Pingtung
Pingtung City is the county seat and largest city in Pingtung County with a population of 215,975 in 2007. Weather is subtropical.
Understand
Not a main tourist destinations, but its subtropical climate makes Pingtung a city one could spend a night and see the essence of Taiwan on the way through Taiwan.
Get in
By train
Pingtung is easily accessible by train from Kaohsiung or Tainan. You can connect to the TRA train from the High Speed Rail (HSR) station at Zuoying. You can also connect to the Kaohsiung KRT, which serves Kaohsiung International Airport.
- 1 Pingtung railway station (屏東車站). The main station for the city which connects to the West Coast line of the TRA network.
- 2 Guilai railway station (歸來車站). A smaller local station on the Pingtung line.
- 3 Liukuaicuo railway station (六塊厝車站). A newer local station on the Pingtung line.
By bus
Most long-distance bus companies have Pingtung on their shedule. You can get there from Taipei or the international Airport in Taoyuan within a few hours. It is cheaper than the HSR but still comfortable hence you usually need to change the bus only once.
- 4 Pingtung Bus Station (屏東轉運站). Busses from Pingtung Bus (屏東客運), UBus (統聯客運) and Kuo-Kuang Bus companies operate from this station.
Get around
Taxi service is available at the Pingtung train station. Although bus service is available, most people commute by car, scooter or bicycle.
See
Pingtung City is not typically on tourist itineraries. However, people are friendly and foreign nationals will appreciate unique aspects of southern Taiwanese life, such as robust night markets, bright neon lights and numerous Buddhist temples. Streets are lined with palm trees. In the center of town is Zhongshan park, which has a soccer field, pond, fountains and playground.
Culture and history
- 1 Chonglan Xiao Family Ancestral Temple (崇蘭蕭氏家廟), ☏ +886 8 733 0924. 09:00-17:00. Built in the 19th century, this scenic temple is a popular, architecturally notable landmark.
- 2 Zhong-Sheng-Gong Memorial (宗聖公祠), ☏ +886 8 751 2267. 09:00-17:00. The memorial was constructed in 1929 by the Zhen clan family members who moved to Taiwan from Guangdong during the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century.
- 3 Pingtung Tutorial Academy (屏東書院), No. 38, Shengli Rd, ☏ +886 8 736 1544. 08:00-17:30. A former tutorial academy in Taiping Village, built in 1815.
- 4 Pingtung Martyrs' Shrine (屏東忠烈祠). A memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers erected in 1967.
- 5 Ahou City Gate (阿猴城東門). A brick and cobblestone city gate built in the 19th century.
- 6 Former Pingtung Tobacco Factory (屏東菸葉廠), No. 57-5, Minsheng Road, ☏ +886 8 721 3635. The site of the former state tobacco factory which closed down after the government lifted its monopoly control over tobacco production.
Museums
- 7 Pingtung Art Museum (屏東市立美術館), No. 74, Zhongzheng Road, ☏ +886 8 738 0728. 09:00-17:30 (closed Mon).
- 8 Pingtung Taiwanese Aborigines Museum (屏東縣政府原住民行政局原住民文化會館), No. 7, Lane 50, Fengrong Street, ☏ +886 8 738 1479. 08:00-17:30.
Temples
- 9 Cihfong Temple (慈鳳宮), No. 39, Zhongshan Road, ☏ +886 8 732 2967. A highly decorative temple built in 1775.
- 10 Limtsiinui Three Mountains King Temple (林仔內三山國王廟), No. 43, Hengyang Street, ☏ +886 8 732 7236.
- 11 Du Chenghuang Temple (都城隍廟), No. 12, Nanchang Street, ☏ +886 8 732 4051. A multi-storey temple painted in gold.
- 12 Haifeng Sanshan Guowang Temple (海豐三山國王廟), No. 28, Haifeng Street, ☏ +886 8 736 7727. An ornate temple complex on the outskirts of the city.
Do
The top tourist attraction in Pingtung County is Kenting National Park. The government is investing in developing tourism in Dapeng Bay, which is much closer to Pingtung City. Since the city does not cater to tourists, life typically revolves around the extended family and friends. Kaohsiung is close enough to serve as an anchor for most tourist activities. The Pacific SOGO department in central Pingtung has a Starbucks, food court, small market, cafe and a bookstore that sells a few English language books.
- 1 Pingtung Performing Arts Center (屏東演藝廳), No. 4-17, Minsheng Road, ☏ +886 8 722 7288. The arts center consists of music hall, multipurpose theater and open air plaza.
- 2 Pingtung Baseball Field (屏東縣立棒球場), No. 1, Bangqiu Road, ☏ +886 8 752 5482. The county's main sports stadium which can seat up to 10,000 people. While mostly used for baseball, there are occasionally also cricket matches held here.
- 3 Pingtung Extreme Sports Ground (屏東市極限運動場), No. 69, Zhongshan Road. Despite the name, the area is largely a skating park.
Buy
Pingtung has a 70-year-old night market near the train station. During the day, vendors offer a wide variety of products. The Pacific SOGO department store (one of 9 in Taiwan) is the most upscale shopping option. There is a large Carrefour supermarket.
- 1 Pingtung Night Market (屏東觀光夜市), No. 36, Minzu Road. The city's main night market, filled with a variety of stalls selling snacks and an assortment of small items.
- 2 Zhongshan Huanghun Market (中山黃昏市場), No. 65, Zhongshan Road, ☏ +886 988 878 973. 14:00-17:00. An indoor market selling a variety of food and homewares.
- 3 Central Traditional Market (中央市場), Xiamen Street, ☏ +886 8 732 0415. 06:00-15:30. A large, circular market building with stalls inside and around the outside. The market sells a variety of food and lifestyle necessities.
- 4 Ruiguang Night Market (瑞光夜市), Section 3, Ruiguang Road. 18:00-01:00. A typical Taiwanese night market full of snacks and other assorted items.
Eat
Pingtung has numerous dining options that tend to be inexpensive by North American or European standards. There are restaurants, noodle stands, tea and juice shops and night markets. There are a few Western chains such as McDonald's, KFC and Domino's pizza. Stores that specialize in inexpensive Bento boxes for takeout are ample.
Drink
Bars include the Steelskin Bar, the G.D. Pub, Duckie's, Jimmie's, and Hunters that cater to Aborigines. You can enjoy Asian and Western music at these venues.
Sleep
Pingtung City does not have any international level hotels. However, there are some hostels and independently operated motels. There are certainly well regarded hotels in Kaohsuing that are within 25 km of Pingtung City.
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