Savor the Flavor:

In recent years, “Korean Wave” stars visiting Taiwan have used the popular Instagram hashtag “Taiwanese sensibility” (in Korean) for posts about daily life in Taiwan. They have highlighted Taiwan’s cultural charm—retro, unrestrained, and laid-back.

At night markets, many people stroll through at a leisurely pace in shorts and sandals, and there are countless vibrant vendors’ stands, fine foods, and kindhearted people. The naturally footloose and fancy-­free atmosphere makes these markets ideal venues to express Taiwanese sensibility. 

In this article we follow the footsteps of three YouTubers—Japanese model and actress Mariko Okubo, Frenchman Quentin (known on YouTube as Ku), and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thu Hang—to trace the vibe found in Taiwan’s night markets.