Taichung Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 台中市 (tái zhōng shì)
Population: 2,816,700
Area: 2,215 square kilometers (855 square miles)
Location: in the middle west of Taiwan Island, southeast China
Administrative Division: 29 districts
Area Code: 04
Zip Code: 400
GDP (2019): CNY 480.7 billion (USD 69.7 billion)

As the third largest city of Taiwan, Taichung is the economic and cultural center and the only municipality in the middle part of the island. The motto of Taichung is "Culture · Economy · International City". Large numbers of universities and historical sites are found here, so it enjoys the reputation of "City of Culture". It is also the center of the Buddhist culture and the Buddha dharma assembly is held in Paochueh Temple every year. Moreover, it is a prosperous modern city with high-rise buildings towering aloft. It is also called a "City in Peace". The streets are clean, the environment is beautiful, and people are friendly, making it a good place for one to relax.

 Tunghai University: It is reputed as the "Most Beautiful University of Taiwan" for its quiet environment, graceful courtyards, and traditional buildings in Tang Dynasty (618-907) style. The Luce Chapel with an arch sail roof sits in the university. You can drink the milk and eat ice sticks in the dairy store. The milk is very fresh because some cows are raised on the university's pasture.

 Kaomei Wetland: Two rows of huge windmills stand at the west of the wetland, which looks extremely magnificent during the sunset. The mud flat is special that your feet are still clean after stepping on it. Every winter, a large number of migrant birds fly there, making it the best place to watch birds.

 Rainbow Village: Colorful and nifty rainbows, flowers, and animals are painted on the walls and grounds by a veteran. He turns the original dull village into a fairytale world.

 Palace Original Eye: It used to be an eye hospital and now becomes a paradise for dessert lovers. Ice-creams, chocolates, teas, and coffees are all sold. The dark red brick walls, wooden stairs and bookshelves in the old house are left with glass curtain walls being added, combining the retro style with the modern fashion.

 Other Attractions: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Yushan National Park, Natural Science Museum, Confucius Temple Martyr's Shrine, Feng Chia University, Calligraphy Greenway, Lavender Forest…

Taichung Ching Chuang Kang International Airport opens direct flights to/from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Kunming, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Nanjing, Wuxi and Ningbo. Passengers can take airport shuttle bus and city bus travel between airport and Taichung City.

If arriving Taipei, one can also take the train or long distance bus to Taichung. The high speed train takes you about 1 hour and the ordinary train takes 100 minutes to 3 hours according to different types.
 See more about Taiwan Train

To travel around in the city, city buses and taxis are available for you. For convenience, you can buy an Easy Card. If the travel mileage on the city bus is within 6 miles (10 kilometers), it will be free with the card. Remember to swipe it when you get on and off the bus.

Taichung Taxi Rate
Fare	Daytime	Night: 22:00 – 06:00
Flag-down Rate	TWD 85 for the first 1.5km (0.9mi)	TWD 85 for the first 1.25km (0.8mi)
Surcharge	TWD 5 per 250m (273yd)	TWD 5 per 208m (227yd)
Waiting Fee	TWD 5 for every 3min	TWD 5 for every 2.5min

You can also rent a bike by Easy Card to tour around at a leisurely pace. It is free for the first 30 minutes by the card, and TWD 10 per 30 minutes within 4 hours. There are many bicycle lease stations in downtown, including Confucius Temple, City Hall, Fuxing Park, and National Museum of Natural Science.

 Dining & Nightlife: Taichung has a great many of tasty snacks including fried chicken, stinky tofu, oyster omelet, sausage wrapped in glutinous rice, sun cake and mayegeng. You can eat all these delicious food at Feng Chia Night Market, Zhonghua Road Night Market and Jhongsiao Road Night Market. In addition, you can enjoy your night in the clubs and one of the most famous one is Lobby, where you can watch shows and drink as much as you like.

 Shopping: Youngsters gather at Yi-Chung Shopping Street where there are all kinds of fashion clothes and accessories. At Park Lane by CMP, you can go shopping or just wander. There is a mall here whose walls are densely covered with green plants and the Eslite Bookstore on the third floor is very big. Jingming First Street is called “Small Europe”. Walking along it is like walking along Les Champs-Elysees. There are shops and art galleries on both sides and chairs for you to have a rest.