Taipei & Taichung

Taipei: where most teachers start

Taipei is Taiwan’s capital, largest city, and the destination that most incoming teachers default to — with good reason. It has the most buxibans, the most international schools, the largest expat community, and the best-developed English infrastructure of any Taiwanese city. The MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) is clean, efficient, and covers the entire city with excellent reliability. Night markets are everywhere — Shilin, Ningxia, Raohe, Gongguan — each with a different character. Taipei 101 still impresses even on the tenth viewing. Beitou hot springs are 30 minutes north by MRT. Yangmingshan volcano national park starts 40 minutes from the city centre.

Taipei’s specific cultural institutions that teachers love: the National Palace Museum (one of the world’s great collections of Chinese imperial art, relocated to Taiwan in 1949). The Huashan 1914 Creative Park and Songshan Cultural Park — repurposed industrial spaces now housing independent design, art, and food markets. Da’an Forest Park — Taipei’s green lung; outdoor exercise classes, squirrels, Sunday afternoon community. The Presidential Office Boulevard. The Ximending shopping and youth culture district.

Life in Taipei

The Taipei buxiban schedule: afternoon and evening classes (4pm–9pm typical), with free mornings. Morning Taipei is extraordinary — the city wakes gradually; breakfast from a traditional 八宛 (breakfast shop) of egg crepe (dan bing, 蛉饼) and soy milk for NT$50; elderly Tai Chi practitioners in the parks; the neighbourhood pace before tourism and commerce take over.

The night market ritual is not an option — it’s how Taipei functions. Eating at night markets 4–5 times per week is completely normal for both local Taiwanese families and resident teachers. The food costs NT$100–200 for a full meal; the social experience is priceless. Each night market has specific specialities: Ningxia for oyster omelette (蛙仔蚱蛋) and pork liver soup; Raohe for black pepper bun (hujiao bing) with a queue that extends onto the street; Shilin for the widest variety.

Taipei’s transport is exceptional. The MRT card (EasyCard, 幃路通 card) covers metro, bus, YouBike bicycle rental (NT$10/30 minutes after the first 30 free), and even convenience store purchases. The card transforms Taipei into an entirely walkable and cycleable city — the Riverside Cycling Path along the Tamsui, Danshui, and Xindian rivers is 140km of dedicated cycle infrastructure accessible from central Taipei.

Taichung: Taiwan’s most balanced city

Taichung is Taiwan’s second-largest city and — for many teachers who’ve lived in both — Taiwan’s best city to live in. The bubble tea origin story is genuine and verifiable: the Chun Shui Tang tea house in Taichung invented the drink in 1986, and the original location is a pilgrimage site for bubble tea enthusiasts. Beyond this claim to fame, Taichung has built a city identity around design, art, food, and quality of life that distinguishes it from Taipei’s intensity and Kaohsiung’s port character.

The National Taichung Theater — designed by Pritzker laureate Toyo Ito and opened in 2016 — is one of the most architecturally significant buildings in East Asia and sits at the centre of Taichung’s arts district. Rainbow Village (Cai Hong Juan Cun) — a small community painted floor-to-ceiling with folk art murals by a former soldier — is one of Taiwan’s most photographed and most joyful places. The Feng Chia Night Market is the largest night market in Taiwan by physical scale.

For teachers: Taichung has a strong and growing teaching market — buxibans, international schools (TAS has a Taichung branch; Morrison Academy has a major campus), and TFETP placements all available. Costs approximately 20–30% lower than Taipei. Less competition for positions. Central location means easy HSR access to both Taipei (35 minutes) and Kaohsiung (40 minutes). Many teachers describe Taichung as having the best balance in Taiwan between career opportunity and liveable daily life.

Taipei vs Taichung for English teachers

FAQ