Xinshe Castle (新社莊園古堡) or Summit Castle Resort is located east of Taichung City in the mountainous region of Xinshe Township in Taiwan. It has a European castle, winery, gardens, fountains, pond, waterfall, several restaurants, a souvenir shop, and hiking trails.
Open all year round, Xinshe Castle is a perfect day trip from Taichung. Many visitors go to Taichung Xinshe Castle during the spring to catch cherry blossoms, while others visit during late autumn to see all the fall foliage colours.
The romantic fairy-tale setting is a favourite spot for many photographers, especially for pre-wedding photos. But any solo travellers can enjoy Xinshe Castle, as it is an excellent spot to experience rural Taichung.
So if you want to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and see a European castle in the middle of Taiwan, then you must visit Xinshe Castle, Taichung!
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Before you visit Taichung
Before you visit the Taichung castle, look at my blog post to learn all my best tips for travelling to Taiwan. I included a lot of information, including getting a Taiwan tourist SIM card, transportation around the country and more. And check out more tips on my solo travel guide to Taichung and learn about other attractions in Taichung.
How to get to Xinshe Castle Taichung
Address: No.65, Xiezhong St., Xinshe District, Taichung City 426, Taiwan (see map)
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday to Sunday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Xinshe Castle Entrance Fee: NT$250 (use NT$100 credit at Hexagon Restaurant or Wooden House Restaurant during weekdays only or all the restaurants within the resort during weekends. Cannot use during Chinese New Year holiday and specific holidays)
Website: Xinshe Castle (but it is in Chinese)
Xinshe Castle: Taking Taichung Public Bus
Public transportation in Taichung is efficient and is a great way to get around for solo travellers. The easiest way to Xinshe Castle in Taichung is by taking two public buses (see route). And best of all, the bus rides are free when you use your EasyCard or iPass.
- Bus 270: from Taichung Railway Station to Yingqu
- Time: 45 minutes
- Cost: free (when you use EasyCard or iPass)
- Bus 272: from Yingqu to Xinshe Castle
- Bus: 272
- Time: 8 minutes
- Cost: free (when you use EasyCard or iPass)
When you reach the entrance sign that says “Summit Resort” (pictured above), you have arrived at your destination.
The entrance doesn’t look very official, but walk in until you reach the paying booth. The park attendant will ask you for the castle entrance fee of NT$250 and give you a brochure of Xinshe Castle.
Note – When you pay NT$250 entrance fee, you can use NT$100 as a credit for food purchases at either Hexagon Restaurant or Wooden House Restaurant.
What is Xinshe Castle in Taiwan
There are many things to see at Xinshe Castle, including a medieval castle, European-inspired architecture, beautiful gardens, a waterfall and many more. Even though Xinshe Castle is also referred to as Summit Resort in Taichung, it is not a hotel.
From the entrance of Xinshe Castle, follow the trail around the pond in a clockwise direction, you will see the following highlights:
- Rainbow Bridge
- Lakeside Recreation
- Hexagon Restaurant
- Wine Chateau
- Japanese Cherry Forest
- Xinshe Castle
- Roman Pillars and Fountain
- Secret Garden
- Mist Fountain
What to see at Xinshe Castle Taichung
When you arrive at Xinshe Castle, you will receive a brochure after paying for the castle entrance fee. The booklet includes a detailed map of Xinshe Castle that looks similar to the map on their website.
1. Rainbow Bridge
Starting at the Gazebo near the entrance, you can immediately see the Rainbow Bridge in the middle of the pond. It is a pedestrian bridge where it leads you directly to the castle.
Immediately to the right of the Gazebo is the Mist Fountain, aka the waterfall.
And on the left side of the Gazebo, follow the trail where you will approach the Wooden House Restaurant. The restaurant serves mainly Chinese cuisine. You can use your NT$100 credit at the restaurant.
2. Lakeside Recreation
Right after the Wooden House Restaurant, the Lakeside Recreation area is semi-outdoor, with lots of seating and plants. It is an excellent spot to rest your tired feet or enjoy the view of the pond.
Make sure you find the West Wharf, a wooden pedestrian walkway leading to the pond’s middle. You can see every part of the lake at the tip of the walkway!
3. Hexagon Restaurant
Further along, the path is a hexagonal building with archways and balconies on each level. It is named the Hexagon Restaurant, of course.
The medieval building is built with a combination of bricks and coral fossil columns. Explore the exterior and the interior to appreciate the architecture.
The Hexagon Restaurant serves French food. If you are not hungry, you can always get a coffee (with your NT$100 credit) and sit at one of the tables by the balcony. It has a good view of the pond!
4. Wine Chateau
The Wine Chateau is one of the biggest buildings on the castle ground. I’m not sure if the Wine Chateau is a winery where people visit and sample wines. The ground floor doesn’t seem to be open when I visited.
The restaurant on the second floor serves French cuisine and local food. The food is a bit pricey. Prices start from NT$390 to NT$490. I wouldn’t expect amazing food in a tourist attraction. I would much rather wait until I go back to Taichung as there are many excellent restaurants in the city centre. I have lots of suggestions in my solo guide to Taichung.
Furthermore, there is a watchtower on the west side of the wine chateau and a souvenir store called Dora Store on the other end of the chateau.
5. Japanese Cherry Forest
Behind the Wine Chateau, there is Japanese Cherry Forest. It doesn’t look like much in my photo (pictured above) as it was taken in late November. But the walk around the garden is quite serene.
If you like cherry blossoms, definitely visit Xinshe Castle during the cherry blossom season. In the Taichung area, cherry blossom season is typically around February to April.
6. Xinshe Castle
Next to the Wine Chateau is the European castle that everyone wants to see when they visit Xinshe Castle.
The Southern European-style castle is strategically built in front of the lake and has mountains at the back. While Roman architecture is prominent throughout the castle, hints of medieval architectural components can be seen as well.
Not much else is known about the castle. I searched high and low online to find out about the origin of Xinshe Castle, and there doesn’t seem to be much info. I skimmed through the official website and still can’t find anything.
Perhaps visitors like the mystical quality of Xinshe Castle in Taiwan and would want to visit the castle and see it for themselves.
7. Roman Pillars and Fountain
Behind the castle, there is an area with Roman Pillars and Fountain. The area has a medieval vibe and is a welcoming space for visitors. And not to mention a very picturesque setting for a photoshoot.
And immediately behind the pillars, the start of a hiking trail starts at the base of the hill.
8. Secret Garden
There is a Secret Garden behind the parking lot near the entrance. Look for the Summit Stonehenge in the Secret Garden. And make sure to walk around the paved Taiwanese Incense Cedar Woods Pathway.
9. Mist Fountain
And finally, the trail leads you back to the Gazebo where you first started your tour around Xinshe Castle. Right before the Gazebo, you will see the Mist Fountain, which is a series of cascading waterfalls.
As it doesn’t look like a natural waterfall, but the waterfall itself is quite fitting for the environment and blends in seamlessly in the castle grounds.
Want to take an excursion from Taichung? Visit Gaomei Wetlands
Taichung day trip itinerary: Visit all the best attractions in Xinshe
It is possible to take public transportation and see several attractions in Xinshe in one day. The day trip has three featured attractions including:
- Carton King Creativity Park
- Xinshe Sea of Flowers (from late November to early December)
- Xinshe Castle
Follow my instructions below on how to take the public buses to each of the three attractions and learn about the route by clicking on “see route”.
How to travel to each attraction
1. Taichung Railway Station to Carton King Creativity Park
- Bus 15: from Taichung Station (Taiwan Blvd) to Dakeng Traffic Circle (see route)
- Time: 45 minutes
- Cost: free (any bus route that is less than 10km in Taichung is free when you use EasyCard or iPass)
2a. Carton King Creativity Park to Xinshe Sea of Flowers
- Bus 276: from Dakeng Traffic Circle to Xingzhong Villa (see route)
2b. Carton King Creativity Park to Xinshe Castle
If you are visiting Xinshe and the Sea of Flower is not opened, you can still take bus 271 directly from Carton King Creativity Park to Village 4 Entrance, then walk 17 minutes to Xinshe Castle.
- Bus 270: from Dakeng Traffic Circle to Yingqu (see route)
- Time: 20 minutes
- Cost: free (when you use EasyCard or iPass)
- Bus 272: from Yingqu to Xinwu Village
- Time: 22 minutes
- Cost: free (when you use EasyCard or iPass)
- Walk 6 minutes
3. Xinshe Sea of Flowers to Xinshe Castle
- Walk 28 minutes from Xinshe Sea of Flowers to Xinshe Castle (see route)
4. Xinshe Castle to Taichung Railway Station
- Bus 265: from Xinwu Village to Yingqu (see route)
- Time: 10 minutes
- Cost: free (use EasyCard or iPass)
- *Note* – Bus 265 does not stop frequently. Check the Fengyuan bus schedule for the last bus before you go into Xinshe Castle. At the time of writing, the last bus leaves Xinwu Village at 5:40 pm (Monday to Friday) and 5:30 (Saturday and Sunday). Otherwise, you will have to walk to Zhonxingling to catch bus 272.
- Bus 272: from Yingqu to Taichung Railway Station
- Time: 45 minutes
- Cost: free (use EasyCard or iPass)
Are you including Xinshe Castle to your Taichung itinerary?
It was well worth a trip to Xinshe to visit Xinshe Castle. If you want to visit a mystical castle with beautiful gardens and waterfall, then make sure to add Xinshe Castle to your itinerary. It is an excellent day trip from Taichung!
I hope you enjoyed my post! And if you like it, share it and pin it to your Pinterest board!
Thank you for reading my Xinshe Castle post
You might also like these other posts on solo travel in Taiwan:
Introduction to Taiwan
- Things to know before visiting Taiwan
- How and where to buy a Taiwan prepaid SIM card
- How to spend 3 weeks in Taiwan
- 22 must-eat food in Taiwan
- Top 10 must-try Taiwan 7-11 Food
Taichung posts
- 23 Best things to do alone in Taichung
- Taichung 1-day itinerary
- Where to stay in Taichung for solo travellers
- Miyahara Taichung: best ice cream and food souvenirs
- Taichung Second Market
- Top 3 Taichung Night Markets
- SOF Hotel: best boutique hotel in Taichung
- Norden Ruder Hostel: best minimalist hostel in Taichung
- Zhongshe Flower Market near Taichung
- Carton King Creativity Park: 1-day itinerary
- How to spend 1 day at Gaomei Wetlands
- Xinshe Sea of Flowers near Taichung: 1-day itinerary
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