Cycling in Chishang 池上: My guide to exploring Taitung’s most beautiful rice fields (Updated 2026)

Last updated June 5th, 2026

Of all the towns that I’ve visited along Taiwan‘s rural eastern region, Chishang 池上 in Taitung remains one of my favourites. Filled with endless stretches of yellow-green rice paddies against the majestic backdrop of the East Rift Valley mountains, it’s beautiful, interesting and easy enough to explore on your own little day trip. I’ve visited Chishang twice so far, and here’s my little guide to Chishang, including the things to do and how to get there.

I first visited Chishang in 2016 on my career break while exploring the Taitung region for the first time on my own, and spent a day cycling around this little town. In 2026, I returned to Taitung again and decided to see whether Chishang had changed at all – there have definitely been some upgrades, but it’s nice to see that a lot of its original charm has still been maintained, so I’ve updated this blogpost accordingly to reflect the changes.

Why visit Chishang?

For the ‘gram: The combination of expansive rice fields with Taiwan’s mountains is so picturesque that Chishang has been featured in several national ad campaigns by companies like Mr Brown Coffee and EVA Air. This has brought in the tourists who want to see the landscapes for themselves and even impacted the names of these spots here in Chishang, which I’ll expand more on below.

For the food: Taitung’s pure water and rich soil makes it a prime place for agriculture in Taiwan, and Chishang in particular is renowned for its excellent quality rice, so good that it wins awards and requires special certification markers. Most of the sights, must-east foods and souvenirs in Chishang revolve around rice and its harvest season.

For the convenience: For solo travellers who don’t plan to drive in Taiwan, Taitung can be a bit challenging to explore because its sights are quite spread out across the county. Some of these towns are also quite spread out, so even if you get there, you’ll have to figure out how to navigate on your own. What I enjoy about Chishang is that it’s easy to get to by train as it’s a main station on the Taiwan Rail network, and the town’s infrastructure is geared around cycling tourism, so most of the town’s highlights are easy to get to on a bike or e-scooter, no car needed.

How to get to Chishang

Chishang is on the Taiwan Railway line so it’s easy to hop on a train to get here. It takes about 30 mins from Taitung Station to Chishang Station if you’re on a Tze-Chiang Express Train as it will only stop at Guanshan in between. Check TRA schedules and tickets here.

If you take the local train, the journey from Taitung Station to Chishang will take about 50 minutes instead as the train will stop at the smaller stations along the way. The local train takes more time, but it’s also cheaper!

On a side note, there was a train derailment so trains were stopped between Guanshan, Chishang and Fuli stations in the afternoon that I was there. As the chartered buses were taking forever to arrange, I ended up sharing an hour-long taxi ride back to Taitung train station with another lady for 1,200 NTD (each of us paid 600 NTD), which is about the rate you’ll get from the meter.

Where to stay in Chishang

So far I’ve always taken a day trip to Chishang from Taitung and not stayed in Chishang itself. My guesthouses in Taitung have always been right next to the Taitung Train Station (which is not in the main city centre), so it’s a pretty convenient hop.

• Genuinn 実舍台東 is about 5mins walk from the Taitung Station entrance and is a very lovely guesthouse, perhaps one of the best rooms that I’ve stayed in Taiwan to date. Modern, clean, thoughtful and well-maintained, I stayed here in 2026 for 3 nights and would definitely come back here again. Check out Genuinn’s website or on booking.com [affiliate link]
• I’m Here B&B is slightly closer to the Taitung Station entrance. I stayed in the hostel dorm rooms here in 2016 and it was pretty decent if a tad homely then. Though looking at the current pix they’ve definitely upgraded since. More on booking.com [affiliate link]

Staying in Chishang is a nice option if you have some time to spare and your own transport to get around. You’ll get to see Chishang in the twilight after the tourists have caught the last trains out, or early in the mornings before the crowds arrive.

I looked up accommodation options in Chishang, here are some of my picks if I had chosen to stay overnight in Chishang:

• 莊稼熟了一館Good Harvest B&B is a cute minsu at the top of Paradise Road with nice views of the paddy fields. More on booking.com [affiliate link]
• Inari Humble House is in the town centre near the train station but looks very modern and clean. More on booking.com [affiliate link]
• Chishang Music Guesthouse also looks like a nice minsu in the town area, in a 5-storey building with a lift and views. More on booking.com [affiliate link]

Getting around Chishang

Chishang is not a very big town, and one of the best ways to explore is via cycling or on e-bikes, as some of the main sights here are blocked off to vehicular traffic.

In 2016 I rented a bicycle to get around for 100 NTD, but in 2026 I decided that I was gonna take it easy so I had a little e-scooter with a max speed of 25kmh for 450 NTD from 熊愛騎租車 (Xiong Ai Qi Zhu Che) who were located right at the train station.

Most of the rental places are conveniently located right around the Chishang Train Station or the carpark area for Mr Brown Boulevard, and these days they have really cute little e-carts that look like cats and trains, and carts that can sit 2-8 people.

If you’re on a budget, you can also consider renting Youbikes – these used to only be found in Taipei but now can be found in Taitung! There is a Youbike stand right in front of Chishang Train Station.

You can prebook cars, scooters or e-bikes via Klook [affiliate link] if you’re visiting during peak season and you’re worried about getting a specific vehicle, but if not you can always go to the Chishang and have a look around for yourself.

When is the best time to visit Chishang?

The best time to visit Chishang is in line with the rice planting and rice harvest seasons as they change colour as the rice grows and is harvested. There are 2 main rice growing seasons, from February to June, and from July to October. So that means harvest season and the prettiest months will typically be in June and October when your rice fields will be golden yellow. October is also when Chishang organises an art festival in conjunction with its harvest season.

It was all very green when I visited in early May back in 2016 as the rice had grown but not ripened yet. In 2026 I visited in late May and the rice was turning yellow, and probably would be fully golden in another week or two. Winter is a fallow period and if you go too early at the start of the planting, you’ll see bare fields.

Taitung Tourism does have a live camera that you can check to see the conditions and colours of the rice fields.

Things to do in Chishang

I’m listing out the places you will see if you follow the bike path route from Chishang Train Station:

Dapo Pond 大坡池

The first stop on the cycling route is to head straight down the road from the train station towards Dapo Pond. Not much was happening when I passed by, probably because it was midday and blazing hot, but it definitely is a pretty spot.

Dapo Pond is an inland freshwater swamp with a nice jogging and bike path around it, and the reason for the town’s name – Chishang 池上 translates directly into ‘Pond Above’. There were paddle boats for rent, though it was too hot for anyone to be paddling in the afternoon.

From the main Dapochi Plaza where the carpark is located, I took a left across the bridge to follow the bicycle path that brings you around the lake.

Dapo Pond 大坡池 [Google maps]

Rice Field Viewing Pavilion 稻米達人林龍星

There are plenty of farmland and rice fields to admire as you explore Chishang, so make sure to enjoy the view. About halfway around Dapo Pond, you will see Jinxin No. 2 Road 錦新二號道路 and signs directing you towards Bolang Dadao 伯朗大道 or Mr Brown Avenue. The bicycle path parallels the main road and along the way there is this cute little rest stop called Dao Mi Da Ren Lin Long Xing 稻米達人林龍星 – this is the name of a local who grew award winning rice in Chishang.

These huts are typically where farmers rest in on hot days, and this one is located next to a larger, more tourist friendly rest stop with actual seats. Sit here quietly enjoy the rustling of the rice stalks in the wind. The way they ripple in the wind is pretty mesmerising

Dao Mi Da Ren Lin Long Xing 稻米達人林龍星 [Google maps]

Jinyuen Laundry Pavilion (Jin Yuan Xi Yi Ting) 錦園洗衣亭

Follow the cycling path all the way till you hit the junction where the main road is. You’ll come across a little area with a little shrine for Jinyuen Fu De Chi. Follow the sign and keep tracing the fields. (If you turn left and follow the main road, you’ll end up being led to the carpark and where all the bike rental stalls are located).

Further along the road is the Jinyuen Laundry Pavilion, a little covered stone structure where locals used to do the laundry. It was quite plain back in the day, but now there is a DJ sculpture inside the structure, and you can go up to the rooftop and enjoy some elevated views of the surrounding area.

Jinyuen Laundry Pavilion 錦園洗衣亭 [Google maps]

There are 3 main roads that cut through the rice fields in this area. I’ll talk about what you can see along each of them.

Jinxin Road No. 2 錦新二號道路

The first road you’ll arrive at from the Jinyuen Laundry Pavilion is Jinxin Road No. 2. This road doesn’t have a special nickname, but it does have some pretty interesting sights along the way.

Great View Pavilion (Da Guan Ting) 大觀亭

At the end of this road is a lookout point of sorts built out of wood called the Da Guan Ting or Great View Pavilion. Some of it was closed when I revisited in 2026, but one of the pavilions was open so I climbed up for an elevated view of the surrounding rice fields.

Great View Pavilion 大觀亭 [Google maps]

Chishang Big Water Wheel 池上大水車

Further down from the Great View Pavilion is a large water wheel – it wasn’t working when I visited in 2016 but now it seems to have been repaired and was merrily spinning water around. The water wheel helps to push water through the irrigation drains all around the paddy fields and keep them well watered.

Chishang Big Water Wheel 池上大水車 [Google maps]

Mr Brown Avenue 伯朗大道

Probably the most famous spot in Chishang, Mr Brown Avenue 伯朗大道 or Mr Brown Boulevard is a 2.2km long straight stretch of road that cuts across Chishang’s rice fields with no barriers and lampposts along it to obstruct the picture perfect view of the lush green fields and surrounding mountains.

Officially known as Jinxin No. 3 Road 锦新三号道路, it got its Mr Brown moniker because of an advertisement filmed here back in the day by Taiwanese coffee brand Mr Brown. I found a really retro looking clip of the ad on youtube and you can see some scenes of the train passing through Chishang and the fields forming a great backdrop for the ad.

Car’s and motorised scooters aren’t allowed on these roads, which I think is great to help preserve the clean air and prevent noise pollution, but you will run into a lot of e-bikes and some of the bulkier family-style karts going around the roads here.

Mr Brown Avenue Sign / Picture Frame

The place to take your proof shot of visiting Mr Brown Avenue is at the signpost, a brown ‘log’ with the words Mr Brown Avenue on it. Next to it is another photospot with a large empty picture frame you can pose in. Expect it to be quite crowded here with lots of people taking their photos.

Here is also where you’ll find the Mr Brown Coffee statue. There is also a small shop selling snacks and drinks with a few benches for seating around here.

[Google maps] The signs on Mr Brown Avenue are located closer to the Chifu Road junction

Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree 金城武树

But a more famous ad that was filmed in recent years was by Taiwanese airline EVA Air which featured the actor Takeshi Kaneshiro cycling along this road, and stopping under a picturesque tree to have some tea. That tree is now called the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree 金城武树 and just about everyone who passes by stops to reenact that star moment beneath its branches. Good luck not capturing anyone else in your shot – it can get pretty crowded.

The Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree got ripped up by a typhoon so it’s a little fragile, but that doesn’t deter the tourists! You’ll find a little stand with a tea kettle on in under the tree, commemorating that particular shot from the commercial.

Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree 金城武树 [Google maps]

Paradise Road 天堂之路

Bisecting Mr Brown Avenue is another road originally known as Wanxin Road 萬新道路, but better known by its nickname Tiantang Road 天堂之路 or Paradise Road. Unlike Mr Brown Road which is straight, this road has some pleasing curves to it and is said to resemble a dragon’s tail. I personally think Paradise Road is prettier than Mr Brown Avenue.

Paradise Road 天堂之路 [Google maps]

Chishang Pastoral Farm Resort 池上牧野渡假村

In 2016, I decided to cycle along some of the smaller parallel back roads on the way back to the train station. I found myself entering the Chishang Pastoral Farm Resort 池上牧野渡假村. Maybe it was the time of day or the wrong season, but it seemed a bit quiet and empty when I visited.

Given that it called itself a Pastoral Farm, I was expecting perhaps some sort of a farm animal petting zoo with your typical livestock, but I definitely wasn’t expecting to see the ostrich, nor the cassowary birds. According to the Taitung Tourism website, I apparently missed out on seeing the pygmy hippos!

This apparently used to be the site of the old Taitang 台糖 or Taiwan Sugar factory that was converted into a resort in 1994. In keeping with the whole pastoral farm theme, they have a whole Mongolian theme going with lots of little yurts and artwork. It’s a bit bizarre when you’re cycling through this place without any context whatsoever. Read more about it here.

Chishang Pastoral Farm Resort 池上牧野渡假村 [Google maps]

Taitung Hakka Cultural Museum 客家文化园区

I needed a bit of a breather at this point, and ended up stopping at the Taitung Hakka Cultural Museum 客家文化园区. There is an information centre and a small but new museum all about the Hakka culture in Taiwan. I wandered in for a quick walk around and to escape the afternoon heat.

What I thought was more interesting were the gardens opposite the museum which they call the Flower Sea or Huahai 花海. Again I saw down here and enjoyed the flowers before I continued on my cycling journey.

Taitung Hakka Cultural Museum 客家文化园区 [Google maps]

Where to eat in Chishang

Wu Tao Chishang Fan Bao Museum 悟饕池上飯包文化故事馆

Chishang is renowned in Taiwan for its high quality of rice that’s extra QQ (springy is my best translation for that) and a little bit sweet. Rice is such a big deal in Chishang that it only rice with proper certification and verification can be marketed as Chishang rice. In addition, the ubiquitous Biandang 便當 or the rice lunchbox that you can find all over Taiwan has evolved into a uniquely Chishang version called Fanbao 飯包, traditionally served in a little box held together by 4 wooden panels.

Start your exploration right by dropping by browsing through the exhibits of the Museum to learn about the history of this lunch box from its beginning in 1939 on the upper floor, with lots of rice related exhibits and dioramas as well though I honestly didn’t spend that much time reading all the information.

I was more keen to sample a traditional Fanbao for myself. While the Fanbao is meant for takeout, I recommend eating it in one of the converted train carriages that you can find around the compound – it’s a nod to how Fanbao became popular in the first place, as something people could take on the train to eat. The rice was pretty good but I don’t think I’m expert enough to pick it out of a line up.

You can also buy lots of other Chishang related food souvenirs here.

Wutao Chishang Fanbao Museum 悟饕池上飯包文化故事馆 [Google maps] You can walk here from the Chishang Train Station.

Dachi Tofu Skin (Da Chi Dou Pi Dian) 大池豆皮店

The lady who rented me my e-bike recommended that I check out this tofu shop for lunch. This little shop specialises in tofu, so the menu is very limited but probably a heaven if you love all things soy. The signature dish is the pan-fried tofu skin which was sold out by the time I was there in the afternoon, but replaced with a basil-stir fry tofu skin dish. You can also get tofu pudding and soy milk.

What’s cool is that you can look into the back rooms and watch them hand make fresh tofu skin. It looks like such a laborious process!

Dachi Tofu Skin 大池豆皮店 [Google maps]

Chishang Tofu Space (Dou Zhi Jian) 池上豆之間

She recommended me another place to check out called Tofu Space, which turned out to be a much more modern type of restaurant/cafe. I’d already eaten my fill so I opt to get dessert here – a tofu ice cream float in red tea and a chocolate lava cake just because I had enough of tofu by that time. There’s also a nice section of Chishang food souvenirs sold here, and the decor is quite nice.

Chishang Tofu Space 池上豆之間 [Google maps]

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Planning a trip to Taiwan? Escape the busy city of Taipei and check out the East Coast. See my posts covering Yilan, Hualien and Taitung.