Moving to Taichung in February

Hi it looks like I’m heading to Taichung on 1st February, waiting on contract then booking my flights. I’m 33 Australian male (6’8") not that the height matters but in China it seemed to attract attention.

I have been employed by WISE Wagor school in Xitun District.

Is this a nice area to live? Is it cheap to rent in this area or are there places near by better to rent in?

I’m bringing my road bike, any good places to ride to?

Ideas to meet locals and expats?

I enjoy playing some basketball, any courts worth checking out? Not really sure how popular it is in Taiwan, was crazy in China when I was there for 6 months.

Any tips you have for new comers? I’ll be staying at the school for the first month till I get paid then I’ll try get an apartment. Is it possible to negotiate paying the 2 months deposit off over time?

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Welcome to the forum.

Here is a board specifically on that kind of topics in this forum.
Cycling

You may get more info there.

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Thankyou Tando!

Watch your head when getting on a bus. Or the MRT. Or walking through a door.

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you might find some info here, though they seem to be a bit old info.
https://tw.forumosa.com/search?q=tag%3ATaichung%20tag%3Ahousing

Band here may be general housing tips.
https://tw.forumosa.com/search?q=tag%3Ahousing-tips

No, it’s really expensive there. If you have transportation, it’s better to live in a nearby district and commute

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Initially I’ll have my road bike, but I plan on getting a scooter when I can but that might take a couple months

Take a look in nearby beitun or north district. You can get a much larger place for the same money

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Thank you!

Is this a nice area to live? Is it cheap to rent in this area or are there places near by better to rent in?

Xitun is nice but as others have said a bit expensive. Once you get here you can look on 591.com and facebook groups. Stuff you’re mentioning with deposit etc. can be figured out on a case-by-case basis with the landlord/agent, I’ve had overall good experiences with this type of thing. In terms of places if you’re really going for cheaper you could look at Daya or Tanzi district but they are a little far from you, you might be biking/bussing a fair amount before you get your scooter.

I’m bringing my road bike, any good places to ride to?

The east side of the city up around Dakeng, Xinshe, up to Houli is really nice. You could also try and go toward Guguan for a (much) longer ride. I’m sure the board that was linked will have more resources, you can also check Strava.

Ideas to meet locals and expats?

Expats - same as China, really. Go to bars, play sports, join some social media groups, etc.
Locals - a bit more difficult. How’s your Mandarin? Honestly overall just the same as how to meet expats, just mostly without the alcohol-related activities.

Welcome to Taiwan and Taichung!

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There’s not much going on in Taichung.

Right now that’s we’ve got that out of the way :grin:, it’s actually a nice city to spend some time and there are many nice neighbourhoods.

Beitun, xitun, nantun are all nice districts to live in. Also centrally at the citizens park and art museum . Living close to your school is surely the optimum choice.

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Locals WAY more difficult IMHO.
YMMV.

And

  • signs affixed to shop awnings that often hang down at head level,
  • pointy cardboard signs in supermarkets hanging from the ceiling,
  • gongyu entrances,
  • umbrella spikes when it is raining or sunny
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So there are a few more hazards than in the western world?

Indeed. Also note that pedestrian crossings and sidewalks are actually driving lanes and parking spots in disguise.

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Can we expand on this? Is it just a language barrier or cultural or a lot of different factors?

I’m probably a bit biased maybe somebody living in Taichung now can pipe in ?:sunglasses:
Basically there’s big cultural differences between Westerners and your average Taiwanese, plus the language barrier is substantial.
But there are some good ways to connect with locals, playing pickup basketball is a good one.

There are Facebook groups that you can join. There are language exchanges gatherings and restaurants where expats hang out (well usually). You can worry about those after settling down. Do note that there isn’t really an expat place(a place where expat gather)in Taichung.

Mind posting some details for those facebook groups / language exchange spots?

I don’t have a link to a group or anything but there’s ultimate frisbee at Daye Junior high every Saturday afternoon. Lots of people like going to Taihu, Gong Hai, or Zhang men for a drink.

Wagor has a great reputation and a very nice campus compared to some of the shithole buxibans in Taichung. I’m guessing they pay a pretty decent salary. If you’re willing to pay a bit more than average, there are very nice apartments in the area. I live a block away from the National Theatre and absolutely love the location. If you want to pay a bit less, there will definitely be other options within a reasonable distance too.