Taichung

Taichung is Taiwan's second city, an hour from Taipei by high-speed rail, and the usual stepping stone to Sun Moon Lake. It suits travellers who want one relaxed city day between Taipei and the mountains. Weather is mild most of the year; sunset at the wetlands is the daily event.

• Rainbow Village — a tiny settlement hand-painted by a veteran in his 90s
• Gaomei Wetlands boardwalk at sunset, with wind turbines on the horizon
• Fengjia Night Market, one of Taiwan's largest — dinner rarely tops NT$200 ($6) a person
• Drink the original bubble tea at Chun Shui Tang teahouse
• National Taichung Theater's curved architecture (free to wander the lobby levels)

The high-speed rail from Taipei takes about an hour and costs around NT$700 ($22) standard fare. Sun Moon Lake is a 1.5-hour bus from the HSR station — most travellers do the lake's boat-and-cable-car loop as a day trip from Taichung or stay one night by the water.

Taichung works best as the middle stop on a west-coast run: Taipei first, one night here, then on to Kaohsiung, about an hour further south by high-speed rail. Fengjia Night Market runs late, so an overnight stop beats a rushed day trip if you want the wetlands sunset and the market on the same day. See the full Taiwan guide for route ideas.