[Post-Edit Note: All pictures and written content in this post was originally created in 2019, unless otherwise credited.]

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you can spend one month in every major city in Taiwan, and still feel like you need more time.

Such is the woes of a traveller who finds himself/herself in a country as ravishingly blessed as this, where breathtaking nature is backed by dynamic cosmopolitan living and topped with rich cultural history with lots of mouthwatering food to spare. It’s a fascinating blend of interests all-round, and whichever way the coin falls, the country will have a bounty to offer.

A wonderful follow-up destination to time spent in the capital, Taichung has got the creative and cultural clout of a cosmopolitan hub, paired with the pace of a post-war industrial town. First-world conveniences are sorely missed, places a little more challenging to get to; but by and large, Taichung’s charm seems to lie in its reminiscence of a bygone age; and the concerted effort to restore spaces, repurpose villages, and celebrate culture is so eminent that it makes the city such a brilliant joy to explore. Here, many places end up an unexpected learning highlight, offering a unique tl;dr insight into the country’s past that saves you the need for intensive reading or research. A smattering of indie hipster contrasts beautifully with the city’s warm nostalgic tones, increasingly making a visit to this town a must, rather than a suggestion.

1. Rainbow Village / 彩虹眷村

One of the things you should know before visiting Taiwan, is the concept of Military Dependents Village in the country (or Veterans Village, as some call it). This is a unique kind of housing built in the 40s-60s to temporarily house the Kuomintang soldiers and their dependents after they retreated from China; but, eventually ended up as permanent settlements which over the past few decades, have suffered greatly from dereliction, abandonment, decay, and urban slum. In 1996, the government began an aggressive program to demolish these dwellings in place of high-rises, which brings us to the story of Rainbow Village because that was exactly how it ended up looking the way it does.

In 2008, Huang Yong Fu (aka Rainbow Grandpa / 彩虹爺爺) was one of the last remaining veterans living in this cluster of military dependents village when the government had plans to demolish the area. To prevent the inevitable, Huang started painting. And painting. And painting. He painted things he remembered drawing from his childhood, and he painted them in bright hues of reds, blues, greens, and yellows. Soon enough, students form the nearby Ling Tung and Hung Kuang Universities discovered his artwork, and petitioned the preservation of the village – and the rest, as they say, was history.

Huang, now 94 and who still resides within the village, continues to wake up at 4am every morning to work on maintaining his artwork; and if you’re lucky, you might just run into him when you’re visiting. If you’re looking to avoid crowds, you’ll want to reach on the dot at opening time (8am) because it gets ridiculously crowded from as early as 9am all the way till closing time.

Visit This Together With… Gao Mei Wetlands (not documented here because I didn’t go because it appears that Tourism and I have very different definitions of ‘in the vicinity’. 45 minutes should be the amount of time required to get from one city to the next in Taiwan, not the amount of time required to get from one point of attraction to the next via car, within a city itself.)

Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm 
Address: 408, Taiwan, Taichung City, Nantun District, 春安路56巷25號
How I Got There: Cab. Taichung is notoriously difficult to navigate via public transport (there are no trains as of 2019, only buses). And even if you do somehow manage to figure out the bus system, waiting times are long and travelling times longer. Most travellers who pass through Taichung don’t spend many days there so if you want to cover more ground, Uber/cabbing really is the way to go. 

Otherwise, take Bus #27 from the main station in Taichung (direction to Ling Tung University), and get off at Ling Tung University – it’s a 5-10 minute walk from there. If you’re lucky to be there on weekends or public holidays, hop on Bus #655 which will drop you off directly at Rainbow Village (and Gaomei Wetlands too). 

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2. I’m Talato

Sweet things + instagrammable things = Winning formula with the masses.

This iconic Taichung favourite stands out even at first glance, brilliantly inventive and gloriously industrial chic at once. Both inside and out, diners (and curious passersby) are treated to a show of ice cream-inspired installations that rings cute and saccharine; and this is further backed by a plethora of ice cream options that is simple and unpretentious to the palate.

Visit This Together With… Shenji New Village and Fantasy Story.

Opening Hours: 11.30am – 7.30pm 
Address: 451號, Yingcai Road, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
How I Got There: Cab of course. Do take note that while I’m actively promoting the use of cabs as a means of transport in Taichung, most of the places you’ll want to visit will be scattered across the city like bristles from a dandelion. Therefore, it is very critical to group your destinations strategically to cut down on transport costs.

3. Fantasy Story

Flora-lined alleys and cursive wrought iron decor may look surprisingly European, but the sensual undercurrent at Fantasy Story is Taiwanese all the way. A whimsical feast of retail, fashion, food, and the arts, this quaint shopping belt is located in what used to be double-storey dormitories of a water facility; and like many ex industrial sites and other old villages across the country, was blessed with a new lease of life in place of demolition when the time for restructuring came.

Expect a wonderful collection of local labels, bistros, workshop studios, and even exhibit spaces housed in the most charming quarters, complete with a perfectly fitting celebratory atmosphere that, truly, answers all curiosities about why the name ‘Fantasy Story’ was decided for a place like this.

Opening Hours: No official opening hours since the cluster is made up of different shops, but 12 – 7pm is generally a good time to abide by. 
Address: Lane 117, Meicun Rd Section 1 (美村路一段117巷)
How I Got There: A 15-minute highly distracting walk from I’m Talato because everything along the way was just soooooooooo pretty.

4. Shenji New Village

One interesting trend you’d notice when you travel out of Taipei, is the restoration of old houses, industrial sites, warehouses, and even villages as depicted above, into newer funkier spaces for food and retail. This atmospheric shopping cluster is one such example, with a history that dates back to the late 1960s when the complex was built to serve as dormitory housing for the Taiwan Provincial Government. It isn’t big, but it’s surprisingly chic and highly mesmerizing behind its unassuming facade.

Expect to run into a nice decadent mix of whimsy and eclecticism, with plenty of indie labels, local creatives, and of course, a perfect harmony of eats where local and international flavours mingle.

Opening Hours: 11.30am – 7.30pm 
Address: Ln. 368, Minsheng Rd., West Dist., Taichung City
How I Got There: A 10-minute slow stroll from the Fantasy Story shopping cluster

5. 921 Earthquake Museum

The September 21 Earthquake in 1999 was one of the worst natural disasters that ever struck Taiwan. Measuring a whopping 7.3 on the Richter scale, the Earthquake released a demolition force with an energy equivalent to 50 of the Hiroshima nuclear bombs, creating a 105-km long fault line on the island and causing 2415 deaths.

The Earthquake incidentally also cut across the entire campus of Guangfu Junior High School and destroyed almost all of its buildings, which stands today as the 921 Earthquake Museum. Here, visitors can personally witness the aftermath of the disaster and learn more about its cause (which, in a nutshell, was a result of the collision between the Eurasian plate and the Filipino plate.) The compounds consists of 4 main exhibit halls and an image gallery; and visitors can even subject themselves to a simulated Earthquake in a simulator room for 40 seconds – an eye-opening glimpse into the horrors of the calamity that battered the country that day.

Visit This Together With… Guangfu Village

Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm 
Address: 192號, Xinsheng Road, Wufeng District, Taichung City, Taiwan 413
How I Got There: A 3-minute mad dash from Guangfu Village (because I wasn’t watching the time at Guangfu and didn’t realize the 921 Earthquake Museum was about to close in 45 minutes.) 

6. Guangfu Village / 光復新村

Another old military dependents’ village given a fresh breath of air is Guangfu Village. This burgeoning mini community of local indie designers is a shining example of indomitable post-war spirit and urban innovation; and while the neighbourhood still maintains its narrow lanes and barely-there residences, the space is now utilised as a cultural creative cluster for the arts, retail, and food, complete with rustic brick walls, arched doorways, and vintage signs for a nostalgic touch of faded glamour. A sense of tranquility envelopes you when you stumble upon a place like Guangfu Village, certifying it a place that is definitely to be savoured, not rushed.

Opening Hours: It’s stated as being open 24 hours on Google because it’s an open community – but do take note that the shops don’t literally operate 24/7. After 2pm would be a better time to swing by.
Address: 413, Taiwan, Taichung City, Wufeng District
How I Got There: Cab, of course. This is another pretty far-flung location from the central but if you’ve got the balls for buses, take bus #201 / 207 from Taichung 3rd market, which is about a 10-min walk from the Main Station. 

7. Feng Chia Night Market

Feng Chia rides high on the list of night markets to visit – not just in Taichung, but in the whole of Taiwan. A kaleidoscopic feast of lights, sounds, smells, and tastes, Feng Chia bears all the trapping of a winning night market, with alleys upon lanes of food and shopping guaranteed to delight your senses and soothe those pulsing temples. The human traffic is trying (especially during the weekends) but it bustles with such resplendence that you’d be hard pressed to take it off your list just because.

Opening Hours: 4pm – 2am
Address: Wenhua Rd., Xitun Dist, Taichung City, Taiwan
How I Got There: Hypocritically, I didn’t. And of course, now I’ll have to live with the regret for the rest of my life. Thankfully, this is another one of those moments where I make the mistake so you don’t have to. 

For my intrepid public transport adventurers, get on Bus #35 from Taichung train station, and stop at Fengjia University. Or take iBus 22/25/35/37/41/45 from Luchan E. Street which gets you to the same stop too. 

8. Yi Zhong Night Market / 一中夜市

If there is one thing I’ve learned about night markets in Taiwan, it’s that when it’s located near or in a university town, you can be sure that it’s going to be goooood. Yizhong  is surrounded by three universities and a senior high school, and when a place has to cater to this many young people on a daily basis, you can expect nothing short of an infectiously dynamic atmosphere fuelling a scene filled with lots of upwards-and-outwards food and retail pursuits to explore.

Like Feng Chia, it’s ever bustling and vibrant; and if you find yourself in Taichung with more than a night to spare, this will be  the next best night market to head to.

Opening Hours: 11am – midnight 
Address: Yizhong St., North Dist., Taichung City, Taiwan
How I Got There: A 15-minute walk from my hotel which, in retrospect, I do not recommend (the hotel, not the walk). Bus people:

►From Taichung train station, take Taichung bus 35/41/70/71/100/102→National Taichung University of Science and Technology stop
►From Taichung train station, take ibus 1/20/21/25/31/61/105→National Taichung University of Science and Technology stop
►From Taichung train station, take Ubus 73/81/83→National Taichung University of Science and Technology stop

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