For you expats or foreigners who have never left Taipei, Changhua is a large mostly rural county in central Taiwan. For years I myself never visited, because I didn’t know what was there and had no reason to go. It turns out there are quite a few attractions here in this secret paradise.
Below I will list some of the best places in Changhua that I have visited. I will be sure to update this blog as I visit more places later.
🏯 Planning your trip to Changhua? ☀️
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Summer when it is warm and less windy
- How to get there: Taiwan Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best place to stay: Guide Hotel Changhua Jhongjheng
- Book tours and activities in Changhua on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Historical Background:
Before Han settlement, Changhua was inhabited by native peoples. During the Dutch era in Taiwan, a well was made to tap into the Zhuokou River water table. The Red Hair Well was made around 1611 by Dutch colonizers and was often used by Dutch soldiers and missionaries,
During the Qing Dynasty, the city of Lukang became an important trading port, because of the depth of the water and the fact that it was closer to Fujian province than other cities in Taiwan. The main product shipped to Fujian was rice. In the 1800s, Lukang was Taiwan’s second-largest city, with as many as 20,000 residents, even more than Banka (modern-day Taipei) and second only to Tainan.
Later on, the port began to silt in, and the railroad bypassed the city, meaning that economic activity here went downhill. However because the city has changed so little in the past 200 years, it has become a cultural relic preserved from the past. The city also has over 200 temples.
After the railroad was moved to Changhua City, it became the most important economic region in the county.
Despite being the smallest county in Taiwan by area, Changhua County is the most populous county in Taiwan. It is often described as being part of the Taichung-Changhua metropolitan area.
How to get around in Changhua?
As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Changhua by taking the train, inter-city bus, or local bus. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county.
By Scooter: Looking for scooter rental in Changhua? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Car: If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bus/Train: You can book tickets to travel to Changhua via inter-city bus on Klook here.
You can book tickets to Changhua via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here.
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
Where to Stay:
We have stayed at and recommend Guide Hotel Changhua Jhongjheng, which is one of our favorite hotels in all of Taiwan, with great quality and service right in downtown Changhua. (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here)
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
Tours:
Tours and activities in Changhua include Magical Mushrooms Leisure Farm, Cheng Mei Cultural Park, Changhua Love Farm, Gushengwu Paleontology Park, Taiwan You Good School of Cookie, Baiguoshan Amusement Park, Yunhe Starry Sky View Restaruant , Tianzhong, Yakuta Experience , Qingshui Hot Spring Glamping, Fruit Picking , Tonight Star Leisure Farm, Tianweiwang Scenic Spot, and more.
You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here.
Map:
You can see a map of all the places that we will visit in this blog below:
Let’s get started!
Baguashan 八卦山
Fountain of Youth 不老泉
Changhua Confucius Temple 彰化孔子廟
Changhua TRA Dormitory Village 彰化台鐵宿舍村
Changhua Anti-Aircraft Gun Towers 彰化防空古砲台
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
The Old Walled City of Changua 彰化舊城
Another view of the south gate temple.
Papaya Milk 木瓜牛奶
Bawan/Rouyuan 肉圓
Lukang Old Street 鹿港老街
Ershui Songbo Temple Trail 二水松柏廟步道
You can book a tour of Jiji and Nantou Sky Bridge on Klook here.
Houtanjing Sky Bridge 猴探井天空之橋
You can book a tour of Jiji and Nantou Sky Bridge on Klook here.
Places we missed:
- Xiluo Great Bridge 西螺大橋
- Yongle Street 永樂街
- Xihu Sugar Factory 西湖糖廠
- Baiguoshan 百果山
- Erlin Green Tunnel 二林綠色隧道
- Dadu Xikou Wetlands 大肚溪口濕地
- Taiwan Rice Museum 台灣穀堡稻米博物館
- Magical Mushrooms Leisure Farm
- Cheng Mei Cultural Park
- Changhua Love Farm
- Gushengwu Paleontology Park
- Taiwan You Good School of Cookie
- Baiguoshan Amusement Park
- Yunhe Starry Sky View Restaruant
- Tianzhong
- Yakuta Experience
- Qingshui Hot Spring Glamping
- Fruit Picking
- Tonight Star Leisure Farm
- Tianweiwang Scenic Spot
You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here.
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.