Thanks to the country's High Speed Rail (HSR), the city is now conveniently connected with the other major destinations on Taiwan's west coast, and visitors can whiz down south within an hour and a half from the Taipei Main Station, making visits to Chiayi City a snap.

Discover Some Amusement at Chiayi Park

It is no surprise to see a 270,000 square meter park crowded with trees. It is astonishing, however, to find the place with features interesting enough to attract visitors on their own.

At first glance, 60-year-old Chiayi Park looks like an ordinary park with its share of benches, trees, bushes and grass, as well as ponds with fountains and small decorative bridges. Like London's Hyde Park, Chiayi Park is clean and well maintained. The greatest differences lie in the existence of Chinese and Japanese elements left behind from the Japanese Colonial period at the turn of the century.

Thoughtful aspects can be found everywhere in the park, even under your feet — outlined images of people walking and cycling carved onto pavement bricks differentiate the walkways from the bike tracks.

The park's age is evident as some of the concrete pavilions and benches are starting to crack and crumble, while others have plants growing over them. But instead of looking rundown, these signs of wear and tear add to the place's characteristic charm.

Venture farther up hill in the park, and visitors will find themselves in a fantasy world straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Instead of stumbling upon the Mad Hatter's tea party, however, one will discover a grand Confucius Temple located in the heart of the park – a “little” surprise thrown at visitors.

Diagonally uphill from here rests some steps leading up to a heavy archway, in a distance appears a tower resembling Isengard Tower from Lord of the Rings. Prior to reaching the tower, look to the right for a Japanese style edifice that is now a Historical Relic Museum housing the history of Chiayi Park and the city. Visitors can poke around the museum for free from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, except Mondays.

Note: Two guided tours are available every day, starting at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Carry on trekking towards the park's biggest landmark, the Sun Shooting Tower. The 62-meter-tall tower got its name from an old aboriginal myth, which is depicted in a huge bronze sculpture in the middle of the structure.

An indoor tour with an elevator that takes you to the top of the building costs NT$30. Visitors can take in a startling 360-degree view of the city through glass panels placed ten stories high.

After maybe a picnic or breather at the park, stroll back down along the footpath to the bus stop. Gather yourself, and go to jail.

Note: To get to the next stop, walk straight down Zhongshan Road until you meet Weishin Road, then turn right and walk for two blocks.

Do Not Pass Go, Go Straight to Jail

Currently a valuable cultural asset, visitors should swing by to pay the prison a visit if time allows, even though it is, unfortunately, no longer open to the public. But you can still “see” the prison by peeking through the windows and looking at the pictures on display.

Taiwan's only surviving and fragile—looking Chiayi Old Prison is 88 years old. Originally operating under the name of Tainan Prison Chiayi Branch, it was later renamed “Taiwan Department of Correctional Affairs, Chiayi Branch,” and then “Taiwan Chiayi Prison” in 1947.

The prison has a unique architectural design and layout that was an ideal prototype of prisoner control because guards could oversee all cell rooms from one position.

The raised ceilings of the prison houses provided ventilation and allowed natural light to enter the rooms. The doors and windows were made of cypress from Alishan, or Mt. Ali, that was incredibly strong and durable.

Even though paint is peeling off the walls, as you can see clearly even at its front door, it is amazing to see how the structure has remained in such good condition after all these years.

Rice it Up with Some Turkey

Turkey rice has long been associated with the Chiayi area, so it is a must-have before visitors depart the city. For a bowl of local authenticity, walk down Wenhua Road and stop by Kuo Family's Turkey Rice.

Here, turkey rice is served from 10 a.m. through 5:30 a.m. the following morning. An employee surnamed Lee exclaimed that there is never enough time to serve all the customers they receive every day.

Restaurant owner Mr. Kuo highlighted that although the place has been running for three decades now, their turkey rice has been around for nearly a century, beginning as a small stall in a nearby market. Currently managed by the fourth generation of Kuos, the flavor of the turkey rice has never changed. However, more health—conscious customers nowadays prefer less turkey fat or skin in comparison to the past.

In comparison to the commonly seen chicken rice, the rice with shredded pieces of turkey meat is heavier in flavor and stronger in smell because it soaks up more salt. Kuo's recipe ensures that the turkey meat is never too dry.

Turkey rice is popular in the area because the weather conditions — always sunny — are suitable for raising turkeys (what a bummer to be a turkey in Chiayi). The amount of turkeys killed to make turkey rice in the city can number hundreds a day.

As nighttime approaches, be prepared as you begin your journey home; it may be hard to believe how much you're going to miss this peaceful city.

How to get there:

By HSR:

Get off at Chiayi Station and take the free transit bus into city center (NT$1,075/trip from Taipei). It's an average 80-minute journey.

By Train:

Get off at Chiayi Station, located in the heart of the city (about NT$580/trip from Taipei). The journey is about two hours.

By Bus:

Take the King Bus (國光) from Taipei Main Station that goes to Chiayi City (NT$165 - NT$200/trip). It takes about three to four hours to arrive.

Kuo Family's Turkey Rice 郭家火雞肉飯/No. 148 Wenhua Road, Chiayi City 嘉義市文化路148號 (05) 225- 6214