In terms of land area, Taiwan is smaller than 41 of the 50 U.S. states, yet it contains so many uplands and peaks that it’s arguably the world’s most mountainous island.
Visitors don’t have to leave the bustling cities on the western plains to see striking mountains. Arriving by high-speed train on a clear day, visitors to Taichung can clearly see the Central Mountain Range from the platform. That municipality – the country’s second most populous – stretches from the warm waters of the Taiwan Strait to the often frigid heights of Xueshan, which at 3,886 meters above sea level is the island’s second-highest point of land.
These dramatic elevations and the climatic variations they cause are key reasons why Taiwan is a biodiversity hot spot. Thanks to subtropical weather patterns and fertile soils, generations of Taiwanese created highly productive farmlands across the lowlands. At higher elevations, they carved out orchards and tea plantations.
Nowadays there’s less pressure to grow food, and many agriculturalists have turned to growing flowers. Taichung’s Xinshe District has emerged as a leading flower-producing area, and in late November/early December, a 32-hectare “Sea of Flowers” draws sightseers by the busload.
For a period, Xinshe was in danger of being a victim of its own success. Responding to complaints from both residents and visiting tourists, government agencies and local stakeholders implemented a series of innovative measures to address congestion and pollution issues. This approach, which improved quality of life for Xinshe residents while building community engagement, received international validation when it was named one of the Top 100 Stories of 2024 by Green Destinations, a tourism management organization based in the Netherlands.
However, an in-depth west-to-east look at Taichung should begin at the seaside, a place that is neither unspoiled natural splendor nor beauty crafted by human hands.
Gaomei Wetlands is an expanse of tidal mudflats that didn’t exist until the 1970s, when the construction of a levee caused sand and silt to accumulate just south of the Dajia River estuary. The local authorities later designated 701.3 hectares of dry land and seashore as a wildlife sanctuary. What’s more, BirdLife International categorizes the wetlands as an Important Bird Area because at least one globally threatened avian species spends time there, and over 1% of the global population of one or more species gathers here.
A 691-meter-long boardwalk makes it possible for tourists to see the foreshore up close without getting their feet muddy or disturbing the 30 crab species that thrive in that habitat.
Taichung’s densely populated core has several alluring modern structures, but the most exciting 21st-century addition to the built environment is undoubtedly the National Taichung Theater. Conjured by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Toyo Ito and featuring irregular curved walls, this beamless edifice quickly became one of Taiwan’s most recognizable buildings following its inauguration a decade ago.
But there’s much more to Taichung’s appeal than steel, glass, and concrete. The Calligraphy Greenway is a broad corridor of tree-shaded parkland that stretches south from the National Museum of Natural Science (which the green-thumbed will be delighted to learn has an onsite botanical garden that includes a tropical rainforest greenhouse). The Greenway is fringed by restaurants, boutiques, and hidden gems that reward thoughtful, slow-moving travelers.
Taichung Park has been a place of relaxation for city residents since the start of the 20th century. Within the 10.5-hectare park, Huxin Pavilion is both a historic landmark and an architectural curiosity. Erected to celebrate the completion of the north-south railroad in 1908, its distinctive shape – a fusion of Japanese and Western styles – is now an official emblem of the city.
Further inland, beyond the flower fields and mushroom farms of Xinshe, there are several spectacular sights. The thinly populated Heping District, which accounts for almost half of Tai-chung’s land area, presents not only alpine vistas but also an intriguing mix of human communities.
In addition to members of the Atayal people – one of Taiwan’s 16 indigenous Austronesian tribes – there are descendants of Chinese Nationalist soldiers who settled here after Chiang Kai-shek’s government retreated to Taiwan in 1949. Two locations are synonymous with the latter demographic: Fu- shoushan and Wuling Farm.
At Fushoushan, around 2,600 meters above sea level, Chiang Kai-shek kept a mountain retreat. That villa is now open to the public, but tourists more often come to see the Thousand Cherry Garden, where Fuji cherry trees explode with glorious blossoms from late winter to early spring.
Both Fushoushan and Wuling Farm are managed by the central government’s Veterans Affairs Council. Fushoushan and nearby Lishan also come under the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area, whereas Wuling Farm borders Shei-Pa National Park. Shei-Pa gets its name from two iconic peaks within its boundaries: Xueshan (“Snow Mountain,” Taiwan’s second-highest point at 3,886 meters) and the 3,490-meter-high Mount Dabajian.
Wuling is another favorite destination for blossom aficionados, but there’s much more to the area than pretty flowers. The valley’s Qijiawan Creek is at the center of ongoing efforts to protect the endangered Formosan landlocked salmon, the southernmost salmon species on Earth – and the only one known to thrive at elevations above 1,600 meters (more than a mile).
Another entity working to bring visitors to the region is the Tai- chung-Changhua Tourism Union. This destination marketing group brings together government units, travel agencies, representatives of the hotel industry, and transportation businesses. Other participants include hot springs, leisure farms, tourism factories, and cultural organizations.
With an international airport and the bulk of Taiwan’s population no more than 75 minutes away by train, Taichung is ideally located for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).
The Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ International Trade Administration are collaborating to encourage international travelers attending MICE events in Taiwan to explore the country through their Travel Incentive Program. In 2025, the Program offers up to NT$2,000 (US$69) in travel incentives per person, and up to NT$600,000 per proposal. The goal is to boost the development of MICE and tourism industries, further promoting economic growth.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Travelers considering a visit to Taichung or other destinations in central Taiwan can gather additional information from the following websites:
Taichung City Government Tourism and Travel Bureau (multilingual)
Taichung-Changhua Tourism Union (multilingual)
Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area (multilingual)
Shei-Pa National Park (multilingual)
Tourism Administration (MOTC)
Meet Taiwan (MICE) (multilingual)
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ International Trade Administration are collaborating to encourage international travelers attending MICE events in Taiwan to explore the country through its Travel Incentive Program. In 2025, the Program offers travel incentives of up to NT$2,000 per person per visit, and a maximum of NT$600,000 per proposal. The goal is to boost the development of both MICE and tourism industries, thereby promoting economic growth.
