With just one smartphone, you can eat from morning to night and explore Taichung’s hidden alleys and lanes! The Taichung City Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee (IDIPC) has teamed up with the Digital Development Bureau of Taichung City Government to launch four themed digital maps: “Wuquan West 6th Street Settlement Map”, “Ice and Dessert Map”, “Fried Noodles Map”, and “Late-Night Eats Map”. The maps feature more than 150 distinctive stores and have also been launched on the Taichung Pass app. IDIPC said the initiative uses digital guides to connect everyday local cuisine, cultural and creative settlements, and urban tourism, allowing residents and visitors to find stores and plan routes on their phones. With one tap, users can head into street corners and alleys to “discover Taichung’s flavors”, while creating more exposure and business opportunities for distinctive local stores.

IDIPC said Taichung has long nurtured many distinctive food and cultural and creative brands. From popular late-night eats, traditional fried noodles, and specialty ice and desserts to cultural and creative neighborhoods filled with everyday aesthetics, these places not only showcase the city’s diverse food culture, but also carry its warmth and everyday memories. Among them are many highly competitive local “hidden champions”. Through this collaboration with the Digital Development Bureau, scattered information on stores, shopping districts, and tourism has been integrated through digital tools. The goal is to help more quality local stores be seen and make it easier for the public to plan urban exploration itineraries.

IDIPC noted that each of the four digital maps has its own distinctive features. The “Wuquan West 6th Street Settlement Map” focuses on the distinctive neighborhood around the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, featuring specialty dining, curated design shops, cultural and creative brands, artisan studios, and art spaces. It leads visitors through alleys and lanes to experience Taichung’s cultural landscape and everyday aesthetics. The “Ice and Dessert Map” brings together refreshing shaved ice and specialty desserts. The “Fried Noodles Map” guides people to local breakfasts and everyday favorites. The “Late-Night Eats Map” selects popular restaurants, long-standing alley shops, and specialty snacks, allowing users to follow the maps and find Taichung’s best flavors from daytime and afternoon all the way into late night.

The Digital Development Bureau said the four themed digital maps were built based on information collected by IDIPC and have also been launched on the Taichung Pass app. By integrating resources on specialty food, shopping districts, and stores, digital technology can become a convenient tool for the public to explore the city. As dining and retail consumption patterns continue to change, the Bureau also hopes digital services can help local stores gain more exposure and gradually build a digital lifestyle exploration network unique to Taichung.
IDIPC further explained that the public can explore stores through the four themed digital maps (https://gov.tw/1nU), and can also add IDIPC’s official LINE account (https://line.me/R/ti/p/@897wczmq) to quickly search store information, recommended items, and locations. Paired with Google Maps navigation, users can freely plan food, shopping, and leisure itineraries, turning their phones into a personal food guide for exploring Taichung.

IDIPC added that the stores included in the digital maps were recruited publicly as part of the 2026 “Discover Taichung’s Flavors, Guiding Your Appetite” themed campaign. Stores were selected for display based on the campaign theme, regional characteristics, and overall implementation needs, and recruitment has now closed. Moving forward, IDIPC will continue planning store recruitment for different themes such as ice and desserts, cultural and creative settlements, and gifts and souvenirs, gradually expanding the city’s digital food map database. This will help more distinctive stores be seen, connect local industries, tourism, and consumption through digital tools, and continue injecting new momentum into the city’s business opportunities.