Changhua: Taiwan's Best-Preserved Historic Town Draws Record Crowds

Few places in Taiwan have held onto their past the way Changhua has. While much of the island has modernized rapidly over the past half-century, this county on Taiwan's central west coast still shelters red-brick merchant streets, oyster-farming tidal flats, and one of Asia's largest flower markets — and visitors are arriving in record numbers to see it for themselves.

Taiwan's Tourism Administration reported that Changhua's top three attractions drew a combined total of more than 16 million visitors between January and April 2026, led by Lukang Old Street and its surrounding historic district, which alone recorded 9,074,086 arrivals.

Lukang — whose name means "Deer Harbor" — was once Taiwan's second-largest city, a thriving Qing Dynasty trading port rivaling Tainan in wealth and influence. Its decline after the port silted up in the late 19th century paradoxically became its greatest asset: without the economic pressure to redevelop, its historic streetscape survived largely intact.

Today, the district's winding alleyways are lined with red-brick Minnan-style architecture, traditional craft workshops, and street food stalls serving specialties that have changed little in generations. Visitors describe it as a rare living record of pre-industrial Taiwanese urban life — one reviewer called it "a living textbook of history and culture" — and most recommend setting aside at least a full day to explore on foot. Guided vehicle tours are also available for those who want broader coverage of the surrounding area.

About 20 kilometers south of Lukang, Tianwei Highway Garden offers a dramatically different landscape. Recognized as the largest flower and potted plant distribution center in Taiwan, the destination is not a single enclosed park but a sprawling commercial corridor of several hundred horticultural businesses spread across Minsheng Road, Minzu Road, and their surrounding streets — earning it the informal designation "the Holland of the East."

Visitors move through an expanse of flowering plants, bonsai, succulents, and ornamental trees, with the scent of blossoms described as a constant presence. Renting four-wheeled electric bicycles is widely recommended as the most practical way to cover the several-kilometer stretch of garden paths. The area is family-friendly, with cycling lanes, small farm vendors, and visitor center facilities throughout.

On Changhua's coast, Wanggong Fishing Harbor in Fangyuan Township offers one of the more unusual visitor experiences in central Taiwan. The harbor's oyster beds sit on open tidal flats, and iron-wheeled harvest vehicles carry visitors out across the shallow water to the cultivation areas — an activity that reviewers consistently describe as a highlight of the Changhua coast.

Beyond the oyster experience, the site features the black-and-white striped Fangyuan Lighthouse, a cross-sea scenic bridge, and fresh seafood at prices visitors note as well below what comparable dishes cost in Taipei. An annual summer Fishing Fire Festival music event draws additional crowds each year. Infrastructure upgrades by local authorities in recent years — including new restaurants, restrooms, and landscaped waterfront areas — have further raised the harbor's profile as a destination worth the trip from the capital.

*Data source: Tourism Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications

Original Article in Chinese

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