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Fengchia Night Market (逢甲夜市), also spelled Feng Chia, Fengjia or Feng Jia Night Market, is by far the most famous of the many night markets in Taichung, Taiwan.
In fact, claims have even been made that it is the largest night market in Taiwan. This is difficult to verify. But there’s no doubt that it’s one of the country’s best and one of the top things to do in Taichung. Fengchia is known for its sheer variety of Taiwanese street foods – you could even say it is Taichung’s answer to Shilin Night Market – the largest of Taipei’s night markets.
Fengchia isn’t the easiest to get to, and it’s so large that it can be a little disorienting. That’s why I’ve put together this detailed guide including how to get there, a map of Fengchia Night Market and suggested walking route, and my recommendations for what to eat there.
If you prefer to go on a guided trip, then this tour includes a stop at Fenchia Night Market.
Also don’t miss my guides to other Taichung attractions like Gaomei Wetland and Rainbow Village. I’ve also got posts covering the best night markets in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Keelung!
History of Feng Chia Night Market
Most night markets in Taiwan start with a few foods stalls outside of a temple or school, slowly growing over time and spreading along the streets around them. In the case of Fengchia Night Market, it is the latter.
In 1961, Feng Chia College of Engineering and Business (now Feng Chia University) was established. Food stalls catering to the students began setting up on Wenhua Road (文華路) in front of the college. By 1963, Feng Chia Night Market was officially established.
Over time, these food stalls spread up and down Wenhua Road, following it as it curves west and intersects with the main thoroughfare, Fuxing Road (福星路). The small lanes and alleys between Wenhua and Fuxing roads began to fill up with stalls, too.
Today, this vast night market stretches 1.5 kilometers from north to south. There are hundreds of food stalls and hole-in-the-wall restaurants dishing out a wide variety of Taiwanese and internationally-inspired street foods. It is by far the largest and most famous night market in Central Taiwan, so it surely deserves a spot on your Taichung travel itinerary!
Getting to Feng Chia Night Market
Fengchia Night Market is located in Taichung’s Xitun district, northwest of the Taichung city center. It is actually quite a ways from Taichung station (the regular TRA train station) and other popular Taichung attractions.
Taichung is still working on expanding its new MRT system. Someday, when the blue line is finished, you will be able to ride it from Taichung station to Fengchia Night Market. You will be able to take it to Taichung City Hall Station, where the blue line will connect with the green, then walk from there, or transfer to the green line and go one stop closer, the Wenxin Yinghua station. But since the blue line isn’t open yet, you’ll have to get there by taxi or bus.
By bus, you can take bus #25 from “Taichung Station Minzu Rd. Intersection” stop and get off at “Dingnanzai Xitun Rd.” stop. It takes 30 minutes, and you can swipe your EasyCard to pay. Another option is bus #45 from “First Square” stop, also riding for 30 minutes and getting off at “Dingnanzai Xitun Rd.” stop.
If you’re coming from the Taichung High Speed Rail (HSR) station, you can get to Fengchia by MRT. Ride the green MRT line from Xinwuri station (connected to the HSR station) and get off at Wenxin Yinghua station, from where it’s a 10-minute walk to the night market. You can get a discount on your HSR tickets if you pre-order them here.
You can also get there on this half-day tour or by renting a scooter in Taichung.
Fengchia Night Market Map and Walking Route
I’ve prepared this Feng Chia Night Market Map to show my recommended walking tour of Fengchia Night Market. While it doesn’t cover everything (that would be impossible) it takes in some of the best food stalls the night market has to offer, and all of its main streets.
If you are arriving by MRT, you can walk to Point A (Fuxing Park) in 10 minutes and start there. If you arriving by bus and getting off at “Dingnanzai Xitun Rd.” stop, that is marked by Point B on the above map.
The triangle around Point B is a very busy and popular section of the night market, especially Wenhua Road, which continues up to to Point D. Point D, which is at the intersection of Fuxing and Wenhua roads, is what I consider the main intersection, or geographical center, or Fengchia Night Market.
From there, you can follow Wenhua Road as it continues northeast and then curves to the north, passing along Feng Chia University. This is the original section where the night market first began. Continue on to Point C on Lane 127, the furthest north we’ll go on this tour, and then make a circle back to where you started.
The large area between Wenhua Road and Fuxing Road, which my walking tour does a big circle around, contains many small alleys full of food stalls – don’t be afraid to go off my proposed route and further explore them. There are many hidden culinary gems to seek out!
What to Eat at Fengjia Night Market
If you follow the walking tour I’ve recommended above, then you will encounter these food stalls in roughly the following order.
Ming Lun Dan Bing (明倫蛋餅)
Danbing (蛋餅, or Taiwanese green onion egg crepes) are a common breakfast item that you can find at literally any breakfast shop across Taiwan. But who says they have to be only for breakfast?
The danbing served at Ming Lun (NT 45) are a little thicker, spongier, and sweeter than typical breakfast shop ones. They are made from scratch with fresh green onions. They come in a paper bag rather than the usual cardboard box, with your choice of house sauce, soy sauce, black pepper powder, and/or spicy sauce (choose as many as you want). The choices are posted on a board in English, so you can just point if you don’t speak Mandarin.
Ming Lun is so popular that it has two locations: one near Point B on my map and one near Point D.
Zun Pin Yuan Zhi Beef Noodle Restaurant (尊品原汁牛肉麵)
One of Taiwan’s most famous dishes is beef noodles – it was brought to Taiwan from China by KMT soldiers but the ingredients and method of preparation has evolved into its own thing over time.
In Feng Chia Night Market, the best place to try it is Zun Pin Yuan Zhi Beef Noodle Restaurant. It’s all done right here – firm but chewy noodles, tender beef, fragrant soup, and suitable sides like century egg, boiled greens, and braised pork rice (滷肉飯 or luroufan).
Takoyaki (日船章魚小丸子 – 逢甲總店)
Takoyaki is a Japanese dish of deep fried batter balls containing cabbage and a chunk of grilled octopus and topped with teriyaki sauce, sweet mayo, and your choice of toppings.
You can find Takoyaki in night markets across Taiwan, but I recommend this one, if anything, for the enormous octopus statue on top of the food stall.
It’s located right at the intersection of Fuxing and Wenhua Roads (Point D on the above map), the main intersection of Feng Chia Night Market, so it’s a good landmark.
Jiguang Fragrant Chicken (繼光香香雞 – 福星店)
Right across Wenhua Street from the Takoyaki stall is this popular Taiwanese fried chicken (炸雞, also called “Taiwanese popcorn chicken”) shop. It’s another landmark stall, thanks to the enormous statue of fried chicken nuggets being tossed into the air by a cartoonish chef adorning the outer wall.
The stall dates all the way back to 1973. Besides fried chicken, they dish out fried squid, oyster mushrooms, cuttlefish tempura, sweet potato fries, sweet potato balls, and more. Greasy and delicious, any of the above go down well with cold beer, available from the 7-Eleven a few steps away.
Taiwan King Spicy Noodles (大王麻辣乾麵)
This is a sit-down restaurant a few steps in from the main intersection (Point D). This hip restaurant with funky decorations (including some bad words in neon lights) specializes is mala (mouth numbing-spicy) noodles. Your can choose from spicy to extremely spicy, on a spicy scale of 1–5.
Noodle choices include vegetarian, pork and pickled mustard, minced pork sauce, or spicy oil, as well as spicy wontons. They range from NT 45 to 140 for a small/large bowl.
If you and your group of friends are really brave, you can try the “Noodles with sudden death hot sauce” challenge for NT 500 – complete it and they may even take a photo of you for their social media.
Tiger Sugar (老虎堂 台中逢甲店)
Tiger Sugar is one of the hottest bubble tea chains in Taiwan. You can find them everywhere, including in many night markets, but the one in Fengchia is conveniently located next to the above four food stalls, so you can pick up a bubble tea to wash down your other foods.
The drink that made this shop famous is their black sugar mochi bobo (黑糖麻糬波波), with the black sugar syrup poured in a picturesque manner down the insides of the cup before the drink is added. Variations of it include adding pearls, mousse, frothy cream cheese, and so on.
You have to try this at least once on your Taiwan trip!
Obamayo Tteokbokki (歐巴麻葯 – 辣炒年糕)
One of my favorite foods to eat at Fengchia Night Market is Korean tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes, or nian gao (年糕) in Chinese).
At this stall, you can get your tteokbokki covered in a layer of melted cheese (起司辣炒年糕), or go for the full meal deal – instant noodles, tteokbokki, and melted cheese (起司泡麵辣炒年糕).
A-Hua’s Black Wheel Oden (阿華黑輪 – 總店)
Oden is another Japanese-inspired dish common in Taiwan, including in most 7-Elevens, where it is called guandong zhu (關東煮). It consists of various sticks of meat, veggies, tofu, fish cakes and so on, slowly stewed in a fragrant bonito broth.
At A-Hua’s stall, you help yourself to whichever you want, along with some soup in your bowl, and they’ll ring it up. There’s also peanut satay sauce for dipping. The stall is popular, but some guests complain about the unenthusiastic service – its all about the food, not smiles here.
Seaside Republic (海邊小屋)
This small but popular food stall does grilled prawns, but what you really come for its their cute, whale-shaped to-go boxes of small clams (蛤蜊). One whale goes for NT 85.
There are four flavor choices available: Sea Flavor (大海原味), Black Pepper (濃厚系黑胡椒), Garlic (大片黑蒜), or Ginger (御百邪老薑). These small clams are ubiquitous in Taiwan – they won’t fill you up by any means (more room in your tummy to try other things), but they are miniature flavor bombs.
Yu Pin-Yuan Binghuo Tangyuan (御品元冰火湯圓-台中逢甲店)
For something sweet and special at Fengchia Night Market, try these dessert shop. Their specialty is binghuo tangyuan. Binghuo (冰火) means “iced fire” while tangyuan (湯圓) are little chewy balls or glutinous rice associated with the Lantern Festival in Taiwan.
This dish is essential hot gooey tangyuan served atop shaved ice. Here, they served it with sweet osmanthus flower honey and lemon juice, and you can add more as you wish.
Besides this hot-meets-cold dish, the shop has several other variations (NT 70-120), such as black sesame tangyuan with wine vinegar, peanut tangyuan with sweet osmanthus honey, and more. There’s an English menu and a few chairs inside.
This spot is the furthest north we will go on our walking tour before circling back toward the main intersection.
Guan Zhi-lin’s Rice Sausage Stuffed with Sausage (官芝霖大腸包小腸)
The name might sound weird, but it makes sense when you see it. A “Rice Sausage Stuffed with Sausage” is exactly what it sounds like. They take a thick sausage made of rice, slice it open, and put a normal grilled Taiwanese sausage inside of it. Like a sausage in a bun of rice!
You can find this dish in night markets across Taiwan, but locals seem to love the ones served here (NT 55). You can choose original (原味) which comes with peanut powder, egg, pickled mustard, and cucumber, little/medium/majorly spicy (小辣/中辣/大辣), wasabi flavor (芥末), garlic (蒜味), or black pepper flavor (黑胡椒).
Yixin Vegetarian Stinky Tofu (一心素食臭豆腐)
It is a rather surprising fact that a lot of the stinky tofu served in Taiwan is actually not vegetarian. They often use small amounts of meat or animal fat to kickstart the fermentation process.
For vegetarians, though, you can luckily try this guaranteed vegetarian version (NT 50) at Yixin Vegetarian Stinky Tofu. The cubes of fried tofu here are extra crispy and served with pickled cabbage and julienned cucumber.
They also serve vegetarian mian xian (vermicelli stew or ‘mee sua’ in the Taiwanese language), which is another godsend, as this delicious dish usually has intestines and a meaty base. It’s only NT40 for a small bowl.
That will bring you full circle back to the center of Fengchia Night Market! I’ve only just scratched the surface here. There are literally hundreds of other things to eat in Feng Chia Night Market, but I hope this guide provides a good starting point for food tour!
