The 9 Best Night Markets Around the World

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https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-night-markets-around-the-world



Asia’s night markets exemplify the true meaning of organized chaos. Just ask any traveler strolling down a packed street at primetime for the first time—all the crowds, humidity, and haggling can certainly make a new visitor feel like they’re in a scene from The Human Centipede. Yet, it’s an experience that’s magnetic again and again. Night markets are a powerhouse potpourri of delicious smells, bright colors, and buzzing sounds—and they’re a fascinating window into a destination’s particular culture and history. These hubbub attractions are renowned for street food, shopping, and live entertainment.

What started in China during medieval times spread to other countries like Thailand and Taiwan, and especially grew after World War II. In the ’80s and ’90s, the bazaars became less like traditional wet markets and more bent on commerce (think pirated movies and luxury knockoffs, plus the typical street food). Thus, younger and more international crowds started being lured in and there you have it: a nighttime hullabaloo. These days, night markets across Asia—and other places around the world—are diverse cultural melting pots blending old and new, foreign and local, into a truly global cultural phenomenon. Here are some of the world’s most captivating Asian night markets.



China

China, believed to be the ancestral home of the night market thanks to a sudden lift of rules on nighttime activity during the Tang dynasty, China is still where you’ll still find plenty of happening ones. The capital city of Beijing lays claim to busy, flashy night markets like Nanluoguxiang, a lane (known locally as a hutong) lined with teeny, old-world shops and restaurants. Or there’s Shuang’an, where vendors wheel and deal everything from fresh seafood on ice to tripe. A centerpiece of trade is xiaochi, or “small eats” in Mandarin. These light meals, like soups or dumplings and rice dishes, are derived from traditional banquet dishes and served for gobbling to-go or at folding tables.



Thailand

Thailand is synonymous with some of the world’s loudest and showiest night bazaars. Bangkok’s Patpong, a notorious night-market-cum-red-light-district, gets its name from the Chinese family who first purchased the property. In the ’60s, it proliferated with bars and restaurants as a so-called “R&R stop” for U.S. military officers stationed during the Vietnam War. These days, it’s a pretty touristy market with counterfeits and souvenirs you can get for half the price in other places. Thailand’s nocturnal markets range from more traditional walking streets like those in places like Chiang Mai and Phuket to modern concepts like the Greenway Market in Hat Yai or Cicada in Hua Hin, where gourmet food and handmade pieces by young artists are respective focal points. Overall, you’ll get in-your-face grill smoke, loud twangy music, and shopping ranging from glittery Muay Thai shorts to handmade soaps and iPhone cases.

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