While in the resort town of Kenting, we checked out the beach and went zorbing. At night, we headed to the local night market along Kenting Road (墾丁路 / ken ding lu).
The Kenting Night Market (墾丁大街夜市 / ken ding da jie ye shi) is fairly unique in terms of the night markets that I’ve visited in Taiwan. The night market has some of that resort-area flair with a higher than normal concentration of alcoholic offerings, beachwear, and frozen delicacies.
The beginning of the night market looks pretty standard with stalls lining both sides of the street. As you proceed east, hotels and bars lining the street add to the festive atmosphere with loud music and neon signs.
Some of the bars extend right into the street, giving market-goers easy access to a quick drink.
One of the more interesting things that I saw was a packaged Jello shot. The shot wasn’t too strong, but it was a unique way to get our drink on.
Further down the street there was a stand that had beautifully displayed fruit bars.
The bars are positions in a freezer almost as if they were in a vending machine.
When you get the fruit bar, they place it in a cup for easier eating and less dripping.
Being a coastal town, there is a lot of seafood to try out here. There are not only a bunch of seafood stalls but a lot of seafood restaurants along the night market path.
There are also some of the more popular restaurants around like Hong Bang.
This larger than life statue was surprising to come across. It totally fits the feel of Kenting though.
This toy was so interesting. Little did I know that this toy would become so popular in the US.
Before we strolled back to the car, we picked up some stinky tofu (臭豆腐 / cho dou fu). There were four different flavors including black sesame all paired with some pickled cabbage (泡菜 / pao cai).
Whereas so many of the night markets begin to feel the same, Kenting stands out for its nice blending of beach and night market cultures. It’s both hip and laid back at the same time.
If you make it to the southern part of Taiwan, don’t forget to stop by and give the Kenting Night Market a stroll.