No. 56, 2013 /

Kaohsiung &Tainan A Cultural-Creative Bloom

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS DAjIA IN TAIChUNg

BACKPACK BUS TOURS LION’S hEAD MOUNTAIN

FOOD jOURNEY PULI’S WATER BAMBOO

Taipei’s Rock SceneClimbing Snow Mountain

Sandimen and Wutai Villages

3 4

Welcome to Taiwan!Dear Traveler,

The long, rejuvenating Chinese New Year holidays have just passed, bringing in the new Year of the Snake, new spring, new warmth, new beginnings – and new travel adventures. In this issue our Taiwan travels present you with many contrasts: heritage Taiwan and contemporary avant-garde Taiwan, urban and rural, f latlands and high mountains.

In our Feature we visit the energetic southern cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan, exploring how they are busily changing their faces, renovating their heritage treasures and making them incubators and showcases for innovative cultural-creative expression in art and design. In Top Ten Tourist Towns we learn about the cultural heritage of old Dajia, a rural district near the central coast best known for its magnif icent Zhenlan Temple and one of the world’s great religious pilgrimages. In Food Journey it’s up into the central hills to rural Puli Basin for exploration of one of its best-appreciated – and most delicious – products, water bamboo. We head into the mountains north of here in Backpack Bus Trips, showing you what treasures will be revealed using the convenient, inexpensive Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service to Lion’s Head Mountain, and in Hiking virtually take you to the top of Snow Mountain, Taiwan’s second-highest peak.

Through the simple act of f lipping a few pages you’ll then f ind yourself in our Indigenous Villages department and the southern mountains, visiting Sandimen and Wutai townships, home to members of the Paiwan and Rukai tribes and to many workshops run by native artists and artisans. A complete change of pace comes with a stroll over to our Active Fun segment, where we spend a day riding roller-coasters and other rides at Janfusan Fancy World, also in the south, one of Taiwan’s top amusement parks. The modern-style fun continues in Music Tours with a ramble through Taipei’s Rock Scene, introducing the city’s live-music venues and popular bands.

And f inally, in Splendid Festivals we stay in Taipei for the Baosheng Cultural Festival, which though a traditional cultural event rivals any rock festival for color, raucousness, and loud music.

Enjoy your time here with us on our island of adventure, whichever facets of this multi-faceted land you decide to explore.

David W. J. HsiehDirector General

Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

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Exploring the old city of Tainan

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1250

CONTENTSMarch ~ April 2013

Travel in Taiwan 3

feaTure12 Kaohsiung/Tainan — Main Down in Kaohsiung and Tainan – A Cultural-Creative Bloom — Stay Cultural-Creative Places to Stay – In Kaohsiung and Tainan

1 Publisher’s Note4 Taiwan Tourism Events7 Special Report8 News & Events around Taiwan

10 Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings22 Meeting Tourists 37 Fun with Chinese 54 Daily Life

HiKinG28 Snow Mountain

— A Winter Hike on One of Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Mountains

inDiGenOUS villaGeS34 Sandimen & Wutai

— Places to Experience the Culture of the Paiwan and Rukai Tribes

SPlenDiD FeSTivalS30 Preserving Life, Preserving Culture

— Partying with the Wu Tao Clan

BaCKPaCK BUS TriP24 Deep into Hakka Country

— Along the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus’s Lion’s Head Mountain Route

MUSiC TOUrS50 Taipei's Rock Scene

— The City’s Live-Music Venues and Popular Bands

TOP Ten TOUriST TOwnS42 A Close Look at Dajia

— There Is More to this Town than Mazu

aCTive FUn38 Thrill Rides

— Janfusan Fancy World and other Amusement Parks in Taiwan

FOOD JOUrneY46 Beautiful Woman’s Legs — Puli’s Water Bamboo, a Truly Special “Vegetable”

7

24

46

Purple Butterfly Watching Activities (2012-2013 Maolin Purple Butterfly Valley –Two Year Butterfly Viewing Event) (茂林紫蝶幽谷─雙年賞蝶活動 )Location: Purple Butterf ly Valley, Maolin National Scenic Area

(茂林風管處‧紫蝶幽谷)

Website: www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw/active/butterf ly2012

Each year from December through March millions of purple butterf lies gather in the valleys at

the foot of Mt. Dawu in southern Taiwan to escape the cold. They migrate over 150 kilometers

from elsewhere on the island. The most popular viewing location is the Purple Butterf ly Valley

inside the Maolin National Scenic Area, one of only two places in the world where visitors can

see such large numbers of these beautiful migratory creatures, the other being Mexico’s Monarch

Butterf ly Valley. During the season the Maolin NSA stages many related activities, including

exhibitions and guided tours. Don’t miss out on this most precious of natural phenomena.

2013 Song-Jiang Battle Array in Neimen, Kaohsiung (2013內門宋江陣嘉年華會 )Location: Neimen Zizhu Temple (內門紫竹寺); 18, Lane 115, Zhongzheng Rd., Neimen District,

Kaohsiung City (高雄市內門區中正路115巷18號)

Website: www.who-ha.com.tw

The Song-Jiang Battle Array is a unique cultural event combining traditional folk arts – notably

the precision “battle-array” mock-battle formations put on by martial-arts performance troupes –

and colorful religious rituals celebrating the birthday of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy. Among the

many activities are a grand gathering of troupes, a grand prayer-and-blessing procession, a National

College Song-Jiang Battle Array Competition, a gourmet feast put on by master chefs, an exhibition

of historical artifacts, and guided tours of interesting geological and tourist sites. Tens of thousands

attend this event each year.

The arrival of spring and an invigorating

new blanket of warmth demands that

you get yourself free of stif ling roof cover to explore

the wide, wide outdoor world being warmed by the

young spring sun. You have a wonder-filled menu of

outdoor-event festivals to choose from over the next

few months, showcasing the marvels of Taiwan’s

natural and man-created worlds. Witness, among

many other travel-adventure treasures, centuries-old

battle-array martial-arts performances, cloud-like

gatherings of purple butterf lies, one of the planet’s

great religious pilgrimages, a forest area pastel-

colored with bird species, the beauty of sailboats

in f lock formation racing over the sea, a grand

fireworks display in the middle of the Taiwan Strait,

and a music & art festival set in one of Taiwan’s most

idyllic getaway corners.

Nov 17 Mar 31

Mar 29 Apr 7

2012 2013

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

4 Travel in Taiwan

MAR~MAY

Taichung City Mazu International Festival(台中大甲媽祖國際觀光文化節 )Location: Zhenlan Temple (鎮瀾宮), 158, Shuntian

Rd., Dajia District, Taichung City (臺中市大甲區順天路158號); Mazu temples in

Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi counties

Website: www.dajiamazu.org.tw

The annual multi-day cross-country Mazu (Goddess

of the Sea) pilgrimage procession is one of the great

events of Taiwan’s religious calendar. It starts from

Zhenlan Temple in the Dajia area of Taichung and

heads to Fengtian Temple in the Chiayi County town

of Xingang, taking nine days and eight nights for the

round trip. Each year over a million devotees take part

in the spectacle. Come out to watch the performances

of many different kinds of colorful folk-arts troupes,

and witness the unusual practice of adherents kneeling

or laying down to allow the Mazu palanquin to pass

overhead, believed to bring a year of peace and good

fortune.

Spring Wave Music & Art Festival (春浪音樂節 )Location: Wuliting Airport, Hengchun Township, Pingtung County

(屏東縣恆春鎮五里亭機場)

Website: www.spring-wave.com/en/

This will be the seventh edition of the Spring Wave Music & Art Festival,

one of Asia’s key large-scale outdoor music events. A five-star line-up

of renowned individual artists and groups will take the main stage, and

among the other event highlights will be a creative bazaar and electronic-

music party. The festival is held as an expression of love for Mother

Earth, for the idyllic Kenting National Park area, and for music, with

music used as a platform for passionate presentation of eco-friendly

concepts advocating love of our shared Earth.

Apr (Third Lunar Month)

Apr 7

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS MAR~MAY

Travel in Taiwan 5

2013 Daxueshan International Bird Watching Competition(2013大雪山飛羽 風情百種 國際賞鳥大賽 )Location: Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area (大雪山國家森林遊樂區), 43 km

mark, Daxueshan Forest Road, Heping District, Taichung City (臺中市和平區大雪山林道43公里)

Website: www.bird.org.tw/das/en_index.html

Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area is located at an elevation of between 1,000

and 3,000 meters. It is a large area of dense forest cover and richly varied f lora and

fauna, with an especially colorful and varied birdlife population. More than 152 species

have been recorded along the Daxueshan Forest Road, the main access road to the area.

The bird-watching competition, which has been staged the past two years, draws birders

from Taiwan and overseas together to share their knowledge and experiences, and is a

superb way for the public to get acquainted with the endless beauty of the avian world.

2013 Dapeng Bay International Regatta(2013大鵬灣國際風帆系列活動 )Location: Sea between Dapeng Bay and Little Liuqiu, Dapeng Bay Lagoon (大鵬灣

及小琉球之間海域、大鵬灣潟湖水域), Pengwan Boulevard Seaside Park,

Donggang Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣東港鎮鵬灣大道濱灣公園)

The Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area is a leisure and recreation area focused on

the enjoyment of natural water resources. Its wide-ranging aquatic activities are

focused on the largest lagoon along Taiwan’s southwest coast, home to Taiwan’s

most southerly mangroves. The international regatta was held for the first time

in 2011, attracting top sailing teams from Taiwan and around the world. This is

Taiwan’s largest sailing event, and is a splendid showcase for the lovely Dapeng Bay

Ocean-Crossing Bridge, Taiwan’s first bridge designed for the passing of sailboats, as

well as of the beauty of the southern coastline.

Penghu Ocean Fireworks Festival (澎湖海上花火節 )Location: Guanyin Pavilion Recreation Area (觀音亭休閒園區),

7, Jieshou Rd., Magong City, Penghu County (澎湖縣馬公市介壽路7號)

Website: tour.penghu.gov.tw

The Penghu Ocean Fireworks Festival is one of the big annual tourist draws in Penghu

County, an attractive collection of tourist-friendly small islands in the Taiwan Strait.

The festival is jam-packed with activities, and a variety of tour packages are offered

that maximize visitors’ enjoyment of the alluring local natural landscape, culture, and

delicious seafood delicacies – with the grand fireworks-fest as the itinerary’s magnum

opus. The main fireworks-release stage is by the artistic steel-arch Xiying Rainbow

Bridge near the Guanyin Pavilion, and the ref lections of bridge and fireworks on the

open ocean water under the night sky create the most romantic of canvases.

Apr 26

Apr 13

Apr 16

May 19

Jun 24

27

&

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

6 Travel in Taiwan

Visiting on a Wednesday morning in

January, I found the museum almost empty. In fact, I had the exhibition halls all to myself, and could take my time exploring the exhibits. There are of course times when visitor numbers are much higher, for this museum is a popular choice for school f ield trips and is also frequented by foreign tourists.

Though the facil ity is a bit off the main tourist track it is certainly well worth a visit. It is a place to ponder deep questions, such as “What is the purpose of l ife?” or “What do I believe in?”

When exiting the elevator on the seventh f loor, you see a glass wall with water running over its surface. Visitors are encouraged to touch the water for a symbolic cleansing, as practiced by adherents of different religions before they enter places of worship.

Next, you walk along the Pilgrim’s Way, which has a long wall with images of pilgrims of different faiths. At the end of the corridor is the Golden Lobby, featuring a calendar with major religious festivals around the world on the f loor.

Museum of World Religions (世界宗教博物館)Add: 7F, 236, Sec. 1, Zhongshan Rd., Yonghe District, New Taipei City(新北市永和區中山路1段, 236號7樓)Tel: (02) 8321-6118Website: www.mwr.org.twGetting there: Take the MRT Zhonghe Line to Dingxi Station. Outside Exit 1, catch the Pacific Department Store (太平洋百貨公司) shuttle bus to the museum (runs every 15 min. from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.). The museum's entrance is on the right side of the department-store building.

The walls are covered with real plated gold.

Af ter walking through a theater where a f ilm about the cosmic cycles of re-creation is played, it’s down a f l ight of stairs to the Hall of Life’s Journey. Here you learn about the different stages of human life in different cultures around the world. There are two smaller rooms on either side of the hall – one where you can sit down and contemplate different forms of meditation and prayer, the other showing videos in which famous people share their thoughts about life.

Af ter walking through a sphere suspended in mid-air, you enter the centerpiece of the museum. This is a great hall introducing you to the world’s most important religions. In the center are scale models of famous sacred buildings from around the world, including the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and Chartres Cathedral in France. All these models were created with much love for detail.

You can easily spend many hours in this inspiring museum, which I did.

Should you get hungry, there is a quality vegetarian restaurant/teahouse on the seventh f loor. Also note that if you bring kids along, you can let them play at the museum’s jungle-theme playground.

The Museum of World Religions was founded by Venerable Hsin Tao, a Buddhist monk, and set up through the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Foundation (www.093l jm.org).

Great Hall of Rel igions

A World of ReligionVisiting One of the Taipei Area’s Finest MuseumsText: Kurt Weidner Photos: Twelli, Museum of World Religions

Pilgr im’s Way Golden Lobby

Gate of the Heavenly Eye at Ling Jiou Mountain

Located on the sixth and seventh floors of a large department-store building in one of greater Taipei’s suburbs, the Museum of World Religions is a surprisingly modern and highly educational museum.

SPECIAL REPORT

Travel in Taiwan 7

8 Travel in Taiwan

WHAT'S UP

News& Events around Taiwan

Railway

New Tourist Train in NantouDuring this year’s Chinese New Year celebration period a new

tourist train was introduced on the Jiji Branch Line in central

Taiwan’s Nantou County. The train, comprising three carriages

pulled by an old steam locomotive, now operates on a short

section of the branch line between Jiji Railway Station and the

Mingxin Academy.

Museum

Robot Pavilion in Taipei Expo ParkThe Taipei Expo Park has a new attraction. Opened in early

February this year, the Robot Pavilion, located in the park’s

Xinsheng area, introduces visitors to all types of robots,

including humanoid robots which can do “horse-dancing,” play

the violin, shoot a basketball, engage in mock fisticuffs, and

perform other tasks. Taipei Expo Park website: www.taipei-

expopark.tw (Chinese only).

Tourism

Top Ten Most Attractive Fishing HarborsIn a recent public vote organized by the Fisheries Agency,

Council of Agriculture, the most attractive fishing harbors

around Taiwan were selected. The following harbors received

the most votes: Kezailiao Fishing Harbor in Kaohsiung; 1st /2nd

Fishing Harbor in Tamsui, New Taipei City; Anping Fishing

Harbor in Tainan; and Nanfang’ao Fishing Harbor in Yilan

County. Taiwan’s fishing harbors are very popular with visitors

for their picturesque scenery and fresh-seafood restaurants.

Scenery

Shakadang Trail ReopenedAfter being damaged during Typhoon Saolo last August, one of the

most attractive trails in Taroko National Park has been partly reopened.

Shakadang Trail is an easy-grade trail following the Shakadang River,

which is known for its azure-colored water and huge boulders. Taroko

National Park website: www.taroko.gov.tw.

WHAT'S UP

Travel in Taiwan 9

Airlines

EVA Air among the World’s SafestGermany’s AERO International Magazine recently ranked Taiwan-based

EVA Air as one of the world’s 10 safest airlines. Thanks to its consistent

safety-program efforts, record of excellence, and high standards, the

airline was listed in sixth place, behind Finn Air, Air New Zealand,

Cathay Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways.

Hotel

New Hotel in TaichungThe Taichung Harbor Hotel is the

newest quality tourist hotel in the

greater Taichung area. It is situated

in Wuqi District, northwest of the

city center, close to the coast and

Taichung Int’l Airport. Sporting a

simple yet stylish design, it has 200

guestrooms and caters to business

as well as leisure travelers. Hotel

website: www.tchhotel.com.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!We, the producers of Travel in Taiwan, wish to improve our magazine with each issue and give you the best possible help when planning – or carrying out – your next trip to Taiwan. Tell us what you think by filling out our short online questionnaire at v-media.com.tw/survey/travelintaiwan.html. Senders of the first 10 completed questionnaires for each issue will receive three free issues of Travel in Taiwan. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Film

Short Film Shot in Penghu“Romance is in the air in Penghu” is the message of a new prize-winning

short film by director Chuang Cheng-hung, a native of Penghu. The

lighthearted tourist-promotion film, called Love Running in English, tells

the story of a proposal on a sandy beach that doesn’t go as planned for the

suitor. The film, which has English subtitles, showcases the many beautiful

sights of Penghu. Watch it at http://goo.gl/HfyvY.

Travel in Taiwan

E-Magazine AppTravel in Taiwan is also available as an e-magazine edition in the Apple Newsstand. iPad users

can now enjoy more content, and a convenient interactive reading experience. The e-magazine

contains more images than the print version, some of which can be shown in full-screen mode,

and also has multimedia content such as audio and video clips. The user-friendly interface

allows for convenient navigation through the magazine. Download the magazine free of cost

from the app store and read it on you mobile device wherever you go!

10 Travel in Taiwan

CULTURE SCENE

Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

Taiwan has a diverse cultural scene, with art venues ranging from international-caliber concert halls and theaters to makeshift stages on temple plazas. Among Taiwan's museums is the world-famous National Palace Museum as well as many smaller museums dedicated to different art forms and aspects of Taiwanese culture. Here is a brief selection of upcoming happenings. For more information, please visit the websites of the listed venues.

February 15 ~ March 31tifa.ntch.edu.tw

Taiwan International Festival of Arts台灣國際藝術節

This play, directed by the renowned Greek director Theodoros

Terzopoulos, takes the audience into the world of Greek

mythology. This is a tragedy (often accredited to Greek

tragedian Aeschylus) based on the myth of

Prometheus, a Titan who, by orders of Zeus,

was chained to a cliff in the remote Caucasus

region as punishment for stealing fire and

giving it to mankind. This is the third time

the director has chosen to stage this tragedy,

and as with the first two productions, there

is strong reference to the present-day world,

in this case the socioeconomic crisis Greece

has been facing in recent years.

Attis Theatre: Prometheus Bound 希臘阿提斯劇院：普羅米修斯

March 22~24National Theater

Enchanting Taiwan is a major solo retrospective exhibition,

offering a comprehensive look at Hsin-Yueh Lin’s artistic

thought and works. Lin is one of the most dynamic and

authoritative figures of the contemporary Taiwanese art world,

equally accomplished as a painter, art educator, cultural

critic, and art writer. Over half a century, the artist has built

up a significant collection of paintings and publications,

including both oil and watercolor paintings. On display are

140 works or sets of works created from the mid-1960s up to

2012. The exhibition also features documents by or about the

artist, a biographical timeline, dozens of exhibition catalogs

and art reviews from over the years, and rare articles such as

handwritten drafts of his compositions. Also being shown is a

documentary on Lin, The Boundless River (produced by Public

Television Service).

February 2 ~ May 5Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Hsin-Yueh Lin: Enchanting Taiwan林惺嶽：台灣風土的魅力

Café Müller (1978) & Le Sacre du Printemps (1975) are two earlier

productions of late German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch

(1940~2009), one of the most prominent figures of modern dance in the

20th century. Café Müller is based on Bausch's own childhood memories

of her parents' business establishment in post-war Germany. The main

character (a grown-up Bausch) enters the café sleepwalking, and the action

of the other people present appears as seen through the eyes of a child.

For Le Sacre du Printemps (“The Rites of Spring”), the stage is covered

in a layer of dark earth. Some 32

dancers confront each other in

groups, moving frantically about

in what appears to be an ancient

ritual. The performance culminates

in a dramatic sacrificial solo by one

of the female dancers.

Tanztheater Wuppertal/Pina Bausch: Café Müller & Le Sacre du Printemps

March 28~31National Theater

碧娜．鮑許烏帕塔舞蹈劇團：穆勒咖啡館+春之祭符

CULTURE SCENE

Travel in Taiwan 11

National Symphony Orchestra & Taipei Philharmonic Chorus: Verdi’s Requiem國家交響樂團與台北愛樂合唱團：威爾第《安魂曲》

March 30National Concert Hall

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813~1901) is best known for his

operas, including Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Aida. He composed

Messa da Requiem in memory of one of his friends, the poet and

novelist Alessandro Manzoni (1785~1873), infusing this traditional-

style sacred composition with rich colors, deep insight, and masterful

harmony. It was premiered on the first anniversary of Manzoni’s

death in the Church of San Marco in Milan in 1874, with the

composer himself conducting. The requiem will be performed by

the Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra and Taipei Philharmonic

Chorus under the baton of Maestro Shao-Chia Lü to celebrate the

bicentennial of Verdi’s birth.

This exhibition

showcases twelve

paintings depicting

themes and customs

related to each of

the year’s lunar

months. The paintings were created as a cooperative project in the

18th century, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711~1799),

by the Qing Dynasty painting academy. Each painting was hung

in the palace during the corresponding lunar month. The paintings

show people engaged in various activities with, in most instances,

landscapes and buildings in the background. The painting technique

used is detailed and realistic, combining Chinese and Western

methods. The National Palace Museum has recently produced a series

of animations based on old Chinese paintings, including those shown

in this exhibition, which bring the scenes to life with background

sound and people moving about on the canvas, providing a real-life

ambience. For more, visit www.npm.gov.tw/exh100/npm_anime.

Painting Animation "Paintings of the Twelve Months" 古畫動漫：清院畫十二月令圖

January 17 ~ July 16National Palace Museum

Taipei

Taipei Zhongshan Hall （台北中山堂）

Add: 98, Yanping S. Rd., Taipei City( 台北市延平南路 9 8 號 )

Tel: (02) 2381-3137www.csh.taipei.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Ximen

Taipei International Convention Center （台北國際會議中心）

Add: 1, Xinyi Rd., Sec.5, Taipei City( 台北市信義路五段 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2725-5200, ext. 3517, 3518 www.ticc.com.twNearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall

National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall （國立中正紀念堂）

Add: 21 Zhongshan S. Rd., Taipei City( 台北市中山南路 21 號 )　　

Tel: (02) 2343-1100~3www.cksmh.gov.twNearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

National Concert Hall （國家音樂聽）National Theater （國家戲劇院）

Add: 21-1 Zhongshan S. Rd., Taipei City( 台北市中山南路 21-1 號 )

Tel: (02) 3393-9888www.ntch.edu.twNearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

National Museum of History （國立歷史博物館）

Add: 49 Nanhai Rd., Taipei City( 台北市南海路 4 9 號 )

Tel: (02) 2361-0270www.nmh.gov.tw Nearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

National Palace Museum （國立故宮博物院）

Add: 221 Zhishan Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City( 台北市至善路 2 段 2 21 號 )

Tel: (02) 2881-2021www.npm.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Shilin

National Taiwan Museum （國立臺灣博物館）

Add: 2 Xiangyang Rd., Taipei City( 台北市襄陽路二號 )

Tel: (02) 2382-2566www.ntm.gov.twNearest MRT Station: NTU Hospital

Novel Hall （新舞臺）

Add: 3 Songshou Rd., Taipei City( 台北市松壽路 3 號 )

Tel: (02) 2722-4302www.novelhall.org.twNearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall

National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall （國立國父紀念館）

Add: 505 Ren-ai Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City( 台北市仁愛路四段 5 0 5 號 )

Tel: (02) 2758-8008www.yatsen.gov.tw/enNearest MRT Station: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Taipei Arena （台北小巨蛋）

Add: 2 Nanjing E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City( 台北市南京東路 4 段 2 號 )

Tel: (02) 2577-3500www.taipeiarena.com.twNearest MRT Station: Nanjing E. Rd.

Taipei Fine Arts Museum （台北市立美術館）

Add: 181 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei City( 台北市中山北路 3 段 181 號 )

Tel: (02) 2595-7656www.tfam.museum Nearest MRT Station: Yuanshan

Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei （台北當代藝術館）

Add: 39 Chang-an W. Rd., Taipei City( 台北市長安西路 39 號 )

Tel: (02) 2552-3720www.mocataipei.org.twNearest MRT Station: Zhongshan

National Taiwan Science Education Center （台灣科學教育館）

Add: 189 Shishang Rd., Taipei City (台北市士商路 189號 )

Tel: (02) 6610-1234www.ntsec.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Shilin

TWTC Nangang Exhibiton Hall （台北世貿中心南港展覽館）

Add: 1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Taipei City(台北市經貿二路 1號 )Tel: (02) 2725-5200Nearest MRT Station: Nangang Exhibition Hall

Lin Liu-hsin Puppet Theatre Museum （林柳新紀念偶戲博物館）

Add: 79 Xining N. Rd., Taipei City( 台北市西寧北路 7 9 號 )Tel: (02) 2556-8909www.taipeipuppet.com

Huashan 1914 Creative Park （華山1914文化創意產業園區）

Add: 1, Sec. 1, Bade Rd., Taipei City( 台北市中正區八德路一段 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2358-1914www.huashan1914.comNearest MRT Station: Shandao Temple

TaichungNational Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts （國立台灣美術館）

Add: 2 Wuquan W. Rd., Sec. 1, Taichung City( 台中市五權西路一段 2 號 )

Tel: (04) 2372-3552www.ntmofa.gov.tw

TainanTainan City Cultural Center （台南市立文化中心）

Add: 332 Zhonghua E. Rd., Sec. 3, Tainan City( 台南市中華東路 3 段 332 號 )

Tel: (06) 269-2864www.tmcc.gov.tw

KaohsiungKaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts （高雄市立美術館）

Add: 80 Meishuguan Rd., Kaohsiung City( 高雄市美術館路 8 0 號 )

Tel: (07) 555-0331www.kmfa.gov.tw Nearest KMRT Station: Aozihdi Station

Kaohsiung Museum of History （高雄市立歷史博物館）

Add: 272 Zhongzheng 4th Rd., Kaohsiung City( 高雄市中正四路 27 2 號 )

Tel: (07) 531-2560http://163.32.121.205/Nearest KMRT Station: City Council

Venues

Since 1917, the most outstanding achievements in journalism have

been honored each year with the Pulitzer Prize. Among the winning

entries in the photography category are some of the world’s most

iconic images, many capturing historic moments. In this exhibition all

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs from 1942 through 2012 are being

shown. Considering that each year only two pictures are recognized

with awards, the images on display are truly unique.

Capture the Moment – The Pulitzer Prize Photographs瞬間的永恒：普立茲新聞攝影獎70年大展

January 18 ~ April 17Huashan 1914 Creative Park

A Cultural-Creative BloomText: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen

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12 Travel in Taiwan

KAOHSIUNG/TAINANFEATURE

12 Travel in Taiwan

Insight Guides: Taiwan says that Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s “industrial showcase,” and that the city of “Tainan is to Taiwan what Kyoto is to Japan, and Kyongju to Korea.” These are proud legacies, but both cities are now hard at work comprehensively enhancing their citizens’ quality of life with an eye to the future – and the tourist experience. One key area in this endeavor is the cultural-creative realm; both cities are systematically saving and preserving individual old structures and, in some cases, entire areas, prettying them up and giving them new life and self-supporting function as bases for cultural-creative expression.

Ar t instal lat ion at Kaohsiung’s Pier 2

More

FEATURE KAOHSIUNG/TAINAN

Travel in Taiwan 13

KAOHSIUNG/TAINAN

Travel in Taiwan 13

Kaohsiung

Both cities have their fair share of f irst-

rate attractions that have long been drawing international tourists. The Michelin Green Guide Taiwan, which uses Michelin’s famed 3-star rating system, gives Tainan three stars, Kaohsiung two.

In this article our focus is on the key new cultural-creative stars on the block, with a concentration on those in heritage buildings, that Michelin, Insight Guides, National Geographic, and other international publishers will no doubt be working into their guidebooks in upcoming editions.

The Michelin guide gives three stars to one attraction in the

city, two stars to 19 attractions, and one star to nine attractions.

The 3-star attraction is Foguangshan, a magnif icent Buddhist monastery complex in the hills of the city ’s rural area. Among the 2-star attractions is another rural draw, the district of Meinong, a thriving enclave of traditional Hakka culture. In the city ’s core, 2-star attractions include the Love River, which has been characterized as Taiwan’s River Seine, Qijin Island, a breakwater for Kaohsiung Port famed for historic sites and superb seafood, the Former British Consulate at Takao, a key historic site built in the 1800s that has tremendous views into the harbor and out to sea, and Lotus Pond, a large

body of water “surrounded by fairy-tale statues, elegant pavilions and colorful temples.” A number of the pond’s sites are themselves given 2 stars, as is Chouchai Wetland Park, just to the east.

Yancheng District is among Kaohsiung’s oldest. Once largely sodden, marshy land, it was drained in imperial times for salt production. “Yancheng” means “salt f ields.” Today’s Love River, on the district’s south side, was the course chosen for the freshwater f lowing into the area.

The expansive and still growing Pier-2 Art Center, a short walk from the Kaohsiung Metro’s KMRT Yanchengpu

The expansive and still

growing Pier-2 Art Center

is at the heart of a cultural-

creative bloom underway in

both district and city

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14 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

Station, is at the heart of a cultural-creative bloom underway in both district and city. The special zone has become one of Kaohsiung’s most popular cultural attractions. The numerous old, renovated Kaohsiung Harbor warehouses here, long abandoned, were formerly used to store such treasures as f ish meal and granulated sugar. Today they are dedicated to cultural-arts treasures, including exhibits, l ive shows, and large-scale outdoor installation artworks and graff iti-style murals.

In one warehouse is a museum dedicated to Kaohsiung labor. Half of another – roof torn down to allow for under-the-sky entertainment – is now the Kaohsiung base for The Wall, a keystone in Taiwan’s indie-music scene. There are also arts and craf ts boutiques showcasing independent Taiwan design talent. Hungry folk can dine at Pasadena, a place of pastel-neon lighting, tif fany glass, dark wood, and Western family fare that looks as though airl if ted direct from some North American downtown district.

Just to the north of Pier-2’s north warehouse cluster

is Takao Railway Museum. This was Kaohsiung’s f irst railway station, and long a key hub in south Taiwan’s land-sea transportation. The station, Japanese in style with a Chinese hip-style roof,

was targeted and severely damaged by Allied bombing in WW II. Later rebuilt, it was f inally retired and became a museum in 2010. There are exhibit rooms, a railway-document archive, and a platform and track area.

Kaohsiung’s popular harbor-area bikeway rolls r ight by the art center and museum, the section here running where the trains that once served these facil ities trundled along. There are a number of bike-rental facil ities close by. In 2010 CNN Travel declared Kaohsiung one of Asia’s f ive best biking cities.

Qiaotou Sugar Refinery, in the city ’s rural north area, conveniently has its very own KMRT station. The ref inery was opened in 1901 by the Japanese, introducing modern mass-production technique to the industry. Its f inal day of production was in 1999. A designated heritage site, on the sprawling grounds you f ind numerous colonial-style century buildings, including off ices, dormitories, and warehouses. The complex is a museum, and there is information on Taiwan’s sugar-manufacturing history, sugarcane cultivation, the aforementioned architecture, and other highlight attractions such as two original Belgian steam locomotives imported in 1948, Taiwan’s f irst sugar-industry narrow-gauge railway line

(also used for passenger travel), WW II above-ground bomb shelters, and restored production-line equipment.

The ref inery is, at the same time, a cultural-creative complex. Bywood, a private initiative, leases a number of facil ities. It runs an artist-in-residence program, with both local and international talent participating, and stages periodic arts happenings. You’ ll see artists at work in studios in varying locations throughout the complex, including the warehouses, and see intriguing installation works. Bywood also has a gallery with a comfy café; admittance is f ree, with advance notice requested. The ref inery also has a regular schedule of cultural-arts performances at an attractive restaurant/theater in one of the warehouses, and the celebrated Taiwan performance troupe Ten Drum Percussion Art has set up a base here.

Xingtang Rd.

Bywood (白屋)Add: 1, Lane 4, Xingtang Rd., Qiaotou District, Kaohsiung City(高雄市橋頭區興糖路4巷1號)Tel : (07) 611-4998

Ciaotou KMRT

Station

KAOHSIUNG/TAINAN

At Qiaotou Sugar Refinery you'll find numerous colonial-

style century buildings, including offices, dormitories,

and warehouses

FEATURE

The Michelin Green Guide Taiwan gives three stars to f ive

attractions in Tainan, two stars to f ive attractions, and one star to eight attractions.

The four 3-star attractions in the urban core are the Chikan Tower, Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple, Grand Queen of Heaven Temple, and Tainan Confucius Temple. The f irst is built over the ruins of Fort Provintia, built by the Dutch in 1653, who ruled over a good part of Taiwan from 1624 until being ousted by Ming Dynasty patriot Koxinga in 1662; some of the ruins are visible. The second is dedicated to Guan Gong, the God of War – an ornate, superbly preserved temple built in the latter 17th century. The third, dedicated to Mazu, Goddess of the Sea, was built where Tainan’s shoreline was once located; it is now kilometers away, the result of silting. This complex was originally the palatial residence of Prince Ning jing, the last Ming Dynasty heir to the throne. The fourth is Taiwan’s original, and most complete, Confucius Temple; it was commissioned in 1665, and was “Taiwan’s foremost

school” – its f irst off icial institution of learning.

In the cultural-creative realm, two of Tainan’s f lourishing sites are in fact already included in the Michelin Green Guide Taiwan, which was released in March 2011 and is still in its f irst edition – Hai’an Road and Shennong Street. Each is given a single star.

Hai’an Road is a north-south thoroughfare that was, long ago, near the sea and Taiwan’s busiest port, with f ive transport canals leading into the thriving commercial district. The area between Minzu and Minsheng roads is today being developed as a historical-cultural zone, and brims with trendy shops, bars, cafés, and art venues. Come at night and you’ ll see l ive bands playing in open-air spaces at street-side bars that serve tasty traditional night-market-style food.

Across f rom the T-intersection where narrow Shennong Street and Hai'an Road meet is Shuixian Temple Market, Taiwan’s oldest, where one of the f ive canals ended in days of old. The maze-

l ike covered market still thr ives, and in the 1990s the local government tr ied to help by starting work on an underground shopping complex along Hai’an. Things did not go well, the project was abandoned, many old buildings were lef t partly demol ished, and an ongoing beautif ication project has now resulted in a ser ies of remarkable publ ic artworks that incorporate and celebrate these vestiges of yesteryear, using a contemporary-art approach.

One, called The Memory of Wall, fronts an abandoned-now-renovated building home to artist-run Blueprint Lounge Bar. The façade is now a blueprint, with painted white windows and rafters creating an illusion of the interior space. Another, right at the entrance to Shennong Street, is called Great Yongchuan Palanquin (49 Shennong Street). This wonderful mural is on the side of a Shennong shop of the same name, where master Wang Yong-chuan has long been creating exquisite palanquins and other objects for Tainan’s temples. The mural presents a cross-section view of the two-story shop interior.

Tainan

When you look down long,

narrow Shennong Street you

can easily imagine the scene

in imperial days, everyone

in queues and indigo-blue

clothing, busily going about

their business

Chikan Peddler ’s Noodles

Chikan Peddler ’s Noodles

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16 Travel in Taiwan

KAOHSIUNG/TAINANFEATURE

When you look down long, narrow Shennong Street, tightly packed with two-story heritage shophouses, each of which has its own quaint and wonderfully eclectic façade, you can easily imagine the scene in imperial days, everyone in queues and indigo-blue clothing, busily going about their business. Transport canals ran behind the shophouses in imperial days, and most goods were brought in the rear. Shops were in the front section, facing the street, storage was above on the second f loor, and family quarters were in the back. Front and rear sections were of ten divided by a sky well, an open courtyard area allowing in sunlight.

Today the street has an alluring mix of old-time residents and newcomers from elsewhere in Tainan who are setting up cultural-creative galleries, cafés, bars, and teahouses. The street surface has been redone in brick, retro-style lamps introduce an attractive night-time glow, and façades have been prettif ied and personalized.

Two notable enterprises are 76 Art Space and Taikoo. 76 Art

Space is a gallery that represents Taiwan artists and craf tspeople. In the rear section beyond the sky well is a woodworking shop called Black Snail Studio where the young master craf tsmen create lovely artworks in addition to handmade furniture; samples of the former are in the art space. Other attractive 76 Art Space l ines are ceramics in the shape of well-known Tainan heritage buildings and the Goodo l ine, which features unique woven bags, purses, and other fashion accessories made from classic Tainan materials such as burlap rice sacks. The Goodo craf tspeople are retirees given craf ts training by the Tainan government so they can earn extra income.

Black Snai l Studio

B. B . Ar t

76 Ar t Space

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Travel in Taiwan 17

KAOHSIUNG/TAINAN

Travel in Taiwan 17

Glor ia Manor

Taikoo is an unusual bar/café that is the physical manifestation of the eclectic character of the owner, Mark. Premium coffees are hand-craf ted, all beers are Belgian imports, and the furnishings are 1950s~1970s Western retro-style pieces which Mark sources by himself from the Netherlands. Take a shining to a piece and you can buy it. Asked about this most off beat of combos, he simply says that these are the things he likes best, so he wants to share them with others.

B.B. Art, on Minquan Road near Gongyuan Road, bills itself as a “gallery, café, forum space, and performance venue.” It is in a distinctive old three-story building purpose-built by the Japanese over 80 years ago to house Tainan’s f irst modern department store, called the Republic of America, which had import/export fabrics as a specialty. Abandoned for years, the facility has been spruced up and reintroduced to the public. B.B. Art, which stands for “Beautiful Building of Art,” specializes in contemporary works by local and international talent, and stages musical, theatrical, and other performances in the open-stage area behind its large sky well.

Tainan is famed for its rich array of traditional snack delicacies, which Chikan Peddler’s Noodles restaurant on Minzu Road serves in an upscale retro-

chic milieu. Owner Sunny has taken a heritage building that was long home to a well-known teahouse and made it a time capsule of 1950s Tainan. Tables are old school desks, and old lamps, lanterns, vases, baskets, maps, photos, and other curios add to the pleasant aesthetics. All the classic Tainan specialties are here, most notably the danzai (“peddler ’s”) noodles, oyster omelets, f ried shrimp rolls, and “coff in” bread (chowder-stuffed deep-fried bread).

The Booday brand, launched in 2003 in Taipei by a team of adventurous young designers, is aimed at young-at-heart consumers, with items featuring simple l ines and decorations and an emphasis on bright colors. A new Tainan outlet is located across Nanmen Road from Tainan Confucius Temple, in a narrow, deep heritage building that formerly housed a general-merchandise store. The best-sell ing items are the T-shirts, blouses, and canvas tote bags, the most interesting an attractive line of blouses made with organic cotton and dies. Be sure to head up to the third f loor, which has a great view over the Confucius Temple complex.

Getting There & Getting AroundThe fastest and most comfortable way to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung and Tainan is the High Speed Rail system. In Kaohsiung, the three rail systems converge at Zuoying Station (regular railway, High Speed Rail, metro), enabling easy transfers. In Tainan, a spur line provides rail service between the HSR station and downtown Tainan Railway Station; the trip takes 15 minutes. In Qiaotou, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to reach the regular railway station from the metro station.

Scooters are a convenient form of travel in slow-paced Tainan. Rentals are available directly across the street behind Taiwan Railway Station (i.e., Tainan Rear Station). Your international/local license and passport/Alien Resident’s Certificate must be presented.

Taikoo

Shennong Street

B. B . Ar t

Booday

Booday

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18 Travel in Taiwan

English and ChineseBlack Snail Studio 黑蝸牛木作工作室Bywood 白屋Chikan Peddler's Noodles 赤崁擔仔麵Chikan Tower 赤崁樓Chouchai Wetland Park 洲仔濕地公園coffin bread 棺材板danzai noodles 擔仔麵

Foguangshan 佛光山Former British Consulate at Takao 打狗英國領事館Grand Queen of Heaven Temple 大天后宮Love River 愛河Meinong 美濃Narrow Door 窄門咖啡Pier-2 Art Center 駁二藝術特區Qiaotou Sugar Refinery 橋頭糖廠

Qijin Island 旗津島Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple 祀典武廟76 Art Space 76藝文空間Taikoo 太古酒吧Tainan Confucius Temple 台南孔廟Takao Railway Museum 打狗鐵道故事館Ten Drum Art Percussion Group 十鼓擊樂團Yancheng District 鹽埕區

All good adventures should end with a good cup of coffee. The Narrow Door café is a few doors down from Booday. Its name is more than apt – you enter sideways via a long, narrow slit between two buildings that’s l ike a deep f issure in a clif f, go to the rear, then enter via steep, plant-shaded stairs. Though it does no advertising it has a loyal fan base, including local expatriates, who learn of it by word of mouth. Owner Jessica has taken what was originally a home built by a doctor a century ago during the Japanese colonial era and transformed it into a Turkish getaway idyll; she still fondly remembers a trip to Safranbolu, a wonderfully preserved Ottoman-Turkish museum town, and when the cool breezes are waf ting in through the large open windows you’ ll feel you are far, far away.

B. B . Ar t

Narrow Door café

Chikan Peddler ’s Noodles Booday

Booday

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錫安_自_1-3W_E_20130107.pdf 1 2013/1/7 下午 05:27:38

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In Tainan, the JJ-W Hotel experience is akin to

overnighting in an art gallery. The exterior has been made a work of contemporary public installation art, and the rooms are themed, with many designed by well-known artists. Famed f ilm director Tsai Ming-liang, for example, has recreated the humble home he lived in when younger. British photographer Julian Stallabras, known for his portraits of the homeless, has recreated their “home” on the street, complete with rubbish bin and newspaper-strewn asphalt and public bench. Other hotel-designed rooms have Tainan themes, each tell ing the story of familiar old-time characters – the weaver, pharmacist, boatworker, small-time businessman, etc. The “JJ” in the name is from the Chinese, pronounced Jia Jia; this facil ity, built in 1970 by Taiwan’s f irst l icensed female architect, was then the Cha Cha Hotel in English.

There were numerous nightclubs in the area, and many singing stars l iked to stay here. The “W” refers to the old, covered West Market right behind the hotel, in operation since 1905. (Prices start at NT$3,200.)

The JJ-S Hotel was created by the same team that rejuvenated the JJ-W. The former opened in 2012, the latter in 2009. Tucked away down the narrowest of curving alleys, a small 350-year-old temple its neighbor, this facil ity was originally a small inn built in the early 1900s – the “S” in the name means “small.” The rooms and all other areas, which are compact, have been done in a minimalist contemporary style. There’s no restaurant, to encourage guests to explore Tainan’s famed breakfast and snack foods in the neighborhood, but there is a communal area with vending and coffee machines, etc. (All rooms NT$2,600.)

Kaohsiung’s Icon Hotel is a stylish place of artistic whimsy. The interior was f irst done in white, then artists moved in to use rooms and common areas as their canvases. In one room all is Pacif ic blue, as though you’re sleeping at the bottom of a calm sea. In another you f loat above Manhattan, balloons streaming by. A number of international artists were involved; Canadian Sean Cooper has the hand of God reaching down into a room, poised to pluck you skyward. (Prices start at NT$1,680.)

Taiwan has an ever-increasing number of quality homestay accommodations. A good place to start your search if heading south is http://info.taiwan.net.tw/homestay/english/.

In Kaohsiung and Tainan

Cultural-Creative Places to

Stay

English and ChineseTsai Ming-liang 蔡明亮 West Market 西市場

JJ -W Hotel

JJ -W Hotel JJ -W Hotel

JJ -W Hotel

JJ -W Hotel

JJ -S Hotel

JJ -S Hotel

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen

If you are in Kaohsiung or Tainan to explore these two cities’ cultural-creative blooms, it’s only fitting that you stay in a place that is itself a work of cultural-creative expression. Here are a few good ideas – good places to stay, and also good original cultural-creative ideas that the owners have brought from inspiration to reality.

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20 Travel in Taiwan

STAY

Tainan Citymap

Taikoo (太古百貨店)Add: 94, Shennong St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City (台南市中西區神農街94號)Tel: (06) 221-1053

76 Art Space (76當代實驗空間)Add: 76, Shennong St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City (台南市中西區神農街76號)Tel: (06) 221-5795

Blueprint Lounge Bar (藍圖餐飲)Add: 79, Heping Street, Zhongxi District, Tainan City(台南市中西區和平街79號)Tel: (06) 222-2701

JJ-W Hotel (佳佳西市場旅店)Add: 11, Zhengxing St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City(台南市中西區正興街11號)Tel: (06) 220-9866Website:http://jj-whotel.com.tw

B. B. ArtAdd: 48, Sec. 2, Minquan Rd., Zhongxi District, Tainan City (台南市中西區民權路二段48號)Tel: (06) 223-3538

Booday (蘑菇)Add: 57, Nanmen Rd., Tainan City (台南市南門路57號)Tel: (06) 221-4216Narrow Door (窄門咖啡)

Add: 2F, 67, Nanmen Rd., Tainan City (台南市南門路67號2F)Tel: (06) 221-0508

KaohsiungCity map

Pier-2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區)Add: 1, Dayong Rd., Yancheng Dist., Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號)Tel: (07) 5214-899Website: pier-2.khcc.gov.tw

Icon Hotel (艾卡設計旅店)Add: 328, Minsheng 1st Rd., Xinxing District(高雄市新興區民生一路328號)Tel: (07) 281-8999Website: www.iconhotel.com.tw

Hai

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Minsheng Rd.

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Minquan Rd.

Zhongzheng Rd.

Zhengxing Rd.

Heping St.

Xim

en R

d.

Fuqian Rd.

Wufu Rd.

Wufu Rd.

Zhongzheng Rd.

Minsheng Rd.

Zhonghua Rd.

Chenggong Rd.

Dayong Rd.

Qix

ian

Rd.

Love River

Shennong St.

Nan

men

Rd

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Gon

gyua

n Rd

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Zhon

gyi R

d.

▼

Qiaotou Sugar Refinery

Chikan Peddler's Noodles (赤崁擔仔麵)Add: 180, Sec. 2, Minzu Rd., Tainan City (台南市民族路二段180號)Tel: (06) 220-5336

JJ-S Hotel (佳佳小南天旅店)Add: 74, Lane 158, Zhongyi Rd. Sec. 2, Zhongxi District, Tainan City (台南市中西區忠義路二段158巷74號)Tel: (06) 223-1666Website: http://jj-shotel.com.tw

FEATURE STAY

Travel in Taiwan 21

At Longshan Temple, one of Taipei’s oldest and most famous temples, Travel in Taiwan asked tourists from Europe and the U.S. about their Taiwan travel experience.

Travel in Taiwan: Could you please tell us about your Taiwan trip?Trudi: We are on a three-week trip around Taiwan, and will be

going home in a few days. We have spent most of our time in

the western and southern parts of the island, concentrating on

Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Kenting National Park.

Travel in Taiwan: How are you traveling?Pieter: We like to take things slow and travel on our own using

public transport, mostly getting around by train and bus. We

didn’t join an organized tour; we didn’t feel like going all around

the island.

Travel in Taiwan: Which places do you like best?Trudi: We like Kaohsiung a lot, and Tainan is a nice city too. In

Tainan we visited historic sites that had the ruins of forts built

by the Dutch. That was interesting. Kenting National Park was

great too, and the autumn weather has been fantastic. Overall,

we’ve found Taiwan to be really clean, and you don't hear

honking cars all the time like in other Asian countries.

Travel in Taiwan: Could you please tell us about your Taiwan trip?Christina: I just arrived today, and will be staying for five

days, all in Taipei. I am on a business trip and it’s my first

time to Taiwan.

Travel in Taiwan: How do you like it here so far?Christina: I am mostly impressed by how easy and

convenient it is to use the Taipei Metro.

Travel in Taiwan: Which places do you plan to visit in Taipei?Christina: Longshan Temple, obviously. This is

the first sight I’ve taken in. I definitely need to do

a night market, and I will probably have a hot-pot

meal. I feel the city has a great mix of the modern

and the old, and that there are lots of things

waiting for me to discover. Can’t wait to get out

there and see more.

Trudi & Pieter fromChristina from

Amsterdam, Holland Chicago, U.S.A.

Photos: Ivy Chen

MEETING TOURISTS

22 Travel in Taiwan

“You Don't Hear Honking Cars All the Time”

Along the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus’s Lion’s Head Mountain RouteOn a trip to the heartland of Hsinchu and Miaoli counties, you have the chance to learn about Hakka culture, take in enchanting mountain scenery, and even visit an animal farm/theme park. Travel in Taiwan did exactly this on a recent bus trip making use of the convenient Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service.

Ever since Maureen and Tony

Wheeler, founders of

the Lonely Planet guidebooks, set out

across Asia “on the cheap” in the early

1970s, backpacker travel has become

a rite of passage for an ever-increasing

percentage of the young and the young

at heart. But for every story of triumph

and transcendent experiences there

are several of missed trains, buses that

never came, and taxi rides that ended

in driver demands for exorbitant fares.

Luckily, none of these negative things are

an issue in Taiwan, and now, thanks to

the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus service

(www.taiwantrip.com.tw), traveling

around the island has never been easier

or more fun.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has

mapped out 22 convenient routes, all

over Taiwan, on which the shuttles

stop at specially selected sites. Buses

generally run every hour on the hour

between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (for some

routes, every half-hour on weekends and

holidays), leaving from major railway

and High Speed Rail (HSR) stations

around Taiwan. This mode of reliable

transportation means that it has never

been so convenient to visit Taiwan and

see what it has to offer. Taking the shuttle

is also a great way to meet other travelers

in a relaxed setting. Recently, I had the

chance to sample one of the shuttle routes

through Hsinchu and Miaoli counties,

and my accompanying Travel in Taiwan friends threw in a few challenges for me

just to make things interesting. I was

promised some yummy fruit as reward

after completing each. Here's what

happened.

Hakka Countryinto

I think I can fly....

I don’t think he’ll be flying

any time soon…

Zhubei Railway Station

Zhubei Kuan Ming Commercial

District

Sheraton Hotel— Hsinchu

Zhudong Railway Station Visitor Center

Beipu Old Street

Lion's Head Mountain Visitor

Center

Hsinchu County

Government

THSR Hsinchu Station

Green World Ecological

Farm

Emei

Quanhua Temple

Nanzhuang Visitor Center

Text: Joe Henley Photos: Ivy Chen

Green World Eco Farm

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

24 Travel in Taiwan

LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN

Arriving at the HSR Hsinchu Station, we followed the English

signage to Exit 4, made a right outside the door, and

quickly located the bus bound for Lion’s Head Mountain. The all-day shuttle-

use ticket costs just NT$100. After about 30 minutes the bus dropped us off at our

first stop, Green World Ecological Farm. The tourist shuttle stops on the highway

where the access road to the farm begins; from there it is about 2km to the farm.

We called the farm and asked for the shuttle service it provides. (Note: The owners have applied for the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus stop to be relocated closer to the farm, and expect a decision sometime this year.)

A friendly driver from the farm soon picked us up, and in no time we were at

the gate to the 70-hectare farm, which is more like a zoo/theme park. It has six

different sections, each highlighting a different aspect of nature. Here, my mission

was to locate the alpaca pen, give the fuzzy quadrupeds their first meal of the day,

and then take them for a run around their large grazing area for a little morning

exercise. I quickly got sidetracked, however, for I couldn't resist stepping into the

“Lovely Animal Area” to take a look at the guinea pigs, rabbits, and tiny Formosan

Reeves' muntjac, also known as the barking deer because of its distinctive call.

I also couldn't pass up the chance to take a quick look at the reptile house and

take a picture with a small, slithery coral snake. Now, where was I? Oh yes, the

mission! Showing the sign with the Chinese characters for “alpaca” mercifully

provided to me by my Travel in Taiwan friends to a smiling member of the staff, I

was pointed in the direction of their pen. I soon found myself staring at a herd of

hungry and curious South American camelids. Their handler gave me a bucket of

alpaca feed, and in an instant I was surrounded by the friendly creatures, with a

particularly bossy matriarch by the name of Coffee hogging most of the food. Then

it was time for a brisk jog around the pasture, which turned into more of a grazing

session than anything else. Alpacas, apparently, have the same aversion to running

that I do.

With part one of my mission complete, I was presented with my just reward: a

shiny red persimmon, a local Hsinchu delicacy. Then I was off to catch the shuttle,

to take me to the scene of my next task.

I couldn't resist stepping into the “Lovely Animal Area” to take a look at

the guinea pigs, rabbits, and tiny Formosan Reeves' muntjac.

It's just a coral snake. It won't

bite me, it won't bite me...

I soon found myself staring at

a herd of hungry and curious

South American camelids

找羊駝

Firs t persimmon

BACKPACK BUS TRIP LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN

Travel in Taiwan 25

After being driven back to

the bus stop, we hopped

on the next bus and made the quick five-

minute trip to Beipu, a town known for

its Hakka food – a branch of cuisine

with roots in China that is distinct from

traditional Taiwanese fare. In Beipu I

was to track down three different Hakka-

diet mainstays, again with the help of

some large-print Chinese characters

– and a bit of mangled Mandarin on

my part. The first dish I was to locate:

bantiao, or thick, f lat rice noodles served

with soy sauce, green onions, garlic, and

a bit of pork.

I strode less than confidently up

to a couple of gentlemen outside an

establishment on Beipu Old Street,

lined with tea shops and restaurants,

and inquired as to where I might hunker

down for some bantiao. “Right here,”

the bespectacled man on my right replied

in English, waving me inside. I took my

time, very much enjoying the delicious,

piping-hot noodles (especially good on

a chilly winter afternoon), and then

launched my search for my next quarry:

dried persimmons. The owner of the

restaurant spoke English as well, and sent

me a short distance to one of many stands

in the area that display a wide array of

the dried fruit. There, I was educated on

the varying tastes and textures of pencil,

stone, and cow heart persimmons. At this

point I found that I was craving liquid

refreshment, for my two-course meal had

left me decidedly thirsty.

Luckily, the next job on my to-do

list was to find a place selling leicha, or

ground tea. Walking through a preserved

Japanese colonial-era neighborhood,

past the historic Jiang A-Xin Residence,

I was able to find the quaint and quiet

Shui Jing Teahouse down one of the

narrow cobblestone alleyways. There,

the kindly owner showed me how to

grind the mix of dried oolong tea leaves,

nuts, and grains with a small wooden

pestle in a bowl. After a few minutes of

grinding, the resulting fine powder was

mixed with boiling water and poured

into cups containing a mix of dried rice

and green beans, making for an earthy,

healthy, and thoroughly enjoyable hot

beverage.

This concluded the food portion of

my journey, and the tea-shop owner

giggled as she presented me with my

second hard-won persimmon trophy of

the day.

The kindly owner showed me how to grind the mix of dried oolong tea leaves, nuts, and grains with a small wooden pestle in a bowl

Hakka-style thick, flat rice

noodles, yummy!

The dried persimmons

tasted better than they looked.

Grinding leicha is a lot of fun...

Second persimmon

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

26 Travel in Taiwan

LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN

INFOGreen World Ecological Farm (綠世界生態農場)Add: 20, 7 Lin, Dahu Village, Beipu Township, Hsinchu County (新竹縣北埔鄉大湖村7鄰20號)Tel : (03) 580-1000Website: www.green-world.com.tw

Shui Jing Teahouse (水井茶堂)Add: 1, Zhongzheng Rd., Beipu Township, Hsinchu County (新竹縣北埔鎮中正路1號)Tel : (03) 580-5122

Next began the mountainous portion of our trip. First, we

caught the next shuttle bus and got off at Lion's Head

Mountain Visitor Center, the terminal stop on this route. Then we

transferred to a smaller shuttle bus, headed for the town of Nanzhuang

(NT$43). There were hardly any tourists on this weekday afternoon, and

I got an unexpected bonus when the affable driver introduced me to the

local attractions. I got off the bus at the next stop, Quanhua Temple.

This mountainside temple combines elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and

Confucianism, and also serves as a guesthouse for travelers. I was in

search of a few of the temple's “residents” – five fierce lion statues spread

throughout the sprawling grounds. Fortunately, with my helpful guide by

my side, I was able to locate them in short order, two framing the gate at

the temple's lower entrance, two at another high gate closer to the temple

itself, and one on the temple grounds. That's three persimmons for your

intrepid traveler, for those of you keeping score. (Note: For more info on Lion’s Head Mountain, which is part of the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area, visit the scenic area’s website at www.trimt-nsa.gov.tw.)

Our final stop for the day was Nanzhuang Old Street. This historic

street was built up around a huge temple where the Hakka have long come

to give thanks for abundant harvests. There I had to find the town's old

post office, dating back to the Japanese colonial era, and mail a postcard.

My savior once again was a restaurateur, who sent me up some steps at

the side of the temple, at the top of which the post office came into view.

I picked out a card and sent it with the outgoing mail to Taipei City, with

greetings from the heart of Hakka country. With the day growing dim

in its final lighted hours, we took a stroll down the appropriately named

Sweet Osmanthus Lane to sample some local f lower-f lavored drinks, and

took a picture at the end of the lane at an old laundry station, where the

women of the town used to gather to wash their clothes in clean, f lowing

mountain water guided smartly down the side of the artery by concrete

culverts. As I watched the cool, crystal-clear liquid pass by at this former

meeting place, my day in Hsinchu and Miaoli came to an end. With three

sweet persimmons in hand, I had a ready-made snack for the trip home.

Greeting from Nanzhuang in

Miaoli County!

This is how they washed clothes in the old days.

Found lots of lions at Lion's Head Mountain.

English and Chinesebantiao 板條Beipu 北埔Beipu Old Street 北埔老街Jiang A-Xin Residence 姜阿新宅

leicha 擂茶Lion's Head Mountain 獅頭山Nanzhuang 南庄Nanzhuang Old Street 南庄老街Quanhua Temple 勸化堂Sweet Osmanthus Lane 桂花巷

Third persimmon

BACKPACK BUS TRIP LION’S HEAD MOUNTAIN

Travel in Taiwan 27

A Winter Hike on One of Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Mountains

Text & Photos: Stuart Dawson

MountainSnow

Glacial Cirque

At 369 CabinEast Peak

Sunr ise

Taiwan’s second-highest peak, Snow Mountain (3,886m), is often overlooked by Westerners who come to the island for hiking. Mt. Jade, being the tallest, is the one that everyone wants to bag, but for me, Snow Mountain is a far more interesting and scenic hike. The terrain and views vary greatly, and even though I’ve been to the top some fifteen times, I still look forward to each and every trip.

HIKING

28 Travel in Taiwan

SNOW MOUNTAIN

My favorite time to be up Snow Mountain

is during the winter. It’s a relatively

safe hike to do when there’s snow on the ground,

and the scenery is stunning. This January we

had the pleasure of leading a group of fourteen

hikers to the peak, and were lucky enough to

have perfect weather.

Arriving at the trailhead late on a Friday

evening, the temperature difference between

Taipei and this mountainous area, not far from

Wuling Farm off Provincial Highway 7A, was

immediately apparent. Everyone jumped out of

the vans and started digging through backpacks

to find fleeces and gloves. As the group tried

to stay warm, we handed out the communal

equipment and the crampons we’d need to make

it to the top in icy conditions.

Once everyone was ready, we headed up to the

Qika Cabin, where we spent the night. It’s an easy

hour-long walk to the cabin, which is very basic.

The second day involved a slow walk up to

the 369 Cabin. It typically takes five hours, so we

had plenty of time for everyone to get to know

each other over coffee and bagels for breakfast at

the Qika Cabin. By the time we left, some clouds

had rolled in, and I was beginning to worry

that we wouldn’t get to see anything that day,

but as we ate lunch on Snow Mountain’s East

Peak (3,201m), about half-way between the two

cabins, they began to part and we caught teasing

glimpses of the surrounding valleys.

With the sun now shining through the

cloud cover, everyone seemed invigorated once

more, and we made it to the 369 Cabin by mid-

afternoon. Our porter and cook, Shi-Gua, had

arrived earlier in the afternoon and had already

prepared an enormous bowl of ginger tea for us.

He then spent the rest of the afternoon preparing

a delicious and hearty feast for dinner.

Once the sun set, it quickly got very cold on

the side of the mountain, and with us looking

at a very early start the next day, everyone was

tucked up in their sleeping bags by 6 p.m.

When we got up, Shi-Gua was

already preparing breakfast

for the group. We huddled up in the kitchen and

ate together. Then, after a short safety briefing,

we headed up toward what is called the Black

Forest. It’s very easy for hikers to get lost in the

forest in the early morning before sunrise and

after heavy snowfall, and we therefore walked

slowly, stopping frequently to keep the group

together. As we cleared the forest, the rocky

path gave way to thick, hard ice, and we paused

for a moment to put on our crampons.

The last section of the hike involves walking

up one side of a glacial cirque before finally

reaching the main peak. Climbing up the cirque

in icy conditions is always very dangerous. The

trail itself isn’t that steep, but the drop to the

right is, and hiking without crampons would be

very risky. We slowly and carefully made our

way up.

Around 400m before the top, a stunning

orange and red glow appeared over the horizon

behind us. It was almost sunrise, and we began

the final push to make it up in time to see the

sun come up over the sea of clouds.

Everyone made it with time to spare, and we

were treated to amazing views of the Central

and Snow Mountain ranges. It was freezing

on the top, literally – our drinking water and

chocolate snacks had all frozen! But that didn’t

matter, as we had achieved our goal and felt we

were standing on top of the world.

English and Chinese369 Cabin 三六九山莊Black Forest 黑森林Central Mountain Range 中央山脈Mt. Jade 玉山Qika Cabin 七卡山莊Snow Mountain 雪山Wuling Farm 武陵農場

Black ForestA stunning orange and red glow

appeared over the horizon behind us.

It was almost sunrise, and we began

the final push to see the sun come up

over the sea of clouds

HIKING SNOW MOUNTAIN

Travel in Taiwan 29

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

30 Travel in Taiwan

BAOSHENG CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Bao’an Temple

Ac tiv it ies dur ing the Baosheng Cultural Fest ival

Partying with the Wu Tao ClanText: Mark Caltonhill Photos: Bao'an Temple, Maggie Song

It is often supposed that for an authentic, feels-like-the-long-gone-past religious experience, visitors need to head out of Taipei City and, preferably, travel to Taiwan’s deep south, where traditional practices are better preserved. Not for nothing, therefore, is the former capital, Tainan, oft called the island’s cultural capital. Its high density of government-listed heritage temples are indeed worth visiting, but parts of Taipei, in particular its older districts such as Wanhua and Datong, are also rich and thriving repositories of traditional life.

Located on the western

edge of this

modern city and tucked up tight beside

the Tamsui River, which historically

served as northern Taiwan’s major

thoroughfare, they are ideal destinations

for visitors seeking to connect with the

island’s past. In Wanhua, Longshan

Temple is the key religious site, while

the annual Qingshan Temple parade is a

major attraction. Best in Datong, slightly

to the north, are Taipei Confucius

Temple and, next door, Bao’an Temple,

dedicated to Baosheng Dadi (see box on

next page).

Taipei’s Bao’an Temple is worth

visiting at any time of the year. Rebuilt and

expanded many times, the present temple

has elements dating from 1804; the 1804

structure replaced a wooden shrine dating

from 1742. The complex was recognized

as a national historic site in 1985 and,

following a decade of renovation, received

a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award

for Culture Heritage Conservation in

2003. The temple’s management sought

out artisans with knowledge of traditional

skills to do the work, some coming from

Fujian, and engaged academic experts to

ensure that the original design was adhered

to. Wood carvings and the murals on the

outside of the central hall were especially

well restored.

Like many temples, Bao’an Temple

(or Bao’an Gong; gong means “palace,”

and identifies this as a Daoist as opposed

to a Buddhist temple) has an annual

procession, when statues of deities from

other temples are brought to offer their

respects to the great emperor on his

birthday. Baosheng Dadi is said to have

been born on the 15th day of the 3rd lunar

month, AD 979. This year, the lunar date

falls on April 24th.

Over the years, this temple’s

celebrations have grown

and grown, and since 1994 have been

represented as the Baosheng Cultural

Festival, which lasts for three weeks

or longer. Activities include arts,

photography, lion dancing, feasting,

martial arts, puppet shows, firework

displays, fire running, and much more.

They far outdo those of most other

organizations, religious or secular, in

Taipei or throughout the country.

Theater is a major component in

the weeks before and after the deity’s

birthday, with international companies

performing alongside a wide range

of local and community groups. The

emphasis is on preserving traditional

forms, with opera – Taiwanese-language

opera, rather than Mandarin-language

Peking opera – and puppetry to the

fore. Such performances are common

at temple fairs, and it is often forgotten

that their primary audiences are spiritual

rather than living beings, just as are those

of the art on temple roofs and even the

performers seen at some funerals.

Speaking of art, a sketching

competition will be held as part of

the festival on April 21st, as well as a

photographic competition and exhibition,

with the judging done in the weeks

following the festival. The photography is

of particularly high quality, a ref lection

of the numbers of members of Taiwan’s

many amateur photography clubs.

The temple also sponsors religious

lectures during the festival and, as a

result of relationships forged during the

period of restoration, invites scholars to

present the findings of their research on

relevant topics at academic seminars.

The wood carvings and the murals

on the outside of Bao’an Temple’s central hall were especially well

restored

SPLENDID FESTIVALS BAOSHENG CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Travel in Taiwan 31

Bao’an Temple

Protec tive Dragon

Perhaps the most popular event during the festival, and definitely the most

photogenic, is the fire running

Health professionals and volunteers also set up mobile clinics to

check visitors’ blood pressure and other basic disease indicators.

The main event, especially for overseas visitors looking

for photo opportunities, is the procession and

associated activities on Baosheng Dadi’s birthday. Participants

can be seen at any place along the route, which meanders for

many kilometers through this old heart of the city, but the main

crowd – and most photographers – gather at Bao’an Temple

itself, to witness the special displays put on when the marchers,

carrying their own deity statues, arrive to offer their best

birthday wishes.

During similar events at other temples, these arrivals are

marked by letting off strings of firecrackers and the bouncing of

statues in their palanquins. So too at Bao’an Temple, but many

participants will present a cultural display as well. They might,

for example, be dressed as the Cowherd and Weaving Maid,

the protagonists of the myth behind Chinese Lovers’ Day, or

as the legendary emperor Shen Nong, who taught humankind

to practice agriculture and, by tasting thousands of potentially

dangerous plants, discovered which herbs had beneficial

medicinal qualities, something of special interest to Baosheng

Dadi.

The parade lasts all day, and vendors set up stalls to cater

for hungry participants and viewers alike. The temple marks

the start and finishing point of the route, and afterwards

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

32 Travel in Taiwan

Fire running in f ront of Bao’an Temple

Baosheng DadiChinese deities come in two categories: those who were real people – such as Confucius, the seafarers’ goddess Mazu and, more recently, former president Chiang Kai-shek, who now appears at temples dedicated to Lord Chiang – and those who were not, such as the Jade Emperor or the gods of rain, wind, and so forth.

Baosheng Dadi, the Great Emperor Who Protects Life, is one of the former. Originally called Wu Tao, he lived in Tong’an in mainland China’s Fujian Province from 979 to 1036, during the Song Dynasty.

Having lost his parents at an early age, Wu dedicated his life to studying medicinal herbs and helping to heal people. After he passed away following a life of self-sacrifice, people began to beseech his spirit for assistance from the netherworld. With such supplications seemingly granted, and prayers to him seeming to have beneficial results, he was gradually promoted up the Daoist hierarchy, eventually gaining the status of a dadi, a great emperor.

Since many of Taiwan’s Han Chinese immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries came from Fujian, and not a small number from around Tong’an, it is unsurprising that they brought statues of Baosheng Dadi with them and established branch temples dedicated to him in their new home. There are now Bao’an temples in many cities and towns around the island (Bao’an means “protect Tong’an”), and his birthday, the 15th day of the 3rd lunar month, is celebrated widely and loudly.

many costumed marchers hang around

chatting, eating, and having their photos

taken. Among the more popular are the

lion dancers, acrobats, martial artists on

stilts, and the 12 Maiden Aunts, all of

whom put on performances in front of the

temple. This last group, actually played by

a dozen men, are assistants to Zhusheng

Niangniang, a subsidiary deity to whom

women pray when wishing to conceive, and

whose statue and altar are on the left inside

the temple. Though merely assistants to a

secondary deity, they are nevertheless one

of the top draws of the day.

Perhaps the most popular event,

and definitely the most photogenic,

is the fire running. Pairs of men,

carrying deity statues in palanquins,

run barefoot across smoldering

charcoal. Photographers should

be sure to ask in advance in which

direction the running will be;

otherwise (like this writer) they may

end up with photos of the runners’

backs and have to return the next

year to try again. However, that of

course would be something pleasant

to look forward to.

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

INFO

English and Chinese12 Maiden Aunts 十二婆姐Baosheng Cultural Festival 保生文化祭Baosheng Dadi 保生大帝Cowherd and Weaving Maid 牛郎織女dadi 大帝Datong 大同gong 宮Jade Emperor 玉皇大帝Longshan Temple 龍山寺Mazu 媽祖Qingshan Temple 青山宮Shen Nong 神農Taipei Confucius Temple 台北市孔廟Tamsui River 淡水河Wanhua 萬華Wu Tao 吳夲

Zhusheng Niangniang 註生娘娘

Bao'an Temple (保安宮)Add: 61, Hami Street, Taipei City (台北市哈密街61號)Website: www.baoan.org.twNearest MRT Station: Yuanshan

Lion dance per formance dur ing the Baosheng Cultural Fest ival

BAOSHENG CULTURAL FESTIVAL

INDIGENOUS VILLAGES

34 Travel in Taiwan

SANDIMEN/WUTAI

If you are interested in indigenous

arts and crafts, there are many options

in the Sandimen area. At the Sandimen

Bead Workshop in Shuimen Village,

for example, you can buy jewelry and

accessories that incorporate traditional-

style beads created by Umass Zingrur.

When large numbers of antique leaded-

glass beads began to be lost to collectors,

Umass Zingrur developed a quartz-clay

formula to produce beads that closely

imitate them, helping to preserve this

important part of the culture. One of

Umass Zingrur’s first students was

Shatao, who founded the Shatao Dance

& Glass Art Studio in Sandi Village.

You can shop in the studio’s showroom,

watch beads being created by hand, and

make your own beads to take home.

You can also watch rehearsals of the

Tjimur Dance Theatre troupe, which

creates contemporary performances

based on elements of traditional Paiwan

culture.

The Er-ge Workshop, also in Sandi

Village, was founded by Oko Matilin

(also known as Er-ge). He has worked

for more than two decades to produce

vessels that closely resemble the ancient

pots of the Paiwan tribe. He has also

devoted himself to training the younger

generation of the tribe, and his workshop

always has several young employees

producing pottery. You can also watch

woodcarvers decorating doors and

making furniture.

Places to Experience the Culture of the Paiwan and Rukai Tribes

Text: Cheryl Robbins

Photos: Maolin National Scenic Area

The townships of Neipu and Sandimen in Pingtung County are situated adjacent to one another. This area is home to the indigenous Paiwan and Rukai tribes, and is known for a large concentration of workshops run by native artists and artisans. Above Sandimen is the mountainous Wutai Township, predominantly populated by members of the Rukai tribe. Together, these three townships are ideal places to experience the fascinating culture of the Paiwan and the Rukai.

INDIGENOUS VILLAGES

Indigenous Arts Showcase

Wutai V i l lage

Ambassador Hotel HsinchuAdd：No.188, Sec. 2, Zhonghua Rd., Hsinchu City, Taiwan R.O.C. TEL：+886 (3) 515-1111FAX：+886 (3) 515-1112

Ambassador Hotel KaohsiungAdd：No.202, Mingsheng 2nd Road, Kaohsiung City,Taiwan R.O.C.TEL：+886 (7) 211-5211FAX：+886 (7) 201-0348

Ambassador Hotel TaipeiAdd：No. 63 Chungshan North Road, Section 2, Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.TEL：+886 (2) 2551-1111FAX：+886 (2) 2531-5215

Ambassador Classic Pineapple CakeIn Taiwanese the words for “pineapple” sound like the words for “prosperous future.” Pineapples are therefore often used as auspicious symbols. Resembling little gold bars, pineapple cakes make for a delicious gift with symbolic meaning to friends you want to wish well. The Ambassador Hotel Classic Pineapple Cakes, the finest quality, are made with soft & light outer shell and delicious sweet & sour pineapple paste as filling. By sharing these flavorful cakes with you, we hope to wish you and the people close to you good fortune and prosperous times ahead!

NT$270 Pack of 6NT$450 Pack of 10NT$880 Pack of 20

INDIGENOUS VILLAGES SANDIMEN/WUTAI

Good Food, Good Music, and Good Views

Most of the artist workshops close

in the early evening, but that does not

mean that Sandimen Township has

no nightlife. A number of restaurants

located along the stretch of Provincial

Highway No. 24 leading to Wutai

provide the opportunity for dining under

the stars while listening to live-music

performances or singing karaoke. One

example is the Qiu Yue Restaurant. The

menu includes indigenous cuisine in set

meals and other dishes such as hotpot.

If ready to call it a day, a good choice

is the Shan Zhong Tian Restaurant

and Guesthouse. This is one of the

few places to stay in Sandimen that is

run by an indigenous person, namely

Princess Ullun of the Rukai tribe, also

known by her Chinese name Yan Mei-

gui. The title “princess” refers to the

daughter of a chieftain. There are four

beautifully decorated rooms – Warrior,

Princess, Elder, and Chieftain – denoting

the most important social positions in

traditional Rukai culture. Just above

the accommodation area is a restaurant

that serves both indigenous and Chinese

cuisine.

Wutai’s Location – Ideal Environment for Cultural Preservation

Wutai Township is nestled deep in

the mountains, and has truly majestic

landscapes. Due to its somewhat isolated

location, the Rukai people living here

have been able to preserve their culture

and language.

Along Yanban Lane in the Upper

Wutai Community, the facades of the

buildings are constructed from slate.

Slate is a traditional Rukai building

material, obtained from the surrounding

mountains.

Wutai Township is nestled deep

in the mountains, and has truly

majestic landscapes

Church in Wutai

Indigenous pot ter y

INDIGENOUS VILLAGES

36 Travel in Taiwan

INFO

Neipu & SandimenSandimen Bead Workshop (山地門珠串工房)Add: 215-1, Zhongxiao Rd., Shuimen Village, Neipu Township, Pingtung County(屏東縣內埔鄉水門村忠孝路215-1號)Tel: (08) 799-4046

Shatao Dance & Glass Art Studio (沙滔舞琉璃藝術空間)Add: 7, Lane 37, Zhongzheng Rd., Sec. 2, Sandi Village, Sandimen Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣三地門鄉三地村中正路二段37巷7號)Tel: (08) 799-1563

Er-ge Workshop (峨格手藝工作室)Add: 52, Zhongzheng Rd., Sec. 2, Sandi Village, Sandimen Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣三地門鄉三地村中正路二段52號)Tel: (08) 799-5200

Qiu Yue Restaurant (秋月的店)Add: 150, Zhongzheng Rd., Sec. 2, Sandi Village, Sandimen Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣三地門鄉三地村中正路二段150號)Tel: (08) 799-1524

Shan Zhong Tian Restaurant and Guesthouse (山中天休閒餐廳及特色民宿)Add: 10-1, Zhongzheng Rd., Sec. 1, Sandi Village, Sandimen Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣三地門鄉三地村中正路一段10-1號)Tel: (08) 799-3440

Wutai Dream House Guesthouse (夢想之家)Add: 38, Lin 5, Wutai Village, Wutai Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣霧台鄉霧台村5鄰38號)Tel: (08) 790-2312; 0912-786-109

Yu Mei Snack Shop (玉美小吃店)Add: 49, Zhongshan Lane, Wutai Village, Wutai Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣霧台鄉霧台村中山巷49號)Tel: (08) 790-2570; 0933-656-447

English and ChineseYan Mei-gui 顏美桂Neipu 內埔Paiwan tribe 排灣族Pingtung Bus Company 屏東客運Rukai tribe 魯凱族Sandi Village 三地村Sandimen 三地門Shatao 沙滔Shuimen Village 水門村Umass Zingrur 巫瑪斯-金路兒Upper Wutai Community 上霧台部落Wutai Township 霧台鄉Yanban Lane 岩板巷

There are several guesthouses in this

community that are owned and operated

by gracious hosts who also serve as tour

guides. One example is the Dream House

Guesthouse. Here, the decor makes ample

use of slate, and there are displays of

Rukai cultural artifacts in the lobby area.

A good place to fill up on indigenous

cuisine is the Yu Mei Snack Shop.

Specialties include stone-grilled pork

and cinavu (meat mixed with fermented

millet that is wrapped in leaves and

cooked).

From the cultural treasures on

display in the workshops of Neipu

and Sandimen to those “hidden” in

the hills and valleys of Wutai, there is

much to discover of Taiwan’s natural

beauty and indigenous culture in

Pingtung County.

Getting There

Neipu and Sandimen are easily reached from National Freeway No. 3, along Provincial Highway No. 24. The Pingtung Bus Company offers services between Pingtung City and Shuimen Village in Neipu Township as well as the Sandimen Township administrative office. There is also a route that continues along Highway 24 to Wutai.

A point to note is that Wutai Township is a protected area, and it is necessary to apply for a mountain permit to enter. If traveling with a Taiwanese citizen, foreign nationals can be part of the application made at the Sandimen inspection station along Highway 24. Alternatively, if staying overnight in Wutai you can ask your homestay owner to assist you. The Wutai-area section of Highway 24 was severely damaged during Typhoon Morakot in August 2009, and although reconstruction and fortification of the road continues, when there are heavy rains rockslides often cause closures. Thus, make sure to check the weather forecast before heading to Wutai.

There is much to discover of Taiwan’s natural beauty and indigenous culture in Pingtung County

Dancing dur ing a Paiwan fest ival

Celebrating Love and Romance Austronesian Style

The Maolin National Scenic Area is rich in natural beauty and romantic landscapes, as well as indigenous culture. To highlight these advantages, the Maolin National Scenic Area Administration organizes group weddings with an Austronesian theme. Couples looking for a unique way to celebrate their love and new life together can register to take part in this ceremony. They will have the opportunity to experience Paiwan and Rukai wedding traditions including the wearing of formal attire and headdresses. The brides are brought to the ceremony in a traditional type of sedan chair and the families of the grooms present betrothal gifts including pork and millet. The ceremony is followed by a reception that includes indigenous cuisine and dancing. The next Austronesian Wedding is planned for March. More information can be obtained from the Maolin National Scenic Area Administration (www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw).

FUN WITH CHINESE

Travel in Taiwan 37

One of the first characters Chinese-

language students will learn and

remember is 山 (“shan,” mountain). It’s easy to

write and, because of its shape resembling that of a

mountain, also easy to recognize. The character is

part of many place names in Taiwan, for example

陽明山 (“Yangmingshan,” the mountain massif on

Taipei City’s north side); 玉山 (“Yushan,” Mt. Jade),

Taiwan’s and Northeast Asia’s highest mountain;

and 龍山寺 (“Longshan Si,” Dragon Mountain

Temple), one of the oldest temples in Taipei.

Even easier to write is the character 人 (“ren,”

person, people). This character is an important

part of many more complicated characters,

very often appearing on the left side of these

characters, in the altered form 亻. Standard

Chinese dictionaries usually list more than 200

characters with this form, called a radical, which

indicates the word has something to do with a

person or people. One of them is 仙 (“xian”). Can

you guess the meaning of this character? A person

found at or on a mountain – who could that be?

The answer: An enlightened person or immortal

in Taoist philosophy. Dutch sinologist Kristofer

Marinus Schipper has described the character as

“the ‘human being of the mountain,’ or alternatively,

‘human mountain.’ The two explanations are

appropriate to these beings: they haunt the holy

mountains, while also embodying nature.” One place

you will come across this character is 八仙洞 (“Baxian

Dong,” Caves of the Eight Immortals), a scenic

site on the east coast of Taiwan, named after eight

famous immortals in Chinese mythology.

Xian Person, Mountain, & Immortal

ShanRén

Image: National Palace Museum

ACTIVE FUN

38 Travel in Taiwan

THEME PARKS

It is on one such day in January that we visit Janfusan Fancy World in Yunlin County. One of Taiwan’s top

amusement parks, it consists of 65 hectares of rides and gardens all nestled among the undulating mountains of

Gukeng Township. The land around here is coffee country, and the view from the park takes in the mountains to the

southeast, which rise in three distinct tiers beyond the hills of the Huashan village area, famous for its f lavorsome

coffee beans. Mist hangs languidly above the slopes, and while the sun is out, the threat of rain is ever present.

Despite the ominous weather, gangs of schoolchildren are tearing around, making the most of the brief spell of

morning sunshine and urging each other towards the Horrorwood Haunted Theater. We decide that the haunted

house is an attraction better suited to the twilight hours, and so we start our day in a leisurely fashion at the World

Coffee Museum just inside the park’s entrance, soaking up the atmosphere in the museum’s café. It’s a charming

facility, with small exhibition rooms on international coffee, bean roasting, and Taiwan’s

own coffee-growing regions. Ask for a cup of Gukeng coffee to sample the local area’s

mild and nutty brew.

In the café, we spread our map over the table and survey the park. Fancy

World is made up of seven areas. The largest and most action-packed is

the Sky Plaza, which has the park’s most popular rides: Diving Machines

G5, Sky Jet, and Crazy Coaster (alternatively known, in painfully literal

fashion, as the Floorless Coaster, or the somewhat hyperbolic Insane

Speed). Perched on the edge of the entrance plaza is the 88-meter-

high Sky Wheel. This behemoth of a Ferris wheel weighs 600 tons,

commands spectacular views of the park and the vast Jianan Plain to

the west, and at 331 meters above sea level is the world’s highest Ferris

wheel.

Thrill Rides!Janfusan Fancy World and other Amusement Parks in Taiwan

Despite being a relatively small country, Taiwan is home to no fewer than 22 amusement parks. And though they may not have the flamboyance of some of the world's bigger theme parks by more familiar brands, they have an intimacy and charm that can make even a cool day in winter fly by with cheerful glee and, dare I say, a few unexpected thrills as well.

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song

Craz y Coaster

Craz y Coaster

Vick y the V ik ing World

Div ing

Machine

G5

ACTIVE FUN THEME PARKS

Travel in Taiwan 39

Adjacent to the Sky Plaza is the park’s newly developed

Vicky the Viking World, now nearing completion. For those

of you who did not grow up in 1970s Germany, Vicky the

Viking is a Japanese anime series adapted from a popular set

of Swedish children’s books, and follows the exploits of a little

Viking boy called Vicky, who uses his endearing quick smarts

to outwit his boorish fellow Norsemen. Vicky the Viking

World is due to open any time now, and in keeping with the

Vikings’ reputation as nautical pioneers, the area is replacing

the park’s FunWave Water Park. The Nordic renovation

includes a mirror maze, a lazy river with ready-to-row

longboats, a 3D moving theater, and a story house, all themed

around the cartoon, as well as all the rides from the original

water park.

After surveying the map and fortified by our coffee,

we head to Sky Plaza for our first major

thrill of the day – Diving Machine G5.

Built by renowned Swiss roller-coaster

manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard,

G5 is a dive coaster, which means that a

carriage of sixteen nervous passengers are

winched up a rising track, dangled over a

90-degree drop for three very long seconds,

and then unceremoniously dropped at

110km/h into a pit of terrible darkness. It

is not for the faint of heart, and participants

are subjected to a massive 5 Gs during the

freefall (hence the ride’s name). Having tried one of Bolliger

& Mabillard’s other dive coasters, Oblivion, at Alton Towers

in the UK, I feel suitably cocky to go it alone, seeing as no

one else in my group has the stones to step up and face the Gs.

However, on this now drizzly Friday, with no one else on the

ride but me, I suddenly feel very alone, and my screams as the

ride goes into freefall mode are embarrassingly loud.

Next we head to the Crazy Coaster, at 816 meters long

Asia’s longest rollercoaster. Riders experience two intense

minutes of near continuous corkscrews and vertical loops,

with a swift double helix to finish. It’s a fast and exhilarating

ride that raises goosebumps of excitement rather than fear, and

is popular even on a rainy weekday.

Such niceties cannot be offered, however, about the Sky

Jet – two 65-meter-tall columns which rise forbiddingly from

the carefree ambiance of the plaza. Billed as the only double-

freefall ride of its height in Asia, it slowly and gently cranks

you to the top, even letting you take in the lovely view for a

few minutes. What a charming view, you think. It reminds

me of an awfully fun theme park-management game I used

to have on my PlayStation, in which you could scroll around

a map and see the entire park working, with all the rides and

all the little people and everything. As I think “Ah, that was a

great...” I am dropped at 85 km/h, smashing my reverie into

tiny shards of bowel-loosening terror.

The largest and most action-packed area is the Sky

Plaza, which has the park’s most popular rides

Sk y Plaza

Inver ter

Sk y Jet

Feeling slightly worse for wear, I decide to take it easy for a

while and explore the park’s more family-friendly attractions.

If you come to the park with young children, Fancy World’s

Kiddy Land is your mecca. It’s the biggest indoor family park

in Taiwan, and has the world’s only three-tiered carousel, as

well as the world’s largest LED sky theater, made up of 170,000

tiny f lashing lights. It’s a fun, amusement-filled bazaar, with

enough old-fashioned grabbers, arcade games, and fairground

stalls to keep kids amused while you try to forget about that

last rollercoaster experience.

Fancy World can be covered comfortably in one

day, but if you’d like to spend more time in

the area to explore the local coffee scene or simply make it a

less hectic day out for your family, the Janfusan Prince Hotel,

two minutes away from the park, is your solution. The hotel is

a stylish 4-star affair with 301 guest rooms, a spa, a health club,

and a kids’ play area, and during summer and winter vacations

offers DIY workshops, magic shows, and other activities for

kids.

Other Amusement Parks around Taiwan

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

Located near Sun Moon Lake and accessible from there via

a 2km cable-car ride, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

combines a living museum of Taiwanese indigenous culture

with one of Taiwan’s top amusement parks.

The Aboriginal Village Park is the first stop on the cable-car

journey. Visitors can explore nine different aboriginal villages

home to structures constructed based on anthropological

records, and take part in workshops on pottery, weaving, and

other folk arts, all taught by members of Taiwan’s indigenous

community.

After slaking your thirst for culture and history, head down

to Amusement Isle, where rides such as the UFO Gyro Drop,

Taiwan’s tallest freefall ride at 85m tall, and Mayan Adventure,

an 81 km/h inverted rollercoaster set in and around a Mayan

pyramid, are sure to set your heart racing.

LeoFoo Village Theme Park

LeoFoo Village Theme Park is something of a national

institution, and there are few Taiwanese schoolchildren who

don’t enjoy a field trip here at some time or other. Probably

Taiwan’s most Disney-fied theme park, it consists of four

themed lands – Wild West, Arabian Kingdom, South Pacific,

and African Safari – as well as a water park.

LeoFoo V i l lage

Theme Park

Formosan Aboriginal Culture V i l lage

Formosan Aboriginal Culture V i l lage

ACTIVE FUN

40 Travel in Taiwan

THEME PARKS

On this now drizzly Friday, with no one else on

the ride but me, I suddenly feel very alone, and

my screams as the ride goes into freefall mode are

embarrassingly loud

INFO

Janfusun Fancy World (劍湖山世界)Add: 67, Dahukou, Yongguang Village, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County(雲林縣古坑鄉永光村大湖口67號)Tel: 0800-053-888, (05) 582-5789Website: fancyworld.janfusun.com.tw

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村)

Add: 45, Jintian Lane, Dalin Village, Yuchi Township, Nantou County(南投縣魚池鄉大林村金天巷45號)Tel: (049) 289-5361

Website: www.nine.com.tw

LeoFoo Village Theme Park (六福村主題遊樂園)Add: 60, Gongzigou, Ren'an Borough, Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County(新竹縣關西鎮仁安里拱子溝60號)Tel: (03) 547-5665Website: www.leofoo.com.tw/village/en

Lihpao Land (麗寶樂園)Add: 8, Furong Rd., Houli District, Taichung City (台中市后里區福容路8號)Tel: (04) 2558-2459Website: www.lihpaoland.com.tw

There are plenty of white-knuckle rides

here for the coaster enthusiast – the Screaming

Corridor, Asia’s first U-shaped boomerang

coaster, being a particular bundle of queasy

joy. The African Safari area, on the other hand,

contains the more sedate but possibly more

child-friendly steam-train safari tour, which

gives you a full viewing of the park’s many wild

animals.

Lihpao Land (formerly Yamay Recreation

World)

Lihpao Land, in the rural area of Taichung,

is a dual affair consisting of a large water park,

Malay Bay Water World, and a theme park,

Discovery World. Like Janfusun Fancy World,

it has a hotel on site so visitors can take their

time and explore both areas.

LeoFoo V i l lage Theme Park

ACTIVE FUN THEME PARKS

Travel in Taiwan 41

Information on these and other theme parks in Taiwan, including ticket

prices and directions, can be found at www.themeparks.net.tw/eng

English & ChineseGukeng Township 古坑鄉Huashan 華山Jianan Plain 嘉南平原

Sun Moon Lake 日月潭Taisi Bus Co. 台西客運

Banana farmer Lu Ming in Qishan

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS

42 Travel in Taiwan

DAJIA

There Is More to this Town than Mazu

A Close Look at Dajia

42 Travel in Taiwan

Safe Driving, Dajia StyleZhenlan Temple is steeped in folk traditions, but that’s not to say that local culture is inflexible and unchanging. Over the past few years a new custom has emerged: People who’ve just acquired a new car or motorcycle bring it to the temple, park it in the forecourt, and pay one of the resident joss-paper vendors to circle their vehicle while holding smoldering incense. This action is believed to flush away bad luck, and so protect those using the car or motorcycle from accidents.

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS

This page: Scenes f rom the annual Mazu Pi lgr image

Mt. T iezhen Park

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS DAJIA

Travel in Taiwan 43

A Close Look at DajiaDAJIA

Tradit ional face cleaning

Mt. T iezhen Park

Mar t y ts ' Shr ine Decommissioned mil i tar y hardware

Old resident of Daj ia Goddess Mazu

Here’s an odd fact. Dajia was named one of Taiwan’s top ten tourist towns last spring, yet – as far as bureaucrats are concerned – it had ceased to exist more than a year earlier. Ever since Taichung County was merged into Taichung City, the town has been a mere part of one of the municipality’s 29 districts – Dajia District. Text: Steven Crook Photos: Sting Chen

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS

44 Travel in Taiwan

DAJIA

The Biggest Birthday Party on Earth?

Central Taiwan is the venue for what some say is the largest regular religious gathering anywhere outside India. Held each spring two or three weeks before Mazu's actual birthday (the 23rd day of the third lunar month), the nine-day, eight-night pilgrimage heads south from Dajia to Fengtian Temple in Xingang, Chiayi County. There the pilgrims pause before beginning the return journey. The most pious cover the entire 300km on foot, sleeping in temples en route and subsisting on vegetarian food. Some do it year after year.

Zhenlan Temple's most revered Mazu icon is carried along the route in a palanquin which the faithful who come out to witness the procession hope to touch. This is one way of winning the blessing of the goddess; another is to lay on the road ahead of the procession so the icon is carried over your body. A million or more people watch or join the pilgrimage, and in recent years, the government has bundled the parade with cultural performances, games, and martial-arts demonstrations to create the Taichung City Mazu International Cultural Festival.

The district’s almost 80,000

inhabitants aren’t fazed by

these changes. The place called Dajia

at the center of the former township is a

“town” in everything but name. It has

great character and history, and it retains

its preeminent place in Taiwan’s religious

culture thanks to Zhenlan Temple (also

spelled “Jenn Lann”). This house of

worship is known throughout Taiwan

as the start and end point of a renowned

annual pilgrimage honoring Mazu,

the Goddess of the Sea, who is perhaps

Taiwan’s single most popular deity.

The custom of worshiping Mazu

was brought to Dajia and other points

on Taiwan’s west coast by 17th- and 18th-

century migrants from mainland China’s

Fujian province, and Zhenlan Temple

was founded in 1732. However, as Mr.

Zhang Qing-zong – former elementary

school teacher and local-history maven

– explained to Travel in Taiwan, people

were living in Dajia long before those

settlers arrived. In fact, the toponym

“Dajia” derives from the name of the

lowland aboriginal tribe that once

dominated the area, the Taokas.

Like Taiwan’s other modern-age

indigenous groups, the Taokas were of

Austronesian origin and spoke a language

with no connection to Mandarin or

Taiwanese. It was similar in some ways

to the Maori tongues of New Zealand.

The Taokas disappeared long ago as a

distinct tribe, but vestiges of their culture

live on in special local traditions.

That aboriginal beliefs have

inf luenced local religious practices is

obvious at a little shrine that Mr. Zhang

took us to, where childless couples hoping

for a baby pray to a 30cm-high rock. The

Baogong Stone has a crudely phallic

appearance. But if you look closely, you’ll

notice what could be eyes and other facial

features.

Until early 2010, the stone was kept

in an Earth God shrine outside Dajia, in

Waipu District’s Xincuo area. Because

its apparent ability to cure infertility

was drawing lots of attention, there were

worries it would be stolen (efficacious

icons have been snatched from Taiwanese

temples in the past). It was thus moved

to its current location, the front room

of a private home in the neighborhood.

The family who looks after the Baogong

Stone keeps a list of couples who report

pregnancies after coming here, and

the stone is credited with three or four

successes per month.

Mr. Zhang then

led

us to Mt. Tiezhen, 2.5km northeast of

Dajia’s railway station. The peak is just

236m above sea level, so by the dizzying

standards of Taiwan’s mountains it

barely qualifies as a hill. But even if the

weather’s hazy and you can barely see

the ocean, there’s plenty to do and see

here.

The mountain has several points of

historical and artistic interest. What’s

surely one of the largest statues of Zheng

Cheng-gong (Koxinga) anywhere in

the ROC was commissioned in 1961 to

celebrate the 300th anniversary of the

man credited with bringing Chinese

culture to Taiwan and ejecting the

Dutch, who then controlled a large area

of Taiwan from their Tainan base.

Few people know it, but there’s a

historical connection between Koxinga

and Mt. Tiezhen. During the long siege

of the Dutch fort in Tainan, Koxinga’s

forces ran short of food. They sent

foraging expeditions to other parts

of Taiwan, and a grave dating from

1662 proves that at least one of these

detachments visited the Dajia area.

Mt. Tiezhen’s Koxinga Temple has

a distinctive red dome quite unlike the

roofs of other Taiwan places of worship.

Elsewhere on the mountain, another

hallowed spot commemorates individuals

who lived in a different, more recent era.

Like similar landmarks in other parts

of the country, the Martyrs’ Shrine is

Dajia has great character

and history, and it retains its

preeminent place in Taiwan’s

religious culture

INFO

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS DAJIA

Travel in Taiwan 45

Dajia’s Edible SouvenirsIf you saw the last issue of Travel

in Taiwan , you'll know that Dajia is

Taiwan’s No. 1 producer of taro. If you

want to buy some tasty souvenirs –

taro-flavored or otherwise – it 's not

necessary to stray more than 50m

from Zhenlan Temple.

At O'Nong 's (阿聰師) (123 Zhenlan

Street ; Tel : [04] 2688-1366; www.

o-nongs .com .tw) you'll be encouraged

to nibble on free samples, all of which

are labeled in English as well as

Chinese. The Taro Creamy Cheese Cake

is especially good, and your friends

may get a kick out of the Taiwan-

shaped cookies .

O'Nong 's was founded in 1967. Almost

next door, there's an even older

business . Ming Siang Jhen (明香珍)

(119 Zhenlan Street ; Tel : [04] 2687-

2452; www.msjcake.com .tw) is now

run by the founder's granddaughter,

and she supervises the on-site baking

of taro-butter cakes, pineapple cakes,

and more than a dozen other products .

English and ChineseBaogong Stone 包公石Dai Chao-chun Uprising 戴潮春事件Dajia 大甲Fengtian Temple 奉天宮Li Cheng-qing 李澄清Lin-Shi Chastity Memorial Archway 林氏貞孝坊Martyrs' Shrine 忠靈祠Mt . Tiezhen 鐵砧山Qianliyan 千里眼Shunfenger 順風耳Taichung Mazu International Cultural Festival 臺中媽祖國際觀光文化節

Waipu District 外埔區Xincuo 新厝Xingang 新港Zhang Qing-zong 張慶宗Zheng Cheng-gong 鄭成功Zhenlan Temple 鎮瀾宮

Jin Hua Shan Mazu Folk Museum (金華山媽祖文物館)

Add: 9, Lane 119, Guangming Rd., Dajia District, Taichung City (台中市大甲區光明路119巷9號)Tel: (04) 2676-5678

a memorial to those who died serving

the ROC. Many visitors will find the

military hardware that surrounds it more

interesting than the shrine itself. There

are armored vehicles, artillery pieces,

a long-distance missile, and even a

decommissioned fighter jet.

Before returning to the

lowlands, Mr.

Zhang showed us some public art that is

thoroughly modern in style yet ref lects

Dajia’s traditional side. The steel-

plate statues of Shunfenger (“ears that

hear the wind”) and Qianliyan (“eyes

that see a thousand miles”) – demons

tamed by Mazu who became her

faithful assistants – are cartoonish in

appearance, quite unlike the fearsome

depictions you see f lanking Mazu in

countless temples. On the same site,

four stout pillars call to mind both

Native American totems and one of

Dajia’s best-known relics, the Lin-Shi

Chastity Memorial Archway.

Mr. Li Cheng-qing, chairman of the

Dajia Tourism Promotion Association,

told us the archway’s history – a tale

of tragedy and loyalty. The archway,

made of carved granite slabs, was

erected in 1848 to honor a lady born

69 years earlier with the surname Yu.

Her parents were poor, and soon after

birth she was given away to a woman

surnamed Lin. The latter expected she

would eventually marry her son; such

arrangements were common in Taiwan

until the early part of the 20th century.

Unfortunately, when she was 12

years old, the boy she was destined to

wed drowned. The girl didn’t leave the

Lin household, however. She remained

faithful to her deceased fiancé and took

devoted care of her would-be mother-

in-law, who had become sickly. She

did weaving, spinning, and laundry

to make money. Meals weren’t easy to

come by, but she always saved the best

food for the old woman, and ate only

rice porridge herself. Her piety won

unanimous praise in the village.”

The “widow” Lin was also revered

as a rainmaker. Shortly before she died

in 1864, Dajia was surrounded by rebels

during the Dai Chao-chun Uprising.

Water supplies were cut off and many

residents wanted to f lee, but Lin’s

prayers for rain were successful. For

decades, a small temple was dedicated

to her; in 1933, when the region was

aff licted by a drought, Dajia residents

turned to her spirit for help.

That shrine is long gone, but an effigy

of Lin can be found on one of the side

altars inside Zhenlan Temple. It’s not

labeled in any language, however, and

were it not for Mr. Li’s expertise, we

probably would never have known about

it. While we were in the temple, Mr. Li

also pointed out paintings and carving

executed by famous folk artists, and a

set of memorial tablets saluting those

who established the temple. At least two

of the names on the tablets are clearly

aboriginal – further evidence of Dajia’s

indigenous past.

Our final stop was Jin Hua Shan

Mazu Folk Museum (open Tuesday to

Sunday, 9am to 5pm). This privately-

owned museum was recently established

to showcase Mazu icons and religious

paraphernalia collected by a local

businessman during his trips to mainland

China. There are capes, hats, and shoes

used to dress images of the Goddess of

the Sea, but probably the finest object

in the collection is a Mazu statuette

thought to date from the Southern Song

Dynasty (1127~1276). The mineral dyes

used to paint it have hardly faded despite

the passage of the centuries, so like Dajia

folks’ faith in Mazu, it remains strikingly

vivid.

Mazu Folk Museum

Taro cake

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song

The central Taiwan town of Puli is widely known for its high-quality spring water and its thriving agriculture. The area’s star produce is water bamboo, a delicious and healthful edible cultivated in large quantities and beloved by consumers all around Taiwan.

Puli’s W

ater Bamboo, a Truly Special “Veget

able

”

Water bamboo farmer L iu Zuo - long FOOD JOURNEY

46 Travel in Taiwan

PULI

46 Travel in Taiwan

“Try one. You can it eat raw,” says Liu Zuo-long,

standing up to his knees in water in one of his paddy f ields and holding out a foot-long vegetable which tapers from a thick, swollen white base to a thin green top. It looks rather l ike an engorged scall ion. But peeling away the outer husk reveals more and more of the edible white f lesh, and what’s lef t af ter a few moments is a pale, bulbous object resembling a bleached bamboo shoot or, for those with a fanciful imagination, the leg of a beautiful woman.

What I have in my hand, and am soon to put to my mouth, is a water bamboo, commonly called mei ren tui – beautiful-woman’s legs – in Taiwan. Eaten raw, it is crisp and fresh with a slightly grainy texture, and an earthiness complemented by a sweet af tertaste. Liu says that the sweetness is thanks to the quality of the water which bubbles up from a natural spring nearby.

Nantou County’s Puli is famous for such springs, the best-known being the “Ailan Sweet Spring” used by the Puli Brewery to make the area’s acclaimed Shaoxing (Shaohsing) wine. But even for farmers who don’t l ive near a natural spring, the Puli area is still an ideal location for growing crops of all kinds. Lying in a star-shaped basin in the very center of Taiwan, Puli is supplied year-round with plentiful mountain water, which f ilters into the basin through a series of river terraces l ining its edges. Add to this a comfortable average annual temperature of around 20°C, a rampart of surrounding mountains that blocks out harsh winds, and a lack of heavy industry, and you have a place which

lives up to its reputation as a pastoral idyll.

The name “water bamboo” is, in fact, a misnomer (in

Ta iwan, this plant is also known as “water oats”). Though it ’s a member of the same family as bamboo, the Poaceae, the water bamboo is in fact a species of w ild r ice and a close relat ive of the w ild r ice found in North Amer ica. But unl ike its transpacif ic cousin, water bamboo, which is also called Manchur ian w ild r ice, is not treated as a gra in in Ta iwan; rather, it ’s eaten as a vegetable. This pecul iar ity is due to a f ungus, Ust ilago esculenta , which infects the plant and causes its shoots to swell up, becoming the del iciously meaty, white vegetable-l ike edible that L iu Zuo-long harvests.

“Water bamboo came about as the result of a natural partnership between the fungus and an ancient kind of rice found in China,” says Liu. “In ancient China it was said that there were six kinds of cereal, whereas now we say there are only f ive kinds.” The sixth kind, due to the intervention of this fungus, has become a vegetable – water bamboo.

There is a negative side effect to this partnership, however. Af ter the crop matures the fungus causes unsightly black spots to appear inside the shoot. Fortunately, the water bamboo is propagated asexually rather than from seed, which has made it possible to select plants that grow larger, whiter, and remain free of these fungal blemishes for a longer period.

Water Bamboo Princess

With excellent natural conditions, it ’s not surprising that Puli leads the way in water-bamboo production. While other areas in Taiwan, such as Yilan in the northeast and Sanzhi in New Taipei City, are also known for their water bamboo, over 80 percent of the country’s yield comes from Puli. And like any small town with something to sell, Puli is adept at promoting its wares in creative ways. Those visiting the area in August may be lucky enough to witness Nantou County’s very own beauty pageant – the “Mei Ren Tui Princess ” pageant. This annual pageant celebrates both water bamboo and the beautiful legs that they resemble; 25 leggy beauties competed last year for the honor of being crowned Water Bamboo Princess.

Eaten raw, water bamboo

is crisp and fresh with a

slightly grainy texture, and an

earthiness complemented by a

sweet aftertaste

According to He Shi-hong, director general of the Puli Farmers’ Association, the dominant cultivar found in Puli is the Gandang cultivar. The story goes that around 30 years ago, the water bamboo in Puli had to be grown in cold, deep water – up to a person’s waist – and would of ten manifest black streaks at the slightest change in conditions. In 1982 a farmer called Chen Gan-dang stumbled upon a single specimen that was prospering in shallow water and seemed to be holding the black fungal streaks at bay. Using this f ind as a mother-plant, he propagated more and more of the same kind, and the cultivar, which he generously shared with his fellow farmers, was distributed all around Puli. As a result, Puli’s water bamboos are whiter, thicker, and less prone to displaying the unsightly streaks that make them visually unpalatable to consumers.

Water bamboo farmer L iu Zuo - long FOOD JOURNEY PULI

Travel in Taiwan 47

Liu tells us that to grow water bamboo he f irst chooses the f inest specimens f rom last year ’s crop and digs up their roots. He then separates each root into 10 sections, and plants them in a nursery. Af ter three weeks the roots have sprouted, and are ready to be moved to the paddy f ield. Three months later they are ready to be harvested, and Liu goes out every four days for a month to pluck the mature shoots. Af ter the shoots have all been harvested, the roots can manage one more sprouting before the qual ity of the shoots starts to disintegrate. So four months later, Liu harvests again. This second harvest usually takes place in September, and the shoots at this time are especially f ruitful and abundant, since the temperature at this time of year is the most suitable for the fungus.

If you’d like to try your hand at harvesting water bamboo,

note that Liu also runs the Shui Shui Chun Yun Guesthouse and works in conjunction with the Water Bamboo Promotion Association to organize both harvesting and cooking DIY sessions for his guests. If, however, you’d l ike to

sample water bamboo as a part of Puli’s haute cuisine, there is no better place than the Jin-Du Restaurant.

Chef Liu Heng-hong prides himself on creating dishes that represent Puli’s quintessence. He uses only the freshest local ingredients, and buys directly from local farmers, who tell him what produce is thriving that season.

Liu starts us off with a dish called Rose-Scented Water Bamboo. “We soak whole, steamed water bamboo in a mixture of rose water and salt for twenty minutes,” he says, “so the f lavor of rose permeating the water bamboo is mild and subtle.” The shoots are then served in a bowl with ice made of frozen rose water. When you bite into a shoot it is cool and tender, with just a hint of Puli’s edible roses.

Such high-quality ingredients could easily be ruined by overcomplicating the dishes, but Liu lets them speak for themselves. His magic l ies in letting you taste the ingredients in a diversity of forms – sliced, shredded, steamed, pickled, toasted – in the same way that a composer might write an entire

movement using variations on a single theme.

The Golden Water Bamboo immediately makes a case to become my favorite. It consists of sl iced shoots pickled in a sauce made of garlic, preserved tofu, red pepper, carrot, vinegar, and sesame oil. The pickled shoots are crunchy and tart, the sauce just spicy enough to cut through the chill. It coats your tongue with the granular texture of good mustard, and has enough zing to dance the Charleston. Liu serves the dish on a freshly halved raw water bamboo. “It’s simple and beautiful,” he says. “We combine color, smell, f lavor, form, and meaning, all in one dish. That is what makes really good Chinese food; that is what gives you a true sense of place.”

Shui Shui Yun GuesthouseWater-bamboo f ie lds

Duck

Edison Travel Service specializes in Taiwan toursand offers cheaper hotel room rates and car rental services with drivers .Edison welcomes contact with other travelservices around the world.

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宏祥旅行社_1-3_E_2013.01.pdf 1 2013/1/7 下午 05:33:42

FOOD JOURNEY

48 Travel in Taiwan

Shui Shui Chun Yun Guesthouse (水水春耘民宿)Add: 39-9, Shuangji Rd., Fangli Borough, Puli Township, Nantou County(南投縣埔里鎮房里里雙吉路39-9號)

Tel : (049) 291-8612Website: http://chunyun.okgo.tw (Chinese only)Prices range from NT$1,750 per night for one person on weekdays to NT$3,200 for four people on weekends. Since there is no public transport to the guesthouse, you can call in advance to arrange pick-up from central Puli or take a taxi.

Jin-Du Restaurant (金都餐廳)Add: 236, Xinyi Rd., Puli Township, Nantou County (南投縣埔里鎮信義路236號)Tel : (049) 299-5096Website: www.puli-eating.com.tw (Chinese only)

English and ChineseAilan Sweet Spring 愛蘭甘泉Chen Gan-dang 陳敢當He Shi-hong 何世鴻Liu Heng-hong 劉恒宏Liu Zuo-long 劉佐龍

Getting ThereFrom Taipei West Bus Station, take a Kuo-Kuang Bus Co. bus directly to Puli. Buses leave at frequent intervals between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. The journey takes approximately 4 hours. From either Taichung Railway Station or HSR Taichung Station take a Nantou Bus Co. bus to Puli. Buses leave at frequent intervals, and the journey takes about 1 hour.

If you drive yourself, take National Freeway No. 1 to the Changhua System Interchange, change onto National Freeway No. 3, continue to the Zhongheng System Interchange, change to National Freeway No. 6 and drive to the very end of the highway. Then follow Provincial Highway No. 14 the short distance into Puli.

Getting around Puli is best done by renting your own transportation or taking a taxi.

mei ren tui 美人腿Puli 埔里Puli Brewery 埔里酒廠Sanzhi 三芝Shaoxing wine 紹興酒water bamboo 茭白筍

Don’t miss out either on Liu’s most recently invented dishes: Tomato Water Bamboo features locally-grown cherry tomatoes soaked in plum juice and wrapped in blowtorch-toasted strips of water bamboo, and Sugarcane-Smoked Water Bamboo Soup featuring cucumber, shredded tofu, and shredded water bamboo languishing in a water-bamboo stock, topped with slices of ham smoked with sugarcane.

Frankly, whether they come prepared by a talented chef or simply raw from the paddy f ield, these beautiful Puli lady’s legs will have your mouth watering every time.

“We combine color, smell, flavor, form,

and meaning, all in one dish. That is what

makes really good Chinese food; that is

what gives you a true sense of place.”

Chef L iu Heng-hong of J in-Du Restaurant

Edison Travel Service specializes in Taiwan toursand offers cheaper hotel room rates and car rental services with drivers .Edison welcomes contact with other travelservices around the world.

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宏祥旅行社_1-3_E_2013.01.pdf 1 2013/1/7 下午 05:33:42

FOOD JOURNEY PULI

Taipei's Rock SceneThe City’s Live-Music Venues and Popular Bands Text: Joe Henley

Photos: The Wall, Sunny Su, Chthonic

There are a few ingredients every major city needs if it hopes to bring in the tourists. First, it needs attractions – things worth seeing. That goes without saying, though I just said it. Second, it needs good infrastructure – providing fast, reliable, easy ways for people to get around.

And the third part of the recipe? A great music scene!

You'll find that Taipei has all

three ingredients in

spades, and many more.

Think about it. What better way is

there to unwind after a day of sightseeing

than to head out to a concert venue, enjoy

a drink or two, and see some amazing local

bands in action that you probably couldn’t

see anywhere else in the world? Hearing

some live music should be an indispensable

component of any trip. Let's take a closer

look at Taipei's rock-music scene.

Any tour of Taipei's rock scene should

start at Underworld, a cramped basement

venue that is the city's answer to New

York's famed and dearly departed CBGB.

Located in the National Taiwan Normal

University (“Shida”) neighborhood, the

club has been going strong since 1996, and

has a modest capacity of about 50 patrons.

However, despite its small size, many of

Taiwan's best-known bands of today, from

pop stars to MTV mainstays, have at one

time or another graced Underworld's

“stage,” a generous term for the patch of

floor at the back of the club where the

amps are stacked on cinder blocks and the

narrow drum riser sits. Shows are staged

at Underworld on Wednesday, Friday,

and Saturday nights, showcasing Taipei’s

underground talent and acts from abroad

across the entire musical spectrum, from

rock, to punk, to metal, to post-rock –

a droning, effects-heavy offshoot that,

thanks to the likes of Taiwanese bands

such as Aphasia (aphasiaband.com), has

shot to the top of the musical heap on the

island.

Any tour of Taipei's rock scene

should start at Underworld, a

cramped basement venue that is

the city's answer to New York's

famed and dearly departed CBGB

Formoz Fest ival

Formoz Fest ival

Formoz Fest ival

MUSIC TOURS

50 Travel in Taiwan

Another genre that enjoys extreme popularity in Taiwan, thanks to its extreme nature,

is metal. Metal in Taiwan is synonymous with one band – Chthonic (www.facebook.com/chthonictw), a five-piece which combines aspects of symphonic black metal with traditional

instruments such as the erhu and other Taiwanese orchestral elements. Also active since 1996,

today the band is a celebrated musical export, regularly touring North America and Europe

following each new album release. The band even has a coveted Golden Melody award for Best

Band to its credit, which was presented to vocalist Freddy Lim by former President Chen Shui-

bian at a ceremony in 2003. This was just one of many highlights for Lim, the lone original

member of the group, in a career that has seen his band stick it out through the hard times

and lackluster turnouts unknown bands must endure in their early years to, eventually, enjoy

expansive tours alongside metal royalty such as Ozzy Osbourne. Lim's most memorable moment

is a concert the band staged for a DVD shoot in 2011 at the ornate Xingling Temple in Puli,

Nantou County, Taiwan. The concert was attended by over a thousand die-hard fans, who

bused in to the small mountain town for an unforgettable evening that was blessed by the temple

authorities as a divine event welcomed by the gods themselves. Chthonic recently recorded

its seventh album, as-yet untitled, which is scheduled for release later this year by Finland's

Spinefarm Records.

Freddy Lim is involved in the scene not only as a performer, but also as part-

owner of what many would call Taipei's premier venue for top-shelf

local acts and international touring bands, The Wall Live House – Gong Guan. A mere five-

minute taxi ride from Underworld, or a few minutes on foot heading south from Taipei's MRT

Gongguan Station on Roosevelt Road, The Wall has been around for ten years. At the opposite

end of the scale from Underworld in terms of capacity, The Wall can play host to approximately

700 fans, with shows usually held on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings starting

at 8 p.m. With what is arguably the city's best sound system, The Wall is a dream place to play for

Taipei's up-and-coming bands. The space also has its own bar, Free Hugs, a tattoo shop called J's

Tattoo, and a rehearsal space/music school known as The Ball. Lim is excited about the future

of Taipei's music scene – a scene he has played a vital role in cultivating through his band and his

venue. “This is a developing scene full of exciting new ideas and events,” he says, “not only in

Taipei but all over the country! I'm very happy to be a part of this.” When asked about the future

of the scene, Lim is nothing but hopeful, stating emphatically that, “I think it will be like Tokyo

or some other developed music scene. And it will be easier to survive for artists, and easier to run

a venue.”

The Wall takes a multi-pronged approach to promoting live music in Taipei, and this year the

scene is buzzing about the potential return of one of its most ambitious endeavors, the Formoz

Festival, after a five-year hiatus. According to the head of the venue's

PR department, Lulu Keng, the three-day festival will return to its

former grounds at the Taipei Children's Recreation Center, a hillside

amusement park just a short walk from MRT Yuanshan Station, in late

July or early August. If all goes well, tickets will go on sale starting

in March, with one-day and multi-day passes available that will give

fans access to several stages of varying sizes erected around the park

grounds. In years past the festival drew tens of thousands, and acts

from all over Asia and the world were booked, so this is definitely

something to watch out for. Bands range from the extreme all the way

to the mainstream, so there's something for everyone.

Chthonic

Chthonic

MUSIC TOURS ROCK

Travel in Taiwan 51

Matzka blends traditional Paiwan tribal instrumentation

and lyrics in their mother tongue with the sounds of pure-

roots reggae, blues, jazz, hip hop, and rock

Speaking of mainstream, if radio-friendly rock or pop is more

your speed, head to Riverside Live House in Taipei's

Ximending area. Just a stone's throw from MRT Ximen Station, this upscale venue

hosts some of Taiwan's biggest names in the music business, with styles leaning

more toward the tastes of the average casual radio listener. Riverside also boasts a

first-class sound system, and has a second-floor viewing area where fans can look

down upon the stage. Another great place to catch Taipei's radio darlings of today

and tomorrow is Legacy, a relative newcomer to the city's live music scene. Legacy

is housed within a former warehouse in historic Huashan 1914 Creative Park, on

Bade Road, and can comfortably hold a crowd of well over a thousand. It's just a

short walk west from MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station.

One of the bands you might catch if you happen to get to Legacy or Riverside Live House is Matzka (www.matzka.com.tw),

a rapidly rising aboriginal four-piece blending traditional Paiwan tribal instrumentation and lyrics in their mother tongue with

the sounds of pure-roots reggae, blues, jazz, hip hop, and rock. Originally from Taitung in the southeast, the band has relocated

north to Taiwan's music capital in pursuit of its musical aspirations, and has in the past few years toured as far afield as South

America and Canada. With his band's second album, 089, released in December of last year, singer/guitarist and band namesake

Matzka, gravel-voiced and friendly with thick dreadlocks running well down his back, has much to look forward to in 2013 both

in terms of playing at home and touring abroad. The band hopes to play the Java Jazz Festival in Indonesia in early March,

and after that plans to get a few more songs ready for a third album. Expectations will be high – as they were for 089, for the

band's debut album garnered not one but two Golden Melody Award nominations, for Best Newcomer and Best Band. Matzka

is but one rising star in a dynamic Taipei music scene that is in the midst of an exciting and unprecedented period of growth and

experimentation.

For more information on Taiwanese bands, local gigs, and venues in Taipei and the rest of Taiwan, check out sites such as

www.gigguide.tw and www.taipeimetal.com.

Mat zka

Formoz Fest ival

MUSIC TOURS

52 Travel in Taiwan

English and ChineseAphasia 阿飛西雅Chen Shui-bian 陳水扁Chthonic 閃靈erhu 二胡Freddy Lim 林昶佐Huashan 1914 Creative Park 華山1914文創園區

INFOUnderworld (地下社會)Add: B1, 45 Shida Rd., Taipei City (台北市師大路45號B1)Tel: (02) 2369-0103Website: underworld-taipei.blogspot.com

The Wall Live House – Gong Guan (這牆音樂 – 公館)Add: B1,200 Roosevelt Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1)Tel: (02) 2930-0162Website: www.thewall.com.tw

Riverside Live House (河岸留言)Add: 177, Xining S. Rd., Taipei City (台北市西寧南路177號)Tel: (02) 2370-8805Website: www.riverside.com.tw

Legacy (傳 音樂展演空間)Add: 1, Bade Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei City(台北市八德路一段一號/華山1914創意文化園區－中五館 )Tel: (02) 2395-6660 Website: www.legacy.com.tw

Lulu Keng 耿璐National Taiwan Normal University 國立臺灣師範大學Paiwan tribe 排灣族 Puli 埔里Taipei Children's Recreation Center 臺北市立兒童育樂中心Xingling Temple 醒靈寺

Formoz Fest ival

Riverside Live House

MUSIC TOURS ROCK

Travel in Taiwan 53

"

A Pastime for the Whole FamilyPhotos: Zenith Lin

"Catching Sh Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, and locals

love their seafood. Many will go to the coast or a lake to catch f ish themselves. But what to do when the nearest f ishing spot is too far, or it’s already too late in the evening? Go to an indoor shrimp-pool restaurant! These operations, some open around the clock, have pools in which large shrimps are released. Patrons sit on stools by the pools trying to catch the shrimp with tiny rods. Chicken liver or mini shrimps are used as bait. The catch is put on skewers and cooked on grills beside or nearby. Those not lucky or skilled enough to catch the shrimp themselves can order from a menu. Shrimp-pool restaurants are very popular in Taiwan, and whole families can spend hours angling for, grill ing, and feasting on the plump shrimp treasures.

DAILY LIFE

54 Travel in Taiwan

Travel in Taiwan 55

NO. OF ROOMS: 203ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 8,000 Business Room NT$ 9,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 10,000 Boss Suite NT$ 15,000 Premier Suite NT$ 20,000

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

RESTAURANTS: Rain Forest Café, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81

SPECIAL FEATURES: Business center, Pyramid Club - luxury executive floor, multifunctional room, Internet service, 32-inch LCD TV, garden terrace, bar, fitness club, outdoor pool, sauna, spa, aromatherapy, car park

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI美麗信花園酒店 Taipei 台北

83 Civic Boulevard, Sec. 3, Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市市民大道三段8 3號

Tel: 02.8772.8800 Fax: 02.8772.1010E-mail: info@miramargarden.com.tw

www.miramargarden.com.tw

HOTEL ÉCLAT怡亨酒店 Taipei 台北

370, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an District, Taipei City 1061 0 6 台北市敦化南路一段37 0號

Tel: 02.2784.8888 Fax: 02.2784.7888Res. Hotline: 02.2784.8118

www.eclathotels.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 60

ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 12,000 Grand Deluxe Room NT$ 12,500 Premier Room NT$ 13,000 Premier 9 NT$ 15,000 Éclat Suite NT$ 35,000(All rates are exclusive of 5% VAT and 10% service charge)

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

RESTAURANTS: Éclat Lounge, George Bar

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 connectiv-ity and in-room business facilities; variety of meeting rooms providing the ideal venue for professional meetings, corporate functions, and social gatherings.

NO. OF ROOMS: 220

ROOM RATES: Deluxe / Single / Twin & Double NT$ 7,800~8,500 Suite NT$ 9,500~20,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: La Fontaine (Western), Chiou Hwa (Chinese)

SPECIAL FEATURES: Coffee Shop, Fitness Center, Business Center, laundry service, meeting and banquet facilities, non-smoking floor, parking lot, airport transfer service

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI華泰王子大飯店 Taipei 台北

369 Lin-sen (Linsen) N. Rd., Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市林森北路3 6 9號

Tel: 02.2581.8111Fax: 02.2581.5811, 2568-2924

www.gloriahotel.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 226ROOM RATES: Superior Single Room NT$ 4,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 4,500 Superior Twin Room NT$ 4,500 Family Triple Room NT$ 4,800 Deluxe Triple Room NT$ 5,000 Family Quad Room NT$ 5,500 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 6,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 7,600 Cosmos Suite NT$ 10,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, Japanese, English, Cantonese

RESTAURANTS: Cantonese Dimsum, Shanghai Cuisine, Buffet Breakfast, Lily Café, Ditrevi Ice Cream Shop, La Fusion Bakery

SPECIAL FEATURES: Conference Room, Banquet Hall, Gift Shop, Barber Shop, Flower Shop, Parking Space, Laundry

COSMOS HOTEL TAIPEI台北天成大飯店 Taipei 台北

43, Chunghsiao (Zhongxiao) W. Rd.,Sec. 1, Taipei City, 100

(MRT Taipei Main Station, Exit M3)1 0 0台北市忠孝西路一段4 3號

(捷運台北車站M 3號出口)

Tel: 02.2361.7856 Fax: 02.2311.8921 Reservation Hotline: 02.2311.8901

Reservation Fax: 02.2311.8902 E-mail: cosmos@cosmos-hotel.com.tw

www.cosmos-hotel.com.tw

Hotels of Taiwan

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

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide

range of choice when it comes

to accommodation. From five-

star luxury hotels that meet the

highest international standards, to

af fordable business hotels , to hot-

spring and beach resort hotels , to

privately-run homestays located in

the countryside there is a place to

stay that satisfies every traveler’s

needs. What all hotels of Taiwan

— small and big , expensive and

af fordable — 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 each hotel , but are

subject to change without notice.

Room rates at the hotels apply.

NO. OF ROOMS: 738ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 7,700 Premier Room NT$ 8,200 Junior Suite NT$ 9,200 Deluxe Suite NT$ 11,500 Executive Suite NT$ 17,500

EXECUTIVE CLUB FLOOR

Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Premier Room NT$ 9,500 Deluxe Suite NT$ 15,000 Executive Suite NT$ 21,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, Japanese, English

RESTAURANTS: Le Parc Café, Magnolia Court, Canton Palace

SPECIAL FEATURES: 738 large-size guest rooms with high ceilings, incl. 42 suites. Grand lobby entrance with magnificent atrium. Outdoor swimming pool heated during winter. Fully equipped gym, fitness center, sauna, and aerobics room. Fully equipped business center. Hi-speed broadband Internet access. Safety deposit box. Express laundry service. Limousine service, airport pick-up. State-of- the-art audiovisual equipment.

SUNWORLD DYNASTY HOTEL TAIPEI 王朝大酒店 Taipei 台北

100 Dun Hua North Road, Taipei Taiwan R.O.C.台北市敦化北路10 0號

Tel: 02.2719.7199 Fax: 02.2545.9288 E-mail: bc@sunworlddynasty.com.twwww.sunworlddynasty.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 100

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 5,600 Executive Room NT$ 6,200 Deluxe Room NT$ 6,600 Junior Suite NT$ 7,000 Fullerton Room NT$ 7,400 VIP Suite NT$ 8,400 Presidential Suite NT$ 20,000

(above rates not including 10% service charge; for discount offers, please call hotel or visit our website)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

SPECIAL FEATURES: Close to Taipei 101 com-mercial area; 1 minute on foot to MRT Daan Station; free coffee and handmade cookies in lobby; free wireless Internet access; gym; sauna; business center; valet parking; com-plimentary Chinese/Western buffet breakfast; welcome fruit basket and mineral water.

TAIPEI FULLERTON – FU-XING SOUTH台北馥敦-復南館 Taipei 台北

41, Sec. 2, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City 106(near junction with Xinyi Rd.)

1 0 6台北市復興南路2段41號(信義路口)

Tel: 02.2703.1234 Fax: 02.2705.6161E-mail: service2@taipeifullerton.com.tw

www.taipeifullerton.com.tw

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL慶泰大飯店 Taipei 台北

186 Songjiang Rd., Taipei City,1041 0 4台北市松江路18 6號

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

Tel: 02.2541.5511 Fax: 02.2531.3831Reservation Hotline: 02.2541.6888

E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

www.galahotel.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 160

ROOM RATES: Single Room NT$ 4,300 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 4,600 Deluxe Twin Room NT$ 5,200 Suite Room NT$ 6,800

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: Golden Ear Restaurant (Western semi buffet); Golden Pot (Chinese Cuisine)

SPECIAL FEATURES: Business Center, meeting rooms, airport transfer service, parking lot, laundry service, free Internet access, LCD TV, DVD player, personal safety box, mini bar, private bathroom with separate shower & bath tub, hair dryer

56 Travel in Taiwan

H RESORT H 會館 Pingtung 屏東

NO. OF ROOMS: 126ROOM RATES: Royal Suite NT$ 48,800 Family Deluxe Suite NT$ 24,800 Family Suite NT$ 18,800 Deluxe Double Double NT$ 15,800 Honey Moon Room NT$ 11,800 Deluxe Twin NT$ 10,800 Deluxe Single NT$ 9,800 Standard Twin NT$ 9,800※Changes of room rates will not be specially announced

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese

RESTAURANTS:Original Café, Ocean Teppanyaki, H Restaurant, U.F.O Lounge SPECIAL FEATURES:Infinity pool, KTV, boutique, local produce center, confer-ence room, banquet hall, High-Speed Rail shuttle service, broadband Internet, online room reservation, wedding garden, guestroom mini bar, guestrooms with ocean view

NO.60, Jhukeng Ln., Shihzih Township, Pingtung County 94352, Taiwan(R.O.C.)

(Pingtung County Farmers’ Educational and Recreational Activity Center)

9 4 3 5 2屏東縣獅子鄉竹坑村竹坑巷6 0號(屏東縣農民教育休閒活動中心)

Tel: 08.877.1888 Fax: 08.877.1919E-mail: pa@h-resort.com

www.h-resort.com

KING’S TOWN HOTEL京城大飯店 Kaohsiung 高雄

362 Jiuru (Chiu Ju) 2nd Rd., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, 80745

(Faces the exit of rear railway station) 8 0 74 5 高雄市三民區九如二路3 6 2號

Tel: 07.311.9906 Fax: 07.311.9591E-mail: ksthotel@ms33.hinet.net

www.kingstown-hotel.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 150

ROOM RATES: Business Single Room NT$ 3,300 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 3,960 Business Twin Room NT$ 3,960 Family Twin Room NT$ 5,500

( Prices above including 10% Service Charge )

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS:Chinese and Western style food, delicious buffet, cold dishes, fruit, and salad bar

SPECIAL FEATURES:Business center, non-smoking floors, wireless Internet access, 32” LCD TVs, newspaper, free parking, tourist map, currency exchange

CHATEAU DE CHINE HOTEL KAOHSIUNG翰品酒店高雄 Kaohsiung 高雄

NO. OF ROOMS: 152ROOM RATES: Standard Single Room NT$ 6,000 Standard Double Room NT$ 6,700 Standard Triple Room NT$ 7,500 Standard Family Room NT$ 8,000 Standard Suite NT$ 9,000 Executive Single Room NT$ 8,000 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 7,000 Deluxe Double Room NT$ 7,200 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 14,000 Chateau de Chine Suite NT$ 50,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Japanese, Chinese, Cantonese Dim Sum, Lounge Bar

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Multi-functional meeting room, banquet hall, business center, wedding planning center, gym, free use of wired/wireless Internet, silent refrigerator, electronic safe, personal bathrobe/slippers, free cable TV, free use of laundry room, all-new TV-sets

43 Daren Rd., Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City8 0 3高雄市鹽埕區大仁路4 3號

Tel: 07.521.7388 Fax: 07.521.7068 kaohsiung.chateaudechine.com

ALISHAN HOUSE阿里山賓館 Chiayi 嘉義

NO. OF ROOMS: 146

ROOM RATES: Scenery Suite Room/Twin Room NT$ 6,600 Double Suite NT$ 10,000 Fragrant Suite Room/Quad Room NT$ 12,000 Superior Suite NT$ 16,000 VIP Suite NT$ 16,000 Executive Suite NT$ 26,000 Handicapped Suite(Free Space Room) NT$ 26,000 President Suite NT$ 300,000

(Prices above not including 10% Service Charge)

GENERAL MANAGER: Mr. Jen-Shing Chen

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Chinese, Café, Courtyard

SPECIAL FEATURES: Broadband Internet access in guestrooms, business center, Souvenir Shop, Gazebo, 1950’s dance hall, foot massage

16 Sianglin Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County, 605

6 0 5嘉義縣阿里山鄉香林村16號 ALISHAN Tel: 05.267.9811 Fax: 05.267.9596 TAIPEI Tel: 02.2563.5259 Fax: 02.2536.5563

E-mail: service@alishanhouse.com.tw

www.alishanhouse.com.tw

TAICHUNG HARBOR HOTEL台中港酒店 Taichung 台中

388, Sec. 2, Dazhi Rd.,Wuqi District, Taichung City 4354 3 5台中市梧棲區大智路二段3 8 8號

Tel: 04.2656.8888 Fax: 04.2656.8899 www.tchhotel.com

THE GRAND HOTEL圓山大飯店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 487 (Suites: 57)ROOM RATES: Single/DBL NT$ 5,700 – 11,000 Suite NT$ 15,000 – 28,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Western, Cantonese, Northern China Style Dumplings, tea house, coffee shop

SPECIAL FEATURES: Grand Ballroom, conference rooms for 399 people, 10 breakout rooms, business center, fitness center, sauna, Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, billiards

1 Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10461 R.O.C1 0 4 6 1台北市中山北路四段1號

Tel: 886.2.2886.8888Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

www.grand-hotel.org

REGENT TAIPEI台北晶華酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 538

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 12,000 Deluxe Room NT$ 13,000 Junior Suite NT$ 20,500 Corner Suite NT$ 30,500 Residence NT$ 17,000 Elite Suite NT$ 24,500DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS:Szechuan & Cantonese Cuisine, Japanese Cuisine, Steak House & Teppanyaki, Lounge Bar, Buffet, Café

SPECIAL FEATURES: Executive business center, fitness center, sauna, rooftop swim-ming pool, SPA, ballroom and convention facilities, parking, laundry service, 24-hour room service, wireless Internet, airport transportation service

No.3, Ln.39, Sec.2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市中山北路二段3 9巷3號

Tel: 02.2523.8000Fax: 02.2523.2828

www.regenttaipei.com

SAN WANT RESIDENCES TAIPEI台北神旺商務酒店 Taipei 台北

128 Nanjing East Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市南京東路一段1 2 8號

Tel: 02.2511.5185 Fax: 02.2511.1585 E-mail: reservation@swresidences.com

www.swresidences.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 81ROOM RATES: Studio Room NT$ 8,000~ 9,000 Park View Room NT$ 8,800~ 9,800 Deluxe Suite NT$ 12,600~ 13,600 Park View Suite NT$ 20,000~ 21,000 Penthouse NT$ 50,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: Dinging Lounge (Buffet Breakfast, Free Beverage and Light Snack for Room Guests)

SPECIAL FEATURES: A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Showcase of con-temporary Taiwanese art collections, Personal secretarial assistance, Fitness center, Free wireless internet, Free rental of cell phone, Complimentary shoeshine service, 37” LCD TV, Pants presser& Suit rack, Multi-Functional Printer, Sunken Bathtub

NO. OF ROOMS: 200ROOM RATES: Superior Single NT$ 5,600 Deluxe Single NT$ 6,200 Family Twin NT$ 7,600 Corner Semi-Suite NT$ 8,800 Harbor Suite NT$ 10,800 Executive Suite NT$ 12,800 Presidential Suite NT$ 38,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: Gladden Restaurant, Fukumi-nato Japanese Restaurant, Pier 88 Lounge Bar

SPECIAL FEATURES:

SEA SPA, Fortune Boutique Shop, Gym, Conference Room

Taichung Harbor Hotel will make you feel at home with its newest and complete facilities and a tranquil environment.

The crown jewel of CaotunMajestic combination of fashion with graceful presentation that enlightens your mind

Enjoy a Five-Star Experience at Formosa Hotel in Caotun The Crown Jewel of Caotun

● TEL:+886-49-2304168 ● FAX:+886-49-2300708 ● E-mail:info@hotelformosa.com.tw● Add: 78 Bishan Rd., Caotun Township, Nantou County (南投縣草屯鎮碧山路78號)

Time to ShopShoppers love Taiwan. From the designer boutiques of Dunhua to the gadget stores of Computer Lane, the island’s full of great places to indulge your passion. And thanks to our proud tradition of craftsmanship you can also stock up on happy memories of your trip.

Paper lanterns painted by hand.Beautiful woodcarvings. Stunning glass art. There’s even a weekend jade market fi lled with ornate trinkets made from the mythical green stone. Or visit the charming Maokong Tea Gardens and give friends a taste of Taiwan’s magic.

www.taiwan.net.tw

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Bywood (“White House”) at the Qiaotou Sugar Refinery in Kaohsiung

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Shennong Street in the evening

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Narrow alley leading to the Narrow Door cafe

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Narrow Door café

Narrow Door café

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76 Art Space

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Booday

Booday

Booday

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