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Taichung

Taichung (台中; Táizhōng) is a transport hub of western Taiwan and you are likely to stop over or even spend a night or two here, especially if you plan to head inland. The city center has several attractions and it's a good base to make side trips to the outer area, which has a lot to offer.

Today the name Taichung tends, among locals anyway, to conjure up visions of great weather and unfortunately, increasingly, air pollution. Taipei and Taichung may have similar average temperatures but Taichung is much drier, receiving around 1700mm of rain per year compared with Taipei’s 2170mm.

Under Japanese, and later KMT, economic planning, Kaohsiung became the center of heavy industry, Taipei the center of colonial administration...and Taichung? The centre of light industry. If your image of 'Made in Taiwan' still conjures up visions of cheap toys, shoes and electrical goods, then you’ve got old Taichung in mind.

 

 

Explore Taichung

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Taichung.

  • Museum

    National Museum of Natural Science

    A fantastic place for kids and botany fans, this massive museum has over 50 exhibit areas covering space, the environment, rainforests, gems and minerals,…

  • Area

    Gaomei Wetlands

    Beautiful wetlands teeming with life rendered surreal by the sight of wind turbines on the horizon. It is especially photogenic at sunset and makes for a…

  • Museum

    National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

    Taiwan's top fine-art museum features the works of both established and upcoming Taiwanese artists, as well as famous foreign creators such as Japanese …

  • Buddhist Monastery

    Pi-Lu Monastery

    Built by a devout Taichung family in the 1920s, Pi-Lu Buddhist Monastery looks more like a mansion than a monastery, with its red-bricked facade, Doric…

  • Notable Building

    Qianyue Building

    Highly Instagrammable semiderelict building with large areas covered by awesome graffiti. In the abandoned spaces of this former shopping mall, you may be…

  • Park

    Taichung Park

    A historical landmark, this beautiful 20-hectare park was designed by the Japanese in the early 1900s. The elegant Japanese pavilion was a later addition …

  • Market

    Audit Village

    An attractive example of the old building-turned-artsy-marketplace formula, the handful of old civil-servant dormitories known as Audit Village are now…

  • Market

    Zhongxin Market

    There are only a few outlets left in this once-busy market – meat and vegetable operators are around from 4am to 10am; food stalls in the periphery open…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Paochueh Temple

    This Buddhist columbarium-and-temple complex has a few unusual monuments – a giant golden laughing Buddha with oddly placed windows, and an old temple (c…

  • Village

    Rainbow Village

    To the west of the city, an ageing village has been transformed into an art piece with vibrant colours and drawings on every inch of the walls by Mr Wong,…

  • Notable Building

    Taichung Baseball Field

    Adjacent to Taichung Broadcasting Bureau is a piece of interesting nostalgic sports architecture. This old stadium (1935) was once the home of several…

  • Architecture

    Luce Memorial Chapel

    An early work (1963) of the late IM Pei, the chapel that resembles a tepee is the landmark of Tunghai University. It stands on a lawn, one of many on the…

  • Park

    Taichung Folk Park

    The park is divided into several sections but most of the interesting material is to the far right as you enter. Don't miss the collections of folk…

  • Area

    Dakeng

    To the east of the city is a hilly area known as Dakeng. If you're going to spend any time in the city, Dakeng is worth exploring, as there are pleasant…

  • Notable Building

    Taichung Broadcasting Bureau

    Not far from Taichung Park is this leafy complex with a quaint western-style building, a small lily pond and some lovely trees. The bureau was built in…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Taichung.

  • Activities