Travel in Taiwan (No.41, 2010 9/10)

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No. 41, 2010

ECO-TOURS Kinmen Bee Eaters Wuling Salmon Alishan Fireflies

A SPICY HOT-POT EXPERIENCE INTRIGUING HISTORY OF KINMEN Meeting Temple Parade Performers B&B and Farm Stay Experiences in Yilan ish 4 gl 6 9 En n : 7 l y w a te 7 th ai s5i 1 8 on e T e4 b7 tDw h W5 NtT. :1 m Bi f t u3. 0 0n0e N S ial e o ea9 n2. r0 I S f ic zin u0 wa f 2 O a :B ai e ag mN /t M uGriPs p:/ t To ht

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Publisher's Note ­

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler,

ECO Tours Kinmen Spicy Hot-Pot Experience Glowing Fireflies in Alishan

For many people K inmen is pr imar ily a destination for travelers interested in war history since this was, for many years, at the center of the war between PRC communist and ROC nationalist forces and has a large number of sites telling the story of fiercely fought battles. But Kinmen has much more to offer than old battlefields, discarded tanks on display, and miles of underground tunnels. The islands are an excellent location for watching birds, endemic as well as migratory, among them photogenic hoopoes and blue-tailed bee eaters. There are many bird-watching locations to choose from, including wetlands, reservoirs, lakes, and the coastline.

Bicycling is a great option for transportation on the islands. The roads are mostly flat, broad, and empty, and with the large number of roadside trees you don’t even have to worry about too much sunshine and wind exposure.

Once you start exploring Kinmen you will soon discover what makes the islands such a wonderful place: old and well-preserved houses, many featuring unique architectural elements, strange wind-lion sculptures found in and around many villages, brown cattle as opposed to the water buffalos on Taiwan proper, and last but not least friendly island folk, many of whom have interesting tales to tell about living on the islands. Kinmen is definitely worth a trip!

A completely different world of scenery awaits you at Shei-Pa National Park on Taiwan’s main island, home to our second-highest mountain, Mt. Xue (Snow Mountain), and to a unique species of fish, the Formosan landlocked salmon. One of the most popular areas for visitors within the national park’s boundaries is Wuling, best known for the recreationoriented Wuling Farm, which offers accommodation and high-mountain farm experiences. If you want to get as close as possible to Shei-Pa’s natural delights you can pitch a tent at the Wuling campsite to enjoy the bright stars at night, then head out on refreshing hiking trips during the day.

Not unlike Wuling, the greater Alishan area offers you the chance to head into the great outdoors, here offering wildlife discoveries of a special kind.

When visiting the small village of Guanghua, join a guided trip into the forest to search for the “five stars” the area is famous for: sparkling stars in the clear night sky, shiny fish in the local streams, the radiant eyes of flying squirrels, incandescent mushrooms, and glowing fireflies buzzing about.

You’ll find more on the three above destinations in this issue of Travel in Taiwan, and can also read about hot and spicy hot-pot cuisine, the mysterious world of traditional temple festival parades, guesthouses in Yilan offering a real countryside experience, and the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important festivals of the year in Taiwan.

On behalf of the Tourism Bureau I wish you a fun-filled time in Taiwan!

Janice Seh-Jen Lai Director General Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

Travel in Taiwan September • October 2010

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Publisher Janice Seh-Jen Lai Editing Consultants David W. J. Hsieh, Wayne Liu Publishing Organization Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications Address 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 104, Taiwan Tel: 886-2-2717-3737 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036 E-mail: tbroc@tbroc.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw Producer , Vision Int l Publ. Co., Ltd. Address Rm. 5, 10F, 2 Fuxing N. Rd., Taipei, 104 Taiwan Tel: 886-2-2711-5403 Fax: 886-2-2721-2790 E-mail: vision@tit.com.tw

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Where you can pick up a copy of Travel in Taiwan Abroad Offices of the Tourism Bureau in Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Frankfurt; Taiwan Representative Offices; Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; onboard China Airlines, EVA Air and other selected international airways; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations In Taiwan Tourism Bureau Visitor Center; Tourism Bureau; Taiwan Visitors Association; foreign representative offices in Taiwan, Tourism Bureau service counters at Taiwan Taoyuan Int’l Airport and Kaohsiung Int’l Airport, major tourist hotels; Taipei World Trade Center; VIP lounges of international airlines; major tourist spots in Taipei; visitor centers of cities and counties around Taiwan; offices of national scenic area administrations; public libraries ON-LINE Read online version of Travel in Taiwan at www.zinio.com. Log in and search for "Travel in Taiwan". Or visit www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月 刊 Travel in Taiwan Bimonthly September / October Issue, 2010 Copyright c 2010 Tourism Bureau.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

ISSN:18177964

GPN:2009305475

200 NTD

CONTENTS COVER STORY Enjoying Nature Taiwan offers an amazing range of options for eco tours, from coral reefs off the coast to alpine flora and fauna in the mountains (photo by Jen Guo Chen)

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2010 1 Publisher�s Note

16

4 Culture & Art 6 Calendar of Events 8 What�s Happening in Taiwan

SHOPPING

FEATURE − eCO Tours

52 Precious Stones and Stone Art — Jianguo Holiday Jade Market Is Nirvana for Jade Lovers

10 Pristine Scenes — A Short Escape to the Mountains of Shei-Pa National Park 16 Birding, Bicycling, Bed & Breakfasts — Kinmen, a Travel Destination with Natural Habitats and Historical Sites

NEW PERSPECTIVES 54 Of Taiwan, Yet Not of Taiwan — Tracing the Rich History of Kinmen

TOUCHED BY TAIWAN 24 Transformed by Nature’s Glow — Visiting a Small Community in the Deep Mountains of Alishan

10

FESTIVAL

48 To the Moon and Back — Fun with Chinese Folklore during the Mid-Autumn Festival

HOTEL INFORMATION POP CULTURE

58 Hotels of Taiwan

30 Creativity Abounds in Taiwan’s Youth — Passionate Street Dance and Inventive Artworks

MY LOCAL FRIENDS 33 Fierce Faces — Nacha Folk & Arts Troupe Carries on Tradition of Temple Festival Performances Photo by Zhang Yan-ling

30

FOOD

40 Hot Pot — Comfort Food for the Soul

PLACES TO STAY 44 Under the Sun, Under the Stars — The Good Life in the Country at Two Yilan Bed & Breakfasts

54

Travel in Taiwan September • October 2010

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CULTURE & ART

CULTURE & ART Taiwan has a very diverse cultural scene, with art venues ranging from international-caliber concert halls and theaters, where internationally-acclaimed stars regularly perform, to make-shift stages on temple plazas where you can witness Taiwanese opera. Among Taiwan’s museums are the world-famous National Palace Museum as well as many museums specializing in different art forms and aspects of Taiwanese culture. Here is a brief selection of upcoming happenings. For more infomation, please visit the websites of the listed venues.

National Palace Museum

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Fine Places of Forests and Streams: Wen Boren and the Art of Painting 林泉佳處 文伯仁繪畫展 July 1 ~ September 25 In this exhibition you are introduced to the landscape paintings of Ming Dynasty painter Wen Boren (1502-1575). The beautiful landscapes of forests and streams in his works offer a glimpse into the development of the local Suzhou painting style in the sixteenth century. Among the works on display are hand scrolls and hanging scrolls depicting majestic mountain scenes with thick pine forests, winding streams, and secluded temples. A close look reveals tiny scholars, monks or fishermen in these magical tableaux, going about their daily business or taking a break and contemplating life.

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

The Digital Hand—Painting, Drawing, Filming, Digitalising 數位之手 繪畫 素描 拍攝 數位操作 July 10 ~ October 17 Dominique Paini, former director of the Cinematheque Francaise and curator of this exhibition, has invited 22 artists – 19 from France and three from Taiwan – to exhibit approximately 200 videos and hand-drawn or painted works. Paini's concept is to present the ways in which contemporary artists portray their concepts and thoughts with painting or drawing as well as filming. The exhibition presents both convergences and divergences between these expressive modes, and suggests a contemporary version of disegno, the principle which underlies sculpture, fine-art painting, and architecture.

4 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

Taipei Biennial 2010 2010台北雙年展 September 7 ~ November 14 The Taipei Biennial is the most important exhibition for the promotion of contemporary art staged by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. This year the exhibition will feature 23 artists presenting 37 artworks; nearly half are new commissions, the remainder ambitious adaptations of extant works. There will also be an Artist Cinema, where 35 films by 31 artists are to be shown, and a Lecture Theater where actors and actresses enact essays written by art critics and scholars. For the Taipei Art Spaces event, several venues around Taipei will showcase different forms of art as a complement to the Taipei Biennial.

National Theater

Deca Dance 2010 by Batsheva Dance Company 2010舞蹈秋天以色列巴希瓦現代舞團 十載精采 October 15 ~ 17 One highlight of this year's “Dancing in Autumn” festival at the National Theater will be the performances by the Batsheva Dance Company of Israel. The company, founded in 1964 with the legendary Martha Graham serving as artistic adviser, has been critically acclaimed and popularly embraced as one of the most exciting contemporary dance companies in the world. Starting out and becoming famous as a modern dance company following American trends, the company has changed its style and direction significantly over the last two decades under artistic director Ohad Naharin, who has introduced an adventurous curatorial vision, a distinctive choreographic voice, and a revolutionary movement language, Gaga.

Venues

Taipei Arena

2010 Jiang Hui in Concert

Taipei Eye（ 臺北戲棚 ） Add: 113 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City ( 台北市中山北 路二 段 113 號 )

2010戲夢江蕙演唱會 September 25 ~ October 9

Taipei

The undisputed queen of Taiwanese songs, Jody Jiang (Jiang Hui), won’t have a problem filling the seats of spacious Taipei Arena during her concerts in late September/early October. She has released more than 40 albums since 1981 and has won numerous Golden Melody Awards (the most prestigious music awards in Taiwan). Often compared to the late Teresa Teng, arguably the most popular Taiwanese pop singer ever, Jiang rarely gives concerts, making this a rare opportunity to see her on stage and listen to her crystal-clear voice.

Taipei Zhongshan Hall

Tel: (02) 2568-2677 www.taipeieye.com Nearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

（ 台北中山堂 ）

Add: 98, Yanping S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市延平南 路 9 8 號 )

Nearest MRT Station: Ximen

Taipei International Convention Center （ 台北國際會議中心 ）

Add: 1, Xinyi Rd., Sec.5, Taipei City ( 台北市信義 路五段 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2725-5200, ext. 3517, 3518 www.ticc.com.tw Nearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall

National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall（ 國立中正紀念堂 ） Add: 21 Zhongshan S. Rd., Taipei City

（ 台北市立美術館 ）

Add: 181 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei City ( 台北市中山北 路 3 段 181 號 )

Tel: (02) 2595-7656 www.tfam.museum Nearest MRT Station: Yuanshan

Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei（ 台北當代藝術館 ） Add: 39 Chang-an W. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市長 安 西 路 3 9 號 )

Tel: (02) 2552-3720 www.mocataipei.org.tw Nearest MRT Station: Zhongshan

( 台北市中山南 路 21 號 )

Tel: (02) 2343-1100~3 www.cksmh.gov.tw Nearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

National Concert Hall（國家音樂聽）; National Theater （國家戲劇院 ）

Manet to Picasso: Masterpieces from the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Add: 21-1 Zhongshan S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市中山南 路 21-1 號 )

馬內到畢卡索 費城美術館經典展 June 26 ~ September 26

Tel: (02) 3393-9888 www.ntch.edu.tw Nearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

An American landmark, the Philadelphia Museum of Art possesses magnificent impressionist and post-impressionist collections, as well as celebrated collections of artworks by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and American painters.

This exhibition marks the first time the Taipei Fine Arts Museum is cooperating with a major American museum, and is a rare opportunity to view numerous famed works.

It consists of 60 paintings and sculptures by legendary artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Auguste Rodin, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso.

National Museum of History （ 國立歷史博物館 ）

Add: 49 Nanhai Rd., Taipei City

Future Tradition Puppet F TP://未來偶樣 潮偶新發生 June 19 ~ September 26

Tel: (02) 2361-0270 www.nmh.gov.tw Nearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

National Palace Museum （ 國立故宮博物院 ）

Add: 221 Zhishan Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City ( 台北市至 善路 2 段 2 21 號 )

Tel: (02) 2881-2021 www.npm.gov.tw Nearest MRT Station: Shilin

National Taiwan Museum （ 國立臺灣博物館 ）

Add: 2 Xiangyang Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市 襄 陽 路二號 )

Tel: (04) 2230-3100 www.tccgc.gov.tw

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts（ 國立台灣美術館 ） Add: 2 Wuquan W. Rd., Sec. 1, Taichung City ( 台中市五權 西 路 一段 2 號 )

Tel: (04) 2372-3552 www.tmoa.gov.tw

Tainan Tainan City Cultural Center （ 台南市立文化中心 ）

Add: 332 Zhonghua E. Rd., Sec. 3, Tainan City ( 台南 市中華東 路 3 段 332 號 )

Tel: (06) 269-2864 www.tmcc.gov.tw

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City Chungcheng Cultural Center（ 高雄市立中正文化中心） Add: 67 Wufu 1st Rd., Kaohsiung City ( 高 雄 市五福 一路 67 號 )

Tel: (07) 222-5136 ext. 8908, 8909, 8910 www.khcc.gov.tw (Chinese only) Nearest KMRT Station: Cultural Center

Novel Hall（ 新舞臺 ）

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts（ 高雄市立美術館 ）

( 台北市松 壽路 3 號 )

Add: 80 Meishuguan Rd., Kaohsiung City

Tel: (02) 2722-4302 www.novelhall.org.tw Nearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall

( 高 雄 市美 術館 路 8 0 號 )

（ 國立國父紀念館 ）

Tel: (07) 555-0331 www.kmfa.gov.tw Nearest KMRT Station: Aozihdi Station

Kaohsiung Museum of History （ 高雄市立歷史博物館 ）

Add: 505 Ren-ai Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City ( 台北市仁 愛 路 四 段 5 0 5 號 )

Tel: (02) 2758-8008 www.yatsen.gov.tw/english Nearest MRT Station: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Taipei Arena（ 台北小巨蛋 ） Add: 2 Nanjing E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City ( 台北市 南 京 東 路 4 段 2 號 )

Tel: (02) 2577-3500 www.taipeiarena.com.tw Nearest MRT Station: Nanjing E. Rd.

( 台中市學士路 9 8 號 )

Tel: (02) 2382-2566 www.ntm.gov.tw Nearest MRT Station: NTU Hospital

National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

This exhibition presents a look into the future of puppet theater. Visitors are taken on a tour of experiences that expose them to unique puppet shows, interactive puppet art, and the latest trends in puppet theater.

Through static exhibits and interactive installations, many secrets of the puppet theater are revealed.

Taichung Zhongshan Hall（ 台中中山堂） Add: 98 Xueshi Rd., Taichung City

( 台北市 南 海路 4 9 號 )

Add: 3 Songshou Rd., Taipei City

Kaohsiung Museum of History

Taichung

Travel in Taiwan

Add: 272 Zhongzheng 4th Rd., Kaohsiung City ( 高 雄 市中正四 路 27 2 號 )

Tel: (07) 531-2560 http://w5.kcg.gov.tw/khm/index.asp Nearest KMRT Station: City Council

Pier-2 Art Center（ 駁二藝術特區 ） Add: 1 Dayong Rd., Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City( 高雄市鹽埕區大勇路 1 號 ) Tel: (07) 521-4899 pier-2.khcc.gov.tw

September • October 2010

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2010

CALENDAR OF EVENTS SEP 7

Grappling with the Ghosts at Toucheng (頭城搶孤)

“Grappling with the ghosts” is Yilan’s most popular activity during the seventh lunar month, also known as “Ghost Month.” In the main event brave men try to climb up greased 12-meter-tall poles and then even taller “flag towers” made of bamboo to reach the top and take down sacrificial items.

Locations: Wushi Harbor, Toucheng Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣頭城鎮烏石港) Tel: (03)977-1459

SEP 12

Mass Swim Across Sun Moon Lake (日月潭萬人泳渡大會)

Scenic Sun Moon Lake is a hugely popular tourist destination in central Taiwan, but swimming is not allowed in this large body of water save for on a single day each year. More than 20,000 swimmers take this opportunity, entering the annual mass swim across the lake.

Location: Sun Moon Lake, Nantou County (南投縣日月潭) Website: www.puliswim.org.tw Tel: (049) 291-6711

UNTIL

Penghu Seafood Carnival (澎湖菊島海鮮節)

The islands of Penghu are an excellent destination for travelers with an appetite for the freshest of seafood. During SEP 31 the annual Seafood Carnival visitors are presented not only with many special offers for seafood dining but also with activities such as guided fishing trips and tours of the islands’ old and scenic fishing villages.

Location: Tourist spots and communities in Penghu (澎湖各景點及社區) Website: www.penghu.gov.tw Tel: (06) 926-2620

UNTIL

Taiwan Ceramics Biennale (臺灣國際陶藝雙年展)

OCT 31

First staged in 2004, the Taiwan Ceramics Biennale has become one of the world’s major ceramic-art exhibitions.

Hundreds of artists from Taiwan and abroad sign up to enter their creations in a contest to determine the most outstanding pieces, which will then be shown at Yingge’s Ceramics Museum.

Location: Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館) Website: www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw/2010TCB Tel: (02) 2499-1115

UNTIL

Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture Festival (關渡國際裝置藝術節)

SEP 26

“Nature, Art, and Life” is the theme followed for six large sculptures made by six foreign artists and exhibited at Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park. The pieces merge with the landscape and visitors are allowed to touch them. The sculptures are all made using materials acquired on-site at the wetlands park.

Location: Guandu Nature Park (關渡自然公園 / 55 Guandu Rd., Taipei City/台北市關渡路55號) Website: www.2010guandu.url.tw Tel: (02) 2858-7417 ext. 210 ~ 214

NOV 5 ~ NOV 8

Taipei International Travel Fair (台北國際旅展)

Taipei ITF is the annual highlight for Taiwan’s tourism industry, and a great opportunity for travelers to learn about the latest travel products both for excursions in Taiwan and to countries around the world. Visitors come to take advantage of the many special bargains on offer, and to see the colorful folk-culture performances on the main stage.

Location: Exhibition Hall I, Taipei World Trade Center (台北世界貿易一館) Website: www.taipeiitf.org.tw Tel: (02) 2594-3261

SeptemberOctoberNovember

Taipei Fringe Festival (台北藝穗節) UNTIL

In its third year, the Taipei Fringe Festival presents the alternative and non-mainstream art of Taiwan, following SEP 12 the example of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Over just 16 days a total of 70 groups are staging 254 performances at venues around the city.

Locations: Various venues in Taipei City Website: www.taipeifringe.org Tel: (02) 2528-9580 ext. 196

UNTIL

Hsinchu International Glass Art Festival (新竹市國際玻璃藝術節)

SEP 19

This year’s Glass Art Festival, staged at the Hsinchu Glass Museum, is comprised of 12 events, including a variety of exhibitions featuring amazing works of glass art by international and local artists, live demonstrations of making glass art, academic symposiums, a glass-art street, and much more.

Location: Hsinchu Municipal Glass Museum (新竹市玻璃工藝博物館/Dongda Rd., Sec. 1, Hsinchu City/新竹市東大路1段2號) Website: 2010mascot.hcccb.gov.tw Tel: (03) 562-6091

SEP 29 ~ OCT 3

Kaohsiung Zuoying Wannian Folklore Festival (高雄左營萬年祭)

Each year the Wannian Folklore Festival is held to highlight the history and culture of Kaohsiung City’s Zuoying District. The main attraction of the festival is the parading of a “fire lion” through the streets surrounding Lotus Lake. There are many activities in and around the temples of the district, and a grand fireworks display closes the festival.

Location: Area around Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung City (高雄市蓮池潭周邊) Website: cabu.kcg.gov.tw/ks2009 Tel: 07-336-6774

NOV 6 ~ APR 25

Taipei International Flora Expo (台北國際花卉博覽會)

The most important event for Taipei in 2010/2011, the Taipei Int’l Flora Expo will be a huge happening lasting six months and attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Apart from exhibiting the beauty of flowers and plants, the Expo will also be showcasing the latest in green technology and nature conservation.

Locations: Four parks in Taipei City Website: www.2010taipeiexpo.tw Tel: (02) 2720-8889

UNTIL

Taipei Arts Festival (台北藝術節)

Staged this year for the 12th time, the Taipei Arts Festival features six local and three foreign theater troupes, as well as a large-scale open-air exhibition of installation art.

Other activities include lectures, guided tours, and film screenings. The number of visitors is expected to surpass the 220,000 mark that was set last year.

SEP 12

Locations: Various venues in Taipei City Website: www.taipeifestival.org Tel: (049) 291-6711

SEP 28

Confucius Ceremony at Taipei Confucius Temple (台北孔廟祭孔大典)

In the early morning hours on September 28th, the usually calm and quiet courtyard of Taipei’s Confucius Temple becomes the venue of a remarkable scene. A large number of people clad in ancient costumes solemnly perform a ritual “eight-row dance” to the sound of ceremonial music, as part of an elaborate ceremony celebrating the birthday of Confucius.

Location: Taipei Confucius Temple (台北孔子廟 / 275 Dalong St., Taipei City; 台北市大龍街275號) Website: www.ct.taipei.gov.tw Tel: (02) 2592-3934 ext. 15

TRAVEL NEWS

WHAT’S HAPPENING in

TAIWAN

In an effort to promote tourism in the eastern part of Taiwan, the Tourism Bureau in cooperation with the local governments of Taitung and Hualien counties has recently started an “International Tourism Destinations Plan for the Eastern Area” campaign. The campaign is the first of six phases in a greater “Pushing Tourism to the Forefront” plan being carried out by the Executive Yuan. The goal is to create the integrated display of each area’s special features, packaging them as international-class tourist destinations to attract visitors and more powerfully promote Taiwan on the international stage.

The first-phase campaign will be focused on four areas – the city of Taitung, the township of Chishang, the village of Gangkou, and the city of Hualien – highlighting their unique local attractions. At Taitung you will be entertained at Tiehua Village by indigenous artists during evening concerts, and you can find unique artworks and produce at a local openair market. Chishang is famous for its rice cultivation, and therefore promotional efforts will be centered on rice-based local specialties prepared by a local celebrity chef named Chen Yao-zhong. Indigenous fare will also be highlighted at Gangkou with the Pakelang Guest House preparing innovative creations. Finally, activities in Hualien, organized

by O’rip Lifestyles Workshop, will include visits to indigenous villages.

For more about the activities at Tiehua Village, visit www.streetvoice.com.tw/tiehua (Chinese). For more on the tourism-promotion campaign, contact the International Affairs Division, Tourism Bureau at tel: (02) 2349-1546, e-mail: ting2@tbroc.gov.tw.

8 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

Convenient and Cheap Bus Travel Following are some of the special discounts available for Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Mini Bus Service routes: Cit y / Count y

R oute

Special OFFER S

Yilan

Dongshan Riv er / Jiao xi

Free until end o f 2010

Tao yuan

Cihu

All-Day T ick e t NT $100

Hsinchu

Lion’s Head Mountain

Free until end o f 2010

Nantou

Sun Moon L ak e

NT $899 ( original price NT $1, 488 ) f or Sun Moon L ak e tr av el v oucher incl. bus, boat , cable - car tr anspor t , and entr ance tick e t f or Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

Pingtung

K ending

Pho togr aphy contes t ; winner s receiv e v oucher s f or s tay at K ending ho tel

Taitung

Collec ted memorial stamps can be e xchanged Taitung Cit y / f or beautif ul pos tcards; Coas t /East visitor s to indigenous Rif t Valle y villages can tak e par t in writing contes t and win up to NT $10,000

For more information on the above bus routes, visit www.taiwantrip.com.tw (Chinese).

Photos / Lovely Taiwan Foundation, Vision int'l, Tourism Bureau

Eastern Taiwan Lights Up!

“Happy Guesthouse” Website There are a few thousand private guesthouses (“homestays”) in Taiwan, and while this type of accommodation offers travelers an excellent alternative to staying in hotels, it can be quite a challenge to find those that meet higher standards in service, safety, and overall quality. In order to find and reward those guesthouses that are doing the best job and that are are most likely to satisfy their guests, the Tourism Bureau is in the process of setting up a website where on the one side owners of legal guesthouses will be able to present themselves and their facilities and on the other visitors will be able to share their thoughts on the guesthouses they have stayed at. The website will be up and running in 2011, and there will be direct links between the website and the official website of the Tourism Bureau at www.taiwan.net.tw, as well as to the websites of city and county governments.

Paper Dome in Puli There is a unique building in Puli, Nantou County, visitors shouldn’t miss when traveling in central Taiwan. It is a church, called the “Paper Dome,” built with paper as the main material. Perhaps even more interesting than the use of this material is the story behind the church. Japanese architect Shigeru Ban constructed the building in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit the city of Kobe in Japan in 1995. He decided to build a church made out of inexpensive recycled materials when he saw worshipers holding services in the rubble of a local church. When his creation was facing demolition in 2005 it was acquired

by Taiwan’s New Homeland Foundation and transported to Puli’s Taomi Village, itself site of a major earthquake in 1999. The transferral of the church has become a symbol of solidarity between Japan and Taiwan, and has also helped the village in Puli to reinvent itself as a tourism destination.

Houtong Coal Mine Museum Park Back in 1990, the coal mine of Houtong village in Taipei County’s Ruifang Township was closed for good. Now, 20 years later, after an investment by the Taipei County government of over NT$200 million, the Houtong Coal Mine Museum Park has been established to tell the history of mining at Houtong. The park is the latest tourist attraction in the northeast corner of Taipei County, alongside the popular old mining towns of Jiufen, Jinguashi, and Pingxi. Apart from learning about coal mining and getting an idea about what the life of miners was like in days gone by, visitors to scenic Houtong can also visit the village’s highly popular “Cat Street” and go on bicycle and hiking trips.

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September • October 2010

9

FEATURE

Pristine Scenes

A Short Escape to the Mountains of Shei-Pa National Park

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ne of Taiwan’s eight diverse national parks, expansive Shei-Pa (“Xue-Ba” in Hanyu romanization) is spread across several adjoining counties in northern Taiwan; the park’s recreational areas, Guanwu, Xuejian, and Wuling, are located in Miaoli, Taichung, and Yilan counties, respectively, all easily accessible via major highway. Wuling in particular offers an incredibly wide range of activities, from picking fruit for the casual outdoor adventurer to scaling Taiwan’s second-highest mountain for the seasoned climber. Crisp air, clean streams and, in late summer, average temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius under clear blue skies are what

10 September • October 2010

await you – and are what greeted me on my recent trip to Wuling.

My first stop was to see the Formosan landlocked salmon, perhaps Taiwan’s most unique wildlife species and a driving force behind the establishment of Shei-Pa National Park.

This high-altitude salmon subspecies – one of the world’s rarest fish – has called this area home since the last Ice Age, when the flow of mountain streams out to the ocean was blocked by landslides after a major earthquake. This caused a population of salmon to be separated from its sea-faring relatives. Salmon typically spend part of their life cycle in the ocean and part in stream waters. A preservation area was first established to

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protect the salmon from pollution and poaching, and was later expanded and declared part of a national park.

There is a wide variety of accommodations for visitors to Wuling, ranging from stylish hotels to simple campgrounds, but the landlocked salmon arguably enjoy the best “lodging service” in the park. Student volunteers tend to captive salmon in a specially designed conservation area, responsible for such things as ensuring that water temperatures don’t rise above 17 degrees Celsius. The students gain valuable hands-on experience helping to protect an endangered species; when mature enough, the fish are released into the Qijiawan River. While efforts have been

Photo / Wen-jen Fan

If time is truly money, it’s meant to be invested with wisdom, not squandered. While people in a busy city can easily spend hours each day driving around in heavy traffic or rubbing shoulders with strangers in crowded places, one fine recent day I decided to – at least temporarily – trade a gray-hued, neon-lit cityscape for the green of mountain forest and the sparkling of stars in night skies free of light pollution. A traveler can get from the downtown heat of a Taipei summer to the cool climes of Shei-Pa National Park, home to some of the tallest mountains in Taiwan, in about four hours – time very well spent. By Wesley Holzer

Taking in the fresh air in the pine tree forest of Shei-Pa National Park

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 11

FEATURE Photo by Zhang Yan-ling

made to introduce the salmon into highmountain rivers in other locations with a similar climate, the largest population is still at Wuling, and the salmon have proved to be a unique and enduring local attraction. Close to the special conservation area is an information center and a riverside observation deck, from which visitors can view the fish in their natural river environment.

Photo by Zhang Yan-ling

The Formosan landlocked salmon is a unique attraction of Shei-Pa National Park

A

side from its unique wildlife, one other aspect that distinguishes Shei-Pa from other national parks in Taiwan is that it has a tourist farm within its boundaries, making for a unique fusion of wildlife preserve, farmland, and resort facilities. Wuling Farm was founded in 1950, well before the national park was established, as a place for retired soldiers to settle down and lead a quiet agricultural life. It was later transformed into a recreational farm, with visitors coming for the fresh produce and the rich ecological environment. Wuling is one of the few places in Taiwan where you can pick your own fruit, hike highmountain paths, and camp in a pristine environment – all on the same day and without having to cover long distances.

The Wuling area has much to offer: picking fruit, waterfalls, bird-watching, the landlocked salmon, flying squirrels, camping, coniferous forest, and much more

12 September • October 2010

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Photo by Zhang Yan-ling

The farm is home to two hotels and numerous campsites, giving visitors different choices should they wish to spend the night. Campsites run from small empty plots at NT$700 per night to sites with ready-pitched tents on wooden platforms for rental at NT$1,200. Six-person tents for the empty plots are rented for NT$500, and a range of items such as gas stoves, sleeping bags, and instant noodles are available from the adjacent campsite office. Camping here is very popular, especially during the summer

months, and with space for only 200 campers available, online or telephone reservations should be made well in advance. Hotel rooms at Wuling are even harder to come by, so reservations should be made at least three months in advance. While staying at the farm visitors can make use of a free tourbus service, with stops at various spots of interest in the Wuling area. At the farm’s visitor center you can also buy NT$150 vouchers allowing you to pick one kilogram of fruit in the orchard.

After a long day exploring the many attractions of Wuling there is more to come after sunset – so be sure not to go to sleep too early! Take some extra time to relax and enjoy nature’s night-time

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 13

Photos / Shei-pa National Scenic Area, Wen-jen Fan

A brief foray out into the woods found me encountering a whiteheaded flying squirrel

FEATURE

bounty; the campsites and surrounding areas offer amazing views of the crystalclear night sky, something impossible down below in the big city. Shei-Pa is also home to a wide range of nocturnal animals, and for those visitors not afraid of the dark, getting intimate with the wonders of the natural world can be as easy as stepping out of your tent. A brief foray out into the nearby woods found me encountering a white-headed flying squirrel and several Formosan barking (Reeve’s Muntjac) deer under the starry sky. s my second day in the mountains started, I woke up along with the sun to the pleasant fresh mountain air, and put on my adventure shoes to prepare for a day of hiking. Since I am in no shape to tackle Mt. Xue (Snow Mountain), Taiwan’s second-tallest mountain, which is located in the eastern part of Shei-Pa National Park, I had to look for a trail more suitable for lessexperienced hikers. About 10 minutes by car from my campsite, I discovered a trail to Mt. Tao. Since I am certainly not a grizzled explorer, this trail, only four kilometers long but entirely uphill, was a challenge for me. The two-hour-long hike ends at the spectacular Taoshan Waterfall, also known by the name Yansheng (lit. “sound of smoke”), for the beautiful mist that floats down alongside the immaculately clear water. Reaching the cool and refreshing waterfall filled me with a great sense of achievement, my reward a much quicker hike on my descent back down to the trailhead.

For the truly intrepid, the towering Mt. Xue awaits. The trail is 10 kilometers long, which may not seem so bad, but since it is almost entirely uphill, bringing climbers to an altitude of 3,886 meters from the 2,100-meterhigh trailhead, it is quite a challenge.

It also includes a section known as the “crying slope” for its infamous difficulty.

The trail can be so treacherous that in the past only organized hiking groups were allowed to follow it. Even today, hikers must first register for permission a week in advance online. The trail has two rest spots, at Qika Hut and 369

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Qijiawan River, home to the Formosan landlocked salmon

MAP OF WULING AREA

Mt. Xue 369 Hut

Mt

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Tra

il

Fish Observation Platform Wuling Fuye Vacation Village

Shei-Pa National Park Wuling Visitor Center

Mt. Tao Qika Hut

Wuling Campsite

awa

Taiwan Salmon Eco Center Wuling Farm Entrance to Yilan Prov. Hwy 7A

14 September • October 2010

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ao

.T

Mt

Qiji

to Lishan

Taoshan (Yansheng) Waterfall

nR

iver

il

Tra

Photo / Sunny Su

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Hut, both offering a roof over your head and a spot on the floor; travelers must bring their own sleeping bags. If you are an experienced mountaineer you can try to make the hike up and back down in one day, but for average hikers a threeday plan is recommended, the first day ending at Qika Hut, the second at 369 Hut after an ascent to the peak, and the third back to the trailhead.

The natural environment at SheiPa is incredible, but so are the people I met during my brief stay whose work is to maintain the park. These include the students who look after the salmon, and Mr. Gao Jian-xiang, who was a colonel in the ROC military but took a huge pay cut to pursue a vocation even dearer to his heart way back in 1994 – a Shei-Pa ranger. Gao frequently sets off on foot inspection tours of Shei-Pa’s toughest trails to ensure the safety of visitors and the protection of the natural environment, and says he could not be happier. I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Gu Yuan-rui, a dedicated volunteer tour guide who has worked at Shei-Pa National Park since 1993; aside from his positive attitude and friendly demeanor, his enthusiasm for the park is demonstrated by the fact that he makes the five-hour drive to Shei-Pa National Park from his home in the small city of Miaoli, where he teaches collegelevel courses in hospitality, whenever – sometimes several times a month – his expertise is needed to lead a tour group. Gu explained to me that he is a tour guide at Shei-Pa because he likes to travel and wants to share his love for the park’s incredibly beautiful environment with others. “You can’t know what’s beautiful about a place just from hearing about it; you have to experience it for yourself.” After experiencing the wonderful attractions of SheiPa National Park and witnessing the dedication of the people maintaining it, I couldn’t agree more. Time spent at Wuling is indeed time well spent.

Info Shei-Pa National Park: www.spnp.gov.tw Location of Wuling on Google maps: http://tinyurl.com/Wuling Info about Mountain Permit: http://tinyurl.com/mountain-permit Info about climbing Mt. Xue: http://tinyurl.com/Xueshan

SHEI-PA NATIONAL PARK WULING VISITOR CENTER 雪霸國家公園武陵遊客中心

Hours: Tue. ~ Sun., 9 am ~ 5 pm (closed on Monday) Add: 4 Wuling Rd., Heping Towship, Heping Township, Taichung County (台中縣和平鄉武陵路 4號) Tel: (04) 2590-1350

How to get there: By bus from Taipei: Wuling Tourist Bus (武陵觀光巴士) Daily Departure: 7:20 am from Taipei Railway Station Exit East 3 (via Jiaoxi/Yilan; takes about 4.5 hrs) Return ticket: NT$1,200, including entrance ticket for Wuling Farm (NT$1,400 on weekends) Tel: (02) 2796-5696 By bus from Yilan: Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport (國光巴士) Daily Departures: 7 am and 12:40 pm from Yilan Railway Station (Yilan-Lishan Route; takes about 3 hrs) One-way ticket: NT$300 Tel: (03) 954-2703 Self-drive from Taipei via Yilan: Taipei → Freeway 5 (Xueshan Tunnel) → Yilan → Yuanshan (Prov. Route 7) → Qilan (Prov. Route 7甲) → Nanshan → Wuling Farm (about 3.5 hrs)

ENGLISH & CHINESE "crying slope" Formosan landlocked salmon Gao Jian-xiang Gu Yuan-rui Guanwu Mt. Tao Mt. Xue Qijiawan River Qika Hut Sanliujiu Hut Shei-Pa National Park Taoshan Waterfall Wuling Xuejian Yansheng

哭坡 櫻花鉤吻鮭 高健翔 古源銳 觀霧 桃山 雪山 七家灣溪 七卡山莊 三六九山莊 雪霸國家公園 桃山瀑布 武陵 雪見 煙聲

FEATURE

The sand stone cliffs at Longdong present rock-climbers with all sorts of challenges

September August• October 2010 Travel 2010 in Taiwan Travel in Taiwan 16 July•

At low tide the seabed around Jiangong Islet is a great place to find crustaceans

Birding, Bicycling, Bed & Breakfasts Kinmen Has Become a Compelling Travel Destination with Well Preserved Natural Habitats and Historical Sites

Kinmen is a paradox: part of the ROC but not a part of geological Taiwan; victim of a million PRC artillery shells from 1958 through 1978 but with more and better-preserved historical buildings than most of Taiwan; off the typical tourist itinerary but with some of the nation’ s most interesting cultural sites. In particular, due to the island’s long distance from Taiwan proper and its unique historical circumstances, Kinmen has never developed heavy industry and so has unsurpassed opportunities for ecotourism.

By Mark Caltonhill

Photo / Yannick Cariot

T

he small archipelago gained fame worldwide as “Q uemoy” in the post-WWII period when it became the f ront-line in the struggle between the Republic of China (ROC) and People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the wider context of the so-called Free World’s struggle against Communism.

Located about 230 kilometers west of Taiwan proper but only a couple of kilometers f rom the mainland China coast at the closest point, the dumbbell-shaped main island named Kinmen and its smaller neighbor Lieyu (known by just about everyone as “Little Kinmen”) became a military base isolated f rom the rest of the ROC by restrictive travel regulations as well as geographic distance. The 40,000 or so islanders who chose to remain at home during this period were host to about three times as many military personnel, many of whom were billeted with f amilies while miles of underground fortif ications were dug.

Finally, following a thawing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait, Kinmen was returned to civilian rule in the mid-1990s, travel restrictions were lif ted, the military population fell to around 5,000, Kinmen National Park was established (covering about one-quarter of the two islands’ 134

square kilometers), and the former f ront-line base was transformed into a tourist destination.

Naturally, many of the key visitor sites are found within the five main areas of Kinmen National Park (though the Kinmen County Government also promotes its own set of tourist attractions), located within special scenic areas, historical preservation areas, and recreational areas, as well as restricted areas dedicated to conservation.

Eco-Tour Highlights With ecosystems resembling those of southern China more than Taiwan, Kinmen has many species of fauna and flora unique within the ROC. Of particular interest are the birds, with around 300 species recorded (compared with around 500 for the whole of the ROC). Some are resident, but for many the islands are a staging post on long migratory journeys. Adapted to Kinmen’s varying habitats of woodland, marsh, beach, and agricultural land are such birder favorites as ospreys, storks, cormorants, and falcated teals, as well as two species vying for the status of Kinmen’s representative bird: hoopoes and blue-tailed bee eaters. The latter, multicolored birds numbering one or two thousand in recent years and dining

on all manner of insects can be seen mating, nest-making in the islands’ sandbanks, feeding their young, and teaching fledglings to fly in the late spring and summer months each year.

Good places to see bee eaters are Tianpu Reservoir and Qingnian Nongzhuang in Jinsha Township, eastern Kinmen. Other key bird-

Hoopoes and blue-tailed bee eaters are Kinmen’s most representative birds watching sites are the Shuangli Wetlands for kingfishers, waterfowl, and birds of prey, and Lake Ci for cormorants, among others, both in northwest Kinmen; Lake Lingshui and Lake Xi in western Lieyu, and the Tiandun Sea Wall in northeast Kinmen, for oriental skylarks, oystercatchers, terns, and collared pratincoles.

Visitors should bring telescopes or binoculars to avoid getting too close to birds’ habitats, as well as sturdy shoes and long trousers for entering grasslands and forests.

Birdwing and brush-footed butterflies are the islands’ most common lepidoptera, including two endemic species, Euploea midamus midamus and the

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 17

FEATURE Photo by Liao Dong-kun

Among the natural treasures of Kinmen are birds like bee eaters and cormorants as well as the peculiar horseshoe crabs

common mime.

Patient, observant, or simply fortunate visitors may catch sight of Eurasian otters, which live, feed, and breed around unpolluted bodies of fresh water but may also be active in shallow coastal waters after dark. More likely, given their shyness, one will only see such evidence of their presence as footprints in estuarine mud – or perhaps feces, beloved by naturalists wishing to analyze the shrimp and the bones and scales of fish in their diet.

Many of Kinmen’s migrant birds spend winter here, avoiding the colder temperatures further north. Whereas most regular tourists prefer the warm season, birding tourists tend to avoid the summer months, when birds are fewer.

For the former group there is an altogether different delight: the horseshoe crab, which comes ashore in summer to lay eggs in the sands above the high-tide line where the sand temperature reaches the 28-30 degrees Celsius needed for hatching. These ancient creatures, in fact related to 18 September • October 2010

Photo by Liao Dong-kun

spiders rather than crabs, have hardly changed in hundreds of millions of years. Growing about one centimeter per year, they do not reach adulthood until about 14 years of age, making them very susceptible to environmental stress.

Protected areas have been established on the northern and western coastlines of Kinmen’s main island, where the animals’ favored mud-sand beaches are found, and the local human population has been educated not to catch them for their roe and delicately flavored leg meat.

Horseshoe crabs have hardly changed in hundreds of millions of years Traditionally, horseshoe crabs were also used as fertilizer, and their shells as ladles or decoration and hung on walls and above doors to repel ghosts and evil influences.

All this and more can be learned at the Kinmen Fisheries Research Institute, where tourists are shown a 20-minute film and allowed to handle

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adult horseshoe crabs, called hou in Chinese, turning them over to see that, apart from possession of gills, they do indeed resemble large spiders. Gender differences can also discerned from beneath, but the sexes are best identified by their behavior, as they generally go around in pairs, the male clinging onto the female’s back for extended periods.

KINMEN FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (金門縣水產試驗所)

Add: 2 Xihai Rd., Sec.1, Jincheng Township

(金城鎮西海路二號)

The visitor center also has introductions to the islands’ fish and shellfish species, and to the oyster aquaculture practiced around the Kinmen coastlines. This last differs somewhat from the approach used in Penghu and along Taiwan’s west coast, with young oysters reared on granite posts stuck into the seabed rather than on strings dangling from floating platforms.

A convenient location nearby at which to see horseshoe crabs in the wild is the bay behind the Juguang Tower tourist site. At low tide visitors can

Photos / Kinmen National Park, Yannick Cariot, Sunny Su

walk along the causeway to Jiangong Islet – once the location of a military base, and before that a leper colony – facing mainland China’s city of Xiamen (a.k.a. Amoy) 10 kilometers across the bay. There are also true crustaceans here, such as fiddler crabs, which are known in Chinese as “tide-inviting crabs” because of the way they wave their single oversized claw around. A prominent sight on this island is a giant statue of famous Chinese patriot Zheng Cheng-gong (a.k.a. Koxinga), who used Kinmen as a base for several years before evicting the Dutch from Taiwan in 1662. The statue was paid for by citizens from across the political boundary, so it is only fair that he gazes “back” toward Xiamen and mainland China (from where he was retreating under pressure from the new Manchurian Qing Dynasty court) rather than “forward” toward Penghu and Taiwan.

Historical Buildings Like Xiamen, Kinmen has throughout history been regarded as a part of Fujian Province, unlike Taiwan,

which was made a separate province in 1885. Indeed, it was probably only the “coincidence” of the Korean War of 1950-1953 that saved Kinmen (and Taiwan’s other Fujianese archipelago, Matsu) from the same fate as the island of Hainan and other Republican offshore-island holdouts at the end of the Chinese Civil War, which one after another succumbed to Communist takeover in 1950.

Culturally, therefore, Kinmen continues many Fujianese traditions, most apparent to outsiders in the local architecture. Kinmen is a feast for the eyes in terms of historical buildings. It is probably not an exaggeration, or not much of one, to say that Kinmen has more buildings aged over 100 years than does the whole of Taiwan. It certainly feels like it does. Almost every turn in the road seems to present a tightly packed community of single-story redbrick buildings with tiled roofs and high enclosure walls. This typical village layout and house constructions were a defense against pirates who plundered

their way along the south China coast for centuries, and evidently well into the 19th century.

The grander buildings that originally belonged to successful candidates in the imperial examinations – who hence held official positions and were well rewarded – have sweeping “swallowtail” roofs, while those of ordinary citizens have “horseback” roof structures. Many sons of Kinmen went abroad to work, first as indentured laborers and later as traders, some setting up their own business networks in Southeast Asia, Japan, and further afield.

Their profits paid for new houses back in Kinmen villages – many of which are today still occupied by clansmen of a single surname – and the local 19th-century building boom owes much to their prosperity. It also accounts for some of the more unusual architecture, where elements of the Western styles encountered by merchants during their overseas travels were added to earlier structures.

Some Fujianese-style homes thus have

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 19

FEATURE Mashan Observatory

Jincheng Township Shanhou Folk Culture Village Lake Shuangli

Tianpu Reservoir

Lake Ci

Lieyu Township Lake Lingshui

Jining Township Lake Juguang

Kinmen Distillery

Juguang Tower Shuitou Settlement

Qionglin

Qingnian Nongzhuang

Kinmen National Park Zhongshanlin Visitor Center

Jinhu Township

Kinmen Airport

Jincheng Township

Map of Kinmen

Zhushan

Homestays with a special flair (clockwise from left): Piano Piano B&B (first two photos); Official House; Grace Homestay

Baroque wings attached, or an ornate second story added to a simple first-floor farming homestead.

Some have been well maintained by these men’s descendents, while others have fallen into disrepair. Defining its responsibility for conservation in the broadest possible terms – i.e., not restricting itself to the preservation of natural ecosystems – the Kinmen National Park Administration has intervened in recent years to save many buildings from further decay.

It has adopted an unusual – and initially somewhat controversial – approach. Rather than buying up unwanted properties, the administration 20 September • October 2010

pays for the renovation of privately owned buildings in return for a 30-year lease on their use. Then, rather than

Kinmen is a feast for the eyes in terms of historical buildings operating the buildings itself, it offers management rights via tender to local people (and occasionally outsiders) who have imaginative blueprints for their use.

Local-Flair Accommodation Some of the historical buildings are run as shops, restaurants, cafés, museums, and galleries, but the vast majority (currently around 45 houses)

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are operated as bed-and-breakfast establishments. This means that for just a couple of thousand NT dollars per night, everyone from backpackers to business-conference attendees can experience a stay in a historic mansion, most of which are also furnished in classical Fujianese style.

One such is Grace Homestay in the historic village of Shuitou at the southwestern tip of Kinmen island.

Kinmen-born Yan Xiang-fen gave up her tour-guide life on Taiwan to return after hearing about and tendering for one of the national park’s renovation projects. She now operates five buildings with a total of 29 rooms, for which she

Photos / Sunny Su, Mark Caltonhill

tunnels, oyster beds, and disused salt flats), presents a suitable half-day tour.

The Kinmen County Government and Kinmen National Park Administration are both keen to promote this low-impact form of transportation, and so offer free bike hire. Government bikes may be borrowed for three days (park bikes for one day) simply by showing your ID. Helmets must be worn and bikes returned to the same location from which they are taken. The NT$50 bike fee for the ferry between Jincheng and Lieyu is routinely waived.

The Kinmen archipelago’s long distance from Taiwan proper makes flying the most popular transport option for getting there. Romantics, however, might like to take an overnight boat from Kaohsiung. asks just NT$1,400 per night per twoperson room so that she “can meet lots of interesting students and teachers, not just business people.”

By contrast, Grace Yang, who runs a similar number of properties under the name Piano Piano B&B around the picturesque village pond in nearby Zhushan, has decorated her homestays in thoroughly modern style, opting for bright-yellow walls and European embellishments. In the homestay she also calls her own home (she and her family occupy one wing), removal of the first interior wall, which normally creates a front parlor, has created a living environment effused with light.

Rooms start at NT$2,500; the executive suite is NT$3,000.

Also in Zhushan but along the winding back streets is Official House, run by Chang Shu-ying. Built by a merchant who made his fortune in trade between China and the Philippines, like Yan’s Grace Homestay in Shuitou it has been refurbished in an approximation of the classical style. This includes retention of a mezzanine floor in each main room, originally for storage but now with beds for additional guests. In keeping with the habit of the original inhabitants – who feared raids by pirates – to hide personal treasures away,

Chang hides a gift in a secret hideaway in each room for guests to keep if they can find it. Rooms for two are available at NT$1400.

GRACE HOMESTAY (水調歌頭)

Add: 40/41 Qian Shuitou, Jincheng Township, Kinmen County (金門縣金城鎮前水頭 40.41號) Tel: 0932-517-669, (082) 322-389 Website: www.familyinn.idv.tw PIANO PIANO B&B (慢漫民宿)

Add: 75 Zhushan, Jincheng Township,

Kinmen County (金門縣金城鎮珠山75號) Tel: (082) 372-866 Website: www.pianopiano.com.tw OFFICIAL HOUSE (珠山大夫第)

Add: 41 Zhushan, Jincheng Township,

Kinmen County (金門縣金城鎮珠山41號)

Tel: (082) 323-468, 0963-166-171

Website: www.official-house.idv.tw

How to Get Around Perhaps the best way to experience Kinmen’s natural beauties, and certainly the most eco-friendly, is by bicycle.

Given the island’s dimensions, about 20 kilometers east to west and less than 15 kilometers north to south, the highest hill measuring just 253 meters above sea level, this is not extreme cycling. Alternatively, the 20-kilometer cycle route around Lieyu, taking in the smaller island’s main sights (wetlands for bird-watching, military fortifications,

Online Info about Kinmen Kinmen National Park: www.kmnp.gov.tw Kinmen County Government: www.kinmen.gov.tw Kinmen Airport: www.kma.gov.tw Kinmen on Google maps: http://tinyurl.com/

Kinmen-County

ENGLISH & CHINESE Chang Shu-ying Jiangong Islet Fujian Province Grace Yang Hainan

張淑瑛

hou

鱟

Jincheng Township Jinsha Township Juguang Tower Kinmen Kinmen National Park Lake Ci Lake Lingshui Lake Xi Lieyu Mazu Qingnian Nongzhuang Shuangli Wetlands Shuitou Tiandun Sea Wall Tianpu Reservoir Fiddler "tide-inviting" crab Xiamen Yan Xiang-fen Zheng Cheng-gong Zhushan

金城鎮

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建功嶼 福建省 楊婉苓 海南

金沙鎮 莒光樓 金門 金門國家公園 慈湖 陵水湖 西湖 烈嶼 馬祖 青年農莊 雙鯉濕地 水頭 田墩海堤 田埔水庫 招潮蟹 廈門 顏湘芬 鄭成功 珠山

September • October 2010 21

Touched by Taiwan

Transformed

by Nature's Glow Visiting a Small Community in the Deep Mountains of Alishan

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s a tourist destination, Taiwan offers dozens of ways to transform. As with many East Asian cities, the speed and density and the unique scents and sounds of Taipei, Taichung, or Kaohsiung will amaze any Westerner. When this excitement wears off, however, there are still dozens of other ways to effect transformation. A few steps into one of the many tranquil temples will take you light years away from the chaos and confusion of urban existence. The same can be said of the 24 September • October 2010

various nature hikes, beaches, offshore islands, lakes, and many other getaway lures.

Today I am heading for Alishan National Scenic Area, in the southwest of Taiwan. Starting off from Taipei, a few friends and I hop on a bus in the early morning. The trip goes smoothly and we’re in Chiayi (the flatlands takeoff point for high-mountain Alishan) before noon. We had originally planned to catch another bus, but on a whim we decide to rent motor scooters. We race

Travel in Taiwan

out of the city, excited to get up into the mountains.

The ride up winds through the foothills and then the high mountains, each turn taking us farther from the city, farther from our normal lives, closer to transformation. We follow the freshly paved roads and the tour buses until eventually we reach a turnoff that will lead us to the village of Guanghua and the Kuang Hua Ting Ben Tzu Recreation Area at the end of a potholed, one-lane sliver of a road.

Photos / Red Bean

Transformation. As humans, living in the 21st century, we have infinite opportunities to transform; to transform our locations, our personalities, our realities. Jumping into the ocean on a hot day, unwinding with a night at the symphony, leaving our homes to see new people, living different lives. By Matthew Davidof f

Fireflies buzzing about in a forest near Guanghua; (inset) incandescent mushrooms

I can’t resist the urge to quote Robert Frost; I tap my Taiwanese friend on the shoulder and proclaim “We’re on the road less traveled!” He looks back at me with a tired expression, but fails to reply. rriving at our bed and breakfast, aptly named Green Home, we’re immediately greeted by Mr. Liu Jia-nan and his wife, the owners.

Mr. Liu, I learn, will be our tour guide for the weekend. He pours us Oolong tea and sits us down on the guesthouse’s patio. The air is intoxicatingly fresh, the atmosphere serene. The air buzzes

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with birdsong and the humming of cicadas. Overlooking endless forest and emerald rice fields, we sip our tea while recovering from the long scooter ride.

Mr. Liu cannot contain his smile,

The air is intoxicatingly fresh, the atmosphere serene and cannot stop talking for more than a few seconds at a time. He speaks in Mandarin, with a thick Taiwanese accent. I try my best to hold on to each word, but it’s not easy.

“Fresh tea, grown in my garden, we grow fruit and vegetables. Wait till you see the wildlife. The hikes will blow you away. Fireflies. You want tea? Have some tea! Isn’t Taiwan tea the best!? The stars at night here are amazing. Did I mention the fireflies? We like tourists!

We love visitors. Are you happy here? Cow Mountain is over there.

Environmental protection. Sustainability.

Let’s go for a little hike. You need tea?

Do you want to rest? Guanghua has a rich history too. We will impress you.

You will love it here! Don’t you love it

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 25

Touched by Taiwan

Scenes from the Kuang Hua Ting Ben Tzu Recreation Area, a place which attracts visitors with a unique natural environment and friendly locals happy to share their stories

26 September • October 2010

bricks, etc. – sit abandoned outside. In one “garage,” the motor scooters and old TVs seem anachronistic next to a chicken coop and several rudimentary saws. Mr. Liu has a story to accompany every old relic we come across; he knows when and why things were built, he demonstrates how to use them, and he carries a book of old photos showing Guanghua’s founders in action.

After our history tour we head back to our bed and breakfast, where Mrs. Liu has prepared a traditional Chinese meal.

We shovel through dishes of bamboo shoots, squash, cabbage, and other fresh vegetables. Mr. Liu boasts that nearly everything on the table has been grown organically in their backyard garden. I can’t help but wonder when was the last time I’ve had a meal where I knew the origin of each ingredient. For dessert

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we are treated to Mrs. Liu’s succulent aiyu (a jello-like substance made from the seeds of a local fig vine). With the superb air quality, the fresh food, and the absence of traffic and general city noise, I can’t help but feel as if I’m in a high-priced detox facility. fter dinner I am ready to call it a night, but Mr. Liu informs us that we have 10 minutes to prepare for our night hike. Though Guanghua offers history, great views, and an escape from crowds, the greatest sources of local pride are the nocturnal flying squirrels and fireflies. Mr. Liu is determined that we experience these treasures.

We hop into his van and take off along the area’s eerily quiet, pitch-black roads. Armed with flashlights, we park our van and embark into the unknown.

Mr. Liu jokes that Guanghua is famous for it’s “five stars”: the sparkling stars

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Photos / Red Bean

here? Yes it’s great. Yes it’s great!”

We immediately develop true affection for Mr. Liu. He is passionate and jolly – and a walking encyclopedia.

He knows every plant, every animal, every historic site, every path, every wall, every stream in the area.

As we start to tour the village, I realize that it is a true living museum.

Guanghua was founded about 200 years ago by settlers from mainland China.

Many of the well-worn structures here date back to that exact time period, and give clues to ancient lifestyles and kinship rituals – houses built during this period were usually comprised of three connected homes, the center one housing the family’s elders and the adjacent wings holding their children’s families. Many old tools – tools to flatten bamboo to make paper, tools to make

you can see in the clear night sky, the shiny fish that inhabit the local streams, the radiant eyes of the flying squirrels, the incandescent mushrooms and, of course, the glow of fireflies.

We cautiously walk along a wooden platform, hovering over a sea of darkness. Then, after turning a corner, we’re bombarded with pods of fireflies, which strike me as being like tiny, brightly lit cities in the formless landscape. I am a child again, letting cotton candy melt on my tongue for the first time. How is this possible? What are they all doing here? Each bustling community holds hundreds of fireflies.

I catch one. We all catch them. Their little bodies illuminate our hands. We’re giddy!

We revel in this place. We are transformed.

At this point, though I am quite impressed with Guanghua I am at the same time exhausted and really hoping for a hot shower and a bad action film on HBO. Mr. Liu, however, insists that we trudge on. He wants to give us our money’s worth; he wants Guanghua to shine like the firefly cities, and as far as he’s concerned we still have more “shining stars” to see.

Guanghua’s greatest sources of pride are the nocturnal flying squirrels and fireflies We hike up into the hills, deep into the forest, shining our lights on each falling leaf and along each straddled creek, hoping to spot a flying squirrel.

During the hike Mr. Liu will sporadically be hit with a “feeling.”

“Turn your lights off, don’t make a peep. There’s one around. I am sure of it!”

Like a taxi driver who knows the best routes during rush hour, Mr. Liu knows these hills intimately. He knows the hidden trails; he knows the trees that squirrels prefer. After several false alarms, we finally strike gold. We look up and see a squirrel and her baby perched in a tree. We watch them scurry away from the light, we watch them bound and then glide in unison to a branch a few meters away. I hold my tongue; I want to shout. I resist the urge to clap and cheer, for Mr. Liu and for our furry heroes. Mr. Liu is now satisfied, and informs us that it’s finally time to go home. On the way back through the forest we see a pod of “magical” glowing mushrooms. As if the

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 27

Touched by Taiwan

A visit to Alishan might leave you transformed

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28 September • October 2010

Province in mainland China who utilized the abundant natural resources they found here – wood, stone, bamboo, etc. – building their lives around the bounty of the land. They built up their community by hand, they learned from their elders, and they kept ageold traditions alive. As time went on, however, Guanghua started to lose its focus on tradition and sustainability.

Then about 20 years ago, in an effort to protect their beautiful land and special way of life, the townsfolk got together and decided to apply for classification as an environmentally protected zone.

They formed a committee to direct the community, and Mr. Liu was elected to head the project.

We stand speechless, motionless, enthralled by this remarkable scene After two days in Guanghua, I feel refreshed and relaxed. I am humbled

by Guanghua’s connection with its own history and its connection with nature.

I am sad to leave the picture-perfect views and undisturbed hiking trails, I am sad to leave the sound of the birds and crickets, and I sincerely hope to spend more time with Mr. Liu and his neighbors in the future.

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Now back in the big city, I realize that the Alishan region is much more than its famous pretty sunrises and cute tourist-train ride. There is much more to explore there, and it’s impossible to understand that without adequate time.

I can’t help but smile, remembering the glowing fireflies and the magic mushrooms mimicking the star-lit sky above. I’ve been transformed.

Info

For more on Alishan National Scenic Area, visit www.ali-nsa.net/english/00home/home.php For more on traveling in Chiayi County, visit www.tbocc.gov.tw/en/index.asp Location of Guanghua on Google maps: http://tinyurl.com/guanghua-alishan GREEN HOME 綠野仙踪

Tel: (05) 256-1929, 256-2563, 0933-618-601 Add: 22, Dingbenzi, Guanghua Village, Zhuqi Township, Chiayi County (嘉義縣竹 崎鄉光華村22號) Website: www.greenhome.idv.tw (Chinese) GPS: Lat. 23:28:45N; Long. 120:40:34E

ENGLISH & CHINESE

aiyu

愛玉

Alishan Chiayi Guanghua Kuang Hua Ting Ben Tzu Recreation Area Liu Jia-nan

阿里山 嘉義 光華 光華頂笨仔遊憩區 劉嘉南

Photos / Sunny Su

fireflies weren’t cool enough… a self-lit mushroom? Who knew? The drive home lulls me to sleep, and I force myself to exit the car and walk up to my room. e rise early the next morning to catch the sunrise over the mountains. The morning air is crisp and cool, sparkling with anticipation. In just a few moments, we’ll witness one of the most sought-out natural sights in all of Taiwan. We wait on a lookout point; the atmosphere is still and lifeless. All of a sudden, the first glimmer of light shines past the high peaks far off in the distance. We’re delighted to discover we’ve been standing above a sea of clouds, for as the sun rises, iridescent slivers of light illuminate the thick white cotton filling the wide valley below us. We stand speechless, motionless, enthralled by this remarkable scene. The sun continues to rise and soon it is day.

The air heats up quickly; the birds start to sing. Beaming from this rare treat, we head back to Mr. Liu’s guesthouse to eat breakfast and laze around for a while.

The rest of this day is filled with other similarly joyful experiences.

Endless chats with Mr. Liu, hiking in the surrounding mountains, more historical tours, and a walk through a tea field. Mr. Liu fills us in with more on Guanghua’s past. The settlement was founded by immigrants from Fujian

POP CULTURE

y t i v i t a e r C

h orks t u o ’s Y Artw ings

n tive do the th n, a n e Taiw and Invhe time to re in Taiwa

n i e to f i n d t e nt s h e c s n a nd et D ifficult of stud

u Abosionate wSotrrlde, it’s osftisenesdpeciallyemtrubeusy from Pas

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fter school and homework are finished, groups of highschool students flock to places such as the grounds of Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall to cut loose and shake off the stress of the school regime. Poppin’, lockin’, and bustin’, these talented teenagers take part in the dance craze known as street dancing. It’s nearly impossible to miss, with kids seen 30 September • October 2010

practicing and entertaining at many locations in Taipei. Street dancing is one of the most popular ways among young people to express themselves in a creative, positive, and healthy manner.

Dance groups practice whenever and pretty much wherever they can. Public parks, school grounds, or even empty spaces at MRT stations are as good as any dance studio. Students at the highschool level have little in the way of free

Travel in Taiwan

time, so spending it performing and perfecting complex, synchronized routines is quite an accomplishment.

I was deeply impressed not only by the level of skill but also by the dedication these young people manifest when I went to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall one recent hot afternoon to watch them strut their stuff. Students

Photos / Daemon Lee, Maggie Song, Twelli

h i n ep t no o b us y t. Th r e s s k ’ e o t y s f da ym ea ion ur s I n to e nj o s ho l i g at ate i n t h u e b o o w i c h ic ll re d w h i c a c a d e m i n g u nt i e w p su i t s a n f a n e t r r s s o u of o u j p m wh ople th e aves ersonal e e l n p i s p wo T hi ung earl y d on are t e yo in g . n g h n e t n e i p v do l ow to s or e e ek . How me? Fol y w t i h v ati e ti eac e cre th e ir f re r l o l pbel e xp end C am p n s a i y e

By R Taip es . l p e xam

Poppin’, lockin’, and bustin’, teenagers take part in the dance craze known as street dancing

practice here every day, sometimes up to several hours if their schedules allow.

For most of the dancers, the expenditure in time and the physical demands are a small price to pay for the blessing of being able to do something they love.

Just watching some of the teams practice their complex moves was enough to make me sweat.

For some of these talented troupes, the hard work could end up paying off in a big way. For example, the annual Metro Street Dance Competition is a major contest with over NT$480,000 in prize money that encourages youth creativity. Competitors at this meet go toe to toe in four different styles: popping, locking, hip-hop, and break dancing. Routines in each category are painstakingly prepared and practiced to perfection. Over 150 teams compete in the event, with prize monies being used for the funding of dance programs, costumes, choreography, and new music. ancing isn’t the only outlet for Taiwan’s creatively inclined

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youth. More traditional forms of expression have been given a modern twist, combining practicality with the art. In Taipei’s Ximending shopping district, The Red House has become a hub for youthful creativity and for those who want to live their entrepreneurial dreams. The Red House has always been a place of exchange, but has undergone numerous transformations since its humble beginnings. The building was erected in 1908 and first served as a marketplace selling everything from flowers and foods to books and even medicines. It underwent a major change after World War II, becoming first a place for traditional-style stage performances such as storytelling and Beijing opera and then a cinema.

After its heyday The Red House fell into disuse and decay, and it wasn’t until 1997 that the Taipei City Government declared it an official historic site. Restoration efforts begun in 1999 sought to return the building to its former glory, and in 2002 it was

decided that the unique facility would be a venue for spoken-word and vocal performances. This attracted all sorts of creative people once more to its doors.

Of late The Red House has undergone yet another dramatic metamorphosis, the idea being to channel the creativity which surrounds it. This recent renovation is a perfect marriage of the modern and the traditional. Upon entering its doors, visitors can take a look at a pictorial timeline stretching from the building’s beginnings to the present day. Each of the other elements within the historic site is a throwback to simpler times, oozing charm and culture. On the first floor a row of small shops features the unique material expressions of the creative vision of young artists, the ingenuity and originality of the designs all distinctly “Taiwan” in flavor.

A shop named Betelnut features popular manga art on T-shirts and baseball caps. These cool clothing items stand out from the crowd, a difficult

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September • October 2010 31

POP CULTURE

The Red House has become a hub for youthful creativity

32 September • October 2010

special souvenir from Taiwan, why not choose one featuring an original design by a talented and energetic young artistcum-entrepreneur?

On weekends, the area surrounding The Red House is the venue for an open-air artisans’ market. Original works of art feature all sorts of media, from practical to whimsical. Take some time and have a browse while crossing the names off of your “hard-toshop-for” list. You’ll be certain to find something so novel that anyone would love to be its new owner. The best part is that the vendors here are more than willing to strike a deal, and much enjoy conversation about their work. I had the chance to speak with a few of the artists; for many, selling their works inside The Red House and outside at the market has been a dream come true. Even if it

Travel in Taiwan

means long hours and hard work on top of being a full-time student or working a day job, for these young creative minds their “real” life is when they get to create and share their art with the world.

THE RED HOUSE (西門紅樓)

Tel: (02) 2311-9380 Add: 10 Chengdu Rd., Wanhua District,

Taipei City (台北市萬華區成都路10 號)

Website: www.redhouse.org.tw GPS: Lat. 25:02:31N; Long. 121:30:24E MRT:

Ximen Station

ENGLISH & CHINESE Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Metro Street Dance Competition The Red House Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Ximending

中正紀念堂 捷運盃亞洲 街舞大賽 西門紅樓 國父紀念館 西門町

Photos / Wen-jen Fan

thing to do in a city where the visuals experienced on public forays are a feast for the senses. A couple of stores down, Pico Baby makes the most of discarded computer parts by creating unique and fashionable figurine robots. The tiny robots feature Swarovski crystals as their hearts, making them fashion accessories as well as one-of-a-kind toys.

Taiwan happens to be one of the world’s largest producers of computer parts – items such as memory chips and circuit boards – so it’s nice to know that such outdated materials have been given new life. The other tiny shops inside The Red House are deserving of closer inspection as well, offering something to suit every budget and taste. Custommade jewellery, aboriginal crafts, and kid’s items are just some of the attractive creations available. When looking for a

MY LOCAL FRIENDS

Fierce Faces

Photos / Maggie Song, Sunny Su

Nacha Folk & Arts Troupe Carries on the Tradition of Temple Festival Performances By Barbara Zerillo

During my time in Taiwan I have often passed by temples, and whenever there has been a temple festival going on I have been curious about the performers dressed in intricately detailed and brightly colored costumes. As a Westerner, the gods they impersonate can be unfamiliar and intimidating. I was therefore excited – and a little nervous – when I was given the opportunity to meet with the members of the Nacha Folk & Arts Troupe and learn more about the art of “Zhentou,” a type of traditional folkart performance seen during temple-festival parades.

Travel in Taiwan September • October 2010 33

MY LOCAL FRIENDS Temple parade performer in full gear in front of a local temple

The Guang Jiang Shou on the way to a performance venue

34 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

Photos / Maggie Song, Yannick Cariot

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rriving at the troupe’s studio in Luzhou, a suburb of Taipei, I took my shoes off at the door, as is the custom for many houses in Taiwan, and was graciously welcomed by a 20-year-old, Chen You-wei. He smiled often, offered me juice and tea, and was so polite that I never imagined he would soon be transformed before my eyes into one of the terrifying guards of the underworld. I was thrilled at the prospect of getting a behind-the-scenes look at the unique form of Taiwanese folk-art culture of which he is a part.

The troupe is one of many in Taiwan whose performers dress up as figures from the Chinese religious pantheon to perform at festivals throughout the year. Although the troupe is skilled at performing a number of different groups of characters, they are most frequently requested to perform as the Guan Jiang Shou, or Chief Officers, which is what I observed. Zhentou means “head of the parade formation,” and the officers are like security personnel, leading the processions to scare off devious demons and spirits and silently announcing the arrival of the god or gods carried in sedan chairs farther back in the procession.

The creator and manager of the Nacha Folk & Arts Troupe, Rex C. H. Kao, explained that while this folkart form has its roots in centuriesold religious practices of China, the present form of Zhentou has been developed over the last few decades in Taiwan and is unique to the island.

For the performances, males put on performances during religious festivals as a way to both thank the gods and warn an area’s mortals. It is believed that the Guan Jiang Shou can capture people and bring them back to the gods to be judged and punished.

I watched in awe for roughly 45 minutes as one of the guards’ makeup was meticulously applied. Using a calligraphy brush, one member first

painted a white pattern that was later filled in with blue, symbolizing water, and accented with red, black, and gold.

Each of the guards can be identified by the dominant make-up color representing one of the five Chinese elements: water, fire, earth, wood, and metal. In the past the make-up consisted simply of a single base color, black eyes, and a red mouth, but has been become more complex over time. As with most folk-performance groups, there is a constant struggle to maintain a balance between tradition and trying to fit into a modern, fast-changing world.

Several novice members helped to

dress You-wei once his make-up was complete. They helped him put on the brightly colored robes, long red eyebrows, and sharp teeth, along with a heavy crown complete with flowing yellow paper hair. Mr. Kao explained that many of the members carry a piece of the paper “hair� with them to keep evil spirits away, confirming this by showing me the sample he carries inside his own wallet. This was one of the many times that I was reminded that this is not simply an acting troupe, but a group of performers who believe deeply in the spiritual powers depicted in their art.

From top left: Applying the make-up; calligraphy brushes are used to paint the faces; members of Nacha at their practice studio; instruments to scare off evil spirits

They helped him put on the brightly colored robes, long red eyebrows, and sharp teeth, along with a heavy crown complete with flowing yellow paper hair Mr. Kao explained that they perform for three reasons: to thank

Travel in Taiwan September • October 2010 35

MY LOCAL FRIENDS

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36 September • October 2010

I looked around and watched the crowd looking on with interest. When the performance ended, I heard a boy behind me whisper “Hao lihai!” to his mother, which can be roughly translated as “Awesome!”

After the spellbinding performance we returned to the studio to watch the group practice. Some of the older members, including a man who has been studying this form of art for fourteen years, led the others through a series of stretches and exercises.

Mr. Kao smiled while answering our questions, but was strict with the students, reprimanding them when their push-ups were not done in unison.

Since they do not speak during their performances, they need to be perfectly synchronized at all times in order to properly execute the complicated moves as a group.

Only after two years of rigorous training are new members allowed to perform in public. One member told me that he had almost quit during that time because of the difficulty, but has now been with the group for six years.

This is, I learned, far more than a mere

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hobby. Mr. Kao explained that before an important performance abroad the members will spend a week sleeping, eating, and training at the studio. he following day, I was thrilled to get the chance to see the group put on a full-scale performance when we attended a parade for Bao Qing Tian, the God of Justice. Dressed in

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I wondered how much of the grimacing was acting and how much might be from the discomfort of wearing the heavy costumes and make-up their ornate costumes and carrying their unique weapons, a gong sounded and the leader struck his weapon against the ground. Instantly, the five members began to perform with the power and fierceness of one truly ominous unit.

The Guan Jiang Shou marched in unison, never once falling out of step or character.

Although only five members

Photos / Maggie Song, Sunny Su

the gods, to entertain, and to bring people back to cultural traditions. He talked about the struggle of keeping new generations interested in oldstyle Taiwanese culture. Today many people prefer to go singing at a karaoke parlor, or simply staying at home, to attending an outdoor temple festival amidst the heat of the summer. One of his goals is to appeal to the younger generations, demonstrating to them that their cultural heritage is a source of fascination. The troupe does a lot of non-profit work, cooperating with schools and performing for students. fter You-wei was in full dress, we went to a nearby temple for a performance. It was truly impressive watching You-wei’s face contort into a menacing stare, one that made me doubt that he was the same boy with whom I had spoken earlier. A crowd formed while he performed a series of choreographed moves that illustrated his strength and precision. Watching him seamlessly spin, crouch, and hold complex poses on one leg was a clear indication of how much time and effort was devoted to practicing.

From far left: Smiling is avoided after putting on make-up and costumes; troupe leader Rex Kao welcomes visitors to experience the art of Zhentou; performing during a temple parade

before experienced, it is something I would recommend every visitor from overseas witness when in Taiwan. The best time to come is during the third month of the lunar calendar, since the many traditional festivals bring many opportunities to see folk-culture groups performing. Mr. Kao also mentioned that his studio is open to visitors, and foreigners are welcome to come and learn about Zhentou. After all, this is not simply an opportunity to watch a visually attractive performance, but also a unique opportunity to gaze back in time at an old Taiwanese tradition.

ENGLISH & CHINESE

perform at a time, the rest of the group follows alongside to help them in any way needed. It was a hot day, nearing 40 degrees Celsius, and performing under such conditions is not an easy job. Performers often become dizzy or faint from exhaustion during processions that can last for hours, sometimes in sweltering heat. Seeing the members’ grimacing faces during the performance, I wondered how much

was acting and how much might be from the discomfort of wearing the heavy costumes and make-up.

In the past, smiling while performing was taboo. Masters would tell their students that if they smiled it would crack their make-up and the evil spirits and demons lurking about would know they were human.

While this type of art is completely different from anything I have ever

Bao Qing Tian Chen You-wei Luzhou Guan Jiang Shou hao lihai Rex C.H. Kao zhentou

包青天 陳宥瑋 蘆洲 官將首 好厲害 高志宏 陣頭

Nacha Folk & Arts Troupe ( 哪吒陣 頭 劇 坊 )

ADD: 3F, 4, Lane 139, Jiuqiong St., Luzhou City, Taipei County 台北縣蘆洲市九芎街 139 巷 4號3樓 (close to MRT Luzhou Station) TEL: (02) 2282-3627, 0936-897-293 Website: jumprex2002.cyberstage.com.tw (Chinese) Nacha welcomes visitors to their studio.

The troupe practices each Saturday from 7 to 9 pm unless they are performing elsewhere.

FOOD

Left: Spicy mala hot pot at Tripod Restaurant

Far left: Fish paste for handmade meat balls

Bottom left: Paper-lamp-lit ambience at Tripod

Bottom right: Meat-rich hot pot

Hot Pot Comfort Food for the Soul

Comfort food…. Everyone has one, some have many! It could be brownies, cheesecake, you name it. If you’re from the deep American south, it’s “soul food.”

But what if you’re Taiwanese? What’s your comfort food? Is it oyster omelets? How about stinky tofu? Well…not exactly. It’s most likely a dish that’s enjoyed all year round. Take hot pot or huo guo (literally meaning “fire pot”), for example. During winter this dish warms you from the inside out, and in the heat of summer it’s a light meal enjoyed in an air-conditioned restaurant or home.

By Linda Chu

40 September • October 2010

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Classic and modern restaurant design

Dipping handmade meat balls

Photos / Maggie Song

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popular style of Asian cooking, hot pot is a nearly 1,000-yearold culinary tradition in which sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, and other delicacies are dipped into a bubbling broth, supposedly a la Genghis Khan. A communal dish, it’s definitely soul food, great for intimate groups – you are, after all, eating from the same pot.

Chefs around the world have taken this culinary tradition to new levels. It’s hard to fathom how one small pot could be so versatile. But when you switch the broth and tweak the ingredients, what you have before you is an entirely different delicacy!

Take, for instance, Thai hot pot, which is all about a secret combination of spicy, sour, and sweet sauces used to dip your tidbits in after they are cooked. Or picture the Japanese shabu shabu with its paper-thin slices of beef quickly poached with vegetables in a water-based broth and then served with a sesame sauce. Or consider the richly seasoned Korean stone pot. And then there is the Cantonese hot pot, served with a special dipping sauce made with soy sauce and raw egg.

Even the seemingly unrelated fondue, a Swiss communal dish shared at the table in an earthenware pot where diners use long forks to dip bits of food into a warm and cheesy dipping sauce, can be included in the hot-pot family.

Dippers are usually ready-to-eat foods such as crusty bread, apple slices, and olives. Some fondues feature chicken cubes and rolled meat slices cooked in simmering-hot oil, wine, or cheese, or a mixture of these. And of course there are the dessert fondues, where slices of fruit and pastry are dipped in warm, melted chocolate.

Hot pot with a central broth divider

Hot pot is definitely soul food, great for intimate groups – you are, after all, eating from the same pot This culinary tradition seems to have been easily assimilated into all cultures, for hot pot, whatever its form, is by nature an informal, cozy affair. That’s the appeal of this 1,000-year-old treat. aking the essence of hot pot as the typical Asian comfort food, Tripod King in Taipei pairs the adventurous spirit of culinary connoisseurs with health consciousness. The name Tripod King refers to the three-legged cauldronshaped cast-iron pots used.

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by silk-robed wait staff and

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a rich décor, complete with customized dark-wood furniture that glows amidst the dim paper-lamp-lit ambience.

Spacious yet cozy tables and booths can easily accommodate large family gatherings and intimate groups.

The broth for Tripod’s widely acclaimed spicy mala (literally meaning so spicy that it numbs) hot pot is made by simmering dozens of vegetables, tea leaves, and a special blend of 32 Chinese herbs for over 12 hours. Fragrant, deep red, and laced with chili oil, this brew is surprisingly light, smooth, and palatable.

A deviation from the typical bone-based stock, this is the main reason that Tripod King stands out as one of Taiwan’s best hot-pot restaurants. From the innovative soup base to the carefully arranged iron

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 41

FOOD

Hot Pot Ingredient Descriptions Meat slices

Egg dumplings

Meat slices (beef, pork, and lamb) Frozen slices of deli-thin meat are typically cooked by poaching in the broth. Meat takes no more than fifteen seconds to cook.

Dumpling sampler Featuring a special assortment ranging from Japanese-style teriyakiflavored dumplings to Korean-style ones filled with pork, shrimp, vegetable, and bamboo and on to Shanghai-style seafood dumplings with crab and shrimp…this sampler has something for everyone!

Cabbage

Vegetables (cabbage, mushroom sampler) When vegetables should be added to the hot pot is always a hotly disputed topic, but what is certain is that this is a hot-pot must-have.

Glass noodles and bean vermicelli These items are usually added last, as noodles have a tendency to soak up the broth rather quickly. However, this is a great way to finish off the soup, rounding out a delicious meal.

Handmade meat and seafood balls

Glass noodles

Handmade meatball and seafood-ball sampler From house-special Sichuan-style meatballs and handmade beef balls to fish balls, shrimp balls, and squid balls, this sampler has it all! It is recommended that frozen items be added to the hot pot first.

Fried breadstick Long twists of dough fried to perfection, this ideal hot-pot dipper can be added to the hot pot at any time.

Innards (pork intestine, beef tripe, beef tendon) These marinated and braised delicacies taste best with the spicy hot

Fried breadsticks

pot. They should be added to the hot pot first, for the general belief is that they taste better the longer they are cooked.

Innards

42 September • October 2010

carefully crafted menu filled with colorful pictures. Presenting a diverse assortment of vegetables, seafood, meats, and dumplings, and the selection of innards exotic to the Westerner and beloved by the locals, Tripod is a harmony of the very best.

Travel in Taiwan

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s such, the restaurant is a wonderful choice for first-timers – “hot-pot rookies” – like myself. The amicable staff is helpful in offering suggestions – doing everything in their power to make your visit more than enjoyable. This is the product of the owner’s vision that

Photos / Maggie Song

tea sets and the gracious, bowing wait staff, Tripod King definitely lives up to all expectations.

The dedication that is so evident in the preparation of the broth also permeates other aspects of Tripod presentation, including the extensive,

the dining experience extends beyond hot-pot dipper. This is an occasion where dipping “bread” in soup is good food and a relaxing ambience: highly encouraged, and definitely not that it is also an opportunity to learn a considered an etiquette taboo. Long culture. twists of dough fried to perfection, you For the set price of NT$98 per tiao softens slightly when dunked into person, you can enjoy broth to your the broth, a moist and crispy surprise for heart’s content. In addition to the spicy your tastebuds. pot, Tripod also features a non-spicy House specialties including the option, the pickled cabbage and pork handmade-dumpling sampler and the hot pot. For just NT$150 more per cheesy crab cakes are also delights group you can enjoy both soup bases that you would side by side, served To my astonishment, the regret missing. The in a cauldron-like pot with a central spicy broth elicited an enjoyable orange-skinned tingling sensation teriyaki dumpling broth divider that was my favorite. With skin made from a creates a yin-yang shape.

Mustering up my courage, I decided carrot juice-infused blend and a teriyakito live “a day in the life” of a Taiwanese flavored filling, complete with crunchy gourmand, agreeing to try an assortment chestnut bits, this dumpling goes well with either soup base. The one-of-a-kind of innards (intestine, tendon, and tripe) and fighting off the urge to renege when crab cake, made with a minced-seafood mixture and finished off with a cheesy my fickle heart wanted to change its tune. I also had to conquer a second fear topping, is a satisfying treat packed with a flavorful punch.

– “spicy-phobia.”

For the adventurous there are more To my astonishment, the spicy broth exotic choices, ranging from beef tripe elicited an enjoyable tingling sensation.

It’s been said that savory ingredients like and tendon to pork intestine. Delicately marinated and braised, the tripe and meatballs must be added to draw out the zest of hot-pot broths, but at Tripod tendon are both chewy and crunchy, with a squid-like consistency. even the pure stock can be consumed Finally, to round out a delicious like soup. meal, I recommend the sweet potato and My Tripod-style hot-pot meal left a yam balls. When cooked in the pickled lasting impression. The aromatic broth was made even more savory by following cabbage hot pot, a slightly sour flavor is added to the sweet, mochi-like morsel. the “food connoisseur’s tip” on cooking Featuring innovative broths created meat, imparted by the restaurant staff. with the diner’s health and delight in First, ladle a generous serving of broth mind, the Tripod King hot pot is the into your bowl, then place a paper-thin quintessential comfort food for the slice of beef in the piping-hot soup; the soul. It is simple in the presentation, yet heat and steam cooks the meat. Each complex and sensually fulfilling in the melt-in-your-mouth slice of beef was ready for tasting within seconds. Pinkish eating. in color, reminiscent of medium, slightly rare steak, it was incredibly tender and TRIPOD KING (鼎王麻辣鍋) almost ambrosial in taste. This method, Tel: (02) 2742-1166 as opposed to poaching in the pot, Add:(Taipei Branch): 89 Guangfu N. Rd., prevents meat slices from becoming Taipei City (台北市光復北路89 號) Website: www.tripodking.com.tw overcooked and rubbery. eedless to say, beef is a hotENGLISH & CHINESE pot staple. Other must-orders include cabbage and the mushroom 火鍋 huo guo 麻辣 mala sampler in the vegetable department. 陰陽 yin yang A local breakfast specialty, the you tiao 油條 you tiao or fried breadstick, is also a perfect

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Formosa Pearl Humanities & Cuisine Art & Culture Tea & Zen

Reservation Hotline: (03) 930-8988 (reservation necessary)

Restaurant:

Japanese Innovative Healthful Cuisine: lunch 11:00~14:30, dinner 17:00~22:00

Teahouse:

Culture and Aesthetics Tea Experience: 11:00~22:00

Website: www.formosapearl.com Add: 102, Dafu Rd., Sec. 2,

Zhuangyuan Yilan Travel in Taiwan September Township, • October 2010 43County (宜蘭縣壯圍鄉大福路2段102號 )

PLACES TO STAY

In northeastern Taiwan lies the part rural, part mountainous Yilan County. With soaring mountains, lush forests, and expansive beaches, the region is a great choice for the perfect getaway. Easy access from Taipei makes Yilan an optimal destination should you find yourself wishing to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature.

Guestroom of Niudou Old House

Under the Sun, Under the Stars

The Good Life in the Country at Two Yilan Bed & Breakfasts

By Lucas Wiltse

44 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

Stone walkway at Country Grange

Photos /Ting Ting Wang, Yannick Cariot, Sunny Su

Buildings of Niudou Old House

Relaxing in the garden; curious geese; guestroom at Country Grange

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n order to accommodate the growing number of visitors to Yilan, many bed & breakf asts (in Taiwan commonly referred to as “homestays”) have sprouted up.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit two of the most distinctive B&Bs that this area has to of fer. While most bed and breakf asts provide just that — a bed to sleep in and a breakf ast in the morning — these two places had much more to of fer, including a localf arm experience.

Country Located 15 minutes Grange outside the city of Yilan, Country Grange is a breathtaking inn standing amidst a botanical heaven. Opened 11 years ago, this delightf ul homestay has been visited by people f rom all around the world. Af ter retirement the owners, Wu Ming-yi and his wife, Chen Yueli, decided to open up their home to travelers and share with them the beauty of their locale. Beginning with only two rooms, the popularity of their guesthouse soon led to the

decision to expand. There are now 11.

Upon arriving at Country Grange, you are struck by its elegance and splendor. A stone walkway crowned with a trellis f rom which hang vines and f lowers opens up to a large

A stone walkway crowned with vines and flowers opens up to a large garden filled with various fruit trees festooned with wax apples garden f illed with various f ruit trees festooned with wax apples, lemons, guavas, and pomelos. There are even cof fee plants and chestnut trees. Part of the experience at the homestay is picking f ruits of your choice and having them prepared for you by the staf f. Further along the walkway lies a charming pond blanketed with lilies.

Ducks and chickens add motion and life to the garden. One unique duck, named “ Johnny,” will even

approach you when you call his name; another interesting occupant, a f avorite with many children, is the horned beetle. Intertwined amongst all these eye-catching treasures is a colorf ul array of f lowers. The tableau presented is truly sublime.

For those who like to get their hands dirty with a little DIY, Country Grange of fers a stone oven-making course that is sure to be of interest.

The oven, which resembles a little house with an entrance, basement, and roof , provides a great way to bake delectable treats such as sweet potatoes. Zhan Ting-yu, an employee at Country Grange, explained that many f amilies in Taiwan do not have a chance to get out into nature, to use their hands and be creative, and that visiting the homestay’s garden provides a great opportunity to do so.

The garden has gazebos and picnic areas under the sun where you can relax and en joy some snacks. A great cof fee and juice bar of fers drinks made f rom the f ruit cultivated in the

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 45

PLACES TO STAY

At Country Grange: assembling an earthen oven; freely roaming chicken; shower accessible from the garden; yummy refreshments

46 September • October 2010

of fered here, meeting your needs if traveling with a group or just with that special someone. Rates start at NT$2,400 for a standard double, running to NT$4,800 for a room accommodating six. Prices jump on weekends and holidays. Day packages and overnight stays are both available and pick-up can be arranged f rom Yilan Railway Station when making reservations.

For a more traditional experience, Niudou Old House of fers a taste of the old with a small touch of modernity.

Set before the towering mountains of the Taipingshan area, Niudou of fers access to an astounding natural area with much to be explored.

Communities of the indigenous Atayal Tribe sprinkle the area; one small village lies just a short distance away, providing a great opportunity to experience the tribe’s intriguing culture.

Stepping into Niudou Old House, you could easily think that you have

Travel in Taiwan

just set foot into a museum dedicated to music. Magnif icent pianos f ill the lobby area, while classical Chinese instruments are displayed throughout the lodging area. The owner, Zeng Zai-li, explained to me that his

Magnificent pianos fill the lobby area, while classical Chinese instruments are displayed throughout the lodging area daughters inf luenced him to use music as the main theme for the inn’s décor.

The af fection felt for f amily here is clear to the guests, and you def initely experience that of ten sought but seldom found feeling when traveling of being at a home away f rom home.

Outside, the sounds and sights of nature f ill the air. During the night bright stars shimmer like f iref lies in the clear, moonlit sky, while running

Photos / Ting Ting Wang, Yannick Cariot, Sunny Su

orchard. Af terwards you can rest in the soothing hammocks that hang f rom the trees.

If exploring is what you seek, the guesthouse of fers bicycles for venturing along the many small roads and trails that the mountain area has to of fer. You can also go on relaxing strolls through the forest or take a wagon ride provided for guests.

The rooms at Country Grange are another wonderf ul surprise, each with its own unique character. A f lorist before retirement, Chen used her creative talents to make each special.

The rooms have a modern design, but also show a touch of tradition with well-selected antique f urniture. Each has a large f lat-screen television, airconditioner, and many other amenities sure to make your stay a comfortable one. Most are equipped with Niudou a patio f rom where you can Old House en joy the f resh air or gaze at the stars in the evenings.

Both large and small rooms are

At Niudou Old House: spicy plate with home-grown peppers; old-style wooden slippers; table in the shape of a piano; harvesting veggies for dinner

creek water f illed with its many inhabitants produces wondrous sounds of busy country life.

The rich environment provides a prime opportunity to get out and do some exploring. Bicycles are available during the day to go see plantations of lemon trees, an old train station, local communities, and the spectacular open countryside. If you would like to do a little gardening, vegetables are available for picking. Once you have collected your share, the staf f is more than happy to prepare a mouthwatering snack for your delight.

Behind the main lobby, lanternlit paths guide you to the traditional brick building that houses the rooms.

Mr. Li says that he chose this design because it replicates the home where he grew up as a child.

The portals to these vibrant rooms are large wooden doors. With dif ferent designs used in each room, one gets a strong taste of tradition with just a

small spice of modernity. Many of the f urniture pieces are ref urbished nonf urniture items f rom the past. A great example of this intriguing technique is a bathroom sink installed on the table of an antique sewing machine.

The bathrooms are also equipped with amazing stone bathtubs placed outside under the star-studded sky. If you can’t get enough of the beautif ul view, each room also comes with a sunroof for additional stargazing. All of this creates a great setting for proposals, and for this reason the owners have created special packages for those who intent on popping “the question.”

The overall comfort and service at this bed & breakf ast is unparalleled.

The amenities, activities, and kindhearted owners make it truly one of a kind. From Yilan Railway Station, Niudou Old House can be reached via a short bus ride. Room rates range f rom NT$2,600 to NT$4,320.

Country Grange ( 庄腳所在 ) ADD: 69-9 Pocheng Rd., Zhenshan Vil-

lage, Yuanshan Township, Yilan County

宜蘭縣員山鄉枕山村坡城路 69-9 號

TEL: (03) 922-2000 Website: www.mins.com.tw Location on Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/

Country-Grange GPS: Lat. 24:46:50N; Long. 121:41:42E

Niudou Old House ( 牛鬥古舍古 鄉 農 場 )

ADD: 31 Niutou, Lane 491, Taiya 1st Rd., Sanxing Township, Yilan County 宜蘭縣三星鄉泰雅一路 491巷牛頭31號 TEL: (03) 989-3639 Website: niudou.eyp.com.tw Location on Google Maps: http://tinyurl.com/ Niudou-Old-House GPS: Lat. 24:38:21N; Long. 121:34:17E

ENGLISH & CHINESE Atayal Tribe Chen Yue-li homestay Taipingshan Wu Ming-yi Yilan County Zeng Zai-li

Travel in Taiwan

泰雅族 陳月麗 民宿 太平山 吳明一 宜蘭縣 曾再立

September • October 2010 47

FESTIVAL

To the Moon and Back Fun with Chinese Folklore during the Mid-Autumn Festival

By David Bratt

48 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

Looming as large in Chinese culture as it does in the autumn night sky, the moon has long been an object of wonder, a recipient of sacrifice and worship, and a place of imaginary escape. If you’re in Taiwan this fall, check out the unique Taiwanese take on two traditions connected with the moon – the Mid-Autumn Festival and supplication of the Old Man under the Moon.

Photos / Vision, Wen-jen Fan

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ifteen of us gather around two small grills on a mountainside overlooking Keelung Harbor.

Our impromptu barbeque is starting to come together: the charcoal has burned down to a soft glow, the sausages are clumsily skewered, and the veggies are chopped and ready to go. With a series of sizzles echoed by growls from our hungry stomachs, the food is cooking and our celebration under the moon is ready to begin.

The moon. It has played many roles in the traditions of East Asia.

Legendary figures have flown to it.

Poets have drowned their sorrows – or, according to some legends about Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, themselves – in its pale light. Tonight the moon cast its light on a more festive occasion: barbequing. Gathering together with a group of friends to eat and drink after sunset might not seem the best road to the lunar contemplation that the MidAutumn Festival calls for, but like all holidays in Taiwan, this one welcomes a happy commotion!

The Mid-Autumn Festival (15th day of the 8th lunar month; September

Top left: At Taipei’s Xiahai Temple of the City God the Old Man under the Moon is often asked for help in finding the right partner for life Bottom left: Outdoor barbecues are part of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan

22 in 2010) is celebrated in Chinesespeaking communities throughout the world, as well as in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. There are all sorts of explanations for the origins of this holiday. Some people point to the sacrifices that the Chinese sovereign would traditionally make to the moon in the fall. Others note that it falls near what would traditionally be considered the end of the harvest season. Then too, after the haze of summer passes, the moon shines especially bright on crisp, clear autumn nights. In the end, though, the Mid-Autumn Festival reflects what is central to all festivals – the importance of gathering and getting back in touch with family and friends. So while not part of the original approach to celebrating midautumn, barbequing is a unique recent Taiwanese addition to a festival with a long history. number of symbols connect the Mid-Autumn Festival and the idea of reunion. Most important is the fullness of the moon, which represents the satisfaction of the whole family coming together. This motif is also seen in the history of the sweet, round mooncakes that Taiwanese people enjoy on this holiday. As a former vice-president of Taiwan’s eminent Academia Sinica research institute

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recalls, “In our village, there was a ‘mooncake society.’ Every month, poor families paid ten yuan into a fund kept by the baker. He could use the capital for his own purposes during the year, but on the day of the moon-feast he had to supply all paid-in members of the local community with mooncakes.”

While these societies now exist only in memory, you can get a taste for the sense of community that they once embodied by getting together with friends and biting into mooncakes of any number of sizes and flavors – of course, all while admiring the glow of the full moon. To spread this feeling of comity back home, why not pick up a few mooncakes from the numerous Taiwan markets and bakeries that sell them throughout the fall?

The fullness of the moon represents the satisfaction of the whole family coming together Mooncakes, as said, come in many flavors, just like the host of traditional Chinese stories related to the moon.

The cluster of magical tales related to Chang E (in some ways the female, Chinese equivalent to the West’s Man in the Moon) stand on the different, somewhat darker side of Chinese

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 49

FESTIVAL

Left: Statues of deities at the City God Temple; red thread and imperial-style coins presented to the Old Man under the Moon, bai bai session at the temple

moon-lore. Chang E was the wife of Houyi the Archer, who was famous for having shot down nine of the ten suns that, working together, threatened to wipe out the human race. She stole an herb from her husband that he had obtained from the Queen Mother of the West that would confer immortality on whomever consumed it. After taking it while Houyi was away, Chang E fled to the moon to avoid punishment. There, depending on which account you follow, she was either transformed into a toad (itself a symbol of immortality because of the way a toad is “reborn” when it sheds its skin) or took up residence in the Moon Palace, which she inhabits to this day. Her husband tried in vain to pursue her to the moon, but failed and, eventually, his spirit rose up to the sun after he passed away, where he made his new home.

folk have directed their earnest pleas for assistance in finding true love to the old man. While any day is supposedly good for supplicating him to work his matchmaking magic, on some days the Old Man under the Moon is particularly efficacious. The best day of all is his birthday, which falls on the same day as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Xiahai Temple of the City God in Taipei offers an excellent example of this decidedly practical Taiwanese religious behavior. As in almost all major temples in Taiwan, the visitor follows a fixed order in greeting and worshiping (bai bai ) the gods within.

Wen Chang, the god who is responsible for – among other things – coming to the aid of examination candidates, is one favorite. But the small statue of the

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he “lovers separate” theme also figures in the other Taiwanese custom most closely associated with the moon: the Old Man under the Moon. The legend surrounding the old man says that during the Tang Dynasty a young bachelor named Wei Gu stumbled upon an old man resting against his bag and flipping through a book. When Wei Gu asked the man what he was reading and what was in the bag, the man replied that the book contained the names of those who were to get married, while his bag contained red thread to tie around the feet of people fated to be with one another, thus linking them. Since then, generations of lonely-hearted single

50 September • October 2010

Statues of deities at Daiming Temple

Travel in Taiwan

Old Man under the Moon, set off to the heraldic right of the main altar, is probably the most popular deity in the temple.

The first time you go to see the old fellow, it is expected that you present him with a package including ceremonial imperial-style coins, a red thread, and some sweets, among other things; these packages are sold to at the temple. After lighting three incense sticks and saying prayers to the Lord of Heaven while holding the incense sticks (in Chinese known as doing “bai bai ”), you enter the main altar and introduce yourself to the host of gods ensconced within. Since the Old Man under the Moon is in the group, you should list the attributes of your ideal mate; the temple brochure helpfully suggests that

How to get there 61 Dihua St., Sec. 1, Datong Distric t, Taipei Cit y ( 台北市大同 區 迪 化 街一段 61號 ) Take the MRT Danshui Line to Zhongshan Station. Follow Nanjing W. Rd. in western direc tion and turn right into Dihua Street (15 min. by foot) DAIMING TEMPLE: 2F, 34 Zhongxiao 3rd Rd., Ren -ai Distric t, Keelung Cit y ( 基 隆市 仁 愛區 之 忠 三 路 34 號 2 樓 ) From Keelung Railway Station follow Zhong 1st Rd. ( 忠一 路 ), Xiao 2nd Rd. ( 孝 二 路 ), and Zhong 3rd Rd. ( 忠 三 路 ).

XIAHAI TEMPLE OF THE CITY GOD:

you ask for someone wealthy, goodlooking, healthy, smart, and capable.

Now complete the rest of the circuit (which includes the City God’s wife, several other gods from Taiwanese folk religion, and some deified local heroes), go back to the incense burner where you started off bai bai -ing the Lord of Heaven, and stick the incense sticks back in. After you do this, pass the package that you presented to the Old Man under the Moon through the incense smoke three times. The sweets are for your own eating (the god has already consumed their “essence”), but the red thread and money should be kept somewhere close to your person; a bag or purse will do.

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ustoms involving celestial deities can also be seen at more out-of-

the-way temples, such as the Daiming Temple in Keelung. Although currently under renovation, this temple is remarkable for its devotion to the gods of the sun and the moon. If you miss the Mid-Autumn Festival, you might swing by Keelung to see the unveiling of the temple’s newly carved statues on the first day of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar (December 6, 2010).

It’s always interesting to ponder the formation of customs. (Think of a fat old fellow and a decorated pine tree on December 25.) The Mid-Autumn Festival and the practices associated with it show how tradition plays out in the everyday lives of people in Taiwan.

Even if you don’t participate directly in the more religious facets of local customs, do take a moment to savor their more secular aspect. This fall, grab a mooncake or two, get together with some friends, and gaze up in wonder, up into the clear night sky, at the full autumn moon!

Photos / Vision, Wen-jen Fan, Hua Lien Shu Tao

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Choosing offerings at the temple

bai bai Chang E City God Daiming Temple Houyi Keelung Harbor Lord of Heaven Li Bai Mid-Autumn Festival Moon Palace Old Man under the Moon Queen Mother of the West Wei Gu Wen Chang Xiahai Temple of the City God

拜拜 嫦娥 城隍爺 代明宮 后羿 基隆港 天公 李白 中秋節 廣寒宮 月下老人 西王母 韋固 文昌 霞海城隍廟

SHOPPING

Jianguo Holiday Jade Market

Precious Stones and Stone Art

By Kurt Weidner

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he best place in Taipei to find objects made of jade, jade-like stones, and other art objects is the Jianguo Holiday Jade Market, located under the elevated Jianguo Expressway. Each weekend hundreds of vendors set up their stalls and buyers come in droves to look for bargains.

The market was originally near the old Guanghua Market at Bade Rd./Xinsheng S. Rd., where today you’ll still find numerous open-front shops with large tables filled with all sorts of jade items. Visitors shopping for computers at the Guanghua Digital Plaza just need to cross the street for a completely different shopping experience.

Jianguo Holiday Jade Market is Southeast Asia’s largest market for jade and other stone objects, as well as for cultural artifacts of many other kinds. There are more than 800 stalls, row upon row of makeshift tables crammed into a parkinglot area under the expressway on the north side of Xinyi Rd. Here you can find antique jade objects from mainland China,

52 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

jade art from Burma, jade stones found in eastern Taiwan, and a wide variety of religious objects made of jade. Apart from jade, vendors also sell Tibetan dzi beads, pearls, art objects made of coral, agate stones and jewelry, and much, much more.

Jade is very popular in Taiwan, and many locals can be seen wearing jade bracelets, necklaces with jade stones, or jade rings. For thousands of years the Chinese have had a special attachment to jade. With its smooth, glossy, and lustrous character, the stone is even seen as a symbol of a gentleman’s virtues: benevolence, justice, wisdom, courage, and modesty. The huge popularity of jade ornaments and implements is also a result of the belief that wearing jade can protect one from evil and attract good fortune.

Jade can be roughly divided into two types: soft jade, which is white in its pure form, and hard jade, which is also white in its pure form but often has colors ranging from

Photos / Daemon Lee, Wen-jen Fan

Jianguo Holiday Jade Market Is Nirvana for Jade Lovers

reddish-brown and emerald-green to light lavender. Both types need to be protected from excess cold and heat, and can be damaged if dropped or hit.

When choosing jade pieces, the material, carving, color, completeness, age, and uses of the jade must be considered.

Distinguishing between real jade and jade-like stones (or stones artificially changed to look like jade) can be quite a challenge, so it is recommended you take someone along who has genuine expertise when planning to buy more expensive pieces.

Bargaining is another part of the jade-market experience.

You can’t go wrong with the NT$100 items often placed in boxes at the front of the tables, but if you are interested in high-end jade jewelry you had best take your time comparing prices and getting a feel for how much vendors are willing to lower the original asking price. With so many vendors competing side by side, and so many different items to choose from, visitors can easily find a unique gift or souvenir item that is to their liking.

Jianguo Holiday Jade Market (建國假日玉市) Location: Jianguo S. Rd., at intersection with Renai Rd.

( 建國南路仁愛路口 ) Time: 9 am ~ 6 pm (Sat. and Sun.) How to get there: Take the MRT Bannan (Blue) Line to Zhongxiao-

Fuxing Station; follow Fuxing S. Rd. south and then follow Renai Rd. west to Jianguo S. Rd./Jianguo Expressway.

Stone Handicraft Street in Hualien Jade and other valuable stones can be found in the magnificent gorges and along the mountain streams of Hualien County on Taiwan’s eastern coast. It is therefore not surprising that the city of Hualien is a major center for stone art, with many shops specializing in the craft.

Since 2002 the city has even had its own Stone Art Street.

Established on the site of a former railway hospital, the street has 40 shops selling all kinds of stone-art objects, including the very popular rose stones found in the Hualien area, jade, marble, malachite, and sapphire. Apart from buying unique works of art, visitors can also watch regular shows by local indigenous performance-art troupes on the street’s plaza. Stone Art Street is located in the southeastern part of Hualien City close to the coast and the popular seaside bicycle path at Nanbin Park, allowing visitors to combine a bicycle tour with shopping for unique souvenirs.

Stone Art Street (石藝大街) Location: Chongqing Street, Hualien City ( 花蓮市重慶路 ) Hours: 2 pm ~ 11:30 pm Website: www.hss.org.tw/store_intro.php (Chinese)

ENGLISH & CHINESE Bade Rd. Guanghua Digital Plaza Guanghua Market Hualien Jianguo Expressway Nanbin Park Xinsheng S. Rd.

八德路 光華數位新天地 光華商場 花蓮 建國高架道路 南濱公園 新生南路

Cute stone sculptures found at Stone Art Street in Hualien

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 53

NEW PERSPECTIVES

Of Taiwan, Yet Not of Taiwan

Traditional Fujianese-style houses with Western architectural elements are unique to Kinmen

54 September • October 2010

Travel in Taiwan

Tracing the Rich History of Kinmen Whatever you do in Kinmen (and there is plenty to occupy visitors for days or even weeks), don’t call it part of Taiwan. While the local people are friendly and forgiving, they will gently point out that Kinmen, which is as close as 2 km from the mainland China coast but almost 230 km from Taiwan, was always and still is a part of China’s Fujian Province, albeit a part that is now under the jurisdiction of Taipei and not of Beijing.

By Mark Caltonhill

Photos / Sunny Su, Yannick Cariot

T

hus the island – actually an archipelago of two inhabited islands, Kinmen and Little Kinmen, and a number of small uninhabited ones — has a history entirely different from that of the island of Taiwan. This has colored its culture over the centuries and, as the Republic of China (ROC) and People’s Republic of China (PRC) draw closer with the post-Cold War thaw finally reaching East Asia, continues to do so.

For example, whereas Taiwan was a frontier territory in the 17th and 18th centuries to which Chinese immigrants fled to begin a new life, Kinmen was a part of the “older” China. Indeed, it later became a source of emigrants itself, a few of whom settled in the Penghu archipelago and Taiwan, many more of whom traveled to Japan, the Philippines, throughout Southeast Asia, and further afield. It is estimated that around half a million descendents of Kinmenese now live overseas, a figure that represents about 10 times the islands’ current population.

Their story, first as laborers and later as merchants, is told in detail (with good English translations) in a combined gallery and history museum housed in the old Jinshui Elementary School in Shuitou Village, located in the southwest of Kinmen’s main island.

In fact, the whole of Shuitou – with its reconstructed mansions as well as the more rundown establishments – is like one large museum. This is because the fortunes made and either remitted or brought home by some of the expatriate sons of Kinmen account for the great profusion of traditional Fujianesestyle upscale housing, often mixed with

Baroque and other Western elements.

Another good place to stroll among these historic buildings is Shanhou Culture Village in Jinsha Township in the main island’s northeast. In fact several villages within the Kinmen National Park area, which encompasses a large portion of the two main islands, have been restored to their 19th- and early 20th-century glory using a “replace old with old” strategy, making a visit to Kinmen a unique step back in time almost unparalleled anywhere else in the ROC.

Stone lions have long been worshiped by local people to protect them and their crops from the strong winds

T

he northeast of the main island is its windiest area and thus has most of Kinmen’s iconic wind lions. These stone statues of varying size and design, some holding objects such as pens, balls or ribbons, have long been worshiped by local people to protect them and their crops from the strong winds. Sometimes there is one for a whole village, sometimes one per household. The Kinmen National Park administration regularly stages a fun event in which visitors buy a book and crayons and collect rubbings from a selection of lions, which they can then swap for a prize before leaving the island. In the days before the Chinese Civil War, Kinmen was known for its fishing and, less so, its agriculture. Today it is best-known in the region for its kaoliang (sorghum)

based alcohol and its artillery-shell knives. This change and these products are the result of yet another twist in the island’s history.

As the Chinese Civil War came to its stand-off conclusion in 1949, ROC forces relocated to Taiwan but managed to hold onto numerous islands just off the mainland China coast, including the Matsu group off the city of Fuzhou in northern Fujian and Kinmen off Xiamen in southern Fujian. Situated within sight of the coast and under a virtual state of siege, fishing became impossible in all but the most inshore island waters. Many local residents relocated to Taiwan, but for those who stayed a new livelihood was needed.

In what now must be seen as a stroke of genius, Kinmen-stationed General Hu Lian, originally from the sorghumgrowing region of Shandong Province far off in northern China, recognized that the island’s soil and water were ideal for growing the grain and making traditional kaoliang liquor.

Today, the distillery near the island’s center – Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc. – produces around 24 million liters of 38 percent and 58 percent liquor annually, generating around NT$12 billion in sales for local and national coffers, and making Kinmen one of only two counties in the ROC not in debt to the central government, according to information provided at the distillery’s visitor center.

Those sightseers with a taste for culinary tourism may also try the island’s famous “imperial tribute candy” at the sales center of the nearby Sheng Zu Food & Beverage Corp., where they can watch a dozen modern takes on

Travel in Taiwan

September • October 2010 55

NEW PERSPECTIVES

Tribute candy Artillery-shell knife factory

Wind Lion

the classic recipe being made by hand.

The original flavor is peanut, however, and clearly Kinmen’s soils are suited to that crop too, as it is found in fields and smallholdings everywhere and can be seen drying on the courtyards in front of people’s homes. While in the countryside, also look out for the cows. They might not be a big deal to Westerners, but for Taiwanese used to water buffalo, the “yellow” cattle of Kinmen are quite unusual. Old-timers still use their beasts for plowing and other heavy work, and out of respect and gratitude do not eat beef. Younger people, however, now keep herds commercially, and beef jerky is another Kinmen specialty. Naturally, one of the most popular flavors is kaoliang beef jerky. One final culinary-related mustsee is Master Wu’s Chin Ho Li Steel Knife Factory. Third-generation knife maker Wu Tseng-dong is often to be 56 September • October 2010

found in his factory/showroom, and will hand-make a knife tailored to a visitor’s needs if not busy. His family started off making agricultural tools, but switched to knives after the infamous PRC shelling of Kinmen that began on August 23, 1958. Over the next 44 days

Wu Chin Ho’s father and other blacksmiths found the shells’ steel to be good for high-quality knives for kitchen and other uses around 500,000 artillery shells rained down, and perhaps the same number – though many contained propaganda materials and not explosives – over the next 20 years. Wu’s father and other blacksmiths found the shells’ steel to be good for high-quality knives for kitchen and other uses, and Wu first helped

Travel in Taiwan

out after school before taking over the family business. Taken back to Taiwan proper by soldiers stationed on the island, the knives, as well as Wu’s factory, soon became a firm item on tourists’ itineraries. he islands’ key location and role in the six-decade stand-off between the ROC and PRC is the most recent historical event coloring Kinmen’s culture. This has also provided innumerable visitor options not available elsewhere. Favorites include the propaganda broadcasting station at Mashan, the closest tip of northeast Kinmen island to China. Here, singer Teresa Teng and others once did live broadcasts over enormous loudspeakers to PRC citizens just two kilometers away, extolling the virtues of life in Free China.

Mashan also has fortifications and short tunnels. But for better examples of

T

KINMEN KAOLIANG LIQUOR INC. 金門酒廠

ADD: 1 Taoyuan Rd., Jinning Township,

Kinmen County (金門縣金寧鄉桃園路1號)

T E L : (0 82) 32 5 - 628 WEBSITE: w w w. k k l . g o v. t w

CHIN HO LI STEEL KNIFE FACTORY 金合利製刀廠

ADD: 236 Boyu Rd., Sec. 1, Jinning Township, Kinmen County (金門縣金寧鄉伯玉路一段236號) T E L : (0 82) 32 3 - 9 9 9

Nationalistic slogans can still be seen in many places on Kinmen

WEBSITE: w w w. 5657. co m . t w/m a e s t ro w u / in d e x . ht m (C h in e s e)

SHENG ZU FOOD & BEVERAGE CORP. 聖祖食品

Military underground tunnel

6

ADD: 301 Boyu Rd. Sec.2, Jinning Township, Kinmen County (金門縣金寧鄉伯玉路2段301號) T E L : (0 82) 32 3 - 456

WEBSITE: w w w. sh e n g z u . co m . t w (C h in e s e)

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Photos / Sunny Su, Yannick Cariot

Traditional houses at Shanhou Culture Village

this, the extensive tunnels at Qionglin in the center of Kinmen island along the coast (which was the PRC People’s Liberation Army’s ideal point of attack) are well worth the NT$10 entrance fee.

These tunnels were largely dug out and fortified by local residents themselves, using military-supplied cement, so they could move around in relative safety and therefore continue their lives as normally as possible even while under attack.

For an introduction to military fortifications, Yongshi Fort on Little Kinmen, the other inhabited island, is recommended. Here are gun emplacements, an arsenal, dormitories, officers’ rooms, kitchen facilities, and tank emplacements, all underground and all connected by miles of tunnels.

Visitors may even ride their bicycles through the tunnel from Yongshi Fort to the nearby Tiehan Fort if

circumnavigating Little Kinmen by bicycle.

That the ROC still retains Kinmen (as well as Matsu) shows the success of these fortifications. In this it has done better than Koxinga, who held these islands and the nearby archipelago islands controlled by the PRC for years as a base to resist and harass the new Manchurian Qing dynasty based in Beijing in the 17th century, but who ultimately had to retreat further, to Taiwan, starting a new chapter in that island’s history.

Today’s topic has been Kinmen’s history, and hopefully the people of this now peaceful archipelago will forgive their story appearing in a magazine called “Travel in Taiwan” — the name “Travel in Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen” would be just a bit too much of a mouthful.

beef jerky Fuzhou Hu Lian Jinsha Township Jinshui Elementary School imperial tribute candy kaoliang liquor Kinmen Kinmen National Park Little Kinmen Mashan Matsu Qionglin Shandong Shanhou Culture Village Shuitou Village wind lions Wu Tseng-dong yellow cattle Yongshi Fort Teresa Teng Tiehan Fort Xiamen

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September • October 2010 57

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September • October 2010

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Travel in Taiwan September • October 2010

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36 Minquan Rd., Sec. 2 Yilan City, 260 260ĺŽœč˜­ĺ¸‚ć°‘ćŹŠčˇŻäşŒćŽľ36č™&#x;

Tel: 03.935.1000 Fax: 03.935.4000 E-mail: rsvn@silksplace-yilan.com.tw

www.silksplace-yilan.com.tw

The Monarch Skyline Hotel has 250 guestrooms and suites designed with international tastes. They are elegant and modern, luxurious and restrained, classic and innovative; and meet the prestige, healthy, leisure and aesthetic living requirements of discerning guests by providing the highest standards and services of 5-star business hotels and even surpassing any star grading. ( ŕ Źŕ žŕ —ŕĄŽŕĄƒŕĄŻ 5-; $#4 ( (â ˘ áŁŁá§„á˘ąŕŠŞ ( ᄤ㙲ᳯ᾽ᢹℂ

Creative Delicious Food Tai Mall Shopping Center

Taoyuan Station

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Tiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Nankan Interchange Nanzhu Rd

Nankan Rd

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ADVERTISEMENTS Isaac Foods (毅盛食品) (Fuli Artistic Cakes)

Merry SPA The Most Popular SPA – A must for any visitors to Taiwan Dunnan Flagship Store Tel: (02) 2778-7711 Hours: 10 am ~ 8:30 pm (reservation necessary) Add: 1 & B1, 86, Dunhua

S. Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段86 號1樓&B1)

grown teas including Oolung, Osmanthus Oolung and Alishan High Mountain teas.

Daan Flagship Store:

Add: 29, Lane 270, Dunhua S. Rd., Daan District, Taipei City (台北市大安區敦化南路1段270巷29號) Website: www.zenique.net

Website: www.merryspa.com.tw

Zenique (小茶栽堂) Nova Plaza (Nova 資訊廣場) 120 shops specializing in computers and computer-related products; all major brands are available Add: 2, Guanqian Rd., Taipei City (台北市館前路2號) Tel: (02) 2381-4833

World-class chefs skillfully creating a variety of exquisite foods, including fresh seafood and tender beef steaks, right before your eyes.

Add: 137 Xinyi Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段137號) Tel: (02) 2704-7798

Dublin Teppanyaki (嘟柏林鐵板燒) Hana Teppanyaki (Hana 錵鐵板燒)

and fumes common at street-side stalls, Hana Teppanyaki has, for more than 30 years, followed a high-class approach.

The spacious rooms allow you to enjoy cuisine. Dining at Hana is a feast for your eyes and tastebuds alike Nongan Branch: 2F, 32, Nongan St., Zhongshan District, Taipei City (台北市中山區農安街32號2F) Tel: (02) 2596-7204, 2595-5880 Website: www.twinpeak.com.tw

Isaac Foods won a gold medal for creativity at the 2007 Taipei Pineapple Cake Culture Festival, was entered in the 2008 edition of the “Taipei City Must-Buy Gift Guide,” and won a gold medal and a “Popular with Foreigners” prize at the 2009 Taipei Pineapple Cake Contest in the category “Traditional Pineapple Cakes” Shipai Branch: Add: 84, Shipai Rd., Sec. 2, Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區石牌路二段84號) Tel: (02) 2821-8128, 2822-3049 Website: www.isaac-food.com.tw

ISSN:18177964

GPN:2009305475

200 NTD

back Cherry blossoms at Wuling in Shei-Pa National Park (photo by Zhang Yan-ling)

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Going for a walk in Wuling's pristine pine forest

White-eyed nun babbler

Formosan barking deer

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Qijiawan River in the winter

Taking in the great mountain landscape of Shei-Pa National Park

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Tents at Wuling's campsite are placed on wooden platforms

Rose garden at Wuling Farm

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Roe of the Formosan landlocked salmon The Formosan landlocked salmon is one of the world's rarest fish