Gaomei Wetlands and other popular attractions of Taichung. Get to know the best of what Central Taiwan can offer on this travel guide.
- 1. HOW TO GO TO TAICHUNG
- 2. SUGGESTED ITINERARY IN TAICHUNG
- 2.1 JAN to DEC: HSR/TRA Taichung or hotel -> Miyahara -> Park Lane by CMP -> National Taichung Theater -> Rainbow Military Community -> Gaomei Wetland -> Feng Chia night market or HSR/TRA Taichung Station
- 2.2 JAN to DEC: Taipei MRT Ximen Station -> Zhongshe Flower Market -> Park Lane by CMP -> Miyahara Ice Cream Shop-Fourth Credit Union -> Rainbow Village -> Gaomei Wetlands -> back to Taipei
- 2.3 JAN to DEC: create your own DIY tour via tripool taxi
- 3. TAICHUNG TO SUN MOON LAKE, CINGJING FARM, HEHUANSHAN OR ALISHAN
- 4. GAOMEI WETLANDS
- 5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT GAOMEI WETLANDS
- 5.1 I want to go to Gaomei Wetlands by taxi? How much will be the price from THSR Taichung Station? From TRA Taichung Station? Are there cheaper options?
- 5.2 The train going to Qingshui already left TRA Taichung Station What should I do?
- 5.3 I will be arriving in Taichung at the High Speed Rail (HSR) Station. What is the best way to get to Gaomei Wetlands by train and bus?
- 5.4 I overslept during the ride in Bus 303/304 because the travel time from Taichung Station to Qingshui Station is more than one hour. The driver just dropped me off at the terminal station at Taichung City Seaport Art Center at (Zhen Zheng Rd.) 港區藝術中心 (鎮政路). Can I still go to Gaomei Wetlands?
- 6. ZHONGSHE FLOWER MARKET - HOULI FLOWER FARM
- 7. RAINBOW VILLAGE
- 8. XINSHE CASTLE
1. HOW TO GO TO TAICHUNG
1.1 Taipei to Taichung
There are three ways to go to Taichung from Taipei. You can either ride the bullet train of the Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR), board an express train of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) or hop on a bus. Look at the table below to know more about the estimated travel times and fares of each transportation mode.
1.2 Taoyuan Airport to Taichung
To go from Taichung from the Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). You can check, Klook's shared transfer service from TPE to Taichung. The first bus leaves the airport at 6:00 am, while the last bus departs at midnight.
Another option is to board tripool taxi. This one is cheaper than Uber. It has a web app and you can type the name of your hotel in Taichung as your drop-off point. So from the airport to the hotel, tripool taxi will take care of you. See how cheap the fares are if you're going as a group composed of 4 or 8 persons. And remember, it's a private car that will take you directly to your chosen hotel!
Currently, the Chinese version of the web app shows 24 hours pick-up/drop-off time. The English version is a bit limited in terms of the service hours. But prospective English passengers can still book for late night/early morning service by typing TPE for the Taoyuan Airport and the Chinese name of the hotel in the app.
2. SUGGESTED ITINERARY IN TAICHUNG
2.1 JAN to DEC: HSR/TRA Taichung or hotel -> Miyahara -> Park Lane by CMP -> National Taichung Theater -> Rainbow Military Community -> Gaomei Wetland -> Feng Chia night market or HSR/TRA Taichung Station
Thanks to Klook, seeing Gaomei Wetlands and Rainbow Village in just one day is now easy with a day tour or half-day tour package. No need for stressful planning. The shuttle will pick you up from the HSR/TRA Taichung Station or from your chosen hotel in the city. For the day tour, you will be brought to Miyahara, Park Lane by CMP, the National Taichung Theater, Rainbow Village and Gaomei Wetlands. The tour will end at Feng chia Night Market or you can also choose to be dropped off at the train stations in Taichung.
For the half-day tour, you will visit the same places except for Miyahara ice cream shop (which is walking distance from TRA Taichung Station). If you choose the half-day package, you will be dropped off at Feng chia Night Market instead of the TRA or HSR Taichung Station.
2.2 JAN to DEC: Taipei MRT Ximen Station -> Zhongshe Flower Market -> Park Lane by CMP -> Miyahara Ice Cream Shop-Fourth Credit Union -> Rainbow Village -> Gaomei Wetlands -> back to Taipei
Another sightseeing tour offered by Klook is the Taichung trip from Taipei where you can see the 3 important tourist attractions in the city which are: Gaomei Wetlands, Rainbow Village and Zhongshe Flower Market. The nice thing about this tour is that it starts at Taipei MRT Ximen Station. You just ride the bus like joining a field trip when you're still a kid. No need to plan your trip and even spend on HSR tickets.
2.3 JAN to DEC: create your own DIY tour via tripool taxi
If you want to see the 4 popular attractions of Taichung on a single day, you can go on a tour via tripool taxi. You will be able to see Gaomei Wetlands, Xinshe Castle, Houli Flower Farm and Rainbow Village based on the DIY plan you made. To make your life easier, I created a sample DIY table and you can use as a guide when you book your point-to-point transportation in the tripool web app.
How much will it cost? The cheapest that I computed is NTD 797 per person (web app: https://www.tripool.app/?utm_source=luomuji) with 8 passengers on board.
Look at the table below to see the prices for each pick-up point-drop-off point.
| Pick-up point | Destination | Estimated fare | Suggested pick-up time |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRA Taichung Station | Xinshe Castle | NTD 1,380 | 9:00 am to 9:30 am |
| Xinshe Castle | Rainbow Military Dependents` Village (Rainbow Village) | NTD 1,457 | 11:30 am to 12:00 noon |
| Rainbow Military Dependents` Village (Rainbow Village) | Chungshe Tourism Flower Market (Houli Flower Farm) | NTD 1,264 | 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm |
| Chungshe Tourism Flower Market (Houli Flower Farm) | Gaomei Wetlands | NTD 1,218 | 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm (adjust depending on estimated sunset time) |
| Gaomei Wetlands | Cingshuei Station | NTD 1,056 | 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm |
| BUDGET PER PERSON FOR A GROUP OF 8 PEOPLE | NTD 797 | - | |
If you will check the table above, the final drop-off point for this NTD 797 budget trip for 8 people is Qingshui Station. So you must still ride a local train back to TRA Taichung Station. For a more hassle-free travel back to downtown, you can opt to choose TRA Taichung Station as your final drop-off point, but that will increase the budget per person to 859.50 NTD. You can also choose to be dropped off to Taipei Main Station from Gaomei Wetlands. I checked the web app and the price was NTD 2770 for 8 persons or only NTD 346 per pax, cheaper than riding HSR to Taipei.
Let me remind you of some things to be able to accomplish this NTD 797 per head Taichung budget challenge:
a. You have to book five times in the tripool web app for each drop-off point-pick-up point and you will have the pay the full amount first. For your convenience, collect the money from your friends before you book the trip on the online app.
Also, the Houli Flower Farm and Xinshe Castle require tickets before you can enter these tourist attractions, so don't forget to bring extra money.
b. If you choose to return to TRA Taichung Station from Gaomei Wetlands, then the budget per person will be ~NTD 860.
c. Book tripool taxi before 3:00 pm, at least one day before your trip.
d. You create your own itinerary with tripool taxi, so you can add or remove a tourist spot in Taichung based on your interest.
Check the other tripool taxi fares below especially for the Sun Moon Lake and Cingjing Farm routes. You will definitely relax while travelling in Taiwan. The fares are much cheaper and more efficient when compared to riding bus or HSR and transferring, then waiting for another public transportation to reach Nantou.
3. TAICHUNG TO SUN MOON LAKE, CINGJING FARM, HEHUANSHAN OR ALISHAN
Taichung is the gateway to Sun Moon Lake, Cingjing Farm, Hehuanshan and other popular tourist attractions in Taiwan like Aowanda. You can go DIY to reach these places but for your own convenience I have already put here the Klook packages and tripool taxi fares that will be helpful in planning your itinerary.
3.1 How to go to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
Klook has made a shared transfer package from Taichung. You can choose the HSR Taichung or the TRA Taichung Station as your pick-up point.
Another way to go to Sun Moon Lake is via tripool taxi. If you're going as a group composed of friends or loved ones, you can save a lot of money. For best results, type the name of your hotel in Sun Moon Lake as the drop-off point.
3.2 How to go to Cingjing Farm from Taichung?
Klook also has a shared transfer package in going to Cingjing Farm from Taichung. There are two types, a bus and a van. If you're comfortable joining a trip with other people then you can get this product of Klook. If not you can opt to try tripool taxi. It can pick you up anywhere in Taiwan. Just reserve a day before your trip.
3.3 How to go to Hehuanshan from Taichung?
You can go to Hehuanshan by bus from Taichung by going first to Gancheng bus stop and then a board a bus going to Puli Station. At Puli you transfer to Bus 6658 (Cingjing Farm→Hehuan Mountain route) [Timetable]. Most travellers prefer to take advantage of a Klook tour package which starts at Taichung, takes tourists to Cingjing Farm as well as Hehuanshan and then back to Taichung on the same day.
If your focus is only Hehuanshan and you are in a group, you can board tripool taxi. The fare from Taichung to Hehuanshan is estimated to be less than NTD 1,000 per person. To maximize your stay in the mountains, like you want to do some leisurely hike, taking photos after a few steps, then plan your return to Taichung by booking tripool taxi again.
3.4 How to go to Alishan from Taichung?
If you want to go to Alishan from Taichung, you have to option of boarding the bullet train to HSR Chiayi Station, and transfer to a Taiwan Tour Bus going to Alishan forest. Expected travel time is 3 hours. For a more efficient way to travel to Alishan, board tripool taxi. It's cheaper than Uber. In the tripool web app, you can type the name of your hotel in Taichung as the pick-up point and type "Alishan National Forest Recration Area" as the destination.
4. GAOMEI WETLANDS
Gaomei Wetlands. The most amazing place in Taichung. If you want to visit this place then read carefully everything that I have written in this blog post. It will help you save time, money and effort.
Most people come here in Gaomei to watch the sunset and enjoy the golden colors of the sun as it slowly disappears in the sky. There are just things that you need to know to get the most benefit of your trip on this wonderful place in Taichung.
4.1 Things to consider before going to Gaomei Wetlands
4.1.1 The weather forecast
I had been here in Gaomei back in 2015 and I was so excited to see it for the first time. But when I arrived, the sky was cloudy! The forecast was initially sunny to cloudy and then it became full cloudy at my arrival. Anyway, I still enjoyed my trip after dipping my feet into the cool waters of the wetlands.
To know the weather on a particular day and prevent a misadventure. Go to the website of the& Central Weather Bureau and follow this series of clicks: Forecast -> 368 Townships -> Taichung -> Qingshui District. Or you could also try this:Forecast -> Major Ports -> Taichung.
To get the best pictures of the sunset, the prediction should be a sunny day. A sunny to cloudy forecast will probably give a hazy sky but still good to take photos.
4.1.2 Weekday, weekend or holiday?
Expect heavy traffic during holidays like Chinese New Year. During this merry days, you will need to come early to enjoy your tour. If the weather is very good during weekends, then expect also a lot of people. Few visitors visit the wetlands during the weekdays. But during the Xinshe Sea of Flowers Festival which happens every November, special buses take tourists from the flower farm to Qingshui District, so anticipate also a lot of people.
4.1.3 Qingshui Station
This is the main gateway to Gaomei Wetlands. Taichung City has two lines of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) running through the province. The one running across the city center is the Mountain Line. Taichung Station is part of this Mountain Line. Parallel to this railroad is the Coast Line in which Qingshui Station is a segment of it.
Since the place is located on the western coast of Taiwan, you will need to travel to the beach in a westward direction if you are coming from downtown Taichung. However, this is not the case. If you board a local train from Taichung Station, it will go southwards to Chenggong Station and then continue the journey to Zhuifen Station until it goes in a northward direction. It will take you 40 minutes to reach Qingshui Station from Taichung Station.This is the fastest and most efficient way to get close to Gaomei Wetlands.
Take a look at the departure times of the train from Taichung Station to Qingshui Station: 6:12/8:46/11:23/13:02/14:40/17:06:17:57/18:55/20:38/21:31.If you want to see the sunset, then 14:40 is the right time to board the train. You will arrive at Qingshui Station at 15:23. Take note that the timetable of the TRA can change anytime so double check the train schedules at this website:https://tip.railway.gov.tw/tra-tip-web/tip?lang=EN_US
4.1.4 Bus 178, 179 and 688
These are the buses that will take you to Gaomei wetlands. Qingshui Station is their terminal stop and they are located a few meters from the train station [Google Map]. If you need to load your EasyCard, there is a convenience store nearby and it will solve your problem immediately. Take note of the bus schedules below. If you boarded the 14:40 train, then your next adventure will be at Bus 179 which leaves the station at 15:50 (weekends). The bus ride can take 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the traffic conditions. The timetables of Bus 178 and 179 did not change after two years and I think this will be the same for a very long time. Both Bus 178 and 179 are minibusses while Bus 688 is a low-floor bus and only runs during holidays and weekend.
| Day | Bus 178 departure times |
|---|---|
| Weekday | 6:00/7:20/10:00/11:40/14:00/16:20/19:20 |
| Holiday | 7:00/8:25/9:50/12:20/14:20/16:20/18:20/20:20 |
| Day | Bus 179 departure times |
|---|---|
| Weekday | 6:40/8:40/11:20/15:20/18:00 |
| Holiday | 7:20/8:50/11:00/13:50/15:50/17:50 |
| Day | Bus 688 departure times |
|---|---|
| holiday/weekends only | 9:00/9:30/10:25/10:45/11:30/12:00/12:35/13:00/13:25/14:15/14:45/15:00/15:30/16:15/16:45/17:15/17:30/18:00/18:15/18:30/18:40/18:55 |
If you want to get near to the boardwalk, then board Bus 178 or 179. Bus 688’s terminal station is at least 1.5 kilometers away from the wooden platform so you will need to walk along the levee if you want to dip your feet in the water.
 |
| The terminal station of Bus 178, 179 and 688 is at the Gaomei Wetlands Tourist Center (高美濕地遊客中心). This bus stop is near the windmills. [Google Map] |
Going back to Qingshui Station after the trip, you can board the three buses at Gaomei Wetlands Tourist Center or at Gaomei Wetland (高美溼地) stop [Google Map] (for Bus 178 and 179 only).
| Bus number | departure times |
|---|---|
| 178 | 20:00 (weekdays)/ 21:00 (weekend and holiday) |
| 179 | 18:40 (weekdays)/ 18:30 (weekend and holiday) |
| 688 | 19:36 (weekend and holiday) |
5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT GAOMEI WETLANDS
5.1 I want to go to Gaomei Wetlands by taxi? How much will be the price from THSR Taichung Station? From TRA Taichung Station? Are there cheaper options?
Try to board a tripool taxi (https://www.tripool.app/?utm_source=luomuji). Just look at the price table below (computed for two passengers). It will help you save money on your cab fares. Remember to reserve one day before your trip with the cut-off time set every 3:00 pm.
| Pick-up point | Distance | travel time | General taxi fare (deal offer) | Tripool taxi fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HSR Taichung Station | 40.1 km | 39 mins | NTD 1,000 | NTD 670 |
| TRA Taichung Station | 43.1 km | 49 mins | NTD 1,200 | NTD 746 |
5.2 The train going to Qingshui already left TRA Taichung Station What should I do?
Board Bus 303, 304 or 305 at Tai Wan Da Dao (臺灣大道) stop [Google Map]. Get off the bus at Qingshui Station stop along Zhongshan Road [Google Map]. Transfer to [Google Map] Bus 178, 179 or 688 to get to the wetlands.
There is also Bus 309 which is another option to go to Gaomei Wetlands. Just board the bus at the TRA Taichung Station, but don't forget to check its estimated time of arrival to not waste your time. [Google Map][Taichung bus dynamic timetable: Select the Bus 309 route ;and the direction: going to Gaomei Wetlands].
5.3 I will be arriving in Taichung at the High Speed Rail (HSR) Station. What is the best way to get to Gaomei Wetlands by train and bus?
A: You have two options:
a. Board a train at TRA Xinwuri Station going to Qingshui Station. Then ride Bus 178, 179 or 688 to Gaomei Wetlands. This is possible only if a train will be traveling from Xinwuri to Qingshui a few minutes after your arrival at the High Speed Rail Station.
Based on my experience, a time difference of 9 minutes between your arrival time at the THSR Taichung Station and the departure time of the local train going to Qingshui at TRA Xinwuri Station, will require you to walk fast at the station hallway just to get to the TRA Station. Those who had been to THSR Taichung Station before can do this but first-timers will probably get lost in finding their way.
| - | local train departure times |
|---|---|
| time | 6:24/8:59/11:35/13:14/14:53/17:24/18:09/19:07/20:50/21:43 |
The trains that left TRA Taichung Station are the same trains that will make a stop in Xinwuri Station. There might be special buses going to Gaomei Wetlands or Qingshui Station from the HSR Station during holidays but these probably won’t be available during weekdays.
b. Ride a train from TRA Xinwuri Station going to TRA Taichung Station. Bus 303, 304 or 305 -> Qingshui Station -> Bus 178, 179, or 688 -> Gaomei Wetlands
5.4 I overslept during the ride in Bus 303/304 because the travel time from Taichung Station to Qingshui Station is more than one hour. The driver just dropped me off at the terminal station at Taichung City Seaport Art Center at (Zhen Zheng Rd.) 港區藝術中心 (鎮政路). Can I still go to Gaomei Wetlands?
A: Yes, just transfer to Bus 688 and alight at the Gaomei Wetland Tourist Center (高美濕地遊客中心) stop.
6. ZHONGSHE FLOWER MARKET - HOULI FLOWER FARM
6.1 How to go to Zhongshe Flower Market
A. From Taipei by local train of TRA: Board local train from Taipei Main Station. Alight at Tai'an Station and walk towards the flower farm. Travel time is approximately three hours.
B. From Taipei by express train of TRA: Board an express train from Taipei Main Station. Get off the train at Fengyuan Station. Transfer to a local train going to Tai'an Station and walk towards the flower farm.
C. From Taipei by HSR: Board bullet train to HSR Taichung Station from Taipei Main Station. Get your tickets here: https://affiliate.klook.com/jump/activity/817-thsr-one-way-ticket-taichung/?adid=39443&af_wid=4386 At HSR Taichung, walk towards TRA Xinwuri Station which is just connected to the HSR Station. Transfer to another local train going to Tai'an Station. Total travel time in this method is two hours assuming that the local train arrives in Xinwuri Station a few minutes after your arrival in HSR Taichung Station.
D. By tripool taxi from HSR Taichung, TRA Taichung Station or TRA Fengyuan Station: Go to the web app: https://www.tripool.app/?utm_source=luomuji . Type "Chungshe Tourism Flower Market" as the destination and for the pick-up point you can type "HSR Taichung" or "Taichung TRA Station" or "Fengyuan Station". The text on the search form in the app will automatically adjust according to your query. Don't forget to book another ride for your return trip.
| Pick-up point | Destination | Distance | Travel time | Estimated fare in tripool taxi | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of passengers | |||||||
| 1 or 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||||
| Fengyuan Station | Chungshe Tourism Flower Market | 9.5 kms | 21 mins | NTD 426 | NTD 447 | NTD 468 | NTD 958 |
| Taichung TRA Station | 34.5 kms | 41 mins | NTD 659 | NTD 693 | NTD 725 | NTD 1,215 | |
| HSR Taichung Station | 31.4 kms | 30 mins | NTD 579 | NTD 609 | NTD 637 | NTD 1,127 | |
6.2 Experiencing Blooming Blossoms at Zhongshe Flower Market aka Houli Flower Farm
A lot of my friends in the Philippines are now encouraged to visit Taiwan. There are so many places to visit and the variety of activities that can be done are just endless. Even I who have lived here for more than two years is still surprised whenever I discover a new tourist attraction. Flower farms are one of those places. All year round beautiful flowers grow across the island attracting local and international visitors. How many of these flower farms do you know? I only know a few but there is always something new to my list. The Zhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market was the latest addition to my flower farm database.
 |
| Tai'an Station |
 |
| I just walked from Tai'an Station to the flower farm. |
There are many good things that can be said about this attraction in Central Taiwan. The first is that the flower farm is accessible by public transportation. Just board a train from Taipei Main Station and alight at Tai'an Station and walk for two kilometers to reach the place. If you don't want to walk for 20 to 30 minutes then you can take a shuttle bus but it will be coming from Taichung City. I suggest to just walk from Tai'an Station. From the train station walk to the intersection of Anmei Rd. and Fu'an Rd and turn to your right and walk along Anmei Rd. You will reach the intersection of Sanfeng Rd. and Anmei Rd. Cross Sanfeng Rd. and then turn right. The flower farm is just a few meters away.
 |
| The barbeque buffet Zhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market |
The long walk will make you hungry and I guess Zhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market already anticipated this scenario for its visitors. Once you enter the flower farm at Sanfeng Rd you will find yourself in a restaurant. The smell of the barbeque will induce more gastric juices to flow in your stomach. Welcome to their barbeque buffet! For a price of NTD 320, you can have your lunch and a ticket to the flower farm. Regular adult tickets cost NTD 120 so the price for the buffet meal is just ok.
They have a variety of flowers to joy with the tulips as their main attraction for the month of March. Actually, what I saw was the last of batch of their tulips. If I have a come earlier when the weather was still cold during the early days March I could have seen more tulips. Nevertheless, I was able to see tulips for the first time. I only see them through books and photos and it was my first time to see them in large numbers. Their bulb-shaped petals were enticing to touch and holding them in my hand was the only way to solve their mystery. Their petals were fleshy and I was amazed by this discovery. They also come in various colors. Some were orange, the others were red and a few were white.
I enjoyed taking a lot of photos especially the field of flowers with a picturesque mountain in the background. At Zhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market you can pretend that you are playing the piano, have a photo with a windmill or sit on the swing with red flowers at your back. They also have a rose garden with busy bees collecting nectar from the petals. Look around and you will find calla lilies beyond the regular white variety. Its pink and yellow color will definitely catch your attention.
 |
| rose garden |
Zhongshe Sightseeing Flower Market is open all year round and that's the best thing about this flower farm. Visitors to Taiwan will always have a chance to see blooming fields whatever time of the year it is. It's fun to know that there are a lot of flower farms that I still need to visit aside from that fact that there are a lot of seasonal flowers on the island. There are cherry blossoms in spring, sunflowers during summer, cosmos flowers in autumn and the white flowers of plum blossom at winter. Taiwan has an endless supply of petals because flowers will always bloom.
7. RAINBOW VILLAGE
The rainbow. Have you seen one? That arc in the sky with a band of colors. Appearing after a rain or probably near a waterfall, it happens when water droplets refract the light coming from the sun. I have seen it many times in Taiwan from Taipei to Kenting after the dark clouds in the sky have receded. But in Taichung you can always find the rainbow, all on its shining glory.
There's a pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow Village. Every hour tour buses make a stop in front of the military dependents' community, making this place more popular as ever. A small complex of homes with tiles on its roofs, it is now a major tourist attraction in the city. I have been here before in Taiwan Day 553 during my first Taichung Special and I was so excited to see it for the first time. Comparing the Rainbow Village from before, it is now more colorful and vibrant. After being neglected for some time, the rainbow had finally reappeared!
A God's promise. In the Bible, there was a story about a great flood that killed a lot of people. Noah and his family were the only ones who survived along with every pair of animals in this world. After the deluge, a rainbow appeared as a sign of God's promise that He won’t do again the great flood.
ROYGBIV. The different of colors that form the rainbow are visible here in the village. Even the ice pop in the souvenir shop follows the same concept. You can see different layers in the frozen dessert because every color represents one flavor. Haha! Rob, my Travel Buddy. His name is an acronym of three colors of the rainbow. Red, orange and blue. What a coincidence!
How to get here? Board Bus 30 or 40 from Gancheng bus stop. If you are wondering where is Gancheng then you to have walk 550 meters from Taichung Station. Follow Section 1 Shuangshi Road and it will lead you to the station. Get off the bus at Ling Dong High School (嶺東高中) stop and walk towards Lingtung University where you can find Lingdong Road. You know when you’re in Rainbow Village when you see a colorful fence with people lingering around. Bus 56 also makes a stop near the tourist spot but it takes a longer route.
Enjoy taking pictures once you are here but do not forget the man who brought life to this quiet corner of Taiwan. Huang Yung-Fu. He is the Taiwanese grandpa who transformed this small group of houses into one of Taichung's well-known tourist attractions. His story and the village that he added color had already spread across the world. Let us give thanks to Mr. Huang for without him we won’t see a repainted rainbow.
8. XINSHE CASTLE
There’s a castle in Taiwan? Hmmm… A lot of people will be skeptical upon hearing that such place exists on this Asian country. In Japan, there is the Osaka castle and other similar structures. For Taiwan, it is something unusual and the lack of it makes it more interesting to construct a European-style building on the island.
And there is one! Located in the rural Xinshe District of Taichung is a structure inspired by the Medieval Period. It is called Xinshe Castle. No king was responsible in building this complex and only its operator knew who coined the idea of bringing Europe in Formosa. Maintained and owned by Summit Resort, the castle is one of the main attractions in Taichung that tourists usually go to in addition to the mushroom farms nearby.
Perfect for dates. I took my girlfriend here and she really loves the place. Actually, it was one of her dream places to visit. I had been planning to visit Xinshe castle for a long very time and I don’t know why it doesn’t always happen. Now, I know the reason. I must come here as Lord Luo-Mu Jie with my Lady Andrea.
A noble visit. Dressed in warm clothes for autumn, my girlfriend and I boarded an express train to Fengyuan Station. We then transferred to Bus 91 and get off the vehicle at Zhongxingling stop. A taxi suddenly passed by and we got inside the cab in an instant. Lady Andrea talked to the driver in Chinese while I just listened innocently to the conversation. Lord Luo-Mu Jie’s only job at that time was to pay the bill. Haha!
The royal inspection. We walked around the park while holding our hands. While exploring each corner of the park, we noticed the things that made Xinshe Castle a wonderful place to see. The lake reflects all the aspirations of those who believe that walking in a dreamland is possible. The arches, canal and the bridge gave the resort a Western touch. Looking at the watchtower will make you imagine that a brave knight stands atop of it. Rapunzel might also be inside the turret! Ready to drop on the ground her very long hair.
Like a king and a queen. No couple travel is complete without a selfie so we searched the best place to get the best photo. After searching for hours, we found it in the middle of the lake. My girlfriend set the timer on her phone and I hugged her in a tight embrace. So tight that I don’t want her to disappear from my life. A kiss on her cheek sealed the moment and behind us was our beautiful castle.
*********************
Xinshe Castle (新社城堡)
Address: No. 65, Xiezhong Street, Xinshe District, Taichung City, 426
Adult tickets: NTD 250
How to get here: TRA Fengyuan Station -> Bus 91, get off at Zhongxingling (中興嶺) stop -> Board a taxi and say that you are going to “Xīnshè chéngbǎo”. Taxi fare from Zhongxingling to Xinshe Castle is NTD 200.
Like to confirm the plan on weekdays.
ReplyDeleteIf I onboard 14:40 train (worst case scenario) and reach at 15:25 as you stated - my next bus would be Bus 178 at 16:20.
There will be no other alternative beside taking Taxi.
Am I right?
Yes
DeleteWill I have time to go to the flower market, summit resort & rainbow village if I arrive after lunch? Or which two can I go to? Flower market is my priority. 😁 thanks in advance!😊
ReplyDeleteNot much time Pfeffer. With regards to summit resort and rainbow village, both places are far-away and closes at 6:00 pm.
DeleteBut the most efficient will be going to summit resort, because Bus 91 which will take you to zhongxingling bus stop starts at TRA Fengyuan Station (which is closer to TRA Tai'an Station). Then ride a taxi for NTD 200 to go to summit resort. The problem here is going back, and some taxi drivers might charge you NTD 800 to reach downtown Taichung from Xinshe Castle.
If you're going to Rainbow Village, then you will have to ride the local train from TRA Tai'an Station to TRA Taichung Station and then ride the bus. You don't need to get a cab and spend much if you opt to go to this place.
Unless you will book a private car via tripool taxi (https://www.tripool.app/?utm_source=luomuji), then you can schedule your trip to see only two places.
1) Zhongshe Flower Farm (tripool taxi will pick you up at 3:00 pm at the flower farm or maybe you can start the tour at HSR Taichung based on your arrival time, then go to Zhongshe Flower Farm),
2) After having fun with the flowers, go to Rainbow Village or Xinshe Castle
3) then tripool taxi will take you back to HSR Taichung or to your hotel in Taichung.
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