Taiwan Connection 1908 @ Taichung City in Taiwan

I was enjoying my first jog at Taichung City when I chanced upon the above; piles of caged up pebbles with the words "Taiwan Connection 1908". 

Honestly, I am no stranger to this passage as I had taken a train that chugged along it back in 2014, on my first trip to Taiwan, and I recalled it was a ride from Taichung Railway Station to Xinwuri Station, where we then took the high speed rail back to Taipei. 

Back then, the overhead railway tracks were still undergoing construction, and I thought it was real nice of the government to keep a section of the old tracks for remembrance; similar to what we were doing in Singapore for the Rail Corridor! 

While Singapore's version is longer and concentrates on more a nature walk, this Taichung's rendition veers into the urban landscape, with views of decade-old buildings that follows the development of Taiwan's second largest city.

Jogging wise, quite comfortable in the cool January weather even though I think I would for an evening jog should it be summer! The trees along the path had yet to reach towering maturity, and hardly provided any shade.

Running towards the two useless "huts" that seemed more aesthetic than practical, until I got nearer and saw the rows of ancient wooden train sleepers right underneath. 

One thing I really like about Taiwan is their high level of creativity! While the tracks remained intact (p.s. didn't realize it was quite a narrow width between tracks), the sleepers were removed and replaced with tiles that looked like multiple trains parked in a train depot! 

Supposed to stretch a mere 1.6 kilometers with Taichung Railway Station somewhat in the middle, the passage I took for Taiwan Connection 1908 was only for the southern part. 

Area is opened 24 hours, and you might want to keep in mind the rules as above. 

Quite surprised to see that bicycles were not allowed! 

More photographs for your viewing pleasure.

Just wondering if it would be nicer or scarier at night.

Fascinating to see this overhead railway tracks and did you notice the different sleepers used for each track? One used wood whereas the other was concrete. While wood offers better vibrations, concrete is a lot more durable, and it doesn't rot. 

Safety cover that had weathered through many years.

And yes, vehicles still go past underneath! 

Views from different side of the railway bridge even though it's more a skybridge now. According to the information I found online; the railway tracks demarcate the districts in the past, for example, industrial on on side, commercial and governmental on the other

I am confused; the width of the tracks didn't seem like it's suitable for a normal train! 

This honestly looked like the toilets from a long time ago. I can confidently say that back in the 80s, toilets in such nondescript buildings were common in Singapore! 

Stone bench with pebbles underneath. Do you know where there are pebbles in between the tracks? "Known as track ballast, are crucial for railway stability. They support the heavy weight of trains, facilitate water drainage to prevent flooding, prevent vegetation growth, and lock the ties and rails in place to stop them from shifting."

Main reason why I mentioned earlier that I only checked out the southern part of Taiwan Connection 1908 was due to the above; the connection wasn't completed yet as of January 2025. Maybe it's fully connected now.

From the road, it appeared as if the railway bridge was still operation.

However, the noise from the trains came from further above.

Tunnel with some information of Taiwan Connection 1908. Unfortunately, the words were in Chinese. And not simplified Chinese; the words were in traditional Chinese which I can read, although they strained my brain! 

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Address

Along Jianguo North Road,

Between Guoguang Road and Minquan Road,

Central Dist., Taichung City Taiwán

Map

As above.

Floor Plan

As above.

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

Taichung Civic Square (臺中市民廣場) @ Taiwan

Imagine coming to an open lawn that appeared parched of water, with patches of grass featuring a brownish greenish tinge that looked relatively uninviting.

But, it was filled with people, and none had their heads bowing to the allure of their mobile phones! A scene quite hard to find in hot and humid Singapore, except maybe at Botanic Gardens or Town Green at University Town. 

With demand comes supply; and you can find vendors selling helium balloons, plastic balls, toys, styrofoam planes, bubble wands etc! Not something you can do freely in Singapore as it would be considered as illegal.

You can even find picnic mats for sale; which I would strongly recommend if you are thinking of sitting on the grass, just so to soak in the relaxing atmosphere, in the cool winter weather.

Why? There were many dogs, and while I believe most Taiwanese are civic-minded; accidents can and do happen, and just to name an example, you can't really stop diarrhoea.

This civic square might not look much but it was a hive of activity when we checked it out at about 5.30pm on a Sunday. There were even buskers serenading the public with their music.  

Given the space, about 100 meters x 165 meters; the Taichung Civic Square is also known to be the location for the annual international Taichung Jazz Festival, usually held in October. Well, I very much prefer the status I encountered that Sunday though; relaxing with peals of laughter from the children mixed in with the canines' playful barks. 

 

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Address

No. 163-1, Gongyi Rd, 

West District, Taichung City, 

Taiwan

Map

As above.

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

Tori Sanwa - Supposedly Famous for Oyako Don @ Takashimaya in Singapore

A long, long time ago, when Japanese cuisine started to gain a following from peasants like me, one of the first few dishes that I deeply adored was oyako don! 

Originating from the Japanese city of Nagoya back in 1900, the century-old Tori Sanwa opened its first branch in Singapore back in 2023 and hence since expanded to five branches; one of which was the above at Takashimaya Ngee Ann City.

While Jovyn went with the original oyako don, I prefer a mini, less carbohydrate version that came with teriyaki chicken (another favorite back in my youth) upgraded to a set with miso soup, radish, tofu, drink and a side dish. 

My Teriyaki Chicken Mini Oyako Don Set with a half consumed iced houji tea. Hot is available too but given how warm and humid the day was; an iced beverage would definitely help to soothe the soul, and cool the body. 

Miso soup was acceptable; tofu was smooth and pretty dense with the common sesame dressing giving it its taste; loving the white pickled radish for its crunchy texture and sour sweetness.

For the side dish, options included tsukune, chicken karaage and teriyaki chicken! I didn't realize that chicken karaage was also a signature of Tori Sanwa. Oh well, the teriyaki chicken didn't disappoint; generous with its meat and it was tender, moist and juicy. p.s. prefer Tori Q though for its sweeter marination and smoky flavor. 

Now the star of the show! Maybe because it was a mini version, there wasn't a lot of meat with the gooey eggs providing much of the visual cover. However, it was a tad too salty in my opinion! Jovyn thought the taste was just right though. Am I getting old, with bland taste buds?! 

Forgot to take a close-up photograph of the teriyaki chicken; average tasting and again, I felt the chef was too liberal with the salt! Would I be back? Maybe for the chef recommended aburi oyako don, and with much reduced rice! 

 

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Address

391A, Orchard Road, 

B2-01-2 Ngee Ann City,

Singapore 238873

Map

As above.

Menu

As above.

Pricing

Teriyaki Chicken Mini Oyako Don - S$18.80

(Subject to GST)