Another weekend adventure on a Friday. We now have May Day off in Taiwan. I used to travel around Taiwan on long weekends, but with everything getting more expensive, I sometimes have to settle for day trips.
So this May Day, I decided to ride a YouBike from my neighbourhood to Tainan. I have ridden a YouBike to the Kaohsiung-Tainan border a few times over the past few years. So why not just go all the way and then take a train back?
The first stop of note is the rice fields north of my place. The rice is looking nice and green now.
Ziguan District (梓官區) is the first district to pass through.
There’s not much of note in Ziguan town, but I do enjoy this tree house.
The next stop was the Mituo anti-aircraft tower (彌陀日軍防空塔) in Mituo District. It is a complete “bullet-shaped” (or bell-shaped) concrete anti-aircraft bunker built by the Japanese army near the end of World War II to defend Gangshan Airfield. The airfield is now the Republic of China Air Force Academy.
While I was here, another guy was checking out the tower. He was so happy to see me take an interest in the tower that he offered to take pictures for me. He also introduced me to a special tree near the tower. He also introduced me to a Facebook group about Mituo history. It was awesome to meet someone with the same interests as me.
The next stop was Weixin (維新里) in Yongan District (永安區). It’s a charming little village. It is one of the numerous painted villages in Taiwan. The town is covered in murals. Some are decent, while others are a bit strange. But this antique fish market is my favourite. If you’re passing by, it’s worth stopping by.
Zhuhu Village in Luzhu District (路竹區竹滬) is just off the main road and worth a look around. Especially to check out this building with Romanised Japanese on it. Genkichi Shouten (源吉商店)
50 Pizza is a pizza chain that was quite popular in the early 2000s. There were over 100 stores in Taiwan at the time. Now there are just a handful left.
Qieding (茄萣區) is one of my favourite districts in Kaohsiung. I think because it’s a little far from both Kaohsiung and Tainan, it developed its own architectural style. There are many cool houses and alleys to check out. And a beach is right next to the town, also. You should definitely take some time to explore this wonderful town.
Qieding Nantian New Village (茄萣南天新村) is a Dachen Islander village. Originally, there were 540 residents living in 116 homes. Most of the Dachen Island people have left the village. But you can see the remaining houses to get an idea of what life was like in the 1950s. I’ve written about other Dachen Island villages before, if you want some more information.
At the border.
Wanli 灣裡 is the first village to bike through in Tainan. It was pretty cool. I kind of wish I had spent more time exploring it. I also wish that I had eaten lunch here.
Xishu (喜樹) was the next stop on the ride north. It is an old village with many old houses and alleys to check out. Xishu Old Street (喜樹老街) and the surrounding streets are worth a visit.
Golden Beach (黃金海岸) is a nice 5-kilometer stretch of coastline known for its sandy shores, stunning sunsets, and being a great place to hang out and chill.
Made it to the city. After Xizhu, the ride got a little worse. There were a lot more traffic lights, so a lot more stopping and waiting. However, being in Tainan can never really be bad. There is a lot to see while waiting at the lights.
Tainan Judicial Museum (臺南司法博物館) was the old Tainan courthouse. It was completed in 1914, and I’m not sure when it stopped being one. It’s now a pretty interesting museum and a beautiful building.
The end of the road. Tainan Train Station.
I biked for over 5 hours and for about 62km. As you can see, I had a few stops and side missions, so it can be done a lot faster. I also paused Strava while I ate lunch. It also only cost me 133NT for the Youbike for the whole trip. So pretty cheap for around 6 hours.
I used Strava for the first time, and it really drained my battery. So, I’m not sure if I will use it again.
Overall, I was quite happy with the trip and will be biking to Tainan again in the future, so get ready!
Formosa>Ex 