Travel in Taiwan(NO.127 2025 1/2) by Travel in Taiwan

EXPERT TALK

TAIWANESE COOKING CLASSES

CITY WALKS

TAIPEI’S BEITOU DISTRICT

Pingtung

Shuangliu and Kenting National Forest Recreation Areas

National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium

Checheng and Hengchun Towns

Lukang Route of Blessings/Quick Route

MinshengUnderpass

YU HUA ZHEN Bakery

Nagasaki House

Wanfang Oyster Noodles

Maoshu Noodles

Ah Zhang Meatballs

Changhua Vegetarian Diner Dayuan Steamed Dumplings San Chuan Iced Black Tea

Beimenkou Meatballs

Changhua Shan Hang Savory Rice Pudding

Jen Fresh Baked Cake

Asam Meatballs

Ke A Ren Braised Pork Rice

Black Head Savory Rice Pudding

Bu Er Fang

Taitiao Peanuts

Shui Gen Jerky A Tian Oyster Noodles

Lin Family Vegetarian Diner

Jinjun Goose

Changhua Papaya

Changhua

Publisher's Note

Dear Traveler,

Welcome to 2025! We wish you joy and prosperity in the year now unfolding. Horizon-broadening travel is one of the great joys of life, and we extend a special invite to you to come travel in Taiwan, one of Asia’s premier tourism destinations, offering an unbeatable combination of easy accessibility and navigability, reasonable prices, and rewarding experiences exotically far away from your everyday world.

In this issue, you’ll spend our two feature articles in the far south of the island, in the Hengchun Peninsula, pleasantly warm all winter. We first bring you “beyond the beaches” for which it is famed, to explore its sun-soaked hills, corallimestone caves, tropical forests, sleepy towns with halfforgotten past lives as indigenous hunting villages and regional maritime hubs, storied temples, and markets serving beloved traditional snack delicacies. Next, explore in-depth the peninsula’s main urban center, Hengchun Town – its old town walls, tourism-oriented “Old Street” area, the ruins of an old brick kiln, an esoteric café within the ruins of a sisal rope factory, and many other of its “southern charms.”

Elsewhere, in our regular Themed Tours file, we remain in the deep south exploring Pingtung County’s mountainous northeast corner, home to three townships with predominantly indigenous populations with many tourist attractions, especially in/around the welcoming larger tribal villages. In Good Food you’ll be zooming around the island,

your quest taste-testing of “sugary souvenirs” in different cities – popular packaged snacks provided by renowned specialty shops, such as innovative dragon’s beard candy, mooncake-like green pomelo pastry, French mille-feuille with a Taiwanese twist, classic Taiwanese crackers melded with nougat, and French-style Black Queen grape/lychee jam.

The big, bustling city of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, is our destination in our two other major files. In our City Walks department soak up the world of the famed Beitou hotsprings district – “hill trails, sulfur-vent valleys, spa comforts.” In Expert Talk, take a friendly English-language cooking class at CookInn Taiwan, “a classroom where Taiwanese cuisine comes alive,” and make your own classics such as lu rou fan (braised pork rice), guabao (pork belly buns), and boba tea from scratch.

May your 2025 be filled with travel and discovery! Come visit your friends in Taiwan, old and soon-to-be!

TAIWAN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION

MOTC, R.O.C.

台灣觀光雙月刊

Travel in Taiwan

The official bimonthly English magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Administration (Advertisement) JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2025 Tourism Administration, MOTC First published Jan./Feb. 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200

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Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

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PUBLISHER

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EDITING CONSULTANT

T. C. Chou

PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION

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CONTACT

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E-mail: tad@tad.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw

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ADDRESS

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EDITORS

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CONTRIBUTORS

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

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ADMINISTRATIVE DEPT

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WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY OF TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

ABROAD

Offices of the Taiwan Tourism Administration in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, and London. Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; EVA Air, and other selected international airlines; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations.

IN TAIWAN

Tourism Administration Visitor Center; Tourism Administration; Taiwan Visitors Association; foreign representative offices in Taiwan; Tourism Administration 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

This magazine is printed on FSC® COC certified paper. Any product with the FSC® logo on it comes from a forest that has been responsibly maintained and harvested in a sustainable manner.

This magazine was printed with soy ink. Soy ink is said to be more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based ink and to make it easier to recycle paper.

ONLINE

Read Travel in Taiwan online at www.travelintaiwan.net. Find back issues (PDF version) on the publication platform issuu at issuu.com/travelintaiwan

Kenting National Forest Recreation Area (photo by Alan Wen)

HEADING

1 2 3

Early-Year Celebrations

Happenings and Events in Taiwan

TAOYUAN CITY 1

Feb 7-23

TAIWAN LANTERN FESTIVAL 台灣燈會

After a nine-year hiatus, the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival will return to Taoyuan City. The main venue will be situated near the Taoyuan Airport Metro’s Taoyuan Sports Park Station (A19), utilizing the site of the 2023 World Hakka Expo as its core location. The event will also connect to nearby sites, including the Taoyuan Children’s Art Center, Rakuten Taoyuan Baseball Stadium, Qingtang Park, and surrounding roadways. The city government aims to highlight the beauty of Taoyuan during the festival, offering visitors a distinctive and memorable lantern-viewing experience. 2025taiwanlanternfestival.org

Feb-Mar

PINGXI SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL

Regarded as one of the world’s most romantic largescale public events, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is a renowned cultural celebration in Taiwan. Held around the 15th day of the lunar new year, the festival attracts thousands of visitors from both Taiwan and abroad. It not only highlights the allure of Taiwanese culture, but also generates substantial tourism revenue for the Pingxi Valley in New Taipei City each year. In addition to the breathtaking sight of hundreds of sizable paper lanterns floating into the night sky aglow at the same time, visitors can also explore Pingxi Old Street and sample a range of local delicacies. newtaipei.travel

KAOHSIUNG CITY 3

Jan 29-Feb 16

FO GUANG SHAN NEW YEAR FESTIVAL OF LIGHT AND PEACE

佛光山春節平安燈法會

With the aim of purifying people’s hearts and creating a Pure Land on Earth, Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, introduced the New Year Festival of Light and Peace in 1980. In addition to more than a million peace lanterns and dragonshaped lanterns symbolizing good fortune, the annual event also features lanterns painted by devotees from Buddhist temples across Taiwan, decorating the hills around the Fo Guang Shan complex in Kaohsiung. Visitors can experience the warmth of countless lanterns lighting up the surroundings, and wish for endless happiness and Dharma joy in the new year. www.fgsbmc.org.tw

©New Taipei City Govt.

©Taiwan Tourism Administration

TAICHUNG CITY 4

Feb-May

TAICHUNG MAZU INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 臺中媽祖國際觀光文化節

The Taichung Mazu International Festival has been held for many years, with outstanding local and national performance teams invited to showcase their talents. Through these performances, both domestic and international audiences can get a sense of the rich Mazu faith and local culture by visiting Mazu temples throughout Taichung, including Lecheng Temple (East District), Fuxing Temple (Dali), Zhenlan Temple (Dajia), Dazhuang Haotian Temple (Wuqi), and Wanhua Temple (Nantun). Performances include puppet theater, dragon and lion dance, acrobatic street-performance art, Taiwanese opera, folk music and theater, and much more. www.culture.taichung.gov.tw

LIANCHIANG COUNTY (MATSU) 5 Feb-Mar

MATSU BAIMING FESTIVAL

This is a traditional folk celebration held on the 15th day of the lunar new year. The custom of baiming (“nighttime ritual”) originated in the coastal areas of Fujian Province in China, particularly in regions where the Fuzhou dialect is spoken, and originally primarily involved ancestral worship at clan temples in the first month of the lunar calendar. After settlers from the Fuzhou area migrated to the islands of Matsu, just off the mainland coast, the practice evolved into a local temple-based celebration, integrated with the Lantern (Yuanxiao) Festival. The main festival activities include hanging lanterns, inviting gods from all directions, and processions to welcome the gods.

www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw

TAIPEI CITY 6 Feb 4-9

TAIPEI INTERNATIONAL BOOK EXHIBITION

台北國際書展

The 2025 edition of the Taipei International Book Exhibition, a six-day reading celebration held annually at the Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1, will showcase Italy as the guest country. The fair serves as a microcosm of Taiwan’s publishing landscape, highlighting the ongoing changes and challenges within the Chinese-language publishing industry. Renowned for its ability to promote reading, foster international exchange, and support professional publishing, the Taipei International Book Exhibition stands out as one of the world’s most vibrant, diverse, and globally engaging book fairs.

www.tibe.org.tw

©Matsu NSA

©Ministry of Culture

©TIBE

Happening in TA WAN Now

Railway News

Buy-One-Get-One-Free High Speed Rail Tickets

Looking to explore the vibrant cities and stunning landscapes of central and southern Taiwan? The Tourism Administration’s Go 2 Taiwan promotion offers an incredible opportunity for international visitors on short-term visas. Take advantage of the fast and convenient Taiwan High Speed Rail. Purchase a one-way ticket to Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, or Zuoying and you’ll receive a free second ticket for the same route. You can book your tickets easily through platforms like KKday and Klook. en.thsrc.com.tw, www.kkday.com, www.klook.com

Railway News

New Tourism Trains Rolled Out

Great news for train travel enthusiasts! Two new tourist trains, named Shanlan (“Mountain Wind”) and Haifeng (“Ocean Wind”), have recently been introduced. These services have been created by refurbishing EMU500 series passenger trains, which are operated as slow local trains across Taiwan. The tours on these new trains will be organized by Lion Travel, a tour operator specializing in domestic railway journeys. This new service adds to the Taiwan Railway Administration’s growing number of railway tourism options, joining the Formosa Express, Future, and Breezy Blue trains. The routes for the new services will cover the Central West Coast Line, the East Rift Valley, and Yilan County, providing travelers with the chance to explore Taiwan enjoying the comforts that come with a scenic train ride.

Tourism Promotion Abroad Taiwan’s Waves of Wonder Reach Distant Shores

The Tourism Administration is in the process of establishing additional representative offices worldwide. This strategic move is aimed at attracting more international visitors to the island. Recently, new representative offices have been opened in Vancouver and Manila. Offices in Amsterdam, Dubai, and Sydney will be opened this year. eng.taiwan.net.tw

Scenic Sights

Elephant Rock Becomes Capybara Rock

When the iconic Elephant Trunk Rock on Taiwan’s Northeast Coast succumbed to the relentless forces of nature in December 2023, many were disheartened. This unique rock formation, located just to the northeast of Shen’ao Fishing Harbor, had long captivated visitors with its striking resemblance to a giant elephant. However, as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. While the “trunk” may be gone, the remaining rock formation has been found to be equally charming: it now bears a striking resemblance to a capybara! So, the next time you’re out and about exploring the scenic Northeast Coast, be sure to check out this captivating natural wonder and its latest incarnation. www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw

©Taiwan Tourism Administration

©Taiwan Railway Administration ©New Taipei City Govt.

©Taiwan Tourism Administration

2024 Green Destinations

Taiwan Destinations Recognized

Taiwan continues its impressive streak in sustainable tourism, with seven destinations and two green businesses making the 2024 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories list. This achievement surpasses previous years, marking a record-high number of selections in the competition’s nine-year history. The seven recognized destinations and their categories are as follows: Destination Management: North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area (NSA), East Coast NSA; Nature & Scenery: Southwest Coast NSA, Northeast and Yilan Coast NSA, Penghu NSA; Business & Marketing: Sun Moon Lake NSA; Thriving Communities: Taichung City Govt.

The two Taiwanese green businesses were selected in the following categories: Destination Management: Footprint Inn; Culture and Tradition: National Center for Traditional Arts

The winning stories will be announced during the ITB Berlin in March 2025. gd2024.greendestinations.org

©North Coast and Guanyinshan NSA

©Northeast and Yilan Coast NSA

©Southwest Coast NSA

©Penghu NSA

Culture & Art

Concerts, Theater, Exhibitions, Festivals, Shows

Exhibition

ART NOUVEAU

「新藝術運動」光影藝術展

Dec 30 - Apr 6

Huashan 1914 Creative Park ( Taipei City ) 1

Step into a world of elegance and innovation at this groundbreaking exhibition. Taiwan’s first comprehensive Art Nouveau showcase features iconic works by artists such as Klimt, Mucha, and Toulouse-Lautrec. From paintings and sculptures to architecture and design, explore the movement’s influence on art and culture. Immerse yourself in the genre’s organic forms and flowing lines inspired by nature, and experience the captivating beauty of this bygone era.

www.huashan1914.com

Musical 2

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS

鐘樓怪人

Mar 6-16 Taipei Music Center ( Taipei City )

Mar 21-30 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts-Weiwuying ( Kaohsiung City )

Apr 3-5 National Taichung Theater ( Taichung City )

Celebrating its 25 th anniversary, Notre Dame de Paris comes to Taiwan for a grand three-city tour. This global phenomenon, one of the 21st century’s most successful musicals, has captivated millions worldwide. Performed in over 23 countries and translated into nine languages, it broke London’s West End record with a 17-month run. Adapted from Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, the musical is set in 15thcentury Paris and follows the tragic love story of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda and the deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo. Their lives intertwine with the ambitious Archdeacon Frollo and the dashing Captain Phoebus, creating a dramatic conflict between good and evil, love and obsession. www.tmc.taipei, www.npac-weiwuying.org www.npac-ntt.org

Exhibition 3

TITANOSAUR – LIFE AS THE BIGGEST DINOSAUR

史前巨獸：泰坦恐龍展

Dec 19 - Apr 6

National Taiwan Science Education Center ( Taipei City )

Get ready for an epic encounter with prehistoric giants! At this exhibition, you can marvel at a colossal 37m-long Titanosaur skeleton, the largest dinosaur ever discovered. Immerse yourself in a world of prehistoric wonders with interactive exhibits, animatronic dinosaurs, and other thrilling experiences such as meeting a lifelike T-Rex and Baryonyx, and even feeding a dinosaur! From tiny dinosaur eggs to colossal creatures, learn about the incredible journey of these prehistoric giants while exploring the intricate balance of the ecosystem and the importance of preserving our planet. www.ntsec.gov.tw

TAIWAN CERAMICS

BIENNALE

臺灣國際陶藝雙年展

Oct 4 - Apr 6

New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum (New Taipei City )

The New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum has hosted the Taiwan Ceramics Biennale since 2004. Initially, the event was a works competition, inviting ceramic artists worldwide to submit their creations. In 2010, the event was expanded to include thematic exhibitions, curated by international experts. This dual format of competition and curated shows has since been continued. The 10th Biennale, now being held, has seen a recordbreaking 1,216 submissions from 66 countries. A panel of seven esteemed ceramic art experts has selected 20 winning works, which can now be admired in the museum’s exhibition halls. www.ceramics.ntpc.gov.tw

Festival 5 5 6 4

TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS (TIFA)

TIFA台灣國際藝術節

Feb 21 - May 18

National Theater and Concert Hall (Taipei City)

The National Theater and Concert Hall management has prepared an exquisite program for the 2025 TIFA, featuring 118 performances from 18 productions across 11 countries. This includes groundbreaking French street dancer Bintou Dembélé’s performance G.R.O.O.V.E.; Corps extrêmes by Rachid Ouramdane/Compagnie de Chaillot, which incorporates high-altitude bungee jumping, tightrope walking, and rock climbing into dance; the unconventional and imaginative special edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet performed by Teatro La Plaza; and the riveting dance performance Prelude to a Purge by Marlene Monteiro Freitas. npac-ntch.org/programs/series/tifa/2025

Exhibition 6

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: WOMEN – BORN TO SHINE 國家地理女性經典影像展

Dec 21 - Apr 6

Songshan Cultural and Creative Park ( Taipei City )

This exhibition showcases a curated collection of National Geographic images featuring women as the protagonists. Themed around joy, beauty, love, intelligence, strength, and hope, the exhibition highlights the diverse and captivating lives of women from around the globe. Through these images, visitors can witness how women live, overcome challenges, and carve out their place in the world, even in the face of adversity. More importantly, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the evolving perceptions and appreciation of women in society. It is a powerful testament to the collective strength of women worldwide and their enduring contributions to human civilization. www.songshanculturalpark.org

Exhibition

Beyond the Beaches

Embracing Everything Else that Southern Pingtung Has to Offer

Pingtung has a reputation for being a beautiful, breezy, tropical beachtype of destination, and the further south you head, the more strongly that impression holds. And while it’s true that Taiwan’s southernmost county is hugged by miles and miles of sandy coastlines, beaches are far from the only reason to pay the region a visit.

Southern Pingtung, with its perpetually warm weather and laidback lifestyle, is a prime place to escape the dreich and dreary Taipei winters. The region’s climate and geology have gifted it with impressive biodiversity – vast tracts of national parkland drape themselves over sun-soaked hills, with coral limestone caves, tropical forests, and clear mountain streams all waiting to be explored. The land’s geopolitical and cultural history also has much to bring to the table. Sleepy towns with half-forgotten past lives as indigenous hunting villages and regional maritime hubs pepper the Hengchun Peninsula, now home to storied temples and markets with eateries serving up much-loved traditional dishes.

TEXT AMI BARNES PHOTOS ALAN WEN, VISION

Shuangliu Waterfall

Shizi Township

Shuangliu National Forest Recreation Area

The Shuangliu National Forest Recreation Area is one of those places that seems to luxuriate under the weighted blanket of a sullen sky. On grey days with the clouds pressing in, moody mists accentuate the mineral-tinted waters and damp air polishes the leaves to a bright glossy sheen – even the trees seem to revel in the atmosphere, knitting together in conspiracy to keep outside influences at bay. It feels cut off from the world in a good way.

One of two national forest recreation areas located in Taiwan’s southernmost county (the other is Kenting National Forest Recreation Area, more on which later), it occupies a sheltered valley right at the tailbone tip of the Central Mountain Range, an area of old indigenous hunting grounds. Shuangliu means “twin streams” – a reference to the fact that two tributaries of the Fenggang Creek tumble and dash to their confluence here.

Speaking of creeks, Shuangliu’s waterways make their presence felt. Wherever you go within the confines of the park, you are accompanied by the sound of H 2 O – at times, a gentle whisper or gurgle, at others, the deafening roar of a full-throttle waterfall. As a result, the air feels gloriously fresh – post-

Path to the Shuangliu Waterfall

Blue tiger

Rumsfeld stream crab

thunderstorm-summer-afternoon fresh. The swish and flash of tiny silvery fish busy the pristine waters of deeper pools. Nearby signs say the Taiwan banded barb, Pingtung candida, Formosan striped dace, Pingtung horse mouth, giant spotted eel, and monk goby are all present in large numbers. Meanwhile, in the shallower channels that run beside the walkways, Rumsfeld stream crabs and Huang Ze gray crabs can be spotted filter-feeding and guarding the entrances to their burrows.

These healthy rivers form the foundations of a vibrant and diverse forest biome. Damselflies and minuscule hunting spiders stake out the fringes of waterways, and the surrounding greenery is studded with flashes of color from trailing daisies, Taiwan toad lilies, and budding hibiscus trees. The air is permeated by a pleasant earthy aroma of humus and woody ferns, and wandering along the trails I encountered perfumed top notes of white ginger lily and the sweet, almost fruity whiff of monkey poop (somehow alarmingly inoffensive as part of the larger olfactory landscape).

Aside from humans, monkeys are the most commonly seen larger animal in Shuangliu.

Smelled before heard, and heard before seen, you’ll likely spot a troupe stripping the upper branches of their sweetest leaves and giving off harsh alarm barks to any foolish human that dares to stare too long. (The monkeys here are shy, but normal rules apply: don’t get your food out in front of them, and don’t make eye contact.) The park is also home to mongooses, pangolins, muntjac deer, flying squirrels, several species of snake, civets, tree frogs, fireflies, and charismatic endemic avians such as Formosan blue magpies and Swinhoe’s pheasants. If you’re lucky you’ll spot one or two of these on any given day.

The amount of flexibility in your schedule – and your degree of eagerness to get your money’s worth out of the NT$100 entry fee – will dictate how best to allocate your time. All of the park’s four trails could feasibly be covered in a single day by anyone in possession of a comfortable pair of shoes plus a willingness to start early and wear themselves out. However, for a half-day excursion, your best bet is to take the Waterfall Trail and then head back via the Mountainside Trail.

Following the Mountainside Trail Walking beside creek

The Waterfall Trail is the easiest of the four by quite a measure. Indeed, the first 2km stretch is an almost entirely step-free amble along a broad gravel track that winds its way gently upwards shadowing each twist and turn of the river. The ease of walking leaves your mind free to focus on other things, like admiring the mosaic of lichens adorning tree trunks or puzzling over who might be occupying the various bird and bat boxes. Roughly a third of the way in, stepping stones ford the Fenggang Creek. The stones are stable and flat, and the gaps between them are small enough for even a toddler to cross with a little assistance, but of course, there’s always the option to remove your shoes and paddle across the ankle-deep crossings. This is probably the park’s main draw for lots of visitors, and judging by the fact that the crowd beyond this point was much smaller during my recent visit, I suspect a fair few folks only ever make it this far.

A rest area with bathrooms and a viewing platform sits at the 2km mark, and then a short way beyond that, the difficulty level kicks up a notch. Zigzagging steps and interconnecting dirt trails lead up and then down again as the rumble of the waterfall draws ever closer. It took our party 90 minutes to walk from the park’s visitor center to the wooden platform overlooking Shuangliu Waterfall. Water leaps slantwise over a rocky precipice before giving in to the tug of gravity about a third of the way down a 25m drop, resulting in a splendid white fan. On our visit, the cascade was so energetic that a fine mist carried on the breeze to where we were standing.

If you’re still full of beans on the way back, you can detour to explore the Mountainside Trail. This runs parallel to –and about 50m above – the Waterfall Trail. It’s marginally harder on account of the ascent, but on the plus side, this means that it’s also quieter. Part-way along the trail, a suspension bridge hangs across one of the aforementioned tributaries, allowing you to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of other hikers taking the easy route.

Completing the park’s full complement of trails are the Banyan Tree Trail and Mount Maozi Trail. The former is a 1.9km climb through dense woodland that’s rated “moderate” by park authorities. Thick blue-green grass carpets the forest floor, and there’s a high chance of spotting sleekcoated muntjacs picking their way through the shadows. It starts next to the ruins of an old Paiwan dwelling near the visitor center and connects to the Waterfall Trail where that trail crosses the creek. The fourth and final trail is also the park’s toughest.

Shuangliu Waterfall

Striking out from immediately beside the park’s entrance, a round trip is about 5.7km and takes around 3 hours to complete. On a clear day, the summit offers views of both the Taiwan Strait to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east.

As far as practicalities go, Shuangliu is best accessed by private car by following Provincial Highway 9. It’s also worth noting that although the park has water dispensers, it doesn’t sell any food or drink, so it would be wise to purchase provisions from the convenience store just outside the main gate before obtaining your tickets.

SHUANGLIU NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION AREA

( 雙流國家森林遊樂區 ) (08) 870-1393

No. 23, Ln. 2, Danlu, Shizi Township, Pingtung County

( 屏東縣獅子鄉丹路 2 巷 23 號 ) recreation.forest.gov.tw

Family and wheelchair friendly

The Waterfall Trail, up to the creek crossing, is gentle and easy to navigate, making it suitable for families with young children, the elderly, and wheelchair users.

Mountainside Bridge

Creek crossing

Checheng Township

National Museum of Marine Biology &

Aquarium

The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) is one of the primary draws of Checheng Township. This sprawling attraction has been providing schools and travelers with a place for education, entertainment, and blessed air conditioning since it opened in 2000.

Its exhibits are split among three permanent collections. Waters of Taiwan follows the route traced by a raindrop as it descends through Taiwan’s aquatic ecosystems – young alpine streams, reservoirs, coastal aquaculture, estuaries, mangroves, and finally out to sea. The journey concludes with the Open Ocean tank – the largest of the aquarium’s exhibit areas – where sharks and rays glide serenely, shoals of sea bream and bonitos knot around each other, and giant solitary groupers do … well, nothing much.

Coral Kingdom unveils the weird and wonderful world of corals. Here, the star of the show is a 1.5-million-gallon tank constructed around a shipwreck. Underwater tunnels crisscross the space, offering you the chance to observe how a reef forms as corals colonize different areas of a

Red and black anemoneﬁsh

Underwater tunnel

sunken ship. The third collection, Waters of the World , is housed in a separate building accessed by a short walk across a seaward-facing terrace. Exhibits here cover all manner of aquatic life from around the planet, from the visually engrossing spectacle of a giant kelp forest to harbor seals and cute penguins.

All three collections host feeding shows at different times throughout the day. In Waters of Taiwan, we watched as the be-wetsuited diver’s arrival was preceded by an eerie disappearance of all the fish –they’d got wind of his presence before we had and were following him, out of sight, as if he were the Pied Piper of the deep. As he neared the center of the 16m-wide window, he was mobbed by greedy rays eager to get their jaws around his goodies. We didn’t manage to catch any of the other feeding demonstrations, but both Coral Kingdom and Waters of the World have fish feeding shows, and the latter also gives visitors the chance to watch its seals, puffins, and penguins enjoying a snack. (Schedules for feeding times can be found on the NMMBA website.)

For those who have already seen their fair share of aquariums, the NMMBA still has plenty to offer. In addition to the front-of-house displays, the

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MARINE BIOLOGY & AQUARIUM ( 國立海洋生物博物館 ) (08) 882-5678

facility also runs behind-the-scenes tours and even overnight stays. During our visit we took abridged versions of two behind-the-scenes tours (they usually last 50 minutes and cost an extra NT$250 per guest).

The first things that hit you when you walk into the “backstage” areas are the saltwater smell and the warmth (the moisture and salt would wreak havoc with an air-conditioning system, so there isn’t one). We saw acclimatization tanks where schools of young fish are schooled – literally – in the art of ignoring gawping humans; we watched an employee feed fish from a mechanized platform; and we learned about the different types of frozen fish the aquarium’s denizens enjoy. For me, the highlight of this behind-the-scenes experience was finding out that nurse sharks have a reputation for being –in the words of our guide – "salary thieves." These docile beasts live rather sedentary lives, spending the majority of their time sleeping in the hidden examination tank (where animals are brought if they need medical attention) and eating fish given to them. They rarely "go to work," i.e. swimming in front of visitors.

These behind-the-scenes tours run twice daily, and can be booked on-site. However, guests requiring English-speaking guides are advised to call ahead to ensure their needs can be accommodated.

No. 2, Houwan Rd., Houwan Village, Checheng Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣車城鄉後灣村後灣路 2 號 ) www.nmmba.gov.tw Family and wheelchair friendly

The museum/aquarium provides accessible routes and facilities, making it easy for visitors with disabilities, families with young children, and the elderly to enjoy the exhibits.

Feeding show

Whale sculptures outside

Checheng Town

In the 1600s, a legion of Fujianese immigrants journeyed across the Taiwan Strait looking for a better life. Many arrived in what is today Tainan’s Anping District before dispersing north or south to various other coastal settlements, with a sizeable portion of the southern drifters settling in the area that is now known as the town of Checheng, the site of our next stop.

Life was hard. The farmland wasn’t what they were used to, and there were clashes with the indigenous groups who had lived there first. Seeking succor from the old country’s gods, they built a small shrine dedicated to Tudi Gong, a “God of the Land” for a specific area, and a bringer of prosperity to righteous supplicants.

With time, Checheng flourished. The grateful residents used their wealth to undertake expansion projects, and when the most recent was completed in 1987, Fu’an Temple became the largest Tudi Gong temple in Taiwan – a crown it still bears. An adjacent market catering to hungry pilgrims sprang up, as did accommodation geared towards hosting large parties of religious travelers. The

Tudi Gong (God of the Land)

PINGTUNG Experiential Travel

temple also garnered media fascination thanks to the odd way its furnace sucks in spirit money one leaf at a time, as if counting them. The phenomenon is an example of the chimney effect and has resulted in the furnace being nicknamed “the gods’ money counting machine.”

We visited on a spiritually insignificant Tuesday, nevertheless finding the temple courtyard abuzz with activity. A small procession had just finished – the scent of spent firecrackers lingered in the air, and a spirit medium bearing signs of self-mortification blessed a car as it was being loaded up with a touring deity. Inside, it is quite unlike anything I’ve seen in other Tudi Gong temples – the main hall soars four floors up, giving a majestic sense of scale, every surface covered in intricate decorative details. Incense and white champaca perfumed the air, and a steady stream of people flowed through bearing offerings and requests.

Checheng’s other claim to fame is its glut of dessert shops specializing in treats made with sweetened mung beans. In Mandarin, the dish is called “mung beans and garlic,” but the “garlic” is, in fact, dehusked beans that have the appearance of chopped garlic. Over a dozen Checheng vendors sell their own versions of this treat, but we settled on Huang’s Sweet

Mung Bean Soup and ordered two signature bowls – one warm, one iced. I confess it took me nearly a decade to make my peace with sweet beans (the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding involving what I thought was a chocolate chip ice lolly during my first week in Asia), but I can finally say that I get it. Melt-in-the-mouth beans are combined with glistening strands of silver needle noodles and chewy tapioca balls, and the whole dish is tied together with a viscous soup lightly sweetened with dried longan and brown sugar. It’s a textural party. And at just NT$50 a bowl, it’s a great energy boost to fuel further travels.

If, like former me, you’re not on board with the whole sweet bean thing, there are savory options in the food market behind Fu’an Temple. The place is crowded with stalls selling cheap and cheerful traditional local fare, and my companions had their stomachs set on lunch at Fubo Duck Rice – identifiable by its flower-patterned tables. By 1pm, this restaurant’s eponymous specialty had sold out, so they contented themselves with swordfish balls in a radish-infused broth, duck meat noodles, and a shrimp omelet slathered with a sweet, tangy sauce – by all accounts, a wholly satisfying spread.

Fu'an Temple

Mung bean soup

Dishes served at Fubo Duck Rice

Looking Glass Tree

Autumn maple tree

Inside the Fairy Cave

PINGTUNG Experiential

Hengchun Township

Kenting National Forest Recreation Area

Sitting around 300m above sea level, Kenting National Forest Recreation Area (KNFRA) was once underwater – as attested to by the park’s distinctive coral limestone rocks. In fact, the uplift persists to this day, albeit at the imperceptibly genteel pace of 2.5-5mm per year. Adding to the park’s interesting credentials is evidence of a prehistoric culture – patterned pottery, farming implements, burial cists – unearthed during the early period of Japanese colonial rule (1895~1945) that saw authorities conducting extensive surveys of their new acquisition.

Later, the Forestry Department of the Governor’s Office in Taiwan established a botanical research institute on the site. The facility – Hengchun Forestry Experiment Branch Guizijiao Test Site – was tasked with assessing which plants were well-suited to widescale cultivation and exploitation. Over 500 species were put through their paces, with different areas set aside for cultivating native, tropical, and alpine plants. After the end of World War II, the incoming Nationalist government maintained the park as a research center for a long period before opening it to the public in 1968.

Visitors can pick their own exploration route, but there are two recommended itineraries: the Plant Walk and the Geology Exploration . The former is a gentle 1-2hr stroll along well-surfaced trails – it’s smooth enough to be pushchair-friendly, but it may be too steep for wheelchair users in places. Much of the original collection can still be observed along the way, split up into zones by family (palms, legumes), by habitat and origin (wetlands, Orchid Island), or by usefulness (plants used in folk medicine).

The second route requires a further hour or two and a little more legwork. Steps and paved trails lead deep into a forest dominated by laurels, mulberries, and bishop wood trees. On a previous visit, I observed sika deer peering out from the undergrowth, and on this occasion, monkeys. We found ourselves weaving through the prop roots of strangler figs, past lookout spots with distant ocean views, and descending into subterranean chambers full of oddly shaped stalactites.

The porous rocks of the cave walls seem to enforce a respectful hush by sucking all the sound out of the air, and if you visit on a quiet day, you can listen to the plinkplinking of water – each drop adding infinitesimally to the cave’s calcified structures. The park authorities have done

a great job of making these caves fun to explore. They’re artfully lit and generally spacious enough to not trigger claustrophobic thoughts – the Fairy Cave in particular is a tame introduction to spelunking.

Getting to the recreation area is pretty straightforward. If driving, turn off Provincial Highway 26 through the large KNFRA arch and continue until you reach the parking lot in front of the ticket booth. The park can also be reached by the 8248 bus from Hengchun Bus Station in the town of Hengchun (it stops at the arch too, which is at the edge of tourist-popular Kenting town), but be aware that services are limited.

KENTING NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION AREA

( 墾丁國家森林遊樂區 ) (08) 886 1211

No. 201, Gongyuan Rd., Kending Borough, Hengchun Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣恆春鎮墾丁里公園路 201 號 ) recreation.forest.gov.tw

Family and wheelchair friendly

The forest recreation area features several gentle, easy-tonavigate trails (with wheelchair-friendly bathrooms), perfect for families with young children, the elderly, and wheelchair users.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Banyan Tree Trail | 白榕步道

Shizi Township | 獅子鄉 Shuangliu Waterfall | 雙流瀑布 "the gods' money counting machine" | 神明點鈔機

Tudi Gong | 土地公 Waterfall Trail | 瀑布步道

HEADING TO HENGCHUN

Prepare

to Be Swept Off Your Feet

this Old Town’s Southern Charms

In the late 2000s, Hengchun briefly enjoyed a moment in the limelight when it featured as the backdrop of a popular local romantic comedy, Cape No. 7. The crowds who came to visit the movie locations have long since dispersed, but this casual town with its art-village soul and laidback energy presents the ideal venue for a relaxing winter break.

Hengchun’s walls are undoubtedly its most distinguishing feature. When they were built, most of coastal Taiwan was under loose Qing rule. The island was experiencing reverberating unrest from the 1871 Mudan Incident – a pivotal event in Taiwanese history that paved the way for a punitive incursion by the Japanese military in 1874. The Qing authorities were newly alert to the threat presented by the indigenous population and had just lifted restrictions on building brick or stone fortifications in this part of Taiwan. By 1879 – just five years later – a sturdy 2.5km perimeter wall shielded Hengchun and its inhabitants – punctuated by a gate at each of the cardinal directions.

These days, Hengchun’s walls are Taiwan’s bestpreserved example of such fortifications – all four original gates remain, and where the old walls were damaged, they’ve mostly been rebuilt or repaired. Walking along or – in places – on top of the walls takes just a couple of hours and is a wonderful way to get acquainted with the town.

In addition to the gates (three of which function as traffic ingress and egress points), there are several ganderworthy landmarks. Between the south and west gates, the low-lying form of Coral Park Path rises beyond a play park. Winding trails meander through exposed coral limestone, and at the top you’ll find modest views of the surrounding area as well as a stele commemorating fallen Japanese soldiers from the 1870s incursion. The monument was defaced post-WWII after the Japanese ceded Taiwan, but it still stands – an illegible footnote to a complex past.

Compact Guangning Temple faces the West Gate. The bright exterior conceals a modest hall built directly into the coral limestone, with idols crowding the altar. Outside, orchids adorn a tree deity – a protective spirit of the land according to a woman who paused to assuage our curiosity. Moving on, from atop the North Gate we spied the towering cylindrical chimney and gaping archways of the defunct Lianfu Brick Kiln – now a registered historic monument. And not far beyond that is the odd, skeletal structure that hosts the annual Hengchun Qianggu Competition . Also known as the Ghost Grappling Festival, this colorful folk celebration takes place during the lunar calendar’s Ghost Month as part of the town’s efforts to entertain and appease wandering spirits. The event was banned for decades before being resurrected in the 1980s, and now teams from throughout Taiwan converge here each summer and compete to scale 23m-tall greased poles.

Completing the loop, a wooden walkway leads past a school baseball field, and once you’ve done enough wandering to become hungry, turning inwards will bring you to Hengchun Old Street – the city’s historic center, and a good place to go in search of quality moderate-price eateries.

Old town wall

Coral Park Path

Guangning Temple

Stele commemorating fallen Japanese soldiers

Hengchun Old Street

This isn’t exactly your stereotypical Taiwanese tourism-oriented “old street.” For a start, it’s less of a street and more of an area –specifically, the area radiating out from the junction of Zhongshan Road and Fude Road. Save for some teal-painted woodwork, there’s little in the way of traditional architectural flourishes – no redbrick arches or molded façades. Absent, too, are the usual stores selling tourist trinkets. Instead, you’ll find a mix of chic cafés, dusty everything stores, independent surfwear shops, traditional medicine clinics, and an overabundance of dessert joints.

Look closer and you might also discover a surprising number of stores selling onion-based products. The Hengchun Peninsula (or, more accurately, Hengchun Township’s neighboring Checheng Township) is nicknamed “Onion Kingdom” – legacy of a Japanese colonial-era decision to capitalize on the ideal onion-growing conditions created by the region’s strong winds. Even vegetarian eateries advertise onion specialties – a rarity given the majority of Taiwan’s vegetarians are onion-eschewing Buddhists.

One shop that knows its onions is Onion Farm , a bakery located near the South Gate. It sells sweet and savory onion-based treats – think onion cakes in the style of pineapple cakes, cheese and onion cookies, and onion soft serve. The flaky onion pastries were a personal favorite (mild, moreish), but I can definitively say that onion ice lollies are an acquired taste. On Zhongshan Road, Yu Jhen Siang Handmade Egg Rolls offers more oniony souvenirs. The store’s onion egg rolls have a light onion aroma and an even lighter taste. And of course, if onion isn’t your thing, there are plenty of standard flavors such as sesame, brown sugar, and matcha.

Hengchun Old Street

Onion cookies

As well as a proliferation of onion hawkers, Hengchun has a seemingly disproportionate number of cute cafés and hip hangouts – among them, But Who. This second-floor establishment sells drinks and baked goods from a converted loft-like room that is airy, artsy, and photogenic. The counter-cum-kitchen is located in a highceilinged room with exposed wooden beams and artwork by local artists, while a separate indoor-outdoor space has been fashioned from an old balcony.

The menu draws inspiration from local culture and produce. Our order included a salted butter croissant and a salty cucumber soda (both of which use reclaimed sea salt from nearby Houwan), a delicate canelé flavored with Pingtung-grown tea, and an onion-topped bun that’s only available during the windy season. Just one note of caution – travelers with kids should be advised that the business operates a no-children policy.

Coﬀee, drinks, and food treats

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Coral Park Path | 珊瑚公園步道 Guangning Temple | 廣寧宮

Hengchun | 恆春

Hengchun Old Street | 恆春老街

Hengchun Qianggu Competition | 恆春搶孤

Lianfu Brick Kiln | 聯福磚窯 MAP

Just outside Hengchun’s old walls, on a patch of land reserved for the town’s Sunday night market, you’ll find another delightful escape – Tree Summer Ruin House . This café is a glass cube nestled within the crumbling walls of an old sisal rope factory building (sisal production was formerly a booming regional industry) and sheltered beneath the boughs of an aged royal poinciana tree. The bright interior is filled with greenery and artfully mismatched furniture, so it was no surprise to learn that the owner had a previous life as an interior designer before ditching the big city rat race in favor of Hengchun’s more mindful pace. A well-balanced drinks menu offers something for everyone, and the café also has a solid selection of brunch/lunch dishes, but where it truly shines is in its range of sweets and pastries. Among those we sampled were a cinnamon roll oozing gooey cream cheese icing, a caramel ice-cream puff, and honeyed French toast sprinkled with chili flakes – every single one a hit. It was a perfectly sweet conclusion to a short and sweet Hengchun holiday.

ONION FARM ( 洋蔥田 ) (08) 889-7699

No. 48, Nanmen Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣恆春鎮南門路 48 號 ) www.hengchun-onionfarm.com (Chinese)

YU JHEN SIANG HANDMADE EGG ROLLS ( 玉珍香餅店 ) (08) 889-2272

No. 80, Zhongshan Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣恆春鎮中山路 80 號 ) www.siang.com.tw (Chinese)

BUT WHO ( 伯虎在二樓 ) 0901-109-527

2F, No. 48, Zhongshan Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣恆春鎮中山路 48 號 2 樓 ) www.facebook.com/but.who2f

TREE SUMMER RUIN HOUSE ( 樹夏飲事 )

No. 12-21, Hengxi Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣恆春鎮恆西路 12-21 號 ) www.facebook.com/glasshousekt

Tree Summer Ruin House

Inside the café

Up in Pingtung’s Wutai, Majia, and Sandimen Townships

Indigenous Homeland Mountain Fastness

Pingtung County has a string of townships running north to south in the rugged mountain area on its eastern side in which the sparse population is overwhelmingly indigenous. Taking up the county’s northeast region are Wutai, Majia, and Sandimen townships, which receive tourist visitors in significant number. The native folk here, especially the younger generation, are dedicatedly striving to protect and bloom tribal traditions. They have created an enticing array of tourism-oriented attractions, concentrated in/around the dramatically located tribal villages, that showcase iconic cultural elements and their beloved homeland geography. Accessibility is convenient, with high-quality roadways, transport connections, and native-theme homestay accommodations. Below is a select list of traveler favorites.

Wutai

This township, home to people of the Rukai tribe, is the deepest and highest township in the mountains. It’s reached through Sandimen via Provincial Highway 24, which presents spectacular high-peak vistas around every turn.

Yanban (Slate) Lane, located atop mountainside-hugging, tiered Wutai Village, is the township’s best-known attraction. Stretching 500m, it’s paved with large slate slabs and lined with traditional slate-stone buildings. On the façades you’ll see symbols proclaiming the owner’s social status: elite member of the tribal nobility (a hundred-pacer viper), regular civilian, elder, hunter. Note the low entrances, which in times now gone facilitated defense and today still ensures a gesture of respect from arriving guests, who must bow heads on entry.

Wutai Presbyterian Church , close to Yanban Lane, is a castle-like structure primarily built of stone that stands high above other surrounding village buildings. Christian missionaries came to the area in the 1960s, bringing much-needed resources. The church was built by a famed indigenous artist in 1966. The exterior and interior artistry features numerous icons, powerfully combining Christian and traditional Rukai motifs. Outside, a towering warrior-chief sculpture, church bell in hand, calls the faithful to prayer. Inside, the Virgin Mary wears a traditional Rukai gown.

The Rukai Culture Museum (entry fee) is located further down from Yanban Lane and the church, before a large round plaza, used for public celebrations. From the plaza you can look straight out into the deep Ailiao River valley. The three-story museum building has a stone façade ornately bedecked with Rukai totems, among them the sacred hundred-pacer viper. Inside, the info-rich displays (Chinese) explain how slate homes and other structures such as guard towers are built – with precision miniature mockups of individual Wutai Township homes presented. The exhibits show impressively wide-ranging stylistic variations. Visitors can also learn about the deep symbolism of traditional tribal beadwork and the crafting/ utilization of traditional fish and hunting traps.

Wutai Presbyterian Church

Majia

The Ailiao River spills out of the low mountains onto the Pingtung Plain through a deep-gorge mouth seen from far off on your flatlands approach from the west, plateaus on either side. Sandimen Township takes up the low-mountain area to the north, Majia Township to the south. The inhabitants here are primarily from the Paiwan tribe. The cultures and traditions of the Paiwan and Rukai are intimately connected, and for a long period anthropologists grouped them together.

On the just-mentioned south-side plateau is the acclaimed Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park (entry fee), among the world’s largest indigenous-theme parks. The entertainments are profuse: replicas of traditional Taiwan indigenous architecture, robust song-and-dance performances, a museum dedicated to Taiwan tribes’ richsymbolism sculptural artistry, indigenous handicrafts DIY workshops, a hiking trail to a park overlook, and fresh-cooked native foods with exotic mountain-sourced ingredients. Note that English-language tours are available for large groups/families.

Close by the park is the young and dynamic village of Rinari, looking off the plateau’s southwest edge, with views

of far-off central Kaohsiung’s skyscrapers on clear days. The residents are from three high-mountain Paiwan/Rukai villages devastated in the infamous 2009 Typhoon Morakot. The harmoniously aesthetic abodes, incongruously, are European-style A-frame and twin homes, each façade adorned with Paiwan artwork identifying the resident clan, each home beautified further with a traditional Paiwan/ Rukai-style “living room” patio with welcoming low slateslab fencing and seating. The tourist-friendly village offers a variety of enticing indigenous-theme experiences and craftretail opportunities.

The serene cheer of immersion in Mother Nature awaits in the Liangshan Recreation Area , taking up a 2.5km lowmountain valley south of Rinari off County Highway 185. The valley’s lower section has such family-oriented facilities as a whimsical “Hobbiton village,” kid-play facilities, and goat enclosure. The signature enticement, however, is the 1.5km Liangshan Trail, which elevates you up one side of an ever-tightening, heavily forested gorge, walls ever higher, to the isolated, multi-tiered Liangshan Waterfall at the gorge’s cul-de-sac.

Sandimen

The largest Sandimen Township village is Sandi, atop the north-side plateau at the Ailiao River gorge debouche. Most outsiders simply call it Sandimen; its native Paiwan name is Timur/Tjimur.

Walk the gorge below toward Majia’s aforementioned cultural park on the monumental Shanchuan Glass Suspension Bridge , which soars 45m above the river. This is one of Taiwan’s longest suspension bridges (262m), built to replace a Sandimen/Majia-connecting structure savaged in Typhoon Morakot, which hit this region particularly hard. The Paiwan famously excel at glass-bead art, and this aesthetically inspired new structure is bejeweled with countless beads individually crafted with unique designs and color schemes by local tribal members, each expressing particular symbolic meaning. Sandi is heavy with tourism draws. It is home to numerous renowned Paiwan artists, with touristinviting studios. The Tjimur Dance Theatre is the base for an eponymous award-winning dance troupe that interprets contemporary experiences through ancient

Paiwan ballads. Its Paiwan-art-themed facility is airy and convivial, and includes a popular café. The Sandimen Cultural Center, designed in the style of a traditional slate house, has exhibits on assorted Paiwan themes, a performance hall, and an observatory with thumping views over the area. Outside are artworks of painted beads, clay pots, and bronze knives, a triumvirate sacred to the tribe.

Timur Art Park is a beautiful, inspiring space –on a sacred Paiwan ritual site – just above Sandi along Highway 24, which runs through the village. The spirited public artworks here are all creations by local artists, each explaining an element of traditional Paiwan culture. In the middle of the central axis is a large plaza, a mosaic sun, used for tribal rituals and celebrations; the word “timur” means the Paiwan are “people of the sun.” At one end of the axis is a soaring totem pole-style column of ancestral spirits, a symbol of masculinity and inheritance, and at the other is a giant stone cooking vessel, a symbol of female fertility and food abundance.

Shanchuan Glass Suspension Bridge

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Ailiao River | 隘寮溪

Liangshan Trail | 涼山步道

Liangshan Waterfall | 涼山瀑布

Majia Township | 瑪家鄉

Paiwan | 排灣族

Pingtung Plain | 屏東平原

Rinari | 禮納里

Rukai | 魯凱

Rukai Culture Museum | 魯凱文物館

Sandi | 三地

Sandimen Cultural Center | 三地門文化館

Sandimen Township | 三地門鄉

Shanchuan Glass Suspension Bridge | 山川琉璃吊橋

Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park | 台灣原住民文化園區

Timur Art Park | 地磨兒公園

Tjimur Dance Theatre | 蒂摩爾古薪舞集

Walking in the Beitou Hot-Springs Area

Hill Trails, Sulfur-Vent Valleys, Spa Comforts

TEXT RICK CHARETTE PHOTOS CHEN CHENG-KUO

Let’s have a day in the famed Beitou hot-spring district in Taipei’s northwest corner. Look at Google Maps and you’ll see the Taipei Metro’s Xinbeitou Station pointing straight into a narrow valley at the base of the Yangmingshan massif. This is the heart of Taipei’s hot-spring resort getaway area. During this walking day we spend time in the verdant hills directly above the resort area, from which most of the magical water flows.

Just above the valley are two large depressions close to one another, Sulfur Valley and Longfeng Valley, sources of the preponderance of mineral waters used by this area’s hot-spring hotels and other bathing establishments. Beitou facilities are primarily in the valley that faces the metro station and around its edges above. We’ll be visiting both the Sulfur and Longfeng attractions, but first a trail outing just a bit higher – the Shibafen Canal Trail.

Shibafen Canal Trail

The upper trailhead is on Dongsheng Road at the small community of Dinghu. The paved/staired trail is 1.2km long, one-way along a mountain ridge down toward Sulfur Valley, requiring moderate fitness. In the Qing Dynasty, local farmers collectively created a narrow, gushing irrigation canal to bring water down from higher reaches, and blazed this pathway beside as a service artery. “Shibafen” means "18 sections"; the waterway was divided into 18 sections for shared maintenance. Today’s agri-operations are dedicated to horticulture, and cherry trees and maples have been planted along the route (cherry blossoms in winter). Other attractions are an old Earth God temple, beside which you may see hikers roasting yams inside small rock piles, and the Maple Fragrance Lookout near the very top. Sweeping far-off views are good at points all along the way, but especially inspiring at the lookout.

Sulfur Valley

Entering the “lost world” of Sulfur Valley, wider and deeper than Longfeng Valley, you’ll feel like a space traveler set down on the surface of a scalded, lifeless planet. Created by long-ago volcanic eruptions, steam vents hiss menacingly and hot-spring pools bubble away moodily, and all about you within the confines of the high bare-rock perimeter walls are yolk-yellow sulfur deposits. There are great opportunities for up-close viewing of igneous/sedimentary rock juxtapositions. A wellmaintained pathway with some mildly steep sections takes you along from the parking lot at the basin’s lower end up to Xingyi Road passing by at the top. Other facilities include observation platforms above the small lake, rest pavilions, and foot-bath facilities popular with local seniors and Beitou hiking visitors. Across Xingyi Road from the higher-end trailhead of the valley pathway, enjoy a quick visit to the fetching Qingren (“Lovers”) Waterfall on the steep slope right beside the roadway.

Aerial view of the Sulfur Valley

Shibafen Canal Trail

Longfeng Valley

On the high ridge that separates Sulfur Valley and Longfeng Valley is the Longfenggu Visitor Center, at the intersection of Xingyi Road and Quanyuan Road. The two valleys lie within Yangmingshan National Park, which takes up much of the upper portion of the Yangmingshan massif. The center houses first-rate displays, with good and ample English, on the massif’s formation and volcanic activity, now-defunct traditional local industries such as sulfur mining and charcoal kilns, and the mountains’ flora and fauna.

Systematic sulfur mining/refining in Taiwan was launched here in 1697 with the arrival of a Qing Dynasty official named Yu Yong-he, charged with replenishing stock used for gunpowder manufacture after a major fire at a mainland facility. Local indigenous inhabitants worked in exchange for barter goods. In a landscaped area of the visitor center grounds by the Xingyi/ Quanyuan intersection you’ll find a memorial stele to Yu Yong-he and an info board (with English) providing more detail. Sulfur extraction continued in the valleys well into the 20th century, with relics from the work visible in both, along with scores of man-made rock/cement pools from which pipes emerge taking the spring waters to hot-spring operations in the area.

A trail leads down into Longfeng Valley from near the visitor center, starting beside Xingyi Road, snaking the full length of the valley’s north side. Longfeng Valley offers the same type of scalded landscape as Sulfur Valley, though as said on a smaller scale. The trail emerges from trees near the valley bottom to wend its way through and over clusters of large boulders, hot-spring pools bubbling away right beside you, wending past a few small shrines. A branch comes up from the valley-bottom parking lot, where there are scenic-view rest pavilions.

The trees in the valley area are mostly acacia and fig. In the past, the charcoal and sulfur industries left the surrounding land wood-bald and prone to erosion, and these tree types were central in reforestation efforts. In Longfeng Valley you’ll see a steady stream of middle-aged and older fellows plying the trail and disappearing into the densely forested gorge above the valley’s northeast corner. The trail takes them to a nearby secluded nude bathing facility (open to all of male persuasion) by the Huang Creek. The creek is a wide waterway poetically bonny, gushing, and hurtling. It is colored by the mineral waters that it picks up as it races along out of the gorge, through the valley, and down to the Taipei Basin. Entertainingly, near the path in the trees as you pierce upgorge is a squadron of pastel-painted statues of iconic Chinese mythological characters such as the Monkey King, Guan Gong (the God of War), Laughing Buddha, and Lotus-Seated Buddha.

Hot-spring pool in the Longfeng Valley

Huang Creek Ridge Scenic Trail

Just below Longfeng Valley is another depression, significantly smaller, through which the Huang Creek pushes downwards impatiently. Reach it via Lane 402 of Xingyi Road. Walk up along one wall of the upper section, which is another barren world of exposed yellow-hue rock and spewing sulfur-laden steam, via the new Huang Creek Ridge Scenic Trail. The trail is a 200m wood-built staircase pathway that ends with a high-perch lookout. It is part of an ongoing redevelopment project, set to be completed at the end of 2025, that is transforming the depression.

Flat flagstone walkways now run along through lawn-style grass and young shade trees on both sides of the creek in the depression’s lower section, before the creek disappears into trees where the walls almost come together again. There are spas here, one of which you’re visiting momentarily. The steep creek banks are now lined with boulders neatly fitted together, about 5m high. In two locations broad cut-stone staircases bring you right down to the water, facilitating footbathing in the warm mineral waters.

Huang Creek beside Emperor Spa

Huang Creek Ridge Scenic Trail (©Taipei City Govt.)

Other Suggestions for Your Expedition

Here are other suggestions for your day-outing bucket list. To explore all, of course, well more than a single day is required. More immediately, to set these places up planning-wise, some geo-explaining helps:

Emperor Spa is a good example of the scores of highquality hot-spring facilities in the area that each possess unique character and particular suites of facilities, enabling exact matching with your overnighting or shorterduration apres-hike desires. Located off the Huang Creek, as are all local soaking facilities, it’s surrounded by spiritsexciting mountain views. Tucked away in tree cover, it has the architectural styling, interior décor, and landscaping of a Japanese high-mountain onsen. There are three fully separated bathing areas and two restaurants, serving Taiwanese/Chinese and Japanese, along with private karaoke rooms (it’s not an inn, no guestrooms for overnight stays). Among the culinary highlights beloved by regulars are the casserole porridge (reservation before taking a bath recommended) and the steamed soup dumplings. There’s one nude pool area for men, one for women (private rooms available at these two), and a third family-friendly pool with swimwear used. All pool facilities are open 24H, NT$250 per adult and no time limit for public areas, all pools are cleaned daily, and note – cash-only.

Emperor Spa

Emperor Spa hot-spring pool

Casserole porridge

Douhua Lin shaved ice

For more hiking in the area consider the well-known Tianmu Historic Trail . While it is possible to walk from the Emperor Spa to the trail, this is only recommended for experienced hikers who are familiar with the area, because the connecting path is narrow and not signposted.

Instead, start your hike at the southern trailhead on Lane 232, Section 7, Zhongshan North Road. Zhongshan runs parallel a few hundred meters east of Xingyi Road in Tianmu’s northern section. The trail is 3km one way, ending up on Yangmingshan by the Chinese Culture University. The tree-lined pathway is very shady, features over 1,400 stone steps, and famously runs beside a large gurgling, groaning pipe bringing spring water down-mountain. This is the southern half of the historic mountain-traversing Yulu (“Pathway of the Fish”) Historic Trail, along which marine catch was transported from the coast in imperial times.

Because of Tianmu’s pronounced local expatriate population, the Tianmu Commercial District has a markedly international flavor, with a delicious Taiwanese/international mix of eateries, shops, and watering spots. It’s concentrated on the Zhongshan Road/Tianmu Road intersection, not far south of the Tianmu Historic Trail trailhead. A plaza at this intersection is home to the popular weekend outdoor Tianmu Life Market. Here you can browse a cornucopia of creative handicrafts and secondhand goods.

Another popular hiking destination in Beitou District, is the massive Battleship Rock , located in undeveloped forested hills southeast of our Xinbeitou Station valley, west of our Huang Creek run. This is a hulking warship-resembling outcrop of sedimentary rock, formed 24 million years ago, from which sweeping views of the Taipei Basin, Tamsui River valley, and mountains north are enjoyed. To get there, take the MRT to Qilian Station and walk to the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. The trail starts inside the university campus; just follow the signs.

After having worked up an appetite, consider exploring the Shipai Night Market , purveyor of sundry traditional Taiwanese snacks, just a few blocks from MRT Shipai Station. The Shipai community is adjacent to Tianmu, likewise tucked up against the Yangmingshan massif base. Three especially popular market operators are Shangcheng Mackerel Thick Soup, Cenlin Mung Bean Smoothie, and Douhua Lin (tofu pudding).

A closing note on transportation – public buses on numerous routes ply the areas we’ve explored here. For this article, your writer took the Small 9 up from Beitou Park before MRT Xinbeitou Station to the Dingpu stop, then used the Small 36 along Xingyi Road and onto MRT Shipai Station.

EMPEROR SPA ( 皇池溫泉御膳館 )

(02) 2862-3688

No. 42-1, Ln. 402, Xingyi Rd., Beitou Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市北投區行義路 402 巷 42 之 1 號 ) emperorspa.com.tw (Chinese)

ENGLISH AND CHINESE

Battleship Rock | 軍艦岩

Beitou (Park) | 北投 ( 公園 )

Cenlin Mung Bean Smoothie | 岑林綠豆沙

Dinghu | 頂湖

Dongsheng Road | 東昇路

Douhua Lin | 豆花林

Huang Creek | 磺溪

Huang Creek Ridge Scenic Trail | 磺溪嶺景觀步道

Longfeng Valley | 龍鳳谷

Longfenggu Visitor Center | 龍鳳谷遊客服務站

Maple Fragrance Lookout | 楓香觀景台

Qingren Waterfall | 情人瀑布

Quanyuan Road | 泉源路

Shangcheng Mackerel Thick Soup | 商城土魠魚羹

Shibafen Canal Trail | 十八份水圳步道

Shipai Night Market | 石牌夜市

Sulfur Valley | 硫磺谷

Tianmu Commercial District | 天母商圈

Tianmu Historic Trail | 天母古道

Tianmu Life Market | 天母生活市集

Yangmingshan | 陽明山

Yu Yong-he | 郁永河

Yulu Historic Trail | 魚路古道

MAP

Shancheng Mackerel Thick Soup

Cenlin Mung Bean Smoothie

Battleship Rock

Sugary Souvenirs

Taiwan Offers a Mouthwatering Selection of Packaged Desserts

TEXT HAN CHEUNG PHOTOS VISION

Whether it's mooncakes and pomelos for the Mid-Autumn Festival or sticky rice for a baby’s one-month birthday, giving edible gifts is an integral part of Taiwan culture. Tourists can also bring attractively packaged snacks home as presents; these are easily found in specialty shops across the island, including at international airports.

When traveling to different parts of Taiwan, locals and many in-the-know travelers from overseas love shopping for regional specialty snacks, even queueing up for hours for certain items. Whether it be a century-old shop or trendy fusion patisserie, the makers all draw from Taiwan’s rich and diverse traditions and abundant natural bounty.

Smille

While Sunny Hills’ pineapple cakes are a must-try for visitors, this renowned brand has launched a new venture, Smille, offering French mille-feuille with a Taiwanese twist. Opened in November 2023 in a greenery-filled concrete space in Taipei’s historic Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, the shop specializes in 25cm-long, U-shaped pastries filled with local fruits and other delectables. These “smilles” are designed to be easily eaten on the go, and visitors can learn about Taiwanese fruits and how they’re processed into sweets through the shop displays.

Smille has since also opened stands at Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art Center and Taichung’s Qingshui Service Area. Currently, five flavors are available: creamy pineapple custard, banana and guava with nuts, Kougyoku apple with shortbread and cinnamon, lemon meringue with dried strawberry, lemon coulis and smoked chicken, and brandy dried fruit with chocolate ganache and hazelnut. The Taipei shop also offers seasonal fizzy drinks; those who don’t have their own thermos can buy Smille’s reusable “mille cup,” which is made from plant material and is biodegradable.

Smille is constantly innovating, with one key goal to help Taiwanese farmers. By adopting Japanese candying techniques, the company aims to create new, high-value products that will help to ensure year-round demand for the farmers’ produce used as ingredients.

SMILLE ( 微笑蜜樂 )

080-029-2767

No. 133, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City

(inside Songshan Cultural and Creative Park)

( 台北市信義區光復南路 133 號 | 松山文創園區內 ) 11am-7pm www.smille.com.tw (Chinese)

L'Atelier Lotus

Melding classic Taiwanese crackers with the ageless edible gift of nougat, L’Atelier Lotus only opens for about an hour per day – and still often closes early due to selling out. Its sweets have become a smash hit, especially among Korean tourists, many bringing empty suitcases with them to the sole store in Taipei’s Yongkang Street tourist hub. Even K-pop stars such as Leeteuk and Kim Sejeong have enjoyed and publicly endorsed them.

The nougat is presented in attractive Tiffany Blue bags, which start flying off the shelves at 9am sharp – get there early to ensure a good place in the queue. Each customer is limited to 10 boxes, but the staff may limit sales depending on the crowd size. There are only two flavors: crispy scallion cracker and “golden coin,” a sweet-and-savory crunchy biscuit – both evoking childhood memories for Taiwanese.

The creator is a chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu and Ecole Gastronomique Bellouet Conseil in France, interned at a Michelin restaurant there, and has 20 years of experience making sweets. Each generous helping of nougat is soft, aromatic, and chewy but doesn’t stick to the teeth, its milky sweetness and texture contrasting pleasantly with the savory crackers.

L'ATELIER LOTUS ( 甜滿 )

No. 10, Ln. 31, Yongkang St., Daan District, Taipei City ( 台北市大安區永康街 31 巷 10 號 ) 9am-10am (or until stock lasts)

Nougat crackers

Long U-shaped

© Smille

GOOD FOOD Sweet Gifts

Red on Tree

In 2019, designer Jamie Wei Huang included Red on Tree’s French-style Black Queen lychee jam in her goodie bag at London Fashion Week, to rave reviews. The visually striking two-layer jam pairs rich, chewy yet crisp black leaf lychee from Erlin Township, Changhua County, with aromatic and tart Black Queen wine grape from Taiping District, Taichung City. Like the rest of the company’s ingredients, the lychees used were meticulously sourced, with the jam maker visiting farmers and testing all sorts of cultivars until zeroing in on the black leaf.

Another notable variety used is the “ten-thousandyear red lychee,” which is only found on two trees in Caotun Township, Nantou County. The fruits on their own are not popular due to their high acidity, but Red on Tree has found them highly suitable to turn into jams. Only 350 to 400 jars are made per year.

Starting from its first jar of artisanal red guava jam in 2008, Red on Tree has developed a mouthwatering array of all-natural products using fruits from small farmers across Taiwan. The origin of the fruits is noted on each jar. The company’s name refers to the Taiwanese phrase “tsai tsang ang,” describing the “extraordinarily savory taste of fruit when it is harvested from its bearing branch at the fully ripe stage.”

However, one rarely finds such fruit in the market, as crops are generally harvested before this stage due to transportation and storage concerns. But it’s possible if fully ripe fruit is used to make jams, pates de fruits, cakes, gelatos, and so on. Recently, Red on Tree has also been experimenting with tea spreads.

RED ON TREE ( 在欉紅 ) (02) 8911-5226 shop.redontree.com (Chinese) facebook.com/redontree

Johnny Yan Patissier

As a child, Johnny Yan was mesmerized by dragon’s beard candy makers working their magic at night markets and during temple festivals, their deft hands pulling, twisting, and tossing the maltose and flour mixture into delicate threads. Yan went on to specialize in French-style confectioneries, placing in the 2015 Sigep Junior World Pastry Championships in Italy at the age of 21.

Yan was dismayed when he was unable to find any dragon’s beard candy masters when revisiting temple festivities as an adult. He tried to make it himself, to no avail, and after searching around Taiwan he ended up learning the process through video calls with a confectioner in China. Thereafter, he developed his winning formula by fusing dragon’s beard candy with his classic Western training, cooking up variations such as tiramisu, matcha, Earl Grey, and French Ispahan. Seasonal offerings such as salted eggs for the Mid-Autumn Festival may also be available.

Traditional dragon’s beard candy gets soft and sticky easily, so in order to package his offerings as an edible gift, Yan devised a way to shape the threads under 160 degrees Celsius heat so that they maintain their texture for much longer and can hold a wider variety of fillings. In fact, Yan suggests that customers try eating them chilled or even frozen, as the threads become even crispier while melting right in the mouth – it’s three times as tasty, he promises.

Last year Yan’s Tainan-based shop began offering “sugar scallions,” another intricate, hand-pulled traditional candy that resembles the vegetable. Currently, strawberry and caramel toffee flavors are offered.

JOHNNY YAN PATISSIER ( 強尼甜點工藝 ) (06) 622-0382

No. 5, Ln. 193, Yuying St., Liuying District, Tainan City ( 台南市柳營區育英街 193 巷 5 號 ) johnnyyan-patissier.com

Yummy fruit jams

Wendan Fuxing

Taiwan produces millions of pomelos per year, a good portion of these being consumed or given as gifts during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Public interest in the fruit dwindles again once the festivities conclude, leading to much leftover stock that goes to waste. Founded in 2020, Wendan Fuxing, or “Pomelo Revival,” aims to provide some relief for producers by turning their unsold pomelos into Taiwanese-style desserts.

The shop is in the county of Hualien, which is the nation’s largest pomelo-producing area, mostly with older trees that are known to produce juicer, more fragrant fruit with a refreshing balance of tart and sweet. The team extols the benefits of the pomelo, which has three times the Vitamin C a lemon contains and skin that can be made into essential oils.

Wendan Fuxing has devised a method to preserve the freshness of the skin and flesh separately, allowing creation of diverse products by adjusting the ratio. The filling of its award-winning mooncake-like green pomelo pastry, for example, is 43 percent skin and 57 percent flesh. This unique confection recently won a gold medal at the Japan International Souvenir Design Competition.

Pomelo versions of other quintessential local specialties such as the pineapple cake and Hualien sweet potato pastry are also available, the latter of which only contains candied pomelo skin. The mini mochis are filled with a mixture of pomelo and sweetened bean paste. Aside from edibles, the shop also offers pomelo dishwashing liquid, hand soap, mosquito repellent, and essential oil.

WENDAN FUXING ( 文旦復興 ) (03) 835-0011

No. 193, Zhongshan Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中山路 193 號 ) hualien-dessert.com

Pomelo cakes Sweet-potato mochi

Pomelo mooncakes

Hsin Tung Yang

Established in 1967, the Hsin Tung Yang chain has long been a mainstay provider of Taiwanese edible souvenirs, mainly known for quality dried-meat products, such as its fluffy pork floss and juicy jerky. Over the years the company has continually diversified its offerings and expanded its operations, and today it boasts outlets in more than 10 countries. For visitors who aren’t sure what to bring home, this is a one-stop-shop for all sorts of delectables.

Among the company’s most popular edible gifts are its rectangular pineapple cakes, which come in several varieties. The classic recipe used features a sweet, softer filling that’s a mix of wax gourd and pineapple, wrapped in a crumbly, aromatic butter and egg pastry that melts in the mouth. There’s also a version that includes salted egg yolk.

The modified, all-natural type that has become popular in Taiwan over the past decade features a 100 percent pineapple core with a more fibrous texture. Using fruit from Nantou County’s Baguashan area, the taste is notably more sour but less heavy. The cakes also come in several different flavors, including chewy bubble milk tea, mango, curry, and Eastern Beauty tea.

Another much-loved item is the snowflake cake, created by fusing crispy biscuit and soft nougat into a square pastry. The mango and cranberry versions are sprinkled with dried fruit,

and there are also salted egg and bubble milk tea flavors. The mung bean cakes, walnut cookies, and black date candy are also longstanding favorites.

HSIN TUNG YANG ( 新東陽 ) hty.com.tw (Chinese)

Pineapple cakes

Snowﬂake cakes

T.K Food

Originating in military dependents’ villages, “cubic pastries” are a staple snack of Chiayi County. In 1949, after the Chinese Civil War, soldiers from northern China brought their breadmaking traditions to Taiwan and sold their goods on the street.

There are several different accounts about how the cubic pastries came to be – T.K Food, one of Chiayi’s big three cubic pastry manufacturers, maintains that its founder learned the pastry trade from his neighbor while growing up in a military dependents’ village, later modifying the roasted pastries into a multi-layered, crunchy morsel that’s convenient to snack on. Each layer is handmade, with a unique salty and sweet flavor.

Since its inception in 1979, the company has concocted more than 50 flavors, with Sun Moon Lake black tea chocolate and “Alishan” among the fan favorites. The Alishan treat features an oolong tea upper crust to represent the high mountains, while the bottom is black sesame covered in white chocolate, evoking imagery of the area’s iconic forests shrouded in mist.

Bestselling flavors include frosted butter, XO shrimp sauce, as well as guava and plum. Less conventional choices include mullet roe, truffles, and cream, and most recently T.K Food collaborated with Taiwan’s Matsu Islands to create two mussel-infused treats. Its shops offer a variety of themed gift boxes with different treat combinations.

In 2014 the company debuted its salted egg biscuits, which became a hit sensation among the younger crowd, and since then it has introduced an array of salted egg-flavored products, such as dry noodles and crispy fish skin.

If House

Founded in the city of Taichung in 1928 during Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period, this historic pastry shop quickly made a name for itself with its pineapple cakes, which were popular with both Taiwanese and Japanese residents. Today, the shop (there is now a second outlet, also in Taichung) offers both original and innovative varieties and recommends pairing them with hot Taiwanese tea or a glass of milk.

During the 1950s, If House began hawking its sun cakes on trains, spreading its fame beyond central Taiwan. A Taichung specialty, these flaky pastries with a rich creamy aroma are filled with sugary maltose. The traditional version in which lard is used is still available, while the modern type is made with high-end French butter and also comes in honey and taro flavors. A limited-edition bubble milk tea version contains black tea powder from Nantou County’s Yuchi Township.

As Taiwan’s economy took off, people began coveting Westernstyle luxuries, and If House followed the trend in 1964 by creating its famous lemon cake, a spongy, citrusy confection shaped like the fruit coated in a thin layer of pastel-yellow chocolate. (There are also dark chocolate and strawberry versions.) Other shops in town followed suit and created their own versions, and today the lemon cake is known as one of Taichung’s three main pastries alongside the sun cake and taro pastry. If House also produces the taro pastry, which features a thin, layered skin with rich taro paste and white mochi inside. Other notable offerings include chestnut cake and small mung bean mooncakes stuffed with minced pork.

T.K FOOD ( 老楊方塊酥 ) (05) 227-5121 No. 249, Zhongshan Rd., East District, Chiayi City (Zhongshan Branch) ( 嘉義市東區中山路 249 號 | 中山店 ) 9:30am-9:30pm tkfood.com.tw (Chinese)

IF HOUSE ( 一福堂老店 ) (04) 2222-2643 No. 52, Zhongshan Rd., Central District, Taichung City ( 台中市中區中山路 52 號 ) 10am-9pm ifhouse.com.tw (Chinese)

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Caotun Township | 草屯鎮 dragon's beard candy | 龍鬚糖 Erlin Township | 二林鎮 "golden coin" | 金錢

Lemon cakes

Finding Peace

Buddhist Centers Around Taiwan

Taiwan is a land of stark contrasts. While its bustling cities and vibrant Taoist temple festivals offer a lively experience, its Buddhist temples and monasteries provide a serene and contemplative retreat. These Buddhist centers are not only places to learn about the religion and practice Zen meditation, but also popular tourist destinations. Visitors can immerse themselves in a peaceful atmosphere and gain insights into Taiwan’s rich religious culture.

There are countless Buddhist temples, monasteries, and meditation centers scattered throughout Taiwan, both in urban and rural/mountainous areas, but four organizations in particular stand out for their size: membership numbers, facilities, programs, social engagement, and international reach. These are Dharma Drum Mountain, Chung Tai Chan Buddhist Foundation, Fo Guang Shan Monastery, and Tzu Chi Foundation, with headquarters located in northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan respectively. These large organizations significantly impact the daily lives of many people in Taiwan and also abroad. For Buddhists, their complexes serve as important pilgrimage sites and sources of spiritual nourishment. Simultaneously, they attract domestic and international travelers who come to make use of their facilities and services and marvel at inspiring architectural and artistic works. Among the activities offered are lectures and classes about Buddhism, sutra chanting and meditation sessions, and eating vegetarian fare in the facilities’ dining halls.

TEXT & PHOTOS VISION

Dharma Drum Mountain | 法鼓山

Dharma Drum Mountain’s headquarters is nestled in the serene Jinshan District of New Taipei City on Taiwan’s North Coast. Completed in 2001, this impressive complex houses a monastery and an education center. Dedicated to enlightening the public through Buddhist teachings, the organization strives to create a “Pure Land on Earth.” To achieve this noble goal, Dharma Drum offers a diverse array of programs, including Chan practice sessions, retreats, workshops, and camps. www.ddm.org.tw

Fo Guang Shan | 佛光山

Based in the city of Kaohsiung’s Dashu District, Fo Guang Shan Monastery is Taiwan’s largest. Renowned for its striking Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, opened in 2011, the monastery is a beacon of modern Buddhism. Founded in 1967, the order promotes Humanistic Buddhism, a philosophy that emphasizes compassion, wisdom, and social engagement. For foreigners new to Buddhism, the monastery offers weekend retreats in English, which provide a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in Buddhist practices, including chanting, meditation, and dharma classes. www.fgs.org.tw

Chung Tai Chan Buddhist Foundation | 中台禪寺

Chung Tai Chan Monastery, a towering 136m structure, dominates the skyline above the township of Puli in Nantou County. Completed in 2001, it holds the title of the world’s tallest temple. Chung Tai’s mission is to bring the wisdom of Buddhism to people everywhere. Its meditation centers, set up in locations around the world, offer a peaceful retreat from the stresses of modern life and provide a variety of programs to suit different needs, from beginner to advanced levels. These include daily meditation classes, weekend retreats, and special events. www.ctworld.org.tw

Tzu Chi Foundation | 慈濟基金會

Tzu Chi Foundation, founded by Master Cheng Yen, is headquartered in the city of Hualien. This international humanitarian, non-governmental organization is dedicated to the four major missions of charity, medicine, education, and humanistic culture. Unlike the previous three Buddhist organizations, Tzu Chi does not promote a specific Buddhist interpretation, instead focusing primarily on humanitarianism and community service. www.tzuchi.org.tw

Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society | 靈鷲山佛教教團

Smaller in scale yet equally inspiring, the complex of the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society, founded in 1983, is a serene retreat nestled atop a mountain overlooking picturesque Fulong Beach on the Northeast Coast. This popular tourist destination offers visitors a chance to experience the tranquility of Buddhist practice amidst stunning natural beauty.

www.ljm.org.tw

Chan Grove | 祖師禪林

If looking for a quaint Buddhist temple offering meditation classes, check out Chan Grove, located on a mountain slope in Taipei’s Beitou District. www.changrove.org

Earth Chan School | 地球禪法學校

Another option for Buddhist education is the Earth Chan School, founded by Teacher Hong Chi-song. Located on the eighth floor of an office building in Xindian District in New Taipei City , the school offers a range of classes, from Zen meditation to tea tasting. ez-college.com (Chinese)

For more information about Buddhist organizations and different religions in Taiwan, visit the informative, multilingual “Taiwan Religious Culture Map” website of the Ministry of the Interior at taiwangods.moi.gov.tw

COOL BEANS

Coffee Cultivation Around Taiwan

Traditionally, Taiwan has been synonymous with tea, with its tea plantations far outnumbering coffee farms. However, in recent decades there has been a significant rise in coffee cultivation and consumption. This growing trend is gradually bridging the gap between these two beloved beverages.

Although coffee trees can be cultivated throughout Taiwan, the majority of production is in the southern half of the island. Pingtung County takes the lead, followed by Nantou and Taitung counties. As tea and coffee thrive in similar climates, it’s not uncommon to find tea and coffee plantations sharing the landscape. In areas with betelnut plantations, coffee trees often grow in the shade of the palms. This symbiotic relationship helps to prevent soil erosion that can occur because of the betelnut trees’ shallow roots, while also providing the shade that coffee plants thrive in.

With over 1,000 hectares under cultivation, Taiwan’s coffee industry is a small but significant player on the global stage. The island’s annual output of around 1,000 tons pales in comparison to major producers like Costa Rica, which is slightly larger in size but produces over 70,000 tons. Taiwan, however, punches above its weight in terms of quality.

Rather than focusing on mass production, Taiwan’s coffee is cultivated on small, independent farms, often less than one hectare in size. This approach allows for meticulous care and attention to detail, resulting in unique, flavorful beans. One key factor contributing to the distinctive tastes is the short time between harvest and roasting. Many farmers roast their own beans, ensuring maximum freshness and rich, complex flavor profiles.

Taiwan’s diverse topography and climate zones have given rise to cultivation of a range of coffee varieties, including Typica, Catimor, Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai, Geisha, and SL. The majority of Taiwanese coffee is processed using the washed method, but at lower elevations, some farmers experiment with natural processing to enhance sweetness.

This combination of factors has positioned Taiwan as a rising star in the specialty coffee world, captivating coffee enthusiasts with its unique, high-quality beans.

The counties with the largest production of coffee in 2023 were Pingtung (177.3 tons), Nantou (164.63), and Taitung (140.37).

The main coffee-growing areas are divided according to the following three flavor profiles:

Orange - “mountainous terrain flavor” ( 山地型風味 ); flower and tea notes, moderate acidity, similar to Central American highmountain coffees

Green – “plateau terrain flavor” ( 高原型風味 ); fragrant and chocolaty notes, similar to Ethiopian coffees

Yellow – “island terrain flavor” ( 島嶼型風味 ); flower and fragrant notes, more acidic, similar to Hawaiian coffees; “island terrain” refers to East Coast mountain lands affected by Pacific Ocean coastal climate.

Nantou

Yunlin

Chiayi

Tainan

Kaohsiung

Taitung

Hualien

Pingtung

Taipei Songshan

Convenient Access to the Heart of the Capital

TEXT & PHOTOS VISION

Before Taoyuan International Airport opened in 1979, Taipei Songshan Airport – built in 1936 – served as the primary aerial gateway to Taipei and Taiwan. Despite ongoing discussions about its potential closure, the airport continues to play a crucial role, handling over 6 million passengers annually. Its convenient location within the city makes it especially popular for both domestic and regional international travel.

Flying through Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA; www.tsa. gov.tw) is a smart option if your destination or point of origin is Tokyo Haneda, which is significantly closer to central Tokyo than Narita, the city’s primary international airport. Songshan also offers excellent connections to airports in China and South Korea. Additionally, it serves as the key hub for flights to Taiwan’s outlying islands, with frequent daily services to Kinmen, Penghu, and Matsu.

With its own Taipei Metro station, MRT Songshan Airport, the airport is seamlessly integrated into the public-transport system of Taiwan’s capital. The above-ground Brown Line provides direct access to the bustling city center and connects with three major metro lines: the Green Line at Songshan Nanjing, the Blue Line at Zhongxiao Fuxing, and the Red Line at Daan. These connections make it quick and convenient to reach any part of the city.

For travel to Taipei Main Station or Nangang Station (also serving the Taiwan Railway and Taiwan High Speed Rail systems), simply transfer to the Blue Line. From Taipei Main Station, you can also access the Taoyuan Airport Metro for travel to Taoyuan International Airport. The Blue Line additionally leads to Ximending, a vibrant shopping and entertainment district with numerous budget-friendly hotels, and Wanhua District, home to the historic Bangka Lungshan Temple, Taipei’s oldest and most iconic temple.

Take the Red Line to visit other top Taipei tourist destinations such as Taipei 101, Yongkang Street, Chiang Kaishek Memorial Hall, Shilin Night Market, and the National Palace Museum (accessible by bus from Shilin Station). The Red Line also connects to Beitou Station, where you can transfer to the short Xinbeitou Line to explore the hot-spring resort area in Beitou District (see page 30), and heads on to Tamsui, a charming port town on the North Coast.

The Green Line provides access to the Taipei Arena, a popular venue for concerts and events, as well as Songshan Railway Station and the bustling Raohe Street Night Market. Meanwhile, riding the Brown Line to its south-end terminus will take you to Taipei Zoo and the Maokong Gondola, which offers a scenic ride to Maokong’s renowned tea gardens.

Taipei Songshan Airport is relatively small compared to major international hubs. While it offers a selection of facilities, including restaurants, cafés, and shops, it’s not an ideal place to spend extended hours waiting for a flight. However, aviation

enthusiasts will appreciate the observation deck on the third floor, which provides a great vantage point to watch planes take off and land.

If you have time to spare, consider exploring the nearby Minsheng Community, just a short walk away. This tranquil neighborhood features tree-lined streets and a variety of stylish establishments, including boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. For a livelier option, take the MRT Brown Line two stops north to Jiannan Road Station and visit Miramar Entertainment Park. This shopping mall boasts restaurants, movie theaters, and a giant rooftop Ferris wheel.

Taipei Songshan Airport

Famous tourist spot in Ximending

Tastes Taiwan of

A Classroom Where Taiwanese Cuisine Comes Alive

Hands-on experiences are a wonderful way to get an in-depth look into your topic of interest, whether it be food, arts and crafts, sports, or cultural activities. Taiwan offers a wide range of DIY possibilities, giving curious visitors a chance to interact with local experts and pick their brains.

TEXT HAN CHEUNG PHOTOS VISION, COOKINN TAIWAN

The classroom at Taipei’s Cookinn Taiwan is filled with laughter as students try their hardest to smash a cucumber with a knife on a cutting board. “Think of someone who makes you angry,” exclaims the animated instructor. They all have a sliced end of a cucumber stuck on their foreheads, something meant in other circumstances to be soothing and beneficial to the skin.

They will later marinate the cucumber with garlic, chili, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar to create a classic Taiwanese side dish, which will be paired with other classic Taiwanese culinary treats: xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), braised beef noodle soup, and boba milk tea. Everything is crafted from scratch, including the dumpling skins. The instructor shares tidbits of local history and culture, such as how eating noodles became popular in Taiwan despite the island not producing wheat, and the students’ eyes widen as she explains that the term “boba” originally referred to a largebreasted woman.

This three-hour class, which is open to those of all skill levels, is one of the school’s more popular selections. The other bestseller is the Taiwanese street food combo, featuring lu rou fan (braised pork rice), guabao (pork belly buns), and boba tea, in which the buns and tapioca balls are handmade. Other offerings include Taiwanese traditional breakfast, pastries, night-market snacks, and seasonal festive specialties such as mooncakes and zongzi (sticky-rice dumplings). Instruction is in English or Japanese, and there are also digital options for Korean and Thai speakers. After each class, participants receive memento photos and full recipes.

School founder Chelsea Tsai hopes that visitors can recreate the dishes they have learned once they’re back home, so she has simplified some of the recipes and only included ingredients that are accessible outside of Taiwan. For example, beef noodles can be made with a variety of spices, but Tsai has narrowed it to four essentials: orange peel, star anise, cinnamon, and peppercorn.

To Tsai, the interactions during class are crucial to the experience. “As a tourist traveling abroad, there aren’t many chances to exchange ideas with locals about their cuisine,” she says. “If you’re a foodie, we can really sit down with you and have a discussion about anything related to food. It’s a much deeper experience.”

Tsai recalls her mother returning home every day after working long hours and immediately heading to the kitchen, whipping up a full meal within half an hour. As a child, she loved watching her mother cook, and they would also visit traditional markets together. But like most Taiwanese growing up in the 1980s and ’90s she never had much opportunity to make food herself, as she was told to focus on her studies.

Even after she left home, she did not get into cooking during her time in college and after she started working. The interest was still there, however, and it grew ever stronger. Ultimately, Tsai decided to quit her marketing job at a tech firm and enrolled in a culinary certification program, later heading to Tokyo to study at Le Cordon Bleu.

Cooking classroom

Cooking ingredients for a beef noodle dish

Making xiaolongbao (small steamed buns)

She originally hoped to open a restaurant, but after working at several high-end eateries, she felt this wasn’t suitable for her. While contemplating her next step, she volunteered to teach children on Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day in 2015.

“I had a lot of fun, and I found that I was quite adept at it,” Tsai says. “I realized that teaching is very similar to marketing – you take something complicated and turn it into simple concepts for your students. From that point, I dove into the world of culinary education.”

Tsai first worked with teenagers and new parents who had little cooking experience, making Taiwanese home-style foods as well as pasta and other everyday dishes. One day, the school she was collaborating with accepted a gig to show international students at National Taiwan University of Technology how to create classic Taiwanese treats.

“I taught them how to make boba tea and oyster omelets starting from cassava powder, and shared some stories about Taiwan’s past,” she says. “It was fun and well-received. We Taiwanese always say that we’re very proud of our cuisine, but we don’t have a lot of chances to really discuss it in detail with visitors – we just tell them to go to a night market or visit Din Tai Fung (a well-known dumpling restaurant).”

However, Tsai didn’t think about turning this talent into a fulltime business until she went on a five-day trip to Seoul, with the only experience she remembered clearly being a cooking class. In 2018, she launched her school. Absorbing knowledge and skills from a triumvirate of retired master chefs, her mother, and other older relatives, Tsai tweaked and modified every culinary selection until it was suitable for the classroom.

It’s difficult for Taiwanese to even pin down a singular definition of their cuisine due to the island’s complicated history and the diverse array of people that have settled here. The indigenous people had long practiced their foodways when the Hoklo and Hakka brought their cuisines from southern China starting from the 1600s, Japan left its mark when it colonized Taiwan for 50 years starting in 1895, refugees from across China brought their specialities after the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, and the US brought products such as flour and milk through its post-war aid programs.

Tsai points to a photo of plentiful ingredients simmering in a spicy hot pot in her English cookbook, Taste Taiwan: Recipes from Taiwanese Home Kitchens , as what she sees as a microcosm of local cuisine. “This hot pot, you can put anything in it and they can coexist very well,” she says. “It’s not a melting pot, the ingredients influence each other but still retain their own flavor and appearance. This reflects our culture of acceptance and openness – we don’t have to intentionally pigeonhole the cuisine into something it’s not.”

COOKINN TAIWAN (02) 2517-1819

Zhongshan Classroom: 2F, No. 66, Sec. 1, Chengde Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市大同區承德路一段 66 號 2 樓 )

Ximen Classroom: 4F, No. 105, Bo'ai Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市中正區博愛路 105 號 4 樓 ) cookinn.tw

HOT! STAY / EAT / BUY

Taipei City

Grand Hotel Taipei

圓山大飯店

With a long and storied history, the Grand Hotel stands as a majestic Chinese palacestyle building on the slopes of Mount Jiantan. Celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, it presents a harmonious blend of natural beauty and compelling tales. Experience the beauty of spring as you wander through the Yuanshan Scenic Area, surrounded by colorful blossoms and lush greenery. In summer, take a refreshing dip in the Olympic-sized swimming pool to escape the heat. Experience a culinary journey in autumn, with a delightful blend of traditional and contemporary dishes. In winter, immerse yourself in a festive

atmosphere as we usher in the end of the year with unforgettable experiences. Furthermore, you can delve into the mysteries of the East and West secret tunnels on a unique cultural tour. Experience a journey through time and history and explore a stunning architectural masterpiece. Discover the renewed allure of the Grand Hotel Taipei!

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) 2886-8888 Fax: (02) 2885-2885 www.grand-hotel.org

Taipei City FOOD

Jin Din Rou – Xiaolongbao, Dumplings, Dim Sum

小籠包・餃子・點心京鼎樓

This well-known xiaolongbao (a type of small steamed bun) restaurant is located near the intersection of Zhongshan N. Road and Linsen N. Road. It serves traditional xiaolongbao crafted by expert chefs. Within the buns’ thin skin is a piping-hot juicy filling with a delicious taste. The restaurant has put a lot of effort in creating its rich menu. Particularly popular among the offerings are steamed buns with a skin that is infused with oolong tea flavor. Preserving traditional flavors and techniques, Jin Din Rou is a restaurant where diners can experience the results of excellent craftsmanship and truly unique tastes.

No. 47, Changchun Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市中山區長春路47號)

Tel: (02) 2523-6639

jin-din-rou.net/taiwan

Taipei City FOOD

Palais de Chine

君品酒店

Get ready for a new wave of deliciousness at the Palais de Chine Hotel's Le Thé restaurant! On the 11th of each month, the restaurant now hosts a “Meat Lover’s Carnival”! Indulge in a 10-ounce prime steak, artisanal bread, garden salad, chef's soup, chef's selected dessert, and coffee or tea for just NT$1,111 plus 10% during dining hours. Unlimited servings of all menu items are available. Parties of two can enjoy a special twin set for NT$1,999 plus 10%.

No. 3, Sec. 1, Chengde Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市承德路一段3號)

Tel: (02) 2181-9977 www.palaisdechinehotel.com

Taipei City FOOD MODERN TOILET 便所主題餐飲

A joke that has lasted for almost two decades: the story of eating while sitting on the toilet. Once named the weirdest restaurant in the world by CNN, it is now back with a bang after renovation! One of the must-eat restaurants in Taiwan, Modern Toilet Restaurant was inspired by a poop-loving robot in Japanese comics. We serve our food in feceslooking style in toilet-shaped tableware. Customers enjoy the taste of delicious cuisine while being visually stimulated by a realistic toilet environment.

Taipei Ximending Branch (台北西門町店)

2F, No.7, Ln. 50, Xining S. Rd., Wanhua Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區西寧南路50巷7號2F)

Tel: (02) 2311-8822

STAY

Taipei City

Wellspring by Silks Beitou 北投晶泉丰旅

Wellspring by Silks Beitou boasts 94 hotspring guestrooms and suites. The hotel’s design, combining Japanese Zen elements and earth tones, creates a visually relaxing atmosphere for guests. Most rooms feature private double hot-spring bathtubs, while the thoughtfully designed scenic suites provide guests with the luxury of a private outdoor spa with three hot spring bathtubs. You can relax and soak in the hot springs while enjoying the stunning scenery of Mt. Datun and Beitou’s urban area. A unique feature of the hotel is the introduction of Japanese “onsen bathing guides.” Trained in Japan

and certified in their field, these guides will share their knowledge of hot springs and guide you through the proper bathing etiquette, allowing you to learn about Beitou's white sulfur hot springs and local bathing culture while enjoying the pleasures of hot-spring wellness.

No. 19, Quanyuan Rd., Beitou Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市北投區泉源路19號)

Tel: (02) 6610-8000 www.beitou.wellspringbysilks.com

Beitou Resort Metro Inn

北投會館捷之旅

• NO. OF ROOMS: 42

• ROOM RATES: Single/DBL NT$2,180 – 5,280 Suite NT$5,480 – 9,380

• DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese

• SPECIAL FEATURES:

Beitou Resort Metro Inn is the first hotel operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation. Conveniently located close to Exit 2 of MRT Fuxinggang Station and not far from the well-known Beitou hot-spring area, the inn offers great views of the Guandu Plain. Surrounded by a vibrant ecosystem, the hotel blends elements of culture and nature, providing serene and comfortable accommodation. It is the

No. 88, Ln. 527, Daye Rd., Beitou Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市北投區大業路527巷88號) Tel: (02) 2892-1485 btresort.metro.taipei

perfect place to unwind. In addition to a range of recreational facilities such as a gym, table tennis room, and swimming pool, and offering an immersive MRT emergency escape experience, the hotel also has a Chinese restaurant, Guihua Xuan. It meets the diverse needs of business and leisure travelers alike.

Taipei City STAY

HPW Group operates twelve hotels under three brands, strategically located in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taoyuan Airport. providing exceptional accommodations and services to guests worldwide.

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