7 Special Places in Taitung Favored by Young Tourists

"Tiehua Village", opposite the former site of Taitung Railway Station, used to be a Japanese-style dormitory and warehouse. It was later transformed into an art and music venue that integrates music, markets and art creation. It has become the art landmark of Taitung. Tiehua Village is composed of a "Music Settlement", a "Tiehua Shop", and a "Holiday Market". During the day, there are creative markets that sell all kinds of artwork. Every night it is lit up by hand-painted hot air balloons and festive lanterns. There are also regular musical performances, and many independent and aboriginal singers and bands that present exciting live performances.

Taitung Railway Art Village was rebuilt from the old Taitung Railway Station which has a history of more than 80 years. It not only retains the early appearance of the railway station and the old carriages, but also transforms the former freight warehouse into an exhibition space, which is a good place for strolling around and visiting exhibitions. There are many precious railway relics in the Railway Art Village. Among them, the orange and white Guanghuai Carriage is the most popular. Complemented with open lawns and rails, it is a place that's suitable for taking artistic photos. The warehouse has been transformed into an exhibition venue and artist studio, and there are often creative markets, art exhibitions and live performances from time to time, making the Railway Art Village one of the cultural and art centers of Taitung.

"Huanghuang" (which means stagger) is a second-hand bookstore hidden in the lanes near the old railways in Taitung. It got given such a name because the store owner adopted a cat that staggered when walking due to being deaf. In addition to the frequent cat visits, the most special thing here is that you can exchange second-hand books for accommodation. There is a second-hand bookstore on the first floor of "Huanghuang", and it also sells cultural and art goods, as well as independent publications. It also organizes events, lectures and courses from time to time. On the second floor there is a youth hostel, where the rate is about 500 TWD (17 USD) per bed. You can also work here or exchange books for accommodation. The books collected here are mainly novels, graphic books, gardening manuals, tourist guides, and cultural books. The owner will give you free accommodation based on the quality of the books you give.

Pisilian, located in Taitung, means the "shepherd's land" in Amis language. It used to be an aboriginal tribe in Sansiantai. In recent years, the tribe has cooperated with the well-known illustrator Jimmy to create graffiti paintings on the walls of their houses, bringing tourists into Jimmy's picture books and the life of the aboriginals. There are 11 of Jimmy's paintings in the Pisilian tribe, mainly in the theme of the main character, the little girl Xiaomi and the dog Agi in "Towards the Spring Afternoon". There are also scenes showing the little girl coming back with elephants, bears and other animals after she goes to the circus. There is a surprise to be found behind every corner. In addition to Jimmy's paintings, you can see various cute and funny wooden sheep statues on the banks, dolosse, and in the village if you walk along the dike of Pisilian, which reproduces the scenery of shepherd's land in the olden days.

The Moonlight Inn, located on Dulan Free Farm in Taitung, is famous for the movie "The Moon Also Rises" that was filmed there. The film tells a complicated relationship between a mother and her daughter, and won the Best Screenwriter and Best Actress awards at the Golden Horse Awards in 2004. The Moonlight Inn is a small Japanese-style wooden structure. The first floor is an artistic exhibition space called "The Banshee Painting and Calligraphy Gallery", which sells coffee and some artists' works. The movie was filmed on the second floor, and the room remains the same as that in the movie so that every fan can see the familiar scenes from the movie in person. Occasionally, the teachers from Taitung University will bring graduate students for an outdoor Taiwan Film Research class here.

The Dulan Sugar Factory, located in Tungho Town, Taitung City, was once the largest private brown sugar factory in Taiwan. The factory has declined, but the dilapidated factory attracts many aboriginal artists and gradually became a gathering place for hippies. Strictly speaking, the Dulan Sugar Factory is not a residence for artists. There are not many studios here, and most of the artists actually dwell in nearby villages. Therefore, the sugar factory is more like a gathering place for them. Artists often come here to party, drink, chat, sing or hold exhibitions. It is said that many famous Taiwanese singers have held concerts here.

Taitung is the region with the richest aboriginal culture in Taiwan. If you go to Taitung, you must experience the aboriginal customs! The Bunun Tribe Park in Yanping Township, Taitung County is the best choice for learning about aboriginal culture. The Bunun are an important aboriginal tribe in the Huatung Valley. They have the most traditional rituals and have preserved a variety of traditional instruments. They are especially known for their "Eight Part Chord". At the beginning of the song, there are only four chords, but when the range reaches a certain level, there are eight different chords played at once. This chord playing method is currently unique in the world and is a must-listen for visitors. In addition, there is also an exclusive area in the park that sells aboriginal handicrafts, such as iron sculptures, wood carvings, stone carvings, pottery, slate art and paintings done by aboriginal artists. The half open air cafe in the tribe is also very popular, allowing you to overlook Luming Creek while enjoying aboriginal cuisine.