A Sweet 2-Day, 1-Night Love Trip in Taichung

By Wei Ruyu, compiled and reported　Source / Monocle Editorial Department

Taichung, mostly blessed with sunny and pleasant weather, is the perfect destination for couples. Below are recommendations for the best places to heat up your romance and create a treasure trove of sweet memories together.

Day 1: Tunghai University → Pink Roll Roll → Handmade Crafts → Chun Shui Tang → Taichung Humanities & Lifestyle Aesthetic District → Fengjia Night Market → Fengjia Academy of Arts

Recommended Attraction: Tunghai University

The most well-known landmark at Tunghai University is the “Luce Memorial Chapel,” designed by the renowned architect I.M. Pei in collaboration with Chen Chi-kwan. Moreover, the romantic “Arts and Humanities Boulevard” lies just behind the chapel. You can also stroll together through the “Acacia Forest” on the western side of the campus, or enjoy a sweet time together at the “Tunghai Dairy Cottage” with ice pops and fresh milk.

Recommended Lunch: Pink Roll Roll

Hidden within a small alley of the Tunghai Night Market, there is a dreamy-themed restaurant entirely designed in pink—from its signboard to its exterior. The shop features up to fifty styles of stuffed toy displays, and the owner changes the window displays’ themes every month, such as picnic style, romantic princess style, and more. The signature dish is the Strawberry Love Milk Buns—golden-fried mini buns dipped in a sweet sauce made from strawberry and condensed milk. One bite will make you feel the flutter of first love all over again.

Recommended Shopping: Handmade Crafts

Located at the corner of an art street slope, “Handmade Crafts” is run by Ms. Li, who has a background in design. With a deep passion for gemstones, she began designing various types of jewelry using semi-precious stones in different shapes and colors, combined with materials like shell pearls, agate, and crystals—to create items such as necklaces, earrings, and anklets. Couples visiting here can pick out suitable jewelry for each other as romantic tokens of their love.

Recommended Afternoon Tea: Chun Shui Tang

Taichung’s most famous teahouse, Chun Shui Tang, revolutionized tea-drinking habits across Taiwan when it developed the first bubble tea in 1983. The Yongfu branch in the Taichung Science Park is the largest outlet in the chain, spanning 300 ping over three floors, all designed in a tropical Southeast Asian style. Aside from the must-try pearl milk tea, its signature braised snacks, Mochi bread, and red bean yogurt are also wildly popular afternoon tea treats.