Taiwan (Post Covid-19 Overseas Visit No 8 - My 20 days Free & Easy Visit to Taiwan) Day 10 - Taipei / Taichung, Taiwan (March 16 2024)

Taichung Train Station, Taiwan

Taichung Old Station (1917), Taiwan

 

Day 10 March 16 2024 Saturday (Taipei, Taiwan) - after staying & exploring 2 + 3 = 5 nights in Taipei, it is time to move on. My next destination is Taichung. 

1) Shuanglian Morning Market - morning walk (07.30) from Ciaoer APT (Homestay), Tianxiang Road, Taipei to an open air Shuanglian Morning market - bought 2 carrot cake, 4 vegetable bao & soybean drink as breakfast NT$125 (Rm18.75).

2) My solo morning walk along the Mingquan West Road nearby our homestay hotel 

3) Metro train ride from Mingquan West station > Taipei Main Station (transit) > TRA (Taiwan Railways Administration) train to Taichung, my next destination. 

4) TRA train ride from Taipei Main Station > Taichung train station (168km, 3hrs NT$214 = Rm32.10)

Day 10 March 16 2024 (Taichung) - my 1st day in Taichung staying in Chance Hotel for 3 nights.

Taichung, Taiwan - Taiwan's middle city, 2nd largest city in Taiwan with a population of 2.85 million, the city enjoys a mild year round climate with an average temperature of 24c. The famous Sun Moon Lake is in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, approx 78km from Taichung 

1) Arriving in Taichung Train station - 200m walk to Chance Hotel. 

2) Lunch in a Taichung noodle restaurant, Jiguang Street - each savoured a bowl of mushroom meat broth noodle NT$55 (Rm8.25) 

3) Walkabout in Jiguang Commercial Street, Taichung & the surrounding - the street has a noticeable presence of Indonesian eateries & restaurants, salon shops etc  

5) Asean Square - a shopping centre located in the central district of Taichung 

6) Hotel Accommodation (Taichung): our group's 3 nights stay in Chance Hotel, Jianguo Road, Central District, Taichung, room tariff NT$1,240 (Rm186) twin sharing per night 

7) After the hotel check-in, my travel buddy, Thompson & myself visited the Nan Tou Bus Gancheng Station, Shuangshi Road, Central District, Taichung to inquire about bus tickets & timetable for our group's visit to Sun Moon Lake tomorrow morning. 

8) After the Nantou Bus Gancheng station visit, both of us made a visit to Taichung Train Station to top up some money for our EasyCard in order to pay for our bus tickets for our Sun Moon Lake day visit tomorrow. Both of us also took the opportunity to visit the Old Taichung Railway Station (now a historic building) & a food court & weekend bazaar market in both the old & new Taichung Train Station  complex.   

9) Former Taichung Station - built in the 6th year of Taisho era (1917), the architecture of the building imitates the station style of western Renaissance in Japanese occupation period as well as a product under the Meiji Restoration promoted by Japanese Government.  

9) Dining Area (Food Court), Taichung Train Station Complex - Japanese & Korean food were the favourites here ! 

10) Taroko Mall, Fuxing Road, Taichung - the largest mall in Taichung, has a food court, supermarket, cinema, restaurants etc. Being a Saturday weekend, the mall & food court were crowded - a fun time for family members & the young ones displaying a "Saturday Fever" mood with friends & buddies till the wee hours of the night !