Green spaces in Taichung

Although Taichung can seem sprawling and industrial at times, I have been impressed with the number of serene and green spaces that are interspersed throughout the city.

If you are craving a quiet stroll during your stay, there are two options very close to T-Life (in addition to the cemetery walk described in a previous blog).

Tunghai University campus

The walk to the Luce Chapel will take you through shady wooded paths, across wide campus lawns and plazas, and down a tree-lined promenade. We tended to take this stroll near dusk, and even though plenty of families, couples, and huddles of students had the same idea, it still felt quiet.

Fake cows

Real cows

Kite flying on the grounds of the Luce Chapel on a breezy, balmy afternoon.

Get some ice cream from the dairy bar!

Deer hiding out from the hot sun

Some of the trees were strung with white lights for a private outdoor dinner that looked very lovely.

Seeing the university library cafe gave me a bit of nostalgia for late-night studying.

The Tunghai Dairy also sells delicious products made from their own cow milk. Stop in for fresh milk, yogurt, string cheese, or yummy frozen treats. On a hot Sunday, it gets particularly busy.

The nicest way to access the campus is to make a right when you come out of the parking lot of T-Life and walk to the end of the lane, where you come back out on Xingxing Road right near a usually busy intersection. Bear right, which is a slight downhill, and you’ll see a big store on your left that sells fruit shakes. Right beside that is a short alley with a gate at the end. Go through the gate and turn right, and you’ll be on your way. You can’t really get lost, all roads eventually circle around and there are many signs.

The Calligraphy Greenway

This lovely, undulating stretch of green space in the middle of downtown connects the grounds of the Taichung Botanical Garden, the National Science Museum, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and in addition to its winding paths, has its own art installations.

Calligraphic sculptures on the Greenway.

We were happy to find this photography exhibit on the Greenway with beautiful photos of what we think was Tibet.

A temple across from the science museum.

Discovered dinosaurs along the path behind the science musuem.

Butterfly sculpture outside the botanical garden building.

The easiest way to get to the Greenway is to walk to the Dong Hai Bie Shue bus station on Taiwan Boulevard and get on any of the 300 – 308 buses. Get off at the Science Museum stop (about 10 stops / 20 minutes). The Greenway will be just ahead of you and to the right when you exit the bus, while the Science Museum and Botanical Gardens will be off to your left (at the end of a tree-lined walkway tiled with various plant and animal shapes).

The Greenway is also where you’ll find planned musical events (like the Taichung Jazz Festival) as well as buskers. Check the events calendar at sites like Taiwan Fun to see what might be on, because we were lucky to be around during the Compass International Food & Music Festival, which means we got to dance to reggae in Taiwan — a truly multicultural experience!