10 Best Things to Do After Dinner in Taichung

If you arrive in Taichung by high-speed train, you'll catch a glimpse of the giant standing letters "TAICHUNG" just as your train pulls into the station. This installation at Fazi Riverway in Nantun District has recently become something of a hotspot for visitors. The 1.1-mile (1.8 km) Fazi Riverway is the perfect place for an after-dinner stroll in the gentle breeze. There are pavilions along the route if you want to stop for a bit of a rest.

The famous three-dimensional landmark "TAICHUNG" is lit up in different colours at night, completely transforming it from its daytime look and creating a romantic atmosphere on the riverside walk. If you come in the early evening, you'll also get to see the beautiful sunset.

Hidden among the tall buildings in downtown Taichung are many unique rooftop bars where you can chill out with a drink and watch the bustling nighttime scenes below while listening to live music. At some bars you may even find a swimming pool. Rooftop bars in Taichung offer superb views of the city. Some are stylish, low-key bars, while others are late-night bars on the top floor or in the open air on the rooftop of a hotel.

You can listen to live jazz while sipping cocktails or head outside and enjoy the intoxicating night view of Taichung’s Central District. A glimpse of the National Taichung Theatre and the caress of the gentle night breeze, and your troubles will soon be forgotten. Just simply enjoy the moment. Rooftop bars are extremely popular, so reserving a table is recommended.

Located in the Central District of Taichung, Lyu-Chuan Waterway was once a polluted canal. Thanks to a restoration project initiated by the local government, it's been transformed into a hugely popular attraction with its design centred around the themes of nature and art, its ecological landscapes and its surrounding historical architecture. The waterway won the Good Design Award in Japan in 2018. Along the Green Waterway, leafy trees and hanging plants provide shade for daytime passers-by.

At night, rows of lights with changing designs make you feel as if you're walking in a sea of lights by the Kamo River in Japan, earning it the nickname "Little Kyoto Waterway". After nightfall, the contrasting shapes of the lights cast their radiant colours on the water, creating a magical spectacle that attracts many visitors.

Maple Garden in Xitun District, Taichung City, is also known as Maple Plaza, while the locals refer to it as Maple Valley. Situated in Taichung's 7th Redevelopment Zone, this 7.4-acre (3 ha) detention basin park includes a thriving forest, a lake, vast green spaces and a scenic bridge. Nicknamed the "lung of the city", it's a very popular spot with locals.

By day, it's great for sports, leisure, relaxation or a picnic. As night falls, you get to see a whole new side to its charismatic charm. Located in the Central District of Taichung, Maple Garden is surrounded by high-rise buildings that are lit up in various colours at night. Strolling along the park's enchantingly illuminated paths is like walking in a sea of lights, and it's a terrific spot to head for a walk after dinner.

The term "blue highway" conjures up images of being ferried on water, but the blue highway in Dadu District, Taichung City is actually on land. As night falls, the street lights are lit up like sapphires, stretching all the way to the city nightscape in the distance like a dazzling sapphire necklace, hence the name Dadu Blue Highway.

Officially known as Huanan Road, this 2.5-mile (4 km) highway passes in front of the Taichung Motor Vehicles Office, zigzagging its way from the mountain down to the city. The highway's beauty is most irresistible at sunset when the royal blue lights are lit up one by one to create a spectacle that attracts large numbers of keen photographers and enthusiastic fans of night views. Watch out for vehicles in the area as they can be travelling quite fast.

When you visit the temple of Yue Lao, the deity of marriage, there are other things to do besides praying for a good match and asking the divine to help you find your ideal partner and marital bliss. The Yue Lao Temple in Shalu, Taichung, isn't just a place where devotees pray to find their match, it's also where people go to admire the night sky with its many stars and bright moon and the city lights below. The magnificent nightscape has made this a hotspot for locals to enjoy the wonders of the night in quiet solitude.

Though this Yue Lao Temple may be small, it's located at an altitude that offers a commanding and unobstructed panoramic view of its surroundings, allowing you to take in the enchanting night views of Taichung City and, at the same time, take advantage of its mountainside location where there's less light pollution to gaze at the stars and the moon. If you want a unique after-dinner experience, take a drive up the mountain to this Yue Lao Temple to enjoy the beauty of the night sky and the bright lights of the city below for a perfect end to your day.

Located in the Central District of Taichung, Liuchuan Canal Waterfront is one of two scenic waterfront corridors in Taichung City. Once heavily polluted, the canal was given a new lease of life when the local government implemented an urban renewal project to transform it into a waterscape filled with scenic ponds, viewing platforms, greenery and lighting. Weeping willows and other trees have been planted on both banks of the canal, while art installations decorate the surrounding spaces. The revitalised waterfront is now a popular recreation spot, earning it the nickname "Cheonggyecheon of Taichung" after its namesake in Seoul, South Korea.

Liuchuan Canal Waterfront is a great place to visit during the day or at night. By day, enjoy the casual and relaxed atmosphere as the water sparkles against a backdrop of blue sky and white clouds while the koi swim leisurely in the water. When night falls, the exquisitely designed light structures illuminate the water, green trees and weeping willows on both sides of the canal to create a more romantic mood. If you've got the time, take a stroll down Liuchuan Canal Waterfront after dinner to experience its charm after nightfall.

Said to be one of the most beautiful forest gardens in Central Taiwan, Taichung Dongshih Forest Garden is a vast forest recreational park and a showcase for recreational agriculture. Sitting at altitudes of between 1,640 feet (500 metres) to 2,300 feet (700 metres), the park covers an area of 630 acres (255 ha). It boasts a wide variety of forest features and a diverse collection of biological species with cherry blossoms, paulownia, maple and plum blossoms blooming at different times of the year to paint the forest in different colours throughout all four seasons. The forest is best known for its fireflies and insect biodiversity including butterflies, stag beetles and rhinoceros beetles. It's a naturally scenic spot where you can enjoy flowers, natural landscapes, wildlife and forest bathing, all in one place.

One of the highlights of Dongshih Forest Garden is its nighttime guided eco-tour. Amidst the cool night breeze and croaking of frogs, venture deep into the forest to observe the insects and flora unique to this mountainous area for an unforgettable experience. If you want to see dancing fireflies, you can plan your visit to coincide with the firefly season, which runs from March to April every year, and take a nighttime firefly watching tour organised by a special guide.

Basianshan (literally "Eight Immortals Mountain"), one of Taiwan's 100 tallest peaks, is located in the Basianshan Forest Recreation Area in Heping, Taichung. It stands 7,763 feet (2,366 metres) high and is the watershed between the Dajia River and Wu River. In this tranquil environment with low levels of light pollution and human development as well as clear, clean waters, various species of fireflies are in abundance, making it an ideal scenic spot to go firefly watching in Central Taiwan. Besides the common black-winged fireflies, you can also find a variety of other firefly species in Basianshan, including the red-breasted black-winged fireflies which give off a red glow and the tiny but cute Curtos sauteri fireflies. Few places can compare to Basianshan in terms of species diversity.

The Basianshan Nature Education Centre organises firefly watching activities almost every year during summer. Professional guides will take you to the fireflies' habitat to learn about the natural ecology of these creatures and enjoy the spectacle of little fluorescent lights darting about in the forest at night. These activities are extremely popular and places tend to fill up almost as soon as registration opens. If you want to secure your place, you have to act fast, otherwise you'll have to wait another year.

A large cliff at a high point of the Dadu Plateau, Wanggaoliao (also known as "Wangtiankan" and "Ancient Eastern Sea Fort") offers visitors to Nantun, Taichung, a panoramic and unobstructed view overlooking Taichung City and its harbour as well as Changhua Plain south of Dadu River. A great spot for watching the sun set and for stargazing, Wanggaoliao is one of the highest nighttime viewing spots in Taichung and offers expansive views of the city at night. Wanggaoliao used to be a no-go area due to its remote location. However, the decision by local government to open a police station here and build a park for people to enjoy the nighttime scenery transformed the area into a popular spot where you can enjoy the views with peace of mind

Many choose to visit the park just before sunset to first watch the sun as it sinks slowly into the sea and then enjoy the city lights at night. As the sky gets progressively darker, the lights become brighter and more dazzling until the entire surroundings are enveloped in the cover of night. Relax and watch the captivating nighttime scene unfold in the city below the mountain.