TaitungPlay Recommendations

Chi-Shang Brown Boulevard (formally Jin-Xin No. 3 Road) is a roughly 2.2-kilometre country lane in Chi-Shang Township, Taitung, hemmed by rice paddies and backdropped by the Central Mountain Range. There are no power poles along the route, so the views read cleanly and the lane has earned the nickname 'Road to Heaven'. Non-farm vehicles are barred, so most visitors rent a bike or e-bike and pedal — about two hours is enough to tick off the paddy 'picture frames', the Takeshi Kaneshiro tree and the old laundry pavilion. Autumn's golden rice is the headline season.

Huo-Shui Lake, an artificial lake inside Taitung Forest Park, is fed by Bei-Nan Creek springs — chlorine-free and so clear it has been dubbed the 'blue sapphire'. The broad, mirror-calm surface suits family outings, photos, SUP, canoeing and boat rentals, and the lake is serious about sport too, hosting the annual dragon-boat races and the national triathlon. A free open-water pilot ran July through September 2024, opening 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with no entry fee. Boat-rental pricing is transparent (slightly higher on holidays, with family packages available), and the surrounding paths reveal lake-bottom fish and distant peaks. Safe, natural and free — a Taitung family staple.

Hai-Bin Park in Taitung County is a coast-hugging park tuned for low-key family outings. A wide seaside promenade and viewing decks make it easy to wander at a child's pace and soak up the open blue, with the rhythm of waves and salt breeze doing the heavy lifting for relaxation. There is no itinerary required — find a seat by the shore, watch the sea and let the mind drift. For parents, that simplicity is the point, and it is one of Taitung's easiest places to unwind with kids in tow.

Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, sits in Shiga Prefecture and shifts its charm with each season. The shoreline is hemmed by old castle towns, shrines and canal-laced merchant quarters, making it a natural pick for families and a heat-wave escape. Boats ply the lake, rental bikes loop the shore, and SUP and canoe let paddlers drift through the lake's famous floating torii; a cable car climbs to a Biwako Valley lookout for the full panorama. Summer brings the Biwa Lake fireworks festival, autumn ignites the maples, and the stay options — lakefront hotels, hot-spring ryokan, family-friendly resorts — cover every need.

Birthday Cake Park sits at the corner of Zhe-Jiang Road and Si-Wei Road in Taitung City, next to the Taitung Art Museum. The draw is a three-tier, three-metre-tall sculpted birthday cake that has turned the park into a family photo hotspot. Around it spread lawns, slides, climbing frames, a boat-shaped pirate structure and bouncing nets, split between zones for two-to-five-year-olds and six-to-twelve-year-olds so the equipment matches the challenge. Entry is free and kerbside parking is cheap — a relaxed weekend choice for strolling, kite-flying and phone photos while the kids burn off energy in the open air.

Rice School in Guan-Shan Township, Taitung, started life as an old rice mill and has been reborn as a rice-themed experience park. The original structure is intact — its walls now splashed in candy colours that pull in family photos — while the programming leans hands-on: rice-culture guided walks, a milling workshop, DIY rice-food classes and a restaurant dishing up nostalgic bowl rice meals. Admission to the hall is free and there is on-site parking, which makes it an easy, education-meets-fun stop for travelling families.