Huaxi Street Night Market and Ghost Month

The red gateway in front of you marks the entrance to Huaxi Street Night Market, the first in Taiwan planned specifically for tourists. For decades it was famous for its snake shops, which prepared soups and liquors in full view of customers; very few remain today.

1From red-light district to market

In Qing times this area housed boatmen and dockers from the port, and with them came brothels and taverns. Under Japanese rule it was a licensed prostitution quarter and, after the war, the notorious Baodouli. Legal prostitution was abolished in Taipei in 1997, and the neighbourhood turned to food and tourism.

2Ghost Month

This is a good place to talk about Taiwan's most widespread belief. During the seventh lunar month, which falls in August or September, the gates of the underworld are said to open and spirits wander among the living. Temples, shops and households prepare offerings of food and incense for ghosts without families, in the great Pudu ceremony; at Lungshan Temple this rite is protected as intangible heritage.

By tradition, during that month you should not whistle at night, swim in rivers or the sea, hang laundry outside after dark or move house.

These are customs, not facts, but many Taiwanese follow them with a smile, just in case.

3What to look for

• The entrance gateway, with its double roof and lanterns.
• The award-winning stalls: several are listed in the Michelin Guide.
• The herbal medicine shops in the surrounding streets.