Walking Around Taichung / 臺中市 / 台中市

Описание: Taichung has a population of approximately 2.81 million people (including, it seems like, alot of Vietnamese & Indonesians) and is Taiwan's second most populous city, overtaking Kaohsiung in July 2017. Unlike rainy/chilly/humid etc Taipei, Taichung has a pleasant drier climate and is often compared to California because of the frequency of sunny dry days. The rain falls generously in the wet season (May – August) and scarcely in the dry season (October – February). The unique landform of basin means that the city suffers less from typhoons than other areas in Taiwan. However, typhoons still affect the city and often bring very heavy rainfall and flooding.

Taichung was named under Japanese rule, and became a major economic and cultural hub. Originally composed of several scattered hamlets, the city of Taichung was planned and developed by the Japanese. It was called "the Kyoto of Formosa" in Japanese era because of its calm and beauty. The city is home to the National Museum of Natural Science, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the National Taichung Theater, the National Library of Public Information, and the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, as well as many cultural sites, including the historic Taichung Park, the Lin Family Gardens, and many temples.

Unlike Taipei and Kaohsiung, there is no MRT system in Taichung, though one is under construction and scheduled to start operations in 2020.

Taichung has a number of parkways or greenways e.g. one running south/north between the Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Natural Science, intersected by the main Taizhonggang Rd. The southern end is home to the Art Museum with Modern and Traditional exhibits, a cafe on the third floor and a garden area which is particularly popular with families at the weekend. Linked to the Art Museum is the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau, with a large reading room among other facilities. At the north end of the Parkway behind the Science Museum is a botanical garden home to interesting plants and trees (with a few dinosaurs hiding in them). Beyond the botanical garden is a cycle track and path where the greenery continues through a more residential area. The gardens here are carefully tended by locals. The roses create beautiful perfumes in the evening. Shops on either side include cafes, restaurants and a 24-hour optician. If you continue walking along this path, it takes you west, past the university hospital to another nice place - Zhongsheng Park. Here there is an open-air swimming pool, old style benches and a foot massage path. From Zhongzheng Park, North and across the river is the Baojiue Temple. South of the park is the Yizhong Street area, Confucius Temple, Martyrs Shrine, Chungyo department store, Taichung Gym and Taichung Park.