A 70-million-Taiwan-dollar "five-star department-store-grade" Dali Night Market in Taichung fails to attract visitors and shuts down

▲ The Taichung Dali International Tourism Night Market was built with a 70-million-Taiwan-dollar investment. (Photo / Provided by Dali International Tourism Night Market, the same below.)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Visiting night markets is a must when traveling in Taiwan. Popular night markets across the island attract huge crowds during holidays, and the Greater Taichung area is a particularly competitive battleground—with Fengjia, Hanxi, and Economic and Trade night markets among the top spots. Last year, an operator invested 70 million Taiwan dollars to build the Dali Night Market, billing it as a "five-star department-store-grade" night market with a rainproof roof, five-star-quality restrooms, and even a well-planned parking lot. Yet, in less than two years, it has faced closure.

▲ The five-star restrooms even had air-conditioning installed, and at the opening, the market attracted 30,000 to 40,000 visitors daily.

Covering an area of 3,000 ping (approximately 9,900 square meters), the Dali Night Market opened in grand style at the end of May 2015. With over 300 stalls, it once drew 30,000 to 40,000 tourists a day. Its walkways were named after international cities such as "London Street" and "Bangkok Street." The dedicated underground parking lot and air-conditioned five-star restrooms meant that visitors didn’t have to worry about parking or restroom issues. However, in less than two years, it faced closure and officially shut its lights at the end of February this year. It will soon be transformed into a large retail marketplace.

At its opening, many well-known vendors, such as Devil’s Chicken Cutlet and the popular Japanese restaurant Teishoku Hachi, set up shop. But these efforts failed to draw enough crowds. Coupled with competition from nearby long-established night markets, a surplus of rivals, and a lack of unique or eye-catching stalls, these were all contributing factors to its closure. Finding a unique selling point may be the only way for night markets to attract visitors.