Chiayi is famous for being the transportation gateway to Alishan Forest Recreation Area, most folks heading up to Alishan pass through at least once. But visitors to Taiwan should not be so quick to dismiss this little city. In a country known for markets and street food, we find the food culture here to be among Taiwan’s best. Try Turkey Rice, a local dish that is now more likely to be chicken, or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, join the line for fish head stew. The wait can be over an hour, but devotees swear by this savory bowl and its fried carp head centerpiece.

Chiayi is also an excellent place for art and museums. The city hosts an impressive collection of Taiwanese, Chinese and Asian art at the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum.

Historically, Chiayi was the end of the line of the old Alishan Forest Railway – a transshipment point for the logging industry. That’s why you’ll see more preserved wooden buildings than usual, including the small Hinoki Village – a restored neighborhood of cypress dormitory housing, built for the Japanese forestry workers during Alishan’s logging days. There’s such a deep, multi-cultural influence here, that you may forget you are in Taiwan completely.

Across the train tracks, art lovers will find the Song of the Forest, a park of meandering paths and walkways with a huge dome sculpture made out of repurposed railroad ties.

It’s a bit of a mystery to us why Chiayi still gets treated as a stopover. Give it a night or two, and see what you make of it.