At the park, you can find individuals and groups of various sizes practicing Taichi or kungfu, playing basketball, or forming a circle for a folk dance.  Others simply walk around the lake repeatedly.

Photo: Henry Westheim © 2001

As the sun rises, more and more people show up to work out at the park, such as a group of women in red uniforms, moving their bodies to music.  Suddenly, Taichung Park is full of many different sounds.  At working time, many people leave.  Other retirees, not in such a hurry, sit on benches, smoking or talking about their family and grandchildren.

On the grass beside the Taiwan Museum of Art, children pull their favorite kites in the sky after school.  In the morning, octogenarians do their morning exercises.  Teenagers ride bikes, roller skate and skate board.

At the newer Feng Le Sculpture Park in Nantun District, there is a large green area which provides more wide-open space for Taichung residents.  At any time, people of different ages can be seeing exercising and relaxing in this beautiful, public setting.

Another favorite outdoor exercise area among Taichung residents is the outdoor gardens surrounding the National Museum of Natural Science.  On any morning there are folk dance classes.  In the evening, groups practice chi kung, families bring their children to play, joggers run along the stone paths and couples stroll hand in hand. 

Besides the parks mentioned above, other favorite places for morning exercising and recreation include Chung Cheng Park, Tunghai University and Taichung Metro Park.  Needless to say, these places are bigger than those mentioned above. 

If you're an early bird, there's no better place to go and relax than one of Taichung's many parks.  No time for morning exercises?  You can go to these parks and take a walk after work or school.  Sometimes, one can come and listen to some impromptu concerts, performed by young and old alike.  Take a look for how Taichung people make their life more colorful in the park.