No. 119
Offshore Islands in the North and South Old Communities on Penghu Main Island Festivals and Happenings
The year is turning – September has arrived, bringing a relief from Taiwan’s high summer temperatures and bringing a clear lowering of visitor numbers from summer highs at tourist venues, especially during the work week.
Precisely for these reasons, foreign visitors especially love exploring the culturally and geologically unique sun-drenched Penghu Islands in the autumn and spring seasons. Each of the larger islands in this wide-flung Taiwan Strait archipelago is like a one-of-a-kind theme park, with one key thing in common – their culture, history, food, geology, and recreation-amusement options form a vacation combination a world apart from what you’ll find while exploring the Taiwan mainland.
In our main Penghu article we take you on outings to various islands in what are called the North Sea and South Sea – north and south of the main island grouping – having such fun as going on self-drive scooter meanderings, snorkeling expeditions, and a visit to Penghu’s lonely, reef-surrounded northernmost island, big enough for a beautiful lighthouse and keeper quarters and not much more.
In one accompanying article you’ll be spending a day walking old villages on Penghu main island with rich heritage harvests, along with such other villageassociated tourist attractions as an underground military-tunnel complex and a lime-burning kiln facility. In another we introduce the robust Penghu events calendar, filled with large-scale happenings throughout the year to entice visitors through every season, the biggest joyfest being the Penghu International Fireworks Festival. And we round things out Penghu-wise in our regular Local Stay article with a look at stylish great-value accommodations in three different areas of Penghu main island that are especially enticing for cyclists – cycling the islands being a favorite tourist pursuit.
Presenting points elsewhere for you to discover in this land of islands, in this edition’s Good Food file our gastronomic destination is the superb seafood of bigcity Taipei, where your palate is entertained with everything “from traditionalmarket sashimi to boisterous stir-fry joints to classy resto bars.” In Expert Talk you’re again in the capital, learning about its famed Herb Alley and visiting Healing Herbar, a renowned family-run herbal tea shop where today the modern and newfangled is expertly infused with tradition and timelessness.
Cool autumn greetings to you – welcome to our beautiful, and endlessly intriguing, island home!
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YUNLIN COUNTY 1
SEP.~OCT.
Staged annually since 1999, the Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival is a great gathering of puppet-theater lovers young and old. The festival takes place in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township, known as Taiwan’s center of puppet theater, and neighboring Douliu Township. Last year the event lasted 18 days, with local and foreign troupes conducting more than 120 puppet performances, entertaining the crowds with a wide range of puppet drama. Apart from the performances, visitors can enjoy a host of other activities, including exhibitions and DIY workshops.
www.facebook.com/puppet.yunlin.gov.tw
TAINAN CITY 4
NOVEMBER 11~12
For more than 300 years, producing salt from seawater was an important industry in the southwest of Taiwan. The industry ceased to exist in 2002 after Taiwan’s WTO entry, but the Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields in Tainan City’s Beimen District remain in place as a popular tourist attraction. In 2004, the annual Kungshen Wangye’s Salt for Peace Festival was held for the first time by the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration to celebrate the old industry and to highlight the region’s traditional beliefs and rituals related to salt. Activities take place at the salt fields and at the Nankunshen Daitian Temple (about 5km away), including a procession between the two places, captivating dragon dances, and the giveaway of thousands of auspicious sachets filled with salt. swcoast-nsa.travel
NANTOU COUNTY 2
SEPTEMBER 24
SUN MOON LAKE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Sun Moon Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan, and one of the island’s best-known tourist destinations. Swimming in the lake is prohibited, but there is one major exception, the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival. This swimming event was organized for the first time in 1981, with just 540 swimmers crossing the lake. In 2022, its 40 th edition, a total of 18,000 swimmers took to the water to complete the 3km swim from Zhaowu Wharf on the northern shore to Ita Thao Wharf on the southeast side. Prior to the main event, there is also a swimming race and an SUP race with elite athletes competing against each other. www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw www.pulifourswim.tw (Chinese)
Large fields of flowers are commonly described in Taiwan as “seas of flowers,” and there are many locations around the island where you can enjoy these feasts for the eye throughout the seasons. Perhaps Taiwan’s best flower-theme event featuring seas of flowers is the Xinshe Sea of Flowers and Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival, held at the end of each year on a 40ha farm operated by the Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station. The vast colorful fields of numerous types of flowers are perfect backdrops for photo-taking. Visitors also have ample opportunity to get to know other types of Xinshe produce as well, try local culinary specialties, and visit other tourist attractions in the area.
taichung.travel
In recent years, the tiny fishing harbor at Jinzun in Taitung County has become an international traveler hotspot. It’s not the harbor itself that draws – mostly young – people from around the world, but the pebble beach and sea area just to the north of it, where surfers find perfect conditions for riding the waves. In autumn and winter, ideal surfing swells are created outside the harbor’s breakwater thanks to the northeast monsoon. The Taiwan Open of Surfing is held at Jinzun each year, with highly talented surfers from both Taiwan and far-flung shores showing off their wave-riding skills.
www.tcetva.tw
OCT.~FEB.
There may be larger and more beautiful butterflies than the ones of the euploea genus, also commonly known as crows because of their dark colors, but when they gather in large numbers to spent the winter in southern Taiwan, they are a sight to behold. The largest concentrations can be found in the Maolin Purple Butterfly Valley inside the Maolin National Scenic Area. Butterfly lovers come in large numbers as well, eager to spot the Striped Blue Crow, Double-Branded Black Crow, Dwarf Crow, Euploea Eunice, and even the Chestnut Tiger. Visit the Maolin Visitor Center to find helpful information about the butterflies before going on the trails and seeing them in the wild.
www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw
When planning your next trip to Taiwan, make sure to check out new offers and services that will make your journey more convenient, more affordable, and more enjoyable!
While visiting a night market is more likely to be at the top of Taiwan visitors’ list of “must-do” places, going to a traditional day market is also a great way to get a taste of daily local life and sample some unique delicacies. In Taipei City, one of the best-known and most popular day markets is Nanmen Market. In 2019 the market was temporarily relocated to Hangzhou Street to allow the demolition of its old building and the construction of a new one. This project has now been completed, and the market was recently reopened in a spanking-new edifice on Roosevelt Road (Exit 2, MRT Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall Station). www.tpnanmen.org.tw
Conveniently located just a short walk from the long-established and still popular Window on World theme park in Taoyuan City’s Longtan District, and also not far from the Leofoo Village Theme Park in neighboring Hsinchu County, this is a new spacious and appealing museum with a focus on
Hakka culture and tea production. It’s a fine place to learn about local history, have fun with hands-on exhibits, take a ton of selfies with props and cool backdrops, and sit down to enjoy tea, tea drinks, and tea-flavored ice cream. www.facebook.com/hakka.tea.tw
1. Hotel Jiji | 集集鐵道行旅
Located in the town of Jiji, Nantou County, a 5min walk from Jiji Railway Station; railway theme; grand opening in June 2023 www.hoteljijiplus.com.tw
2. Solaria Nishitetsu Hotel Taipei | 索拉利亞西鐵飯店台北西門
Located in Taipei City’s Ximending area, an 8min walk from MRT Beimen Station; 298 guestrooms; grand opening this August nnr-h.com/solaria/taipei/en/
3. Fullon Poshtel Kaohsiung | 福容徠旅高雄
Located in Kaohsiung City’s Cianjin District, close to KMRT City Council Station; 136 guestrooms; grand opening in July 2023 www.fullon-hotels.com.tw/fullon-poshtels/kh/tw/
The Taipei Metro system is world-class in many regards, including cleanliness, punctuality, and services offered to commuters and visitors alike. To further accommodate the many tourists from Korea taking the MRT, the metro management corporation has recently introduced Koreanlanguage announcements in the 15 stations frequented most by Korean tourists, including Taipei Main Station, Ximen, Dongmen, and Taipei 101/World Trade Center. The number of stations with Japanese announcements has also increased from 13 to 21. In addition, the Taipei Metro app is now available in Korean and Japanese, in addition to Chinese and English. english.metro.taipei
The website for the Taiwan Tour Bus service, not to be confused with the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus service, currently offers a total of 93 itineraries, with the bus trips run by 24 tour operators. The tours are provided to local and foreign independent travelers who wish to enjoy visiting tourist attractions without having to deal with public transport or self-driving. Until the end of this year, three persons traveling together can enjoy most of the tours for the price of two. For more information, visit: www.taiwantourbus.com.tw/C/us/twbus-home/news/ buy1get1freeqa.
Considering how close Japan’s westernmost island, Yonaguni, is to Taiwan’s east coast (about 100km), it has been frustrating to many how cumbersome visiting the island has been for travelers from Taiwan, usually requiring a flight from Taipei to Naha on Okinawa island, then a flight to Ishigaki, then a ferry ride to Yonaguni. This is going to change in the near future, with ferry services soon being offered from the port town of Su’ao in southern Yilan County directly to the Japanese island (start of the service is slated for March 2024). The trip by high-speed craft will take just about two hours one way.
September 9 ~ October 29
Various outdoor venues in greater Kaohsiung City ( Kaohsiung City )
Boléro is one of those classics of classical music you will certainly remember after hearing it just once. Created by French composer Maurice Ravel (1875~1937), this orchestral work featuring strong Spanish flavor is famous for beginning softly and ending loudly. As part of his “Dance-Travel Project,” local artist Chou Shu-yi organized the Boléro in Kaohsiung happening last year, featuring independent dancers and high-school students, who performed to the music of Boléro in various outdoor settings around Kaohsiung City. This year, the happening is continued, now in different, more remote and natural locations of the city. www.tpac-taipei.org/festival-tcaf www.npac-weiwuying.org
U-THEATRE: DÀO V. 2.0
優人神鼓35週年─經典《墨具五色》2.0
September 22~24 National Theater ( Taipei City )
November 25~26 National Taichung Theater ( Taichung City )
December 9~10 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts ( Weiwuying ) ( Kaohsiung City )
This year, U-Theatre, one of Taiwan’s most prominent performance troupes, celebrates its 35th anniversary. For the occasion, a new version of the 2017 production Dào V. has been created, showcasing the troupe’s signature taiqi -inspired moves and energetic drumming. The performance aims at embodying the philosophies of ancient Chinese philosophers Zhuangzi and Laozi. npac-ntch.org
www.utheatre.org.tw (Chinese)
在海之濱—古生物的奇幻世界
Until April 28, 2024 National Museum of Natural Science ( Taichung City )
If you want to learn about the origins of life on Earth, a good start is studying fossils found in locations where oceans meet landmasses. This exhibition presents more than 300 fossil specimens collected by the National Museum of Natural Science over the course of 30 years. Among the highlights of the exhibition are beautiful trilobite and ammonite exemplars. www.nmns.edu.tw
September 30 ~ October 7
Taipei Performing Arts Center ( Taipei City )
This 2001 musical, written by American musical theatre composer, lyricist, and playwright Jason Robert Brown (born 1970), tells the story of a five-year relationship between a rising novelist and a struggling actress. What makes this musical especially intriguing is how the stories of the two protagonists are told separately, one in chronological order, the other in reverse chronological order, so that the characters only interact directly in the middle as their timelines intersect.
www.tpac-taipei.org
嶾嶙的岳光：在敬與畏的稜線間
Until November 26
Tainan Art Museum ( Tainan City )
In this exhibition, artists from Taiwan and Japan explore the relationship of humans with the mountains, describing how mountains might appear mighty yet close, familiar yet mysterious, and so on. The artists featured use a variety of artistic forms of expression, including paintings, sculptures, installation art, video, sketches, and combinations of different forms.
www.tnam.museum
迪士尼動畫展
Until October 11
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall ( Taipei City )
Disney, the oldest-running animation studio in the world, celebrates its 100 th anniversary this year. This exhibition includes more than 500 sketches and artworks from its vast collection. Visitors will learn about the evolution of the studio’s animated technology, the movement of characters, storyboarding, special effects, character building, and animated storytelling. You will also get a first look at the artwork of Disney’s upcoming animated film Wish www.cksmh.gov.tw
Commonly shortened simply to “Penghu,” this is a wide-flung archipelago of low-lying islands in the Taiwan Strait’s mid-section. Locals describe their home as “pearls scattered on the turquoise sea.” The sun shines so constantly and intensely here, and the shallow turquoise waters coruscate so brilliantly, it’s said that Penghu has two suns – one in the sky, the other in the water.
TEXT RICK CHARETTE PHOTOS RAY CHANG, VISION
Mudou Island Lighthouse
This is a slow-paced realm of old fishing villages, old temples, old lighthouses, and old fort ruins. Small farm plots are protected from the famed winter winds that rush down the strait by hoary stacked-coral walls. The main islands, connected by bridges, form the outer walls of the comparatively calm Inner Sea. Sailing and other sports are popular on the water, snorkeling and diving in the water, scooter and cycle touring on the land. The archipelago is rocky, with massive formations of exposed volcanic basalt columns prominent and seascapes dramatic. Ferry rides to the outlying North Sea and South Sea islands are popular, as are nighttime squid-fishing outings.
The islands north of Penghu’s main island grouping float in what is called the North Sea. Travel to Jibei is by ferry from Chikan Fishing Harbor , on the north shore of the island of Baisha. There are multiple departures daily, by different operators (and multiple return trips from Jibei).
The small island’s best-known feature, by far, is the Jibei Sand Tail , Penghu’s largest, which is clearly seen from planes as flights approach/ leave Magong Airport. Extending into the pastel-hue waters at the island’s south end, it is about 800m long and 200 wide. The landform has been crafted by the ocean tides and currents, with fine coral debris and shell sand accumulating. The local currents change in accordance with seasonal directions, ever-changing the shape and size of the ginormous sand
spit. Locals call this the island’s “wagging tail.” The spit is a popular swimming/ snorkeling location.
The standard tourist means for moving about the island is the same here as on Penghu’s other islands of size – rented scooter. These are available aplenty at Jibei’s harbor; all Penghu scooter-rental operations are vetted by the local authorities. The standard tour route, which delivers you to all major Jibei sights, is the narrow paved road that runs around the island’s perimeter (a short side road brings you to parking facilities at the Jibei Sand Spit’s north end). Be sure to always have good sun protection with you when in the Penghu outdoors; shade, nature- and human-created, is in short supply.
On the coast a few hundred meters northwest of the Jibei Sand Tail is Xikan Hill , separated from it by a
long, wide beach. This hill is just 18m in elevation, its flat-top pinnacle the island’s highest point. Once a basaltcolumn reef separate from the Jibei mainland, longterm accumulation of coral debris long ago filled in the gap. A boardwalk pathway leads from a small north-side parking lot to two woodbuilt lookouts perched right
at the seaside basalt-cliff edge. From here sweeping, unobstructed views are enjoyed south, west, and north. An information board with good English helps you pinpoint the various large and small islands in faroff view, and describes the latter’s special geological/ biological features.
Penghu is home to about 600 well-preserved stone weirs , an ancient fishing device, likely the highest concentration in the world. Walls of stacked rocks are created in intertidal zones; fish swim in when the tide is in, and are trapped when it goes out. When seen from high vantage points the weir clusters remind many of the Nazca Lines, especially when just under the water’s surface. Jibei has Penghu’s largest stone weir collection, with over 80. The best viewing spot is the island’s north tip – there are a number of the archipelago’s iconic heart-shaped fish traps
here, and access is easy for up-close inspection at low tide (be sure to first check the tide schedule at the harbor’s visitor center).
As so many do, end your Jibei frolic with a heatdefeating shaved-ice dessert treat at the invariably busy Xiangxiang Ice Shop, which has big-window views of the ferry-docking harbor area and out toward Baisha. Two of the most popular selections are assorted fruits with shaved ice served in a seashell and cactus ice + cactus jelly shaved ice served in a shell. Cactus ice, made from cactus fruit, is a classic Penghu treat.
XIANGXIANG ICE SHOP ( 香香冰店 ) No. 182-13, Jibei Village, Baisha Township, Penghu County ( 澎湖縣白沙鄉吉貝村 182-13 號 )
Jibei Sand Tail seen from above
View from Xiangxiang Ice Shop
Cactus ice served in a seashell
Along with the Jibei Sand Tail, Jibei water-recreation fun is an intrinsic element of the Jibei brand and experience. The main action venue is the aforementioned long beach that runs between the sand tail and Xikan Hill, which has a heady range of water-play toys. There are covered rest areas and umbrella-shade seating, shower and toilet facilities, and counters serving drinks and light foods.
The stars here are engine-powered vehicles, the jet-ski and speedboat, especially the former. What can you get up to? Most popular on the long choice list are the various types of jet-ski drags, on banana boats, flying sofas, doughnut boats, sea UFOs, magic carpets, and other inflatables. You can also enjoy fast jet-ski rides – no, you won’t be driving –in which the operator makes your sea-steed bounce around the waves like a bucking bronco. Jet-skis are also used for the in-demand power snorkeling outings, with groups pulled along holding onto a raft-like inflatable, enjoying the world of the underwater coral reefs. Speedboats are used for the parasailing experiences. And if desiring a slower tempo, head out on your own in the quieter area between the main play zone and Xikan Hill on a stand-up paddleboard or inflatable sea kayak.
A few points to note: on-site personnel usually do not speak English; activity participants must wear life vests and safety helmets (no helmets during snorkeling outings); instruction is provided before all activities.
While here, many travelers also choose to take a pleasant boat trip to the miniscule island of Mudou, north of Jibei, which can be seen from Xikan Hill and north shore spots. More specifically, it is Mudou’s renowned lighthouse that catches the eye out amidst the vast swathe of turquoise water, standing prominent atop the high, pretty much barren rocky outcrop. Looking so lonely out there by itself, it’s hard to imagine people once voluntarily lived there. Mudou is the Penghu Archipelago’s northernmost island.
A large, open-sided barge-like boat with low prow and sides pulls up close to shore, you wade in and climb a prow ladder, and off you go. A tip: do not sit right at the front – the flattish prow can send up a good deal of spray, and the roof does not
extend right to the front, meaning extra sun exposure. The ride, slow and leisurely compared to the Penghu ferries and charters, takes about 25mins one way.
The boat lets you off on a sandy beach beside a high, long concrete pier built to create a sheltered landing spot, and you are then free to wander the rugged, parched outcrop on your own. At a set time after landing, about 20mins, everyone is loaded back on and you’re off again, Jibei-bound.
Built in 1902, the Mudou Island Lighthouse has a height of 39.9m. Strikingly painted with thick black and white horizontal stripes, this is the tallest lighthouse in Taiwan as well as the tallest steel-frame lighthouse in East Asia. At its base are concrete-built residential and storage facilities. All are closed to public entry; the lighthouse is now automated. Looking outward from the island’s high points, you’ll clearly see the ominous black shapes that are the lighthouse’s raison d’être – the surrounding waters bristle with hidden reefs that have snared many a passing ship.
Note: You can buy your Jibei ferry tickets at the harborside North Sea Visitor Center, but it’s recommended to do so in advance online (klook.com, kkday.com, etc.) , especially during the busy summer season. Tickets for the water-fun activities and Mudou excursion can be bought in combination with the ferry tickets, and this is also recommended.
Mudou Island Lighthouse seen from above
The place to catch ferries to the various South Sea Islands is the South Sea Visitor Center, at Magong City’s Magong Harbor. Note that at the center you’ll also find info/ticket desks for operators that offer special boat tours, such as the snorkeling-centered excursion to the South Penghu Marine National Park introduced later.
The islands of Tongpan and Hujing, just southwest of Penghu main island, are clearly visible as your craft exits Magong Harbor and makes its south-heading turn. Hujing is much the larger of the two.
Though Tongpan , north of Hujing, has few roads and no scooter rentals, it’s small enough that walking is not a problem. This island, famously, has what is considered Penghu’s greatest display of basalt columns. It is a typical basalt mesa landform, and a solid exposed shoreline wall of tall and almost perfectly symmetrical columns stretches from the northwest corner to the southwest and on to the southeast corner. This spectacular showcase of nature’s wondrous sculptural talent is the focus of the Tongpan
Geology Park
The lone fishing village and harbor are in the middle on the north side. There are few fulltime island inhabitants left, and you’ll come across many abandoned old residences in and outside the village.
To get to the basalt columns, most tourists take the pathway over the mesa to the southwest area. You can also take a pathway that leads around the island at the base of the columnar cliffs. On the former, you move through a full small neighborhood of abandoned imperial-era traditional residences that demonstrate the wealth this island once produced, with exterior walls
featuring cut stone rather than the more common simple coral blocks, and decorated with delicate painted-artwork ceramic tiling.
On a sea-eroded platform on the island’s southwest shore, accessible via the aforementioned perimeter pathway, is the Lotus Seat . This is a large stepped basin with a raised middle “seat,” created from columns in concentric circles eroded down to their roots.
Hujing has a distinctive shape that roughly resembles half a giant dumbbell. The middle section, made of gathered sand and coral, is flat and low. This is the location of the island’s somnambulant fishing settlement and harbor. The two large “dumbbell ends,” Xishan and much bigger/longer Dongshan (“West Mountain” and “East Mountain”) are large, high formations made of basalt columns. These are flat-topped and feature steep columned cliffs, some with rock exposed, some covered with vegetation.
Visitors are limited to the village and Xishan area; the Dongshan area is a military restricted zone with limited access for locals. Up on Xishan, on the north is cliff-edge Guanyin Park , a small, tranquil grass-lawn park dramatically filled with large Buddhist statues of the Goddess of Mercy and 18 Arhats, plus a Ping An (“Peace and Security”) Bell. About mid-
way along the plateau road you pass through an area thick with abandoned military facilities, all accessible on foot (no entry inside structures), including a command post, bomb shelter, barracks, and pillboxes. And in the southeast corner is another grassy cliff-edge park, this with a Tropic of Cancer theme that looks directly down into Hujing’s fishing village. A long, wide blue Tropic of Cancer marker line runs along flagstone pavement, “pointing through” two sets of large Lotus Hands statues off either end, through which graceful framed scenic photos can be taken.
Lotus Seat rock formation
Hujing Island's only settlement, seen from atop Xishan
Temple on Tongpan Island
These are the two largest islands in the South Sea, and Qimei is the region’s southernmost.
On Qimei , you head out east from harborside in the southwest along the island-perimeter circumnavigation road and quickly find yourself atop its wide grassland plateau, the road providing terrific views down to the rocky shores from along plateau-edge lookouts. Meandering grass-chomping goats far outnumber wheeled vehicles – even the hordes of tourist-toting scooters in high summer. Qimei’s iconic symbol is the Twin Hearts Stone Weir, at its northeast tip, which can be reached from the top of the adjacent bluffs via a paved, stepped path. The romance and scenic beauty of this place entice a steady tide of soon-to-be-newlyweds for wedding-photo shoots.
Another key Qimei enticement is the island’s shoreline collection of unusual nature-art rock formations. Bestknown is Little Taiwan , about mid-way on the east side, a giant flat stone slab that sticks out from the mainland and does look uncannily like a map of mainland Taiwan, with its distinctive tobacco-leaf shape.
South of this on the east side, a short side road leads down to the Yueli Bay Recreation Area , site of a lovely arcing bay, Qimei’s sole sand beach (soft white coral
sand). The coral reefs in the bay and abundant colorful tropical fish make this a great snorkeling spot; guided sessions and camping facilities are offered.
The name “Qimei” means “Seven Beauties”. Legend says the Tomb of the Seven Beauties , on the plateau just southeast of the harbor, is built around a well down which chaste Ming Dynasty damsels tossed themselves when ne’er-do-well wako pirates attacked.
Twin Hearts Stone Weir Little Taiwan
Wang’an is to Qimei’s northeast. Low in the south, it rises to 53m (Tiantai Hill) in the north. Studded by peninsulas, its main road does not strictly follow the coastline; you take side roads to get out to the peninsula tips.
The ferry harbor is in the southeast. Clearly visible to the east, across a patch of water, is the small island of Jiangjun’ao (see next section) and its single, building-dense fishing village. Immediately north of the ferry harbor is the Wangan Green Turtle Tourism and Conservation Center, overlooking a protected sandy beach where sea turtles come to lay their eggs (guided in-season viewings, with limited spaces). Its exterior is in the stylized shape of a turtle, and inside are displays on Penghu’s marine ecology, with English provided. There’s an English introductory video, and English-speaking guides can be booked. The highlight is a small aquarium that is a temporary home for turtles undergoing rehabilitation after being found sick or injured.
Mighty Tiantai Hill – at least in comparison to the flat land and sea surrounding it – presents boundless views over Wang’an and its numerous nearby islands. The mount has a high basalt-column foundation, with a
dramatically exposed seaside section viewable to adventurous types willing to tackle the in-places steep 15min pathway walk from the hilltop.
Zhongshe is an old fishing village of narrow alleys and tight-clustered heritage residences (protection against wind and pirate attack) dating to China’s Qing Dynasty era, almost all stone/coral-built. The majority are still inhabited, and many have been returned to their original state to attract tourists. The refurbished homes of the rich of former days are easy to identify – white stucco covers exterior walls to reflect the intense sun, and exteriors are decorated with elegant glazed ceramic tiles featuring individual paintings.
Old house in Zhongshe village
Sea turtle in Wangan Green Turtle Tourism and Conversation Center
This park, created in 2014, is southeast of Wang’an, northeast of Qimei. Just under 360 square kilometers in size, it contains four islands and numerous islets. As elsewhere in Penghu, these feature basalt landforms, including columnar-basalt formations. The park area was once home to thousands of humans; today there are less than a hundred permanent residents.
Cold weather in 2008 and 2010 severely impacted marine life around Penghu – the warmer southern area somewhat less so than the northern – and the park was thereafter established as a protected Penghu “germplasm bank.” Among its underwater denizens are 254 fish species, including 28 since discovered, and 154 coral species.
For a visit, consider the Blue Paradise
One Day Tour by Penghu Coral Reef Travel (www.excitingpenghu.com.tw), a fullday snorkeling/yacht touring guided adventure. You meet up at 8 in the morning at the South Sea Visitor Center and are brought back between 5-7 in the evening. Some of the key highlights: snorkeling prep and coral-reef snorkeling off two different South Sea islands, one inside the marine park; an eco-walk on an unpopulated reef island; a seafood feast on a large open-water moored barge, followed, after a rest, by barge-based water fun (“cliff jumping” from second level, “sea walking” contest on floating pads, etc.). As well, all through the day the Coral Reef Travel crew will be providing info (in Chinese) on a wide range of topics – ecology, culture, history, etc.
Your first stop is the aforementioned Jiangjun’ao – more specifically, a moored double-decker barge off the island, just meters off Jinguazai Reef , a tiny uninhabited island. The first guided snorkeling session is in the calm, shallow waters here.
After this, a boat run further south into the marine park, to a broad bay on the island of Dongyuping’s north side, passing the park’s dramatic-outline, soaring Steeple Islet (no access permitted), an important tern-breeding spot.
In the bay, an open-water snorkeling adventure; you jump in right from the boat, a hundred-or-so meters offshore directly before an ancient, mostly abandoned fishing village with many traditional Penghu coral-wall houses. The winds, waves, and currents are stronger here, and the underwater community more lively and colorful – turtles and stingrays are sometimes spotted.
Now, a boat ride back to your barge base, where you’re first taken for an ecowalk on Jinguazai Reef, which is a few hundred meters in diameter and has a 30m-high mini-plateau area in the middle, followed by a hearty seafood meal on the barge – downing neritic squid, large prawn, oyster, abalone, and other freshharvested bounty.
The day’s final act is the barge-based sea-surface sporting fun, including the aforementioned “cliff jumping” and “sea walking” contest, plus “surfing” session with jet-skis zipping you over the waves on different types of floating frolickertransport tools.
There are regular flights and ferry runs between Penghu main island and various locations on Taiwan proper. Flights come in at Penghu Airport, near Magong City, and ferries come in at Magong Harbor, right in the city. The air trip takes about 40mins, ferry trips about 4hrs. A limited number of flights are also offered from Kaohsiung City to Qimei and Wang’an islands, respectively, and one ferry service to/from Chiayi County also stops in at Qimei.
For further information on these and other related Penghuadventuring practical subjects, visit the Penghu National Scenic Area website (www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw) and Penghu County Government website (www.penghu.gov.tw).
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Baisha 白沙
Chikan Fishing Harbor 赤崁漁港
Dongyuping 東嶼坪
heart-shaped fish trap 心型石滬
Hujing 虎井
Jiangjun'ao 將軍澳
Jinguazai Reef 金瓜仔礁
Jibei 吉貝
Jibei Sand Tail 吉貝沙尾
Little Taiwan 小台灣
Lotus Seat 蓮花座
Magong 馬公
Mudou Island (Lighthouse) 目斗嶼 ( 燈塔 )
Qimei 七美
South Penghu Marine National Park 南方四島國家公園
Steeple Islet 頭巾嶼
Tiantai Hill 天台山
Tongpan Geology Park 桶盤地質公園
Tongpan 桶盤
Twin Hearts Stone Weir 雙心石滬
Wang'an 望安
Wangan Green Turtle Tourism and Conservation Center
望安綠蠵龜觀光保育中心
Xikan Hill 西崁山
Yueli Bay Recreation Area 月鯉灣遊憩區
Zhongshe 中社
Spend a day meandering the same old village arteries Penghu locals have trodden for centuries while on their way to boats or to tend their small coral-walled farm plots, and also take in a selection of other recommended vicinity attractions, nature- and manmade, age-old and modern-day.
Penghu was settled about a thousand years back, and when you wander the narrow streets and alleys of its living-museum villages, you get the feeling you’re peering directly into the deep past. Famously, the rich trove of heritage buildings in Erkan Village on Xiyu Island has been thoroughly renovated and the village is tourist-targeted, with cafés, gift shops, eateries, and other establishments set up. In this article we bring you to three time-capsule settlements in Penghu main island’s east where locals still live in old houses and go about their old-timey business, but where at the same time a balanced modicum of tourist-enticing attractions have been developed.
TEXT RICK CHARETTE PHOTOS RAY CHANG
This community, in the main island’s northeastern corner just off County Road 202, brims with traditional old residences. It is one of Penghu’s settlements most seriously hit by youth out-migration and population aging, and the remaining residents, in cooperation with outside organizations, have made it a model for rural regeneration, with a focus on sustainable tourism.
Incongruously, this fishing village is not even within rock-throwing distance of saltwater. It’s inland at the base of a north-south peninsula. “Nanliao” means “south hamlet”; sister settlement Beiliao, or “north hamlet,” is on the peninsula’s northwest shore. In past days when boats were smaller, Nanliao’s harbor was at the peninsula’s base; today it is right beside Beiliao’s much bigger harbor. Nanliao was never able to match Beiliao’s fishing success, so locals also turned to fish processing, fishing net repair, and farming.
Begin your tour at the ornate two-story Nanliao Baoning Temple , beside County Road 14. The narrow street that begins before the temple is the village’s main artery. You’ll immediately notice how the village is today festooned with spherical fishing-floats-cum-artworks and bright-color murals depicting archetypal olden-days village images. The balls are now lucky tigers and cats, scarecrows, turtles, etc. Murals depict scenes such as a farmer woman, covered head-to-toe for sun protection in the traditional Penghu style, driving a cart pulled by a yellow ox.
Old village well besides the Cowpat Trough hut
Tourists like to post in front of this fishing-float art installation
Not far up the main street is the traditional Nanliao Fish Ovens set. These are lidded structures that look like wells in which fish, usually sardines, were boiled, taken out for sun-drying, and sold.
The fuel used in the pits, and commonly in homes, was cow manure cakes, made from manure mixed with crushed peanut shells to increase flammability. Further up the street you’ll see a stone hut containing piles of the cakes inside, which look like giant mushroom heads; curing was required before use. On the hut’s exterior you’ll see Cowpat Trough posted in English.
Beside the fish ovens is an expansive old residence, contained within high perimeter walls, that has long been
abandoned and has been completely taken over by trees and bushes, creating a compelling man-meets-nature artwork. It has been dubbed the Nanliao Tree House. A signboard (Chinese) explains how coral blocks would be sourced at low tide, piling them on rafts, which would be floated to shore for transfer to ox carts at high tide. The blocks would have to be sun-cured for two years before construction use.
Two lots further along the street is the Xu Fan Ancient House, perhaps the most aesthetically appealing of the coterie of carefully renovated heritage homes. Built 1851~1861, this classical three-sided courtyard residence has an exquisite façade featuring such artistic adornments indicating wealth as delicately detailed
ceramic-tile paintings. Inside are displays, with text (Chinese), images, and artifacts, on the clan that long resided in this house.
Note: The village volunteer group “Gui Bi Gang She – Penghu Nanliao” provides free guided tours (Chinese) to visitors arriving via the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s Magong Huxi route buses (see “Getting Around” section below). “Gui Bi Gang” is literally “Turtle Wall Harbor,” Nanliao’s original name; “She” means “Society.” The original settlers felt a hill north of the settlement was shaped like a turtle. If you don’t arrive by shuttle bus you can contact the group in advance to arrange for a guided tour at www.facebook. com/nanliaopenghu.
This community is on the east shore of the island, right where County Road 202 makes a 90-degree turn to head to the island’s southeast corner. The village is just north of the northern tip of long, white-sand Longmen Beach (see next section).
This settlement has become a popular destination for tourists to watch the sunrise, and the attractive wood-built, two-level Guoye Sunrise Observatory has been specially built as a gathering spot. Featuring lookout pavilions on the upper level, it’s right on the shore, beside the compact fishing harbor. Concrete steps designed in a gentle lapping-wave pattern lead down directly onto the white-sand beach. On clear mornings, before any haze establishes itself, the central mountains can be clearly espied on the far-off Taiwan mainland.
Between harbor and observatory, you’ll see a large dynamic sculpture in the shape of rolling waves, brightly painted with the rising sun, fishing boats, and dainty-yet-resolute sea hibiscus. You’ll find wind/salttolerant sea hibiscus all around Guoye, and all around Penghu. Islanders colloquially call them “fruit leaf,” or guoye – the adopted village name.
The Guoye Kiln is on a promontory behind a sea wall just to the village’s south. This long, narrow rectangular complex has a distinctive castle look, and its high rooftop is popular with sunrise-watchers. The kiln was built in 1960 by a local man, using basalt and mortar. A limeburning kiln industry flourished in Penghu from the late 1800s into the 1970s, using the abundant coral-stone and shell fragments. The limeburning method was introduced from mainland Taiwan, and most product was sold back to the west coast.
Today, from a peak of 41 kilns in 1956, only the Guoye Kiln and remains of a Baikeng Village kiln are still extant. The county government renovated the complex in 2015, and today it works with the community to run an on-site tourist information and gift shop.
Guoye Kiln
Coastline at Guoye Kiln
Guoye Sunrise Observatory (in background)
This community is in the island’s southeast corner, on the south side at the base of a northwest-southeast peninsula. County Road 202 runs right through the village, and ends just before Lizhengjiao Beach at the peninsula’s south shore.
The Longmen Military Outpost is an underground complex hidden within the hill at Longmen Harbor’s southeast edge, with apertures facing the sea. Tickets are bought –guided tours only (Chinese) – at a small single-story edifice before the hillside entranceway that takes you into the warren of narrow tunnels.
This was one of the first tourism-focused communityregeneration project in which the county government converted a site with potential and the local community manages it. Opened for visits in 2020, all guides and other personnel are Longmen folk. Surplus from ticket fees is used for community meals and welfare activities for seniors.
Inside the facility, which could accommodate an infantry company of about 150, are 705m of tunnels, just 60~80cm wide and about 1.8m high (in places significantly less). The original construction dates to the 1895~1945 period of Japanese rule. In 1980 the ROC military added a command post, machine gun and artillery emplacements (weapons on display), ammunition store, war games room, and radar station.
In the war games room are murals by a Penghu artist depicting the 1895 Japanese landing at Lizhengjiao, on the hill’s east – where Penghu main island’s defenses were found weakest – and showing villagers forced to dig out the fortification.
If desirous of a soothing lull at one of Penghu’s biggest, most beautiful, and most secluded beaches, Longmen Beach fits the bill. On the peninsula’s north shore, it’s reached from the village via a long single-vehicle-wide road through an area of scrubland and tiny patchwork coral-wall farm plots. There are public toilet/shower facilities, apropos in a building shaped like a tank, facing the sea.
Entrance of Longmen Military Outpost War games room
Tank-shaped toilet/shower building
Pong-Food Traditional Cuisine is located a short distance west of Nanliao on County Road 202. You’ll see the English name posted prominently on the hard-to-miss yolk-yellow façade of the single-story building that is its home. This is the retail operation of a beloved old-time Penghu food producer, Furong Food, maker of traditional-style treats, factory located directly behind.
The third generation that today runs the business has brought innovative new thinking in opening Pong-Food. As posted in English on the storefront, visit for Penghu local specialties, experience activities, and Penghu “famous gifts.” The culinary stars, all Penghu classics, are deep-fried glutinous-rice balls (“fried jujubes”), peanut candy, flour tea, puffed-rice crackers, and peanuts.
When purchasing, your delicious rice balls are made-on-order here. Glutinous-rice turtle DIY classes are also given (Chinese). In addition to the original-flavor version, brown sugar, lemon, strawberry, and chocolate versions are now also offered.
Penghu Fish is the brand of a Penghu in-depth tourism specialist with a unique focus on the everyday local fishing village world. Among the experiences provided in its guided tours (Chinese) are a visit to a local harbor, learning about Penghu auction methods, Penghu seasonal species, choosing fresh fish, local cooking methods, and local fishing methods and sustainable practices. Especially popular are the DIY activities, which include using traditional methods to handle and dry fish (with both on-site cooking + eating and take-home options) and a beachseine fishing outing led by experienced local fishermen (with the catch divided equally among participants).
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Baikeng Village 白坑村
Beiliao 北寮
Cowpat Trough 牛屎窟
Erkan Village 二崁聚落
Furong Food 福榮食品廠
"Gui Bi Gang She – Penghu Nanliao" 龜壁港社 - 澎湖南寮
Guoye Community 菓葉社區
Guoye Kiln 菓葉灰窯
Guoye Sunrise Observatory 菓葉觀日樓
Lizhengjiao Beach 裡正角沙灘
Longmen Beach 龍門沙灘
Longmen Community 龍門社區
Longmen Military Outpost 龍門閉鎖陣地
Nanliao Baoning Temple 南寮保寧宮
Nanliao Community 南寮社區
Nanliao Fish Ovens 南寮魚灶
Nanliao Tree House 南寮硓���� 樹屋
Xu Fan Ancient House 許返古宅 MAP
For those not self-driving or being part of a bustour group, check out the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle website (www.taiwantrip.com.tw ). This is an inexpensive hop-on/hop-off public bus service specially designed for tourist travel. There are two Penghu routes; the Magong Huxi route has stops at the Magong City bus station, Magong Airport, Nanliao Community, Guoye Kiln, and Longmen Military Outpost. An on-board guide provides commentary (Chinese).
Narrow tunnel Artillery emplacement Glutinous-rice turtle DIYPenghu’s tourism is heavily concentrated in the short summer period when Taiwan’s youth is out of school. To entice travelers to visit outside of this time bracket, in the past two decades the local authorities have inaugurated numerous large-scale festivals and events of other type. These sport widely differing characters to ensure something irresistible for all age brackets.
Enjoy inspired artistic expression? How about fireworks fests by some of the world’s greatest pyrotechnics maestros? Lighting installation and lantern artworks by award-winning talent? A cavalcade of popular music performers spanning varied genres?
You like health-enhancing exercise activities? Select from options such as heading out on a supremely scenic marathon
run, launching on cycle tours, or SUPing out over saltwater on guided outings to take in the fireworks shows.
Here’s a parade of five of the biggest party-style happenings of 2023. We’ve got a fireworks festival, lighting art festival, music festival, cycling festival, and cross-sea marathon. If not this year – book your party spot for next!
Boom! Kaaa-boom! This is Penghu’s modern-festival granddaddy, first held way back in 2003, on a far more limited scale. Celebrity singers and musical groups entertain in relay in stage shows augmenting the bombsbursting-in-air pyrotechnics extravaganzas.
The main venue is Guanyinting Recreation Area on Magong City’s east side, facing the Inner Sea, home to two well-known tourist attractions, Guanyin Pavilion (an important heritage temple) and the soaring Xiying Rainbow Bridge (a pedestrian-only arch bridge spanning a small-harbor mouth). The spectaculars happen above harbor and bridge every Monday/Thursday night through the months-long celebration, bursting lights reflected on the sparkling sea, preceded by the music shows. One music/fireworks-fest each, smaller in scale, is also staged on Jibei, Qimei, and Wang’an islands. At the main venue, you can watch within the park itself, from boats (fee) that come around from Magong Harbor, and from special large SUP boards (fee; 8~10 people/1~2 guides per board).
The 2023 jamboree was April 20~June 29. This year The Walt Disney Company’s 100 th anniversary was celebrated under the slogan “A Century of Fantasy, An Eternity of Wonder.” Disney was first a part of the festival in 2020, with a Marvel-themed drone show. Drone-created art was more dazzlingly central this edition, a secondary goal beyond the techno-artistic possibilities being reduction of the event’s environmental impact. Among the high-altitude renditions of Disney characters magically created were Mickey and Minnie, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and Alice with her Wonderland amigos. An army of 700 drones performed each show, 900 for the opening and closing ceremonies.
This annual multi-month festival is staged in the Penghu Third Fishing Port International Plaza, very close to Magong Harbor’s South Sea Visitor Center. It runs from the near-denouement of one year into the next – the last edition from October 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023.
Visitors are beguiled with inspired large-scale land art installations and creative lighting with island themes – examples from this round include a pod of leaping dolphins and a golden field of ripening grain. Augmenting this stimulation is interactive technology, musical stage performances ranging from well-known vocalists to a local symphony orchestra, other types of artistic performances such as buskers and art forums.
Both the Penghu International Fireworks Festival and the Penghu International Lighting Art Festival impress with mesmerizing displays of night sky illumination effects
Integrating music, light, and Penghu’s famed sea breezes, this festival presents a musical feast of light and fantasy. In 2022, the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration decided to transform the annual International Bay Light Festival into the Penghu Music Festival. This year’s shows are being staged every Saturday from August 19 to September 30. The happening’s overarching theme is chasing the wind in the late summer and early autumn –“chasing the wind” is part of the event’s official Chinese name. A stellar lineup of eminent musical talent will regale audiences sitting in an environment of romantic creativeart mood lighting. Among the big-name Mandopop talents starring this round are Singapore’s Tanya Chua and the Taiwanese band WONFU.
Venue is the Guanyinting Recreation Area. The hightech lighting art, with projection mapping and installation artworks used, has a Penghu theme and is closely synchronized with the coastal landscape – schools of fish on the move, sunlight shimmering off the waves of the brightblue sea, and so on. Carnival-style floats have also been added this year to bring a Brazilian party-style atmosphere. In conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend (September 30), there will also be a special kite performance, with a fleet of large illuminated kites riding the high Penghu winds.
This annual shindig runs from the head of March to September’s tail, dense with varied cycling-related activities. Overseen by the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration, as with the cross-sea marathon next on our list, the organizational goal is two-fold: promotion of Penghu’s dramatic scenic gems and of sustainable eco-friendly tourism.
The keystone event is the Penghu Cycling Festival –101K Hopping Bike excursion, being held September 17 this year. This is a relaxed group ride rather than a competitive race. A joined cycling experience, one group tackles a more challenging 101km route (400 entrants), and another enjoys a slower-pace 22km leisure jaunt (200 entrants). Both rides start and end at the Administration headquarters on Penghu’s main island. While riders on the shorter route will head southwest to the Fenggui Cave and return, the cyclists on the longer route will, after covering part of the same route, make their way all the way to the Yuwengdao Lighthouse in the southwest corner of Xiyu Island, on the way “hopping” across the islands of Zhongtun and Baisha via the connecting bridges.
Another popular festival draw is the Penghu NSA’s March~June Guided Cycling Tour program, launched this year. Cyclists can book seven days in advance to have trained volunteers lead them on free guided rides.
First run in the late 2010s, organized by the Penghu NSA Administration, this is Taiwan’s sole island-hopping marathon. It takes place each November on Penghu’s main-island grouping. The 2023 event will happen on November 5. Among the major sights that runners pass by – or on – are Yuwengdao Lighthouse on Xiyu’s southwest tip, Xiyu’s Daguoye Columnar Basalt formations, and the 2,494m-long Penghu Great Bridge, which connects Xiyu and Baisha. Along the route runners can stop at route-side Penghu Creative Gourmet Supply Stations offering samples of Penghu delicacies (about 60 selections in total), such as oyster porridge, cuttlefish balls, and lobster.
There are a number of run categories in this internationally certified event to choose from: 42km full marathon, 42km relay race, 21km, 11km, and 5km. The latter two are specially oriented toward parent-youngster participation. Post-race is the Windcrazy Party, with pop/rock bands from around Taiwan performing, and the Penghu Food Carnival, giving racers who did not fill up their tanks en route a second delectable-sampling opp. Note that translators are on hand and English/Chinese signage put up to make things easiest for non-Chinese-speaking participants.
For more on the Penghu NSA Administration events/activities, including applications, visit www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw/English
ENGLISH AND CHINESE 101K Hopping Bike 澎湖跳島 101K 自行車活動 "chasing the wind" 追風
Daguoye Columnar Basalt 大菓葉柱狀玄武岩
Fenggui Cave 風櫃洞
Gaillardia Islands Penghu Cross-sea Marathon 菊島澎湖跨海馬拉松
Guanyin Pavilion 觀音亭 Guanyinting Recreation Area 觀音亭親水遊憩區 Penghu Cycling Festival 澎湖自行車嘉年華
Penghu Great Bridge 澎湖跨海大橋
Penghu International Fireworks Festival 澎湖國際海上花火節
Penghu International Lighting Art Festival 澎湖國際燈光藝術節
Penghu Third Fishing Port International Plaza 澎湖第三漁港國際廣場
Penghu Music Festival 澎湖追風音樂節
Xiying Rainbow Bridge 西瀛虹橋
Yuwengdao Lighthouse 漁翁島燈塔
Both the Penghu Cycling Festival and the Gaillardia Islands Penghu Cross-sea Marathon take participants on routes through Penghu's main islands
Though the Penghu Islands are just a short hourless hop by plane from mainland Taiwan, almost no visitors are day-trippers. Serving the constantly arriving flocks of revelers is an ever-growing force of accommodations, from hotels/inns (almost all in Magong City) to simple through swish guesthouses. Here we present three spots spread out in different locales of Penghu main island perfect for in-depth cycling exploration of their respective regions.
This dynamic-look young dedicated-built guesthouse is just off the coast on the south side of Penghu main island. On a rise amidst the thick hedge acacia ubiquitous around Penghu, it looks down on the west end of long, popular Shanshui Beach, and out to Shanshui 30 Highland Park, which occupies a coast-side hill beside the west end. The beach has a bustling cluster of beachbum-style eateries and cafés; the park is a showcase of now-abandoned military fortifications such as tunnels, bunkers, and pillboxes.
For the overall design, the owner of the guesthouse, a Taipei business-world retiree, decided on the long, slender abodes that overlook ports around the globe. A north-south orientation is used so sunlight does not shine directly inside guestrooms or interior public spaces, keeping the innards cooler. Windows are also strategically placed to allow north-south breezes to stream through.
All exterior/interior walls are fair-faced concrete, creating a chill post-modernist feel. Inside, in public areas and guestrooms, an openconcept design is adopted, and furnishings are muted and uncluttered, engendering a moodrelaxing ambience. The high-ceilinged lobby/ reception space has windows high up that allow indirect sunlight to wash in at oblique angles, begetting a soothing air – church-like or Zenlike, depending on your cultural background. The polished cosmopolitan interior design and décor are targeted toward Penghu’s largest tourism demographic, 25~35-year-olds.
There are five guestrooms, four doubles and one room for four people, all featuring subdued colors to complement the gray walls and floors. To foster a home-away-from-away experience, each room has an interior landing-style area before its entrance and a glassed-in balcony. Bathrooms are large, and set in building corners with big windows to allow big views.
The uncovered communal rooftop terrace, which features café-style high tables and chairs and an almost 360-degree panorama, is very popular. Breakfast is not provided; the owner provides info on beach-area brekky joints. The reception area has a free-use capsule coffee machine and microwave.
The owner is a passionate cyclist, Penghu Cycling Association member, and annual Penghu Cycling Festival volunteer (see our “Penghu/ Events” article). At Somewhere, bike-storage space is provided on the guestroom landing-style areas. Maintenance and simple repair service is also available, and assistance in getting help for tougher tasks is provided.
SOMEWHERE
(06) 995-3108
No. 120-10, Zhujiang, Shanshui Borough, Magong City, Penghu County ( 澎湖縣馬公市山水里珠江 120-10 號 )
www.facebook.com/somewhereguesthouse
GUESTHOUSE ( 嶼光。角落 )
Guestroom
Rooftop terrace
floor-to-ceiling glass, with treadmills, weight-training machines, and dumbbell sets. Beside it, also facing into the lobby through glass, is a restaurant facility with wooden long-table seating for 32. As of the time of writing this is not yet operational, and the hotel does not provide breakfast, but management states plans are to bring its F&B service on line in the not-too-distant future. The fitness center and restaurant facility face each other through another full wall of glass. Free coffee is available 24H in the lobby, self-using an imported premium-caliber capsule coffee maker.
Interaction between guests is encouraged by the hotel through provision of long bar-style high-chair tables in the lobby and through a Friendship Lounge with plush single-person chairs and small circular glasstop café-style tables on the third floor.
Other services: with a stay of two nights or more, Magong Airport/Magong Harbor pick-up and drop-off; free-use beach towels.
This young, fashionable four-story hotel facility is in a quiet, primarily residential old-time neighborhood of Magong City. Its location is optimal for those who like walking for exercise and at the same time want to be close to the city’s main tourist draws – spread out easy 15~20-minute on-foot saunters away, from southwest to southeast (among others) are the Guanyinting Recreation Area, Duxingshi Village, Zhongyang Old Street, and Magong Harbor/South Sea Visitor Center.
The hotel’s motto is to create “a place that is most like home on an outlying island”. There are five room types (28 guestrooms in total), all minimalist contemporary-design style, ranging from Standard Twin Room to Family Room and Six People Suite selections. The family rooms feature kid-frolic slides and mini-tents, the suites regular and loft beds. All rooms have extra-large bathrooms.
There’s a stylish fitness center on the first level, facing the lobby area through
Family room with slide
Green Hotel
This guesthouse, opened in late 2021, is in the center of Penghu main island, just west of the airport. It’s at the base of the peninsula through which County Road 203 runs, leading to the interconnected islands in the north and northwest/west (see “Biking in Penghu” section below). Connection with County Road 202, which runs west to Magong City and east to the east coast of the main island, is just a few hundred meters away.
As its English name indicates, this getaway is dedicated to cyclists – and to backpackers, as its Chinese name stresses. And to divers. It’s run by another Taipei transplant, a young woman, cycling/diving/travel enthusiast, who fell in love with the low-stress Penghu way of life. It is the end unit in a row of modern-design new townhouse residences, another row exactly the same facing it across a paved entrance driveway.
There’s a comfy covered patio out front, and on the first level inside a compact communal area for dining and watching TV (free Netflix, snacks and drinks sold; no TVs in guestrooms). Storage lockers are also provided in this area, along with a mini-shop with various frolicking-in-the-sun necessities. Beside this is a small shared open kitchen; Biker also serves a simple gratis breakfast –toast, spreads, coffee, soy milk, and such – to guests staying two nights or more. “Penghu gourmet lazy bags” are also available for
wanderers who want to bring their own food on the road.
In the first-level rear is a shared area with outdoor shower, toilet, and laundry facilities. Cycling and diving outings and other types of customized itinerary planning is provided for guests, and a free-use sun-dry space and cleaning/drying facilities are also available here for guests’ paraphernalia. Management states that the combination of flat roads and climbing roads in Biker’s environs make it a great spot for cycle training, and the guesthouse attracts many who come for Ironman training.
Guestrooms: one mixed room for 8 people, single and double beds; one room for 6 females, single beds; and one mixed room for 6, single beds.
GREEN HOTEL ( 綠的旅店 ) (06) 927-8801
No. 27-3, Wenguang Rd., Magong City, Penghu County ( 澎湖縣馬公市文光路 27-3 號 ) www.greenhotels.com.tw (Chinese) www.facebook.com/greenhomestays
BIKER ( 玩聚背包民宿 ) 0958-961-343
No. 303-10, Gangdi, Chenggong Village, Huxi Township, Penghu County ( 澎湖縣湖西鄉成功村港底 303-10 號 ) www.facebook.com/Biker303.bnb
Patio out front Mixed room for eight Mini shop on first floorPenghu is pretty much tailor-designed for cycling enthusiasts, its flatness and sunny, exotic, laidback South Seas atmosphere making for long, leisurely jaunts that gently release the stresses binding one’s soul.
There’s a noticeable lack of motor vehicles, even in and immediately around Magong City, where over half of the 107,000 population lives. Penghu main island and three close-by others are conjoined by bridge. On the islands of Wang’an and Qimei, accessed from the main island by ferry, you’ll find nary a four-wheeled motor vehicle at all – the narrow roadways on these small islands are more like bike paths.
Tourists are by far most numerous in July/ August; the standard means of moving around, especially with younger folk, is rented motor scooter. This time of year is characterized by blazing heat, so be aware and prepared. Winter brings forceful, almost constant winds from the northeast, making cycling outings of any distance a challenge for most but the most fit. But a benefit for many such folk is the lack of tourists and almost completely empty roads. The March~June and September~November periods are optimal.
As said, most Penghu cycle outings are on flat land. Magong City’s older section is on sloping ground, with gentle grades. Outer islands, notably
Wang’an and Qimei, are a bit hillier, but the uphill lengths are either short or longer and comparatively gentle, presenting easy challenges for multi-speed bikes. Note that there are commercial enterprises aplenty in Magong City, with food, drink, and supplies needed for lengthy rides easy to find, but the more distant villages on the larger islands and the ferry-reached outer islands are comparatively isolated, so it’s best to stock up on necessities before heading out.
Bicycling in Penghu
The most popular expedition for fit cycling enthusiasts is along County Road 203 from Magong City, on Penghu main island’s west edge, up through Zhongtun and Baisha to Xiyu Western Fort near Xiyu’s southwest tip. The distance is about 35km, the hills along the way genial.
There is fulfilling diversity in the sights encountered along the journey, among your major encounters the Zhongtun Wind Farm on Zhongtun, Penghu Aquarium and Tongliang Great Banyan on Baisha, and the fort, heritage Erkan Village, and Daguoye Columnar Basalt formations on Xiyu (latter two requiring short side-foray cycles).
Another growingly favored option is following the route (full or sections) of the Penghu Cycling Festival – 101K Hopping Bike event (see our “Penghu/ Events” article). This takes you all around Penghu main island before heading up Route 203 through the other main islands.
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Baisha 白沙
Daguoye Columnar Basalt 大菓葉玄武岩
Duxingshi Village 篤行十村
Erkan Village 二崁聚落
Guanyinting Recreation Area 觀音亭親水遊憩區
Penghu Aquarium 澎湖水族館
Qimei 七美
Shanshui 30 Highland Park 山水 30 高地公園
Shanshui Beach 山水沙灘
South Sea Visitor Center 南海遊客中心
Tongliang Great Banyan 通樑古榕
Wang'an 望安
Xiyu 西嶼
Xiyu Western Fort 西嶼西臺
Zhongtun 中屯
Zhongtun Wind Farm 中屯風力園區
Zhongyang Old Street 中央老街
MAP Traditional building in Erkan VillageTaipei residents don't have to travel to coastal fishing ports to enjoy the fresh bounty of the ocean. Some sort of fish, shrimp, and squid dish can be found in virtually any city restaurant, but there are also specialized restaurants who do it so well that people are willing to queue up to satisfy their taste buds.
TEXT HAN CHEUNG PHOTOS POWEI CHEN, VISION
"Pompous Seafood Congee" ( All In One )
On average, the Taiwanese consume more than 35kg of seafood per year. Easily accessible and reasonably priced, marine catch can be found served in all sorts of settings and cuisine styles. Taipei restaurateurs source their goods straight from not-too-far-away harbors or from Binjiang Market, close to Taipei Songshan Airport, or the Taipei City Fish Wholesale Market, in Wanhua District. Many preserve decades-old recipes, others introduce new twists.
With a dish heaped over the top with high-grade maritime ingredients called “Pompous Seafood Congee”, this unassuming, minimalist resto-bar takes everyday Taiwanese seafood cuisine to another level. After working as a hotel chef for more than a decade, the owner started this joint to bring the flavors of his southern hometown to Taipei in a more sophisticated setting. That’s still the soul of the place, but it has evolved into much more, offering an expansive menu ranging from classic street foods such as rice sausages to an omakase set one might find in higher-end Japanese bistros. Customers must order this selection of small but exquisite morsels presented in a nine-square box in advance. There’s also a decent selection of libations, with a bartender.
Located near the north edge of ritzy Xinyi District, All In One offers an alternative for gourmand visitors who want a break from the bustling night markets and raucous stirfry eateries. Visitors can choose to sit at the bar, where they can watch the chefs prepare their meal right in front of them. The celebrated congee, carefully prepared one bowl at a time, is generously packed with prawn, oysters, clams, abalone, squid, and a choice of crab or lobster. For the more budget-conscious, there are also personalized servings of the congee with fewer ingredients. The charcoal-grilled, freshly caught lobster is also a favorite, as well as the refreshing seared tuna salad and grilled squid. Westernstyle choices are also available, such as steak and risotto.
ALL IN ONE (A.I.O 餐廳 ) (02) 2767-7058
No. 23, Lane 101, Sec. 1, Keelung Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City ( 台北市信義區基隆路一段 101 巷 23 號 ) www.facebook.com/aiorockworld
Bar and dining area
Seared-tuna salad
“Lin Mei Ru” is not the name of the smiling auntie wearing hair curlers on the restaurant sign. Hint: It’s about what’s in the mug she’s holding. Pronounced in Taiwanese, the name sounds like “drink beer” (lim bi-lu), and drinking beer is what people do at this boisterous rechao (Taiwanese stir fry) and izakaya fusion joint, the walls and ceilings of which are plastered with quotes about alcohol consumption. Located in the bustling East District, it’s an ideal place for people to gather after work; there’s a large basement for group celebrations. The retro-style decor provides a cozier, more atmospheric experience than the typical rechao place, but it’s brighter and more casual than an izakaya.
The alcohol selection also melds the two types of eatery – in addition to the staple Taiwan Beer varieties, there are also Japanese beers such as Sapporo and Orion, as well as black tea plum wine, soju, sake, highball, and even kaoliang (sorghum liquor) selections. The dizzying menu, with more than 100 choices, is typical of such establishments, which of course have plenty of seafood options –including live selections from the fish tank by the entrance. In addition to rechao classics, there’s also sashimi, grilled meat, fish and vegetable skewer, salted threadfin, and other izakaya snacks that pair well with alcohol.
After much deliberation, on a recent visit we ordered a maritime medley of fried egg with shrimp, sweetand-sour fish, kung pao squid, and a garlic-fried watercress. It was only 6pm on a weekday, but the place was already beginning to fill up, with most customers seemingly in a cheerful, festive mood. It can get loud, but that’s expected – just soak in the atmosphere, enjoy the tasty food, and throw back a few cold ones.
(02) 2776-1669
No.
www.facebook.com/ot27761669
“ LIN MEI RU SEAFOOD STIR FRY RESTAURANT ” ( 林美如海鮮熱炒燒烤酒場 ) 80, Lane 300, Sec. 2, Bade Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市中山區八德路二段 300 巷 80 號 ) Kung pao squid Sweet-and-sour fishHuh Pot’s brilliant, comiclike neon signage beckons in the night to visitors looking for a place to warm up on a cool evening with some hot broth. The Chinese name of this place is a play on words – the character for clam ( 蛤 , pronounced “ha”) is often used in casual texting to represent the question sound “huh?”
Featuring Hong Kong-style clam hot pot, this eatery got its start in the East District along Civic Boulevard, but has since added the nearby Zhongxiao branch as well as one in the city of Taichung. The loud, nostalgic, and playful decor is full of Mahjong elements and Cantonese sayings, and there’s a large pinball game where patrons who spend a certain amount or have birthdays in the same month can win prizes such as side dishes. “Those under 28 years old must be accompanied by a parent to play,” one sign jokes. “The camera gets to eat first,” another sign states, which
is especially true for such an instagrammable place.
Clams are the main culinary character here, with every pot laden with the delectable morsels. There’s even a supersized option containing 2kg of clams. Each meal comes with fruit sauce and a signature spicy pepper sauce, and there are seven soup bases to choose from. The original recipe includes garlic, chicken, chili pepper, spring onion, and rice wine. Diners can add other classic hot-pot ingredients such as sliced meat, fish balls as well as scallops and lobster to their pots. Hong Kong-style drinks such as “silk stocking” milk tea and salted lemon 7UP are also available.
Drinking alcohol is highly encouraged, beer is consumed in a “battle bowl” instead of a cup, and according to the house “dining rules,” those who play with their phone, go for a smoke, or use the bathroom during their meal need to down one cup.
Beginning as a roadside stall more than 40 years ago, this small eatery by MRT Shandao Temple Station has a simple yet attractive storefront that attracts long lines during peak hours. Open just for breakfast and lunch, this spot offers a simple menu of various soups and noodles. As its name suggests, the signature offering is the fresh fish soup, which comes with a whole Taiwanese tilapia; the sweet, umami flavor is accentuated with basil and ginger. This type of tilapia is known for often having a fishy-smell, but it’s barely detectable here. The signature soup is limited in quantity, and another popular option is the combo soup with squid, pork slices, as well as pig’s blood and liver. Customers can choose to add rice vermicelli or noodles in this dish. The seating in the narrow dining space is a bit tight, and coupled with the surge of people often waiting outside, it’s one of those places where you won’t linger for too long.
“ YI MA NEI LI FISH SOUP RESTAURANT ” ( 以馬內利鮮魚湯 ) (02) 2351-5378 No. 3, Sec. 1, Hangzhou S. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City ( 台北市中正區杭州南路一段 3 號 ) www.facebook.com/fishsouphsu
Sashimi for breakfast? Why not? This popular place inside historic Dihua Street’s Yongle Market already teems with customers at 9am. The affordable and hefty assorted slices expertly carved from fish delivered straight from the harbor are firm and mouthwatering, and the sushi rolls are also large and flavorful. Customers who spend more than NT$250, which isn’t difficult at all, get to enjoy bottomless miso soup that’s generously loaded with tofu, seafood balls, and even pieces of fish. Despite being in a traditional marketplace, the environment is clean and air-conditioned while retaining the atmosphere of the old days. After the renovation of the market and revival of Dihua Street as a tourist hotspot, the owner, who had been selling fish for a long time, began collaborating with a retired hotel chef to create this unique and high-value eating experience.
“ WANLONG SUSHI ” ( 丸隆生魚行 ) (02) 2556-5276 No. 21, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District, Taipei City [Yongle Market Stall No. 1418] ( 台北市大同區迪化街一段 21 號 [ 永樂市場第 1418 攤位 ]) https://reurl.cc/7kNzZ9
Fresh fish soup
Sashimi
Exclusively selling boiled Argentine king squid with speciality shacha and garlic sauce, “Kaga Squid King” has been a mainstay of the tourist-favorite Raohe Street Night Market in Songshan District for decades. Blanched on the spot, the meat is chewy yet crispy at the same time, and served in satisfying quantities. The standard flavoring is already quite bold, but many customers like to turn it up a notch by adding chili pepper sauce or wasabi to the mix (“it’s very spicy,” a sign above the sauce warns). For those who don’t eat garlic or have other particular preferences, the sauce can also be adjusted per request. The stall, which is inside a building, has an airconditioned second-floor dining space for hot days, and the food is best enjoyed with a cold beer or soda.
“ KAGA SQUID KING” ( 加賀魷魚大王 )
0968-579-555
No. 120, Raohe St., Songshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市松山區饒河街 120 號 )
In operation since 1937, this immensely popular eatery, also located in Raohe Street Night Market, is still packed as ever after recently moving to a larger and brighter spot across the street from its original location. The shop offers only three items, all at extremely affordable prices: pork thick soup, oily sticky rice, and its famous oyster vermicelli. The vermicelli normally comes with chewy pig intestine as well, but for a few extra coins one can enjoy a bowl with just oysters. This shop’s version of this popular Taiwanese street dish is unique, as it comes with a more refreshing clear pork bone-based broth rather than the usual thick soup. The flavor is relatively mild, but cilantro, chili sauce, and vinegar can be added to taste. This eatery is also known for its long hours, satisfying people’s bellies daily from 8:30am to midnight.
“ DONG FA HAO OYSTER VERMICELLI ” ( 東發號蚵仔麵線 )
(02) 2769-5739
No. 143, Raohe St., Songshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市松山區饒河街 143 號 ) www.facebook.com/tung.fa.hao
Oyster vermicelli, pork thick soup, and oily sticky rice
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Binjiang Market 濱江市場
Civic Boulevard 市民大道
Dihua Street 迪化街
East District 東區
"Pompous Seafood Congee" 浮誇海鮮粥
Raohe Street Night Market 饒河街夜市
rechao 熱炒
shacha 沙茶
Songshan District 松山區
Taipei City Fish Wholesale Market 臺北市魚類批發市場
Xinyi District 信義區
Yongle Market 永樂市場
Zhongxiao 忠孝
MAP
Unlike countries in the West where weekend street markets (like flea markets) have a long tradition, Taiwan’s thriving street market scene is a more recent development. In Taipei (and around Taiwan), there are now a number of weekend markets that have become well-established tourist attractions for visitors seeking creative and culturally rich items sold in outdoor settings with a friendly atmosphere.
There are too many weekend markets in Taipei and around Taiwan to list them all, some of them consisting of just a few stalls, some only taking place as part of larger events, such as music festivals. Following are five of the most popular markets in Taipei.
The Red House Market for Artists & Designers
This market at the historic The Red House in the Ximending area (MRT Ximen Station) was established in 2007, giving young creative artists a place to show and sell their creations. There are a total of about 100 stalls set up on both Saturday and Sunday.
Tianmu Creative Market
This is a second-hand market in Beitou District’s Tianmu neighborhood, long known for its many expat residents. Stalls are set up Friday~Sunday in two small squares at the intersection of Zhongshan North and Tianmu West/ East roads. This is Taipei’s oldest market for secondhand and cultural-creative items.
Art and Crafts Markets
The expansive Songshan Cultural and Creative Park (MRT Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station) serves as the perfect venue for these markets. Vendors sell a wide variety of high-quality creative items here.
Four Four South Village Simple Market
Held every second weekend (1pm~7pm) on the former site of Taipei’s first military dependents’ village, close to Taipei 101 (MRT Taipei 101/Taipei World Trade Center Station), this is a smaller market with a focus on secondhand clothes and other items.
Taipei Expo Farmer’s Market
This market, held each weekend (Saturday/Sunday 10am~6pm) inside the Taipei Expo Park (just outside MRT Yuanshan Station), is focused on local produce. Organized by the city government, the market helps to promote products sourced from rural areas around Taiwan. www.expofarmersmarket.gov.taipei.
TEXT AND PHOTOS VISION The Red House Market for Artists & Designers Four Four South Village Simple MarketTTwilight Bazaar
The eastern part of Taiwan is known for its heavy concentration of indigenous inhabitants, who in turn are well known for their craftsmanship. If you are curious about indigenous crafts and/or wish to buy some truly unique souvenirs, consider visiting a market such as Taitung City’s TTwilight Bazaar, held Thursday~Sunday 5pm~10pm, close to Tiehua Music Village. Apart from stalls selling cultural-creative products, you will also have the chance to sample local (indigenous) specialties and enjoy live music performances.
Another great market in Taitung County is held during the Moonlight Sea Concert series (part of the Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival; www.teclandart. tw), a bit further up the coast in Chenggong Township on the grounds of the Duli Visitor Center.
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Duli Visitor Center 都歷遊客中心
Four Four South Village Simple Market 四四南村簡單市集
Moonlight Sea Concert 月光．海音樂會
Songshan Cultural and Creative Park 松山文創園區
Taipei Expo Farmer's Market 台北花博農民市集
Taipei Expo Park 花博公園
Taiwan East Coast Arts Festival 東海岸大地藝術節
The Red House 紅樓
The Red House Market For Artists & Designers 西門紅樓創意市集
Tianmu Creative Market 天母創意市集
TTwilight Bazaar 微光集
Ximending 西門町
In old neighborhoods throughout Taiwan, you’ll find herbal shops offering bags of dried plants and dark herbal teas laced with closely guarded proprietary blends of ingredients. These apothecary-esque establishments have often been run by the same family for generations, and their earthy-scented, nostrilticklingly dusty interiors offer cupfuls of nostalgia infused with the promise of vitality.
Since Longshan Temple was established in the 1730s, it has been the incense-pumping heart of what is now Taipei City’s Wanhua District. Vendors of all kinds have been snared by its powerful gravitational force, and over the post-WWII period leading into the 1970s, the temple neighborhood’s many dispersed herb hawkers coalesced into a fragrant hub on a temple-adjacent lane (today Lane 224, Xichang Street). The large concentration of local sellers was spawned by the ready availability of both raw materials (thanks to the fertile alluvial soil of the nearby riverbanks) and clients (thanks to reciprocal relationships with the many local temples).
Among the businesses on Herb Alley – as Lane 224 came to be known – was Ji’an Herb Store (now called Healing Herbar in English). “Back then,” says Bryan Wang, the third-generation owner, “herbalists were essentially another type of medical practitioner.” Although both Western and Chinese medicine were readily available, the former was prohibitively expensive for many, and even the latter was out of reach for some.
Visiting a Decades-Old Herbal Tea Shop
TEXT AMI BARNES PHOTOS RAY CHANG
Bryan Wang, owner of Healing Herbar
Longshan Temple
As a side note for any readers who, like myself, were previously unaware, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and herbal medicine are distinct disciplines. TCM encompasses numerous techniques and has an ingredient list that could be used to play an infinite game of “animal, vegetable, or mineral.” In contrast, herbal medicine employs only sundried plants.
Being an herbalist demanded a vast esoteric knowledge of plants and their uses. People brought medical reports or prescriptions, and practitioners would need to know which combinations of herbs in precisely what quantities would provide the desired therapeutic effects. Sometimes, people might turn up bearing a scribbled list of herbs recounted to them by a god – or more precisely, a list dictated by a deity speaking through a religious medium and copied down by a spiritual translator.
“Some of the more skillful translators would train with herbalists. And sometimes, if a god prescribed an out-ofseason ingredient,” Wang discloses with a smile, “we’d have to send the customer back to ask the god if a substitution would be acceptable.”
Thanks to today’s modern healthcare system, Wang says, people who visit his shop aren’t looking for a cure so much as a preventative aid – drinking medicinal teas is now seen as something more akin to taking vitamins. And as people’s reasons for visiting herbal shops have changed, so too have the types of products that consumers want. “In the past,” Wang says, “it was enough to know that what you were drinking was healthy in some way.” No one was concerned about how good it tasted. “These days, if something is too bitter, people will barely take a second sip, let alone become a repeat customer.”
Making his tea blends more palatable to contemporary tastes is just one of the ways in which Wang has tried to pilot his business into the modern age. He has also helped to bring it online. “I grew up knowing that taking over the shop was in my future,” he states, but when the call came a few years back, it was earlier than expected. By this point, it had been relocated to its current position further north on Xichang Street, and the second-generation owners were looking to take advantage of a governmental initiative aimed at assisting traditional businesses to rebrand and remain relevant. “None of them had the first idea about how to create a website or manage an online brand, so they asked me to come on board,” he says.
The transition wasn’t perfectly smooth. “Of course, there are generational differences in how things are done,” he admits. “In my parents’ generation, there was a constant stream of customers – they only needed to keep the shop well-stocked and the money would roll in.” Wang says the landscape is now markedly different. “It’s getting harder to source the herbs, and if we get 20~30 walk-in customers in a day, that’s good.” A lot of his work is now online, but “when my elders see me on the computer, they just think I’m playing games!”
“In the past, it was enough to know that what you were drinking was healthy in some way”Various herbs Herbal-tea creative display
Wang has to tread the delicate line of serving the shop’s loyal old-timers while also bringing in a new, younger client base. To achieve the latter, he has sought out collaborations with other local businesses and occasionally runs DIY tea workshops. As we chatted, the fruits of his labors were evidenced in the steady stream of customers: regulars popped round to fill up their own containers with the signature herbal tea, an elderly chap came in with a request for dried peanut root, and the young owner of a nearby coffee shop nipped over on an electric scooter to pick up ingredients for use in his shop’s drinks. It’s clear there is a diverse demand for the services offered by a place like Healing Herbar.
These days, Wang has repositioned the shop somewhere between being an herbal clinic and a trendy tea shop. Behind the counter, herbal bouquets are displayed in wall-mounted transparent domes, and in the back half of the space, floorto-ceiling shelving is filled with tins carefully labeled in earthy shades – some patinaed and battered after literally decades of service.
Customers can choose from a menu annotated with helpful notes indicating that a tea is for “busy night owls,” can help with seasonal allergies, and so on. And for something a little tailored, Wang suggested I try the customized healing tea. The process involved a mini health consultation, during which I was asked a few questions about my sleep habits and health complaints. He then prescribed a personalized tea, and showed me the noted-down list of ingredients. You can choose whether to have the drink hot or cold, and for the curious, Wang is able to explain what each of the ingredients is and why he has included them.
Boiling water was poured from an elegant gooseneck kettle over the carefully layered herbs, and I watched it drip into an ice-filled carafe. The resulting brew was a refreshing treat in the muggy heat of the Taipei summer – herbal enough to feel like it would probably do me good, while still having a pleasantly minty aftertaste. My only regret is that I didn’t purchase additional tea bags; otherwise, I would be sipping on my own personalized tea blend as I write.
HEALING HERBAR ( 老濟安 )
No. 84, Xichang St., Wanhua District, Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區西昌街 84 號 ) (02) 2314-1878
www.facebook.com/healingherbar
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Bryan Wang 王柏諺
“It’s getting harder to source the herbs, and if we get 20~30 walk-in customers in a day, that’s good”
Situated on Mt. Jiantan in Taipei, the Grand Hotel is a 14-story palace-style building constructed in 1970. There are two underground tunnels, under its east wing and west wing, respectively, which were designed as emergency escape routes for President Chiang Kai-shek. After opening the West Secret Tunnel earlier, receiving enthusiastic response by visitors, now, the 50-year-old East Secret Tunnel has been opened to the public as well. It has a length of 67 meters with a curvy design meant to prevent chasing soldiers from shooting at the fleeing parties, and walls with an uneven surface to enhance sound absorption. Since only a limited number of visitors can be accommodated, the East Secret Tunnel is only open to guests who come on corporate trips, attend state banquets, or opt for a special East Secret Tunnel Room Package.
No. 1, Sec. 4, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市中山區中山北路四段一號)
Tel: (02) 2886-1818 ext. 1818 [guided-tour department] www.grand-hotel.org
Holiday Inn Express Taichung Park is the first internationalbrand hotel in central Taiwan. The hotel is located in the city center, next to the century-old Taichung Park where you can visit the Huxin Pavilion and row a boat on a large pond. Walking from the hotel to Taichung Railway Station takes just 10 minutes and there are a number of historic sites worth visiting in the vicinity. The hotel is also a convenient launch point for trips to tourist attractions further away in central Taiwan. In the evening make sure to visit the well-known close-by Yizhong Night Market and try its delicious snack foods. Putting an emphasis on comfort, convenience, and value for money, the hotel is perfect “smart” choice for business and leisure travelers alike.
No. 94, Sec. 2, Ziyou Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City (400台中市中區自由路二段94號)
Tel: (04) 3505-9898
www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/tw/zh/taichung/txgsr/hoteldetail
A Century-Old Chinese Medicine Store in Dadaocheng
Sheng Yuan Pharmacy in Taipei was founded in 1946 and has been in business for over 70 years. Always selecting the highestquality medicinal ingredients and providing the most-sincere service, the store has won praise from all walks of life. Strictly adhering to the concept of “creating medicine with conscience, running a business with integrity" the leading principle of the business has always been "making medicine is difficult, but we cannot save labor, the taste is expensive, but we cannot save material”, making the store well known near and far.
Hours: 8:30am~8:30pm (Mon.~Sat.); 9am~5:30pm (Sun. and public holidays) (all year except for Spring Festival period) Upon showing this ad, you will receive an "Empress Cixi Mask Travel Set" (Radiance 8g, Brightening 8g; limited to one set per person)
No. 181, Nanjing W. Rd., Datong District, Taipei City (台北市大同區南京西路181號)
Tel: (02) 2550-0331 sheng-yuan.com/en
Taitung is well known for its beautiful mountains and rivers. Rice Resort Hotel is like an idyllic rural castle designed with the county’s specialty rice as its theme. The hotel has ten floors with a total of 100 guestrooms. Among its facilities are an outdoor swimming pool, a Chubby Choice Star Bar, a children's playground, a gym, and a massage area. It’s like a fun paradise for the whole family. In the high-ceiling firstfloor lobby of the hotel you will see design elements representative of Taitung, including lights in the shape of rice ears and grains of rice. The marble-textured floor and the beige walls give the space a soft and elegant feel.
No. 29, Xinxing Rd., Taitung City ( 台東市新興路29號)
Room Reservation Hotline: 089-229-968 Banquet Reservation Hotline: 089-219-178
The Kaohsiung Destination Marketing Organization integrates Kaohsiung's 38 districts and three townships in northern Pingtung. This region’s many specialty products include camellia tea, coffee, white radish, and sacha inchi oil. Kaohsiung is well known for its diverse scenery with mountain towns, coastal areas, harbors, Hakka villages, fishing villages, and many other cultural attractions. The city also boasts cultural parks, shopping centers, and distinctive tourism factories. Travelers are cordially invited to warm and sunny southern Taiwan. Discover everything from the mountains to the sea, and enjoy the fun and beauty presented by the Kaohsiung Destination Marketing Organization.
No. 171, Sinwei, Sinwei Borough, Liouguei District, Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市六龜區新威里新威171號)
Tel: (07) 687-1234
www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw
Kouhu Township is an important source for food ingredients in Taiwan. Natural farming methods are used to allow the revitalization of the earth. You can visit the farm areas to see the cultivation methods and eat food without concerns. There is also processing of mullet roe, breeding of eel, production of clams etc. The Jinhu Recreational Farm Development Association, winner of the Bronze Medal in the Second Golden Village Competition held by the Council of Agriculture, develops local characteristics and connects attractions along the Southwest Coast tourism route. It provides tour guide services, eco-themed tours, flavorful meals and afternoon tea, and sells souvenirs created by local farmers and fishermen. Enjoy local cuisine and explore the beautiful scenery!
Jinhu Recreational Farm Development Association, Kouhu Township, Yunlin County (雲林縣口湖鄉金湖休閒農業發展協會)
Tel: (05) 790-6601 E-mail: susun.104@yahoo.com.tw www.kankujen.com
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