Taichung Port's Wuchi Fish
Market is an important coastal
tourism site for Greater
Taichung.

Dakeng's hiking trails always
attract crowds on the
weekends.

The Xinshe sea of flowers
draws tens of thousands of
visitors every year.

Dajia Jenn Lann Temple's
religious ceremonies are now
famous around the world.

Dong Fong Bikeway is built on
old hillside trails and retains a
deep sense of history.

Gaomei Wetland's natural
diversity makes it not just a
charming attraction, but also
an ecological treasure chest.

Naturally Resourceful Tourism

Text and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Naomi Lai

The newly-consolidated Taichung City will be 13 times larger than the city currently is, with an area encompassing various scenic areas rich in natural resources and beautiful sites. This diversity offers wonderful prospects for tourism-related developments in the near future.

Consolidating tourism resources following the city/county merger means combining Taichung City's urban culture with Taichung County's natural beauty. Thus, prior to this merger, the Taichung City Government has designated key themes, including "Mountain", "Sea", "Flower" and "Urban", to help structure Greater Taichung tourism development. Such developments will include, for example, coastal tourism areas or international shopping centers, utilizing different resources from the city and county.

Harbor recreation with coastal tourism
Taichung County features a variety of various tourism sites. Seafood-loving tourists can visit the Wuchi Fish Market at Taichung Port and enjoy freshly-caught seafood together with some seaside recreational fun. The fish market is divided into several areas, including a fresh fish area, dining area and supermarket. After eating their fill at the dining area, visitors can pick up extra-fresh just-caught delicacies at the fresh fish area to take home. The Taichung Port Recreational Area near the fish market also has various facilities, including physical exercise equipment and beach volleyball, plus a plaza for flying kites and venues for resting and enjoying views of the ocean, perfect for family weekend outings. If time by the sea is your thing, the harbor also offers boat rides to those who want to enjoy the waves up close.

Wetland ecology and coastal scenery
Heading north along the western coast, you can observe beautiful sunsets over Qingshui's Gaomei Wetlands. The 701.3-hectare Gaomei Wildlife Protection Area was officially established in 2004 and is home to various wild birds and crabs. The wetlands change every season, with large flocks of migrating birds passing through or settling in during the fall. It also contains a rich variety of natural resources including Fiddler Crabs and Mudskippers, making it an important location for ecological education.

Da-an township is the northwestern most jurisdiction in Taichung County, hugging the Taiwan Strait with a eight-kilometer coastline of soft sand. Unfortunately, the waterpark here is currently closed for maintenance, although the various ecological parks near Da-an's coastline provide wonderful, educational tours for families. These include Da-an Recreational Farm, Little Egret Protection Area, and Hygrophila Pogonocalyx Hayata (a type of plant specific to this area) Ecological Park. Other parks nearby include the Turtle Shell Ecological Park and Mangrove Path, where tourists can admire beautiful sunsets along the western coast.

A healthy hike and spa
Greater Taichung's mountainous areas are just as appealing as coastal ones. People have labeled the Dakeng Scenic Area "Taichung City's backyard garden" and it is the most popular weekend hiking area for local residents, some who even visit daily. There are a total of 10 hiking trails, differentiated by level of difficulty. Hiking trails 6, 7 and 8, starting from the Sun Hot Springs & Resort, are the easiest and most suitable for family hiking trips; trails 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have more beautiful scenery and provide good views of the city in sections but are more difficult, making them more suitable for athletic climbers; while the new trails 9 and 10 start from the Dakeng Earthquake Park. Trail 10 has many steps to climb and is recommended to more energetic climbers. Following the 921 Earthquake, many hot springs rich in sodium bicarbonate opened up in the Dakeng area, providing walkers with a nearby location to relax in a spa after a hard day of hiking.

The Guguan area of Heping township is also known for its hot springs. Heping is situated at an altitude of 1,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level, with an average annual temperature of 18 degrees celsius comfortable for hot springs. Here you can find a hot springs hotel every couple of meters and the spring water is mild and smooth on the skin with a slight sulfuric aroma. It is said that sitting in the hot springs here will relax your joints and relieve your neural pains. Add a nice cup of coffee to a relaxing soak and you'll truly find release in a beautiful setting of mountains and clouds.

Bicycling amongst farmland in a sea of flowers
Xinshe and Houli townships are both known for their agriculture and flowers. Xinshe is also a major mushroom production area. According to local farmers, the mushrooms grow especially well here because of the water from Bai-leng Irrigation Canal. Tourists will find mushroom farms and vendors everywhere when they get to Xinshe, where the beautiful scenery attracts many visitors from near and far, benefitting not only the mushroom farmers but also the owners of the many area restaurants and hotels like Lavender Cottage, Chien-hua Garden and Secret Valley. These businesses have successfully capitalized on urban visitors' desires to be closer to nature, opening up many business opportunities.

Riding a bicycle and admiring the flowers is one happy outing in Houli township. It is an approximately 12 kilometer ride along the Houli Bicycling Trail and Tong Fong Bikeway. A bicycling trip not only exercises the muscles, but also bonds families and friends, making it one of the best weekend recreation choices. Residents of Houli are proud of their flowers, and ensure there are flowers blossoming all year round. The various varieties include lilies, the "Flamingo Flower", and gladiolus. The flower production here is second in the nation.

Houli Township is a typical farming community that is also internationally famed for being the home of saxophones. For over 60 years, Houli stood as the key saxophone production town for Taiwan and the world. Since 2006, the Taichung County Government has been hosting the "Musical Instrument Festival", an annual feast for music lovers. This cultural event became successful in establishing cultural tourism and marketing Houli's tourism industry.

A charming township on sacred land
Another very important tourism event is the International Taichung Dajia Mazu Tourism and Cultural Festival, considered a major international religious event. This occurs every third month of the lunar calendar, when the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple hosts the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, attracting tens of thousands of worshipers from around Taiwan and the world. In recent years, martial arts and other cultural performances have been added, enriching the festival and helping to attract even more tourists.

With the merger of the Taichung city and county, more creative tourist-development themes are certain to be formulated, as the consolidated government works to transform Greater Taichung into a "charming city of creative international events". The ultimate goal is to attract more international tourists and further promote Greater Taichung on a global scale.

Left: Hot springs are a popular and healthy national pasttime.
Right: The Feng Chia Night Market shopping district is always packed with shoppers.