Photo credit / IG @scottchenphotos
How should you explore Chiayi? Beyond the famous Alishan and turkey rice, Chiayi is full of great spots for a day out with friends or family! It has wetlands, mountains and plains, with a distinctive mix of city and countryside that has made it a hot travel destination lately. So let’s get right to it — let the gogoout editor walk you through getting to Chiayi and the best mountain and downtown attractions!
| How to get to Chiayi
| Departing from Taipei | Time | Cost |
| High Speed Rail | About 1 hour 30 minutes | NT$1080 |
| Intercity bus | About 3 hours 30 minutes | NT$440 |
| Puyuma Express | About 2 hours 30 minutes | NT$598 |
| Tze-Chiang Limited Express | About 3 hours 40 minutes | NT$598 |
There are roughly four ways to get to Chiayi (departing from Taipei): High Speed Rail, Taiwan Railway, intercity bus and self-drive. The High Speed Rail saves the most time and costs the most, while the one-way fares for the other options are fairly similar.
If you’re planning a two-day or three-day Chiayi trip that covers the mountains, the coast and the city, car rental is the best choice. Parking is well organized both downtown and at scenic areas, and once you’ve parked you can usually reach your destination in just three to five minutes on foot.
So how do you choose a rental car in Chiayi?
| gogoout car rental – Chiayi station
📍No. 52, Lunzailing, Taibao City, Chiayi County
⌚️Monday to Sunday, 08:00 to 20:00
🌟Free pickup and drop-off at Chiayi HSR Station and in the city (please contact customer service)
🌟Reliable protection, simple paperwork, no promissory note, no need to leave your ID. Nearly a hundred five-star reviews from users!
| Chiayi attractions: the most searched city and mountain spots revealed 🔍
Chinaberry Blossom Tunnel
📍Puzi River
Taiwan’s most beautiful and longest chinaberry blossom tunnel runs along the southern levee of the Puzi River for more than three kilometers. When the trees bloom in spring, they scatter a romantic haze of white and purple and give off a light fragrance; in the sunlight the scene looks like a painting, drawing plenty of visitors to stroll and take photos.
Photo licensed by / IG @ash1103ash
Golden trumpet trees
📍Puzi River
Also beside the Puzi River flood control road, the golden trumpet trees burst into bloom every March. Their flowering season lasts only a week, and their flower meaning is “gratitude” — a romantic, meaningful setting that is a popular wedding photography spot each spring!
NCYU Insect Museum
📍No. 300, Xuefu Rd., East District
Located inside National Chiayi University, this insect museum has Taiwan’s only “rotating butterfly column.” Besides taking great photos, you can touch the insects yourself and wander through a gorgeous greenhouse butterfly garden!
Photo licensed by / IG @tinachang0610
Photo licensed by / IG @miki.tsai
Air Library
📍No. 2-12, Meishan Township
Sitting at an altitude of 1,000 meters in Taiping Village, Meishan Township, this fair-faced concrete building doesn’t sell books — it sells coffee. Inside, ferns are paired with the owner’s private art collection for a hipster style unique to the mountains, which draws plenty of young visitors to check in and take photos on Instagram.
Photo licensed by / IG @stephanielai0207
Photo licensed by / IG @stephanielai0207
Zhecheng Cultural Park | Suantou Sugar Factory | Suantou Station
📍No. 1, Gongchang Village, Liujiao Township
Besides the rustic wooden buildings of the Suantou Sugar Factory, the park also has a narrow-gauge sugar train you can ride! Enjoy a Taisugar ice cream while you take in the factory architecture, and when the breeze blows, the falling blossoms look like a shower of golden rain — you can even pose for photos under trees carpeted in gold. This was also a filming location for the TV drama “Tian Zhi Jiao Zi”!
Photo licensed by / IG @lineva0615
Photo licensed by / IG @bj5940_777
Alishan National Scenic Area
📍No. 17, Neighborhood 2, Alishan Township
Alishan’s reputation as a top-tier national scenic area is well deserved! Here you can immerse yourself in scenery and an atmosphere that look like movie special effects. Along the hike you’ll also learn why environmental conservation matters!
Tefuye Historic Trail
📍On the border of Alishan Township, Chiayi and Xinyi Township, Nantou
A rare low-elevation trail in southern Taiwan, 6.32 kilometers long. It was once the route the Tsou people took on daily hunting trips, lined with Taiwan red cypress and hinoki. Along the way you’ll see old railway tracks — this was also a route the Japanese used to transport timber.
Photo licensed by / IG @taki788778
Photo licensed by / IG @aoaovillia323
National Palace Museum Southern Branch
📍No. 888, Gugong Blvd., Taibao City
Standing on the Chiayi–Tainan plain, the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum has striking architecture. Besides its permanent collections, there are artificial wetlands, a tropical garden, a waterfront stage and a man-made lake, plus seasonal water dance and drone shows!
Dongshi Wangliao Fishing Port
📍Wangliao Village, Dongshi Township
Off the coast of Wangliao Village, the best time to visit is at sunset, when the setting sun and the oyster racks play off each other to create a scene travelers never forget. The Taiwanese film “Ohong Village” was shot here too!
Photo courtesy of IG @scottchenphotos
Photo courtesy of IG @xia_n55iw
Haomeiliao Beach
📍Budai Township
Little known to most visitors, Haomeiliao Beach stretches about 1 kilometer and has wonderfully clear water. The sea splits earth from sky and turns the sand into a mirror, earning it the nickname “Chiayi’s Mirror of the Sky”!
Photo courtesy of IG @esheng95
Taiwan Hua-Tsuan Museum (Taiwan Majolica Tile Museum)
📍No. 282, Linsen W. Rd., Chiayi City
The Majolica Tile Museum is a one-of-a-kind private collection. Over twenty years, the owner rescued, restored and catalogued decorative tiles from old houses all over Taiwan. Every tile has its own history, and most were saved when old buildings were torn down or rebuilt. Today the museum holds more than four thousand tiles!
Photo courtesy of IG @kelly_282870
Photo courtesy of IG @kelly_282870
Fenqihu Old Street
📍Fenqihu, Zhonghe Village, Zhuqi Township
Famous far and wide for its “railway bento boxes,” Fenqihu was originally a transfer stop on the Alishan Forest Railway. As the highest old street in Taiwan, it’s also known as “the Jiufen of southern Taiwan”! Besides the food, you can spend a relaxed afternoon wandering among shops full of nostalgic goods and local souvenirs.
Photo courtesy of IG @jerry.c_1101
Chiayi’s attractions really are beautiful and photogenic! If you have the time, treat yourself to a short trip around the island—head for the mountains or the sea, wander the big streets and little alleys, and discover even more of Taiwan’s beauty!
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This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
