Taichung is the third-largest city in Taiwan and is one of the most active business centres of the island. It is known for its parks and night markets, and is the ideal place from which to set off to Lugang and the Sun Moon Lake.

Taichung, on the west coast of Taiwan, was founded by Chinese settlers in the 17th Century, and is now a prosperous town with an international port located at the crossroads of the main traffic routes of the country. In particular it is served by the high-speed train which links the capital Taipei in the North to Kaohshiung in the South. Taichung, with its textile industries, its machine tools and its wood, is more a business destination than a tourist one and yet the city is not lacking in attractions. It has parks designed in the purest of Chinese styles with pavilions and lakes and three important museums of natural history and art and, especially, the National Museum of Nature and Sciences of Taiwan. Its interactive exhibitions of biology, astronomy and physics make it one of the most frequently visited museums on the island. Some kilometres to the north, there is ‘Encore Garden’, a magnificent landscaped garden with thousands of flowers and plants. A little further still, at Sanyi, you will find the finest wood sculptures in Asia. The artefacts offered for sale in the shops along the main street are authentic and cheaper than in the capital Taipei. Its location in the centre west of the island means that from Taichung it is easy to reach Lugang in the South, which is the main centre for art and craft in the country (lacquered work, embroidery). You can also get to the Sun Moon Lake, one of the most famous sites in Taiwan, with its Wen Wu temple and Tsen pagoda.