Falling in love with the aroma of coffee, Tainan’s Coffee Highway greets visitors with its rich brew

Since the “Dongshan Coffee Festival” gained fame, this small Tainan town known for coffee production in Taiwan has become a must-visit destination for coffee lovers. Along County Road 175 and Provincial Highway 106 in Dongshan Township, the area has earned the nickname “Coffee Highway 175” due to the consecutive opening of over 20 unique cafes, which are always packed with coffee enthusiasts drawn by the aroma on holidays.

This is a highway that wafts with the scent of coffee. The coffee business in Dongshan Township, Tainan, actually began during the Japanese colonial period. At that time, a local resident named Zeng Lübo brought coffee beans back from a Japanese coffee experimental farm and tried planting them in Dongshan Township. Unexpectedly, they grew very well, and since then, Dongshan has formed an inseparable bond with coffee. The township’s increasing coffee bean production over the years has made a name for itself in Taiwan’s coffee market. Each café along Coffee Highway 175 emphasizes using its own grown and roasted beans, ensuring customers enjoy a truly one-of-a-kind coffee experience.

Dongshan coffee is a type of Arabica bean, and the locally produced beans are unmatched in freshness. The coffee is smooth, sweet aftertaste, and doesn’t cause palpitations. In the cafés, you can not only enjoy authentic Taiwanese coffee but also savor real coffee-themed meals. The shops creatively incorporate coffee into their cooking processes—whether roasted or brewed—and when served, the subtle aroma of coffee wafts through the air and echoes along Coffee Highway 175.

Stretching approximately 22.3 kilometers, every café along County Road 175 has its own unique characteristics and story. Perched at a high point, “Da Chuhuajian” offers sweeping views of the entire Chianan Plain, where changing scenery of sunset glow and city lights transforms with the moment, much like the personal stories behind each cup of coffee. The café prides itself on serving “living” coffee beans, with the owner treating each bean as a living entity. They grow the coffee trees organically and handle the entire process themselves—from planting and husking to fermenting, drying, and roasting—using unique roasting techniques that give Da Chuhuajian’s coffee a distinctive, proudly unique flavor. Along the path from the coffee plantations to Da Chuhuajian, handcrafted artistic street lamps line both sides, further highlighting the owner’s refined taste.

Read more: The cafe located at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (provided by Tripass Attractions)