Perhaps you haven’t heard of Chiayi City in Taiwan, as its a bit off the beaten path…if you end up in Taiwan, add it to your list and check out these top picks for Chiayi, the magical island of Taiwan!
Chiayi Market
Markets in Taiwan are a real travel treat. Narrow streets with enthusiastic vendors plus the threat of almost always having to dodge out of the way of scooters, mopeds and motorbikes. Here, you can buy fruit, meat, fish, vegetables and other random non-food items. Pet lizards are also for sale in and around the market.
2. Chiayi Tower
The magnificent tower was a shock and a real highlight for me, a tower that extends 62 metres high tower on the edge of the city with outstanding views. It’s officially known as “Sun Shooting Tower” and is worth a visit. Two leopards, a temple and a massive park mark the entrance and a lift takes you to the top for exquisite views and a glass platform!
I actually believe my cup of tea relaxing at the top of Chiayi Tower was one of the top inspirations I’ve had to travel the world. Staring down at the world from the top of Chiayi Tower is an awesome sight.
Above is the view from the top of Chiayi Tower (or Sun Shooting Tower) in Chiayi, Taiwan: on one side the city and on the other side the countryside and hills. Don’t miss it if you’re in Chiayi.
3. The 228 Monument
This is a poignant historic moment of your trip to Chiayi: a 228 Monument commemorates what occurred on February 28. There was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on the February 27 1947, which was violently suppressed by the KMT-led Republic of China government. Sadly it resulted in the massacre of numerous civilians, beginning on February 28 where estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more. Shocking – a monument in Chiayi marks it.
4. Lantan Lake
The walk out to Lantan Lake will take around 20 – 25 minutes and is well worth the time. Lantan is a large lake with a mystical quality to it and there’s a pavilion look out point and a few trails round it. You’ll need to use a map to get out there as it’s not well signposted. The Pavilion itself is called Sansin Pavilion.
5. Chiayi Park
All Taiwanese cities have numerous parks and Chiayi is no exception – it makes for a great spot to relax and have lunch. The main park is actually the one at the foot of the sun shooting Chiayi Tower, a fabulous spot to take a book and drink a beer while basking in the Chiayi sunshine!
Relaxing with a fake leopard in Chiayi Park, Taiwan.
6. Chiayi Baseball Stadium
Chiayi Baseball Stadium as viewed from the top of Chiayi Tower!
7. Alishan Railway
This railway line is a must do – heading up into the Alishan mountains!
Try and get there early morning and experience Chiayi in a day. All the above things are doable in a day (except the Alishan railway which will be a day on its own or longer if you stay up in the mountains). There’s no real need to stay overnight in Chiayi, unless you want to spend more time exploring its culture and meeting the local people.
Here are my videos from Chiayi:
Outside Chiayi Train Station:
Jonny Blair is a self confessed traveling nomad who founded and blogs at Don’t Stop Living. He sees every day as an adventure. Since leaving behind his home town of Bangor in Northern Ireland ten years ago he has traveled to all seven continents, working his way through various jobs and funding it all with hard work and an appetite for travel. Don’t Stop Living, a lifestyle of travel’ contains over 1,000 stories and tips from his journeys round the globe. He wants to show others how easy it is to travel the world, give them some ideas and encourage them to do the same but most of all he aims to constantly live a lifestyle of travel. He is currently based in Hong Kong and on Twitter @jonnyblair.
