Romantic Route 3: a route that never stops progressing.

The Romantic Route 3 Art Festival is an event that stretches over five counties and cities: Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, and Taichung. The 150-km route is rich with indigenous, Hakka, and Min cultures and connects multiple Hakka villages; it is a social movement centered around the revival of Hakka culture and a country trip filled with sentiments and flavors. Enjoy the breeze and ease into the small towns along the way, savoring the bright, sweet mellowing of time.

In the past, Route 3 was a symbol of hardship and struggle. The Inner-Mountain Highway, located between the mountains and plains, as well as the network of Raknus Selu Trail, allowed tea and camphor to become deeply embedded into the global economy. The Chuanlongzun, which penetrates the mountains, was constructed by the hands of our forebearers and bore witness to how they managed to divert water and their determination for survival. The Atayal, Saisiyat, Hakka, and Japanese communities fell into intermittent stages of rivalry and collaboration; Route 3 was the only line that separated conflict and coexistence.

Today, Route 3 is a passageway to the most authentic Hakka cuisines and countless stories. These small towns, which have become emblems of Hakka culture, are dotted along the mountain corridor, weaving into a cultural display of life. The food, plants, cultural relics, produce, scenery, and people, are all treasures.

Looking to the future, Route 3 hopes to integrate local culture, ecology, and industry to form an all-new travel destination while making the place attractive for local youths to return, which will not only further allow new Hakka village cultures to be preserved but also birth new meanings that will progress into the future.

In the form of an art festival nourished by the rich culture along Route 3, Romantic Route 3 Art Festival gathers artists both domestically and abroad as well as local groups to join in cultivating rich cultures that await relish and appreciation!

Join us in setting off on Romantic Route 3!