Travel_Leisure_Southeast_Asia_August_2017

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ©CAVIARLIU/DREAMSTIME.COM; COURTESY OF LE MOÛT; SAM YEH/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

In the Western District, the Calligraphy Greenway

serves as a cultural artery, its paths and park spaces

featuring art installations, a retail center lined with

vertical gardens, and a museum of Taiwanese art. There

are sleek new architectural gems, too: the massive, Toyo

Ito–designed National Taichung Theater (en.npac-ntt.org)

has curved walls that lend it a surreal vibe.

Preserving Taichung’s heritage remains a priority. A

veteran’s housing complex in the Nantun District was on

the chopping block until its last inhabitant covered the

walls with murals, creating an attraction known as

Rainbow Village (1949rainbow.com.tw). History meets

retail at Fantasy Story (fantasy story.com.tw), a collection

of traditional buildings that house shops where screen

printers, perfumers and bakers sell their wares. And

ambitious initiatives are on the horizon—such as an

improved bike-share program and a subway system—

promising to make Taichung even more of a complement

to the natural wonders nearby.

EXPLORE

Made in Taiwan

Long in Taipei’s shadow, culture-rich Taichung is

marrying heritage and futurism to carve out an identity

all its own. BY CHRISTINE WEI

MOST TRAVELERS TO TAIWAN GET A TASTE of its urban life

via Taipei, the country’s dense and dynamic capital. Few

have ever had much of a reason to linger in Taichung,

Taiwan’s third-largest city, beyond using it as a way

station en route to hiking trails and hot springs in the

surrounding mountains. But lately Taichung has been

changing. Hop on the high-speed rail from Taipei and 45

minutes later you’ll find yourself in a city that’s emerging

as one of A sia’s newest hubs of creativ it y a nd cu lt ure.

Food lovers have been flocking to the city since 2014,

when chef Lanshu Chen’s French-inspired restaurant Le

Moût (lemout.com; tasting menus from NT$3,500) was first

named one of Asia’s 50 Best. More recently, government

loans have paved the way for young entrepreneurs to

revitalize the old town: additions like the boutique hotel

RedDot (reddot-hotel.com; doubles from NT$2,280) and

dessert emporium Miyahara (miyahara.com.tw) have

made Japanese Occupation–era buildings into

destinations. They’ve also cast a new light on beloved

institutions nearby, like the Chun Shui Tang Cultural Tea

House (chun shui tang.com.tw), where bubble tea was

invented, and the street markets where vendors hawk

oyster omelettes and braised pork over rice.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A bird’s-eye view of

the National Taichung Theater; a water-lily-

inspired dessert at Le Moût; Rainbow

Village, a former housing complex decorated

with murals by artist Huang Yongfu.

/ here&now/

30 AUGUST 2017 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM