For the most energetic, American-style baseball experience in Taiwan, Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium is the number-one choice. This is where the "All-Monkey Home Cheer" (全猿主場) EDM wave began — home to Rakuten Girls and Rakuten Monkeys. After a comprehensive LED lighting upgrade, the viewing and photography experience has reached a new high!
🎪 Entry Essentials: Weekday vs. Weekend Flow & Pre-Game Stage
When you arrive in Qingpu, learn the ground floor layout first to maximize pre-game fun and freebies:
- Pre-game event stage & sponsor booths: Head straight behind the ticket booth! That's where all official events and sponsor interactive booths gather. Weekend pre-game hours are incredibly lively.
- Weekday entry gate: Use the "Golden Monkey Gate" next to the ticket booth.
- Weekend entry (split flow): Crowd management is in effect on weekends:
East side (1st base): validate ticket via the sky bridge.
West side (3rd base): walk all the way to the far end of the 3rd base side to enter.
1. Seat Selection Guide
Taoyuan seats split into lower infield, upper infield, and outfield. Here's the updated strategy based on the latest sight lines and cheerleader setup:
▸ Rakuten Girls Fans (Core Hot Zones)
Golden dance zones: Lower infield East Lower / West Lower sections C–F. These are universally recognized as the best spots to see the cheerleaders clearly — target these sections if you're here for the performance.
The row golden line: Row 13 divides "lower" from "upper" positions. Rows 1–10 are the photographer's prime battleground — instantly sold out for popular games.
⚠️ Photo fans must read: E & F section hidden blind spots
• E section large seat numbers: The cheering section's large bass drum is stationed here. The drum equipment's bulk blocks the cheerleaders from view.
• Certain rows in F section: Stage equipment nearby creates blind spots in some F section rows. Double-check before buying.
▸ Purist Fan Heaven: D & E Upper Sections
If you want the raw experience of standing and chanting with the most hardcore fans from first pitch to last out, D & E upper sections are unbeatable. The atmosphere up there is absolutely electric!
ℹ️ The seating arrangements for special sections (VIP, etc.) at Taoyuan Stadium are complex. Check the official website's Taoyuan special seating layout before buying.
▸ ☀️ East Side Alert: Serious West-Facing Sun & Heat Risk
Taoyuan Stadium has a notorious west-sun problem. For weekend afternoon games, fans seated on the east side (1st base) must bring serious sun protection and watch out for heat exhaustion.
💡 Hidden heat remedy: Popsicles (枝仔冰)
If the heat becomes genuinely uncomfortable, head to the concession stand for a 枝仔冰 (classic Taiwanese popsicle). This is a Qingpu stadium icon — a local, old-school cooling tradition that every regular fan swears by!
2. Outfield & Special Zones
Taoyuan Stadium goes far beyond traditional outfield seating, pioneering unique zones found nowhere else in Taiwan:
⚡ Right Outfield: Away Team Cheer Zone
Know which side you're cheering for before buying. Taoyuan's right outfield is exclusively the away team cheering area.
🌿 Left Outfield: Relaxation Zone
A dedicated chill-out "Dà Lè Relaxation Zone" (usually weekends only). The grass seating is first-come, first-served free seating — arrive early to grab a front-row spot with an unobstructed view.
🥩 Behind 3rd Base: Happy Fry BBQ
The stadium's iconic zone — a huge area at the far end of the 3rd base side. Eat freshly grilled BBQ while watching the game. On weekends, Rakuten Girls cheer directly in front of this zone.
🏬 Pre-Game Supply: A19 Global Mall
Connected by sky bridge right next to the stadium. Air-conditioned shopping with fast food, bubble tea, Japanese ramen, and a supermarket — buy everything and walk straight into the stadium.
3. Getting Here & Parking
🚇 One and only recommendation: MRT A19 Sports Park Station
Take the Taoyuan Airport MRT to A19 Sports Park Station. The sky bridge puts you at the stadium's ground floor entrance in 3 minutes. For your sanity and game-day mood, public transit is strongly recommended — avoid the notorious Qingpu post-game traffic entirely!
Driving fallback: There are underground parking lots at the stadium and A19 Global Mall, plus nearby surface lots (approximately NT$150–200 for a full day on weekends). Parking isn't expensive, but the post-game traffic on Linghang North Rd. is brutal — factor in significant waiting time if you drive.
4. Photography Tips & Cheering Etiquette
After the LED lighting overhaul, Taoyuan's shooting environment and white balance accuracy have both improved significantly.
▸ The Elbow Rule — Non-Negotiable
- Phone users: Switch to 2x+ zoom and shoot "half-body frames," keeping elbows at chest height. People unconsciously lift their arms higher trying for full-body cheerleader shots — completely blocking the person behind.
- Camera users: Use the LCD screen for shooting. Looking through the viewfinder naturally splays your elbows out, blocking and nudging fans on both sides.
▸ Pro Camera Settings (Post Taoyuan LED Upgrade)
Lens & crop factor: East/West Lower front rows offer moderate stage distance. Full-frame 70-200mm F2.8 is the standard. Rows 14+ or APS-C sensors benefit even more from the crop factor advantage.
White balance: Post-upgrade color temperature is more accurate. Lock your color temperature at 4300K–4800K for naturally luminous, clean skin tones on the cheerleaders.
- 📸 Photos: Shutter at 1/400s+ to freeze dance moves (1/1000s–1/1600s for player fielding action).
- 🎥 Video: 4K 60fps with shutter at 1/60s–1/125s for the smoothest motion on fast dance routines.