Travel in Taiwan (No.85 2018 01/02 ) by Travel in Taiwan

2018

JAN & FEB

No.

RAIL TRAVEL SOUTH OF TAICHUNG

FINE FOOD

TEA AND TEA CUISINE

ADVENTURE

KAYAKING ON THE NORTHEAST COAST

FAMILY FUN

GOLD MUSEUM IN JINGUASHI

Android

iOS

PRISTINE MOUNTAINS IN NANTOU

SUN-LINK-SEA & XITOU

Let’s Say Good Bye To Laziness

Crybaby Sleepyheads

Game Addiction

For a great 2018! Let’s move forward and improve our lives! Hurry up and say good bye to bad lovers and bad habits, Leave them behind in the year 2017! Let’s all start fresh in 2018!

Smoking

Picky Eaters

Excessive Garbage

For a great 2018!

Welcome to

Taiwan! Dear Traveler, Greetings! A new year has dawned, and winter has arrived to cool the rays of the subtropical Taiwan sun, signaling to all it is time to spend as much of the day as possible outdoors whatever your setting, urban or rural. This issue is thus filled to the brim with travel options on this theme. The main course on our menu is, as usual, our Feature . Your setting – Nantou County’s mountains. Our key destination is Sun-Link-Sea Forest and Nature Resort, occupying a long, idyllic valley at an elevation of about 1,600 meters above sea level. Time is also spent in pleasant places down-mountain along the same connecting road, most notably in celebrated Xitou Nature Education Area and around Lugu town, famed for tea-plantation tableaux and one of Taiwan’s most beloved drinks, Dongding Oolong Tea. Our Family Fun and Adventure time is spent chalking up Northeast Coast experiences. In the former the Gold Museum in the coastal town of Jinguashi is our day-trip destination – a mountainside collection of heritage mining-operation facilities. In the latter it’s a day of guided kayaking on the placid Shuangxi River and exploration of attractions along the scenic coast. The rich alluvial plains of the southwest call out to you in our Hidden Treasures , Railway Travel , and Town Wanderings tours. The unmasked “hidden treasure” is easy-paced Chiayi County, where the 2018 version of the thrilling Taiwan Lantern Festival is being held, among its alluring venues the young Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. Taiwan’s first-rate rail system delivers you for railway-travel fun at stations in Changhua and Yunlin counties, to head out on walking tours taking in the most intriguing sights around them. Wander a district in Taiwan’s oldest city and imperial-era capital, Anping in Tainan City, on a day of discovery in one of Taiwan’s “Top 10 Tourist Towns.” The exploratory themes are of a different nature in two of our other regular sections, Must See & Do and Island Feast . The first: a whirlwind island tour of the 10 Most Instagrammable Spots in Taiwan as recommended by England-based travel blog website theculturetrip.com. The second: a sampling of Taipei’s best restaurants and teahouses serving quality tea and tea cuisine. The Taiwan travel experience – cool experiences, warm people, the warmest memories. Enjoy!

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

CONTENTS January ~ February 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 Frank K. Yen EDITOR IN CHIEF Johannes Twellmann ENGLISH EDITOR Rick Charette DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & EDITING DEPT Joe Lee MANAGING EDITOR Krista Yang EDITORS Ming-Jing Yin, Jenny Chung, Nickey Liu CONTRIBUTORS Rick Charette, Steven Crook, Peter Freestone Han Cheung, Owain Mckimm, Francesca Chang PHOTOGRAPHERS Ray Chang, Chen Cheng-kuo, Maggie Song DESIGNERS Nick Chiu, Maggie Song, Carrie Chang, Erin Chen ADMINISTRATIVE DEPT Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang, Chen Wen-ling

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) January/February, 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

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. N ational 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.

Songlong Rock Waterfall at SunLink-Sea (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 the online version of Travel in Taiwan or download the app for iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android (smartphone/tablet) from http://tit. com.tw/appdownload.html. See more amazing images of Taiwan with our Travel in Taiwan app! Simply scan this QR code to reach the download page (iOS/Android).

FEATURE

10 Forests, Flowers, and Waterfalls – Exploring the Mountain Areas of Zhushan and Lugu Townships in Nantou County

MUST SEE & DO

– Get Your Smartphone Ready when Visiting These Locations!

Most Popular Instagram Spots

ADVENTURES 28

1 4 6 7 8 23 32

Paddling Around

– Kayaking the Shuangxi River on the Northeast Coast

Publisher's Note Taiwan Tourism Events Convenient Travel News Culture Scene Special Report – Art Taipei

My Travel Log – A Return to the Motherland

HIDDEN TREASURES

– Taiwan Lantern Festival & Places to Visit in Chiayi

ISLAND FEAST

– Two Healthful Obsessions of the People of Taiwan

FAMILY FUN

The Easy-Paced Southwest Region

Fine Tea & Fine Tea Cuisine

42 The Gold Museum

– Digging Up Nuggets of History in the Mountains by the Northeast Coast

TOWN WANDERINGS

Anping: Taiwan’s Modern-History Fountainhead

– A Day in an Imperial-Era Harbor Area Steeped in Cultural History

RAIL TRAVEL

– Discovering Changhua and Yunlin by Train

South of Taichung

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

Off to a Great Start in a Fresh New Year!

Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar website

Exciting Cultural Events in Early 2018

02/06 ~ 02/11

Taipei International Book Exhibition 台北國際書展 You might wonder: “Do people still buy and read books in the age of smartphones and social media?” If so, visit the annual Taipei International Book Exhibition and marvel at the large crowds of visitors clearly passionate about reading and all things related to books. This 6-day event attracted more than 580,000 visitors last year; more than 600 publishers from 59 countries took part; and the 1,780 booths and 930 reading events brought together publishers, authors, and readers from around the globe.

Location: Taipei World Trade Center; No. 5, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City

03/02 ~ 03/12

Taiwan International Orchid Show 臺灣國際蘭展

If you love flowers, chances are that you appreciate the beauty of orchids. The perfect place to do just this is the annual Taiwan International Orchid Show, organized by the Tainan City Government. Taiwan is a major producer and exporter of orchids, and Tainan is its center of orchid cultivation. Lasting over a week, the show has a rich line-up of activities and events, including, of course, the display of the finest orchid-flower beauties you can imagine. You will also learn about orchid cultivation in Tainan, including the latest industry trends and technologies, be regaled with award-winning flower arrangements, and have the chance to buy some of these nature-sculpted works of art to take back to your own home. Location: Taiwan Orchid Plantation; No. 325, Wushulin, Houbi Dist., Tainan City

( 台北國際世貿中心 ; 臺北市信義區信義路五段 5 號 )

( 台灣蘭花生物科技園區 ; 臺南市後壁區烏樹林 325 號 )

Website: www.tibe.org.tw/en/

Website: www.tiostw.com

03/24 ~ 04/08

Song-Jiang Battle Array in Neimen, Kaohsiung 高雄內門宋江陣

03/01 ~ 03/02

Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival 鹽水蜂炮

A district in Kaohsiung City’s northeast, Neimen is a quiet rural area where through most of the year not much goes on to attract tourist attention. This changes dramatically during this annual event, bringing together hundreds of martial-arts performers and large crowds. The venue is the plaza of Neimen’s Zizhu Temple. For more than a week, groups from all over Taiwan – mostly consisting of highschool, college, and university students – perform and compete against each other in what is known as battle-array formations. Divided into “civilian” and “military” styles, the formations are theatrical performances rather than real combat, but often include stunningly acrobatic moves and amazing weapon-wielding skills.

Coinciding with the annual Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the lunar calendar’s first month (March 2 in 2018), the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is a big event in a small town in southern Taiwan. A traditional festival steeped in history, it attracts large crowds of young and adventurous visitors, who come to experience what it’s like to be subjected to the assault of thousands of tiny rockets shot from beehive-like structures. Protected by layers of thick clothes, motorcycle helmets, facemasks, and gloves, revelers experience wave after wave of adrenaline rushes spread over hours. Dive into this exciting traditional temple festival, unique to Taiwan, right on the front lines – or do as many if not most others do, safely “bringing up the rear.”

Location: Neimen Nanhai Zizhu Temple; No. 82, Neipu, Neifeng Borough, Neimen Dist.,

Locations: Yanshui Wu Temple; No. 87, Wumiao Rd., Yanshui Dist., Tainan City

Kaohsiung City ( 內門南海紫竹寺 ; 高雄市內門區內豐里內埔 82 號 )

( 鹽水武廟 ; 臺南市鹽水區武廟路 87 號 )

Website: www.who-ha.com.tw

Sports Ground of Yanshui Junior High School; Yanshui Dist., Tainan City ( 鹽水國中操場 ; 臺南市鹽水區鹽水國中 ) Website: www.wumiao.idv.tw

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

FEBRUARY~MARCH

03/02 ~ 03/11

Taiwan Lantern Festival 台灣燈會

03/02

Taichung Mazu International Festival 大甲媽祖國際觀光文化節

The annual Taiwan Lanter n Festival, two weeks after the Lunar New Year, is not just a great happening where you can marvel at colorful lanterns of all shapes and sizes. It’s also an event during which the organizers – a different city or county government each year – present their home area in the best possible “light,” so to speak. This year the extravaganza is being staged in the southern county of Chiayi, characterized by fertile plains and soaring mountains (of the Alishan Mountain Range). One of the festival’s venues is the grounds of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. Expect to be amazed by the ingenious incorporation of the beautiful museum building and its surroundings in the festival’s enchanting display of colorful lanterns.

To experience the practicing o f fol k rel i gi on at i ts m os t intriguing and most intense in Taiwan, there is probably no better place and time than Dajia Mazu Temple (also called Dajia Jenn Lann Temple) in central Taiwan during the annual Mazu Pilgrimage. Mazu, also known as the Goddess of the Sea, is the most widely revered deity on the island, and the pilgrimage is the biggest and most important religious event of the year for her many devout followers. The temple is start and end point for a week-long procession during which Dajia’s powerful Mazu icon is carried in a palanquin to other Mazu temples in central Taiwan, allowing the goddess to inspect places where she is worshipped. Be at the temple in Dajia for the sending off or welcoming back of the pilgrims, or take part in the pilgrimage yourself, to get a first-hand experience of Taiwanese traditional culture and practices.

Locations:

Location: Dajia Jenn Lann Temple; No. 158, Shuntian Rd., Dajia Dist., Taichung City

Southern Lantern Area: Special Administrative Region of Chiayi County; No. 1,

( 臺中市大甲鎮瀾宮 ; 臺中市大甲區順天路 158 號 )

East Sec., Xianghe 1st Rd., Chiayi County ( 縣治特區 ; 嘉義縣祥和一路東段一號 )

Website: www.mazuevent.com

Northern Lantern Areas: Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum; No. 888, Gugong Blvd., Taibai City, Chiayi County ( 故宮南院 ; 嘉義縣太保市故宮大道 888 號 ) Suantou Sugar Factory; No. 1, Gongchang Vil., Liujiao Township, Chiayi County ( 蒜頭糖廠 ; 嘉義縣六腳鄉工廠村 1 號 ) Central Axis: Taizi Boulevard; Chiayi County, Taibao City ( 太子大道 ; 嘉義縣太保市 ) Website: www.taiwan.net.tw/2018TaiwanLantern/index_en.html

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜5

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

Guanziling and NPM South

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle website

New Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus Route in Chiayi/Tainan

There are two good reasons to head to the Chiayi County/ Tainan City area in the early months of this year. Reason 1: The cooler weather means that it’s the best time of the year for hot-spring bathing and other enjoyments in Guanziling. This village, located in the foothills of northeastern Tainan in southern Taiwan, is one of island’s premier hot-spring resort locations, noted for its mineralladen mud. Reason 2: The annual Taiwan Lantern Festival (theme.taiwan.net.tw/2018TaiwanLantern ) will be staged in Chiayi this year, March 2~11, a grand spectacle of colorful lights and entertaining activities.

1. Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum 2. Hot-spring bathing in Guanzling 3. Hinoki Village

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

For travelers relying on public transport to get around Taiwan, there is good news. A new addition to the evergrowing network of Taiwan Tourist Shuttle routes (en. taiwantrip.com.tw ), the Guanziling to Southern Branch of the NPM Route, now enables you to conveniently travel to Guanziling and one of the lantern festival venues, the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (NPM). The shuttle buses can be boarded at THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) Chiayi Station, the smaller conventionalrailway stations in the towns of Houbi and Nanjing, and bus stations in the towns of Baihe and Xinying. Another Taiwan Tourist Shuttle route connecting the THSR station and the museum is the Southern Branch of the NPM Route. Buses head from the station to the museum and from there continue north, then west, and then south, stopping at a number of interesting spots, including Hinoki Village, Mingxiong Kumquat Factory, and Xingang’s Fengtian Temple, before finally arriving at Chiayi Railway Station.

Guanziling to Southern Branch of the NPM Route Houbi Railway Xinying Bus Station ( 新營客運總站 ) Nanjing Railway Station ( 南 Station ( 後壁火車站 ) THSR Chiayi Station ( 高鐵嘉義站 ) 靖火車站 ) Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum ( 故宮 THSR Chiayi Station ( 高鐵嘉義站 ) Nanjing 南院 ) Houbi Railway Station Railway Station ( 南靖火車站 ) Baihe Bus Station ( 白河轉運站 ) ( 後壁火車站 ) Baoquan Bridge ( 寶泉橋 ) Baihe Reservoir ( 白河水庫 ) Guanziling ( 關子嶺 ) Fare: The bus fare is charged by distance. Both the iPass and EasyCard are accepted.

Departures: Buses to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum depart daily from THSR Chiayi Station (except Mondays, when the museum is closed) at 10:04, 12:04, 14:04, and 16:04; buses from the THSR station to Guanziling depart at 10:22, 12:22, 14:22, and 16:22; buses from Guanziling back to the THSR station depart at 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, and 17:30.

NEWS

NEWS & Events around Taiwan

FunPass Taipei

If you plan to do some sightseeing in Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Keelung City, note that you can now purchase the FunPass Taipei , enabling you to save up to 60% on travel expenses and enjoy discounts on tickets for many tourist attractions. There are two types of passes, Unlimited and Transportation . The first includes unlimited rides on the Taipei Metro system, five Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus routes, and public buses; tickets to 12 tourist attractions; special e-coupons; and discounts at several hundred stores; the latter includes the same except for the tourist attraction tickets and the e-coupons. The Unlimited pass is available as a 1-Day (NT$1,200), 2-Day (NT$1,600), and 3-Day (NT$1,900) pass, the Transportation pass as a 1-Day (NT$180), 2-Day (NT$310), 3-Day (NT$440), and 5-Day (NT$700) pass. Also available is a Maokong Gondola 1-Day Pass (NT$350). For more information, visit: funpass.travel.taipei.

Michelin Guide Taipei Edition For the first time Michelin, the French tire manufacturer and destination-guide p u b l i s h e r, i s r e l e a s i n g a guidebook focused on Ta i p e i ; t h e p u b l i c a t i o n is expected to hit the bookstores this first quarter. T h e new g ui d e i s p a r t of Michelin’s Asia expansion; among the major cities in East Asia covered so far are Tok yo, O s a ka , S ha ngha i, Hong Kong and Macau, Singapore, and Bangkok. Food lovers will be eager to find out which restaurants have been selected for the p r e s ti g i o u s a n d h a r d -to attain three-star rating, if the popular night markets of Taiwan will receive a special segment similar to that in the Hong Kong and Macau guide, and if Michelin stars are even being awarded to food hawkers, as in the Singapore edition.

Matsu Islands in the Winter

Taipei No. 12 on Go List 2018

Because of the chilly, sometimes cold, weather, there is a significant drop in the number of tourists visiting the islands of Matsu in the winter months. To promote tourism at this time of the year, the Matsu National Scenic Area Administration is offering foreign visitors (including visitors from Hong Kong and Macau) a subsidy of NT$2,000 on 2-day, 1-night tours until the end of March. The islands of Matsu are best known for old villages with stone houses built in traditional eastern Fujian style, military history, scenic coastlines, unique local cuisine, and rich marineecology habitats. For more info on how tour organizers can apply, visit www.matsunsa.gov.tw, or contact the administration directly via the website.

Fodor’s, the world’s largest publisher of English travel and tourism information, recently published its Go List for 2018. The city of Taipei was given the impressive 12th spot among the 52 trendy destinations chosen from around the world. Taiwan’s capital is introduced as a city that honors tradition while looking forward. “One of Asia’s most progressive, flourishing cities strikes a balance between nature and modernity, past and future.” Find the complete list at: www.fodors.com/ news/photos/fodors-go-list-2018.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜7

C U LT U R E S C E N E

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

Until 02/25

Songshan Cultural and Creative Park

Until 02/18

The Haughty Smelly Cat Special Exhibition 白爛貓超有事特展

National Palace Museum

Until 05/20

National Museum of Natural Science

Egyptian Mummies from the British Museum

Forensic Science: The Anatomy of Crime

大英博物館

反毒防罪體驗特展

古今法醫傳奇與

埃及木乃伊展

Website: www.kham.com.tw

Website: www.mediasphere.com.tw/show/show/ egyptianmummies

Website: www.nmns.edu.tw

Developed in Japan in 2011, LINE is the most popular instant-messaging app in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Sending cute cartoon images and animations is a big part of communicating via the app, and one of the most popular image series is The Haughty Smelly Cat , developed by Taiwan creator Mochi Dad.

Mummies from Egypt never get old, literally. In this exhibition, have a look at six well-preserved mummies of individuals who lived on the banks of the Nile River between 900BC and AD180, and learn about their lives and deaths, their diets and states of health, the mummification process, and the religious practices of ancient Egypt.

How are criminals convicted of their crimes when there is no eyewitness at the crime scene? This and other questions are answered in this eye-opening exhibition, which introduces you to the history of forensic science and allows you to experience firsthand how medical evidence is collected, analyzed, and presented.

Until 02/28

National Taiwan Science Education Center

Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects

Until 03/18

Huashan 1914 Creative Park

Until 04/08

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Exhibition of Shinkai Makoto

新海誠展 in 台灣

大動物奇蹟 – 樂高藝術

Sanctuary Websites: www.ntsec.gov.tw; www.seankenney.com

Website: www.facebook.com/shinkaimakototen

When Danish toy manufacturer LEGO star ted producing tiny interlocking plastic toy bricks in 1949, no one could envision that by 2015 more than 600 billion bricks would have been produced and that artists such as Sean Kenney from New York would be using them to create stunningly detailed and colorful sculptures of insects, plants, and other imaginings, many of which are on display in this uplifting exhibition.

A well-known name among fans of manga and anime, Shinkai Makoto is a Japanese director, writer, producer, animator, and manga artist whose biggest success has been directing Your Name , the highestgrossing anime film of all time. This exhibition introduces you to the creative world of the artist and his successful work over the past 15 years.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

庇護所 Website: www.tfam.museum

When heading north on Zhongshan North Road toward the Taipei City district of Shilin, across the road from Taipei Expo Park you’ll spot a white, futuristic-looking building to your right featuring cube shapes in its physical structure. This is the long-established Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Outside the museum you can now experience the Sanctuary, an impressive public-art installation by local artist Wang Wen-Chih.

C U LT U R E S C E N E

Until 06/3

National Taiwan Museum

Revival of the Formosan Landlocked Salmon – 100th Anniversary Exhibition

Until 09/15

National Museum of Prehistory

02/03

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Singing with Ancestors: Special Exhibition of Pasibutbut of the Bunun in Haiduan Township

Russian Festival Ballet: Swan Lake

Website: www2.ntm.gov.tw

Website: www.nmp.gov.tw

Website: www.yatsen.gov.tw

The high-mountain stream-dwelling Formosan landlocked salmon is one of the rarest fish in the world, and is regarded as a national treasure in Taiwan. The survival of the fish is heavily dependent on the efforts of the Formosan Landlocked Salmon Ec olo gi c a l C e nte r at Wulin g Fa r m in c e ntr a l Taiwan; its restoration program has increased the population from about 200 to 5000.

The Pasibutbut, an eight-part polyphony performed by members of the indigenous Bunun tribe, is a prayer for a bountiful millet harvest. This exhibition provides a comprehensive introduction to this unique type of traditional music, and presents visitor s with a feast for the ear s thanks to a surround-sound installation by Canadian musician Matthew Lien.

The Russian Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 by ballet dancer Timur Fayziev. It has entertained audiences around the globe on its many international tours over the years, performing in premier opera houses and theaters. Swan Lake , composed by Tchaikovsky in 1875-76, is among the world’s best-known ballets, and is a mustexperience for any lover of this performance art.

「鮭」鄉何處？臺灣鈎吻鮭發現 100 周年特展

俄羅斯明星節慶芭蕾 - 天鵝湖

與祖先對唱 Pasibutbut 特展

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜9

F E AT U R E

NANTOU

Forests, Flowers, and Waterfalls Exploring the Mountain Areas of Zhushan and Lugu Townships in Nantou County Let’s spend a few days up on a mountain massif in Nantou County, hunting magical forest escapes, “seas of clouds,” lost-world waterfalls, comely suspension bridges, fireflies, the Swinhoe’s pheasant, the Reeve’s muntjac… armed with camera and pen. Text: Rick Charette Photos: Ray Chang

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

Bamboo grove in Xiaobantian

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ï½&#x153;11

F E AT U R E

NANTOU

Songlong Rock Waterfall

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

F E AT U R E NANTOU

Herb and Flower Garden

Dawn redwood trees at Sun-Link-Sea

or some, happiness is sitting on a perch by an ocean beach contentedly watching the waves washing up, one, then another, ad infinitum. Not for me. Spawned in a little former logging town by a river in the mountains of Quebec, this lad grew up far from the repetitive sea, and bliss for me is tracing a babbling brook and chasing bracing winds swishing up and down river valleys through trees locked arm in arm in dense formation, whistling tall and proud in t(h)ree-part harmony. Which brings me to Nantou, Taiwan’s only landlocked county, a land of ever-higher mountains where broadleaf and coniferous forests meet and mingle in vast swathes of varied-hue greens, canvas topped with broad brushstrokes of sky-blue. This Feature will be spent on a mountain massif with popular forest resorts occupying high-elevation valleys as our two key targets: the Sun-Link-Sea Forest and Nature Resort, its main area at an elevation of about 1,600m, and the Xitou Nature Education Area, its main area about 1,150m up. The launch-site for our upland peregrination is the western-flatlands town of Zhushan, tucked against the central-mountains base. County Road 151 flies us to Xitou, and from there it’s County Road 95 to Sun-Link-Sea. We’ll introduce our regional attractions in “reverse order,” starting at high-point Sun-LinkSea and then journeying downhill.

Breezy Days in Sun-Link-Sea On the final approach to Sun-Link-Sea on the 151 the road hugs the steep side of the massif much nearer its roof than its basement, providing a lordly view. Off to the right across a valley the plunging end of a mountain spur is seen, sharp-angle slopes carpeted with neatline tea bushes, the spur capped with bright-color plantation buildings, demanding road-side photo stops. The western flatlands are espied in the far distance beyond. A tunnel entrance appears. Out the other end your ambience alters dramatically. You are high up in a deep valley that has walls quickly closing in up ahead. This is the landscape of a long, narrow “forest and nature resort,” a privately operated getaway idyll (NT$250 entry fee). The valley has been carved by the Jiazouliao Stream. The area is remote and pristine, spread over an elevation of 1,600~1,880m, and ecotourism is the clarion call here.

Note: A shuttle-bus service is available for those not keen on long walks, moving you to different points on the main resort road (NT$40 adults, full distance one-way). At the upper end of the resort road is Songlong Rock Waterfall – also the upper-end shuttle-bus terminus. I vote for this as the prettiest waterfall location I’ve come across in Taiwan. Too perfect, like a movie set created for overly enthusiastic Lost Horizon or Jurassic Park shoots. At the base of

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜13

F E AT U R E

NANTOU

Sun-Link-Sea Hotel

99 Suspension Bridge

a Cinemascope-wide semi-circular cliff is a large, deep-green lagoon busy with fish in the water and eye-catching birds above. Two massive midlagoon boulders are covered completely with vegetation, trees “impossibly” growing atop their solid-rock bed. The cliff’s base is “gone,” to a height of 30 meters and a depth of 30, a cave now where once soft sandstone was emplaced. A paved pathway takes you along the cliff base and through the gaping hole, and you emerge directly before the waterfall itself, at its base. The waters spray down from on high, bouncing off the protruding tiers of the cliff. Before all this, where the waters of the lagoon reform into streamformation once more for their downhill run, is the cherry-red 99 Suspension Bridge. The path to the highest attraction in Sun-Link-Sea, Tian Di Yan, begins beside the bridge. “Tian Di Yan” literally means “Heaven and Earth Eyes” – two large erosion holes on the streamside cliff, eight and six meters wide respectively, that are the “eyes of Heaven seeing everything on Earth,” and into the souls of human visitors – here at the “top of the world.”

Dishes served at hotel restaurant

Jiazouliao Stream

Sun-Link-Sea Forest and Nature Resort ( 杉林溪度假園區 ) No. 6, Xishan Rd., Da’an Borough, Zhushan Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣竹山鎮大鞍里溪山路 6 號 ) (049) 261-1217 www.goto307.com.tw

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At the expansive Herb and Flower Garden, laid out appealingly like a chateau’s gardens, you are guaranteed that something will be a bloomin’ whatever your arrivin’ season. All focus is on temperate-climate plants at what is a flower and medicinal-herb botanical research and teaching center. Here is the calendar for tourist-favorite floral celebrities: tulips Jan~Mar, peonies and rhododendrons Mar~May, Taiwan azaleas Mar~Jun, violet Mexican sage flowers both May/June and Oct/Nov, hydrangea Sep~Nov, golden bell flowers year-round. Beside the garden, at our time of visit a grove of young, planted maple trees was just past premium autumn-color display, inducing a bittersweet

F E AT U R E NANTOU

Tian Di Yan

Bright Stars, Brighter Fireﬂies Each night two free Chinese-language guided outings are offered – a firefly tour at 6:30 and a stargazing session at 7:30. The former launches from the Red Building, a retail center where premium local teas, art, etc. are sold, taking visitors up a forest trail. Gather for the latter at the hotel and enjoy stargazing from the hotel roof. A cherished bonus prize for Travel in Taiwan team members who lingered in the dark forest for star-photography after the firefly flirtation was the fleeting presence of a rarely seen Reeve’s muntjac, blissfully unaware of us for many precious moments that will long be valued.

bout of homesickness for this writer, who has not seen the Eastern North America fall maple colors in many seasons. Resort cultivators have planted maple trees all around the area to add extra color splashes.

Shijing Ji

Tollbooth

88 Suspension Bridge

Red House

Sun-Link-Sea Hotel

Herb and Flower Garden am

e Str

The resort has a range of accommodations. Its venerable Sun-Link-Sea Hotel stands between two broad bends in the Jiazouliao in its only openflatland area, near its mid-point. Its European-décor rooms sleep up to four, Japanese-style tatami rooms up to six. Amenities include a sunlit fitness area, large gift shop, spa facility, karaoke facility, and art shop. Room rates start at NT$3,080; Chinese-style breakfast buffet included; guests have resort entry fee reimbursed.

Qinglong Waterfall

ao uli ozo

Note: The photos seen on these pages were taken in late autumn, when water levels are low. In spring/early summer the waterfall/cascade visual effects are accompanied by “thunderous roar” sound effects.

Anding Tunnel

Jia

Found along the lower stretch of the Jiazouliao Stream section that courses through Sun-Link-Sea is Shijing Ji, a collection of potholes in the stone stream-bed, the deepest 5.5m, formed over millennia by stones caught in depressions by high-water eddies, endlessly circling and digging. Just above this geological gem is a manmade one, the 88 Suspension Bridge, which connects the long, easy-grade, foliage-shaded paved pathways that run along the lower-section sides of the stream. Not far downstream is the soaring 116m-high Qinglong Waterfall, taken in from upper and lower viewing decks, the waterfall and its gorge serving as a superb “headward erosion” classroom.

Xit Zh ou/ us ha n

Sun-Link-Sea Forest and Nature Resort Songlong Rock Waterfall 99 Suspension Bridge

Taiwan

Tian Di Yan

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Between Sun-Link-Sea and Xitou – Wangyou Forest

Wangyou Forest

Beside County Road 95, a few kilometers from Sun-Link-Sea, you’ll see a large “Wangyou Forest” sign (purple with white Chinese characters) between a parking lot and a timber-façade tea-selling outlet. From there, a narrow road leaps up past tea fields, the road and fields both tilted at startling angles. Take the 15-minute huff-and-puff walk up to the forestentrance path (NT$50 entry), or use one of the privately-operated shuttle vans (NT$200 return). Wangyou Forest is a section of tall-pine forest drowned when the creek that gurgles through was blocked by Taiwan’s infamous 921 Earthquake in 1999. The result is a photographer’s dream, ethereal and enchanting, a place of otherworldly spirit right out of the Lord of the Rings.

Tip: Back on the main road, from this point up to the aforementioned tunnel, and downhill about a kilometer to the Liulongtou lookout (clear roadside signage), are openview points through the trees splendid for enjoying Taiwan’s quintessential “sea of clouds” phenomenon – tremendous sunrise/sunset cloud banks rushing in to fill up deep valleys bottom to brim. The Sun-Link-Sea valley itself is too shallow for this to occur.

Xitou Nature Education Area

Xitou Nature Education Area ( 溪頭自然教育園區 ) No. 9, Senlin Ln., Lugu Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣鹿谷鄉森林巷 9 號 ) (049) 261-2111 www.exfo.ntu.edu.tw/sitou/eng

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Your purpose at Xitou Nature Education Area (NT$200 entry fee) is to walk among the trees, in forest cover with a soaring canopy. The trails here thread through the woodland like a spider’s web. The area takes up 2,485 hectares. Cultivated within – this is an experimental station, established long ago by the Japanese – are, among other timber denizens, tracts of bamboo, pine, cedar, cypress, and gingko. Xitou is home to some 300 species of tree and 85 of bird, migratory and domestic. Just inside the main gate, to the right, is a sturdy suspension bridge, clear-water stream flowing underneath, which leads to the area’s most popular walk. This paved circuit, an easy few kilometers, is for the most part graced with a leafy green canopy. It twists in a wide, gentlygraded loop, delivering you back to the main gate and the busy cluster of accommodation facilities, small eateries, shops, and entertainment facilities right outside. Among the highlights for visitors is University Pond, originally a logging-industry pond used to keep cut timber moist, today spanned by a high-arch bamboo bridge and home to a busy community of frogs and well-fed carp. Other attractions are the 180m Sky Walk, Taiwan’s firstsuch forest facility; a seedling nursery; a “bamboo house” made entirely of bamboo, including the furnishings; a mountain overlook and astronomical observatory; and an eco-exhibition center.

Sky Ladder F E AT U R E NANTOU

BeYoung Garden

BeYoung Garden Should you be famished be the time you arrive in Zhushan town, this new restaurant is both your answer and a delight. Tantalizingly, it’s on the second (top) floor of a still-operating small inter-town bus station that looks like a set for a 1950s period movie. “Zhushan” literally means “Bamboo Mountain”; the area is renowned for bamboo cultivation and products, bamboo is a key restaurant decorative material, and the chefs make edible bamboo a prominent ingredient. Specially recommended: the “three-cups mushroom bitter-tea range chicken” and “dried bamboo with soy-braised pork” set meals.

Getting There The Taiwan Tour Bus service has a 1-day guided tour from central Taichung that takes you to Xitou and two sites in Xiaobantian (www.taiwantourbus.com.tw). The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle hop-on/hop-off service (en.taiwantrip.com.tw) offers the Xitou Route from Taichung’s TRA and High Speed Rail stations, with stops in Zhushan, Lugu, and Xitou, and at the Le Midi hotel. The bus will make the trip further uphill to Sun-Link-Sea if you inform the staff/driver before getting on the bus at one of the two train stations. Taichung Bus (www.tcbus.com.tw; Chinese) No. 6871 buses run from central Taichung to Sun-Link-Sea, with stops at Lugu, Xitou, and Wangyou Forest.

BeYoung Garden ( 竹青庭人文空間 ) 2F, No. 27, Caiyuan Rd., Zhongshan Borough, Zhushan Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣竹山鎮中山里菜園路 27 號 2 樓 ) (04) 9265-6176 www.facebook.com/BeyoungGarden

Set meal at BeYoung Garden

to Freeway 3

Zhushan Township

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Lugu Township

BeYoung Garden Xiaobantian

149

Qilin Lake

55 151

Dexing Waterfall

Sky Ladder Xitou

Taiwan

Wangyou Forest Sun-Link-Sea

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“Xiaobantian is home to numerous fetching waterfalls, Dexing Waterfall perhaps the best-known”

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On the Way Up / On the Way Down – Other Area Jewels

Moso bamboo forest

Here is a collection of other locations well worth your time between the Sun-Link-Sea/Xitou area and Zhushan. As mentioned in the opening, we start with the highest in elevation and end with the lowest (the Sky Ladder Scenic Area an outlier). County Road 151 passes through quiet Lugu town, for which renowned Mt. Dongding serves as picturesque backdrop, slopes covered in the long lines of bushes that give birth to the district’s main tourist attraction, fragrant Dongding Oolong Tea. Tea shops and factories line the town’s main drag bottom to top, which bursts to life with avid buyers from the lowlands on weekends and holidays. County Road 56 takes you out of town to the other side of Mt. Dongding, where more neat tea farms await along with a pictureperfect bonus, serene Qilin Lake. This is a manmade attraction; in the late 1800s two dominant farming clans in the area agreed to block the basin between the mountains here, creating a reservoir used for irrigation. Walk the round-lake trail – most mornings and evenings a thin fog forms over the water, cultivating an air of mystery, and there is good lakeside firefly-spotting from the end of March through mid-May.

Qilin Lake Tea plantation in Xiaobantian

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F E AT U R E NANTOU

Le Midi Hotel Chitou

Xiaobantian Lookout

From Lugu town, take County Road 55-1 across Beishi River to the other side of the valley, entering the Xiaobantian Scenic Area. “Xiaobantian” means “Little Half Heaven/Sky” – reference to the area’s halfway-status between Zhushan and Lugu. This district is centered on three small high-country farm villages that gathered forces to focus on agro/ecotourism after the 921 Earthquake. Bamboo is king here, and augmenting the magnetic scenery siphoning in tourists, homestay experiences are now front and center along with innovative local-theme DIY and other experience activities. You’ll come to the Xiaobantian Lookout as you climb the rivervalley wall up to the plateau the farm villages inhabit, from where you can look back at the magnificent bright-red bridge you’ve just traversed, Xiaobantian Bridge, opened in 2014. This is mountainous Nantou County’s highest extradosed bridge, its roadbed 60 meters up from the valley floor. Its soaring grey towers are shaped like giant bamboo stalks, just like Taipei’s famed Taipei 101 tower. Xiaobantian is home to numerous fetching waterfalls, Dexing Waterfall perhaps the best-known. On the higher reaches of a boulderstrewn Beishi River tributary stream, it has two sections; the upper, 30m high, has carved a cool, calm pool at its base perfect for wading. During its rugged imperial-era pioneering days Taiwan was wracked by riots, rebellions, and other forms of civil strife. The last battle in the great 1787-1788 Lin Shuang-wen Rebellion, say local authorities, occurred at Xiaobantian’s “Moso Bamboo Forest Ancient Battlefield.” The site is beside County Road 55, the Chinese site-name characters carved in stone on a commemorative wall. A trailhead right behind sets walkers out on two long, interconnected pathways that pierce a vast forest of still-cultivated moso bamboo said to have been planted by the mainland China settler-forefathers of the local farm folk.

Le Midi Hotel Chitou Le Midi Hotel Chitou is THE prestigious name for accommodation at Xitou, a veritable high-mountain hideaway oasis of regal splendor amidst a world of tall trees and rugged mountains. Set in a narrow side valley off County Road 151, just below Xitou, it appears abruptly when rounding a bend, standing like a proud European chateau transported to Taiwan’s mountains. The owners are avid hunters of European-nobility antiques, and eager to show them off. In the lobby and other areas you are regaled with imperial-French furniture, clocks, and other curios collected on hunting forays in Europe. The guestrooms are all spacious and tastefully appointed in modernistic continental European style, with bright nature-evocative green, white, and brown tones predominant. Room rates start at NT$11,000; one dinner and breakfast included One’s complimentary buffet dinner and breakfast are taken in the Miller Hall, a Western-style restaurant of French-chateau ambience with large windows and a wide-angle view of the hotel’s heated outdoor pool, which is backed by a tall man-made cliff with waterfall. The repasts are an international culinary medley. Best of the best at dinner on the night of this writer’s recent visit, in his humble-yet-confident gourmand opinion, was the smoked salmon and pig trotter, best at breakfast the fresh mountain produce salad bar. Among the many amenities are outdoor pool, games room, and a gym. Less common are the mini-cinema with plush sofa seating showing recent family-friendly English-language flicks, the foot-soak/foot-massage area, and the Zen Living tea-enjoyment room. The hotel offers a shuttle-bus service to/from Taichung’s High Speed Rail station, with runs in either direction twice a day. Reserve seats at least 24 hours ahead. Le Midi Hotel Chitou ( 米堤大飯店 ) No. 1, Miti St., Neihu Village, Lugu Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣鹿谷鄉內湖村米堤街 1 號 ) (049) 261-2222 www.lemidi-hotel.com.tw

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Google map with info

Sky Ladder

Trail to the Sky Ladder

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Zhushan Township

Qilin Lake

Monster Village

Lugu Township Xiaobantian Lookout

Moso Bamboo Forest Ancient Battlefield

151

Dexing Waterfall

Monster Village Conveniently located right next door to Xitou Nature Education Area is Monster Village, a quirky collection of shops and restaurants tied together with a Disney-esque horror theme. Even the food is “monstrous,” with snacks including tang yuan (boiled balls of glutinous rice flour) made to look like eyeballs, and “biting cat buns,” so named for the use of a plant found in the Xitou area, Urtica thunbergiana, commonly called “biting cat” in Taiwan. The plant, if handled, produces an itching sensation similar to poison ivy, but is perfectly edible after it's cooked.

From Zhushan town you can take County Road 49, which runs roughly parallel to County Road 151, south and then turn right onto Dinglin Road, which takes you to the Sky Ladder Scenic Area entrance (NT$50 adults). A well-maintained trail brings you down, down, relentlessly down to the bottom of Taiji Gorge. Your joints, calves, and thighs will be well tested. Moving through thick bamboo forest, among your gorge-bottom rewards will be the Sky Ladder – a suspension-bridge engineering marvel – a sheer-cliff cave-dwelling Earth God temple below it, and Qinglong Waterfall. Unexpected bonuses in this soothingly sedate environment were my first-ever sightings (two!) of the neon-blueplumage Swinhoe’s pheasant. 22

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Le Midi Hotel Chitou

49 Monster Village Xitou Nature Education Area

Taiwan English and Chinese 88 Suspension Bridge 八八吊橋 99 Suspension Bridge 九九吊橋 Dexing Waterfall 德興瀑布 Dinglin Road 頂林路 Herb and Flower Garden 草花園 Jiazouliao Stream 加走寮溪 Lin Shuang-wen Rebellion 林爽文事件 Liulongtou 留龍頭 Lugu 鹿谷 “Moso Bamboo Forest Ancient Battlefield” 孟宗竹林古戰場 Mt. Dongding 凍頂山 Qilin Lake 麒麟潭 Qinglong Waterfall 青龍瀑布 “sea of clouds” 雲海

Sun-Link-Sea

Shijing Ji 石井磯 Sky Ladder (Scenic Area) 梯子吊橋 ( 風景區 ) Songlong Rock Waterfall 松瀧岩瀑布 Sun-Link-Sea Hotel 杉林溪大飯店 Taiji Gorge 太極峽谷 Tian Di Yan 天地眼 University Pond 大學池 Wangyou Forest 忘憂森林 Xiaobantian Lookout 小半天觀景台 Xiaobantian Scenic Area 小半天小半天風景區 Xiaobantian Bridge 小半天高架橋 Zhushan 竹山

SPECIAL REPORT ART TAIPEI

ARTTAIPEI

A Window to Art in Asia Text: Peter Freestone Photos: Maggie Song

eralded as the longest-running art fair in Asia, Art Taipei is a vital hub for artists, galleries, and collectors to engage in key exchanges, elevate their profiles, and expand their networks. And for the general art lover, this annual affair held at Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center, in the shadow of Taiwan’s tallest skyscraper, is a chance to experience a concentrated burst of inspiration and gain an insightful view into the AsiaPacific art world. In addition to the nearly 3,000 works of art exhibited by 120 galleries from 15 different countries, the 24th edition of Art Taipei in late October 2017 featured three special exhibitions: Pioneers of the Century, an exhibition of Taiwanese modern paintings curated by Pai Shih-Ming which included works by Yen ShuiLong, Hung Rui-Lin, and Li Mei-Shu; Contour Writing, an exhibition of contemporary artworks by indigenous Taiwanese artists; and Global Publics, an exhibition of Western public art curated by Annie Ivanova. Art Taipei 2017 also featured art salons, lectures, and other

programs, predominantly revolving around “The Rise of Private Art Museums,” a theme that fair organizers chose in response to trends witnessed around East Asia, notably South Korea and mainland China. As one might expect, an array of works by big names, such as Yayoi Kusama, Sanyu, Lee Kit, Marc Sijan, Tsai Ming Liang, and Marc Chagall, could be found in the booths of leading galleries such as the Whitestone Gallery, Lin & Lin Gallery, Massimo De Carlo, Opera Gallery, Lotus Gallery, and Mizoe Art Gallery. There was a similar abundance of high-quality works by emerging artists, from Ta Wei Huang's Basquiat-esque paintings at the Parkview Green Art booth to Sindu Portrais' photo-realistic charcoal portraitures, exhibited by the H Gallery, Reen Barrera's exhibition of toy-like sculptures, presented by Vinyl on Vinyl, and Keng Chieh-sheng's series of wobbling sculptural works scattered on the floor of the Da Xiang Art Spacebooth. Yiri Art also presented a standout exhibit of Wu Chiayun's installation, In Search of Inexistent Time.

More information about Art Taipei can be found on the official website (art-taipei. com), or by contacting the Taiwan Art Gallery Association (www.aga.org.tw), which organizes the fair each year in collaboration with Taiwan's Ministry of Culture. If you are interested in art, be sure to visit the next edition of Art Taipei, to run October 26~29, 2018! Modern art at Art Taipei

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MUST SEE & DO

INSTAGRAM

Get Your Smartphone Ready when Visiting These Locations! Text and Photos: Vision

ith about 800 million monthly users in 2017, the mobile photosharing network Instagram is one of the most popular social networks worldwide, and one of the most preferred platforms for showing images to friends, family, and followers. When traveling in foreign lands, Instagram users are naturally eager to discover the most photogenic locations and best photo ops. The England-based travel blog website theculturetrip.com recently posted a list with the 10 Most Instagrammable Spots in Taiwan. Let’s have a look and find out why these spots were picked (listed below according to geographical location, moving counterclockwise around the island).

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Taipei 101 “Taiwan’s most notable feat of modern engineering”

Most tourists visiting Taiwan come to the capital, Taipei, even if only briefly, and most of these want a look at the country’s tallest – and currently the world’s 8th tallest – building (508m). A challenge for photographers without wide-angle lenses is how to get the whole structure into one frame when standing close to it. A solution is getting down on the ground and shooting upwards. You will also get a more interesting angle this way. A good spot to shoot the tower is right at its base (a bonus is the popular and much-photographed bright-red “LOVE” sculpture at this spot). Another option is hiking up Elephant Mountain (trailheads near MRT Xiangshan Station), to the tower’s immediate south, recommended especially in the late afternoon, when you’ll get breathtaking sunset shots.

MUST SEE & DO INSTAGRAM

If looking for further inspiration for your coming photo adventures in Taiwan, check out these Instagram channels: bpintaiwan, iseetaiwan, amazingtaiwan, igerstaiwan, and exploretaiwan.

National Palace Museum

“the amazing exhibits … provide the best Instagram shots”

Ximending “one of the hippest places for the younger generation”

Ximending is the premier place in Taipei to capture the youthful vibe of the city. You’re certain to encounter youngsters sporting daring hairdos, avant-garde fashion statements, and intricate tattoos. There are a number of narrow streets lined with graffiti-covered walls, ideal for fashion-model-type selfies. Visit in the evening to capture the distinctive streetscape, illuminated brightly by the forest of colorful neon lights.

Another can’t-miss Taipei tourist attraction is the National Palace Museum, home to hundreds of thousands of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts. Among the best known of these invaluable treasures are the Jadeite Cabbage and the Meat-shaped Stone. If you want to take Instagram photos of these two, come as early as possible in the day, because these top attractions naturally draw big crowds. On a clear-blue-sky day the museum’s stately buildings, with their sand-brown walls and turquoise-tile roofs, are also compellingly photogenic. The adjacent pleasant Chinese gardens are ideal if you’re looking for an old-China setting, complete with swallowtail-roof pavilions and swan pond.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall “this is a spot where Instagrammers can spend a whole day”

Grandiose CKS Memorial Hall and its Chinesepalace-lookalike neighbors, the National Theater and National Concert Hall, are easy must-have picks for tourist photos. Be respectful when taking photos in front of the stoic, motionless honor guards, who keep their eyes peeled on the constant stream of visitors. There is a changing of the guard ceremony at the top of each hour during the day, with the soldiers performing an elaborate ritual before the solemn, imposing large statue of Chiang Kai-shek, former political and military leader of the Republic of China.

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10 MUST SEE & DO

INSTAGRAM

Rainbow Village

“there’s nowhere in Taiwan as colorful as the Rainbow Village”

One of the charms of naïve paintings is the generous use of bright colors without much attention paid to subtlety. Mr. Huang, a seniorcitizen resident at this central Taiwan military dependents’ village, one day started to paint the deteriorating walls of his neighborhood and didn’t stop until virtually every spot was covered. He certainly won’t be compared to Monet anytime soon. But his outdoor-art project has attracted thousands of Instagrammers, putting Rainbow Village firmly on the must-do list of smartphone-toting tourists.

Alishan Jiufen

“get up in time for that spectacular sunrise”

“a must-visit spot for any tourist looking for a day trip from Taipei”

It might take a bit of luck to be on hand at just the right time for the Alishan Forest Recreation Area’s incredibly beautiful scene of the sun rising above a bed of fluffy clouds. Weather is unpredictable after all. If you happen to take the area’s narrow-gauge train to the sunrise lookout spot in the wee hours only to find that thick mist is blocking the view, don’t fret. Alishan is a wonder world of photo ops, and you might instead get great Instagram photos with blooming cherry trees (in winter), the brightred narrow-gauge trains (with wooden carriages sometimes pulled by steam locomotives), and tree giants many centuries old (all times of the year, natch).

The most popular spots for taking photos in this hillside tourist hotspot on the Northeast Coast, once a prosperous mining town, are the old, narrow alleys, teahouses in heritage buildings, and of course the breathtaking view down to the rugged coastline, especially dramatic during sunsets. If you want to see the town from a distance and from higher up, hike up nearby Mt. Jilong. It’s a steep 40-minute walk (no shade!), but you will be rewarded with stunning views of Jiufen, the coastal mountains, and the sea.

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MUST SEE & DO INSTAGRAM

English and Chinese Alishan 阿里山 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂 Jiufen 九份 KMRT Formosa Boulevard Station 高雄美麗島捷運站

KMRT Formosa Boulevard Station

Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園 National Palace Museum 故宮博物院 Rainbow Village 彩虹眷村 Taipei 101 台北 101 Taroko Gorge 太魯閣峽谷 Ximending 西門町

Taroko Gorge “a place of stunning natural beauty”

“one of the truly stunning pieces of man-made beauty found in Taiwan”

Compared to the Taipei Metro, Kaohsiung’s counterpart, the KMRT system, has stations less busy and less bright and colorful. But there is one station that stands out, and which is arguably the most impressive of all metro stations in Taiwan – Formosa Boulevard. Its pièce de résistance is the Dome of Light, a remarkable work of glass art designed by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata. Thirty meters in diameter and made of 4,500 glass panels, it is massive. Bring your widest-angle lens (perhaps even a fish-eye if you own one) to capture it all in one frame.

Kenting National Park

Last but not least, and without doubt the most stunning natural and scenic wonder Taiwan has to offer: Taroko Gorge. Apart from visiting tourist hotspots in the gorge, such as the Tunnel of Nine Turns and Swallow Grotto, be sure to take the time to explore more of Taroko by following some of its numerous trails. Among the easier ones providing you with scenic wonders galore are the Lushui Trail (highway and river seen from higher up) and Baiyang Trail (waterfalls and a water-curtain tunnel). If time allows and you are not afraid of heights, consider hiking the Zhuilu Historic Trail (permit application required), certainly one of the most spectacularly scenic hikes you will ever chalk up!

“where you simply can’t fail to find an amazing spot for your Instagram feed”

Covering the southernmost part of the island of Taiwan, Kenting National Park has finesand beaches, stretches of rocky upraised-coral coastline, and a mountainous hinterland covered with tropical forest. There are many great spots to get your perfect Instagram shots. One of the best beaches for summer-vibe photos is at Baisha (White Sand) Bay. To avoid the crowds, come early, and preferably on a weekday (the beach is usually packed during the summervacation season, and on fine-weather weekends).

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ADVENTURES

KAYAKING

Text: Francesca Chang Photos: Chen Cheng-kuo

Kayaking on Shuangxi River near Fulong

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ADVENTURES KAYAKING

Kayaking the Shuangxi River on the Northeast Coast If relaxed paddling in a kayak on a calm river is your cup of tea, head to the beach-resort village of Fulong on the Northeast Coast to launch yourself on a short trip up and down the enchanting Shuangxi River!

onsidering Taiwan’s beautiful natural landscapes, including its alluring beaches, it is hard to imagine that adventure sports have only gained significant popularity in this island realm in the last two decades or so. One of the most attractive outdoor activities on the local scene at the moment is kayaking, done both on rivers and the sea. It is easy for beginners to sign up for organized trips with both instructors and equipment provided. Together with some friends, I recently had the chance to experience just such a trip, on Taiwan’s Northeast Coast near the popular beach-resort village of Fulong. Fulong is at the center of a recreation area known for its beautiful sand beach, the Longmen Camping Resort, and an old railway tunnel that is now part of a popular bike path. Among the water-sport activities available for visitors are sailing, surfing, canoeing, and kayaking.

For those arriving by train or bus, a 15-minute walk from Fulong Railway Station will bring you to the Longmen Kayaking Base, which is on the grounds of the Longmen Camping Resort. There, Paddle Around International has been hosting kayaking tours for the past ten years. Kayak outings are offered that last two hours (NT$1,000/person) and six hours (NT$2,800), the latter including a lunch break at the kayaking base. A minimum of six persons is required for an excursion; but individuals and smaller groups can still make a booking, and will be joined with others who book separately. All reservations must be made at least three days in advance. Paddle Around can accommodate groups of up to 200 people; the outfit often organizes outings for schools and businesses (the age requirement is 7 years and older).

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ADVENTURES

KAYAKING

Receiving instructions

Practicalities • Reser vations must be made three days in advance, at www.kayak.com.tw . The website is in Chinese, but English-speaking Pa d d l e A r o u n d s t a f f w i l l r e p l y to a ny English e-mails and will accompany foreign participants on trips. • Sea kayaking courses are only offered May ~ September, and the Longmen Kayaking Base is closed January through March. • Parking at Longmen Camping Resor t is NT$50 per vehicle.

What to Bring Expect to get wet. Avoid wearing any cotton clothing, and instead opt for water-friendly clothing that dries quickly. For both men and women, wearing board shorts, water shoes, and rash guards is recommended. Don't forget sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat during sunny weather! Bring a change of clothes and a towel; there are hot-shower facilities you can use after kayaking. There are also secure lockers in which you can store your belongings. Basic items like hats, sunscreen, and snacks are available at the base's second-ﬂoor shop.

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Into the River Upon our arrival at the kayaking base, the friendly staff suited us up with life vests, gave a safety demonstration, and went over proper kayaking techniques. We lifted our craft into the Shuangxi River and embarked on a tranquil journey. The river was very calm, meaning there was little chance of crashing or flipping. If you don’t know how to swim, your life vest is one safeguard in the unlikely event you end up in the water. Another is that according to local law, one certified kayaking instructor is required per every 20 kayakers. Paddle Around meets this requirement by providing one instructor for every 15 kayakers. As calm as the Shuangxi River was on this day were also the certified staff members who accompanied us on our journey. Their top priorities are always your safety and enjoyment. There is no pressure to kayak like a pro and you can dictate your own pace, leisurely to determined. With larger groups, the Paddle Around staff often provides some high-spirited team-building activities. Sometimes groups are divided into smaller teams which then compete in fun activities against each other. One example is raft-building. Basic materials are provided, and participants have to figure out how to build a floatable craft. Each team gets an allotted amount of time to piece it together and the goal is to come up with the sturdiest creation. For groups with children, a version of “Noah’s Ark” is sometimes played, during which as many children as possible try to sit or stand on a raft without tipping or sinking it. Tugof-war is also played; teams in two craft that are connected by a rope “pull” against each other by paddling with their bare hands.

Heading upstream

Whatever the size of your group, the Shuangxi River is wide enough to accommodate you when you go kayaking at Longmen. Our small group of six enjoyed the river all to ourselves on a gray November day. We first ventured down the river on our two-hour trip to have a look at the 3km-long golden-sand Fulong Beach. Each summer, this beach first serves as the venue for the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival, and then for the Hohaiyan Rock Festival. Since 2008, talented artists from around the world have participated in the sand sculpture festival, creating architectural wonders from the highly cohesive white-quartz sand. This type of sand has been recognized by the World Sand Sculpting Association as ideal for making sand sculptures. The rock event, Taiwan’s largest outdoor music festival, features many bands from Taiwan and abroad. It lasts three days and attracts more than 100,000 people. After visiting the beautiful sand beach, we turned around and headed upstream, paddling underneath and past Longmen Suspension Bridge, an ideal location for our photographer to capture us from high above. The guides helped us line up our craft in different formations, including a single-file line, for the ideal photographic moments. After taking pictures at the bridge, we continued further up the river, heading toward Shuangxi village. Soon we arrived at a long and narrow island that bounds a slim channel on the left when heading upstream. There you can have a closer look at the rich vegetation on the banks. A string of ducks soared into the sky upon our arrival – spotting water birds is one of the highlights

ADVENTURES KAYAKING

of kayaking trips on the Shuangxi. Our guides introduced us to many of the natural wonders that surrounded us, including the screw pine, the fruit of which resembles a pineapple. We very much wanted to continue our journey after this brief introduction to the local ecology, but a sudden downpour prompted an early return to the kayaking base. On a 6-hour trip you will explore the river much further inland than we did on our brief excursion. Nevertheless, I was already very much satisfied with my kayaking experience despite being on the water for less than two hours. Apart from kayaking at Fulong, there are many more ways to have a great day on the Northeast Coast. Explore the amazingly strange and beautiful rock formations at Nanya and at Shen’ao Harbor (Elephant Trunk Rock), go snorkeling/scuba diving or rock climbing at Longdong Bay, hike the Bitou Cape, have a seafood meal at one of the fishing harbors… the list goes on and on. Paddle Further In addition to its beginners’ kayaking outing, Paddle Around also offers courses for more experienced kayakers, venturing into the sea off

Fulong. Sea kayaking can also be done at other locations along the Northeast Coast, as well as along the North Coast and East Coast. Skill and stamina is required for these excursions, and it should also be noted that sea kayaking is prohibited during the winter due to unfavorable weather conditions. Kayaking is also prohibited at all fishing harbors in Taiwan. Kayaking fun can also be enjoyed on lakes in Taiwan, notably Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County and Liyu Lake in Hualien County, and the lagoon of Dapeng Bay. If interested in mountain-stream kayaking, note that kayaking groups meet regularly and tackle streams in areas such as Sanxia (class 2~3) and Wulai (class 3+ year-round), both locations near Taipei City. Whitewater kayaking definitely requires the highest skill level, and is obviously only for advanced kayakers. English and Chinese Bitou Cape 鼻頭角 Elephant Trunk Rock 象鼻岩 Fulong 福隆 Longdong Bay 龍洞灣 Longmen Camping Resort 龍門露營區 Longmen Kayaking Base 龍門獨木舟基地 Longmen Suspension Bridge 龍門吊橋 Nanya 南雅 Screw pine 林投樹 Shen'ao Harbor 深澳漁港

Getting There Self Drive: Taiwan's Northeast Coast stretches from the port city of Keelung all the way down to the northern part of Yilan County, its many bays and capes, enchanting rock formations, rugged cliffs, rolling green hills, and pristine beaches attracting visitors. The coastal highway (Provincial Highway 2) is a dramatically scenic route, and a 40-minute drive will take you from Keelung to Fulong. A faster but somewhat less-scenic route is Provincial Highway 2C from the town of Nuannuan to Fulong, via Shifen and Shuangxi. Public Transport: Getting to Fulong by train is very convenient. Just take an eastbound train from Taipei (60~90 min., NT$83~NT$128 depending on train type; note that most of the faster trains don’t stop at Fulong). Another option is taking a bus. From central Keelung take bus No. 791, which follows the coastal highway all the way to Fulong. From close to Ruifang Railway Station, take a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus (Gold Fulong Shuttle Bus; No. 856) via the towns of Jiufen and Jinguashi. From outside Taipei Main Station (Exit M1) take Kuo Kuang Motor Co. bus No. 1811/1812. Finally, there is a small-bus service from Taipei’s MRT Nangang Station (Capital Bus No. 1577) to Fulong (leaving at 6am, 10am, and 3pm).

Kayaking at Dapeng Bay in Pingtung County

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜31

M Y T R AV E L LO G

Text: Francesca Chang Photos: Vision

still remember the first time I set foot on this island. Cicadas chirped in the background, the scent of Yulan magnolias permeated the air, and a sun brighter than my pale skin had ever experienced before beamed down on me. I was a wide-eyed, 19-yearold college student who had come to study Chinese at National Taiwan University in Taipei. Standing next to me was my Taiwan-born father, serving as the bridge between my American upbringing and my Asian heritage. Even though Taiwanese was his first language, he too had just landed in a “foreign” country. He and his family had left Taiwan during the island’s more tumultuous years, and it was the first time in 40 years that he had returned. Together, we embarked on a memorable voyage around the island, riding in old-fashioned trains that looked nothing like today’s high-speed trains, and eating railway biandang (boxed lunches) along the way. We toured Taroko National Park, exploring its marble-laced cliffs and the remarkable Tunnel of Nine Turns. We rafted down the Xiuguluan River in Hualien County, cutting through the Coastal Mountain Range, mountainsides covered with lush vegetation. We visited family in Tainan in the south; none of Taiwan’s most famous eats can top my great aunt’s home cooking. Sadly, we couldn’t make it to Kaohsiung, my father’s bir thplace, before he had to return home to the States.

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

At Taroko Gorge

Little did my father know that a few language courses would lead to my coming of age in Taiwan, as I decided to stay and spend my early 20s in his ancestral land, teaching English, clubbing and KTVing through Taipei’s nightlife scene, and sometimes escaping to mountain villages like nearby Wulai whenever I wanted a break from life in the city. I came to love stinky tofu and could even tolerate blue jeans during the humid summers. After a few years I returned to the U.S. to attend law school. Fast forward to my 30s, and you find me in Taiwan once again. After pursuing the “American Dream” for a time, I’ve returned to the “motherland,” just as wide-eyed as I was when I got off the plane here for the first time. Only this time I’ve returned in search of the natural beauty of this country (so far I’ve visited Sun Moon Lake, the Penghu archipelago, and of course Kaohsiung), a comfortable pace of life, and the unforgettable kindness of strangers on this island that has helped shape me into the person I am today. I’m back. And it only took me 10 years, instead of 40!

A DV E R TO R I A L

A Welcome to All Muslims Visiting Taiwan! There are now Muslim-friendly facilities and services available all over Taiwan and Halal certification of hotels, restaurants, and foods is actively promoted. Muslims are invited to come to Taiwan to feel the renowned warmth and experience the hospitality of the Taiwanese!

Palais de Chine Taipei – Le Palais Chinese Restaurant/ La Rotisserie French Restaurant Received the Muslim-Friendly Tourism certificate from the Chinese Muslim Association

In recent years, the Palais de Chine Taipei has successively received the MuslimFriendly Tourism and Muslim-Friendly Restaurant certificates. It served almost 6,000 Muslim guests in 2016. As well as maintaining its original Muslim-friendly facilities, food service has been improved, including, starting last year, providing a special Muslim menu, providing pre-dawn breakfast boxes in line with Ramadan rules, offering various Muslim set meals available in restaurants and also by room service; dates, nuts, and snacks favored by Muslims are provided in guestrooms without guests having to ask. Guestrooms also have prayer mats and Qiblab indicating the direction of Mecca, with a prayer time sheet and Quran in the desk drawer; all images of people and products containing pig fat have also been removed from guestrooms.

Add: No. 3, Sec. 1, Chengde Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市承德路 1 段 3 號 ) Tel: (02) 2181-9950 Website: www.palaisdechinehotel.com

amba TAIPEI XIMENDING Chiba Restaurant Received the Muslim-Friendly Tourism certificate from the Chinese Muslim Association

amba TAIPEI XIMENDING’s fifth-floor restaurant Chiba serves Muslim travelers with dishes made with foodstuffs and cooking methods that meet Halal requirements and provides a special eating space and tableware for Muslims. Specially designed dishes included a 9oz handmade burger, Nyonya-style curry chicken pasta, and Thai flavor beef pasta. Muslim guests of the hotel can choose from a buffet or set meal breakfast, both of which can be enjoyed without worrying about their suitability. As for accommodation, apart from every room having a sign showing the direction of Mecca, a prayer time sheet is provided in rooms occupied by Muslim guests, bidet toilet seats and bottles for ritual cleansing are provided in washrooms, and prayer mats (or substitutes like large towels) are provided and special attention is paid to the removal of images of people and animals and related brochures, so that Muslim guests can enjoy a relaxing and happy vacation in Taiwan. Add: No. 77, Sec. 2, Wuchang St., Taipei City ( 台北市武昌街二段 77 號 ) Tel: (02) 2375-2075 Website: www.amba-hotels.com

Hualien County Cake Puti Cake Shop The first local-famous-product company in Hualien County to receive a certificate by the Islamic Association of Taiwan.

Owner Liu Jin-li’s business began with a small van he drove all around Hualien selling his cakes. He went on to create the gift brand Hualien County Cake and made crispy butter bread synonymous with “famous product of Hualien.” In 2017, his business became not just the first famous-product company and bakery to receive the “All Products are Certified as Halal” certificate by the Islamic Association of Taiwan in Hualien but also in all of Taiwan. The bakery’s house special product, golden pumpkin cake, combines the natural sweet fragrance of organic chestnuts pumpkin from Ji’an Township Agricultural Association in Hualien County with white bean paste. It has a multi-level texture and is low in sugar, fat, and calories, so that you can not only enjoy the delicious taste but also eat in a healthy way.

Zhonghua Branch/ 中華店

Front Station Branch/ 站前店

Add: No. 1, Zhonghua Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中華路 1 號 ) Tel: (03) 831-2889 Website: www.hling.com.tw

Add: No. 57, Guolian 1st Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市國聯一路 57 號 ) Tel: (03) 833-8819

Tainan Tan-Tsu-Mien – Taipei 101 Restaurant Received the Muslim-Friendly Restaurant certificate from the Chinese Muslim Association

The highest Taiwanese seafood restaurant in the world, Tainan Tan-Tsu-Mien serves dishes that merge the essence of Japanese and European cuisine into Taiwanesestyle seafood. The resplendent and romantic décor creates a romantic and high-class ambience. The Muslim Value Lunch includes a custom-made Polenta Cake with French Curry Sauce incorporating classic seafood dishes. Polenta cornmeal imported from Italy is mixed with fresh milk, butter, and eggs to bake a fine cake that is served with a specially made fragrant curry sauce. From all foodstuffs, to suppliers of flavoring, to tableware, storage space, flow line planning, and employee education, great care is taken to serve Muslim guests with Taiwanese-style seafood dishes that meet Halal requirements so that they can eat well and also without worry in Taiwan. Add: 86F, No. 7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市信義區信義路五段七號 86 樓 ) (inside Taipei 101) Tel: (02) 8101-8686 Website: www.facebook.com/dingxian101

HIDDEN TREASURES

CHIAYI

The Easy-Paced

SOUTHWEST REGION Taiwan Lantern Festival & Places to Visit in Chiayi Text: Rick Charette

Photos: Vision

The Taiwan Lantern Festival, one of Taiwan’s major annual celebrations, is held in a different location each year. The 2018 edition is being staged March 2 to 11 in the southwest’s Chiayi County, a region amongst the earliest settled by Han Chinese – in the 1600s – and today a region proud of its old-time character and rhythms where high-tech dreams of the future are eagerly cultivated.

Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

HIDDEN TREASURES CHIAYI

Hinoki Village

hiayi County stretches from the coast across the southwest plain and into the central mountains. Primarily rural, its flat countryside has fewer factories than encountered elsewhere in west-central Taiwan. The fortunes of old Chiayi City, an inland center less wealthy than the west’s coastal-port cities, flourished when the Japanese colonial government built up the island’s main railway-trunk system and the Alishan Forest Railway in the early 1900s, connecting them here, and the Jianan Plain irrigation system, which engendered an explosion in regional agricultural production. Many heritage facilities from this period have now been restored and opened to tourists. The Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the new lunar year and marks the close of the traditional Lunar New Year holiday period, has been celebrated since ancient days. In Taiwan, the staging of large-scale events around this date is a recent evolution. The progenitor was the 1990 Taipei Lantern Festival, launched by the central government to showcase traditional local customs before the world in a major international event. In the early 2000s the decision was made to share and spread the joy, and the spectacular event was taken on the road as the Taiwan Lantern Festival, now hosted in a different location each year to boost local tourism. This is a traditional celebration with modern hightech flourishes aplenty. 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival The 2018 event is being presented “via water, on the land, and in the air,” with the core design elements “tourism, technology, culture, and art.” The goal is to shine a spotlight on the recent renaissance of treasured traditions in Chiayi County, along with its cultural-creative energies, with a groundbreaking “smart” event. A water lantern area will feature international-grade water and light shows highlighting the iconic symbols of the Alishan mountain area – its “sea of clouds” phenomenon, dramatic sunrises, the Alishan Forest Railway, and cherry blossoms – and the compelling water-centered landscape and architecture of the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, one of the festival’s key venues. There will be shows each evening, augmented with professional dance-troupe accompaniment.

Chiayi Old Prison

The focus of a land lantern area will be the history of Chiayi, with special emphasis on traditional craft art and stellar representative works by local talent. Novel cultural-creative artistic inspiration is also being incorporated into the otherwise traditional-style lanterns being displayed. High-tech lanterns are to be the draw in an air lantern area, in an inspired presentation of new technologies, materials, and techniques. The innovative lanterns here will be unique adventures in visual expression. For more information about the festival, visit the official website at taiwan.net.tw/2018taiwanlantern . Other Chiayi Attractions Two of the festival venues, the Southern Branch of the NPM and the Suantou Sugar Factory, are major tourist draws in Chiayi. Below you will find some helpful descriptive information on these sites, as well as on other key local attractions. Hinoki Village Located in Chiayi City, the structures in this complex were part of the Chiayi Forestry Station’s operations during the Japanese colonial era (1895~1945). Timber brought from the high mountains on the narrow-gauge Alishan Forest Railway, today a popular tourist railway, were distributed from this center. The buildings were made with expensive cypress, demonstrating how prosperous Chiayi was during the era. The center’s 28 Japaneseera dormitory buildings were reopened as Hinoki Village in 2014 (“hinoki” is a type of high-value cypress); many local products and cultural-creative products are offered for sale on-site. Chiayi Old Prison Chiayi City’s old, well-preserved prison, today a museum formally called the Chiayi Old Prison (guided tours only), was opened in 1922. One of only five prisons built by the Japanese, it housed up to 300 male and 30 female inmates; the last were moved out in 1998. The complex has a radial floor plan, with a command unit at the center from which a single guard could watch the entire inmate population, prisoner cells stretching out from the central corridor in three long cell blocks. Another architectural highlight is the distinctive doors and windows, made of Alishan cypress, today still as sturdy as on their first day. TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜35

Xingang Fengtian Temple

HIDDEN TREASURES

CHIAYI

Xingang Fengtian Temple Northwest of Chiayi City in old Xingang town, this national-grade religious heritage site was established in 1700. Ornately grand, always busy, it is the southern terminus for the famed annual 8-day, 7-night Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, one of the world’s great religious-pilgrimage spectacles. Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, is Taiwan’s most widely worshipped deity, and this temple’s main icon is among its oldest and most powerful. Temples from around Taiwan deliver their own icons in rousing, cacophonous processions for “visits,” gaining strength from the Fengtian deity that will enhance home-district protection. The temple area becomes breathtakingly busy around the time of Mazu’s birthday (third lunar month).

Bantaoyao Crafts Studio of Jiao-Zhi Pottery & Chien-Nien

www.hsinkangmazu.org.tw (Chinese)

Singang Incense Artistic Culture Garden Just south of Xingang town, this is a one-of-a-kind Taiwan destination, introducing you to the history of incense and the art of making it. Fervent religious devotion has been a cultural keystone in the Xingang region for threeplus centuries, and many related traditional-craft industries continue to thrive. Incense-making is celebrated here – explore its origins and development, the varied related religious rites and ceremonies, and the secrets of its traditional manufacture by hand. Also, here you can enjoy a themed herb and flower garden showcasing the natural ingredients used in incense creation, demonstrations, DIY sessions, and an incense-products shop. www.incense-art.com.tw (Chinese)

Bantaoyao Crafts Studio of Jiao-Zhi Pottery & Chien-Nien Northwest of Xingang town, this is another attraction focused on an old-time religious-devotion craft. Koji (cochin) pottery is a traditional Taiwan art form featuring bright, glossy colors, originally used for decorations on temple-roof ridges and walls. The region around Chiayi City is this form’s home. At this learning park, the koji production process and its role in temple construction is explained. The highlight draws are a craft museum, DIY pottery-crafting workshop, classical Eastern-style garden, and theme restaurant. www.bantaoyao.com.tw (Chinese)

Southern Branch of the NPM West of Chiayi City, just 3km from Chiayi’s high-speed rail station, the National Palace Museum’s young southern Taiwan facility is set on a campus of 70 hectares of land. In addition to the magnificent museum complex, attractions include a large scenic lake and Asian-style gardens. The NPM, oft described as the world’s greatest repository of Chinese cultural treasures, is located in Taipei; this branch, opened to give residents of the south easier access to its gems, has been called “the most important cultural project in the history of Chiayi.” There is frequent direct bus service between the museum and both the high-speed rail and regular-rail stations. south.npm.gov.tw

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Southern Branch of the NPM

HIDDEN TREASURES CHIAYI

2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival Venues Southern Lantern Area: Special Administrative Region of Chiayi County; No. 1, East Sec., Xianghe 1st Rd., Chiayi County ( 縣治特區 ; 嘉義縣祥和一路東段一號 ) Northern Lantern Areas: Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum; No. 888, Gugong Blvd., Taibao City, Chiayi County ( 故宮南院 ; 嘉義縣太保市故宮大道 888 號 ) Suantou Sugar Factory; No. 1, Gongchang Village, Liujiao Township, Chiayi County ( 蒜頭糖廠 ; 嘉義縣六腳鄉工廠村 1 號 ) Central Axis: Taizi Boulevard, Taibao City, Chiayi County ( 嘉義縣太保市太子大道 )

Bantaoyao Crafts Studio of Jiao-Zhi Pottery & Chien-Nien

"Sugar railway" at Suantou Sugar Factory

Suantou Sugar Factory A stone’s throw from the museum grounds, this is one of Taiwan’s oldest sugar factories, opened in 1904. Sugar was Taiwan’s No. 1 export from the late Qing-dynasty period into the 1950s. Most sugar factories have been shuttered, and many have been dismantled or are in a state of decay, but this retired complex remains intact. Also featured are Taiwan’s renowned, and now very rare, narrow-gauge “sugar railway” trains, which hauled sugarcane from plantations to factories, and sometimes served as passenger trains. The buildings here today house an industrialheritage exhibit of original-now-antique machinery, and visitors can also enjoy slow-travel train rides through fields with guide commentary.

Tip: Travel Chiayi using the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s free Tour Taiwan app (available online), featuring real-time transport updates and info on nearby attractions, accommodation, shopping, dining options, visitor centers, etc. Southern Branch of the NPM

Taiwan

Xingang Fengtian Temple Singang Incense Artistic Culture Garden

1 Suantou Sugar Factory

Chiayi Old Prison 18

Chiayi (TRA)

Southern Branch of the NPM

2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival Venues

Chiayi (HSR)

Hinoki Village

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Chiayi City 3

Getting Around A free shuttle bus runs between the Chiayi High Speed Rail Station and downtown Chiayi Railway Station, which handles regular train services (the bus ride takes about 20 minutes). Scooter and bicycle rentals are available at shops around the railway station. As well, check out the National Palace Museum Southern Branch and Chiayi one-day tour of the Taiwan Tour Bus service (www. taiwantourbus.com.tw ), and the Southern Branch of the NPM Route, Southwest Coast Route, and Guanziling to Southern Branch of the NPM Route of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle hop-on/off service (en.taiwantrip.com.tw ). English and Chinese Alishan Forest Railway 阿里山森林鐵路 Bantaoyao Crafts Studio of Jiao-Zhi Pottery & Chien-Nien 板陶窯交趾剪粘工藝園區 Chiayi Forestry Station 嘉義林場 Chiayi Old Prison 嘉義舊監獄 Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage 大甲媽祖遶境 Hinoki Village 檜意森活村 Jianan Plain 嘉南平原 Mazu 媽祖 "sea of clouds" 雲海 Singang Incense Artistic Culture Garden 新港香藝文化園區 Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum 故宮南院 Suantou Sugar Factory 蒜頭糖廠蔗埕文化園區 Taiwan Lantern Festival 台灣燈會 Xingang Fengtian Temple 新港奉天宮

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜37

ISLAND FEAST

TEA CUISINE

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song, Zenique

Two Healthful Obsessions of the People of Taiwan What is better than a cup of fine tea? A cup of fine tea paired with fine tea-flavored dishes served in an elegantly designed modern teahouse. Good news for tea-loving foodies: There is no shortage of places in Taipei that serve quality tea and delicious tea cuisine!

Pouring fine tea at Zenique

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

ISLAND FEAST TEA CUISINE

A selection of desserts

A wide range of quality teas

Zenique ( 小茶栽堂 ) No. 7-1, Yongkang St., Da’an District, Taipei City ( 台北市大安區永康街 7-1 號 ) 10am~10pm (02) 3393-2198 www.zenique.net Le Salon ( 小茶栽堂 Le Salon) No. 8, Ln. 4, Yongkang St., Da’ an District, Taipei City ( 台北市大安區永康街 4 巷 8 號 ) 11am~10pm (02) 2395-1558

rag rant, complex, and flavorful, Taiwanese tea is perhaps the country's most celebrated non-high-tech export. Varieties such as Oriental Beauty Tea, Dongding Oolong Tea, Sun Moon Lake Black Tea, and Dragon Well Tea, to name but a few –all enchant tea drinkers the world over with their rich and varied flavor profiles.

quality tea cuisine is, naturally, using superior tea. As such, many of the island's finest creators of tea cuisine are also Taiwan's bestknown purveyors of tea leaf. With the ability to not only source some of the finest tea in Taiwan but also to control how it's cultivated, it's to these that one should look for a first-rate tea-cuisine experience.

In Taiwan, tea is a national obsession – no street is complete without a tea vendor selling hot and cold tea beverages in take-out plastic cups; no home without a ceremonial tea set, around which visitors are entertained with freshly brewed loose-leaf tea; no restaurant without a complimentary supply of the drink on tap. It's perhaps no surprise, then, that tea, as something so beloved by the Taiwanese, is often combined with another Taiwanese obsession: food. Whether it's infused into sweets and cakes or used to season some of Taiwan's classic savory dishes, the secret to making good-

Zenique is one such company. A long-standing tea merchant – specializing in premium organic tea – Zenique branched out in 2011 into the café industry, with the aim of taking the art of tea appreciation out of the old-fashioned teahouse and into the modern high-street café. To sample Zenique's unique take on Taiwanese tea desserts, I visit the company's two storefronts in Taipei's renowned foodie district, the Yongkang Street area. My first stop is the Zenique tea shop on the main Yongkang drag to check out the company's large range of tea leaves, all of which are sourced from a select handful of contract

Zenique

farmers around Nantou County and the city of Taichung in central Taiwan. The store sells both loose-leaf tea and tea bags (made from biodegradable corn starch), the three main varieties being oolong, black tea, and green tea. For the uninitiated, green teas are unfermented tea leaves that are simply picked, dried, and packaged; oolong teas are partially fermented, resulting in a yellow or amber brew; while black teas are fully fermented and brew a dark ruby-red. Green teas tend to be light and aromatic; oolong teas have richer flavors; while black teas have the strongest flavors. To add an extra layer of flavors to their teas, Zenique also blends the aromas of several different flowers with their tea leaves. Osmanthus, jasmine, gardenia, lemongrass – all are added naturally, the buds layered with the tea leaves for thirty hours. As the buds bloom, the scent mingles with that of the tea. The result is a delicate fragrance that, like a fine wine, changes when the tea comes into contact with air. This tea is dynamic, something that you won't find with artificially TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜39

ISLAND FEAST

TEA CUISINE

added flavors, which, while admittedly bolder than Zenique's natural blends, have nothing of their subtlety or complexity. To sit down and appreciate these teas, however, you have to go to a nearby lane to Zenique's salon de thé , Le Salon, a modern café styled in sleek black and grey with a shock of green ferns punctuating each of its three floors (a far cry from Taipei's more traditional tea shops, with wood-paneled walls often hung with imposing calligraphy, and cluttered with terracotta tea urns). Before diving into the confectionery section, I first sample some of the company's signature teas: the shop's bestseller Gardenia Oolong Tea, cold-brewed, and a hot Traditional Black Tea. In fact, all of Zenique's teas can be cold-brewed (a process which takes 6-8 hours, so that the flavors can infuse), and it's down to the quality of the leaves that this is possible (lower-grade leaves become bitter over such a long brewing period; Zenique's leaves however, retain their natural freshness throughout the prolonged infusion). The Gardenia Oolong Tea is fresh and light, not astringent like many fermented teas, and a slight hint of jasmine permeates the unfamiliar yet intriguing scent of gardenia.

The Traditional Black Tea, on the other hand, packs a bit more of a punch, flavored with roasted barley and cassia seed, with a lot more body than the Gardenia Oolong – though again, this shouldn’t suggest that this tea is in any way overpowering or astringent. The delicacy promised is still present, the flavors still vibrant and crisp. Finally, I make my way to dessert. I start with some chocolate ice cream infused with black oolong, a simple concoction made solely with powdered yogurt, milk, crushed tea leaves, and chocolate. The clash of the mildly pungent oolong leaves with the bittersweet chocolate is mitigated perfectly by the creaminess of the ice cream; it's a moreish dish, and a flavor combination that I'm intrigued by and eager to try again – a desire which brings me to Zenique's line of tea-flavored Swiss rolls. There are eleven flavors altogether, with a new one introduced each season. Today, I try slices flavored with gardenia oolong and another with chocolate and black oolong. Both the sponge and the cream of these rolls contain crushed tea leaves, imparting the flavors of their respective teas. The sponge in both is very light and loose for a Taiwanese cake (which tends towards the springy and chewy), while the natural bitterness of the tea tones down the

cream just enough that you can eat plenty and not feel it's too sickly sweet. For my next “course” I try a classic French dessert, the Mont Blanc. Tucked inside a mountain of green-tea-flavored cream (decorated on the outside with snaking oolong whip) is a pocket of sweetened chestnuts and a purple oolong pudding, all set atop a dense biscuit base. Packed with so many tea elements, it's no surprise that the dessert has flavors that are much bolder than those of the previous confections sampled. It's also incredibly rich, and would best be paired with a refreshing green tea, its grassy freshness doing a lot to cut through the sweetness of the cream. For those looking for something less demanding on the palate, Le Salon also serves biscuits and cookies, again flavored with crushed tea leaves. Tea-infused nougat, sandwiched between two macaroons, makes excellent pickings for idle hands, as do some of the best pineapple cakes I've had in Taiwan (with a black-tea-infused crust, and juicy, fibrous dried-pineapple paste bursting from within – contrasting with the more common mass-produced pineapple cakes, which have textures that to my palate tend to feel a little homogenous and stodgy).

Green tea and pastries

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ISLAND FEAST TEA CUISINE

cha FOR TEA milk tea

TenRen's Tea – cha FOR TEA

Those looking for a more substantial meal, on the other hand, would do well to head to cha FOR TEA, a popular restaurant chain operated by a long-time staple of Taiwanese streettea culture, TenRen's Tea. Nigh ubiquitous in Taiwan, the company has been serving tea to thirsty Taiwanese pedestrians since the 1950s. In their cha FOR TEA restaurants, however, in addition to their large selection of oolong, black, and green teas, you'll also find Taiwanese classic dishes such as steamed pork dumplings, tempura, and beef rolls, all subtly flavored with their highest-quality tea leaf. Great care is taken to choose teas that best complement the flavors of any individual dish. The restaurant's steamed pork dumplings, for example, are prepared with one of Taiwan's best-renowned oolongs – Oriental Beauty Tea – which imparts a light mellifluous flavor to the broth inside. Strongly flavored beef dishes, on the other hand, require something a bit more pungent to accentuate the distinctive taste of red meat – in this case a Pu'er Tea, with notes of earth and hay, gives the meat a mouthwatering gravitas.

South St. Delight

If you'd like to sample some great tea with lighter food options, a worthy alternative can be found on Dihua Street in Dadaocheng, Taipei's historic tea-merchant district. South St. Delight is a beautifully decorated teahouse that specializes in pairing first-rate teas with delectable finger snacks. The décor is retro-vintage, with some lovely pieces of old furniture, a mezzanine balcony, and an inner room partitioned by a striking Japanese-style screen wall. The teaware, too, is noticeably artisanal, supplied by the local porcelain masters with Hakka-Blue (you can purchase its wares on the building's ground floor). Each tea order comes with a different selection of snacks (mung-bean pastries, longan jelly, a selection of preserved fruits, for example), all handmade in Dadaocheng's heritage pastry stores and specifically selected to complement and prolong the tea's flavor. Still something of a well-kept secret, the teahouse is a wonderful place to escape the bustle of Dihua Street and sit enjoying a beverage while taking in the mix of tourists, temple-goers, and those shopping for traditional medicines in one of the street's many apothecaries passing by below.

South St. Delight first-rate tea and snacks

English and Chinese black tea 紅茶 Dadaocheng 大稻埕 Dihua Street 迪化街 Dongding Oolong Tea 凍頂烏龍茶 Dragon Well Tea 龍井茶 Gardenia Oolong Tea 黃梔烏龍茶 Oolong Tea 烏龍茶 Oriental Beauty Tea 東方美人茶 Pu'er Tea 普洱茶 Sun Moon Lake Black Tea 日月潭紅茶 TenRen’s Tea 天仁茗茶 Traditional Black Tea 古早味紅茶 Yongkang Street 永康街

cha FOR TEA ( 喫茶趣 ) (Xinyi Branch) No. 88, Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd., Da’an Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市大安區信義路四段 88 號 ) 11am~10pm (02) 2707-3598 www.chafortea.com.tw

South St. Delight ( 南街得意 ) No. 67, Sec. 1, Dihua St., Datong Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市大同區迪化街 1 段 67 號 ) 11am~7pm (02) 2552-1367

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F A M I LY F U N

JINGUASHI

Digging Up Nuggets of History in the Mountains by the Northeast Coast Somewhat hidden away from the popular tourist draw that is the town of Jiufen, but easy to reach by public bus, Jinguashi is much quieter and laidback than its more prominent neighbor. Its main attraction is the very informative and educational Gold Museum, which introduces you to the times when gold-diggers went deep into the local mountainsides in search of this and other precious metals.

The Gold Museum Text: Han Cheung Photos: Vision

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F A M I LY F U N JINGUASHI

The Gold Museum in Jinguashi

o, you won’t be able to take home that 999.9% pure gold brick, even if you tried – the 220kg behemoth was once holder of the Guinness record for largest gold bar. But you’ll at least be able to leave with some gold dust. Visitors to the Gold Museum in Jinguashi can try their hand at panning gold right outside the Benshan No. 5 Tunnel, where gold miners toiled between 1897 and 1972. They can also visit a stretch of the tunnel to get a taste of mining work, augmented with a display of wax figures and explosion sound effects. The museum grounds, spread over a wide area and featuring numerous facilities, constitute the former business area and Japanese quarters of the Jinguashi gold and copper mine district in New Taipei City’s Ruifang District. Jinguashi and its better-known neighbor Jiufen, after long thriving as industry towns, suffered after the closure of their mines in the 1970s and ’80s. Both have since turned to tourism. Compared with the endless stream of visitors in Jiufen, however, Jinguashi is much quieter and retains a raw charm, as if frozen in time. After the end of mining operations, the town of Jinguashi languished until 2004, when the New Taipei City Government, along with Taiwan Power Company and Taiwan Sugar Corporation, established the Gold Museum to restore and revive the area. From Japanese-style wooden dormitories to the abandoned narrowgauge train tracks on the mountainside, selfie opportunities abound at the mostly open-air and admission-free Gold Museum. However, museum director Wang Chin-hua hopes that people take their time to also check out the exhibits and learn about the history of the area.

“Many visit the museum just for the Japanese atmosphere and the mountain scenery,” Wang says. “We hope that more people will come to understand the history of the mining industry as well as our preservation efforts.” From the Jinguashi bus stop (see Getting There section), it’s just a short walk to the museum’s Tourist Information Center, which is housed inside the former inter-town bus station. From here a red-brick path lined with red-brick walls takes you past the historic Shiyu High School, established in 1907 for the Japanese children in the area. Taiwanese children attended nearby Guashan Elementary School. The charming, minimalistic Japanese architecture and paths of dark pebble and brick make the museum grounds a joy to wander about. Gold was discovered in this area around 1890, leading to a gold rush with panners from all around Taiwan coming to seek their fortunes. When the Japanese took over Taiwan in 1895, they restricted mining rights to Japanese only – and serious mining operations officially began in 1897.

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F A M I LY F U N

JINGUASHI

In another heritage structure, the Gold Refining Building, originally used by the Japanese as a guesthouse and later as a goldrefining facility, an exhibit of old photos tells the story of Jinguashi’s rise and fall, the mining industry’s end arriving in 1987 when financial problems forced the facilities to close. The black-and-white photos, provided by Jinguashi residents, are grouped by donors, and each display details their personal experiences.

Benshan No. 5 Tunnel

“We even had former Japanese residents who left Taiwan after World War II return just for this exhibition,” Wang says. Two of the museum’s main attractions are the Four Joined JapaneseStyle Residences and the Crown Prince Chalet. The first are classicalstyle Japanese wooden structures that have been used as sets for movies in the past. The latter was built to host then Crown Prince Hirohito on a planned visit to Jinguashi. The lovely chalet comes complete with a beautifully landscaped Japanese-style garden. From the lower levels of the museum, walk uphill to explore the narrow-gauge train-track area and the Gold Building (admission NT$80). This three-story building formerly housed the offices of the Taiwan Metal Mining Corp. On the first floor you can have a look at a model of the Benshan tunnels, the second floor provides you with an introduction to the special features and applications of gold, including the massive gold brick mentioned in this article’s opening, and on the third floor is a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs related to gold mining. The Benshan No. 5 Tunnel is well worth the extra payment (NT$50), providing a taste of the miner’s environment, although visitors only get to explore a fraction of the site’s network of tunnels. Also worth paying extra for is the gold-panning experience (NT$100) – it’s a strange exercise, during which you have to keep reminding yourself that gold, 19.3 times denser than water, will not float away as easily as you think when you swirl that small pan of sand underwater. The sand, of course, is also much lighter than the gold. The museum area contains several eateries – most notably the Miner’s Café, which offers miner-theme lunchboxes (pork chop on rice, along with other goodies) in a traditional container wrapped in cloth. Visitors can either eat in the traditional wooden building or in covered booths in the adjacent plaza. Those feeling more adventurous can head further up the mountain to the remains of the Jinguashi Shrine, a place of worship built in 1897 to protect the miners during their dangerous work in the tunnels. The Shinto shrine was moved to the current location from another site and was expanded in 1933. All that’s left now is a stone torii (gate), stone lanterns, and stone pillars, creating an eerie setting – with fantastic views of the sea in the distance and the verdant coastal mountains. Beyond the Museum Director Wang hopes that visitors stay in Jinguashi longer than the usual two-hour slot allocated by tour companies – which is about the time it takes to finish touring the museum. 44

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Inside the tunnel

Gold Museum ( 黃金博物館 ) No. 8, Jinguang Rd., Jinguashi, Ruifang District, New Taipei City ( 新北市瑞芳區金瓜石金光路 8 號 ) (02) 2496-2800 www.gep.ntpc.gov.tw

“The mining district was quite large,” he says. “There are tons of other tangible and intangible cultural relics scattered through the area. We hope that people at least stay a full day, to explore more of the surrounding area.” The museum periodically holds in-depth tours of Jinguashi, notably the town’s main residential area, guided by locals who share with visitors their personal memories of living here. Immediately outside of the museum grounds is Jinguashi Old Street, which provides a stark contrast to neighboring Jiufen’s bright lights and constant tourist hustle. A twisting maze of concrete steps and wood-andbrick structures with asphalt roofs, it’s perfect for an afternoon stroll. Don’t expect the amenities of Jiufen, though – the street has just a handful of businesses, including several cafés.

"It’s one of the few ‘old streets’ in northern Taiwan that hasn’t experienced a revival,” Wang laughs. “But that’s what makes it stand apart.” Overlooking the area is Quanji Temple, notable for the giant statue of Guanyu, the God of War, on its roof. From there – and also from near the Gold Building – trails head up to Teapot Mountain, family-friendly hikes ending with remarkable views of the mountains surrounding Jinguashi. Close to Quanji Temple is the Taiwan POW Memorial Park, built to honor the Allied soldiers who were captured by the Japanese and held in numerous POW camps across the island. About 1,100 soldiers slaved in the copper mines in the Jinguashi area from 1942 to 1945.

F A M I LY F U N JINGUASHI

Golden Waterfall

Massive gold bar

Old Japanese-style residence

If you take the main road down from Jinguashi to the coast (County Road 34), you’ll pass the beautiful Golden Waterfall, and then come to the coastside community of Shuinandong, which came into existence because of the “Thirteen Levels” copper refinery. Now abandoned, this massive, haunting, vegetation-covered complex – easily spotted from the coastal highway – looks like a concrete, modernist version of a ruined mountain palace. Kids will love the 9.6m-long, two-story-high stone slide on Shuinandong’s Liandong Elementary School campus, and from there visitors can also look out to the two-colored Yin Yang Sea, the local shallow-bay waters, which are blue and yellow due to the high concentration of minerals carried down from the mountains by the Golden Waterfall stream. Wang says the museum will start actively promoting some of the above sites to tourists in the future.

“Many people think that the only attraction in the area is our museum,” Wang says. “But that won’t help much with opportunities for the surrounding communities, where members of the recent generations have mostly left for Taipei. Many homes here are empty.” From Shuinandong, you can continue your exploration of Northeast Coast attractions by following the coastal highway (Provincial Highway 2) eastward. Nanya’s strange rock formations, Bitou Cape, Longdong Bay, and Fulong Beach are among the many popular places to visit along this amazingly scenic stretch of coast.

Info The Gold Museum is open Mondays to Fridays from 9:30am to 5pm, weekends from 9:30am to 6pm. Admission is free except for the Gold Building (NT$80); extra fees are required for the gold-panning experience (NT$100) and visiting Benshan No. 5 Tunnel (NT$50).

Getting There Self-Drive: From Taipei, take National Freeway 1 heading to the city of Keelung, switch to Provincial Highway 62 (an expressway), then take County Road 102 to Jiufen and from there County Road 34 to Jinguashi. From Keelung or Yilan, simply take Provincial Highway 2 (the coastal highway) to Shuinandong and then Road 34 uphill to Jinguashi. By Bus: There is a direct bus service (No. 1062) from close to Exit 1 of MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station in Taipei to Jiufen/Jinguashi. Alternatively, take a train to Ruifang Railway Station and from there a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus (No. 856; Gold Fulong Route) to Jiufen/Jinguashi. The bus continues down to the coast and all the way to Fulong. (Note that the bus stop is about 100 meters to the left along the main road after exiting Ruifang Railway Station.)

English and Chinese Benshan No. 5 Tunnel 本山五坑 Gold Museum 黃金博物館 Gold Reﬁning Building 煉金樓 Golden Waterfall 黃金瀑布 Guashan Elem. School 瓜山國小 Jinguashi (Old Street) 金瓜石 ( 老街 ) Jiufen 九份 Liandong Elementary School 濂洞國小

Quanji Temple 勸濟堂 Ruifang District 瑞芳區 Shuinandong 水湳洞 Shiyu High School 時雨高中 Taiwan POW Memorial Park 國際終戰和平紀念園區 Teapot Mountain 無耳茶壺山 Wang Chin-hua 王錦華 Yin Yang Sea 陰陽海

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TOWN WANDERINGS

ANPING

Sicao Green Tunnel

What better way to launch your exploration of Taiwan – or deepen it – than a day spent in old Tainan City’s Anping District– named one of Taiwan’s “Top 10 Tourist Towns” in 2012 – where the island’s modern history was given birth? Text: Rick Charette

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Photos: Vision

TOWN WANDERINGS ANPING

ANPING

TAIWAN’S MODERN-HISTORY FOUNTAINHEAD A Day in an Imperial-Era Harbor Area Steeped in Cultural History

ainan was for two centuries Taiwan’s capital, and only gave up its crown in the 1880s. Anping, originally a place of thriving coastal indigenous communities located around a large and inviting natural harbor, was where Taiwan’s modern-history influx of Han Chinese and others from the outside sailing-ship world began in earnest in the 1600s. The many vestiges from centuries past have made this district a premier Taiwan tourist attraction. Following are Anping’s top must-explore attractions.

Anping Fort

ANPING FORT This is ground zero for modern Taiwan history. In the 1620s the Dutch landed here, their goal to make Taiwan a colony and control regional maritime trade, developing Anping as their base (silting has since moved the coastline a fair distance west). During the same era the Spanish set up bases up north in the Taipei region. Anping’s Fort Zeelandia was the imposing Dutch base of power. Today, the ruins are the key draw at what was renamed Anping Fort. You’ll find good English signage explaining the ruins and on-site digs, plus a small museum in a hilltop maritime-customs building built by the Japanese during their own time as Taiwan’s colonial masters (1895-1945). A highlight here is a model of the complex as it looked in the 1650s. ANPING HARBOR The key to Tainan’s imperial-era wealth was Anping Harbor, today much smaller and more closed in because of the aforementioned silting. In recent times the city government has focused on revivifying the harbor area – residents and tourists now flock here to stroll and cycle the pathways, head out on guided boat tours, view fishermen working the offshore oyster farms and fishing craft headed to/from the Taiwan Strait, and explore Anping Harbor National Historic Park, home to historic sites, temples, and heritage eateries, the latter renowned for just-pluckedfrom-the-saltwater seafood.

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TOWN WANDERINGS

ANPING

Tainan milkfish

ANPING TREE HOUSE The Old Tait & Company Merchant House was built by a British trading firm after the Second Opium War forced the opening of Tainan and other Chinese ports in 1858. The firm eventually left Taiwan when the colonial Japanese took over the lucrative opium and camphor trades. Later used by a salt company, the structure today houses a museum on the Dutch through Han Chinese pioneer periods. Behind it is a one-time company warehouse, today renowned as the Anping Tree House, completely overrun by massive banyan trees inside and out, creating a fairytale maze. A display center introduces the facility and local ecology. SICAO GREEN TUNNEL Just northwest of the above-described attractions is the Sicao area, a miniworld of estuaries, alluvial terrain, old irrigation canals and small-craft shipping channels, mangrove swamp, and wetlands. Much of today’s land was once open water – part of the great bay or “Inner Sea,” formed by a line of offshore sandbars, that so enticed the Dutch. The popular Sicao Green Tunnel, shaded with mangrove trees, is explored on guided-tour boat excursions (in Chinese; NT$150 per person). This is a long-disused section of Taiwan’s first canal, built in the 1870s, used to transport sugar and salt from local farms. This is a natural zoo of crabs, mudskippers, egrets, and other small creatures.

TAINAN MILKFISH Aquaculture has been a keystone in Tainan life ever since the Dutch began recruiting Han Chinese farmers to emigrate from the China mainland in the 1600s, and fish farms are a visual staple all along the low-lying, silt-rich Tainan coastal region. The milkfish is king. Bringing high nutritional value, rich in protein, pectin, and vitamins – and most importantly, delicious – it’s been called the “household fish of Tainan folk.” Take your palate on a walkabout in the Anping Old Street area, teeming with long-established eateries, for standards such as milkfish soup and congee, plus creations more unusual such as milkfish sausages and dumplings.

Anping Tree House

Peimen

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Sicao Green Tunnel

Anping Tree House

The Crowne Plaza Tainan in Anping Anping Fort

THE CROWNE PLAZA TAINAN IN ANPING The first international-hotel-chain 5-star hotel to be established in Tainan City’s Anping District, the Crowne Plaza Tainan opened in September 2017. It stands on the south side of the mouth of the Yanshui River, next to the 13-hectare Lakeside Waterbird Park, and faces Taijiang National Park, which covers 39,310 hectares of land and sea. Offering stunning views and an ecological corridor, the hotel is not only blessed with abundant ecological resources, but is also ideally placed for guests who want to view the famously beautiful sunsets at Anping. The hotel has 231 guestrooms, ranging from 37 to 170 square meters in size. To allow guests to conveniently tour Anping, adult and children’s bicycles are provided free of charge. Ride along the Yanshui River embankment breathing in the fresh air, or go further to Anping Fort on a nostalgic trip back in time … among many other options. Enjoy all this historic district has to offer in a leisurely way! Crowne Plaza Tainan ( 台南大員皇冠假日酒店 ) No. 289, Zhouping Rd., Anping Dist., Tainan City ( 台南市安平區州平路 289 號 ) (06) 391-1899 www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/tainan/tnncp/hoteldetail

Crowne Plaza Tainan

Anping Harbor

Getting There & Around The fastest and most comfortable way to get from Taipei to Tainan is the High Speed Rail (HSR) system. In Tainan, a spur line provides rail service (15-minute ride) between the HSR station and downtown Tainan Railway Station. Within slow-paced, spread-out urban Tainan, scooters are the most convenient form of travel; rentals are available directly across the street behind Taiwan Railway Station (i.e., Tainan Rear Station), international/local license and passport/Alien Resident’s Certificate necessary. The 88 Anping Route of the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service (www. taiwantrip.com.tw ) connects Tainan Railway Station with the Anping Harbor area. English and Chinese Anping District 安平區 Anping Fort 安平古堡 Anping Harbor 安平港 Anping Harbor National Historic Park 安平港國家歷史風景區 Anping Old Street 安平老街 Anping Tree House 安平樹屋 "household ﬁsh of Tainan folk" 台南人的家魚 "Inner Sea" 內海 Sicao Green Tunnel 四草綠色隧道 Tainan Rear Station 台南後車站

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R A I L T R AV E L

CHANGHUA

Changhua Roundhouse

SOUTH OF

TAICHUNG Discovering Changhua and Yunlin by Train Text: Steven Crook

Photos: Vision

Head south of Taichung City in central Taiwan and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come to Changhua and Yunlin counties. While not known as first-tier tourist hotspots, these counties indeed offer a number of intriguing places to visit, within walking distance of railway stations no less.

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R A I L T R AV E L CHANGHUA

臺灣鐵路局

區間彰化站至

員林站票價 21 元現發售當日有效

臺灣

鐵路

局

區間

員林站

Changhua Stn.

至

斗六站票價 51 元現發售當日有效

Great Buddha

hen Taiwan-bound tourists list the places they hope to see during their stay, the counties of Changhua and Yunlin are seldom mentioned. Those who have time to venture far beyond the greater Taipei region may spend a day or two in Taichung. They’re also likely to head out to the wondrously quaint coastal town of Lugang in Changhua County. But the rest of this county – and all of Yunlin County, perhaps except the coffee-growing region of Gukeng – get scarcely a look-in.

Along the stretch of railroad between Changhua City (the administrative and economic center of Changhua County) and the town of Dounan in Yunlin, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA; www.railway.gov.tw) operates 12 stations for the convenience of commuters and tourists. You may be familiar with the name of one of them. Ershui Railway Station, in Ershui town, is where many people change trains so they can explore the popular Jiji Branch Line. In this article we’re going to look at Changhua and two other stops, highlighting some attractions which the majority of tourists blast past in their eagerness to get up to high-mountain Alishan National Scenic Area or further south to Tainan City. Changhua City We’ll start in Changhua City, 2.5 hours south of Taipei by the fastest TRA TzeChiang expresses. TRA tickets are much cheaper than Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) fares (no more than NT$415, compared with up to NT$820), and the TRA station also puts you within walking distance of most points of interest in the city. Changhua’s THSR station is 29km south of the city center; convenient for some people, but not for our purposes. These days, Changhua lives in Taichung’s shadow. But it wasn’t always so. In 1723 the town was chosen to be the capital of one of Taiwan’s three imperial prefectures, making it the most important settlement between Tainan in the south and the port of Tamsui in the north. More than 60 years later, Lin Shuang-wen – one of the more successful rebel leaders in Taiwan’s tumultuous imperial-era history – declared himself “emperor” after seizing the town.

Ch ang hu a

Tai chu ng

Changhua Roundhouse

Taiwan

d. shan R Zhong

168

Baguashan Skywalk

Yuanqing Temple

Yua nlin

On arrival in Changhua, pop into the station's visitor information center if you need maps or leaflets. If you'd rather pedal than walk, there's a YouBike (chcg. youbike.com.tw) rental station directly across the road; the YouBike shared-bike scheme here operates in the same way as its namesake in Taipei. About 10 minutes by foot north of the station you can see something certainly unique in Taiwan, and perhaps unique in Asia. The Changhua Roundhouse (open Tuesday to Friday 1pm ~ 4pm and weekends 10am ~ 4pm) is a semi-circular structure built in the 1920s with space for up to 12 locomotives, where they can be kept out of the sun and rain when not in use. A turntable in front of the roundhouse rotates a short section of track, allowing railway engines to be turned up to 180 degrees on the spot, facilitating their entry into a vacant bay or return to service. Roundhouses existed wherever steam locomotives were used, because – unlike modern diesel or electric engines – steamtrains are difficult to reverse. At one point Taiwan had six functioning roundhouses, but this is the only survivor.

Changhua Confucius Temple

d. ua R ngh Zho

Museum of the War of 1895

Changhua Confucius Temple

Baguashan (Great Buddha)

Changhua County Art Museum Changhua Martial Arts Hall Jiexiao Shrine

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R A I L T R AV E L

CHANGHUA

Tianzhong Stn. Yuanlin Stn. Changhua Stn.

Amazingly, the turntable is still in regular use, so you’ve a decent chance of seeing an engine brought out or parked. It’s perhaps no surprise that Taiwan’s remaining steam locomotives are the most highly prized machines sheltered in the Changhua Roundhouse. One of these metal titans is over 100 years old, and it occasionally returns to service. From the roundhouse, return to the YouBike station, then make your way east along Guangfu Road. When you reach Minsheng Road, turn south. On your right, 700m from the TRA station, you'll find Yuanqing Temple. This place of worship was founded in 1763, but was gutted by a calamitous fire in 2006. The principal icons, among them effigies of the Jade Emperor, survived the blaze, and are now housed in a fully reconstructed shrine. The paintings that adorn the beams are still bright and unsullied, unlike those in many oldtime temples where incense smoke over time covers artwork. Cater-corner from the temple there’s a traditional tatami-maker. Tatamis are hard straw mats 7-8cm thick; the word is Japanese, but has been part of the local vocabulary since the Japanese colonial era. The owner responds positively to passersby who ask if they can take photos. From here, continue southward along Minsheng Road. Almost immediately, you’ll see on your left the stately Changhua Confucius Temple (open 8:30am ~ 5:30pm Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday and national holidays). Like every attraction mentioned in this article, admission is free. You can enter the temple's grounds by the side door or through the front entrance on Kongmen Road. Compared to the temples in Taipei and Tainan that honor China’s greatest sage, this edifice gets few visitors, even though it’s considered one of Taiwan’s three most important Confucian shrines.

Baguashan Skywalk

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN

If you spot peeling paint, or decorations which look a little faded, it’s because parts of this complex are nearly 300 years old. Inside the central chamber are bian (inscribed plaques bearing four Chinese characters) presented by an 18th-century emperor of China as well as two former Republic of China presidents. After the Confucius Temple, before heading east along Kongmen Road toward Baguashan (Mt. Bagua; more on this coming up), look across Kongmen to where Zhonghua Road meets it at an angle. Here you’ll espy a clothing store housed in what was originally a movie theater. This elegant building at No. 43, Zhonghua Road, which dates from the early 1950s, boasts a gorgeous Art Deco façade. If you step inside, go upstairs to appreciate the wooden roof-frame. Continue east along Kongmen Road, and you’ll come to a cluster of public buildings around the intersection of Zhongshan Road. Just behind the Changhua Public Library you'll find the Museum of the War of 1895 (open daily 9:30am ~ 5:30pm). This little museum commemorates a decisive engagement during Japan’s seizure of Taiwan following the Sino-Japanese War of 1894~95. On August 27, 1895, Taiwanese forces protecting Changhua failed to hold back the invaders, allowing them to proceed south and complete their takeover. There's no English inside, but the friendly volunteers at the door will hand out an English-language leaflet for you. The museum has no windows, because it occupies a former air-raid shelter built during the standoff between the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) and Chinese Communists in the 1950s. The museum is at the foot of a hill, and on the right of the entrance you'll see some stairs leading up. This is the most direct way to reach the top of Mt. Bagua, part of the Baguashan Scenic Area, and a massive seated Buddha. The peak of Mt. Bagua is just 97m above sea level, but from it you can sometimes see as far as the wind turbines that dot the coast. The Great Buddha, 23m high and painted a very dark brown, contains bilingual displays about the origins of Buddhism (open daily 8am~8pm). A recent addition to Mt. Bagua is the Baguashan Skywalk. Just over 1km long, from it you'll get good views to the south and inland. Leaving Mt. Bagua, saunter west down Guashan Road to its T-intersection with Dongmin Street, take a left, then take a left again a few steps later on Section 1, Gongyuan Road. Seen immediately is the distinctively Japanese dark-tiled roof of the former butokuden , also known as the Changhua Martial Arts Hall, a gorgeous 88-year-old structure that is usually not open to the public. The butokuden stands between two other points of interest. Right beside it on the right is Jiexiao Shrine (open 9am ~ 12 noon Tuesday and Sunday only), a beautiful and atmospheric temple founded in the 1880s to celebrate central Taiwan's “chaste and filial women.” In addition to the usual incense and fruit, cosmetics feature among the offerings made here. Back at the aforementioned T-intersection, on the way back to the city center, is the swish new Changhua County Art Museum (open 9am ~ 5pm Tuesday to Sunday). The exhibitions here rotate frequently, so do take a look inside.

R A I L T R AV E L CHANGHUA

Ershui Stn. Douliu Stn.

Singsian Tutorial Academy

lin an Yu

u uli Do

Douliu West Market

an un Do 1D

Taiwan

St. Sanmin

Wannian Rd.

Yuanlin Douliu

Rd. zheng Zhong

Juguang Rd.

Yuanlin Railroad Granary

Changhua

Yuanlin Back on the train and moving south, the next major town is Yuanlin (16 minutes and just NT$21 on a local train). Just before the train pulls in, look to your right. Right next to the elevated railway tracks, you'll see the Yuanlin Railroad Granary, 18 concrete silos built in the mid1970s. After just seven years' use, this facility was closed. Since then it has been opened to the public from time to time, but was closed at the time of my visit. Two of Yuanlin's more intriguing sights are in the same neighborhood, a mere ten-minute walk east of the TRA station. One is Singsian Tutorial Academy (open daily 7am ~ 7pm), on Sanmin Street. Like similar institutions built during the Qing Dynasty, this is a shrine/school where ambitious young men would study for the imperial examinations. People still come here to pray, or to study in the side chambers. More surprising is the Police Museum (open 9am ~ 11:30am and 2pm ~ 4:30pm Tuesday to Sunday), to the academy’s immediate north, housed in a Japanese-era bungalow and home to a cracking collection of police equipment from the 1940s to the 1980s. Among the items on display: Uniforms; Japanese-era swords; Geiger counters; evidence-collection kits; batons; handcuffs (and the type of rope officers were issued before handcuffs were standard); a bulletproof face mask; and a fearsomely complex Chinese-script typewriter. Every item is labeled in English as well as Chinese.

Police Museum Singsian Tutorial Academy

Taiping Old Street Former Police Dormitory

Taiwan

Douliu My last stop: Douliu, the sleepy capital of Yunlin County, NT$73113 from Yuanlin and seldom more than 51 minutes by train. There's no real need to stray more than 800m from the TRA station, where you can get a hard-copy map from the visitor information center. Douliu's most photographed thoroughfare is Taiping Old Street. Rightfully, too: It has several splendid Art Deco/ Baroque shop houses which date from the 1920s, back when Douliu was an important commercial center. The West Market is site of a dense agglomeration of fruit, vegetable, and other vendors between Aiguo Street and Yunlin Road. If you've never seen a traditional morning market in Taiwan, this is an excellent one to explore. Not nearly so crowded is the area around the former police dormitory on nearby Yunzhong Street. The characterful wooden buildings here have been renovated and leased out as coffee shops and galleries, forming a “creative cluster.” If you're traveling with young kids, do let them run around on the grass beneath the banyan trees while you enjoy a latte. The pace of life here is far slower than in Taipei – and that's why you came, isn't it? English and Chinese Aiguo Street 愛國街 Baguashan Scenic Area 八卦山風景區 Baguashan Skywalk 八卦山天空步道 bian 扁 Changhua Confucius Temple 彰化孔廟 Changhua County Art Museum 彰化縣立美術館 Changhua Martial Arts Hall 彰化武德殿 Changhua Roundhouse 彰化扇形車庫 Dounan 斗南 Douliu 斗六 Ershui 二水 Ershui Railway Station 二水車站 Guangfu Road 光復路 Guashan Road 卦山路

Gukeng 古坑 Jiexiao Shrine 節孝祠 Jiji Branch Line 集集支線 Kongmen Road 孔門路 Lin Shuang-wen 林爽文 Lugang 鹿港 Minsheng Road 民生路 Museum of the War of 1895 1895 八卦山抗日保台史蹟館 Police Museum 警察故事館 Singsian Tutorial Academy 興賢書院 Taiping Old Street 太平老街 West Market 斗六西市場 Yuanlin Railroad Granary 鐵路穀倉 Yuanqing Temple 元清觀 Yunlin Road 雲林路 Yunzhong Street 雲中街 Zhonghua Road 中華路

TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ｜53

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. Northern Taiwan

Tainan City Kaohsiung City

Taitung County

Central Taiwan

CAESAR PARK TAIPEI

East

53 HOTEL

HOTEL ÉCL AT TAIPEI

FLEUR DE CHINE

TAIPEI GAL A HOTEL Pintung County

South Taiwan

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

TAYIH L ANDIS TAINAN HOTEL

THE GRAND HOTEL

GRAND HI-L AI HOTEL

GRAND VICTORIA HOTEL

South

East Taiwan

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI

THE WESTIN YILAN RESORT

HOTEL SENSE

FORMOSAN NARUWAN HOTEL RESORT TAITUNG

＊ 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

HOTEL ÉCLAT TAIPEI 台北怡亨酒店

Taipei 台北

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL 慶泰大飯店

No. of Rooms: 60

No. of Rooms: 160

Room Rates: Deluxe Room Grand Deluxe Room Premier Room Premier 9 Éclat Suite

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

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

12,000 12,500 13,000 15,000 35,000

(All rates are exclusive of 5% VAT and 10% service charge)

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Cantonese

Taipei 台北

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI 華泰王子大飯店

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 220 NT$ 6,400 NT$ 7,000 NT$ 7,800 NT$ 12,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese Restaurants: Golden Ear Restaurant (Western semi buffet); Golden Pot (Chinese Cuisine)

Room Rates: Single / Deluxe / Executive NT$ 6,000- 8,500 Suit NT$ 9,500-20,000 Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese Restaurants: L’IDIOT RESTAURANT & BAKERY (Western), CHIOU HWA RESTAURANT (Chinese)

Restaurants:

Restaurants: Éclat Lounge

Special Features:

Special Features: Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World; strategically located in the most fashionable and prestigious district of Taipei; offers guests great convenience for business and entertainment; Wi-Fi connectivity and in-room business facilities; variety of meeting rooms providing the ideal venue for professional meetings, corporate functions, and social gatherings.

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

No. 370, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an District, Taipei City 台北市敦化南路1段 3 7 0 號 Tel: +886-2-2784-8888 Fax: +886-2-2784-7888 Res. Hotline: +886-2-2784-8118

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

taipei.caesarpark.com.tw

www.eclathotels.com/taipei

www.galahotel.com.tw

www.gloriahotel.com

2F Checkers, 3F Dynasty Restaurant e-Lounge, Banquet, Meeting Room, GYM, SPA, Roof Garden, Free Wi-Fi,Room Service, Laundry, Luggage Storage, Valet parking service

Travel in Taiwan

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

Special Features: Coffee Shop, Fitness Center, Business Center, Meeting and Banquet Facilities,Laundry Service, Non-smoking Floor, Parking Lot, Airport Transfer Service

No. 186, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City 台北市松江路 186 號

THE GRAND HOTEL 圓山大飯店

GRAND VICTORIA HOTEL Taipei 台北

維多麗亞酒店

Taipei 台北

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI

HOTEL SENSE

美麗信花園酒店

伸適商旅

No. of Rooms: 500 (Suites: 57)

No. of Rooms: 96

No. of Rooms: 203

Room Rates: Single/DBL Suite

Room Rates: Deluxe Room Premier Room Executive Room Victoria Suite

Room Rates: Deluxe Room Business Room Executive Deluxe Room Boss Suite Premier Suite

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

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

10,000+15.5% 12,000+15.5% 15,000+15.5% 20,000+15.5%

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese Restaurants: N°168 Prime Steakhouse, la FESTA (Italian cuisine), Xi Garden (Chinese cuisine) Special Features: Three minutes walk from MRT Jiannan Road Station, Conference room. Free high speed broadband and WI-FI internet service. Outdoor swimming pool, Business center. Gym. Parking lot, Room furnishings: SONY Bravia LED television. Office desk with Armchair designed by Philippe Starck. Electronic bidet toilet by Villeroy & Boch. Artemide Melampo Night Lamp. BOSE Bluetooth and wireless speakers.

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 79 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

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

Room Rates: Superior Room Business Room Deluxe Room Executive Suite Sense Suite

NT$ 7,500 NT$ 8,500 NT$ 9,500 NT$ 10,000 NT$ 15,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, and Chinese

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese

Restaurants: Rain Forest Buffet Restaurant, Tic-Tac-Toe Bakery, Light Café, JIU BAR

Special Features: Business center, fitness center, meeting rooms, Club House with luxury furniture and advanced media facilities for private meetings and gatherings, wood-floored openair Sky Garden, parking tower, close to the MRT system near Zhongshan Elemen tary school MRT station and key commercial and entertainment districts.

Special Features: Business Center, Pyramid Club, Sauna, Fitness Club, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Multifunction Room, Car Park

No. 477 , Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 台北市林森北路 477 號

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

No. 168, Jingye 4th Rd., Taipei City 台北市敬業四路1 6 8 號 Tel: +886-2-8502-0000 Fax: +886-2-8502-0005 E-mail: res@grandvictoria.com.tw

No. 83, Civic Boulevard, Sec. 3, Taipei City 台北市市民大道三段83號 Tel: +886-2-8772-8800 Fax: +886-2-8772-1010 E-mail: info@miramargarden.com.tw

Tel: +886-2-7743-1000 Fax: +886-2-7743-1100 E-mail: info@hotelsense.com.tw

www.grand-hotel.org

www.grandvictoria.com.tw

www.miramargarden.com.tw

www.hotelsense.com.tw

THE GREAT ROOTS FORESTRY SPA RESORT

大板根森林溫泉酒店 New Taipei 新北

No. of Rooms: 200 Add: No. 80, Chajiao Borough, Sanxia Dist., New Taipei City ( 新北市三峽區插角里 8 0 號 ) TEL: 886-2-2674-9228 www.dabangan.com.tw

COURTYARD TAIPEI 台北六福萬怡酒店

No. of Rooms: 465 Add: No. 359, Sec. 7, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路 7 段 3 5 9 號 ) TEL: 886-2-2171-6565 www.courtyardtaipei.com.tw

PACIFIC BUSINESS HOTEL

REGENT TAIPEI

太平洋商旅

台北晶華酒店

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 106 Add: 11F, No. 495, Guangfu S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市光復南路 4 9 5 號 11樓 )

TEL: 886-2-8780-8000 www.businesscenter.com.tw

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 538 Add: No. 3, Ln. 39, Sec. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市中山北路 2 段 3 9 巷 3 號 ) TEL: 886-2-2523-8000 www.businesscenter.com.tw

FULLON TAMSUI FISHERMEN’s WHARF

福容大飯店淡水漁人碼頭 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 198 Add: No. 83, Guanhai Rd., Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City (新北市淡水區觀海路 8 3 號 ) TEL: 886-2-2628-7777 www.fullon-hotels.com.tw/fw/

3 minutes by foot from Exit 2 of MRT Zhongshan Elementary School Station

FUSHIN HOTEL TAIPEI 台北富信大飯店

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 214 Add: No. 128, Sec., 1, Datong Rd., Xizhi Dist.,New Taipei City ( 新北市汐止區大同路 1 段 1 2 8 號 ) TEL: 886-2-2641-6333 www.fushin-hotel.com.tw

THE TANGO HOTEL - TAIPEI XINYI

WESTGATE HOTEL TAIPEI

天閣酒店-台北信義

永安棧

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 105 Add: No. 297, Sec. 5, ZhongXiao E. Rd., Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路五段 2 9 7 號 ) TEL: 886-2-2528-8000 xy.tango-hotels.com

Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 121 Add: No. 150, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd., Taipei City (台北市中華路 1 段 150號 ) TEL: 886-2-2331-3161 www.westgatehotel.com.tw Travel in Taiwan ｜55

53 HOTEL 寶島53行館

Taichung 台中

No. of Rooms: 70 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. No. 27, Zhongshan Rd., Central District, Taichung City ( two minutes from railway station)

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

www.53hotel.com.tw

TAYIH LANDIS HOTEL TAINAN 台南大億麗緻酒店

Tainan 台南

No. of Rooms: 315 Room Rates: Superior Single NT$ 8,200+10% Superior Double/Twin NT$ 9,500+10% Urban Room NT$ 11,000+10% Deluxe Double NT$ 12,000+10% Junior Suite NT$ 14,000+10% Double- Double NT$ 14,000+10% Business Suite NT$ 20,000+10% Deluxe Suite NT$ 28,000+10% Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese restaurant: Lips Lounge Bar, La Moda Café, Chinese Restaurant, New Asia Tappanyaki, Takegawa Japanese, Market Place Buffet, Restaurant are required. Open daily. Special Features: Separate bathroom and toilet, safety deposit box, lounge 2020, high speed internet access, conference room, and the fitness center included gym, indoor swimming pool, sauna, kids club and steam rooms are open exclusively for the hotel guests. No. 660, Sec. 1, Shi-Men Rd., Tainan 台南市中西區西門路1段 6 6 0 號 Tel: +886-6-213-5555 Fax: +886-6-213-5599

www.tayihlandis.com.tw

Travel in Taiwan

FLEUR DE CHINE

Nantou 南投

雲品溫泉酒店

No. of Rooms: 211 Room Rates: Classic/Premier King Mountain View NT$ 16,500/ 18,000 Classic/Premier Family Mountain View NT$ 16,500/ 18,000 Classic/Premier Japanese Style Mountain View NT$ 17,000/ 18,500 Classic/Premier King Lake View NT$ 19,000/ 21,000 Classic/Premier Family Lake View NT$ 19,000/ 21,000 Classic/Premier Japanese Style Lake View NT$ 19,500/ 21,500 Premier Suite Lake View NT$ 75,000 Presidential Suite NT$ 150,000

52 HOTEL 昭盛52行館

Taichung 台中

No. of Rooms: 166 Add: No. 52, Zhongming Rd., West Dist., Taichung City (台中市西區忠明路 5 2 號 ) TEL: 886-4-2317-5000 www.52hotel.com.tw

THE LIN HOTEL TAICHUNG 台中林酒店

No. of Rooms: 309 Add: No. 99, Chaofu Rd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City (台中市西屯區朝富路99號) TEL: 886-4-2255-5555 www.thelin.com.tw

TAICHUNG HARBOR HOTEL

THE LALU HOTEL

台中港酒店

日月潭涵碧樓酒店

Taichung 台中

Nantou 南投

(All rates are exclusive of 5% VAT and 10% service charge)

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese Restaurants:

Lobby Lounge, Eau Cloud (Dim Sum), Crimson Buffet, Jade Luminos (Chinese Restaurant), Rainbow Cloud Teppanyaki, Sky Lounge

Special Features:

Banquet Hall, Recreation Center, Children’s Play Ground, Houdepeaking Service, Concierge, Hot Spring, Qi Shiseido Salon and Spa

No. 23, Zhongzheng Rd., Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township, Nantou County 南投縣魚池鄉日月潭中正路 23 號 Tel: +886-49-285-6788 Fax: +886-49-285-6600

www.fleurdechinehotel.com

GRAND HI-LAI HOTEL 漢來大飯店

Kaohsiung 高雄

No. of Rooms: 436 Room Rates: Superior Room Family Room Executive Room Deluxe Suites Hi-Lai Suite

NT$ 8,800-9,500 NT$ 10,000-12,000 NT$ 11,000-13,000 NT$ 20,000-120,000 NT$ 200,000

No. of Rooms: 200 Add: No. 388, Sec.2, Dazhi Rd., Wuqi Dist., Taichung City (台中市梧棲區大智路2段388號) TEL: 886-4-2656-8888 www.tchhotel.com

No. of Rooms: 96 Add: No.142, Zhongxing Rd., Yuchi Township, Nantou County (南投縣魚池鄉水社村中興路142號) TEL: 886-49-285-5311 www.thelalu.com.tw

JANFUSUN PRINCE HOTEL

JIANSHANPI JIANGNAN RESORT

劍湖山王子大飯店

台糖尖山埤江南渡假村

Yunlin 雲林

No. of Rooms: 1 Add: No. 67-8, Dahukou, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County (雲林縣古坑鄉永光村大湖口 6 7 - 8 號 ) TEL: 886-5-582-9900 www.jph.com.tw

Tainan 台南

No. of Rooms: 102 Add: No. 60, Xushan Rd., Liuying Dist., Tainan City ( 台南市柳營區旭山里60號 ) TEL: 886-2-5579-3888 www.chiensan.com.tw

HOYA RESORT HOTEL KAOHSIUNG

KENTING CHATEAU BEACH RESORT

高雄富野渡假酒店

墾丁夏都沙灘酒店

Kaohsiung 高雄

Pintung 屏東

(All rates are exclusive of 5% VAT and 10% service charge)

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese Restaurants: Lobby Lounge, Deli& Bakery, Taiwanese Restaurant, Cantonese Jade Restaurant, Japanese Restaurant Ben Kei, Lobster Bar, Shanghai Dumpling, Pool Side Café, Harbour Restaurant, Seafood Hotpot Restaurant, Celebrity Cuisine, Steak House, Teppanyaki Restaurant Special Features: Professional Conference Center, Business Center, International Ballroom, Fitness Center, Swimming Pool, Squash Court, Spa Center, Aerobic Studio, First-aid Room, Car Park No. 266, Cheng-kung 1st Rd., Kaohsiung City 高雄市前金區成功一路266號 Tel: +886-7-216-1766 Fax: +886-7-216-1966 Email: rsv@grand-hilai.com.tw

www.grand-hilai.com.tw

No. of Rooms: 206 Add: No. 99 Ruitian St., Qianzhen Dist., Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市前鎮區瑞田街 9 9 號 ) TEL: 886-7-821-5299 kaohsiung.hoyaresort.com.tw

No. of Rooms: 295 Add: No. 451 Kenting Rd., Hengchun Town, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣恆春鎮墾丁路 4 51 號 ) TEL: 886-8-886-2345 www.ktchateau.com.tw

THE WESTIN YILAN RESORT

FORMOSAN NARUWAN HOTEL & RESORT TAITUNG

宜蘭力麗威斯汀度假酒店

娜路彎大酒店

No. of Rooms: 91 Room Rates: Deluxe Room Premium Room Deluxe Suite Premium Suite Honeymoon Suite Deluxe Garden Suite Premium Garden Suite Ambassador Suite One-Bedroom Villa Two-Bedroom Villa Presidential Villa

Yilan 宜蘭

Taitung 台東

No. of Rooms: 278 NT$ 16,000 NT$ 17,000 NT$ 20,000 NT$ 22,000 NT$ 22,000 NT$ 25,000 NT$ 28,000 NT$ 35,000 NT$ 45,000 NT$ 55,000 NT$ 88,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese restaurant: Seasonal Tastes, Mai-Japanese Restaurant, Café Lounge Special Features: 24 Hour Fitness Studio, Business Center, Sauna, Open-Air Hot Spring, SPA, Parking, Laundry Service, 24 Hour Room Service, Wireless Internet, Transportation Service, Outdoor Swimming Pool

Room Rates: Deluxe Single/Twin Room Superior Double Twin Room Superior Family Room Deluxe Starlight Single Room Deluxe Family Room Superior Group Room Deluxe Starlight Suite Executive Suite Naruwan Suite Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese

RSL COLD and HOT SPRINGS RESORT SUAO

冠翔世紀溫泉會館

宜蘭蘇澳瓏山林飯店

No. 66 , Lien Hang Rord , Taitung County 台東市連航路66號 Tel: +886-89-239-666 Fax: +886-89-239-777 Email: service@naruwan-hotel.com.tw

www.westin-yilan.com

www.naruwan-hotel.com.tw

NT$1,100

台北市區觀光

No. of Rooms: 80 Add: No. 6, Ln. 66, Ren’ai Rd., Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣礁溪鄉仁愛路 6 6 巷 6 號 ) TEL: 886-3-987-5599 www.hotspring-hotel.com.tw

SHINY OCEAN HOTEL

花蓮遠雄悅來大飯店

星空海藍大飯店

烏來高砂族部落觀光

Taipei Night Tour

NT$1,500

臺北夜景觀光

Pingxi Sky Lantern Experience & Old Street Walk

NT$1,200

基隆港、野柳、北海岸公園觀光

Folk Arts Tour (Sanxia & Yingge)

NT$1,300

民俗藝術觀光 ( 三峽、鶯歌 )

Yangmingshan National Park & Hot-Spring Tour

No. of Rooms: 381 Add: No. 18, Shanling , Yanliau Vil., Shoufeng Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣壽豐鄉鹽寮村山嶺18號) TEL: 886-38-123-900 www.farglory-hotel.com.tw

Jiufen Village & Northeast Coast Tour

Hualien 花蓮

花蓮太魯閣 ( 大理石 ) 峽谷觀光

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$1,500

NT$1,300

(Stay at QingJing) 2 天 1 夜南投清境世外桃源採果趣 ( 住清境 )

3-Day Tour to Sun Moon Lake & Alishan 3 天 2 夜日月潭、阿里山觀光

TOUR TAIWAN! Our package tours include daily coach services

NT$14,500

台北市松江路 190 號 4F

4-Day Central & Southern Taiwan Tour NT$4,200

2-Day Sun Moon Lake, Puli & Lukang Tour (Stay at Sun Moon Lake) 2 天 1 夜日月潭、埔裡鎮、及鹿港觀光 ( 住日月潭 )

No. of Rooms: 85 Add: No. 267, Chongqing Rd., Hualien City, Hualien County (花蓮縣花蓮市重慶路 2 6 7 號 ) TEL: 886-38-325-788 shinyoceanhotel.com

NT$1,500

千島湖、坪林自然美景茶飄香

2-Day QingJing & Fruit Picking Tour

陽明山國家公園及溫泉觀光國家公園及溫泉觀光

九份、東北角海岸觀光

"Thousand Island Lake" & Pinglin Tea Plantation 1-Day Taroko (Marble) Gorge Tour

Northern Coast Tour

Hualien 花蓮

Yilan 宜蘭

No. of Rooms: 153 Add: No. 301, Jhongyuan Rd., Su-ao Township, Yilan City ( 宜蘭縣蘇澳鎮中原路 3 0 1 號 ) TEL: 886-3-996-6666 www.rslhotel.com

HUALIEN FARGLORY HOTEL

平溪天燈體驗、老街漫步

NT$1,500

Wulai Aboriginal Village Tour

Yilan 宜蘭

Restaurants: Four Season Restaurant-Breakfast Buffet, Lobby Café-Lunch, Afternoon and Dinner Buffet, Jade Garden-Chinese Cuisine, Na Café, Texas Bar Special Features: Ballroom and Convention Facilities, Wireless Internet, Indoor Parking, Laundry Service, Train Station /Airport Transportation Service, Car/Scooter/Bicycle Rental Service, Tourist Information Center

No. 268, Yongtong Rd., Yuanshan Township, Yilan County 宜蘭縣員山鄉永同路3段268號 Tel: +886-3-923-2111 Fax: +886-3-923-2113

Taipei City Tour

NT$ 8,200 NT$ 9,600 NT$ 11,000 NT$ 11,000 NT$ 12,000 NT$ 14,800 NT$ 15,000 NT$ 18,000 NT$ 45,000

GUAN XIANG CENTURY RESORT HOTEL

(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

4F, 190 Song Jiang Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. TEL: +886-2-2563-5313 +886-2-2563-4621 +886-2-2541-6785 FAX: +886-2-2563-4803 +886-2-2531-1353

NT$ 16,900

E-mail: edisonts@ms6.hinet.net http://www.edison.com.tw

ISSN:18177964

GPN:2009305475

200 NTD