Culture and Recreation

Professional Sports

The Sinon Bulls were a professional baseball team playing in the four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League. While they were identified with Taichung City, many of their “home games” were been played outside of the city due to the inadequacies of the old Taichung Baseball Field. The team was expected to move into the newly completed Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in 2008, but never did. At the end of the 2012 season, Sinon Corporation announced its intention to sell the team. By late December, an agreement was reached between Sinon Corporation and E-United Group, and the team was renamed EDA Rhinos and moved to Kaohsiung .

Other Sporting Activities

Taichung hosts two road races annually. The ING Marathon preparation 10K race is held every September in the Metropolitan Park. The Supau Cup Marathon is held on the city’s streets every autumn, either in October or November.

Museums and Cultural Centers National Museum of Fine Arts National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts: The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is located on the corner of Wuquan West Road and Meicun Road. It houses the world’s largest collection of Taiwanese art. There is a stream and an area outside of the museum that is very popular with families when there is good weather. National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS): Located on Xitun Road, this is a popular local attraction with children. NMNS together with National Palace Museum in Taipei and the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung are called "the Museums of Taiwan". Across 22 acres (89,000 m2), the Museum is a six-venue complex housing the Space IMAX Theater, Science Center, Life Science Hall, Chinese Science Hall, Global Environment Hall and the Botanical Garden, excluding the Earthquake Museum in Wufong, which is dedicated to public education on seismology, located just 10 kilometers east of the main complex of NMNS. Over 30 permanent exhibit areas cover subjects on astronomy, space science, paleontology, ecology, gems and minerals, Taiwanese Aborigines, and tropical plants. Rotating special exhibits are a constant occurrence. It is also a place filled with hands-on exhibits that will delight children and adults of all ages. Taichung Municipal Cultural Center: The Municipal Cultural Center is located on Yingcai Road on property adjacent to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Taichung Folklore Park: This park is dedicated to presenting a more traditional Taiwanese way of life. It includes a combination of authentic and recreated buildings and streets in an attempt to recreate a more rustic Taiwan. Taichung Winery: Dating back to the Japanese-era, this still- operational winery also includes a Wine Museum, which has displays on wine-making and the history of the winery. Stock 20: This converted railroad warehouse provides exhibition space for regular displays of modern art. Adjacent warehouses have been converted to provide studio space for local and foreign artists, and are frequently open to the public. Wenying Hall: A frequent venue for local art exhibitions and events. It includes an art display area along with a folk art museum and Zhongzheng Hall. Parkways Jianxing Parkway (健行園道) Meicun Parkway (美村園道) Jingguo Parkway (經國園道) Wuquan Parkway (五權園道, or 美術園道) Chonglun Parkway (崇倫園道) Shuyi Parkway (樹義園道) Zhongming Parkway (忠明園道) Xingda Parkway (興大園道) Dongguang Parkway (東光園道) ShuangShi Parkway (雙十園道) Performance Venues Zhongshan Hall: Zhongshan Hall is a popular venue for a variety of performances including musical, opera, ballet, dance, theatrical, and other performances. Seating capacity is 1,692. Fulfillment Amphitheater: This recently completed outdoor venue is located in the Wenxin Forest Park and is suitable for a wide range of outdoor performances.*Zhongxing Hall at National Taichung Library Temples Main article: Temples of Taichung Lin Family Shrine. Originally built in Dali, Taichung County during the Qing Dynasty and later moved to Taichung City. Wen Chang Temple in the northern part of Taichung City. Built during the Qing Dynasty

Temples can be found all over the city of Taichung. While many of them are of recent construction, others are considered historic and are indicative of the changing currents through Taichung’s history.

Confucius Temple Martyr’s Shrine: Adjacent to the temple is the Martyr’s Shrine, dedicated to the hero’s of the Republic of China. Pao Hueh Temple: This is a Buddhist temple which features the “Big Budda.” The gold, seven-floor Buddha is dedicated to Maitreya. The temple grounds also include a Japanese Shinto shrine. ChengHuang Temple: This temple was established during the Qing Dynasty, and has since been renovated numerous times. Its main festival is the 15th day of the sixth lunar month. WanChun Temple: Established during the height of the Qing Dynasty more than two hundred years ago, it is home to a couplet written by Emperor Kuangshu. It is also noted for its lifelike carvings. Li Ancestral Shrine: Wen Chang Temple: Built around 1825, this temple is dedicated to the “Scholar God.” Students frequently come to pray prior to exams to get good scores. LeCheng Temple: Over two hundred years old, the Le Cheng temple is dedicated to the goddess Mazu, and is known locally as the “Hanxi Mazu.” It includes an ancient cauldron and other artifacts. WanHe Temple: This temple was built during the Qing Dynasty in thanks to the goddess Mazu. It is noted for exquisitely designed carvings. National and Municipal Historical Sites

Taichung Train Station, Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden

Chang-Liao Family Shrine, Wenchang Temples, Lin Family Shrine, Chang Family Ancestral Shrine, Wanhe Temple, Lecheng Temple

Wanhe Temple built during the Qing Dynasty

Lake Pavilion in Taichung Park, Chishan Gate, Japanese-era Municipal Building

Taichung City Hall

Night Markets

Taichung has several open-air night markets that feature local food and diversions:

Fengjia Shopping Town - located adjacent to Feng Chia University Zhong Hua Night Market - located in the heart of Central District, along ZhongHua (Jung Hua) Road. Zhong Xiao Night Market - located south of the Taichung Railroad Station around the intersections of ZhongXiao, Taichung and GuoGuang roads. Other Annual Activities The Taichung Jazz Festival takes place annually through the month of October. It features a variety of acts at numerous venues throughout the city.