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Miami Skies, Two Hours from Taipei

Miami Skies, Two Hours from Taipei

A Sunny Winter Weekend Awaits You

Day 29. Still overcast.

The buildings have been wet so long you almost forget what they look like dry. There might be a light steady shower on your way in. There might not. It hardly matters. By lunchtime the sky looks exactly the way it did when you woke up.

You check the forecast anyway.

Cloudy.

Perhaps some rain tomorrow.

You look at the sheltering sky.

Seattle?

London?

Nope. Taipei.

If you have spent a winter in Taipei, you know the feeling. The temperature is not the complaint. A sweater and you're fine. The trouble is looking up at the same low ceiling every day for weeks on end. February can feel very long.

Seattle, with its sentinels of evergreens, at least it has the decency to admit what sort of winter it's selling you. Taiwan? Taipei is just four hours away from THE TROPIC OF CANCER! What is HAPPENING here?! Having placed our bets on palm trees, beaches, and sunshiny postcards, here we are pondering: "What is the SMALLEST umbrella I could possibly carry all the time?"

Autumn? September - on the clock.

But, nobody seems to tell the temperatures that until after Double Ten (雙十節).

Then it arrives - Winter, say by mid-November.

Shorter days and that increasingly familiar gray sky.

Grey?

Grey.

How long?

Too long!

And, it may not be until early April, before the sun begins to win the argument again.

Well, here is the good news.

There is another umbrella of sky over Taiwan.

And it's bright sun clear, cloudless and blue!

And, a LOT closer than you think.

Kenting?

No.

Some Southeast Asian island outpost?

Not that either.

Take an ordinary train for a couple of hours, put down your bag in Xitun (西屯), Taichung, and discover a nearly ideal tropical winter afternoon that has been going on along all this time without you.

And the sky?

You might swear you'd landed in Miami Beach!

Wait a SECOND!

“Taichung!  Ok!  It’s on the coast.  But, Xitun is INLAND!!  Why don't I head for the coast? The PORT of Taichung?!”

I hear you. For God’s sake, it’s an island.  You’re right.

Why go down south and then inland 10Ks when there's dozens of surf-side cities lined up all down the coast!

With those Miami Beach skies overhead, why not find a nice patch of sand, settle in with a book and something cold to drink thenspend the afternoon with my tooties in the sands of the Taiwan Strait (臺灣海峽)?

Well, we looked.

Baishatun (白沙屯), up in Miaoli? Pretty little coastal village. A train station almost beside the sea. But, still too far north to count on escaping the winter gloom.

Tongxiao (通霄)? A real sandy beach, and an actual town behind it. Getting warmer!

Da'an Beach (大安海水浴場), in Taichung? Now you’re talking! Broad sand, beach facilities, even a beachfront resort with a great big glass-walled restaurant overlooking the water.

Yes! Many mini Miamis Beach!

Except...

The WIND.

The Wind

Those winter monsoons blowing up north trade in clouds and rain.

They'd like to do the SAME down south, but the central mountain range keeps the clouds hemmed in.

But...not the WIND.

Daily speeds at most coastal locations can reach 62–74 km/h (39–46 mph), sometimes more.

You've got the crystalline blue skies of a Miami winter, and the cyclonic squall of a sun-kissed gale blowing sand across your every well-laid picnic basket.

At Da'an, the local authorities have even planted thousands of trees to protect the recreation area from blowing sand. And they DO help! A bit. 

But winter visitors still report winds powerful enough to make a night beside the beach a pretty noisy experience.

Well, head farther south, then?!

Gaomei (高美濕地)? Gorgeous sunsets, but those wide-open wetlands are practically an invitation to the wind.

Lukang (鹿港)? Lovely old town, some splendid sunsets, and sandy tidal flats. But again, an exposed coastline, and not really the kind of beach where you want to spend six hours on a towel.

Keep going to Santiaolun (三條崙), in Yunlin. Another genuine seaside recreation area. And a popular place for kite surfing.

KITE surfing.

That ought to tell us something.

On strong northeast-monsoon days, Taiwan's weather service warns of coastal gusts reaching 62–74 km/h (39–46 mph) or more. Not every day, and not along every meter of beach. But more than enough to ruin an otherwise lovely winter afternoon.

You can have the crystalline blue skies of a Miami winter, the glorious sunshine, the sparkling Taiwan Strait...

And a perfectly respectable afternoon spent chasing your hat halfway to Changhua.

No bueno.

¿Dónde bueno?

Well, remember Xitun, Taichung?

Just inland from that windy port coastlineis the city’s Xitun District.  Here, on the Dadu Plateau (大肚台地), is Tunghai University (東海大學) and all its environs wide green lawns, decades old trees and and a rendered-in-brick and low-storied university neighborhood.

It isn't windless there at Xitun. But, the distance from the sea means the winds are right at the sweetspot for…ocean swept mountain winds!  And the tropical blue sky? Every bit as blue.

Tropical sun. Blue skies. And a steady ocean breeze on a mild day.

A PLATEAU

Don't forget, Xitun sits on a plateu. That means from your correctly-chosen dining spot, you can watch the sun sink into the Taiwan Strait.

The mighty waters of the deep blue sea.

Only now you're sitting behind enormous picture windows, with a nice steak dinner in front of you, instead of trying to keep your napkin from sailing off toward Penghu.

And outside?

Green lawns. Trees. Actual places waiting for you to sit in the sun.

Now THAT sounds like that winter in the tropics you were thinking about!

Without having to hold on to the furniture.

Xitun, Taichung

Why Xitun?   First, it's easy.

From Taipei Main Station (臺北車站), take a regular Taiwan Railways train to Taichung Station (臺中車站). Some direct expresses take about two hours, give or take the particular service. While the HSR gets you there in as little as 75 minutes.  The university district is another 35–50 minutes by public bus along Taiwan Boulevard.  Faster by taxi.

Then there's the university itself. Acres of green in a city where the winter afternoon may be sunny enough to spend outside. The great sweeping lawns around Luce Memorial Chapel (路思義教堂), designed by I. M. Pei and Chen Chi-kwan, are reason enough to bring a book, get a coffee, and stay awhile.

And you don't have to go hiking to enjoy any of it.

A Campus District Worth the Weekend

Trees, lawns, old campus buildings, long paths and places to get coffee. The famous Luce Memorial Chapel (路思義教堂), designed by I. M. Pei with Chen Chi-kwan, rises from an open lawn in two great curved concrete shells.

After twenty-nine days of London calling, spending a sunny afternoon on a breezy green lawn in January sounds like a pretty good idea.

The campus has hills and some lengthy walks, so choose your route rather than attempting to see every corner. The chapel lawn and the more central shaded avenues make a perfectly good outing by themselves. There is also the university dairy shop, famous for its ice cream, if you feel a small reward is in order.

And there is an actual neighborhood around the university: the Tunghai shopping district (東海商圈), with cafés, restaurants and places to stay.

Not a lonely hotel at the end of a mountain road.

You can get dinner without turning it into a transportation operation.

Imagine that. A sunny afternoon outdoors in the middle of winter, followed by dinner in a neighborhood with actual choices.

And you haven't even used your passport.

The Sea Is Still There, Winking at You

Now for dinner. You have not come this far just to admire the academic topiary.

The Green Door Garden (綠朵休閒農場), in nearby Longjing (龍井), sits above the western plain. The restaurant's own description says the view takes in the Taichung coastline and the mouth of the Dadu River. It specifically recommends its indoor window tables for watching the sun go down toward the Taiwan Strait.

Which means you can sit in an air-conditioned room with dinner in front of you while the light changes over the coast.

And there, far beyond the trees and rooftops, is the sea.

The same sea you were going to sit beside, remember? Back when the plan involved a beach towel, a picnic basket, and a considerable quantity of windblown sand.

Now it's out there looking perfectly well-behaved, blue skies turning gold, pink and cantaloupe in the evening light.

Very Miami.

There is Western-friendly food on the menu: pasta, risotto, steaks and other mains. Allow roughly NT$500–800 per person for dinner and a drink as a planning budget, and check the current menu before you go.

Ask for the first-floor D-row window seating or the second-floor G-row seats if the view matters most; the restaurant names both areas on its own website. Plan for approximately NT$150–220 to get there by taxi from the university shopping district.

For another evening, Black Forest Scenic Café (黑森林景觀咖啡) in Shalu (沙鹿) has large windows, sunset views and a menu that includes pizza and pasta.

It is farther from the university and reached by a hillside road, so arrange the return taxi rather than hoping a driver materializes after dark.

It is a broad coastal view, not the same clear claim of a sea-horizon sunset that Green Door makes.

Two dinners with a view, then. Choose one if you only have Saturday night. You do not have to collect them both.

Where to Sleep Without Making It Complicated

This is the important distinction: stay in the university neighborhood, not at a remote scenic restaurant.

That way the coffee shops, breakfast, shops and campus are all the everyday part of the weekend. The sunset dinner is the occasional taxi outing.

A small private-room guesthouse in the Tunghai district may run around NT$2,000–2,500 a night, depending on the weekend, but many do not have 24-hour reception. Check arrival instructions and stairs carefully.

If you want a conventional international-style hotel desk, Windsor Hotel (裕元花園酒店) is a stronger service choice, although it is farther from the campus and costs more. Its location makes short taxis part of the arrangement.

I would take a well-located, comfortable ordinary room over a splendid view from an isolated balcony.

You're not going to Miami Beach. You just came for a little of its winter weather.

The room is where you sleep.

Getting There: Times and Costs

By regular train: Taipei Main Station (臺北車站) to Taichung Station (臺中車站), approximately 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes by direct express. Fare: NT$500. From the station, allow another 20–35 minutes by taxi to your hotel in the Tunghai neighborhood, roughly NT$350–500.

Total: About 2¼–3 hours and NT$850–1,000.

By high-speed rail: Taipei Main Station to HSR Taichung Station (高鐵臺中站), approximately 50–65 minutes. Standard reserved fare: NT$700. From there, allow 15–25 minutes by taxi to the Tunghai neighborhood, roughly NT$350–500.

Total: About 1¼–2 hours and NT$1,050–1,200.

These are planning estimates. Check the current schedule and fares for your travel date.

A Weekend That Does Not Feel Like Work

Saturday morning, catch the train. Have lunch near the university, then take your time on the campus.

Sit in the sun at the chapel lawn. Get coffee when you want coffee. In late afternoon, go to Green Door for dinner and the sunset. Back to the neighborhood for a comfortable night.

Sunday can be even simpler. Breakfast, a little walk under the campus trees, perhaps the dairy shop, and another few hours outside before the train home.

If the weather turns, you are in a real neighborhood with places to go indoors. You have not stranded yourself on a beach in a gale.

You could make the weekend grander, of course. Visit Taichung Harbor. Ride the Ferris wheel. Book the more expensive hotel.

But the whole point of this trip is that you do not have to.

Get There. Get Sun.

The northeast monsoon is not going away. Taipei will have its long runs of gray days, and there will be mornings when you look out the window and wonder how a place so close to the tropics can look so much like London in February.

Or Seattle in November.

But look at the map. You're on an island with a mountain range running down its middle, and the weather on the other side of those mountains can be astonishingly different.

While Taipei spends another afternoon wondering whether to rain, Taichung may be enjoying the kind of blue winter sky you associate with Miami.

A couple of hours on an ordinary train. A little university greenery. Dinner with the Taiwan Strait twinkling in the distance.

And when you get back to Taipei and open the curtains on Day 32?

Cloudy. Chance of rain.

Well, now you know where Miami went.

Planning notes and links

 


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