2024
JAN & FEB
No.
EXPERT TALK
RAPTOR RESCUE AND RESEARCH IN YANGMINGSHAN
121
GOOD FOOD
DAY MARKET EATERIES IN TAIPEI
URBAN WALKS
DOWNTOWN TAINAN ON FOOT
Down in Chiayi Danayigu Nature Ecological Park Traditional Culture in Xingang Township Three Themed Tours
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Travel in Taiwan No.121
Publisher's Note Dear Traveler, A brand-new year has dawned, meaning a new set of resolutions for you. One of the most rewarding resolutions you can make for 2024 is taking a trip to wonderful Taiwan, this land of so many cultural and scenic riches. In this issue we present to you just a small sample of the nowhere-else-inthis-world touring experiences that await. Each issue our feature set of articles highlights a selected area in mainland Taiwan or our many offshore islands. This edition it’s laid-back, timeless Chiayi (city and county), in the southwest. Our destination in the keynote file is Danayigu Nature Ecological Park, in the high-mountain Alishan National Scenic Area. Learn about the culture of Alishan’s Tsou tribe and their eco-protection efforts, have a Tsou-theme lunch right in a river, and create unique handicraft DIY takehome treasures. In one of two accompanying Chiayi files we explore Chiayi following three different themes – “tea, railway, and heritage architecture” – using three different travel modes – the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus service, tourist-oriented Alishan Forest Railway, and YouBike public-bike rental. In the other file our focus is on traditional culture in Chiayi City and nearby Xingang Township, where museums and temples, a culturally rich hinterland, and many other attractions call for extended visits.
Elsewhere, we present a special file on urban walks in Tainan, perhaps Taiwan’s richest city in terms of historical assets, located southwest of Chiayi. While walking yourself back into history in its West Central District, where Taiwan’s oldest Han Chinese settlement took root in the 1600s, at the same time visit some of the city’s most dynamic young cultural-creative attractions. In our regular Good Food department, you’ll be munching your way through culinary discoveries in iconic Taipei day markets that have undergone tasteful facelifts, with their legion of attractive stalls now serving updated creations along with traditional favorites in order to cater to broader palate preferences, ranging from sushi to beef noodles to curry puffs. We remain in Taipei for this issue’s Expert Talk article, traveling high up to Yangmingshan National Park on the city’s north side to visit the edifying Grass Mountain Raptor Center, acquiring invaluable practical knowledge on spotting birds of prey throughout the city and about important conservation initiatives being taken. A very Happy New Year to one and all!
TAIWAN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION
MOTC, R.O.C.
Welcome to
Taiwan!
@tourtaiwan
@taiwan
@taiwanbesttrip
Travel in Taiwan No.121
PUBLISHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Taiwan Tourism Administration
Johannes Twellmann
EDITING CONSULTANT T. C. Chou
PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION TAIWAN TOURISM ADMINISTRATION, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
CONTACT International Division, Taiwan Tourism Administration Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10694, TAIWAN Tel: 886-2-2349-1500 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036 E-mail: tad@tad.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw
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GENERAL MANAGER David Hu
台 灣 觀 光 雙 月刊 Travel in Taiwan The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Administration (Advertisement) JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2024 Tourism Administration, MOTC First published Jan./Feb. 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200
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CONTENTS Travel in Taiwan No.121
JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2024
10
22
32
01
10
38
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
CHIAYI / SOUTHERN ALISHAN
GOOD FOOD / DAY MARKET EATERIES
04 TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS
06 TRAVEL NEWS Happening In Taiwan Now
A DAY-TRIP TO DANAYIGU Natural Splendor, Vibrant Culture, and Superb Tsou Cuisine Await Travelers When Visiting Southern Alishan
22 CHIAYI / TRADITIONAL CULTURE
MAZU AND MUSEUMS Experiencing Traditional Culture in Xingang Township and Chiayi City
28 CHIAYI / THEMED TOURS TEA, RAILWAY, HERITAGE ARCHITECTURE Exploring Chiayi County & City in Three Different Styles
08
32
CULTURE & ART
URBAN WALKS / TAINAN
Concerts, Theater, Exhibitions, Festivals, Shows
DOWNTOWN TAINAN ON FOOT A Relaxing Day Taking in Some of the City’s Coolest Places
MARKET MEALS Culinary Discoveries in Taipei Day Markets
44 LITTLE THINGS / TRADITIONAL CRAFTS BAMBOO BASKETS Traditional Items Made of Bamboo
46 EXPERT TALK / BIRDS RAPTOR RESCUE AND RESEARCH A Visit to the Grass Mountain Raptor Center in Taipei
TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS
January~March
2 ©Tainan City Govt.
1
©Taipei City Govt.
3
©New Taipei City Govt.
Off to a Good Start in 2024! Exciting Happenings and Events Early in the Year 1 TAIPEI CITY
February 20~25
2 TAINAN CITY
February 24~March 10
TAIPEI INTERNATIONAL BOOK EXHIBITION
TAIWAN INT’L ORCHID SHOW / WORLD ORCHID CONFERENCE
The Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) is an important annual event for publishing professionals and book lovers in Taiwan and throughout East Asia. Thousands of visitors come to explore the latest in the world of publishing. Each time one country is featured as the “Guest of Honor,” and this time the Netherlands has been made the center of attention to mark the 4th centennial of Taiwan’s colonization by the Dutch in 1624.
Orchids have been cultivated in Taiwan for more than a hundred years, and over the last two decades the local production has been increased significantly, making the island one of the most important orchid exporters in the world. More than 90% of Taiwan-grown flowers shipped abroad are orchids, with moth orchids being the most important. This year, Tainan will also be the host for the triennial World Orchid Conference – first held in 1954 – which brings the global orchid community together and features a wide range of orchid exhibitions and scientific lectures.
台北國際書展
www.tibe.org.tw
臺灣國際蘭展 / 世界蘭花會議
www.woc23.com
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3 NEW TAIPEI CITY February 17~24
PINGXI SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL 平溪天燈節
Releasing paper lanterns into the sky is a very popular activity for tourists who visit the scenic Pingxi Valley in New Taipei City. While sky lanterns are released throughout the year, during the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (two weeks after the Lunar New Year) the atmosphere is especially enchanting. Thousands of revelers gather and hundreds of lanterns are released in close succession, turning the night sky into a sea of orange lights. Write your wishes on your lantern and send it to the heavens! newtaipei.travel/en
4 TAINAN CITY February 23~24
5 KAOHSIUNG CITY March 16~23
6 YUNLIN COUNTY February 5~25
YANSHUI BEEHIVE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL
SONG-JIANG BATTLE ARRAY IN NEIMEN, KAOHSIUNG
BEIGANG LANTERN FESTIVAL
While the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival provides a very peaceful and heartwarming experience, the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival definitely does not. And it’s not meant to be. The origin of the beehive fireworks goes back to the late 19 th century, when the people of the town of Yanshui were plagued by a cholera epidemic. Turning to the gods for help, they carried a palanquin with Guan Di, the God of War, through the streets and set off firecrackers to scare away the evil spirits responsible for the plague. This approach apparently worked, and the faithful people of Yanshui have been organizing the raucous, h e a r t- q u i c ke n i n g b e e h i ve f i r e w o r k s e ve n t annually ever since.
Not much of tourist interest goes on in Kaohsiung’s quiet rural district of Neimen for most of the year, but there is one exception, the annual Song-Jiang Battle Array event. This week-long festival, a mix of religious rituals and sports-like competition, brings together groups of young performers from around Taiwan, who converge on Neimen to show off their troupearray martial-arts skills and compete against each other. The festival is a fantastic spectacle, packed with exciting and at times highly acrobatic performances that are accompanied by the sound of drums and other traditional instruments.
A pa r t from Taiwa n’s bet te r-k nown a nnual Lantern Festival events, such as the Taiwan Lantern Festival and city-level events in Taipei and Kaohsiung, there are also a number of less prominent happenings with a strong local character elsewhere. One of these is the Beigang Lantern Festival, held since 1965. Beigang is a town in Chiayi County well known for its iconic Chaotian Temple. The lantern exhibiton staged around this temple is a showcase of traditionalstyle lanterns, while the town’s streets, alleys, and parks are also beautifully decorated with all sorts of light-art installations during the festival.
www.who-ha.tw (Chinese)
tour.yunlin.gov.tw
鹽水蜂炮
高雄內門宋江陣
北港燈會
twtainan.net
6
©Yunlin County Govt.
4
©Tainan City Govt.
5
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TRAVEL NEWS
©Keelung City Govt.
Happening in TA WA N Now This year, Tainan is at the center of Taiwan tourists’ attention with many events taking place as part of the city’s 4th centennial celebrations. But there is a lot to look forward to elsewhere as well, with new facilities and services making travel in Taiwan even more convenient and enjoyable.
Transportation
Keelung Buys Duck Boats The city of Keelung, to the east of Taipei, is dominated by its port, and not surprisingly this is an asset worth promoting as a tourist attraction. Witnessing how port cities around the world, including Yokohama, Singapore, and Boston, have successfully employed amphibious vehicles (“duck boats”) for harbor cruises, the Keelung City Government has decided to purchase two such boats from Japan to put into service this year. The exact date when and the location where the boats will start operating has yet to be announced.
tour.klcg.gov.tw/en
©Sun Moon Lake Nat. Scenic Area Admin.
Cycling
New Bikeway Section Added at Sun Moon Lake
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Sun Moon Lake, located in central Taiwan’s Nantou County, has been one of the island’s top tourist draws for many decades. The lake is surrounded by high mountains of the Central Mountain Range and is enchantingly beautiful whichever season you decide to come for a visit. Apart from just lazily taking in the lake-and-mountain scenery – from the comfort of your room balcony if you stay in one of the lakeside hotels – there is also much active fun to enjoy, first and foremost
going on a round-the-lake bicycle jaunt. Much of the roughly 30km route, often named as one of the prettiest in the world, consists of dedicated bikeway sections, some very close to – and sometimes even above – the water. The newest section, opened last September, is a 600m stretch at the village of Ita Thao on the east side of the lake, which now makes riding from the Ita Thao Wharf to the Sun Moon L ake Ropeway Station even more convenient. www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw
Tourist Information
Northern Cross-Island Highway Visitor Center The Northern Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway 7) is one of three cross-mountain highway systems that connect Taiwan’s west and east sides. Its long mountain section starts in the west in Taoyuan City’s Daxi District and ends in the east in Yilan’s Datong Township where it connects to Provincial Highway 7a, which in turn connects to the Central Cross-Island Highway system (Provincial Highway 8) further south. Like its counterparts in central and southern Taiwan, this is a very scenic road that requires careful driving, especially during bad weather. Before you start a road trip on this route from its western end, make sure to stop by at the recently opened Northern Cross-Island Highway Visitor Center. You’ll find helpful bilingual info about the highway itself and attractions to visit along the way. There is also a stylish café serving refreshments, including colorful sparkling drinks. travel.tycg.gov.tw/en
Taiwan Pass Good news for Taiwan visitors planning to use the island’s convenient public-transport system! From January 1, 2024, foreign tourists (residents of Taiwan are excluded) can purchase a 3-Day Taiwan Pass, which includes unlimited rides on trains of the Taiwan High Speed Rail system (between Taipei and Kaohsiung). In addition, as part of the package, you can select one 48-hour metro ticket for one of four cities (Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, or Kaohsiung; tickets are valued NT$250~NT$325 depending on city), and one Taiwan Tourist Shuttle round-trip ticket for one of four routes (Qingjing, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan, or Kenting; tickets are valued NT$518~NT$802 depending on route). Priced NT$2,500, the Taiwan Pass can be purchased online at klook.com, alishan. welcometw.com, www.liontravel.com, and other sites; downloading the Taiwan PASS app is required. For more information about the pass, steps to purchase it, and FAQ, visit the official website, twpass.tw.
©Taoyuan City Govt.
Family Friendly
Star Dream Forest Theater Petting Zoo in Yilan
©Star Dream Forest Theater Little kids love animals, the cuter and more approachable the better. If you plan to take your children to Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan, consider visiting the recently opened Star Dream Forest Theater Petting Zoo, to the west of Luodong town. This small zoo has as residents capybaras, meerkats, goats, alpacas, sika deer, and large turtles. Apart from the animal areas, there are also small kids play areas, a mini-train ride, a café, and a gift shop.
www.instagram.com/stardream_ forest_theater
International Recognition
Tainan on National Geographic Cool List 2024 This year is an important one for southern Taiwan’s Tainan. The city is commemorating its entry into the era of global navigation, which began in 1624 with the Dutch commencing the building of a fort, later named Fort Zeelandia (now Anping Old Fort), in what is now Tainan’s Anping District. The city government is organizing a large number of events this year as part of this celebration, including the Taiwan Lantern Festival (Feb. 3 ~ Mar. 10). Foreign media has taken notice, and Tainan has been included in the latest National Geographic Cool List: “Where Taipei sparkles with steel and glass, Tainan – Taiwan’s former capital – cuts a more historic figure, its skyline dotted with fortress towers and soaring temple roofs. And in 2024, the city’s quadricentennial puts its intriguing heritage under the spotlight and offers a fresh reason to visit.” www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/uk-cool-list-2024
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Culture & Art
Concerts, Theater, Exhibitions, Festivals, Shows
Editor's Choice
1
3
2
1 Ballet
2 Music
3 Exhibition
GISELLE
2024 YIRUMA
BOUNDLESS
吉賽兒
Nat. Theater (Taipei) – Jan. 6/7 Nat. Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Weiwuying – Jan. 14 Nat. Taichung Theater Jan. 19~21
李閏珉臻選音樂會
January 28 Taipei Music Center ( Taipei City )
“The United Ballet of Ukraine comes to Taiwan with Giselle, one of the most famous ballets of the classical repertoire. This tale of love, madness, death, betrayal and redemption echoes deeply in the current tragedy that has befallen Ukraine. This traditional production comes from the State Opera House of Lviv that is still performing, albeit with nighttime curfews and an audience size reduced to fit the capacity of their bomb shelters. Joining together under the banner of United Ballet of Ukraine is proud to once again present such high calibre artists from that war-torn country in such a moving and timely production of Giselle.”
There is a chance that you are familiar with this piano piece without knowing the name of its composer. River Flows in You, created in 2001 by South Korean pianist and composer Yiruma (Lee Ru-ma, born in 1978), is a very popular heartwarming work that has elements of a pop song and classical music. At the same time simple and complex, beautiful and accessible, the tune is beloved by casual listeners and beginning piano players alike. Yiruma performs this and other hits, including another piece named Kiss the Rain, during his current solo piano concert tour.
npac-ntch.org, www.npac-weiwuying.org, www.npac-ntt.org
tmc.taipei
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無界之涯
Until February 18 National Palace Museum ( Taipei City )
This exhibition unfolds with a maritime beginning, where precious artworks from the National Palace Museum and other institutions converge to recount the stories of cultural encounters through voyages of the 16 th century. The exhibition is divided into three sections. In The Maritime Era objects such as nautical maps, silver coins, and porcelains lay out a backdrop across the sea where Europe and Asia crossed. The Chance Encounter tracks interaction and rivalry among peoples from around the world through literature, archives, goods, and plant species. Emerging Intercultural Expression highlights items such as paintings, objects, and maps to explore exchanges in art, knowledge, and culture.
www.npm.gov.tw
4
Editor's Choice
5
6
4 Exhibition
5 Music
6 Exhibition
TAIPEI ART AWARDS 2023
THE WALTERS LIVE IN TAIPEI
NAKED FLOWERS
2023 臺北美術獎
Until February 18 Taipei Fine Arts Museum ( Taipei City )
The Taipei Art Awards is a competition exhibition which has been held annually by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum since 1983. As one of Taiwan’s most forward-looking visual art awards, it encourages creations that are in tune with the spirit of the times. More than 220 submissions were submitted this year. The finalists selected include Chuang Pei-Xin, Peng Si-Qi, Lee Li-Chung, Peng Wei, Lai Jiun-Ting, Chen Zhao-Hua, Wu Chia-Yun, Wu Wei-Ting, and Chen ZiYin. On view in the exhibition of the 2023 Taipei Art Awards are the artworks of these nine nominees. The competition jurors will select this year’s ‘Grand Prize’ and several ‘Honorable Mentions’ after seeing the exhibition.
www.tfam.museum
芝加哥小情歌
March 6 The Wall Live House ( Taipei City)
The Walters are an American indie pop band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2014. During the first few years the band had modest success, releasing two EPs and a single. They had their first national tour in 2017, but broke up that same year. Thereafter, lead vocalist Luke Olson started a solo career, while the other band members formed a new band. When their song I Love You So unexpectedly went viral on TikTok in 2021, they decided to reunite and give it another try, leading to the release of the single Million Little Problems in 2022, and the EP Try Again a month later.
花之舞光影展
Until March 10 National Taiwan Science Education Center ( Taipei City )
Naked Flowers is a stunning immersive floral art exhibition by Japanese creative art collective Naked Inc. It features interactive installations, such as digital flower gardens, that stimulate the five senses of visitors. What makes this exhibition special is that each artwork changes with the movement of the spectator.
www.ntsec.gov.tw
thewalllivehouse.kktix.cc (Chinese) www.yourwalters.com
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CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
A Day-Trip to
Danayigu
Natural Splendor, Vibrant Culture, and Superb Tsou Cuisine Await Travelers When Visiting Southern Alishan TE X T A M I B A R N ES
P H OTOS A L A N W EN, V I SI O N
Most visitors to the Alishan National Scenic Area in southern Taiwan join the conga line of cars and tour buses snaking up Provincial Highway 18 bound for the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area or one of the many quaint mountain settlements that are surrounded by tea gardens. But for those seeking a quieter, more intimate encounter, a journey to Alishan’s southern reaches beckons.
Yunlin County
Visit the Danayigu Nature Ecological Park to:
Chiayi City
1. Enjoy marvelous mountain scenery 2. Meet the Tsou people of southern Alishan 3. Learn about the shoveljaw carp 4. Watch a song and dance show by Tsou performers 5. Do some handicraft DIY 6. Taste indigenous specialties 7. Walk across the breathtaking Danayigu Suspension Bridge
Chiayi County
Alishan National Scenic Area Danayigu
Tainan City
Danayigu Suspension Bridge
W
edged at the easter nmost tip of Chiayi County, Alishan Township reaches inland and upwards as far as the summit of Mt. Jade (Yushan). Its centralarea attractions are well known and much loved, but the more remote and rural delights of southern Alishan remain off-radar for most visitors. This is Tsou indigenous land, and here the tribe’s culture is proudly on display. Against a backdrop of natural beauty, visitors are invited to feast on fresh and f lavorf ul indigenous cuisine, hear what it means to belong to the Tsou tribal group, and allow the warmth and hospitality of the local people to weave a tapestry of unforgettable experiences.
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CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
Danayigu Nature Ecological Park Turning off the arterial Route 18 (Alishan Highway) onto the narrower Chiayi County Road 129 at the village of Longmei, we began our descent towards Danayigu* Nature Ecological Park. As the road wiggled and wound through lush greener y and clusters of houses, we slalomed around sunbathing dogs that just barely mustered the energy to lift their lazy heads in acknowledgment. T he jour ney ta kes you t h roug h t he spread- out neighborhoods of Shanmei village (Saviki in the Tsou tongue). It’s one of three Tsou villages in the southern Alishan region and one of just seven in total. Here, the Tsou’s distinctive traditional black, red, and royal blue triangular artwork adorns the police station, and tucked away down short lanes, you’ll find community hubs in the form of Shanmei Presbyterian Church and the village’s tribal classroom. Around twenty minutes after turning onto the 129, we were driving across Shanmei Bridge high above the boulder-strewn Zengwen River, with the steep span of Fumei Suspension Bridge running parallel to us a bit further downstream. Just beyond, an archway and murals depicting Tsou legends and scenes from traditional daily life mark the entrance to Danayigu Nature Ecological Park, and when we got out of our car, we were greeted by the distant sounds of the river and the riotous chatter of a nearby flock of black bulbuls. Fish motifs abound, and a laid-back unhurriedness seemed to be in the air. There’s good reason for the prevalence of fish in the park’s artwork. The nature reserve’s very existence as a tourist attraction is thanks to the humble Taiwan shoveljaw carp. The local Tsou long used the river system’s bounty as a source of fresh *Other spellings you might encounter: Danaiku, Danayiku, Tanaiku, Tanayiku
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Danayigu Suspension Bridge Image of Tsou hunter
CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
food, with each family unit within the tribe allocated a stretch of land along the banks of the river and the Danayigu River (a tributary of Zengwen River) where they could catch fish, and any incursion into another family’s patch requiring the uninvited visitors to share a portion of their catch as a show of goodwill. This division of resources – when combined with low-impact methods of night fishing with prong-tipped spears and flaming torches – meant the local waterways could comfortably sustain the villagers. Howe ve r, m ajor c h a n ge s i n a nd around the greater Alishan area, including t he building of t he Zeng wen Reser voir (completed in 1973), the construction of the A lishan Highway (opened in 1982), the widespread planting of tea plantations, and the introduction of destructive fishing me t ho d s s u c h a s m a s s p oi s o n i n g a nd ele c t r of i sh i n g, me a nt t h at f i sh s to c k s plummeted. Village elders were alarmed, and discussions to improve the situation led to the decision in 1989 to create an ecological park in the Danayigu valley. As part of the ensuing eco-preservation efforts, families had to relinquish their birthright to riverside plots and the land was turned into a communal resource. Unsustainable methods of fishing were outlawed, and villagers were enlisted to patrol the river to ensure that the prohibition was enforced. These measures successf ully reversed the decline in f ish populations, and the villagers turned to ecotourism as a way to support the community while also preser ving their home area’s natural gifts. At the innermost reaches of the park, visitors can see the happy benefactors of this conser vation effor t in several f ishviewing areas. Upstream, the lithe bodies of young carp churn the water near the shore, packed so tight in some spots that it almost seems there’s no room for water. And if you look down from the spectacular 228m-long
Danayigu Suspension Bridge, you can see diamond-bright flashes of larger fish nipping algae from rocks in the deeper pools. At the far (north) end of the bridge, a lookout tower decorated with the cat-like face of a mountain scops owl glares at approaching walkers, and just beyond that, you can find the start of the Limei Trail, which climbs to Lijia, Alishan’s most remote Tsou village. It’s a steep trail, not for the faint of heart, that is usually only taken by experienced hikers.
Mountain scops owl image
Entrance to the Danayigu Nature Ecological Park
Showeljaw carp DANAYIGU NATURE ECOLOGICAL PARK ( 達娜伊谷自然生態公園 ) (05) 251-3246 No. 51, Neighborhood 3, Shanmei Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣阿里山鄉山美村 3 鄰 51 號 ) alishan.welcometw.com/tanayiku (Chinese) 8am~5pm (closed on Wednesday) NT$150
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CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
Tsou Culture Aside from celebrating their home’s nat u ra l beaut y, Shan mei v i l lagers make sure that visitors to Danayigu Nature Ecological Park have ample opportunities to learn about the Tsou themselves. Close to the carpark, you’ll find an open-sided hall where there are daily performances of traditional dances blended in with a potted history of Shanmei village and an introduction to some of the customs and practices of the Tsou. The performances are wellrehearsed but not polished to excess. On the day we went, there was an endearing microphone malfunction, which resulted in the whole audience being treated to a chuckle-inducing backstage expletive before our nervous host appeared, apologetically letting us know it was her first time in the role. After the 30-minute show, we were introduced by our guide, Yiusungu, and a village elder to a traditional Tsou hut. To add to the authenticity, a f ire bur ned in the center of the dwelling, bounded by age-blackened stones, and smoke drifted up towards the thatched roof. Strict rules govern the usage of each quadrant of this type of abode, with the accouterments of men’s and women’s work placed i n op posi ng cor ne r s a nd a la rge communal bed taking up another. We were show n ha nd made tools associated with the tasks of daily life – many of them fashioned from
bamboo, rattan, or leather. We were told that these days, it’s mostly just the elders who possess the knowledge and skills required to construct dwellings or forge tools using traditional means, but the tribal villages have classrooms where the techniques are being passed on to the next generation. The cultural show and demonstration structure both offer an insight into a traditional way of life that is part preserved, part practiced, but the most meaningful element of the experience for me was being shown around the site by a you ng ma n l iv i ng i n t he modern world as a member of the Tsou. Yiusungu was a warm and engaging guide who openly shared interesting insights into his life experiences and brought our attention to things that we wouldn’t necessarily have thought to ask about.
He d e s c r i b e d t h e c o n s id e r a t i o n s i nvolved i n becom i ng a shama n (a ca l li ng t hat is open to a l l Tsou tribespeople, regardless of gender), s howe d whe r e Ty pho o n Mo r a ko t wreaked its havoc on the park in 2009, a nd, w it h a g r i n, t h rew shade on another of the 16 officially recognized indigenous groups in Taiwan. As we walked down a path lined with various plants, he explained that in contrast to the Tsou’s traditionally proteinheavy diet, the Amis consume a greater variety of plants. This fact apparently gave rise to an old Tsou joke that you can tell when a trail has been walked by a member of the Amis tribe because the foliage to either side will have been stripped bare.
Tsou dance performance
THE TSOU The Tsou people are Taiwan’ s seventh-largest indigenous group, numbering around 6,000. They mostly live in central and southern Taiwan (Nantou and Chiayi counties).
CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
Visiting this place, there’s a clear sense t hat t he idea of bei ng a n ex tended family runs strong in the Tsou. Indeed, a communal endeavor such as Danayigu Nature Ecological Park could surely not exist without a deep commitment to – and belief in – the community. No doubt, the fact that the Tsou have been able to preserve their language (Yiusungu and many of the other residents of Shanmei grew up speaking it) and festivals have both contributed to preservation of the community spirit. And apparently, it’s a common practice among the villagers to try any which way they can to entice fellow tribe members who are living outside the community to come home.
Explaining the use of traditional devices
Traditional Tsou hut
Wild-boar jaw
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CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
Lunch in the River A highlight of any trip to one of the Tsou’s village communities is the opportunity to indulge in some freshly cooked indigenous fare. There are a number of eateries within the park boundaries, as well as a small stall selling locally grown seasonal produce l i ke A l isha n l i mes, chayote melons, and tamarillos. Barbecued meats feat ure prominently on ever y menu, and t he heady aroma of cooking meat and wood smoke was enough to make me salivate despite three decades of vegetarianism. The barbecue set-up itself at the eater y we chose is something of a showy scene-stealer for those unacquainted with Taiwan’s indigenous-style grills. An oversized suspended circular grill – well over a meter i n diameter – ha ngs above a f ire pit, and is spun, raised, or brought closer to t he f lames as t he chef desi res. The grill is loaded with treats such as pork belly, sausages, bamboo tube rice, fat sweet potatoes, and salted fish, which are infused with a rich, smoky f lavor as they cook. Our visit was on a weekday, when the park has fewer visitors, so the sausages and pork belly for our lunch sets were grilled to order on a smaller barbecue by a tattooed chef as tunes from Paiwan-tribe pop princess A b a o bl a s t e d t h r o u g h t h e r e s t a u r a n t ’s speakers. The place we ate in is sheltered f r o m t he s k y, b ut s ave fo r a n e nc lo s e d kitchen, it’s open-sided, allowing the wood smoke to d r i f t la ng uorously up t h roug h shafts of sunlight. The tables and benches a r e f a sh io ne d f r om ba m b o o, a nd whe n our meals arrived, they were appealingly presented on cut squares of banana leaf. We ate the Hunter’s Lunch set – a veritable feast, with many small dishes containing all sorts of tasty treats. For the carnivores a mo n g u s, t he c e nt e r p ie c e of t he me a l was the aforementioned barbecued meats accompanied by raw garlic and onions, while the vegetarian option feat ured an omelet in place of meat. Rounding off the set were generous servings of spicy julienned green papaya salad, tender pumpkin, impossibly sweet sweet potato, ripe red dragon fruit, and crispy battered black-jack leaves – black-jack
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Hunter's Lunch set meal
Dining area with bamboo benches and tables
CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
Lunch in Danayigu River (©Shanmei Comm. Dev. Assoc.)
TSOU FOOD Barbecued meats feature prominently in a Tsou meal, usually paired with bamboo tube rice, sweet potatoes, fish, and various wild vegetables. The food floats in a basket on the water (©Shanmei Comm. Dev. Assoc.)
is a cousin of the common daisy and can be seen growing along the park’s riverbanks. For a nyone v i sit i n g i n t he wa r me r mont h s (Ap r i l to October), the eater y offers an unmissable dining experience: the chance to enjoy a meal like the one detailed above while in the cool waters of the Danayigu River, your feast f loating on the surface. The “Floating Restaurant Set Tour” is an almost full-day package that includes a detailed introduction to the Tsou way of life, a DIY session, and a leisurely lunch surrounded by the fish in the large pool below Danayigu Suspension Bridge. Of course, you’re free to choose whether to paddle or opt for full immersion, but if you visit in the height of Taiwan’s summer, I guarantee you’ll want to be up to your neck in cool water. The park provides guests who need
them with a life jacket, but that aside, you’re free to enter the water wearing whatever you feel most comfortable in – just remember to pack a towel and a change of clothes if you don’t want to spend the drive home in soggy shorts. And my personal advice would be to take something loose but long-sleeved, and a hat that covers your neck, because the strength of the summer sun up here is formidable, even on cloudy days. The tour has to be booked ahead of time through the Alishan National Scenic Area’s tour and activity site at alishan.welcometw.com/Tanayiku (Chinese).
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Handicraft DIY In addition to fish viewing and cultural experiences, visitors to Danayigu Nature Ecological Park are also able to get handson with a range of DIY crafting experiences. The craft classes – which have to be booked ahead of time – allow guests to try their hand at a range of traditional skills such as leatherworking, food preparation, and woodwork. Tsou traditional clothing incorporates more leather than the clothing of other indigenous peoples in Taiwan. This is especially true for men, whose traditional attire consists of chaps made from the hides of muntjac deer. Also common are leather shawls and caps made from deerskin and adorned with feathers. (Women’s outfits, meanwhile, tend to be made from cotton or silk.) A Tsou legend says that the tribe learned how to tan leather when an overzealous young hunter failed to heed the advice of his elders and injured a mountain spirit in the form of a moon-eyed deer. After the hunter and his brother caught up to the wounded creature, it seized the youngster, rubbed his body back and forth over the crook of a branch to soften the skin, and instructed the older brother to return to his village and tell the tribesfolk that this was how they should work leather. When you visit the demonstration hut, keep a lookout for the work-smoothed branch lashed to one of the central poles – this is where hides would traditionally have been processed. Thankfully for contemporary visitors, no such strength-testing work is required to partake in the leatherworking DIY activity. Instead, you’re given a couple of leather offcuts in the shape of a fish that you can decorate as you please. Yiusungu led us lightly through the process, stepping in now and then to help, but mostly
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Colorful leather fish key rings
Hammering a pattern into the leather
Giving the fish beautiful colors
CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
le av i n g u s to ou r ow n d e v ic e s. After wetting the leather to soften it slightly, you can select from a range of small metal stamps, which are then used to hammer a pattern into the material using a mallet. Different stamps require different amounts of strength, so it’s well worth practicing on some of the little scraps first so that you can get a sense of how hard you should be hitting. Once we were satisfied with our designs, Yiusungu helped us glue the two sides of our fish together and had us shave off the excess fabric before burnishing the edges with a conical wooden tool. With that done, we were let loose on the colors – just the smallest drop of dye is needed to impart a vibrant tone to the leather’s surface. The project is completed with the addition of a keychain, and voilà, you have a small keepsake of your time with the Tsou of Shanmei village to take home.
We also had a go at mak ing our own “hunter’s packed lunches.” In the modern version, tender chunks of pork belly are wrapped in sticky rice and steamed inside the leaves of the parasol leaf tree. In the past, these portable snacks were prepared with just rice or millet and were carried by hunters on their forays into the forest. Once they’d caught something, they’d process the meat wherever they set up camp and enjoy a satisfying full meal. As well as the above crafts, other activities offered at the park include creating your own cup from bamboo as part of the “Floating Restaurant Experience,” and having a go at making millet wine.
Preparing a "hunter's packed lunch" Rice or millet is steamed inside parasol tree leaf
Mountain scenery near Chashan Going for a walk around Xinmei village
Xinmei village
Thatched-roof pavilion
Chashan village
CHIAYI COUNTY Southern Alishan
Nearby Attractions Visitors staying in the area for an extended period have countless other options for how to spend their time. Even just within the southern Tsou villages, there are plenty of cultural and natural attractions to enjoy. If you continue to follow County Road 129 southwards as it nears the border with the city of Kaohsiung, the next village you’ll arrive at is Xinmei (Niahosa in the residents’ own language). The Tsou name for this settlement means “ancient village” – a moniker that was proved very apt in 2002 when archaeologists discovered tools and a stone coffin belonging to the now-disappeared Dagubuyanu Culture that are at least 3,800 years old. The administrative center of the village – where two churches, an assembly hall, shops, and an elementary school are all collected – sits north of Dagubuyanu Stream, which feeds into the Zengwen River. Encouraged by the success of Danayigu Nature Ecological Park, Xinmei villagers have created an ecological protection zone along the stretch of Dagubuyanu upstream from Xinmei Bridge. A pleasant one-hour walk here takes you past several fish-viewing areas as well as other scenic spots. Keep heading south for another nine kilometers and you will arrive at the third and largest southern Tsou village: Chashan (Cayamavana). Despite the name (a literal translation of the Chinese would be “Tea Mountain”), you won’t find any tea plantations nearby. Instead, the name references another type of camellia tree that once covered the nearby mountain slopes. Unlike Shanmei and Xinmei, whose residents are almost exclusively members of the Tsou tribe, Chashan’s population is an amalgam of Tsou, Bunun (another indigenous tribe), and Han Chinese. The village boasts several homestays and unfussy restaurants selling authentic local dishes, and is famed for its proliferation of traditional-style thatched-roof pavilions (known as hufu) and indigenous artwork. The area around Chashan is also rich in natural beauty. Those who have indulged in a little too much barbecued meat might want to get some exercise in by taking a walk to one of the innumerable waterfalls dotted around the rugged terrain – plenty of which offer swimming or soaking opps. One such spot that can be reached on foot from Chashan is Jiayama Waterfall. It also happens to be located right next to the bizarre Fire and Water Source – a spring where flaming natural gas and water simultaneously spill from the earth. Tsou Celebrations
Each year the Alishan National Scenic Area Administration, in collaboration with Alishan's nine Tsou villages, organizes the Alishan Tsou Annual Festival, which includes the Chashan Hufu Festival, Dabang Jelly-fig Festival, Fo'na Festival, Laiji Thanksgiving Festival, Lalauya Coffee Industry Festival, Muni Music Festival, Shanmei Taiwan Shoveljaw Carp Festival, Xinmei Tea Seed Oil Festival, and Zhulu Sharing Festival, as well as the highly popular Muni Music Festival. The music festival, held on two separate days at Veoveoana Cultural and Creative Park and Danayigu Nature Ecological Park respectively, features a line-up of indigenous performance troupes and well-known pop bands and music artists. The performers are from the Tsou tribe as well as tribes from other parts of Taiwan. Last year's event, coinciding with the 30-year anniversary of Danayigu Nature Ecological Park, featured the Veoveoana Performing Arts Troupe (Tsou), Limei Performing Arts Troupe (Atayal, Amis), singer Shen Wen-cheng (Rukai), the bands Kanit (Rukai) and Am Band (Tsou), and singer Sangpuy Katatepan Mavaliyw (Puyuma). www.ali-nsa.net/en/explore/annual-events; www.ali-nsa.net/tsou-celebration (Chinese)
If the above introduction to southern Alishan’s allure has ignited your wanderlust, perhaps it’s time to make it your next destination of choice – this culturally rich and scenically gifted region of Taiwan has much to offer the curious traveler.
Café in Chashan ENGLISH AND CHINESE Alishan National Forest Recreation Area 阿里山國家森林遊樂區 Alishan National Scenic Area 阿里山國家風景區 Alishan Township 阿里山鄉 Amis tribe 阿美族 Bunun tribe 布農族 Chashan 茶山 Dagubuyanu Stream 達谷布亞努溪 Danayigu River 達娜伊谷溪 Danayigu Suspension Bridge 達娜伊谷吊橋 Fire and Water Source 水火同源 "Floating Restaurant Set Tour" 水上餐廳套裝行程 Fumei Suspension Bridge 福美吊橋 Jiayama Waterfall 珈雅瑪瀑布 Lijia 里佳 Limei Trail 里美步道 Longmei 龍美 Mt. Jade 玉山 Shanmei Bridge 山美大橋 Shanmei Presbyterian Church 新美教堂 Shanmei 山美 Taiwan shoveljaw carp 鯝魚 Tsou tribe 鄒族 Xinmei (Bridge) 新美 ( 大橋 ) Zengwen Reservoir 曾文水庫 Zengwen River 曾文溪 MAP FESTIVALS Alishan Tsou Annual Festival 阿里山鄒年慶 Chashan Hufu Festival 茶山 hufu 涼亭節 Dabang Jelly-fig Festival 達邦愛玉季 Fo'na Festival 生命豆季 Laiji Thanksgiving Festival 來吉感恩祭 Lalauya Coffee Industry Festival 樂野產業節 Muni Music Festival muni 音樂季 Shanmei Taiwan Shovel-jaw Carp Festival 山美寶島鯝魚節 Xinmei Tea Seed Oil Festival 新美苦茶油節 Zhulu Sharing Festival 逐鹿分享節
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CHIAYI Traditional Culture
Experiencing Traditional Culture in Xingang Township and Chiayi City Traveling from Taipei in the north, in their eagerness to reach the mountainous Alishan National Scenic Area or the city of Tainan many international travelers spend no more than an hour or two in Chiayi City, or bypass it altogether. This low-rise city of 264,000 people is much more than a transportation hub, however, and discerning tourists are starting to recognize that its museums, temples, culturally-rich hinterland, and other attractions more than justify an overnight stay. TE X T ST E V EN C ROO K
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CHIAYI Traditional Culture Inner courtyard of temple
Mazu pilgrimage (photo by Wu Shao-qiang)
Roof decoration
Inside Xingang's Fengtian Temple
H
an Chinese migrants who began arriving in southern Taiwan in the 17th century set about converting much of the region around Chiayi into rice paddies. Certain villages grew into market towns or became fixtures on pilgrimage routes. One settlement that has retained its prominence is Xingang, about 14km northwest of Chiayi City, or 40odd minutes by public bus (nos. 7201, 7202, or 7235).
Xingang Township Since 1988, Xingang’s Fengtian Temple has been where pilgrims taking part in the famed annual springtime Mazu celebration procession from Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung City turn around and begin the return leg of their epic nine-day, 300-plus-kilometer journey. Like Jenn Lann Temple, Fengtian Temple exists to honor Mazu, the fisherman’s daughter from Fujian Province in China who became the Chinese Goddess of the Sea. In modern Taiwan, she’s perhaps more revered than any other deity. Jealousy has no place in Taiwanese popular religion, and many of those who pray to Mazu at Fengtian Temple also offer incense to the shrine’s other resident divinities, among them Guan Gong. More unusual is the local practice of honoring the Tiger General. Effigies of this divinity, sometimes called the Tiger Lord, can be seen at numerous shrines around the island. But only here is he elevated from his usual floor-level position and given an altar and chamber of his own, labeled Hu Ye Dian or “Tiger Lord Chamber” in Chinese (no English). Followers of the Tiger General first humbly present incense, joss paper, and the deity’s favorite food: raw eggs. Then, from a water-filled basin on the altar, they pluck two NT$1 coins – never more, never less – which they seal in a plastic bag along with a scoop of the water. Sprinkling this liquid around one’s house three days later, it’s believed, will ensure the Tiger General’s support in matters of business and finance. Devotees of the Tiger General celebrate his birthday on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, but there are even better opportunities to appreciate the vibrant nature of local religious worship. One is the day on which Fengtian Temple receives those who’ve walked all the way from Dajia. Politicians attend, as do thousands of local residents, while volunteers distribute food and supplies to the pilgrims. The actual birthday of Mazu (the 23rd day of the third lunar month) is another time when you’ll see both somber rites and exuberant festivities. To confirm the 2024 dates, contact the Taiwan Tourism Administration or get a Mandarin speaker to call the temple. XINGANG FENGTIAN TEMPLE ( 新港奉天宮 ) (05) 374-2034 No. 53, Xinmin Rd., Xingang Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣新港鄉新民路 53 號 ) www.hsinkangmazu.org.tw (Chinese) TR AVEL IN TAIWAN
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CHIAYI Traditional Culture Mazu has been worshiped at Fengtian Temple since at least 1811, and the current iteration of the temple is a treasure house of traditional artistic expression, crowded with detailed paintings, carvings, and ceramic figurines. To see how such images and objects are produced, there are few places better than Bantaoyao Crafts Studio of Jiao-Zhi Pottery & Chien-Nien. Located less than 4km west of Fengtian Temple, this family-friendly operation was established to promote and preserve the ancient arts of jiaozhi pottery (often also called koji pottery in English) and jiannian decoration. The former is an exceptionally ornate and colorful form of art in which the Chiayi area is considered to be preeminent. The latter is a cut-and-glue method that utilizes fragments of colored glass and earthenware to create representations of characters from folktales and auspicious symbols such as pagodas and dragons. For visitors, there are opportunities to watch masters at work, and to try their hand at creating mosaic art or painting ceramic dolls. Even if you pass up the chance to make something of your own, there’s a good chance you’ll find some excellent souvenirs. Some of the items on sale are utterly traditional in appearance, while others reflect modern ideas of what’s cute and charming. Not everything here revolves around art. You can also press sesame seeds for oil or grind them into a paste that lends one of Taiwan’s most popular noodle dishes its distinctive f lavor. The on-site restaurant/ café serves hot pot, light meals, and a range of beverages. If you’re not hungry or thirsty, and have no desire to weigh yourself down with keepsakes, it’s still easy to spend a lot of time here, taking in the countless objets d’art on display throughout the site. Kids adore the cats, dinosaurs, rabbits, and other ceramic animals.
Entrance to Bantaoyao
Jiaozhi figurine 24
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Art objects on display outside JAN/FEB 2024
Wall adorned with jiannian art not for from Bantaoyao
Exhibition space inside
Incense on display at Singang Incense Authentic Culture Garden
Admission is NT$100, half of which is redeemable against purchases of food, drinks, souvenirs, or activities. The complex is open 9:30am to 5:30pm daily. Set aside some time to explore the surrounding community, where traces of Taiwan’s once-mighty sugar industry can be found alongside murals and other public art. Jiaozhi and jiannian works are once-in-a-century investments for temples. By contrast, even the humblest believer requires a steady supply of incense for rituals. This fragrant substance is an ever-present element in Taiwanese religious life. Individuals who make pilgrimages to distant temples are called xiangke (“guests bearing incense”). Fac i ng compet it ive pressu res f rom low- cost producers i n ot her countries, the brothers who established what’s now called Singang Incense Authentic Culture Garden decided to up their game and turn their incensemanufacturing operation into a place of culture and education. Elevating traditional incense-making into a new form of aromatic art, the garden includes an exhibition that explores the uses of incense by followers of different religions around the world, as well as the various raw materials from which it’s made. Of course, not all incenses are equal: the versions sold here vary greatly in fragrance and price. Whether you’re a local day-tripper or a tourist who’s come from afar, you can try to create something unique as well. It doesn’t take long to judge how to combine incense powder and water in just the right proportions so the mixture can be kneaded and given an artistic shape. Unlike with pottery, there’s no need to fire a completed work. It’ll very soon harden naturally, meaning you can take it home (or back to your hotel). The olfactory delight that is Singang Incense Authentic Culture Garden is open 8am to 6pm daily. Located on the main road leading to Chiayi City, a short walk from a bus stop, it also has a restaurant. The garden doesn’t charge for admission, and parking is free. BANTAOYAO CRAFTS STUDIO OF JIAO-ZHI POTTERY & CHIEN-NIEN ( 板陶窯交趾剪黏工藝園區 ) (05) 781-0832 No. 45-1, Bantou Village, Xingang Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣新港鄉板頭村45-1號 ) www.bantaoyao.com.tw (Chinese) SINGANG INCENSE AUTHENTIC CULTURE GARDEN ( 新港香藝文化園區 ) (05) 374-0007 No. 23-6, Caigong Village, Xingang Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣新港鄉菜公村 23-6 號 ) www.facebook.com/incenseart www.incense-art.com.tw (Chinese) TR AVEL IN TAIWAN
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CHIAYI Traditional Culture
Chiayi Municipal Museum
Chiayi City The city itself has two museums that should appeal to anyone with an interest in Taiwan culture and history. They’re not only close to each other, but also within walking distance of the train and bus stations. Chiayi Municipal Museum isn’t so big that you’ll suffer from information overload, yet it manages to provide a comprehensive overview of the city’s long history. In fact, if you’re going to be spending at least one full day in Chiayi, you may want to come here first. It introduces local places of worship and other interesting spots, such as the decommissioned old prison, that you may want to add to your itinerary. The first f loor is a venue for temporary exhibitions, while the second floor explores the development of what was once called Zhuluo, which later earned the name Chiayi (“commendable righteousness”) thanks to its Jiaozhi pottery art inside the museum steadfast loyalty to the imperial authorities during a major uprising. The huge model of the city, which introduces its landmarks and notable industries, is quite impressive. Even if you don’t much care for history lessons, do try to see everything on this f loor, as the sections on traditional businesses and local foods may well grab your attention. In the Chiayi of yore, many shops specialized in tinware and woodcarving (for ancestor shrines and temples), picture framing, incense for ritual purposes, and paper-and-bamboo lanterns. Herbal apothecaries treated the sick. Among Chiayi’s signature dishes are shredded turkey on rice and fish head casserole. Culture vultures are likely to spend more time on the third floor, where the permanent exhibition is titled Architectural Theater: Story Time with Temple Figurines. If English is your only language, this is probably the best place in Taiwan to learn about the origins of jiaozhi pottery, its masters, and the themes and characters often depicted in jiaozhi works. The explanation of how jiaozhi art is created is detailed and accompanied by examples of preliminary sketches, figurine torsos before and after hollowing, and the glazes that give these masterpieces their dazzling appearance. You’ll quickly appreciate that jiaozhi artists must excel not only at kneading clay, but also at drawing, mixing colors, painting, and firing. And that’s before you’ve examined the stunning works displayed here, many of which convey Confucian, Daoist, or Buddhist messages. There are also personalities from literature and legends, in addition to animals and objects which symbolize good luck. The museum is open 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday; admission is NT$50.
CHIAYI MUNICIPAL MUSEUM ( 嘉義市立博物館 ) (05) 278-0303 No. 275-1, Zhongxiao Rd., East District, Chiayi City ( 嘉義市東區忠孝路 275-1 號 ) museum.chiayi.gov.tw
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CHIAYI Traditional Culture
Similar motifs appear in two-dimensional form inside the Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles, 900m from Chiayi Municipal Museum. Founded by a Chiayi native who realized that a form of decoration favored by Taiwan’s wealthier families between the 1880s and 1930s was in danger of disappearing, this museum preserves exquisite tiles salvaged from houses undergoing demolition. It also gives a new generation of tile artists a way to connect with the public. Most of these tiles are square, 15.2cm by 15.2cm, and bear stand-alone patterns, typically of f lowers or fruit. Others, when arranged in grids, create larger pictures. These are often scenes from the classics of Chinese literature, but one set rescued from an old residence in Tainan – and now displayed just inside the museum’s entrance – presents Mount Fuji. The house was built during Taiwan’s 1895~1945 period of Japanese rule, during which many locals looked up to their colonial masters. While you’re inside, do also pay attention to the building itself, its antique furniture, and the retro fittings. As in many shophouses built 60 or more years ago, the roof is held up by wooden beams. In very few, however, have they been so beautifully restored and left visible. On the second floor and the mezzanine third floor (sleeping quarters in the old days), you may well find yourself lingering for a good while. The Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles is open from 10am to 5:30pm Wednesday to Monday. Admission is NT$100, which you’ll get back if you make a purchase inside. If you’re looking to buy a gift for someone, there are ceramic coasters plus decorative items with modern designs. If you’re seeking something with a distinct Taiwan f lavor, consider the tiles which feature black bears, black-faced spoonbills, and other iconic creatures. International travelers hoping to learn as much as possible should arrange to visit with a Mandarin speaker, as most of the information presented inside is in Chinese only.
Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles
MUSEUM OF OLD TAIWAN TILES ( 台灣花磚博物館 ) 0905-012-390 No. 282, Linsen W. Rd., West District, Chiayi City ( 嘉義市西區林森西路 282 號 ) www.1920t.com (Chinese) ENGLISH AND CHINESE Dajia Jenn Lann Temple 大甲鎮瀾宮 fish head casserole 沙鍋魚頭 Guan Gong 關公 Hu Ye Dian 虎爺殿 jiannian 剪黏 jiaozhi pottery 交趾陶 Mazu 媽祖 shredded turkey on rice 火雞肉飯 Tiger General 虎爺將軍 Tiger Lord 虎爺 xiangke 香客 Xingang 新港 Zhuluo 諸羅
MAP
Old tiles
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CHIAYI Themed Tours
Tea, Railway, Heritage Architecture Exploring Chiayi County & City in Three Different Styles TE X T R I C K C H A R E T T E
P H OTOS V I SI O N
Chiayi County, in Taiwan’s southwest, stretches from the waters of the Taiwan Strait across the fertile Jianan Plain and up toward the sky in the majestic central mountains, past the Alishan National Scenic Area and falling just short of Taiwan’s pinnacle, the peak of Mt. Jade (Yushan), 3,952m high. Out on the plains, not part of the county, is old, quiet Chiayi City. This is the most popular jumping-off point for Alishan journeys. It is easily accessible from Taipei by train (Taiwan Railways and Taiwan High Speed Rail) and inter-city bus. Following you’ll find three theme tour suggestions to explore Alishan’s famed tea farms and alpine forest railway, and Chiayi City’s dense concentration of heritage architecture.
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CHIAYI Themed Tours
If lacking your own wheels, the best way to explore the Alishan National Scenic Area’s tea farms is the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service (www.taiwantrip.com.tw). There are two Alishan routes, Route A from Taiwan High-Speed Rail Chiayi Station and Route B from Chiayi Railway Station. Both ply A lishan’s main road, Provincial H i g hw ay 18, w it h t he A l i s h a n Na t io n a l Fo r e s t Recreation Area as terminus. This is a hop on/hop off service, with many stops along the way, making for easy visits to the attractions recommended below. A lishan high-mountain oolong teas are among Taiwan’s finest, enjoying renown far from this island’s shores. The forest recreation area is located about 2,200m above sea level, while Alishan’s tea farms primarily inhabit the cool and foggy 800m~1,600m zone. Should you just have one or two days to explore the world of Alishan’s mountain-slope tea plantations, what follows are what this writer considers must-not-miss experiences: The Shizhuo Trails is a network of five comparatively shor t foot paths laid out on the steep slopes, lined
with grids of tea bushes, above the village of Shizhuo. YuYuPas Cultural Park (www.yuyupas.com; Chinese) celebrates the culture of Alishan’s original inhabitants, the Tsou Tribe. Tea (and coffee) is also grown and sold here, with teahouses offering magnificent views in large thatched-roof structures evoking traditional Tsou meeting halls. You can also buy tea at FKUO Tea (www.facebook. com/fkuoo) and Sheng Li Farm (www.slfhs.com; Chinese). The former, run by a proud Tsou Tribe warrior, also has a restaurant preparing hearty Tsou/Paiwan tribe fare. The latter has an airy retail area, rustic café/Chinese eatery with big panorama windows, and a homestay facility. If you have more than one day for exploring Alishan, you’ll need accommodation, right? High-quality comfort and superb shanshui-style scenery awaits at Tea Garden Homestay (www.alishan-home.com.tw; Chinese), where the two interconnected buildings were originally the courtyard-style home and tea factory of the young owneroperator’s grandparents, and SunSweetHouse (www. sunsweethouse.com; Chinese), a bright-colored facility resembling a California mission-style villa. Alishan tea garden
CHIAYI Themed Tours
Bus and self-drive are not the only ways to soar into the sometimes blue-skied, often thick-misted Alishan mountain fastness. Train it! One of Taiwan’s most popular tourist attractions is the wonderful Alishan Forest Railway, a narrow-gauge heritage line built by the colonial Japanese in the early 1900s that takes you up from the Chiayi City plains to alpine country using evocatively romantic period locomotives and carriages. For more railway detail, including timetable/ ticket info, visit the Alishan Forest Railway Ticketing System (afrts.forest.gov.tw/TP01_1_E.aspx). Visit afrch. forest.gov.tw/en for a map showing all of the many stations, plus brief introductions on each, including elevation and distance markers. There’s one train each way daily on weekdays, three on weekends/holidays. Note that the trains run a tight schedule, so riders cannot disembark and re-embark at the stations along the way. The full line goes up to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. Currently, however, the last stop is at a tiny hamlet called Shizilu – a section of line past Shizilu is under repair. From here, catch one of
Alishan Forest Railway
the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle buses mentioned above to the recreation area at the highway-side bus stop just 30m from the train station. (Note, you can also get off at Fenqihu and transfer to a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus there.) Shizilu has a forgotten-in-time quality. There are numerous historical buildings track-side, including former Japanese worker dormitories. Enjoy steaming Alishan-bean coffee at the quaint track-side MXCoffee café (www.facebook.com/maxwucoffee). There’s also a lookout platform with grand views nor th, info signboards, and b/w historical photos. In the forest recreation area, ease into a sumptuous A l i s h a n Ho t e l s t ay (w w w.a li s h a n h o te l .c o m .t w), surrounded by thick tall-tree forest. It has two sections, one dating to the 1895~1945 Japanese colonial era, the other a chic modern architectural statement opened in 2012. Early-bird it next day for the Zhushan Sunrise Watching Train, which chugs up-mountain from the recreation area’s Alishan Station to a high plateau from which the glorious sunrise over the distant 11-peak Mt. Jade massif is enjoyed (return service).
Chiayi City is easy-paced and small, with just 264,000 residents. Its compact old core, centered on the Chiayi Railway Station, is choc-a-bloc with places of historic interest. Check the YouBike map for Chiayi (en.youbike.com.tw/region/ chiayi/stations) and note two things on the map shown. First, you’ll see that the roads around the core’s perimeter roughly form a circle – these follow the contours of the imperialera city walls. Second, you’ll see that the core is also choca-bloc with YouBike stations – and perfect for city history explorations, on foot for places closer to the train station, on two wheels for those nearer the perimeter. If your time is limited, do not miss these highlights: The Chiayi Art Museum (chiayiartmuseum.chiayi.gov.tw) consists of three historic buildings, the main one a modernist work dating to the Japanese colonial era that served as a government office. See our “Mazu and Museums” article on page 22 in this issue for more on the Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles (www.1920t.com). Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park, Beimen Station, and Hinoki Village form a treasure-house trio on Chiayi County’s forestry history. The garage park contains the former Alishan Forest Railway headquarters repair/maintenance garage and an impressive collection of antique imported locomotives and other rolling stock. Alishan cypress-built Beimen Station, original launch-point for the forest railway, is today one of two city forest railway passenger pick-up points. Hinoki Village – “hinoki” is the Japanese for “cypress” – is a complex of about 30 Japanese-built bungalow-style structures, most of these former forestry-industry worker dormitories, that today house food-and-beverage enterprises, arts-andcrafts boutiques, history exhibits, etc. Nearer the old core’s perimeter, the Chiayi Old Prison, opened in 1922 and closed in 1998, is now a museum. Large, pleasant Chiayi Park, established by the Japanese in 1910, has an arboretum and a landscaped area. Two other highlights are its 62m-high Sun-Shooting Tower and elegant Chiayi City Historical Relic Museum, housed in two exquisite Japaneseconstructed wood buildings. ENGLISH AND CHINESE Alishan Forest Railway 阿里山林業鐵路 Beimen Station 北門站 Alishan House 阿里山賓館 Alishan National Forest Recreation Area 阿里山國家森林遊樂區 Chiayi Art Museum 嘉義市立美術館 Chiayi City Historical Relic Museum 嘉義市史蹟資料館 Chiayi Old Prison 嘉義舊監獄 Chiayi Park 嘉義公園 FKUO Tea 山芙蓉茶業 Hinoki Village 檜意森活村 Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles 台灣花磚博物館 MXCoffee 鳴心咖啡
Chiayi Art Museum
Paiwan Tribe 排灣族 Shengli Farm 生力農場 Shizhuo (Trails) 石棹 ( 步道群 ) Shizilu 十字路 Sun-Shooting Tower 射日塔 SunSweetHouse 十方山水民宿 Tea Garden Homestay 茶香花園民宿 Tsou Tribe 鄒族 YuYuPas Cultural Park 優遊巴斯鄒族文化部落 Zhushan Station 祝山車站 Zhushan Sunrise Watching Train 祝山觀日列車
Jinh ua Rd.
Shennong Street Chikan Tower
Mins heng Rd.
Bing Xiang
Yebisu Kan The Spring
Tainan Wu Garden . Rd an h gs on Zh
Snail Alley
Zhong zheng Rd.
Hayashi Department Store Tainan Art Museum Building 1 The POOL
Fuqian Rd.
Going for a walk in central Tainan
Tainan Confucius Temple Tainan Art Museum Building 2 Narrow Door Café 44 Bit Records
Blueprint Culture & Creative Park
WEST CENTRAL DISTRICT
Downtown Tainan on Foot A Relaxing Day Taking in Some of the City’s Coolest Places TE X T R I C K C H A R E T T E
P H OTOS V I SI O N
Walk yourself back into history in the city of Tainan’s West Central District, where Taiwan’s oldest Han Chinese settlement took root in the 1600s, and at the same time walk right into some of the city’s most debonair young cultural-creative attractions. We’ve vetted a walkabout route map for you. 32
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URBAN WALKS Tainan
Tainan Art Museum Building 2
Launch your Tainan adventure with the Tainan Art Museum Building 2 (www.tnam.museum), which opens mid-morning. Where are we? In the heritage area immediately east of the Anping Canal’s north section. The area west was open saltwater when the Dutch founded what became Tainan in the 1620s. Building 2 is a bold, purpose-built new architectural work, likened to a ziggurat or Mars base mockup. The exterior-design inspiration was the f lamboyant f lame tree (Delonix regia), brought to Taiwan during the 1895~1945 Japanese colonial era, now Tainan’s official tree. The striking pentagonal contours, building block-style layered exhibition spaces, and dramatic fractal roof canopy immediately made this work a Tainan architectural landmark. The facility houses 17 galleries. If needing a break, have a snack at The POOL (5F), an aromatic café offering varied dessert treats that’s also a showcase for glass arts and has great views of Tainan. You’re wondering, no doubt, about Building 1. It’s just a block away, east. But first, along that block’s walk….
450m 6-min walk
Tainan Conf ucius Temple is Taiwan’s oldest temple dedicated to the Great Sage and Teacher. The island’s first – and long its premier – educational institution, it was built in 1665 as incubator for a Chinese cultural renaissance in Taiwan. Renovated numerous times since, this remains the island’s foremost Confucius shrine, showcasing a classical architectural style rare elsewhere. Set in a tranquil garden compound, arched gates and corniced walls separate numerous courtyards, each with its own halls and special functions. These originally served as schools for the different branches of classical Chinese studies. Tainan Art Museum Building 1 Tainan Confucius Temple
200m 3min
Tainan Art Museum Building 1 looks across an intersection at the temple complex’s northeast corner. An exemplar of Tainan’s love for repurposing older architectural works, this was originally the Tainan Police Agency building, Taiwan’s oldest police edifice, designed and built in Art Deco style by a Japanese architect in 1931. It has 16 galleries. Note: We aren’t suggesting that you should visit both museums in a single morning! Choose one – better yet, stay more than one day!
URBAN WALKS Tainan 150m 2min
High noon, time to eat! Tainan is famed for good eats using the freshest ingredients produced in the region, and specifically for its snack treats. It’s also renowned for its legion of cafés and characterful eateries, especially ventures housed in tuckedaway corners and boldly eclectic. Here we’ve lined up two shining examples for you, both in the same area as our morning destinations. Pace yourself with your food and drink intake, for both are well worth visiting just for the unique cultural-creative ambience! Just over one block south of the aforementioned Taipei Confucius Temple / Tainan Art Museum Building 1 intersection is the Narrow Door Café (www.facebook.com/narrowdoor99). Its name is more than apt. The “door” in question is a long, narrow slit between two multi-story commercial buildings, which looks like a deep fissure in a cliff, that you have to enter sideways (a Chinese/English sign above the arcade sidewalk here identifies the “door” location). At one building’s rear, you enter the café via steep, plant-shaded stairs. Though foregoing advertising, it boasts a devoted fan base, including local expatriates, who learn of it by word of mouth. The owner-operator has taken what was originally a home built by a doctor a century ago during the Japanese era and transformed it into a Turkish-style getaway idyll. She still fondly remembers a trip to Safranbolu, a delightfully well-preserved Ottoman-Turkish museum town, and when the cool breezes are wafting in through the café’s large windows you’ll feel you are far, far away. On the menu are specialty coffees, juices, teas, cocktails, light meals such as Thai pork curry and veggie hotpot, and snacks such as dumplings, toasts, croissants, and desserts. Cakes, cookies, and refreshing drinks in an exotic old-style setting
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Narrow Door Café
650m 9min
A bout fou r bloc k s sout he a s t of ou r te mple/mu se u m intersection is 44 Bit Records (www.facebook.com/44bit), on a languid lane facing a community park, beside a temple office a few doors down. A combo eatery/music-listening oasis, it’s on the ground level in a classic old-style deep and long twostory former residence with an exceedingly narrow façade of yellow brick. In the old-Taiwan retro interior, a long and slender passageway takes you first past the service counter, then a tiny DJ room, then a tiny sky-well, to the compact kitchen. Customer seating is in an attached newly built onestory structure next door that has exposed steel ceiling girders and a façade with a large multi-paned window and both wall covering/window framing made of wood-mimicking steel. Reflecting the owner’s fondness for electronic music, the space is filled with old records and CDs from around the globe in the DJ room and on stacked racks of DJ equipment. While dining here you’ll be listening to easy-listening, not thumping, album selections. The menu presents teas, tea drinks, and carbonated fruity drinks. Specially recommended food selections are the BBQ chicken with cheese panini and the chicken in peanut sauce ( piqu a nt sauce m ade w it h pe a nut, tomato, papaya, spices). These come with fresh organic garden salad, range-chicken egg, and saffron rice.
44 Bit Records
Dining area DJ room
URBAN WALKS Tainan
Hayashi Department Store
Quirky Snail Alley is just under two blocks north of Building 2. This is a small area of narrow lanes, old residences, and historical buildings bursting with funky installation artworks and, especially, colorful 3D murals. Snails, as one might surmise from the place name, are a favorite subject matter. The enclave is hipster nirvana, also jam-packed with shops and restaurants. The “Snail Alley” name is derived from a fictional alley depicted in a well-known novel by Taiwan novelist and literary scholar Yeh Shih-tao, whose last residence was here.
1km 14min
As the afternoon rolls in, let’s make our focus a bit of snacking and a bit of shopping to uncover souvenirs that will proclaim “Taiwan!” every time you look at them plus special treasures to bring back home for the folks who hold a special place in your heart. The five spots we’re experiencing are all in the same concentrated area as our morning/lunchtime stops. L e t ’s s t a r t o u r a t t r a c t i o n - h o p p i n g w i t h H a y a s h i Department Store (www.facebook.com/hayashi.tw), shall we? This is one block north of Museum Building 2. The multi-story dedicated department store building, opened in 1932, features a harmonious blend of Eastern and Western architectural elements. Hayashi was south Taiwan’s first department store, Taiwan’s second. Abandoned for many decades after Allied bombing in W W II, it was ref urbished and reopened last decade. There’s tea, handicrafts and multifarious other Tainanconnected items for sale, a coffee shop on the 4th level, restaurant on the 5th, and on the 6th a sake brewery, Japanese-style food and drink enterprise, and observatory with splendid city views.
300m 5min
210m 3min
Bing Xiang strawberry ice
Bing Xiang (www.facebook.com/icecountry160) or “Ice Country,” is two-plus blocks north of Building 2. This simple-decor shop is a purveyor of shaved-ice treats that has a special place in the hearts of Tainan locals – it was opened in 1978 and has grown up with them. The secret here is the freshest of fruits; Taiwan has been called the “Kingdom of Fruit,” and Tainan sits within a key production region. Specially recommended is the mango ice and banana ice. The tofu pudding is also esteemed. Snail Alley 36
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URBAN WALKS Tainan
450m 7min
The Yebisu Kan (www.facebook. com/yebisukan1935) building, three blocks west/northwest of Museum Bui lding 2, was once home to one of Tai nan’s fou r major movie theaters, from 1935 in the Japanese era until 1961. In 1970 Taiwan’s renowned Black Bridge brand (maker of traditional-style sausages, meat f loss, jerky, etc.) moved in and comprehensively renovated the retail facilit y to resemble a museum. Other iconic old-ways food retailers have also been invited in.
Meat counter
Old ticket booth
Reading area
350m 5min
We’ll wind down the day at The Spring, perfect for evening scenic photography. It’s about f ive blocks northwest of Museum Building 2, near the Anping Canal. When the early 1980s-built Tainan Chinatown mall was demolished, the now-mostly-alfresco basement was ingeniously transformed into a 1.54ha public plaza rich with greenery. Selected original beams and columns have been left in place for aesthetic effect. A shallow, clean-water mini-lagoon complete with tree-studded islets was created for kids’ water play (changing rooms available). The place is especially busy during warmweather months, notably on concert nights. The Spring
Here’s a charismatic quartet that will expand the outlying boundary of your walkabout, though certainly within range for devotees of good exercise: Tainan Wu Garden is in West Central District’s northeast corner. Built in 1828 by a salt magnate, it’s known as one of the “Four Great Gardens of Taiwan.” Chikan Tower, inside its north-middle edge, features two Chinese imperial-era towers built on the ruins of a 1652-raised Dutch fort. The Blueprint Culture & Creative Park complex, steps outside its south quarter, possesses renovated Japanese-era dorms for judicial-authority employees now housing artisanal outlets and creative eateries. End your day at Shennong Street, not far from Chikan Tower, where cafés, eateries, bars, teahouses, and cultural-creative enterprises today inhabit the Qing- and Japanese-era shophouses.
ENGLISH AND CHINESE 44 Bit Records 四四拍唱片行 Anping Canal 安平運河 Bing Xiang 冰鄉 Black Bridge 黑橋牌 Blueprint Culture & Creative Park 藍晒圖文創園區 Chikan Tower 赤嵌樓 Hayashi Department Store 林百貨 Narrow Door Café 窄門咖啡 Shennong Street 神農街 Snail Alley 蝸牛巷 Tainan Art Museum Building 1/2 台南美術館一館、二館 Tainan Confucius Temple 臺南孔廟 Tainan Wu Garden 臺南吳園 The POOL 南美春室 The Spring 河樂廣場 Yebisu Kan 戎館 Yeh Shih-tao 葉石濤
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MAP
JAN/FEB 2024
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GOOD FOOD Day Market Eateries
Market Meals
Undergoing tasteful facelifts with updated offerings that cater to a more diverse crowd, many of Taiwan’s traditional day markets have transformed from worn-down, musty spaces into sparkling clean, welldesigned hotspots. A major draw is the multitude of food stalls, the prepared items on offer ranging from sushi to beef noodles to sweet cakes, which many locals are willing to wake up early and queue up for. TE X T H A N C H EU N G
P H OTOS R AY C H A N G, P OW EI C H EN
Culinary Discoveries in Taipei Day Markets
Yongle Market “Lin He Fa Oily Rice” Expect long queues at the soon-to-be 130-year-old “Lin He Fa Oily Rice” operation, which serves up a unique version of Taiwan’s classic oily rice, which is often consumed during one-month celebrations for newborns. Instead of the heavier sticky rice normally found, this shop uses top-grade fragrant short-grain rice seasoned with sesame oil, adding in mushroom, lean pork, and dried shrimp. Hungry customers can add a fried chicken leg and soy sauce-braised egg to make it a complete meal. The shop’s taro cake is also a favorite, often selling out well before the shop’s noon closing time. 38
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“LIN HE FA OILY RICE”( 林合發油飯 ) (02) 2559-2888 No. 21, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District, Taipei City [Yongle Market Stall No. 1430] (台北市大同區迪化街一段 21號 ) [ 永樂市場第1430 攤位 ] 7:30am~12pm
“Lin Liang Bing” Watch the owners churn out thin wraps at a rapid pace at this beloved stall serving up runbing, which are often described as large spring rolls (fresh, not fried) stuffed with all sorts of goodies. Many visitors come just to buy the wraps, which are only available until noon. The runbing at “Lin Liang Bing” contain bean curd, bean sprouts, sweet peanut flour, crispy red vinasse pork, cilantro, and cabbage. The complex sweet and savory taste can be further enhanced by choosing the curry, seaweed, chili, or mustard varieties. This morsel is especially popular among locals during Tomb Sweeping Day and end-of-year company parties. “LIN LIANG BING”( 林良號潤餅 ) (02) 2558-3562 No. 21, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District, Taipei City [Yongle Market Stall No. 1506] ( 台北市大同區迪化街一段 21 號 ) [ 永樂市場第 1506 攤位 ] 9:30am~1pm Runbing
“Wanlong Sushi” Ever crave sashimi for breakfast? Apparently many locals do, as this joint is usually teeming with hungry patrons by 8am. “Wanlong Sushi” was born when a fish vendor in Yongle Market decided to join forces with a retired hotel chef after the revitalization of heritage-rich Dihua Street as a tourist spot, serving up affordable and generous raw-fish slices using catch delivered straight from the harbor. The jumbo-sized, flavorful sushi rolls are also worth trying. Those who spend more than NT$250, which isn’t that difficult, get to enjoy bottomless miso soup that’s packed with tofu, seafood balls, and pieces of fish. “WANLONG SUSHI”( 丸隆生魚行 ) (02) 2556-5276 No. 21, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong District, Taipei City [Yongle Market Stall No. 1418] (台北市大同區迪化街一段 21號 ) [ 永樂市場第1418 攤位 ] 9am~3pm (closed on Monday)
Sushi
Yao de Herb
Redesigned in a fusion style while retaining its traditional Chinese medicine shop furnishings, 70-plus-year-old Yao de Herb serves up soothing herbal tea drinks that cool patrons down on hot summer days. The aroma of the multifarious herbs is immediately evident, wafting from the sacks that sit on steelpipe shelves. This place started out as a simple herbal-remedy shop, but its business suffered prior to transitioning due to the advent of Western medicine. Besides the classic herbal tea, it also offers perotis, honey aloe vera, and bitter herb options, and those who want to try them all can opt for a sampler set.
Scallion pancake
Honey aloe vera
YAO DE HERB ( 姚德和青草號 ) (02) 2559-5389 No. 55, Minle St., Datong District, Taipei City ( 台北市大同區民樂街 55 號 ) www.facebook.com/yaodeherb 8am~7pm (until 6pm on Sunday) “YONGLE SCALLION PANCAKE”( 永樂蔥油餅 ) 0987-603-868 No. 1, Yongchang St., Datong District, Taipei City ( 台北市大同區永昌街 1 號 ) 11:30am~5:30pm (closed on Sunday)
“Yongle Scallion Pancake” While the scallion pancakes here are the star attraction, this vintage-chic food cart also offers other classic fried favorites such as sesame balls, horse-hoof cakes, donuts, and taro cakes, all at very affordable prices. This Dihua Street mainstay has recently undergone a makeover, glowing up from a run-of-themill metal cart with plastic signage to a charming wood-andtile stall with the food items visible in display cases. The hefty pancakes, which can be consumed with or without egg, are rolled and fried on the spot and can be seasoned with sweet soy sauce paste and chili sauce. Crispy and chewy at the same time, they’re surprisingly not too greasy.
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GOOD FOOD Day Market Eateries
Frying station
Dongsanshui Street Market Da Fond Fishball Da Fond Fishball offers a variety of preservative-free, hand-made seafood and meat-paste products, including its signat ure swordf ish balls and award-winning cuttlefish balls. Many come to buy ingredients for their hotpot repasts at home, but those looking to eat on the spot can also sample the wide range of fried fare. The burdock root is a favorite, as well as the shrimp rolls, braised eel, taro balls, and crispy spare ribs. If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of options, the owners will gladly make recommendations based on your expressed taste preferences. The breading falls on the classic Taiwanese side, slightly sweet with salt and pepper.
Fried goodies
DA FOND FISHBALL ( 艋舺大豐魚丸店 ) (02) 2306-0532 No. 62, Sanshui St., Wanhua District, Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區三水街 62 號 ) www.facebook.com/dafondfishball1957 8am~1:30pm (closed on Monday) Seafood and meat balls
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GOOD FOOD Day Market Eateries
“Duo Jia She” The best way to sample this stall’s offerings is to order the five-colored dumpling combo, as each kind is a unique exper ience. The plump Chinese-st yle dumplings are filled up generously with natural, highgrade ingredients that are carefully selected and handprocessed by the owners, each in a unique wrapper. The scallop dumpling comes in a green wrapper infused with freshly squeezed spinach juice, while the shrimp one comes in a carrot juice skin. The cabbage and pork version has a chewy oatmeal wrapper, and the tuna’s is made with red yeast. Last but not least is the “standard” variety with a chive and pork filling, which is still juicy and delicious.
Monga Super Curry Monga Super Curry is known for its Fuzhou-style pastries, handmade using recipes that have been passed down for generations. Its sweet-and-savory xianguang pastry, made with low-gluten f lour and covered with sesame, is an old-school morsel that’s often handed out during temple processions to ensure peace and safety. The pastry is named after Ming Dynasty general Qi Jiguang, who had his soldiers carry them as rations while campaigning against pirates. This was done to avoid cooking, because any smoke might give away their location to the enemy. Another definite favorite is the curry puff, with its crispy, flaky skin and filling that’s just the right amount of juicy.
Five-colored dumpling combo
Xinfu Market
Dongsanshui Street Market consists simply of a single narrow covered walkway with no place to sit, but patrons can bring their selections to the Japanese-style bar at the adjoining historic Xinfu Market building to enjoy with a drink. Staff there will even put the food on a nice plate for you. This atmospheric U-shaped two-story structure is one of the few Japanese-era public markets that still stands in Taipei, renovated and reopened as a cultural-creative and working space in 2017 after decades of decline. Displays tell the history of the market and local food culture, and the stories of the area's vendors. Some of the original stalls from the building’s previous life continue to operate in Dongsanshui Market. XINFU MARKET ( 新富町文化市場 ) No. 70, Sanshui St., Wanhua District, Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區三水街 70 號 ) (02) 2308-1092 umkt.jutfoundation.org.tw 10am~6pm (closed on Monday)
Dongsanshui Street Market
Xianguang pastry
“DUO JIA SHE”( 多餃舍 ) (02) 2308-9995 No. 70-5, Sanshui St., Wanhua District, Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區三水街 70 之 5 號 ) www.facebook.com/dumplings1998 8am~3pm (closed on Monday) MONGA SUPER CURRY ( 艋舺唐記鹹光餅咖哩酥 ) 0987-292-162 No. 70, Sanshui St., Wanhua District, Taipei City ( 台北市萬華區三水街 70 號 ) www.facebook.com/monga.super.curry 9am~3pm (closed on Monday)
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GOOD FOOD Day Market Eateries
Shidong Market
Double-sauce noodles
“Yueh House” The delectable, plus-size wontons are probably what stand out most at “Yueh House.” They come in two varieties, one solely with ground black Iberian pork and the other with pork and a large, juicy whole shrimp. They can be enjoyed with noodles or just in broth – but you’ll get more wontons if you eschew the noodles. The doublesauce noodles are also highly recommended, the sesame- and soybean-paste sauces blending into a layered sensation anchored by the thick and firm noodles. Many come for the limited-supply adzuki bean cakes, which have gained a following with their crispychewy pastry exterior and refreshingly sweet filling.
“137 Rice Noodle Soup” Expect to wait a while to get a seat at this popular eatery, which serves up filling bowls of thick rice-noodle soup topped with generous amounts of scallion, celery, fried shallot, and dried shrimp. The sumptuous broth is made with pork bone, its light and pleasant umami flavor blending well with the garnishings. Add a dollop of the shop’s homemade chili sauce if you’re feeling feisty – it packs quite a punch. The noodles can be enjoyed with a side of pork liver, intestine or other offal, as well as succulent fried tofu.
“YUEH HOUSE”( 岳家小館 ) 0987-514-155 Stall 235, 2F, No. 100, Shidong Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City ( 台北市士林區士東路 100 號 2 樓 235 攤 ) 11am~3pm (closed on Monday) “137 RICE NOODLE SOUP”(137 號米粉湯 ) 02-2834-1327 Stall 137, 2F, No. 100, Shidong Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City ( 台北市士林區士東路 100 號 2 樓 137 攤 ) 7:30am~3pm (closed on Monday and Thursday)
Rice-noodle soup
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Shidong Market
New Nanshan Market building
Mustard green and bean curd
Tomato beef noodles
Nanmen Market “Hehuan Sliced Noodles”
Speaking of long waits, this hand-sliced-noodle shop in the newly renovated Nanmen Market probably takes the cake, with its queues spilling out of the entrance to the market’s food court. And although it technically is open until 6pm, it’s often completely sold out way before that. The smash hit is the tomato beef noodles, which are prepared from scratch on the spot and come in copious portions. The tender, stir-fried pieces of sliced beef pair well with the firm and chewy noodles, and the broth is rich and slightly sour. Also popular are the Chinese cabbage beef noodles, as well as the pork and seafood noodles, the latter laden with shrimp, braised egg, meatballs, and other morsels.
Yi-Chang With a dizzying array of offerings laid out across a long stall front, Yi-Chang is the Taipei champion of cooked take-out-only food. Many of its selections, such as pickled mustard greens with bean curd and braised smoked fish, originate from the Zhejiang area in China, but it also has other regional specialties, clay pot stews, sliced meats, stickyrice dumplings, mantou buns, and sweet delicacies such as dates stuffed with glutinous rice cake. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s ideal for busy working people who just want to grab something on the way home, or you can take your purchase to the food court and enjoy it with some fried rice. Don’t forget to try the stuffed green peppers.
“HEHUAN SLICED NOODLES”( 合歡刀削麵 ) (02) 2396-4592 Stall 55-56, 2F, No. 8, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City ( 台北市中正區羅斯福路一段 8 號 2 樓 55-56 攤 ) 10am~8pm (closed on Monday) YI-CHANG ( 億長御坊 ) (02) 2393-0383 Stall 6-11, 1F, No. 8, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City ( 台北市中正區羅斯福路一段 8 號 1樓 6-11攤 ) 08:30am~6pm (closed on Monday)
ENGLISH AND CHINESE Dihua Street 迪化街 Dongsanshui Street Market 東三水街市場 horse-hoof cakes 雙胞胎 mantou 饅頭 Nanmen Market 南門市場 oily rice 油飯 Qi Jiguang 戚繼光 runbing 潤餅 scallion pancake 蔥油餅 Shidong Market 士東市場 Tomb Sweeping Day 清明節 xianguang pastry 鹹光餅 Yongle Market 永樂市場
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MAP
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LITTLE THINGS Traditional Crafts
Shopping for handicrafts on Dihua Street
Bamboo Baskets Traditional Items Made of Bamboo TE X T & P H OTOS V I S I O N
It’s increasingly hard to find traditional daily-use items made of natural materials in Taiwan – plastic rules! – but there are still shops selling handmade products, like woven baskets, where you can find unique and authentic traditional gift options or just gain a glimpse of yesterday Taiwan.
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T
he first location many tourists are pointed to when asking about handicraft shops in Taipei is the northern end of Dihua Street in the Dadaocheng neighborhood to the north of Taipei Main Station. Dihua Street is a well-known tourist draw, a place of beautifully restored old buildings and numerous shops selling dried goods, tea leaf, and souvenirs. There are several shops specializing in traditional handicrafts, such as Grandma’s Kitchen (161, Sec. 1, Dihua St.) and “Gaojian Bucket Shop” (204, Sec. 1, Dihua St.), and you will find a wide range of items that were
LITTLE THINGS Traditional Crafts common in Taiwan households in times gone by. These include baskets in all shapes and sizes, woven shopping bags, lampshades, and all types of wooden spoons, brooms, farmer’s hats, buckets, and cake molds. While these items were quotidian and produced in Taiwan in the past, today most are imports from Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, where raw materials and labor are significantly cheaper than on this island. If you are looking for items that are more likely to be “MIT” (Made in Taiwan), focus on the bamboo products, especially the larger ones.
Baskets galore
Bamboo is widely available in most parts of Taiwan. It grows quickly and because of its f lexibility it can be used for many different objects, from furniture to chopsticks. Perhaps the best shops to look for old-time bamboo items are farmer product or “five metal” (i.e., hardware) shops, often found near day markets in rural towns. These businesses, mostly catering to local regular customers, often don’t even have a shop name outside but are easily recognized by their products, crammed into limited space and more often than not placed out on the sidewalk as well. Especially intriguing and rich in cultural meaning are two types of basket you might find in these kinds of shops. The first is known in Chinese as a huo long (lit. “fire basket”). This is a small type of basket of varying sizes (small ones about 15cm tall, 13cm wide, large ones about 33cm x 20cm). They have traditionally been used as part of wedding customs, the bride carrying a basket to her new husband’s house as symbol for a long marriage and a warm relationship. In the old days, baskets like these were also used as a source for heat during cold days. A ceramic bowl would be placed inside to hold burning charcoal. The lower half of the container features a more tightly woven pattern, while the upper part has a looser pattern to allow hot air from the burning coal to get out of the basket. While foreigners are not likely to use this type of basket during their own wedding ceremony, it can be used as a unique potted plant container, looking perfect on a window sill or hung from a ceiling with a string attached to its handle. The second type of basket you might find in a traditional shop that sells bamboo craft objects is known in Chinese as a xie lan (lit. “thank you basket”) or ti lan (“carry basket”). These vessels have also played an important part in wedding customs, filled with betrothal cakes and other gifts, or have been used to bring offerings to temples or gifts of food when visiting relatives and friends. Often featuring red elements or painted red entirely, the baskets are generally larger than huo long and come with a lid. While the body is most likely round, the wide handle is angular, with the top part horizontal rather than arched. More fancy designs might feature two or three tiers – a ceng lan (“tiered basket) – that can be detached and are great for carrying different types of articles, perfect for picnics or for storing things like knitting supplies at home.
ENGLISH AND CHINESE ceng lan 層籃 Dadaocheng 大稻埕 Dihua Street 迪化街 "five metal" shops 五金行
Traditional huo long ("fire basket")
©Taiwan Cultural Memory Bank
Grandma's Kitchen 竹木造咖 huo long 火籠 ti lan 提籃 xie lan 謝藍
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e u c s e R r o t p a R h c r a e s e R & EXPERT TALK Birds
ter in Taipei n e C r o t p a Mountain R s s a r G e h t A Visit to
Gray-faced buzzard Raptor researcher Tsai Die-hua
Crested serpent eagle
Few sights are more majestic than that of a bird of prey circling in the sky, riding the air currents, its wings outstretched and still. Perhaps unsurprisingly due to its dense variety of ecosystems and stark altitudinal variation, Taiwan is home to a large number of raptor species, many of which can be seen in and around the capital Taipei itself. On a crisp morning in November, Travel in Taiwan spoke to Tsai Die-hua, secretary general of the Raptor Research Group of Taiwan, about the wheres, whens, and hows of spotting these amazing birds in the city as well as the group's most recent conservation initiatives. TE X T OWA I N M C K I M M
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P H OTOS P OW EI C H EN
EXPERT TALK Birds
T
he northwestern wall of the Grass Mountain Raptor Center – situated on the slopes of the Yangmingshan massif, just outside Yangmingshan National Park, not far north of central Taipei – is decorated with a pretty but telling mural. On the left side of the depicted scene, over high, forested peaks, two rare eagles, a mountain hawk-eagle and a black eagle, stoically circle. In the middle, a black-winged kite attempts a complex aerial maneuver and a crested serpent eagle rises wide-winged over a checkerboard of farmers’ fields. On the right, a crested goshawk flies, aggressively beating its wings, towards a steadily, inevitably encroaching cityscape. The center, operated by the Raptor Research Group of Taiwan, was established in 2022 with the purpose of creating a space that could serve both as an educational center and a rescue station for raptors, many of which become unfortunate casualties of northern Taiwan’s increasingly urbanized environment. According to Tsai Die-hua, 48 raptor species call Taiwan home for at least some of the year (with 12 of those species being nocturnal). About half are migratory, either passing over Taiwan – stopping for only a short period en route to their winter or summer destinations – or are resident for the winter only, before spending the summer elsewhere. Indeed, Taiwan’s position to the northeast of the South China Sea puts it on the perfect route for migrating raptors. During the spring and fall, tens of thousands of these birds – mostly Chinese goshawks and gray-faced buzzards – can be seen making their way between their wintering grounds in the tropics and their summer homes in Northeast Asia. Birdwatchers galore f lock to Kenting National Park on Hengchun Peninsula in the Taiwan mainland’s far south in October to see the migration south, while in the spring these birds, taking a slightly different route, can be seen primarily in the Baguashan scenic area in Changhua County and on Mt. Guanyin on the western banks of the Tamsui River estuary northwest of Taipei City.
“You have a high chance of seeing crested serpent eagles, crested goshawks, black-winged kites, even black eagles”
Crested goshawk
Guandu Nature Park
Daan Park
However, as Tsai points out, Mt. Guanyin is by no means the only place in the greater Taipei area that one can spot such birds. During winter, the best location to spot a bird of prey, he states, is the Guandu Nature Park, a half-moon-shaped area of undeveloped land in Taipei City’s northern Beitou District. “Many winter residents are active on the Guandu Plain during this season,” Tsai says. “You also have a high chance of seeing crested serpent eagles, crested goshawks, black-winged kites, even black eagles. The Huajiang Wild Duck Nature Park in Wanhua District is similarly busy during the winter, with populations of peregrine falcons and ospreys. You might even see an eastern marsh-harrier if you’re lucky!” Those out on bike rides by the riverside here might also spot black kites hunting along the Xindian River, while those picnicking in the city’s central Daan Park should look out for its resident crested goshawks, particularly during the summer breeding season (an event which the group livestreams on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/rrgtaiwan, with cameras set up in and around the nests). To many it may seem surprising that these birds, so readily identified with wild, remote spaces, could be so abundant and indeed thrive in urban environments. Tsai explains that cities in fact provide an abundance of food for these types of avians. Creatures that we would define as pests, such as rats and cockroaches – the Taipei urbanite’s perpetual foe – are dietary staples for many raptors. Combine these easy pickings with a relative lack of predators and you have a rather attractive hunting and even breeding environment for certain species. (For others though – such as the mountain hawk-eagle, which requires pristine forest to breed – urbanization has a far more destructive influence). That said, even for species that can thrive in densely populated areas, cities bring their own unique dangers, tall buildings, traffic, and a cavalier attitude to setting out rat poison being just a few of the more serious problems.
Chinese sparrowhawk
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EXPERT TALK Birds
“We currently rescue over 200 raptors each year, from all over northern Taiwan” As a conser vat ion ef for t, si nce 2017 t he R aptor Research Group of Taiwan has been operating a raptor rescue service in order to rehabilitate any injured birds of prey that may have fallen foul of these humanrelated hazards. “We currently rescue over 200 raptors each year,” Tsai says, “from all over northern Taiwan. Around 20 percent of the cases we get are raptors that have flown into windows. Many others come to us after being hit by cars, but on examination we often find that they have a buildup of poisons – sometimes several different varieties – in their systems as well. This makes them disoriented or slows their reaction times, so they are more susceptible to being hit by vehicles.” Raptor Center mascot
Raptor specimen RAPTORS SEEN IN TAIWAN black eagle 林鵰 black-winged kite 黑翅鳶 Chinese sparrowhawk 赤腹鷹 crested goshawk 鳳頭蒼鷹 crested serpent eagle 大冠鷲 eastern marsh-harrier 東方澤鵟 gray-faced buzzard 灰面鵟鷹 mountain hawk-eagle 熊鷹 osprey 魚鷹 peregrine falcon 遊隼
MAP
ENGLISH AND CHINESE Baguashan 八卦山 Beitou District 北投區 Daan Park 大安森林公園 Grass Mountain Raptor Center 草山猛禽中心 Guandu Nature Park 關渡自然公園 Guandu Plain 關渡平原 Hengchun Peninsula 恆春半島 Huajiang Wild Duck Nature Park 華江雁鴨公園 Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園 Mt. Guanyin 觀音山 Tamsui River 淡水河 Tsai Die-hua 蔡岱樺 Wanhua District 萬華區 Xindian River 新店溪 Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園
It’s vital, then, Tsai stresses, for people to be aware of how to make their cities a safe space for raptors. As well as providing the group with a dedicated space for raptor rescue, an important component of the new Grass Mountain Raptor Center’s mission is to provide education for the general public. In addition to the rescue station, the center houses an exhibition hall and lecture room, where those interested can learn how to co-exist with these birds in urban environments. “People are becoming more active about creating green spaces – which attract raptors – by planting trees and f lowers on their rooftops, for example,” Tsai says. “While this is a positive thing, if they don’t also take measures to protect these birds from striking their windows – such as adding some simple decorations to the windows so that the birds can identify them – then they can cause more harm than good.” Those wanting to learn more about Taiwan’s raptors and the issues facing them can visit the center between 11am and 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Group tours are available by arrangement for parties of between 10 and 30 people. And while the center’s information boards are not bilingual, Englishlanguage tours can be provided on request. For those wanting to join in some real-life raptor spotting, on the other hand, the center hosts a free birdwatching event – Open Wings – on the third Saturday of every month. Details of the time and location are posted on the group’s Facebook page on the first of each month, and communal binoculars are available for those who do not have their own.
RAPTOR RESEARCH GROUP OF TAIWAN ( 台灣猛禽研究會 ) (02) 2862-5560 No. 7, Jianye Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City ( 台北市士林區建業路 7 號 ) raptor.org.tw (Chinese) www.facebook.com/RRGTaiwan Crested serpent eagle
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HOT! STAY / EAT / BUY STAY
Taipei City
Grand Hotel Taipei 圓山大飯店
Encounter of Fate International Magician Pohan Huang's Amazing Night
Date: Jan. 13, 20, 27, 2024; Feb. 3, 12, 24, 2024; Mar. 2, 16, 23, 2024 Time: Starts at 8pm, each show lasting about 75 minutes (no intermission) More information, please visit the official website.
STAY Taipei City
Caesar Park Hotel Taipei 台北凱撒大飯店
The shows take place in the Auditorium (10F) of The Grand Hotel Taipei
Caesar Park Hotel Taipei is located in the heart of Taipei, directly opposite Taipei Main Station. It is the only hotel in Taiwan directly connected to the public transportation system, giving guests quick access to Taiwan Railway, High Speed Rail, MRT, public city buses, and intercity buses. You can enter the hotel directly from MRT Taipei Main Station Exit 6. The warm, comfortable, and functional guestrooms meet the needs of business and leisure travelers alike. With its advantageous location, this is the top place to stay if you plan to conveniently get around Taipei City!
No. 1, Sec. 4, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市中山區中山北路四段一號 ) Tel: (02) 2886-1818 ext. 1535[Banquet department] www.grand-hotel.org
No. 38, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao W. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City ( 台北市中正區忠孝西路一段 38 號 ) Tel: (02) 2311-5151 taipei.caesarpark.com.tw
STAY Taipei City
STAY Taitung City
Hotel Éclat Taipei
Rice Resort Hotel
Setting the benchmark in terms of style and inspiration, staying at Hotel Éclat Taipei is no ordinary experience. Situated in the fashionable district of Da-An, this charismatic boutique hotel with its avant-garde design, attentive service and astounding modern art collection is nothing short of leading-edge.
Taitung is well known for its beautiful mountains and rivers. Rice Resort Hotel is like an idyllic rural castle designed with the county’s specialty rice as its theme. The hotel has ten floors with a total of 100 guestrooms. Among its facilities are an outdoor swimming pool, a Chubby Choice Star Bar, a children's playground, a gym, and a massage area. It’s like a fun paradise for the whole family. In the high-ceiling firstfloor lobby of the hotel you will see design elements representative of Taitung, including lights in the shape of rice ears and grains of rice. The marble-textured floor and the beige walls give the space a soft and elegant feel.
* A close-distance spiritual fantasy adventure that will surprise you again and again! * The Grand Hotel Taipei presents an unforgettable magic show that stimulate your five senses! * Magic tricks with intimate interaction and surprises in an exclusive Grand Hotel performance!
台北怡亨酒店
No.370, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an District, Taipei City 106, Taiwan ( 台北市大安區敦化南路一段 370 號 ) Tel: +886-2-2784-8888 Fax: +886-2-2784-7888 Reservation: +886-2-2784-8888 https://www.eclathotels.com/taipei
TRAVEL
Around Taiwan
Time for Romantic HotSpring Fun in Taiwan! 台灣好湯 浪漫星晨暖時光
It’s hot-spring season again! Have you missed warming your body and soul and relieving stress by taking a soothing hot-spring bath? The Taiwan Tourism Administration, MOTC, encourages everyone to visit a hot-spring resort and enjoy a happy time soaking in healthy 40°C water. Starting at the end of October 2023 there have been countless hot-spring-season activities in Taiwan’s 19 hot-spring areas, and since November there has also been the “Taiwan Hot Springs, Romantic and Heart-Warming Lucky Draw.” If you spend more than NT$500 at a designated business in a hot-spring area and successfully upload the payment receipt, you will have the chance to win an iPhone 15, a hot-spring hotel accommodation voucher, and other great prizes. For more details, visit www.facebook.com/taiwanhotspring.
禾風新棧度假飯店
No. 29, Xinxing Rd., Taitung City ( 台東市新興路 29 號 ) Room Reservation Hotline: 089-229-968 Banquet Reservation Hotline: 089-219-178
OTHER Taipei City
Guard The Street House, Guard Love 守護街屋守護愛
Lin Wuhu Ancient House ( 林五湖古厝 ) is not only a street house built 170 years ago, it has also been selected by Internet voters one of the top ten mustvisit attractions on Dihua Street ( 迪化街 ), the oldest street in Taipei City. On February 24, 2024, the day of Lunar Lantern Festival, a music appreciation party will take place in Lin Wuhu Ancient House. This is an event organized by a group of high school students who love music and appreciate Chinese culture. They will bring you the beautiful fusion of western classical and Chinese music by both western and eastern musical instruments. The event is free and everyone is welcome, there will be an English tour of the House as well. For more information, please follow us on IG and FB: “Guard The Street House, Guard Love”. No. 156, Section 1, Dihua Street, Datong District, Taipei City ( 林五湖古厝台北市大同區迪化街一段 156 號 ) Date & Time: February 24, 2024 1:30 pm