ABSTRACT: Taichung is the third largest city of Taiwan. It is located in Central Taiwan and is a fast growing city. It is a dynamic modern metropolis with its own seaport, international airport and bullet train station. Taichung has many natural and man-made attractions to see and explore. A breathing city and just 3 hours away by train from Taipei I waited with excitement as my train took me Taichung. Let this trip be known as my first Taichung Special as beautiful memories were made in this two-day travel adventure. I started in Taipei and my next stop: Taichung.
Rainbow village was my first destination. Houses of military dependents were painted with bright colors making it an instant tourist attraction. I boarded Bus 56 from Gancheng Station and alighted at Ling Tung University to see the place. I walked for a few meters until I heard a sparkle of laughter from a young group of Taiwanese.
A man dressed with a colorful shirt and pretending to be Iron Man was entertaining people. I managed to have a photo with him amidst the crowd. It was not a big village but the scenery will surely melt your heart. A man-made attraction turned into a wonderland. How can an old man's hand transform a boring village into a beautiful one?
I then boarded Bus 27 to Ann Intersection and looked for the Fu-An BRT Station going to Taichung Train Station. BRT stands for Bus Rapid Transit and it is Taichung's newest arsenal to solve its public transportation problem. Taipei doesn't have this kind of bus and I wanted to try. This could solve Metro Manila's traffic problem I said to myself as I rode the long bus. It was like riding an MRT with its own exclusive lane in Taichung's busy road.
One thing that I have observed in buses in Taichung is the way people pay their bus fares. I tapped my EasyCard twice in the BRT. I made my first payment upon entering the BRT bus stop and the second payment before leaving the bus. There are also two smart card readers inside the buses in Taichung one for each bus door. In Taipei, we usually pay once. It's either upon entering or before leaving the bus. The bus was packed with people but it was the fastest way to my next destination.
I was looking for the Taichung Prefectural Hall but I found myself at Taichung City Hall. I was amazed with the large modern building of a government office. It looks like the SM MegaMall of the Philippines. Majestic and luxurious. The Taichung City Hall is a symbol of power and authority in Central Taiwan. A public wedding was happening but I have a nice photo with its large marker.
Taichung is also the home of the National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS). And who says that museums are boring? It's the best place to learn a lot of things with only a student ticket of NTD 120. A dinosaur egg exhibit was happening when I visited the museum. It was a rare opportunity to see fossilized dinosaur eggs and they were even bigger than my hand! I was also surprised upon seeing the museum's permanent exhibits. Say hi to the velociraptors and the T-Rex.
At the back of the NMNS was a large greenhouse and it was the Botanical Garden. I bought a ticket for NTD 20. A tropical rainforest was trapped inside while at the basement was a large aquarium full of fishes where young Taiwanese kids can learn about different aquatic life. I was already tired walking for hours. I then decided to see my hostel, the Hao-Zhai Hostel.
After having some rest, I went directly to the 2015 Taiwan Lantern Festival. Taichung was chosen as the host for this year's lantern festival. The open space in Xinwuri Station was the main venue. I boarded a train from Taichung to Xinwuri but I didn't expect what I will encounter. Xinwuri Station was full of people and packed like sardines. A stampede was just waiting to happen. (To be continued...)
Taiwan Day 553&554:“Next Stop: Taichung” Part II
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Hi. Thank you, this is very informative! Would you know if there's a public transportation route from Rainbow Village to Fengjia Night Market?
ReplyDeleteCheck this result from Google Maps: https://www.google.com.tw/maps/dir/%E5%BD%A9%E8%99%B9%E7%9C%B7%E6%9D%91+Rainbow+Village,+%E6%98%A5%E5%AE%89%E8%B7%AF56%E5%B7%B7+Nantun+District,+Taichung+City/Feng+Chia+Night+Market,+No.+440,+Fuxing+Rd,+Xitun+District,+Taichung+City,+407/@24.1528843,120.6212145,14z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x34693e87f82595db:0x9a8836cb8c007336!2m2!1d120.609971!2d24.133942!1m5!1m1!1s0x3469162259b6852b:0xf1a08e8dacfe639!2m2!1d120.6457746!2d24.1786411!3e3
Deletehi! just wanted to ask if you came from taipei , and if its necessary to book train tickets in advance (From taipei to taichung)? :)
ReplyDeleteHi Isabelle! You need to reserve a seat if you are going to ride an express train because these trains have seat numbers. For local trains, there is no need to buy a ticket in advance. If there are no available seats for express trains, then your next best option is to ride a bus from Taipei.
ReplyDeleteHello, great and very informative post :) Hoping you can help us. We are planning to go to Rainbow Village after Zhong She Flower Market - would you know how to get there via train or bus? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteZhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market (Zhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market (中社观光花市) http://luomujie.blogspot.tw/2016/03/ZhongsheSightseeingFlowerMarketTaichungFlowerFarm.html -> walk -> Tai'an Station (plan your trip in Zhongshe based on the train timetable) -> local train ride -> Taichung Station -> ride bus (https://www.google.com.ph/maps/dir/Taichung+Station,+%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E5%A4%A7%E9%81%93%E4%B8%80%E6%AE%B5,+Central+District,+Taichung+City,+Taiwan/Rainbow+Village+(+Ling+Dong+Nan+Rd.),+Nantun+District,+Taichung+City,+Taiwan+408/@24.1274866,120.5761984,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x34693d1438fb3d3f:0xb7b4ebd02f1906b6!2m2!1d120.6851419!2d24.1369177!1m5!1m1!1s0x34693e87ba474fd3:0xa411276ee2cd5ad1!2m2!1d120.610374!2d24.134103!3e3) -> Rainbow Village
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