Travel in Taiwan (No.89 2018 09/10 )

2018

SEP & OCT

No.

Mountains / Hot Springs / Hakka Culture

89

Miaoli County Android

RAIL TRAVEL

ADVENTURE

ISLAND FEAST

TOWN WANDERINGS

THE SOUTH LINK LINE

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS

STANDUP PADDLEBOARDING THE CHARMING TOWN OF DALIN

iOS

Enjoy Gourmet Cuisi ne

i n Taipei!

Published for over a century, Michelin Guide, the “Gourmet Bible” in the eyes of most foodies, finally added Taipei City to its list this year – the 30th city where Michelin stars shine.

What impresses tourists the most here is the food – in addition to the friendly Taiwanese people, of course!

The 2018 Michelin Guide Taipei introduces Taipei as a city with a variety of vibrant cuisines, beckoning tourists from all over the world. Foreign visitors now have a gourmet guide, so they can “savor” Taipei in different ways.

In its 12th edition, TAIPEI introduces 20 Michelin-starred restaurants and 36 budget eateries recommended by Bib Gourmand. Delicacies from the Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese and French cuisines are ready to tickle your taste buds. You’ll even discover some exciting new night market food! Drawing on the abundance of local ingredients, the chefs of this city are using their creativity and delicate

culinary skills to make unique gourmet food and establishing Taipei as the quintessence of global cuisine. Taipei has a rich and profound gourmet culture that is worth taking time to savor.

But there’s more fun than just food! This issue also introduces six traveling routes over different areas of the city. Follow us, taking photos and checking in on social media as you enjoy a taste of hipster or retro culture, and experience the current trends and natural scenery of Taipei City.

When the neon lights come on in the evening, don’t miss all the specialty bars and pubs this city has to offer. Craft beer has really caught people’s attention in recent years, and, as a trendy city, Taipei has shown its creativity in coming up with cool alcohol beverages and places where one can enjoy them. Come experience Taipei’s special drinking culture!

Follow TAIPEI to enjoy a full-flavored Autumn in the city!

Online reading: www.travel.taipei/en>Media>Publications

AD

Welcome to

Taiwan!

Dear Traveler, Welcome to the Taiwan autumn! In this issue we cover just about every corner of Taiwan. We take you right onto the waters off the North Coast, then by rail through the high hills of the southernmost region, before visiting locations along both the west and east coasts, and then finally scaling the high peaks of the island’s rugged interior area.

The geo-location for our Feature is the northwest – Miaoli County. This is a hilly region with comparatively little flat land, meaning brand-new touring adventures await in each “new” valley region entered. Attractions introduced include thriving small towns, the indigenous and Hakka ethnic-group cultures, recreational fruit farms, wood-sculpture studios, ceramics production, the tung blossom season, hot-spring resorts, and the sublime mountain/hill/flatland scenery.

In Adventure we head “out to sea” just north of Taipei, on the North Coast, on a 3-hour beginner SUP (standup paddleboarding) excursion led by a local adventure-sport outfit. Then it’s time in Taipei itself in Island Feast, exploring the deliciously expanding Halal-dining scene in this internationally renowned culinary capital that was finally recognized by Michelin this year with the Michelin Guide Taipei.

Then it’s off to the southwest. The small rural Chiayi County town of Dalin, visited in our Town Wanderings file, is one of just four Taiwan “slow towns” recognized by the Italy-based Cittaslow International organization.

Find out why, on a walkabout tour with an expert local guide.

Now to the deep south, still on the west side of the island. In Hidden Treasures we delve into the trove of heritage treasures “hidden away” in the city of Kaohsiung’s Fengshan District. In Family Fun it’s further south still, to Pingtung County’s Liudui Hakka Cultural Park. Taiwan offers a number of first-rate museums and theme parks showcasing the culture and heritage of the proud Hakka people, and this facility is one of the best and largest.

In Rail Travel we go “around the horn” by train on the strikingly scenic and much-tunneled South Link Line, motoring through the mountains of the deep south from the west side before ending up in Taitung City on the east coast. And in Must See and Do we provide a quick tour of the best hot-spring resort locations around the island, including Zhiben, Ruisui, and Jiaoxi in the east and peak-surrounded Guguan and Guanziling in the central mountain range.

May your Taiwan days give birth to countless smile-inducing memories!

Joe Y. Chou, Ph.D. Director General Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

CONTENTS September ~ October 2018

10 PUBLISHER Joe Y. Chou EDITING CONSULTANT

PRODUCER Vision Creative Marketing & Media Co. ADDRESS 1F, No. 5, Aly. 20, Ln. 265, Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd.,

WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY OF TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

Urna S. H. Chen

Taipei City 10681, Taiwan TEL: 886-2-2325-2323 Fax: 886-2-2701-5531 E-MAIL: editor@v-media.com.tw GENERAL MANAGER David Hu EDITOR IN CHIEF Johannes Twellmann ENGLISH EDITOR Rick Charette DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & EDITING DEPT Joe Lee MANAGING EDITOR Krista Yang EDITORS Nickey Liu, Jenny Chung CONTRIBUTORS Rick Charette, Francesca Chang, Joe Henley, Steven Crook, Han Cheung, Kenneth Dickson PHOTOGRAPHERS Ray Chang, Maggie Song, Nick Chiu DESIGNERS Nick Chiu, Maggie Song, Carrie Chang, Erin Chen ADMINISTRATIVE DEPT Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang

ABROAD

PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION

Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications CONTACT

International Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10694, Taiwan Tel: 886-2-2717-3737 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, 2018 Tourism Bureau, MOTC First published Jan./Feb., 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200 www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm 中華郵政台北雜字第1286號執照登記為雜誌交寄

Copyright @ 2018 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

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/ 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.

Offices of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Frankfurt. Taiwan Representative Offices; Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; onboard China Airlines, EVA Air, and other selected international airways; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations.

Tongluo Tea Factory (photo by Ray Chang)

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.

IN TAIWAN

ONLINE

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

Read Travel in Taiwan online at: https:// issuu.com/travelintaiwan.

You can also download the Travel in Taiwan app for iOS and Android devices! Simply scan one of these QR codes:

iOS

Android

FEATURE

10 A Slow Tour of Southern Miaoli County – From Rugged Mountains Down to Rolling Foothills Onto Coastal Flatlands

24

ADVENTURES

SUPing to the Candlesticks

– Standup Paddleboarding on Taiwan’s North Coast

32

TOWN WANDERINGS Dalin, My Darling

– Discovering the Charms of a Sleepy Town in Southern Taiwan, Slowly

1 4 6 7

Publisher's Note Taiwan Tourism Events Convenient Travel

8 Culture Scene 22 Special Report 29 My Travel Log

News

36

24 40

FAMILY FUN

Happy Times in Hakka Land

– Visiting the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park in Pingtung County

40

ISLAND FEAST Muslim Friendly

– Dining at Halal-certified Restaurants in Taipei

44

RAIL TRAVEL

The South Link Line

– From the Taiwan Strait to the Pacific Ocean

48

HIDDEN TREASURES Fengshan Sights

– Delving into History "Hidden" in a Kaohsiung Suburb

10 10

52

MUST SEE & DO

The Best Hot-Spring Areas Around Taiwan

– Happy Soaking in Mineral-Rich Waters

44

TA I WA N TO U R I S M E V E N T S

Art Appreciation and Lakeside Fun

Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar website

Exciting Events and Activities This Autumn

10/26 ~ 10/29

ART TAIPEI 台北國際藝術博覽會

The annual contemporary-art fair ART TAIPEI will be held for the 25th time this year. With 65,000 visitors last year, it has become a must-visit event for local and international art professionals such as gallerists, collectors, and directors of art institutions. It also attracts art lovers from the general public eager to find out what is going on in the world of contemporary art, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.

The theme this year is “Indefinite Museum,” with the focus on modern methods of collecting and sharing art through new platforms, including the display of art in private spaces, public spheres, urban zones, and rural areas as opposed to display in traditional art museums. Another focus will be on modern digital technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, that open up new possibilities for art presentation.

Location: Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 ( 台北世界貿易中心 - 展演一館 ); No. 5, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區信義路五段五號 ) Photo courtesy of Art Taipei

Oct.

Sanyi International Woodcarving Art Festival 三義木雕藝術節

Website: art-taipei.com

Oct.

Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival 雲林國際偶戲節

Sanyi Township in Miaoli County is well known as Taiwan’s center of wood sculpting. The local terrain is mostly hilly and the soil acidic, enabling tea and camphor trees to thrive. The camphor trees played a major role in starting the wood-sculpting activities of Sanyi residents.

It all began in 1918, when a man named Wu Jin-bao fell in love with the wood of fallen camphor trees. He was especially intrigued by the intricate patterns found in the wood thanks to relentless gnawing by camphorwood-loving termites. Wu became a successful wood sculptor and entrepreneur who paved the way for the many woodcarving artists who later took up residence in Sanyi. Now, a century later, life in Sanyi revolves around the wood art industry. Sanyi is home to an excellent wood-sculpture museum, and this annual festival has become a must-go event for lovers of sculpted wood.

Yunlin County in southern Ta iwa n i s of te n c a ll e d the home of Taiwan-style glove-puppet theater. The art form originated in the mainland China province o f F u j i a n i n t h e 17 t h century, and was brought over to Taiwan by Chinese immigrants. This annual festival, held in Yunlin’s Huwei Township, features performances not only by local glove-puppet troupes but by puppeteers from abroad as well (last year from Japan, South Korea, Israel, Thailand, and Vietnam). International cultural exchange is one of the main objectives of the event organizers.

Location: Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum ( 三義木雕博物館 );

Location: Huwei Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣虎尾鎮 )

No. 88, Guangsheng Xincheng, Guansheng Village, Sanyi Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣三義鄉廣盛村廣聲新城 88 號 ) Website: wood.mlc.gov.tw

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TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

Website: 2017puppet.yunlin.gov.tw (Chinese)

SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER

Oct. ~ Nov.

Sun Moon Lake Cycling, Music & Fireworks Festival 騎響花火音樂嘉年華

09/16

Sun Moon Lake International Swimming Carnival 日月潭萬人泳渡

Photo by Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration

This festival, lasting over a month, features a series of events combining arts and culture with leisure and sports. A grand fireworks show has been held each year at the lake since the year 2000. In 2003, the show was incorporated into the first Sun Moon Lake Festival, during which international fireworks teams created a monthlong feast of sound and light. Today the fireworks show is part of the even bigger Sun Moon Lake Cycling, Music & Fireworks Festival. This also includes leisure bike rides, challenging cycling races, a marathon run, an orienteering run around the lake, and musical performances (including a classical-music concert). Other events include special wedding ceremonies and a tea-culture festival.

Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan, the largest body of fresh water in Taiwan, is off-limits to swimmers throughout the year, save for one day in September. This annual cross-lake swim, first staged in 1983, now attracts more than 10,000 swimmers each year. The 3km straight-line swimming route between Chaowu Wharf on the north shore of the lake and Ita Thao Wharf on its south side is lined with floats that are manned with rescue teams, while other rescue personnel patrol nearby in boats. Each swimmer is also required to swim with a floating device to enhance safety. This is not a swimming contest, and participants (registration online required) are expected to swim at a leisurely pace in order to enjoy both the swim and the surrounding scenery.

Location: Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉日月潭 )

Location: Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉日月潭 )

Website: www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw (Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area)

Website: www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw (Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area)

C O N V E N I E N T T R AV E L

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle website

Into the Kaohsiung Countryside

By Bus from Fengshan to Fo Guang Shan on the Dashu Route

While its harbor and high-rises might come to mind first when thinking of Kaohsiung, this municipality in southern Taiwan is defined by much more than just its urban core. From the international harbor and heavy-industry zones in its southwest to what are some of Taiwan’s highest mountains in its northeast, the city’s territory is highly varied. City districts in the southeastern sector are mostly characterized by farmland and villages. One of these districts is Dashu, best known for being home to the Fo Guang Shan Monastery and Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum; the large complex in which they sit is commonly referred to simply as Fo Guang Shan. Both sites, and a number of other tourist attractions in the district, can be conveniently visited by taking a bus plying the Dashu Route of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle network (www. taiwantrip.com.tw).

There are actually two, slightly different, Dashu routes. Route A has three additional stops compared to Route B. The first is at Fengshan Railway Station, and the second and third are, respectively, at a location not far from Jiuqutang Railway Station and at the station itself. If you need to get off at any of these stops, make sure to catch a Route A bus.

While the biggest tourist attraction on the Dashu Route is at the last stop – Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum – you might also want to get off to do some exploring at the following stops.

Old Railroad Bridge Education Wetland Zone (San-He Tile Kiln) Located on the western bank of the Gaoping River, the Old Railroad Bridge Wetland is a large park area with paths ideal for relaxed bicycle rides (bike rentals available inside the park). The main attraction is a nowdisused old steel railway bridge, once the longest of its kind in Asia (1,526m). It used to span the Gaoping River, but is today missing a section – washed away in a succession of floods that started in 2005. You can walk up the bridge, following the old railway tracks atop it, and watch trains passing by on a newer bridge right beside it.

Back at the bus stop, walk further on along the main road (i.e., continuing on past the two bridges), and you’ll arrive at San-He Tile Kiln, an old brick and tile factory. Visitors are welcome. Inside the facility, you can explore the old kilns, learn about the brick and tile production for which Dashu was once well known, and even craft some DIY ceramic-tableware creations.

Bamboo Mountain Winery Travel one stop further on the Dashu Route and you are delivered to the Bamboo Mountain Winery,

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum

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TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

Old Railroad Bridge Education Wetland Zone

where you can both try and buy a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including the Red Yeast, Onion, and Grape Wine, fruit vinegars, and Kaoliang liquor.

Fo Guang Shan Monastery Get off at the penultimate stop on the Dashu Route to visit the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. Founded by Master Hsing Yun in 1967, the Fo Guang Shan organization now runs over 200 branch temples throughout the world. Among the most prominent features of the monastery complex are a 36m-tall statue of Amitabha Buddha and more than a thousand golden Buddha statues in different shapes and sizes.

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum On to the final stop, the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum. This facility, completed in 2011, was constructed to house a tooth said to have belonged to Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of the Buddhist faith. Covering an area of over 100 hectares, the site’s most eye-catching attraction is the Fo Guang Big Buddha, a 50m-tall statue of a sitting Buddha forged from 1,780 tons of bronze and steel. The center is not only a great place to learn about Buddhism, but it also has a number of excellent restaurants serving vegetarian fare.

Departures: Dashu Shuttle Bus A Weekdays: Four services a day; from Fengshan Railway Station at 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 4pm; from Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum at 12 noon, 2pm, 3pm, and 5pm.

Weekends/Holidays: 10 services a day between 9:30am and 5:30pm from Fengshan Railway Station, and between 10:30am and 6:30pm from Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum.

Dashu Shuttle Bus Route A (No. 800) Fengshan Railway Station ( 臺鐵鳳山站 ) Fengshan Transfer Station – KMRT Dadong Station Jiuqutang Railway ( 鳳山轉運站 – 捷運大東站 ) Station (outer stop) ( 臺鐵九曲堂站（外）) Jiuqutang Station (inner stop) ( 臺鐵九曲堂站（內）) Old Railroad Bridge Education Wetland Zone (San-He Tile Kiln) ( 舊鐵橋溼地 / 三和瓦窯 ) Bamboo Mountain Winery ( 竹寮山觀光酒廠 ) Pineapple and Gushan Warehouse ( 姑山倉庫 ) Fo Guang Lychee Culture Center ( 鳳荔文化館 ) Fo Guang Shan Shan Monastery ( 佛光山 ) Buddha Museum ( 佛陀紀念館 ) Dashu Shuttle Bus Route B (No. 8007) Fengshan Transfer Station – KMRT Dadong Station Old Railroad Bridge ( 鳳山轉運站 – 捷運大東站 ) Education Wetland Zone (San-He Tile Kiln) ( 舊鐵橋 Bamboo Mountain Winery ( 竹 溼地 / 三和瓦窯 ) Gushan Warehouse ( 姑山倉庫 ) 寮山觀光酒廠 ) Pineapple and Lychee Culture Center ( 鳳荔文化 Fo Guang Shan Monastery ( 佛光山 ) Fo 館) Guang Shan Buddha Museum ( 佛陀紀念館 ) Fare: One-day passes are available at NT$50, permitting unlimited rides on the day of purchase.

The payment per section is NT$12. Payment using an EasyCard, iPASS, or cash is accepted.

Dashu Shuttle Bus B Weekdays: Four services a day; from Fengshan Transfer Station at 10am, 12 noon, 3pm, and 5pm; from Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum at 10:50am, 12:50pm, 3:50pm, and 5:50pm.

Weekends/Holidays: Eight services a day between 9am and 5pm from Fengshan Transfer Station, and between 9:50am and 5:50pm from Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum.

NEWS

NEWS & Events around Taiwan

Miaoli Rail Ride Fun

New Tourist Bus Route in Yilan

Photo courtesy of Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration Photo courtesy of Miaoli County Government

Let’s go rail-biking in Miaoli! The Old Mountain Line in Miaoli County is the first railway line in Taiwan to be opened for riding pedal-powered vehicles. The line was used for regular train service from 1903 to 1998, and has been used on special occasions for tourism-promotion service by steam-locomotive trains since 2010. Tourists can now also go on rides using cute bright-red “minilocomotives.” Each carries up to four riders, who have to pedal together in order to move along the tracks. The route, which includes picturesque Shengxing Railway Station, the ruins of Longteng Bridge, and Railway Tunnel No. 6, takes about 90 minutes to complete. Plans are in place to extend the route further south to Tai’an Railway Station in Taichung City. Currently, the number of riders is limited to 1,500 per day, and tickets must be booked in advance.

A new route was recently added to the growing number of routes in the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus network (www.taiwantrip.com.tw), which connects transport hubs with tourist attractions. The Zhuangwei Sand Dunes Route is the network’s third route in Yilan County; the other two serve spots in Jiaoxi and Dongshan townships. The route connects Yilan Bus Station/Yilan Railway Station with Toucheng Railway Station, along the way making stops along the Yilan coast at such attractions as the Zhuangwei Sand Dune Tourist Service Park, the Yongzhen Coastal Recreational Area, the Dafu Beach Recreational Area, and the Toucheng Coastal Forest Park. The new bus route also gives travelers easy access to Wushi Harbor (seafood restaurants/boat trips to Turtle Island), the Lanyang Museum (great introduction to Yilan County’s history and culture), and Wai’ao Beach (a very popular surf beach).

Taipei Metro Pass x Taipei 100 Select

New Ferry Connection to Qijin Island

Photo courtesy of Taipei City Government

Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung City Shipping Co. Ltd

Getting around Taipei by public transport is very convenient. The city’s modern and efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, also called the Taipei Metro, allows tourists to get to most of the city’s best attractions in no time.

There is a wide range of ticket options to choose from, including singlejourney tickets, stored-value cards (EasyCard, iPASS, etc.), one-day passes, and multiple-day passes. If you opt for a One-Day (NT$150), 24hr (NT$180), 48hr (NT$280), or 72hr Taipei Metro Pass (NT$380), in addition to unlimited rides you will now also receive a wide range of coupons and a folded leaflet with tourist information. The coupons bring you reduced prices at many local attractions, including shops, restaurants, cafés, and tourist sites. For detailed information about participating businesses/sites and their locations along Taipei Metro lines, visit taipei100.niusnews.com.

Long and narrow Qijin Island is a major tourist attraction within southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City. To get there, most commuters and tourists take the ferry from Gushan Ferry Pier, located in the northwest area of Gushan Fishing Harbor. The ride is short (5 minutes), and costs NT$40 one way. Another option for getting to the northern part of the island is taking a ferry from Xinguang Pier, close to the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center (four services a day, weekends only; 20~25 minutes; NT$80). And just recently, yet another has been added – a ferry service connecting the island with the pier at Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 (www.kw2.com.tw).

The warehouse is part of a cluster of popular tourist attractions that includes Banana Pier, the Hamasen Museum of Taiwan Railway, and the Pier-2 Art Center.

The ferries are painted green as their primary color, and feature large cute images of Hero, the city’s brown bear mascot. The warehouse and pier can be easily accessed from Penglai Pier-2 Station on the Kaohsiung Light Rail Transit system.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜7

C U LT U R E S C E N E

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

10/06 & 10/07

Zhongshan North Road TAIPEI CITY

Nuit Blanche 白晝之夜 Website: nuitblanche.taipei, www.facebook.com/NuitBlancheTPE/

“Nuit blanche” means “white night” or “sleepless night” in French. The term is used to describe an all-night or nighttime arts festival, during which a wide range of art-related events take place in a public urban setting. Since the city of Paris staged the first Nuit Blanche festival in 2002, well over a hundred cities around the world have adopted the concept, including Taipei starting in 2016.

This year’s event will take place along Sec. 1~3 of Zhongshan North Road.

Photo courtesy of Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs

Until 9/23

Taipei Fine Arts Museum TAIPEI CITY

Walking to the Moon 王大閎建築劇場 : 走路去月亮的人 Website: www.tfam.museum

Last year, a replica of Beijing-born Taiwanese architect Wang Da-hong’s residence, located in an alley off of Taipei’s Jianguo South Road, was built in the Arts Park to the south of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum. The building is striking in its simplicity, with exposed red-brick walls and large, round window openings. Walking to the Moon is a performance during which the audience is taken on a tour of this remarkable building.

Until 12/16

National Museum of Natural Science TAICHUNG CITY

Silicon World: Rock Crystal & Glass Beads 矽裡乾坤：水晶與琉璃 Website: www.nmns.edu.tw

This exhibition presents a fascinating look into the world of rock crystals and glass beads, with stunning examples of quartz rock and colorful glass-bead objects on display. You can learn all about the origin and types of silicon and quartz, marvel at beautiful samples of agate and crystals, find out about the optical effects of opals, and gain insight into the role of glass-bead art in Taiwan’s indigenous cultures.

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TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

C U LT U R E S C E N E

Until 9/16

Until 09/30

Huashan 1914 Creative Park TAIPEI CITY

National Taiwan Museum TAIPEI CITY

The Mirror of Time

Website: www.ntm.gov.tw

光影如鏡－玻璃乾版影像展 For the younger generation, it might be hard to imagine how cumbersome photography used to be in the old days. The technology has come a long way, today making photography extremely easy and accessible. Giving you a chance to go back in time to the first half of the last century to learn about dry plate photography in Taiwan, this exhibition gives you a comprehensive overview. On display are precious photographs created between 1905 and 1940 by nine of the era’s outstanding Taiwanese photographers.

Until 12/10

National Museum of Taiwan History TAINAN CITY

Tokyo Art City by Naked in Taipei 光影東京！ 360°夢幻視覺系特展

Nom Nom Taiwan: The Story of Dietary Culture

Website: www.tokyoartcitybynaked.com.tw

Explore the city of Tokyo, Japan’s capital, in this immersive multimedia-art project by creative company Naked. Snapshots and models of landmark buildings in Tokyo are put together in collage style, with light and projection mapping used to bring a full miniature version of the capital to life. Nine famous locations in Tokyo can be experienced, including the famed Shibuya Crossing pedestrian crosswalk, the iconic Tokyo Tower, and the city’s modern Rainbow Bridge.

11/17

Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium TAOYUAN CITY

Until 10/28

好好吃：臺灣 飲食文化特展

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts KAOHSIUNG CITY

Guns N' Roses: “Not In This Lifetime” Tour Live In Taiwan

Website: www.nmth.gov.tw

In this exhibition, learn all about the history of food in Taiwan, from prehistoric to modern times.

Find out about food production, preparation, and consumption, how traditional markets work, and how the diets of different ethnic groups on the island vary. Also presented are new concepts and ideas for reducing the negative impact of food production on the environment, as well as for ensuring a healthful diet.

09/28 ~ 09/30

The Pier-2 Art Center KAOHSIUNG CITY

Young Art Kaohsiung

Nude: Masterpieces from Tate

高雄漾 藝術博覽會

裸：泰德美術館 典藏大展

槍與玫瑰 2018 台灣演唱會 Websites: www.livenation.com.tw

Website: www.kmfa.gov.tw

Website: yak.tw

Guns N’ Roses are still at it! It’s been 25 years since the band’s core members Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan performed together in their last tour. The band was a huge sensation in the late 1980s. Their debut album, Appetite for Destruction , is one of the best-selling records of all time, with about 30 million copies sold worldwide.

More than a hundred masterpieces with the naked human body as subject are on display in this exhibition, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and photographs by such famous figures as Pablo Picasso, Henry Matisse, and August Rodin.

The artworks, dating from the late 19th century to the present, are on loan from the Tate galleries in England.

Staged for the first time in 2015, this ar t fair provides young artists (aged 40 or younger) not yet represented by a gallery with a platform to show off their creations. A total of 43 artists presented more than 300 artworks at last year’s fair, including p a intin g s, s c ulptu re s, p h oto g r a p h s, a n d a r t installations.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜9

F E AT U R E

MIAOLI COUNTY

A Slow Tour of Southern

Miaoli County Text: Rick Charette Photos: Ray Chang, Miaoli County Government

10｜ TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

F E AT U R E

MIAOLI COUNTY

From Rugged Mountains Down to Rolling Foothills Onto Coastal Flatlands Miaoli County, in Taiwan’s northwest, is a region of very little flat land. It has a narrow strip of flat, fertile land along the coast, high mountains toward the island’s center, and a region of high hills and narrow valleys with ribbons of arable land in between.

Longteng Bridge, part of Taiwan’s first major railway line, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1935

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ith only one city to speak of, and a small one at that, these are the elements that make this region most distinctive: thriving small towns, indigenous and Hakka ethnic-group culture, recreational fruit farms, woodsculpture studios, ceramics production, tung-blossom season, hot-spring resorts – and of course the picturesque tapestry of flatlands, rolling foothills, and rugged mountains.

Let’s head out on a multi-day road trip, proceeding “counter terrain-wise,” i.e. from high mountains down to the coastal plains, through Miaoli’s southern region.

Tai’an Township / Tai’an Hot Springs Region Provincial Highway 3 runs along Taiwan’s west side from the island’s far north to its far south. Also known as the Inner-Mountain Highway, for much of its length it runs just inland of the island’s central-mountains base, and in sections along the base itself, making for sterling scenery.

In Miaoli County, the highway meets with County Highway 62 at a T-intersection, just north of Dahu town.

Here you’ll find the headquarters and largest visitor center for Shei-Pa National Park, which Travel in Taiwan last visited in our Nov. 2017 issue (find that issue online at issuu. com/travelintaiwan). Continuing up the county highway past the complex will bring you to a triumvirate of tourist attractions, specifically: Xishuikeng Tofu Street, the Tai’an Hot Springs area and, eventually, the national park’s Xuejian Recreation Area (a 2-hour drive from the complex).

Wenshui Visitor Center

Suspension bridge close to Atayal Cultural Museum

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Beef noodles

Stinky tofu Xishuikeng Tofu Street

The Wenshui Visitor Center is located far from the high-mountain national park itself, placed at this location to serve as an easy-access lowlands promotion facility for the park and for the importance of preserving natural environments. Outdoor features include a large lawn area, a natural-stream restoration zone, an eco-pond, and an indigenous-plant nursery. Inside are good display halls (with English translations) on a variety of park-theme subjects. The pleasingly sundrenched rear-area café on the second floor looks down on the ecopond and up toward the central-mountain peaks.

Lofty Shei-Pa National Park (www.spnp.gov.tw), one of Taiwan’s eight national parks, is home to 51 mountain peaks soaring above 3,000m. The Xuejian Recreation Area is one of its three easily accessible recreational areas. These areas offer a beguiling range of activities, from educational forays to visitor centers and small museums, to hikes on trails of varying difficulty, to ascents up some of Taiwan’s highest peaks if desired.

Note: The Xuejian area can be reached by first following County Highway 61, which starts in Dahu town, and then taking the Simaxian Forest Road, which starts at the indigenous village of Taixing.

You’ve heard of “one-horse towns.” Well, Qing’an is a veritable onestreet village (OK, yes, there’s also a short side street) with a “onehorse” tourist trade – tofu. The narrow main street is popularly

known as Xishuikeng Tofu Street (also Qing’an Tofu Street). This quaint, old, creaky village, propped beside Highway 62 high above the Wenshui River, specializes in handmade tofu, and both tofudish eateries and tofu-snack vendors abound. (Warning! Thou shalt not ever escape the wonderful/horrible aroma of stinky tofu during one’s visit.) This is a place of extra-pure waters, where a tributary flows steeply down to the Wenshui River, said to make the beancurd unusually silky and flavorful.

Just a bit further inland, you enter the Tai’an Hot Springs. The highway moves through the jagged river valley along the mountain base, the riverbed almost constantly in view. It is strewn with boulder behemoths carried along from higher in the mountains during typhoons, the powerful waters tossing them about like trinkets. The area’s tourist hot-spring operations, from resort hotels to smaller operations, are spread out over a long distance along and just off Highway 62. The queen of the colony is the Onsen Papawaqa hotel, which was the Travel in Taiwan team’s soothing, much-enjoyed home away from home on the research trip for this article.

The original residents of the Wenshui River region were the Atayal, and a number of tribal villages are located along, or just off, Highway 62. Qing’an village is half Atayal/half Hakka. The best local place to learn about Atayal culture is the Atayal Cultural Museum, a large two-story facility close to the Onsen Papawaqa. Displays cover the tribe’s history, its traditional customs, totems, weaving, attire, weapons, implements and utensils, and much else. The highlight is a TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜13

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Dinner at Flying Cloud Restaurant Hot-spring tub in guestroom

Atayal Cultural Museum Hot-spring bathing at Onsen Papawaqa

Onsen Papawaqa The Onsen Papawaqa is a forceful work of modernist architecture directly overlooking the Wenshui riverbed. Its grey-hue exposedconcrete exterior walls, proudly and boldly showcased, echo the colors of the exposed cliff rock on the valley's opposite side. Inside, two additional interior-décor elements are wood and stone, also chosen to echo the surrounding natural environment.

The key attraction here is, of course, the mineral-water soaking.

Each room faces the river through floor-to-ceiling glass, with a window-side Japanese-style in-floor stone-slab tub. "The extensive public-area spa facilities are outside the main building; there are separate nude bathing areas for males and females, a non-nude mixed bathing area, and a wonderful cool-temperature narrow swimming pool that runs the entire main building's length between building and riverside bluff-edge." The evening starry-sky viewing is scintillating. In the midst of all this is a friendly, breezy thatch-roof open-air bar.

Both restaurants, on the 5th and 6th floors (the top floors), have eyrie-like views of the river before and mountain behind. The complimentary Chinese/Western buffet breakfast is taken in the 5thfloor Running Water Restaurant, which has a laddered spatial design evoking the river's cascading waters. Lunch and dinner are served in the 6th-floor Flying Cloud Restaurant; the cuisine is Chinese, with strong Hakka and indigenous infusions, along with Western elements.

Locally sourced ingredients are stressed. The Dongpo pork and sesame-oil chicken are especially good. (Rooms start at NT$7,500) Onsen Papawaqa ( 泰安觀止溫泉會館 ) No. 58, Yuandun, Jinshui Village, Tai’an Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣泰安鄉錦水村圓墩 58 號 ) (037) 941-777 www.papawaqa.com.tw

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winding, darkened corridor with dioramas depicting various Atayallife environments, including a nighttime setting with a swirling world of fireflies.

Tip: In the mood for a pleasant, and very scenic, little hike? Head upriver to Highway 62’s end, also the hotspring area’s end, where the deep mountain valley becomes a deep gorge. Continue upriver along a short tree-shaded gravel path to the Shuiyun Suspension Bridge, which jumps the river. Thirty minutes on, after a mid-grade uphill walk through forest, is the comely Shuiyun Waterfall.

When the Travel in Taiwan crew visited, barking deer and Formosan macaques made their presence loud and clear.

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Tai’an Hot Springs

Wenshui Visitor Center Xuejian Recreation Area Xishuikeng Tofu Street

Dahu Township

Taiwan Atayal Cultural Museum ( 泰雅文物館 ) No. 46-3, Neighborhood 6, Jinshui Village, Tai’an Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣泰安鄉錦水村圓墩 6 鄰 46-3 號 )

Shei-Pa National Park

Dahu Wineland Resort Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum

Dahu Township / Land of Strawberries In the area around Dahu town, the strawberry fields stretch … well, not forever, but there is indeed a heck of a lot of them. Dahu Township is known as Taiwan’s “Land of Strawberries,” with more than 500ha of the red treasures under cultivation, producing about 80% of Taiwan’s total output. Harvest season extends from December through April. Day-trippers come all the way from Taipei and from an equal distance south to experience the joy of plucking their own fruit in one of the many tourist-friendly operations. Prices fluctuate, but expect to pay about NT$250 per jin (600g).

Most everyone who arrives in the township with visions of strawberries dancing in their head also drops in at the other main local enticement, the town’s Dahu Wineland Resort. Despite the “resort,” this is very much a retail operation – and a very entertaining one. An unmissable 10m-high strawberry stands at the entrance. Inside, such delectable culinary gems as strawberry cakes, ice cream, omelets, and even fried fish await (for the last, the strawberry is in the sauce). The multi-option strawberry wines are particularly recommended. The resort is also home to a Strawberry Culture Museum, and a rooftop terrace with impressive views of the surrounding pastoral beauty and mountain backdrop.

Sanyi Township / The Beauty of Sculpted Wood The town of Sanyi, resting in rolling foothills, is one of Taiwan’s top tourist-town destinations. The town and its surrounding township are a hub for old-time crafts, Hakka culture, and railway-building pride.

The town’s two major draws are its wood-sculpture studios and a museum dedicated to this craft. The Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum explains the history of woodcarving in Taiwan, and Sanyi specifically. Many award-winning creations by Taiwan talent are on display, from traditional religiously themed works to ingenious

Fresh strawberries

Dahu Wineland Resort ( 大湖酒莊 ) No. 2-4, Baliaowan, Fuxing Village, Dahu Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣大湖鄉富興村八寮灣 2-4 號 ) (037) 994-986 Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum ( 三義木雕博物館 ) No. 88, Guansheng New Village, Guansheng Village, Sanyi Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣三義鄉廣盛村廣聲新城 88 號 ) (037) 876-009 wood.mlc.gov.tw

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Longteng Bridge

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abstract flights of fancy. Live demonstrations and kid-oriented DIY sessions are offered on weekends/holidays. An English audio guide and brochure are available.

Sanyi is often called the “Taiwan Kingdom of Woodcarving.” The township’s hills long teemed with camphor trees, many over a millennium old. Extensive logging was conducted during the 1895-1945 Japanese colonial era, the timber sent to Japan. Tea farms afterwards sprouted on the exposed land, and residents of Sanyi took to using the dug-up camphor-tree trunks and roots as decorative ornaments, preferring those resembling humans, animals, and plants. A thriving commercial industry slowly grew from these roots, with locals systematically seeking more sophisticated skills from the outside. In addition, in recent decades many artists have moved here.

The town is home to about 200 woodcarving shops. The heady aromas of the woods being worked – camphor, sandalwood, yew, and cypress – often permeate the air. The magnificent range of works includes art pieces, furnishings, and daily necessities, from very small to very large. Most enticing for foreign tourists are the Chinese-themed religious statuary. Dazzle people back home with a Laughing Buddha, God of Wealth, or God of War brought back from Taiwan.

Southwest of Sanyi town are two other popular attractions, Shengxing Railway Station and the remains of Longteng Bridge.

Tiny Shengxing village is in a narrow, shallow valley traversed by a Japanese-era mountain railway that was used to haul mountainregion resources. Long busy, it’s now retired. The cottage-style Shengxing Railway Station is the prime draw. It was built by the Japanese in the early 20 th century using pine. At an elevation of 402m, this was once Taiwan’s highest main-line station.

Like Sanyi town, Shengxing is a Hakka settlement. The hills of Miaoli County, and of Hsinchu County to its north, have a Shengxing Railway Station

Dahu Township

Dahu Wineland Resort Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum

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large population of Hakka – a Han Chinese ethnic minority long persecuted in the past, either denied access to or driven from prime flatland areas in mainland China and Taiwan. The group came to excel at mountain farming, resource extraction, and, in modern times, rugged mountain-railway work. Today, most of this former railway-village’s quaint buildings have been prettied up for tourism, and are home to teahouses as well as eateries/shops offering Hakka food, snacks, and souvenirs.

The soaring remains of Longteng Bridge, which vault across a small valley, are hidden from view by the surrounding hills until you are almost upon them. Like Shengxing’s train station, the bridge was an early 20th-century Japanese architectural work built for service on the same line. It was destroyed in 1935 in a colossal earthquake, leaving behind today’s 60m-long red-brick viaduct.

The bridge’s eventual demise was well-nigh inevitable considering Taiwan’s earthquake-prone character, for a traditional type of mortar made with glutinous rice was used in its creation – no concrete, no reinforcing bars. Standing at the base, this “scale-model” colossus evokes the ancient Roman ruins found in visually thrilling locations across Europe.

Note: The line that passes through Shengxing and by the bridge ruins, the Old Mountain Line, popular with walkers/ hikers and occasionally used for tourism-oriented steamengine train forays, now has a new attraction – rail-biking (see the News section on page 7).

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Photo by Lai Ting-qi

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A rich tung-flower bloom begets an air of romance each spring in Miaoli County

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Triangle rush products

Tea tasting at Tongluo Tea Factory

Tongluo Township / Tea, Tung Blossoms, Hakka Traditions The Taiwan Hakka Museum is in a mammoth dedicated facility atop a wide plateau. It sits above a long, shallow valley that is a channel for National Freeway 1. The architecture is futuristic, and the complex has the look of a giant spaceship. The museum explores the historical impact of the Hakka in their place of origin – China – and throughout Taiwan and Southeast Asia. A highlight is a wealth of interactive experiences for both youngsters and adults; there is also good posted English information. The museum’s spacious, airy high-ceilinged café/restaurant has good Hakka food and terrific views over the Miaoli countryside through its solid wall of floor-toceiling windows.

Tip: In the mood for a long, pleasant, very scenic walk?

The Taiwan Hakka Museum sits on low, flat-topped Jiuhua Mountain, on the plateau’s east-side edge. The wide, long Tongluo Skywalk, a gravel walking/cycling trail, runs along the west-side lip. The west-facing slopes are much steeper than those on the east, and the views across the coastal flatlands out into the ship-dotted Taiwan Strait are poetic, notably those from the pathway’s stylish gullyhurtling pedestrian bridges and lookout tower. A rich tungflower bloom begets an air of romance each spring.

Tung blossoms are closely associated with the region’s Hakka community. Early last century the Japanese planted tung trees for commercial tung-oil production. The Hakka provided most of the labor for this effort, and today the trees are widespread.

Gazing east from the Taiwan Hakka Museum, you can look down into the valley below and out over the hills toward the central 20｜ TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

Fun at the Dongli Jiafeng complex

mountains beyond. Just to the south, you’ll see row upon row of neatly spaced tea bushes. This is part of the 30ha tourist-oriented Tongluo Tea Factory operation. It’s centered on a factory/retail building of eye-catching modern design that offers a pictureperfect panorama of the valley through its east-side glass wall.

Trains regularly run through the valley, through what looks like a model-train set. Patrons are helped in their train-spotting via a large signboard with run-through times and train types.

The main type of tea grown here is Dongfang Meiren (Oriental Beauty), which is primarily grown in Hakka areas in the hills of the northwest at lower altitudes (300~800m). Visitors can enjoy tea-tasting sessions, tours of the processing facilities and fields (in one interesting section, each row is dedicated to a single type of Taiwan-grown tea, with English signage), DIY picking for tour groups, and a meal. The latter consists of a traditional type of biandang (boxed lunch) eaten

by Hakka tea-pickers and railroad workers. This comes wrapped in a gratis traditional bright-color Hakka-style head kerchief worn by female tea-pickers (separate payment for each option).

Yuanli Township / Life Where Hills & Coastal Plain Meld Yuanli Township was once one of Taiwan’s prime brick/tilemaking areas. Today concrete is king, and most of the island’s brick operations have been closed. Founded in 1973, Jin Liang Shing (JLS) Brick Factory remains very much a going concern, and took on double-duty as a tourism factory in 2004. During the tour (in Chinese) a video (with English subtitles) introduces JLS and the region’s brick/tile production. The clay of the local hills is grey gold for makers. You’ll also view two well-preserved kilns (one for drying and a 162m-long monster used for firing), go up on catwalks for

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Taiwan Hakka Museum

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Yuan-li Town Triangle Rush Exhibition Hall

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Taiwan Hakka Museum ( 臺灣客家文化館 ) No. 6, Tongke S. Rd., Jiuhu Village, Tai’an Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣銅鑼鄉九湖村銅科南路 6 號 ) (037) 985-558 thcc.hakka.gov.tw Tongluo Tea Factory ( 銅鑼茶廠 ) No. 132-16, Jiuhu, Jiuhu Village, Tongluo Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣銅鑼鄉九湖村九湖 132-16 號 ) (037) 987-358 www.tongluotea.com (Chinese)

great overviews of the full manufacturing process, be given looks into red-hot furnace interiors where bricks are being fired, and visit a small museum with myriad types of brick and tile. Afterwards, you’ll be able to expertly identify these in buildings throughout Taiwan. There’s also DIY brick-art sculpting and attractive works of brick art throughout the grounds.

At the Yuanli Triangle Rush Exhibition Hall the displays show how township residents have been weaving practical-use items from triangle rushes for nearly two centuries. Early residents learned from local indigenous women that triangle-rush mats stayed cool to the touch in summer, and later began making bags, hats, and other craftworks, many for export to mainland China. The export trade boomed under Japanese colonial rule. In the 1920s/1930s, rush products comprised Taiwan’s third-largest export category after sugar and rice. Many attractively designed creations are sold on-site.

Also, be sure to check out the surrounding triangle-rush fields and climb the nearby lookout tower for an on-high look at a farmer’s field made into a classical Chinese “painting” by strategically growing paddy rice of different colors.

Dongli Jiafeng is one of Taiwan’s best-preserved sanheyuan (three-sided courtyard residence) complexes, and is often used for TV shoots. Notice the three-section design of the building walls, indicating that this is a Hakka-clan compound. The white-painted upper section represents the older generation’s white hair, the midsection red tiles the hard-working middle generation’s blood (sweat and tears), the bottom section’s rounded stones the hope for many children. The various traditional snack treats baked fresh on-site are highly recommended (samples profusely provided).

Jin Liang Shing Brick Factory ( 金良興觀光磚廠 ) No. 71-17, Jinshan, Shanjiao Borough, Yuanli Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣苑裡鎮山腳里錦山 71-17 號 ) (037) 746-368 www.jls-brick.com (Chinese) Yuanli Triangle Rush Exhibition Hall, ( 藺草文化館 ) No. 65, Weigong Rd., Yuanli Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣苑裡鎮為公路 65 號 ) (037) 862-141 www.yuanli.org.tw (Chinese) Dongli Jiafeng ( 東里家風古宅 ) No. 8, Neighborhood 2, Yuankeng Borough, Yuanli Township, Miaoli County ( 苗栗縣苑裡鎮苑坑裡 2 鄰 8 號 ) (037) 853-158 www.dljf.com.tw (Chinese) Getting There & Around There is regular train service on the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) network to THSR Miaoli Station, and extensive service on the regular-rail network (TRA) to Miaoli City and other local points. Within the region, self-drive is the best option; car rentals are available at the high-speed rail station, while motor scooter rentals are available close to TRA stations (Sanyi, Tongluo).

English and Chinese Atayal tribe 泰雅族 biandang 便當 Dahu 大湖 Jiuhua Mountain 九華山 Longteng Bridge 龍騰斷橋 Qing'an 清安 sanheyuan 三合院 Sanyi 三義 Shei-Pa National Park 雪霸國家公園 Shengxing Railway Station 勝興車站 Shuiyun Suspension Bridge 水雲吊橋

Shuiyun Waterfall 水雲瀑布 Simaxian Forest Road 司馬限林道 Tai'an Hot Springs 泰安溫泉 Taixing 泰興 Tongluo 銅鑼 Tongluo Skywalk 銅鑼天空步道 Wenshui River 汶水溪 Wenshui Visitor Center 汶水遊客中心 Xishuikeng Tofu Street 洗水坑豆腐街 Xuejian Recreation Area 雪見遊憩區 Yuanli 苑裡

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SPECIAL REPORT

PENGHU

Islands

Full of Treasures The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan 2018 Text: Rick Charette　Photos: Vision, Penghu National Scenic Area Administration

Taiwan’s idyllic Penghu archipelago, a collection of sunny and often windy islands that sits in the middle of the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan proper and the mainland China province of Fujian, has been selected as the host venue for the annual meeting of the France-based Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (world-bays.com). The Penghu County Government will be staging a month-long carnival this year, stretching from late September through October, as a welcome for the gathered representatives of the organization and as a grand sharing celebration with visiting tourists.

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he official titles of the congress and carnival are, respectively: the 2018 World Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW World Congress) and The Most Beautiful Bay Carnival in Penghu, Taiwan 2018.

Penghu and the Most Beautiful Bays in the World The Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World is an international NGO supported by UNESCO. It was founded by three French tourism officials in 1996 with the aim of creating a web of the most beautiful bays around the globe and helping to save and preserve each area’s natural heritage and identity. Penghu joined the group in 2014.

The MBBW has expanded steadily over the years, and today includes bays in 25 countries. Other members in East Asia are Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Yeosu Bay in South Korea.

Delegations from 40 bay areas, cities, and countries, as well as industry/academia organizational representatives, will come to Penghu for the congress, a 5-day gathering (Sept. 27 to Oct. 1) that is officially one of the myriad activities on the carnival menu. While the congress is for MBBW delegates only, all other activities are open to one and all comers.

Tourism is the economic backbone of Penghu. This is a treasure-island world of attractive coastlines dotted with alluring bays and sandy beaches, matched by an equally compelling array of water-focused activities. Most notably, the three largest islands serve as the perimeter walls of what is called the Penghu Inland Sea (also called the Penghu Inner Bay or simply Penghu Bay), a calm body of water popular with windsurfers on which important international competitions are staged.

The “most beautiful bay carnival” is to be an annual event, designed to extend the spring/summer high tourism season into the fall, attracting both domestic and international travelers.

Plans are to receive a total of 100,000 local and foreign tourists for the carnival. The central government’s Tourism Bureau (Ministry of Transportation and Communications) has specially earmarked NT$80 million in support funding. This augments the county government’s systematic efforts over the past few years, also with substantial central government support, to construct a foundation of sustainable development in keeping with the MBBW philosophy – fostering tourism while preserving the natural environment.

A wide range of MBBW-oriented initiatives have been undertaken as part of this campaign. These include international plaza development and waterfront regeneration in Magong City (the capital city, which sits on the inland sea), overall improvement of road corridors, coastal clean-up and maintenance of coastal cleanliness, marine restoration, clearance of discarded covering nets on the seabed, demonstration zones for sea farming, placement of wavedissipating blocks, and restoration of coral-reef habitats.

Carnival Activities The carnival’s opening ceremony will take place on September 27.

Listed below are some of the fun events that will be included in the carnival: Among the Core Activities are the following events: Swimming Across Two Beautiful Islands of Penghu (9/20~24), Worldwide Ocean Cities Exposition (9/20-10/31), Carnival Opening Ceremony (9/27), Carnival Street Parade (9/27, 10/5, 10/12), 2018 World Congress of the MBBW (9/27~10/1), Global Marine Areas and Harbor Cities Forum (9/28), and Night in Penghu (9/29~10/5).

Among the Surrounding Activities are: Bay Landscape Art Festival (9/26~10/31), Gaillardia Island Cycling Tour (9/26~10/2), Ironman Triathlon (10/6~7), Global Tourism Charity Queen Pageant (10/9~12), and 2018 Far Eastern Air Transport Marathon (10/28).

See you in the Penghu Islands this autumn!

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NORTH COAST

Standup Paddleboarding on Taiwan’s North Coast A trending watersport, standup paddleboarding is an outdoor activity that combines elements of surfing and kayaking. With tours organized by local outfits, you can now explore such beautiful areas as Taiwan’s amazing North Coast while paddling on the open sea, safe and relaxed, in “new style.”

Text: Francesca Chang Photos: Maggie Song

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ADVENTURES NORTH COAST

Standup paddleboarding at the Twin Candlestick Islets

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aiwan’s clear, blue coastal waters are a beautiful sight, enjoyed by both local and foreign tourists. The numerous bays and capes of the North Coast present a coastline of enchanting rock formations, rugged cliffs, rolling green hills, and pristine beaches.

This is an area with many watersport options, and on a recent trip to the North Coast town of Jinshan I explored the wonders of coast and sea from the open water while enjoying a new and increasingly popular outdoor sport, standup paddleboarding.

Like surfing, standup paddleboarding, or “SUP,” has its origins in Hawaii. There are similarities between the two, but unlike surfers, who stand on a significantly smaller board riding waves and trying to keep their balance, standup paddleboarders have a much larger, wider board that is easier to stand on, and use a paddle to propel themselves.

Relaxed paddleboarding can be done on rivers, on lakes, and even on the open sea, as long as the water is calm enough. More adventurous SUPers can of course also tackle waves and do SUP surfing.

Paddleboarding is a fairly new watersport in Taiwan, and a number of outfits offer tours for outdoor enthusiasts who want to try something new. One of these is Breeze SUP, a group that started offering standup paddleboarding trips in Taiwan five years ago and actively endeavors to promote the sport. Its instructors all hold licenses from the Academy of Surfing Instructors (ASI), the international governing body for surfing, standup paddleboarding, and bodyboarding. In addition, the team of trainers can provide instruction in Chinese, English, Russian, and Spanish. Clearly, foreign guests are welcome!

Outings are usually three hours long, and groups of up to 10 can be accommodated. Currently, Breeze SUP organizes trips by the town of Jinshan on the North Coast, at Fulong and Shen’ao (Elephant Trunk Rock) on the Northeast Coast, and on Dahu, a lake in Yilan County.

Jinshan is a district of New Taipei City. Among its tourist attractions are the Juming Museum, the Teresa Teng Memorial Park, and the Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education. All three are located in the foothills between the coast and the mountains of Yangmingshan National Park. Closer to the coast are Jinbaoli Old

Receiving instructions

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Street, attracting food lovers with duck meat restaurants and sellers of other culinary specialties, and a number of hot-spring hotels, some of which offer hot-spring bathing with sea views. From Jinshan’s Shitoushan Park you can enjoy great views of the ocean, and will spot two rocky outcrops sticking straight up out of the water just off the coast – the Twin Candlestick Islets. This was the destination on my recent paddleboard outing with Breeze SUP on the North Coast.

Together with a couple of friends, I arrived at the designated meet-up location in Jinshan on a weekday morning at 8am sharp. The Breeze SUP instructors wanted an early start to avoid any strong currents or waves. We parked our car close to tiny Shuiwei Fishing Harbor, on the east side of Shitoushan Park, and were greeted by our instructors.

We suited up, then descended onto a small beach, the instructors thankfully carrying the large paddleboards for us.

The team leader, Ricky Wu, walked us through a short demonstration on land, instructing us on how to paddle out into the water, how to stand up on the board, and how to properly paddle. I then lay down on the board with the paddle blade placed under my chest and the paddle staff pointing forward and upward like a “rhino horn.” Ricky gave me a push, and once out on the water I began to paddle with my arms. Next, after leaving the shallow waters, I got up on my knees, grabbed the paddle with two hands, held it out in front perpendicular to my body, tucked my toes, and stood up. Since I had tried paddleboarding once before, and frequently go surfing, I was able to find my balance easily. For beginners, however, it is recommended that you stay on the knees for a while and practice your paddling first. This paddling method is also more relaxed. The Breeze SUP instructors will patiently guide you through the initial steps, until you feel confident enough to fully stand up.

Although it may seem that SUP is an arm workout, it actually is a complete ab workout. Core stability and strength is required to work the paddle, which is moved back and forth to your left and right sides.

It took a while for me to figure out the correct stroke motion, but the instructors were always close by, providing helpful tips and guidance that made the learning experience enjoyable.

Taking a break on the shore

ADVENTURES NORTH COAST

A bit of horsing around

From the fishing harbor, we paddled out onto the open sea all the way to the Twin Candlestick Islets. This unique rock formation, with a height of 60 meters, was once a part of Jinshan Cape, on which Shitoushan Park is located. Though called “islets,” the two candlestick pillars in fact stand atop a single exposed foundation. Due to coastal erosion and the movement of tectonic plates, the towering formation became separated from the mainland, and is now located 450 meters offshore. Originally, the two pillars were connected at the top, forming a giant stone arch. Today, with the top connection gone, the rocks resemble two candlesticks when seen from a distance.

The water surrounding the islets, 19 meters deep and teeming with colorful marine life, is a popular site for scuba diving.

We weren’t in any hurry to get to the Twin Candlestick Islets, and the instructors’ laid-back attitude made the journey a fun one.

We even played games along the way. We captured memorable photos of each other jumping off our boards, and raced each other climbing back on. The instructors also showed me how to do short paddle strokes (for speed racing), how to steer, and how to turn my board around with my paddle.

rd

3

Edition

After posing for some photos in front of the unique Twin Candlestick Islets, we decided to stop for a rest at Mystery Beach on Jinshan Cape.

As we approached the white-sand beach, the clear, shallow waters began to sparkle. Through the transparent liquid, we spotted brightblue fluorescent fish in the coral reefs below, a small glimpse into the island’s marine wonders. After hauling our boards up on the beach I sat down for my well-earned break from our demanding workout – but our fun-loving instructors dove right back into the waves for a swim and a splash. As I lay down on the soft sand and looked up at the blue skies, the calming sound of the ocean waves reminded me of how close I was to Taiwan’s natural environment in that moment, and how people who spend time in Taiwan can easily miss the island’s true beauty.

The time soon came to get back in the water. I paddled out first with my “rhino horn” once again pointing the way. I quickly got up into a comfortable standing position, and began looking slowly about, mesmerized by the beautiful rock formations close by, rolling green hills further away, and crystal-clear water below. We paddled back to our original launch point, and as we approached the shore we were

Penghu International Bay Light Festival Venue

Guanyin Pavilion, Magong City, Penghu County

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ADVENTURES

NORTH COAST

Paddling on the calm sea

even able to try a bit of surfing on the tiny waves. When on the beach, I looked back out at the ocean, tired from the workout. The three-hour expedition under the sun had been enough for me, but not for two of the instructors. After they helped us return our boards, they grabbed two racing paddleboards (longer and narrower, designed for speed and glide efficiency) and headed out for their own recreation, paddling furiously to the horizon.

It will be no surprise to you that I highly recommend paddleboarding on Taiwan’s beautiful North Coast. You get as close to nature as is possible, experiencing the island’s natural beauty from the sea while having great fun and working out!

Practicalities How to book Reservations are required and can be made, online at www.isup.com.tw . The three-hour paddleboard experience at Jinshan costs NT$1,800 for adults on weekdays, and NT$2,200 on weekends (half-price for children up to 12).

What to wear Wear a bathing suit, and protect yourself against the sun. Waterproof pants and rashguards can be bought at sporting shops around Taiwan. Sunglasses are recommended, due to the sometimes strong direct and reflected sunlight.

Getting there To get to Jinshan by public transport, you can take a bus following the coastal highway, including No. 862 (Tamsui-Keelung line or Crown Northern Shuttle Bus line from Tamsui to Guihou Fishing Harbor) and No. 863 (Tamsui-Jinshan).

There is also a bus service connecting Taipei Main Station with Jinshan via Yangmingshan (Kuo-Kuang No. 1815). The staff at Breeze SUP can pick you up if you call in advance.

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Apart from outings at Jinshan, Breeze SUP also offers trips for more advanced paddleboarders to the iconic Elephant Trunk Rock, located near Shen’ao Fishing Harbor on the Northeast Coast. The stronger currents at this location make the paddling more challenging and exciting. Breeze SUP also organizes outings to Dahu (Big Lake), in Yilan County’s Yuanshan Township, that are open to all. The calm lake waters allow for a variety of fun group activities. Groups of up to 10 people, for example, are challenged to stand on the same board together, jump from board to board, and paddle in tight rows.

Paddleboard fishing is another activity offered at the lake; a longer and wider board is provided for this activity to provide better stability when casting.

Breeze SUP (Sup 微風立槳運動俱樂部 ) 0932-332-942 www.isup.com.tw

English and Chinese Dahu 大湖 Dharma Drum Mountain World Center for Buddhist Education 法鼓山世界佛教教育園區 Elephant Trunk Rock 象鼻岩 Fulong 福隆 Jinbaoli Old Street 金包里老街 Jinshan Cape 金山岬 Jinshan District 金山區 Juming Museum 朱銘美術館

Mystery Beach 神秘海灘 Ricky Wu 吳睿豪 Shen'ao 深澳 Shitoushan Park 獅頭山公園 Shuiwei Fishing Harbor 水尾漁港 Teresa Teng Memorial Park 筠園 - 鄧 麗君紀念公園 Twin Candlestick Islets 燭臺雙嶼 Yangmingshan National Park 陽明山國家公園

M Y T R AV E L LO G Tea leaves in Pinglin

3

three Photographing in Dadaocheng

A

Temple craftsman in Zhonghe

PhotograPhy Lessons Text and Photos: Kenneth Dickson

fter having been an avid photography buff for many years, one day not so long ago I decided to join Photowalkers, a Taipei-based group that organizes walks for photography enthusiasts. This has helped me to capture Taiwan much better in my pictures. I never expected that this island and the people living here would somehow, and in such a subtle fashion, teach me how to be a better photographer. Here are three lessons I have learned.

Earth God statue, amazing cityscape views, and exquisite temple decorations. Inside the temple, I watched a craftsman delicately applying gold leaf to the ceiling. While trying to capture his intense demeanor up close in my viewfinder, I discovered hundreds of similarly adorned ornaments. I realized how important it is to dedicate oneself to meticulous attention to detail, be it for temple art or for shooting outstanding photographs.

Lesson 1: Passion – From a Pinglin Farmer Foreign tourists often visit the tea farms of Maokong, a hilly area in the south of Taipei City. Fewer make it to New Taipei City’s Pinglin District, well known for its scenic tea farms accessed via steep, curving mountain roads. On a recent photography trip to Pinglin, I was fortunate to meet a devoted tea farmer who enthusiastically showed me how he uses traditional and organic tea-cultivation methods, and generously let me sample his range of delectable fragrant teas. His passion has inspired me to devote myself fully to mastering the techniques of photography.

Lesson 3: Walking Your Own Photo Path – From a Wise Shutterbug Late last year, before attending the BurnMyEye Photography Workshop in Dadaocheng, I knew little about this area’s role in the development of the city. Dadaocheng is a bustling old neighborhood in Taipei that is popular with tourists.

I wandered along Dihua Street, famed for its Lunar New Year market and its many dry-goods shops, embracing the neighborhood vibe before starting to press the shutter button of my camera. Among the many fascinating places I discovered while reveling in this old part of Taipei’s rich history and character were Dadaocheng Wharf, Dadaocheng Theater, Yongle Fabric Market, and the Taipei Xiahai City God Temple. John Craig Dunn, a skilled photographer and resident of Taipei who also attended the workshop, had some great advice: “Don't be discouraged by Instagram's glossy images! Find and pursue your own photographic muse.”

This was another valuable photography lesson learned while taking advantage of the wondrous tapestry of photo-taking opportunities revealed during a Taiwan walkabout!

Lesson 2: Conscientiousness – From a Temple Craftsman Taipei and its surrounding region have many renowned temples. On a recent photowalk, our Photowalkers group visited a somewhat lesser-known place of worship, Hongludi Nanshan Fude Temple in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City. Situated on the side of a mountain overlooking the Taipei Basin, the temple complex is known for its massive

About the Writer

Kenneth Dickson bought a camera many years ago for his Taiwan travels. Thousands of photographs later, he finally joined the Photowalkers group to learn how to take better shots.

He loves to share his photos and writings on Taiwan; visit his website at www.lookthroughthelens.com.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜29

TOWN WANDERINGS

DALIN

DALIN, MY DARLING

Discovering the Charms of a Sleepy Town in Southern Taiwan, Slowly Text: Han Cheung Photos: Maggie Song

A small town in rural southern Taiwan, Dalin is a travel destination about which you most likely have never heard.

This obscurity may soon be a thing of the past, however, for it has been recognized by the Italy-based Cittaslow International organization as a “slow town.” To find out what Dalin has to offer the “slow traveler,” your best bet is to go on a tour led by a knowledgeable local guide.

H

su Kai-hsing says that the longest tour of downtown Dalin that he has ever given lasted seven hours. In truth, calling it a “downtown” is a stretch, but the old core of this sleepy town just to the east of National Freeway No. 1 in northern Chiayi County has plenty of character, and younger business owners like Hsu have joined forces to create a memorable day-tour experience for visitors.

Affectionately nicknamed “My Darling” in English by locals due to the “Dalin/Darling” phonological similarity, this seemingly nondescript town is one of four in Taiwan to be certified by Cittaslow International (www.cittaslow.org) as a “slow town.” The organization selects municipalities that promote environmentally friendly measures, such as supporting organic agriculture, that serve to improve citizens’ quality of life while capitalizing on local existing charms to attract visitors. The idea is that travelers are more likely to make a connection with local peoples and cultures by visiting these types of places.

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TOWN WANDERINGS DALIN

Stinky tofu

Japanese-style station master dormitory

Hsu is the third-generation owner of Taicheng, a business selling traditional Chinese medicines. His 60-year-old shop and a new hands-on museum next door are among the highlights of his guided tour, which begins at the Dalin Railway Station. Like the town itself, the station may at first glance look quite ordinary. But Hsu proudly notes that it is Taiwan’s first green railway station. He explains that energy for the station is derived from a unique design that utilizes solar and wind power, while the station also has a rainwater collection system and water-saving faucets.

The railway station sets the tone for the rest of the tour. Only when you slow down, soak in the atmosphere, and look for the minute details will you discover Dalin’s true charms. The restored wooden Japanese-style station master dormitory, about 50 meters north of the station, immediately stands out from its surroundings. With its lush “golden rain trees” in front, it is a prime venue for photoshoots, particularly during the trees’ late spring/early summer bloom. The building and the trees are especially photogenic in the evening, when the yellow blossoms are illuminated from below and light from the inside of the building shines through its checkerboard windows.

Mr. Hsu next takes visitors to Dalin’s “main drag,” Zhongshan Road, which starts directly opposite the railway station’s front entrance. It’s a narrow street lined with eateries and shops, a number of which are of particular interest.

One eatery you’ll pass immediately on the left side as you enter the street is Dalin Stinky Tofu, probably the best-known establishment around the station. It has a distinct odor that is noticeable almost from the moment you exit the station. Perfectly crispy on the outside, but surprisingly tender and juicy on the inside, the scrumptious tofu served here is topped off with sweetened pickled cabbage, with the option of homemade dried-fish chili sauce and garlic puree. A few shops further down the street you’ll also have the chance to try some turkey rice, a Chiayi specialty.

Taicheng Traditional Chinese Medicine shop

From the stinky tofu eatery, Hsu takes visitors into a narrow alley lined with one-story wood-and-concrete structures that were built many decades ago. Then, along an even smaller side alley, you’ll pass Barbizon, a French cooking school and restaurant run by Ho Mao-jung, a former hotel executive chef who has retired to his hometown. Ho says he spent many years beautifying his place and its surroundings using recycled or found materials, creating what now resembles a quaint European-style rustic garden. Ho only accepts one set of customers per day, and makes sure he uses up all the fresh ingredients he has purchased that day.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜33

TOWN WANDERINGS

DALIN

Ten Trust Eyewear

Chinese medicine

Bicycling around Dalin

Alley near No. 63 Park

Barbizon ( 巴比松美食文化 ) No. 43, Ln. 63, Zhongshan Rd., Dalin Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣大林鎮中山路 63 巷 43 號 )

Dalin Stinky Tofu ( 大林臭豆腐 ) No. 13, Zhongshan Rd., Dalin Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣大林鎮中山路 13 號 )

Further on, the alley is lined with colorfully painted low walls. A charming maze of walkways and pavilions beautify No. 63 Park, which was once the site of a smelly, unsightly garbage dump and a few shabby houses. Through community efforts, the area was cleaned up and beautified with natural decorations, murals, garden art, and large stone bricks rescued by residents one-by-one from a stretch of the nearby main street before it was repaved with asphalt.

At the far end of the park is a path connecting to Zhongshan Road, close to where Hsu’s Taicheng Traditional Chinese Medicine shop is located.

He says that, to go with the times, he has shifted the store’s focus from healing to health maintenance. Visitors are treated to cups of the shop’s home brews, such as black bean tea with black sesame, fleeceflower root, and stevia, which helps maintain a healthy and shiny head of hair, as well as a roselle tea that soothes indigestion. Hsu has kept the storefront pretty much the same as in the old days, and points out that his medicine cabinet is likely over 100 years old, as his grandfather bought it second-hand.

The real highlight here, however, is the traditional Chinese medicine museum next door, located in a 60-year-old residence. It’s filled with both traditional and modern medicine-related equipment that visitors can try, such as scales and grinders, and Hsu takes the time to explain the function of each piece. For those curious about more exotic medicinal matters, there are also displays of tiger and snake penises. Through glass openings in the wood floor, visitors can see the beautiful and intricate original floor tiles underneath. With up to 300 visitors a day, it makes sense to cover them up. The shop also has an array of fascinating antiques not related to pharmacopoeia, such as TV sets with dials and a working phonograph.

Next door on Zhongshan Road is Ten Trust Eyewear, run by Chuang Han-lin, who returned home from Taipei to take over his father’s shop.

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Taicheng Traditional Chinese Medicine ( 泰成中藥行 ) No. 55-1, Zhongshan Rd., Dalin Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣大林鎮中山路 55-1 號 ) (05) 265-2563

He hired a Taichung architect to transform the Japanese-era interior into a minimalist Scandinavian-style concrete-and-wood boutique that still retains much of its original, raw charm. The optometry-exam room is uniquely located – a glass enclosure beyond the wooden counter.

The final stop on Hsu’s tour, and a true gem of this downtown area, is the painstakingly restored Wanguo Theater, which among other things features faded vintage posters on its facade and a board indicating ticket prices of NT$10 for adults and NT$6 for children.

“This was one of five theaters in town,” Hsu says. “It is a testament of how bustling Dalin used to be – today’s Chiayi City only has three.”

After being closed down, the theater languished until it was chosen as a filming site for the 2016 Taiwan period-drama television series Abula.

Anti-communist slogans and signs reminding people to speak Mandarin Chinese when using public transport take visitors back to its heyday.

Wanguo Theater

1 ao Rd. Zhongxi

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Rd.

Wanguo Ten Trust Eyewear Theater Minghua Rd.

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Da lin

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Taicheng Traditional Chinese Medicine

No. 63 Park

Dalin Stinky Tofu

Ten Trust Eyewear ( 十信視界 ) No. 55-3, Zhongshan Rd., Dalin Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣大林鎮中山路 55 號之 3) (05) 265-5656 Wanguo Theater ( 萬國戲院 ) No. 21-7, Pinghe St., Dalin Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣大林鎮平和街 21 之 7 號 )

Hsu says that there’s much more to see in Dalin than can be covered on one of his guided tours, and recommends that visitors stay at least a full day or two for a full Cittaslow experience.

“Visiting a nearby hands-on farm will already take you half a day,” he says. “We want people to experience and feel our local way of life in depth.”

If you’re interested in going on a walking tour of Dalin town, contact Mr. Hsu Kai-hsing by calling the Taicheng Traditional Chinese Medicine shop at (05) 265-2563.

Dalin Sugar Factory Not on Hsu's tour, and a bit north of Dalin town, is the Dalin Sugar Factory.

There isn't much to see for the average traveler, but it is definitely a hit with people who like abandoned, decaying structures and eerie atmospheres, especially history buffs. Also, the on-site Taiwan Sugar general store has tasty ice cream. A 7km bike path that takes you past the factory buildings and out into local rural backroads begins here. But note that you'll need to bring your own bike, as there is no rental shop in the area.

Dalin Sugar Factory ( 大林糖廠 ) No. 399, Datang Borough, Dalin Township, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣大林鎮大糖里 399 號 )

English and Chinese Abula 阿不拉的三個女人 Chuang Han-lin 莊翰林 Ho Mao-jung 何茂榮 Hsu Kai-hsing 許開興 No. 63 Park 63 公園 Taiwan Sugar 台糖 Zhongshan Road 中山路

F A M I LY F U N

PINGTUNG

The Hakka people are proud of their culture and heritage, which are both presented in informative and entertaining ways in museums and theme parks around Taiwan. One of the best and largest of these facilities is the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park in southern Taiwan.

Happy Times in

Hakka Land

Visiting the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park in Pingtung County Text: Han Cheung　Photos: Maggie Song

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F A M I LY F U N PINGTUNG

Pond and umbrella-shaped structures

“A

long long time ago, the ancestors of the Hakka loved exploring, and took a flying ship to search for paradise.

When they arrived at Hakka Land, they found that this place had giant trees, lush bamboo forests, many rivers, and fertile floodplains.

Thus, they decided to stay here and start their new migrant life.”

So reads the introduction to Hakka Land, an interactive-activity center at the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan, where children assume the role of pioneers and learn about the many aspects of traditional Hakka culture, including fabric dyeing, medicine, and how the people of this Han Chinese ethnic minority cultivated their new land and protected it from invaders.

Of course, the Hakka people did not in fact arrive in Taiwan via spaceship. Historians believe that these itinerant people originated in northern China and, over a period of many centuries, spread far and wide, with a significant population eventually settling on this island.

Liudui, literally “six mounds,” is an old name for an expansive area in southern Taiwan. The name originated during an uprising led by a Hoklo immigrant, Zhu Yi-gui, against the Qing authorities in 1721. “Hoklo” refers to the Han Chinese majority-group immigrants who primarily came from

mainland China’s Fujian Province. To protect their home turf against the marauding rebels, the Hakka living in rural areas of today’s Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County formed six local militias, or “dui” ( 隊) in Chinese.

These successfully completed their task, and with peace restored after the short-lived uprising had ended the locals changed the original “dui” to a same-sounding character (堆) meaning “mound.”

The Liudui Hakka Cultural Park is one of two large-scale Hakka-themed cultural parks run by the Hakka Affairs Council. The other is located in Miaoli County in northwestern Taiwan (home of the Taiwan Hakka Museum; see Feature article on page 10). In contrast to the smaller Miaoli park, at Liudui significant resources have been allocated to create natural ecosystems and landscape forms such as wetlands and grasslands that feature typical plants cultivated by the Hakka. The park also has farmland areas where visitors can participate in the planting and harvesting of important crops and engage in such activities as the making of scarecrows.

The core area of the park, containing most of the exhibits, performance spaces, activity centers, and restaurants, is easily navigable by foot. Bike rentals are available for those who want to explore a bit more of the park’s grounds and enjoy some quietude away from the crowds.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜37

F A M I LY F U N

PINGTUNG

Inside the main area, in one section visitors can walk under six massive steel-frame structures that resemble Hakka-style oil-paper umbrellas, with sprawling foliage forming intricate webs beneath the structures. Legend has it that Pingtung County was once home to a thick forest that blocked the sky from view, and that one could walk for days without seeing the sunlight – one of the inspirations for this section’s design. Some also say that the structures look like the traditional conical hats that farmers in Taiwan wear while tending fields.

Children can have fun playing with water when the fountains hidden in the floor under one of the steel-framed umbrellas are turned on at set times of the day. And in the same manner as Hakka people followed waterways in their migrations, canals can be found throughout the park (irrigation canals are a prominent feature in the region’s agriculture). One of these ends at a large sand mound, another popular place to play with visiting kids.

The park has a well-designed exhibition on Hakka culture from which you can learn about everything from marriage customs to architecture to music to food. Much thought is put into designs heavily featuring Hakkaspecific motifs and special attractions. At the time of the Travel in Taiwan visit for this article, a picnic event was being promoted – one of many special family-fun activities held throughout the year.

During your visit, apart from walking under giant oil-paper umbrellas made of steel, you can also make and paint a real oil-paper umbrella for yourself. The construction process is surprisingly simple and fun, and your finished umbrella can be used for shade and as a prop when taking photos.

In Hakka culture, oil-paper umbrellas provide more than just respite from sunlight. Brides, for example, traditionally walk under a red umbrella during marriage ceremonies in order to ward off evil spirits. And since the word for “paper” and “child” sound similar in Hakka, the umbrellas are also a symbol of fertility. They are used as well in coming-of-age and religious ceremonies.

Visiting the park is fun

The highlight for children at the Liudui Hakka Cultural Park is definitely Hakka Land, an interactive fun area which is in fact fascinating and educational for curious, fun-loving adults as well. The displays are heavily focused on kinetic interactive technology: children can grind leicha (Hakka-style ground tea), cultivate the land, fight enemies, and create their own umbrella designs. Non-digital offerings include manning a traditional Chinese-medicine shop, letterpress printing, bamboo weaving, and running a Hakka food stall.

Elsewhere in the main park area are shops selling Hakka items, a food court with a large variety of Hakka food offerings, and a crafts workshop for visitor DIY fun. Definitely sample some of the unique foods here, including the braised pork knuckles, a special kind of sausage with fish roe, and pork belly with pickled mustard greens.

Hakka-style oil-paper umbrellas

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From the main area, visitors can venture out to the surrounding fields to learn more about Hakka agriculture. These include rice paddies and fields with other crops. Tobacco-growing was once a significant Hakka industry, and visitors can check out the tobacco-drying house, which was built in 1961 and transported to the park in 2009 after donation by the owner. The smell of tobacco permeates the air, with real leaf hung up to dry. Displays tell the story of the Hakka “tobacco empire” that once was.

Farmland area of Liudui Hakka Cultural Park

There is also a rice-husking showroom, which contains a husking machine from a 100-yearold mill that was donated to the park. It’s a rare opportunity to see such an enormous machine – several floors tall – in its entirety, as usually it would be surrounded by other equipment and paraphernalia.

On the park’s grounds you’ll also spot a unique Earth God temple that resembles a local gravesite – characteristic of the Liudui Hakka specifically. It’s not exactly clear where the practice of building this type of temple originated. According to park staff, the Hakka originally imagined their deities in abstract forms, and the worship of figures was a later practice that they picked up from their Hoklo neighbors. In the old days, temples were built at the entranceways to Hakka villages, and made to look like gravesites. This was meant to trick would-be invaders into thinking that beyond this point was a cemetery, not houses.

Although the park is meant to be a place to learn about Hakka culture, it’s also a great place for a leisurely afternoon walkabout. One can walk for hours through the specially created habitats and rest on benches by the many tiny lakes, all the while imagining the fertile environment that made this area so attractive to the Hakka when they first settled here.

Tobacco-drying house Liudui Hakka Cultural Park ( 六堆客家文化園區 ) No. 588, Xinyi Rd., Jianxing Village, Neipu Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣內埔鄉建興村信義路 588 號 ) (08) 723-0100

English and Chinese leicha 擂茶 Liudui 六堆 Zhu Yi-gui 朱一貴

English and Chinese leicha 擂茶 Liudui 六堆 Zhu Yi-gui 朱一貴

ISLAND FEAST

TAIPEI

．MUSLI M． FRIENDLY

Dining at Halal-certified Restaurants in Taipei Text: Joe Henley Photos: Nick Chiu

The range of dining options in Taipei is wide, with choices aplenty for gourmets seeking quality food, be it local, international, or fusion. This includes cuisine that is prepared in compliance with Halal requirements, served at an increasing number of Muslim-friendly restaurants in the city.

T

imes are changing in Taiwan. In 2016, the first female president was elected. After assuming the seat of power, Tsai Ing-wen announced a new economic initiative, the New Southbound Policy. Under this program, Taiwan is looking to lessen its economic reliance on mainland China and shore up relations with its neighbors to the south in the Asia Pacific region, among them the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Over 60% of the world's Muslims live in the Asia Pacific region, with Indonesia being the world's most populous Muslim country. With Taiwan looking to endear itself to Asian nations wherein Islam is a major faith, its capital, Taipei, has been the locus of increased efforts to cater to the global Muslim community.

The city is already home to two mosques, and this April the city government announced that it would be building a third, in a joint construction project with Turkey. This new house of worship will reportedly be able to house up to 50,000 people, a sizable portion of the approximately 260,000 Muslims currently resident in Taiwan.

It is often said that faith and food go hand in hand. In virtually all the world's religions, both major and minor, food plays an important role in ceremonies, rites, and holiday celebrations. There are a number of restrictions for Muslims when it comes to food. According to the Quran, food is divided into two categories, Halal (“lawful” or “permissible”) and Haram (“unlawful” or “impermissible”).

Muslims are forbidden to eat pork, have to avoid consuming the blood of animals, and are not allowed to eat animals that have not been slaughtered in a certain way, among other restrictions.

Generally speaking, Halal food is known for its heady concoction of strong spices, such as cumin, nutmeg, and turmeric. Cardamom is sometimes added to beverages, such as coffee. Often the spices are put in a mix, known in Arabic as “barahat,” with the combination ringing notes ranging from spicy to bitter, sour, and sweet.

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ISLAND FEAST TAIPEI

Taiwan Halal Hui Restaurant Currently, there are more than 30 restaurants and hotel eateries in Taipei that advertise themselves as being Halal-certified by the Chinese Muslim Association or the Taiwan Muslim Association, or as having Halal-dining options. One of these is the Taiwan Halal Hui Restaurant, named for the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China from which Li Hai-rong, the female half of the husband/wife duo that runs the place, hails from.

Those who come from the Islamic world or have traveled through its varied regions, and have come to miss its trademark hospitality and artistry in food preparation, will feel right at home at the restaurant.

Located down a lane off Bade Road in Taipei's Songshan District, the restaurant has bright-yellow walls inside, contrasting beautifully with the deep-blue tablecloths and pieces of Islamic art that adorn the main dining room. Li and her husband, Nie An, have been serving up Halal cuisine together for the past 15 years. Prior to meeting his wife, however, Nie had never considered cooking as a career.

“I wasn't a chef until I met her,” he says from across the table during a chat with Travel in Taiwan. “Because it wasn't easy for my wife to find Halal food in Taipei, I went to Ningxia to study how to cook their cuisine.”

It was in Ningxia, at a restaurant run by Li's family, that Nie learned how to prepare food in the Chinese-Islamic fashion. When he returned to his hometown of Taipei, he kept some dishes as is and tweaked others in response to the availability of certain staples and to better suit the local palate.

“Our stir-fried meats and kebab skewers are quite local,” he says, pointing at the metal prongs laden with heavily spiced meats on the table beside us. Pointing at a container of dumplings, he adds, “But for our shaomai, we use chicken instead of the usual lamb because there isn't a lot of lamb in Taiwan that meets the Halal requirements.”

Indeed, the cooking at the restaurant is done in strict adherence with the Quranic code (and should you dine here, if you weren't entirely certain beforehand, the drawing of a pig on a blackboard ensconced in a circle with a line drawn through it should make things clear enough). Nie does not come from a Muslim family, and the standards

Taiwan Halal Hui Restaurant

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ISLAND FEAST

TAIPEI

Steamed beef and mutton skewers

were alien to him when he met his wife. He later converted to Islam.

Nevertheless, when he prepares Ningxia-style food he always adds touches of Taiwan to it. The steamed beef, for example, includes Hakka flavors and is prepared using a local slow-cooking technique.

“I also use less salt and oil to better match local taste preferences,” says Nie, noting that “Ningxia cuisine uses less spices compared to other Muslim food. It preserves more of the original flavor of the food.”

On any given day at Taiwan Halal Hui Restaurant, the lunch and dinner crowds consist of a mix of locals and tourists seeking delicious food at mid-range prices, with a la carte dishes in the NT$200 to NT$300 range.

The restaurant has become a bit of a must-go place for backpackers from Southeast Asia since Nie took part in a cultural exchange with a chef from Malaysia, introducing Taiwan's take on Islamic cooking to Malaysian tourism officials. Nie notes that the number of Muslims visiting Taiwan is on the rise, thanks in part to the central government’s New Southbound Policy and the efforts of local businesses such as his to promote Taiwan as a Muslim-friendly destination.

“A few years ago, there were few Muslim tourists,” notes Nie. “We’re now seeing more and more.”

Taiwan Halal Hui Restaurant ( 回回私家菜 ) No. 9, Aly. 51, Ln. 12, Sec. 3, Bade Rd., Songshan Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市松山區八德路 3 段 12 巷 51 弄 9 號 ) (02) 2577 9851 www.facebook.com/taiwanhalalchineserestaurant Arabian Nights BBQ Restaurant ( 中東創意 BBQ 料理 ) No. 93, Sec. 6, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區信義路六段 93 號 ) (02) 2727-1662 www.facebook.com/arabian.nights.tw

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Arabian Nights BBQ Curry Restaurant

Arabian Nights BBQ & Curry Restaurant Over in Taipei's Xinyi District, past the southeastern terminus of the MRT Tamsui-Xinyi Line, sits another Halal eatery, Arabian Nights BBQ & Curry Restaurant. This business is run by the Samad family. One of the sons of the owners, Hassan, 23, tells of a childhood spent moving around from Faisalabad, Pakistan, where his father's side hails from, to Dubai and elsewhere. The family eventually moved to Taiwan, the homeland of his mother. Their initial foray into the food-service industry, he says, was humble.

“We began with a small stand,” he says of their start selling Halal barbecue at a night market in nearby Keelung City, saying that cooking meat over a flame is a basic skill virtually all Pakistani boys learn while growing up. “It's a really big part of our culture,” he says.

Over a span of five years, the Samads have quickly built up their business, making use of the recipes of the family patriarch, who had passed them on to Hassan and his brother.

During a visit you may well witness Hassan putting his grilling skills on display, preparing a two-person set of chicken boti, beef thigh, lamb, or boneless chicken, served with a yogurt sauce or another sauce made with coriander, salt, and lemon. There is also lamb curry, pita bread, turmeric rice with mixed nuts, and samosas, in what amounts to a very generous spread.

To cater to local tastes, the amount of spices used has been reduced, says Hassan, and the food is actually a kind of fusion, in contrast to authentic Pakistani cuisine, which is known for its heaviness.

The cooking speed has also been increased. In Pakistan, BBQing is a slow affair.

But in the fast-paced atmosphere of Taipei, they have had to speed things up a little – without sacrificing quality, of course.

Arabian Nights serves up sets for two people or four, the four-person combo going for NT$2,000. Generally, meals range from NT$400 to NT$500 per person. The atmosphere of the family-run establishment is warm and inviting, with guests able to watch as the chefs work their magic on the grill in the open portion of the kitchen while smelling the rich mix of spices in the air in the dining area, along with the pleasant aroma of burning incense, while also taking in art depicting desert landscapes and motifs of the Middle East.

The business has been a great success, and plans for further expansion are in the offing. There are plans for opening a new location selling fast-food Pakistani BBQ burritos in the food court of the Miramar Entertainment Park in Taipei. Like the Halalfood scene on the whole, things are only getting bigger and better for the Samad family and its growing culinary endeavors.

“When I first came to Taiwan,” says Hassan, remembering back to fiveand-a-half years ago, “it was really hard to survive in terms of such things as eating comfortably.” Navigating the food landscape of Taipei as an observant Muslim was difficult. “Now,” he remarks, “even non-Muslim guys open Halal restaurants.”

English and Chinese Bade Road 八德路 Li Hai-rong 李海蓉 Miramar Entertainment Park 美麗華百樂園 Nie An 聶安

Songshan District 松山區 shaomai 燒賣 Tsai Ing-wen 蔡英文 Xinyi District 信義區

Set meal with different meats

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PINGTUNG/TAITUNG

The South Link Line From the Taiwan Strait to the Pacific Ocean Text: Steven Crook

Photos: Vision

Taiwan’s first railway line, between the cities of Taipei and Keelung, was established in 1891; but round-the-island rail travel wasn’t possible for another hundred years. The opening in 1991 of the South Link Line not only made life more convenient for those traveling between the western and eastern halves of the island, but also created a new option for tourists who enjoy scenic rail trips.

Fangshan Station

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臺灣鐵

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鐵路

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枋 山站 0 元 票價 2 日有效 限發售當

Linbian Stn.

Jiadong Stn.

Donghai Stn.

Fangliao Stn.

Jialu Stn.

Neishi Stn.

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枋 寮 站 票價 16 元 限發售 當日有 效

Donglong Temple

Dapeng Bay Bridge

Donggang Township

Dapeng Bay Bridge

Nanzhou 3

17 Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area

Lin bia n

Taiwan

S

trictly speaking, the South Link Line starts at Fangliao Railway Station in Pingtung County and ends at Taitung Railway Station in Taitung County, but you are more likely to start your west-east railway journey further north than Fangliao.

While there is one train a day that connects Taipei with the city of Taitung via the South Link Line (Chu-Kuang Express; leaving at 6:10am and taking almost 8 hours; NT$929 one way), you are more likely to board the train at Tainan (five departures a day, including two TzeChiang services that take 3 hours, 15 minutes; NT$468) or Kaohsiung (17 express trains to Taitung each day; NT$279 to $362 one way; some needing just 2.5 hours).

As I’ll make clear later, there are good reasons for getting off the train before Taitung City. But because relatively few trains stop in places like Dawu and Taimali, it’s advisable to travel with a timetable in print-out form or on your smartphone.

Linbian

After passing through Kaohsiung’s Fengshan District (see Hidden Treasures article on page 48), trains cross the Gaoping River, one of Taiwan’s largest waterways, then stop at Pingtung City before continuing south through Pingtung County. Many trains stop at the town of Linbian, from where it’s a short taxi ride to the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area (www.dbnsa.gov.tw), a great place for water-themed fun, and the harbor town of Donggang, well known for its fresh seafood. Donggang is also the gateway to the small offshore island of Little Liuqiu, also part of the national scenic area.

Jiadong

Fangshan

South of Fangliao, for the next 13km the rail line stays close to the Taiwan Strait. Then, just before Fangshan, it begins to climb and turn inland. Just two eastbound and two northwest-bound trains stop at Fangshan Railway Station (63m above sea level) each day. Hardly anyone gets on or off, and there’s no reason for you to do so. But as soon as your train starts moving further inland past the station, look to the north. Depending on how much rain has fallen in the past few days, Kayoufeng Waterfall may be a wispy cascade or an impressive torrent. Either way, this 40m-high waterfall is easy to spot, and a good introduction to the views you’ll enjoy as the train cuts through the rugged heart of this southern part of the island. Views of orchards, narrow valleys, and boulder-filled riverbeds predominate.

One moment you’re flying across a bridge. Next you’re entering a gloomy tunnel. There are 158 of the former in the 86.6km between Fangliao and Zhiben. The largest of the 36 tunnels is 8.07km in length, 175m above sea level, and took nearly seven years to build. After the seventeenth tunnel, you’ll catch glimpses of the Pacific.

Fangliao

If you want to spend some time at the next major stop, Fangliao, head to the town’s main street for something to eat – the street is close to the station – or turn left as you exit the front of the station and explore the adjacent Fangliao F3 Art District. Artists have been encouraged to make the most of the district’s disused warehouses, and within the studios you’re sure to find something cute, gorgeous, and/or intriguing.

Fangliao F3 Art District

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Duoliang Stn. 臺灣鐵

枋 山站 至

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Longxi Stn.

Dawu Stn.

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Guzhuang Stn.

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Fangshan Stn.

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Dawu

Duoliang/Jinlun

There are two reasons why you may prefer to catch a bus at a stop close to the trail for the next stage of your journey. The first is that getting back to Dawu Railway Station requires a good bit of walking on top of the Train passing Duoliang Station

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Kiokai Ni Santo Josef

Duoli ang

After Fangshan, no trains stop until Dawu, 43.8km down the line from Fangliao and the first of four stations on the East Coast at which we’ll be looking. Among the attractions here are a short hiking path and a picturesque lake.

Finding the trail isn’t difficult. If you walk from the station toward the ocean, you’ll hit Provincial Highway 9, the coastal road in these parts. (Note: Highway 9 is the longest numbered route in Taiwan, stretching more than 450km from Taipei, down through the East Rift Valley, and terminating at the small town of Fenggang on the west coast.) Along the highway in Dawu are convenience stores and inexpensive restaurants. Grabbing a bite to eat before proceeding any further is probably a good idea.

Walk south along the highway, cross the bridge over the Dawu River, then veer right and follow Dawu Street for around 400m. When you reach Fu’an Temple, look up the narrow side road on the right side of the temple and you’ll spot a broad stairway leading uphill. The building at the top of the stairs is the local Forestry Bureau office. To the right of it, the Dawu Sea View Trail (aka Dawu National Forest Trail) wends its way up through the foliage.

The trail is a 1.1km-long circuit, but if you don’t have much time, hiking a mere 400m or so will provide you with excellent views over the sea, the mouth of the Dawu River, and the town. If you’re keen to really stretch your legs, continue on to – and perhaps around – Jinlong Lake. It’s 1.7km inland from Fu’an Temple, and can be reached via the same road that passes in front of the temple. It’s an ideal location for a picnic.

Jinlun

Taima li

票價 29 元 限發售當日有 效

tramping you’ve already done. The second is that, moving northward, the next point of interest is Duoliang Railway Station – and no trains stop there! Bus travel isn’t nearly as user-friendly as the railway for visitors who neither speak nor read Chinese, so an alternative way of getting to Duoliang will be outlined later in this article.

The appeal of Duoliang is easy to explain: photo opportunities!

Visitors position themselves on one of the viewing platforms above the railway tracks and try to catch a passing train, their friends, and the rugged topography in a single image.

Passenger services were suspended in 2006, because nowadays few people live nearby. Population outflow also led to the closure of the elementary school, which is to the north of the station. The classrooms have since been repurposed as carpentry and woodcarving workshops, and the practical and decorative items churned out are sold on-site.

The nearest active station to Duoliang is in Jinlun, 3.6km to the north. In good weather you may be tempted to hike this distance, but I don’t advise it. The coastal highway wasn’t built with pedestrians in mind, and the vehicle traffic is sometimes heavy.

In Jinlun, one sightseeing option is to walk a short distance west through the town from Jinlun Railway Station to Kiokai Ni Santo Josef.

This is the indigenous Paiwan-tribe name of a landmark called the “Church of St. Joseph” in English. This Roman Catholic house of worship dates from the 1950s, but was thoroughly renovated in 2007. In its current Hot-spring bathing at Zhiben

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Jinlun Stn. Taimali Stn. Zhiben Stn.

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Kangle Stn.

Zhiben

incarnation it presents a beguiling mix of indigenous and Catholic motifs.

The images of the Crucifixion, for instance, feature people wearing traditional Paiwan clothing, and emblems of snakes – the tribe’s animal totem – appear in many places. Do devote some time to fully appreciating these details.

Directly opposite the church is a scooter-rental business where you can hire a 125cc Vespa-style scooter for half a day (NT$300) or longer. If at least one person in your party holds a locally-issued motorcycle/scooter license, the friendly boss will almost certainly agree to rent you a set of wheels. Having a scooter makes zipping down to Duoliang very easy, if you haven’t already been there. It’s also a good way to explore the area’s back roads. Within 1km of the church are a number of hot-spring facilities where you can soak for an hour or two.

Jinlun also has another attraction, and no vehicle is needed to enjoy it. The beach is less than 200m from the railway station, and though far from being Taiwan’s most beautiful strand, it is certainly one of the more dramatic. At both ends, near-vertical hillsides reinforce a strong sense of isolation. High above to the rear, a new Highway 9 section bypasses the town. Beneath the highway, the Forestry Bureau nurtures saplings, creating a woodland that holds soil in place while sequestering carbon.

Taimali

Taimali town is one stop and about 13 minutes north of Jinlun. Jump-on/ jump-off day passes aren’t available for this section of Taiwan’s railway network, so you’ll need to swipe your EasyCard or buy a fresh ticket each time you hop on a train. Even so, rail travel is always inexpensive. Dawu to Jinlun is NT$21 to $46 one way; Jinlun to Taimali is NT$16 to $25.

Taimali is busiest in late summer when the area’s daylily plantations are at their most spectacular. Tourists don’t come merely to see and photograph these flowers. The orange buds are also used as a kind of vegetable. They’re delicious when cooked in soup with pork ribs, mixed in with rice vermicelli, or battered and deep-fried.

Taimali Township’s No. 1 attraction for young tourists is just north of the station. Yingmu Level Crossing began appearing on tourist maps after fans of Slam Dunk, the anime version of an ultra-popular Japanese sports-themed manga, noticed that (from the inland side) the view across the tracks down to the Pacific resembled that of a scene in the anime series. If your goal is getting good photos of moving trains, walk a little further inland and point your camera at the single-track rail bridge immediately north of the level crossing.

A section of the town’s coastline is named Millennium Dawn Memorial Park, in honor of celebrations that were held here as the sun came up on January 1, 2000. That morning, many people gathered to enjoy a concert and witness the first rays of the new millennium. Since then, on any given weekend you can expect to find predawn sightseers here. Taimali is a fitting location to watch our nearest star come over the horizon, as the place name derives from the Paiwan toponym Tjavualji, meaning “village of the sunrise.”

Yingmu Level Crossing

Ta im ali

Taiwan Jinlun

Millennium Dawn Memorial Park 9

Zhiben/Taitung

The two stops north of Taimali are Zhiben and Taitung. The former is one of Taiwan’s best-known hot-spring resort towns. The latter is the station for Taitung City, which offers visitors a wide range of accommodation and eating options.

If you think the little settlements along Taiwan’s Pacific southeast may be too quiet for you to want to spend significant time exploring, stay in Zhiben or Taitung and day-trip south. Few trains take more than an hourand-a-quarter to get from Taitung to Dawu.

Indeed, one of Taiwan’s tourism advantages is that no one place is very far from anywhere else. At the same time, the density of attractions is so great that a traveler can happily spend an entire weekend exploring just one part of one county – especially a county as beautiful as Taitung.

Coastline north of Taimali

English and Chinese Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area 大鵬灣國家風景區 Dawu 大武 Dawu National Forest Trail 大武國家森林步道 Dawu River 大武溪 Dawu Seaview Trail 大武觀海步道 Dawu Street 大武街 Donggang 東港 Duoliang Railway Station 多良車站 Fangliao 枋寮 Fangliao F3 Art District 枋寮 F3 藝文特區 Fangshan 枋山 Fenggang 楓港 Fengshan District 鳳山區

Fu’an Temple 福安宮 Gaoping River 高屏溪 Jinlong Lake 金龍湖 Jinlun 金崙 Kayoufeng Waterfall 卡悠峯瀑布 Kiokai Ni Santo Josef 金崙聖若瑟教堂 Linbian 林邊 Little Liuqiu 小琉球 Millennium Dawn Memorial Park 千禧曙光紀念園區 Paiwan tribe 排灣族 South Link Line 南迴線 Taimali 太麻里 Yingmu Level Crossing 櫻木鐵道 Zhiben 知本

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HIDDEN TREASURES

KAOHISIUNG

Fengshan Sights Delving into History “Hidden” in a Kaohsiung Suburb Text: Steven Crook Photos: Vision

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Fongyi Academy

HIDDEN TREASURES KAOHSIUNG

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Prospective visitors to Taiwan who’ve done a little advance reading are likely to recognize many of the places featured in this magazine. But, on opening this issue of Travel in Taiwan and seeing an article about a place called Fengshan, they may well ask: Fengshan? Never heard of it, where is it, and why should I go there?

engshan District is part of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. Thanks to an abundance of flights from international airports in East and Southeast Asia, Kaohsiung is, for an increasing number of visitors, the first stop in Taiwan. Few of these travelers make it out to Fengshan, however, even though getting there is a cinch. Convenient transportation is one reason why Fengshan’s population has swelled in recent years, to a little over 359,000.

A large part of Fengshan’s appeal stems from its long, rich history.

Fengshan County – established in 1684 by the Manchu Qing court in Beijing, which had just brought Taiwan into the Qing empire – covered much of what is today Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County. After a major uprising in 1786-88 led by commoner Lin Shuang-wen, the county’s center of administration was moved from what’s now called Zuoying District, to just south of the current location of Fengshan Railway Station.

The name of the settlement here was changed from Pitou to that of the county; thereafter, the town became one of the most important political centers on the island.

For the purpose of this article, we’ll assume that you arrive via the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit service, and begin your Fengshan exploration from Exit 2 of the KMRT Fongshan Station. From there, it takes less than 10 minutes to walk to our first point of interest.

center. The former is long gone, but Pingcheng Fort is the best preserved of the six gun emplacements that gave the town’s defenders some serious firepower. Ascend to the top and imagine yourself as a sentry 150 years ago, fighting boredom while scanning the surroundings for suspicious individuals. Like the majority of Fengshan’s historical sites, it’s open around the clock and there’s no admission charge.

Heading south from Caogong Temple and turning left into Fengming Street brings you to two other points of interest. Fengshan Chenghuang Temple, at No. 66, was founded in the Zuoying area 300 years ago. When the Qing authorities relocated the county offices, the temple’s icons were moved and the temple was reestablished here. The Chinese characters cheng and huang mean “city wall” and “defensive moat.” In combination, they announce that the main deity enshrined in the temple is the city god, an entity who is believed to protect a settlement while also weighing the deeds and misdeeds of each human inhabitant.

Almost next door stands Fongyi Academy (open 10:30am to 5:30pm Tuesday to Sunday; admission NT$66). Built in 1814 as a school where young men could study the Chinese classics and prepare for the fearsomely difficult examinations that could lead to a career in the imperial civil service, this elegant 37-room complex has benefited from a thorough renovation.

Caogong Temple is on Caogong Road, with a school named Cao Gong Elementary School across from it. The name of the road is taken from neither temple nor school. Rather, all three are named in remembrance of Cao Jin, also known as Cao Gong, “the Honorable Cao.” Cao Jin was a scholar-bureaucrat born in mainland China’s Henan Province. Assigned to Taiwan by the Qing authorities, Cao took up his post as Fengshan County magistrate in 1837. Realizing the area’s agricultural potential, Cao ordered the digging of a 9km-long canal to carry water westward from the broad waterway now called the Gaoping River, but then known as the Xiadanshui River. By 1840 the main canal had been completed, and work on 44 branch canals was well underway.

The network eventually irrigated almost 2,500 hectares of rice fields.

The temple contains a doll-sized effigy of Cao to which incense is offered every day. On the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar, an elaborate ceremony is conducted to celebrate his life and achievements.

It’s possible to see a stretch of the canal Cao built, which bears his name, if you walk north to the Fengshan Railway Station. This well-kept section, running east-west off the station’s south side, is a delightful spot to dawdle.

Expect to see fish, turtles, and frogs in the water.

En route to the canal, detour down Lane 29 of Caogong Road to find a relic of more turbulent times. In the first half of the 19th century, Fengshan gained a defensive wall and gates used to control access to the town

Fengshan Longshan Temple

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Dongbian Gate

Xunfeng Fort

Fongyi Academy Dadong Arts Center

Chenglan Fort

Nantai Spring Roll specialty

At this point, depending on your time, energy, and interest in military architecture, you may want to trek about 800m southwest to Chenglan Fort on Lizhi Street. This octagonal strongpoint is made of stones cemented in place with a mixture composed of liquified sugar, rice paste, and oyster-shell ash.

Alternatively, head southeast to Fengshan Longshan Temple on Zhongshan Road. While not as well-known or as large as the Longshan temples in the township of Lugang (Changhua County) and district of Wanhua (Taipei City), this shrine is worth visiting, and not only to admire the delicate carvings and paintings inside. Few tourists come here, so it’s a good place to observe the religious rituals that are still such an intrinsic part of life for many Taiwanese.

Fengshan also has a number of important modern public facilities. The most stylish of these is the Dadong Arts Center (right outside the KMRT Dadong Station), a multipurpose venue for exhibitions and performances.

The center, which has an 880-seat main hall, is the official home of the Kaohsiung City Symphony Orchestra.

To find out about upcoming events here (and at other venues throughout Greater Kaohsiung), go online and download the latest issue of Kaohsiung Art Go Go, a bilingual listing that comes out monthly. But if you simply want to appreciate the distinctive architectural design, there’s no need to attend a show. Do what a good number of locals do: Treat it like the public space it is, and wander beneath the membrane roof that resembles a row of upended umbrellas.

A short distance east of the temple you’ll come to the Qianzhen River – from which another district of Kaohsiung takes its name – which here flows in a southwesterly direction. Beside the waterway a short distance in the same direction is Xunfeng Fort, which has a timeworn martial complexion that nicely counterpoints the serenity of a neighboring temple and the modernity of a nearby apartment block.

Standing even closer to the waterway is what is variously known as Dongbian Gate or Tongyi Gate, located 250m upriver from the fort (you cross Zhongshan Road again on the way). The hefty doors that kept out undesirables in the past were removed long ago, and it is now open 24 hours a day. A road pierces the gate and crosses the river here; it’s possible to ride a bike or a motorcycle through the gate, but the aperture is too narrow for cars. When the gate was constructed, of course, most people traveled on foot and a few pushed wheelbarrows when taking goods to market. But in the Taiwan of yore, nothing larger than an oxcart plied the highways and byways.

If your eyes feel like they need a change from the russet of old brick and the gray of weathered stone, cross Guangyuan Road. The forest-like Dadong Park is much larger than you might guess, and even includes a sublime man-made wetland. The proliferation of green space on this side of the metropolis is surely another reason why Fengshan continues to prosper, years after it ceased to be a center of government.

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If in need of a place to eat in Fengshan, head south to the intersection of Weixin/Wujia 1st and Zhongshan roads. At first glance, Nantai Spring Roll at No. 10, Wujia 1st Road (open 9am to 10:30pm daily) looks like a typical popular roadside vendor, but squeeze through the crowd of takeaway purchasers and you’ll find tables and chairs. As the name suggests, the specialty here is spring rolls, but not the deep-fried variant you may have tried in an Asian restaurant in your home country.

Taiwanese spring rolls (traditionally eaten during the annual Qingming or Tomb-Sweeping Festival period) are larger, un-fried, and served cold.

Nantai has been in business for more than two decades, and after the first bite you’ll understand why people say they’ve got the art of spring

roll-making down pat. The wrap has that delicate “QQ” (slang for “chewiness”) quality that Taiwanese people adore, and the fillings are crisp and fresh. In addition to the usual bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, and slivers of pork, each spring roll here contains sausage sliced lengthways, garlic, brown sauce, and a dash of powdered sugar. Even if, like many other customers, you wash it down with a bowl of pork-rib soup, you’ll get change from an NT$100 bill.

Another of the town’s culinary landmarks can be found at No. 2 Weixin Road. Fengshan Old Shop Pan-Fried Stuffed Buns is open 11am to 7pm daily, and the buns are just NT$10 each. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, do buy one or two; add a dash of the house spicy sauce, and enjoy them while they’re hot. This type of food is a little greasy, and carbohydrate-heavy – in other words, ideal fuel for a walking tour.

Getting There Fengshan Railway Station is well served by both express and local trains. Many of the former travel from Taipei to Fengshan in about five hours (NT$856 one way). The latter are good for getting to/from Kaohsiung Railway Station (it takes about seven minutes and a mere NT$15 one way) and Xinzuoying Railway Station, which is adjacent to the THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) Zuoying Station (journey time around 20 minutes; NT$21 one way). Four stations on the Orange Line of the KMRT (Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit) system provide access to different parts of Fengshan District.

English and Chinese Cao Gong Elementary School 曹公國小 Cao Gong Temple 曹公廟 Cao Jin 曹謹 Caogong Road 曹公路 Chenglan Fort 澄瀾砲台 Dadong Arts Center 大東文化藝術中心 Dadong Park 大東公園 Dongbian Gate 東便門 Fengming Street 鳳明街 Fengshan Chenghuang Temple 鳳山城隍廟 Fengshan District 鳳山區 Fengshan Longshan Temple 鳳山龍山寺 Fengshan Old Shop Pan-Fried Stuffed Buns 山老店水煎包 Fongyi Academy 鳳儀書院

Gaoping River 高屏溪 Guangyuan Road 光遠路 Lin Shuang-wen 林爽文 Lizhi Street 立志街 Nantai Spring Roll 南台春捲 Pingcheng Fort 平成砲台 Pitou 埤頭 Qianzhen River 前鎮河 Tongyi Gate 同儀門 Weixin Road 維新路 Wujia 1st Road 五甲一路 Xiadanshui River 下淡水溪 Xunfeng Fort 訓風砲台 Zuoying 左營

Kaohsiu ng

Fengsha n

1E

Weixin R d.

Cao Gong Temple

ng gtu Pin

25

Fongyi Academy

Fengshan Chenghuang Temple

Pingcheng Fort Fengm

ing St.

Cao Gong Elementary School

Dadong Park Dadong

Chenglan Fort

Fengshan District

Fengshan Old Shop Pan-Fried Stuffed Buns Nantai Spring Roll

183

Taiwan

W uj ia

1 st Rd .

Fongshan

Dadong Arts Center Tongyi Gate

183A

Fengshan Longshan Temple

Xunfeng Fort

25

MUST SEE & DO

HOT SPRINGS

10

The Best Hot-Spring Areas Around Taiwan Happy Soaking in Mineral-Rich Waters

A

Text and Photos: Vision

fter a typical travel day involving walks from tourist attraction to tourist attraction, your feet – if not your whole body – have most likely earned the right to some prolonged pampering. Immersing yourself in water with the perfect temperature is one of the simplest and most enjoyable pleasures. Experience how your stress, fatigue, and strains are magically dispersed with a soak in soothing hot-spring water.

Taiwan is blessed with an abundance of hot springs. From north to south, from coastal regions up into the mountains, hot springs are found in a wide variety of often strikingly scenic natural settings. The local hot springs are not all of the same type. The water temperature at the source, for example, can differ significantly, from cooler to boiling hot, and the water at each location can contain a range of different minerals, a number of which have therapeutic properties.

This year, hot-spring bathing has been an important focus of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s efforts in promoting tourism on the island, with travelers also being encouraged to visit the Taichung Flora Expo (Nov. 3, 2018 ~ Apr. 24, 2019), to go on “slow travels,” and to enjoy the fine local cuisine. In 2019, there will be a special focus on small-town tourism.

As part of its hot-spring bathing promotional campaign, the bureau is encouraging businesses in hot-spring resort locations to create a “greener” environment, incorporate culture and creativity in their offerings, upgrade the quality and the aesthetics of the dining experience, and emphasize the visual appeal of hot-spring facilities, creating an overall environment where visitors can enjoy hot-spring bathing, fine-cuisine dining, and exploration of hot-spring villages in ways that are pleasant and stimulating.

With many different hot-spring locations to choose from, it’s helpful to have some guidance that can help you decide where to go next for a relaxing soak. Luckily, earlier this year the Taiwan Tourism Bureau compiled a list of the best hot-spring areas on the island after conducting a survey, supplemented with evaluation by a team of experts. Following are short descriptions of the top 10 hot-spring areas on that list.

52

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

1

Guanziling (Tainan City)

Named the very best of the lot, the hot-spring resort village of Guanziling, in the mountains of southern Taiwan, is a worthy representative of all hot-spring locations around the island. It combines many of the elements that make hot-spring bathing so popular and attractive here. The location and setting are ideal. The village is close enough to a city (Chiayi) and major transportation hubs (the city’s high-speed rail and regular rail stations) to be conveniently reached. At the same time, it is far enough from the hustle and bustle of a city so that you can enjoy quiet relaxation, immersed in the embrace of eye-pleasing verdant mountains.

Guanziling’s hot-spring establishments range from simple to luxurious, and quality food can be enjoyed at hotel restaurants as well as at other village eateries. What makes the hot springs of Guanziling especially popular is the mud, which gives the waters a distinct gray color and is said to be effective in treating ailments such as skin allergies, rheumatism, and arthritis. Spa operators often provide buckets of mud by their pools so that bathers can cover themselves with the smooth substance from head to toe, adding fun to the hot-spring experience. One of the premier hotspring resort hotels at Guanziling is the European-style The King’s Garden Villa.

Hot-spring type Alkaline carbonate sulfur mudspring water Water temperature (at source) About 75 degrees Celsius Public transport Take a bus from either the Chiayi

or Xinying railway stations (conventional trains) or THSR Chiayi Station (high-speed trains).

More information www.siraya-nsa.gov.tw (Siraya National Scenic Area)

MUST SEE & DO HOT SPRINGS

10

2

3

4

Beitou (Taipei City)

Jiaoxi (Yilan County)

Zhiben (Taitung County)

Beitou is a district of Taipei City, and as such by far the most conveniently reached hot-spring resort area in Taiwan. It takes just half an hour or so by MRT (Taipei Metro) to get from Taipei Main Station to Beitou’s hot-spring hotel area (just beyond MRT Xinbeitou Station). This is a fine place not just to go for a hot-spring soak, but also to learn about the history of hot-spring bathing in Beitou and Taiwan. Be sure to visit the Beitou Hot Spring Museum and Beitou Museum. Another must-visit tourist attraction is Thermal Valley, a mist-covered hot-spring pond, which is one of the area’s main hot-spring sources. Beitou has a wide range of hot-spring bathing options, from the Beitou Park Outdoor Hot Spring Bathing Pool complex to modern upscale resort operations such as the Grand View Resort Beitou.

It takes only about an hour by intercity bus to get from downtown Taipei to Jiaoxi, a small hot-spring town in Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan. From Jiaoxi’s bus or railway station it’s a short walk to Tangweigou Park, where you’ll find simple public hot-spring bath facilities, including pavilions with hot-spring foot-bath pools. If you want to go soaking in a more luxurious environment, there is no shortage of stylish resort hotels in and around town, including the elegant Hotel Royal Chiaohsi.

Besides soaking in the soothing mineral waters, when spending time in Jiaoxi you’ll also want to go for an easy hike to the beautiful Wufengqi Waterfall.

Located a short drive south of Taitung City in southeastern Taiwan, the Zhiben hot-spring resort area is located in the scenic Zhiben River valley. Like many hot-spring areas in Taiwan, Zhiben was developed during the Japanese colonial area, and eventually became one of the biggest tourist draws in eastern Taiwan.

Apart from enjoyment of the hot-spring hotel facilities, notably those at the grand Hotel Royal Chihpen, be sure to tackle the pathways in the Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area, where you will be surrounded by lush forest, singing birds, and roaming macaques.

Especially impressive here are the magnificent white-bark banyan trees.

Hot-spring type White sulfur and green sulfur springs Water temperature (at source) 40~99 degrees Celsius Public transport Take the Taipei MRT Tamsui-Xinyi Line to Beitou Station, transfer to the Xinbeitou Line, and get off at Xinbeitou Station.

More information www.travel.taipei (Travel Taipei)

Hot-spring type Neutral sodium bicarbonate spring Water temperature (at source) About 64 degrees Celsius Public transport From Taipei, take an intercity bus from either Taipei Bus Station or Taipei City Hall Bus Station, or take an eastbound train that stops at Jiaoxi.

More information travel.yilan.tw (Yilan Tourism)

Hot-spring type Colorless and odorless carbonic acid alkaline spring water Water temperature (at source) Up to 100 degrees Celsius Public transport Take a train to Zhiben Railway Station and transfer to bus No. 8129, or take a taxi from the station.

More information tour.taitung.gov.tw (Taitung Travel)

Photo courtesy of Grand View Resort Beitou

Kilin Jiaoxi

Photo courtesy of Hotel Royal Chihpen

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜53

MUST SEE & DO

HOT SPRINGS

The Sun Hot Spring & Resort (photo by Louis Liu)

Onsen Papawaqa

Photo courtesy of Jin Yong Quan Hotspring Resort

5

6

7

Guguan (Taichung City)

Tai’an (Miaoli County)

Jinshan/Wanli (New Taipei City)

In a mountainous area of greater Taichung City, Guguan is a small settlement surrounded by high peaks, and an ideal place for escaping the big city. Guguan is quite popular with hotspring bathing aficionados, however, and can become busy during the peak season in the winter and on weekends/holidays. The hotspring water has a murky white color, feels smooth to the touch, and, because it contains sulfide, has a slightly pungent smell. There are a number of fine trails in the area around the village, which are great for short hikes and taking in the marvelous mountain scenery.

The Tai’an hot-spring area is located along the Wenshui River in Miaoli County’s Tai’an Township. Apart from a number of fine hotspring hotels along the main road through the river valley the area is mostly undeveloped, with enchanting scenery and unspoiled nature awaiting you. Among the best Tai’an hot-spring establishments is Onsen Papawaqa, a hotel of excellent hot-spring facilities that is a very distinctive work of modern architecture.

The northernmost hot springs in Taiwan are found in the districts of Jinshan and Wanli on the North Coast. Some of the hot-spring establishments there, such as the Sakura Bay Hotel, are so close to the coast that you can enjoy splendid up-close views of the sea while sitting in a hot-spring pool. There are numerous tourist attractions along the North Coast, including the rock formations of Yehliu Geopark, the Shimen Stone Arch and Fugui Cape Lighthouse (at the northernmost tip of the island), and the sandy beaches of Feicuiwan (Green Bay), Baishawan (White Sand Bay), and Qianshuiwan (Shallow Water Bay).

Hot-spring type Slightly alkaline carbonic acid spring water Water temperature (at source) About 60 degrees Celsius Public transport There are a number of bus services to Guguan from the central Taichung area, including Fengyuan Bus No. 153 from THSR Taichung Station, No. 207 from Fengyuan District, No. 266 from Dongshi District, and No. 850 from Taichung Railway Station More information travel.taichung.gov.tw (Taichung Travel Net)

Hot-spring type Alkaline sodium bicarbonate spring water Water temperature (at source) About 47 degrees Celsius Public transport There is no regular bus ser vice to the hotspring area. During the hot-spring season (November~April), however, a shuttle-bus service is available from the Shei-Pa National Park Wenshui Visitor Center, just north of Dahu town.

More information miaolitravel.net (Escape to Miaoli)

54

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

Read more about Tai’an and other townships in Miaoli County in this issue’s feature article.

Hot-spring type Seawater-fed, carbonic acid, and sulfur iron oxide Water temperature (at source) 45~50 degrees Celsius Public transport From either Tamsui or Keelung, take bus No. 862 to reach places of interest along the North Coast, including Jinshan town.

More information tour.ntpc.gov.tw (New Taipei City Travel)

MUST SEE & DO HOT SPRINGS

10

8

9

10

Wulai (New Taipei City)

Ruisui (Taitung County)

Baolai (Kaohsiung City)

Wulai is one of the best places in the greater Taipei region to escape the big city. Small hot-spring hotels are found close to Wulai Old Street. If you go down to the banks of the Nanshi River and dip your feet into the waterway, at certain spots you can actually feel the hot-spring water emanating from the ground and mixing with the cold river water.

On any “must-do” Wulai list is a ride on the Log Cart mini-train from the Wulai Old Street area to the Wulai Waterfall area. From there, take a cable car up to the Yun Hsien Resort, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the valley in which Wulai is located.

Ruisui is a small town in eastern Taiwan, about half-way between Hualien City in the north and Taitung City in the south. The small Ruisui hot-spring area is located west of the town.

There are just a few hot-spring establishments in what is a quiet indigenous community.

Ruisui is well known as the starting point for whitewater-rafting trips down the Xiuguluan River, and the area is also home to a number of tourist-friendly dairy farms. A must-try Ruisui specialty is hotpot made with fresh locally produced milk.

Like Guguan in Taichung, Baolai is a small hot-spring settlement that is formally part of a big city, but has nothing in common with the central urban area. Framed by towering mountains, Baolai sits on the banks of the Laonong River (like the aforementioned Xiuguluan, a river suitable for whitewater rafting), and is known for its beautiful surroundings. Among the things to do at Baolai is going for a walk on the Pulaixitou Tribe Historic Battle Trail, which is especially appealing during the plum-blossom season in late winter.

Hot-spring type Alkaline sodium bicarbonate-rich water Water temperature (at source) About 80 degrees Celsius Public transport From MRT Xindian Station, take bus No. 849 to the last stop, which is close to the Wulai Old Street area.

More information tour.ntpc.gov.tw (New Taipei City Travel)

Hot-spring type Colorless and odorless sodium bicarbonate and iron-rich carbonate spring water Water temperature (at source) About 80 degrees Celsius Public transport Take a train to Ruisui Railway Station, and from there take a taxi to the hot-spring area.

More information www.erv-nsa.gov.tw (East Rift Valley National Scenic Area)

Hot-spring type Slightly alkaline sodium bicarbonate spring water Water temperature (at source) 40~50 degrees Celsius Public transport From Kaohsiung Railway Station, take bus No. 8025 to Liugui town. From there take bus No. H11 (five services a day) or a taxi to Baolai.

More information khh.travel (Kaohsiung Travel)

Photo courtesy of Pause Landis Wulai

Butterfly Valley Resort

Baolai Spring Park

For more info about hot-spring bathing in Taiwan, visit taiwanhotspring.net .

English and Chinese Baolai 寶來 Beitou 北投 Guanziling 關仔嶺 Guguan 谷關

Jiaoxi 礁溪 Jinshan 金山 Laonong River 荖濃溪 Nanshi River 南勢溪 Ruisui 瑞穗

Tai'an 泰安 Wenshui River 汶水溪 Wulai 烏來 Wulai Old Street 烏來老街 Xiuguluan River 秀姑巒溪

Yun Hsien Resort 雲仙樂園 Zhiben 知本 Zhiben River 知本溪 Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area 知本國家森林遊樂區

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜55

Hotels of Taiwan North Taoyuan City

Taipei City

Keelung City

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when it comes to

New Taipei City

Hsinchu City Hsinchu County

accommodation. From five-star luxury hotels that meet the highest international standards, to affordable business hotels, to hot-spring

Yilan County

Miaoli County

and beach resort hotels, to privately-run homestays located in the countryside there is a place to stay that satisfies every traveler’s needs.

Taichung City

What all hotels of Taiwan — small and big, expensive and affordable —

Central Changhua County

Nantou County

Yunlin County

have in common is that serve and hospitality are always of the highest standards. The room rates in the following list have been checked for

Hualien County

each hotel, but are subject to change without notice. Room rates at the

Chiayi City Chiayi County

hotels apply.

Tainan City Kaohsiung City

Taitung County

Northern Taiwan

East

Central Taiwan

CAESAR PARK TAIPEI

53 HOTEL

TAIPEI GAL A HOTEL

South Taiwan

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

Pintung County

HOTELDAY+ KENTING

THE GRAND HOTEL MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI

South

PARK TAIPEI HOTEL

＊ Hotel list in alphabetical order from Northern to Southern Taiwan.

CAESAR PARK TAIPEI 台北凱撒大飯店

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 478 Room Rates: Superior Room Deluxe Room Superior Double Double Metro Room Metropolis Room Station Suite

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

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL 慶泰大飯店

Taipei 台 北

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

THE GRAND HOTEL

華 泰 王子大 飯 店

圓山大飯店

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 160

No. of Rooms: 220

No. of Rooms: 500 (Suites: 57)

Room Rates: Single Room Deluxe Single Room Deluxe Twin Room Suite Room

Room Rates: Single / Deluxe / Executive NT$ Suite NT$

Room Rates: Single/DBL Suite

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

6,400 7,000 7,800 12,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese RestauRaNts: Golden Ear Restaurant (Western semi buffet); Golden Pot (Chinese Cuisine) sPecial featuRes: Business Center, meeting rooms, airport transfer service, parking lot, laundry service, free Internet access, LCD TV, DVD player, personal safety box, mini bar, private bathroom with separate shower & bath tub, hair dryer

6,000- 8,500 9,500-20,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese 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

NT$ 8,200-13,000 NT$ 18,000-30,000

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

No. 186, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City 台 北 市 松 江 路 186 號 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

Exit 1 of MRT Xingtian Temple Station on the Luzhou Line.

Tel: +886-2-2541-5511 Fax: +886-2-2531-3831 Reservation Hotline: +886-2-2541-6888 E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

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

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

taipei.caesarpark.com.tw

www.galahotel.com.tw

www.gloriahotel.com

www.grand-hotel.org

56

Travel in Taiwan

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI

PARK TAIPEI HOTEL

美麗信花園酒店

台北美侖大飯店

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 203 Room Rates: Deluxe Room Business Room Executive Deluxe Room Boss Suite Premier Suite

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 143 Room Rates: NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

9,000 11,000 13,000 17,000 21,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, and Mandarin RestauRaNts: Rain Forest Buffet Restaurant, Tic-Tac-Toe Bakery, Light Café, JIU BAR sPecial featuRes: Business Center, Pyramid Club, Sauna, Fitness Club, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Multifunction Room, Car Park

Standard Room Superior Room Deluxe Room Deluxe Triple Room 101 View Room Executive Room Executive 101 View Room Park Suite

53 HOTEL

Taichung 台 中

寶島53行館

HOTELDAY+ KENTING

承億文旅 墾丁雅客小半島 Pingtung 屏東

No. of Rooms: 56

No. of Rooms: 70 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000 22,000 26,000 28,000 56,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

RestauRaNts:

Food Symphony (Full Buffet)

sPecial featuRes: MRT Daan Station is right in front of the hotel entrance, 5 Mins to Songshan Airport by MRT,Separate Bathroom and Toilet, TOTO washlets, Denmark Damixa Merkur Bathroom Hardware, DVD player, Japanese Satellite Broadcast, Safety Deposit Box, Fitness Center, Business Center, High-speed Broadband Internet Access (computers available), Free High-speed WiFi Throughout Hotel, Conference Room, Balcony (smoking allowed)

Room Rates: Standard Room Superior Room Deluxe Room Family Room Deluxe Family Room

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

4,500 5,000 5,500 6,000 6,500

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese sPecial featuRes: Our guests enjoy easy access to all attractions lively Taichung City has to offer. From the hotel it’s a two-minute walk to Taichung Railway Station and a three-minute walk to the bus station, from where guests can easily reach popular tourist sites, such as Qingjing Farm, Xitou Forest Recreation Area, and Sun Moon Lake.

53 Hotel offers a wide range of services, including laundry/dry cleaning, a business center, a gym, and free wireless Internet access.

Room Rates: Standard Room Elegant Room Executive Room Family Room Garden Family Room Attic Family Room

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

7,000 8,500 12,500 10,000 22,000 19,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese sPecial featuRes: Chinese/Western Breakfast, Courtyard Garden Pool, Business Center, Reading Room, Cultural-Creative Products Shop

No. 27, Zhongshan Rd., Central District, Taichung City

No. 83, Sec. 3, Civic Boulevard, Taipei City 台北市市民大道3段83號 Tel: +886-2-8772-8800 Fax: +886-2-8772-1010 E-mail: info@miramargarden.com.tw

317, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City 台 北 市 復 興 南 路 1 段 317 號 Tel: 886.2.5579.3888 Fax: 886.2.5579.3889

台 中 市 中 區 中 山 路 27 號 (距離火車站 2 分鐘) Tel: +886-4-2220-6699 Fax: +886-4-2220-5899 E-mail: service@53hotel.com.tw

No. 237, Kending Rd., Hengchun Township, Pingtung County 屏東縣恆春鎮墾丁路237號 Tel: +886-8-886-1272

www.miramargarden.com.tw

www.parktaipei.com

www.53hotel.com.tw

www.hotelday.com.tw

NT$1,300 NT$1,500

( two minutes from railway station)

NT$1,500

3-Day Southern Taiwan Tour

NT$1,500

(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$4,200 NT$1,200

NT$1,500

NT$1,300

台北市松江路 190 號 4F

4-Day Central & Southern Taiwan Tour

NT$1,500

NT$1,300

NT$14,500

(Stay at Sun Moon Lake)

(Stay at QingJing)

(Sun Moon Lake, Kaohsiung, Kenting) 四天三夜 台灣中南部觀光 ( 日月潭、高雄、墾丁 )

4-Day Eastern Taiwan Tour NT$6,600

NT$6,900

(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 )

5-Day Round Taiwan Island Excursion NT$12,500

(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 )

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.

NT$ 14,000

NT$ 15,500

NT$ 16,900

ISSN:1817796

4

GPN:2009305475

200 NTD