All of Keelung is asleep, and Kanzaiding is just getting started. At 1 a.m., the banks of Xuchuan River blaze with light. Crates of catch that have arrived from Nanfang'ao, Badouzi, and Donggang are laid out along the street one by one. Auctioneers stand in front of the fish crates calling out prices; buyers nod, raise a hand, counter-bid, and a deal closes within seconds. "One call, one basket gone" — this century-old fish market transacts hundreds of millions of dollars of seafood each night, underpinning the entire northern Taiwan seafood supply chain. It is also the most unfiltered expression of Keelung's harbor culture.
What is Kanzaiding?
Kanzaiding Fish Market is located in Ren'ai District, Keelung City, above Xuchuan River on Xiao-yi Road, named after the stone steps ("kan-a" in Taiwanese) that once stood there during the Japanese colonial era. It is not a tourist market — it is one of the most important fresh seafood wholesale markets in northern Taiwan, open every night from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. Auctioneers sell entire crates of catch to seafood businesses, restaurant buyers, and knowledgeable foodies through a live bidding system called "fish-calling." Stalls line up along a hundred-meter stretch of street, offering everything from live octopus, mi-fish, and mullet to deep-sea shrimp, crab, and shellfish. Inventory moves extremely fast — "everything gone within half an hour of arrival" is the norm.
Why Keelung? Keelung was Taiwan's most important international port from the Japanese colonial period through the early post-war era. The surrounding fishing ports of Badouzi, Zhengbin, and Waimushan are adjacent, making it the natural collection point for northeast Taiwan's catch. Fish vendors at Kanzaiding were trading along Xuchuan River as far back as the Qing dynasty; the market consolidated into a regular night-market format during the Japanese colonial period and has continued unbroken for over a century. Both the Keelung City Government and the Tourism Administration officially identify Kanzaiding as one of northern Taiwan's largest fresh seafood wholesale markets. It is now open to the general public to observe at night, but visitors must follow the rules: don't block the aisles, don't use flash photography, don't haggle with the auctioneers.
How to experience it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified references (no sponsored content)
- The Tourism Administration and Keelung City Government both list Kanzaiding as one of northern Taiwan's largest fresh seafood wholesale markets.
- The market's history traces back to the Qing dynasty; it consolidated into a regular night-market format during the Japanese colonial period and continues to this day.
- Daily transaction volume is in the hundreds of millions, sustaining the supply chain for restaurants and seafood businesses throughout northern Taiwan.
Practical tips
- The market is typically closed on Mondays and open Tuesday through Sunday in the early morning hours — check the schedule for that week before heading out.
- The floor is wet and greasy — wear closed shoes, not sandals or flip-flops. Your clothes will smell of fish on the way home.
- Never interrupt an auctioneer mid-call. Stay to the side and keep quiet while observing.
Information compiled from the Keelung City Government Department of Tourism and City Marketing and large-volume public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos to be replaced with channel-exclusive material after Dio's on-site shoot.