Miaoli County
Miaoli County (苗栗縣) is in the central region of Taiwan.
Understand
Miaoli County Map
Miaoli is made up of 18 cities, townships, and rural settlements:
| Northern Miaoli (Toufen City, Sanwan, Shitan) an area famous for tea. |
| Southern Miaoli (Tongluo, Xihu, Zhuolan, Sanyi, Dahu) well-known for its fruit, and local wood-carvings. |
| Central Miaoli (Miaoli City, Zaoqiao, Touwu, Gongguan) the seat of the county government. |
| Western Miaoli (Zhunan, Houlong, Tongxiao, Yuanli) coastal area with good scenery. |
| Eastern Miaoli (Nanzhuang, Tai'an) the high mountainous region where visitors can experience the culture of the indigineous peoples of the area. |
Cities
Townships
- 1 Houlong
－ a coastal township of around 37,000 people. - 2 Tongxiao －
- 3 Yuanli － known as "Miaoli's Granary", the area is an important agricultural area in the county.
- 4 Zhunan － a popular spot for local tourists for its beaches and related activities. The town also boasts a 100ft statue of the goddess Matsu.
- 5 Zhuolan
Rural areas
- 6 Nanzhuang － part of the traditional homeland of the Saisiyat people, there is also a museum in the town which showcases their history and culture.
- 7 Xihu － contains a rock carving of the goddess Matsu.
- 8 Zaoqiao
- 9 Sanyi － famous for wood carvings
- 10 Gongguan － once claimed to be the home of 'Asia's first oil well', there is a museum in the area dedicated to the oil and gas industry.
- 11 Shitan － a sparsely populated area which has a dwelling preserved from the time of Koxinga.
- 12 Tai'an － a mountainous area with a population of mostly indigineous Taiwanese, most of whom are Atayal people.
- 13 Dahu － an area famous in Taiwan for its strawberries.
- 14 Touwu
- 15 Tongluo － the area is the main producer of chrysanthemums in Taiwan.
- 16 Sanwan
Get in
By rail
Miaolo County is connected to the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR) network via the following station.
- 1 Miaoli HSR station (高鐵苗栗站), 268 Gaotie 3rd Rd, Houlong.
There are also a number of stations for the TRA network in the county.
| Name | Chinese | Line | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 Dashan.   | 大山 | West Coast Line | Houlong | |
| 3 Fengfu. | 豐富 | Taichung line | ||
| 4 Houlong. | 後龍 | West Coast Line | ||
| 5 Longgang. | 龍港 | West Coast Line | ||
| 6 Miaoli. | 苗栗 | Taichung line | Miaoli | |
| 7 Nanshi. | 南勢 | West Coast Line | ||
| 8 Sanyi. | 三義 | Taichung line Former Mountain line | Sanyi | |
| 9 Tongluo. | 銅鑼 | Taichung line | Tongluo | |
| 10 Baishatun. | 白沙屯 | West Coast Line | Tongxiao | |
| 11 Tongxiao. | 通霄 | West Coast Line | ||
| 12 Xinpu. | 新埔 | West Coast Line | ||
| 13 Yuanli. | 苑裡 | West Coast Line | Yuanli | |
| 14 Tanwen. | 談文 | West Coast Line | Zaoqiao | |
| 15 Zaoqiao. | 造橋 | Taichung Line | ||
| 16 Qiding. | 崎頂 | West Coast Line | Zhunan | |
| 17 Zhunan. | 竹南 | Taichung line West Coast Line | ||
Get around
See
Miaoli City has its own article on Wikivoyage. See that article for listings in the city; this article focuses on the surrounding county.
History and culture
- 1 [dead link] Hakka Round House (客家圓樓), ☏ +886 3 773 2940. 09:00-17:00. A large round building built in the Hakka traditional style with an observation deck on the third floor.
- 2 Former Nanzhuang Post Office (南庄郵便局). An old Japanese-style post office that is no longer in use. Some small souveniers can be purchased here. The tiles used in the roof are supposed to have been made during the Tokugawa period.
- 3 Longteng Broken Bridge (龍騰斷橋). A red-brick bridge that was built in 1906, but became unusable after being damaged in an earthquake. A new bridge was built nearby, and the remains of the former bridge were left as a monument to those who have died in the most deadly earthquakes in Taiwan's history.
- 4 Old Qiding Railway Tunnels (崎頂一、二號隧道). A pair of railway tunnels built in the 1920s that now allow visitors to stroll through them and the surrounding natural grounds.
- 5 Shan Jiao Elementary School (山腳國民小學), ☏ +886 3 735 2961. An old Japanese-style schoolhouse.
- 6 Shengxing railway station (勝興車站). A railway station that was closed to normal service in 1998 due to a route change and is now a tourist spot surrounded by a cluster of tea shops and traditional Hakka restaurants.
- 7 Tongxiao Shrine (通霄神社). Built in 1937, the shrine has served a number of purposes over the years.
- 8 Wugu Cultural Village (五榖文化村), ☏ +886 3 723 4805. 08:00-18:00. Focused on the history, culture, and industry of ceramics in Taiwan.
- 9 Yingtsai Academy (英才書院), No. 700, Xingang 3rd Road, Houlong Township, ☏ +886 3 772 7072. 09:00-17:00. A Southern Min-style tutorial academy featuring a bridge, garden, and pond.
Museums
- 10 Huoyan Mountain Ecology Museum (火炎山生態教育館), No. 73, Zhongzheng Road, Sanyi Township, ☏ +886 3 787 8851. 09:00-17:00. A museum of nature and ecology in Sanyi township.
- 11 Miaoli Ceramics Museum (苗栗陶瓷博物館), ☏ +886 3 723 3121. A museum cataloguing the traditions and culture of pottery production in the area.
- 12 Museum of Saisiyat Folklore (賽夏族民俗文物館), Nanzhuang Township. The museum is dedicated to the culture of the Saisiyat indigineous people.
- 13 Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum (三義木雕博物館), ☏ +886 3 787 6009. A museum of woodworking and sculpture.
- 14 Taiwan Oil Field Exhibition Hall (台灣油礦陳列館), ☏ +886 3 722 1300 (#235). 08:00-16:15. A museum of the petroleum industry in Taiwan established by the CPC Corporation, and sitting on the site where oil was first discovered in Taiwan.
- 15 [dead link] Walo Cultural Property Museum (瓦祿產業文化館), ☏ +886 3 782 3050. W-Su 09:00-17:00.
- 16 Zaochiao Charcoal Museum (造橋木炭博物館). A museum to the science and history of charcoal production in Taiwan.
Temples
- 17 Baishatun Gong Tian Temple (白沙屯拱天宮), ☏ +886 3 779 2058.
- 18 Chun Min Temple (軍民廟).
- 19 Futian Temple (輔天宮), Nanzhuang, ☏ +886 3 782 2563.
- 20 Gongguan Wugu Temple (公館五穀宮), No. 68, Gongqian Road, Gongguan Township, ☏ +886 3 722 5204. 07:00-21:00.
- 21 Hotsu Longfong Temple (竹南后厝龍鳳宮), No. 69, Longan Street, Zhunan Township, ☏ +886 3 746 4620. 05:00-21:00.
- 22 Maling Temple (媽靈宮), ☏ +886 3 792 3381.
- 23 Nayeli Mazu Temple (苗栗市天后宮).
- 24 Quanhua Temple (勸化堂), ☏ +886 3 782 2020.
- 25 Tongluo Tianbao Temple (九龍山天寶寺), ☏ +886 3 798 3663.
- 26 Wuji Temple (無極聖宮), ☏ +886 3 772 7227.
- Yungchen Temple (合港田寮永貞宮), ☏ +886 3 762 4429.
- 27 Zhonggang Cihyu Temple (中港慈裕宮). Built in 1685, it is the oldest Matsu temple in the county.
Do
Amusement parks
- 1 West Lake Resortopia (西湖渡假村), ☏ +886 3 787 6699. A small theme park in Sanyi township.
Parks and nature
- 2 Miaoli Park (苗栗客家文化園區). A cultural center in Tongluo Township about Hakka people.
Arts and culture
- 3 Wu Chuo-liu Art and Cultural Hall (吳濁流文學藝術館). An art and cultural center dedicated to Wu Chuo-liu for his contribution to Taiwanese literature.
See also
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Go next