Hsinchu and Chen-Huang Temple Night Market

Hello everyone!

One evening, we decided to go to Hsinchu, a harbor near where we were staying, and this is where I got to experience my very first Night Market!  =D

The first thing that greeted us when we got there, funnily enough, was this SpongeBob kite thing happily floating about in the warm evening breeze.

Once in awhile though, he would come down just enough to be caught momentarily by many tiny hands from below before floating up and out of their reach again.

I'm not sure if kite flying is an everyday thing at Hsinchu, but we sure did love seeing it all that day  =)

We left the kites behind to walk around the park and the harbor a little bit before the night markets began.  Look at these charming little bike/carriage thing! so cute!  we'll have to go back someday to ride one  ;)

Our walk by the harbor was so peaceful, and I had fun trying to learn different Chinese characters along the way, but that... is going to take awhile  haha

We also saw these dragon boats parked in the harbor because that weekend was the weekend of the Dragon Boat festival!  We went to watch the race the day after, and I'm so glad we got to experience it  =)  For now though, the boats were just floating peacefully, perhaps getting ready for their big day the day after!  

After walking around for a bit, we left the peaceful harbor behind and moved to a busier section of the park.

The park was full of life with couples and families enjoying the night, and though it was so, so, soo hot, it was really fun to be a part of it all  =)

haha look at this adorable little one who apparently didn't appreciate the loud music

On the other side of the park was where the bulk of the night market was happening, and it was full of so many new sights, smells, and sounds for me!

The star of the night?  the Stinky Tofu!  

It was one of the 'must-eat' items, and though I was a bit apprehensive about trying it--I mean, with the name like that, who wouldn't, right?) but it was really good!  and not too stinky  =)

After having had our fill there, we decided to go visit another night market at the Chen-Huang Temple.  This night market was inside/right next to a temple, so I think that's why there were these people in City God costumes performing in it.

This night market was so much busier than the one by the harbor, and there were soo many different foods!  I would name them all if I knew, but since I don't, I'm afraid the pictures are all I can offer. drool/wonder away  =)

this is a fried oyster dish called Oy-ah Jeng, and it was like nothing I've tasted before, and quite yummy!

so yeah... I'm sure you can see the pattern here; our Taiwan trip was basically eating, eating, and more eating.  and we would have it no other way!  ;)

Thanks for stopping by, and talk to you soon!

--Janny