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Top 4 Things to do in Taipei Taiwan Trip Day 10!

045 2bearbears and the view from the restaurant with kee long river and the gorgeous sishou hills

How can a trip to Taiwan be complete without a trip to Taipei and the renowned Taipei 101? On day 10 of our Taiwan trip, we decided to check out all the things to do in Taipei!

To ensure that we fully maximised the day, we set off from Audi Garden Business Hotel, early on at about 830am in the morning. From Taoyuan Train Station, we took a 40 mins ride (NT42) to Taipei Train Station and we had to contend with the morning crowd…

Train ticket from Taoyuan Train Station to Taipei Train Station NT42	From Taipei Train Station to Taipei MRT Station	Morning peak hour crowd at Taipei Train Station!
Map of Taipei Metroline	Easy Card Top up @ Taipei Train Station	Location Map at Ximen Train Station

Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Xi Men Ding (西门町) Shopping District

After making our way past the crowd to the MRT station, we decided to head first to Xi Men Ding (aka 西门町), Taipei’s premier (young people’s) shopping district! Attractions at Xi Men Ding includes the Red House (known for the North Square Markets as well as the Riverside Live House), the Xi Men Pedestrian Shopping Area, Tian Hou Gong as well as many eateries that caters to the young and young at heart (hey, that’s us!)

The Red House Xi Men Ding Taipei	Xi Men Ding 西门町 Shopping Area	2bearbear enjoying shaved ice dessert to cool off the heat!
2bearbear at Xi Men Ding Dessert shop on 7 July 14	Tian Hou Gong Xi Men Ding	Next stop : C.K.S Memorial Hall (Chiang Kai‑shek)

After hanging around in the Xi Men area, we decided to head to the next big attraction in Taipei – The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall!

Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Chiang Kai‑shek Memorial Hall

By now, you would have realised that the entire Taipei can actually be covered via the MRT! Which is really convenient (and cheap) for tourists! Remember to get your Easy Card so as to have discounts on your travels!

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂	2bearbear and CKS Memorial Hall	Great shot by Kate of the flower park by CKS Memorial Hall
Gate next to Freedom Square @ CKS Memorial Hall	Next Stop World Trade Center for Taipei 101!	Location Map of Taipei 101 World Trade Center Station

At first, we did not really want to head to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) as it was probably just a memorial hall with artifacts of CKS. But we were so wrong! It was a whole area with a HUGE memorial hall which one has to ascend the steps of, much like that in the Rocky Movies…

But the feel of the Freedom Square around CKS Memorial Hall was unmistakable.

The National Theatre Hall and National Concert Hall by themselves are also picturesque locations. But what’s really cool is that after we ascended the CKS Memorial Hall, there was a change of guard ceremony!

Not the usual change of guard ceremony where the guards just swap positions. But a SUPER LONG one with arms drills and all! It was so long that we did not even finish watching the entire changeover! Be there at 12pm sharp if you want to witness the change of guards at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall!

Our next stop took us to the most famous attraction in Taipei – Taipei 101!

Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Taipei 101 (aka 臺北101 / 台北101)

A visit to Taipei is only complete if you have been to Taipei 101 (2nd tallest building in the World!)

But the age old question when visiting such sky scrapers is always…

“Is it more worth it to dine at Taipei 101 than to pay to ascend to the top?”

The answer?

Dine at the top of Taipei 101 in style of course! Why? The entry to the observation deck of Taipei 101 actually costs NT500. But to dine at the top of Taipei 101 costs only NT2000. Which means for NT1500 more (approximately $60 more), you’ll get

– A seat by the window overlooking Taipei
– High class food including bird’s nest, abalone and truffles (for only $60?!)
– Excellent service and ambience, no need to rush, wait in line or squeeze with the crowds

To allow you to make a better decision, here’s what we ate at Ding Xian Restaurant at Level 86 of Taipei 101…

Taipei 101 (臺北101 / 台北101)	Entry via the Observatory Restaurants at Taipei 101	Arriving at level 86 of Taipei 101
Window Seat Menu A Ding Xian Taipei 101	Window Seat Menu B Ding Xian Taipei 101	Ding Xian (顶鲜 101） Taipei 101
2bearbear at Ding Xian Restaurant Taipei 101	Views from Taipei 101 Ding Xian Restaurant	Abalone Salad with Japanese Dressing Set A Dish 1
Selected Sashimi Set B Dish 1	Set A Dish 2 Chicken Soup with Birds Nest and Egg White – ALOT OF BIRD’S NEST!!!	Set B Dish 2 Simmered Black Glutinous Rice with Sea Cucumber
Set A Dish 3 Steamed Giant Grouper	Set B Dish 3 Taiwanese Styled Giant Braised Grouper	Set A Dish 4 Baked Mango Caviar
Set B Dish 4 Grilled Fine Lamb Chop	Set A Dish 5 Baked Crispy Shrimp Roll	Set B Dish 5 Fried Oyster Roll
Set B Dish 6 Baked King Oyster Mushroom with Truffle	Set A Dish 6 Steamed Stuffed Winter Melon with Scallop Ding Xian Restaurant Taipei 101	Set A Dish 7 Steamed Ding Xian Stir Fried Rice with Salmon
Set B Dish 7 Tainan Danzai Noodles	Set A Dish 8 Fresh Fruits with a dash of lime – tasted really refreshing!	Set B Dish 9 Mango Yang Zhi Gan Lu

Having seen through the menu and the stuff we ate at Ding Xian, you’d probably think that it’s worth it as well. There’s also actually a slightly cheaper menu which doesn’t sit you by the window. But that’s ok because if you stay to about 3pm (slowly enjoying your food), most patrons would have left by then and you will be able to approach the window and take shots from there.

The other down side is that it faces the mountainous area and not the city area. Apparently, the city area is slightly more expensive as its at the VIP area. But there are other observatory restaurants at level 85 (The Best 85 – Diamond Tony’s / Shinyeh Taiwanese Cuisine ),86 (Ding Xian 101) and 35 (Japanese Restaurant / Elly’s Flower & Cafe) that you can choose from.

Also, there are cheaper alternatives at Shin Yeh and Diamond Tony’s. So these are also options to the NT500 which requires you to wait in line to ascend Taipei 101. If you have visited other Observatory Restaurants, do share your experience with our readers in the comments section below!

After the sumptuous meal, we headed to Da An park for a stroll and a short session of feeding! Then, we proceeded to one of the best rated night markets in the whole of Taiwan – Shilin Night Market!

Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

Location Map Daan Park Station	Swamp and Ecological Pond at Daan Park Taipei	Jian Tan Station Location Map – Nearest station to Shilin Night Market
First glimpse of Shilin Night Market Taipei	Hot Star HUGE Fried Chicken	Shilin Night Market’s HUGE Fried Chicken – As huge as your hand outstretched!
One of the many streets in Shilin Night Market Taipei	Fried Meat Bun for NT12 which was good but still no where near Xiao Yang Jian Bao in Shanghai	One of the entrance to Shilin Night Market
Shilin Night Market Taipei 士林夜市	Fried HUGE Squid for only NT100	Close up of HUGE CRISPY and Sweet Squid at Shilin Night Market
Dessert from this very economical stall at the corner of the street	Taro Ball Dessert NT50 Shilin Night Market Taipei	Another view of Shilin Night Market Taipei

The first thing that you will need to know when you visit Shilin Night Market is that IT IS LOCATED NEXT TO JIAN TAN TRAIN STATION not Shilin train station.

We were really glad that we finally got to visit Shilin Night Market and it does live up to its reputation have some great street foods and also for the fact that we finally got to eat the HUGE SQUID as well as taro ball dessert (at a very reasonable price!)

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We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do in Taipei as well as all the attractions that Taipei has to offer! This post concludes our series on the Taiwan trip and on day 11, we flew back comfortably on EVA air back to Singapore. Ah…

Snuggled comfortably onboard EVA from Taoyuan International Airport back to Singapore

Remember to wear your seat belts!

You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…

Singapore to Tainan : Taiwan Trip Day 1
Things to do in Tainan Taiwan Trip Day 2
鹿早茶屋 Opposite 1967 Hotel Tainan
Things to do in Chiayi Taiwan Trip Day 3
Chiayi Attractions Taiwan Trip Day 4
Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) : Which is the Best?
What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市)?
Changhua Taichung Taiwan Trip Day 5
Things to do in Taichung Taiwan Trip Day 6
Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan Trip Day 7
Kuo Tai Glass Park Zhunan Day Trip
Things to do in Taoyuan Taiwan Trip Day 8
Taoyuan Attractions Taiwan Trip Day 9
Things to do in Taipei Taiwan Trip Day 10

Sweet, tasty and beautiful peach in Taoyuan (Shui Mi Tao)

Updated on August 16, 2020September 17, 2014Asia Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海） Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街) Taiwan Taoyuan Taoyuan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Taoyuan Things to do in Asia Things to do in Taiwan Things to do in Taoyuan Travel Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來)

Taoyuan Attractions Taiwan Trip Day 9!

While we were staying at Audi Garden Business Hotel, we asked Ricky (our host) what are some of the Taoyuan Attractions that we must visit. Hence, he recommended us to visit Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街) and Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海）.

To get to Da Xi Old Street, you will have to take bus 502, a tourist’s bus (or bus 5096) from the bus terminal next to Taoyuan Train Station. To get to the bus terminal, cross the underpass next to the train station (see picture) and walk towards this white building (again see picture) and you will see buses leaving this particular building.

Upon reaching the bus terminal, to confirm if you are on the right track, the friendly attendants at the bus terminal will direct you accordingly 😉

On the bus however, our itinerary changed when a local tour guide boarded the bus. It seemed to us that the normal day trip (starting real early about at 7ish in the morning) will begin at Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來). Hence, we decided to go with her plan and head out to see the Xiao Wu Lai waterfalls (小烏來瀑布) before heading back to see the flower fields. On hindsight, we were so glad to have visited these Taoyuan attractions. But remember, if you’re making this trip, you will have to cater time for the bus timings and expected crowd to ensure that you’ll have a seat on the bus!

Underpass to Taoyuan Bus Terminal	Taoyuan Bus Terminal 桃园客运总站	Taking Bus 502 to Da Xi (大溪) and Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來)
Route of bus 502	Bus timings to Taoyuan Attractions	Tour Guide enroute to Xiao Wu Lai

As a result, we took bus 502 direct to Xiao Wu Lai!

Taoyuan Attractions – Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來)

One of the main attraction at Xiao Wu Lai is the Skywalk (aka 天空步道）. If you take the tourist bus to Xiao Wu Lai, you’d only need to pay NT30 (what?!) instead of NT50 (what?! still very reasonable!) to enter into the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk.

What you need to do when you first arrive, is to head to the ticketing counter, let her know that you took bus 502 and purchase the tickets first. There will be an allocated timing for you to visit the Skywalk (ours was the 1100 to 1130 session）. Once you’re closer to the timing, head towards the entrance and start to queue. It pays if you bring along your umbrella as well…

In the meantime, you might wish to enjoy the peaches at Xiao Wu Lai! It was DEFINITELY THE SWEETEST AND JUICIEST PEACH WE’VE EVER TASTED! The price though was not that cheap. At first, we bought a small one for NT80, to try it out. But since it tasted so good, we bought a box of 12 (small ones) for NT600! Yup, it’s cheaper if you buy in bulk. To cool yourself down, you may wish to have a cup of ice blended peach for only NT60.

Good stuff as well!

Visitor Centre Xiao Wu Lai to buy tickets to the Skywalk NT50	Must try peach at Xiao Wu Lai for NT80 or NT600 for a box of 12	Ice Blended Peach @ Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來)
Tickets to Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk for the 1100 session	Entrance of the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk (小烏來天空步道)	See through glass at the Xiao Wu Lai Waterfalls and Skywalk
Xiao Wu Lai Waterfalls 小烏來瀑布	Base of the waterfall for a dip	Others enjoying a dip at the Xiao Wu Lai Water Area

The Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk was indeed amazing. The view and pictures taken there were really awesome. You’d have to “shovel” a little to get those great spots amidst the crowd ;P Nonetheless, it was only NT50 to visit the Skywalk! This compared to the Grand Canyon Skywalk for $75USD!

After visiting the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk, we headed to the water area to cool off and take a dip in the waters. Really nice to dip our feet and let the streams run by. If you’ve brought extra clothing, why not enjoy a dip as well? Just be careful that when you enter, due to moss growing on the rocks, your foot may slip. While in the water, be careful of the currents and rocks that may cut you. Oh, we saw a sign that said “Beware of water snakes” Yikes!

Taking the bus at 1230pm towards Ci Hu, we again took bus 502 for NT54.

Taoyuan Attractions – Ci Hu (慈湖) and Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海）

Jiang Zhong Zheng Statue	Ci Hu (慈湖) Bronze Statue Park	Soap making at Da Xi Flower Field
Other DIY sessions	Da Xi Flower Field 大溪花海	Arty Shot at Da Xi Flower Field

At Ci Hu, we were told by our host that the bronze statues there are especially popular with the Chinese tourists. Probably because of the common heritage that they share. But for us (Kate actually), the main purpose of the visit was the flower fields! The entrance was NT150 per person. But we paid NT50 more (i.e. NT200) to get the package which included the DIY soap making session as well as ice creams and Lavender Latte inside the flower field. Not too bad eh?

During our visit to Taoyuan, it was relatively hot (above 30 degrees) but still we enjoyed ourselves with views of the flowers. Though not all the flowers were blossoming during our visit, you should still make a trip and if you have time, tour around the lake as well!

Taking the same bus again at 3:05pm, we left for Da Xi Old Street for the price of NT18.
**You’d also realise by now that the buses are starting to arrive later than scheduled. This is because of the crowds and build up of traffic, especially along the single lanes at Xiao Wu Lai.

Taoyuan Attractions – Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街)

Final products from our soap making session at Da Xi Flower Field	Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街)	Another view of Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街)
Well preserved buildings at Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街)	Fried and Roasted Chicken joint back in Taoyuan City	Genius of having fried glutinous rice balls and sweet potato fries!

Da Xi Old Street is a well preserved area with old intricate structures. In fact, at Da Xi, there are 4 streets, but this main street is the one that is the most well-preserved. There are also several food joints here that you may wish to try out as well.

The sad part about this trip was that when we wanted to finally head back to Taoyuan city, the “snowballed” effect of the late buses were so bad that we waited for 1.5 hours before the bus 502 finally came! Nonetheless, it was still an excellent day trip to check out the attractions of Taoyuan.

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After heading back to Taoyuan city, there’s actually a “local Taoyuan attraction” that we would like to introduce. And that’s the fried and roasted chicken joint featured above! BOTH versions of the chicken were juicy and tender, which explains the super long queue and waiting time, even for a fast food joint!

But the best part (or genius part we would say) is that the combo comes with SWEET POTATO FRIES AND FRIED GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS!! We did not even know that this combination would be possible and tastes this awesome!

Just got to try it if you’re visiting Taoyuan!

We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the Taoyuan Attractions! Stay tuned for day 10 of our Taiwan trip as we visit Taipei 101!

You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…

065 We went for the mixture of 40NT which was one of the best we've had in Taiwan!

Updated on August 22, 2020September 12, 2014Asia Singapore Travel Blog Taiwan Taoyuan Taoyuan Taoyuan Tourism Night Market Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Taoyuan Things to do in Asia Things to do in Taiwan Things to do in Taoyuan Travel

Fun Things to do in Taoyuan Taiwan Trip Day 8!

Taoyuan was our destination on day 8 of our Taiwan trip and it was definitely an event-filled day checking out the things to do in Taoyuan.

But first, while we were still staying at Miaoli Maison De Chine, we decided to check out the attractions in the vicinity. After a hearty breakfast at Miaoli Maison De Chine, we decided to head out to Kuo Tai Glass Park to check out this local attraction!

Porridge at Miaoli Maison De Chine	Inside Victorian Restaurant Miaoli Maison De Chine	Glass Blowing at Kuo Tai Glass Park
Fun-filled day for the family at Kuo Tai Glass Park	Ticketing Counter at Zhunan Train Station	Zhunan to Taoyuan for NT154

The visit to Kuo Tai Glass Park was just fantastic. You can take part in glass blowing, watch the masters in action and have a guided tour around the glass factory. Definitely an itinerary that you can consider for the entire family. Check out our post of Kuo Tai Glass Park (國泰玻璃觀光工廠) to find out more!

We then took a train from Zhunan to Taoyuan for NT154 each and the trip lasted for an hour. Then it was time for us to check into Audi Garden Business Hotel!

Things to do in Taoyuan Taiwan

Arriving at Taoyuan Train Station	Reception of Audi Garden Business Hotel	Our glass ware and small glass pieces from Kuo Tai Glass Park
Jing Fu Gong 景福宫 along Zhong Zheng Lu 中正路	Hao Fu Ji Vermicelli along Zhong Zheng Road	One of the best Oyster Vermicelli in Taiwan

After checking into Audi Garden Business Hotel, we decided to take a stroll along the main shopping street of Taoyuan – Zhong Zheng Road. A local temple, Jing Fu Gong 景福宫, is also easily spotted along this road. But the main thing that we really want to talk about is the oyster mee sua next to the temple! Look out for Hao Fu Ji vermicelli, definitely one of the best oyster mee sua we’ve had in Taiwan. It is flavourful, thick but not overpowering plus the ingredients did not have any foul gamey taste at all! But the most amazing part was that it was milky. YES MILKY! Strange, but because of it, differentiates itself from the field of oyster vermicellis out there 😉

Sun Louis Bakery Raisin Bun for NT45 and Latte for NT60

Raisin Bun NT45 Latte NT60

Taoyuan Night Market

Fried Oyster was good but don't go for the Squid soup! NT60 each

Fried Oyster NT60 each

Taoyuan Night Market located at Bei Pu Lu and Zhong Zheng Lu was actually the place that we were heading towards as we “journeyed” down Zhong Zheng Road. Along the way, we got to rest and re-energise at Sun Louis Bakery (almost thought it was the same as the Sun Moulin in Singapore. It isn’t but it looks equally atas/high class), before arriving at Taoyuan Night Market!

We didn’t really eat much at Taoyuan Tourism Night Market this evening because of the food that we had along the way (oyster vermicelli, breads and egg tarts). Nonetheless, if you’re feeling that you’d need some “night market fix” in Taoyuan, the Taoyuan Night Market is a great place to eat and do some simple shopping 😉

By the way, the walk from Audi Garden Business Hotel to Taoyuan Night Market was 1.7km (usually 20mins walk) but we took our time to walk at a leisurely pace, snacking along the way, thus we took slightly less than an hour for the trip.

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Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the things to do in Taoyuan. Next, we’ll be visiting Xiao Wu Lai (Huh? Where is that?) on Day 9 of our Taiwan Trip!

You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…

Updated on May 3, 2020September 5, 2014Asia Miaoli Miaoli Singapore Travel Blog Taiwan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Miaoli Things to do in Asia Things to do in Miaoli Things to do in Taiwan Travel Zhunan Beer Factory 竹南啤酒厂 Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex 天厨海鲜楼 Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant 曾记馅饼

4 “Lesser-Known” Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan Trip Day 7!

Wondering what are some of the things to do in Miaoli Taiwan? Thanks to the great folks of Miaoli Maison De Chine, we were hosted to a stay and enjoyed some of the wonderful facilities there. Also, it provided us with a great base to check out all the attractions and things to do in Miaoli Taiwan!

Actually, we headed from Taichung to Tong Xiao Beach first. However, when we arrived, due to a carnival, we had to pay $20SGD to enter the beach area (which is usually free). As we were only there for an hour, we did not enter. But if you do have more time, it is encouraged that you visit as the $20SGD includes shows and displays for programmes throughout the day.

If you’re travelling from Taichung to Zhunan, it takes about 1 hour by train. After arriving at Zhunan train station, to get to Miaoli Maison de Chine, you’ll have to take a taxi for NT120 (walking takes about 30 minutes). It is a fixed price for visitors to the hotel.

Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan

1. 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant)

Located at No. 19, Gongyuan 5th St, Miaoli County, Taiwan 350, 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant) serves up great seafood at an excellent price. In fact, when we visited, they were having a promotion whereby each dish only costs NT100 ($4!). That’s even cheaper than Zi Char in Singapore! Plus, we were having stuff like prawns (really fresh ones at that), squid and pork ribs. If you’re staying at Miaoli Maison De Chine, do check out 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant) to enjoy great food, an excellent ambience at a fantastic price!

Zhunan Train Station to Miaoli Maison De Chine NT120	天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant)	Classy ambience at 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant)
Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant 天厨海鲜楼 Menu	Stir Fried Pork Rib @ Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant 天厨海鲜楼	Vermicelli from Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant

2. Zhunan Beer Factory / 竹南啤酒厂

The Zhunan Beer Factory is the largest brewery in the whole of Taiwan. But in order to go for a visit, you’d have to at least have a group of 20. In addition, there are allocated times for visit. This time, we unfortunately missed the last group tour of the day. Hence, it would be wise to give the factory a call first and ask the group tour timings before you head over. Oh, the taxi ride from Miaoli Maison De Chine to Zhunan Factory is between NT150 to NT200.

As we were not able to join the tour, we were only able to walk around within the store area. Inside, the various types of alcohol and beers, produced by the factory are sold. In addition, we also got to try the 18 days Taiwan Beer for free. It tasted a little bitter (which we prefer) and the usual price is NT65 per bottle.

There is also a restaurant where you can order dishes to go with the beer. But do note that it is just like a regular restaurant NOT ANYTHING LIKE a microbrewery with beers on tap. But do give the 18 days Taiwan Beer a try, you won’t regret it!

Zhunan Beer Factory Alcohol Store	Taiwan Beer Robot @ Zhunan Brewery	18 days Taiwan Beer at Zhunan Beer Factory
曾记馅饼 Buns with Fillings	Pork Bun NT30 and Red Bean Bun NT15 from 曾记馅饼	Close up of the red bean bun from 曾记馅饼

3. 曾记馅饼 (Zeng Ji Pastry)

We were also informed by Shelly (Marketing Manager from Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel) that, within walking distance of hotel, there’s a famous bun store ( 曾记馅饼） at the intersection of Ba De Yi Lu and De Yi Lu. Located next to the 7-11, it is a mobile truck that sells buns with pork, beef or sweet red bean filling. Definitely a must try if you’re in the vicinity!

4. Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex

Before we headed back to our hotel for great food and spa pool enjoyment, we headed to the Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex just across the road from Miaoli Maison De Chine. There, residents can enjoy runs around the track, play some basketball or croquet.

Kids playing a game of croquet	Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex Soccer Field and Running Track	Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex
Spa pools at Miaoli Maison De Chine	Menu of Pin Jiang Nan at Miaoli Maison De Chine	What we ate at Pin Jiang Nan Miaoli Maison De Chine

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Hope you have enjoyed our post on the things to do in Miaoli Taiwan! Do stay tuned for day 8 of our Taiwan trip where we’ll be visiting Taoyuan!

You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…

Ice cream toppings at Miyahara Ice Cream

Updated on May 3, 2020September 3, 2014Asia Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市 Miyahara 宮原眼科第四信用合作社 Ice Cream Singapore Travel Blog Taichung Taichung Taiwan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Taichung Things to do in Asia Things to do in Taichung Things to do in Taiwan Travel

3 Awesome things to do in Taichung Taiwan Trip Day 6!

On day 6 of our Taiwan trip, we checked out all the things to do in Taichung and its attractions! If you’re not sure what to do (and eat!!!) in Taichung, you’ll find some great information to get you on your way to discovering Taichung!

Things to do in Taichung Taiwan

1. Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 – Originator of the Bubble Milk Tea

On day 6 of our Taiwan Trip, we woke up to a sumptuous breakfast at Park City Hotel Central Taichung. After the hearty meal (which included braised pork rice!!), we checked out the Taichung 2nd market. As we were early, the breakfast crowds were still having their breakfast as well. We also noticed the scores of fruit stalls at Taichung 2nd market, probably a great place to find great tasting fruits at an excellent price.

Next, we headed to Chun Shui Tang!!!

Chun Shui Tang, as we found out, is the originator of the world-renowned Taiwanese Bubble Milk Tea. But there are actually many of its franchise around in the city (close to 20 of them), so just pop into any one of the joints to enjoy the original bubble milk tea!

Park City Central Hotel Taichung Braised Pork Rice	Taichung’s 2nd Market	Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 Taichung
Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 The Original Bubble Milk Tea for NT110	Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 Carrot Cake for NT65	Classy Deco inside Chun Shui Tang 春水堂

2. 草悟道 Cao Wu Dao – Quaint Cafes and Restaurants

Located at Xiang Shang North Road, at the area of Mei Cun road, lies a cluster of quaint cafes and restaurants. Here, we also saw this unique robot cafe where the server invited us in just to have a look (no purchase required). There, we saw the HUGE resident cats who startled us with its sudden movement. The truth was, it was so huge that we thought it was just a soft toy that was lying around. When it moved, Tom just jumped!

Enroute, we also had the egg beef porridge which we realised actually goes quite well with spinach.

One more tip, remember to get the Easy Card. It costs NT200 at any 7-11, of which, NT100 goes to the deposit. But the great thing about the Easy Card is that specifically in Taichung, the first 8km is free! Yes! FREE!!! In other cities, there are usually fare discounts for Easy Card holders as well. Do pick up one if you’re intending to travel Taiwan for an extended period of time!

草悟道 Cao Wu Dao Taichung	More cafes at 草悟道 Cao Wu Dao	Inside Robot Cafe with REAL HUGE CATS
Robot Cafe Taichung Entrance	Egg Beef Porridge with Spinach at NT70	Easy Card NT200 (NT100 deposit)

More Taichung Attractions and Things to do (eat!)

3. Shop and Eat in Taichung – Yi Chung Shang Quan 一中街商圈, Taichung Park, Feng Jia Night Market and Miyahara Ice Cream

For more shopping options, you can head to the Yi Chung Shang Quan (or just Yi Chung Street) where there are endless shopping options and street foods available. It’s a closer option for night market from Taichung City as compared to Feng Jia Night Market. From Taichung City, we took bus 88 (for free!) to the Yi Chung shopping street.

As we were still early that day, we decided to head back to Feng Jia Night Market again for a 2nd time! This time, we tried out all the foods that we wanted to eat, including 大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage), Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼, 熊手包 Bear Paw Buns and 章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls. Do check out our post of what to eat at Feng Jia Night Market to find out more!

Enroute back, we dropped by the Taichung City Park and enjoyed a leisurely stroll by its lake as well as a visit to the Lake Heart Pavilion.

To cap off a fun-filled day in Taichung, we headed back to Miyahara – 宮原眼科 for its famous ice cream! This time, we finally got to eat this famous ice cream! But there’s one catch, we had to go to 4th Credit on 72 Zhong Shan Road ( 第四信用合作社）and this is because the outlet at Miyahara 宮原眼科 is so popular that it has a minimum spending of NT380 ($16). Therefore, we decided to take a short walk (5 minutes really), along Zhong Shan Road and ate at the 4th Credit outlet.

For NT245, we had a waffle bowl with 3 scoops of ice cream and choice of 4 toppings. Do not think that the toppings are simple and common items such as strawberry sauce or chocolate sprinkles. THEY ARE REAL DESSERT TOPPINGS! You’d be surprised but we chose cheesecake, pineapple tart, floral cake and rum raisins! (WHAT?! THOSE ARE TOPPINGS!!??)

Yi Chung Shang Quan 一中街商圈	Buses Schedule	大腸包小腸 Feng Jia Night Market
Taichung Park Lake Heart Pavilion	Miyahara Ice Cream Toppings	Our Ice Cream from Miyahara 4th Credit

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We hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Taichung Taiwan! Do let us know if you have any other recommendations in our comments section below!

Stay tuned for day 7 of our trip in Miaoli Taiwan!

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031 2bearbear favourite activity. Watching TV while soaking in the bath tub.

Updated on May 3, 2020August 29, 2014Asia Changhua Changhua Meatballs 彰化肉圓 Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市 Miyahara 宮原眼科 Ice Cream Park City Hotel Central Taichung Taichung Taichung Taiwan Things to do Things to do in Asia Things to do in Taiwan Travel

Changhua Taichung Taiwan Trip Day 5!

Changhua and Taichung were our next stops during day 5 of our Taiwan Trip! Our plan was to stop by Changhua to taste the famous Changhua meatballs before heading to check in at Park City Hotel Central Taichung. In the evening, we visited the most famous night market in Taiwan – Feng Jia Night Market.

Chiayi to Changhua and Taichung

Something happened that morning…Kate realised that she lost the McDonald’s coupons for our breakfast! So we decided that we would visit the local pan fried bun (生煎包) joint since it was closed at 5pm (starts selling for afternoon sessions at 3pm) the day before. But when we reached there at 8am in the morning, although there were many people having their breakfast, THERE WAS NO FRIED BUNS!! To us, this was the elusive pan fried buns joint, if you have visited it, do let us know how it tasted!

The train ride from Chiayi to Changhua took approximately 1hr and 30 minutes. From Changhua, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Taichung. Hence, the entire trip from Chiayi to Taichung takes slightly under two hours. Our original plan was to buy 2 separate tickets from Chiayi to Changhua and from Changhua to Taichung. However, we made a “mistake” and bought the Chiayi to Taichung ticket for NT144 (approximately $6 each). The good thing was you’re able to stop anywhere along the way just as long as you remember to validate the tickets upon exit. And you’ll have to exit via the station personnel at the exit (do not insert into the automated gates!)

The elusive pan fried bun joint	Ticketing Counters at Chiayi Train Station	Train Ticket cost of NT144 from Chiayi to Taichung
Changhua Train Station	Changhua meatballs at 彰化肉圓	Pig’s trotter rice
Old Time Delights Bakery Changhua	SHIOK Pumpkin Cake from Old Time Delights	Taichung Train Station

At Changhua, we tried all 3 famous Changhua Meatballs from 彰化肉圓, 老担阿璋肉圓 and 正彰化肉圓. Do check out our post on the best Changhua Meatballs to find out which one we thought was the best!

In between our meatball adventures, we did snuck in a couple of other snacks such as the braised pig trotters and the traditional cake. But to our surprise, this “Old Time Delights” Bakery in Changhua turned out to be one of the best cakes we’ve ever tasted! This time, we tried the pumpkin cake. The cake was firm but not so sweet. The top of the cake were lined with healthy nuts and seeds but the best part was what was within…the pumpkin fillings! It was the eastern version of the swiss roll but 10 times nicer! No wonder the queue was quite long even in the mid afternoon. The choice that you’ll have at this stall is dependent on what was being baked at that point in time. There’s a schedule that locals know about.

These cakes were baked on huge trays and cut to size. We ordered the smallest cut (which was still quite big for the both of us) at NT65. If you’ve tried the other flavours or are a local who frequents here often, do share in the comments section below on which you think is the best flavour!

Park City Central Hotel Taichung Receptionists	Sexy bathtub at Park City Central Hotel Taichung	Feng Jia Night Market
Long queues at Feng Jia Night Market	Miyahara – 宮原眼科 Taichung	Famous Miyahara Ice Cream Taichung

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After checking into the Park City Central Hotel Taichung, we took a bath in the hotel’s sexy bathtub (with views of the TV) and had the amazing pumpkin cake before heading to the famous Feng Jia Night Market!

Feng Jia Night Market is the 2nd largest Night Market in the whole of Taiwan (the biggest night market in Taiwan is the combination of Jin Zuan and Kai Xuan Night Markets) and there are many great foods here. If you’re wondering what to eat at Feng Jia Night Market, do find out more in our separate post.

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by one of the tourist attractions in Taichung, the Miyahara – 宮原眼科. Although we did not have the famous ice cream this evening, we did try it on day 6 of our visit and there’s a little secret that you should know about it as well…

Stay tuned to Day 6 of our Taiwan Trip to find out more!

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Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Yellow Stall NT40

Updated on August 16, 2020August 27, 2014Asia Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市 Singapore Travel Blog Taichung Taichung Taiwan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Taichung Things to do in Asia Things to do in Taichung Things to do in Taiwan Travel What to eat in Taichung

What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市)?

Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市) is one of the biggest night market in Taiwan and if you’ve been to Feng Chia Night Market, you’d realise that you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to food options. Many have asked the sacred question of “What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market?” and “What are the best foods at Feng Chia Night Market?” This post will thus source out the best food to eat in Feng Chia Night Market, just for you!

Feng Jia Night Market. Not so crowded on a Wednesday night.

Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市 Best Food To Eat!

大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage)

大腸包小腸 is somewhat like a novelty for us. It is actually an outer layer of “rice sausage” wrapping Taiwanese sausage and other condiments within. At the entrance of Feng Jia Night Market, there are 2 stalls selling 大腸包小腸, let’s call them “yellow” and “red” stall respectively.

大腸包小腸 Feng Jia Night Market – Yellow Stall

Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 - Red Stall — Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 – Red Stall

On our first night there, yellow stall had a super looooooooong queue! Hence, we decided to go to the comparatively shorter queue at red stall (still had to wait 10 minutes…Zzz).

Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Red Stall NT40

When it is your turn to order at “Red Stall”, the lady will ask if you’d want normal, or “small/medium/large” spicy. We went for the small spicy (小辣）and it tasted quite good with a hint of spiciness. For Singaporeans, remember not to go for the bamboo shoots (竹笋）as part of your condiments.

On our second day at Feng Jia Night Market, as we were there relatively early (about 3pm), we tried 大腸包小腸 from the yellow stall. This time, we went for the normal version and again we requested not to have bamboo shoots added.

The results of our comparison? Red stall had the better version. The outer rice sausage was fragrant and had a slight crisp on the outside while the condiments tasted better (in general) compared to the yellow stall. Somehow, the peanuts added to the yellow stall’s version didn’t taste as good. As a guide though, if you have not tried 大腸包小腸 before, just go for the shorter queue. You don’t have to die die try the yellow or red stall but if you must, the red stall for us, has that sliiight advantage.

熊手包 Bear Paw Buns

Honey Mustard Chicken Pumpkin Bun from 熊手包 Bear Paw Feng Jia Night Market @ NT60

How can we not try bear paw buns right? 2bearbear, bear paws? :p We went for the no.1 top selling bun, the honey mustard chicken pumpkin bun and it was so delicious! The patty was hot and juicy while the honey mustard was just a perfect dressing. Most interesting of all, the hint of pumpkin could absolutely be tasted from the buns! Yummilicious!

Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼

The deep fried HUGE Squids or 酥炸大鱿鱼 are available at many other night markets. At Feng Jia Night Market itself, there are already quite a few. But of all the deep fried squids we’ve tried, this version is still the best. The cook has a certain way of making sure that the squids are deep fried to precise perfection. Each time she sees that it requires a little more time in the oil, in it goes. By seeing the surface of the squid, she knows whether it is done within. And that takes experience. And with experience comes your yummy portion of deep fried squids!

Feng Chia Night Market Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼 NT50

For the sizes, you can choose from NT50 (medium), NT70 (big), NT80 (bigger), NT100 (HUGE). There are also 7 tastes that you can choose from including the original (salt and pepper), lemon/pepper (which we chose), wasabi and seaweed, just to name a few.

Cheese Potato / 起司马铃薯

Feng Chia Night Marke Deluxe cheese potato combo / 综合起司马铃薯 @ NT65

Strongly recommended by netizens, we decided to give the cheese potato a try. Not knowing which flavour to choose, we decided to go for the deluxe (and the most expensive) as it had a little bit of everything within. Frankly speaking, it was just loads of cheese over mashed potato. The mashed potato itself did not have that “wow” factor of truffles (kidding lah…) or at the least tastes of good grade butter. To us, this was just a “filler” dish. You can give this one a miss 😉

章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls

Takopachi Octopus Balls Feng Jia Night Market for NT40 章鱼小丸子

The Takopachi Octopus Balls were SHIOK!! The octopus balls were prepared only upon order (as it was early in the day) and topped off with dried fish, mayo and wasabi dressing. The cool part was that the mayo was not like the usual fatty tasting mayonnaise. Instead, it was milkilicious! With the mayo/wasabi combination, the “fresh-hot-off-the-stove” takopachi, tasted amazing!

Taro, Papaya Milk Juice / 木瓜牛奶，芋头牛奶

NT50 Taro Milk Drink from Feng Jia Night Market introduced by 2moro

This version of the Taro milk drink still had shaved ice bits on each sip. Not the smooth and rich type of milk drink that you would normally expect. Nonetheless, the ingredients are fresh and its still worth 1 try (emphasis on the one). Don’t think we’re coming back for seconds though.

Fruit juices 3 for NT100 @ Feng Jia Night Market

If you’re travelling in a group, the deal of 3 fruit juices for NT100 is definitely worth it. Usual price of a cup is NT40 for papaya milk and NT35 for lemon with ai yu (爱玉）jelly.

Foods at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市
YOU may have tried

Longest queue at Feng Jia Night Market for 炒面面包 (Fried Noodles in a Bun?!)

German pork knuckle at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市

There were 2 particular stalls that we would have tried (given more time and space in our tummies). There was a ridiculously long queue for 炒面面包 (Fried Noodles in a Bun?!). Seriously, can this really be good? If you’ve tried it, do let us know in the comments section below. Also, we’ve stumbled across a german pork knuckle stall in Feng Jia Night Market (and not in an upscale german restaurant). Can this pork knuckle be good? Do let us know if you’ve tried it as well!

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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of “What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市”! Do let us know your thoughts or any other interesting/good eats that you have tried at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市!

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012bearbear enjoying their first changhua rou yuan

Updated on May 3, 2020August 22, 2014Asia Changhua Changhua Changhua Meatballs 彰化肉圓 Taiwan Things to do Things to do in Asia Things to do in Changhua Things to do in Taiwan Travel What to eat in Changhua

Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) : Which is the Best?

Changhua is synonymous with meatballs. Whenever one talks about Changhua, the term meatballs will somehow enter into the conversation. Hence, the term 彰化肉圓 (aka Changhua meatballs).

But the big question is this. Which is the best Changhua meatball?

As with the battle of the Malacca Chicken Rice Balls, we made it one of our missions during this trip to find out which stall has the best meatballs in Changhua!

The Candidates for the Best Changhua Meatballs
(彰化肉圓)

Candidate 1 : 正彰化肉圓
(No. 203, Chenleng Rd, Changhua County, Taiwan 500）

正彰化肉圓（Zheng Changhua Meatballs)

Inside Zheng Changhua Meatballs

Our first Changhua Bawan @ 正彰化肉圓

Kate did the research for all the meatballs stalls in Changhua and we arrived at Chenleng Rd, there were 2 meatball stalls right across from each other. The idea of creating a “meatball node” at Chenleng Rd is a clever one. Most people, whenever they crave for a taste of Changhua meatball, they’ll head over here to have their meatball fix.

This version at 正彰化肉圓 costs NT35 and had a generous serving of peanut sauce over it. We also enjoyed the generous portion of meat filling within. The minuses? Waitress took SOOOOOOO long before she brought over the chili sauce! We were almost at our last mouth when the chili arrived. Sigh. But the other big minus for us was the taste of 竹笋（bamboo shoot) which was relatively strong. Lovers of 竹笋 would definitely love this rendition at Zheng Changhua Meatballs.

Candidate 2 : 老担阿璋肉圓
(No. 144, Cháng’ān St, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500）

Lao Dan Ah Zhang Changhua Meatball 老担阿璋肉圓

Lao Dan Ah Zhang Changhua Meatball 老担阿璋肉圓 for NT35

Pork Ball at 老担阿璋肉圓 for NT15

After finishing our rounds at 正彰化肉圓, we crossed the road to visit 老担阿璋肉圓. This version of meatball at Lao Dan Ah Zhang Meatball (老担阿璋肉圓) had a slight edge over 正彰化肉圓 in that the chili for the meatball was readily available on the table! Haha…

But jokes aside, what we enjoyed about this version was that the fragrance of the garlic permeated with each mouthful of the meatball. The skin was also chewy and TAONG which brought a different texture as you bite on the skin and its fillings. The downside? A tad lesser in terms of meat fillings within.

The funny thing was, so far, we’ve seen both versions of the meatballs being deep fried but they’ve both been “drowned” with their sauces such that they don’t taste fried at all. Was it supposed to be like that? We soon found out with the third candidate…

Candidate 3 : 北門口肉圓
(No. 494號, Section 1, Zhongzheng Rd, Changhua County, Taiwan 500）

北門口肉圓 Bei Men Kou Meatball

Inside 北門口肉圓 Changhua Meatball

北門口肉圓 Changhua Meatball with dried scallop for NT80

北門口肉圓 is just a short walk away from the other 2 meatball joints and it was pretty crowded when we reached there. The boss did not even have time to take our orders, just busily frying the meatballs away. Some “cut” the queue by shouting their orders. Hence, don’t be shy (or courteous), just order away!

There were several things we loved about this version. At NT80, we ordered the bigger version with dried scallops. The taste was certainly better and there was more meat fillings within. Chili also accompanied the meatballs well. But what we really enjoyed about 北門口肉圓’s meatball was the crispy outer layer! After trying 3 meatballs stalls, we finally found one that maintained the crispiness of the skin after frying and addition of the sauces! The down side of this version was that the sauce was a tad too sweet.

The Best Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) goes to…

北門口肉圓
Bei Men Kou Changhua Meatball!

Well, we’re coming from a Singaporean point of view. 正彰化肉圓’s meatballs was knocked out after having a relatively strong taste of the bamboo shoots (need to wash them clean you know?). It was really a close fight between 老担阿璋肉圓 and 北門口肉圓. But the crispy outer layer at 北門口肉圓 definitely made the difference.

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If ever possible, we think that the best version of Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) would be the meatballs (with crispy outer skin) from 北門口肉圓, laced with the garlicky,peanuty sauce of 老担阿璋肉圓 and 正彰化肉圓!

Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓), do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

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Updated on May 3, 2020August 20, 2014Asia Chiayi Chiayi Chiayi Attractions Taiwan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Chiayi Things to do in Asia Things to do in Chiayi Things to do in Taiwan Travel

Chiayi Attractions Taiwan Trip Day 4!

After checking out the Things to do in Chiayi on day 3 of our Taiwan trip, we decided to visit the other Chiayi Attractions such as Lan Tan Lake / Reservoir (蘭潭水庫), Sun Shooting Tower (射日塔) and eating our way through Zhong Shan Lu (中山路) – Chiayi’s main shopping street!

Chiayi Attractions Taiwan!

On day 4 of our trip, we actually started the day early at Duke Hotel. 4am early. Yes, it was the world cup and we caught match between Germany and Algeria. Germany managed to pull through in extra time and won the game 2-1!

2bearbear watching Germany vs Algeria World Cup 2014! 4am in the morning!

Back to Chiayi Attractions… 😛

After collecting our breakfast at McDonald’s we took the bus from Chiayi Terminal to Chiayi University for 18NT. If you’re unsure, the friendly aunty at the ticketing counter will be able to advise you. The bus ride took about 20 minutes. Lan Tan aka 蘭潭水庫 is actually located very near Chiayi University. You’d probably see couples from the University, hanging out by the Lan Tan Lake or just enjoying views of the mountain ranges in the distance.

Now, the important information…HOW TO GET TO LAN TAN LAKE?

Lan Tan Chiayi / 蘭潭水庫

After arriving at Chiayi University, you’d realise that you may have entered into the University and may be erm…a little lost. Fret not! We have been lost in Chiayi University as well and here are the simplified steps for you to reach Lan Tan!

Step 1 : Head towards the entrance of Chiayi University, where you will see the office of the security guards.
Step 2 : On the right of the security guard house, you’ll see a car park with lots of motorcycles, head towards it and turn right towards a flight of stairs.
Step 3 : You’d probably be pestered by mosquitoes (bring a repellant) and small crawling lizards by now. IGNORE THEM! Continue up this flight of stairs and you’d end up at the University’s dormitories. Ironically, this path is known affectionately by the students as Ai Qing De Xiao Lu (爱情的小路 or Love’s Little Path). Kate was “loved” by several mosquitoes here…
Step 4 : Continue walking on the only path and you’d arrive at another security guard house. Walk across the road and keep right and within 2 minutes, you’ll arrive at Lan Tan! Yay! (After all that treacherous climb) OR You’d probably be lost like us and ask the security guards. He’d actually say the exact same thing to you – that’s because we asked! We’re trying to prevent uncles being asked the same question (“Where is Lan Tan?”) over and over again. So be brave. Cross the road and keep right!

Bus from Chiayi Terminal to Lan Tan	Path inside Chiayi University to Lan Tan	Arriving at Fan Yue Square Lan Tan
Rippling Moonlit Talk 月影潭心蘭潭	Map of Lan Tan 蘭潭地图	Sleeping in my arms
2bearbear enjoying views of Lan Tan Lake	Lan Tan San Xin Ting aka 蘭潭三信亭	Lan Tan Mountain Range

After reaching Lan Tan, we took a short stroll around the lake, taking shots at Rippling Moonlit Talk 月影潭心, San Xin Ting 三信亭 and of course the mountain ranges in the distance. We’re actually not sure what those mountain ranges are. But we’re secretly hoping that it’s the Alishan (阿里山) Mountain Range (it is in the correct general direction!).

Views of Mountain Range from Lan Tan

The reason why we did not go to Alishan is because of the duration and probably, the “treacherous” journey. The trip takes about 3 hours from Chiayi, making it 6 hours for a return trip. Plus, mountainous roads are usually windy (thus evoking motion sickness). Last but not least, parts of the roads to Alishan have been blocked off for reconstruction due to landslides in 2010. Most locals we asked said that Lan Tan would be the best alternative in terms of cost and time.

After our visit to Lan Tan, we took the same bus (remember to refer to the bus timetable!) back towards Chiayi. Oh, you can also feed the ducks at the pond next to the bus stop and even send a post card back home as well!

Enroute, we alighted at the Chiayi Park…

Chiayi Park / 嘉義公园

Bus timings from Chiayi to Chiayi University	Ume juice produced and sold by Chiayi University	Feeding ducks and goose before boarding bus at Chiayi University
Chiayi City Municipal Baseball Stadium	View of Baseball Stadium from Sun Shooting Tower	Opening hours of Chiayi Sun-Shooting Tower
Stairs to Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower	Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower 射日塔	History of Sun Shooting Tower Chiayi

The main reason why we stopped at Chiayi Park is because of the Sun Shooting Tower. However, we forgot to check out the opening hours before going. Apparently, it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. But thank the Lord, there was an exhibition (Alessi) going on and it was open on the Tuesday that we visited 🙂

As you approach (and leave) the Sun Shooting Tower, be careful of the sudden LOUD sounds play through the PA system. We were startled TWICE as we entered and left the Chiayi Tower. However, views from the tower was simply amazing and there’s even a nice alfresco chillax area at the top of the tower…

Rice paddy fields seen from Sun Shooting Tower Chiayi	Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower Views of Mountain Range	Enjoying a toast at Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower Cafe
Cute signs leading you up to alfresco area of Chiayi Tower	Top of Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower	62 metres high Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower

Zhong Shan Lu (中山路) Shopping Street

From Chiayi Park, our last itinerary of the day was to head back to Duke Hotel along Zhong Shan Lu – Chiayi’s main shopping street…

Hong Jia Zhuang Beef and Pork Noodles 洪家庄牛猪肉面 Chiayi	Inside Hong Jia Zhuang Beef Pork Noodles Restaurant	Chiayi Hong Jia Zhuang Pork Noodles NT100
En Dian Fang Kuai Shu Chiayi 嘉仪恩典方塊酥	Oyster Mee Sua Chiayi Zhong Shan Lu	Oyster Mee Sua NT40 was not very flavourful

Our first stop was at the Hong Jia Zhuang Beef and Pork Noodles Restaurant. What attracted us was its cute banner and of course the fact that it had pork noodles in addition to beef noodles at the restaurant. Yes, we tried the pork noodles.

It happened that the restaurant got famous because of the cute twins, grandchildren of the owner of the restaurant. The best part was that they happened to be visiting from Taipei (they have since grown up and shifted to Taipei for their education) and the cute twins served us our lunch! The noodles were quite tasty and the pork was very tender. However, we wouldn’t say that it’s superb. Just good. Perhaps, the “twins effect” bumped up the unique factor of the restaurant. They’re still soooo cute at 10 years of age! 😛

Still on Zhong Shan Lu, we stumbled upon 恩典方塊酥 shop. A bakery that specialises in selling square shaped biscuits – hence the name. We bought a couple because even the prime minister of Taiwan visits this place. When we finally got to try it back in our room, we understood why. The texture was flaky and crumbly both at the same time (how is that even possible?!). Taste was the usual buttery taste but not too sweet. Definitely a great gift to bring back home.

As for the oyster mee sua? We’re featuring it so that you wouldn’t make the same mistake of visiting it. The flavour was bland and the intestines still had the funny smell that remains if you don’t wash it clean. Bottom line, give this joint a miss.

嘉义喷水鸡肉饭 Chiayi Spurting Turkey Rice	嘉义喷水鸡肉饭 Chiayi Spurting Turkey Rice (2 portions) Garlic Squid and Beer for NT200	Inside Chiayi Famous Spurting Turkey Rice
Dinner of Pork Rib Noodles NT50 Braised Pork Rice NT40 and Papaya Juice NT40	Watching Transformers 4 in VIP room for NT330 which includes popcorn or drink	VIP cinema Chiayi

Located at 中山路325号 (325 Zhong Shan Lu), the famous 嘉义喷水鸡肉饭 Chiayi Spurting Turkey Rice is a must try for foodies visiting Chiayi. We’ve tried 3 different versions of the turkey rice in Chiayi and the spurting chicken rice comes up top! This is because of the flavourful fried shallots and bits of turkey skin that are prepared so well that it had a gelatinous crunch along with the firm turkey meats. Wash down with Taiwan Beer? Yum! The garlic squid on the other hand managed only an “ok” rating from us. Somehow, it lacked the fresh crunch that a good plate of garlic squid should have.

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Rounding off the evening, we decided to pamper ourselves to VIP screening of Transformers 4 : Age of Extinction. And yes, it was in English. The seats were actual sofa seats and even comes with “Transformers” cushions. Each VIP ticket (at the cost of 330NT about $13 SGD) comes with a choice of soft drink or popcorn. Since there were the 2 of us, we decided to go with 1 popcorn and 1 coke.

All in all, it was a fantastic day out, visiting all the attractions in Chiayi! We hope that our day 3 post on things to do in Chiayi and day 4 post of Chiayi attractions can be a good resource for you when you visit Chiayi Taiwan in the future!

Stay tuned for day 5 of our Taiwan trip, next!

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Updated on May 3, 2020August 15, 2014Asia Chiayi Chiayi Singapore Travel Blog Taiwan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Chiayi Things to do in Asia Things to do in Chiayi Things to do in Taiwan Travel

Things to do in Chiayi Taiwan Trip Day 3

Chiayi was our next destination on day 3 of our Taiwan trip. After our breakfast at 鹿早茶屋, we headed to Chiayi to check out the many things to do in and attractions in Chiayi Taiwan!

Things to do and attractions in Chiayi

The train ride from Tainan to Chiayi takes about an hour and costs NT107 per ticket. After arriving at Chiayi train station, we checked in with Duke Hotel before venturing out in search of the yummy foods in Chiayi!

Tainan Train Station	Platform 1 towards Chiayi	Tickets to Chiayi NT107
2bearbear enjoying scenery from Tainan to Chiayi	Arriving at Chiayi Train Station	Facade of Chiayi Train Station
Entrance to Duke Hotel Chiayi	Lobby of Duke Hotel Chiayi	Bed in Duke Hotel Chiayi

We also found out at the reception that breakfast was at the McDonald’s downstairs! All you have to do is just bring the coupons down and let the cashier know which burger and beverage you’d like. BUT on the 2nd day, Kate actually lost our McDonald’s coupon! But that’s another story to tell… -_-”

Chiayi Turkey Rice

Chiayi is famous for its Turkey Rice aka 火鶏肉飯. Right round the corner from Duke Hotel, there are 2 traditional Turkey Rice stalls claiming to be around for about 50 years. We popped right in and ordered a portion for 30NT. We also had the braised pork belly rice and fish belly soup for NT60 each. After tucking in, we soon discovered that the secret to a good bowl of Turkey Rice lies in the fried shallots! The fish belly soup on the other hand was really fresh and tender! The fish together with the lining of the belly, literally melted in my mouth on each bite! The only thing that I had to be careful was the small bones that appeared from time to time. Chew slowly!

Famous Chiayi Turkey Rice Stalls	Chiayi Turkey Rice with Taiwan Beer	Pork Belly Rice
Fish Belly Soup Chiayi	Wen Hua Night Market 文化路观光夜市	Long Queue for this Braised Stall at Wen Hua Night Market
Braised beancurd, beancurd skin and liver with chili NT50	Peanut Beancurd Stall at Wenhua Night Market NT30	Eel Noodle Chiayi

Wen Hua Night Market Chiayi

After lunch, we went back to our hotel for a short rest before walking to Wen Hua Night Market aka 文化路观光夜市. The night market is simply a long stretch of road with food stalls on the sides. Not many stalls to choose from though. This was probably one of the least interesting night markets during this trip.

We tried the braised items stall with choice of braised beancurd, beancurd skin and liver. We actually wanted to heat up the items but the aunty managed to convince us that it tasted nicer cold – SO NOT TRUE! Nonetheless, it was still quite palatable with the chili and preserved vegetables mixed in. But you should really ask for the heated version!

For desserts, we tried the peanut beancurd. This version was quite tasty, not too sweet and had the peanuty goodness (and flavours) that went quite well with the beancurd. Again, this is a traditional beancurd stall, so expect firmness and not the silky smooth textures of beancurds found in Singapore.

To round up the evening, we recalled seeing eel noodles as a specialty of Chiayi on the in-flight magazine of EVA air. We happened to chance upon a stall enroute from our hotel to Wen Hua Night Market and decided to give it a try (though our first choice was actually 肉羹 which was closed when we wanted to order!). This version was actually quite tasteless and oily. BUT! Nothing a little vinegar and chili powder cant salvage! After adding (incessant amounts of) vinegar and chili powder, the noodle was more palatable and together, we actually slurped up the whole plate of noodles!

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Though it was a disappointing first day at Chiayi (except the Turkey Rice), there are many other things to do in Chiayi Taiwan and in fact, our next day in Chiayi turned out to be much better! Stay tuned to find out more!

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Updated on August 22, 2020August 8, 2014Asia Tainan Tainan Taiwan Things to do Things to do and Attractions in Tainan Things to do in Asia Things to do in Tainan Things to do in Taiwan Travel

Things to do in Tainan (That You Cant Miss!) Taiwan Trip Day 2!

There are so many things to do in Tainan and day 2 of our Taiwan trip was when we really started to explore Tainan altogether. Early on in the morning, we decided to set off from 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan to Anping Old Fort by foot. The entire journey took approximately 2 hours but we had several stops along the way, most of them at 7-11 (affectionately known by locals as “seven”)…

Things to do in Tainan Taiwan

Enroute to Anping Old Fort

From 1967 Hotel Tainan to Anping Old Fort, we passed by several attractions in Tainan, including the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Confucius Temple,

National Museum of Taiwan Literature Tainan	Inside the compound of the Confucius Temple	Dacheng Men or Gate of Great Achievements
Confusius Temple Tainan	Danan Men aka South Gate Tainan	Taking a break at “Seven”
Tainan High Court	The Indigenous Culture Chamber Tainan	Map of Anping District Tainan

Although the walk in Tainan was wonderful (mostly because I was walking with my lover – Kate) but IT WAS HOT!!! We had to stop at several 7-11 along the way to cool down (mostly by enjoying the free air conditioning) and replenish our water lost due to the intense heat. It was about 33 degrees Celsius so if you’re taking the same walk in the June period, remember to pack a bottle of water and probably an umbrella to block off the sun’s rays.

About 2 hours later (and it was still before 10am!), we arrived at Anping District!

Anping Old District and Anping Fort

After crossing Tainan River (台南运河)，we finally entered Anping District! The Anping District is one of the old towns in Tainan and is one of the tourist attractions in Tainan. It can get pretty crowded, especially during the weekends where the stalls are open (with games and food, even during the day) and of course, many flock to visit the Anping Old Fort. Nearby, you can also stay at the Anping Old House for a local feel of the area. Entrance to the Anping Old Fort costs only NT50 ($2 SGD) and you will be able to ascend the Anping Watch tower and visit exhibitions to understand the history of the fort as well as that of Taiwan…

Crossing the Bridge to Anping Old Fort 安平古堡	View of the 安平运河 Anping River	Ticketing at Anping Old Fort NT50
Remains of Anping Fort Wall	Zheng Cheng Gong who attacked the Dutch and ruled for a short period	Anping Old Fort 安平古堡
Canons at Anping Fort	View over Anping from Watch Tower	Inside Fort Zeelandia Exhibition

Rui Zhen Restaurant （瑞珍虾仁馄饨）and Anping Tree House

Right next to the Anping Old Fort lies a restaurant by the name of Rui Zhen (aka 瑞珍虾仁馄饨). One could possibly pass by it if not for the persistent calling by the restaurant’s owner. Having seen several features of the restaurant (with local Taiwanese celebrities and even one with Singapore’s 早安您好）， we decided to give it a try and we were glad that we did!

During this visit, we ordered several of the restaurant’s specialties including the oyster mee sua, coffin bread (棺材板）as well as the shrimp dumplings, all at a reasonable price of NT60. The mee sua had many fresh, huge oysters and the garlicky but fresh taste of the soup made it an irresistible dish. The coffin bread was crispy at the toasted edges while the shrimp dumplings had a crisp bite on the outside and a sweet crunch of the prawn on the inside. Yum!

After the scrumptious lunch, we headed towards the Anping Tree House for a visit. Though we did not enter, we were able to catch a glimpse of the tree house as we headed towards 海头…

Inside Rui Zhen Restaurant 瑞珍虾仁馄饨	Specialties recommended by Taiwan Tourism Board at Rui Zhen	Menu of Rui Zhen Restaurant Anping District
瑞珍虾仁馄饨 Shrimp Dumpling, Coffin Bread and Oyster Mee Sua	Outside Rui Zhen Restaurant Anping	Aunty making Fried Oysters Taiwanese Style
Introduction to Anping Tree House	海头 at Anping	View of Anping Tree House

Si Cao Green Tunnel ? Anping Tong Ji Beancurd

Kate who planned the entire Taiwan trip, remembered that the Si Cao Green Tunnel was in the vicinity of Anping District. After cooling down at Seven, we headed to the bus stop next to it to see if any bus went there. Unfortunately, we did not know that there were actually tourist buses that ply between Si Cao Green Tunnel and Anping District, all the way back to Tainan Train Station. As a result, we took a cab. Though it was not THAT expensive, the 5 minutes taxi ride from Anping to Si Cao costs NT165 (about $6 SGD on meter). Fortunately for us, we caught the bus 99 on the way back for only NT18 per person. There are 2 public tourist buses that ply the vicinity – Buses 88 and 99. Do check out these bus routes for easy access to the tourist attractions of Tainan. But do take note of the bus timings as well. Sometimes, if you miss a bus, you might have to wait for about an hour!

As we did not get to eat the famous Anping Tong Ji Beancurd in Anping itself, we were glad that we were able to try it at its other stall near our hotel back in Tainan city. We tried the traditional beancurd (NT30) and the shaved ice series (NT55) and were quite satisfied with these choices. You can choose 1 “topping” for the beancured (we chose lemon) and 2 “toppings” for the shaved ice (we chose red bean and strawberry sauce). Special mention must go to the beancurd with lemon which was surprisingly nice and refreshing! But do not expect soft silky textures like those in Singapore, this version has the traditional textures with a firm texture to taste!

Si Cao Green Tunnel Cruise for NT150	Si Cao Green Corridor Ticketing Booths	What you can expect to see at the Green Tunnel
四草綠色隧道	Bus 99 plying Anping and Si Cao Green Tunnel	Tong Ji An Ping Beancurd 同記安平豆花
Menu of Tong Ji An Ping Beancurd	Traditional Beancurd with Shaved Ice	Inside 同記安平豆花

Hua Yuan Night Market aka 花園夜市 Tainan

Huayuan Night Market (aka 花園夜市）was the first night of many night markets that we would be visiting during this Taiwan trip and it is also one of the must do things in Tainan. At a typical night market, you’d get to shop, eat and play games. Huayuan night market covers all of this PLUS the fact that you can get a HUGE PORTION OF SWEET MANGOES FOR ONLY NT50!

Remember to take 0左 (Zero Left – this bus loops so if you take Zero Right you’d probably still reach Huayuan Night Market but maybe 2 hours later?) from Tainan bus terminal (next to the Tainan Train Station) for NT18. The trip is about 8 stops and most people (after 5pm) would stop here. Do note that the special stop for Huayuan Night Market is only activated after 5pm, so do check in with the bus driver for specific directions.

And here’s a quick snap shot of what we did at Hua Yuan Night Market!

Taking 0左 to Huayuan Night Market	花園夜市 Hua Yuan Night Market	Popular Papaya Milk Shake at Huayuan Night Market
Wildly Popular Braised Stall at Huayuan Night Market	Turkish Sandwich	Fried Oyster for NT50
Fried Oyster Stall Hua Yuan Night Market	Smelly Fried Beancurd Stall at Huayuan Night Market	臭豆腐花園夜市
Game Stalls Hua Yuan Night Market	Shopping Options at Hua Yuan Night Market	Taking 0右 back from Hua Yuan Night Market

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On the way back from Hua Yuan Night Market, we actually waited for 1 hour before the bus came! We must have just missed the bus as we headed towards the bus stop. Hence, it is important to be about 5 to 10 minutes earlier than the stipulated time in order not to wait such a long time for the bus back!

All in all, we had a fantastic day out in Tainan and there are still more fantastic things to do in Tainan Taiwan. Do tell us more in the comments section below about the fun and interesting things that you’ve done in Tainan as well!

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