Caotun, or Tsaotun, (草屯 Cǎotún in Mandarin) is an urban township in the northwest of Nantou County. It is the largest township in Taiwan by population.

Understand

The area was historically known as Chháu-ê-tun (草鞋墩) with the present name adopted under Japanese rule in 1920.

Get in

By rail

The nearest train station to Caotun is the 1 Yuanlin Station (員林).   of the Taiwan Railway Administration in Changhua County.

See

Museums

Taiwan Times Village front facade.

• 1 Yu-hsiu Museum of Art (毓繡美術館). An art museum which was constructed in 2015. The building was given an award for architecture in 2016. (updated May 2021)
• 2 Taiwan Times Village (寶島時代村). The museums exhibits the past life of Taiwan, which includes the life of Hakka, Hoklo, Taiwanese aborigines and veterans from Mainland China in different community blocks. (updated May 2021)

History and culture

• 3 Caotun Old Street (草屯老街), No. 35, Heping Street. A street which still features some old brick houses. (updated May 2021)
• 4 Dengying Academy (登瀛書院). A historic centre for teaching children the Chinese classics. The academy traces its history back to 1734, although the present structure was completed in 1848. (updated May 2021)

Temples

• 5 General Chen Temple (草屯陳府將軍廟), No. 288- 41, Zhongzheng Rd, ☏ +886 492568603. 19:00-22:00. A temple which, according to local legend, was constructed in honour of a rich local man who used his own resources to provide food to the people during a famine, but was later accused of extortion and beheaded by the local elite. (updated May 2021)
• 6 Caotun Longde Temple (月眉厝龍德廟). A large temple complex that was built in 1793, during the Qing dynasty. (updated May 2021)

Do

• 1 Taiwan Craft Cultural Park (臺灣工藝文化園區), No. 573, Zhongzheng Rd, ☏ +886 492334141. 09:00-17:00. A complex featuring a number of stores selling locally made handicrafts. (updated May 2021)

Parks and nature

• 2 Hiking in Jiujiufeng. There is a 1.93km long hiking trail that makes a loop within Jiujiufeng. (updated May 2021)

Eat

Local specialities

• 1 Caotun Night Market (草鞋墩人文觀光夜市). Weekends: 19:00 - 00:00. The night market sells various delicacies in their food stalls. (updated May 2021)