Taichung's cycling tourism boom

"Over the past ten years, the Taichung Bicycle Carnival has expanded from a small event mostly for local residents into a city-wide tourism highlight, drawing thousands of cyclists and families from outside Taichung," says Chen Mei-xiu, Director of the Taichung City Government's Tourism and Travel Bureau. Beyond the Carnival and its varied cycling routes, Taichung boasts a rich calendar of compelling bike-related activities, backed by continued long-term infrastructure investment for biking enthusiasts.

Visitors can easily rent a bicycle to ride through breathtaking mountain and seaside landscapes or explore the historic downtown area. Taichung's numerous cycling paths include many that are renowned in their own right. Among these, Chen personally recommends the Tanyashen Green Bikeway. Featuring gentle slopes and stretches shaded by lush green canopies, it winds through multiple city districts with separate pedestrian and cycling paths for added safety.

High-tech enhancements to the cycling experience

For those seeking more in-depth exploration, Taichung beckons with its comprehensive "four routes, two loops, one city" cycling itinerary. The "four routes" comprise a set of picturesque yet strikingly different bikeways, while the "two loops" refers to an inner loop that runs alongside a railroad and an outer loop that showcases the city's water infrastructure. Finally, "one city" is the part of the itinerary where cyclists can immerse themselves in the rich culinary culture of Taichung's urban core.

The "four routes, two loops, one city" itinerary is designed to appeal equally to cyclists seeking a long-distance challenge, families looking for an escape from hectic everyday life, and travelers hoping to get to know the city at a leisurely pace. Riders can use the Taichung Travel mobile app to look up routes, plan their own side trips, explore nearby attractions, and even earn digital certificates of completion upon finishing designated routes. This tech-enhanced feature adds a satisfying sense of achievement, encouraging travelers to come back and collect additional certificates.

Taichung's bicycle lanes are numerous, extensive, and distinctive. Shown here is the scenic Dongfeng Bicycle Green Way. Photo credit: Taichung City Government

Building the ideal city for cycling

In August 2026, Taichung received news that it had earned a Green Destinations Bronze Award for sustainable destination management, making it the first city in Taiwan to do so. The honor follows multiple years of Taichung being listed in the Green Destinations Foundation's Top 100 Stories for sustainable tourism practices. As Chen points out, the Green Destinations Foundation's certification system is exceptionally rigorous, and Taichung's recognition by the organization is a testament to its systematic efforts to embed sustainable tourism into the city's development model—something in which bike-friendliness plays a major role.

The emphasis on bicycles in city development goes far beyond tourism, as Taichung is home to a key industry cluster for global bicycle manufacturing. From the production of frames and precision components to final assembly, the density and vertical integration of Taichung's bicycle supply chain rank among the highest in the world. Driven by industry heavyweights Giant and Merida, the local supply chain generates immense economic value and creates thousands of jobs, while also fostering a happy alignment between industrial development and local tourism. This alignment has given rise to a unique urban phenomenon: a booming bicycle industry, a comprehensive bike path network, and thriving cycling-related public events—all working in tandem to fuel Taichung's distinctive "bicycle economy".

Gaining global recognition as the "bicycle kingdom"

By encouraging cycling tourism with over a hundred incredibly varied scenic routes and organizing compelling city-wide events, Taichung has successfully turned bicycles into a driver of the city's economy. That's the essence of "bicycle economics" as described by the Tourism and Travel Bureau's Chen. "Bicycles are the most iconic form of low-carbon travel, and Taichung's investments in cycling safety and sustainability serve as a national benchmark," she emphasizes. Moving forward, Taichung will continue to strengthen safety measures, with the separation of pedestrians and vehicles and the integration of AI-driven smart traffic signaling highlighted as current priorities.

Today, Taichung has cultivated a city cycling culture with its own distinctive character. Its reputation as a "bicycle kingdom" has drawn friendship and sister cities—such as Japan's Saiki and Nakatsu in Oita Prefecture, Hokuto in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Sakata in Yamagata Prefecture—to participate in the Taichung Bicycle Carnival and engage in inter-city exchanges on cycling-related initiatives. When industry, tourism, and internationalization converge on the same path, and when every ride connects nature, community, and the local economy, the bicycle ceases to be mere transportation. Instead, it becomes the most tangible means for Taichung to practice sustainability and advance a "bicycle economy" that elevates the city's brand, its appeal to tourists, and residents' quality of life.

Taichung is actively promoting its "bicycle economy". Shown is a group of VIPs from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea at the 2025 Taichung Bicycle Carnival. Photo credit: Taichung City Government

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