Changhua 彰化 is a well-kept secret hidden in central Taiwan. Home to the Great Buddha of Baguashan, Changhua County is the smallest county in Taiwan but it is packed with cultural and natural wonders. I had the fortune to explore Changhua with local experts and I am very intrigued by Changhua’s history and culture. Here’s a guide to Changhua and the top things to do in Changhua.
Introduction to Changhua
Here’s a quick orientation to Changhua County 彰化縣. Nestled in central Taiwan, it is the smallest county in Taiwan. Spreading across 40km from south to north and from east to west, Changhua County resembles the shape of an isosceles triangle.
Bordered by the Taiwan Straits in the west, Changhua County is surrounded by Taichung in the north, Yunlin County in the south, and Nantou County in the east. Changhua is known as the “Granary of Taiwan – Agricultural County” because of its well-endowed landscape and significant agricultural production.
Changhua County comprises 2 cities, 6 towns, and 18 townships and its capital city is Changhua City. The most popular places for travellers are Changhua City and Lukang.
Changhua is also called Bamboo Town 半線城 because to its historical significance of bamboo. Han Chinese settlers built bamboo structures when they arrived in the region.
Due to its location, Changhua is covered with fertile plain and plateau and enjoys a warm climate and moderate rainfall, creating ideal conditions for agricultural activities.
Best Places to Visit in Changhua
Great Buddha of Baguashan
Built in 1961, the Great Buddha of Baguashan 八卦山大佛 is the landmark of Changhua. Towering at an impressive 22 meters atop Baguashan (Bagua Mountain), the awe-inspiring Buddha statue is the star attraction in the Baguashan Buddha Scenic Area.
Do you know the statue used to be one of the tallest Buddha statues in Asia when it was built? Now, the biggest Budhha statue in Taiwan is Fo Guang Shan Buddha 佛光山佛陀, Kaohsiung. The statue is a 6-storey building and each level is dedicated to an aspect of the Big Buddha’s life.
The Great Buddha of Baguashan is part of the larger scenic area that includes gorgeous gardens, walking paths, and arts installations like the Nine Dragons Pond. You can spend a few hours exploring this spiritual and serene spot.
Bagua Mountain Skywalk
Part of the Baguashan Scenic Area, Bagua Mountain Skywalk 八卦山天空步道 connects the main site of the Great Buddha of Baguashan to the attractions in the surrounding. The elevated walking path provides a convenient way to enjoy the scenery of Changhua and the serenity of the nature enveloping the city. With a total length of 1,004 meters, it is the longest skywalk in Taiwan.
The skywalk passes by notable places like Changhua Living Art Center, lotus ecological park, Martyrs Shrine, baseball stadium, and more. You can get on and off the skywalk at seven points throughout the trail, which is marked with informative displays that share educational facts about nature and wildlife that inhabit the area.
Guashan Village
Just a short walk from Great Buddha of Baguashan, Guashan Village 卦山村 is a charming creative and cultural hub. Guashan Village features over 18 arts and craft and lifestyle shops set up by a collective of local artists and entrepreneurs. You can spend a few relaxing hours here visiting the shops, buying souvenirs like ceramic pots, leather craft, and artworks, enjoying local snacks, and even interacting with the local residents.
A must-visit spot is Ju Design 解憂設計, a ceramic and pottery crafts shop that is set up by the Guashan Village chef, Neo Xu. You can find adorable and innovative lifestyle items like their popular flower pots, coffee holders, soap dishes, and more. Neo is leading an encouraging effort in creating opportunities for young locals to set up businesses and revitalise Changhua City through the village and festivals.
Another interesting shop is Printerra 17 踏印版圖, a printmaking shop. The artists create beautiful prints using the foot stamping technique and you can buy prints illustrating Changhua’s scenery and even a map of the area as a momento.
Changhua Roundhouse
Changhua Roundhouse 扇形車庫 is a remarkable historical railway facility. It is one of the few remaining roundhouses in the world where you can see the operations and facilities of a turntable and holdover used by steam locomotives.
What is a roundhouse? It is building used for railways for servicing and storing trains. Changhua roundhouse features a unique fan-shaped design, which allows for efficient train maintenance and storage. This architectural marvel is not only functional but also visually striking. You enjoy a self-guided tour or even join a guided tour (see visiting hours and tour details here).
From the exit of the Changhua Roundhouse, you can walk to the Roundhouse Railway Park 戶羽機關車園區. It is a leisure place designed for people to relax and learn more about Changhua railway history. There is a miniature train that children and even adults can take to experience riding on train tracks. You can take a break here to enjoy local food and drinks and learn more about the history of Changhua’s railway developments. Watch this video for a tour of the Changhua Railway Roundhouse and Roundhouse Railway Park.
Tourism Factories
Tourism factories or sightseeing factories 觀光工廠 are unique attractions in Taiwan that have gained great popularity and attention in recent years. They specialise in manufacturing certain products and services and they welcome visitors to their factories to learn more about what they produce by participating in experiential activities like guided tours, exhibitions, and fun DIY workshops.
Tourism factories are designed specially with interactive facilities to cater to domestic and international tourists. Most of tourism factories are usually free to visit and you can participate in DIY activities by paying a very small fees. And they are also good places to buy local products that make great souvenirs.
Changhua is home to a fascinating collection of tourism factories. You can spend a day “factory-hopping” and visit these well-known tourism factories:
- Taiwan You Good School of Cookie 台灣優格餅乾學院
- Ribbon Museum 緞帶王觀光工廠, Taiwan Glass Gallery 臺灣玻璃館
- J. Wood Garden 卷木森活館
- Brand’s Health Museum 白蘭氏健康博物館
Interested to explore these sightseeing factories? Check out my guide to Taiwan tourism factories in Changhua. Watch this video for a tour of the Taiwan You Good School of Cookies.
Lukang
Lukang or Lugang 鹿港 is one of the most popular destinations in Changhua. This picturesque town is a historical hotspot. One of Taiwan’s most prominent ports during the Qing Dynasty, Lukang was a bustling center for trade. The town’s name, which translates to “Deer Harbor,” reflects its historical significance, as it was known for the deer skin trade during its heydays.
There is a saying “一府二鹿三艋舺” in Taiwanese, which is translated to mean “first Tainan, second Lukang, and third Mengjia (Monga, Wanhua district in Taipei)”, to highlight the three important areas in Taiwan’s history and culture. Lukang was a flourishing economic and transportation hub and you can immerse in the rich history of Lukang by exploring Lukang Old Street and visiting over 200 temples, well-preserved architecture, traditional shops, and more. Here’s so much to do and see in Lukang so I am working on a detailed guide. Watch this space!
What do eat in Changhua
Changhua Meatball
No visit to Changhua would be complete without trying the famous Changhua meatball, a traditional delicacy called bawan. This savoury meatball is unlike any meatball-like dishes I have ever tasted. It is a translucent dumpling with pork filling and topped with dark soy sauce. It is difficult to describe this unique snack so the best way is to try it. There are many shops to try this iconic dish and all locals have their favorite shop. My guide brought me to a local’s favorite, Lao Dan A Zhang meatballs 彰化老担阿璋肉圓, which was featured in the popular Taiwanese film “You are the apple of my eye” 那些年, 我們一起追的女孩.
Lao Dan A Zhang meatballs 彰化老担阿璋肉圓
- Address: No. 144, Chang’an St, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500 (Google map)
- Opening hours: 9:30am – 10:30pm
Maoshu Noodles
Changhua maoshu noodles 貓鼠麵, which is directly translated to “cat mouse noodles,” is a must-eat food in Changhua. The name of the noodles is believed to originate from the nickname of the first owner Chen Murong who started the shop at Chengleng road 陳稜路. Despite its name, the dish does not contain any strange ingredients. It is a humble bowl of noodles served with ingredients like minced meat, vegetables, and fried shallots.
I was lucky to try my first bowl of maoshu noodles in this famous shop that has been feeding locals since 1921 over 100 years. The third generation noodle experts Chen Ruquan and Wang Mingjin are always busy preparing pipping bowls of noodles for their fans.
Maoshu noodles 貓鼠麵
- Address: No. 223, Chenleng Rd, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500 (Google map)
- Opening houses: 9:00am-8:00pm
Changhua Papaya Milk
Changhua is the land of papaya milk 木瓜牛奶. While you can find papaya milk all over Taiwan, Changhua is famous for their signature papaya milk. Changhua’s warm climate and fertile landscape makes it a prime region for growing papayas. The abundance of fresh, high-quality papayas means delicious papaya milk!
There are many popular papaya milk stalls in Taiwan and I had one of the best cup of papaya milk from Changhua Papaya Milk King 彰化木瓜牛乳大王. Their refreshing and creamy beverage is a winner and I can understand why they attract long lines and have shops all over Taiwan. Their shop at Zhonghua road has been selling fruits and fruit drinks for over 60 years. And the green bean milk is a surprising addictive drink!
Changhua Papaya Milk King 彰化木瓜牛乳大王創始店
- Address: No. 37, Zhonghua Rd, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500 (Google map)
- Opening hours: 11:00am-9:30pm
Changhua Braised Pork Rice
I am in love with Taiwanese braised pork rice and I ate one of the most delicious and beautiful bowl in Changhua. When my local guide said we would have braised pork rice for breakfast in Changhua, I was thinking of a normal bowl. But when I saw the pot of pork meat swimming in braised sauce, I understand why A-Chuan Braised Pork Rice 阿泉爌肉飯 has a reputation in Changhua. Known for its succulent and tender braised pork belly slowly cooked in aromatic flavours, A-Chuan Braised Pork Rice is the place in Changhua to enjoy a hearty bowl of braised pork rice. They also serve a variety of yummy local dishes like stir-fried cuttlefish.
A-Chuan Braised Pork Rice 阿泉爌肉飯
- Address: No. 216, Chenggong Rd, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500 (Google map)
- Opening hours: 7:00am-1:30pm
How to get to Changhua
Changhua is well-served by convenient transportation connections so it is easy to include Changhua in your itinerary. I recommend that you combine a trip to Taichung and Changhua because of the good public transportation network. Check out my new travel guide to Taichung.
Method 1: Train
Changhua has is connected by Taiwan Railway Administration (local trains) (TRA) and High Speed Rail (HSR). However, Changhua City and Lukang are nearer to Changhua TRA station so it is usually recommended as a transit spot.
From Taipei to Taichung to Changhua
High Speed Rail (HSR): Taipei HSR main station → Taichung HSR train station (40 minutes)
Transfer to Changhua from Taichung
a. Local train (TRA): Take a short walk from Taichung HSR train station to Xinwuri Station 新烏日 and take the Chiayi-bound train to from Changhua Station 彰化 (10 minutes)
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Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Lukang Route takes you between attractions in Changhua and Lukang so it provides hassle-free way to explore Changhua and Lukang.
There are two special bus shuttle lines: the blue Lukang Shuttle Bus Route (鹿港祈福線) – 6939 and the red Lukang Express Bus Route (台灣祈福快線) – 6939A.
From Kaohsiung to Changhua
High Speed Rail (HSR): Kaohsiung Zuoying HSR main station → Changhua HSR train station (60 minutes). However, both HSR stations are not near the city center so you have to take local train/bus to the HSR train stations.
Bus: You can take an intercity bus from Kaohsiung to Changhua. Check out Travel Changhua website for more information about the buses.
Method 2: Bus
If you prefer a long-distance bus rides, you can take intercity buses from major cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung to Changhua. These buses are comfortable and you can enjoy scenic view of the countryside. Check out Travel Changhua website for more information about the buses.
Method 3: Car
If you are planning a road trip, you can drive to Changhua easily from neigbhouring cities like Taichung and Kaohsiung and even from Taipei and Hualien. Check out Travel Changhua website for more information about driving to Changhua. Interested to rent a car in Taiwan? Klook has car rental services. Use my special Klook promo code WENDYKLOOK to enjoy 5% any Klook purchases.
For more information on how to get around Changhua, check out Travel Changhua website.
Travel Video
Watch this video “Guide to Changhua: Tour of Cookie Museum and Railway Roundhouse” to experience these two must-visit places in Changhua. This guide is a supplement to the virtual travel session organised by Taiwan Tourism Administration Singapore and whywendywrites.
My trip to Changhua was organised and supported by Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area and Taiwan Tourism Administration Singapore. Thanks to the most passionate local guide Fang Fang jie who showed me the best of Changhua.
I strongly believe in empowering travellers to know better, travel better! I value privacy and transparency. The article contains affiliate links so I may be compensated to run the website and continue to create content if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you.
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