Day 2: Lukang and Changhua (Oct 2016)

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Saturday, 22nd October 2016

Changhua is an easy train ride from Taichung Station and things were less complicated when I could use my Easy Card to pay for the journey. Finding the correct boarding point for the Lukang-bounded buses might be a little tricky and it pays to inquire about the information at the helpful tourist office where the staffs would be happy to provide you with a useful walking map. 40 minutes into my bus journey, I had arrived at the disused Lukang Old Station. This is the starting point of the town proper. A comfortable walk through the main thoroughfare, I had reached the Old Streets and the local market where I took a quick meal for lunch.

After soaking in the old town's atmosphere and purchasing my wooden train souvenir, I headed back to Changhua City where the Fan-shaped train depot was located. There were no train rides available at the depot. But what visitors could expect are plenty of life-sized trains and locomotives where they could pose for pictures. There is also a viewing platform that provided an overview of the surroundings. Since it was a Saturday, the place was crowded with local families and train enthusiasts. It helped that the security personnel at the grounds were very welcoming which made my visit a pleasant one.

From there, I continued my journey to Miaoli which was home to the Railway Museum. I had bought my lunch box along with the visit and there were a few old trains on display. Admission is totally free and I had a nice time looking at the trains.

My last stop for the afternoon before heading back to Taichung was a visit to the Hakka Round House which was right next to Hsinchu High Speed Rail Station. The Round House is a sight to behold both from afar and close-up. I did not venture into the building which acted as a museum since I am not particularly interested in folk museums. I was just attracted to its unique architecture.

Back in Taichung that evening, I spent sometime at Taroko Mall which housed a Carrefour Hypermarket. I also popped by the nearby Sun Biscuit Museum and read up on some travel literature to prepare myself for the Okinawa trip later in the week.

This was a fruitful day for me spending time outside Taichung and covering places that warranted a visit in my opinion.

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