Chinese New Year Market at DiHua Jie (Di Hua Street) in Taipei, Taiwan

The days and weeks leading up to Chinese or Lunar New Year in Taiwan are hectic and exciting times. The usually high energy level of the city picks up a few more notches, as a nation prepares for their favourite and most festive time of year. Taiwanese people love food, shopping, and "re-nao" (noisy, lively action) in general. What better place to find it than DiHua Jie. This narrow street, not more than a few hundred metres long hosts literally thousands of shoppers and eaters in the weeks leading up to the New Year. It serves as the premiere venue to buy and sell traditional holiday foods in Taipei, and isn't to be missed.