｜HELLO TAITUNG｜Volume 2, Issue2

A Day in the Life

Variety is the Spice of Life

By Simon Foster 19 years in Taiwan Managing Editor at Hello Taitung Guidebook author, travel business director and bakery owner

Welcome to the fourth edition of Hello Taitung! I’d like to start by thanking the editorial team for their hard work and all of the contributing authors for sharing their stories and photos. This edition includes our first article relayed in two languages—Cam Loan’s story in both Vietnamese and English reflects the fact that Taitung is more cosmopolitan than ever, and that aside from Chinese, Taiwanese and English there are a variety of other languages spoken here. The purpose of the magazine is to provide information about life and things to do in Taitung, both for visitors and prospective residents. In order to serve these primary objectives, we value feedback so that we can continue to make the publication as useful, informative and interesting as possible. Please do feel free to let us know your thoughts on Hello Taitung and any ideas for future themes.

Whilst the daily lives of this edition’s four authors are all remarkably different, there are also some striking similarities, perhaps the most important of which is that for each of them, variety seems to be the spice of life. Their accounts lend insight into some key ingredients to a happy and successful life, including good food, sharing experiences with family and friends, fresh air and exercise, an appreciation of where we have all chosen to live, and a desire to protect and preserve this precious place. A daily life that offers a good balance of these different elements is likely to be a happy and healthy one, and is readily achievable here in Taitung.

Working at the bakery

Making signs for the bakery

For me personally, variety has been a lifelong quest, and has influenced many of the decisions I’ve made, big and small: from choosing a career path and where to live and bring up our kids, down to the minutiae of how to spend each day. Working as a guidebook writer and travel company director has allowed me to venture all over the globe, to live on several different continents, and to alternate between the highly social world of leading group tours and the relative isolation of traveling alone (or with my wife or family) for months on end writing. Travel broadens horizons and perspectives and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it, but this said if I led tours non-stop, or only wrote guidebooks, at some point I might burn out. The ability to change between these two professions offers up fresh perspectives and forces me to use different skillsets and keeps the passion for both alive. Most recently, COVID presented yet more opportunities to diversify my outlook, both operating Bamboo Bakery in Chenggong, and of course writing for and editing this magazine!

The decision to move to Chenggong in the north of Taitung County, was one of the best we ever made, and was again defined by a desire for variety after ten years of living in the city we were ready for the countryside, and to change hazy sunsets on the west coast for pristine sunrises out east! However, whilst variety in life is definitely desirable, continuity and familiarity also play an important role. After returning from overseas travel, it is always a pleasure to come back home to Taitung, which is

familiar and lends stability and grounding, yet at the same time is incredibly diverse, spanning from the Pacific to the high mountains, with rivers, hot springs, lakes, forests and settlements in between. The county’s ethnic make-up is almost as varied as its topography, and includes at least seven different indigenous groups, along with the recent influx of Taiwanese from the rest of the island, and foreigners from all over the globe. This geographic and cultural variety means there is always something different to try and somewhere new to explore and that no two days are quite the same …

Friends visit the bakery

Sunrise at Sanxiantai

Travelling

A Day in the Life

The theme for this edition’s four contributors is “A Day in the Life”, with the aim of giving an idea of the diverse lifestyles that are possible here in Taitung. C am Loan who established a Vietnamese restaurant in Dulan a decade ago, and Roman, who co-founded The Tree House, a creative space in the beautiful mountains set behind Chenggong are both passionate about preserving Taitung’s natural environment and simpler way of life. Pete is a restaurateur and B&B owner, who also finds time for his family, to tend to his water buffalo, and to enjoy Taitung’s bounty of watersports before making pizza in the evenings. Taitung’s nights are every bit as beautiful as the days, but there’s more to do here than just enjoy the stars: Brian cofounded and runs one of Dulan’s most popular bars and live music venues, Highway 11.

A Taste of Vietnam in Taitung

A DAY IN THE LIFE AT THE RESTAURANT Dulan English translation by Simon Foster Cover Story

Mình là Nguyễn Thị Cẩm Loan, đến từ Việt Nam, hiện sống tại đài Đông, đài Loan, thôn đô Lan. đây là quê hương thứ hai của mình, Loan đã sống ở đây hơn 20 năm rồi. bắt đầu ngày mới của Loan là một ngày trời nắng đẹp, Loan cùng gia đình đi leo núi luyện thể lực, hít thở không khí trong lành của núi rừng. kết thúc chuyến leo núi Loan cùng người trong thôn tham gia nhóm chợ trao đổi ,mua bán ,đồ cũ . các vật dụng được trưng bày ở đây thường là những món đồ gia đình không dùng tới, đến với nhóm chợ đồ cũ vừa được cùng người trong thôn trò chuyện gắn bó tình cảm lại còn được mua bán hoặc cùng nhau miễn phí trao đổi đồ cần dùng, nhằm tránh tạo ra nhiều rác, tác hại đến môi trường.

ở đây Loan còn rất thích tham gia 大地旅人樸門設計 học cách lưu giữ nước mưa để trồng cây hoa quả sạch ,không sử dụng phân hay thuốc, học cách tận dụng năng lượng mặt trời nấu thức ăn, chế tạo và dự trữ ra điện lực cung cấp cho gia đình xài, ở đây còn chia sẻ và tuyên truyền cho nhau cách lấy đất sét trộn cùng gom rạ để xây nhà theo khái niệm về trái đất xanh.

Buổi tối có 都蘭星空導覽 hìn trời đêm trong xanh có nhiều ngôi sao lấp lánh, có được vậy, nhóm bạn rất nỗ lực học hỏi tìm hiểu và thúc đẩy cuộc sống không ô nhiễm ánh sáng.

Loan thường đi đến các trường đại học, và 農會家政班 làm giảng viên dạy nấu món ăn Việt, giới thiệu và chia sẻ văn hóa Việt Nam ,làm nhịp cầu tạo gần gũi thêm cho người Đài hiểu biết về người Việt ta. Nhờ có lần làm thủ công cây cầu tre lắc lẻo và chiếc xuồng với hai mái chèo, mọi người đua nhau chèo thử rất vui rất thú vị. Còn cho học sinh Đài mặc quần áo bà ba và áo dài truyền thống, mặt các em bẻn lẻng ngại ngùng nhưng vẫn hưng phấn tranh giành nhau mặc thử.

I’m originally from the south of Vietnam, on the banks of the mighty Mekong River, a fertile region famous for its rice crop. The scenery is stunningly beautiful and there is a lively floating market which I used to visit daily. I have now lived in Taiwan for nearly 20 years, but still miss my home country and its scenery. Dulan, my second home town, doesn’t have a big river, but it has a similar climate, and there is of course the Pacific Ocean, the lush mountains, and big open skies. I love living here and it is also very convenient, with good schools, healthcare and agricultural products, including delicious rice!

Taitung’s abundance of high quality ingredients was key to the success of Jin Luan Vietnamese Food Restaurant which I founded in Dulan 10 years ago. Back then very few people in Taiwan knew about Vietnamese cuisine and so I took the initiative to use local ingredients to cook authentic Vietnamese food. I had to introduce and promote it to everyone. Vietnamese cooking uses some of the same ingredients as Taiwanese food, and includes some of the same dishes, but there are significant differences—the light,

Banana Flower

English translation by Simon Foster

fresh flavors of rice-flour Vietnamese spring rolls are packed with vegetables and taste completely different to traditional Taiwanese spring rolls. We continue to develop new products and introduce new dishes at the restaurant. I also go to universities and farmers associations to teach Vietnamese cooking. By introducing and sharing Vietnamese cuisine, I hope to build a closer relationship between our two countries, and to help Taiwanese people better understand Vietnamese culture.

During my time owning a restaurant in Dulan I have met many people from different countries, who speak different languages, and have different cultural backgrounds, which gives my daily life wonderful diversity. I feel like my life is similar to the blue sky in my backyard, with white clouds, safflower and green leaves offering an everchanging rainbow of natural and wonderful variety. I remember one time, a foreigner insisted on ordering his meal in broken Vietnamese rather than English. We talked chicken and duck for a long time, but he still ended up ordering the wrong dish! Fortunately, food is an international language, and though I still don’t know what he wanted to order, I do know that he enjoyed the seafood cold rice noodles! As the COVID situation gradually improves, I look forward to once again welcoming people from all over the globe and giving them a little taste of Vietnam here in Taitung!

When the restaurant is closed, my family always takes the opportunity to enrich our lives. New days in Taitung often start with sunny skies, and my family and I go hiking in the mountains to exercise and breathe in the fresh mountain air. Throughout history, life here has revolved around the ocean and today it seems like everyone is busy kayaking, paddle-boarding, sailing or surfing. We are no exception

Jin Luan Vietnamese Restaurant

Making Vietnamese food—Gỏi cuốn

Working at the restaurant

and love to take our children to play in the sea. There are beautiful beaches everywhere, and there is even an international surfing competition. Away from the ocean there are markets selling an amazing variety of foodstuffs and handicrafts, plus plenty of live music.

Whilst enjoying the east coast’s magical natural environment, we also feel a duty to protect it, and we often attend the Dulan Flea Market to exchange, buy and sell second-hand goods. Using second hand items is good for the environment, but as well as giving new life to discarded household goods, coming here also breathes new life into the community and is an opportunity to chat with people in the village, make friends and acquire new skills. I am particularly interested in learning environmentally sustainable practices, such as rainwater storage, organic farming, green building techniques and using solar energy to prepare food. At night we enjoy the deep black sky, the twinkling stars and sharing this environment with likeminded friends who are working hard to learn, share and promote a life without light pollution.

Of course there have also been some changes during my time here—ten years ago there were far fewer houses on the mountain, but essentially the scenery is still the same, although we must work together to maintain it. Modern life might offer us better transport, communications and dining opportunities, but we must ensure that it doesn’t come at the cost of the environment—a beautiful,

good sustainable life needs everyone's joint efforts. I hope that my children and my children's children can continue to look at the stars in the sky and make wishes and prayers here, and that a “day in the life” in Taitung doesn’t look too different in the future from how it does now!

Enjoying shopping at the street market

Hanging out with friends

At the local market

The Tree House Family

McNamara A NATURAL DAY IN THE LIFE

By Roman McNamara 23 years in Taiwan. Artist, craftsman and co-owner of The Tree House.

CHENG GONG

Our typical daily life began to take shape about twelve years ago while we were living in a traditional farmhouse in the mountains set back from the ocean behind Dulan. My wife Emily was pregnant with our first son Forest. We were running a guesthouse (Taitung Sea Art Guesthouse) and I was teaching a few hours a week in Taitung city. Every evening on my way back home, I would stop at Jialulan and marvel at the magnificent night sky. Having spent my first ten years in Taiwan in the big city of Taichung, I would always feel so thankful to be in such a pristine environment. I also began asking the sky to help me find a permanent home on the east coast to start a family.

As has often been the case in my life, when you ask you will receive. One serendipitous morning we were visited by a man, who many months earlier had introduced me to the majestic Rainbow Waterfall and its abundant river systems in Chenggong. At that time I had told him if he ever heard of any land for sale in the area to please let me know. That morning he brought me to a place with which I felt an immediate connection, fulfilled my heart’s desires and set our family on its current path. As with much of the land on Taiwan’s east coast, it is sacred to its traditional indigenous custodians. I would be remiss not to mention the deep bond Emily and I felt with the proud Amis

grandmother named Tsen Mama, who so graciously passed on the land to us. As she walked us up a steep hillside, Tsen Mama told us that much of the land was planted by her father, but that it needed attention and enjoyed company! She also told us stories of how her family would walk from Chenggong town and camp on the land for days at a time hunting, fishing and foraging the multitude of wild vegetables. I can still vividly recall how she gently held my ear and told me that the care of this land was in my hands now, and to remember to treat my pregnant wife with extra patience.

Twelve years, three kids and two knee surgeries later, I have built my family a home (the “Tree House”), studio and playground on Tsen Mama’s family land. We are proud to have the honor to continue developing and sharing the space with people of all ages for exercise, natural learning, creativity and spiritual growth. In the summer months and during winter vacation for students we host Earth Child camps for kids. During the fiveday, four-night camps we reintroduce kids to the wonders of nature. There is lots of exercise, hands on art projects, group cooking, and exploring the rivers and coastline with big open hearts! Anyone interested in upcoming programs or hosting an event at Taitung Tree House can contact us.

Cooking at home We all love nature

My wife Emily has taken to natural living very well and has planted a variety of edible and medicinal plants to makes our shampoo, soap, insect bite healing skin cream, and anti-inflammatory remedies. She practices Tibetan meridian/chakra singing bowl therapy, Thai yoga massage and is several years into yoga training. Emily also creates beautiful pyramids and pendants with genuine crystals and gemstones, carefully designed to an individual’s needs. Our goal at the Tree House is to keep a steady flow of positively oriented activities and training courses happening all year round. We are hoping to create an environment from which our children can learn sustainability from the land by gardening, fruit growing, preserve making and bee keeping, while also sharing our good fortunes with others, both for learning and for pleasure.

Our three kids Forest, Bruin and Aja are happy, healthy and well balanced. They work hard to keep our house and property maintained. They take good care of our pets and keep the gardens watered and weeded. It is not always easy trying to keep them away from TV and technology, but we do our

best to avoid over-saturation and make sure their hands and feet are in the soil and water as much as possible. I spend my days building, woodworking, landscaping, water maintaining and planning for future projects. Tree houses, Hobbit houses, bee houses, dog houses… All while trying to stay healthy and mobile, and hopefully holding off Father Time long enough to make it all happen!

As the hot but very fun summer months come to an end, daily life begins by struggling to get our kids ready and motivated for another school year. All three really don’t want to go! We always had plans to home school, but the reality of spending a good portion of everyday of the school year assisting our kids through their curriculum requirements, while completing our own jobs has proven to be more than we can sanely handle at this point in time. So while the kids are at school Emily meditates, practices yoga, and answers customer enquiries for pyramids, pendants, soap, shampoo, creams and my wood products. She is also always busy designing and arranging the details for various Tree House events to be held throughout the year. When I get

Wood working Singing bowls

back from taking the kids to school I get right to work repairing, maintaining, gardening or creating around the house and property. Artistically much of what I have created is made of fallen or washed up driftwood. Taiwan has a great diversity of high quality trees. I make everything from beds, chairs and tables to walls, weapons, totems and toys! I still sometimes paint and do leatherwork, and my daughter also likes to keep me busy making outfits for her. All in all there are not enough daylight hours—thank heavens we are doing it in Taitung!

Everyone in our family plays a part in making things flow smoothly. My lovely and talented wife Emily has taught me that anything the mind conceives it can create in reality, and the kids give it all a purpose. We feel that the spirits of this land from generations gone by are working through our hands, minds and hearts and we are very blessed and inspired to continue growing, creating and sharing in this magical space in Taitung County.

Outdoor workshop

Drink in Life’s Rich Cocktail

A NIGHT IN THE LIFE AT THE BAR

By Brian Curran 20 Years in Taiwan.

Brian co-owns and operates Highway 11 Bar in Dulan, and recently began a venture making soda with Jo from Mosa Surf Zinc (a previous contributor to Hello Taitung).

Dulan

Taitung is the kind of place where people are continually reinventing themselves, an environment where there is the freedom to create a new life altogether or just explore different ways of living. You can give form to whatever daydream you have and, so far anyway, there is still plenty of scope to see it come to fruition here.

When I first arrived here in 2001 I had no inkling that, 21 years later, my wife (Min Shu, co-owner of Highway 11) and I would build and own a bar right in the main building of the Dulan Sugar Factory. No idea that I’d be creating my own unique recipes for beer, mead and sodas. Booking bands to play, setting up craft markets and hosting all manner of events.

For me most days start with either a jog through the foothills above the highway, or laps at Flowing Lake right on the edge of the city. I should really pick up surfing, but 8 years of running a bar has definitely turned me away from craving any sort of social interaction before noon. We supply a number of local guesthouses, restaurants and market stalls with our products and so there are usually beer and mead deliveries to be made throughout the day. We personally deliver to the Dulan area, Taitung city or even as far as Zhiben. We also package cases and ship them out to various other cities in Taiwan.

Work on the bar itself seems to never really be finished: there’s always something to nail back down or apply a fresh coat of lacquer to; light bulbs to change or throw out altogether in favor of something more atmospheric; there are plants to water, grass huts to re-thatch, weeds to pull and paint to touch up. The overall aesthetic of our place seems to demand ever finer tweaks to all the little details.

We have live shows every Saturday night (and more frequently on holiday weekends), so finding and booking bands is another almost daily task. Thankfully Taitung has a collection of very talented local and transplanted musicians from which to draw. In years past (pre-COVID) we were fortunate enough to get quite a few acts from Okinawa and hopefully that will start up again soon. I also enjoy

making posters for our monthly line-ups, finding and tweaking images that reflect the vibe of the bar. I spend a bit of time each day on the bar’s playlist. I’m constantly revising it, adding new songs and retiring others that have overstayed their welcome. The essential guiding principle of the Highway 11 playlist is that it must be eclectic and stay far away from “typical” or “generic” bar music. As much as I love those kinds of songs, I like the idea of walking into a place and hearing something I’ve either never heard before or have never heard in this context.

Another project that I’ve been spending time on lately is making sodas. I recently started up a “soda factory” with a friend of mine, Jo from Mosa Surf Zinc. We’ve renovated and re-purposed a kitchen just a stone’s throw from the bar. We’ve been meticulously and laboriously working on getting two new sodas on to the market (a ginger beer and a roselle soda). We’ve also been experimenting with making rum (not yet ready for sale).

All of the aforementioned work and play transitions into the evening when the bar opens (6pm, Wednesday through Sunday). Most nights don’t really kick off until later, around 8 or 9pm, but it’s nice to sit and chat with some regulars before the place fills up. One of the things we’re pleased with is that our bar attracts a diverse crowd. It’s not “just”

tourists or “just” locals. There’s a nice mix and I like to think everyone feels welcome. I’ve noticed that during the last two COVID dominated years we’ve been getting quite a few folks from Taipei, Taichung and other big cities who have never even visited the area before. Weekends, Saturdays in particular, are when we get the bigger crowds. Shows start at 8pm and the place fills up by 9pm. It’s always a great feeling to see so many people enjoying themselves. There are plenty of familiar faces and a host of new ones. In many ways Saturday nights feel like our time to unwind after all the work we’ve put in keeping the place afloat all week.

Something I was conscious of when making the bar was creating lots of little “spaces”. I wanted to give people the freedom to interact with other guests as little or as much as they wanted. There are a couple of driftwood and bamboo huts where people can congregate and have their own private parties. There are also tables spaced far enough apart so that people are free to hang out with their “crew” while not being so far apart that one feels isolated. There’s a firepit that has its own distinct zone and gets a lot of use in the winter! Even inside there are a couple of discreet areas, each with its own feel. You can play darts, linger at the driftwood and metal bar or chill out in the sofa area.

I’m very aware, as I go through my work day and work night, that I’m living in a special place. The people I know here, artists, entrepreneurs, farmers and shopkeepers all share that awareness. My wife and I have been living here, on and off, for about 20 years. In some ways the area has changed (a few more shops, a few more houses in the hills, more people at the beaches), but fundamentally, it remains the same. One thing I think has been true the entire time we’ve lived here. We, the people who move here from wherever, have not changed the place. It has changed us. Our responsibility is to adapt to Taitung. Not the other way around. I sincerely hope that this holds true moving forward. I feel fairly confident that will be the case. Over the years I’ve watched a few people come in with big plans, big schemes to “make Taitung more like ... (fill in the blank)”. So far, those enterprises haven’t lasted very long. The place has a kind of built-in safety valve which has managed to weed out anyone wanting to make too many changes too quickly. Taitung is perfect the way it is. It’s up to you to explore it, enjoy it and find where you fit in and how you can contribute to keeping it excellent.

Buffalo Surfer

By Pete Brown

A VARIED DAY IN THE LIFE 18

LONG Special Feature

CHANG

Ilove life in Taitung County and my days here are an even mix of the familiar and the unexpected. Below is a diary of just such a day …

I woke up a little late because it’s summer time so my son doesn't have to be at school as early and the wind won't be up till the afternoon. I was at the pizza shop yesterday evening spinning dough for a healthy group of athletes from Belgium. A pretty gal named Christine was kind enough to film me while standing on a stool in the kitchen to compose the shot. One of my staff held their phone close to the gal filming to broadcast a golden oldies Taiwan song by Teresa Teng asking for a kiss. I two-stepped to the beat while I danced with the flying dough. With help from Jimmy, my young hip manager, we made my first Tiktok video. I sawed out a couple Cajun fiddle tunes and played banjo songs about being lost at sea. Then things got busy and I was running plates, washing dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, taking orders and making pizza. I was tired on my way home driving through Dulan but I spotted my old buddy Mark on the side of the road with a huge fish he’d just speared, so I stopped into Wagaligong to chat with the fellas. All of the above put me in bed a little later than normal.

My first chore of the day was to check on my water buffalo and make sure they had water. I had a twenty-kilo bag of oatmeal in my van that I bought at the feed store behind the 7-Eleven in Dulan. As I pulled in to my friend’s farm where my buffalo were feeding, I slowed down to watch a wild pheasant until I spooked it and it flew away squawking. The view to the east is all coconut groves, jungle, rice

paddies and ocean with Green Island sitting on the horizon and steep mountains to the west. To the south there is the village of Longchang, but from my point of view I only see a few rooftops. To the north it’s all mountains and sea. Snoopy, a fouryear old bull was waiting for me at the gate like an excited puppy. I filled two buckets with oatmeal and took a handful for Lodong the monkey that lives on the farm. Lodong snatched the oatmeal away from me but he didn’t snarl at me like he did yesterday. I made Snoopy do a couple of maneuvers with a touch stick—when his nose touched the end of the stick I gave him a little oatmeal. He loves this game and we continued to play while the water basin was filling.

B'Odellay enjoying the ocean Lucy's baby and my baby

Playing the banjo

After a few minutes I started wondering about my other buffalo. She is usually the first one to greet me and I called her “Lucy!” accenting the U into a low cattle call. She didn’t appear and I started to think that someone had run off with my buffalo or maybe that she’d wandered off and gotten lost. I walked down to a wooded part of the lot where the wind cooled as it blew through the shade of the trees. The buffalo usually rest down here in the heat of the day, but Lucy wasn’t there. I walked out to the far northeast of the field checking under the shade trees along the way, all to no avail. By now I was drenched with sweat and my brain was racing with ugly possibilities. I moved quickly back to the westerly lot and crossed it hoping to find her in the tall razor grass thicket. Then I saw her standing under a breadfruit tree along the side of the pasture. As I approached, I noticed her baby, lying next to her under a large tuft of grass. I picked it up and helped it to its feet, hoping that it already knew how to nurse. The baby buffalo bounced around clumsily with no interest in its mother’s udders. I led Lucy and the baby to the water basin. By now the water had flown out of the concrete pool into the mud hole adjacent and Snoopy the bull was wallowing in it. The sun was high and we were all hot. While Lucy stuck her nose in the clear, clean water of the small concrete basin to drink, the baby climbed all the way into the water and stayed there till her mother drank her fill. I talked to the baby and called it Tweetie, while I checked Lucy’s udders for milk. To my surprise she let me milk her with no fuss and the milk sprayed out just as I imagined it should. After a couple squirts I left the rest for Tweetie and went back home.

On the way home I passed Bread and Chocolate bakery and bought a delicious loaf of sourdough bread filled with French onion soup for lunch. I’m a keen sailor and am happy that my son is following suit—when I arrived home he was getting ready for sailing class. We drove south of my home passing through Dulan stopping at Dinggo for a wonderful cup of freshly squeezed grapefruit green tea. While I waited for my green tea my wife Sophia bought some fried rice next door at the Dulan Snack Bar. We were a little rushed and ate the rice in the van

but arrived at Shanyuan Bay Beach just in time to meet Fede, the sailing coach for a briefing on today’s lesson before we dragged my son’s sailing dingy into the Pacific. I watched four little sailboats tacking into the wind, back and forth out to sea until they were so far out that not even the numbers on the sails could be seen. I washed the sweat off in the gentle surf then joined my wife for a trip into Taitung. We went to the little tepanyaki place, Da

B’Odellay skateboarding

Family fun on the ocean

Po ( 大埔鐵板燒台東旗艦店 ), on the corner of Siwei and Zhonghua Road. I love the little onion omelet they make, and the cabbage is seasoned just right. When we finished we went to pick up some curry and crispy fried pork chops for the pizzeria staff who were just finishing their lunch shift.

After dropping off the staff lunch, we received a call from a customer staying at our guesthouse (Sleepy Buffalo) who was unable to unlock the front door. After a quick analysis of the situation I determined that someone had flipped a little safety lock on the inside of the sliding door that only allows it to be unlocked from inside. Thankfully I was able to call a customer inside the house and they came downstairs to flip the safety and no one was upset. Sophia went to pick up our son B’Odellay from sailing class while Rebecca, Jimmy and I prepped for what turned into another busy night full of pizza, song and dance.

Today, just like so many before it, was an enticing blend of everything that Taitung has to offer— beautiful scenery, outdoors activities, good food, and good company. Bring on tomorrow!

Preparing the pizza base

Father son boat building for the Year of the Tiger

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1 Chengong Fishing Port Walking Tour

x 眺港Café

One of the best restored Japanese-era traditional buildings in southern Taiwan, this elegant former residence is a sight to behold. Located next to Xingang Church in Chenggong Township, the two-story building originally served as the residence of the chief architect and planner of Xingang Fishing Port, Mr. Sugamiya Katsutaro. The walking tour starts from this heritage building before heading to the bustling Chenggong Fishing Port where visitors can experience the vitality of the local market and its unique auction culture.

2 Fushan Fisheries Resources Conservation Area Eco-Tour

Fushan Fisheries Resources Conservation Area 富山漁業資源保護區

This conservation area was established more than a decade ago in response to overfishing in the surrounding waters. Protecting the marine ecology and maintaining the area’s value for tourists were pitted against the economic needs of local fishermen. Despite some protests from fishermen the area has remained a no-fishing zone since 2015 and marine life in the local habitat has seen a steady increase year on year. The tour introduces many of the local sea creatures and plants, along with the ecology and history of this beautiful spot on Taitung’s east coast.

Sugamiya's Old Minka x Tiaogang Café 成功老屋

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3

Mawuku River Stand-Up-Paddleboarding

SUP (Stand-Up-Paddleboarding), is a water sport which combines the skillsets of kayaking and surfing. You’ll learn the basics of maneuvering the board through the water, and then embark on a journey past the giant bleached boulders of the Mawuku River. If you’re good enough you can even read, sleep, do yoga, or have a picnic on your paddleboard! If you have children or pets, they can also safely ride the paddleboard with you. The entire journey is roughly 2 kilometers in length and takes a couple of hours.

Nantian Village Tour

Nantian Community Development Association 南田社區發展協會

Nantian is the southernmost Paiwan village in Taitung County. Originally named Ljupetje, most of the population migrated to the village during the Japanese occupation period some 60 years ago. Easily accessible from the highway, Nantian’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean allows for magnificent coastal views that change with the seasons. The village is also at the trailhead of the Alangyi Historical Trail, which is a must for hiking enthusiasts!

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Unique and Friendly Businesses

Designed to help non-Chinese speakers to experience local culture in Taitung, in this section we highlight bilingual businesses around the county that are ready, willing, and able to welcome international visitors.

Dachi Tofu Skin Shop has been serving soybean snacks since 1965 and remains popular to this day. The tofu is prepared and dried on site and is used to make everything from soymilk to douhua (tofu pudding), but Dachi is most famous for its lightly fried crispy tofu skin.

Soybean milk, tofu pudding, fried tofu skin

No. 39-2, Dapu, Chishang Township, Taitung County 958 , Taiwan +886-89-862392 07:00-14:00

Located just off highway 11 in Chenggong, Dachin is a great place to pick up tasty Bonito Flakes along with a host of other dried delicacies. If you’re wondering what Bonito Flakes are, they are simply dried, flaked and then fermented fish (usually tuna) popular in Japanese cuisine.

Bonito flakes, smoked Bonito

No. 62, Zhongshan Rd., Chenggong Township, Taitung County 961, Taiwan +886-89-851133 09:00-20:00

Wild vegetables are definitely the heroes of the menu here, but some dishes do also include fish and meat. There are so many different varieties of vegetable that you might not recognize some of them, but they’re all healthy and delicious!

Dishes with wild greens

No. 395, Kaifeng St., Taitung City, Taitung County 950, Taiwan +886-89-310670 11:00–14:30 & 17:00–20:00

Dachi Tofu Skin Shop 大池豆皮店

Dachin Bonito Flakes 大慶柴魚

Established in 1931, this traditional bakery in Chenggong continues to use original recipes with no preservatives or additives to produce delicious peanut mochi, filled fengzi cakes and other sweet treats.

Traditional moon cakes and hand-made mochi with various tastes

No. 67, Datong Rd., Chenggong Township, Taitung County 961, Taiwan +886-89-851432

07:00-18:00

Yang’s Hakka Snacks offers traditional mochi made using wormwood as a fundamental flavor.

Traditional Hakka snacks

No. 238, Yongle Rd., Luye Township, Taitung County 955, Taiwan +886-89-550602

06:00-18:00

Xin Yuan Chang Black Tea Culture Shop is a tea factory in Taitung which invented a new kind of tea—Red Oolong Tea.

Tea guided tour, tea experience, tea leaves

No. 451, Yong'an Rd., Luye Township, Taitung County 955, Taiwan +886-89-551016 09:00-18:00

Huo-Sheng Bakery offers traditional Taiwanese pastries of which red bean is the most popular.

Red bean bread

No. 90-1, Zhongshan Rd., Guanshan Township, Taitung County 956, Taiwan +886-89-811173 09:00-20:00

Fuhecheng Bakery 福和成

Yang's Sticky Rice 楊記草仔粿

At Dulan Jin Luan Vietnamese Food Restaurant you can enjoy an authentic taste of Vietnamese cuisine.

Vietnamese cuisine

No. 237, Dulan, Donghe Township, Taitung County 959, Taiwan +886-89-531112 10:00-20:00

Ming Kui offers a western style breakfast in Taitung, including their popular French toast.

No. 390, Zhengqi Rd., Taitung City, Taitung County 950, Taiwan +886-89-324069 06:30-11:30

Mesona House has been offering hand-made grass jelly, herbal tea, and sweet soup with grass jelly since 2002.

Western-style breakfast Hand-made grass jelly

No. 148, Baosang Rd., Taitung City, Taitung County 950, Taiwan +886-89-323313 16:30-22:30

Kakawasan Warehouse cooperates with local artists and sells shell ginger art crafts.

Amis Shell Ginger products

No. 191, Sec. 2, Zhongxing Rd., Taitung City, Taitung County 950, Taiwan +886-89-238042 08:00-17:00

Ming Kui Breakfast Restaurant 明奎早餐店

Mesona House 仙草屋

Jin Luan Vietnamese Food Restaurant 都蘭錦鸞越南美食館

Kakawasan Warehouse 石山部落

Mino Ice has transformed from a factory into a sorbet shop with plenty of refreshing flavors to choose from.

Fresh fruit sorbets

No. 2-2, Gaotai, Beinan Township, Taitung County 954002, Taiwan +886-89-570716

09:00-18:00

Grandma Yang's Shanxi Noodle Shop combines Shanxi cuisine from China with local food to bring diners a new culinary experience.

Traditional Chinese food

No. 27, Qingfu Rd., Chishang Township, Taitung County 950, Taiwan +886-89-862970

11:00–14:00 & 17:00–20:00

Although Chubby Rabbit mainly serves Italian food, the German chef still misses dishes from his home country including Spaetzle (similar to pasta) and Maultaschen (meat parcels). The menu also has some new dishes including Tuscan chicken and lemon pasta with home smoked Mahi-mahi.

Italian and German cuisine

No. 7, Ln. 77, Datong Rd., Luye Township, Taitung County 955, Taiwan +886-989-679165

18:00-20:00, Thursday to Sunday

Taitung’s growing number of bilingual venues means that there are now fewer barriers to exploring this county’s diverse cultural experiences and natural wonders.

Mino Ice 美濃冰品

Chubby Rabbit 恰比兔子

Grandma Yang's Shanxi Noodle Shop 大陸婆婆麵食館

Great Local Restaurants

Lazy Tree, Taitung

Set in a cozy, intimate and tastefully furnished dining room, Lazy Tree features delicious “seasonal fusion” cuisine from around the globe and is definitely not your average Taitung eatery! Chef Isabelle’s creations includes everything from labneh and hummus to Texan pulled pork, tacos and even Rocky Mountain choco chip.

Recommended by Roman McNamara

Meet Marlin, Chenggong

旗遇海味

A recent addition to Chenggong’s atmospheric fishing port, this friendly family-run restaurant serves top notch seafood with sea views. The owners have made the most of their location with huge windows overlooking the harbor, but most importantly the sashimi, fried mahi mahi and orange salad are all excellent.

Recommended by Pete Brown

Mayhow, Donghe 美好東河

Located on Donghe’s main backstreet, this attractive B&B in Donghe also offers tasty brunches, healthy salads, single origin coffees and even intricately decorated cakes.

Recommended by Nguyen Thi Cam Loan

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Sweet Night Kitchen, Dulan

Chef Sebastien produces an extensive array of healthy gourmet dishes ranging from cassoulet to quiches and pies. Located inside the Sugar Factory complex, Sweet Night Kitchen is popular with Dulan’s night crowd, but can also be booked for private catering events.

Recommended by Brian Curran

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Bilingual Websites

Hello Taitung

Facebook page managed by the International Development & Planning Department of the Taitung County Government.

News, upcoming events, stores offering bilingual services, in-depth bilingual experiences, international reception teams

Taitung Travel Website

Official website managed by the Tourism Department of the Taitung County Government.

Attractions, things to do, food, accommodation, and transportation

Taitung Taidong 台東 , Taiwan Group

Facebook group for people who live or have lived in Taitung, Taiwan.

News, upcoming events, and other information

Discover Taitung

Official website managed by the International Development & Planning Department of the Taitung County Government.

Attractions, things to do, food, accommodation, and transportation

APP&Transportation

Official app managed by the Tourism Department of the Taitung County Government.

Attractions, things to do, food, accommodation, and transportation

Taitung

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The definitive guide to life in Taitung