Taichung Park and Old Houses: A Lake Pavilion, an Old Winery and the First Bubble Tea — A Two-Day Stamp Route in Taichung
Taichung · 10 places The lake pavilion in Taichung Park, an old winery, the prison's martial arts hall, and bubble tea where it is said to have begun.
Can a cup of bubble tea taste like a city?
In Taichung, perhaps it can. For many people, Chun Shui Tang, which opened on Siwei Street in 1983, is where bubble tea began. And the streets around it still hold a lake pavilion, an old winery, a Japanese martial arts hall and police dormitories, each one a piece of old Taichung.
This route starts at Taichung Park. Ten places and ten stamps let you take two slow days in old Taichung.
The route at a glance
| Place | Category | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Taichung Park | Park & garden | North |
| Chun Shui Tang Original Store | Café | West |
| Cultural Heritage Park, Ministry of Culture | Heritage site | South |
| Taichung Prison Martial Arts Hall | Heritage site | West |
| Taichung Literature Museum | Museum | West |
| Taichung Chung Shan Hall | Venue | North |
| Jianguo Public Retail Market | Market | East |
| Zhonghua Road Night Market | Night market | Central |
| Taichung Confucius Temple | Place of worship | North |
| Paochueh Temple | Place of worship | North |
The places fall into two areas, north and southwest of Taichung Station. Spend the first day on the old houses of the West District and Chun Shui Tang, and the second day heading north for the park, the Confucius Temple and Paochueh Temple.
Taichung Park: the pavilion on the lake
Taichung Park is more than a century old. The pavilion in the middle of the lake was built in 1908 for the ceremony marking the completion of the north–south railway, and it's the view of Taichung you'll find on the most postcards.
Walk around the lake and find an angle that catches the pavilion and its reflection together.
Chun Shui Tang Original Store: the first bubble tea
Chun Shui Tang opened its first store on Siwei Street in 1983. There's more than one story of where bubble tea began, but coming here is about sitting down and tasting the start of this one.
Order a bubble tea and a snack. This is the best place on the route to sit down and rest.
Cultural Heritage Park, Ministry of Culture: exhibitions and markets in an old winery
The Cultural Heritage Park was built from the Japanese-era Taichung Winery. The tall old factory halls, chimney and pipework are all still there. Today it hosts exhibitions and markets, and there are cafés too.
Come on a weekend and you'll often find a market. Wander between the factory halls and pick up a stamp along the way.
Taichung Prison Martial Arts Hall: a Japanese dojo for prison officers
Built in 1937, the martial arts hall is where the prison's officers once trained. The restored wooden dojo is now the entrance hall of the National Comics Museum park.
Step inside to see the timber beams and roof structure, then wander the grounds outside.
Taichung Literature Museum: police dormitories under an old banyan
The Taichung Literature Museum was made from a group of Japanese-era police dormitories. Several old Japanese-style houses surround a courtyard, with exhibits on Taichung's writers and literature.
The old banyan in the courtyard is even more striking than the houses beside it. Sitting under it is the quietest moment of the route.
Taichung Chung Shan Hall: catch a show
Chung Shan Hall is one of Taichung's long-established performance halls. Many plays, concerts and school graduation ceremonies are held here.
Check the program before you go. If there's something you'd like to see, put this stop in the evening.
Jianguo Public Retail Market: more than 700 stalls
Jianguo Market is Taichung's biggest traditional market. It moved into a new building in 2016, which holds more than 700 stalls, with vegetables, fruit, meat and cooked food laid out section by section.
The market is busiest first thing in the morning. Come early and buy breakfast alongside the locals.
Zhonghua Road Night Market: the latest-closing old night market
Zhonghua Road Night Market is an old night market in central Taichung. Its soup and snack stalls stay open late into the night, making it one of the last night markets in the city to close.
When you're hungry late at night, come here for a bowl of hot soup.
Taichung Confucius Temple: a quiet courtyard before the main hall
The Taichung Confucius Temple is modeled on Song dynasty palace architecture, with red walls and yellow tiles, and a wide courtyard in front of the Dacheng Hall.
On weekdays it's not crowded. Take a slow walk around the courtyard and quietly collect a stamp.
Paochueh Temple: the golden Maitreya Buddha
Paochueh Temple was founded in 1927. In its courtyard sits a golden Maitreya Buddha about 30 meters tall, smiling broadly, visible from far away.
Walk into the grounds, look up at the Buddha and finish the route with your tenth stamp.
Two-day plan
Day 1: old houses of the West District
- Visit the Cultural Heritage Park in the morning
- Have a bubble tea at Chun Shui Tang's original store at lunchtime
- See the Prison Martial Arts Hall and the Taichung Literature Museum in the afternoon
- Have a late-night snack at Zhonghua Road Night Market
Day 2: the North and East districts
- Have breakfast at Jianguo Market
- Walk around Taichung Park in the morning
- Walk to the Confucius Temple and Paochueh Temple in the afternoon
- Catch a show at Chung Shan Hall in the evening
Before you go
- Opening hours, closing days and ticket prices can change, so check each place's official website before you set off.
- Everything is in central Taichung and easy to reach by bus, YouBike or on foot.
- Chung Shan Hall needs tickets in advance, so check that day's program before you go. Jianguo Market is busiest early in the morning, and many stalls close after midday.
Collecting this route with ExploreStamp
Open ExploreStamp, find "Taichung Park, Old Houses and the First Bubble Tea" among the themed routes and tap "Check in" at each place you reach. The app confirms you're within range, adds the place's stamp to your stamp book and records the date of your first visit. Collect all ten, and a lake pavilion, a few old houses and a cup of bubble tea will all live in your stamp book.
See the other routes under Explore.
Cover photo: Nicolas Ryan / Unsplash