Hubbry Logo
Snake Alley (Taipei)Snake Alley (Taipei)Main
Open search
Snake Alley (Taipei)
Community hub
Snake Alley (Taipei)
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Snake Alley (Taipei)
Snake Alley (Taipei)
from Wikipedia

Snake Alley (Chinese: 華西街夜市; pinyin: Huáxījiē Yèshì), also known as Huaxi Street Night Market or Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market (Chinese: 華西街觀光夜市) is a market in Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan. The market is located near the Bangka Lungshan Temple as well as other night markets located on Guangzhou Street, Wuzhou Street and Xichang Street.[1]

Key Information

The Huaxi Night Market is a two-block long night market in Wanhua District, the oldest district of Taipei, Taiwan. It contains stands serving local snacks, and restaurants that serve traditional Taiwanese dishes and many delicacies including snake blood and meat, turtle blood and meat and deer penis wine, which are not normally found anywhere else.[1] Many stands used to sell various snake delicacies and drinks, hence its nickname "Snake Alley".[2]

Many Taiwanese have a negative view of Snake Alley, which was once a legal red-light district.[3]

History

[edit]
Snake Alley entrance
Food at the night market.

The Huaxi Street Night Market has a history of over 50 years. Until the 1990s, it was a red light district,[4] with pornography shops and strippers congregating along the two sides of these streets. Prostitutes could be easily found in the brothels in the area, where they waited for customers in plain view.[5] The Taiwanese government outlawed prostitution in 1991.[6]

Snake Alley got its nickname due to the numerous restaurants serving snake meat in the past.[7] Previously, snake-meat restaurants would get attention from passersby by putting on performances where handlers would kill and skin live snakes.[7] However, the government banned performances in the 2000s, both to adhere with Article 13 of Taiwan's Animal Protection Act, as well as appease the public's growing concerns about animal welfare.[8] The night market's last snake-meat restaurant, the Asia Snake Meat Store (Chinese: 亞洲蛇肉店), closed on May 21, 2018.[2][9]

Because of its various restaurants and food stalls, the night market has been recognized by the Michelin Guide. In its 2019 Michelin Guide to Taipei, the guide gave the entire night market the Bib Gourmand.[10][11] In August 2020, food vendor Wu Huang-yi, who sells gua bao at his food stall in the night market, also received a Bib Gourmand.[12][13]

Transportation

[edit]

The night market is 500 meters (1650 feet) northwest of Exit 1 of the Longshan Temple Station of the Taipei Metro.[14]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Huaxi Street Tourist , popularly known as Snake Alley, is a historic indoor in Taipei's , adjacent to Longshan Temple, renowned for its exotic offerings centered on snake meat, , and related products derived from live snakes. Established over 50 years ago as Taiwan's inaugural tourist-oriented with multilingual signage in English and Japanese, it spans a covered arcade from Bangka Old Street toward the temple, featuring stalls for local snacks alongside its signature reptilian specialties. The market's notoriety stems from past practices of public snake slaughter for soups, blood, and gallbladders—touted for purported medicinal benefits—though such spectacles have largely waned amid evolving regulations and shifting visitor preferences. Previously intertwined with the district's era before Taiwan's 1997 ban, Snake Alley now presents a mix of traditional eats like omelets and , retaining its gritty allure in Taipei's oldest neighborhood while drawing fewer crowds than larger markets.

Location and Description

Physical Layout and Naming


Snake Alley, formally designated as the Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, comprises a narrow, covered pedestrian arcade spanning approximately two blocks in Taipei's Wanhua District, adjacent to Longshan Temple. The layout features stalls and shops densely lining both sides of the street, creating an enclosed, intimate atmosphere conducive to vendor interactions and live demonstrations. Prominent entry points include a Chinese-style gate with red lanterns and a large red palace-style archway, marking the transition into the market's core area focused on specialty foods and services.
The nickname "Snake Alley" originated from the market's historical emphasis on snake-related commerce, where multiple vendors specialize in preparing live snakes for consumption and medicinal use, including extraction of blood, bile, and meat for soups and tonics rooted in traditional Chinese practices. This concentration of snake-handling establishments, including public dissections, distinguished the area from other night markets and attracted early tourists seeking exotic experiences. The official name, Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, reflects its development as Taiwan's inaugural international tourist-oriented market over 50 years ago, though the "Snake Alley" moniker persists due to these enduring features.

Surrounding Neighborhood

Snake Alley is situated in Taipei's , the city's oldest urban area, historically developed as a trading port during the and known for its blend of traditional Taiwanese-Hokkien culture and early Japanese colonial influences. The neighborhood retains a dense, walkable layout with narrow streets lined by shophouses, reflecting its evolution from a commercial hub to a preserved historic enclave amid modern urban pressures. Proximate to the alley is Longshan Temple, constructed in 1738 and one of Taiwan's most revered religious sites, drawing pilgrims for its intricate architecture and festivals that spill into surrounding lanes. Adjacent areas include the Bopiliao Historical Block, a restored Qing-era street featuring heritage buildings now housing museums and cafes, and Bangka Old Street, which showcases early 20th-century storefronts and local eateries. Complementary night markets on Guangzhou Street, Wuzhou Street, and Xichang Street extend the commercial vibrancy, offering seafood, herbal remedies, and street performances within a few hundred meters. The surrounding precinct maintains a gritty, authentic character, with pockets of adult-oriented establishments and stalls coexisting alongside family-run vendors, though efforts since the 2010s have introduced cleaner public spaces and tourist infrastructure without fully erasing its working-class roots. This mix fosters a sensory-rich environment of from temples, sizzling grills, and bustling foot traffic, particularly evenings when the district's —estimated at over 100,000 residents in under 3 square kilometers—amplifies the nocturnal energy.

Historical Development

Early Origins and Snake Trade Emergence

The Huaxi Street Night Market in Taipei's , which would later gain the moniker Snake Alley, was established in 1951 as Taiwan's inaugural specifically designed to attract tourists, featuring signage in English and Japanese to cater to international visitors. This development occurred in the post-World War II era, amid Taiwan's economic recovery and efforts to promote local commerce near historic sites like Longshan Temple. The market's creation capitalized on Wanhua's longstanding role as a commercial hub, but its early focus shifted toward exotic offerings to differentiate it from traditional local markets. The snake trade emerged alongside the market's founding, rooted in traditional Chinese medicinal practices where snake components—such as , , , and venom—were valued for purported health benefits, including vitality enhancement and treatment of ailments like . Vendors began offering live snakes for on-site preparation, including extraction for drinks believed to boost male and stamina, a tied to folk rather than modern clinical evidence. This trade likely gained traction due to the area's proximity to red-light establishments, where such remedies appealed to clientele seeking effects, though primary drivers were cultural demand for snake-derived tonics in post-war . By the late 1950s, snake-handling demonstrations and specialized stalls had become a hallmark, drawing crowds with spectacles of charming and slaughtering snakes for immediate consumption in soups, wines, or raw extracts. The trade's growth reflected broader patterns in Taiwanese street commerce, where vendors sourced snakes from rural suppliers, often species like the many-banded krait or bamboo pit viper, emphasizing fresh preparation to preserve alleged potency. Early operations involved small-scale restaurants and itinerant sellers, establishing Snake Alley's reputation as a niche for these products amid the market's expansion into a tourist-oriented venue.

Mid-20th Century Expansion and Peak

During the , Huaxi Street Night Market, encompassing what became known as Snake Alley, emerged as one of Taipei's earliest organized night markets, with snake vendors capitalizing on traditional Chinese medicinal practices that promoted snake-derived products—such as , , and gall—as tonics for vitality and virility. This period marked the initial expansion of the snake trade, driven by post-war migration from , where such remedies were rooted in folk , and the market's proximity to Longshan Temple, which drew locals seeking health elixirs amid economic recovery under rule. Early establishments, like the Tan-Tsu-Mien restaurant founded in the late , introduced snake-based soups and wines, setting the stage for commercial growth as vendors displayed live reptiles to attract patrons. By the 1960s and into the 1970s, the alley reached its peak as Taiwan's inaugural international tourist zone, fueled by burgeoning inbound tourism and the presence of American servicemen on rest-and-recreation leave during the (1965–1973), who sought exotic experiences alongside the area's . Snake restaurants proliferated—described in contemporary accounts as numbering in the multitudes—with proprietors employing snake charmers to captivate crowds through public displays of handling cobras and other species, followed by on-site slaughter for fresh consumption of meat, blood mixed with , and extracts believed to enhance male potency. This era saw heightened demand, as the trade aligned with cultural superstitions equating snake consumption with restorative powers, drawing both domestic visitors and foreigners intrigued by the visceral spectacles, which included turtle blood cocktails and other preparations. The peak underscored Snake Alley's role in Taipei's evolving nightlife economy, where the snake trade not only generated revenue through direct sales but also synergized with adjacent brothels, amplifying its notoriety as a hub for purported remedies amid limited medical alternatives for in mid-century . Visitor numbers surged, with the alley's covered arcade facilitating year-round operations and fostering a of over a specialized outlets by the late 1970s, though exact figures varied due to informal vending; this prominence persisted into the early 1980s before regulatory pressures began to curb live demonstrations. The trade's expansion reflected broader causal factors, including 's rapid industrialization and openness to Western influences, which elevated such markets from local curiosities to global oddities without overt government endorsement beyond tacit tolerance for economic activity.

Late 20th Century Regulations and Repackaging

In 1991, the Taiwanese government imposed a nationwide ban on , stripping Snake Alley of its legal designation and prompting the shutdown of numerous brothels along Huaxi Street. This regulation, part of broader social reforms amid Taiwan's , curtailed the area's symbiotic economy of snake blood tonics marketed as aphrodisiacs and adjacent sex services, resulting in along formerly bustling lanes and a sharp drop in international tourist draw tied to vice tourism. Taipei city authorities responded with cleanup initiatives targeting overt and public animal spectacles in the Huaxi-Guangzhou Street vicinity, including restrictions on graphic snake dissections for bile extraction and blood drinks that had previously drawn crowds. These measures aligned with rising public health concerns, such as transmission risks from unpasteurized snake , and aimed to sanitize the district's image without fully eradicating its niche trade. To offset revenue losses, officials repackaged the area as the Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, promoting it through signage and marketing as a culinary destination featuring prepared snake dishes, traditional stalls like Tainan-style tan-tsu-mien (operating since the late ), and seafood vendors to appeal to domestic and foreign visitors seeking exotic yet regulated experiences. Surviving snake outlets adopted "No Camera" policies to deter , while ancillary businesses shifted toward massage parlors and generic eateries, though fringe lingered illegally in side streets. This transition preserved economic activity but diluted the market's raw authenticity, prioritizing sanitized tourism over its prior unbridled commerce.

Cultural and Culinary Significance

Traditional Snake-Based Practices

In Taiwanese folk medicine, influenced by traditional Chinese herbalism, snakes are valued for their flexibility and regenerative properties, purportedly addressing "wind-damp" conditions such as rheumatism, joint pain, and circulatory issues by expelling pathogenic factors and promoting meridian flow. Snake meat, bile, and gall bladders are prepared in soups or decoctions to tonify yang energy, enhance vitality, and treat impotence or fatigue, with recipes documented in classical texts like those from the Han to Song dynasties emphasizing venomous species for potency. In Snake Alley, these elements converged in snake soup stalls, where the meat was simmered with ginger, rice wine, and herbs to create a warming dish believed to strengthen the body against cold-related ailments, a practice tied to local vendors sourcing snakes from farms since the mid-20th century. A distinctive ritual involved drawing fresh blood from a live snake's heart—often a cobra or —mixed immediately with or for consumption, advertised as an and vigor booster akin to a natural , with the venom's heat deemed more effective from highly toxic varieties. Vendors performed extractions publicly to demonstrate freshness, claiming benefits for heart health, eyesight, and fever reduction, rooted in superstitions of snake essence transferring life force, though empirical validation remains absent beyond anecdotal reports. Additional preparations included diluted in shots for purported effects and fried snake liver oil, extracted by rendering fat and organs, promoted for cognitive and cardiac support in line with folk prescriptions avoiding raw consumption to mitigate risks. These methods, while culturally entrenched, reflect pre-modern herbalism prioritizing symbolic correspondences over controlled studies, with Snake Alley's specialization emerging from post-war demand for exotic tonics amid urban migration.

Integration with Night Market Culture

Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, commonly referred to as Snake Alley, integrates into Taipei's night market culture by combining its signature snake-derived specialties with conventional Taiwanese street foods that characterize the city's nocturnal bazaars. Stalls offer dishes such as oyster omelets, thick squid soup, goose meat, meatballs, and seafood, alongside snake soup—a unique item exclusive to this venue—allowing patrons to experience both exotic and familiar culinary options in a single location. Operating daily from 16:00 to 00:00, the market embodies the lively, informal atmosphere of night markets, where vendors hawk affordable eats amid bustling pedestrian traffic. The market's location in , adjacent to Guangzhou Street Night Market and near Longshan Temple, facilitates its role within the broader network of Taipei's night markets, encouraging visitors to hop between venues for varied experiences—a hallmark of . Complementary activities include booths, traditional Chinese parlors, and spas, which mirror wellness and offerings found across Taipei's night markets, such as foot rubs and games of chance. Additional stalls provide items like stewed pig's feet in Chinese herbs and buns, further aligning with the eclectic snack variety that defines fare. Established over 50 years ago as Taiwan's inaugural tourist-oriented , Huaxi Street has influenced the evolution of night market culture by highlighting adventurous, culturally rooted consumables while maintaining accessibility for international visitors. This blend sustains its appeal within Wanhua's dynamic district, where it contributes to the collective draw of temple-adjacent nightlife and informal dining, drawing crowds for both novelty and tradition.

Attractions and Visitor Experiences

Key Vendors and Stalls

The covered arcade section of Snake Alley, known as the snake market proper, features several vendors specializing in snake-based culinary offerings, including snake soup prepared from fresh snake simmered in broths, touted for its purported health benefits in . These stalls also provide snake blood cocktails, where fresh blood is mixed with or , and snake gall bladders extracted on-site for consumption as tonics. , featuring preserved snakes in alcohol bottles, is commonly sold by these vendors as a medicinal . Beyond snake specialties, adjacent open-air stalls in Huaxi Street Night Market offer diverse street foods, with Wang's Broth (小王煮瓜), founded in 1975, standing out for its Bib Gourmand-awarded braised pork rice (滷肉飯) and clear pickled melon soup (清湯瓜仔肉), serving as a popular staple for locals and visitors alike. Other notable stalls include those vending dishes and traditional Taiwanese snacks, though snake-related vendors remain the market's hallmark attraction despite regulatory curbs on live dissections since the early .

Culinary and Entertainment Offerings

Culinary offerings in Huaxi Street Night Market, historically known as Snake Alley, prominently feature snake-based dishes such as snake soup infused with Chinese herbs, traditionally valued for purported medicinal properties like improving vitality and treating ailments. Snake meat and blood are served in a limited number of regulated restaurants, with public live preparation prohibited since animal welfare regulations implemented in the 1990s. These specialties coexist with conventional items, including dishes, grilled , and street snacks from vendors lining the 300-meter stretch. Entertainment options are modest and geared toward relaxation and cultural curiosity, with foot massage parlors and health-oriented spas adjacent to food stalls offering services to alleviate fatigue from market exploration. Some vendors provide sessions rooted in traditional Chinese practices, appealing to visitors seeking experiential diversions alongside dining. The market's ambiance, illuminated by overhead lights and bustling with local and tourist crowds, contributes to a sensory experience, though structured performances or shows are absent.

Controversies and Criticisms

Prostitution and Associated Social Issues

Huaxi Street Night Market, commonly known as Snake Alley, served as a prominent for nearly 50 years, featuring numerous brothels where solicited customers under red lights along side streets, attracting local men, Japanese tourists, and American servicemen during the era. In 1991, the Taiwanese government enacted a nationwide ban on via amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act, which stripped Snake Alley of its legal red-light status and initiated the closure of licensed brothels, though enforcement varied and some operations persisted into the early . By 2001, authorities had extinguished the area's red lights, formally ending a century-long tradition of regulated sex work in the vicinity. Despite the prohibition, underground endures in the surrounding , with sex workers visibly soliciting clients near the market, often in rundown brothels, parlors, hostess bars, and venues primarily catering to elderly local men. Over 200 unlicensed "A-gong diam" (grandpa shops) brothels operated in as of 2013, many employing younger foreign women from and on alien resident certificates, contributing to the persistence of the trade amid lax regulation. Associated social issues include aggressive tactics, such as physically grabbing pedestrians—including minors—and offering discounts to lure them into brothels, prompting complaints from and business owners about , reputational damage to night markets, and deterrence of tourists. Payment disputes frequently escalate into fights or robberies, particularly targeting elderly clients in alleys, while the illegal framework exacerbates risks for workers lacking legal protections. Historically, underage plagued the area, spurring public campaigns like "Protest Child Prostitution in Snake Alley" events to raise awareness and demand intervention. The sex trade intertwines with broader challenges, including elevated crime rates—such as burglaries, drug offenses, and gang activity—making it Taipei's most crime-prone area in recent reports, though police patrols and raids occur sporadically without fully eradicating the issues. This underground persistence reflects regulatory gaps, where criminalization drives the activity into shadows, heightening exploitation and public nuisance without resolving root causes like economic desperation among workers.

Animal Welfare and Ethical Concerns

The handling and slaughter of live snakes at Snake Alley's vendors historically involved extracting blood, , and from conscious animals using invasive methods such as inserting tubes into the , followed by and skinning performed publicly to attract tourists. These procedures, intended to demonstrate purported medicinal potency, inflicted evident pain and distress on the snakes, prompting criticism from observers who viewed them as gratuitously cruel rather than necessary for food preparation. In response to such ethical scrutiny and evolving regulations, Taiwanese authorities banned public snake performances and live slaughter demonstrations around the mid-2000s, restricting killings to behind-the-scenes processes. Despite the , pre-prepared snake products like meat, soup, and continued to be sold, raising ongoing concerns about confinement conditions in holding cages and the sourcing of snakes, some of which belong to protected species subject to import restrictions. The market's decline, including the 2018 closure of its last dedicated snake restaurant—which once processed up to 150 snakes daily—has been linked to shifting public sentiments favoring animal protection and , reducing demand for these practices amid broader awareness of their welfare implications. Comparable issues extend to offerings at nearby stalls, where live dismemberment for meat has similarly drawn condemnation from visitors prioritizing ethical standards over cultural traditions.

Decline and Current Status

Factors Leading to Diminished Popularity

The closure of the last dedicated snake restaurant on Huaxi Street in May 2018 marked a pivotal decline in the market's appeal as Snake Alley, with the owner attributing the decision to the fading busker culture that once featured live and performances to attract crowds. These spectacles, which included on-site slaughter and skinning of snakes, had been a primary draw for but ceased due to evolving sentiments and regulatory pressures on handling practices. Peak operations in earlier decades saw individual shops serving up to 1,500 bowls of snake soup daily and processing approximately 150 snakes per day, but demand eroded amid rising concerns and shifting dietary preferences away from exotic meats perceived as cruel or unhygienic. Advocacy against wildlife exploitation, including bans on live demonstrations, further diminished the novelty factor that sustained visitor interest, leaving stalls largely empty and unpatronized by both locals and tourists. The market's entrenched reputation for and associated illicit activities has compounded the downturn, alienating family-oriented visitors and those preferring cleaner, more regulated environments like Shilin or Raohe, which offer diverse, less controversial attractions without the seedy undertones. Local observations from the mid-2010s onward describe the area as rundown and overshadowed by competing venues, with fewer performances and a general lack of vibrancy exacerbating foot traffic losses. Visitor feedback consistently notes sparse crowds and an uninviting atmosphere in snake-related sections, underscoring how the loss of core draws has relegated Huaxi Street to niche curiosity status rather than a mainstream destination.

Recent Developments and Ongoing Challenges

In 2018, the last remaining snake meat restaurant in Huaxi Street Night Market, known as Asia Snake Meat Store, permanently closed its doors on May 21, citing declining demand and operational challenges amid shifting public attitudes toward animal consumption. This marked the end of a longstanding of snake-based that had defined the alley's identity, following earlier bans on live snake slaughter and skinning performances in the mid-2000s to comply with animal protection laws. The closure reflected broader trends in toward enhanced , with no new snake vendors emerging since. Ongoing challenges include the persistent presence of illegal in the surrounding , despite the national ban enacted in 1991, which has tarnished the market's reputation and deterred some families and conservative tourists. Local reports and visitor accounts from 2023 to 2025 describe visible solicitation by sex workers near the market and adjacent areas, contributing to perceptions of the neighborhood as "sketchy" while police enforcement remains inconsistent due to entrenched underground networks. This issue, combined with competition from larger, more modern night markets like Shilin and Raohe, exacerbates the venue's struggle to maintain foot traffic beyond niche visitors seeking traditional or exotic experiences. Animal welfare regulations continue to pose hurdles, as recent 2025 proposals to ban keeping certain venomous snakes (vipers and elapids) as pets underscore Taiwan's tightening controls on , potentially limiting any residual snake-related activities or imports for culinary use. Market operators face economic pressures from these restrictions, alongside post-pandemic recovery challenges that affected night markets broadly through reduced and heightened hygiene scrutiny. Despite these, the market remains operational daily from 4 p.m. to midnight as of 2025, with vendors adapting by emphasizing general and herbal remedies over controversial offerings.

Access and Transportation

Public Transit Options

The primary public transit access to Snake Alley, located on Huaxi Street in Taipei's , is via the 's (Blue Line) to Longshan Temple Station (BL12). From Exit 1 of the station, the market entrance is approximately a 5-minute walk westward along Huaxi Street. This route connects efficiently from central hubs like , where passengers transfer from the Tamsui-Xinyi Line or other lines to the for a journey of about 10-15 minutes. Bus services also provide options, with several routes stopping nearby, including lines 234, 245, and 264, which operate along major roads like Guangzhou Street adjacent to the market. Travelers arriving via (TRA) can alight at Wanhua Station and walk approximately 10 minutes southeast or connect to the aforementioned MRT or bus lines. For those using (THSR), transfer at Taipei Station to the MRT toward Nangang Exhibition Center, exiting at Longshan Temple. YouBike stations, part of Taipei's public , are available within Huaxi Park near the market for last-mile connectivity from nearby MRT or bus stops, supporting short rentals integrated with payments. Fares for MRT and buses typically range from NT$20-50 depending on distance, with contactless recommended for seamless transfers across modes.

Practical Visitor Advice

Visitors should arrive in the early evening around 5:00 PM, when the market opens and activity peaks under its covered arcades, providing a more manageable crowd level compared to peak hours later in the night. The market operates daily but embodies a traditional night market atmosphere best experienced after dusk, with stalls offering snake-derived products like soup and liquor-infused specimens, alongside other Taiwanese specialties. Access the market via Longshan Temple MRT Station (Blue and Green Lines), exiting and walking 3-5 minutes north to the southern entrance near the distinctive red paifang archway; it adjoins Guangzhou Street Night Market to the north and lies west of Longshan Temple. Pair the visit with the nearby Longshan Temple, reachable in under 5 minutes, or Bopiliao Historic Block for contextual historical exploration. The area maintains a gritty, traditional vibe with an elderly local clientele and proximity to Wanhua District's red-light activities, rendering it generally safe for tourists yet potentially unsettling for those averse to overt exotic animal products or a seedy ambiance—exercise standard urban caution, such as avoiding isolated alleys after midnight and traveling in groups if concerned. Live snake demonstrations have been prohibited since around , shifting focus to prepared foods, but visitors should respect vendors and patrons by refraining from photography of sensitive preparations without permission and bargaining judiciously in this tourist-oriented yet authentic setting. Limited vegetarian options prevail, so confirm ingredients and hygiene standards before consuming.

References

Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.