For you expats or foreigners who have never left Taipei, Miaoli is a large rural county in central Taiwan. For years I myself never visited, because I didn't know what was there and had no reason to go. It turns out there are quite a few attractions here in this secret paradise.
Below I will list out some of the best places in Miaoli that I have visited. I will be sure to update this blog as I visit more places later. How to get around in Miaoli? As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Miaoli by taking the train, inter city bus, or local bus. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. You can see a map of all the places that we will visit in this blog below:
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Flying Cow Ranch is a recreational farm in Miaoli County that is open for tourists. Activities there include cow milking, pony rides, as well as feeding ducks, goats, and rabbits, making a trip to this farm fun for the whole family.
Background: Flying Cow Ranch was originally created in 1975 by the government, using students that were sent to America to learn the art of raising dairy cows. After they graduated from schools in the US, the government set aside land in Miaoli for a dairy farming model in Taiwan, known as the "Central Taiwan Youth Dairy Farm" (中部青年酪農村). In 1985, it was converted into a recreational farm, and in 1995 it was opened to the public. Hours: 7 AM to 10 PM every day Price: 220 NT per person (including a free dairy product) 50 NT per car Accommodation: 3000-5000 NT per night (1000+ NT per campsite), you can book a room here. Website: https://www.flyingcow.com.tw/en/ How to get there: By Car: From Taipei, take National Freeway 3 to Miaoli and get off at the Tongxiao exit. Then take county road 121 east until you see the signs for Flying Cow Ranch, the Ranch is up the mountain about 2 KM. Car parking is 50 NT, scooter parking is free. By Bus: Take Miaoli Motor Transport bus 5820 from Tongxiao Station two and a half hours(!) to Qixia Bus Station. From there it is a 2 KM walk uphill to the farm! By TRA: You can take the HSR or TRA train to Tongxiao Station, then take the bus or a taxi (300 NT) to the farm. By HSR: You can take the HSR to Miaoli Station, then switch to TRA, or take a taxi directly from the station (about 400 NT). Map: Please see below: 
Huoyanshan (literally Fire Mountain or Mountain of Flames) is a quickly eroding mountain in Miaoli County that has deep canyons and red coloration due to mineral seepage. It's unique landscape is popular with hikers and instagrammers, and also has great views of Taichung and the surrounding area.
Background: Like much of the area around it, Huoyanshan was formed when the land was lifted up due to tectonic factors, but the side of the sandstone mountain has been eroded away by heavy rainfall and the Da'an River creating a large canyon. Discoloration due to laterization (leaching and oxidation due to heavy rain) of minerals in the sediment has made the rocks near the top of the mountain here orange-red. The Mountain at its highest point is 614 meters above sea level, and is one of Taiwan's 100 lesser peaks (小百岳). In 1984, the area was made into a protected nature reserve, andclosed off to the public due to danger from erosion. Now that is reopened, it is a very popular hiking and bird watching destination. Anyone travelling north on National Freeway 1 will have a great view of the mountain on the left as they leave Taichung into Miaoli. Price: Free Hours: 24/7 Time needed to hike (round trip): 3-4 hours, easy hike How to get there: By Car: Travel south on provincial highway 13 in Mioali until you reach Bogongkeng (伯公坑); at that point you can park on the side of the road and head up Bogongkeng Village, the trail head starts at the top of the road. By Bus: Take Hsinchu Bus 5665 from Sanyi TRA station to the Bogongkeng bus stop. Map: Please see below: 
Zhuolan Grand Canyon (aka Zhuolan Gorge) is actually a short river canyon near Zhuolan Township of Miaoli County. The canyon is only a few years old, caused by land uplift during the large 921 earthquake that struck Taiwan. It is a bit off the beaten path, but has incredible views of this new nature made wonder.
Background: The Zhuolan Grand Canyon formed soon after the 921 earthquake on September 21, 1999 when the ground in the area was uplifted by quite a few meters. This combined with later torrential runnoff from Typhoons later created a large gap between both sides of the Da'an River (大安溪), creating a canyon about 300 meters long and nearly 20 meters high in some parts. If it were not for river runoff, the land in the Zhuolan valley would be mountains. The land is constantly being uplifted by tectonic forces, but constant river runoff has cut through the easily eroding soil to create the valley and this canyon. Price: Free How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take county road 140 east out of Zhuolan past the gravel digging area (follow the map below). You can park for free on the side of the road. The walk to the canyon takes 15-20 minutes. By Bus: Take Hsinchu bus no. 5663 from Zhulan to Zhulan Grand Canyon stop. The canyon is about another 30 minute walk from the bus stop. Map: Please see below: 
Longteng Bridge in Sanyi township of Miaoli County is a popular Japanese era bridge that has fallen and been destroyed by numerous earthquakes. The bridge can be reached by road or by rail from Sheng Hsing train station, and is a popular tourist spot in the area.
Background: This bridge was built by the Japanese in 1906. In 1935 the bridge was damaged by an earthquake to the point of being unusable. Another bridge was built soon after just a few meters to the side. In 1991, another earthquake further damaged to bridge to what remains now. Now the remains of the bridge serve as a memorial park for earthquakes in Taiwan. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free How to get there: By little tourist train: You can take the little tourist train from Shenghsing Station to the parking lot at Longteng Bridge. By TRA: Take the TRA to Sanyi train station, then take a taxi to the old bridge (20 min, 10KM). By car/scooter: Take Jianfeng Road in Miaoli to Longxi Raod, and then follow it until you reach the old bridge. There is a free parking lot and ample parking by the roadside. Map: Please see below: 
Miaoli Yingcai Night Market it the largest night market in Miaoli and has some great treats and foods that you would expect from a Taiwan Market. However, the market is only open Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday. Here you can find an authenitic Taiwan night market experience unspoiled from foreign tourists and large crowds.
Background: Before 2010, the night market was located at the Miaoli activity center, after which it was moved to the sports center. Because visitors decreases after moving to the sports center, it was later moved in 2011 to its location today behind the train station on land owned by the farmer's association. Because of a lack of visitors and tourists during the week, the night Market is only open Friday, Saturday and Wednesday. On Sunday, the night market moves to Houlong, where it only opens for that day. Hours: Friday: 6:30-11:30 PM Satruday: 5-10 PM Sunday: Closed. Moves to Houlong Night Market which is open from 5-11 PM. Wednesday: 5-10 PM How to get there: By car/scooter: Take provincial highway 13 to Miaoli City, then turn south on Yingchai Road until you come to the train station. The night market is right in front of the train station. There is parking available on the street and there are some paid parking lots nearby. By train: Take the TRA to Miaoli Station. The night market is right in front of the west entrance across the street. Map: Please see below: 
The Miaoli Hakka Roundhouse is an exhibition center focused on local Hakka culture, as well as a tourist center, performance hall, and DIY art center. It was completed in 2014 and was built to resemble the Tulou Roundouses in Fujian, China. Taiwan has no historical roundhouses. Even if it is not historically accurate, it is a beautiful building with some very educational exhibitions on Hakka culture.
Background: The Hakka people are a subgroup of Han Chinese that migrated from North Central China to southern China to avoid social unrest, occupying now what is Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan. These moves were aided by "guest household" policies during at different times, such as under the Kangxi Emperor. The Hakka people have a distinctive culture and language differing than that of their neighbors, because they came from a different part of China when cultures in the north and south were very divergent. Roundhouses first appeared in China during the late Ming Dynasty (late 1500s). The were built round to match the many round hills in Fujian province. The Hakka people specialized in creating roundhouses, because it helped to centralize the community, create an easy defense against bandits and invaders, and save precious farmland. There are over 3000 roundhouses in Fujian, that attract over 4 million visitors a year. In 2008, the tulou roundhouses in Fujian became a UNESCO world heritage site. During the cold war, the US mistook these roundhouses for nuclear missile silos. Hakka people started moving to Taiwan in the late Ming Dynasty, along with Koxinga and other Ming loyalists. Although there are no historical roundhouses in Taiwan, there are still many square Tulou (土樓) that served similar purposes as roundhouses. The Miaoli Hakka Roundhouse was built in 2014 at a cost of 130 million NT. It was built to resemble the Tulou Roundhouses in Fujian, China. It is 3,400 square meters and has four stories. After its construction, some people criticized the building for not being related to Taiwan Hakka culture. However, the government leaders defended the decision saying represented a fusion of Hakka culture which is a worldwide heritage, and that it was meant to increase tourism in the area. Price: Free Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM, closed Mondays. How to get there: By train/HSR: Take the TRA Train to Fengfu Station, or take the HSR to Miali Station. The roundhouse is within walking distance. By car: Drive to the HSR station in Miaoli. There is paid parking across the street from the roundhouse. Map: Please see below: |
Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
March 2023
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