Taipei often gets quiet during the first days of the Lunar New Year’s celebration, Taiwan’s most important holiday.  Many who work in the capital  will leave for their hometown to visit with family during the holidays. Especially important is returning for the family reunion dinner which takes place on New Year’s Eve. Train tickets get booked weeks in advance.

There is one place you will find busy in Taipei leading up to The Lunar New Year and that’s Dihua Street, home to the city’s biggest New Year’s market. 

For two weeks every year prior to the Lunar New Year, this street, which normally sells speciality foods, traditional Chinese medicine, tea, and other goods becomes a pedestrian only market loaded with sellers of tasty foods and snacks that are consumed in great quantities during the holidays. Join me as I walk through the market, saying hello to friendly sellers and sampling some of the delicious snacks and treats of Taiwan.