In this blog:
Miaoli is an undiscovered region in Taiwan by foreign tourists and even many locals don't know all hidden spots! Miaoli is infamous for its nature, attraction parks and old buildings.
Why Miaoli is worth visiting
How to plan your trip
Search no further! This is the ultimate Miaoli guide for your next trip! This blog includes tips and tricks. We hope we can change your mind and inspire you to visit this beautiful region!
Miaoli
Miaoli county has a population of 534.000 people. A significant portion of those are Hakka-Chinese, who make it a cultural centre. The region has coast, mountains, rivers, lakes and cities. It's well-connected by railway and the roads are in great condition.
If you are a vacationer, who likes to enjoy attraction parks and cities, there is a lot to offer! If you are a hiker, search no further! There are countless places to hike with great sightseeings. And if you love historical places, this region is a perfect mix of everything.
Our recommendations for history
History left a lot of things behind in this special Taiwanese region.
Favourites
Remains of Longteng Bridge
Detail your role and its associated responsibilities, highlighting notable achievements.
Gong Wei Xu Tunnel
Detail your role and its associated responsibilities, highlighting notable achievements.
Remains of Longteng Bridge
Longteng Bridge, also known as Yutengping Bridge, is a historic red-brick railway viaduct in Sanyi, Miaoli County, Taiwan. Completed in 1906, it carried the Old Mountain Line of the West Coast Railway until it was severely damaged by the 1935 Hsinchu-Taichung earthquake and later abandoned. Today, the ruins of its broken arches remain a cultural landmark and tourist site. The bridge is closely connected to Shengxing Railway Station, which lies along the same Old Mountain Line; both sites were integral parts of the route and are now preserved as heritage attractions. Visitors often explore them together, either by walking or riding the Old Mountain Line Rail Bike that links the station with the bridge ruins.
Where to find it
Gong Wei Xu Tunnel
The Gongweixu Tunnel in Miaoli, Taiwan, is a historic red-brick railway tunnel completed in 1903 during the Japanese colonial period. About 460 meters long, it was part of the Old Mountain Line and was decommissioned in 1998. Since 2003, it has served as a pedestrian walkway with LED lighting in Maolishan Park. The tunnel is near Shengxing Railway Station, both forming key heritage sites along the former mountain railway route.
Where to find it
The Gong Wei Xu Tunnel can be found in Miaoli City just south of Miaolishan Park. You can enter at the city side at two different locations, the park or via the road that goes straight into the tunnel.
Former railway tunnel
Our recommendations for attraction parks
Miaoli is full of fun things for children or for people, who like to take astatic pictures!
Favourites
Shengxing Station + Zhuo Ye Cottage
Shengxing former railway station and Zhuo Ye Cottage (this picture)
Monet's Secret Garden
A small place as filming location (attraction park)
Shengxing Station
Shengxing Railway Station, historically known as Sheng Hsing Station, is a preserved wooden train station in Sanyi, Miaoli County, Taiwan. Built in 1907 on the Old Mountain Line of the West Coast Railway, it stands at 402 meters above sea level, making it the highest station on that route. The station is renowned for its Japanese-style wooden architecture constructed without nails, and for its role as a key stop on the historic line. After being closed to regular service in 1998, it was designated a heritage site in 1999 and reopened in 2010 as a popular tourist attraction, often visited together with the nearby Longteng Bridge ruins.
Coffee tip: Zhuo Ye Cottage
Are you a coffeeshop-lover like we? You might like this coffeeshop so much! You can drink a coffee or any drink you like with such an astatic view!
Rails which lead to Longteng Bridge
Monet's Secret Garden
Monet's Secret Garden, located in Tongluo Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan, is a picturesque European-style garden inspired by the famous artist Claude Monet's Giverny gardens. Nestled in the hills, the garden features vibrant blooms, tranquil ponds, and charming bridges, creating a whimsical atmosphere reminiscent of a painting. Visitors can explore themed areas, enjoy the serene environment, and capture stunning photographs. The garden is a popular destination for those seeking a fairy tale-like experience in Taiwan's countryside.
What to do here
This is a small attraction park. If you are here with your lover or children, it's amazing! There's a lot of Japanese-European Style buildings. Great for pictures or filming!
Huge Chess
Our recommendations for hikes
Hiking activities is maybe the best thing you can do in Miaoli. There are countless hikes, from easy to difficult. Here we selected two of our favourite hikes!
Favourites
Huoyan Shan (picture of this page)
This is a short hike with the most stunning views. It's medium difficulty (for hike enthousiasts).
Jialishan
If you're looking for something a bit more challenging, look no further. This hike is to the top of the mountain (2220m) and goes through forest. You need hands and feet to climb this mountain. Jialishan is medium-high difficulty (for regular hikers).
Huoyan Shan
Huoyan Shan is a mountain that's really special looking. There's in Taiwan not much that's as special and beautiful as this! If you like to hike this trial, you can start at the parking under the highway. You may need to pay for car, depending where you park. Scooter is free. If you like hiking, you won't find any difficulties hiking this hike! Instead of hiking the full trial, you could hike to the top and take the same route back. This is a fun hike, which you can do within two to three hours. (One hour just to the top).
If you don't like to hike and still wanna enjoy the view? Lucky you! There is a viewpoint at the other side of the river, where you can still see the whole sight! Find your way across the river. Not every bridge is suitable for driving your scooter over (highway). Set your navigation to bicycle and find yourself and this end point, find a stairway to the top of the dike. Here you'll see an amazing view!
Jialishan
Jialishan is a more challenging hike, for which you need a bit of preparation. For hike enthousiast like ourselves, you can climb to the top and back before lunch time (starting after an early breakfast, like 07:00-08:00). This hike is to the top of the Jialishan, which is 2220 metres high. The beginning is quite an easy trial. Mostly stairs through densely forested area. Eventually it begins to become tougher. First with more climbing areas and eventually you have to climb with hands and feet (no equipment needed). If you call yourself a mountain goat, this is the perfect hike for you! The last part of the hike has a lot of ropes to climb up the rocks. It can get quite tough and sometimes confusing where the path leads. Be sure to stay on track and take the safest route.
