French
DeutschChanghua County (彰化縣), alternatively spelled Zhanghuah, is in the west-central region of Taiwan.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Changhua is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan, but has a population of 1.24 million people, making it the most populous. The county contains burial evidence of settlement from over 5,000 years ago.
Regions
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In the interests of grouping like regions, Changhua can be roughly divided into North and South with 26 major settlements spread among 8 districts:
North Chunghua
[edit | edit source]North Chunghua is the more urban and industrialised area of the county.
| Chunghua District (Changhua, Fenyuan, Huatan) The most populated region of the county and contains the seat of the county government. |
| Hemei District (Hemei, Xianxi, Shengang) The industrial heartland of the county and home to a variety of water birds. |
| Lukang District (Lukang, Xiushui, Fuxing) A historical area with a number of points of note to history and culture buffs. |
South Chunghua
[edit | edit source]Considered to be the more sedate portion of the county, a large amount of the region is agricultural and parkland.
| Yuanlin District (Yuanlin, Yongjing, Dacun) An important point in Taiwan for those interested in horticulture and fruit farming. |
| Xihu District (Xihu, Puxin, Puyan) A significant point in the fruit and vegetable logistics industry in Taiwan, the area is also famous for its mutton. |
| Tianzhong District (Tianzhong, Ershui, Shetou) Sitting at the foot of Baguashan and beside the Zhuoshui River. |
| Beidou District (Beidou, Tianwei, Xizhou, Pitou) The area still has a fair amount of architecture preserved from the Japanese colonial period. The area is known in Taiwan for its flower production and markets. |
| Erlin District (Erlin, Zhutang, Fangyuan, Dacheng) Home to the largest area of wetland in Taiwan, this is a good area for exploring nature and bird-watching. |
The county consists of a number of settlements including:
Cities
[edit | edit source]- 1 Chunghua City (彰化市).
- 2 Lukang (鹿港鎮). – the second oldest town in Taiwan, it is famous for its traditional architecture and food.
- 3 Yongjing (永靖鄉).
- 4 Yuanlin (員林市).
Townships
[edit | edit source]- 1 Beidou (北斗鎮). famous for ba-wan, a popular Taiwanese food item that was invented in the township.
- 2 Erlin (二林鎮). the largest township in Changhua County.
- 3 Fuxing (福興鄉).
- 4 Hemei (和美鎮).
- 5 Tianjhong (田中鎮). named for its rice-farming history, the township sits at the base of the Bagua Mountain Range.
- 6 Xihu (溪湖鎮). previously an important centre of sugar production, the area is now famous for its local food, including lamb hotpot and kyoho grapes
Get in
[edit | edit source]By rail
[edit | edit source]Changhua is connected to Taiwan's High Speed Rail network via 1 Changhua HSR station (高鐵彰化站). . The station is in Tianzhong, a district in South Chunghua.
If you are going to North Chunghua, transferring from 2 Taichung HSR station (高鐵台中站). would be a better choice. You can choose TRA trains or shuttle buses at the station - both are faster than transferring from Changhua HSR station.
Changhua County is connected to other parts of Taiwan by the TRA network. This is also a useful way to get between townships. Stations located within the County are:
| Name | Chinese | Line | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Changhua. | 彰化 | Taichung Line West Coast Line | Changhua | 45 mins from Taichung 2.5 hours from Taipei |
| 4 Huatan. | 花壇 | West Coast Line | Huatan | |
| 5 Dacun. | 大村 | West Coast Line | Dacun | |
| 6 Yuanlin. | 員林 | West Coast Line | Yuanlin | |
| 7 Yongjing. | 永靖 | West Coast Line | Yongjing | |
| 8 Shetou. | 社頭 | West Coast Line | Shetou | |
| 9 Tianzhong. | 田中 | West Coast Line | Tianzhong | |
| 10 Ershui. | 二水 | Jiji line West Coast Line | Ershui | 20 mins from Douliu, Yunlin 2.5 hours from Kaoshung |
By bus
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Many inter-city bus companies run a route to Changhua County from Taipei and Taichung.
From Taipei to Changhua County
[edit | edit source]- Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport,No.1828 costs NT$322.
- Ubus, No.1652 costs NT$250.
From Taichung to Changhua County
[edit | edit source]- Changhuabus,No.6883,No.6933 and No.6936.
Get around
[edit | edit source]By bus
[edit | edit source]One way to travel between the different townships in Changhua is by bus. There are a number of bus companies which run routes between townships, and from Changhua County to the major cities in Taiwan. Some of these companies are:
- Changhua Bus
- Geya Bus
- Ho-Hsin Bus
- Taichung Bus
- Yuanlin Bus
- Zhonglu Bus[dead link]
There is a website (Changhua County Real-time Bus Information System) which provides real-time information on busses in the county, however it is only available in Chinese for the time being.
By bicycle
[edit | edit source]The more built-up areas of the county have rental stations for Moovo. You can find real-time information on the availability of bikes and the closes station by visiting the Moovo Station Map
- Lukang - If you get in by bus from Changhua station, there is a tourist information center across the street, in the park. You can rent a bicycle from the center. Historic old market street is also within walking distance from the bus station.
See
[edit | edit source]A number of the attractions in this county lie within Changhua City, which has an article to itself. So, this page will feature only the attractions which lie within the wider county.
History and culture
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- 1 Beidou Red Brick Market (北斗紅磚市場). A traditional red-brick covered market building which was constructed in 1935.
- 2 Daodong Tutorial Academy (道東書院), No. 101, Heqing Road, Hemei Township, ☏ +886 4 756 0620. 08:00-17:30. A tutorial academic built in 1857, the complex still contains the original establishment documents, as well as some of the materials and tools used to build it.
- Fuxing Barn in Lukang is a series of 16 barns constructed in 1928 to store and process rice from around the colony.
- Lukang Ai Gate in Changhua was built in 1839 so that the town could be closed off at night.
- Lukang Kinmen Hall in Lukang was built as a shrine, and later expanded to become a meeting point for the local population.
- Lukang Rimao Hang in Lukang is the former building of a trading house established in 1784 by a Fujianese businessman.
- 3 Yi Yuan Mansion (馬興陳宅), ☏ +886 4 2229 5848. 09:00-17:00. Also known as the Maxing Chen Yi-Yuan Family Mansion, the house was built by the Chen family in 1846 using money from their trading business with mainland China. It is the largest historic manor in the county.
- Yongjing Public School Dormitory in Yongjing is a Japanese-style dormitory building that housed students of the public school. The building was constructed in 1929.
- Yusan Hall in Yongjing#Q15913005|Yongjing]] is a private house built in 1872, during the Qing dyansty period.
Museums and galleries
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- Changhua County Art Museum in Changhua City: A museum containing a number of exhibits of local artwork.
- Lukang Culture Center in Lukang was built in 1928 during the period of Japanese occupation of Taiwan.
- Lukang Folk Arts Museum in Lukang houses a collection of Ming and Qing dynasty artifacts, such as photographs, lacquerware, porcelain, carved stones, embroidery, and musical instruments. The building is an unusual combination of Asian architecture and Western architecture.
- Taiwan Glass Gallery in Lukang has exhibits related to glassware and glass production.
- 4 Wangkung Story Museum (王功故事館), No. 900號, Yugang Road, Fangyuan Township, ☏ +886 4 893 6657. 08:30-17:30. A museum of local history and seafaring.
- Brand's Health Museum in Lukang is a museum owned and operated by the Brand's company.
Temples
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- 5 Baozang Temple (寶藏寺), No. 100, Lane 135, Section 3, Zhangnan Road, Fenyuan Township, ☏ +886 4 9252 2836. It was built during the Qing dynasty. The temple displays several historic objects and almost 100 statues of gods.
- Changhua Great Buddha Statue of Bagua Mountain in Changhua City: The main attractions in the scenic area include the Baguashan Great Buddha, the Anti-Japanese Martyrs Monument Park and the Healthy Trail etc. It is one of the “Eight Views of Changhua”. It is known as the largest Buddha in East Asia.
- 6 Gentlewoman Temple (淑女祠的媒體集), No. 303, Section 2, Jiadong Road, Dacun Township. A temple building built to memorialise a 16-year-old student who was killed in a car accident in 1976.
- 7 Huatan Wende Temple (白沙坑文德宮), No. 6, Section 3, Zhangyuan Road, Huatan Township, ☏ +886 4 786 3904.
- 8 Hushan Temple (虎山岩).
- Husheng Temple in Lukang is a unique temple that resembles the traditional temple architecture, but is made of glass.
- Longshan temple in Lukang has a long history, large scale, exquisite carvings, no delicate decoration, only simple characters, flowers and birds clay sculpture, with ancient colors, more elegant taste.
- Lugang Mazu Temple in Lukang is an exquisite and magnificent temple with plaques of Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Guangxu.
- Lukang Wen Wu Temple in Lukang.
- 9 Luocuo Church (羅厝天主教堂), No. 109, Luoyong Road, Puxin Township, ☏ +886 4 829 2671. The original church structure was built in 1875 when a local resident invited Father Vinte Gomar of the Dominican Order to come to Puxin. Father Gomar then bought the land for 100 dollars in 1877. After the original structure was destroyed, the current structure was erected in 1996 using a Fujianese red-brick architectural style.
- 10 Shetou Doushan Temple (社頭斗山祠), No. 19, Qingxing Road, Shetou Township.
- 11 Tianzhong Shushan Shrine (田中書山祠), No. 435, Section 3, Dongmin Road, Tianzhong Township.
- Yongjing Koxinga Temple in Yongjing is a park with a temple dedicated to the famous admiral Koxinga.
Do
[edit | edit source]Parks and nature
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- 1 Beidou Riverside Park (北斗河濱公園), No. 40-42, Hebin Street, Beidou Township. A tranquil area of parkland beside a river.
- 2 Qingshuiyan Forest Recreation Area (清水岩森林遊樂區), Shetou Township. A large area of forest area with a great deal of biodiversity. The area contains a number of hiking trails.
- 3 Tianwei Highway Garden (田尾公路花園), No. 156, Section 1, Minzu Road, Tianwei Township, ☏ +886 4 883 2626. A large botanical garden area with a variety of paths and cycle tracks.
- 4 Xizhou Gardens (溪州公園), No. 138, Section 3, Zhongyang Road, Xizhou Township, ☏ +886 4 889 9812. 05:30-18:30. The park used to be called the Changhua Fitzroy Gardens, designed for and named after the Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. The park covers an area of 123 hectares, making it the largest plain park in Taiwan. The park is the venue for the annual Flower Exhibition.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Night markets
[edit | edit source]- 1 Dacun Night Market (大村夜市). Thur: 17:00-23:00.
- 2 Fu Xing Night Market (福興夜市), No. 67, Section 2, Zhangshui Road, Xiushui. Mon 17:00-00:00.
- 3 Shetou Night Market (社頭夜市). Tue Sat 17:00-23:30.
- 4 Siakhau Night Market (社口夜市), Qingshui Road, Fenyuan Township. Mon 17:00-23:00.
- 5 Tianwei Highway Garden Night Market (田尾公路花園夜市). Sat 17:00-00:00.
- 6 Xihu Night Market (溪湖夜市), No. 25, Changqing Street, Xihu Township. Wed 18:00-22:00, Fri 18:00-23:00.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]Stay safe
[edit | edit source]- Please avoid patronizing unlicensed street vendors and stores.
- When travelling at night, please take main roads with more pedestrian traffic and good lighting, and choose public transport. Do not take taxis without license.
Go next
[edit | edit source]- Taichung is Taiwan's third largest city and boasts a wealth of interesting cultural facilities and activities.
- Nantou County
- Yunlin County