Night markets ornight bazaars (Chinese:夜市) arestreet markets which operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets. The culture of night markets originates fromChina and have spread globally withoverseas Chinese populations. They are typically open-air markets popular inEast Asia,Southeast Asia, andChinatowns in several other regions of the world.
The concept of the night market traces its roots back to the medieval ChineseTang dynasty. The Tang government put strict sanctions on night markets and their operations in A.D. 836. Towards the end of the Tang dynasty, economic expansion led to less state regulation and restrictions being lifted on night markets. During theSong dynasty (960–1279), night markets played a central role in Chinese nightlife. These markets were found in corners of large cities. Some stayed open for twenty-four hours. Song period night markets are also known to have included restaurants and brothels due to being frequently located near business districts and red light districts.
Night markets are popular inChinese culture; they are especially common inEast andSoutheast Asia, found inChina,Hong Kong,Macau,Taiwan, as well as Overseas Chinese communities acrossThailand,Cambodia,Vietnam,Singapore,Malaysia,Indonesia to thePhilippines. Nevertheless, night markets are more prominent withinethnic Chinese economic and cultural activities. Some well-known night markets exist inTaipei,Kaohsiung,Shanghai,Beijing,Guangzhou,Hong Kong,Singapore, andBangkok, but they also exist inChinatowns worldwide.
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Taiwan has over 700 night markets. The larger and more formal of these markets might take place in purpose-builtmarketplaces while smaller or more informal ones tend to occupy streets or roads that are normal thoroughfares by day.
Night markets are commonly known asPasar Malam by the locals, which literally meansnight market, "pasar" being related to "bazaar" in Persian or also the meaning "market" in Malay/Indonesian, and "malam" meaning "night". A pasar malam is a street market in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore that opens in the evening, usually in residential neighbourhoods.
It brings together a collection of stalls that usually sell goods such as fruit, vegetables, snacks, toys, clothes, movie discs and ornaments at cheap or at least reasonable prices. A pasar malam often takes place only one to a few days of the week, as the traders rotate around different neighbourhoods on different days of the week. Haggling over prices is a common practice at such markets.
Today, severalkecamatan (district) inJakarta and also other provinces in Indonesia, hold weeklypasar malam, usually held every Saturday night in nearbyalun-alun square, open fields or marketplaces. In Indonesia, pasar malam has become a weekly recreational place for local families. Other than selling variety of goods and foods, somepasar malam also offer kiddy rides and carnival games, such as minicarousel or mini train ride.
Night markets are popular inAuckland,[1] the biggest city in New Zealand,Wellington,[2] the capital city of New Zealand, and in small regional cities and towns likeHamilton,[3]Flaxmere[4] andWaitara.[5] The first night market in Auckland was opened in 2010 inPakuranga.[6] By 2019, night markets can be found in Auckland seven nights a week. Typically, night markets in Auckland are being held in shopping mallcarparks.[7] They offer food from Asia and Europe, as well as Māori and Pacific cuisines.[8] There are also specialistpop-up night markets that serve one kind of food (such as noodles).[9][10] In 2019, food delivery services from Auckland night markets were also introduced.[11] In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, the night markets in Auckland introduced the use of anapp for contactless orders and payments so thatsocial distancing can be managed.[12]
Night markets are also hosted in various areas of North America, particularly with large Overseas Chinese communities in the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast, with Taiwanese-American student organizations hosting annual night market events to emulate the jovial atmosphere and celebrate the unique culture of night markets. InSan Francisco's Chinatown, a large night market with almost 100 booths takes place every autumn Saturday in Portsmouth Square. InChinatown in Vancouver, British Columbia, large night markets take place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from May to September, as well as in an industrial area near suburbanRichmond, BC'sGolden Village; theRichmond Night Market features more than 400 booths and attracts in excess of 30,000 people per night (total attendance in 2005 was almost two million).Night It Up! (formerly Toronto Night Market and Asian Night Market), has been and continues to be Power Unit Youth Organization's flagship project, attracting hundreds of thousands to a three-day celebration of Asian food and culture inMarkham, Ontario (attendance was over 130,000 in 2017). The626 Night Market, held atSanta Anita Park inArcadia, California, a suburb ofLos Angeles, is stated to be the largest Asian night market in the United States.[13]The Food Trust inPhiladelphia operates a unique variant of a night market, with it being a temporary event only active for one night before moving somewhere else in the city; the market has thus far been held inEast Passyunk,South Street,Northern Liberties,Mount Airy,Old City,Chinatown, and other places across the city.[14] The Queens Night Market is held inFlushing Meadows Corona Park inNew York City on Saturdays from April to October. It hosts as many as 100 vendors.[15][16][17]
