Culinary Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

doi:10.6702/ijbi.2013.8.2.4
International Journal of Business and Information, 8(2), 2013

作者/Author： Chiung-Tzu Lucetta Tsai

頁數/Page： 247-266
出版日期/Publication Date：2013/12
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 Tsai 247

Culinary Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Chiung-Tzu Lucetta Tsai

National Taipei University, Taiwan
E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the culinary landscape of Taiwan by examining three of

its most popular night markets with regard to three factors: (1) the role that
food plays in the activities of foreign visitors traveling to their destinations; (2)
the relationship between food and destination image; and (3) the connection
between food and cultural performance. Structured, half-structured, and
unstructured interviews were conducted with foreign tourists from North
America and Europe (i.e., Canada, the United States of America, the United
Kingdom, Germany, and France), who visited the three night markets. Results of
showed that Taiwanese night markets are ranked first on the itinerary of foreign
visitors, ahead of even the National Palace Museum, and that most of the visitors
went to a night market to “experience the culture and taste the food,” or “eat
cheap and tasty food.” Most also agreed that night markets could be a critical
element in destination image. Others stated that “gastronomy plays a big role in
defining culture,” in that, when one likes the food, one might also like the culture.
From this study, it is clear that, for most foreign visitors, the moment to enjoy
food is also the moment to experience the culture of a night market. Results also
showed that shopping at a night market could increase interpersonal interaction
and thus enhance the relationship between local people and tourists. Given the
popularity of local Taiwanese dishes among foreign visitors, it was also
concluded that these dishes are the best way to publicize Taiwanese culture and
customs. Since very few studies have focused on these issues, this study makes
both theoretical and managerial contributions to the understanding of culinary
tourism, particularly within the Taiwanese context.

Keywords: Culinary tourism, cultural image, night market, Taiwan

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248 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

1. INTRODUCTION
As a result of the way urban development has occurred in many Asian cities,
the business environment of night markets has become closely connected to
people’s lives in those cities. Night markets are part of Taiwanese night life and a
tradition that deserves preservation. These markets were originally places where
vendors gathered informally, but they gradually developed into special business
areas and cultural spaces providing landscapes for unusual consumer behavior.
They played a key role in starting and continuing socio-economic development in
Taiwan. Although night markets exist in other Asian countries, such as Hong
Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan, those in Taiwan stand apart
because of their historic, social, and economic meaning [Silver, 2000; Tsai et al.,
2002] and because they so accurately reflect the special style of night life in
Taiwan. From the economic point of view, night markets belong to the “informal
economy” and thus directly reflect the socio-economic phenomena of the time
[Hwang, 2000; Lee, 2001]. In many Asian countries, they have become
important places of social and recreational activities. In addition to providing
basic necessities of life, night markets offer an important venue for leisure
activities, thus attracting tourists as well [Guo, 2002]. In this way, they have
become a crucial index of both local culture and tourism. In Taiwan, night
markets have become popular tourist spots because of social change and the
government’s “local industry development” initiative [Yu and Chou, 2004].
In recent history, night markets have transitioned from suburban to city
locales. Although the sale of necessities such as food and clothing is central to
the preservation of Taiwanese culture, night markets have added other
merchandise to diversify inventory and attract consumers [Yang, 2000]. These
additions include, for example, games (shooting, fishing, video games), services
(massage) and performances (snake fighting, magic shows). In recent years,
many night markets have become “internationalized” tourist sites through
government campaigns and assistance. Examples include the Shihlin, Huaxi,
Fengchia, and Liuhe night markets, which attract not only local and regional
customers, but also business visitors from other countries.
According to a survey of expenditures and destinations of foreign visitors in
2007, the most frequently cited reasons for visiting Taiwan, in rank order, were:
Scenery and view
Cuisine
Customs
Distance to residence

International Journal of Business and Information

 Tsai 249

Heritage
According to the same survey, the most popular destinations in Taiwan for
foreign visitors were:
Night markets 62.72%
National Palace Museum 44.88
Taipei 101 36.68

Night markets are clearly a cultural symbol as well as a product of the

transformation of traditional Taiwanese society and life style [Zhan and Huang,
2002]. For most people, the mere mention of night markets brings to mind the
seemingly endless crowds and the huge variety of local cuisine on hand. These
facts prompted the following research questions involving four components –
food, destination, image, and cultural performance (Figure I):
 What is the role of food for visitors traveling to their destinations?
 What is the relationship between food and destination image?
 What is the connection between food and cultural performance?

Q
1

Figure I. The Study Model

This study was conducted at three tourist night markets in northern Taiwan;
namely, Shihlin, Keelung Miaokou, and Shida. Participant observation and
personal interviews were the main methods of collecting data. Since the purpose
of this study is to understand the dynamics of what was happening in social

Volume 8, Number 2, December 2013 F

i
g
u
250 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

situations involving the night markets, tourists, and tourist destinations, it can be
argued that participant observation would be the most appropriate tool to
discover “what is going on” [Saunders et al., 2009]. Personal interviews were
beneficial in understanding the perception and attitudes of foreign visitors.
Cultural elements associated with night markets were also expected to be of
benefit to this study.
The study focuses on observation of travelers’ perceptions toward culinary
tourism and the role of food in cultural destinations. Since very few studies
have focused on this particular subject, the current study makes two major
contributions to the understanding of tourism. First, the theoretical contribution
of this study enriches the body of knowledge on culinary tourism by identifying
the actual experiences of travelers and by improving understanding of travelers’
behavior toward destination image and cultural performances associated with
culinary tourism. Second, the managerial contribution of the study will assist
hospitality and tourism managers in developing a more comprehensive and
effective strategic marketing plan.
The remainder of this study is organized in the following manner. Section
2 is a review of literature on the fundamental concepts of culinary tourism. The
section thoroughly examines the role of food, the importance of food and dining
experiences in travel, and the connection between destination and food in terms
of image and cultural performance. Section 3 explains the research methodology
used in this study. Section 4 discusses research findings pertaining to three night
markets in Taipei and the development of culinary tourism and night markets in
northern Taiwan. Section 5 presents conclusions and recommendations for
future research.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
In 2009, food and dining consumption in Canada during holidays ranked
second in tourist expenditures (Kim et al., 2009). In England, an in-depth study
of the tourist food market conducted by Enteleca Research and Consultancy
[2000] revealed that 72% of tourists to that country were interested in local food
during their visit. Other recent research indicated that tourists spend about 40%
of their budget on food during their journeys in Scotland [Boyne et al., 2002].
According to Pomero [2005], culinary tourism in Australia and Canada generated
$1 billion annually and could generate as much as $7.2 billion by 2010. These
statistics portray food as an important element to tourists traveling to their
destinations and as a key contributor to local economies [Telfer and Wall, 2000].

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 Tsai 251

With these statistics in mind, more and more destinations have recognized
the potential of culinary tourism and have used it as a marketing tool [Hjalager
and Richards, 2002]. For example, Hong Kong and Singapore are two ambitious
destinations that focus on cuisine when promoting tourism [Okumus et al., 2007].
On its tourism website, Hong Kong provides detailed information on all types of
foods and dining places for visitors to explore. It touts itself as “the culinary
capital of Asia” [Hong Kong Tourism Board, 2010]. In similar fashion,
Singapore aims to become one of the most compelling dining destinations in Asia
[Singapore Tourism Board, 2010]. France and Italy, known for their traditional
cuisines, have long emphasized food and dining as core elements of tourism
[Boyne et al., 2002]. More food-related elements – such as food and wine routes
and gastronomic packages – emerge as peak experiences for travelers [Quan and
Wang, 2004]. Clearly, these countries and others as well have come to realize
that cuisine has the potential to generate enormous amounts of income and have
therefore increased emphasis on food in their marketing.
Hospitality and tourism studies reveal that local foods play an important
role in introducing a destination to tourists [Field, 2002; Ryu and Jang, 2006].
Previous studies have examined different aspects of food; for example:
 Food tourism as one element of destination marketing [Horng and
Tsai, 2010]
 Food as a determinant of destination image [Hjalager and Corigliano,
2000]
 Attractions and impediments of local foods [Cohen and Avieli, 2004]
 Food as an initiative in regional development [Boyne et al., 2003’
 Tourist motivations relating to food [Kim et al., 2010]
 The relationship between food consumption and dining experiences
[Hall and Sharples, 2003; Quan and Wang, 2004; Kivela and Crotts,
2006; Chang et al., 2010]
These studies show that food is widely recognized as an important factor in
tourism, but its specific role is not always clearly defined. The major problem is
that its role is argued from divergent opinions rather than from established
concepts. For instance, Quan and Wang [2004] argued that food could be the
peak experience for travelers, whereas Murphy et al. [2000] contended that food
is only a part of service infrastructure and must be combined with other elements
to form an overall tourist experience. Kivela and Crotts [2006] stated that food
can serve as a sensory experience to increase satisfaction, whereas Cohen and

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252 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Avieli [2004] argued that food can be both an attraction and an impediment for
tourists. In short, the role of food in tourism studies is one of divergence, calling
for an integration of various viewpoints. In the current study, tourist night
markets are examined as one part of the destination image of Taiwan. One of the
goals of the study is to fill the gap between night markets and tourism by
exploring the multiple roles of food with regard to destination image and cultural
performance.

2.1. Condition of the Contemporary Tourism Industry in Taiwan

Except for 2003 when the SARS crisis resulted in a negative growth in the
number of visitors, the tourism industry in Taiwan has shown positive growth in
recent years. By implementing tourism campaigns such as the “Tourists
Doubling Plan” in 2008 and the “Year of the Tourist” in 2012, the government
proposes that Taiwan could become one of the most important tourist
destinations in Asia. In 2007, visitor arrivals totaled 3.38 million; in 2008, 3.52
million; and, in 2009, 3.72 million (Table 1). The annual growth rate for visitor
arrivals was 14.5%, 4.19%, and 5.58%, respectively, for the three years. The
2008 Olympics in Beijing attracted many visitors to Taiwan because of its
convenient location and effective security measures. Throughout the period, the
willingness of tourists to make future visits remained high, and the tourism
foreign exchange rate accounted for 1.4% of GDP [Statistics of Visitor
Expenditures, 2010]. Because of this success, the government announced that
2010 would be the “Year for Traveling,” continuing into 2011. Despite these
many successes, some think that there is still room for improvement in the
tourism industry.
As shown in Table 2, the main reason for foreign visits to Taiwan was for
travel, and the next was for business. In recent years, the rate of visits for travel
purposes increased. The important issue now is how to use the tourism industry
to attract even more foreign visitors.
Implementation of policies pertaining to three direct links across the Taiwan
Straits, which opened the door for Chinese visitors, put investors and direct
transportation in the spotlight. Direct transportation not only saved transit time,
but also saved transport costs for businesses and shortened entry time into
markets. Opening the door to Chinese visitors has the potential to generate
massive new business, and is thus an increasingly important issue for tourism and
related industries in Taiwan.

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 Tsai 253

Table 1
Related Index of Visitor Arrivals in Taiwan, 2009-2011

Index 2009 2010 2011

Visitor arrivals 3.72 3.97 4.11

(million persons-time)
Foreign exchange income from tourism 5.214 5.436 5.714
(billion U.S. dollars)
Satisfaction of visitor arrivals 89% 90% 92%

Willingness to make a future visit 98% 98% 99%

Source: Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, statistics on

visitor expenditures, 2012

Table 2
Statistics of Visitor Arrivals in Taiwan by Purpose of Visit, 2009-2011
(Unit: %)

Year For Business For Travel

2009 25.76 44.60

2010 24.79 45.71

2011 23.15 46.86

Source: Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communication,

statistics on visitor arrivals by purpose of visit, 2009-2011

According to statistics from the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation

and Communication, the major elements attracting visitors to Taiwan in 2010
were scenery, cuisine, customs and cultures, distance from residence, and
historical buildings, in that order (Table 3). For visitors from Japan, Hong Kong,
and Macau, however, cuisine (not scenery) was the main reason for visiting
Taiwan. These data confirm that Taiwan’s scenery and cuisine are highly
attractive to foreign visitors.

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254 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Table 3
Reasons for Visitor Arrivals in Taiwan in 2010
(Unit: person-time / hundred persons-time)

Country Scenery Cuisine Culture / Distance Historic Fruits Prices Weath

& Views Customs Bldgs. -her

Japan 37.63 51.81 9.57 38.01 14.62 11.74 7.69 10.85

China 71.59 13.13 45.93 2.77 14.22 10.68 2.45 2.73

HK & Macau 57.67 77.83 20.19 16.45 8.76 15.18 23.90 10.03

Singapore 62.99 57.71 19.26 10.62 7.70 11.08 16.82 8.65

Korea 61.91 15.77 28.60 6.63 6.60 7.71 3.65 4.77

Malaysia 72.91 52.28 27.13 8.43 14.20 17.44 12.89 10.97

America 69.58 45.24 43.51 2.65 20.88 8.72 13.90 6.09

Europe 73.69 47.39 40.38 5.30 15.80 8.79 3.50 14.04

Australia & 73.69 44.76 21.08 5.30 15.80 7.91 13.15 -

New Zealand
Total 54.79 49.60 21.78 20.25 12.48 12.02 11.20 9.06

Note: Questions had multiple-choice answers. A dash (--) indicates no sampling was done for the survey.

Source: Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, statistics on visitor expenditures,
2011

For foreign visitors who came to Taiwan in 2010 for pleasure, the places
they most wanted to visit were night markets, the National Palace Museum, and
C.K.S. Memorial Hall, in that order (Table 4). For those who came for business,
the places they most wanted to visit were night markets, Taipei 101, and the
National Palace Museum, in that order. The most visited night markets in 2010
were, first, the Shihlin night market and, second, the Liuhe night market in
Kaohsiung [Tourism Bureau, 2011].

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 Tsai 255

Table 4
Ranking of Desirable Tourist Spots in Taiwan in 2010
(Unit: persons/ hundred persons-times)

Ranking Tourist Spot Times Ranking Tourist Spot Times

1 Night 62.27 6 Ximen 21.24

Markets District
2 National Palace 44.12 7 Joufen 19.01
Museum
3 Taipei 101 39.92 8 Longshan 18.62
Temple
4 C.K.S. Memorial 35.01 9 Damsui 15.21
Hall

5 Taipei Martyrs’ 27.44 10 Taroko 14.01

Shrine Gorge
Note: ‘The main visiting spots’ were multiple choices.
Source: Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communication, statistics on visitor
expenditures, 2011

Taiwanese night markets are highly attractive to foreign visitors – both

those who come for travel and those who come for business – because of the
markets’ unusual history, culture, and customs. No wonder foreign visitors listed
night markets first on their itinerary, ahead of even the National Palace Museum.

2.2. Value of Night Markets

Shopping in night markets not only satisfies people’s tastes, but also meets
their leisure and social needs. Because night markets are everywhere in Taiwan,
the Taiwanese consider them as a type of dining culture. Most Taiwanese go to
night markets just to taste local specialty dishes, but foreign visitors go there to
shop as part of an exotic cuisine trip with cultural profundity. Many tourists,
therefore, put night markets at the top of their itinerary. They visit the markets
to experience a blend of cultural and culinary elements. Yu et al. [2004] pointed
out that night markets grew rapidly after the 1960s, when small-capital and
labor-oriented manufacturing began. During the oil crisis of the mid-1970s, the
high volume of returned orders caused night markets to become sales centers of
cut orders and low-priced products. Today, night markets are still the place where
export manufacturers sell goods whose quality makes them unsuitable for export.

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256 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

A night market is an open, crowded space within city landscapes, which

provides an intimate place for people to meet, date, and participate in informal
social functions and for local vendors and enterprises to engage in business.
Clustered within the typical night market are a large number of shops and
floating vendors that are in operation between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. This cluster of
shops and vendors is a long-term, time-fixed, and large-scale venue for business
activities [Wang, 2007]. A vendors’ night market, on the other hand, operates in
the evening hours and is semi-fixed, appearing only at a specific time and place.
Historically, floating vendors gave rise to the establishment of night markets.
Because of poor traffic conditions in an agricultural society and poverty due to
the lack of goods and materials, floating vendors gathered in certain places and at
specific times to “yell and sell” their products. The floating vendor is typically a
one-man business offering a limited amount of goods at low cost in an outdoor
public space. The typical floating vendor owns light equipment that can be used
to move to another site. Both night markets and floating vendors have long been
considered reasonable forms of sales in Taiwan and are now an essential part of
daily life in Taiwanese culture.
According to statistics on visitor expenditures [Tourism Bureau, 2011], the
main activities in which visitors engage are, in rank order:
Tasting Chinese cuisine 81.9%
Shopping 68.4
Window shopping 41.5
Attending a cultural performance 37.1

Although night markets exemplify positive historical, cultural, social,

economic, and financial meaning, they also embody certain hidden, negative
effects on society that need to be investigated and improved. These negatives
include, for example, food hygiene, noise, and traffic jams. The Department of
Commerce, Ministry of Economic Affairs, which oversees night markets in
Taiwan, invests the best human and financial resources to guide and assist tourist
night markets in planning, designing, lighting, and space distribution. Despite the
negatives, business activities attracted to night markets create a win-win situation
for consumers, owners, and nearby shops. The economic benefits and the social
and economic value of foreign tourists, therefore, should not be overlooked
[Hjalager and Corigliano, 2000], or underestimated.
The value of night markets includes not only economic benefits in the form
of income generated, but also cultural and social benefits [Zhan and Huang,

International Journal of Business and Information

 Tsai 257

2002]. A report on economic affairs in Taiwan indicates that up to 70% of people

agree that night markets have a recreational function. They not only showcase the
culture and customs of a country or an area, but also reflect the traditional
character of these places. Because night markets provide consumers with more
types of products than a traditional shop, market, or department store, it is easier
for them to satisfy the diversified needs of customers. In the opinion of most
customers, however, products sold in night markets should be low priced, a fact
that encourages flexibility in bargaining. Through this type of interaction,
vendors exchange emotions with consumers who realize their needs and wants
for improvement, innovation, and more product information.

2.3. Experiential Marketing

Contemporary marketing has transitioned from traditional approaches that
emphasize the function and effect of products to new approaches that shape
sensory experience and thought identification. Goad [2000] and Steintrager [2001]
have discussed how one circumstance/one experience can fascinate customers
and engage their senses. A representative example is the marketing approach
used by Starbucks. When a person enters the artistic space of a Starbucks store,
the smell of coffee envelopes his or her senses. Sales personnel inquire about the
customer’s needs in a friendly manner and, at the same time, eagerly promote
new products and trial offers in a congenial, knowledgeable way. For Starbucks,
the operating strategy is one of experience marketing.
Holbrook [2000] confirmed that, whereas marketing previously focused on
the function and effect of a product, today it focuses on sensory experience,
entertainment, exhibitionism, and evangelism. Sensory experience derives from
a practical connection between the consumer and the product. The approach of
today’s marketing, therefore, differs from that of traditional marketing, which
was based on a rational model to make decisions. By contrast, the
contemporary approach depends on a complete and consuming experience
process that can be evaluated using both rational and emotional aspects
[Holbrook, 2000; Yang, 2000; Olsen, 2001]. Kim et al. [2010] applied concepts
from psychological modules to describe five types of experience as strategic
experiential modules (SEMs): sense, feel, think, act, and relate (Table 5).

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258 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Table 5
Strategic Experiential Modules (SEMs) for Experience Types

Experiential Demanding Goal Demanding Way

Modules
Sense To create a strike To create a strike against sense; through senses of
against sense; increase vision, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touch to
added value complete modules of stimulate, process, and result

Feel To stir up inner To understand which stimulant stirs consumption

feelings and emotions and makes consumers participate actively; includes
connections between brand, positive emotion, joy,
and pride
Think To excite individuals to Through surprise, to excite interest, stimulate
think, participate, and focus ,and separate thinking
transfer stereotypes

Act To emphasize By adding body experiences to indicate substitution,

experience of body substitute lifestyle, and enrich the consumer’s life
movements and
connect to the lifestyle
of the consumer
Relate To relate the individual To relate brand with socio-culture and environment
with ideal ego, others, and influence potential members
or socio-culture

3. METHODOLOGY
The interviews conducted as part of this study were designed (1) to elicit
remarks from foreign visitors about their image of the food in night markets; and
(2) to identify the most attractive elements of those markets, which could then be
used to integrate marketing and communication in such a way as to draw even
more visitors and elevate the status of Taiwanese food. The first step in the
process was to define the consumer behavior of foreign visitors in Taiwanese
night markets and to ascertain their feelings and overall impressions about their
dining experiences. The data from these efforts were collated using five
experiential modules: sense, feel, think, act, and relate.
The second step was to generalize the most attractive foods in Taiwanese
night markets from the perspective of tourists of various nationalities. This step
was accomplished using a detailed literature review, which also helped clarify

International Journal of Business and Information

 Tsai 259

related concepts, articulate the research structure, and provide an outline for the
interviews.
Instead of using a questionnaire survey to collect data on the consumer
behaviors of foreign tourists in Taiwanese night markets, this study chose instead
to conduct personal interviews regarding their images and experiences. Using a
blocked or half-blocked questionnaire would collect only superficial statistics,
whereas a qualitative face-to-face interview would enable foreign visitors to
describe, in their own words, deeper and more detailed accounts of their
emotions and experiences regarding night markets, their main reason for visiting
a night market, and whether food was an important factor in their decision.
The qualitative interviews conducted in this study were of three types:
structured, half-structured, and non-structured. In the structured interviews,
questions were classified into groups and asked in sequence, generally eliciting a
narrow or restricted viewpoint. At the other extreme, the non-structured
interviews elicited broad, random, or superficial remarks. The half-structured
interviews – midway between the other two types – followed a set outline, but
permitted the free expression of opinions, thus eliciting a deeper, more diverse
response.
The interview subjects in this study comprised a sample of 23 foreign
visitors who had been to the night market at Shihlin, Keelung Miaokou, or Shida.
The three markets have different characteristics. The night market at Shihlin,
for example, is a must-see attraction for Japanese visitors; the market at Keelung
Miaokou is known for its diversified Taiwanese cuisine; and the market at Shida
is situated close to universities and thus attracts foreign teachers and international
students. The sample of interview subjects included visitors primarily from North
America and Europe; that is, Canada, the United States of America, the United
Kingdom, Germany, and France. The sample was divided into two categories:
foreign residents (those staying for more than three months) and foreign visitors
(those staying for three months or less).

4. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The literature review and personal interviews conducted during this study
produced results of both a theoretical and practical nature with regard to the
cultural images of night markets and their service quality. Such findings
provide a solid basis for making specific suggestions to the tourism and
recreation industries. Furthermore, the diversified methods used to collect and
analyze data provided a deeper understanding of night markets, which will be of

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260 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

great benefit to the government in ensuring good service within the tourism
industry as it relates to night markets and in distributing resources in such a way
as to benefit the tourism industry.
This section presents a sample of comments made by interview subjects
with regard to the cultural images of night markets, the role of cuisine in such
markets, and the service quality of the markets themselves.
A Canadian male respondent described his night market experiences in
Taiwan as follows:
Traveling is the main purpose of my visit to Taiwan. I came here and fell in
love with the people and the food. Of course, I have been to many night
markets in Taiwan. I visit the night markets in Taiwan around once a week
to eat cheap and tasty food. What I like most in the night markets are the
variety of foods and drinks … cheap prices. My average spending in the
night market each time is around USD. 20-30. Even though I like visiting
night markets here, I must mention that there is a major turn-off about night
markets and it’s the trash it creates. It’s really dirty and there is trash all
over the place. It’s a problem that needs to be taken care off.

A British respondent described her Taiwanese night market experiences in

this way:
I have a lot of dining experiences in the night market after coming to
Taiwan. In the UK we do not have such a place for eating and drinking, so I
feel this is a unique type of leisure provision. When I was in Scotland, I
lived in a small village and basically going out at night [was] a problem.
Now that I live in the city and teach English in the kindergarten near the
Shida night market, I feel I have a decent life, so in my spare time I stroll in
the Shida night market, enjoying shopping and learning Taiwanese culture.
I like to taste Taiwan’s food, but most of the time the menus are not well
introduced in English. I hope the shop owners can provide an English menu,
letting me know more about Taiwan.

Culinary tourism is a critical factor in shaping destination image and

differentiating among competitors, as reflected in the following comments by a
French female respondent:
To describe the relationship between the food and the night market image,
you can’t think of the night market without the food … I have stayed in
Taiwan for 2 months and never bought anything there but food. To me, I go

International Journal of Business and Information

 Tsai 261

there for food only. I like Asian food a lot … all kinds (Chinese, Taiwan,
Hong Kong, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, etc…). I come to the night
market to experience the culture and taste the food. The first time I went to
the night market, it was a culture shock. Then when I returned, it was to
experience more of the culture … then I got more and more into the different
types of foods and drinks … Now, I am part of the culture and go there for
the food! Also, I need to mention, the other reason I go to the night market is
that most neighborhood restaurants close too early, so, when it’s late … the
best place is the night market.

A foreign visitor’s focus on food relates not only to the physical need for
nourishment, but also to the desire to try interesting local cuisine in an
appropriate environment [Hjalager and Corigliano, 2000]. An American female
respondent stated, for example:
I have traveled to Taiwan three times already. My husband and I like high
mountains and food in Taiwan and therefore we climb Mount Jade [the
highest mountain in Taiwan, at 3,997 meters] every year. Before and after
our mountain hiking, we must go to the night market to refill our energy. We
go there with our Taiwanese friends who also like night markets very much.
In my hometown in Texas, we do not have this kind of place for leisure at
night, so this is a big difference.

It can be argued that impressive cuisine makes a visit extraordinary. The

more senses that a tourist applies, the more memorable the journey will be and
the more attractive the destination will be in comparison with other places. This
intimate relationship between food and the tourism industry is reflected in the
following comments by a Czech male respondent:
I used to go every other day. What do I do in these night markets? Food
consumption, and sometimes buy the cheap socks. The food is what I like
most in the night markets. However, the more delicious food is not a healthy
option. I usually spend between USD 10-20 in the Shihlin night market. I
buy different kinds of foods and drinks. The role of food is the most
important part for me when I visit these night markets. The food is basically
everything to me in regard to night markets. I like Asian food quite a lot.
There definitely is a reciprocal link between the gastronomy and culture of a
region. Gastronomy plays a big role in defining a culture. I go to night
markets to experience both of the culture and the food.

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262 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Unlike other tourism products, food allows tourists to use all five senses:
sight, hearing, smell, taste, and feel [Kim et al., 2010]. In this way, it differs
from tourism products that aim to satisfy a single need, such as mass
transportation. A South African female respondent put it this way:
As a foreigner living and working in Taiwan, I would like to gain more
leisure time to visit the Miaokou night market. I am not willing to spend
more money and time in high-end department stores, but would like to go to
the night markets to enjoy. I hope more open space can be vacated in the
night markets because it’s too crowded, especially on weekends. I nearly
cannot breathe and get fresh air if I choose to visit on Saturday night.
Furthermore, I hope more cultural shows and performances can be
presented there because so many foreigners go there to study Taiwan culture.
I truly hope more funding to set up a tourist information and management
counseling center in the Miaokou night market. Most important of all, the
toilet facilities need to be improved.

A British male respondent described his night market experiences in a

similar fashion:
The role of food is important for me when I visit these night markets. It’s
something I thought about when [I]describe the relationship between the
food and the night market image. I love Indian food. I'm also very keen on
Chinese food. You cannot appreciate and even love another culture without
liking its food. I would go to a night market just to try the food.

Night markets consist of vendors and shops situated along the street, most of
which are open mainly at night since there is much greater activity in the evening
than in the morning. In the vendor clusters at night, everything is sold with an air
of friendliness, convenience, and family orientation. The cultural character of
night markets in Taiwan provides the best context for foreign tourists to
experience Taiwanese culture and customs and to taste traditional Chinese food.
An Australian male respondent, however, expressed a view to the contrary:
I do not enjoy going to the night market. If you have a chance to visit the
night market, you will find all the vendors selling very similar types of food.
They look all the same to me, and I cannot tell the ingredients. All the
vendors are very friendly but cannot speak English. The whole place is very
noisy, and some [people] ride scooters in the pedestrian area. They do not

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 Tsai 263

care about tourists and do not realize it’s a threat to pedestrians. You cannot
walk in relaxation and it’s not comfortable at all. However, this is also part
of the culture. I feel the atmosphere does not suit me best. I am not supposed
to come to this type of place. It’s better to go somewhere more hygienic and
clean. Although people say this is the best place to [learn more about] the
food culture, I might just enjoy a fast food restaurant nearby.

5. CONCLUSIONS
In summary, night markets are informal, highly mobile organizations that
operate mainly at night, generally from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., and feature a wide
variety of products and prices in a casual atmosphere [Xiao, 2002]. Telfer and
Wall [2000] described all night markets as having two characteristics in common:
(1) they comprise shops and vendors situated along a street in an outdoor public
space; and (2) they operate primarily at night.
Some Taiwanese consider night markets in general a good place to satisfy
their hunger, whereas others are more selective, preferring to consume different
cuisines in different markets, such as the double sausage at the Shihlin night
market, the stew at the Shida night market, or the frost-ice at the Miaokou night
market. For most people, the moment to enjoy food is also the moment to
experience the culture of a night market through the five senses (seeing, hearing,
tasting, smelling, and feeling). A person’s feelings, however, can be affected both
positively and negatively by certain external stimuli, producing feelings of like or
dislike, satisfaction or non-satisfaction. Emotions evoked by local culture and
customs stimulate the curiosity of visitors and prompt them to think. Meanings
ascribed to various Taiwanese dishes and the legends surrounding them have
made the dishes famous for several decades. Two examples are the story of the
origin of the Changhua meat ball and the legend of the Tainan eel noodle.
Whether experiences at night markets influence the lifestyle of foreign
visitors depends on the individual visitor. Some may think about similar or
different cultures in their own hometowns or feel led to examine their own
lifestyle in light of their experiences in Taiwanese night markets. Others who
ponder the originality of the night market concept may think of something that
could be done that has not yet been implemented. Still others may experience
improved relationships as a result of shopping in a night market, where they get
to know the owners better and have the opportunity to interact more frequently
with other customers.

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264 Cultural Tourism and Night Markets in Taiwan

Prior research on night markets focused primarily on the business angle, but
the current study focused instead on the attractiveness of Taiwanese night
markets to foreign visitors, who place such markets at the top of their itinerary. It
is a fact that the Chinese, who consider food as one of the most important things
in the world, have developed complex, diversified culinary styles. Similarly,
local Taiwanese cuisine available at all night markets includes not only
traditional dishes but also exotic ones. Foreign visitors respond to Taiwanese
cuisine in different ways, depending on their background and their own customs
and cooking styles. Since local Taiwanese dishes are the most attractive feature
of these markets, enabling foreigners to better understand local customs, these
dishes are the best way to publicize Taiwanese culture.
Given the fact that local cuisine is the major motivation for foreign visitors
to patronize a night market, this study examined which dish was the most
popular food at night markets. According to a 2007 study published in Global
Vision Magazine, the most popular foods of the Taiwanese in night markets, in
rank order, were oyster omelette, tapioca milk tea, meatballs, rice dumplings,
Taiwanese noodle soup, rice with sliced meat, special herbal soup, rice noodle
soup, thick squid soup, and stinky tofu. Since foreign visitors have a different
cultural background and culinary tradition, their preferences may differ. That is
why this study interviewed foreign visitors to ascertain not only their favorite
local cuisine, but also the extent to which Taiwanese food enhanced their
understanding of Taiwanese culture. The results are presented in the tables and
figures shown earlier in this paper.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chiung-Tzu Lucetta Tsai is an associate professor of leisure and sport

management in the Business School Department of National Taipei University in
Taiwan. She is also president of the Taiwan Leisure Association, an interim board
member of the World Leisure Organization Commission on Women and Gender,
and a member of the board of directors of the World Leisure Organization.

International Journal of Business and Information