The "temple" in Temple Street is literal — Ciyou, Wusheng and Guangfu temples line Xinzhuang Rd, and the market grew between the temple forecourts and the shophouses, a three-hundred-year-old street where the stalls follow the incense. People take the MRT to Xinzhuang and look for the market entrance. There isn't one. Temple Street is a road; any way in is right.
Stretch one: Xinzhuang Rd, the old stalls
Xinzhuang Rd is the spine, running both ways from Ciyou Temple. Stalls come out 5–6pm, most close 9:30–10, old stalls leave when sold out; weekends crowd, weekdays breathe. Arrive 7–8:30 to eat everything. NT$30–60 a serve, full for NT$200 — one of New Taipei's cheapest markets.
Remember categories: ba-wan, rice noodle soup, popiah, savoury tangyuan, shaved ice and sweet soup. Old-school Taiwanese.
At No. 483 Xinzhuang Rd, Moduo Izakaya (5,400+ reviews, 4.9) is one of the few places on the street to sit down and drink slowly; Eclipse Bistro at No. 236 (4.9) is for cocktails; Night&Night Lounge Bar at No. 395 is the third choice. The market closes at 9:30; these three keep going.
Stretch two: Zhongzheng Rd, the izakaya belt
When the stalls pack up, move to Zhongzheng Rd. Lao Chuan Jiao, Xinzhuang branch at No. 309 (5,100+) and Lao Miso, Xinzhuang branch at No. 231 (4,800+), both 4.9, are Xinzhuang's late dinner tables; Drunk House at No. 612, five stars with 1,400+, if you'd rather drink than eat. Zhongzheng runs parallel to Xinzhuang Rd, under five minutes on foot. Full list on the Xinzhuang bar page.
Stretch three: Zhonghua Rd, singing
This is where Xinzhuang is loudest in New Taipei. Cashbox YESKTV Xinzhuang at No. 19, Sec. 2 Zhonghua Rd has nearly 20,000 reviews at 4.9; Sing KTV Xinzhuang on the 2nd floor of No. 1 has 2,200+. Fifteen minutes on foot from Temple Street, or a short ride. Book a room on Friday and Saturday. The Xinzhuang KTV list also has Star Avenue on Min'an Rd.
Finish and transport
Massage: Big Foot General Xinzhuang at No. 375 Zhonggang Rd, 4,800+ reviews at 4.9; Yuxiantang Xinzhuang at No. 118 Xintai Rd is close to Zhongzheng Rd. These two are the steady picks on the Xinzhuang massage list.
MRT Xinzhuang on the Zhonghe–Xinlu line sits at No. 138 Zhongzheng Rd, three minutes from Temple Street, last train around midnight. The old streets are hard to park — MRT is easiest; after drinks, taxi or designated driver. How the Fuducing side pairs with Temple Street is in Fuducing after dark; district overview on the Xinzhuang guide.