If our first two days in Taiwan required us to do a lot of walking, our third day was the exact opposite as we were able to hire a driver that would take and tour us around the city of Taichung.
Located south and two hours away from Taipei, Taichung is Taiwan’s second most populous and largest city and is known for its creative culture. The city is accessible from Taipei via private vehicle and public transit through buses and trains.
Honestly, after doing a research about the places that we should visit before our trip, I easily understood why one of my friends who visited Taiwan before preferred the city over Taipei.
Taichung is dotted with creative spots that artsy people–like me– would love to visit and see. From cafes, museums, historical spots to creative parks–the city is a haven for people who love anything artsy. So when it was time for us to select the places to include in our itinerary, I did had a hard time choosing the ones that I would really like to see the most. Eventually, we ended up with the must-sees and famous tourist attractions in the place which you can see below:
Taichung Itinerary
5:00AM – Wake up and prep
6:00AM – Eat breakfast
8:00AM – Meetup with Taichung tour driver at hotel
8:00AM to 10:00AM – Travel going to Taichung from Taipei
10:00AM – Visit at Zhongshe Flower Market
12:00PM – Lunch at Chun Shui Tang
1:00PM – Visit Rainbow Village
2:00PM – Visit Miyahara
3:00PM – Drop by at Ruyl Sunny Cake Bakery
4:00PM – Visit National Taichung Theater
5:00PM – Visit Feng Chia Night Market
6:00PM – Head back to Taipei
8:00PM – Arrival at hotel and rest
If there is one place that me and my friends were all looking forward to see in our Taiwan trip, it would be Zhongshe Flower Market which is our first stop for the day.
Located in Houli District, this tourist attraction is known for its array of IG-worthy flower beds ranging from roses, sunflowers to lavenders with a backdrop of a nearby mountain. Tulips are also being grown in the place during its season from January to March.
We arrived in Zhongshe Flower Market past 10AM where we first passed by a commercial area selling foods and merchandise to visitors before reaching the main entrance. Upon reaching the gate, one will need to avail of the entrance ticket worth TWD120. During our visit, we were welcomed by a saxophonist playing live and serving as background music for wandering visitors in the area. From here, one can also easily see the entire stretch of the whole flower market covered by various colors coming from the flowers beds.
Personally, I was both amazed and disappointed upon seeing the flower market in person. I was amazed because the place is irresistibly picture-worthy that we cannot stop ourselves from taking pictures in every corner. Aside from the flower beds, there were also pretty vertical garden and structures found in the vicinity that further amplified the experience. Add up the massive size of the place and you end up realizing that one and half hours is not enough to fully see the whole flower market.
Only downsides of the place for me were the withering roses I saw in one of its sections which made me doubt if the flowers were really taken care of and the inevitable muddy soil when it rains. I was also disappointed with the actual size of the flower beds in person as I was expecting it to be as tall as the ones I typically see in Instagram–looks like I was deceived by social media again. Nonetheless, I think the place is still worth the visit when you find yourself traveling to Taichung.
Following our visit to Zhongshe Flower Market was another place that I was looking forward to taste because of its history.
Dubbed as the birthplace of bubble tea, Chun Shui Tang is a popular local teahouse that is said to invent the well-known drink in the 1980s. The teahouse has various branches across the country but its first and original store is found in the heart of Taichung.
We arrived in the dining spot past 12PM where we were welcomed by a handful of diners eating lunch at the place. We thought that we’re going to wait until seats were already available until one of the place’s staff led us to a staircase going to a lower level and realized that the place has two floors. After settling and taking our seats, we find ourselves looking at their menu and getting help from our tour driver to decipher its Chinese writings. Eventually, we ordered their Braised Beef Noodles and, of course, their bestselling Pearl Milk Tea for our drinks.
The dining place’s interior in its lower level has that homey vibe that feels like you were taken inside a Taiwanese’s traditional home and was invited to eat. The place features wooden chairs and tables with complementing ceiling lamp that illuminates the whole area. Adorning the walls were Chinese wall hangings and glass cabinets that displays Chinaware. Only thing missing was an accommodating mother who looks after us after foods were served.
First dish that arrived was the Pearl Milk Tea that comes in a tall glass that is similar to the iconic container of Philippines’ halo-halo. Upon taking a sip of the drink, one can easily taste the luscious combination of tea and milk and the chewiness of the tapioca balls that come with it. It also differs from the typical bubble tea as the ice that comes with it is crushed and not in cubes. The Braised Beef Noodles was another delight with its taste having the right amount of saltiness and tender beef slices that complements it. The latter’s serving is best shared by two people while the Pearl Milk Tea is best consumed by one.
After a hearty meal, we found ourselves traveling again to another anticipated destination that is called Rainbow Village.
Deriving its name from the description of the place itself, Rainbow Village is a colorful village hand painted by a retired soldier living in the vicinity. The area was originally up for demolition until it was petitioned to be preserved after gaining popularity from locals and tourists alike. Today, it is one of Taichung’s most visited tourist and Instagram spots.
Starting from the roofs down to the ground, everything in Rainbow Village is colorfully painted. During our visit, Taichung’s well-known Iron Man was also there and was also colorfully-dressed up and greeting visitors with nods. Too bad that we weren’t able to catch the soldier behind Rainbow Village who is said to drop by at the place regularly.
Another destination that I was looking forward to see in our Taichung tour was the building of Miyahara Ice Cream.
Located in the center of the city, Miyahara was built and named after Japanese ophthalmologist Miyahara Takeo who used to operate his clinic in the place during Taiwan’s Japanese occupation period. After the war, the building was acquired by the government and eventually by a private company who now operates its famous ice cream parlor and delicacy store. The place is also known for its Harry Potter-inspired interior which features high ceiling book shelves.
Upon reaching the place, we were welcomed by swarms of tourists visiting the famous tourist spot. We first entered its delicacy store to see its well-known Harry Potter interior and was disappointed with the crowd and the pricey products being sold in the area. Add up the production crew doing a shoot in the place and I gave up the idea of getting a person-free shot of the tourist attraction. I was amazed, though, with the interior’s design as a fan of both high ceiling places and Harry Potter.
We tried to visit the Miyahara’s famous ice cream parlor but failed to enter inside as there was a long queue of customers waiting outside. We just took advantage instead of taking a look at the nearby stores that don’t have much people before going back to our tour van.
After dropping by at Ruyl Sunny Cake Bakery to buy goodies for an officemate, we found our tour driver thinking of a possible side trip since we were too early to go to our last destination for the day. Eventually, he decided to bring us to National Taichung Theater which, according to him, does not only offer amazing architecture but also has a public rooftop that gives an overlooking view of the city.
As a fan of architecture, I was in awe when I saw National Taichung Theater’s facade and was more struck upon seeing its lobby. The whole place featured a modern design that seems to materialize the dystopian buildings in movies and gives a peek of what future structures would look like. Same thing goes with its rooftop which, aside from giving a view of the city, provides a spot for visitors to rest and relax. Seemed like I was the only one enjoying our stay in the theater that it was not long when I found ourselves going back to the lobby and to our tour van again.
Last stop for our Taichung tour was the famous Feng Chia Night Market which is known as the biggest one in Taiwan. Selling an array of goodies ranging from foods, fashion items to souvenirs, Feng Chia seems to be a one-stop shop that can cater to anyone’s needs. It was also here where my friends tried tanghulu which is a traditional Chinese snack on stick with fruits covered in hardened sugar coating–which I did not try because I was still full from our free taste in Ruyl Sunny Cake and is regretting now.
After an hour of wandering in the streets of Feng Chia Night Market, we found ourselves again inside the tour van and headed back to Taipei. We spent the next two hours of travel napping and resting our tired bodies before waking up again when we’re in the city. When we reached our hotel, we bid goodbye and paid our driver before heading inside our rooms to fully rest. An hour later we found ourselves outside again to grab dinner and to fulfill our postponed trip to Shilin Night Market.
A stone’s throw away from Jiantan Station, Shilin Night Market is the largest night market in Taipei and the third one we’ve visited in our Taiwan trip. Similar to the first two, the place is dotted with food spots serving various kinds of foods to diners and array of merchandise to shoppers. It was raining during our visit so we had a hard time navigating our way through the night market’s alleys and finding a place to eat. Eventually, we decided to split and eat at a place of our choice which for my friend and I, is Zhong Cheng Hao.
One of the places which I saw was frequented by most locals–this has become my basis for choosing a place to eat–Zhong Cheng Hao is a local casual dining spot that serves the famous oyster omelette and other Taiwanese quick grubs at affordable prices. The place also has an adjacent dining area where customers can sit and dine.
Since our Filipino tradition of eating rice for dinner had taken over us, we decided to skip the oyster omelette and ordered Lu Rou Fan which is a rice meal topped with braised pork served for TWD55. Probably the most worthy food I’ve bought in Taiwan, the flavored pork that comes with the dish was very tasty and is a good partner of the complementing rice. Plus points as it was able to satisfy my rice craving.
After meeting up with our friends who split from us earlier, we all decided to call it a day and head back to our hotel to dry ourselves from the rain and to finally get a night of rest. In our hotel room, I realized that we only have one more full day left of our getaway in Taiwan before we return back to Manila the next day.
Any thoughts?