Taitung

Taitung (臺東 Táidōng) is a city in Southeastern Taiwan.

Understand
Taitung is situated on a small plain between the mountains and the ocean at the southern mouth of the East Rift Valley. This provides Taitung with not only spectacular scenery but also an ocean breeze that makes this tropical city surprisingly comfortable. Taitung was developed by the Japanese in the early part of the 20th century and they were responsible for the construction of the roads and railway to the area. This in turn brought an influx of Han Chinese settlers into the area that already had several indigenous groups, creating a diverse city of indigenous, Hakka, and Hoklo populations.

This uniquely Taiwanese blend is still easily discernible in part because a lot of the recent advances in Taiwan's economy have passed Taitung by. This has prevented Taitung from devouring itself the way more successful cities have. There are still large areas filled with Japanese houses in various states of use and disuse. There are still winding alleyways filled with single-story Chinese-style houses with their unapologetic rustic appearance. There are still neighbourhoods that are largely aboriginal with their own celebrations and unique attributes. One thing that is relatively sparse, however, are 7-Elevens. All this is surrounded by miles of quiet rice fields and orchards. The city has an artistic feel to it and is much more relaxing than other Taiwanese cities.



Politically, Taitung is regarded as a KMT stronghold due to its large indigenous population, though the DPP has made inroads among the younger generation.

By train
By train, Taitung is on the main East Coast express route. From the north, the journey from Taipei takes 5½-7½ hr depending on the type of trains you take. From Hualien, expect about 3 hr. From the south, from Kaohsiung to Taitung on the Southern route, the trip takes from just over 2 hr to a little over 3 hr depending on the type of train. From Tainan, expect about 3 hr.



There are also 2 smaller stations situated within the city:

By plane
By plane, Taitung is served by a local airport with flights to Taipei, Lanyu and Lyudao.

On foot
The main part of Taitung is small and compact enough to make walking a pleasant way to explore the city.

By bus
There are car and scooter rentals near the train station if you have an international drivers license. If not, you can take a bus or taxi to the city which is some distance from either the train station or the airport. Taitung's public transportation is somewhat limited compared with other Taiwanese cities. There are bus routes, while these are inexpensive, the timetables are in Chinese.

The bus 8101 does the Taitung-Sanxiangtal route and can be used for day trips out and back into the city.

By bicycle
Bicycles are a good alternative form of transportation and can be rented at several locations beach side, or near the entrance to the Forest Park at the north end of Jhongshan Rd. For excursions to the attractions on the outskirts of town a taxi may be your best option. Taxis are quite plentiful around the Old Railway Station downtown (near the intersection of Guanming Rd. and Sinsheng Rd.)

Islands

 * Green Island – A quite beautiful island off the east coast near Taitung, featuring one of the world's few saltwater hot springs.

Cycling
Serious cyclists or even moderately serious cyclists will find Taitung a perfect place for cycling. The Taiwanese cyclist already know this and you will find no shortage of them. For anything longer than a casual ride around the city you will need to bring your own bike which is fairly easy thanks to the train. The coastal highway heading north to Hualien is quite popular and has many places for camping and many homestays along the way. The East Rift valley is also a popular ride heading north. For a more strenuous ride Hwy 197 heading north to Luye and Guangshan is a rewarding ride. South from Taitung the strip of land between mountains and the ocean evaporates and the ride winding along the base of the hill is spectacularly picturesque.

Eat
Taitung has an eclectic food culture that reflects the various cultural influences that the city has had. There are good examples of all manner of Taiwanese, Aboriginal, and other East and Southeast Asian food. While many people equate Taiwanese food with street food to do so is a disservice to the food cultures that make up Taiwan and miss out on some great food. Like all Taiwanese cities street food can be found throughout downtown. You might want to try the sugar-apples (釋迦 shìjiā), a local sweet fruit. Thanks to the large number of aboriginal groups in the area there are several different aboriginal restaurants in and around the city. Taitung is also home to a fair number of goat meat restaurants along Jhongjheng Rd.

Best to just walk down the fruit night market (towards the beach), then continue on Zhonghua Road Section 1 until Jhongjheng Road, and finally northwest from there. This should leave you with enough options to choose from.


 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.
 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.
 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.
 * Kasa, 102 Heping (和平) Street (near the junction with Zhonghua Road). A cafe and eatery (with a full bar) specializing in Western dishes such as, bagels, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and curried chicken - an average meal costs around NT$180.

Drink
Taitung's night life has been described as subdued, that may be true however there are of course some bars. What Taitung does have however, is a rather large number of cafes. Since Taitung County actually grows coffee beans it is also possible to find truly local coffee at several establishments.

Stay safe
Taitung is one of the safest places in Taiwan. Like everywhere in Taiwan, be careful in traffic, and avoid confrontations in bars.

Very few people in Taitung speak even a little English, and most of them will expect you to speak Chinese. It is not uncommon to meet people only able to speak Taiwanese.

Sleep
Many places apply a 10-30% surcharge during weekends (Friday and Saturday) and holidays. Expect to pay a lot more during Chinese New Year, up to double price. Ranges below show the lowest (weekday) and highest (Chinese New Year) prices.

If you are looking for a camping option, there is an observation tower between the Forest Park and the beach, see above.

Connect
The iTaiwan Wi-Fi is available virtually everywhere in Taitung.

Go next

 * Chipen (Zhiben) – Popular for its hot springs.
 * Luye – To the north of Taitung in the Inner Rift Valley, it is a great place to drink tea and an especially popular spot for paragliding. Also is a good spot for cycling for the less adventurous.
 * Dulan – To the north of Taitung on the coast, this little village has an abandoned sugar factory that hosts a vibrant artist community as well as a cafe and gift shop. Surfing is to be had at the rather secluded beaches from here on north if you have your own board.
 * Siaoyeliou – Just a couple of kilometers north of Taitung city this beach offers the most beautiful rock formations on the southern coast. The area just north of here is also popular for snorkeling.

Larger cities can be reached by train: It is advised to book trains to Tainan and Taipei in advance, as there are not so many per day, and they can fill up quickly, especially during weekends.
 * Several trains a day to Kaohsiung and then Tainan. For Tainan, about 3 hr and NT$500.
 * Several trains a day to Hualien and then Taipei. To Hualien count about 3 hr, around NT$400.
 * A scenic commuter train leaves to Fangliao for the sunny Kenting National Park in Pingtung County, checkout the information under Taitung County.