Zhongli
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Zhongli

Zhongli

Taoyuan city near Taipei, distinguished by Southeast Asian market streets around Zhongli railway station.

Zhongli (also spelled Jungli) is a city in Taoyuan District, about 45 minutes from Taipei by train. It is not a major tourist destination but has a large Southeast Asian expatriate community — particularly from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam — which gives its market streets a different flavour from most Taiwanese cities. The cluster around ASEAN Square just south of Zhongli railway station is the most distinctive corner of the city.

The Xinming Night Market is the most notable attraction — held on Xinming Road between Zhongyang and Minzu roads, it operates nightly and sells Taiwanese snacks alongside hardware, clothing, shoes, and general goods. It is popular with locals and less visited by foreign tourists than the Taipei markets.

Guide

Getting There

Zhongli is on the Taiwan Railways western trunk line, with local and express trains from Taipei every few minutes. Local trains take about 45 minutes; the Tze-Chiang express is around 30. The MRT-Taoyuan Airport line also stops at Zhongli (the station is called A22 Zhongli, opened in 2024 as the final extension), giving direct access to Taoyuan International Airport in about 30 minutes.

Frequent inter-city buses run from Taipei Bus Station and from Taoyuan to Zhongli's main bus terminal opposite the railway station. From Zhongli itself, local buses cover Pingzhen, Longgang, and the surrounding districts. Taxis are inexpensive and Uber operates.

Guide

Things to Do

Zhongli is not a sights-led destination — most visits last an evening. The two reasons to stay are the night market on Xinming Road, easily the best in this part of northern Taiwan, and the surrounding Southeast Asian neighbourhoods around the old railway station. The university quarter to the north-east has a livelier student-led food and bar scene than the city centre.