7 Best Things to do in Taichung
Rainbow Village
Mural villages are an ever-present attraction in Asia. Usually, if a city is not big enough to have a major attraction, painting the walls of an alley or neighborhood is an easy way to draw tourists. We already found our favorite mural village of all time in Kaohsiung, so I was skeptical we even needed to see the Rainbow Village in Taichung. I wasn’t prepared, because as soon as we arrived, my mind was blown. This is not a mural village, but an intricately painted group of traditional houses tucked in an otherwise unassuming neighborhood. The colors are explosive, and literally every surface has a microscopic detail. Taichung’s Rainbow Village was completely unlike anything I’ve seen before.
The area used to be a sprawling low-density neighborhood, but as Taichung expanded, most of the buildings were knocked down. Only one person remained in the village, an artist named Huang Yung-Fu. They say he started painting the village to save it from being demolished, but that’s not quite true. In reality, he began painting the remaining houses because he was bored and lonely. Artists and students later campaigned the city to preserve his work after his death, and it became a local tourist attraction.
The area isn’t that large, but I definitely recommend a visit. It’s quaint, quirky, and incredibly charming. I really appreciate that it isn’t just a mashup of random artworks, but a thoughtfully crafted experience. Taichung Rainbow Village is certainly the most “art village” of any art village we’ve seen.
Paochueh Temple
I’ll be honest, we’ve been to many temples in many countries. It’s often hard for me to find anything interesting to say at all, but this was different. Paochueh Temple is one of the strangest temples I’ve seen for a number of reasons. For starters, it is just plopped right in the middle of a dense but otherwise uninteresting neighborhood on the north side of the city. Far from any major attractions, the temple hardly looks like anything is there from a distance.
The first thing I noticed is the massive structure that fully encases another, smaller temple. It turns out, the original temple building was too historic to demolish, but needed severe repair work done. They decided to construct an entire second enclosure around the original prayer hall, and you can still worship there normally. I have seen temporary scaffolds to repair a temple, but never an entire second shell.
Around the back is another interesting sight. There is a large Buddha sitting just as tall as the replacement hall. We’ve seen plenty of big Buddhas, but this is the first time we’ve seen such a large depiction of Budai, the Laughing Buddha. For some reason, this statue really left an impression on us. Yes, it was huge, but it was just a very pleasing statue to look at. The location and slightly hidden nature of its placement was just neat, and we enjoyed slowing down and chilling as we watched the clouds roll by.
Taichung Park
During the middle of the day, we didn’t really have much to do, so we swung by Taichung Park. This little area is centrally located, near several malls and popular restaurants. Like most of Taiwan’s parks, it’s well laid out, with a beautiful lake and plenty of green space. It isn’t the largest park ever, but we easily burned an hour walking around.
Shen Ji New Village
We always try to send my grandma a postcard from every city we visit, so we tried our luck at Shen Ji New Village. Similar to the Rainbow Village, this is an older neighborhood that was renovated into a local craft market. Here, there are many vendors with every kind of art and craft you can think of. While we didn’t find the postcard, if you want a unique souvenir from Taichung, this is absolutely the best place to look.
The village was really popping. We saw lots of couples and families, and even some exotic pets. It’s also a great place to take some cool pictures, with treehouse-like staircases, and pretty string lights hanging over the houses.
Painted Animation Alley
When I was describing my expectations for the Rainbow Village earlier, this is what I imagined. The Painted Animation Alley is a small alley about a block long with various murals of anime and video game characters. Most of the murals are very well done, however the street is super small. If you like anime, this is right up your alley (get it?), but I was only mildly impressed. The alley is a great place to stop next to the National Taiwan Museum of Comics, only a few minutes away. Sadly, we didn’t have time to visit. But the museum has a very beautiful garden area, and it will definitely pique the interest of manga/manhua lovers.
Feng Chia Market
I’m a big night market lover, and Taiwan absolutely runs the show when it comes to top-tier night markets. Not only is the food incredible, but every city’s market has a unique vibe. Feng Chia is an established market, with mostly permanent shops and stalls. When we arrived, I was overwhelmed by the bustling intersection and bright signs advertising every food imaginable. We scored some pancake things, pork pepper buns, and classic Taiwanese desserts. If you just need to know more, we wrote a whole article about our food journey in Taichung. But even if you are somehow not in the mood for street food, Feng Chia Market is still worth visiting for the atmosphere alone.
Miyahara
One of the most famous spots in Taichung is Miyahara. This is an ophthalmologist clinic from the Japanese era, transformed into a whimsical tourist shop. Miyahara sells just about everything, from chocolates, jewelry, local artisan goods, and more. There is even a Michelin-starred restaurant on the second floor, and an incredible ice cream shop around the back. As soon as I walked in, I was amazed by the huge vaulted ceilings, decorative bookshelves, and overwhelming curation of goods.
Because of the impressive decoration and whimsical music, people often compare Miyahara to the library in Hogwarts at Universal Studios. I honestly agree, this is more like an amusement park gift shop cranked to 11 and teleported to a random city. It’s only a few minutes walk away from the train station, and it’s definitely a great place to stop by, even if only to soak up the vibes.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad we chose to take a day trip to Taichung. Far from the packed markets and bustling streets of Taipei, Taichung has the perfect balance of Taiwan’s city culture and slower lifestyle. If you’re looking to get away from Taipei for the day, why not give Taichung a visit? We’re sure you’ll find something you love.
