Four Days in Tainan and Taichung: Day 2

We had walked far too much on Day 1, so my second day in Taichung was always going to be a lazier one—not exactly the schedule of a tourist determined to squeeze every minute out of a trip.

The rest of the itinerary also meant we could not stay in Taichung too late. We had to leave fairly early and head for Tainan.

So this day may look rather short, and it definitely is not as packed as Day 1 or Day 3 XD. This is absolutely not because I got lazy and tried to get out of writing a proper travel diary, hah.

You might ask, “Then why not travel in winter instead? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Well... winter clothes are thick, and the luggage gets too heavy, Orz. I genuinely prefer traveling in summer.

Breakfast at Xiao Xiao Qi Handmade Soup Dumplings and Oden Near Feng Chia Night Market

I slept until about ten that morning, so this was really breakfast plus lunch—which explains why there was so much food XDDDD.

I first found Xiao Xiao Qi through online recommendations on an earlier trip to Taichung. It was so good that I have put it on my must-eat list every time I return.

The address was No. 296-7, Section 2, Xitun Road, Xitun District, Taichung City.

Xiao Xiao Qi Handmade Soup Dumplings and Japanese Oden on Facebook

The shop had not been at this location before, so my travel companion and I could not find it at first. Only after Googling it again did we realize it seemed to have... moved, perhaps?

I am not completely sure it was a move because the handmade soup dumplings tasted much the same, but oden had unexpectedly appeared on the menu XD. So I cannot say with certainty that this was the original shop.

I did not ask the owner whether it was the same place either. Curious friends can check with the owner themselves XD.

The soup dumplings really do burst with juice. You have to catch one with a spoon from the start or all the broth runs onto the plate and you end up licking the plate XD.

There are also so many flavors. If you want to try several at once, I recommend one of the mixed sets—Da Si Xi or Da Si Xian—which gives you two of each flavor.

That means you can try soup dumplings filled with clams, fish roe, scallops, and more!

I also found the oden broth light and savory-sweet, and it tasted especially good with the dipping sauce that came with it.

Two plates of soup dumplings, some oden, and soy milk came to a little over NT$400. We were unbelievably full!

Shopping and a Movie at Top City

After the soup dumplings, Taichung became so hot that walking outside felt completely impossible.

Wasn’t a typhoon supposed to be coming????

We needed an air-conditioned activity, so obviously we marched straight into a department store XD.

Once we left Feng Chia, Top City Taichung and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi were right ahead of us, so we escaped into Top City first.

“Should we just watch a movie first?” my travel companion asked.

The timing was a little awkward, though, and we had no idea what we might actually want to see.

We had heard that The Super Mario Bros. Movie feels especially immersive if you have played the games. As someone who had played Odyssey and Mario Kart—and supported the series all the way back in the N64 and Famicom days—how could I not choose Mario?

Before the movie, we wandered through every floor. When we reached the upper levels, the entire style changed. It was such a surprise.

The whole floor was decorated with architecture inspired by Japan’s Edo period. Every restaurant looked like its own little shop, and walking through it felt like stepping into a traditional Japanese street.

I remember the food hall at Far Eastern Xinyi A13 in Taipei using a similar idea, except that its décor draws on early Taiwanese architecture.

Both versions are wonderfully distinctive. The design really is thoughtful.

I had a lot of fun with the Mario movie. Because I had played the games, I could recognize which game interface many scenes were referencing.

Choosing tires, vehicle types, and gliders, for example, felt unexpectedly familiar XD.

Now I suddenly want to play Mario Kart again XDDD.

Story-wise, it was not simply the traditional plumber-rescues-princess routine. The princess was not helpless, which made things more interesting, and Bowser was basically just a poor lovesick fool XD.

Recommended for friends who want a cheerful movie that does not demand too much brainpower!

NOVA, Park Lane, and Watching Animals on the Calligraphy Greenway Lawn

We came out of the movie sometime after two, almost three. It was still bright and sunny, but at least the heat was less brutal than at noon.

With our HSR train leaving a little after seven, we did not have enough time for another major stop. We decided to stroll around Park Lane and the Calligraphy Greenway instead—and look at doggos and kitties along the way.

Scooter parking is genuinely difficult around here. We eventually parked near NOVA and walked back toward the greenway.

As two game nerds, naturally we also wandered through NOVA to see what new games were out and how much a PS5 cost at the time.

We only looked; we bought nothing. Listen to me pretending I have time to play games : DDDDDD. I do not even have time to update this website (wipes away tear).

No matter how many times I visit, the lawn along Calligraphy Greenway is always full of people.

Some come for picnics, some walk dogs, cats, and all kinds of animals, and some simply sit around, stare into space, and chat—like me XD.

I really enjoy itineraries that let you sit, do nothing, and talk. Conversation helps people understand each other and compare values before deciding whether they want to keep moving forward together.

And even if you are not with a partner, I think it is lovely with friends too.

People bring all kinds of creatures out onto the lawn. So far I have seen doggos, kitties, rabbits, and even pet pigs.

Sometimes I cannot help wondering: is it really okay to put animals that eat and animals that get eaten in the same place =口=?

I once watched a bichon keep provoking a much larger dog and nearly get seriously bitten...

If sitting on the lawn gets too hot, there are plenty of small stalls and department stores nearby.

Walk a little farther and you can reach the National Museum of Natural Science; head the other way and you can continue to Shenji New Village and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. I genuinely think this whole area can fill an entire day.

Heading to Taichung HSR Station for Tainan

I have a close friend in Tainan who could take me in (?), so I was not staying at a hotel and could be fairly flexible about when I arrived.

Not too late, though XD.

I therefore worked backward from the time I hoped to reach Tainan to the time I needed to board the HSR train in Taichung, while also checking whether any discounted tickets were available.

The route I considered was HSR first, then a local train. It would keep the public-transport travel time relatively short, though it was not the cheapest option.

My friend lives near Tainan Railway Station, so I needed to take a local train from Shalun Station beside Tainan HSR Station to Tainan Station. I found that the ride would take roughly twenty to twenty-five minutes.

Tainan HSR Station and Shalun Station share the same complex, so you can run directly from the HSR station to the metro station and keep the transfer time fairly short.

I finally chose the 7:40 p.m. departure from Taichung, arriving at Tainan–Shalun at 8:17, then taking the 8:28 local train from Shalun.

I thought the transfer would be impossibly tight, but it turned out to be just right XDDD.

Once you leave the HSR station, you can follow the lines on the floor and run almost all the way to the TRA platform without getting lost. And if all else fails, there are station staff to ask.

Incidentally, after buying an HSR ticket I usually collect it in the T-EX app on my phone. I find that convenient because there is less chance of losing the ticket XD.

You do, however, need to make sure your phone still has power when it is time to board.

We reached Taichung HSR Station a little after six, leaving more than enough time for dinner. Fortunately, the station has an enormous range of food.

We ended the Taichung leg at Ippudo XDDDD (yes, something we could also eat in Taipei), but let us not be too picky!

Chuanfa: A Bar in an Old Tainan House

We made it to Tainan a little after nine, almost exactly on schedule XDDD.

I had absolutely no plan for Tainan. I intended to hand everything over to a local, because a Tainan local will absolutely have you eating from morning to night, with things to eat, places to go, and probably things to take home too.

After arriving, I dropped my luggage at my friend’s place. She wanted to hear all the sad stories from my recent attempts at starting a business, so we headed to Chuanfa.

The first stop on a Tainan local’s private list XD.

Chuanfa is a bar in an old house, filled with all kinds of Taiwanese local character XD. Even when the surrounding streets were almost empty late at night, the bar itself was nearly full.

The address was No. 65, Section 1, Dongmen Road, East District, Tainan City 701.

Here is their Facebook page as well: Chuanfa.

Only after finding the page did I realize... wait, have they simply not been updating it XD?

Oolong tea at a bar? You read that correctly. Heh.

I am the sort of person who orders bubble milk tea even at a place called Mao Xia Qu. Oolong tea here is nothing XDDD.

I had assumed that after returning to my friend’s place I might still have a little time to work, so I needed to stay awake.

I had brought my iPad with me XDDDD.

What actually happened was that we sat there talking until the bar was closing XDDD.

I do not drink alcohol at all, so the only thing I tasted was the oolong tea. I thought it was excellent—no bitterness or astringency, just very easy to drink.

My friend had nothing but praise for the cocktails, though I cannot tell you what they tasted like XDDDD.

Most importantly, the owner was a foreigner, spoke excellent Chinese, and was so handsome!!

When I saw his face, I briefly thought I was back at the office. My foreign-language mode almost switched on automatically, and I nearly spoke English to the owner as he brought over the cocktails. Completely ridiculous.

I have no idea when listening to and speaking English became an automatic response. My goodness =口=.

Even after we left the bar, we kept talking until almost four in the morning. We had not seen each other for far too long, and I had recently encountered far too many disasters and bizarre people, so we talked and talked.

A Quick Wrap-Up

Part of Day 2 was spent rushing between trains, and because the weather was so hot, we did not visit many places.

But between the walking marathon of Day 1 and the walking marathon of Day 3, having a slower day with fewer stops was genuinely important XD.

After living through Day 3, I was very glad I had not packed too much into Day 2. I got a proper chance to rest XDDD.

We will continue with Day 3!