You’ve never heard of Taichung, but it’s the 2nd largest city in Taiwan (2.86 million+).

Home of Giant Bicycles.

AND Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry.

It’s no magnet for tourists.

But I really enjoyed the National Museum of Natural Science. First class.

The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is equally well presented, but I’m much less into art.

More interesting than both, for me, is this quirky candy / ice cream shop called Miyahara. A historic building transformed into a luxurious dessert and souvenir store with a Harry Potter-esque interior. 

Though an urban sprawl, here and there are some interesting architectural treats.

Train station, for example.

SOME green space. Not as much as I would like.

There are some interesting attractions outside the city, but I found public transportation not nearly as convenient as in Taipei.

Overshadowed by the more famous, nearby Buddhist temple, Borobudur, as a tourist, I enjoyed the Hindu Prambanan temple complex just as much.

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat.

With the main prasada tower soaring up to 47 metres high, a vast walled temple complex consists of 240 structures is today mostly in ruins. Only a few of those have been restored.

One big difference from Borobudur is that you can enter some of the temples here.

Very few tourists leave the main temple area. The rest I had almost to myself.

Somehow the jumble of original stone suits the confusing Hindu storylines of this vast site.

The temples were mysteriously abandoned near the half of the 10th century. 

In 1918, the Dutch colonial government began the reconstruction of the compound; however, proper restoration only commenced in 1930.

I’m quite certain it will never be completely restored.

Jodipan Colorful Village is often called by tourists the Rainbow Village.

This was a slum area in the city of Malang, Indonesia, ready to be demolished. All residents relocated.

However, a group of students from a university in Malang came up with the idea to give the area a fresh and remarkable splash of paint in the hope of attracting the attention of tourists.

In June 2016, the Air Force troops painted the entire village (named Jodipan), and directly after it became a major tourist attraction.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

It’s not easy to take a bad photo here. 😀

Look up. Way up.

This success inspired another Indonesian Rainbow Village ➙ Kampung Pelangi, Semarang.

Arema Blue Village was originally another slum right next door.

This area was painted April 2018.

It reminded me somewhat of the traditional blue city Chefchaouen in Morocco.

The Blue Village is not nearly as tourist ready. It’s mostly a neighbourhood painted blue in honour of the local football team.

Both are close to the train station and my hostel.