Fugang Port
Fugang Port is where you can board ferries heading to Green Island, and it also offers a glimpse of the fishing industry. At around 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning, the boats will return to the port with their freshly caught fish. You can buy seafood from the fishermen and let one of the nearby restaurants cook it for you. The sight of the vessels is enough to make your visit worthwhile.
Taitung Railway Art Village
A spur line once brought trains to the centre of Taitung. That line was decommissioned in 2001 and has since been turned into an excellent cycle path. The old station building now hosts an information centre, exhibition room, bus station and graphic design gallery. The area all around has been gentrified into a park-like cultural space with a range of enticing bars and eateries.
Visit in summer, the area transforms into a craft market and hosts music concerts at the Tiehua Music Village. Beneath a mosaic, blue-wave roof, a four-storey container box 'mall' puts the Shoreditch version, Boxpark, well and truly in the shade.
Taitung Forest Park
Probably the most famous park in Taitung, Taitung Forest Park is a nice place to go for a stroll. Facing the sea and a river, it is more of a man-made park than a wild forest. It is better to have a bicycle to go around the park than to walk, unless you have a lot of time. You can rent a bicycle at the park entrance or at the train station. There are also 3 lakes inside the park, you can swim in one of them during summer.
National Museum of Prehistory
Located near the Beinan River, the National Museum of Prehistory will take you back to pre-Dutch Taiwan. Go for a walk and be mesmerized by the display of huge animals from the Ice Age. At the “Prehistory of Taiwan” underground section, you will see the impressive replicas of the prehistoric people and their daily activities such as pottery and slate coffin making.
It also houses over a thousand well-preserved artifacts from that period. The placards are in English, and they will give you a deeper understanding of the exhibits. Surrounding the museum is Beinan Cultural Park, which brings us to the next entry on the list.
Xiaoyeliu
Taiwan’s coast seems to be full of strange rock formations, Taitung is no exception. In Xiao Yeliu, the ocean produced an amazing landscape full of rock formations carved by the waves. There are around 5 areas where you can see different types of rocks. It is really amazing to see how the landscape can be so different, although it is in the same place.
Jhihben Hot Spring
From the Japanese Colonial period to the present, Jhihben Hot Spring remains one of Taitung’s most beloved destinations. Enjoy a relaxing bath while admiring the beauty of the surrounding mountains. The hot water is odorless and contains sodium bicarbonate, which can detoxify your body and make your skin healthier. There are also some areas where you can still see old Japanese-style houses.
Tiehua Music Village
An old railway repair facility has been artistically repurposed with the help of Taitung's independent musicians and artists, into a magical bar and performance space which hosts an open-mic night on Wednesdays, local bands Thursdays and bigger names are possible at weekends.
Most nights you can watch for the price of a drink (NT$120 minimum), though some events do have cover charges. On weekends, handicraft and snack booths mushroom here before the gigs.