Easy Family Road Trip

This breathtaking scene became world-famous after Takeshi Kaneshiro’s airline advertisement, and riding a bike through its paths is the best way to see it. Plenty of bike rental stores sit near Mr. Brown Avenue, offering tandem, family, electric, and specialty bicycles. Don’t miss the photo frame at the entrance, the Takeshi tree, Paradise Road swing, and Great View Pavilion.

Luye Highland, Taitung’s largest grassy field, gets its name (“deer wild”) from the herds of deer once seen galloping across it. Grass sleds here make for great family fun as you slide down the green slopes. You can also hike up to the viewing platform, where the unique land formation lets you take in the whole highland — including the Beinan River Valley, Hualien Valley, and colorful river-terrace fields.

Chulu Ranch, Taiwan’s largest sloped ranch, pairs natural scenery with plenty of interactive family activities: a hay bale zone, feeding area, cuddly animal pen, and forest area. Wander the hay bales for an overseas-grassland feel, watch cows graze in the pasture, feed fresh grass to cows or carrots to horses, or even try horseback riding. Afterward, taste the freshest milk and dairy products made right at the ranch, including popsicles, ice cream, cheese, and milk hotpot.

After a full day of activities, discover a different Taitung vibe at night. Fantasy Tiehua, a local market started by musicians and artists, occupies the old Taiwan Railway Company dormitories. Watch aboriginal musicians perform amid music, greenery, and cool evening breezes. The weekend market offers unique handmade items and produce, while weekday evenings bring shopping for handmade goods and original audio publications from around Taiwan — a perfect way to join Taitung’s friendly, passionate lifestyle.

Taitung Railway Art Village blends historic buildings, art, travel, and leisure in one versatile space. Once the 80-year-old Taitung Train Station, it was remodeled while keeping its classic Taiwan Railway look — you’ll still find the original station, platform, railway garage park, turntable, and warehouse. The old waiting room is now the bus transit station and tourist information center, while the village hosts art exhibitions, railway culture info, and gatherings of artists worth visiting.

Just minutes from the city, Taitung Forest Park boasts a large grassy field and lush forest, plus a rich estuary and coastal wetland ecology that make it ideal for bird watching. Its family-friendly bike trail winds through Casuarina forest, connecting Pipa Lake, Flowing Lake, and Yuanyang Lake on a mostly flat, easy path. Expect countless breathtaking forest scenes and a relaxing ride past the clear Pipa Lake, surrounded by greenery under blue skies.

The Taitung Story Museum, just around the corner from Fantasy Tiehua at the intersection of Boai and Tiehua Rd, is one of the hottest check-in spots in town. Housed in a renovated 1950s Japanese building, the roughly 1,000-square-meter museum now works as a bookstore with an open reading space, a “Taitung Section” of local publications, and a family reading area. It also holds a crafts space, a cafe with light food, a succulent plant zone, and a European tableware space, plus a large blueprint-covered installation artwork outside — ideal for cultural events or a leisurely walk.