Our Travel Guide to Yunlin 雲林旅遊懶人包

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Yunlin is a rural county in western Taiwan that for many expats is simply a large landmass on their way to another destination. However, there are many worthwhile places to visit here, such as interesting historical sites, natural beauty, and rich culture worth exploring. 
Below I will list some of the best places in Yunlin that I have visited. I will be sure to update this blog as I visit more places later. 

□️ Planning your trip to Yunlin? □

Here are some top travel tips for you:

• Best time to visit: Winter when temperatures are cooler and there is less rain
• How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
• Best places to stay: Ai Ni Ya Hotel or Grand Earl Hotel which are great value choices located downtown.
• Book tours and activities in Yunlin on Klook
• Stay connected with a local SIM
• Rent a car to explore distant sights

Historical Background:

Before Han Chinese settlement, Yunlin was inhabited by native peoples. During the Dutch era in Taiwan in the 1600s, Chinese farmers first began to move here. One notable Chinese pioneer was Yan Siqi (also known as Pedro Chino, or the Pioneer King of Taiwan). He created a settlement in Ponkan (modern day Beigang, Yunlin) and recruited over 3000 farmers from Fujian and nearby regions in China to come farm in Taiwan. He also had 13 ships and a merchant trade and formed an alliance with the local indigenous population. 
Dutch and Chinese farmers introduced mango, sweet potato, pineapple, and many other crops to Taiwan at this time.
During the Qing Dynasty, Yunlin became its own county under governor Liu Mingchuan. The most economically important town, Douliu, continued to be the center of commerce in the Japanese era, and the area was combined with Tainan County.
In 1950 Yunlin became its own county again, and Douliu was upgraded to a city. Douliu is unique because it is the largest city in Yunlin, but is not named after Yunlin County like all the other largest cities in each county (there is no Yunlin City).
Currently, Yunlin's economy is mainly composed of agriculture and fishing. 
The population of Yunlin County is about 650,000 and continues to drop every year due to emigration, with young people moving to bigger cities for work opportunities. In addition, the area is underdeveloped compared with other places in Taiwan. ​

How to get around in Yunlin?

As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Yunlin by taking the train, inter-city bus, or local bus (there is no MRT in Yunlin). Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. ​

​By Scooter:

Looking for scooter rental in Yunlin? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. ​

By Car:

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/Train: ​

​You can book tickets to travel to Yunlin via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Yunlin via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  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. ​

​Basic Yunlin Travel Tips:

• There is no need to tip in Taiwan. It is not part of the culture here.
• Taiwan uses the New Taiwan Dollar, and many transactions such as for street food still require cash. For more information, check out our guide to the New Taiwan Dollar here. 
• Get yourself a SIM card or portable WiFi such as from Klook here or KKday here so you can stay connected and don't get lost in the city.
• Get travel insurance in case of unforeseen events. You can compare prices on Insubuy here. 
• The electrical voltage is 110V.
• Get yourself an Easy Card, so you can travel easily on the MRT, Train, HSR, Youbike, and even shop at convenience stores. You can also book a Taiwan travel pass on Klook here. 
• For more travel tips, check out our foreigner survival guide here. 

When should you go to Yunlin?

In my opinion, the best weather in Yunlin is from October - March, when the temperatures stay around 26 degrees Celsius and there is not as much rain.
Summers are also nice, with the most sunny weather, but also hot and rainy. 
Winters can be cold and windy but usually dry. 
Overall, there is no wrong answer as to what time of year you should visit Yunlin. You will have a great time here at any time of year. ​

​Where to stay:

We have stayed at and recommend Ai Ni Ya Hotel, with great quality and service right in downtown Beigang (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).
We also recommend the Grand Earl Hotel, a high class hotel in central Douliu (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here)
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Tours in Yunlin: ​

Tours and activities in Yunlin include Janfusun Fancy World Amusement Park, Kite Surfing, Tree Climbing , Chaoyang Green Energy Farm, Sam Siu Garden, Pink Castle Park, Gukeng Green Tunnel, Caoling Highway, and more. 
You can find more tours of Yunlin on Klook here or KKday here. ​

Yunlin Tourist Sites Map:

You can see a map of all the places that we will visit in this blog below:

 

You can also see some drone footage of Yunlin below.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

​List of Places and foods we will cover in this blog:

• Beigang Old Street 北港老街
  
• ​Beigang Water Cultural Park 北港水道頭文化園區
  
• Beigang Chaotian Temple 北港朝天宮
  
• ​Beigang Sugar Factory 北港糖廠
  
• ​Beigang River Iron Bridge 北港溪鐵橋
  
• Beigang Spring Living Museum 北港春生活博物館
  
• Douliu Taiping Old Street 斗六太平老街
  
• ​Egg rice or Dàn fàn (蛋飯)
  
• Wǎn guǒ (碗粿) ​
  
• Douliu Night Market 斗六觀光夜市
  
• Oyster Omelet 蛤仔煎
  
• Taixi 台西
  
• Taixi Night Market 台西夜市
  
• ​Taiwan Steak, egg, and noodles 牛排麵及炒蛋​
  
• Xiluo Bridge 西螺大橋
  
• Xiluo Yanping Old Street 西螺延平老街大橋 ​
  
• Zhen Wen Academy 振文書院
  
• Erlun Story House 二崙故事屋
  
• Liao Family House 廖家古厝 - The Story of an Average Abandoned Farmhouse in Taiwan
  
• Tuku Sugar Railway Bike Path 土庫糖鐵道自行車道
  
• Qingpu Cypress Grove 青埔落羽松秘境
• Huwei Iron Bridge 虎尾鐵橋
  

Let's get this list started!

Beigang Old Street 北港老街

Beigang was once the second largest city in Taiwan, second only to Tainan City, and was central Taiwan's most important maritime trading post. After the silting of the Beigang River, the town mostly relies on agriculture for its economy, but Beigang Old Street is also one of the most important religious sites in Taiwan due to the worship of Mazu in Beigang Chaotian Temple. Besides the temple, there are also many food and shopping options nearby. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to central Taiwan...(read more)​

Beigang Water Cultural Park 北港水道頭文化園區

The Beigang Water Cultural Park is the last remaining intact Japanese architectural site in Beigang. Built in 1930, it included a 20 meter octagonal water tower, reservoirs, and employee dormitories that still stand today. It is a great place to dive into Taiwan's past and sits right next to Beigang Old Street...(read more)​

Beigang Chaotian Temple 北港朝天宮

Beigang Chaotian Temple is one of the most important temples in Taiwan. In 1700 Chen Lixun donated to build the "Penkan Tianfei Temple," now the "Beigang Chaotian Temple 北港朝天宮." The temple housed a statue of Mazu brought from Meizhou in Fujian. Soon, it became the most important temple in the area. The temple has undergone reconstruction in 1730, 1770, and 1884. Currently the temple sees more than a million visitors a year and is considered one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan, and is part of the annual Mazu pilgrimage...(read more) ​

Beigang Sugar Factory 北港糖廠

Beigang Sugar Factory is a defunct sugar factory in Yunlin that is now being converted into an art and exhibition space. You can also find the Taisugar Ice Cream Shop here. It is a great place to enjoy the history and culture of the area...(read more) ​

Beigang River Iron Bridge 北港溪鐵橋

Beigang Iron Bridge is the longest bridge ever built by the Taiwan Sugar Company, that used to connect sugar fields in Chiayi to the Beigang Sugar Factory. Unfortunately, the bridge was washed away in floodwaters during Typhoon Sinlaku in 2008.
Currently a new "Daughter Bridge" has been completed to connect the two sides, and further construction is expected to connect the two sides of the river via pedestrian walkways by 2025..(read more)

Beigang Spring Living Museum 北港春生活博物館

Beigang Spring Living Museum showcases traditional carpentry culture in Beigang Township of Yunlin. It includes elegant Hinoki wood carvings as well as local art installations. There are also many interesting historical sites nearby. Visitors can engage in DIY woodworking activities, enjoy outdoor leisure areas, and partake in detailed instructional courses, making it an immersive destination to appreciate and learn about traditional carpentry in Taiwan...(read more)

Douliu Taiping Old Street 斗六太平老街

Taiping Old Street in Douliu is a well-preserved historic area with century-old baroque-style buildings dating back to the Japanese era of Taiwan. Here you can find many restaurants that serve local snacks and delicacies such as squid soup, taro ball soup, spring onion pancakes, and more. It is usually a popular and busy spot, especially on holidays and weekends...(read more) ​

Egg rice or Dàn fàn (蛋飯)

At Taiping Old Street, we tried this bowl of egg rice or Dàn fàn (蛋飯) in Mandarin, which is just scrambled egg and rice. Also delicious. ​

Wǎn guǒ (碗粿) ​

At Taiping Old Street, we also tried this Wǎn guǒ (碗粿) in Mandarin, or uánn-kué in Taiwanese, which is gluttonous rice served with pork. It was good.

​Douliu Night Market 斗六觀光夜市

Douliu Tourist Night Market is the largest night market in Yunlin County and the largest night market in Taiwan by number of stalls available. Even though it is only open three nights a week, there are hundreds of stalls that feed thousands of people when it is open. Popular foods here include Taiwanese steak and eggs, sausage, stinky tofu, and many other Taiwanese night market staples...(read more)​

​Oyster Omelet 蛤仔煎

At Douliu Night Market we also had some Oyster Omelet ​蛤仔煎 that was rather crispy, something rare outside of Qijin Island. 

Taixi 台西

You've heard of Taipei (Tainorth 臺北) Taichung (Taimiddle 臺中) Taitung (Taieast 臺東) and Tainan (Taisouth 臺南), but what about Taixi (Taiwest 臺西)? It exists. It's a small coastal township in Yunlin County, with the main industry there being oyster harvesting. There isn't much to see here besides oyster farms and wetlands, but I still recommend going there at least once for bucket list checking purposes...(read more)​

Taixi Night Market 台西夜市

Taixi Night Market is a small night market operating only on Saturdays in rural Taixi Township. Here you will not find any other foreign tourists and you can enjoy a truly local small town night market experience...(read more)
​

Taiwan Steak, egg, and noodles 牛排麵及炒蛋​

The main meal we had at Taixi Night Market was the night market steak, egg, and noodles, a Taiwan staple. ​

Xiluo Bridge 西螺大橋

You check out Xiluo Great Bridge on the north side of Xiluo Town. 
Xiluo Bridge (aka Xiluo Great Bridge) was once the second-longest bridge in the world and connects Yunlin County to Changhua County across the Zhuoshui River. Here you can also find a large public square and grassy park which is free for everyone to enjoy. It is one of Taiwan's historical landmarks that you should not miss...(read more)​

​Xiluo Yanping Old Street 西螺延平老街大橋 ​

You can also check out Xiluo Old Street which is right next door. ​
Yanping Old Street (aka Xiluo Old Street) is a well-preserved historical part of Xiluo Township of Yunlin County dating back to the Kingdom of Tungning, the Qing Dynasty, and the Japanese era of Taiwan. Here you can find historical landmarks as well as good food and cultural attractions. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Yunlin...(read more)

Zhen Wen Academy 振文書院

You should check out Zhenwen Academy which is right next to the old street in Xiluo. 
Zhenwen Academy (aka Jhen Wen Academy or Chenwen Academy) is a Qing Dynasty Civil Servant Academy in Xiluo Township of Yunlin dating back to the 1700s, and the only such Academy in Yunlin County that has survived to the current day. It now sits as a cultural and historical landmark, alongside with ​Nantian Academy-Yide Branch. It is important to the local people as a religious and scholarly site, especially for local students. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Yunlin...(read more)

Erlun Story House 二崙故事屋

Erlun Story House (formerly Erlun Police Station) was the first police station built in Yunlin County in 1899. It acted as both a police station and a dormitory for police officers​. Now it has been renovated and converted into a communal space to tell the stories of Yunlin's history. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Yunlin...(read more)

Liao Family House 廖家古厝 - The Story of an Average Abandoned Farmhouse in Taiwan

This abandoned and decaying house is nothing special; there are thousands of similar abandoned houses throughout Taiwan, especially in rural areas. However, its story perhaps can shed some light on the individual struggles of the Taiwanese people as well as the changes going on in Taiwan society as a whole...(read more)

Tuku Sugar Railway Bike Path 土庫糖鐵道自行車道

The Tuku Sugar Railway is a bicycle path converted from an old sugar railway in rural Yunlin. The path is about 9 KM long, and along the way, you can see many historic sites and tourist factories. It is definitely worth a trip if you are in the area...(read more)​

Qingpu Cypress Grove 青埔落羽松秘境

Qingpu Cypress (Dawn Redwood) Grove in Huwei, Yunlin County is a beautiful place to enjoy fall colors. There are many places like this in rural Taiwan that have recently become hot spots for Instagrammers. Normally, Taiwanese people would have to travel overseas to see cypress trees in fall colors, but now thanks to many independent farmers in Taiwan, these cypress groves make it easier for Instagrammers to take amazing European-like photos every year from November to February...(read more)

Huwei Iron Bridge 虎尾鐵橋

Huwei Iron Bridge, also known as Huwei Sugar Factory Bridge, is an old railway bridge dating back to the Japanese rule of Taiwan in 1907. The bridge is nearly half a kilometer long and is now part of the Huwei Sugar Factory Riverside Park. Popular activities here include cycling, jogging, and taking selfies. It is a great place to enjoy the history and beauty of the local area...(read more)

Places we missed:

• Janfusun Fancy World Amusement Park
• Kite Surfing
• Tree Climbing 
• Chaoyang Green Energy Farm
• Sam Siu Garden
• Pink Castle Park
• Gukeng Green Tunnel
• Caoling Highway
• Wunian Qiansui Park 五年千歲公園
• Kouhu Visitor Center 口湖遊客中心
• Xinglong Towel Tourist Factory 興隆毛巾觀光工廠
• Fuji Cypress Secret Spot No. 28 富士春落羽松-堀頭28秘境
• Mother Goose Bubble Paradise 鵝媽媽 鵝童樂園
• Gukeng Green Tunnel Park 古坑綠色隧道公園
• 10,000 Year Canyon 萬年峽谷
• Caoling 921 Earthquake Memorial Place 草嶺九二一大地震紀念地
• Hushan Dam 湖山水庫

You can find more tours and activities in Yunlin and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Is there anywhere else in Hsinchu that we missed? Let us know in the comments.
Hsinchu is huge and full of fun and exciting places not mentioned in this blog. Get out there and explore for yourself!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more guides on Taiwan to come!

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.