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Chiayi City is easy to explore on foot and by Guanglin Wo Jia city bus routes 0715 and 0715A. Walk between Chiayi TRA Railway Station, Wenhua Road and City God Temple, then use the bus for Hinoki Village, Chiayi Park and the eastern attractions. Lantan Lake deserves its own longer stop and a return plan. You do not need a rental car for these short city transfers.
First distinguish downtown Chiayi TRA Railway Station from Chiayi HSR Station in Taibao. BRT routes 7211 and 7212 serve the HSR-to-city connection; they are not the 0715 sightseeing bus. For that initial journey, see Chiayi HSR to the railway station. At the TRA station, also distinguish the front-side 0715 stop from the rear-side Chiayi City Transfer Center.
Locate Chiayi railway station, Wenhua Road, Beimen and Lantan to separate walkable downtown stops from longer trips. This is the map side of the official website’s 2022 foldout, used for geography only. Historic bus names, forest-railway times and suspension notes in its sidebar are not current operating advice; check current route timetables and operator notices instead.
Divide a one- or two-day visit by area
| Area | Useful transport | Planning detail |
|---|---|---|
| TRA, Wenhua Road and City God Temple | Walking with an occasional short ride | Group meals and indoor breaks in the same central area |
| Hinoki Village and Beimen | 0715/0715A plus walking | Use the Hinoki Village/Beimen bus stop; check your direction before boarding |
| Chiayi Park and KANO area | Eastbound Guanglin Wo Jia | Check the walk to your actual park entrance |
| Lantan Lake | Main route 0715 or taxi | 0715A has a different terminus; plan the return before visiting |
| Alishan or the Southern National Palace Museum | A separate outing and route | Outside this city-bus sightseeing corridor |
For a city-focused stay, the TRA–Wenhua Road area helps with evening walks. For an early onward departure, choose by the real boarding point. Compare Chiayi accommodation areas rather than assuming every hotel labeled Chiayi is central.
Main route 0715 versus branch 0715A
Taiwan Tourist Shuttle lists Guanglin Wo Jia main route 0715 between Gangping Sports Park and Lantan. Branch 0715A runs between Gangping Sports Park and Dongyang New Village 1, not Lantan. They share many central stops but differ at the eastern end. Both can be useful for Hinoki Village and Chiayi Park; choose main route 0715 for Lantan.
The main corridor serves Chiayi City Transfer Center, Chiayi Railway Station, Wenhua Road intersection, City God Temple, City Hall, Hinoki Village/Beimen, the Prison Museum and Chiayi Commercial High School/Chiayi Park before Lantan. It supports an eastward sequence without returning to the railway station between every sight.
Choose by destination, direction and the exact stop, rather than assuming any bus displaying 0715 or 0715A goes where you need. Check the official 0715A branch route and boarding information when considering the branch.
The rear-side transfer center and front-side railway stop occupy different timetable columns. Towards Lantan, the main line reaches the transfer center before the railway stop: one listed journey reaches Chiayi City Transfer Center at 09:12 and Chiayi Railway Station at 09:29. That 17-minute difference follows the scheduled bus route; it is not the walking time between the two station-side stops. Use the column for the place where you are actually waiting.
NT$12 fares and a dated electronic-payment offer
The main and branch lines each use a single fare section: NT$12 adult or NT$6 half fare. Through December 31, 2026, the specified electronic cards and mobile payment methods qualify for free rides. Cash does not automatically receive that offer, and an extension after the expiry date should not be assumed.
The official list includes EasyCard, iPASS and icash, with supported mobile payment methods including Easy Wallet, LINE Pay and icash Pay. Follow the actual onboard payment instructions. Do not assume all bank cards, contactless credit cards or retail QR payment apps qualify.
For ordinary cash fares, a child under 115 cm may ride free without taking a separate seat. The same applies to a child at least 115 cm tall but under six years old with identification, provided no separate seat is occupied. A child taking a seat needs a half-fare ticket. Each full-fare passenger or accompanying adult may bring up to two eligible children free; additional children pay half fare. Half fares also apply to children from 115 cm to under 150 cm, or those at least 150 cm tall but under 12 with proof of age.
These child cash-fare conditions are separate from eligibility for the electronic-payment promotion. Check the official main-route fare and child ticket rules before travelling, especially after the offer ends.
Read the stop column, not just the origin departure
A useful example from the official main-line table is 09:29 at Chiayi Railway Station, 09:41 at Hinoki Village, 09:47 at Chiayi Commercial High School/Chiayi Park and 09:56 at Lantan. The approximately 27 minutes from the front railway station to Lantan is scheduled time on the bus, excluding waiting and walks at either end.
Departures are unevenly spaced, and the branch is not a frequent every-few-minutes backup. Select a service in the 0715 stop-by-stop timetable, then check live 0715 bus information before leaving.
Walking can beat a long wait downtown, while Lantan needs a departure that leaves enough time for the visit and the return. Published stop times are scheduled, not guaranteed actual arrivals or protected connections with trains.
For an evening return towards Gangping Sports Park, one listed 0715 departure leaves Lantan at 20:40, reaches Hinoki Village at 20:56, Wenhua Road at 21:03 and Chiayi Railway Station at 21:08. The last listed Lantan departure is 22:00, reaching Hinoki Village at 22:16, Wenhua Road at 22:23 and the railway station at 22:28. Recheck the day’s service, allow walking time to the stop and avoid relying on the last bus for an essential train connection.
Link Wenhua Road, Hinoki Village and Chiayi Park
Spend the first part of the day walking for food and the Wenhua Road area, then take an eastbound bus to Hinoki Village. Add Chiayi Park if energy allows, and return towards Wenhua Road for dinner. The bus should make the day easier, not replace every pleasant short walk.
At Hinoki Village, use the stop labeled with Beimen and walk to the relevant entrance. At Chiayi Park, the stop near the commercial high school leaves different walks to different facilities. A park name alone is not enough for planning stroller or wheelchair access. Before returning, check whether walking to another central stop would be simpler than waiting for a bus.
Give Lantan its own time
Lantan lies east of the central streets; it is not a tiny extension of a night-market walk. Make it the main afternoon stop, take main route 0715 to the terminus and walk as weather and energy allow. Check fountain or event times separately from transport; the bus timetable does not establish when a show takes place.
For a night visit, decide the return before leaving and allow time to walk back to the correct stop. If a service is missed, arrange a taxi rather than assuming another bus is imminent; taxi availability and waiting times are not guaranteed.
A prearranged taxi is sensible if the group does not want to wait or the weather changes. Avoid improvising a long walk along unfamiliar dark roads. An early mountain departure the next day is another reason not to fill the evening until the final bus.
City tickets are separate from Alishan travel
Chiayi is an Alishan gateway, but the city route and mountain coach have different tickets and schedules. See Chiayi to Alishan for reservations, bags and mountain travel. The words Taiwan Tourist Shuttle do not make every route’s ticket interchangeable.
The Southern National Palace Museum also sits outside central Chiayi and requires its own 7212 or other suitable transport plan. See how to get from Chiayi to the National Palace Museum Southern Branch. With only one day, choose city sightseeing or one major outlying destination rather than combining Lantan, the museum and Alishan.
Bags, taxis and bicycles
Store cases before sightseeing on a hotel-change day. City buses have limited luggage room, and strollers must leave doors and aisles clear. Confirm a suitable accessible departure rather than assuming every bus has identical wheelchair provision. For main-route accessibility enquiries, the listed operator contact is 05-2333272.
A short taxi is useful in rain or for a group. Give an entrance or hotel address and confirm bags and special equipment. Bicycles can fill short gaps, but check current rental rates, insurance, return stations and weather. Walking and low-cost buses already support most central sightseeing without requiring cycling confidence.
Chiayi City transportation FAQs
Can I take 0715A all the way to Lantan?
No. Branch 0715A terminates at Dongyang New Village 1, while main route 0715 serves Lantan. Check the destination, direction and boarding stop before travelling, even when the routes share central stops.
Does free electronic payment mean cash is free too?
No. The free-ride offer applies to the specified electronic cards and mobile payments through December 31, 2026. Ordinary cash fares are NT$12 adult and NT$6 half fare; check for any new promotion after the offer ends.
Is the transfer-center time also the front-station time?
No. Chiayi City Transfer Center is on the rear side of the TRA station, while the 0715 Chiayi Railway Station stop is on the front side. Each has a separate timetable column, so check the stop where you intend to board.
Do I need several city transport passes?
Usually not for a short city sightseeing visit. Walk between central sights and use an eligible electronic card or individual bus fares when useful. HSR, Alishan and other longer-distance journeys require their own ticket arrangements.
How do I return from Lantan at night?
Take main route 0715 towards Gangping Sports Park, checking the Lantan departure column and live bus information. Listed returns include 20:40, reaching Chiayi Railway Station at 21:08, and a final 22:00 departure, reaching the station at 22:28. Leave a walking buffer and arrange a taxi fallback if needed; do not depend on the last bus for a tight train connection.
Can a child taking their own seat ride free when paying cash?
No. A child under 115 cm, or at least 115 cm but under six with proof of age, may ride free only without occupying a separate seat; taking a seat requires a half fare. Each full-fare passenger or accompanying adult may bring up to two eligible children free, with additional children paying half fare. Children from 115 cm to under 150 cm, or at least 150 cm but under 12 with proof, qualify for the half fare; electronic-payment promotion conditions are separate.