A Foreigner Exploring Taiwan’s Most Underrated City! 🇹🇼

Описание: Most travelers come to Taiwan and only see Taipei, this time, I wanted to experience Taichung, a city that feels more local, slower, and largely overlooked.

The vlog starts at Taichung Main Station, where I catch a bus into the city and reunite with Jay, a friend of mine I met months earlier on a study trip in Portugal. Together, we explore central Taichung, walking through the Qinmei / Calligraphy Greenway area, a neighbourhood that shows everyday Taiwanese life rather than tourist highlights.

Along the way, we try classic street food, including “bao bao” ice cream, named after the sound of the horn used by the ice cream vendor riding through the streets. We spend time at the Calligraphy Greenway, one of Taichung’s most popular local hangout spots, where we write letters to our future selves and mail them home, without filming what we wrote, so it’ll be a surprise years from now.

Food is a big part of the day. We try tapioca tofu pudding (douhua), one of Jay’s favourite Taiwanese desserts, before heading to the market where I pick up a travel souvenir, a hat featuring the Formosan black bear, with a unique bandana design instead of the usual markings.

I also give a room tour of a very affordable place in a great area, showing how accessible Taiwan can be on a budget. As we walk through the city, Jay explains why many Taiwanese cities begin with “Tai”, like Taipei (north), Taichung (central), and Tainan (south), reflecting both geography and Taiwan’s identity.

Dinner is at one of Jay’s favourite restaurants, HUN 混, where I surprisingly end up having one of the best pastas of the trip. We finish the night with bubble tea and sugarcane juice.

Day two starts with a reflection on why I personally prefer Taichung over Taipei. I then attend one of Jay’s classes at Feng Chia University, before we rent a car using a fully app-based system, no keys, no staff, just your phone. We take a road trip to Gaomei Wetlands for a windy sunset, and end the vlog with hotpot at a spot offering unlimited sides, drinks, and desserts.

This video isn’t meant to be a guide, but rather an honest look at what it feels like to spend time in a city most travellers skip, with the added benefit of exploring with a local. Thank you Jay.

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Timestamp:
00:00 Introduction at Taichung Main Station
00:35 Reunited with Jay
02:03 Central Taichung
02:56 Bao Bao Ice-Cream
04:11 Calligraphy Greenway 草悟道
05:11 Message to Future Self
07:49 Tapioca Tofu Pudding (douhua)
09:29 Formosan black bear Hat
11:19 Affordable Taichung Room Tour
12:57 The meaning of "Tai" in Taiwan cities
14:43 I'm Hungry Pasta
15:37 Bubble Tea/Sugarcane Juice
17:00 Day 2 Taichung Taipei Comparison
19:22 Feng Chia University Class
21:34 Futuristic Car Rental
22:03 Road Trip
22:54 Gaomei Wetlands
25:56 Hotpot done differently in Taiwan
27:48 Thank you for watching