Travel in Taiwan (No.101 2020 9/10 )

2020

SEP & OCT

No.

NORTH COAST COFFEE SHOPS AND FINE-SAND BEACHES

101

FUN TRIP PLAN

PLACES TO VISIT IN YILAN COUNTY

EASY HIKING

THE MAOLIN NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

The Northeast Coast

Fascinating Scenery, Fun Outdoor Activities Android

iOS

9/27 ~ 10/2、10/4 10/3

PUBL ISHER 'S NOTE

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler, Welcome to the Taiwan autumn! As you prepare to hit the road on your Taiwan adventures, cooler breezes are arriving to accompany you on your way. In this spirit of seeking the open road, almost all of our sample-taste tours this issue take you to places where wondrous natural beauty predominates.

In this edition’s feature article we meander the ruggedly comely Northeast Coast, reached quickly via expressway from the heavily populated Taipei Basin area, home to Taipei City. The coast is a place perfect for active-fun adventuring, and we bring you to lovely spots for invigorating activities such as stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking (on river and sea), snorkeling and scuba diving, hiking on breezy capes, rail biking, and ocean swimming.

Since a single day is nowhere near enough to handle all the interesting things you can get up to at the Northeast Coast, we encourage you to stay at least one night in the area, and in a dedicated article introduce a number of first-rate homestay operations in the settlements of Jiufen, Jinguashi, and Shuinandong. These are former mining villages, located on mountain slopes looking over the sea, that have become very popular with tourists.

In another main article we move to the North Coast, with our targets the stunning scenery, attractive fine-sand beaches, and many stylish seaside cafés. Each of the cafés presented – which include both brick-and-mortar and mobile operations – has a personality uniquely its own, allowing you to mix and match according to your mood of the day.

Elsewhere, in our Fun Trip Plan department we spend time roving two rural townships just below the Northeast Coast in Yilan County. Both Dongshan and Yuanshan have sections on the Yilan Plain and in the mountains. Your trip highlights will be scenes of natural beauty, artistic inspiration, indigenous culture, colorful homestays, cozy cafés, and an award-winning whisky distillery.

In Quick City Tour we head to Tainan City in the southwest, using the convenient Tainan Sightseeing Bus service on rambles around two of its especially heritage-rich districts. And in Easy Scenic Trails we travel further south still, to immerse you in the joys of the Maolin National Scenic Area – great trails, inspiring mountain scenery, indigenous cultural-creative entrepreneurs, butterfly watching, biking, river rafting, and much more.

The open roads of Formosa, the Beautiful Island, await. Enjoy!

CHANG, SHI-CHUNG DIRECTOR GENERAL TOURISM BUREAU, MOTC, R.O.C.

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

01

34

Travel in

PUBLISHER Taiwan Tourism Bureau

Taiwan

EDITING CONSULTANT T. C. Chou PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION TAIWAN TOURISM BUREAU, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

2020 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

CONTACT International Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10694, TAIWAN Tel: 886-2-2349-1500 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036 E-mail: tbroc@tbroc.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月刊 Travel in Taiwan The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (Advertisement) SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 2020 Tourism Bureau, MOTC First published Jan./Feb. 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200

PRODUCER Vision Creative Marketing & Media Co. ADDRESS 1F, No. 5, Aly. 20, Ln. 265, Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd., Taipei City 10681, Taiwan TEL: 886-2-2325-2323 Fax: 886-2-2701-5531 E-MAIL: editor@v-media.com.tw

中華郵政台北雜字第1286號執照登記為雜誌交寄

Copyright @ 2020 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

GENERAL MANAGER David Hu EDITOR IN CHIEF Johannes Twellmann ENGLISH EDITOR Rick Charette DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & EDITING DEPT Joe Lee MANAGING EDITOR Regina Chuang EDITORS Masako Takada, Sophia Su CONTRIBUTORS Rick Charette, Owain Mckimm, Dana Ter, Ryan Hevern PHOTOGRAPHERS Chen Cheng-kuo, Ray Chang, Aska Chi DESIGNERS Ian Tsai, Hsieh Yun-jhen, Bettina Tsai ADMINISTRATIVE DEPT Lily Wan, Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang, Sophie Chen

MAGAZINE IS SOLD AT: 1. Wu-Nan Culture Plaza, No. 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City 40043 886-4-2226-0330 http://www.wunanbooks.com.tw/ 2. National Bookstore, 1F., No. 209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 10485 886-2-2518-0207 http://www.govbooks.com.tw/ WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY OF TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ABROAD Offices of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, and London. Taiwan Representative Offices; Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; onboard China Airlines, EVA Air, and other selected international airways; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations.

IN TAIWAN Tourism Bureau Visitor Center; Tourism Bureau; Taiwan Visitors Association; foreign representative offices in Taiwan; Tourism Bureau service counters at Taiwan Taoyuan Int’l Airport and Kaohsiung Int’l Airport; major tourist hotels; Taipei World Trade Center; VIP lounges of international airlines; major tourist spots in Taipei; visitor centers of cities and counties around Taiwan; offices of national scenic area administrations; public libraries ONLINE Read Travel in Taiwan online at https://issuu.com/ travelintaiwan. You can also download the Travel in Taiwan app for iOS and Android by scanning one of the following QR codes:

issuu (PDF)

Apple app store (iOS)

Google play (Android)

2020

SEP & OCT

No.

NORTH COAST

ON THE COVER The Remains of the 13 Levels on the Northeast Coast (photo by Ray Chang)

02

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

COFFEE SHOPS AND FINE-SAND BEACHES

101

FUN TRIP PLAN PLACES TO VISIT IN YILAN COUNTY

EASY HIKING THE MAOLIN NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

The Northeast Coast Fascinating Scenery, Fun Outdoor Activities Android

iOS

This magazine is printed on FSC TM COC certified paper.

Any product with the FSC TM logo on it comes from a forest that has been responsibly maintained and harvested in a sustainable manner.

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

Contents 40

34

09

TAIWAN YEAR OF MOUNTAIN TOURISM

10

QUICK CITY TOUR TOURING TAINAN A City Perfect for Slow Discovery Excursions

HIKING IN TAIWAN Mountain Areas in the North, East, and South

01

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

14

14

NORTHEAST COAST

04

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

ON THE EDGE OF THE GREAT BLUE PACIFIC

06

Active Outdoor Fun Along the Rugged Northeast Coast

08

NORTHEAST COAST

TRAVEL NEWS

28

CULTURE AND ART

JIUFEN, JINGUASHI & SHUINANDONG

12

Three Mountainside Villages Deserving of More Than Just a Day Trip

EXPLORE - QIJIN

34

13

NORTH COAST

EXPLORE - HUWEI

LIFE’S A BEACH

47

Fine Scenery and Comfy Cafés along the North Coast

CONVENIENT TRAVEL

10

40

48

YILAN DISCOVERIES

THE MAOLIN NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

Exploring the Townships of Dongshan and Yuanshan

A Southern Mountain Beauty Known for Indigenous Culture and Butterflies

FUN TRIP PLAN

EASY SCENIC TRAILS

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

03

TA I WA N TOUR ISM E V ENTS

HAPPENING THIS AUTUMN

September | December

Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar Website

Great Fun During the Most Pleasant Season of the Year

Note: Depending on developments during the current COVID-19 pandemic, the following events could be cancelled, postponed, or altered. Please visit the organizers’ websites for confirmation.

TAINAN CITY November 14 & 15

KUNSHEN WANGYE’S SALT FOR PEACE FESTIVAL 鯤 鯓王平 安 鹽 祭

For more than 300 years, producing salt from seawater was an important industry in the southwest of Taiwan. The industry ceased to exist in 2002, after Taiwan’s WTO entry, but the Jingzaijiao Tilepaved Salt Fields in Tainan City’s Beimen District remain in place as a popular tourist attraction. In 2004, the annual Kunshen Wangye’s Salt for Peace Festival was organized for the first time by the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration to celebrate the old industry and to highlight traditional beliefs and rituals related to salt. Activities take place at the salt fields and at the Nankunshen Daitian Temple (about 5km away), including a procession between the two places, captivating dragon dances, and the giveaway of thousands of auspicious sachets filled with salt. swcoast-nsa.travel

Photo courtesy of Southwest Coast NSA Administration

TAIPEI CITY October 3 & 4

NUIT BLANCHE TAIPEI 臺北白晝 之夜

The annual nighttime arts festival Nuit Blanche was first staged in Taipei City in 2016 after the city government was invited to host the event by the Bureau Français de Taipei, which represents France's interests in Taiwan. Since the first-ever Nuit Blanche (2001 in Paris, France), similar events have been organized in well over 100 cities around the world. Last year, the venues for Taipei’s annual "White Night" party were in the districts of Zhongshan and Neihu, with 20 performances and 18 art installations drawing big crowds.

Photo courtesy of Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Gov't

NANTOU COUNTY

www.nuitblanchetaipei.info

October

NANTOU GLOBAL TEA EXPO 南 投 世界茶業博覽 會

Nantou County in central Taiwan is an important tea-growing region, with tea plantations covering large areas of land and tea farmers producing a wide variety of excellent teas. The annual Nantou Global Tea Expo is the perfect event for learning more about this local industry and sampling the best teas available. The expo has been staged 10 times to date, attracting many a tea lover eager to find and buy new teaexpo.mmweb.tw

04

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

selections just to his or her liking. Having tea farmers showcasing their products in one place at the same time makes the tea purchase convenient, educational, and highly enjoyable. For travelers that do not necessarily intend to buy anything, there is also a rich cultural program with tea-themed performances put on for entertainment.

SEP TEMBER- NOV EMBER

TAITUNG COUNTY

TAICHUNG CITY

November~December

November~December

TAIWAN OPEN OF SURFING

XINSHE FLOWER FESTIVAL

In recent years, the tiny fishing harbor at Jinzun in Taitung County has become an international traveler hotspot. It’s not the harbor itself that draws – mostly young – people from around the world, but the pebble beach and sea area just to the north of it, where surfers find perfect conditions for riding the waves. In autumn and winter, ideal surfing swells are created outside the harbor’s dyke thanks to the northeast monsoon. The Taiwan Open of Surfing will be held for the tenth time at Jinzun this year, with highly talented surfers expected to put on a marvelous show once again.

Large fields of flowers are commonly described in Taiwan as "seas of flowers," and there are many locations where you can enjoy these feasts for the eye around the island throughout the seasons.

Perhaps the best flower-theme event featuring seas of flowers in Taiwan is the Xinshe Flower Festival in Taichung, held at the end of each year on a 40-hectare farm operated by the Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station. The vast colorful fields of numerous types of flowers are perfect backdrops for photo taking.

Visitors also have ample opportunity to get to know other types of Xinshe produce as well, try local specialties, and visit other tourist attractions in the area.

臺灣 國 際衝 浪公 開 賽

新 社花海節

travel.taichung.gov.tw

www.taiwanopenofsurfing.org

Photo courtesy of Taitung County Gov't

Photo courtesy of Information Bureau, Taichung City Gov't

PENGHU COUNTY November 1

GAILLARDIA ISLANDS PENGHU CROSS-SEA MARATHON 菊島 澎 湖 跨 海馬 拉 松 Offering mostly flat terrain, but strong winds and strong sunshine; the conditions for road running on the islands of Penghu are a mixed bag. Taking on a challenge is a matter of course for marathon runners, and a unique route intrigues many, making the annual Penghu Cross-Sea Marathon one of the most attractive runs on Taiwan’s tightly packed road run calendar. The "Cross-Sea" part of the name refers to the traverse of three sea-crossing bridges that connect Penghu’s main islands. The race starts close to the southwestern tip of Xiyu Island and ends in Magong City on Penghu Main Island, on the way traversing the islands of Baisha and Zhongtun.

Photo courtesy of Penghu NSA Administration

www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

05

TR AV EL NE WS

NEWS & Events around Taiwan

Qigu Visitor Center

Main building of Railway Department Park

Photo courtesy of Southwest Coast NSA Administration

QIGU VISITOR CENTER

Earlier this year a new visitor center was opened in Tainan City's Qigu District. The Qigu Visitor Center, run by the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration, is located close to the Taiwan Salt Museum and the Qigu Salt Mountain, the former an excellent site to learn about local salt production, which once was an important industr y in this par t of Taiwan, the latter a small salt-themed recreational park with a sizable hill made of salt. Apart from providing visitors with comprehensive tourist information about the Southwest Coast, the visitor center has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

Designed to blend in harmoniously with the surrounding at-coastalland scenery, sporting o-white concrete walls and simple lines, the center has become a popular location for taking photographs. From the facility it's just a short drive to the coast, where you can take in marvelous sunsets. During the winter months the Qigu District also becomes one of the best areas in Taiwan for watching migratory birds, among them the cute Black-faced Spoonbill, darling of local and international birders. For more info about the Southwest Coast NSA, visit: swcoast-nsa.travel.

Shuanglong Waterfall Seven Color Bridge

BREATHTAKING BRIDGES

Some might argue that a scenic natural wonder such as Hualien's Taroko Gorge does not need manmade attractions. Without its highway and bridges, however, moving about to admire its majestic beauty would be impossible for almost all travelers. The brand-new 196m-long Shanyue Suspension Bridge will give the average visitor a new and unique angle for taking in the beauty of the gorge. When standing on the bridge and looking to the west you'll see the Swallow Grotto, one of the most spectacular and narrowest parts of the gorge. The bridge, located close to the Buluowan Service Center, is the second edition of the Shanyue Bridge; the first, built during the Japanese colonial period (1895~1945) and demolished in 1940-41, was during its time the longest suspension bridge in the gorge. More info about Taroko Gorge at www.taroko.gov.tw.

Photo courtesy of Nantou County Gov't

06

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

In central Taiwan's Nantou County, just a short drive south of Sun Moon Lake, another impressive feat of engineering was opened to the public earlier this year. The Shuanglong Waterfall Seven Color Bridge (the floor of the bridge is painted in seven bright colors) is Taiwan's longest and highest suspension bridge. It has a length of 342m and is more than 100m above a riverbed; walking across the bridge and coming back takes about 20 minutes. At the far end of the bridge you'll reach a platform from where you can take a good look at the attractive Shuanglong Waterfall, which has an impressive height of 100m. More info about Nantou County can be found at travel.nantou.gov.tw.

TR AV EL NE WS

TAIWAN NATIONAL MUSEUM RAILWAY DEPARTMENT PARK Good news for history and railway buffs. After a renovation project that lasted 15 years, a new museum gem was opened to the public this summer in Taipei. Administered by the National Taiwan Museum, the Railway Department Park, a national historic site, is located on Zhongxiao West Road west of Taipei Main Station.

Together with the old Taipei Post Office and the North Gate (Beimen) close by, this new museum serves as a precious window into the Taipei of times gone by. At the beginning of the 20th century home to the Taipei Railway Factory, later housing the Railway Department Office, the complex played an important role in the development and maintenance of Taiwan's railway system. The main building, facing the North Gate, strikes one as grandiose and tastefully designed.

The semi-circular façade features an eclectic mix of red brick, wooden beams, classical-style pillars, and a second-floor balcony.

The grandeur continues inside, with many fascinating architectural features and informative exhibits about Taiwan's railway history to be discovered. Website: www.ntm.gov.tw

Photo courtesy of Ministry of Culture Photo courtesy of National Taiwan Museum

OCEAN-THEMED HOTEL AND AQUARIUM OPENED IN TAOYUAN Since the Taiwan High Speed Rail service commenced in 2007, the area around the system's Taoyuan Station has seen rapid development. To the north of the station, a brand-new shopping and entertainment park is being realized, at the center of which is a spacious shopping mall, the Gloria Outlets. This summer, the HOTEL COZZI Qinqpu Taoyuan and a modern aquarium built by Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, named Xpark, joined the park. Though not located close to the seashore, the 218-guestroom hotel has a distinct ocean theme with the interior design incorporating many oceanic elements. The guestrooms, for example, have thick azure carpets, walking on which is said to give you the sense of walking on waves, and among the pieces of art on the walls you will see images of whales and other marine life. The close-by aquarium has three above-ground and two below-ground floors, with a giant glass wall (four stories high) through which you are able to see aquarium dwellers in all shapes, sizes, and colors. For more info, visit the following websites: hotelcozzi.com/cozziblu, www.xpark.com.tw.

Xpark aquarium Photo courtesy of Xpark

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

07

CULT URE A ND A R T

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings Because of the COVID-19 situation, performance schedules are in a state of flux; please check official websites for confirmation.

Until October 18

Until October 18

MEETING BUDDHAS AND DEITIES NO. 9 – BLESSING COMIC EXHIBITION

THE CONSCIOUSNESS FLOWS WITHIN 藝識流淌

遇 見 神 佛 9 號－祈 福 漫 畫特展 The Museum of World Religions is an excellent museum in a somewhat unusual location. It occupies part of the 7th floor of a modern departmentstore building in the Taipei suburb of Yonghe. The curious location should not deter you from paying the museum a visit, however, because this first-rate facility gives you a comprehensive educational introduction to the main religions of the world. In this exhibition the focus is on depictions of Buddha as seen through the eyes of 65 anime artists from Japan and 40 from Taiwan.

Photo courtesy of Museum of World Religions

Museum of World Religions [New Taipei City] www.mwr.org.tw

Asia University Museum of Modern Art [Taichung City] asiamodern.asia.edu.tw

October 9, 2020 ~ March 7, 2021

September 5 ~ October 27

THE BEIGOU LEGACY – EARLY YEARS OF THE NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM IN TAIWAN 北溝 傳奇 —故 宮文物 遷 臺 後早 期 歲月 The year 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of the temporary storage of the museum’s collection of treasured art objects in Beigou, Taichung, after their relocation to Taiwan from mainland China in the late 1940s. This exhibition offers an opportunity for reflection on the past while looking forward to the future. Featuring historical photographs and archival documents, as well as accompanying descriptive texts, it is intended to highlight the efforts of all those who took part in safeguarding the national cultural relics, and to show how the massive collection of art objects arrived in Taiwan and how the treasures were stored and protected.

National Palace Museum [Taipei City] www.npm.gov.tw

08

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Tadao Ando, the Asia University Museum of Modern Art is a modern museum on the campus of the young Asia University in Taichung City that was created with the idea of encouraging students to appreciate contemporary art. The museum is open to visitors from the outside as well. On display in this exhibition are 48 Photo courtesy of Asia University Museum of Modern Art works, including abstract paintings and sculptures, by 14 female artists from Taiwan and abroad. The show is an attempt at examining and explaining the flow of consciousness during the process of creating art, giving visitors an idea about the way artists arrive at their distinct artistic expressions.

TAIPEI JAZZ FESTIVAL 臺北爵士 音 樂 節

Photos courtesy of Department of Information and Tourism,Taipei City Gov't

Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum

The annual Taipei Jazz Festival has been staged by the city government since 2007, and is one of the most established music happenings in Taiwan. Each year, well-known top jazz musicians from Taiwan and abroad are invited to perform on the outdoor stage in Daan Park and at other venues around the city, including the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and the Taipei Expo Park.

Lectures and workshops about jazz music are also important parts of the festival, which lasts almost two months. Admission to most of the events is free.

Daan Park and other venues around the city [Taipei City] taipeijazzfestival.info

TA I WA N Y E A R OF MOUNTA IN TOURISM

Hiking in Taiwan Mountain Areas in the North, East, and South

W

hen using the satellite view option on Google Maps to look at Taiwan from above, you can clearly see that about two-thirds of the island is mountainous. Hikers are spoilt for choice when it comes to trails, ranging from easy pathways in the greater Taipei area to remote and challenging routes in the central mountains.

North Taiwan Mt. Datun/Yangmingshan

TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Yangmingshan National Park

travel.taipei

Mt. Datun (1,092m) is the second-highest mountain in the Yangmingshan National Park, and is part of the beckoning cluster of mountains you can see on clear days from downtown Taipei when looking north. Like its taller neighbor, Mt. Qixing (1,120m), Mt. Datun is very accessible, and hiking to its peak can be done in less than an hour from the nearest bus stop. Both mountains are part of the Datun Volcano Group, a series of andesitic lava domes.

The last eruptions are believed to have taken place 5,000~6,000 years ago, qualifying the mountains as active volcanos. The national park has an excellent network of trails, and while hiking in the area you can witness geothermal activity in numerous locations, including the well-known Xiaoyoukeng sulfur pit on the northwest side of Mt. Qixing.

East Taiwan Yilan Plain/Taipingshan

Taipingshan's Jianqing Trail tps.forest.gov.tw

When people talk about Yilan County in Taiwan, they often refer to the triangular-shaped, mostly flat Lanyang Plain (Yilan Plain) in the north, which is characterized by farmland and busy settlements such as the small city of Yilan and the town of Luodong. More than two-thirds of the county, however, is mountainous and covered with dense forest. It’s quite a contrast, and because of the proximity – something also seen in many other parts of Taiwan – you can easily explore flatland and mountain areas on the same day. Arguably, the most attractive mountain destination in Yilan is Taipingshan, in the past an important center for logging, which today draws large numbers of tourists who come to experience refreshing forest walks and exciting narrow-gauge railway rides. During the hot summer months, this is a perfect location for escaping the stifling heat in the cities. During the colder months, the area attracts visitors with the sight of red maple leaves and, when the temperatures dip low enough, the rare chance of seeing snowscapes in Taiwan’s mid-altitude mountains.

South Taiwan Maolin/Wutai

www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw

Trail in the Maolin National Scenic Area

Combining mountain hiking with visits to indigenous villages is an excellent way to appreciate the natural and cultural beauty of Taiwan’s more remote areas. The Maolin National Scenic Area (www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw) is ideal for this kind of exploration. It comes with stunning mountain scenery, rich natural habitats, and colorful indigenous villages, including Duona, Sandimen, and Wutai, where you can learn about traditional ways of life from members of the Paiwan and Rukai tribes. Maolin is also known as the overwintering site of Taiwan’s purple crow butterflies, hundreds of thousands of them, which can be seen when hiking along trails around Maolin village. For more about Maolin, see our Easy Scenic Trails article on page 48.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Datun Volcano Group 大屯火山群 Duona 多納 Lanyang Plain 蘭陽平原 Luodong 羅東 Maolin 茂林 Maolin National Scenic Area 茂林國家風景區 Mt. Datun 大屯山

Mt. Qixing 七星山 Paiwan tribe 排灣族 Rukai tribe 魯凱族 Sandimen 三地門 Taipingshan 太平山 Wutai 霧台 Xiaoyoukeng 小油坑 Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

09

Touring Tainan A City Perfect for Slow Discovery Excursions TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Tainan, the old capital of Taiwan, has a rich history and a large number of heritage sites to visit.

Many of its best attractions are located in close proximity to each other, with the two main clusters to be found in the city’s West Central District and Anping District.

A

mong the tourist attractions visitors to the city don’t want to miss are the Confucius Temple, Chikan Tower, Anping Fort, and Eternal Golden Castle, historic sites with spacious grounds perfect for strolling about, learning about historic happenings, and taking plenty of pictures. To get a taste of the younger side of town, make sure to visit the Blueprint Culture & Creative Park. And, of course, you’ll also want to taste some of Tainan’s legendary snack food offerings.

Tainan Sightseeing Bus To get to both the West Central District and the Anping District, you can make use of the convenient Tainan Sightseeing Bus service.

The green double-decker buses of this service run on two different routes (Orange and Green), starting at Tainan Railway Station.

Buses on both routes take you to the West Central District; buses on the Green route additionally travel further west to the Anping District. Tickets are available as 24h and 48h passes (NT$300 and NT$500 respectively), allowing you to hop on and hop off unlimited times. For more info visit: www.tainansightseeing.com.tw Chikan Tower

West Central District Highlights Chikan Tower – national historic site; also known as Fort Provintia; original structure built in 1652 by the Dutch; remodeled numerous times; the complex includes the Haisheng Temple, Wengchang Pavilion, and a statue of Koxinga, the Ming loyalist who freed Taiwan from the Dutch; hours: 8:30am~5:30pm; admission: NT$50 Confucius Temple – national historic site; built in the mid-17th century; the oldest such temple in Taiwan; last major restoration 1977; hours: 8:30am~5:30pm; admission: NT$50 Hayashi Department Store – Oldest surviving department store in Taiwan; established by a Japanese merchant surnamed Hayashi in 1932; was first Taiwan department store to have an elevator; today home to shops selling old-time souvenirs, a nostalgic café, and restaurants Blueprint Culture & Creative Park – Narrow-lane complex of renovated simple, cement-wa l led bui ld ings; origina l ly dormitories built by the Japanese to house judicial-authority employees; today home to an attractive cluster of artisanal outlets and creative eateries.

Spending half a day or more is recommended for visiting above sites.

Also recommended: Tainan Art Museum (two buildings in different locations; www.tnam.museum); Du Hsiao Yueh (famous old noodle restaurant; noodle1895.com); Brian Black Tea (excellent Taiwan teas; www.brianblacktea.com. tw); Chiu Family Noodle Restaurant (eatery known for rice noodles with squid); Narrow Door Café (cozy café in an old building with a very narrow entranceway); Ice Country (delicious shaved ice with fruit); Lily Fruit (long-established shop selling fresh fruit and shaved ice with fruit)

Rice noodles with squid

Anping Canal

Anping Tree House Mango ice

10

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Tofu pudding

QU ICK CIT Y TOU R / TA IN A N

Anping District Highlights ENGLISH AND CHINESE Ai Zi Cheng Shrimp Rice 矮仔成蝦仁飯 Anping Bean Jelly 安平豆花 Anping Canal 安平運河 Anping Old Fort 安平古堡 Anping Tree House 安平樹屋 Blueprint Culture & Creative Park 藍晒圖文創園區 Brian Black Tea 布萊恩紅茶 Chikan Tower 赤崁樓 Chiu Family Noodle Restaurant 邱家小卷米粉 Confucius Temple 孔廟 Deyi Shrimp Biscuits 得意蝦餅 Du Hsiao Yueh 度小月

Anping Fort – national historic site; built by the Dutch, completed in 1634; originally named Fort Zeelandia, taken by Koxinga in 1662; Japanese introduced new structures during 1895-1945 colonial period; complex renovated/extended in 1975; observation tower with 360-degree view of Anping District and beyond; hours: 8:30am~5:30pm; admission: NT$50 Former Tait & Co. Merchant House / Anping Tree House – Established by the British firm Tait & Co. in 1867, two years after Anping was opened to foreign trade; Tait & Co. traded in bulk goods such as camphor, sugar, and opium; Tree House originally was a warehouse of the company; now overgrown by banyan trees Anping Canal – Has a length of about 6km (from Anping Fisherman’s Wharf to the northeast end of Kunshen Lake/Anping Port); encircles a large part of Anping District; known for its many low bridges; canal cruises available (www.facebook.com/ anping.yacht.tour).

E t e r n a l G o l d e n C a s t l e – B u i lt b e t w e e n 18 74 a n d 1876 to protec t t he sout hwe st c oa st a g a i n st a nt icipated Japa nese inva sion; f irst modern Western-st yle for tress in Taiwan; restorations conducted in 1975 and 1999; hours: 8:30am~5:30pm; admission: NT$50.

Spending half a day or more is recommended for visiting above sites.

Also recommended: Ai Zi Cheng Shrimp Rice (longestablished restaurant selling rice topped with shrimp); Anping Bean Jelly (serving sweet tofu pudding since 1970; www.tongji.com.tw); Deyi Shrimp Biscuits (crispy biscuits in different flavors; deyi-xiabing.tw)

Eternal Golden Castle 億載金城 Former Tait & Co. Merchant House 德記洋行 Hayashi Department Store 林百貨 Ice Country 冰鄉 Lily Fruit 莉莉水果店 Narrow Door Café 窄門咖啡 Tainan Art Museum 台南市美術館 Tainan Sightseeing Bus 台南雙層巴士

01

Tainan Sightseeing Bus

12

Lily Fruit

02

Chikan Tower

13

Ai Zi Cheng Shrimp Rice

03

Brian Black Tea

14

Blueprint Culture & Creative Park

04

Chiu Family Noodle Restaurant

15

Anping Tree House

05

Ice Country

16

Former Tait & Co. Merchant House

06

Du Hsiao Yueh Restaurant

17

Anping Bean Jelly

07

Hayashi Department Store

18

Anping Old Fort

08

Tainan Art Museum Building 2

19

Deyi Shrimp Biscuits

09

Tainan Art Museum Building 1

20

Anping Canal Yacht Tour

10

Tainan Confucius Temple

21

Eternal Golden Castle

11

Narrow Door Cafe

N W

E S

15 16

17

18

17

17甲

19

3 4

20

8 13 14

Tainan Railway Station

20

5 6

21

1

2

7 10

9

12

11

182

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

11

E X PLOR E

View south from Qihou Fort

Qijin Island

Qijin Island seafood

Glorious Sunsets on a City Beach TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan and Santa Monica in southern California are worlds apart, both geographically and culturally, but they do have something in common: a fine-sand beach coastline that faces the setting sun, giving locals and tourists very convenient access to seaside recreation without leaving the city. They both have pleasant temperatures throughout the year, however, instead of the amusement-fun pier there is a beautiful lighthouse, an old fort, a shell-theme museum, and a Mazu temple.

Rainbow Church

Where Is Qijin?

Qijin is the long, narrow island that shelters bustling Kaohsiung Harbor from the waters of the Taiwan Strait. It’s just a short ferry ride from either the Gushan Ferry Pier or the Banana Pier.

What Are the Main Sights?

The first thing you want to do after exiting the island’s ferry terminal building at Qijin Ferry Pier is to turn right and then follow the road along the harbor towards the island’s northern tip. There is a hillock there overlooking the northern entrance to the harbor. Follow the signposted path to reach the delightful Kaohsiung Lighthouse. From its grounds, open to visitors (free admission; closed on Monday), you can enjoy stunning views of Qijin Island.

Near the lighthouse is another historic site, Qihou Fort. This is also an excellent vantage point from which to take in Qijin Island, with the island’s strait-facing beach in clear sight.

Right below the fort is the Qijin Star Tunnel. Part of a bicycle path around the northern tip of Qijin Island, this former military-purpose tunnel is best known for its ceiling, which has depictions of star constellations in fluorescent colors.

other Places to Go? After exploring the main sights, enjoy the many eateries (fresh seafood, refreshing ice treats) around Qijin Tianhou Temple, Kaohsiung’s oldest temple dedicated to Mazu (Goddess of the Sea), and rent a bicycle or pedicab (seating four; self-pedal or electric motor).

R ide around the northern tip of the island for great views, then pass through the aforementioned tunnel and make your way south along the seafront. There are a number of interesting sights along the way, including the Qijin Seaside Park, the Qijin Shell Museum, and the Rainbow Church.

Finally, if the weather is agreeable, make sure to stay until the late afternoon to take in one of those unforgettable sunsets over the sea, much like beachgoers do in southern California.

12

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

GETTING THERE Getting to Qijin Island is simple.

Take the metro (KMRT) to Sizihwan Station and walk to the Gushan Ferry Pier. Tickets are NT$40, and ferries leave frequently. You can also use the less frequent ferry service (also NT$40) from the pier close to the Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 (also close to Sizihwan Station).

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Gushan Ferry Pier 鼓山渡站 Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 棧貳庫 Qihou Fort 旗後砲台 Qihou Lighthouse 旗後燈塔 Qijin Seaside Park 旗津海岸公園 Qijin Shell Museum 旗津貝殼館 Qijin Star Tunnel 旗津星空隧道 Rainbow Church 彩虹教堂

E X PLOR E

Yunlin Puppet Design Hotel

Huwei

Township Taiwan’s Center for Puppet Theater in Yunlin County TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

All around Taiwan are towns and townships known island-wide for one specific thing – Yingge for its ceramics, Chishang for its rice, Sanyi for its woodcarving, Yujing for its mangoes, and so on. When you ask locals about Yunlin County’s Huwei Township, they will most certainly declare handpuppet theater to be its main claim to fame.

Huwei Salon

Where Is Huwei?

Where Else to Go?

Huwei is a township smack in the middle of Yunlin County in central Taiwan. A predominantly rural region, and the least mountainous of all counties on the island, Yunlin is often bypassed by tourists on their way to better-known attractions in southern Taiwan. The appeal of visiting Yunlin, however, lies in the possibility of making unexpected discoveries along the side roads, lanes, and alleys of townships like Huwei, where life goes on at a slower pace than in the big cities.

While in Huwei, apart from the museum there are a number of sights you don’t want to miss. The Huwei Iron Bridge is a railway bridge once used to facilitate the transport of sugarcane in days gone by. The old Huwei Railway Station, like the bridge also dating from the Japanese colonial period (1895~1945), was likewise also once central to the local sugar industry. Other history-related sightseeing options include the Huwei Salon, The Joint Office Building of Huwei County, and the Yunlin Storyhouse, all of which give visitors a strong taste of the Huwei of old.

Main Reason to visit?

Since Huwei is the center for puppet theater in Taiwan, at the top of your list of things to do has to be the Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum. Here you can learn all about the history of this popular Taiwan folk-art form and see some outstanding examples of finely crafted puppets with amazingly colorful and elaborate costumes. Once a year in October the Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival is staged in Huwei, with performances by hand-puppet troupes from Taiwan and abroad.

GETTING THERE To get to Huwei town, take a taxi from Yunlin's high-speed rail station (10min.; NT$150). You can also take bus 7701 or 7702 and get off at the Huwei stop.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Huwei Iron Bridge 虎尾鐵橋 Huwei Railway Station 虎尾驛 Huwei Salon 虎尾厝沙龍 The Joint Office Building of Huwei County 虎尾合同廳舍 Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum 雲林布袋戲館 Yunlin Storyhouse 雲林故事館

Where to Stay?

Huwei has a puppet-theater-themed hotel! The Yunlin Puppet Design Hotel (www.huweihotel.com.tw) is just a 10-minute wa lk from the puppet museum. It is tastefully designed with a puppetry t he me . T he r e i s a pupp e ttheater stage and two oldtime puppets on display in the lobby, and each room is a ssociated with a well-k nown Taiwanese puppettheater character.

Puppet on display at the Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Active Outdoor Fun Along the Rugged Northeast Coast TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE

14

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

PHOTOS CHE N CHE NG - KUO, R AY CH A NG , V I S ION

What sorts of healthy, invigorating active-fun pleasures will fill your days spent along the visually spectacular Northeast Coast, the expanse of the mighty Pacific laid out before you, a wall of young and still quickly growing mountains close in behind? Hiking breeze-swept capes jutting out into the sea. Snorkeling or scuba diving in placid bays. Ocean swimming. Clambering among strange nature-carved rock artworks. Rock climbing on coastal cliffs. Stand-up paddleboarding. Rail biking. Inland and coast-side cycling. River and sea kayaking. Surfing ….

Any – or all – catch your fancy? Let’s head on out!

The Northeast Coast stretches from just east of the harbor city of Keelung to just north of the town of Toucheng, which sits in the northeast corner of the wide-mouthed, oceanfacing Yilan Plain in Yilan County. In this article, all of the sites visited are within the boundaries of New Taipei City.

All, save for the first few, are within the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area, which is overseen by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.

This dramatically scenic region is characterized by bay after bay and by prominent capes, backed by a wall of verdant mountains, their steep sides dropping right to the water in many places. Its attractions include fantastic rock formations, distinctive sea-eroded landforms, beaches of soft golden sand, a bountiful diversity of marine life, and an unspoiled cultural heritage. This is a multipurpose tourist destination that serves the dual functions of a fascinating natural classroom and an enchanting coastal playground.

Our main focus in this article is the “playground” role, with outdoor active fun given the starring role. New freeway

building in the past two decades has made access easy from the densely populated Taipei Basin, and on weekends and holidays the Northeast Coast is busy along its entire length. Yet during the week and non-holiday periods you can easily find yourself almost or completely alone in many locations during an exploratory meandering.

We launch our tour with a breezy rail-bike ride along the shore at a place called Shen’ao, immediately east of Keelung City, and end with an exhilarating (yet easy-grade) hike atop Sandiao Cape, the island of Taiwan’s easternmost point, and a visit to quaint Mao’ao village, an old fishing settlement tucked against the cape’s base on its north side.

Almost all sites visited are right along Provincial Highway 2, the coastal highway – except for two villages, Jiufen and Jinguashi, which look down at you from up on mountain slopes above the highway. Cycling enthusiasts take note that the highway is wide, with gradients moderate, and with wide shoulders put in specifically to accommodate cyclists.

Bike rentals are available at two sites visited, Shen’ao and Fulong village.

SAND ART Once a year, Fulong Beach is the venue for the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Shen’ao

Shen’ao Rail Bike The popular Shen’ao Rail Bike experience, on which the curtains were raised in 2018, takes you 1.3km along once-abandoned tracks between Badouzi Station on the west, near Chaojing Park (see box on page 21), and Shen’ao Station on the east. You ride in cutesy slowpedal cars that fit two people each along the coast, with grand views of Chaojing Park, the rocky shore of Wanghaixiang Bay, and fishing craft heading into and out of the small Wanghaixiang Fishing Harbor. About half-way along you enter a tunnel to pierce through a mountain spur; a dreamlike experience awaits inside, with the walls lit up to create the feel of traveling under the sea, marine creatures drifting by beside and above you. On exit you’re presented with a leafy forest scene in a narrow valley, passing by the imposing concrete ruins of a defunct coal-mining operation before arriving at the Shen’ao Station terminus.

The tracks you ride were once part of the Shen’ao Branch Line, stretching from Badouzi along the coast to Shuinandong village, below the mountainside mining town of Jinguashi (to be visited in a moment). The line was created to carry coal, and also carried local passengers and freight.

HOHObase About 200m out of Badouzi Station your rail-bike puttputt car passes by the HOHObase, a café/restaurant sa ndwiched bet ween track s a nd coa sta l highway.

“Through” might be the better term, as you’ll see. Placed around a small lawn in an “L” shape are a number of painted cargo containers. On the ground, inside one is a dining area, inside the other the kitchen and a tiny retail shop. Spanning the gap between the two, stacked atop, is a third container, which serves as a combo dining area and art gallery highlighting local talent. On all three glass is used liberally on two sides, allowing the superb ocean vista to flood in. There are also two small, renovated structures across the tracks, one the owner’s home, the other soon to be a dedicated art gallery.

The owner, an amiable fellow with the look of a onetime-hippie turned entrepreneur, soothes customers with recorded ’60s/’70s Western folk and blues. The menu teases you with a wide range of non-alcoholic/alcoholic beverages, sandwiches, salads, and desserts.

SHEN'AO After a fun rail bike ride along the scenic coast, relax at HOHObase, enjoying refreshing drinks and light meals

SHEN'AO RAIL BIKE ( 深澳鐵道自行車 ) (02) 2406-2200 No. 121, Sec. 2, Jianji Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區建基路二段 121 號 ) www.railbike.com.tw/en NT$150 (one-way) HOHOBASE ( 好好基地 ) No. 93, Sec. 2, Jianji Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區建基路二段 93 號 ) hohobase.business.site (Chinese)

16

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Elephant Trunk Rock This photogenic sea arch, a popular Instagram spot, is near the tip of the Shen’ao Promontory. On the west of the narrow, rocky promontory is Wanghaixiang Bay, on the east Shen’ao Bay. Along the way to the headland tip of the promontory you pass by the Shen’ao Fishing Harbor, spread out along the Shen’ao Bay side, which during the day is densely packed with boats. Most craft here are involved with nighttime fishing for neritic squid, a key catch in the Keelung region. Identifying these vessels is easy – look for the prominent long strings of large lightbulbs along the sides. Their powerful light draws the squid to the surface.

The headland area, which starts right at the seaward edge of the fishing settlement, is reserved as a park. You reach Elephant Trunk Rock by making your way along the wide natural stone platform on the Shen’ao Bay side, then navigating a short, steep dirt path to the headland’s top, which puts the pachyderm in view directly before you. The platform is a veritable geoclassroom, rife with the type of intriguing rock formations found at rugged points all along this coast – mushroom rock, honeycomb rock, beancurd rock, and cuesta formations.

The arch clearly resembles an elephant, right down to the gray coloration, with its trunk extending downward into the crashing sea as if the giant petrified animal has paused here for a cooling drink, and a big floppy ear behind the head. While atop the headland, also note the abandoned pillboxes; this was formerly an off-limits military zone.

SHEN'AO SEAFOOD Fresh from the ocean, right by the harbor

ELEPHANT TRUNK ROCK One of the most peculiar and photographed rocks on the Northeast Coast

Shen’ao Fishing Harbor

CHANG RONG XIAO JUAN ( 長榮小卷 ) 0930-774-338 No. 153, Shen'ao Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區深澳路 153 號 ) www.facebook.com/long.glory.26

Be sure to spend time in the harbor area as well. The one road along the promontory to the park brings you within feet of many craft, and you can get an up-close look at crews handling catch, nets, and so on. Just beyond the village, on the headland’s Wanghaixiang Bay side, is Shen’ao’s other famed rock-art formation, the (Indian) Chief ’s Head Rock, which resembles a native American tribal leader in traditional headdress. The best of the various local seafood eateries is Chang Rong Xiao Juan, a tiny, tidy spot hardly bigger inside than a normal-sized living room. Its offerings are ultra-fresh; the owner-family operate their own fishing craft. Specially recommended are the blanched neritic squid with wasabi sauce and in vermicelli soup.

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

17

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Shuinandong / Jiufen /Jinguashi

JIUFEN A-Mei Teahouse is a tourist favorite in Jiufen

Jiufen The coastal region immediately to the south and east of central Keelung City has a rich cluster of one-time mining settlements, tourism the moneymaker today, among which the most picturesque and celebrated is Jiufen, which from a distance seems to cling to a mountainside in gravity-defying fashion, overlooking the ocean. It’s main attraction is Jiufen Old Street, barely wide enough for more than three people to pass by each other, which is lined with stalls and eateries selling specialty food treats, souvenir craft shops, and quaint teahouses in heritage buildings with grand ocean views (some with outdoor seating). Signature Jiufen treats include taro balls, fish balls, pork jerky, and tea eggs.

The heritage Shengping Theater, close to the Old Street, was in times past the main entertainment venue in a town dubbed “Little Shanghai.” Now renovated, visitors can view such period adornments as old movie posters, cinema equipment, and a well-preserved concession stand.

Be sure to leave time to conquer mighty Mt. Keelung, which soars 587m high and stands between the town and the sea. The trailhead is just a few hundred meters uphill from the intersection of Jiufen Old Street and the main thoroughfare, County Highway 102.

The steep, shadeless path to the peak ends with incredible mountain/ ocean panoramas.

Shuinandong Toward the bottom of the valley, the Shuinandong Smelter looms high above the coastal highway, which crosses the valley mouth. The hulking, abandoned behemoth is today also called the Remains of the 13 Levels. It was built by the Japanese in 1933 for copper and gold smelting. Nearby is the brilliant Golden Waterfall; the exposed bedrock and great boulders in the stream here have a striking golden-orange hue, colored by leached metals in the water. At their mountain journey’s end the metal-heavy waters pour into a shallow bay, painting it in a swirling blue-and-yellow duet that has spawned the name Yin Yang Sea. For places to stay in the Jiufen/Jinguashi/Shuinandong area, see article on page 28.

The beautiful coast at Shuinandong

18

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Jinguashi Jiufen’s next-door neighbor is Jinguashi, another former mining enclave, which also overlooks the sea. It sits high in a sharply sloping valley that runs along the east side of Mt. Jilong. Spread out around the top of the village is a cluster of heritage attractions that constitute the open-air Gold Museum. This valley was site of the infamous WW II Kinkaseki POW Camp, where Allied prisoners were forced to work the mines.

Among the many Gold Museum draws is the Benshan Fifth Tunnel, an old mineshaft open for guided tours. The Gold Building has informative exhibits on miners and the history of the local mines, including on the Kinkaseki operation. Visitors also thrill at the chance to put hands on the world’s largest gold ingot, weighing in at 220.3 kilograms. The highlight experience at the Gold Refining Building is an animation, projected 180 degrees, that evokes the atmosphere of the heady days of gold prospecting. The Crown Prince Chalet is a Japanese-style wood building built in 1922 for a visit by the future Emperor Hirohito that never happened.

Also nearby the village is the Jinguashi Geo Park, rich with signboards explaining a wide range of area geology-related matters, from metamorphism to the major rock formations in view to the different types of yesteryear mining tools used. The steep Liukeng Slope Ropeway is a vestige of the narrow-gauge rail system used to bring ore down the valley for smelting at the massive Shuinandong Smelter (see page 31).

After working up a thirst and hunger pangs moving around among these spots, sit down for a spell at one of the local cafés, which serve up fine views. The Golden Impression Café, which has outdoor seating, is on a small plaza overlooking the valley.

It has both Western and Taiwanese offerings, among the most unusual being the Mineworkers’ Lunch Box and peach Oolong tea. Café & Me, located high up on the valley’s side above the village, is in a renovated cottage-style abode percolating with period and retro-style adornments. The two bestselling food items here are the curry chicken with rice and the waffles.

GOLD MUSEUM ( 黃金博物館 ) (02) 2496-2800 No. 8, Jinguang Rd., Jinguashi, Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區金瓜石金光路 8 號 ) www.gep.ntpc.gov.tw GOLDEN IMPRESSION CAFÉ ( 黃金印象義式餐廳 ) (02) 2496-2898 No. 8-1, Jinguang Rd., Jinguashi, Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區金瓜石金光路 8-1 號 ) CAFÉ & ME (02) 2496-2033 No. 99, Qitang Rd., Jinguashi, Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區金瓜石祈堂路 99 號 ) www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Me/1424489924431421

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

19

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Nanya / Bitou Cape

Nanya Rocks The fantastic contorted formations called the Nanya Rocks, located near the small fishing village of Nanya, are one of the Northeast Coast’s most iconic geological features. They extend from highway-side to ocean’s edge, along a road section hundreds of meters long. On the inland side of the highway are steep cliffs, powerfully heightening the visual drama. A pathway with boardwalk sections, about 300m long, stretches along the shore area from the fishing village to the rock formations. Called the Nanya Geological Hiking Trail, it facilitates an easy traverse of the rugged terrain and up-close looks at many of the natural artworks.

The mesmerizing diversification of the platformt ype geologica l landscape here is the result of differential wind and water erosion of the exposed rock-layer striations, which are of different hardness and thickness. Sandstone is predominant, with ironrich striations in between of a rusty hue. Test your spotting skills by hunting for three of the most photographed formations: the Ice Cream Rock, Bamboo Shoot Rock, and Fur Seal Rock.

Bitou Cape

COASTAL ROCKS Uniquely shaped and colored, Nanya's strange rocks are a sight to behold

GREAT TRAIL To some, the trail on Bitou Cape resembles the Great Wall of China

20

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

The extremely narrow and wonderfully picturesque Bitou Fishing Harbor, on the west side of Bitou Cape, is tucked into a narrow inlet backed by high cliffs.

The coastal highway, here serving as the fishing settlement’s main street, squeezes through right beside the water. At the village’s east edge you’ll see a pedestrian overpass and a narrow road leading up onto the cape (the highway zooms across the cape through a tunnel). This road ends at the Bitou Elementary School and the beginning of the Bitou Cape Trail.

The long walkway moves along the cape above the cliffs on its east side, providing an exciting outlook toward Longdong Cape and Sandiao Cape beyond. It ends at the cape’s tip, where a proud white lighthouse stands 120m above the crashing surf (the structure itself is 12.3m high). It was erected by the Japanese in 1896, and given its present form after Allied bombing in WW II. Unfor tunately t he la st section, providing lighthouse access, is currently closed. Nevertheless, other thrills still await. Steep side trails take you up to the cape’s highest point, down into a west-facing valley and converted army barracks now home to a sun-drenched café, and down the cape’s east side to the rocky shore, defined by stone platforms a nd ot he r s t r a n g e - s h a p e d e r o d e d landforms.

CHAOJING PARK Wind-swept, sunny, and romantic. From Chaojing Park you can clearly see Keelung Islet

Chaojing Park Breeze-swept Chaojing Park takes up the northeast corner of the Badouzi Peninsula, which is located just west of the Shen’ao area visited at the beginning of this article.

If starting your coastal exploratory foray from the central port area of Keelung City, this will be the first of this article’s scenic sights at which you will arrive.

The main area of this young park is wide open, almost treeless, creating pretty much perfect conditions for kite-flyers.

The open area is backed by cliffs, with a staircase pathway taking you to the top.

At low tide a wide intertidal zone opens up, busy with little marine creatures – this zone, for understandable reason, is park destination no. 1 with kids. Wanghaixiang Bay, on the east, offers fine scuba-diving and snorkeling, and along the short road up from the coastal highway to the park’s grassy-top area you’ll invariably pass by groups of underwater-fun enthusiasts and their guides suiting up or just returning.

T hi s a t t r a c t i o n i s d e s i g n e d a s a marine-education park. Just inside its entrance is the Chaojing Ocean Center, which has quality displays on the local

Installation art

marine ecology. The facility is associated with the prestigious National Museum of M ar i n e S c ie n c e a n d Te c h n o l o g y located nearby. Throughout the park are installation artworks with a marine theme, such as a giant shell and fast-swimming school of stylized-form fish, and also dotting the grounds are signboards with interesting Chinese/English information on the local marine ecology.

The views from the outer edge of the park – the grassy area – are tremendous.

There is too much to capture with single photos; you’ll regret it if you don’t go home with a slow 360-degree video pan.

Facing east, on the other side of the bay is the shore-crowding mass of Mt. Jilong and, spread out below a ridgeline leading inland from it, the painting-perfect town of Jiufen. Facing west, ships can be seen entering and exiting Keelung City’s tight, deep, mountain-bracketed main harbor. If time allows, walk from Chaojing Park to the pretty V-shaped Wangyou Valley in the peninsula’s center, sliced through by one of north Taiwan’s most picturesque trails.

Scuba divers

[Note: For diving activities in the Chaojing Park area a certified guide is required]

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Longdong

LONGDONG FOUR SEASONS BAY Swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving in seawater pools

Longdong Cape The sheer rock cliffs that run much of the length of Longdong Cape provide some of Taiwan’s premier rock climbing. They are primarily made of sandstone, and soar 40m and higher. The Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration can provide assistance to those looking for a reputable climbing-guide outfit (website at end of article). Note that the Longdong area also has north Taiwan’s best diving/snorkeling. Whether climbing or not, take time to explore along the rugged rocky area between cliffs and sea, where the pounding surf and shore fishermen staked out on dramatic perches present prized photo opps.

Equally dramatic – and even more panoramic – visuals are to be enjoyed atop the cape, along the Longdong wan Cape Trail, which stretches about 3.5km. Informative signboards with English translations line the way, and pathways can be taken down to the shore. “Longdong” means “dragon hole,” and you’ll get a fine bird’s-eye view of said giant dragon cave, carved from a cliff by wave action.

Longdong Four Seasons Bay

LONGDONG FOUR SEASONS BAY ( 龍洞四季灣 ) (02) 2490-1000 No. 48, Hemei St., Hemei Borough, Gongliao District, New Taipei City ( 新北市貢寮區和美里和美街 48 號 ) www.kivano.com.tw (Chinese)

22

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Longdong Four Seasons Bay, also called Longdong S out h O c e a n Pa rk , i s b e side t he h i g hw ay immediately south of Longdong Cape. Serving as an outdoor nature-education center combining seaside fun with learning, the visitor center houses an informative exhibit on Northeast Coast geology and marine life. Along the shore are a series of sideby-side natural seawater pools of ever greater depth (lifeguards always on duty); three are converted former abalone-cultivation ponds. Coral reefs a little further out keep the waters calm. Among the other on-site facilities are a café and small hotel.

A great way to get up close and personal with the resident fish, shrimp, crabs, starfish, and sea anemones is a snorkeling experience.

Note that instructor-guided diving and standup paddleboarding (SUP) experiences are also available (separate fee for each activity; minimum 2 people). A ll your snorkeling equipment is provided: snorkel, mask, protective footwear, life jacket. You start at the dock at one of the deeper pools, learn the basics from your instructor, and when ready you’re taken out into water up to 10m deep, by the coral reefs. A session lasts about 90 minutes. There are both change and shower facilities right by the dock area.

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

STAND-UP! The Shuang River at Fulong Beach is a perfect location to experience stand-up paddle boarding and other watersports, such as kayaking

Fulong Fulong Beach This is widely considered north Taiwan’s best beach. It’s located adjacent to Fulong village, at the placid Shuang River’s mouth, just a short walk from the quaint Fulong Railway Station. A variety of water-fun facilities are available. Just upriver is the large Longmen Riverside Camping Resort, which has extensive recreation facilities. One is a kayaking center, offering beginner classes and guided river and sea outings.

Each summer the beach is the venue for two large-scale happenings that draw visitors in great numbers, the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival and the Ho-Hai-Yan Gongliao Rock Festival.

The Fulong area is also known for two other things: oldstyle boxed lunches and high-quality cycling opportunities.

Traditionally, “railway biandang” – the Mandarin Chinese word is from the Japanese bento – were sold to railway passengers. A cluster of biandang eateries is situated outside the train station. Also around the station are bike-rental enterprises; the most popular area cycling route is the 22km Old Caoling Circle Line Bikeway.

Fullon Hotel Fulong This seaside hotel, behind Fulong Beach, is a 5-star facility with both hotel-room and villa accommodations. The entrance to the Fulong Beach paid section (i.e., the better-sand, fullamenity section, reached via the pedestrian-only Rainbow Bridge, which jumps the Shuang River) is right beside the hotel. Entry is free for hotel guests.

In terms of active fun, the hotel has on-site indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, and a children’s playground – and both spa and sauna facilities for those feeling less energetic.

Besides the beach access, off-site fun amenities include bicycle rentals and both guided SUP and boogie board outings, the latter two are also available to non-guests.

You have two SUP-sortie choices – an hour on the river behind Fulong Beach or an hour on the sea in front of it.

Staff deliver the equipment to the waterside: your board, paddle, special sock-like waterproof shoes, and life jacket. Your instructor provides a demonstration on technique, then once you get the hang of things in a few feet of water, heads out with you to deeper waters. Though getting the hang of things takes a little longer at seaside because of the (gentle) waves at Fulong, staff recommend this option because of the superior coast/mountain views.

FULLON HOTEL FULONG ( 福容大飯店福隆 ) (02) 2499-1188 No. 41, Fulong St., Fulong Borough, Gongliao District, New Taipei City ( 新北市貢寮區福隆里福隆街 41 號 ) fullon-hotels.com.tw/fl/en

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

23

NE W TA IPEI CIT Y / NOR THE A S T COA S T

Sandiao Cape / Mao’ao Village Sandiao Cape Stand at the tip of Sandiao Cape and you stand on the island of Taiwan’s easternmost point, jutting far out into the Pacific. The “Sandiao” is a phonetic rendering of the Spanish “Santiago.” In the early 1600s, when the Spanish arrived to launch their Taiwan colonial adventure, before settling on Keelung as their base they first scouted this spot, naming it San Diego Cape. They moved on after determining the swirling currents here were too treacherous.

The Sandiao Cape Lighthouse is inland off the coastal highway. There is a sign with clear English at the entrance of the narrow road that heads up the hill. The lighthouse was built in 1935 by the Japanese after two Japanese ships were wrecked directly offshore. It houses a small display gallery with old lighthouse equipment, maps, period photos, and other items. There are short, well-maintained pathways around the lighthouse, one leading to a fine lookout with information boards that have English explanations of the immediate area’s geology and history.

Off the coast far to the south you can see a giant turtle headed out to sea.

This is Turtle Island, which recent research has indicated is an active – though decidedly somnolent – volcano. Looking down at the shore area directly in front of the lighthouse, you see abandoned neat-grid aquatic farms where abalone was once cultivated in abundance. A visit to the farm facilities, tiny hamlet, and tiny port here is an enjoyable window into the traditional local economy. You’ll thereafter immediately recognize the region’s many other abalone operations during your travels.

EASTERNMOST POINT Pretty Sandiao Cape Lighthouse overlooks the easternmost point of mainland Taiwan

Chaojing Park Elephant Trunk Rock Shen'ao Rail Bike

Shuinandong

2 2丁

Nanya Rocks

Jinguashi

102

Bitou Cape

Longdong Four Seasons Bay

Jiufen 2

106 102

102甲

Fulong Beach

2丙

Mao'ao Village

102 2丙

Sandiao Cape Lighthouse 2

Taiwan 24

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

TINY VILLAGE There is not much to do or see at the tiny fishing village of Mao'ao, but that's exactly why it's such a charming place

Mao’ao Village Reward yourself for all your vigorous physical exertion and your intrepid exploring with a leisurely hour or more in the easy-going village of Mao’ao, an old fisherfolk settlement that is now experiencing a tourism renaissance.

The coastal highway moves around behind it, on higher ground; a number of narrow roads lead toward its heart, a small open plaza beside the water. In days past this square was used for fishery-related activities such as auctions and the drying and mending of nets.

Look past one end of the plaza and you’ll see the small harbor and, beside it, an ornate temple that seems far too large for such a small community.

Its size is testament to the wealth hauled ashore during the village’s halcyon days. Look past the plaza’s other end and you’ll see examples of another key Mao’ao tourist attraction – the ruins of century-old stone houses built by the local fishing families. The quality of the stone cuts reveals the relative status of the families; clean cuts with neat fitting for the residences of the local elite, rough cuts with more mortar used for the less successful.

The village’s youngest tourist attraction is the line of four eateries/cafés at the back of the plaza. Oldest, most eye-catching, and by far the most popular is the Mao’ao Ocean Service Station. Four years old, it is in a stone building that was originally a fishery warehouse. The signature dish is neritic squid and prawn in vermicelli soup. Another bestseller is the Thai chicken.

MAO'AO OCEAN SERVICE STATION ( 卯澳海洋驛站 ) (02) 2499-1617 No. 1-1, Fuxing St., Gongliao District, New Taipei City ( 新北市貢寮區福興街 1-1 號 ) HOW TO GET THERE A number of stations on the North Link Railway, which runs from Taipei to Hualien City, are on the coastal strip explored in these pages. Trains run frequently, with local-service trains used in the manner of a bus service. Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (taiwantrip.com.tw) hop on/hop off buses on the Gold Fulong Route also cover much of this article's area, running between Ruifang Railway Station and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau's Fulong Visitor Center.

Folding bikes are allowed on these buses (though not recommended weekends/holidays).

For more information, visit the Northeast and Yilan Coast NSA website (www.necoastnsa.gov.tw) and New Taipei City Travel site (tour.ntpc.gov.tw).

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Badouzi Peninsula 八斗子半島 Benshan Fifth Tunnel 本山五坑 Bitou Cape (Lighthouse) 鼻頭角 ( 燈塔 ) Chaojing Ocean Center 潮境海洋中心 Chaojing Park 潮境公園 Chief's Head Rock 酋長岩 Crown Prince Chalet 太子賓館 Elephant Trunk Rock 象鼻岩 Fulong (Beach) 福隆 ( 海水浴場 ) Gold Building 黃金館 Gold Refining Building 煉金樓 Golden Waterfall 黃金瀑布 Jinguashi Geo Park 金瓜石地質公園 Jinguashi 金瓜石 Jiufen (Tunnel) 九份 ( 山磅坑口 ) Liukeng Slope Ropeway 六坑斜坡索道

Longdong Cape 龍洞岬 Longdongwan Cape Trail 龍洞灣岬步道 Longdong South Ocean Park 龍洞南口海洋公園 Mt. Keelung 基隆山 Nanya Geological Hiking Trail 南雅奇石地質步道 Nanya Rocks 南雅奇岩 Old Caoling Circle Line Bikeway 舊草嶺環狀線自行車道 Railway lunchbox (biandang ) 鐵路便當 Remains of the 13 Levels 十三層遺址 Sandiao Cape (Lighthouse) 三貂角 ( 燈塔 ) Shen'ao Fishing Harbor 深澳漁港 Shen'ao Promontory 深澳岬角 Shengping Theater 昇平戲院 Shuinandong (Smelter) 水湳洞 ( 選煉廠 ) Wangyou Valley 望幽谷 Yin Yang Sea 陰陽海 TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

25

Five Themes For Fun In Tianwei 5 種 遊 程 帶 您 走 進 一 座 戶 外 大 花 園，來 場 療 癒 的 花 鄉 之 旅 !

Tianwei in central Taiwan’s Changhua County is nicknamed “Land of Flowers.”

The Tianwei Highway Garden has around 300 horticultural operations, each with its own distinctive features. In recent years, Tianwei has focused on promoting leisure and tourism. Visitors can be soothed by plants and relax mentally and physically. Everyone is welcome to visit Tianwei, the land of flowers that lives up to its name.

The Small and Medium Business Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has integrated the industrial resources of Changhua County’s Erlin, Xihu, and Tianwei townships under the “Digital Broadband Application Block Plan.” Moreover, this year, the “Full Area Travel” concept is being promoted from the perspective of visitors, integrating the digital, tourism, and distinctive industrial resources of the three areas.

Travelers can obtain travel information at Tianwei Travel+ Line@, see tours and the latest travel information on the Tianwei Travel website, and can find event and industry information on the FB fan page and official website of the area. Also, Tianwei Flower Market has products for purchase online and offers an opportunity for an in-depth experience of a local industry.

Tianwei Travel + Line@

Tianwei Township Office

Changhua County Tianwei Township Tianwei Highway Flower Garden Association

<Advertisement by Small and Medium Enterprise Administration>

Experts Lead the Way 達人領路 Every place has its own distinctive features. There is a group of people who insist on sticking to their original intentions and are keen to share. In Tianwei, some people are heavily involved with flowers and ecological landscaping. Led by experts, you are sure to find the lesser-known ways to have fun in Tianwei Township.

Leisurely Cycling Tour 單車漫遊 The first choice of many visitors who come to Tianwei to view the flowers is touring by bicycle. Visitors can ride a bike on paths that pass through flower gardens.

Riding a bike in the afternoon breeze while enjoying the large flower gardens is a great way to relax. You might even be lucky enough to see the sun set in the west, the scene as pretty as a picture.

Chuan Wu 船塢 No. 39, Ln. 538, Sec. 3, Guangfu Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Dorothy Wizard Restaurant 綠野仙蹤文創貨櫃 No. 123, Sec. 2, Zhongshan Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Phoenix Garden 鳳凰花園 No. 478, Sec. 1, Minsheng Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Heli Garden Art 合利園藝 No. 26, Sec. 1, Gongyuan Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County HongLin Garden 鴻林園藝 No. 59, Sec. 1, Gongyuan Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County

Beautiful Must-Shoot Photos 美照必拍 Taking photos to commemorate a trip is an essential part of travel. With the appearance of social media platforms, people began to like to upload their travel photos and this has made “checking in at attractions” popular. There are several must-shoot attractions in Tianwei that draw lots of young people at weekends and holiday times. These new spots that are popular as backdrops for photos include a European landscape garden, a cactus garden, and a rose garden.

Tenway Garden 菁芳園 No. 73, Zhangcuo Lane, Tianwei Township, Changhua County Shengyuan Cactus 生源仙人掌 No. 269, Sec. 1, Gongyuan Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Imagination Rose Garden 美加美玫瑰園 No. 156, Aly 40, Ln. 215, Sec. 2, Gongyuan Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County

All Fun Bike Rental 歐風租車 No. 287, Sec. 1, Minzu Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Suong-Meeng Bicycle Rental 松錳租車 No. 107, Sec. 1, Minzu Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County

Horticultural Experiences 園藝體驗 Making things by hand has become popular in recent years. Using your hands to make things gives a different feeling and can leave unforgettable memories.

Starting from nothing and then seeing the finished product gives a real sense of satisfaction. Tianwei offers various horticultural experiences involving succulent plants, dried flowers, and bonsai potted landscapes. No matter if you are with friends, family or your lover, such experiences will add pleasant surprises to your journey.

Food Discoveries 美食探訪 Food is one of the characteristics of a place and tasting local food is a way of exploring. Many travelers like to travel around and taste the food and experience distinctive lifestyle characteristics of different places. A visit to Tianwei can be a rewarding journey of taste. Distinctive ice shops, old-style Taiwanese restaurants and Mediterranean-style cafés all offer distinctive food and drink.

A-ma Private Dining 阿嬤私房菜 No. 240, Liufeng Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Green Sea 綠海咖啡館 No. 469, Sec. 2, Gongyuan Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County maki dessert 拾捲 No. 301, Sec. 1, Minzu Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County

GreenLife Garden 綠果庭院 No. 121, Zhangcuo Lane, Tianwei Township, Changhua County Eucalyflorist 尤加利手作不凋花乾燥花屋 No. 188, Sec. 1, Minzu Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Greenway-cafe 世外桃源休閒農場 No. 581, Sec. 1, Minzu Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County Great Green Miracle Fruit Farm 廣善園藝 No. 259, Sec. 1, Minsheng Rd., Tianwei Township, Changhua County

NOR THE A S T COA S T / PL ACES TO S TAY

Jiufen, Jinguashi & Shuinandong Three Mountainside Villages Deserving of More Than Just a Day Trip TE X T OWA IN MCK IMM

PHOTOS R AY CH A NG , V I S ION

Jiufen, Jinguashi, and Shuinandong are three former mining villages in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District, roughly an hour from downtown Taipei. Situated on the mountainous seaside slopes of Taiwan's scenic Northeast Coast, they offer a glimpse into the island's fascinating gold-mining era, during which these settlements bustled with miners, magnates, entertainers, food vendors, and every other type of character a prosperous gold town attracts. Furthermore, the jagged mountains to which the villages cling provide not only a jaw-dropping backdrop to these living museums, but also some of north Taiwan's most exciting day hikes, providing riches for several days of exploration, both historic and mountainous.

COMFORTABLE CAFÉ The former workshop of artist Hu Da-hua was transformed into the Wild Herbs café

NOR THE A S T COA S T / PL ACES TO S TAY

T

h r o u g h m u c h o f t h e 19 t h centur y, Jiufen was nothing more than a poor mountainside village of only nine families (the name literally translates as “nine portions,” and refers to the allocation of household supplies delivered to the village by boat in the days before reliable road access). In 1890, however, gold was discovered in “them thar hills” and the area – including the new villages of Jinguashi and Shuinandong – was rapidly transformed into the preciousmetals capital of East Asia, turning out gold, and later copper, and attracting thousands upon thousands of islanders and venturers from further afield to the area to seek their fortunes.

Ji u f e n e v e n t u a l l y b e c a m e s o prosperous that it was even dubbed “Little Shanghai.” But by the latter half of the 20 th century, the local mining industry had fallen into decline and the villages began to drift once again into obscurity. It wasn’t until the 1990s – after the award-winning Taiwanese historical drama film A City of Sadness

JIUFEN Flip Flop Hostel

was filmed in Jiufen – that the area began to experience a renaissance as a tourist destination among the Taiwan population. The secret soon spread to internat iona l v isitors a f ter t he village was touted as the inspiration for the otherworldly bathhouse and its environs in the 2001 Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of the studio, has since debunked this claim – though this has not stopped many local businesses from capitalizing on the resemblance between their village and Miyazaki’s creation).

Though most visitors to the area are day-trippers who head home before evening’s arrival, its true magic only really reveals itself after dark, when the lanterns that drape the old buildings light up, the old mining-era ruins are set glow, and you can see squidfishing vessels out on the sea, lighting up the dark waters like stars in the night sky. To experience these historic villages at their most enchanting, an overnight stay is therefore thoroughly recommended.

THE VIEWS When deciding to stay a night in Jiufen, make sure to book a room with amazing views of the coast

You’ll find the Flip Flop Hostel within a nest of steeply inclined alleys a little outside of Jiufen’s main tourist area. The hostel offers several types of accommodation (mixed dorm rooms, single and double private rooms, and entire private houses) in a handful of lovingly preserved and tastefully renovated old buildings. Prices are extremely reasonable (even for a private house, which can be booked for as little as NT$2,500 per night), and the staff are passionate about their mission to help you discover the real Jiufen (as opposed to the more tourist-oriented area), with a focus on appreciating the stories of the village’s long-term residents and local artists, as well as its unique architecture.

Breakfast, for example, is served in the old workshop of local artist Hu Da-hua, whose abstract collages of Jiufen street scenes (made using strips of Taiwan Beer and Mr. Brown Coffee cans) have earned him the affectionate nickname “the Taiwanese Picasso.” Now in his 80s, Master Hu seldom creates art anymore, but his workshop has been transformed by the Flip Flop staff into the comfortable Wild Herbs café – serving artisanal herbal teas and sweet treats – and gallery for his work.

On a recent Travel in Taiwan team research trip to Jiufen, eager to show us Flip Flop’s newest acquisition, Jasper, one of Flip Flop's project managers, turns our attention to the building opposite Hu’s gallery. Currently under renovation, this three-story house was until recently inhabited by an old couple and their son, an art prodigy.

Introduced to the couple by Master Hu, Jasper, when being shown around their house, was surprised by the striking abstract paintings of Jiufen adorning the walls, depicting the village in a way he had never seen before. The prodigy’s mother explained that the art was her son’s and, as such, unique to the house. After the young artist graduated from university last year, his parents decided to retire away from the area and agreed to let Flip Flop take over the property. When the renovation is finished, the house will be able to accommodate six to ten guests in beautiful ensuite rooms, each with tatami-cushioned reading nooks and views of both the hills and, of course, the young artist’s paintings.

TAIWAN'S PICASSO Local artist Hu Da-hua uses strips of beer and coffee cans to create abstract collages of Jiufen

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

29

FLIP FLOP HOSTEL JIUFEN ( 夾腳拖的家九份山居 ) No. 247, Jishan St., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區基山街 247 號 ) www.flipflophostel.com www.facebook.com/FlipFlopHostel/

A second private house used by Flip Flop is located further up the hill and can be reached by climbing a series of winding stone steps. On the way, we pass a shrine – one of many in Jiufen, Jasper tells us – to the miners who passed away here with no family to pray or burn offerings for them in the afterlife. Indeed, one of the most attractive features of staying at Flip Flop is the provision of guided evening walks, during which the staff impart these fascinating pieces of local lore.

At the top of the hill, Jasper lets us

into the bungalow, the name of which – Lianyu – roughly translates as “Joined Together at the Mountain's Corner.” Why soon becomes apparent. The house – a squat box-like building with a gleaming f a ç a de of c or r u g ate d s te e l (a n a r t f u l homage to rura l Taiwan’s many sheetmetal houses) is split into two halves: one a spacious living area with kitchen and first-class views of both Mt. Jilong and the Pacific; the other, a sleeping area with antique beds (able to accommodate four to six guests) and bathroom complete with

Places Nearby The lively heart of Jiufen is its Old Street (Jishan Street). A narrow covered alley intersected in several places by steep stone stairs, the Old Street is a hive of snack vendors selling a taro-ball sweet treat (a Jiufen classic), herbal rice cakes, fishballs, and other local specialties; souvenir shops; and teahouses serving traditional teas and delicate finger snacks.

The most famous example of the latter is undoubtedly the A-Mei Teahouse, located in a former smithy, with a lantern-draped, oceanfacing façade that can be seen on the front page of travel literature about the village. Be sure, too, to drop into the Shengping Theater, originally a small wooden structure for staging Taiwanese opera, later one of Taiwan's first cinemas, and now a characterful free museum.

30

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

showers and an enormous stone tub. The addition of a gated courtyard at the front of the property guarantees privacy in the cha rm i ng t hou g h some what cra mped a rra ngement of hou ses t hat one mu st expect in a former gold-rush village. True to Flip Flop tradition, Jasper tells us that they are in the process of decorating the bungalow’s interior walls with the works of a local photographer. This should be a tasteful finishing touch, based on the examples we saw in the photographer’s workshop a little way down the hill.

NOR THE A S T COA S T / PL ACES TO S TAY

JINGUASHI/SHUINANDONG Jinguashi A short bus ride from Jiufen will bring you to its more tranquil sister, Jinguashi. It wasn't really until 2004, with the opening of the open-air Gold Ecological Park (now called the Gold Museum), that Jinguashi became established as a tourist destination in its own right. Here, in addition to learning the ins-and-outs and nuts-and-bolts of the area’s gold- and copper-mining history, you can actually put your hands on a 220.30kg ingot of 99.9% pure gold, on display in one of the park’s buildings.

Nearby, the village’s Old Street, Qitang Street, is a far more relaxed affair than its counterpart in Jiufen. Once the main shopping area of Jinguashi and known as “Little Ginza” – Ginza being the upmarket shopping district in Tokyo – Qitang Street is nowadays far more retiring and has very much reclaimed its bygone sleepy mountain village ambiance.

For the laid-back, a particularly charming café, among the handful that line the street, is the San San Bu Café, which is set in a beautiful old building that was once a busy grocery store. Those wanting to work up a sweat and explore the surrounding hillsides, on the other hand, can choose between two highly contrasting mountain walks that start nearby. The first is an easy 15-minute stroll up to the Baoshishan Lookout, where you can take in both the serene Pacific and the jagged spine of the mountains to the southwest. The second, up to and beyond the descriptively named Teapot Mountain, is a far longer and considerably more challenging ridge-walk that will have you scrambling over boulders and through gouges in the rock before bringing you – several hours later – back to the village.

NARROW AND STEEP There are many narrow paths and steep staircases in the small villages of Jiufen, Jinguashi, and Shuinandong

Shuinandong The third of the area’s former mining settlements – reached by following the main road from Jinguashi down towards the sea – Shuinandong is home to one of Taiwan’s most impressive industrial relics: the Shuinandong Smelter.

Also known as the Remains of the 13 Levels, the structure was a giant copper/gold-smelting plant, built in 1933 and decommissioned in the 1970s. At night the complex, impressive even in ruins, is illuminated with soft yellow light that makes it appear more like a Baroque palace than a dilapidated factory. (Towards sunset, stunning photos of the lit-up smelter, with the imposing Mt. Keelung (Mt. Jilong) looming blue-black in the background, can be taken from the nearby Changren Pavilion.

Between Jinguashi and Shuinandong you will also pass a curious natural landmark – the Golden Waterfall – named so because the high concentration of heavy metals in its cascading waters (picked up as they travel through the old mines) have, over many years, stained the rocks a deep golden-orange. The sea at Shuinandong too bears marks of the area’s geology. The waters of the bay immediately below where the village is located – dubbed the Yin Yang Sea – swirl in a striking contrast of yellow and blue, caused in part as particles of pyrite, abundant in the area, get washed by rain into the sea.

SAN SAN BU CAFÉ Lovely restored houses like this allow you to travel back in time

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

31

NOR THE A S T COA S T / PL ACES TO S TAY

San San Bu Homestay A not he r r e s tor a t ion pr oje c t by t he ow ne r of t he aforementioned café in Jinguashi, who evidently has a passion for preserving old buildings, the San San Bu Homestay is a hundred-year-old Japanese-style house tucked into the secretive alleys of Shuinandong. Built in 1922 as a dormitory for the Japan Mining Corporation, the house still retains its original wood-beamed structure and comes complete with a tatami room, old-fashioned kitchen, double bed, and wooden bathtub with a sea view. Nightly prices begin at NT$2,500 (for two people), and guests get the whole house to themselves – the perfect opportunity to contemplate the bay and the surrounding mountains, read a good book, and immerse oneself in a small bit of history. Note: If booked here, the owner suggests that you call him upon arrival in Shuinandong, so he can guide you to the somewhat obscure location.

HOW TO GET THERE Take bus No. 965 from MRT Banqiao Station (Exit 2) or bus No. 1062 from MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (Exit 2). Both buses stop in Jiufen and Jinguashi, and the journey takes approximately one hour. Services are frequent. Alternatively, take an eastbound train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station and transfer to a local bus heading to Jiufen/Jinguashi. To get to Shuinandong, take bus No. 856 (Gold Fulong Shuttle Bus) from near Ruifang Station, with stops at Jiufen and Jinguashi.

MORE INFO Visit the website of the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area: www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw.

32

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Rose Villa

PANORAMA Rose Villa offers front seat views of the Yin Yang Sea and the Remains of the 13 Levels

With brilliant views of the Yin Yang Sea and the Remains of the 13 Levels, the Rose Villa offers double, quadruple, family, and 6~8 people rooms, as well as entire fully-equipped villas for even larger parties of up to 16. The check-in area, which doubles as a café, is located in an old house overlooking the bay that once was the home of an artist who painted postcards of the local scenery. It has now been converted into the style of an old Taiwanese grocery store, complete with retro sweets and vintage sliding-panel doors. Prices begin at NT$2,500 for a weekday stay in a double room with a sea view.

SAN SAN BU ( 散散步 / 老宅 ) 0981-885-933 No. 325, Dongding Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區洞頂路 325 號 ) www.facebook.com/jinguashi/ ROSE VILLA ( 玫瑰山城柑仔店 ) (02) 2496-1818 No. 155-1, Dongding Rd., Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區洞頂路 155-1 號 ) www.rosevilla.com.tw ENGLISH AND CHINESE A-Mei Teahouse 阿妹茶樓 Baoshishan Lookout 報時山觀景台 Changren Pavilion 長仁亭 Gold Ecological Park 黃金博物園區 Gold Museum 黃金博物館 Golden Waterfall 黃金瀑布 Hu Da-hua 胡達華 Jinguashi 金瓜石 Jinguashi Old Street 金瓜石老街 Jishan Street 基山街 Jiufen 九份

Jiufen Old Street 九份老街 Lianyu 連嵎 Mt. Keelung (Mt. Jilong) 基隆山 ( 雞籠山 ) Qitang Street 祈堂街 Remains of the 13 Levels 十三層遺址 Ruifang District 瑞芳區 Shengping Theater 昇平戲院 Shuinandong 水湳洞 Shuinandong Smelter 水湳洞選煉廠 Teapot Mountain 茶壺山 Wild Herbs 野事草店 Yin Yang Sea 陰陽海

PAH JI HUE` Shop: No. 101, Sec. 2, Huilai Rd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City ( 台中市西屯區惠來路二段 101 號 ) (1F of National Taichung Theater) Hours: 11:30~21:00 Tel: (04) 2314-8259

PAH JI HUE` Drip Tea Bags We are fourth-generation tea farmers who inherited the diligence, dedication, and firm sense of mission of our forebears and have developed gifts that combine tea and local cultural and life characteristics, dressing tea in new clothes inspired by Taiwanese culture. Following the idea of healthy, natural, and toxin free, we have given tea a new look to let people of different nationalities and ages have new encounters with different teas.

PAH JI HUE` (meaning “120 years old”) is an expectation and is also a blessing: “If it isn’t the best, we don’t want it.” We aim to adhere to our original intention to share the fine tea of our hometown and hope that everyone who receives this gift can live to be 120 years of age.

Unlike the traditional method of brewing tea that required various tea ware items and also didn’t guarantee getting the right flavor, PAH JI HUE` is a pioneer of drip tea in Taiwan. The traditional tea brewing process has been condensed into portable tea bags so that you can enjoy a cup of fine Taiwanese tea simply, quickly, and conveniently wherever you are, at any time. Using Eastern tea prepared with a Western style drip brewing method, everyone can enjoy the authentic flavor of Taiwanese tea whenever they want.

Eastern tea prepared with a Western style drip brewing method to taste the authentic flavor of Taiwanese tea There are six flavors of drip tea: 1. Taiwan White Tea 2. Alishan Jin Xuan Tea 3. Sun Moon Lake Black Tea 4. Dong Ding Oolong Tea 5. Honey Black Tea 6. Winter Oolong Tea

PAH JI HUE` has won the Classic Design Award and Innovative Business Award.

Emphasizing purity, simplicity, and taste, using 80% recycled coated paper accompanied by different colors and patterns for each tea, the packaging has a high-quality feel while presenting a minimalist style and meeting environmental concerns. Various tea flavors are provided to wake up and treat your taste buds.

PAH JI HUE` website www.pahjihue.com.tw

Drip tea bag gift box

NOR TH COA S T / SIGHTS A ND C A FÉS

Life’s a Beach Fine Scenery and Comfy Cafés along the North Coast TE X T DA N A TE R

PHOTOS AS K A CHI , V I S ION

Taiwan’s North Coast, stretching from the harbor city of Keelung in the east to the port town of Tamsui in the west, is a marvelous coastline featuring rocky shores, colorful reefs, and white-sand beaches. Among the tourist favorites are the fine beaches at Zhongjiao, Baisha, and Qianshui bays. Beachgoers and shoreline explorers also enjoy the many stylish seaside cafés offering not just coffee and refreshments but also enchanting views and plenty of reason to lie back and do absolutely nothing.

34

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

A

30-kilometer stretch of blissful golden-sand and rocky shores backed by evergreen mountains to the south, the North Coast of Taiwan beckons. It takes just an hour or so to drive from downtown Taipei to one of the area’s popular beaches (a bit longer by public transport; MRT + bus via Tamsui or railway + bus via Keelung).

Late summer and early autumn, with the promise of cooler weather and dwindling crowds, is the perfect time to visit.

For this article, we start our journey at Zhongjiao Bay, a popular spot for beginner surfers. We then make our way northwest to check out the Laomei Green Reef, where brightgreen algae beautifully covers coastal rocks, and the Fugui

Cape Lighthouse, at the island’s northernmost point. Then it’s southwest along the coast with stops at the golden-sand beach at Baisha Bay and then onto the Qianshui Bay beach, a perfect place to see glorious sunsets.

A popular area for surfing, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and other watersports, the North Coast is also home to many fine cafés, serving refreshing beverages, light snacks, and desserts. These range from stylish coffee shops right by the beach to barebones “mobile cafés” (i.e., small vans with coffee-making equipment) parked on highway-side parking lots. What all these coffee places have in common is that they espouse the same laid-back ethos: that life really is a beach.

JINSHAN DISTRICT Quiet B. Days

SHOP & CAFÉ Quiet B. Days, at Zhongjiao Bay, serves coffee and cookies, and sells unique souvenirs

MOBILE CAFÉS M.G.O.D is one of the mobile cafés operating by the coastal highway

QUIET B. DAYS ( 靠北過日子 ) (02) 2408-2332 No. 174, Haixing Rd., Jinshan District, New Taipei City ( 新北市金山區海興路 174 號 ) www.quietbdays.com UMI COFFEE BUS ( 烏咪咖啡小巴 ) & M.G.O.D. ( 魔幻歐迪 ) At 38.5km marker of Provincial Highway 2 (south of Liaotianding Temple bus stop, about 3km north of central Jinshan town) www.facebook.com/umicoffeebus, www.facebook.com/MGODCafe

New Taipei City’s rural Jinshan District, well-known locally for its natural hot springs, Old Street, and seaside park, has also become a surf and SUP destination in recent years. In particular, Zhongjiao Bay, with its calm waves and a brand-new surf/SUP center, is popular among beginner surfers.

Right outside the seaside park entrance to the bay is Quiet B. Days, a two-story café and shop right on the coastal highway.

It is hard to miss, as its azure-colored façade makes a bright and cheery statement. The aroma of homemade pancakes and cookies fills the first floor, which is part kitchen and order counter and part souvenir shop. The latter displays items such as incense burners in the shape of surfboards and colorful towels with maps of the North Coast, along with more mundane household goods as cookery items and lunchboxes.

Pineapple and mint juices and other refreshing drinks are brought up to the second-floor café and the rooftop, both providing wonderful views of the bay and surfers both out riding the waves and back in rinsing their boards at the nearby visitor center.

Mobile Cafés Just a short distance north from Zhongjiao Bay the coast changes from sandy to rocky, with large rocks lining the shore. You will pass two small vans parked in a narrow car park right beside the highway. These vehicles have been transformed into mobile coffee stations complete with espresso machines and other apparatus.

Order either from Umi or M.G.O.D., and enjoy a latte or iced tea sitting alfresco under a large umbrella on one of the many plastic chairs while taking in the excellent ocean view. Look to the east and you’ll see the Yehliu Geopark in the far distance, one of the most popular tourist draws in Taiwan, famous for its unusually shaped rocks.

The operator of the red-and-white Umi van serves the morning crowd, and besides the usual lattes, cappuccinos, and milk teas, also rolls out tasty waff les and pizzas. M.G.O.D. is open in the afternoon, and the operator’s cold osmanthus pomelo tea, which comes with thin slices of pomelo skin in the drink and is sprinkled with bits of osmanthus f lower, is especially refreshing.

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

35

NOR TH COA S T / SIGHTS A ND C A FÉS

LAOMEI Places to visit at Taiwan's northernmost tip include Laomei Green Reef and Laomei Maze

SHIMEN DISTRICT Laomei Green Reef, Laomei Maze, Fugui Cape Lighthouse Like the southernmost point of Taiwan (Eluanbi peninsula in the Kenting National Park), the northernmost point is also marked by a lighthouse, the Fugui Cape Lighthouse. Built in the late 19th century during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, the black-and-white tower has been rebuilt several times, including after it was destroyed during World War II. It’s part of the Fugui Cape Park, an area with lush greenery, easy to follow pathways, and access to the Fuji Fishing Harbor southwest of the lighthouse and the Laomei Beach to its southeast.

Another attraction within the park is the Laomei Maze, a small, circular-shaped maze made with brick walls just under five feet high.

Steps are conveniently placed in some parts of the maze, assisting Instagrammers angling for the best shots. There is a small hill nearby from where you can take a look at the maze from higher up and view how others are having fun in it. Close by is also the Laomei Lookout, which has a sweeping 360-degree view of the Laomei Beach, the ocean in front, and the mountains in the far distance in the rear.

From the maze it’s just a short walk to the beach along a picturesque path that cuts through swathes of silvergrass and low-lying trees. A wooden boardwalk then takes you down to the beach, where you’ll see the scenic Laomei Green Reef, an area with rows of stone troughs that jut out from the sand and into the water. Atop the reef is a covering of bright green algae. The algae remains year-round, thanks to the build36

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

up of many successive layers, though the best time to see it is in April and May when the reefs are entirely covered with the spongy material. (Please note that the green reef is a protected area and you are not allowed to step on the algae-covered rocks.)

Baisha Bay Beach A long-time favorite among Taipei-dwellers, the half-moon shaped Baisha Bay is named after its white sand (baisha). Its calm waters and comprehensive beach-fun facilities make it a popular choice for families with young children.

The modern buildings you’ll see between the main parking lot and the beach, featuring slanted roofs and floor-to-ceiling windows, are home to the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area administration and a visitor center. On the beach itself, near its iconic white cabanas, stand-up paddleboards and paddles, boogie boards, rattan beach mats, and big unicorn floats are available for rent. Vendors also sell snacks and refreshments such as adzuki-bean ice.

While Baisha Bay is a popular recreational beach, just beyond its eastern end you can see fishermen wading out waist-deep into the water and spreading out their fishing nets. There’s more rock than sand here, and the exposed rocks, flanked with gorgeous red-and-yellow Indian blanket flowers in summer and autumn, create pools of water in between that trap little and medium-sized fish.

NOR TH COA S T / SIGHTS A ND C A FÉS

Bo Bo Café

L oc ated in t he ea stern corner of t he NSA administration building is the Bo Bo Café, easy to find because there is a white boat with its name on it parked outside the entrance. Inside is a spacious dining area with wooden tables. Floor-to-ceiling windows invite the sunlight to pour in. This is a lovely place to cool off after a dip in the ocean; if sitting window-side you can spot beach and ocean through a small group of coniferous trees.

Notice the café’s logo – the outline of a cat’s face – on menus, window frames, and even engraved on cutlery. Bo Bo used to be a cat café, but its feline residents have been relocated to a new café occupying a huge house in a forest area on Mt. Guanyin northwest of Taipei City.

The menu offers a wonderful assortment of sweet treats – try the no-bake Oreo cheesecake, which is served with crushed Oreo cookies, or the sinful peanut butter toast with caramel ice cream.

A myriad of latte f lavors are available, including vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, honey, and rose, served either hot or cold. Then there’s the mammoth-sized brown sugar caffe latte, a delightful concoction of coco pops floating in a latte that’s encircled on top with a thick rim of frothy brown sugar.

BO BO CAFÉ ( 豹豹咖啡��� ) (02) 2636-6760 No. 33-6, Xiayuankeng, Shimen District, New Taipei City ( 新北市石門區下員坑 33 之 6 號 ) WHITE SAND BAY Fine sand and beach-fun facilities attract many visitors to Baisha Bay Beach

BO BO CAFÉ A good place to cool off after a dip in the ocean

NOR TH COA S T / SIGHTS A ND C A FÉS

SANZHI DISTRICT

BEACHSIDE Villa Sugar is a fine restaurant located right at Qianshui Bay beach

Villa Sugar A long-time popular beach destination due to its proximity to the town of Tamsui – just a 30-minute bus or taxi ride away – Qianshui Bay (lit. “Shallow Water Bay”) is a laid-back getaway for city folk. The bay offers numerous beachside restaurants, cafés, and pubs.

Unassuming from its highway-side entrance, Villa Sugar is a tropical-feel gem. The first in a row of coffee shops and restaurants you will see when arriving at Qianshui Bay from Tamsui, the café/restaurant has Balinese-style water features, white canopies, and frangipani trees. The décor is akin to a Southeast Asian resort, the centerpiece being an elongated water feature with two small reflective basins on both sides, drawing the eyes to the beach. Inside the building are rattan chairs with white pillows and cool white walls and ceilings; most patrons, however, prefer the wooden deck outside, which has shaded seating. If you’re just ordering drinks or light meals, the raised wood-board plank area next to a red-brick wall is a good choice, and decidedly casual.

Try to come early, as the place is often busy, even on weekdays. Guests primarily comprise families and groups of friends, and since right outside is the main North Coast bike route, bicyclists can be seen parking their bikes outside and dropping in for a bite.

The food and drink menu is extensive, and includes various types of risottos, short ribs, beef stew, pastas, and pizzas, as well as a refreshing Caesar salad. Drinks-wise, the Viennese coffee is a fine choice

Qianshui Bay A mish-mash mix of brown rock, green reef, and white sand speckled with tiny white-and-brown seashells, Qianshui Bay paints quite the charming picture, and watching the sunset from here is a most atmospheric way to round up your beachhopping trip along the North Coast. Park yourself at one of the many beachfront cafés or bars, or bring your own picnic feast, to observe this heartwarming natural spectacle.

The bay is an intertidal zone, meaning that a wonderful mini ecosystem appears during low tide and disappears during high tide. Notice the wavy, zigzag patterns on the white sand and the many big rocks, all different hues of brown and covered with encrusted clam shells, that form dozens of tidal pools between them. These little pools are home to tiny black fish and the odd crab scuttling in and out of crevices in the rock agglomeration – they are also perfect for children to play and splash about in.

While the water in the tidal pools is warm, out in the open ocean it’s much cooler. Most of the fishermen who work the waters here will have vacated the bay well before sunset, though a few might remain, their backs turned away from people on the beach, oblivious to their chatter. Eventually, the sunset – most often a brilliant candy-floss pink interjected with dashes of bright orange and yellow – hushes everyone and all that’s heard are the lapping waves.

38

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

VILLA SUGAR (02) 2636-1585 No. 54-16, Tudigongkeng, Sanzhi District, New Taipei City ( 新北市三芝區土地公坑 54-16 號 ) www.villasugar.com.tw (Chinese)

ENGLISH AND CHINESE baisha 白沙 Baisha Bay 白沙灣 Eluanbi 鵝鑾鼻 Jinshan District 金山區 Fugui Cape Lighthouse 富貴角燈塔 Fugui Cape Park 富貴角公園 Laomei 老梅 Laomei Beach 老梅沙灘 Laomei Green Reef 老梅綠石槽 Laomei Lookout 老梅觀景台 Laomei Maze 老梅迷宮 Mt. Guanyin 觀音山 Qianshui Bay 淺水灣 Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園 Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園 Zhongjiao Bay 中角彎

Qianshui Bay

NOR TH COA S T / SIGHTS A ND C A FÉS

Laomei Maze Baishawan Beach Laomei Green Reef

2

Taiwan

Bo Bo Café Qianshui Bay

2

M.G.O.D Umi Coffee Bus

Villa Sugar

Quiet B. Days 101 2甲

HOW TO GET THERE Take the MRT to Tamsui, the last stop on the Red Line. Jinshan, Laomei, Baishawan, and Qianshui Bay are easily accessible by taxi from MRT Tamsui Station.

MORE INFO Visit the website of the North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area: www.northguan-nsa.gov.tw.

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

39

Yilan Discoveries Exploring the Townships of Dongshan and Yuanshan TE X T RYA N HE V E RN

PHOTOS AS K A CHI , V I S ION

Let’s head off on an exploration of two of Yilan County’s charming rural townships, Dongshan and Yuanshan. Close neighbors in the northern foothills of the Xueshan Range and the Central Mountain Range, these scenic townships are home to a host of compelling tourist attractions and unique accommodation options, with a selection of the best specially introduced in this article.

40

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

FU N TR IP PL A N / Y IL A N

Dongshan Railway Station The Dongshan Railway Station was the first railway station in Taiwan to be redeveloped as a tourist attraction. The project, completed in 2008, transformed it into the island’s first elevated railway station. The station’s roof structure features gigantic steel loops meant to resemble the framing of the arched pergolas used to grow gourds. The uniquely appealing design is a favorite with photographers.

Below and around the station are numerous art installations highlighting farm life, trains, kites, and other local-culture themes. There are playgrounds and “classrooms” for children to enjoy as well. Admission to the station for those who just want to have a look inside, without taking a train, is NT$6, and the platform ticket (yuetai piao) can be taken home as a souvenir!

While the Dongshan Railway Station is a tourist attraction in and of itself, it is also a travel hub for those who come by train to explore Yilan. There are a number of tourist attractions and fine eateries close by. Within walking distance from the station are, for example, the Dongshan EcoArk, Dongshan Kite Museum, Dongshan Old Street, and Dongshan Night Market. The town of Dongshan’s streets are filled with colorful murals, sculptures, and other artworks, matching the natural vibrancy of the Yilan Plain.

DONGSHAN RIVER ECOARK TREEHOUSE The park is an environmental reserve where green tourism is promoted

GETTING THERE Dongshan's station is small, mainly served by local trains. To get there from Taipei or Hualien, take an Express train to Yilan Station or Luodong Station, then take a local train to Dongshan Station.

D

ongshan Township is in the south of the triangular-shaped Yilan Plain (also called the Lanyang Plain), while Yuanshan Township is in its central-west sector. Beyond their flatland areas on the plain, both also encompass substantial foothill areas. The townships are known for their enchanting scenery, natural surroundings, and agricultural activities. Admittedly, I haven’t paid much attention to places on the Yilan Plain when traveling to the eastern parts of Taiwan in the past. I have usually headed straight to the coast or into the high mountains. After recently exploring Dongshan and Yuanshan, however, I’ve found myself falling in love with the beauty of this side of Yilan as well.

Dongshan and Yuanshan are a bit off the beaten path for the majority who travel around Taiwan, both locals and, especially, travelers from overseas. These areas, however, are incredibly vibrant, with placid waterways weaving through a great green expanse of paddy fields. They are perfect destinations for travelers who want to get outside hustling and bustling cities such as Taipei.

Beyond the scenes of beauty, there is artistic flair and indigenous culture to experience as well. Among the blooming field of unique businesses are colorful homestays, cozy cafés, and an awardwinning whisky distillery.

Below I will go over a handful of fun travel ideas for you to explore in Dongshan and Yuanshan.

Dongshan Railway Station

Inside the Dongshan River EcoArk treehouse TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

41

FU N TR IP PL A N / Y IL A N

Dongshan River EcoArk

Artemis Garden

The Dongshan River EcoArk, also known as the Dongshan River Forest Park, is just to the northwest of the Dongshan Railway Station. The park was opened in 2016, after 20 years of planning and construction, undertaken to create an area that functions as an environmental reserve where green tourism is promoted. An important local ecological preserve, the park is home to many species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as a rich mix of native vegetation. Within its borders are winding pathways, playgrounds for children, and platforms for birdwatching enthusiasts. You’ll likely see Cattle Egrets, easy to recognize by their distinctive orange-brown heads, Lesser Egrets, Common Moorhens, and Black Drongos inhabiting the 16ha of open grassland and riverbanks. Migratory birds are frequent visitors as well.

You ca n ea sily explore the pa rk on foot following the pathways. For a more relaxing option, cross the wood plank pedestrian bridge beside the railway bridge in the northern part of the park and look for the riverboat landing stage. There, guided electric boat rides (40min.; NT$70) are available, during which you’ll follow the waterways that meander through the park’s forested northern section.

Situated close to Yuanshan Township’s foothills and surrounded by emerald rice paddies, the Artemis Garden is Taiwan’s largest greenhouse, and the island’s first museum dedicated to f loral fragrance. It was established in 2012 with the simple idea of sparking joy with the help of beautiful and aromatic f lowers.

The greenhouse is filled with flowers, trees, and herbs, the rich fragrances of which fill the air. Magnolias, Gardenias, Orange Jessamines, and myriad other types of f lowers emit incredibly aromatic fragrances. The delicious scents seem to drift out to greet you immediately upon arrival.

The Artemis Garden is also much more than just a massive greenhouse. Inside the building is a large buffet restaurant (lunch), which becomes a garden-style oasis for tea in the afternoon.

Enjoy tea made with grown-in-house herbs, such as rosemary and spearmint green tea. During lunch, you can also order dishes, for example pork chop, perfectly cooked, with fresh-cut rosemary and pepper, and garnished with various f lowers grown in the greenhouse. Above this section, visitors can follow a skywalk to get a better view of the trees and the various hanging flowers from above. In the DIY section of the building you can experience how to make soap, essential oil, and potted plants.

Planning a wedding? The Artemis Garden is a gorgeous hall for wedding receptions as well! Since the flowers within are changed every week, there is a guaranteed fresh fragrance infusing the venue at all times.

GETTING THERE The park is a short walk northwest from Dongshan Railway Station.

GETTING THERE Take bus No. 752 from Yilan Railway Station or Yilan Bus Station and get off at Taiyangpi ( 太陽埤 ) bus stop.

Dongshan River EcoArk

ARTEMIS GARDEN Taiwan's largest greenhouse, and the island's first museum dedicated to floral fragrance

ARTEMIS GARDEN ( 香草菲菲 ) (03) 922-9933 No. 650, Neicheng Rd., Yuanshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣員山鄉內城路 650 號 ) artemisgarden10103.incdoor.com (Chinese)

42

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

WANGLONGPI LAKE A small scenic lake area in the northeast of Yuanshan Township perfect for a short, easy stroll

Wanglongpi Lake Wanglongpi is a small scenic lake area in the northeast of Yuanshan Township. It is perfect for a short, easy stroll.

On the way to this tucked-away tourist attraction, you will pass through a rural area with farm operations such as wax apple and guava plantations.

You can walk around the lake (700m), and visit a small island in the lake – crossing a picturesque arched bridge on one side and a seven-cornered bridge on the other. You’ll come across flocks of ducks waddling around, looking for food. The lake is also busy with carp, some larger than small dogs! If you want to feed them, you can buy fish food at one of the makeshift stalls around the lake.

Well-known to locals is the Wanglongpi Huatian Village Café, located at the southern end of the lake.

It was featured in the Taiwan drama series Autumn’s Concerto (2009). The café is open daily, and has outdoor seating right by the water. With a minimum order of just NT$60 per person, this is a great inexpensive place to sit and enjoy a cool drink on a hot summer day.

GETTING THERE Take bus No. 755 from Yilan Railway Station or Yilan Bus Station and get off at Wanglongpi ( 望龍埤 ) bus stop.

Zozowater Coffee House Just a 10-minute walk from the Dongshan Railway Station and close to the Dongshan River EcoArk is the chic Zozowater Coffee House. This beautiful coffee shop, with dark walls and hanging plants above wooden furniture, is a photographer’s dream. Served are your normal coffee shop items, such as Americano and lattes, with specialty drip coffees available as well. You can also try a variety of homemade cakes, waffles, and tarts, which cost anywhere from NT$80 to NT$100.

GETTING THERE About 500m from Dongshan Railway Station; follow Zhongzheng Road ( 中正路 ) then Dongshan Road ( 冬山路 ).

ZOZOWATER COFFEE HOUSE ( 佐佐清水自家烘焙咖啡館 ) 0978-464-244 No. 63, Sec. 2, Dongshan Rd., Dongshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣冬山鄉冬山路二段 63 號 ) www.facebook.com/zozowatercafe

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

43

FU N TR IP PL A N / Y IL A N

Eternal Spring Beef Noodles Trying a delicious bowl of beef noodle soup is among the top things to do for a traveler who wants to taste classic Taiwanese dishes. Eternal Spring Beef Noodles offers succulent melt-in-your-mouth chunks of beef served in both spicy and regular broths, with homemade noodles. There is a wide selection of broth and meat options, including Sichuan-style spicy and broth with beef shank and tendon.

GETTING THERE A b o u t 3 0 0 m f r o m D o n g s h a n R a ilway S t a ti o n; fo ll ow Zhongzheng Road ( 中正路 ) to Dongshan Road ( 冬山路 ).

ETERNAL SPRING BEEF NOODLES ( 春不老驛站牛肉麵 ) (03) 959-0599 2F, No. 186, Dongshan Rd., Dongshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣冬山鄉冬山路 186 號 2 樓 ) www.facebook.com/chunbulaoBN

“Fei Yu Shi Ran Tofu Pudding” Hidden within the traditional-style Dongshan Market, this tofu pudding shop has a distinctive Japanese f lair. Tofu pudding, a traditional Taiwanese dessert, is made here with local ingredients save for the soybeans, which are sourced from Japan. Instead of using gypsum (more common today) for coagulating the tofu (i.e., creating the curd), at this store nigari or bittern (the original coagulant used for tofu-making) is used. Typically, the sauce accompanying the tofu pudding is made with brown sugar; however, here you can enjoy the dessert-style treat with soymilk as an option, giving you more pronounced soy flavors and textures.

GETTING THERE About 300m from Dongshan Railway Station; follow Zhongzheng Road ( 中正路 ) to Dongshan Road ( 冬山路 ).

Dongshan Jinzhu Scallion Pancake If you’re looking for a simple Taiwanese savory snack, Yilan’s famous scallion pancakes are a must try. Dongshan Jinzhu Scallion Pancake sources its scallions from the township of Sanxing, located between Yuanshan and Dongshan, and instead of the more common practice of pan-frying the pancake, the method used here is half panfry and half deep-fry. This makes the pancake crispy and better brings out the sweetness and moisture of the scallion.

For just NT$35 you get a deliciously thick scallion pancake with a fried egg inside that is covered with spring onions!

GETTING THERE About 500m from Dongshan Railway Station; follow Zhonghua Road ( 中華路 ) then Chengxing Road ( 成興路 ).

DONGSHAN JINZHU SCALLION PANCAKE ( 冬山金珠蔥油餅 ) 0989-343-359 Opposite No. 5, Lane 986, Sec. 1, Dongshan Rd., Dongshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣冬山鄉冬山路一段 986 巷 5 號對面 ) www.facebook.com/JinZhuCongYouBing

44

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

“FEI YU SHI RAN TOFU PUDDING” ( 飛魚食染鹽滷豆花 ) (03) 959-5020 No. 186, Dongshan Rd., Dongshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣冬山鄉冬山路 186 號 ) www.facebook.com/cuil.tw

FU N TR IP PL A N / Y IL A N

Meeting Miracle Homestay This fantastically colored homestay, located in the northeast corner of Dongshan Township, sits amidst fields of swaying rice close to the Dongshan River. It is run by two young sisters from the city of Taoyuan, whose family loves Yilan so much that they decided to build a colorful homestay and provide a place for others to enjoy the beautiful land as well. The homestay, in operation since 2017, is a splendid getaway from the big city.

Seen from afar, the rainbow-colored building looks like a magical place, especially during the seasons when the surrounding rice fields appear in goldengreen colors. The location is reason enough to book a night in this getaway, and the peaceful atmosphere and family vibe attract visitors as well. Meeting Miracle Homestay is a true gem among Yilan’s many quality homestay operations.

You might experience a feeling of familiarity when arriving at the homestay, especially if you’re a Pixar movie fan. The design inspiration comes from the movie Up, which becomes very apparent once you walk inside. There is a replica of the house featured in the movie, complete with balloons.

There are four separate guestrooms, of various sizes and layouts, all with different color schemes taken from the rainbow. Each room has a balcony with a stunning view – of the surrounding rice fields, a lazy river, and the mountains in the far distance (there are no other buildings in the immediate vicinity).

Room prices vary, ranging from NT$2,900/night on a weekday for the “Setting Sun” double to NT$5,600/night during weekends/holidays for the “Rising Sun” quadruple.

GETTING THERE There is no bus stop close to the homestay; taking a taxi from Luodong Railway Station (5km away) is recommended.

“Xiao Jiezi Wugui Dao” Café This may just be the most beautiful coffee shop this writer has been to. The shop’s Chinese name translates as “Little Kumquat Turtle Island,” hinting at the various specialty orange-based drinks and desserts, as well as the Turtle Island shape of not only the building but also the delicious cookies sold (famed Turtle Island is a small turtle-profile island off the coast of northern Yilan County).

The owner of the café has a special emotional attachment to the island because to him it represents home. Whenever returning to Yilan from elsewhere, the moment he spots Turtle Island is the moment he feels he has returned home.

His hope is that his café will provide his customers with a similar feeling whenever they visit the county.

Located in the far northwest of Dongshan Township, close to the Luodong River, the café is surrounded by paddy fields. The visually striking building, which has a slanted roof and floor-to- ceiling windows on the first floor, was constructed to resemble Turtle Island in stylized form. Outside there is a small wading pool, filled with natural spring water, complete with two lounge chairs and an umbrella (right in the water), a perfect setting for taking Instagram photos.

A variety of drinks, snacks, and cakes is available inside. The café, however, is best known for its kumquat products, as the family-owned brand has been around for 20 years. You definitely want to try the fruit teas, most popular of which is the refreshing kumquat lemon tea. Other teas come in flavors such as cranberry and passion fruit. You can even order a delicious kumquat coffee. Savor it while overlooking the beautiful rice fields outside!

The snacks and cakes are all made with locally grown produce, among them traditional Yilan cakes, pineapple cakes, spring onion crisps, and more. These are all wonderful, but the star of the show is a cookie in the shape of Turtle Island that was introduced earlier this year. It comes with a delightful filling of cream flavored with black tea. On top of the “turtle’s shell” is a matcha-flavored icing that adds a great touch to the treat. All of the products are available in box sets ready to be taken home as gifts for friends and family. You aren’t going to find a more unique gift in Yilan than the Turtle Island-shaped cookie!

GETTING THERE There is no bus stop close to the café; taking a taxi from Luodong Railway Station (about 4.5km away) is recommended.

TURTLE ISLAND COOKIE Yummy treat in the shape of one of Yilan County's most prominent landmarks

MEETING MIRACLE HOMESTAY ( 遇見奇蹟鄉村民宿 ) 0909-689-664 No. 61, Fudu 5th Rd., Dongshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣冬山鄉富堵五路 61 號 ) www.meetingmiracle.com.tw (Chinese) “XIAO JIEZI WUGUI DAO” CAFÉ ( 小桔子烏龜島 ) (03) 951-7227 No. 297, Kelin 1st Rd., Dongshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣冬山鄉柯林一路 297 號 ) www.facebook.com/wuguidao

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

45

FU N TR IP PL A N / Y IL A N

KAVALAN WHISKY DISTILLERY ( 金車噶瑪蘭威士忌酒廠 ) (03) 922-9000 No. 326, Sec. 2, Yuanshan Rd., Yuanshan Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣員山鄉員山路 2 段 326 號 ) www.kavalanwhisky.com

Kavalan Whisky Distillery The Kavalan Whisky Distillery, located just east of the Artemis Garden in Yuanshan Township, is a producer of award-winning whiskies praised by connoisseurs around the world. Kavalan, Taiwan’s first single malt whisky, takes its name from the region’s indigenous Kavalan tribe, which translates as “people of the plains.”

The company was established in 2005, and Kavalan has since become a world-renowned brand. The distillery crafts world-class whiskies using the pristine, mineral-rich spring waters of the nearby mountains. The whiskies are described by the company as high in quality, smooth and fruity, and reflective of the natural surroundings of Yilan.

The Kavalan Series, Solist Series, Distillery Select Series, and Distillery Reserve Series have received numerous accolades over the years. Some of the more notable choices are the Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, winner of the World’s

GETTING THERE Take bus No. 1744 or GR12 from Yilan Railway Station or Yilan Bus Station and get off at Wenyan Rd./Kavalan Distillery ( 蚊煙路 / 金車 酒廠 ) bus stop.

MORE INFO Visit the website of the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area: www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw

46

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Best Single Malt award in 2015, and the Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Cask, winner of the World’s Best Single Malt award in 2016.

Each day at the top of each hour the distillery is open to the public a five-minute tasting session is held, free to join, during which you can learn about the daily tasting selections (in Chinese). Afterwards you can make your way to the gift shop to purchase some of the world-class whiskies, in bottles that come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Autumn's Concerto 下一站，幸福 Dongshan Kite Museum 冬山風箏館 Dongshan Market 冬山市場 Dongshan Night Market 冬山夜市 Dongshan Old Street 冬山老街 Dongshan Railway Station 冬山車站 Dongshan River EcoArk 冬山河生態綠舟 Dongshan River Forest Park 冬山河森林公園 Dongshan Township 冬山鄉

Kavalan 噶瑪蘭 Lanyang Plain 蘭陽平原 Mt. Snow 雪山 Sanxing 三星 Wanglongpi 望龍埤 Wanglongpi Huatian Village Café 望龍埤花田村湖畔咖啡 Yilan Plain 宜蘭平原 Yuanshan Township 員山鄉 yuetai piao 月臺票

CON V ENIENT TR AV EL

Taiwan Tour Bus website

KAOHSIUNG BY BUS Zuoying District and Buddha Light Mountain TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Among Kaohsiung City’s oldest and best-known tourist attractions are Lotus Lake, home to the Spring and Autumn Pavilions and the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and Fo Guang Shan, one of the most important religious centers on the island.

O

n the Zuoying Lotus Lake and Fo Guang Shan (One-Day Tour) guided bus tour, detailed on the Taiwan Tour Bus website (www.taiwantourbus.com.tw), you will be taken to Zuoying District in the northern part of the city’s urban center and to the rural Dashu District, where the Fo Guang Shan monastery complex and the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum are located.

LOTUS LAKE

Lotus Lake, also known as Lotus Pond, is located southwest of Zuoying Station (Taiwan High Speed Rail and TRA service).

This manmade lake, covering 42 hectares, has been a popular tourist destination ever since it was created in the early 1950s, attracting visitors with its many sites of worship (20 temples in total, including Kaohsiung’s Confucius Temple) and its quirky and colorful structures, including the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, and the statue of the deity Xuan Wu (Beiji Pavilion), all located on the western bank of the lake.

FO GUANG SHAN / BUDDHA MUSEUM

After first exploring the urban Zuoying District, this bus tour’s second leg is in the rural Dashu District. Here you’ll be visiting the long-established and well-known Fo Guang Shan Buddhist monaster y complex and the spacious and architecturally intriguing Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum next door. Founded

GOLDEN FOUNDERS TRAVEL SERVICES ( 金建旅行社 ) www.178tour.com.tw (07) 222-1108 B1, No. 45, Zhongzheng 2nd Rd., Lingya Dist., Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市芩雅區中正二路 45 號 B1)

by Master Hsing Yun in 1967, Fo Guang Shan (www.fgsbmc.org.tw) is the largest monastery in Taiwan, and has numerous branches on the island and abroad. During a tour of the complex you will be introduced to the history and the activities of the organization and learn about its impressive arrangement of Buddha statues (480 in total, placed around a 40m-tall Great Buddha statue). The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (www.fgsbmc.org.tw), opened in 2011, was established to house a tooth relic (sarira in Sanskrit) of Sakyamuni Buddha, entrusted to Master Hsing Yun on a visit to India in 1998.

Zuoying Lotus Lake and Fo Guang Shan (One-Day Tour) ( 左營蓮池潭 & 佛光山 ( 佛陀紀念館 ) 朝聖 1 日遊 ) www.taiwantourbus.com.tw/C/tour/us/zuoying-lotus-lake-guang-shan ITINERARY Pick-up → City landmark tour → Old City of Zuoying → Lotus Lake (Spring and Autumn Pavilions, Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, Confucius Temple) → Zuoying specialty snacks (self-pay) → Fo Guang Shan → Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum → Return FEE: NT$1,700 (NT$300 for children under age 3); included in the fee is the bus fare, mineral water, insurance, and guide service.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館 Confucius Temple 孔廟 Dragon and Tiger Pagodas 龍虎塔

Fo Guang Shan 佛光山 Lotus Lake 蓮池潭 Spring and Autumn Pavilions 春秋閣 Zuoying District 左營區 TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

47

E A S Y SCENIC TR A IL S / M AOL IN N ATION A L SCENIC A RE A

The Maolin National Scenic Area A Southern Mountain Beaut y Known for Indigenous Culture and But ter flies

TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE

PHOTOS V I S ION

November~March is prime butterfly-watching season, during which northeastern winter winds blow down Taiwan and millions of Purple Crows migrate to the Maolin valleys.

The Maolin National Scenic Area is a unique getaway enclave characterized by heart-lifting mountain scenery, indigenous villages bu sy with cult ural- creat ive entrepreneurs, soothing hot-spring resort soaking, invigorating trail hikes, titillating butterf ly watching, energizing biking jaunts, and heartrate-accelerating riverrafting outings.

T

aiwan’s national scenic areas are overseen by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. The Maolin NSA is in t he deep sout h nor t hea st of central Kaohsiung, in the western foothills of the Central Mountain Range. Long and comparatively slender, with a north-south orientation, this heavily forested region has three major rivers coursing through it. There are three main sections, centered on riverside villages: in the south Sandimen and Wutai, in the middle Maolin and Duona, in the north Bulao and Baolai.

The local population is heavily indigenous. Members of the Rukai and Paiwan tribes, which share many cultural elements, live in the south, Rukai in the middle, Tsou and Bunun in the north. The Rukai and Paiwan are known for striking arts and crafts and traditional dwellings made of slate. Sandimen, a Paiwan settlement, has numerous tourist-friendly studios famed for artworks rich with cultural symbolism.

Blessed with many hot-spring sources, the NSA is also home to quality commercially operated hot-spring facilities. It boasts Taiwan’s most extensive distribution of natural stream springs.

48

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Thousands of Purple Crow Butterflies can be seen in Maolin's forests during the winter

Zishalishali Trail

The NSA has many fine trails. One of the best and most popular starts and ends right at the edge of Maolin village. The settlement, spread out over a small-mountain slope, overlooks the rugged Zhuokou River.

The Zishalishali Trail is spread out over the slope above the village. This is perhaps the NSA’s premier locale for butterf ly viewing. It starts at the village’s highest point beside its uppermost street, and loops around to end lower on the same street (near the Butterfly Restaurant; see “Dining” section below). One of its manmade highlights is the Maya Pavilion, located at one of its higher points, from which a glorious view of the convergence of the Zhuokou and Laonong rivers is taken in. “Maya” is the native term for the Mandarin Chinese “maolin,” meaning “luxuriant forest.”

“Zishalishali” is a native phrase meaning “place of many shell ginger trees.” The name arose long ago; local natives headed uphill to farm small plots passed by many shell ginger trees along the

way. Though the trail’s total length is 3.7km, currently just 2.1km is open to the public.

Along the way, you’ll encounter squirrels, Taiwan barbets and – circling slowly high above – crested serpent eagles. And don’t be surprised to see more than a few domesticated natives, freerange chickens, scratching about the forest floor looking for tasty treasures. These are from the farm plots you’ll espy through the trees from the main pathway.

Of course, the point of your forest foray and the star of the fauna show here, the belle of the ball, is the butterf ly. Dwarf Crows account for a lmost 75% of Maolin’s Purple Crow Butterf ly seasonal population, which at times may reach one million or more. Double-branded Black Crows make up much of the rest. Visitors are asked to stay on the trail, so as not to disturb them, and not to touch any of the many encountered resting on trailside vegetation.

The Maolin NSA, one of our planet’s two mass butterfly overwintering sites, hosts great flocks of Purple Crow Butterflies (and butterfly admirers). There are four sub-species: Dwarf Crows, Double-branded Black Crows, Striped Blue Crows, and Blue-banded King Crows.

Photo courtesy of George Han

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

49

Other Area Attractions

Duona High Suspension Bridge

Near the Zhuokou River’s mouth is the Maolin Entrance Park, which has leisure facilities for tourists. This is on the site of the former NSA administration building, wiped away in the terrible Typhoon Morakot of 2009.

The park is filled with indigenous-theme sculptures of stone and steel that are glowingly lit up at night. The stone reliefs at the bases tell the proud history of the local indigenous peoples.

Below Maolin village is the striking setting of the Lovers’ Valley Suspension Bridge. This long pedestrian-only structure, decorated with totemic indigenous artwork, leaps the Zhuokou R iver at a height not far above the riverbed. A trail that begins at the far (south) end delivers you, a f ter an easy 10 -minute wa lk, to the f ive-level L overs’ Gorge Waterfall, hidden away in lush forest.

Tremendous views of an entirely different sort, from the vantage point of the local birds of prey, await upriver on the soaring Duona High Suspension Bridge, long the only outside connection for Duona village. This is Taiwan’s highest bridge, 103m above the riverbed. The highway that today twists its way up the river valley ends at tourist-welcoming Duona, where a surviving group of 30 traditional Rukai slate houses is being preserved, Taiwan’s largest such cluster.

Deengorge Guesthouse

Deengorge Guesthouse A purple crow butterfly

The Deengorge Guesthouse is a true hideaway getaway in the deep forest, located just upriver from Maolin village on the river’s south side. Perched on a small mountainside plateau, guests enjoy a sweeping view of the twisting river valley. “Deengorge” is derived from the native place name, which means “place of gathered stones.” Yesteryear Rukai travelers passing through would place beautiful riverbed stones here, in a cool, breezy rest place believed blessed by tribal ancestors.

Guestrooms are in structures with exteriors that resemble Rukai/Paiwan slate houses – one multi-room building with covered verandah and a few single-room cabin-style buildings. The rooms, which sleep 2 or 4, are homey, clean, and simple, and some feature appealing wood-beam ceilings. A buffet breakfast is enjoyed in the rustic open-air café/restaurant, decked out with carved-wood furnishings, where coffees, hot chocolate, cappuccinos, fresh Western-style baked treats, and other goodies roll forth.

Regular guided nighttime nature tours are offered (Chinese), plus special advance-booking Englishlanguage guided tours for up to six people.

DEENGORGE GUESTHOUSE ( 得恩谷生態民宿 ) 0989-579-751 No. 138, Maolin Borough, Maolin District, Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市茂林區茂林里 138 號 ) www.5658.com.tw/6801540/ (Chinese) BUTTERFLY RESTAURANT ( 巴特芙萊 ) 0960-806-702 No. 16, Neighborhood 1, Maolin Borough, Maolin District, Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市茂林區茂林里 1 鄰 16 號 ) www.facebook.com/maolin.butterflies

E A S Y SCENIC TR A IL S / M AOL IN N ATION A L SCENIC A RE A

Butterfly Restaurant

This pleasant, easy-ambience eatery/café/bakery, located in Maolin village, is run by a young Rukai entrepreneur. The open-concept design allows you to watch the kitchen/bakery staff at work.

The carved-wood furnishings are complemented by a wealth of indigenous-theme artwork flourishes. Perhaps the most striking is a full-wall mural in black and white, crafted by local youngsters, depicting an olden-times village celebration before a slate house, participants decked out in festive regalia, warriors dancing around a bonfire.

Creative indigenous cuisine is served here, along with Westernstyle baked treats such as handmade French-style breads in which three types of traditional indigenous culinary ingredients are showcased: red quinoa, millet, and pigeon pea. Among the breads, especially savory/sweet scrumptious are the buns made with red quinoa and cranberries. Among the meal delicacies, perhaps most distinguished among the numerous hearty selections is the roast chicken, prepared with mountain pepper (aromatic litsea), another traditional native ingredient, and the a-bai, a type of tamale made with fermented millet and other treats wrapped in edible leaf. Fatty roast pork is usually a centerpiece, but the a-bai here are vegetarian, with peanuts and yam chunks the star additions.

Duona Village

Pingtung County

Kaohsiung City

Duona High Suspension Bridge

高132

Lovers’ Valley Suspension Bridge Zishalishali Trail

Maolin Village

27

Lovers' Valley Waterfall

Pingtung County

Maolin Entrance Park

Taiwan GETTING THERE, GETTING AROUND If traveling without your own wheels, note that Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (taiwantrip.com.tw) buses on the service's Northern Pingtung Shuttle Bus route operate between Pingtung Bus Station and the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park, located close to Sandimen village.

Regular train service is available to Pingtung Station. Various other public bus options to/from different Maolin NSA destinations are available, notably to/from central Kaohsiung and from Pingtung City. These are detailed on the NSA website (www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw), which also provides information on getting around within the NSA – local bus routes, bicycle routes/rentals.

The coffees are made with specialty Maolin-grown beans. Bags of Maolin bean as well as Maolin-cultivated red quinoa, a traditional native culinary specialty, are available for take-home purchase.

ENGLISH AND CHINESE a-bai 阿拜 Baolai 寶來 Bulao 不老 Bunun tribe 布農族 Duona 多納 Duona High Suspension Bridge 多納高吊橋 Lovers' Valley Suspension Bridge 情人谷吊橋 Lovers' Gorge Waterfall 情人谷瀑布 Maolin 茂林 Maolin Entrance Park 茂林入口意象公園 Maolin National Scenic Area 茂林國家風景區 Paiwan tribe 排灣族 Rukai tribe 魯凱族 Sandimen 三地門 Liao Jin-shan 廖金山 Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park 台灣原住民文化園區 Tsou tribe 鄒族 Wutai 霧台 Zhuokou River 濁口溪 Zishalishali Trail 姿沙里沙里步道

TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

51

THE GRAND HOTEL

Taipei 台 北

圓山大飯店

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when it comes to accommodation. From fivestar luxury hotels that meet the highest international standards, to affordable business hotels, to hot-spring and beach r e s o r t h o te l s , to p r i v a te l y run homestays located in the countr yside there is a place to st ay that s atisf i es eve r y traveler’s needs. What all hotels of Taiwan — small and big, expensive and affordable — have in common is that serve and hospitality are always of the highest standards. T he room rates in the follow ing list have b e e n c h e c ke d fo r each hotel, but are subject to change without notice. Room rates at the hotels apply.

NO. OF ROOMS: 105 ROOM RATES:

Boutique

Business

Junior

Family

Executive

NT$ 8,800-15,800 NT$ 22,000-36,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge.)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese RESTAURANTS: Western, Cantonese, Northern China Style Dumplings, tea house, coffee shop, steak house SPECIAL FEATURES: Grand Ballroom, conference rooms for 399 people, 10 breakout rooms, business center, fitness center, sauna, Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, billiards

RESTAURANTS: L’IDIOT RESTAURANT & BAKERY (Western), CHIOU HWA RESTAURANT (Chinese) SPECIAL FEATURES: Coffee Shop, Fitness Center, Business Center, Meeting and Banquet Facilities,Laundry Service, Non-smoking Floor, Parking Lot, Airport Transfer Service

Taipei 台 北

NO. OF ROOMS: 60 Room Room Room Room Room

NT$ 7,600 NT$ 8,400 NT$ 9,400 NT$ 13,000 NT$ 10,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS/FACILITIES: Ju-Yi Restaurant, Gym, Laundromat (no coins needed) and Lounge

ROOM RATES: NT$12,500-NT$38,000 DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Japanese, English, Chinese FACILITIES: Eclat Lounge, mechanical parking space, meeting rooms AWARDS: 2020 DESTIN ASIAN Reader’s Choice Award 2019 Michelin Guide Preferred Hotel 2020 Hotels.com Loved by Guest Award

SPECIAL FEATURES: Free high-speed Wi-Fi, compass and praying mat, crib, luggage storage, city tourist information, business center, balcony, free parking lot, airport shuttle service (fee), meeting room & instant office (for rental)

11F, No. 495, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 台北市 信義 區 光復 南 路 49 5 號 11樓 Tel: +886-2-8780-8000 Fax: +886-2-8780-5000 E-mail: pbc.taipei@msa.hinet.net

No. 370, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Daan District, Taipei City 台北市大安區敦化南路一段370號 Tel: +886-2-2784-8888 Fax: +886-2-2784-7888 E-mail: taipei@eclathotels.com

www.grand-hotel.org

www.businesscenter.com.tw

www.eclathotels.com

台北凱撒大飯店

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

Taipei 台 北

No. 1, Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City 台 北 市 中 山 北 路 4 段1號 Tel: +886-2-2886-8888 Fax: +886-2-2885-2885

CAESAR PARK TAIPEI

ROOM RATES: Single / Deluxe / Executive NT$ 6,000- 8,500

Suite NT$ 9,500-20,000

台北怡亨酒店

ROOM RATES:

Single/DBL

Suite

華 泰 王子大 飯 店

NO. OF ROOMS: 220

ECLAT HOTELS

太平洋商旅

NO. OF ROOMS: 500 (Suites: 57)

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL Taipei

Taipei 台 北

PACIFIC BUSINESS HOTEL

Taipei 台 北

NO. OF ROOMS: 478 ROOM RATES:

Superior Room

Deluxe Room Superior Double Double

Metro Room

Metropolis Room

Station Suite

LEMIDI HOTEL CHITOU 溪頭米堤大飯店

Nantou 南 投

NO. OF ROOMS: 243 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

8,500 9,500 11,000 13,000 14,000 18,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge.)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS:

2F Checkers, 3F Dynasty Restaurant

SPECIAL FEATURES:

e-Lounge, Banquet, Meeting Room, GYM, SPA, Roof Garden, Free Wi-Fi,Room Service, Laundry, Luggage Storage, Valet parking service

No. 369, Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 台北市林森北路3 6 9 號 Tel: +886-2-2581-8111 Fax: +886-2-2581-5811

No. 38, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao W. Rd., Taipei City 台 北 市 忠 孝 西 路 一 段 38號 Tel: +886 -2-2311-5151 Fax: +886 -2-2331-9944 E-mail: info_tpe@caesarpark.com

www.gloriahotel.com

taipei.caesarpark.com.tw

ROOM RATES: Classic Double/Twin Room

Classic Triple Room

Classic Quad Room

Deluxe Quad Room

Media Suite

Miro Suite

Midi suite

COLD & HOT SPRING RESORT SUAO

瓏 山 林 蘇 澳 冷 熱 泉 度 假 飯 店 Yilan 宜 蘭

NO. OF ROOMS: 153 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

11,000 13,000 15,000 16,000 28,000 32,000 42,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge.)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese RESTAURANTS: Lobby Bar, Tea House, Miller Western Restaurant, Qingyuan Chinese Restaurant SPECIAL FEATURES: Foot Health Massage Center,Karaoke Room,Spring Water Sauna,Parent-child Play Room,Spring Water Private Baths,Fitness Center,Spring Water Swimming pool, Conference Room, Banquet Halls, Underground Car Park

ROOM RATES:

Japanese Style Room (Single Spring Bath) Japanese Style Room (Dual Spring Bath) Japanese Style Suite (Dual Spring Bath) Western Style Double Room (Single Spring Bath) Western Style Quadruple Room (Single Spring Bath) Western Style Double Room (Dual Spring Bath) Western Style Quadruple Room (Dual Spring Bath) Western Style Suite (Dual Spring Bath) Japanese Deluxe Suite (Single Spring Bath)

NT$7,200 NT$7,700 NT$12,200 NT$8,500 NT$15,600 NT$8,500 NT$15,600 NT$14,600 NT$21,800

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Japanese, English, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese

FACILITIES:

Private spring house, outdoor cold/hot spring area, outdoor/ indoor swimming pool, indoor water massage area, top-floor scenic outdoor hot-spring pool; light-meal restaurant and bar, restaurant, executive meeting room, high-ceiling banquet hall; recreation center (gym, children’s game room, Internet area), spa, shopping arcade, multimedia classroom.Provided inside guestrooms: AVEDA toiletry set, EVIAN mineral water (1500ml), RSL slippers, DVD and stereo set (DVDs and CDs not provided), English Wedgewood tea bags and Japanese tea bags, coffee capsules, bathrobe, unlimited Internet access, safe

No. 1, Miti St., Lugu Township, Nantou County 南投縣鹿谷 鄉內湖村米 堤街1號 Tel: +886-49-261-2222 Fax: +886-49-261-2000

No. 301, Zhongyuan Rd., Su’ao Township, Yilan County 宜蘭縣蘇澳鎮中原路301號 Tel: +886-3-996-6666 Fax: +886-3-996-6000

www.lemidi-hotel.com.tw

www.rslhotel.com

Edison Travel Service specializes in Taiwan Tours and offers cheaper hotel room rates and car rental services (with drivers) .

Edison welcomes contact with other travel services around the world.

"Thousand Island Lake" & Pinglin Tea Plantation 千島湖、坪林自然美景 茶飄香

Taipei City Tour 台北市區觀光 NT$1,300

Wulai Aboriginal Village Tour 烏來高砂族部落觀光 NT$1,500

1-Day Taroko (Marble) Gorge Tour 花蓮太魯閣( 大理石) 峽谷觀光 NT$4,200

Taipei Night Tour 臺北夜景觀光 NT$1,500

Northern Coast Tour 基隆港、野柳、北海岸公園觀光

NT$1,500

NT$1,200

Folk Arts Tour (Sanxia & Yingge) 民俗藝術觀光 ( 三峽、鶯歌) NT$1,300

Yangmingshan National Park & Hot-Spring Tour 陽明山國家公園及溫泉觀光國家公園 及溫泉觀光 NT$1,500

Jiufen Village & Northeast Coast Tour 九份、東北角海岸觀光 NT$1,300 Pingxi Sky Lantern Experience & Old Street Walk 平溪天燈體驗、老街漫步 NT$1,500

2-Day Sun Moon Lake, Puli & Lukang Tour (Stay at Sun Moon Lake) 2天1夜 日月潭、埔裡鎮、及鹿港觀光 (住日月潭) NT$6,600 2-Day QingJing & Fruit Picking Tour (Stay at QingJing) 2天1夜 南投清境 世外桃源採果趣 (住清境) NT$6,900

3-Day Tour to Sun Moon Lake & Alishan 3天2夜 日月潭、阿里山觀光 NT$12,500

3-Day Southern Taiwan Tour (Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kenting) (Taiwan High-Speed Rail ‒ Bullet Train Ride) 三天二夜 台南‧高雄‧墾丁深度之旅 (含台灣高鐵體驗) NT$14,500

4-Day Central & Southern Taiwan Tour (Sun Moon Lake, Kaohsiung, Kenting) 四天三夜 台灣中南部觀光 (日月潭、高雄、墾丁) NT$14,500 4-Day Eastern Taiwan Tour (Yilan, Hualien, Taitung) (Taiwan Railway Train Ride) 四天三夜 海岸、縱谷豐富之旅 ( 宜蘭、花蓮、台東) ( 含臺灣鐵路體驗) NT$15,500 5-Day Round Taiwan Island Excursion (All hotels are 5-star hotels) 五天四夜 台灣環島巴士之旅 (全程五星級旅館) NT$16,900

台北市松江路 190 號 4F

本廣告受交通部觀光局補助

TAIWAN EVERYTHING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRAVELING IN TAIWAN!

Find Travel in Taiwan articles published in earlier issues, complemented with colorful images, Google maps, and links to our social media sites, including Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, and informative sites of other bloggers in Taiwan.

Check out TAIWANEVERYTHING before you plan your next trip to Taiwan! taiwaneverything.cc Website

Youtube

Facebook