Touring Taichung – Fine Arts Museum and the European Street

A short while after coming back to Taiwan, I went to see Taichung for the first time. I’ve heard so much about Taichung being “the most livable city in Taiwan” that I was really curious what it would be like. As for tourist attractions – on the way there I asked a friend in the area what I can go visit in Taichung I got the unexpected reply that “It’s a good place to live, but as far as tourist goes – it’s a fu#&ing desert”. Good start for the trip, but the tourist center in the Taichung Train Station had a few ideas for me to try out.

First stop, the Taichung Fine Arts Museum, the nicest one in Taiwan, I believe. Really classy, great architecture, the way museums should be build in Taiwan. No photos allowed in the art galleries, but here’s a small taste of what it was like :

Outside, there is a really lovely park with various Chinese style ponds and modern sculptures…

From the park, going south, is a wide street I fondly refer to as “Europe st.” with a park in the middle surrounded by restaurants with cuisine from all over the world – Greece, Germany, Italy, France.

Here’s what the Italian “Pumpkin” – I think it was – looked like :

I wish they would have a street like that in Tainan. It’s all that Hai An rd. in western Tainan and Lin Sen rd. or Dong Feng rd. in Eastern Tainan could have been like, but probably never would. There is a special aroma to Taichung, in some parts.