One Day in Taichung
Did you know that the “Pei” in Taipei means “North” in Mandarin? I knew that, but it still blew my mind to learn that there is also a Taichung (“Tai Middle”) and Tainan (“Tai South”)! I’m humbled that there’s so much to see in Taiwan beyond Taipei’s night markets and iconic skyscrapers.
Taichung is a vibrant metropolis in its own right, and luckily Allen has an uncle who lives there, so we had a great reason to visit. Let’s take a trip!
Why visit Taichung?
If Taipei is like New York, Taichung would be like Los Angeles. As Taiwan’s second most populous city, Taichung is an urban sprawl, speckled with highly cool, highly instagrammable niches (mostly about food). The pace is laidback and friendly. Fewer lines. More space to breathe. Many Taiwanese consider Taichung a highly “livable” city with its lower cost of real estate and moderate weather year-round.
Geographically, Taichung is located in the Taichung basin, nestled between the ocean to the west, hills to the north, and mountains to the east. The geography buffers typhoons and moderates the climate, making summers bearable relative to other parts of Taiwan This also unfortunately traps smog, which is definitely noticeable.
Historically, Taichung’s development is closely tied to the Japanese occupation during the early 20th century. Taichung was originally planned by the Japanese, and various aspects of that legacy is still live in Taichung today. Examples include the famous Miyahara confectionary (in the renovated Miyahara ophthalmology clinic), to the Japanese planning of the hexagonal Taichung Second Market, to the names of large department schools.
We were fortunate to experience all those things during our day in Taichung :)
Our Day in Taichung
Taichung is an enormous sprawl, so we went in knowing what we were looking for. Our biggest mistake for the day was that we arrived too early and left too soon. Taichung is a nighttime city! It’s a GHOST TOWN for tourists before noon! Many places don’t open until 10 or later, and even past noon we observed vendors just setting up shop. On the contrary, the city comes alive at night, with bright colors in the riverbanks, karaoke amphitheatres in the public squares, and light sculpture gardens.
I’m Talato Ice Cream
This super-cute gelato shop devoted half of its real estate to a pool of ice cream, where aspiring IG boyfriends (or girlfriends) can climb the steps to get dat shot for the ‘gram from above. When searching for this store, just look for the parachuting ice creams on the roof!
No. 451號, Yingcai Road, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
Shenji 368 (New Village)
Hipster-dipster vendors come out to let loose at this restored government dormitory unit. Eat: boba pancakes, bear-bottle blue milk teas, squeeze pouch smoothies, popcorn fried scallops, and mustache’d ice creams.
403, Taiwan, Taichung City, West District, 審計新村
Taichung Second Market
Locals hang out in this sprawl of zig-zagging corridors lined with food, groceries, and various knick-knacks. This is an authentic foodie experience, so it helps to know Chinese to navigate this spot.
No. 87號, Section 2, Sanmin Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
Chun Shui Tang
Legend has it, boba was invented here in this store in 1988. The Japanese inspired an iced tea trend, and a Chun Shui Tang staff member poured tapioca into assam iced tea during a meeting… and voila!
No. 30號, Siwei Street, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
Painter’s Lane
Manga fanart paradise. This alley is covered with murals in various stages of construction.
No.100 Linshen Road, Xi District, Taichung 403, Taiwan
Taichung Opera House
This trippy opera house has no hard angles anywhere inside! It feels like being in an enormous spaceship.
No. 101號, Section 2, Huilai Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 40756
Miyahara Confectionary
If Harry Potter were Asian, this place would be Hogwarts. The confectionary in the renovated Miyahara eye clinic was our highlight in Taichung, and worth the trip from Taipei just for their insanely gorgeous confections.
No. 20號, Zhongshan Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
Getting There & Getting Around
Taichung has its own airport, but it’s more typical for international travelers to come via Taipei. Taipei to Taichung is faster than getting from one side of Taipei to another, thanks to the Taiwan high speed rail (HSR)! It’s a comfortable, convenient ~45 minutes between Taichung and the Taipei Main Railway Station (also a major MRT subway stop and worth a visit in its own right). HSR tickets are easy to reserve online and pick up at the station. If you miss your HSR (as we did on the return leg), the next one runs every 10-30 minutes or so, although you will have to sit in the unreserved section.
For budget travelers, there are also buses that run between Taipei and Taichung. These take ~2.5 hours each way depending on highway traffic. We decided to bite the bullet on HSR costs because it’s faster and more reliable for a day trip, plus has beautiful views of the countryside.
Unfortunately, getting around inside Taichung is hampered by the lack of a subway system. (The Taichung subway project was signed in 2007, but completion date has been progressively pushed back since 2009…) We got around by Uber and lots of walking. (I hit 25k steps that day!) Alternatively, you can also rent a Youyou bike or learn how to use the public bus system, especially if you’re venturing to the coastal wetlands or the flower farms. But there was plenty for us to do for a day in central downtown, so we stuck to the basics.
Other Random Observations
Walking through central Taichung, we were never a few blocks away from the sounds of children. Perhaps it was just the route we walked that we chanced upon many lively elementary/middle schools and gaggles of children at afterschool. It’s lovely to see a city with a local, lively younger generation of all ages.
I don’t know whether this is more than a rumor, but one of Allen’s aunts told me that Taichung has a reputation for being home to several of Taiwan’s super-uber wealthy, even moreso than Taipei! I searched, but didn’t see any ostentatious displays of wealth. Maybe I was in the wrong area ;)
What do you think? Taichung worth a visit? Anything we missed out on? Let us know!
Ciao, until next time!
