Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang has put forward a policy platform combining mountain tourism with night market spending — good news for vendors facing slow business, though for now it remains only a pre-election promise.

• With 95 days to go until the local elections, Shen has spent successive days canvassing at the Linjiang Street Night Market and in Shilin, where foot traffic has noticeably returned.
• One vendor complained on the spot that it was the busiest day in nearly two years, noting that many nearby shops have already closed.
• The centrepiece of the platform is a "Taipei Mountain Trail Plan," linking up trails on the city's outskirts and establishing mountain tourism centres and shuttle services, so that visitors can hike by day and browse night markets in the evening.
• He has also proposed creating a "night mayor" post to consolidate night-time economy affairs currently scattered across various city departments and to handle friction between residents and vendors.
• Commercial district pedestrian flows would be redesigned, with the aim of channelling tourist crowds into the lanes and alleys and boosting vendors' business.

Outlook: With the campaign entering its final stretch, night markets and the tourism economy are expected to become the main battleground issues in the Taipei mayoral race.