10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Yilan
What to Buy and Where to Shop in Yilan
Since Hsuehshan Tunnel went into operation, Taipei City and Yilan have become closer to each other, further boosting Yilan ‘s thriving tourism industry. Many Taipei people like driving through the Hsuehshan Tunnel to Yilan just for shopping. Yilan has a very charming and relaxed atmosphere. Whenever you stroll through Luodong Night Market, Qingou Night Market, or Dongmen Night Market, or go shopping in Jiaoxi Shopping District, Suao Shopping District, or the Farmers’ Association Yang Sheng Tourist Factory, you’ll be deeply impressed by the slow pace of life. At these places, you can really feel that shopping is a relaxing and pleasurable experience, rather than a pressing chore.
After enjoying a seafood feast in Yilan, you can also take home fresh fish. Nanfangao Tourist Fish Market and Daxi Fish Market are 2 vibrant port seafood markets where you can buy live seafood. Yilan also has new fashionable shopping destinations, such as Luna Plaza, a complex leisure mall covering a vast area, and New Active Market, a cultural and creative market organized on an occasional basis. In these destinations, you can find many well-designed crafts to beautify your life.
1. Luodong Night Market
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
Luodong Night Market in Luodong Township of Yilan County encompasses the prime sections in Luodong, including Xingdong Road, Minquan Road, Minsheng Road, Zhongshan Park, and Gongyuan Road. It is a primary place where locals go for food, clothing, accommodations, transportation, education and entertainment. Luodong Night Market and the many shops nearby form a sophisticated and prosperous business district, which receives bustling crowds at night.
After tasting some delicious snacks, you can shop at the various stores, such as brand stores, fashion clothing stores, pastry shops, as well as stores for agricultural products. With tourism flourishing in Yilan, Luodong Night Market attracts a massive influx of visitors, driving business development of this area. Travelers are sure to enjoy themselves here eating and shopping, as well as leaving with armfuls of shopping bags.
Location: Xingdong Road, Luodong Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 265
Open: Daily from 3 pm to midnight
Luodong Night Market
2. Qinggou Night Market
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
Qingou Night Market is located on Qingou Road, Dongshan Township and opens at 6pm on Wednesdays. It features countless street vendors and is a perfect place for night plans. Qingou Night Market spans a length of 1 km on Qingou Road. There are countless mobile stalls, offering a diversity of local dishes and cuisine, as well as stands for clothes, toys, daily articles, and fruits. Qingou Night Market is not as famous as Luodong Night Market and opens only on a Wednesday.
Most people here are Yilan locals so it gets less crowded and more relaxing as you don’t have to wait in a long queue to eat and have more time to carefully select and bargain. Parents who come here with their children do not have to worry that they’ll be lost in the crowds. With few visitors here, the kids can run and play in the street while you shop with ease.
Location: Qinggou Road, Dongshan Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 269
Open: Wednesday from 6 pm to midnight
Qinggou Night Market
3. Dongmen Night Market
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
If you live in Yilan city center, Dongmen Night Market is a good place to hang out at night. Situated in a prime location with countless shops and stalls, this night market has become a common shopping place for locals. The market is conveniently only a 5-minute walk from Yilan Railway Station. On the way from the railway station to the Night Market, you can see many traditional Yilan shops offering clothes, hardware, stationery, groceries and fruits.
These old stores have relatable characters and a rich Yilan style. In addition to all kinds of groceries, Dongmen Night Market also has many food stalls offering agricultural products, fresh fruits and local ingredients at affordable prices. You don’t have to pay too much to get the pleasure of shopping and taking home bags full of goods.
Location: Shenghou Street, Yilan City, Yilan County, Taiwan 260
Open: Daily from 3 pm to 10 pm
Dongmen Night Market
4. Luna Plaza
Good for: Families, Luxury, Single
Luna Plaza on Minquan Road in Yilan City is the largest department store in Yilan with a total area of 82,000 square meters. The complex includes a luxury hotel, a movie theater, a large supermarket and a shopping mall, making it a good option for Yilan residents to spend their holidays. Shopping malls in the Luna Plaza sell brands from all over the world, including makeup, clothing, sporting goods, books, and kitchen utensils. Well-planned floors and convenient passageways easily lead tourists to where they want to go.
Luna Plaza can satisfy the needs of the whole family to get a new look from head to toe. Sophisticated parking services enable you to find a parking space quickly. There are also many restaurants within the plaza offering fine dishes from different countries at any time. This plaza can meet all your needs for both shopping and dining.
Location: No. 6, Lane 38, Section 2, Minquan Road, Yilan City, Yilan County, Taiwan 260
Open: Monday–Thursday from 11 am to 9.30 pm, Friday–Sunday from 11 am to 10.30 pm
Luna Plaza
5. Nanfangao Tourist Fish Market
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
Nanfangao Tourist Fish Market is a very popular destination in Yilan as people generally visit the county for local freshly caught seafood. Nanfangao Tourist Fish Market is also known as Nanning Fish Market and is located beside a port where many fishermen sell a dazzling variety of their catches. You can ask about what’s on offer, their cooking methods and even how they taste. With advice from the vendors, you will be sure to pick up some delicious fresh seafood.
The seafood at the fish market are sold at a wholesale price, so you don’t have to pay too much to get a lot of fresh fish that’s just caught from the ocean. Cooking services are also available. After buying fish, octopi, or shrimp, you can ask the vendors to cook them for you and enjoy some exquisite seafood right on site.
Location: No. 185, Neipi Road, Suao Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 270
Open: Daily from 10 am to 6 pm
Nanfangao Tourist Fish Market
6. Daxi Fish Market
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
Driving to Daxi Fish Market is part of the experience, as you’ll be impressed by the beautiful scene along Binhai Road and the magnificent ocean view. The market is close to the Toucheng intersection. After 2pm, fishing boats come back with their fresh catch and begin unloading and marketing them directly at the port – the quiet fishing port will then erupt with activity. It is very interesting to see all the various fish piled up on the ground. Local restaurant owners are always trading here, but visitors can also purchase seafood.
The newly arrived fish in the market is sure to be fresh and sold lower than the market price. Buying seafood in Daxi Fish Market is very interesting. It’s great fun to just observe the fishmongers processing the fish and negotiating prices with buyers. There are no refrigerators to preserve the seafood, so if you just stop for a short time, you can enjoy grilled fish and shrimp offered on-site.
Location: No. 490, Section 5, Binhai Road, Toucheng Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 261
Open: Daily from 2 pm until sunset
Daxi Fish Market
7. Jiaoxi Shopping District
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
Jiaoxi, endowed with the natural resource of hot springs, also appeals to many Taipei residents who like to drive through the Hsuehshan Tunnel for leisure in the Jiaoxi hot springs. During holidays, massive crowds will rush to Jiaoxi Township, bolstering the prosperity of Jiaoxi Shopping District as the most sought-after destination in Yilan. Visitors who come to Jiaoxi by train can walk onto Wenquan Road in front of the Train Station and wander all the way down to Jiaoxi Park.
While wandering along the road, you can enjoy shopping in many traditional shops and boutique shops with unique local features, offering Yilan specialties, gifts, agricultural products, clothes, souvenirs, and hot spring-related products. Shopping in Jiaoxi Shopping District is a very unique experience as the steam from the hot springs underground drifts up through vents in the street. When you are tired, you can relax in a hot spring and freshen up before you continue shopping.
Location: Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 262
Open: Shop opening times vary
Jiaoxi Shopping District
8. Suao Shopping District
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
Suao Cold Spring is a truly rare natural spring and a big driving force behind the prosperous development of Suao Shopping District and the broader Suao Township. If you have come to Suao for a cold spring foot bath, don’t leave right away afterwards. We advise you to go for a walk in the Suao Shopping District where you can find more entertainment in dozens of stylish shops.
In Suao Shopping District, visitors are able to buy souvenirs and specialties related to Suao Cold Spring, such as yokan and ramune, which are made from the cold spring water. They’ll be great mementos of the cold spring experience once you get home. Suao yokan is made from the cold spring water. The unique water brings a distinct flavor to this local specialty. The dessert has a rich taste enjoyed by people of all ages. If you are a lover of yokan, be sure to buy some. In addition to specialties, there are many handicraft shops owned by local craftsmen, selling exquisite traditional crafts such as decorations made from silk threads and clogs.
Location: Suao Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 270
Open: Shop opening times vary
9. Farmers’ Association Yang Sheng Tourist Factory
Good for: Budget, Single, Group
The vast Farmers’ Association Yang Sheng Tourist Factory sits right in front of Luodong Train Station in Luodong, a town in Yilan that’s famous for its organic soy milk and soy products. It is a perfect place to buy soy milk and have a go at making some products yourself. Soy products are common ingredients in Taiwanese cooking.
Here visitors can buy a variety of soy products, such as soy milk, handmade tofu, and handmade tofu pudding. These healthy products are great to take back home and use. Besides buying these products, visitors can also join in DIY activities to make soy milk, tofu pudding and tofu under the instructions of soy experts, and learn how to make healthy soy products at home.
Location: No. 14, Cangqian Road, Luodong Township, Yilan County, Taiwan 265
Open: Daily from 9 am to 5 pm
Farmers' Association Yang Sheng Tourist Factory
10. New Active Market
Good for: Business, Single, Group
New Active Market in Yilan is one of the many creative markets that have emerged in many towns and villages in Taiwan. It was founded in 2012 by a group of Yilan youths with the aim to be a “new, dynamic and exciting” market showcasing the distinctive features of Yilan. As a young and dynamic local market, New Active Market features many young craftsmen and artists setting up stalls, selling handicrafts and agricultural products, all reminiscent of Yilan as the hometown. It is a fantastic showcase of Yilan’s cultural creativity.
The market offers not only multiple commodities, but also live music performances. Visitors can listen to beautiful songs of young singers while strolling among stalls. New Active Market is usually staged in Diudiudang Forest in Yilan city center. As the exact time and location vary, we advise you to check before visiting.
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