Hengchun Airport (also known as Kenting Airport or HCN) has had no commercial flights in the past 10 years due to strong katabatic crosswinds coming down from the mountains. Now it just sits there in the middle of Hengchun (near Kenting), a giant waste of taxpayer money. Do not go there. 

Background:
Hengchun Airport was completed in 2004 to provide greater access to the Hengchun Peninsula especially from population centers like Taipei and Taichung. 
Commercial flights ran regularly until 2007 when Taiwan's high-speed rail was completed. In 2014, the last airport mostly stopped passenger flights. 
In 2019 the last passenger flight route to the airport was cancelled. 
Talks have been ongoing on what to do with the airport. It has been considered to give the military control of the airport, although there are not yet concrete plans to do so. 
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Hours:
Permanently closed 

Tours and Activities in Pingtung:
There are many activities available in Pingtung, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. 
You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. 

Accommodation:
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Kenting, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. 

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 1 south to the bottom of Taiwan until you reach Hengchun. The airport is on the right just before you enter the city. 
Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options.
You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  ​
By Bus: You can reach Mudan from Pingtung Bus 1773, but it will take over three hours. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map:
Please see below:

Taoyuan's Airport Alley (aka Lane 234, Chunghua Road, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City 桃園市大園區中華路234巷, or Dayuan Puxin Village Airplane Alley 大園埔心里飛機巷）is a small road along the south side of Taoyuan Airport that is a popular place for plane spotters, aviation enthusiasts, and photographers. It is one of the best views of airplanes at Taiwan's largest and busiest airport. 

Please note this place is not to be confused with Airplane Alley in Songshan, Taipei. 

Historical Background:
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (aka Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, or TPE) serves mainly northern Taiwan including Taipei City and is the largest and busiest airport in Taiwan.
The Taoyuan International Airport opened in 1979, due to overcrowding in the smaller Songshan Airport in Taipei City, and was part of the Ten Major Construction Projects under President Chiang Ching-kuo. The airport was originally named after his father, former president Chiang Kai-shek, but was changed to the Taoyuan International Airport in 2006. 
Currently, China Airlines, EVA Airlines, Starlux Airlines, and Tigerair Taiwan have their headquarters at Taoyuan International Airport. 
Terminal 2 in Taoyuan International Airport was opened in 2000 due to more overcrowding.
Terminal 3 is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2026. A fourth terminal is also planned. 
In 2019 the airport saw over 48 million passengers and 265,000 aircraft. ​

Airplane Alley, officially Lane 234 of Chunghua Road, is a small road in Puxin Village of Dayuan District in Taoyuan City. It is a small road that connects the south side of the Taoyuan Airport to the north side. 
Due to its proximity to the airport, there are no tall buildings nearby obstructing the view, but there is the National Freeway 2 Bridge. 
Specifically, airplanes flying over the road are landing on the 05L runway at Taoyuan Airport.  
There are usually lots of people here on weekends, but there is enough room for everyone to watch the airplanes. 

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Places to eat / restaurants at Taoyuan Airport:
Terminal 1:
Before Security: B1 Food Court (including Burger King), 1F Subway, 3F Food Court (including Starbucks)
After Security: 3F Departure Hall 
Terminal 2:
Before Security: B2 Food Court, 1F (two coffee shops only), 4F Food Court, 5F Old Street Food Court
​After Security: 3F Departure Hall, 4F Departure Hall
For full food options in the Taoyuan Airport in Chinese, check out this article here. 

Where to stay:
Looking for the best hotels near Taoyuan Airport? We recommend the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport which has great service and is conveniently located right next to Taoyuan Airport, the MRT, and HSR station (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).  
We also recommend the Fullon Hotel Taoyuan which also has great service and is located in downtown Taoyuan City (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).  
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Activities in Taoyuan:
Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, Mountain Climbing, Cycling, High Ropes, Ziplining, Archery, Vietnamese BBQ, Batting Cages, Glamping, Van Camping, Photo Shoot, Turkish Mosaic DIY, Thai Massage, Painting, Baking, Go Karting, Imax Theater, Japanese Style Buffet, Tourist Factory Experience, peach and fruit picking, Ring-making DIY, handmade popsicle DIY, and more on on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

How to get there
By Car/Taxi: Take National Freeway 2 to Taoyuan Airport, then take the next exit and drive on the small backroad (Lane 234 of Chunghua Road) to the airplane watching area. There is free parking on the side of the road. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search  Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. 
Time: about 40 minutes one way.
Price: About 2000 NT one way. 
By Scooter: From Taoyuan, take Provincial Highway 4 to the airport, then drive to Lane 234 of Chunghua Road to the airplane watching area. There is free parking on the side of the road. 
Looking for scooter rental in Taoyuan? Search Klook here or KKday here to look for options.
Time: about 1.5 hours one way from Taipei.
Price: A full tank of gas (150 NT) one way. You will not be able to take much luggage.
By MRT (Mass Rapid Transit): To get to Taoyuan International Airport from Taipei Main Station, take the airport MRT to Dayuan Station. The airplane alley is then about a 20 minute walk from the station. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. 
Time: about 40 minutes one way.
Price: About 160 NT one way. 
By HSR (High Speed Rail): Take the HSR to Taoyuan HSR Station, then switch to the Airport MRT and go to Dayuan Station. The airplane alley is then about a 20 minute walk from the station. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. You can book tickets to the high-speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here.  
Time: about 40 minutes one way.
Price: About 180 NT one way. 
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Map:
Check out the map of the plane watching spot below: