Often overlooked by international travelers eager to reach Alishan National Scenic Area or the city of Tainan, Chiayi City could well be one of Taiwan’s best-kept secrets.

Compared to Taipei, Chiayi – which is located 249 km down island from the capital – has not experienced much growth or modernization. Many of the streets in the city center are quite narrow. Characterful buildings made largely of wood are common in this low-rise settlement.

With a population of around 260,000, compact Chiayi is an ideal size for exploring by bicycle. Several hotels lend bikes to their guests, and across the city there are 184 YouBike docking stations. Tourists who do not have a local phone number can rent one of these shared bicycles using a credit card, so long as they have already downloaded the YouBike app. For those aiming to make their rides as smooth as possible, or who plan to cover longer distances, the YouBike 2.0E is an electric-assisted variant. When fully charged, it can cover around 80 km. The app makes it easy to locate the nearest rental point, check the availability of YouBike 2.0Es, and confirm if their batteries are charged.

East of Chiayi’s Taiwan Railway Corp. (TRC) station, visitors with an interest in the past will enjoy Hinoki Village, Chiayi Old Prison, and what is now Chiayi Art Museum. All three landmarks date from the 1895-1945 period of Japanese colonial rule.

Originally a set of Japanese-style bungalows built for logging industry managers and their families, Hinoki Village now hosts art spaces and cultural-creative businesses. Between 1922 and 1994, Chiayi Old Prison housed up to 300 male convicts, and around 30 women in a separate on-site unit. Its panopticon layout was designed so that a single officer could observe all three wings from his desk. The most graceful part of the art museum dates from 1936. For decades, it served as a branch office of the since-abolished state-owned tobacco and alcohol monopoly. what today is state-owned Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp.

The city’s grandest hall of worship is the highly elaborate Cheng Huang Temple. Founded in 1715, it honors Cheng Huang Ye, “the lord of the wall and the moat,” along with dozens of other major and minor deities. Cheng Huang Ye is the city’s protective god, equivalent to a mayor in the religious domain. In the Taiwan of yore, newly appointed officials would stay here and participate in soul-purifying rituals before attending to the business of government.

Travelers wanting to stretch their legs – and feast their eyes on what many say is Chiayi’s prettiest Japanese-era buildings – should head out to Chiayi Park and the adjacent botanical garden. Originally part of a Shinto shrine complex, the Historical Relic Museum (also known as J18) displays documents, maps, and other items relating to the history of Chiayi.

In recent years, the city has also become known as the venue of one of Taiwan’s most popular music events. The 2024 edition of the Chiayi City International Band Festival is set to run from December 20 to January 1 and feature leading wind ensembles from home and abroad. In previous years, attendees have enjoyed performances by bands from Canada, China, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and several other countries.

Between concerts, musicians and audiences will have plenty of time to enjoy the city and its food. The festival’s official website suggests a one-day tour that includes sights around Beimen Station, part of the world-famous narrow-gauge railway linking the city to Alishan, deep in the mountainous interior.

If Chiayi is synonymous with a particular delicacy, it is undoubtedly turkey rice. This favorite appeared after World War II, when the authorities encouraged farmers to raise turkeys, as they could produce meat that was even cheaper than chicken. A mix of shredded white breast meat and darker leg meat is placed on top of steamed white rice, then drizzled with a delicious gravy made from turkey drippings and soy sauce. Several eateries in the Chiayi area specialize in this deeply satisfying dish, which is best enjoyed with a portion of stir-fried vegetables and a light soup.

Chiayi is served by the high-speed railway (HSR), with some bullet trains making the journey from Taipei in as little as 87 minutes. From the HSR station, there are frequent direct buses not only to the downtown (travel time is about 45 minutes) and to Alishan (around three hours), but also to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, less than 20 minutes away.

It is no surprise that this museum has become one of the region’s top attractions. In addition to exquisite Chinese treasures rotated from the original National Palace Museum in Taipei, the museum’s Southern Branch showcases dazzling items that represent a range of Asian arts and cultures.

For anyone planning an in-depth look at Chiayi, the website of the 235 Regional (Chiayi) Tourism Union is an excellent place to start. This grouping gets its name from the approximate position of the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees north of the Equator, a short distance south of Chiayi’s downtown.

Like Taiwan’s other tourism unions, it was established recently with the encouragement of the central government’s Tourism Administration to integrate and coordinate the promotional efforts of entrepreneurs, local government units, community development associations, and other stakeholders. With the 235 Regional (Chiayi) Tourism Union helping to spread the word, Chiayi is all set to emerge from Alishan’s shadow and become a popular destination in its own right. The city has plenty of accommodation and eating options, as well as more than enough places of interest to keep visitors busy. During the upcoming International Band Festival and beyond, Chiayi will get its chance to shine. 

TOURIST INFORMATION
Travelers planning to explore Chiayi can gather additional information from the following websites:

Chiayi City Government (bilingual website)
YouBike (bilingual website)
Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (multilingual website)
235 Regional (Chiayi) Tourism Union (multilingual website)
Tourism Administration (Ministry of Transportation and Communications) (multilingual website)

Back issues of Travel in Taiwan, a bimonthly English-language magazine sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Administration and filled with detailed articles, can be read online at travelintaiwan.net. The 24-hour tourist information hotline at 0800-011-765, which is toll-free within Taiwan, can answer all kinds of questions in English, Japanese, and Chinese.