Netflix’s “Midnight Asia.”

You wouldn’t want to miss out on Taipei’s bars, especially in the city’s LGBTQIA+-friendly district. (In fact, Taiwan is known to be one of the most LGBTQIA+-friendly countries in Asia, what with the legalization of same-sex marriage and the city’s innumerable safe spaces.

Pictured above is Café Dalida, one of the premier safe spaces of LGBTQIA+-folk in Taipei. Their cocktails are some of the best ones we had while we were in the city.

Do not let Taipei’s modernity fool you, though—for all its urban and forward-thinking sensibilities, the city seamlessly weaves history in tradition within its streets and corners.

Pictured above is the entrance to the Taipei Tianhou Temple, a 270-year-old structure dedicated to Mazu the sea goddess. If the exterior already got your attention, wait ’till you see the expansive temple hall and imposing statues inside.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of the sights and sceneries that this Asian Tiger has to offer. I promise you: we’ll be back with more photos and stories of Taipei—or, how about you book that flight now and experience what this city has to offer?

Taipei at night is a fascinating sensory experience, from dazzling lights, mouthwatering street food, the buzzing crowds, to the midnight urban calm.

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