Christmas is Coming in Miaoli! 🎄✨ 2024 Christmas in Taiwan

It’s early November, so we still have about a month and a half to go until Christmas, but the festive spirit is already here! Miaoli City has just put up its Christmas decorations and lights on November 3rd, so of course, we couldn't wait to check them out.

First, we stopped by a park to let our son burn off some energy. The park was pretty empty, likely because of the strong winds today - it was so intense that it felt a bit uncomfortable, even though the sky was beautifully blue. We heard some sad news about how powerful the wind can be: apparently, someone had accidents on scooter, hitting electric pole with tragic outcomes. Winter in northern Taiwan can be tough sometimes with this kind of weather.

After playing, we set off to find dinner and passed by a nearby university to see what the local students were eating. We ended up at a place originally from Hsinchu and ordered a few favorites: lu rou fan (braised pork rice), crystal dumpling soup, oyster omelet, and rou yuan. I’m not the biggest fan of the sauce on the oyster omelet and rou yuan, but the food was tasty and affordable, especially considering how pricey some places are these days.

Finally, it was time for the Christmas lights to switch on at 6 PM! This year’s decorations are even better than last, with four different buildings decorated uniquely. Christmas music plays across the displays, with each building getting its own tunes every 15 minutes. The main building has the most beautiful decorations, though while trying to take pictures, I spotted a taxi parked illegally on the red line. Sadly, that’s a pretty common sight around Taiwan.

The third building’s theme was a fun surprise - an outer-space Christmas! There was an astronaut climbing a Christmas tree with planets placed around, such a unique take on holiday decor. The last building had pink trees and a sleigh perfect for photos. The decorations this year feel more exciting and festive, with so much to look at. And a great thing was that there were very few people, making it easy to take good pictures. Or maybe not that easy - since in the darkness, people turn pitch black in photos, haha!

As we were about to head home, the scent of the nearby night market drew us in. We grabbed some BBQ skewers, which had that classic Tainan flavor with a hint of sweetness. It’s perfect if you love Tainan-style food, but it might be an acquired taste for some! The night market was a bit quieter than usual - it opens three times a week, so perhaps this wasn’t the busiest night. Coming to this night market is super convenient since it’s just across the street from Miaoli Train Station!

All in all, it was a cozy start to the holiday season in Miaoli. Can't wait to see how Christmas unfolds in other places! 

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Miaoli Travel: Tongxiao Qiumao Garden and Salt Museum

Travel Date: 2024/07/13 

Once again, we found ourselves in Tongxiao, ready to explore a few notable spots along the way, including Tongxiao Beach, Qiumao Garden, and the Salt Museum, as well as some delectable local food in town.

Check out first part of this post - 2024 Tongxiao Sand Sculptures Art Festival [LINK]

Qiumao Garden (秋茂園)

Next, we visited an unusual park filled with various clay sculptures, including depictions of people, animals, buildings, and other themes. The park also features pavilions, seats, and other rest facilities. Known as Qiumao Garden, this park was opened in 1975 by Huang Qiumao, who was drawn to the coastline, beaches, and seawater of Tongxiao Town. He built Qiumao Garden to promote local prosperity. Although there’s a small parking area, the main entrance is elsewhere, so many people park along the road for convenience. The park was nearly deserted, and aside from the sculptures and trees, there wasn’t much to see. If it hadn’t been on our route, we probably wouldn’t have visited.

Taiyen Museum - The Way of Salt (臺鹽通霄觀光園區 

 - 臺鹽通霄精鹽廠)

Our final stop was the Salt Museum. The Salt Factory has been operational since its establishment in 1964. In recent years, to boost tourism, the factory has added facilities such as the "Ocean Hot Spring Footbath Stream," "Yo Zong-Susha Statue," and "Exhibition and Sales Center." In 2011, the "Taiyan Tongxiao Tourist Park" was established. The area is quite large, featuring a shop selling local products and a restaurant. It was crowded, and parking was a challenge. I’m not sure why it’s so popular because there isn’t much to see. However, many elderly visitors enjoyed soaking their feet in the water, and kids were playing around. The museum offers insights into salt production and different types of salt.

Finally, we cooled down with some delicious ice cream in Houlong before concluding our adventure.

Address:

1. Qiumao Garden 秋茂園: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮通灣里20-1號

2. Salt Museum: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮內島122號

3. Ice Cream: 35641苗栗縣後龍鎮中山路67號

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Miaoli Travel: 2024 Tongxiao Sand Sculptures Art Festival

Travel Date: 2024/07/13

Once again, we found ourselves in Tongxiao, ready to explore a few notable spots along the way, including Tongxiao Beach, Qiumao Garden, and the Salt Museum, as well as some delectable local food in town. 

Check out second part of the post - Qiumao Garden & Salt Museum [LINK]

Tongxiao Beach: Sand Sculptures Art Festival (通霄海水浴場)

Despite the blazing heat, we made our way to Tongxiao Beach to attend the inaugural Sand Sculptures Art Festival, which has just begun and will continue until early September. This festival is attracting visitors to Miaoli’s seaside, showcasing 15 grand sculptures that celebrate Miaoli culture through local myths and legends. Notable works include an impressive traditional Hakka mansion, a dragon climbing a bridge, statues of the Goddess Matsu, and the Door Gods Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er. At night, the sculptures come to life with a vibrant multi-colored light show, creating perfect photo moments. Tungshiau Beach, the largest seaside park in Taiwan, boasts smooth, pristine white sand that contrasts beautifully with the deep blue sea, providing breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

The beach isn't the only attraction—there’s also a shaded park and a playground for children. We even encountered an elderly man with a horse, though capturing a photo was tricky as the horse kept moving.

This year's theme, "Children of the Mountains Meet the Sea," features large-scale sand sculptures that highlight Hakka culture. The festival includes interactive installations, weekend markets, cultural performances, and workshops for all ages. Renowned sand sculptors from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, including world champions, will showcase their exceptional skills. Visitors can observe the creative process and support the artists. Plus, the sea offers a refreshing respite, and the sculptures provide endless photo opportunities.

Foods

Around noon, we searched for food in town using Google Maps, which revealed many tempting options in Tongxiao. At 通霄幸福食堂 we tried a unique beef noodle soup with a Sichuan pepper flavor that I haven’t encountered elsewhere—it was delicious! Conversely, the lu rou fan was quite bland, so unless you prefer mild flavors, I wouldn’t recommend it. We also sampled stinky tofu 廟口阿嬷臭豆腐, which is very popular here with over 2000 reviews. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to my taste. The flavor was similar to what we had in Taichung with garlic soy sauce, but I prefer the super crispy deep-fried stinky tofu.

Despite keeping hydrated, I still managed to get sunburned quickly. After marveling at the sculptures, we headed back north, making a few interesting stops along the way. We stumbled upon a Totoro sculpture, which was a surprise!

Address:

1. Tongxiao Beach: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮海濱路41-1號

2. Beef Noodles 通霄幸福食堂: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮中正路69號

3. Stinky Tofu 廟口阿嬷臭豆腐: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮中正路20號

4. Totoro 龍貓公車站: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮龍貓公車站

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