Answer first. Tucheng and Shulin have no bar street, no nightclubs, and no tourist night market that runs into the small hours. For that, take the Bannan Line to Banqiao, 10–15 minutes.
The people who stay are not after a scene. They want a stall to sit at on the way home, or somewhere to go on a weekend without crossing the river. This piece splits it that way.
On the way home: sorted within twenty minutes
Tucheng, along the Bannan Line.
Haishan, Tucheng and Yongning stations string together Sec. 1 to Sec. 4 of Zhongyang Rd, and that road is Tucheng's night. Step out of the MRT and the corner has fried chicken and lu wei stalls, NT$100–150 a portion, prices as posted on site. The Yumin Rd cluster sits by Haishan Station, stir-fry restaurants packed together at NT$300–500 a head; on weekdays the crowd halves after 9:30 pm and the seats get comfortable.
The Jincheng Rd stretch is scooter territory. Quick-fry places, noodle stands, drink shops — closing one by one around 10, and after 11 only the convenience stores are lit.
One line: eat your Tucheng supper before 10:30 pm, or the options suddenly drop to zero.
Shulin, with TRA Shulin Station as the centre.
Zhongshan Rd and Bo'ai St out front handle a meal within a five-minute walk. Lu wei, mian xian, fried chicken, at roughly Tucheng prices. The local train reaches Banqiao in 8–10 minutes, so the Shulin routine is fixed: eat in Banqiao, ride the local train back, pick up a bubble tea in front of the station.
Bao'an St is the residential night. Few shops, later hours; for a bowl of soup late at night it is more reliable than Zhongshan Rd.
Planned trips: the weekend kind of night
The night market first. Shulin Xingren Garden Night Market is in Shulin District, New Taipei — not Bade in Taoyuan, so check the navigation. Market days follow the official notice, and only go on a market day; turn up on any other day and it is a parking lot. On market days the crowd peaks 7–9 pm; for easier walking, go in after 8:30. No stall names here — decide on site.
A clear position on parking: street parking around the market is hopeless and the nearby lots queue onto the road. Scooter or bus.
Izakaya-style joints. A few sit on Sec. 2–3 Zhongyang Rd in Tucheng and on Zhongshan Rd in Shulin, open from 6 pm to around midnight, NT$500–700 a head. This is the only thing in either district close to "a drink" — not a bar, a place to eat small plates with beer and sake. If you drink, call a taxi or a designated driver; leave the Freeway 3 stretch to someone else.
Karaoke-style small rooms. Lane-level booths or coin-op rooms at NT$200–300 an hour. The singing is not the point; the point is having somewhere to sit until 1 am. Quality varies a lot — check room count and cleanliness before committing. For proper KTV, go to Banqiao; the Banqiao guide has the list.
Foot massage parlours. Both districts have plenty, a handful along Zhongyang Rd and in front of Shulin Station, NT$600–900 for sixty minutes, mostly open until 11 pm or midnight. Ten to twenty percent cheaper than Banqiao — one of the few things Tucheng and Shulin win on. For more specialised options, compare the Banqiao massage and spa list.
Things not to do
Do not drive into Sec. 1–2 Zhongyang Rd at 7 pm on a weekday. The after-work traffic off the National Freeway 3 Tucheng interchange will hold you for twenty minutes. The MRT is far faster.
Do not expect the front of Shulin Station to be lively at 11 pm. Once the last local train passes, the area goes quiet.
Do not chase the night market during summer typhoon season. Cancellation notices often come the same afternoon, and a wasted trip is normal. Winter is steadier, and quieter.
For more, cross the river
The last Bannan Line train is around midnight, enough to get from Banqiao back to Tucheng; the last local train to TRA Shulin is about the same. The correct routine: drink in Banqiao, sleep in Tucheng or Shulin.
For Banqiao's bars and bistros, read the Banqiao night guide, pick one from the bar and bistro list, and be on the MRT before 11:30 pm. On a budget, New Taipei nightlife on a budget ran the numbers: eat local in Tucheng or Shulin and have just one drink in Banqiao, and it is the cheapest combination in the whole city. The supper ranking of Sanchong, Banqiao and Xinzhuang is in the New Taipei supper battle; Tucheng and Shulin were left out, and this piece has already explained why.