Welcome to My Lovely Hometown Taichung Part 2: Slow Life in Central Taiwan

Image Source: National Taichung Theatre official photo website

By Kimi Sun, DET Marketing

Welcome back to part 2 of my tour of the 2nd largest city in Taiwan, Taichung. Today I’ll take you to see some of the most iconic spots in my hometown. I’ll explain why you should visit these places and how you can best enjoy your time there.

National Taichung Theater (臺中國家歌劇院)

Image Source: National Taichung Theatre official photo website

National Taichung Theater is a very popular place to visit ever since it opened in 2016. This is not only because it’s a new hub for performing arts in Taiwan, but it also boasts a modern and sophisticated architecture. It’s now a well-known Taichung landmark.

The theatre was designed by the famous Japanese architect Toyo Ito who is well known for creating conceptual architecture. When you enter the lobby, you can feel the flow of air, sound and light coming right at you. There are shops on the main floor where you will find all kinds of unique handmade products. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t really an arts person, this place will inspire your inner artistic soul and you’ll definitely enjoy what you see and feel here.

Image Source: National Taichung Theatre official photo website

The building’s architecture itself is beautiful from inside to out and every corner of the place has its own uniqueness. Outside the building, there are gentle water flow and bottle shape design elements. Inside the building, the undulating curved walls unfold into sonorous paces both large and small.

You can rent an audio service and get a map to walk around – multilingual audio tours are available. There’s a grand theatre, outdoor theatre, black box and sky garden in the complex. In addition, there are stylish cafés and restaurants where you can relax and savor your artistic moment. I highly recommend the National Taichung Theatre as a must-visit spot.

Park Lane by CMP (勤美誠品綠園道)

Image Source: Taichung travel

This is the place where I visit and hang out with friends the most. Around the area, there are a shopping mall, park, green area and weekend markets. I often go there just to walk around and get some exercise in the city. We check out the weekend market and enjoy the street performances in the open-air green spaces.

It’s a very relaxing place and convenient place when you don’t have any set plans for how to spend your day. We can just go there and browse the weekend market to check out the latest snacks, streetwear or entertainment. I also love playing with dogs every weekend at the park dog adoption booth.

Image Source: Taichung travel

If you enjoy watching street performances, you can come in the afternoon when there are street singers, magicians and dancers performing for tips. One thing I like the most about this commercial area is everything is within walking distance and there is a shopping mall nearby where you can easily sneak in to enjoy the air-con when it gets too hot or if it starts to rain. If you are looking for bubble tea, there are two Chun Sui Tang (春水堂人文茶館) shops near this area that we went to in part 1 of our tour.

Fantasy Story - Green Ray (綠光計畫范特喜文創聚落)

Image Source: Taichung travel

Not far from Park Lane is Fantasy Story Green Ray which is a renovation plan implemented in the former dormitories of the city water corporation. The old row of houses are renovated into stylish boutique stores and studios with local characteristics that promote the works of Taiwanese artists.

Fantasy Story Green Ray was launched to spark urban transformation based on the development company's main themes— Green Awakening, Memory Extension, Passion for Creation and the Multiplication of Dreams. The revived village now features art, culture & humanity and creativity.

Local artists are the most valuable assets in this area as they strive to promote their original work in this unique space amid the urban setting. The convenient location makes it a hotspot for young people looking for new expressions of Taichung culture.

Image Source: NTT

I hope you enjoyed our 2-part tour of the tastes and sights of my hometown and welcome you to come again anytime to enjoy a relaxing slow life in my lovely Taichung.

Useful Links

National Taichung Theater:

https://www.npac-ntt.org/en

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/cZ696JtrkVLndh8g8

Park Lane by CMP: https://parklane.com.tw/

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/hKjEcPxNadNC3APZ7

Fantasy Story - Green Ray: https://www.taichung.travel/en-us/Attractions/Intro/1252/Fantasystory-Green-Ray

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/mMFApAeihBq2ZiAs9

About the Author (Editorial Team)

Kimi Sun

I’ve relocated to Thailand, the land of smile and super spicy food, from Taiwan since 2018 to join DET Marketing team. Prior to joining DET, I was with IABG team in Delta Taiwan. My years in Delta have taught me the values of hard work and time management. These have helped me tremendously to juggle between work and my first born. If you want to know anything about Delta branding direction and trade events in the SEA+ region, feel free to email me.

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