Houbi (後壁), in the far north of Tainan, is rice country. Travel Tainan calls it one of Taiwan's key rice granaries, with big paddy fields on the Jianan Plain. Its old village of Jingliao (菁寮) became known across Taiwan through a documentary about its rice farmers, and the district also has Taisugar's little sugar trains at Wushulin and, each spring, the Taiwan International Orchid Show. It makes a slow, quiet day: old shops, green or golden fields, and a short ride on a narrow-gauge train.
Plan it right
- Time: half a day for Jingliao, a full day with Wushulin or Baihe added.
- Get there: a car or scooter is easiest. On weekends and national holidays the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 33 stops at Jingliao and Houbi Station.
- Pair it with: lotus country in Baihe and the mud springs at Guanziling, on the same shuttle line. → Baihe
Jingliao Old Street
In the Qing dynasty, Jingliao was a stop on the road to the county seat of Zhuluo (諸羅縣), and shops, inns, pool halls and a theater grew up around the crossroads of today's local roads 82 and 85. The main street, once called Dowry Street (嫁妝街), has kept much of its old look. Jingliao Old Street (菁寮老街) is open all day and free to walk. What to look for:
- Ruan Family Old House (阮家古厝), known locally as the Jin De Xing herbal shop (金德興藥舖). A wooden shophouse from the Qianlong era (1734 to 1795), built from Fuzhou fir joined without nails, with its old medicine cabinets still in place. It is a listed municipal heritage site and still a family home, so ask before you step in.
- Yichang Rice Mill (義昌碾米廠), a historic wooden rice mill in the village.
- Ho Hsin Fruit and Ice Shop (和興冰菓部), nearly 80 years old and once a favorite spot for dates. Travel Tainan points to its banana ice and red bean milk ice. Check Google Maps for hours before you go.
- Jingliao Holy Cross Church (菁寮聖十字架天主堂), an early work by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Gottfried Böhm, now more than sixty years old. Its tall spires were inspired by the stacks of rice straw left in the fields after harvest, and Böhm designed it from letters and photos sent by the parish priest. Visits inside are by reservation (+886-6-6361881), and photos are not allowed inside. Travel Tainan lists Saturdays and national holidays 14:00 to 16:00, and Sundays 10:00 to 11:00 and 14:00 to 16:00.
The rice story: Wumile (無米樂)
Jingliao's fame comes from the documentary Wumile (無米樂, shown in English as Let It Be), about the elderly rice farmers here. Travel Tainan sums up their outlook: how much you harvest is up to heaven, and even in a year with no rice you stay cheerful and keep working. The three neighboring villages of Jingliao, Molin and Houbu later joined together as the Wumile Community (無米樂社區), whose idea is a "living farm village museum": you see farm life as it really goes on, without anyone performing for visitors.
Rice is still part of village life. Pupils at Jingliao Elementary School grow rice in the field behind their school with natural farming methods, from planting to harvest. In the plaza outside Houbi Station (後壁車站) stand bronze statues of farmers from the film and an ox. The station itself was built in 1902, in the Japanese era, and is one of Taiwan's well-kept wooden stations.
Wushulin and the sugar trains
At Taisugar Wushulin Recreation Park (台糖烏樹林休閒園區), the sugar factory was built in 1910 and stopped making sugar in 1983. Wushulin Station was once a hub of the narrow-gauge sugar railway linking Houbi, Baihe, Dongshan and Xinying, and it reopened as a railway heritage site at the end of 2002. Today the little narrow-gauge sugar trains, called wufenche (五分車), run visitors out along the old line to Xindingpi (新頂埤), stop for ten minutes and come back: 5.1 km and about 50 minutes in all, with commentary on the way.
Taisugar lists weekend departures at 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. On weekdays the train runs only for pre-booked groups of 20 or more, and the park closes on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Entry and parking are free; the train costs NT$100, or NT$50 for primary school children, people 65 and over, Houbi residents, and people with disabilities plus one companion. Children below primary school age ride free. The railway story house and the earthquake experience hall are paid extras.
The Taiwan International Orchid Show
Houbi is a center for orchid growing, and every spring it hosts the Taiwan International Orchid Show (台灣國際蘭展). The 22nd show ran from February 27 to March 16, 2026, at the Ministry of Agriculture's Flower Innovation Park (農業部花卉創新園區) in Wushulin, with tickets at NT$250 (NT$150 concession) during the show. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. Travel Tainan lists the orchid park as open only during the show, so plan this one around the dates. → Tainan festivals and events
Getting there
By shuttle bus: on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays, the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 33 (Guanziling line, 關子嶺線) runs from Chiayi HSR Station via Jingliao (菁寮), Houbi Station and Baihe Station to Guanziling, with three runs each way on the current timetable. Check it before you go.
By train: TRA Houbi Station is on the line, and Travel Tainan says many visitors get off there and cycle out to Jingliao. For Wushulin, Taisugar lists the Greater Tainan Bus Yellow Main line (黃幹線) from TRA Houbi Station or TRA Xinying Station to the Wushulin stop; confirm times with the bus operator first.
By car or scooter: the easiest way, since Jingliao, Wushulin and the orchid park are spread out. → Scooters and cars
Pair it with Baihe and Guanziling
Houbi borders Baihe, so the two fit together well: lotus fields in May and June, a kapok-lined country lane in spring, and the old Dasian Temple. Shuttle 33 then climbs to Guanziling for Taiwan's only mud hot spring. Yanshui's old port town is close by too. → Lotus country in Baihe · Guanziling hot springs · Yanshui's old port
Good to know
- Jingliao Old Street: open all day, free
- Holy Cross Church: inside visits by reservation, no photos inside
- Wushulin trains: weekends, hourly 09:00 to 16:00 with no 12:00 run; NT$100
- Getting there: Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 33 on weekends and holidays, or your own wheels
Sources
Houbi's rice, the rice mill and the orchid show from Travel Tainan's farming districts page. Jingliao's history, the ice shop and the elementary school from Travel Tainan's Jingliao Old Street page; the old house from its Ruan Family Old House page; the church from its Holy Cross Church page; Wumile from its Wumile Community page; Houbi Station from its Houbi Station page. Wushulin history, train times, fares and buses from Taisugar's Wushulin park page and FAQ. The 2026 orchid show from the Ministry of Agriculture and UDN. Shuttle 33 from its timetable. Checked October 2026.