[Kaohsiung 高雄] Nanhua Tourist Night Market ♦ 南华观光商圈－Lynda's Taiwan-logue

< Visited in Aug 2018 & Jul 2017 >

Despite being named Nanhua Tourist Night Market 南华观光购物街, this destination is neither packed with tourists, nor opened only at night. I found this gem when putting up at Hotel dùa 住饭店 and (the now-closed) The Icon Hotel 艾卡设计旅店 - both of which are within a 10-minute stroll, in addition to proximity to MRT.

A fine subset of the entire food and shopping zone, this could make a deliberate trip worth it, even if you are not staying in the vicinity (especially so if you are looking for alternatives to the usual night/markets). My primary walking route is illustrated in the map above, with Hotel dùa 住饭店 as a base. The main food street at Nanhua Tourist Night Market 南华观光购物街, extending to Linsen First Road 林森一路, has been marked in pink.

⇩ Taking a left turn and round the corner from Hotel dùa 住饭店, passing by the local postal service and a Kaohsiung specialty shop, the latter worth a quick visit.

⇩ The vicinity is populated with bridal boutiques. The eye-catching glass structure (on the photo's left), opposite the market's entrance, is one way in to Formosa Boulevard MRT station 美丽岛捷运站.

⇩ Entering the market from this point brings you to a sheltered and spacious apparel street (shared with riders), a comfortable walk especially in the southern heat or even if it is raining.

⇩ A traditional morning market nestled within the zone.

⇩ The sporadic food stall appears along the main street, which extends out to multiple small lanes housing more food stalls.

⇩ An interesting looking fruit - 苹婆 - with edible seeds. Bought a small packet for sampling.

⇩ Sidetracking here, to illustrate another entry point into the market, when taking a right turn from Hotel dùa 住饭店.

⇩ Arriving at the main food zone, located at a cross junction
(Photos were taken over two trips and at different times of the day. Some food stalls are opened throughout - subject to varying rest days - while many operate either in the day or at night. I personally found the food street more vibrant at night, but there is no shortage of choices in the day.)

⇧ The friendly stall owner, a foreigner who speaks Mandarin and sells a variety of local bites I like (tried 水煎饺 steam-fried pork dumpling & 葱抓饼 scallion pancake).

⇩ Another snack I crave here is 白糖粿, a sticky Taiwanese rice churro with icing sugar. The elderly lady selling this very affordable snack is almost an icon here, definitely worth a try if you are in the area.

⇩ Another local dish I tried (enticed by the queue) - 肉粿, basically sliced rice cake (textured like turnip or yam cake), in a thickened broth with other ingredients like pork, dried shrimp, sausage, etc.

⇩ 爱玉 (ai yu, a jelly made from seeds of a fig fruit), 粉粿 (fen guo, a tapioca-based jelly), 仙草冰 iced grass jelly - three signature local dessert ingredients, and my favourite being the latter two. Often sold together with 粉圆 (tapioca pearls) and available as 综合 combi, beverage and shaved ice.

⇩ Non-local bites scattered through the lanes

⇩ Turning out to the main road where the two earlier-mentioned hotels are located (at either end), I had introduced 曾家庄手工馒头(传统美食), loosely translated as Zeng Family Handmade Buns, in my blog on The Icon Hotel 艾卡设计旅店.

⇩ Had a scoop of 香蕉清冰, banana (syrup) flavoured ice cream.

The vibrant night scene of Linsen First Road 林森一路 as I walked back to Hotel dùa 住饭店, with my take-out for enjoying in a cosy room.

Snapshots of afternoon tea / supper
⇩ 苹婆, an edible seed and roasted snack, mild in taste and surprisingly soft in texture, perhaps alike roasted chestnut.