09.11.19 - 11.11.19 Taichung

From Sun Moon Lake we continued by bus to the city of Taichung. This industrial city used to be synonymous with "Made in Taiwan". Many companies have since moved their production to China to be able to produce cheaper. But in the center of Taichung, you don't notice any of that. It's a diverse neighborhood with many beautiful corners and green spaces. We encountered a mixture of mainly Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Taiwanese cultures.

On the forecourt of the train station, we were greeted by a colorful, lively Pride event, which later formed a parade through the city. Fun fact: Taiwan is the first and only country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and LGBTQ is not a taboo topic in the region, unlike many other countries.

On our arrival day, we walked around the city center and had a meal at a cute little vegetarian restaurant that has been in business for over 50 years, now run by the second generation. The founder's son talked to us with the help of Google Translate and gave us each a little pig figurine.

The next day, our first stop was the restaurant that is known as the birthplace of the famous Bubble Tea. We couldn't miss this opportunity and tried both a tea drink and delicious noodles.

Afterward, we took a bus to the so-called Rainbow Village. It's a small collection of houses that used to be home to military families and were supposed to be demolished. But one day, a former soldier started painting all the houses in bright colors to protect them from demolition. He succeeded, and now this place is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city.

Next, we went to the largest night market in Taiwan. There, we enjoyed more delicious and funny snacks. We had our main dinner at a popular stand located just outside the market, where they serve the famous vegan stinky tofu, this time fried and really tasty. The market itself was huge, and fortunately, not as crowded as some others.