Given an extra day from our trip to Taipei City, we decided to head over to Taichung for a day of exploration. There are beautiful sights outside of Taipei and it’s worth the time to visit the countryside given how reliable transportation is in Taiwan.
Taichung City, located in the middle of Taiwan is almost an hour travel via the Taiwan high-speed Rail (THSR) or less than 3 hours by bus. To make things less complicated, we book our roundtrip ticket with the high-speed train and collect it a day before our departure. Ticket price for a one-way is at around 675NTD for non-reserved seats, 700NTD (23 USD) for reserved seats, and 1000NTD for business class. And yes, this is my first time to travel a high-speed train and it’s really fast, very comfortable and the bests way to view the Taiwanese countryside. We took the first trip departure at around 0630 am from the Taipei Main station and have our morning fix near the waiting area. Make time heading to the main station early because this is so huge and it has lots of entrance and exits.
Taichung City has a more laid-back atmosphere compared to the cosmopolitan city of Taipei. Formerly named as the “Kyoto of Formosa” during the Japanese rule, numerous attractions are heavily influenced or created by the Japanese during their reign. Up to now, Taichung is one of the frequently visited places by Japanese tourists.
Places To Go in Taichung City
Rainbow Village
It’s bold and strikingly beautiful! Rainbow Village is a small and colorful community located in Nantun District (outside Taichung central). Also known as Rainbow Grandpa, Mr. Huang Yung-Fu single-handedly painted his house to save his house and the village from demolition.
Rainbow Village is open all year round from 0900 to 1700 daily.
Miyahara
Miyahara is at No.20, Zhongshan Road, Central
Located near the Taichung Railway Station, Miyahara is a famous dessert restaurant. They are popular for their traditional desserts like pineapple cakes, Dawn cakes, and ice cream made from different Taiwanese fruits and teas. The best thing about this shop is the conversion of the building from an ophthalmology clinic to a Hogwarts-like interior. The high ceiling and architecture of this old Japanese red-brick building are worth a visit.
National Taichung Theater
If you happen to be in Xitun District, the Taichung Opera House is worth a visit. Designed by Japanese architecture Toyo Ito, the hourglass-like exterior and the cave-like interior is amazing. The interiors are designed to mimic a cave and walls are an irregular shape. Admission is free and there are retail shops, restaurant, and cafe inside the building. Also, check the enchanting sky garden on the rooftop.
National Taichung Theater is located at 40756 No. 101, Sec. 2, Huilai Road, Xitun District, Taichung City.
Gaomei Wetlands
After a whole day of traveling around Taichung, our last stop was at the Gaomei Wetlands. The wetland which is 300 hectares is one of the well-preserved wetland habitats in Taiwan. Travel time is approximately 40
Aside from the scenery, the eco-friendly wind turbines is a beautiful background of the sunset. It is a moment to relax, have a seat at the boardwalk, let your feet touch the sand and watch as the glowing orb touches the horizon.
Thanks!
