Many people are familiar with Taipei for its cosmopolitan landscape, cutting-edge fashion trends and the latest snack fads. But just south of the capital, in the central region, is a complete change of pace.

Taichung is home to rolling hills, crazy art and, with peaks touching the skies, it is also one of the best places in Taiwan to go sun chasing.

BUBBLE, BUBBLE

Also unique to Taichung is the original bubble tea shop. The first bubble tea was shaken to life in 1987 at the Chan Shui Tang shop located at No 30 Siwei Street, West District. Chan Shui Tang branches can be found all over Taiwan and even in Tokyo. But the original shop still stands today in Taichung.

The shop isn’t strictly a tea shop. It also serves meals, such as braised beef noodles and dim sum, so you don’t have to worry about having your meal first before heading down.

The shop also holds classes for people who want to make their own bubble tea. You’ll be taught to hone all of your senses to brew the perfect bubble tea. Book your slot ahead at chunshuitang.com.tw.

IT’S A COLOURFUL LIFE

Take a drive to the outskirts of the city to Caihongjuan Village or Rainbow Village, and see how 93 years of experience can be expressed in colours.

In 2008, Mr Huang, a resident, took to his brushes when he heard the village would be demolished to make way for newer developments. From a single wall in his house, his paintings grew into a techni-coloured village that soon became the talk of the town.

As petitions poured in from the locals and tourists, the government bowed to pressure and declared Rainbow Village a protected zone. The 93-year-old Mr Huang still lives in his cottage and touches up the walls and floors whenever he is not posing for photos with tourists.

COME FLY WITH ME

Taichung is also a popular stopover for notable sights, such as Sun Moon Lake, Alishan and Cingjing. We opted to visit Cingjing for this trip.

Located 1,570m above sea level, the weather in Cingjing is a balmy 15°C to 23°C all year round, which makes it a good destination for hikers. But if you prefer, most minsu or homestay have drivers that will take you to your destination for S$5 per trip within Cingjing. The best thing to do here is to stroll leisurely and fill your Instagram account with the picturesque landscape.

Places to visit in Cingjing include The Old England. You can have afternoon tea in the English-styled property without staying there (rooms can cost up to S$600 per night).

There is also Cingjing Farm to catch sheep frolicking in the meadows, Little Swiss Garden for the inner botanist in you, and Carton King for a little bit of wacky. Almost everything, from the ceiling tiles to tables and chairs, are made out of paper.

Highly recommended is the Patisserie a la Montagne, a quaint cafe that seemed to have leapt out of Hayao Miyazaki’s animations. Come here for the pastries and fruit teas, but stay for the view of clouds streaming under your feet. To get there, walk past The Old England through its car park and discover a tiny walkway. Follow the tarred road to the Patisserie a la Montagne. You’ll thank us for it.

SUN CHASING

From Cingjing, book a tour to catch the sunrise at Hehuan Shan. At 3,416m, it is the first peak to catch the morning sun, so said our tour guide.

Awoken at 3am, we were driven to a lookout point where we were shown the Milky Way and various stars. In the minutes that we stood there, we counted seven shooting stars. The minivan then drove up a winding road to our first vantage point.

What started as a leisurely morning suddenly took on a more interesting pace. In our guide Mr Liu’s zealousness to bring us to myriad locations where the sun would shine next, the adrenaline didn’t stop until our last destination (we covered four locations in total).

Choosing the right guide is imperative. As the views can often be obscured by clouds, we’ve heard of guests who leave disappointed. Mr Liu was also experienced in art-directing our shots. His perfect timing framed us against the clear-blue skies for one of the most spectacular pictures we’ve seen of ourselves. To book Mr Liu, email him at a0978776670 [at] gmail.com, which is also his Line and Wechat number.