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Hengchun Travel Guide

Gateway to beautiful Kenting National Park!

Hengchun is the main big town in the Kenting area. Not too long ago, passing through this place was seen as a big annoyance. Even today, when I mention it, some people will ask: “Oh, is that the ugly city north of Kenting?” Yes, it is.  I must admit that Hengchun needs a proper facelift on most of its streets, but it still is a cool place that should not be avoided.

Hungry? Thirsty? Check out restaurants and cafes in Hengchun…

hengchun gate night
Night shot at South Gate

Table of Contents

    • Main reasons to visit Hengchun:
    • Yougsters moving in…
  • A Charming, Authentic Town
    • Facts about Hengchun Township
    • Hengchun’s Main Attraction: The South Gate
    • While you’re here, you might want to read about:
    • Other Things to Do in Hengchun
    • The Gates and the Old Wall
    • Old Town / Old Street
    • Chinese Pavilion near Yuquan Temple
    • Hengchun Night Market
    • Map of Hengchun and Kenting
  • Accommodation in Hengchun
  • Transportation – Getting to Hengchun
    • Travel to Hengchun from other cities around Taiwan
    • Kaohsiung International Airport to Kenting
    • Buses to Manzhou, Jialeshui, Aquarium, Houbihu, Baisha, Maobitou
    • Bus to Chuhuo and Jialeshui Beach
    • Bus to Kenting National Park from Hengchun Station
    • Kaohsiung (Zuoying) HSR Station to Hengchun
    • (Maybe) Interesting Links:

Main reasons to visit Hengchun:

  • Lots of great local restaurants, where you can sample authentic, seriously amazing Taiwanese food
  • Tons of cute cafes and dessert shops
  • Take a stroll along Hengchun’s old street
  • Check out the night market on Sunday
  • Take the Express Bus to Kaohsiung HSR or TRA train station
  • Crazy nightlife
ugo ortolano in taiwan
With Hengchun’s legendary mayor, Chen Wen-hong 陳文宏

I’ve been living in this area since 2017 because one of my Pizza Rock restaurants is not too far, at Nanwan beach. I actually live in Manzhou, 30 minutes away, but I pass through Hengchun pretty much every day when I’m down south. I have come to truly love this place and its friendly local people. The vibe is quite laidback and time seems slower than in the rest of Taiwan.

hengchun from mountains
Hengchun viewed from the hills above, to the east of town
hengchun new cut warehouse
With Ruby and the freaks @ New Cut Warehouse, on a random Sunday night

Important note: Make sure to visit Manzhou Township if you are in the area! That’s where I live, it’s not far from Hengchun, and it’s just an amazing place for too many reasons to list here, so click on this link to read about it. 🙂

Kenting National Park
Kenting National Park is just a few kilometers south…

Over the past few years, Hengchun has gone through a transformation where traditional noodle shops are turned into modern cafes, worn out hotels morph into boutique B&Bs, and young Taiwanese from all over the island are eagerly replacing the older generation of shopkeepers and waiters in the hope of a more relaxed lifestyle away from the big cities.

Heng Hao Cafe Hengchun 恆好咖啡恆春
Heng Hao Cafe & Restaurant near East Gate

Hengchun has plenty of cool attractions – traditional and new – to keep you busy, such as the bustling night market. Walk around, ride around, hitch as ride with a local, all good. Just make sure you don’t just pass through. At the very least, stop for a drink, a bite, or a few pics.

Yougsters moving in…

That trend can be felt all over the southern tip of the island, around Kenting, Nanwan, and Jialeshui where hordes of kids in their early-twenties move here to “practice work” before going abroad on working holidays in places like Australia and Canada. The good news is that some of these “kids” fall in love with the laidback pace of life of the great south and decide to call it home. Which brings a kind of vibrant / fun / party energy to the area.

That being said, I would not recommend that you plan to spend your whole vacation in Hengchun, but you shouldn’t avoid it completely either. Hengchun is a great place to find accommodation when everything else is fully booked in Kenting or Jialeshui. And there’s tons of great little local eateries, cafes, and even some bad-ass stinky tofu!

hengchun night market stinky tofu
Stinky tofu seller at Hengchun Night Market

A Charming, Authentic Town

Hengchun is the main town in the Kenting area where you can find supply such as grocery, camping / BBQ stuff, as well as services like hospitals, clinics, hair dressers, post office, and mechanics.

A nice thing about Hengchun, is that the economy is not only geared toward tourism. There is a fairly large local population that’s involved in other industries such as agriculture, fishing and construction. I think that’s an aspect that’s pretty cool – you get to witness “real” Taiwanese culture – not just the stuff that’s aimed at travelers. All in all, it’s a pretty genuine town, gritty on some levels, but still charming on most. I personally love it!

hengchun taiwan
Shops on the main road, near South Gate (南門)

Facts about Hengchun Township

  • Hengchun is located in Pingtung County
  • Chinese: 恆春鎮
  • Written in Pinyin: Héngchūn Zhèn
  • Population: +/- 30,000 people
  • Entryway to Kenting National Park
  • That’s where your guide (me!) buys his food, tooth paste, wine, tools…

nanwan beach 2020
Nanwan Beach is just 10 minutes away from Hengchun.

Hengchun’s Main Attraction: The South Gate

Hengchun South Gate (also called Ancient City Gate) is the main attraction in town. It’s really easy to find because it’s quite big and it’s in the middle of a big traffic roundabout on Hengnan Road, the township’s main drag where most shops are located.

hengchun south gate
South Gate

This historical building is one of Taiwan’s most photographed structures, and it has become a symbolic image for tourism in Southern Taiwan and Kenting. There’s no doubt that it’s a really beautiful subject for photographers who want to shoot pictures of anything different than beaches and palm trees. Unfortunately, there is no info about it on signs on the ground, no plaque, and you can’t even get inside. It’s just there, like a statue, no access, it’s just nice to look at from the outside – especially at sunrise or sunset.

While you’re here, you might want to read about:

  • Nanwan Beach
  • Wanlitong
  • Surfing in Kenting
  • Sail Rock
  • Manzhou
  • Houwan
  • Pizza Rock Nanwan
  • Xuhai
hengchun ancient gate and wall
Hengchun Ancient Gate and Wall

Other Things to Do in Hengchun

guangning temple hengchun, taiwan
Guang Ning Temple near the West Gate

I filmed the following video of a Taiwanese man singing Karaoke in front of Guang Ning Temple. After he finished singing his song, the lady who owned the karaoke truck yelled: “Ok, OK, that’s enough now… I have to leave, no more songs!” I wish I had filmed that part too.

The Gates and the Old Wall

The old wall (and the gates) have important significance for Hengchun and its historic past, but I haven’t done my homework properly, so I cannot tell you anything intelligent about them. For me, they are just there, standing tall around the city, to remind us that important stuff happened here at one point in history. Regardless if you’re a history buff or not, they’re worth taking a look at, or walking around and/or on them.

Old hengchun wall
Young local girls run on top of the old wall, near West Gate
West Gate sign in Hengchun
A sign at the West Gate
shipai park hengchun
Ruby walks on top of ancient coral at Shipai Park

Old Town / Old Street

If you happen to be in Hengchun and have some free time, you could take a walk around the little streets between South Gate and West Gate. This old part of town has ancient buildings that have been turned into cafes, gift / art shops, restaurants and some of them are still selling traditional stuff like Chinese medicine, Taiwanese tea, and temple offerings like ghost money and incense.

Hengchun old town
Old part of town near the West Gate
Hengchun old building, Taiwan
Old buildings in the old part of town
Hengchun traditional Taiwanese snacks and drinks
One of the many places in Hengchun which sells traditional Taiwanese snacks and drinks

Chinese Pavilion near Yuquan Temple

This is a very “local” spot not known by many tourists. The pavilion is set on a hill, east of town, and offers gorgeous views over the valley,  Mt. Guan 關山 on the other side, and Longluan Lake (龍鑾潭). It’s one of my favorite places to watch the sunset, have my morning coffee, or simply disconnect. It’s a very peaceful place, and there’s seldom anyone around here. My place in Hengchun is 5 minutes away, so I get to go there quite often. Map

chinese pavillion in Hengchun
A Chinese pavillion sits atop a hill overlooking Hengchun, near Yuquan Temple.
Chinese park pavilion
There’s a cool Yin and Yang symbol on the ceiling, above the table.

Hengchun Night Market

The night market is the place to go to try Taiwanese classics such as stinky tofu, barbecued squid on a stick, and muaji. Sunday night is when you want to visit. Some of the best nightlife options such as Duojiu Bar and  Newcut Wearhouse are also in this area.

hengchun night market street
Pretty big night market for a small town
hengchun night market food stall
A food stall at the night market on Sunday

Map of Hengchun and Kenting

The following map shows you my favorite attractions, sights, restaurants, cafes, and hotels in Hengchun and Kenting.


Accommodation in Hengchun

Hengchun has probably the highest concentration of hostels, B&B, and guesthouses in all of Kenting National Park. A search on your favorite booking app will reveal more than a hundred options.

As to my favorite places, well, so far there is only one that I can personally recommend, and it’s called Yellow House. Good for backpackers, family, or solo travelers, this very special place boasts a swimming pool, a bar, lounge chairs, in a stunning setting. Check it out here.

yellow house hengchun
Yellow House Hostel

Transportation – Getting to Hengchun

The reality is that the main reason why people end up in Hengchun is not to eat, sleep, or visit the sights. Most people only pass here very briefly on their way to Kenting, because the main bus station is here. Tourist and regular buses from Kaohsiung HSR, Airport, and Train Station, as well as buses from Pingtung and other cities around Taiwan stop here. Check schedules and fares at the bottom of this page.

Related articles:

  • How to travel from Taipei to Kenting
  • Kaohsiung to Kenting by Express Bus

Travel to Hengchun from other cities around Taiwan

The fastest way to get to Hengchun from Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Tainan is to take the high-speed rail train (HSR) all the way to Kaohsiung Zuoying Station. From there, you can catch a bus, taxi, or private car to Hengchun or all the way down south to Kenting.

hengchun bus station
The bus station at night
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Kaohsiung International Airport to Kenting

Bus #918: Kaohsiung Airport – Chaozhou – Fangliao – Haikou – Checheng – Hengchun – Nanwan – Xiaowan


Buses to Manzhou, Jialeshui, Aquarium, Houbihu, Baisha, Maobitou


Bus to Chuhuo and Jialeshui Beach


Bus to Kenting National Park from Hengchun Station

Kaohsiung (Zuoying) HSR Station to Hengchun

(Maybe) Interesting Links:

  • Hiking in Taiwan Travel Guide
  • How to Travel from Taipei to Kenting
  • Taroko National Park

Return from Hengchun Travel Guide to Homepage!

Filed Under: South Taiwan Tagged With: Beaches, Kenting, Pingtung, Seaside

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Hello, I’m Ugo

ugo taiwanese secrets websiteI’m the weirdo behind this site. I’ve been living in Taiwan since 2000, so basically I’ve spent half my life here. I have a big passion for everything Formosa and I’ve been working on this website since 2008 to share the beauty of Taiwan with the world! Read more about me.

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