Excuse me, please！Locals point the way—visit seven attractions in Miaoli in one day

Text and photos byXiaojie, the Roaming Explorer

Where are the best food and fun spots in Miaoli? With Miaoli tourist attractions and must-try local delicacies, this route shows you how to enjoy Miaoli to the fullest！

“Excuse me, how do I enjoy Miaoli?” Many readers ask Xiaojie how to plan a one-day Miaoli trip or which attractions to visit and how to arrange them?! In fact, the quickest way is to ask at a local “Borrow & Ask” station when you’re there！On her short trip to Miaoli, Xiaojie relied on the guides at the Borrow & Ask stations to introduce her to fun places to go！No need to aimlessly search on your phone—just look for shops with the Borrow & Ask station’s big yellow “i” sign, and everyone is welcome to come chat or ask for advice. You’ll even discover many fun attractions and delicious places that are great for strolling and eating！

The Borrow & Ask station service centers are set up through collaboration between the county government and local specialty shops, tourist factories, homestays, inns, security checkpoints, and other organizations. They offer directions, local maps, multilingual (Chinese, English, Japanese) travel brochures, local tourism consultations, as well as free WiFi and restrooms. Making good use of these services will make your trip smoother and more enjoyable！

Recommended one-day itinerary in Miaoli:

Dahua Winery > Hakka Together > Shisanjian Old Street > Laojia Hakka Rice Restaurant > Nanzhuang Old Street > Rihui Shop > Century-old Nanpu Elementary School

(Favorite attractions, everyone, quickly jot them down!) (Take notes!)

Dahua Winery

Located in Dahua Township, Miaoli County, every year from early January to March is peak strawberry season, and it’s also one of Xiaojie’s annual must-visits. When you come to Dahua, you can’t miss the Strawberry Cultural Museum run by the Dahua Farmers’ Association. The giant strawberry in the photo is a popular photo spot for checking in！

Dahua has long been known as Taiwan’s “Kingdom of Strawberries.” Dahua Winery is Asia’s first place to produce strawberry wine. The “Lake Berry Love” wine bottle gate next to the parking lot and the bright red, adorable strawberry installations are eye-catching attractions that instantly draw visitors in. Just imagine the endless strawberry fields of Dahua producing the wine in your glass—how wonderful！

Besides selling great wine, the winery’s exhibition and sales area offers a wide variety of products, mainly strawberry-related items. Strawberry jam is also available at very reasonable prices, along with strawberry mooncakes, egg rolls, milk candy... all kinds of strawberry specialties！

If you’re a strawberry lover, you’ll absolutely go crazy for this！！！

The Dahua Strawberry Cultural Museum (Dahua Winery) is located on the Dahua Scenic Route (Provincial Highway 3, km 130.5). The winery features a wine-making center and a wine-tasting center (where local specialties and wine are sold).

Besides coming here for unique and delicious food, nearby you can also explore Qing’an Tofu Old Street or Liyutan Reservoir. Miaoli is perfect for family outings or romantic strolls.

Dahua Winery (Dahua Strawberry Cultural Museum)
Address: No. 2-4, Baliao Village, Fuxing Village, Dahua Township, Miaoli County
Phone: 03-7994986
Business hours: AM 09:00 – PM 17:30 (weekdays) / AM 09:00 – PM 18:30 (holidays)

Nanzhuang Hakka Together & Shisanjian Old Street

Every time I come to Nanzhuang, I only know aboutNanzhuang Old StreetandXiangtian Lake, but I never knew there was such a uniquely charming 【Shisanjian Old Street】 hidden within the small town of Nanzhuang. Everyone is probably familiar with Nanzhuang Old Street！But Nanzhuang Shisanjian Old Street might be a bit more unfamiliar, right？

At 【Hakka Together】 in Shisanjian Old Street, Nanzhuang, Miaoli County—which is also a Nanzhuang Borrow & Ask station—you’ll find the yellow circular “i” sign. Want to know where else you can go in Nanzhuang? Feel free to come in and ask！！On this day, Xiaojie happened to meet 【Hakka Together】’s founder, Liu Yinghua (Sakura), who was in the store, so she asked her for some guidance！

Sakura pointed to a map she had drawn on the table and gave us a detailed introduction to the surrounding environment of Nanzhuang and the daily life within Shisanjian Old Street.

After Sakura’s detailed tour guide, Xiaojie finally understood that Shisanjian Old Street is the oldest street in Nanzhuang. It used to be the main transportation route with bustling commerce. However, after Typhoon Gloria hit in 1963 and caused severe flooding, residents moved to the Zhongzheng Old Street area, and Shisanjian Old Street gradually declined.

What was the original name of Thirteen Rooms Old Street? Local elders mentioned that "Thirteen Rooms" Old Street existed before the construction of the Kangji Suspension Bridge in 1959 and was once the busiest street in Nanzhuang, featuring businesses such as lumberyards, blacksmiths, and fortune-telling shops. There are two theories about the origin of the old place name "Thirteen Rooms": one is that an elderly man passing by out of boredom counted 13 shops and thus named it so; the other is that the old street happened to have 13 connected houses, which residents used to refer to it.

A street that had declined for half a century, its historical traces carry the characteristics of Nanzhuang’s mountain forests. Just this one old street has brought everyone together, allowing them to learn about the stories of the old street and also get to know Hakka culture and proverbs.

Sakura designed a hospitable blue magpie mascot inspired by the Formosan blue magpie, creating DIY cultural and creative gifts such as wind chimes, seed jars, and ceramic bells.

Through the DIY activity of painting blue magpies, it brings parent-child groups together for interaction. This place is really perfect for families or couples to paint happy blue magpies together and take them home as a happy memory of their trip to Nanzhuang ^_^

Hospitality Together
Address: No. 110, Zhongshan Road, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County
Phone: 0931-505-675

Nanzhuang Old Street

Let’s take you on a tour of the Hakka-styleNanzhuang Old Street, which is crowded with people on holidays. Many of the street’s distinctive Hakka snacks and desserts are concentrated in the small alleys, requiring a bit of exploration to taste them all.

In fact, during the Japanese colonial period, the Nanzhuang area was quite developed in forestry and mining, playing a significant role in the economy at the time. When you come here, you’ll find beauty everywhere—whether it’s the simple wooden, century-old Nanzhuang Post Office, Nanzhuang Theater, or the retro-style Nanzhuang Elementary School, or shops full of Japanese charm like the Revival Fabric Store specializing in kimonos and the old Golden Dragon Hotel. Nanzhuang is also the filming location for the idol drama "It Started with a Kiss" (我可能不會愛你)! In fact, Nanzhuang Old Street has been hugely popular for quite some time and is almost a beloved attraction for everyone!! ^ ^

Let me quickly jot down some notes for you~ Popular attractions are mostly concentrated around Zhongzheng Road near Yongchang Temple and the nearby alleys.

%Highlights near Yongchang Temple: Guanyin Pavilion, Xianzhen Temple, Forest Therapy Trail, Lianhua Waterfall, Shuixian Temple, Xiajie... etc.

%Highlights in the old street area: Guanyin Temple, Datan Temple, Fude Temple, Nanzhuang Theater, Nanzhuang Snacks, Xiajie... etc.

There are just so many delicious and affordable snacks here, amazing!! Nanzhuang Old Street is a great choice for quickly satisfying your cravings~ (laughs...)

Nanzhuang Old Street
Address: Zhongzheng Road, Dong Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County
Navigation setting → Nanzhuang Visitor Center (No. 43, Datong Road, Li-4, Dong Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County)
Public transport: Train: Get off at Zhunan Station → Transfer to Miaoli Bus → Nanzhuang
Road: Get off at Toufen Station → Transfer to Miaoli Bus → Nanzhuang
Southbound: Zhongshan Expressway → Toufen Interchange → Provincial Highway 3 → Shan Zhu Lake → Sanwan → Provincial Road 124A → Longmenkou → Nanzhuang
Northbound: Miaoli Gongguan Interchange Southbound → Provincial Highway 6 → Shitan → Provincial Road 124A → Xianshan → Baguali → Nanzhuang

Laojia Rice食堂

[Laojia Rice食堂] is located near Nanzhuang Old Street, selling traditional Hakka snacks such as Hakka glutinous rice balls, chewy rice noodles, taro cakes, sweet potato balls, and rice pudding. It’s not too crowded when you eat here, so you can slowly enjoy the good food. It’s only a short walk from the old street, so it’s very convenient!! /p>

This time, guided by a local, [Hospitality Together] Sakura, we were told about one of the delicious eateries in Nanzhuang, and before we knew it, we had found it ourselves!! If you’re visiting for the first time and don’t know what to eat, just check out their signature dishes!!

The owner of Laojia Rice食堂 uses traditional handmade rice-based foods, cooked over a wood-fired stove, and through seemingly simple persistence, brews out the great flavors of Nanzhuang.

Whoa~ It turns out this shop is no ordinary one!! It has been featured by many media outlets, including “Foodie Paradise”... etc. That day, we ordered rice vermicelli, Hakka glutinous rice balls, taro cakes, and after the meal, a sweet charcoal-grilled grass jelly tea. Just these made us feel very full!!

The rice vermicelli had pork, scallions, celery, basil, and dried shrimp, but the flavor was relatively light and the taste was really good!! The Hakka glutinous rice balls came in a portion of four, filled with fillings like mustard greens and mushrooms. The soft and chewy rice ball skins were amazing, and after eating the fried Hakka glutinous rice balls, Xiao Jie was totally amazed!!!!

The flavor was quite fragrant, the texture rich, and it was very filling!! Only the soup was a bit salty XD The shop’s traditional radish soup and taro cakes are also specialties!! Recommended for everyone to try!!

Laojia Rice Canteen
Address: No. 25-1, Datong Road, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County
Phone: 037-822882
Business Hours: 11:00–18:00 (Closed every Wednesday and Thursday)

Nichigyo (Nichigyo Supermarket)

The significance of an old grocery store often lies not only in its nostalgic vintage charm but also in representing the local industry, economy, or cultural history. Having been part of Taiwan’s landscape for over a century, the century-old Nichigyo is small yet fully equipped, completely unshaken by competition from nearby chain supermarkets.

There's a "Borrow-and-Ask Station" hanging at the entrance—yes indeed. Remote small towns really do need such a service to assist unfamiliar visitors like us with directions.

In addition to selling basic daily necessities such as rice, salt, and sugar, the store also offers milk powder, pickled vegetables, eggs, soy sauce, as well as children’s favorites like orange candies and peanut candies. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month or during village temple festivals, canned goods and ceremonial offerings always sell especially well.

The biggest difference between Nichigyo and ordinary convenience stores is its warmth and human touch. During our visit, we chatted with Grandpa Ye Qingrong, and once we got talking, the conversation went way beyond just asking for directions—he even shared another role he holds, which explained his particularly refined demeanor and excellent calligraphy skills (giving a thumbs-up…)!

In a particularly good mood, Grandpa was inspired to take up the brush, grinding ink and writing the characters “希望 (Hope)” and “佛心 (Buddhist Heart)” for Xiao Jie. Both carry deep meanings. (I get it. I really get it!)

Turns out, Grandpa Ye Qingrong of this old-style grocery store holds quite an impressive title.

Another one of his roles is as a representative of Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County. He has served the community since he was young and continues to do so to this day. Beyond holding onto the belief that “a family-run grocery business must not disappear,” he remains dedicated to serving the villagers and shared with Xiao Jie the unfinished old stories of this small village.

Grandpa also gave me a riddle to solve—it was a really fun word puzzle game. Can you guess it...?
(Answer revealed: 天。长。地。久 XD)

Nichigyo Shop
Phone: 03-7823566
Address: No. 1-1, Lane 26, Neighborhood 1, Nanfu Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County

Century-old Nanpu Elementary School and the Principal’s Residence

Guided by the local at the previous stop, Grandpa from Nichigyo, who strongly recommended we take a stroll around the elementary school closest to them. Established in the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918), the nearly century-old Nanpu Elementary School awaits your visit. Before entering, take a moment to explore the campus surroundings—quiet, fresh, and with a wide-open view, it’s truly an ideal place for learning.

Remember the “elephant slide” from back in the day? Well, Miaoli’s Nanpu Elementary School still has one—and it’s incredibly eye-catching. It’s hard not to notice it. This is the kind of “elephant slide” you’d only find in an old school, and despite the passage of time, it still remains tucked away in a corner of the campus. The pebble-washed elephant slide hasn’t been demolished, making it one of the very few of its kind still visible on a school campus in Taiwan.

The principal’s residence of Nanpu Elementary School in Nanzhuang Township, built in the 10th year of Japan’s Showa era (1935 in the Republic of China calendar), boasts elegant Japanese architectural style and has a history of 80 years. Though compact in size, it retains the construction styles and techniques from the Japanese colonial period, which is why it was registered as a historical building five years ago.

Nanpu Elementary School
Address: No. 134, Nanfu Village, Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County

The above are recommendations for one-day trip attractions in Miaoli, listed in random order. Feel free to choose your favorites to visit—all are great for families, couples, or group outings. Let’s go out and enjoy nature together.
Nationwide Borrow-and-Ask Station Search:http://www.taiwan-askme.tw/

Xiao Jie’s Travel Adventures Fan Page Blog