Wutao Chishang Bento Culture Story House

Review

The Wutao Chishang Bento Culture Story House is at No. 259 Zhongxiao Road in Chishang Township, a short way from Chishang Station. Chishang bento grew out of railway lunch box culture, and travel sites note that Chishang is where Wutao began. This hall turns that history into an exhibition, with a retro primary school classroom indoors, old train seats outside and a railway carriage you can actually eat in, making it a near-essential stop for visitors to Chishang.

The bento comes in the brand's signature wooden box with fragrant, chewy Chishang rice. Mains vary, with pork chop, chicken leg, mackerel and more, alongside vegetables, pickled cucumber, half an egg and dried tofu in an old-fashioned style. The hall also sells traditional snacks and Taitung souvenirs, and new small shops often open on the upper floor and around the building.

Fans love eating inside the train carriage, the aroma of the wooden box and Chishang rice, and the exhibits that suit photos and family outings. Common complaints are prices higher than ordinary lunch boxes, small main portions and saltiness in the braised items, and some find it very touristy, with indoor seats hard to find at lunchtime.

Sources disagree on hours: some say it opens at 8 a.m., others list 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., so check before you go. Tour groups crowd in at lunch and the carriage and indoor seats fill quickly, so come outside midday or in the late afternoon if you want a train seat. There is parking in front, it is a few minutes' walk from Chishang Station, and it fits easily into a bike ride around town.

It suits first-time visitors to Chishang and families who want the railway bento atmosphere. Order the signature pork chop or chicken leg bento and eat it in the carriage for the full effect; if you want the most classic local lunch box, compare it with the old bento shops by the station, then pick up some souvenirs on the way out.