Day 6: Taichung (Stock 20 20號倉庫 > Taichung Park 臺中中山公園 > Yizhong Shopping Street 一中街商圈)
Day 1: Changi Airport > Taoyuan Airport > Taipei > Hsinchu > Neiwan
Day 2: Taipei (Maokong > Taipei Main Underground Shopping Street > Qsquare)
Day 4: Taipei > Taichung (Taichung Train Station > Miyahara Ophthalmology Department > Fengjia Night Market)
Day 5: Taichung (Rainbow Military Dependents` Village > Great Buddha of Baguashan > Lukang Old Street > Taiwan Glass Gallery & Glass Temple > Gao Mei Wetlands)
Day 5: Taichung (Rainbow Military Dependents` Village > Great Buddha of Baguashan > Lukang Old Street > Taiwan Glass Gallery & Glass Temple > Gao Mei Wetlands)
Day 6: Taichung (Stock 20 > Taichung Park > Yizhong Shopping Street)
Day 7: Taichung > Kaohsiung (Formosa Boulevard > Dream Mall > Ruifeng Night Market > Hanshin Departmental Store > Liuhe Night Market)
Day 8: Kaohsiung > Kenting 墾丁(Fu An Temple 福安宮 > Eternal Flame 出火特別景觀區(恆春出火) > Jialeshuei Scenic Area 佳樂水風景區 > Longpan Park 龍磐公園 > Eluanbi Lighthouse 鵝鑾鼻灯塔> ShaDao Eco-Protection Area 砂島生態保護區> Chuanfanshih 船帆石 > White Sand Bay 白沙灣)
Day 9: Kaohsiung (Cijin Island > The British Consulate at Takao > 壽山LOVE情人觀景台 > Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine > Takao Railway Museum > The Pier-2 Art Center > Love River Ai He > Lotus Pond > Kaohsiung Airport)
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We begin our day with breakfast at CityInn. Yummy breakfast once again!! Although similar dishes but different style of cooking and/or ingredients. After breakfast was time to explore (by foot) around Taichung.
At the rear of Taichung Train Station is an art exhibition area call Stock 20 (20號倉庫). Read more about the place here (English intro site /Chinese actual site)
The view towards Stock 20
Walked into the place and there is a small cafe. It's cozy but we didn't want to be lazing around so we spend only 5-10mins and we headed out to the streets again.
We then begin our search for Tai Yang Bing - Sun Biscuits/Sun Cakes 太陽餅. There were a few recommended stores to get the Sun Cakes and I chose Ah Ming Shi Lao Dian Tai Yang Bing 阿明師老店太陽堂 and Ricians 太陽餅 聯翔 (recommendation from our friend).
The type of sun cakes available was plenty too but we kept our choices to the original (non-vegetarian) and the vegetarian. I opted for the original (non-vegetarian)!
Ah Ming Shi Lao Dian Tai Yang Bing 阿明師老店太陽堂 review
Traditional Flavor - The filling within is chewy. Upon entering the stores, the staff gave us 1 individual packed sun cake each for free!! So after buying a box, we had 2 extra pieces!! The sun cake comes with 2 types of packaging. One type is the sun cakes are in a pack (maybe 5 or 10 together) in a box and another type is the sun cakes packed individually in a box. The individually packed, their packaging is not air-sealed style. Each is tape-sealed in a plastic sleeve and expiry is 7 days.
The filling is slightly sticky texture and the biscuits texture is soft and milky flavor. This store not only sell sun cakes, it is also a bakery. The sun cakes are packed individually in air-sealed plastic. Either purchased them individually or with the box packaging for portability and better protection. Their expiry date is also longer (approx. 2 weeks).
Verdict: I recommend Ricians. It melts in your mouth, can last longer and the box are easier to carry around if need to hand carry home.
Our energy level dropped after an hour just to look and buy the sun cakes. Maybe the gloomy weather played a part. Luckily just a block or two away, we spotted the 85 Degree Cafe (85度C). At the 2nd storey of the store is a spacious and air conditioned area for dine in. The cafe pricing is inexpensive.
A cup of ice red tea =NT$30, the price of 2 breads = approx NT$55. The quantity and quality of the breads and beverages is good.
Bread from 85 Degree Cafe (85度C) - My photo doesn't justify the actual size
End of short break, we decided to carry on our exploration (with the sun cakes). Our cab driver from the day before told us the pavilion image in below logo represents the pavilion at the Taichung Park.
So after 10-15 minutes of walking, we reached Taichung Park. Located in the middle of the city, Taichung Park still brings out the feel of nature if we spend time sitting on the green patch of grass or inside the pavilion.
Taichung Park
The white color spots on the left were a flock of pigeons flying. Seemed we were in time to see them circling around the lake.
The red bridge towards the pavilion
Entrance to the pavilion
View from the pavilion
To the park
A mini water fall
A goat statue
Painting on the wall at the park
Pigeon..
with Squirrel
From Taichung Park to Yizhong Shopping District, it took us around 5-10 mins by foot.
Towards Yizhong Shopping Street
Yizhong Shopping Street View
The food stalls were already opened when we reached around 3pm. There were plenty of optical stores around. I was tempted to get my contact lenses but ultimately dropped the idea. Although the food stalls were opened, but it was drizzling and we didn't want to be eating "with" the rain. We went to one of the nearby eatery for early dinner.
Side dish
Pork cutlet with veggies rice
After dinner, we continued shopping around. But with the sun cakes, we didn't explore further than Yizhong Shopping Street. After almost 3 hours spent at Yizhong Shopping Street, we walked back to our hotel (around 30mins) and concluded our Taichung trip...
And packed for Kaohsiung.
With so much walking, the 8,600 steps for the day was easily accomplished!!
Conclusion
Transportation around Taichung -> buses, trains or cabs.
Places of interest -> Apart from the places we went to, the cab drivers (we hired for long and short trips in Taichung) recommended us to go Sun Moon Lake followed by Cingjing (but we already went there last year) and/or Lavender Cottage (but take note of the lavender season)
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