Southern Taiwan is an exotic land on the western side of Taiwan and located below the Tropic of Cancer. The weather is milder here compared to Taipei’s chilly atmosphere during winter. Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung. These are the four provinces that made up Southern Taiwan. Are you ready to explore to know what they can offer? Let’s start first with Chiayi. The land of pineapples, baseball lovers and a forest railway takes the center stage in this blog post.
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My 30% discounted THSR ticket for my Nangang to Chiayi trip.
How to get to Chiayi? The easiest and fastest way to get here is to board the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR). The Japan-made bullet train of Taiwan traverses the western side of the island from Nangang District in Taipei to Kaohsiung in the south of Taiwan. As a student here, I have the privilege to get THSR ticket discounts for up to 50% for certain departure times which are distributed in different days. I was lucky to received a 30% discount on New Year’s Day. Instead of paying NTD 1120 for my Nangang-Chiayi ticket, I only paid NTD 780. Great!
The travel time from Nangang to Chiayi was almost two hours and I slept during the whole trip because I still don’t have enough rest from the New Year’s countdown party in Taipei 101. It was my first time to ride the THSR on a holiday season and I was surprised that the train became full in an instant at Taipei Main Station.
I arrived in THSR Chiayi Station at 8:54 am.
going to the exit
The lobby of THSR Chiayi Station
The ticketing booth
Go to Exit 2 and find this two waiting sheds with the BRT sign.
The back design of the waiting sheds feature the different tourist attractions in Chiayi.
route of Bus 7211 and Bus 7212
fare table
Bus 7212's terminal stop is the TRA Chiayi Station while Bus 7211 will continue to transport people up to Chiayi Park.
If you are going to Chiayi City look for the waiting shed with the sign "To Chiayi".
Bus 7211 as it arrives in THSR Chiayi Station.
My train left Nangang at 7:00 am and I arrived in THSR Chiayi Station at 8:54 am. I had difficulty searching for the shuttle bus going to Chiayi TRA Station until a kind man pointed his finger towards the two bus stops with the BRT sign on top. Buses 7211 and 7212 takes passengers to Chiayi Station where local trains and express trains there transport people to the different places in Southern Taiwan even up to the mountains in the Alishan scenic area. I rode Bus 7211 and it was a low-floor vehicle. People follow the queue to enter and those presenting their THSR tickets to the driver gets a free ride. Just make sure that the bus is going to Chiayi Station or you might find yourself in Chiayi County Stadium.
Bus 7211 at the TRA Chiayi Station (Rear Station)
The TRA Chiayi Rear Station also functions as a bus station.
To get to the Front Station, I climbed the stairs and walked over a footbridge.
Japanese-style houses near Chiayi Station.
The footbridge connecting the front and rear side of Chiayi Station.
wooden love padlock
love...love...love....
railroad tracks in Chiayi Station
the footbridge
Bus 7211 made a stop at the back of Chiayi Station which is officially known as the Rear Station. A footbridge connects the Rear Station to the Front Station. As I walked along the bridge, I noticed the wooden love padlocks hanging on its side. There were Chinese writings on the padlocks and it could be names of the couple who made a pledge for an everlasting love. I made a stop in the middle of my walk to take a photograph of the railroad tracks and there was this sense of nostalgia as I looked at the view. It reminded me of the busy days of Chiayi during Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period.
After getting off the footbridge.
Chiayi Station!
The facade of Chiayi Station
Alishan railway map
The interior of Chiayi Station.
The ticket booths in Chiayi Station
I went to the Visitor Information Center to gather some English maps and asked some questions.
The bus station is just ouside the train station.
Chiayi Bus Station
Inside the bus station. Most of the passengers here were waiting for the bus going to Alishan. The Taiwan Tour Bus also stops here.
Another view of the Chiayi Bus Station
Arched windows characterized the main Chiayi Station. Since it was first time in Chiayi, I searched first for the Visitor Information Center whether I collected free maps. I also asked the staff on which bus should I ride to visit the most beautiful university in Taiwan. I followed the instructions that were given to me until I found myself in the Chiayi Bus Station which was just beside the train Station. I waited for Bus 7309 and at 11:00 am it left the station towards the direction of Minxiong Township. I looked outside the window and I got excited as the bus passed along the different tourist attractions in the city. Yeah! Great things are about to happen in 2017 and it will all begin in Chiayi.
Ichiran Ramen Taipei. Cooked in Taiwan, but feels like you're in Japan. This restaurant is crazy! Open for 24 hours, it holds the record for the longest queue to enter its store. Not just hours, but 10 tiresome days! Do you have what it takes to line up for that long? I know its really disturbing, but for the locals who joined the waiting list for over a week speaks something big for this Japanese noodle house. Hailed as the leading brand of ramen restaurant around the globe, is the hype really true?
The long queue of people at Ichiran Taipei head branch on a holiday in Taiwan.
Ramen fans will definitely say yes. There is no doubt that they will jump with joy once the spicy aroma of the broth entered their noses. I, who is not a ramen lover, fell in love at first sight of my order. A big bowl of the hot noodles with floating slices of pork and minced vegetables, the smell is already enough to tell every customer that it is so delicous.
An unexpected experience. Being a very busy Ph.D. student, I don't have time to read reviews about other people's eating experience Ichiran. What I know is that it is very famous. It was a good idea though that it didn't read anything on the internet. It would spoil any surprise that will happen once I stepped inside the store.
I went to the store at 9:30 am on a Wednesday morning. Going on lunch time even on weekends and holidays would be a bad idea. You will only be wasting your time lining up for something that would seem to take hours to finish. With no line at all when I arrived at the store, I immediately entered inside, greeted by a lady and led to a tiny room which looks like a computer shop. Haha!
I was assigned to Table 5.
Available seats can be monitored through this counter booth seating chart. I think the chairs have sensors. Haha!
The reed blind in Ichiran Taipei
An affair with yourself. Each customer is given a seat and faces a table with a reed blind. It's like a taking an exam or casting your vote in a polling precinct as other tables are covered by a divider. Behind the “tatami”-like cover are the staff of the restaurant, ready to take orders from hungry customers. The same-style that the Japanese are experiencing on their homeland Ichiran restaurants.
My order sheet
I also opted for the Ichiran special and the 1/2 noodle refill.
“tonkotsu” noodle soup
A checklist makes it easy for visitors to decide on the orders. The basic ramen costs NTD 288 and the add-ons will make the bowl of noodles more expensive. For budget tourists in Taiwan, the basic ramen should be enough. An Ichiran special was offered for NTD 134 and I didn't hesitate to try it. It is a platter containing extra slices of pork and a soft-boiled egg placed on top of a “nori” wrapper.
Customers should take note that if they want to have another round of noodles. They can request for an additional serving by doing the kae-dama move. Just place the tiny plate on the sensor, a tune will play and the staff on the other side would raise the curtains and do your request. When I first ordered my ramen, I already checked the half-serving of extra noodles so they already knew what I wanted when I rang the bell.
The soup is life. Another reminder for first-timers that doing the kae-dama is only possible, if your bowl is still-half filled with the mouth-watering noodle broth. I was told by one of the staff that they only give the add-ons but don't serve another round of the soup. Sipping all of it would mean a finished meal.
A ring on the bowl helped me identify the half-way mark. After receiving my extra noodles, I then added my platter of Ichiran Special. It prolonged the life of my ramen and added more taste especially the soft-boiled egg. I also enjoyed the sliced porks, but the best part is really the soup itself. The mixture of flavors and the right level of spiceness created an unforgettable memory on my taste buds.
The hype is real! So don't miss the chance to eat in Ichiran Taipei. I give it a perfect score on my own rating system. Five out of five luomujie stars! With its endless line of customers and superb dining experience, it is no doubt that it is the world's best ramen.
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ICHIRAN Taiwan Taipei Headshop (一蘭 台灣台北本店)
address: No. 97號, Songren Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, 110
