Traveling Around Taiwan by Train | Day 2: From Taoyuan to Taichung and Tainan. Riken Yamamoto and SANAA Architecture and Market Gourmet via High-Speed Rail

Day 2 | Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan | Friday, December 26, 2025
Starting from a capsule hotel in Terminal 2 of Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. I arrived late at night, or rather early in the morning, so I woke up having barely slept. I left the accommodation at 7:30 AM to start my day.

Taoyuan

Withdrawing cash from an ATM using Revolut

Since becoming a Revolut user this summer, it has become a routine for me to find an ATM at the local airport and withdraw cash. Taipei has plenty of information and easy-to-understand guides, so I felt at ease. I withdrew about 2000 TWD (9,915 yen). (Though I didn't end up using it all.)

Breakfast is airport McDonald's

Having worked part-time at McDonald's during my university days, I am the type of person who wants to visit McDonald's at least once when traveling abroad. While many menu items are universal, there are also local exclusives, and above all, it serves as a parameter to gauge the cost of living. I feel like the breakfast menu in Taiwan was almost the same.

I ordered the Sausage Egg McMuffin set with a hot coffee, which cost 112 TWD (556 yen), so it was almost the same as in Japan. The taste is also unchanged. Delicious. This is usually what I eat when I have to eat early at Haneda Airport for training.

Riken Yamamoto / Taoyuan Children's Art Museum

I took the MTR from the airport to Taoyuan Station.
The concept for this trip was to experience the sights and specialties of each city little by little while traveling around by train, and I also had the goal of seeing architecture by Japanese architects.

The art museum in Taoyuan City, where the airport is located, was designed by architect Riken Yamamoto, who is a Pritzker Prize winner. There are two buildings separated by a road; the one on the left is the Children's Art Museum, and the one on the right is a library currently under construction. The Children's Art Museum was open. I had checked it out at Riken Yamamoto's exhibition at the Yokosuka Museum of Art and decided to visit it on this trip.

Mr. Yamamoto is one of the architects who is conscious of creating communities. He advocates for a form of architecture that is rooted in the local area. I think that once this art museum and the library are both completed, they will become a central place for Taoyuan City.
I walked around the characteristic roof-like slopes and the area around the entrance. I plan to visit again when the library opens.

From HSR Taoyuan to HSR Taichung

I will travel from HSR Taoyuan using the Taiwan High Speed Rail. Since I am going around in a counter-clockwise direction this time, I will first head south using the Shinkansen. Taichung is a place I visited during my trip to Taiwan before last. This is my second time riding the Shinkansen since then.

I passed through the ticket gate using the QR code purchased on the app and headed to the platform.
Taiwan's railways use Japanese trains. The high-speed rail is built almost exactly like the Japanese Shinkansen, creating scenery that makes you feel like you are in Japan.

• HSR Taoyuan 11:34 → HSR Taichung 12:15

Taichung

Arrived at HSR Taichung Station, heading to TRA Taichung Station

I will transfer from HSR Taichung Station to the conventional line to head to TRA Taichung Station.

The TRA station buildings feel more like the image of Taiwanese railways than the high-speed rail stations, don't they? I'll take a bus from in front of the station to get to my lunch destination.

Shanhe Braised Pork Rice at the Second Market

In Taichung, first is Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan). I headed to Shanhe Braised Pork Rice, a famous shop representing Taichung's Second Market. It was a place with a line of local people. I bought it with miso soup. 110 TWD, cash only.
It comes served with a large chunk of meat on top. Contrary to its impactful appearance, the seasoning wasn't heavy, and the meat was satisfying and delicious. The miso soup tasted very similar to Japanese miso soup, with a slightly milder flavor that was comforting. It's a classic local gourmet spot.

SANAA / Taichung Green Museumbrary

After eating Lu Rou Fan, I head to my goal in Taichung: the newly opened SANAA architecture. A classic early-trip mishap. I wasn't sure if the bus route I looked up on Google Maps matched the actualbus that arrived, so I let about two of them pass by...I ended up waiting for about 40 minutes and got quite anxious, but I successfully boarded a bus that stopped at the stop right in front of me.

Born as a new spot in Taichung,the "Taichung Green Museumbrary". Designed by the architectural unit SANAA, it is a massive cultural facility that integrates a library and an art museum. With a structure where eight buildings are interconnected,the functions of the library and art museum are seamlesslylinked.

I have been visiting SANAA's works around the world for 10 years, and I was able to visit one in Taiwan as well.
Ah, it's so SANAA! It features a light and transparent design based on white, and the exterior is characterized by various large and small "white boxes" overlapping.

It was at a stage where even the locals were coming to see the newly opened facility with a sense of curiosity. Places like the library, multipurpose hall, and media rooms felt like facilities for the residents rather than for tourists. I'm so envious!

From HSR Taichung to HSR Tainan while eating an HSR bento

I took a free bus from the Taichung Green Museumbrary to a nearby MTR station, returned to the HSR station from there, and my Taichung sightseeing ended. There were more famous places I wanted to visit, but maybe next time; I'm satisfied that I was able to visit the two must-see spots this time.

I passed through the ticket gate and bought an HSR bento for dinner at the concourse.
The TRA bento seems to be more famous, and there were slightly more customers there, while the HSR side was emptier. Ginger-fried pork bento. 120 TWD. It had plenty of vegetables.

• HSR Taichung 18:25 → HSR Tainan 19:06

Tainan

Arrived at HSR Tainan, heading to TRA Tainan Station

I arrived at HSR Tainan Station in about 45 minutes. It's fast, but the high-speed rail line ends here. From Tainan onwards, I will be traveling by TRA express train.

From here, I need to take a local train to get to Tainan Station, where my accommodation is. It takes about 20 minutes on a local train to reach Tainan Station. It seems that the TRA is undergoing underground construction, and the ground-level platforms will eventually disappear.

Accommodation in Tainan | Tainan Dynasty Hotel

My accommodation for the second night is a hotel within a 10-minute walk from Tainan Station. My impression is that accommodation costs are cheaper in cities outside of Taipei.

The Dynasty Hotel cost TWD 1,350 (JPY 6,766) per night (room only). It feels like a typical hotel where business travelers would stay. It's old, but it was spacious and the only one on this trip that had a bathtub.

Today, I'm just arriving and going to sleep. If there's a bathtub, I'll take a bath first thing. From the next morning, I'll go sightseeing in Tainan and then head further south to Kaohsiung.
To be continued