# Miaoli County

Miaoli County (苗栗縣) is in the central region of Taiwan.

## Understand

Miaoli is made up of 18 cities, townships, and rural settlements:
* Northern Miaoli (Toufen City, Sanwan, Shitan) an area famous for tea.
* Southern Miaoli (Tongluo, Xihu, Zhuolan, Sanyi, Dahu) well-known for its fruit, and local wood-carvings.
* Central Miaoli (Miaoli City, Zaoqiao, Touwu, Gongguan) the seat of the county government.
* Western Miaoli (Zhunan, Houlong, Tongxiao, Yuanli) coastal area with good scenery.
* Eastern Miaoli (Nanzhuang, Tai'an) the high mountainous region where visitors can experience the culture of the indigenous peoples of the area.

### Cities

* 24.57120.821 Miaoli － a county-administered city and the county seat of Miaoli County.
* 24.6832120.9072 Toufen － a county-administered city in the north of the county. There is an old housing estate which was taken over and turned into a museum of 1950s-era Taiwan.

### Townships

* 24.616667120.7833331 Houlong － a coastal township of around 37,000 people.
* 24.483333120.6833332 Tongxiao －
* 24.4168120.6833 Yuanli － known as "Miaoli's Granary", the area is an important agricultural area in the county.
* 24.683333120.8833334 Zhunan － a popular spot for local tourists for its beaches and related activities. The town also boasts a 100ft statue of the goddess Matsu.
* 24.3222120.8455 Zhuolan

### Rural areas

* 24.5699121.0166 Nanzhuang － part of the traditional homeland of the Saisiyat people, there is also a museum in the town which showcases their history and culture.
* 24.55120.757 Xihu － contains a rock carving of the goddess Matsu.
* 24.65120.8666678 Zaoqiao
* 24.416667120.7666679 Sanyi － famous for wood carvings
* 24.5053120.84510 Gongguan － once claimed to be the home of 'Asia's first oil well', there is a museum in the area dedicated to the oil and gas industry.
* 24.5234120.92311 Shitan － a sparsely populated area which has a dwelling preserved from the time of Koxinga.
* 24.4228121.05112 Tai'an － a mountainous area with a population of mostly indigineous Taiwanese, most of whom are Atayal people.
* 24.397778120.84861113 Dahu － an area famous in Taiwan for its strawberries.
* 24.5833120.8514 Touwu
* 24.483333120.78333315 Tongluo － the area is the main producer of chrysanthemums in Taiwan.
* 24.632120.93716 Sanwan

## Get in
### By rail

Miaolo County is connected to the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (HSR) network via the following station.
* 24.606006120.8252661 Miaoli HSR station (高鐵苗栗站), 268 Gaotie 3rd Rd, Houlong. (updated Aug 2019)
There are also a number of stations for the TRA network in the county.
| Name | Chinese | Line | Location |
| 24.645583120.8038332 Dashan. | 大山 | West Coast Line | Houlong |
| 24.604222120.8263613 Fengfu. | 豐富 | Taichung line | Houlong |
| 24.615833120.7870564 Houlong. | 後龍 | West Coast Line | Houlong |
| 24.611444120.7585285 Longgang. | 龍港 | West Coast Line | Houlong |
| 24.5699120.8224446 Miaoli. | 苗栗 | Taichung line | Miaoli |
| 24.523172120.7917817 Nanshi. | 南勢 | West Coast Line | Miaoli |
| 24.421422120.7740368 Sanyi. | 三義 | Taichung line Former Mountain line | Sanyi |
| 24.487120.7869 Tongluo. | 銅鑼 | Taichung line | Tongluo |
| 24.564139120.708510 Baishatun. | 白沙屯 | West Coast Line | Tongxiao |
| 24.4915120.67811 Tongxiao. | 通霄 | West Coast Line | Tongxiao |
| 24.540611120.69547212 Xinpu. | 新埔 | West Coast Line | Tongxiao |
| 24.4433120.65113 Yuanli. | 苑裡 | West Coast Line | Yuanli |
| 24.6563120.85814 Tanwen. | 談文 | West Coast Line | Zaoqiao |
| 24.642120.86815 Zaoqiao. | 造橋 | Taichung Line | Zaoqiao |
| 24.723120.87216 Qiding. | 崎頂 | West Coast Line | Zhunan |
| 24.6868120.88117 Zhunan. | 竹南 | Taichung line West Coast Line | Zhunan |

## See

Miaoli City has its own article on Wikivoyage. See that article for listings in the city; this article focuses on the surrounding county.

### History and culture

* 24.603528120.8233611 $^{[deadlink]}$ Hakka Round House (客家圓樓), ☏ +886 3 773 2940. 09:00-17:00. A large round building built in the Hakka traditional style with an observation deck on the third floor. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.59957120.999562 Former Nanzhuang Post Office (南庄郵便局). An old Japanese-style post office that is no longer in use. Some small souveniers can be purchased here. The tiles used in the roof are supposed to have been made during the Tokugawa period. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.3584120.7743 Longteng Broken Bridge (龍騰斷橋). A red-brick bridge that was built in 1906, but became unusable after being damaged in an earthquake. A new bridge was built nearby, and the remains of the former bridge were left as a monument to those who have died in the most deadly earthquakes in Taiwan's history. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.72785120.8763654 Old Qiding Railway Tunnels (崎頂一、二號隧道). A pair of railway tunnels built in the 1920s that now allow visitors to stroll through them and the surrounding natural grounds. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.417328120.6858735 Shan Jiao Elementary School (山腳國民小學), ☏ +886 3 735 2961. An old Japanese-style schoolhouse. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.388222120.7820396 Shengxing railway station (勝興車站). A railway station that was closed to normal service in 1998 due to a route change and is now a tourist spot surrounded by a cluster of tea shops and traditional Hakka restaurants. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.492389120.6828617 Tongxiao Shrine (通霄神社). Built in 1937, the shrine has served a number of purposes over the years. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.51759120.822468 Wugu Cultural Village (五榖文化村), ☏ +886 3 723 4805. 08:00-18:00. Focused on the history, culture, and industry of ceramics in Taiwan. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.608722120.8159449 Yingtsai Academy (英才書院), No. 700, Xingang 3rd Road, Houlong Township, ☏ +886 3 772 7072. 09:00-17:00. A Southern Min-style tutorial academy featuring a bridge, garden, and pond. (updated Aug 2019)

### Museums

* 24.415120.77210 Huoyan Mountain Ecology Museum (火炎山生態教育館), No. 73, Zhongzheng Road, Sanyi Township, ☏ +886 3 787 8851. 09:00-17:00. A museum of nature and ecology in Sanyi township. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.4897120.82811 Miaoli Ceramics Museum (苗栗陶瓷博物館), ☏ +886 3 723 3121. A museum cataloguing the traditions and culture of pottery production in the area. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.5833121.03412 Museum of Saisiyat Folklore (賽夏族民俗文物館), Nanzhuang Township. The museum is dedicated to the culture of the Saisiyat indigineous people. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.405833120.75555613 Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum (三義木雕博物館), ☏ +886 3 787 6009. A museum of woodworking and sculpture. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.4603120.85614 Taiwan Oil Field Exhibition Hall (台灣油礦陳列館), ☏ +886 3 722 1300 (#235). 08:00-16:15. A museum of the petroleum industry in Taiwan established by the CPC Corporation, and sitting on the site where oil was first discovered in Taiwan. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.598884121.04110415 $^{[deadlink]}$ Walo Cultural Property Museum (瓦祿產業文化館), ☏ +886 3 782 3050. W-Su 09:00-17:00. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.6358120.87616 Zaochiao Charcoal Museum (造橋木炭博物館). A museum to the science and history of charcoal production in Taiwan. (updated Aug 2019)

### Temples

* 24.571697120.70915117 Baishatun Gong Tian Temple (白沙屯拱天宮), ☏ +886 3 779 2058. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.311017120.83442518 Chun Min Temple (軍民廟). (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.641523121.01016419 Futian Temple (輔天宮), Nanzhuang, ☏ +886 3 782 2563. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.502262120.82676620 Gongguan Wugu Temple (公館五穀宮), No. 68, Gongqian Road, Gongguan Township, ☏ +886 3 722 5204. 07:00-21:00. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.693614120.86646321 Hotsu Longfong Temple (竹南后厝龍鳳宮), No. 69, Longan Street, Zhunan Township, ☏ +886 3 746 4620. 05:00-21:00. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.586994120.72527922 Maling Temple (媽靈宮), ☏ +886 3 792 3381. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.553557120.81744623 Nayeli Mazu Temple (苗栗市天后宮). (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.641973121.01006224 Quanhua Temple (勸化堂), ☏ +886 3 782 2020. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.473856120.76679825 Tongluo Tianbao Temple (九龍山天寶寺), ☏ +886 3 798 3663. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.596294120.7939626 Wuji Temple (無極聖宮), ☏ +886 3 772 7227. (updated Aug 2019)
* Yungchen Temple (合港田寮永貞宮), ☏ +886 3 762 4429. (updated Aug 2019)
* 24.6825120.8637527 Zhonggang Cihyu Temple (中港慈裕宮). Built in 1685, it is the oldest Matsu temple in the county. (updated Aug 2019)

## Do
### Amusement parks

* 24.3908120.7591 West Lake Resortopia (西湖渡假村), ☏ +886 3 787 6699. A small theme park in Sanyi township. (updated Aug 2019)

### Parks and nature

* 24.46279120.770982 Miaoli Park (苗栗客家文化園區). A cultural center in Tongluo Township about Hakka people. (updated Aug 2019)

### Arts and culture

* 24.5247120.773 Wu Chuo-liu Art and Cultural Hall (吳濁流文學藝術館). An art and cultural center dedicated to Wu Chuo-liu for his contribution to Taiwanese literature. (updated Aug 2019)