Night markets are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets. Some people say strolling in the night market is the best way to know a city, and other people say that night markets lead directly to the "stomach" of a city. Therefore, to visit the local night markets is many people's choice when touring through a city.

Beijing Dong Hua Men Night Market

Located at west of Wang Fu Jing Avenue, Dong Hua Men Night Market is the largest in Beijing. Dozens of food stalls are lined next to one another with a whole lot of food for fairly inexpensive prices. They all have their prices mentioned in the price list in front of the stall, which makes it easy for you to move on to another stall in case you don't want spend the amount of money written in the price list of one stall.

In fact, the food items can also be bargained if there are lesser people in the stall. Some of the other food items available include snakes, scorpions, bijingmuo, beef on a stick and so on. The taste of the food is mostly good and people have it with great delight.

Food delicacies: baodu (quick-fried tripe), stinky tofu, mutton kebab, Bing Tang Hu Lu (candied haws on a stick), deep fried crickets, silk worm, centipede, octopus tentacles and scorpions, chicken hearts, cow stomach, spring rolls, dumplings, crab cakes and candy fruit etc.

Adjacent street: Wangfujing Street is a modern commercial street which also reflects the old Beijing. Visitors can buy traditional folk handicrafts, various forms of folk crafts and souvenirs in the street.

Other night markets in Beijing: Sanlitun, Guijie

Kaifeng Drum Tower Night Market

To try the descent food in Kaifeng at night, you are suggested to go to the Drum Tower Night Market. Both the wooden restaurants and the street stalls are a good bet for a tasty treat.

Food delicacies: carp with noodles (combining tender fish with thin noodles), deep fried pork (with crispy and crunchy golden skin), tube chicken (slices of chicken curl into the shape of a tube after they're cooked), meat-filled buns, peanut cake, almond tea etc.

Hangzhou Hefang Street Night Market

Hangzhou Hefang Street is one of the oldest streets stretching from Wushan Square all the way down to Zhonghe Road. The street was built reflecting the style of Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). It is a busy street full of art hawkers, pillow shops, bonsai shops, teahouses, old-fashioned movie players and an array of small eateries.

Food delicacies: noodles with fried eel slices & shrimps, the noodles with preserved vegetable, Wushan Hill crisp cake, Dongpo Pork, West Lake Fish etc.

Other night markets in Hangzhou: Baochu Road, Wangjiang Road, Jingzhou Road and Baishaquan Street

Wuhan Jiqing Street Night Market

Wuhan Jiqing Street is an ordinary-seeming street by day, but becomes transformed by night into a bewildering maze of street side restaurants performing music, dance, opera and stand-up comedy. It is a strongly-recommended experience. Food is plentiful and cheap, and it features a lot of unique local cuisine. One can expect to pay about 10 yuan per song performed. Other performances are more based on contributions—the more you contribute, the longer the performers will do their routines and the more daring/interesting/funny the routines will be.

Food delicacies: hot dried noodles (Re Gan Mian), duck neck, four-season delicious Tangbao (steamed bun filled with juicy minced meat), Laotongcheng dried sheet of mung bean, mian wo (fried pie), san xian dou pi (fried bean sheets), si ji mei dumplings (season's dumplings), xiaotaoyuan chicken broth, fried lotus-root ball, fried stinky tofu etc.

Other night markets in Wuhan: Beihu Street, Qingshan Street, Dacheng Street, Baocheng Street etc.

Urumqi May the First Night Market

The most popular haunt for local food in Urumqi is the May the First Night Market. There are many food stalls available there, all stocked with foodstuffs varying from soups to rice items to kebabs. This is a place where many families from Urumqi meet up to relax while eating delicious food. The market is open from 8 pm to 1 am every day.

Food delicacies: Xinjiang kebabs, Nang, roasted stuffed buns, Xinjiang noodles, Zhua Fan (rice eaten with hands) etc.

Other night markets in Urumqi: Wenzhou Street and Xingfu Street

Taipei Shilin Night Market

The night market encompasses two distinct sections sharing a symbiotic relationship: a section formerly housed in the old Shilin Market building containing mostly food vendors and small eateries; and the surrounding businesses and shops selling other nonfood items. The food court holds 539 stalls, and the second floor serves as a parking lot for 400 cars.

In addition to the food court, side streets and alleys are lined with storefronts and roadside stands. Movie theaters, video arcades, and karaoke stores are also prevalent in the area. Like most night markets in Taiwan, the local businesses open around 4 pm. As students begin returning home from school, crowds reach their peak between 8 and 11 pm. Businesses continue operating well past midnight and close around 1 to 2 am.

Food delicacies: fried chicken steak, small bun wrapped in large bun, fried buns, peanut candy, oyster omelet, tempura, lemon aiyu jelly, pearl tea, bubble tea, stinky tofu, deep fried chicken fillet, oyster vermicelli etc.

Other night markets in Taipei: Tonghua Street, Huaxi Street and Raohe Street.