I. Itinerary Description I
✦ Duration: Options of 5 hours / 8 hours / 10 hours (The ox-cart experience is a 10-hour itinerary).
5-hour itinerary: Lukang Old Street tour (tricycle tour of the alleys and streets is highly recommended) - Taiwan Glass Gallery (subject to time).
8-hour itinerary: Yongjing Chengmei Cultural Park - Lukang Old Street tour - Taiwan Glass Gallery (subject to time).
10-hour itinerary: Fangyuan Ox-Cart Experience - Mangrove Sea and Sky Boardwalk - Lukang Old Street tour.
✦ Departure Point: Taichung / Changhua HSR Station, Taichung / Changhua Railway Station, major hotels in Taichung / Changhua city, or a designated pickup point in Taichung / Changhua city.
✦ Definition of designated pickup point: Limited to the Taichung and Changhua city areas.
★ If you require pickup from more than one location or from other counties/cities (outside the Taichung & Changhua area), please inquire in advance and note it in your order. Additional fees will be charged based on the pickup location.
★ Additional fees will be charged for pickup locations outside the specified pickup/drop-off areas.
1. For pickup/drop-off in the Taichung area, additional fees apply for the following districts. Please pay the driver in cash.
NT$300: Taiping District, Tanzi District
NT$500: Wuqi District, Qingshui District, Dadu District, Longjing District, Shalu District
NT$700: Fengyuan District, Houli District, Shengang District, Daya District, Waipu District, Shigang District, Dajia District, Da'an District, Xinshe District
NT$900: Dongshi District, Heping District
2. For pickup/drop-off in the Changhua area, additional fees apply for the following areas. Please pay the driver in cash.
NT$300: Changhua City, Huatan Township, Fenyuan Township, Dacun Township
NT$500: Hemei Township, Xiushui Township, Yuanlin City, Shetou Township, Tianzhong Township, Shengang Township, Xianxi Township, Lukang Township, Fuxing Township, Puyan Township, Xihu Township, Puxin Township, Yongjing Township, Tianwei Township
NT$700: Fangyuan Township, Erlin Township, Pitou Township, Beidou Township
NT$900: Dacheng Township, Zhutang Township, Xizhou Township, Ershui Township
★ [Airport Departure]:
1. The waiting time is 1 hour from the flight landing time. If it exceeds this, the service time will begin.
2. For designated airport pickup times, the service time will begin 10 minutes after the scheduled time. If the flight is early/delayed, customs clearance is delayed, the passenger is late, or the pickup time cannot be changed on the day, all time will be counted as part of the service time. If it exceeds 15 minutes, a parking fee of NT$30/hour will be charged.
I. Attraction Description I
'Chengmei Cultural Park (Taiwan's Kenrokuen)'
Located in Yongjing, Changhua, this 'Taiwanese Kenrokuen' rivals Japanese landscaped gardens and is known as the flatland version of Jiaming Lake. It is mainly divided into two sections: Chengmei Gongtang and the He Garden. Chengmei Gongtang is listed as one of the top 20 ancient houses in the country. The He Garden features landscaped gardens with small bridges, flowing water, a dawn redwood boulevard, and beautiful ponds divided into upper and lower pools. The upper pool has a flowing waterfall, while the lower pool features a central island planted with precious black pines, creating a 'Castle in the Sky' effect on water. It is very dreamy and perfect for photos!
Admission: NT$300, Concession Ticket: NT$280
'Lukang Tianhou Temple'
Lukang Tianhou Temple, formerly known as Lukang Tianfei Temple, is the only temple in Taiwan that enshrines the original statue of Mazu from the Meizhou Tianhou Temple. This statue (the 'Kaiji Er-ma') was brought over by General Shi Lang of the Fujian Navy during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It is the only remaining original Meizhou Mazu statue in the world, dating back nearly 400 years. Lukang was once a natural harbor with frequent trade with mainland China. To ensure safe navigation, believers gathered in 1591 to build the Lukang Tianhou Temple to worship Mazu.
'Xing'an Temple'
Xing'an Temple, commonly known as the 'Xinghua Mazu Temple,' is one of the oldest Mazu temples in Lukang. In the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1684), immigrants from Xinghua Prefecture, Fujian Province, brought Mazu incense to Taiwan and built the temple in the Caozai Market area of Lukang. The name 'Xing'an' implies 'Xinghua Peace' and 'Xinghua Tranquility.'
'Mo-ru Alley'
Mo-ru Alley is a fire lane between two long shop-houses. Due to the strong sea winds in Lukang, the houses were built close together to block the wind. The alley is only about 60 to 70 centimeters wide. When two people pass each other, they must turn sideways to squeeze through. If a man and a woman pass each other, it can be quite awkward, leading to names like 'Chest-Protecting Alley' and 'Gentleman's Alley,' with 'Mo-ru Alley' (Touch-Breast Alley) being the most famous.
'Longshan Temple'
Among the five major Longshan Temples in Taiwan, the Lukang Longshan Temple has the longest history. Its architectural style gathers the wisdom and characteristics of the ancients. The temple's architecture is recognized as a classic work in Taiwan. It is not only grand in scale and rigorous in layout, but also features superb construction techniques. The entire temple was built without a single nail, and the beam and bracket structures are sturdy, with exquisite caisson ceiling carvings, all reflecting the great wisdom of the ancients.
'Osmanthus Alley Art Village'
It was named 'Osmanthus Alley' because of the fragrant osmanthus flowers planted there. After redevelopment and the arrival of artists, the area is now filled with a fresh atmosphere. It is an open art space where every unit has its own unique features. Walking outside, you can see their unique designs. What we see here is not just traditional architecture, but also a lot of creative thinking from the artists, which is well worth savoring.
'Lukang Folk Arts Museum'
With its Victorian European architectural style, the Folk Arts Museum stands out in the quaint town of Lukang. It was formerly the residence of Koo Hsien-jung, one of the five great families of Lukang during the modern era. Construction began in the third year of the Taisho era (1914) and was completed in the eighth year of the Taisho era (1919) after five years. The museum is divided into three sections: A, B, and C. Building A was completed in 1919 and features a Western-style building with a Renaissance-style Baroque exterior and exquisite carvings. The first floor of Building A houses many models of early Lukang, including street markets, Longshan Temple, and salt fields. Building B is a traditional Taiwanese residential building connecting buildings A and C, displaying agricultural tools from the early agricultural society. Building C is a Minnan-style long shop-house, also known as the 'Ancient Style Building,' built in the style of 18th-century Lukang street houses. The museum exhibits various artifacts from the mid-Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, making it well worth a visit.
Lukang Folk Arts Museum tickets must be purchased on-site: General Ticket NT$130 / Half-price Ticket NT$70 / Group Ticket NT$90 / Student Group Ticket NT$40.
'Ding Family Mansion'
The Ding Family Mansion is a county-designated historic site built during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. With over a hundred years of history, its architectural feature is the 'three-shop, five-bay, two-water-passage' layout. The magnificent mansion covers over 300 pings. The front consists of three storefronts, and the interior is a standard quadrangle courtyard. It is a three-section deep mansion, about 70 meters long, consisting of storefronts, a main hall, courtyards, a central well, and a backyard. It is spacious and grand, and its architectural structure, carvings, and paintings are worth savoring. The front building is a two-story Western-style house, while the courtyard and backyard are ancient Qing Dynasty buildings. Walking from the backyard through the main hall, long corridors, courtyards, and the foyer to Zhongshan Road gives a wonderful feeling of traveling through a time tunnel.
'Nine-Turn Alley, Ten-Pleasure Building':
1. 'Nine-Turn Lane' was originally designed in Lukang with winding, zigzagging paths to prevent both thieves and the fierce 'nine-down wind' (northeasterly winds). Entering the lane creates an indescribably unique sense of space. While Lukang has many such lanes, 'Jinsheng Lane' is the best-preserved and most famous. It also houses the 'Shiyi Building,' a former gathering place for scholars and a must-visit spot in Lukang.
2. 'Shiyi Building' is a bridge-like structure connecting houses on both sides. Its corridor forms a cross with Jinsheng Lane below. It was named 'Shiyi' (Ten Suitabilities) because it was considered suitable for ten activities: playing the qin, chess, poetry, wine, painting, flowers, the moon, gambling, smoking, and tea. In the early days, Lukang was a hub of literary culture. Legend has it that the owner was a hospitable scholar who built the tower as a place for poets and writers to gather, recite poetry, and enjoy the view of the moon from the balcony.
'Fangyuan Ox-Cart Experience'
Perfect for families~ Come and experience a tour of the ecology and oyster fields by ox-cart. Experience highlights: 1. Ride the ox-cart and take photos with the large yellow ox (the 'honest ox'). 2. Learn about the oyster growth process and oyster harvesting. 3. Explore coastal ecology and rake for hard clams. 4. Enjoy the beautiful sunset in Fangyuan. 5. Set meal including freshly cooked seafood oyster noodles and traditional oyster omelets. 6. Taste fresh local delicacies, including grilled oysters, grilled saury (limited to one per person), and steamed hard clams, [subject to the ingredients prepared by the operator on the day]. Tide times vary daily; reservations are required, and arrival must be coordinated with the tide schedule.
Ox-cart experience price: NT$ 400/adult, NT$ 250/child. (Self-paid expense)
★ Do not wear jeans or cotton clothing, as they will become extremely heavy when soaked!
★ You will definitely get wet. It is recommended to bring a change of clothes (including underwear) and a plastic bag. You can rinse off in the washroom after returning to shore and store your wet clothes in the plastic bag.
★ You may want to bring sunglasses to avoid eye discomfort from the sun.
★ Please do not carry valuables with you. It is recommended to use a lanyard to secure your mobile phone.
'Fangyuan Wetland Mangrove Sea-Sky Boardwalk'
Spanning approximately 1 kilometer, the boardwalk allows you to admire the mangrove scenery and rich intertidal ecology up close. The Sea-Sky Boardwalk features a sunset viewing platform, a bird-watching pavilion, and an intertidal habitat observation deck. Walking along the boardwalk to the Fangyuan Seawall takes about an hour, making it the primary route for viewing mangroves, intertidal zones, and coastal ecosystems. In the afternoon, you can witness a stunning coastal sunset from the viewing platform, where the sky and sea blend together like a painting. It is a perfect place for an evening stroll to enjoy the breeze and relax your body and mind!