This time I managed to spend 2 days in Taichung! :D
How to get there?
You can take a bullet train (High Speed Train, aka HSR) to 台中 Taichung station or the normal railway train to 新乌日 Xinwuri station. Yeah. It's 新乌日 not 台中, so be careful, do not alight at the wrong station.
For more details on the HSR, check out this blog post.
TIP
Do check out the HSR website for early bird discounts. Foreigners like us can book our tickets in advance, using credit cards. You do not need to create an account to do that. Discounts go up to 65%.
What to see?
If you like Kyoto, you probably like the quaint old towns in Taiwan too.
One such town you must visit is Lukang Historic Town 鹿港老街. It is accessible via the Taiwan tourist bus 台湾好行. But buses come only once an hour, so do plan in advance, in order to maximise your time there.
TIP
鹿港老街 is huge. I spent the entire afternoon there, and I have yet to finish the entire town. Do cater more time for this spot.
It is probably the oldest historic town still in their original state which I have visited thus far in Taiwan, hence, lots of photo opportunities, for those who love taking retro pictures. For those who are interested, I am making comparisons against towns along 平溪线 in Taipei, 大溪老街 in Taoyuan and 安平老街 in Tainan.
Some parts of 鹿港老街 have been renovated and looked like other suburb towns, especially areas near the bus stops. Hence take your time to explore and find the quaint forgotten corners of 鹿港老街.
One of the famous spots of 鹿港老街 is the 摸乳巷. *Shy* Why such an interesting name? This is to express how narrow the alley is. It is so narrow that when two people pass, they can't avoid touching each other.
Another spot is the 半边井. Mmm.. Why is it only half a well left?
Actually, it's not that only half of it is left. The other half is inside the compounds of the house, at the other side of the wall. There is a story behind this well. This well belongs to this wealthy family. In order to show goodwill towards their neighbours, they share their source of water with their poorer neighbours.
Unfortunately, the well is no longer in use now. Well.. we do have tap water now.
There are many temples in 鹿港老街. One of which, that left a deep impression on me is the Longshan Temple 龙山寺.
There is also one in Taipei, which is very accessible, just next to a same namesake MRT station.
If you like temples, do visit this other temple at 八卦山. You can see the Big Buddha 大佛.
You can climb up the Big Buddha (Yes, it's hollow) and get a bird's eye view of Changhua 彰化。
You can take the same 台湾好行 bus to 八卦山 from 鹿港老街 and vice versa.
If you like theme "park", do give 妖怪村, in 溪头 松林町 a try.
What to do?
If you are a student, you will probably be very interested in this activity.
In Taichung, there are two consecutive stations, which became famous due to their names. One is called 追分, the other is called 成功. Together it's called 追分成功, which meant achieving excellence in studies, hence students would come and take the train (only one line runs along these two stations) from 追分 to 成功 stations.
Look at the number of students~
TIP
Remember to buy the ticket at the counter, to get this special edition ticket. Some people do keep it as a lucky charm!
What to buy?
Need souvenirs? Find some at 宫原眼科. Nope, it's not a typo. It's really an optician shop. Well, a defunct one. Now it operates as a gift shop with a cafe.
The souvenirs here are all very nicely packaged. I dare say, probably one of the best in Taiwan. Somehow they remind me of the souvenirs in Japan, too.
They sell snacks like pineapple tarts, cookies, etc. After packaging, doesn't it look like a book?
The shop looks like a Harry Potter library (the main draw for me~ Photo time!)
What to eat?
What's Taiwan without night markets? The same goes for Taichung.
This round, I went to Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市.
My highly recommended this 全國大腿排. It's special because, after deep-frying, they will also grill it. Hence, it is very crispy. I think with the seasoning and all, it rivals the 浩大鸡排 at 士林夜市.
Where to stay?
Located in the heart of Taichung (literally, as it is only about 5-10min walk away from the Taichung railway station), Cityinn Taichung is a great pitstop for travellers.
It is very new, I think they just started this year, if I am not wrong. Hence, all the fixtures and furniture are all sparking new.
For some floors, they work with artists to give each floor an unique identity. Mine is sheep in space. (^_^)
This is the smallest room that they have.
I liked their idea of having metal fixtures on ceiling for us to hang our clothes instead of space consuming cabinets. Everything seems pretty compact. The only drawback is probably the space. It is kinda of small. But then, this is the smallest room, so.. probably that's why.
The theme is lime green. Lovely... since my favourite colour is green. :D
Very well packed bathroom amenities. They have everything. Including comb, shaver, etc. Very clean and neat.
And they offer breakfast buffet at B1 in the morning, too.
TIP
The human figurine is for you to reserve your table as you "shop" for morning buffet.
If you have time to spare, you can venture to Xinshe or Dakeng, where they have flower farms and onsen. Next time then, for me.
Have fun in Taichung~
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