If you're visiting Shanwei (汕尾) and find yourself hungry after dark, look no further than Er Ma Lu (二马路). I stumbled upon this place the same way many travelers do — a quick search on Xiaohongshu (小红书) for late-night snacks led me here, and it completely exceeded my expectations.
Er Ma Lu after dark — the street closes to traffic and transforms into a full pedestrian food corridor.
Bigger Than You'd Expect
From the photos online, I had a rough idea of what to expect — but nothing quite prepared me for the scale of it. Er Ma Lu is a bustling street lined with over 100 food stalls, closed off to regular traffic at night and transformed into a lively pedestrian food corridor.
It's one of the largest night food streets I've encountered, rivaling some of the more well-known night markets in Taiwan. If you're a fan of that kind of energetic, sensory-overload street food experience, this place delivers.
What to Eat
The street is heavy on seafood, with oyster stalls everywhere. That said, I'd recommend exercising caution with raw seafood — eat at your own risk.
Instead, focus on the local specialties. The two standouts:
Shanwei Baobing (汕尾薄饼)
Available in both sweet and savory versions. The sweet version is a fascinating mix of salted egg, crushed sweet Chinese cookies (think a Chinese rice crispy), dried Chinese sausage, and other dried ingredients — a combination that somehow balances sweet, salty, and savory all at once.
The savory version is closer to a spring roll, filled with fried fresh vegetables. Ours was packed with grilled onions, giving it a satisfying crunch.
Kao Guotiao (烤粿条)
Grilled rice flour sticks filled with vegetables and small dried shrimp. The exterior gets a nice crispy char from the grill while the inside stays soft. The dried shrimp add a subtle umami kick that makes these incredibly moreish.
Every couple of stalls, something catches your eye that you weren't expecting — that's what makes Er Ma Lu worth your time.
Getting There & Tips
- Er Ma Lu is lively on weekdays but gets significantly busier on weekends
- The street is open to motorcycles alongside pedestrians — stay aware of your surroundings
- Take a DiDi (滴滴) — parking nearby at night is a headache not worth having
- Prices are budget-friendly, making it easy to graze across multiple stalls
Er Ma Lu is the kind of place that makes you glad you checked Xiaohongshu before going out. Skip the raw seafood, load up on Baobing and Kao Guotiao, and go hungry. If you're staying in Shanwei, this is a non-negotiable stop.