The annual night market in Yuanli Township marking the closing of the gates to hell opened on Sunday this year, the day before the last day of Ghost Month. It features installation art, straw lantern displays, and hundreds of food stalls.
As the 2024 Yuanli Township’s ghost gate-closing night market kicks off, thousands of tourists have poured into the streets. It’s so packed they can hardly move. But with hundreds of food stalls to choose from, it’s worth braving the sea of people.
Vendors and visitors alike commented on the size of the crowd, estimating that at least 100,000 people have been coming to the night market each day. Some vendors come set up as early as noon to prepare food in advance, because as soon as the crowds appear, the orders flow in continuously.
This gate-closing night market is only held once a year and attracts tourists from all around Taiwan, so such crowds are to be expected. Organizers have been dutifully closing the streets early each morning and conducting traffic control to ensure that everyone has a good experience eating delicious food and seeing the ghosts off, until next time.
Hanna Bilinski for RTI News