Taiwan was handed over to Japan in 1895 as the earliest major overseas territory expansion during the Meiji Restoration in Imperial Japan. The name Taichung was given by the Japanese in 1896 and it literally indicates “Central Taiwan”. By 1910, the Japanese had developed a whole new city with modern urban planning in Taichung- the current “Central District”. 

Since then, the district has been recently restored, and the damaged and unused buildings have been gradually renovated into stylish hotels and cultural spaces. Numerous restored historic buildings dating from the Japanese Colonial Era have thus made this district an urban museum. 

In this live, interactive Online Experience, you will get to explore the "Old Town" of Taichung and get to know about the region's history over the last 400 years and the five regimes that held power here. We will begin by visiting the former Taichung railway station. We will also see the Shisheibashi, which was built in 1908 and was the first RC bridge in all of South East Asia while admiring the Tatsuno Kingo style of architecture. As we walk along, we will also see the restored canal-side walkway and the historical Taiwan Museum of Sun Cake, which dates back to 1909. 

To give you a taste of local life here in Taiwan, I will also show you the historical street of herb tea shops, where some favourite local drinks are sold for people to cool down with in the hot summer. You will also visit some shops serving local specialities such as bubble tea, shaved ice, and salt fried chicken, and learn about how the famous Miyahara Ice Cream was born.