ChiayiPlay Recommendations

Shan-jiao-tie Tea House sits at Zhang-shu-hu, Tai-he Village, Mei-shan Township, Chiayi County, nestled in tea gardens at about 1,400 meters altitude and surrounded by mountains, offering a fully reservation-only tea-and-dessert experience. Guests sip house-grown oolong, jin-xuan, and black tea in a Japanese-style tin-roofed hut or on the outdoor terrace while taking in the sea of clouds, cherry blossoms, and distant peaks. Run by a young couple who met in New Zealand, the tea house serves light bites plus limited seating at the Ta-shan Rock Zone, ideal for photos and quiet contemplation.

Xing-fu Hill (Happiness Hill) sits on a small rise in Chiayi's East District, an admission-free destination blending a scenic restaurant with a family leisure park. The spacious grounds include a tidy lawn, sky walkway, and observation deck overlooking the city. Beyond coffee, light meals, house-baked bread, and desserts, the site offers dedicated parking, making it ideal for families with kids or pets to stroll, photograph, and enjoy a relaxed afternoon.

NewNCYU Insect Museum, located on the Lan-tan Campus of National Chiayi University, is a popular indoor family attraction in Chiayi City. The museum blends insect specimens, enlarged protected-species insect models, live-insect experience areas, and a tropical butterfly greenhouse garden with Taiwan's only rotating butterfly pillar, offering educational interactive experiences for kids and adults alike. Beyond viewing giant insect models and diverse specimens, visitors can touch live insects up close and watch butterflies flutter - good for family day trips, school visits, or rainy-day cool-downs for couples. Timed guided tours are available, helping visitors understand insect ecology and conservation more deeply.

Xin-gang Incense Art Cultural Park in Chiayi is Taiwan's first incense-themed tourist factory, with free admission. The grounds blend incense-making cultural displays, an incense-art hall, an outdoor herb leisure park, and a small animal area so families can watch artisans hand-make incense, photograph the colorful incense-ring tunnel and incense-stick bundles, and hand-feed sika deer, sheep, and turtles. The park also sells fragrance items and serves food and drink, good for family outings, photo check-ins, and learning traditional incense culture.

Ban-tao-yao Ko-chih Cut-and-paste Craft Park in Xin-gang Township, Chiayi County, blends traditional ko-chih pottery (cut-and-paste) craft with family DIY experiences. The grounds center on painted pottery shards, mosaic collage, and a giant cat station, offering pottery painting, collage, and figurine coloring activities, plus a mini-train, sandpit, and bumper cars for family fun. Tickets run about NT$100, with food, beverage, and DIY discounts available. The natural forested garden blends Chinese and Japanese architectural styles, merging art appreciation with recreation.

Huo-lai-jia-yi Cypress Train is Taiwan's only cypress-built themed train, operating at the Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park in Chiayi. The route runs between Chiayi Station and Bei-men Station with single-trip tickets at NT$100 (round trip NT$150, free for children under six). The ride lasts about 10 minutes, passing sights like the Sleeping Forest, Garage Park, Chiayi Lumber Mill, and Chiayi Museum, while passengers take in the cypress aroma and retro vibe inside the carriage. It runs Saturdays and Sundays, perfect for family fun and experiencing Taiwan's forest-railway culture.