Mountain Line, Taichung: neighborhood guide

Mountain Line is the local name for the northern half of Taichung, a group of nine districts running from the city edge up to the central mountains. It is not one neighbourhood. Fengyuan is a real city with a rail station and a night market; Tanzi and Daya are suburbs within reach of central Taichung; Houli has an outlet mall and a theme park; Dongshi, Xinshe, Shigang and Heping climb into hills and forest.

That spread is the whole point and the main problem. A car turns the area into hot springs, orchards, forest trails and a big Ferris wheel in one day. Without one, you are limited to the rail towns and whatever bus route you have checked.

Heping is the trickiest district. Provincial Highway 8 reaches Guguan, a hot spring village on the upper Dajia River. Beyond Guguan the road is closed to tourists because it is unsafe. Lishan, further up and known for fruit and mountain scenery, is served by bus 865 from Fengyuan and Guguan, but seats must be reserved before travel, and most visitors reach it from Yilan instead.

Stay if the mountains are the trip: a night or two in Guguan for hot springs, or a base in Fengyuan if you want a cheaper, quieter city with rail links and your own plan for the hills. Tanzi and Daya also work for travellers who want to be near central Taichung without paying central prices.

Do not stay if you want to walk out of your hotel into sights, food streets and bars. Mountain Line districts are car- and bus-shaped, evenings are quiet outside Fengyuan, and you will spend time and money on transfers. For a first visit, base in Central Taichung and use Mountain Line as day trips.

The decision changes with transport. With a rental car, two nights here is easy and rewarding. Without one, keep it to a single rail-town night or skip it.

Food here is everyday Taiwanese cooking, not a destination scene. Fengyuan has the strongest concentration: a night market and streets of noodle shops, braised pork rice, oyster omelettes and sweet shops, all cheap and mostly open into the evening. Houli and Tanzi are thinner, with shops around the stations and the mall food courts.

In the hill districts, expect mountain vegetables, bamboo shoots, free-range chicken, trout and fruit in season, served at roadside restaurants and hot-spring hotels. Guguan hotel restaurants are convenient rather than exciting; Dongshi and Xinshe do better for local produce. Vegetarian travellers will find Buddhist-friendly places in Fengyuan and Dongshi, but outside the towns it is worth asking what the broth is made with.

Dasyueshan and the higher trails have little beyond what you carry, so buy food before you go up.

From central Taichung, TRA trains reach Fengyuan, Houli and Tanzi; Tanzi and Daya are also close enough by city bus or a short taxi ride. Everything else needs a car or a bus route you have checked in advance, and hill buses are infrequent.

For Guguan, take Provincial Highway 8 by car, or a bus from Fengyuan. For Lishan, bus 865 runs from Fengyuan and Guguan and must be reserved before travel. Do not plan to cross to eastern Taiwan from here by road or bus; use the railway or fly.

A rental car is the practical choice for a two- or three-day loop. Mountain roads are narrow and fog-prone, and sections close after heavy rain or typhoons, so check road status before setting out. Scooters are fine in the lowland districts but not for the high mountain routes.