Taichung is a big, busy, sunny Taiwanese city, but a lot of blogs about this town need to be taken with a grain of salt. For some reason every top 10 list includes “Taichung” destinations that are a million miles outside the city and that aren’t particularly interesting.
But luckily you have me! I’ve been here for two years, and I’ve got some really killer, fun, unique things to do in Taichung that’ll actually have you saying, “Why don’t more tourists come here?”
Let’s start briefly with what to miss.
DON’T visit these often-touted tourist attractions! (Unless you have loads of free time and your own transportation.)
Overrated!
In my opinion give Rainbow Village, Gaomei Wetlands, Zhongshe Tourism Flower Market, and Dali Art Plaza a miss. They’re isolated attractions that require a lot of travel time just to see something for 20 minutes.
Similarly, even though Painted Animation Lane and the ORIGINAL Chun Shui Tang (bubble milk tea and snack restaurant) are not too far from the main train station, they are attractions you can see in less than 10 minutes and there’s not much to do or look at in the immediate surroundings. (Note: Chun Shui Tang is definitely worth a visit, but there are branches all over the city and there’s no need to make a special trip to the original restaurant as they all sell the same drinks and food.)
Some attractions like Guguan Hot Springs and Xinshe Castle are totally worth seeing IF you have a car, but if you’re traveling by public transportation, you’ll waste way too much time trying to get there.
Finally, the main Taichung train station (TRA) is not a pleasant area for tourists in my opinion. Bloggers and Top 10 lists love to include Miyahara Ice Cream, Taichung Second Market, Taiwan Sun Cake Museum, etc. in lists of what to see in Taichung, but the area around the train station can be quite run-down, full of traffic, noisy, and despite an admirable government effort to revitalize the area, not a great representation of the city. I personally would skip the area, especially as a lot of the “sights” there tend to be over-hyped, crowded, and underwhelming.
Sights around the Taichung TRA station that I personally would skip unless you have a specific reason for going (like an event) are Taroko Mall, Miyahara Ice Cream, Fourth Credit Union, Taiwan Sun Cake Museum, the Green River Waterfront, Asean Square, Taichung Second Market, National Taiwan Museum of Comics, and the Cultural Heritage Park.
So what should you see instead?
Taichung Events to Pay Attention To!
One great thing I want to mention about Taichung before getting into where to go in Taichung is how many events there are in this city. On any given weekend there are going to be markets, performances, conventions, etc. Here are two government websites that list some events.
https://travel.taichung.gov.tw/en/Event/News
https://travel.taichung.gov.tw/en/experience/seasonal
Personally I love and recommend the Taichung Jazz Festival, Rock in Taichung, and the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage.
You SHOULD visit the following!
1. Shen Ji New Village and National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (the grounds)
Shen Ji New Village is on quite a few top 10 lists with good reason in my opinion. It’s a collection of government dorms that have been converted into cute cafes and shops. On the weekends there are little booths/markets here, which means it can get very busy, so it’s best to come at 11am when it opens. Come even earlier if you want to take selfies in front of the pretty shop fronts without anyone else around. Weekdays are more relaxed if that’s what you’re looking for, although there won’t be any markets and some shops might be closed. It’s a great place to get souvenirs, see some interesting architecture, and sit down with an ice cream or coffee.
After seeing Shen Ji New Village, head over to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (closed on Mondays). The museum is free and the exhibitions change regularly. Even if you’re not a huge art buff, the surrounding museum grounds are very much worth a visit. There are nice walking paths, some water features, and loads of statues. It’s a nice city break and excellent selfie location. There’s also a Chun Shui Tang on the property if you want to try the famous bubble milk tea.
Finally, Fantasy Story – Green Ray is not a “must-see attraction,” but if you’re looking for lunch or want to do a bit more sight-seeing and souvenir shopping nearby, it’s a short walk away from Shen Ji New Village. Fantasy Story – Green Ray is marked as a specific building on Google Maps but really describes a tiny neighborhood with pretty old buildings, cafes, and quirky stores. This small but unique area is best on weekends when there are little events and pop-up shops. Stop for a beer in Taihu Brewing or some dumplings at the Dumpling Lab and sit upstairs on the rooftop terraces to soak up that famous Taichung sun.
2. Yizhong Street Market and Taichung Park
Yizhong Street Market is sometimes called a night market, but personally I think that conjures up the wrong images. While it is open at night and there are delicious street food stalls, the area is more famous for accessories, cheap clothes, and interesting shops. There are tons of unique spots at Yizhong Market from huge bookstores to second hand clothing stores. You can get your ears pierced, eat hot pot, and hit up photo booths with funny costumes, all within a few blocks of each other. It’s a good time whether you go in the morning, afternoon, or at night. Don’t get trapped on the main stretch either; I recommend wandering down all the little side alleys because you never know what quirky shop or hidden cafe you might find. If you want to avoid the crowds on the weekend, then I recommend coming in the morning or early afternoon, although it’s a fun place to explore at night on any day of the week.
Just next door to Yizhong Street Market is Taichung Park. It’s a big beautiful, historic park with interesting architecture and plenty of birds and squirrels. I recommend grabbing a food stall snack as you’re leaving Yizhong and heading over to the park for a little picnic and some excellent people watching.
On the north side of the Yizhong Street Market is the Taichung Confucius Temple if you’re interested in a bit more culture and architecture.
3. Taichung Civic Square, Nova Taichung Store, National Museum of Natural Science, and Botanical Garden
Taichung Civic Square is a very popular park in the evenings and on weekends in Taichung, making it a great place to just sit and take in the sights. Most weekends there are street performers surrounding the park, people walking their pets (sometimes very unusual pets like tortoises or meerkats), riding unicycles, driving remote control cars, and vendors selling balloons, Frisbees, kites, and anything else you can think of. It’s a great place to lay down a blanket in the grass and take in the sights. Events are often held here too, so you might stumble upon a market or concert.
Note: If you didn’t try Chun Shui Tang at the Art Museum, there’s another branch right beside Taichung Civic Square.
Next to Taichung Civic Square is Nova Taichung Store, a shopping center for computers, cameras, and other electronics. If you’re a techy person, you have to stop by.
A short pleasant walk away from Taichung Civic Square through a green corridor is the National Museum of Natural Science (closed on Mondays). This museum is huge, making the 100 NTD entry fee very reasonable. The best exhibit (in my opinion) is the dinosaur exhibit, which is excellent for kids, but even as an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Even if you’re not a museum fan, the park surrounding the museum is beautiful. You can pay 20 NTD to visit the inside of the Botanical Garden which I believe is worth it, but it’s also worth just wandering the paths outside the museum and seeing all the interesting water features, beautiful trees, flowers, turtles, and birds.
4. National Taichung Theater, Maple Garden, and the surrounding shopping malls
The National Taichung Theater (closed Mondays) is very easy to reach by bus from almost anywhere in Taichung (or MRT if you’re arriving by High-Speed Rail). If you want to see a show, you can book a ticket here.
But even if you don’t plan on watching a show, the theater itself is worth visiting (closed on Mondays). The architecture on both the inside and the outside is unique. The fountains are especially beautiful; they light up at night. There are loads of cool artsy shops inside. There are also interesting restaurants and cafes in the building. Some are very popular and may require booking ahead. It’s easy to reserve a table using Google Maps beforehand. Go on Google Maps, choose a restaurant, and click “Reserve a Table.” You can also just try your luck and inquire at the restaurants on the day you’re visiting.
After you’ve explored the theater and maybe even seen a show, head over to any of the shopping malls in the area. Your choices are Top City, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, and Tiger City. At the bottom of Top City you can have lunch or dinner at the famous Ding Tai Fung. Even though the wait time can be long, it’s not nearly as long as the Taipei locations and the number system makes it pretty easy to reserve a table, go shopping for a bit, and come back in time to eat some delicious soup dumplings. Also at the bottom of Mitsukoshi and Top City are lots of fun Taiwanese snacks and pretty desserts that make excellent souvenirs. Tiger City, Top City, and Mitsukoshi have an abundance of shops, arcades, cinemas, restaurants, and food courts, so if you’re in the mood for shopping and air conditioning you can’t go wrong with any of them.
Finally, after you shop till you drop, head over to Maple Garden for some rest and relaxation. Maple Garden is a gorgeous little park with a pond, trails, and plenty of places to sit. It’s beautiful during the day, but also at night when all the surrounding buildings light up. Rest here and listen to the sounds of running water and bird calls.
5. 921 Earthquake Museum and Guangfu New Village (on weekends)
The 921 Earthquake Museum (closed Mondays) is outside of town and takes about an hour by bus from the Taichung train station, but it’s definitely worth seeing. Taxi or Uber is another option. It’s an eye-opening insight into the devastation of the 1999 earthquake. It’s like no other museum I’ve ever visited. Keep in mind that the majority of the museum is outdoors, so bring an umbrella if it’s a gloomy day.
Just outside the museum is Guangfu New Village which is a beautiful creative community in historic buildings that comes alive on the weekends. There isn’t much to see on weekdays, but on weekends there are market stalls, cafes, ice cream shops, and artsy stores which create a fun, lively atmosphere. Make sure to leave plenty of time to wander around the old buildings, eat something, and do some sight-seeing.
6. Dakeng Trails
If you’re an avid hiker then the Dakeng Trails are an absolute must-see outside of Taichung. You’ve got two main choices for hikes, especially if you’re coming by public transportation.
The first choice is to go to Google Maps, type in Dakeng Trail No. 9, and take whatever bus is recommended. This will take you to the entrance to Trail No. 9, which also gives you access to Dakeng Trail No. 10. These trails are easier and better for beginner hikers. There are some stairs, but a lot of the trails are paved cement and fairly easy to walk on. Don’t be put off by the crowds at the front of these trails. There are popular markets at the bottom of these trails on the weekends, which can be great if you want to grab a drink or some breakfast before starting your hike. The crowds will clear up quickly the higher you hike on either of these two trails. I recommend Dakeng Trail No. 9 (and 10) if you want a relaxed hike with some nice views and easy access to market food and drinks. You can even pick up some cheap fresh produce on the way home!
Your second choice is to go to Google Maps, put in Dakeng Trail No. 2, and take the recommended bus to this trailhead. Dakeng Trail No. 2 is connected to Dakeng Trails 1-5. These trails are much harder than 9 and 10, but are also much more unique. Made entirely out of wooden log ladders, only decently fit hikers with appropriate footwear (no flip-flops) should tackle these trails. No. 4 is the most difficult of all of these if you’re looking for a challenge. I love these trails and find them extremely fun to hike. They all connect at the top of the mountain, so choose whichever one you want to climb up and then you can choose another to climb down. I recommend coming earlier in the day, especially in the summer as the heat can get unbearable midday. There’s usually someone selling cheap bottled drinks at the top, but you should definitely bring your own water and snacks as well.
There are two other unique destinations in the Dakeng Trail area: Carton King Creative Park and South Guanyin Mountain. The Carton King Creative Park is an unusual little art park where you can take photos with lots of cardboard creations. Tickets can be purchased here. South Guanyin Mountain is a much shorter hike than the Dakeng trails, so if you’re looking for something a little easier with a few unique photo opportunities, it might be worth checking out. This blog post from Taiwan Trails and Tales talks about the hike in more detail.
7. Tunghai University and “Night” Market
Less than an hour outside of town and easily accessible by bus is the stunning Tunghai University. You can easily spend several hours puttering around here. The campus has beautiful old Japanese-style buildings, gorgeous landscaping with ponds and fields, animals like deer and cows, and a famous chapel with very unique architecture.
Nearby is Tunghai Night Market, which is a bit of a misnomer as many of the shops and restaurants are open all day. This area definitely has a lovely small town feel with narrow streets and lots of people walking around on foot. All along the narrow roads there’s loads to eat and see. You can stop by for brunch, lunch, dinner or snacks before or after your exploration of the university.
A popular thing to do is to get some snacks and drinks in the market first, and then head over to the university grounds for a picnic.
8. Fengchia Night Market
This is the biggest night market in Taichung and some people are put off because it’s farther outside of town; however, I really think it’s worth a visit (as long as you haven’t burnt yourself out on night markets in Taipei or other cities.) Fengchia is a good time, not only because of the huge number of stalls and variety of snacks, but also because there is an abundance of restaurants in the area. If the stalls get overwhelming (or if you just want to sit down to eat) wander the streets just outside the night market and try any of the hundreds of nearby restaurants. Do note that Friday and Saturday night will be VERY busy, which might be overwhelming to some tourists although it is definitely a sight to see.
Taxi is probably the easiest way to get here, but buses are also a simple option from most tourist spots in Taichung.
9. Houfeng Bikeway
About an hour and a half outside of Taichung by bus, Houfeng Bikeway is a great time. It’s a nice long bike trail that leads over rivers and through tunnels. If you go on weekdays you’ll have the place to yourself, but there won’t be as many spots to eat, drink, or shop. Weekends are definitely much busier, but I love the busy weekend atmosphere as well as the yummy food and drink stalls that pop up, not to mention the occasional market or event. If you’re not a patient biker though, then it’s better to come on a weekday when you can go as fast as you like with no one in the way; there will still be some open cafes and other little places to stop and eat/relax.
You can easily rent a bike at the beginning of the trail for cheap (cash only). There are normal bicycles but also electric bikes for those who want to relax a bit more. You’ll have fun zipping through the countryside and stopping to take pictures, eat snacks, and sight-see along the way.
10. A Self-Tour of Taiwanese Activities
Finally, Taichung is a great place to try a bunch of unique activities that Taiwan is famous for. Taipei can sometimes be too busy to get a reservation to popular places and some Southern cities just don’t have as many opportunities, but Taichung is a great middle ground: a big city with loads of options and less competition for bookings than Taipei.
Some things that you should try while in Taiwan (and in Taichung in particular) include KTV, a shampoo service at a hair salon, a massage, a cat or other animal cafe, temples, markets, hot pot, and shrimp fishing. Here’s my suggestion for a Taichung self-guided tour of famous Taiwanese activities.
NOTE!!!: You cannot expect any of these places to have staff that speak English. Come prepared with Google Translate and a good attitude. These are Taiwanese activities after all. 🙂
This suggested self-tour is in the Xitun district of Taichung, but a similar tour can be built up almost anywhere in the city depending on where you’re staying and your personal interests.
Start your Taiwanese activity tour off at Woof What, a dog cafe. Have some pasta or rice for lunch and love on some cute doggos. (Opens at noon. Closed on Tuesdays.)
After that, head over to 太子悅養生會館 for a foot massage; it’s a large massage place and they take walk-ins. It’s also possible to book ahead using LINE. A foot massage is 800 NTD. They offer other types of massages too, including scraping (gua sha). *See the note below for one alternative option.
After your massage, head to ALPHA Beauty Salon for a shampoo pampering session. Taiwan does hair salons right and you’ll leave feeling light, refreshed, and pampered. Be sure to book online in advance through Google Maps.
With your fresh clean hair, head over to Superstar KTV Shizheng Henan Branch to sing your heart out. The English song choices aren’t the most recent, which is typical of Taiwanese KTV, but they still have a good selection of 90s and early 2000s bops, so get ready to belt out some Britney Spears. If you’ve never been to Taiwanese KTV before, be sure to take full advantage of the good vibes: order some food and drinks, stretch out on the couches, and sing for hours. (This is a popular KTV spot, so be sure to reserve a room using Google Maps.)
You’re probably starving after all that singing, so it’s time for another famous Taiwanese activity: hot pot! The area around the Taichung theater is chock-full of hot pot choices. I recommend Top One Pot Taichung Chaofu Branch, which is a little pricey, but very delicious and can easily be booked online through Google Maps.
It’s probably getting pretty late by now, but luckily Money shrimp fishing shrimp farm is open until 4am! Try your hand at shrimp fishing, and whatever you catch, you can eat! If you’re still stuffed after hot pot, maybe only pay for an hour to ensure your eyes don’t get bigger than your stomach. (Closed on Tuesdays.)
*Note: Another massage option if you prefer a more upscale, luxurious massage place is Goldmine928 Massage Center. It can be booked online using Google Maps, and it’s only a 10 minute walk from the Superstar KTV.
I hope those suggestions can help someone have an awesome time in this big, sunny city. Let me know if you hit up any of these Taichung spots in the comment section below!
Other notes:
How can I get around Taichung?
There are buses, one MRT line, cheap taxis and Ubers, and YouBike. Just check Google Maps for the best way to get around. Google Maps is very accurate in Taichung.
Where to Stay?
Personally, I’d stay somewhere around the Taichung Civic Square and National Museum of Natural Science area because it’s a quiet area with lots of nice restaurants and things to see and do. The area also tends to be very well-connected by bus. I’d avoid the Taichung Train Station area because even though there are a lot of hotels, it’s just not a very nice area of the city. But obviously Taichung has hundreds of hotels, so anywhere with a good deal and good reviews will probably be a fine choice.
Great tips!