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COMPASS MAGAZINE, June 2001. VOL. 8 ISSUE 6

Lakeside features several excellent jewelry shops, such as Treasury of Joseph Fine Jewelry Company whose owner, Tang Yu-lung, is a graduate of American and British
gemmological associations and offers English-speaking service. Keng Fang, or 'farm shop', store next door is another neat exotic-looking establishment selling green Southeast Asian pottery, Japanese pillows, tea leaves and other products.

Just before heading out the far side of Lakeside is the Teresa Jewelry Store, a classy place that designs and makes its own high-end products, including diamond rings and jade jewelry. Once back on Wenhsin South 5th Road, turn left and, just before the OK store is an attractive store that is Taiwan's only seller of Hawaii-made Island Sandals, comfortable, classy tropical footwear, in addition to leather Coco brand sandals.

Heading down the opposite side of Lakeside from Chun Shiu Tang, one first comes to the nicely-decorated Yao Sheng Kao Ceramic Art Workshop, where recognized potter Hung Chi-hsuan, his wife Huang Hsiu-mei and family produce and sell excellent green-glaze pottery of all sorts, from tea pots to gourds. There is also fashionable-looking, hand-made cotton Chinese-style blouses, dresses and other items for sale.

Easily one of the most dominant hang-outs on the street is the Canadian Second Cup cafe outlet (open 11 am-10 pm) , a funky-looking, colorful and comfortable place run by Richard Chen. The outstanding hot and iced coffees range from the White Mocca to the Creme Brulee and Caramel Coretto and are complemented by Haagen Daz ice cream, bagels and various reasonably-priced pasta and rice meals.

Along the same side of the street is a classy little Japanese restaurant, Chi Shih Yeh Mei (11 am-2 pm, 5:30-8 pm) and another place, Hong Kong Noodle Restaurant, selling Hong Kong-style rice and noodle dishes. Another one of Lakeside's unique combinations is the Jewelry & Coffee shop, which features a cozy, modern-looking cafe--serving coffees, cocktails, desserts, and meals--plus a workshop where Canadian-trained jewelry designer Lauren Yuan makes interesting gold, white gold and silver necklaces, rings and earrings to order.

	One of the most fun places on the entire street is a shop run by street chairman Chang that young and old will get a kick out of. Treasure Island Old-Style Grocery Store is built to resemble an old Taiwanese neighborhood shop from decades ago, right down to the wooden facade and telephone poles, old ice cream freezer, jars of candies and wares recognizable to anyone who
grew up here. These include 'tung tung le' game, where one pays to punch open a paper-covered compartment containing a toy, or peel back a small paper square to reveal what kind of candy one gets.

Nearby, near the end of the street is Mr. Chang's more upscale Yen Tsai Stone Art Store, selling upscale Chinese-style decorative and artistic items. At the very end is the Li Pa Chia hair salon (open 11 am-8 pm).

This run-down on Lakeside is by no means comprehensive but illustrates the sheer diversity of interesting, enjoyable places to visit on the street. As many visitors have already discovered, the best approach is to come down and explore for oneself, which almost inevitably leads to further visits.

Weekend days and nights are easily the most popular times here, as people flock to the area not just for Lakeside but also for a stroll around the very pleasant Feng Le Park, which takes up a full city block and is full of nice trails, vast expanses of grass and--as its name indicates--tens of millions of NT dollars in artistic sculpture creations. This winning combination is helping to ensure that Lakeside shopping street and its neighbor park become yet another indispensable Taichung experience.

Click on the map above for a larger version
with details of Lakeside's layout.

(DETAILS: The best way to reach Lakeside and Feng Le Park is to take Wenhsin Road south. After crossing Wuchuan West Road, continue south on Wenhsin South Road--crossing Nantun, Wenhsin South 2nd, Yungchun and Wenhsin South 3rd roads--before turning right at the fifth traffic light at Wenhsin South 5th Road. Go to the next traffic light and you'll see the OK convenience store and park on the left. Turn left there onto Hsiang Hsin South Road and go about 100 meters and you'll see the free public parking lot. Most Lakside establishments open around 11 am to noon and continue to about 10 pm daily except Mondays, when most are closed.)