Taichung's free city bus tours: Enjoy Sunday adventures around town until Nov. 15

Words and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Ann Lee

Taichung City Government is once again promoting its city tour bus program with a total of 42 days (weekends), leaving from designated locations every Sunday, in addition to extra tours over special holidays. This convenient public service continues until November 15, allowing residents and visitors to explore the city and its multifaceted culture on free city bus tours, using three routes: the "Outdoor Adventure Tour", "Culture & History Tour", and "Feast Under the Starry Night Tour".

Enjoyable bus rides for Taichung residents & tourists
Get the full city experience! Ride your way through Taichung! This is the fourth year since the city bus tour program was first introduced to the public. Although this year's program was only launched a few weeks ago, it has already received significant support and usage from locals and out-of-towners alike, as people from all over Taiwan have made good use of this public service to better experience the appealing romance and culture of this town.

One local resident, Mr.Chang, said that taking this "Taichung Discovery" tour bus service had given him a deeper, better understanding of Taichung as a city full of surprises. Taichung City Government has carefully planned out a package tour titled "The Full City Experience: Ride your way through Taichung". With this tour, travelers can explore both Taichung's modern urban and traditional rural sides. this enjoyable trip is particularly appealing in the current economic climate, as it allows users to spend less, and gives them a way to show Taichung free of charge to visiting friends and relatives.

There are three bus routes that offer in-depth city tours. The Culture & History Tour takes riders to places of historic interest, such as the Huanyu historic relics in Taiping, as tour guides act as "living textbooks" and give travelers a comprehensive explanation of Taichung's distinguished, culture-rich history. Second, there's the Feast Under the Starry Night Tour, allowing travelers to enjoy magical, mesmerizing night views of the city in a truly eye-opening experience. Finally, there's the Outdoor Adventure Tour, well-liked by those who have already used this free bus service. On this fun tour, you'll get to go to the mountains, not only to view scenic spots, but also to savor the most popular local delicacies.

Three routes exploring Taichung's mountains, historical monuments and beautiful night views
If you are already thinking about taking advantage of these free bus tours, the following are the three routes and itineraries. Route 1 "The Outdoor Adventure Tour": Starts at square outside Taichung City Hall--Fruit Picking Fun (appreciating pomelo flower blossoms in April, picking bamboo shoots May-September, and picking tangerines in October)--Fun on the Farm (Tomato Garden Tour, Luffa Garden Tour, WenXin Orchid Garden Tour)--Savoring meals at Dakeng's roundabout--Touring ancient trees at Dakeng's roundabout--Wilderness & Nature Tour (Dakeng Earthquake Park, Guangsi Suspension Bridge, Carton King Creativity Park)--Guo Lan Orchid Garden (payment needed for DIY activities)--National Museum of Natural Science, Botanical Garden--Return trip.

Route 2 "Culture & History Tour": Starts at square outside Taichung City Hall--Taichung City Government--Taichung Bureau of Transportation--Taichung Train Station--Stock 20 gallery--Taichung Park--Chinese Banyan tree at LeCheng Temple--HanXi Old Street--Le Cheng Temple--Mayor's Mansion (dining at YiZhong Street)--Mutou Wood Magic Factory--Lin Family Ancestral Shrine--Taiwan Architecture, Design and Art (TADA) Center--Return trip.
Route 3 "Feast Under the Starry Night Tour": Starts at square outside Taichung City Hall--National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Art Museum Parkway--JingMing/DaLong shopping district--Tunghai Chapel--Tunghai shopping district, dining on Art Street--Yi Jian Lamb Farm--Taichung Metropolitan Park horse riding track--Night view at Marriage God Temple--City Lights Corridor--Hui Wen Flower Market--Wenxin Outdoor Amphitheater, LeFree--Return trip.

This year's bus tours all leave from the square outside Taichung City Hall every Sunday at 9 a.m. from now until Sunday, November 15. There will also be buses running on special holidays like Tomb Sweeping Day, Labor Day, Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Moon Festival, Double Ten Day (which are all weekends), and the whole tour is completely free, besides a pre-tour mandatory NT$100 per passenger deposit that is returned after the participant has finished the actual tour.

You can sign up to enjoy thes free bus tours alone or, if you are signing up as a group of four or less, you can call (04) 2380-0592, fax (04) 2380-6253, or visit the Free City Tour Bus event website (http://59.120.88. 195/citytour/) for more information.