West District is Taichung at its most relaxed. Its spine is the Calligraphy Greenway, a 3.6 km park strip that links the National Museum of Natural Science in the north with the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in the south, passing a civic square, a garden-walled shopping center and streets of cafes on the way. Just off it are Shenji New Village, the old government dorms turned into small shops, and the boutique lanes of Jingming 1st Street. Walk it end to end, or dip into one part.
- Bus, north end Bus routes 300 to 310 from Taichung Station along Taiwan Boulevard to the 科博館 (science museum) stop
- Bus, south end Bus routes 71 and 75 from Taichung Station to the 美術館 (Art Museum) stop on Wuquan West Road, about 15 minutes
- From the HSR Bus shuttle bus 159 from HSR Taichung Station toward the art museum
- How long half a day to a full day
Getting there
There is no MRT station on the greenway, so this is bus country. For the north end, take any Taiwan Boulevard bus from 300 to 310 from Taichung Station and get off at the science museum stop. For the south end and the art museum, take bus 71 or 75 from Taichung Station to the Art Museum stop on Wuquan West Road; the museum says the ride takes about 15 minutes. From the high speed rail station, shuttle bus 159 runs to the museum's Tuku Parking Lot stop on Zhongming South Road. → How to ride Taichung's buses
What to see
Calligraphy Greenway (草悟道). A long, wide park strip whose design takes its idea from semi-cursive calligraphy, hence the name. It runs 3.6 km and joins the science museum, Civic Square, Park Lane by CMP and the fine arts museum, and it is open around the clock. Each October its Civic Square (市民廣場) is the main stage of the Taichung Jazz Festival; in 2026 the festival ran from October 16 to 25, with a free main stage. → Taichung's parks
Park Lane by CMP (勤美誠品綠園道). A shopping center on the greenway wrapped in 20-meter vertical garden walls, with shops, restaurants and a children's section. Open 11:00 to 21:30, to 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, at No. 68, Gongyi Road.
Shenji New Village (審計新村). A compound of dormitories built by the Taiwan Provincial Government nearly half a century ago for staff of the audit office. It sat empty for years after the provincial government was scaled back, and has since been revived as a cluster of small shops, studios and cafes run by young entrepreneurs, with markets on some weekends. It is one of the five places we send everyone to. It sits on Lane 368, Minsheng Road, a short walk north of the art museum. → Our full Shenji New Village guide
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (國立臺灣美術館). Taiwan's national art museum, at the south end of the greenway, and free to enter.
- Hours Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00; Saturday and Sunday 09:00 to 18:00. Closed Mondays (unless a public holiday), Lunar New Year's Eve and Day, and on typhoon days. On election days it opens at 13:00, including November 28, 2026
- Entry free
- Address No. 2, Section 1, Wuquan West Road, West District
- Getting there bus 71 or 75 from Taichung Station to the Art Museum stop
Art Museum Parkway (美術園道). Beside the museum, a red-brick path for walkers and cyclists lined with about 40 shops, mostly restaurants. At weekends it adds street performers and a creative market.
Jingming 1st Street (精明一街). A short pedestrian street of boutiques and cafes, which the city describes as the place where Taichung's European-style shops began. It is about 1 km west of the science museum, so it pairs well with the north end of the greenway.
Taichung Literature Museum (臺中文學館). A set of Japanese-era police dormitories at No. 48, Lequn Street, now the city's literature museum. It is a calm stop between the greenway and the old town.
A short walking order
- Start at the art museum in the morning, when it opens at 09:00.
- Walk a few minutes north to Shenji New Village for coffee and small shops.
- Follow the Calligraphy Greenway north past Civic Square and Park Lane by CMP.
- Finish at the science museum, or cut west to Jingming 1st Street. → North Taichung
Good to know: Monday is a poor day for this side of town, because the art museum and the science museum are both closed. Shenji New Village is busiest on weekend afternoons; come on a weekday if you want the lanes to yourself.
→ All neighborhoods · Central Taichung · Tea and coffee · Shopping
Sources
The Calligraphy Greenway, Park Lane by CMP, Shenji New Village, the Art Museum Parkway, Jingming 1st Street and the Taichung Literature Museum: Taichung City Government tourism site, Calligraphy Greenway, Park Lane by CMP, Shen Ji New Village, Art Museum Parkway, Jingming 1st Street (and its nearby attractions distances) and Taichung Literature Museum. Museum hours, entry and buses: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Hours, Getting Here and its election day notice. Buses to the science museum stop: National Museum of Natural Science. 2026 Taichung Jazz Festival dates and free main stage: NOWnews, October 16, 2026. Checked October 2026.