travel in taiwan (no.54, 2012 11/12)
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11 12No. 54, 2012 /
The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.Website: ht tp://taiwan. net .t w Advertisement
Theme RestaurantsYilan Cookie Factory
Taiwan Cycling Festival
SirAyA/ChiAyiLEss TRavELEd aREas
iN ThE sOuThWEsT
ThE BEsT BiKE ROuTEsaround the island
NaTuRaL TREasuREs TuRTLE isLaNd iN YiLaN
FOOd JOuRNEYThe Pomelos of Madou
Welcome to Taiwan!Dear Traveler,
You’re going to get quite a workout in this issue, because we are taking you on a round-island bicycle tour. Twice! Over the past decade, the people of Taiwan have developed a love for cycling, and there has been an explosion of international-caliber bike-route networks, related facilities, and organized events. In Best Bike Routes, we take you on a grand round-island tour, a must-have accomplishment for passionate local riders. Of course, taking any of the individual segments is a great alternative if tackling the full circuit does not meet your needs.
In an article on the annual Taiwan Cycling Festival, overseen by the Tourism Bureau, we highlight two events. The Taiwan KOM Challenge is a competitive race from the sea to the high mountains through famed Taroko Gorge, followed by fun rides for all comers at picturesque Sun Moon Lake, and the Formosa 900 is a friendly round-island tour by many cycling groups, open to everyone, launching from different cities and taking in major tourist attractions.
In the rest of the issue, we round the island again, tell ing you about some of the things you can see and experience in different regions – even if you don’t get there by bike. In our Feature, the destination is Siraya National Scenic Area, Taiwan’s youngest NSA, and the small, history-rich city of Chiayi nearby. Accompanying this is a special prof ile of the region’s Siraya indigenous people. A little further south is Taiwan’s prime region for cultivation of the tasty pomelo, a fruit with a key place in the Taiwan cultural mosaic. In the southern port city of Kaohsiung – and elsewhere around Taiwan – you can view the highly public and highly eclectic work of 3D artist Tu Long.
In our Natural Treasures segment we’re off on a boat tour to ruggedly picturesque, iconically photogenic Turtle Island, off the northeast coast in Yilan County, and we tour the I-Lan Cake Tourist Factory, birthplace of Yilan’s ox-tongue cookies, a favorite souvenir. We also take in the lovely sunset and strange rock formations at Yeliu Geopark, on the north coast, and invite you to dinner at three iconoclastic Taipei restaurants with “fashion, art, and Zen” styling, respectively.
Taiwan – explore the endless possibilities.
David W. J. HsiehDirector General
Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.
52
台 灣 觀 光 雙 月 刊
Travel in Taiwan BimonthlyNovember/December, 2012 Tourism Bureau, MOTCFirst published in Jan./Feb., 2004ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm
Copyright © 2012 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.
PUBLISHER David W. J. HsiehEdItIng ConSULtant Wayne Hsi-Lin LiuPUBLISHIng oRganIzatIonTaiwan Tourism Bureau, Ministry ofTransportation and CommunicationsContaCtInternational Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 10694, TaiwanTel: 886-2-2717-3737 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036E-mail: [email protected]: http://taiwan.net.tw
CONTENTS November ~ December 2012
Where you can pick up a copy of Travel in Taiwan abroadOffices of the Tourism Bureau in Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Frankfurt; Taiwan Representative Offices; Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; onboard China Airlines, EVA Air and other selected international airways; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations
onLineRead the online version of Travel in Taiwan at www.zinio.com . Log in and search for "Travel in Taiwan." Or visit www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm
in TaiWanTourism Bureau Visitor Center; Tourism Bureau; Taiwan Visitors Association; foreign representative offices in Taiwan, Tourism Bureau service counters at Taiwan Taoyuan Int’l Airport and Kaohsiung Int’l Airport, major tourist hotels; Taipei World Trade Center; VIP lounges of international airlines; major tourist spots in Taipei; visitor centers of cities and counties around Taiwan; offices of national scenic area administrations; public libraries
Hot-spring fun at Guanziling in southern Taiwan.
(Photo by Jen Guo-Chen)
This magazine is printed on FSC certified paper. Any product with the FSC logo on it comes from a forest that has been responsibly maintained and harvested in a sustainable manner.
8PRodUCER Vision Int
,l Publ. Co., Ltd.
addRESS Rm. 5, 10F, 2 Fuxing N. Rd., Taipei, 104 Taiwan tEL: 886-2-2711-5403 Fax: 886-2-2721-2790
E-MaIL: [email protected] ManagER Wendy L. C. Yen dEPUty gEnERaL ManagER Frank K. YenEdItoR In CHIEf Johannes Twellmann EngLISH EdItoRS Rick Charette, Richard Saunders dIRECtoR of PLannIng & EdItIng dEPt Joe LeeManagIng EdItoR Sunny Su EdItoRS Ming-Jing Yin, Gemma Cheng, Jayne Chang, Catherine Chang, Chloe ChuContRIBUtoRS Rick Charette, Owain Mckimm, Richard Saunders, Joe Henley, Mark CaltonhillPHotogRaPHERS Jen Guo-Chen, Sunny Su, Maggie Song, Ivy Chen aRt dIRECtoR Sting Chen dESIgnERS Ivy Chen, Maggie Song, Eve Chiang, Kirk ChengadMInIStRatIvE dEPt Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang advERtISIng HotLInE 886-2-2721-5412
MagazInE IS SoLd at:1. Wu-Nan Culture Plaza, 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist.,
Taichung City 40043 886-4-2226-0330 http://www.wunanbooks.com.tw/
2. National Bookstore, 1F., No.209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 10485 886-2-2518-0207 http://www.govbooks.com.tw/
Travel in Taiwan 3
48
3234
MY PHOTO TOUr32 Silhouettes
— Marvelous Sunset Scenes on the North Coast
TOUriST FaCTOrieS21 Thin and Crispy Ox-Tongue
Cookies— Visiting the I-lan Cake Tourist Factory
arT28 All in 3D!
— Exploring the Amazing 3D Artwork by Local Artist Tu Long
enJOYMenT34 Fashion, Art, Zen — Taipei Restaurants with Style
feaTure8 Chiayi/Siraya — Main A Fine Pair – The Siraya National Scenic Area and Chiayi City — Stay A Night (or Two) at the Hot Springs – The Obligatory Siraya NSA Hot-Spring Hotel Experience — Eat/Buy Prime Food, Great Views – Collecting Culinary Experiences and Souvenirs in
Siraya/Chiayi
18 Scenery — Friends of Siraya – Other National Scenic Areas in Southern and Central Taiwan
1 Publisher’s Note 4 News & Events around Taiwan 6 Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings
27 Festivals and Events46 Where Is This?
BeST BiKe rOUTeS40 Cycling around Taiwan
— How to Complete One Third of Taiwan’s Unique “Triathlon”
naTUral TreaSUreS52 A Mysterious Eden — Beautiful Turtle Island
FOOD JOUrneY48 Madou’s Pomelos
— Juicy and Sweet Citrus Fruits Cultivated in Southern Taiwan
inDiGenOUS CUlTUre20 The Siraya People
— Enjoying a Cultural Renaissance
FeSTival24 The Taiwan Cycling Festival
— Leisurely Excursions, Competitive Races, Inspiring Scenic Backdrops
4
EWS & EVENTS AROUND TAIWAN
Airlines
Wishing to explore Taiwan, but
don’t want to handle everything
all by yourself? Check out the
services offered by Taiwan Tour
Bus. Organized small-group tours
with friendly English-speaking
guides are available to all major
places of interest in Taiwan.
For detailed information about
the trips on offer, look under
“Schedule” in the English section
of www.taiwantourbus.com.tw.
Shenkeng is a small town southeast of downtown Taipei City, situated on the highway between
Muzha and Pingxi. The town’s main claim to fame is tofu, which is sold in shops and eateries along
Shenkeng Street (commonly known as “Old Street”). Over the past two years, the old red-brick
houses lining this street have received a major facelift, and the street is now attractively clean
and tidy. While sampling Shenkeng’s
famous beancurd dishes, visitors can now
also examine the meticulously restored
old houses and get a feel for old-time
Taiwan. Shenkeng is yet another
example of how many “old streets” in
towns and cities around Taiwan have
been successfully made more attractive
in recent years by restoring old
architecture and reviving old traditions.
Getting there: Take bus no. 666 from
either MRT Jingmei Station or MRT
Muzha Station.
Taiwan Tour Bus Service Shenkeng Old Street
Touring Old Street
East Coast
The eastern part of Taiwan, including
the East Coast National Scenic Area
and the East Rift Valley National Scenic
Area, both located between the cities of
Hualien and Taitung, is among the most
scenic areas on the island, and offers
tourist myriad things to do and see. To
help you get your bearings before or during a trip to Taiwan’s beautiful east, the
Taiwan Tourism Bureau has set up a helpful website in Chinese and English where
you can find information about the Culture, Food, Shopping, Romance, LOHAS,
and Ecology of the area. The website, named “101 Huatung Pearls” (www.101pearls.
com.tw), also tells you about activities staged throughout the year, suggests travel
routes, and provides a wide range of other helpful information.
101 Pearls of the East Coast
Visitors who want to spend time in Taiwan’s capital and are interested in exploring the
nooks and crannies of Taipei should check out this website: http://eng.tteacafe.tw. Part of
the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s International Spotlight program, the site presents you with
a great way to learn about what’s in store down quiet alleys and in small cultural venues
around town. Selected small shops, cafés, museums, temples, and other attractions are
introduced in detail and with the help of beautiful illustrations. Three Taipei areas are
now covered: Dadaocheng, an old district close to the Tamsui River; Da’an, centered on
Yongkang Street and Shida Road; and Beitou, known for hot springs and the mountains
of Yangmingshan. While the website is helpful, the International Spotlight published
material is even better. Pick up copies of the guidebooks, which will open a new treasure
trove of exploration options in the city to you, at South Village (10, Lane 80, Shida Rd.,
Taipei City).
International Spotlight, Northern Region
City Guide
Travel in Taiwan
Travel in Taiwan 5
Taipei Metro Dongmen Station Opened
There is good news for travelers who want to visit Yongkang Street in Taipei,
famous for boutiques, cafés, and restaurants, among them the well-known
steamed-dumpling restaurant Din Tai Fung and mango-ice parlor Smoothie
House. MRT Dongmen Station, with an exit/entrance situated right at the
entrance of the street, has just recently been opened, giving convenient
access to the area. The station is on the Fu Jen University/Luzhou –
Nanshijiao Line, also called the Orange Line, which connects a number of
Taipei’s suburbs with the city’s eastern district.
Youth Travel Working Holiday Agreement with Ireland
Working holidays are increasing
popular with young travelers
around the world, who want
to experience countries by
working side by side with locals.
Taiwan has recently agreed
on a Taiwan-Ireland Working
Holiday Program, which will
start on January 1, 2013. The
government of Ireland is the eighth to sign this type of agreement with
Taiwan; agreements have already been signed with New Zealand, Australia,
Japan, Canada, Germany, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. The two
countries will provide each other with an annual quota of 400 visas for young
people between the ages of 18 and 30. This will enable them to visit the
partner country for tourism, work, or privately funded studies; broaden their
international horizons by learning the local languages; and gain an in-depth
understanding of the culture, society and lifestyle of the host country.
In a recently released report by leading
travel-booking technology outfit Amadeus IT Group
SA, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the
main gateway for visitors to Taiwan, was ranked
one of the world’s top traveler-friendly airports.
The facility was especially praised for its Hello
Kitty-themed gate area and for its children’s play
area and shops. Amadeus found the airport to be
modern and offering amenities that make layovers
more pleasant. The airport is currently undergoing
extensive renovations, and is being expanded as part
of the government’s Taoyuan Aerotropolis project,
an ambitious infrastructure program that includes
the upgraded airport, a free-trade zone, and an
international medical center. The aim of the project
is to transform the airport and its environs into a
world-class transportation and logistics hub.
Airport
Taiwan’s Biggest Airport Ranked as Traveler-Friendly
The number of people riding bicycles in Taipei has been increasing steadily in recent years, as has
the number of dedicated bikeways, making cycling safer and more convenient. For those who want to
explore the city on two wheels but don’t have their own bike, bike-rental shops have been set up along
the main riverside bikeways. Another convenient service is YouBike Taipei, a network of bike-rental
stations in the city’s core, from which you can rent a bike with your EasyCard (available at all MRT
stations) and register the card using your cellphone. For registered members, the first half hour of use
is free; all users pay NT$10 each half hour after this. Bikes can be returned at any YouBike station, of
which there are currently around 40. For more information, visit www.youbike.com.tw.
Bicycling YouBike Taipei
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 www.tit.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.
Someone is climbing a wall. Is he
trying to escape from some place? Is
he trying to get in? Is he an artist
doing a performance? Where is this?
Hint: The location is in a southern
Taiwan city that we focus on in this
issue of Travel in Taiwan. (Find the
answer on page 46.)
WHERE IS THIS?
This exhibition takes one far back in Chinese
history, to the late Shang Dynasty (ca. 13th ~ 11th
c. BCE). It features items excavated in the early
20th century at the ruins of the ancient capital
Yin (near modern Anyang), telling the story of
King Wu Ding and Lady Hao. The king ruled for
59 years, demonstrating concern for the people
and recruiting virtuous and capable men for his
administration, paving the way for the heyday of
the Shang Dynasty. Lady Hao, a favored consort,
rose to positions of power, even serving as a general
and high priestess. This exhibition presents cultural
objects excavated from the ruins of Yin by the
Institute of History and Philology at Academia
Sinica and the Institute of Archaeology at the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, along with
treasured bronzes from the Henan Museum. More
info at www.npm.gov.tw.
Held since 1998, the Taipei Biennial is a major event of international cultural
exchange. This year, the show draws upon a recent study entitled The Monster
that is History by Taiwanese literature historian David Der Wei Wang, its theme
the aesthetics of monstrosity, presenting a look at the aesthetics of monstrosity
and its role in modern history. Featured are a large number of artists and artist
collectives, from Taiwan and abroad. Exhibits can be seen at the Taipei Fine Arts
Museum and also at an external venue, the Shilin Paper Mill.
Taipei Biennial Modern Monsters: Death and Life of Fiction 現代怪獸: 想像的死而復生
October 19 ~ February 19
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.
oncerts,
Exhibitions, and
Happenings
National Palace Museum
Taipei Fine Arts MuseumSeptember 29 ~ January 13
Petit Louvre 小小羅浮宮展 : 種田陽平的美術世界
National Museum of History October 6 ~ January 8
The Louvre is one of the world’s great
museums. For this exhibition, Japanese movie
director Taneda Yohei has created a miniature
version of the museum, featuring many of its
world-famous paintings in scaled-down format.
The Petit Louvre was on display at Kaohsiung’s
Pier-2 Art Center this summer, where visitors were amazed by its exquisite,
delicate design. The exhibition is a good idea for a family outing, giving
children a close look at world-class art in kid-friendly sizes.
National TheaterNovember 30 ~ December 2
This work is a co-production by Taiwanese
composer Ma Shui-long, the Neo-Classic Dance
Company, and the National Symphony Orchestra.
Wielding Sword along Chilly Wujiang tells the story of historic events from the Qin
Dynasty (221 ~ 206 BC), presenting the darkness of power struggles, the cruelty of
the battlefield, and the flaws of humanity, via dramatic music and dance. In the final
chilling scene, Xiang Yu, a famous military commander who was defeated by Liu Bang,
stands by the river Wu (Wujiang). Too ashamed to cross the river and return home to
face the families of the men he lost in battle, he commits suicide by slitting his throat.
Wielding Sword along Chilly Wujiang 舞劇 : 揮劍烏江冷
King Wu Ding and Lady Hao: Art and Culture of the Late Shang Dynasty 商王武丁與后婦好 : 殷商盛世文化藝術特展
Created by Ariane Mnouchkine, founder and director of the French Théâtre
du Soleil, Les Naufragés du Fol Espoir (“The Castaways of the Fol Espoir”) takes
its inspiration from a posthumous novel by Jules Verne. Set in the year 1914,
it tells the story of a socialist filmmaker who is creating a movie version of
Verne’s novel about a group of shipwreck
survivors and a utopian vision. The
ensemble stages the making of the movie,
at times using the brilliantly ingenious
techniques of early cinema and the
exaggerated physical performances common
in silent movies.
Théâtre de Soleil : Les Naufragés du Fol Espoir 法國陽光劇團 : 未竟之業
National TheaterDecember 4 ~ 16
Travel in Taiwan 6
Air Supply 2012 Taipei Concert 空中補給2012台北演唱會
National Taiwan University Sports Center
December 2
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/englishNearest 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
Metropolitan Hall （城市舞台）
Add: 25, Sec. 3, Bade Rd., Taipei City(台北市八德路 3段 25號 )Tel: (02) 2577-5931www.tmseh.taipei.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Nanjing E. Rd.
Taipei Show Hall 2 （台北展演二館）
Add: 3, Songlian Road, Taipei City,(台北市松廉路三號 )
Tel: (02) 2362-5221Nearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall
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
Considering that they have been performing together
since the late 1970s, it is quite surprising that the two
stars that make up Air Supply still go on tour these
days, performing more than 150 concerts a year. English
guitarist/vocalist Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell
Hitchcock, from Australia, have been hugely successful
with their soft-rock ballads, especially in the 1980s. Songs
like All Out of Love, Lost in Love, and the The One that
You Love stormed the pop charts 1979 through 1981, and
today are still widely recognized around the world. Fans
of high-pitched love songs in Taiwan are in for a treat this
December, when Air Supply will be in Taipei for the final
leg of an Asian tour.
Venues
Germany meets Cuba. In 2000, when the German music
trio Klazz Brothers (the name combines “classic,” which
is spelled with a “k” in German, and “jazz”) performed
in Cuba. There they met the Cuban percussionists Alexis
Herrera Estevez and Elio Rodriguez Luis, and decided to
work together. This has turned out to be an exceptionally
well-received combination, and the quintet has become
known around the world, playing in great music halls
and receiving a number of prestigious awards. Combining
classical European music with elements of swing, Latin
jazz, and the almost infinite variety of Cuban rhythms, the
musicians have created an intriguing new sound.
Christmas meets Cuba: Klazz Brothers and Cuba Percussion 當耶誕遇上古巴 : 克拉茲兄弟與古巴打擊樂團2012台灣巡迴
December 18 National Concert Hall
Travel in Taiwan 7
FEATURE
Travel in Taiwan8
FEATURE
Travel in Taiwan8
A Fine PairThe Siraya National Scenic Area and Chiayi City
Enjoying a cup of cof fee at an outdoor cafe on the Dongshan Cof fee Highway
SIRAYA/CHIAYI
Pho
to/ J
en G
uo-C
hen
SIRAYA/CHIAYI
Travel in Taiwan9
The Siraya National Scenic Area and Chiayi City
A few days spent exploring Siraya National Scenic Area, one of Taiwan’s newest NSA creations, matched with a day in the quiet, history-rich city of Chiayi, is time wisely spent. By Rick Charette
More
Travel in Taiwan9
FEATURE
Travel in Taiwan10
Are there certain sounds that set off a wave of happiness in you? When I was a boy, two of my favorites were the jingles of the “chip man” and “ice-cream
man” as they drove truck and bike, respectively, up the street where I l ived. One of my favorite Taiwan sounds is the recorded chime you hear on High Speed Rail trains before stops are announced. To me this is the sound of adventure, and an HSR ride is a bit of a miracle: You hop on a train in a big, busy city (Taipei for me), and have just closed your eyes for a nap when the chime sounds, announcing arrival in a new land of adventure with a wholly different character.
One f ine recent morning the chime was followed by an announcement letting me know Chiayi City and the Siraya NSA were close. We pulled in, I hopped off, hopped on a free shuttle bus, and in 20 minutes was at Chiayi Rear Station (i.e., the rear section of Chiayi Railway Station). The rest of my travel gang was waiting, having come in from elsewhere; we rented scooters at one of the tourist-friendly shops by the station, and off we went. I of ten self-drive when visiting areas with destinations spread a fair distance apart, and where bus/taxi service is not an optimal option, but the weather was so f ine we wanted to ride the breezes. (Crucially important: sunblock)
Siraya National Scenic AreaThe Siraya NSA is best known for Siraya-tribe culture, farms and agricultural
produce, hot springs, and large reservoirs and related recreation. It was named af ter the Siraya indigenous ethnic group, originally an exclusively plains-dwelling tribe closer to the coast, and among the f irst to come in contact with the Dutch when the latter controlled Taiwan (1624 ~ 1662). With the inf lux of Han Chinese over the next two centuries, the Siraya were pushed to the east side of the Jianan Plain and into the central-mountain foothills.
The Siraya NSA is best
known for Siraya-tribe
culture, farms and
agricultural produce,
hot springs, and large
reservoirs and related
recreation
Going for a walk at Nan Yuan Resor t Farm
Pho
tos/
Mag
gie
Song
, Jen
Guo
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SIRAYA/CHIAYI
BIYUN TEMPLE
DONGSHAN COFFEE HIGHWAY
The NSA takes up much of this second homeland, covering 12 rural districts on Tainan City ’s east side and Dapu Township in Chiayi County. This is Taiwan’s youngest NSA, established in late 2005 (there are 13 in total). It has an elongated shape and north-south orientation.
The Siraya village of Jibeishua, which has about 360 households, is just outside the NSA’s north-end boundary. The residents’ ancestors were moved here en masse in 1779 by the Qing Dynasty government. The crystal-clear waters of the important Jianan Plain irrigation system (see Wushantou Reservoir entry), in which squatting local women wash their clothes, run beside the town. You’ ll see family altars in shrines outside homes, dedicated to Alimu, the Great Ancestor, who is in charge of all l ife on Earth. The Siraya NSA Administration has close contact with the village, and will arrange tours.
The town of Guanziling is in the NSA’s north, near Chiayi City, high up along a narrow valley that opens to the plains. Mention Guanziling to any Taiwan adult and the automatic response is “hot springs.” Taiwan’s only mud springs are here; at the bottom of the town you can visit the two sources, emerging directly from the mountainside. The mineral-rich mud is highly prized, thought to be therapeutic, and limited in quantity. Hotels apply annually for their allotment.
This is one of Taiwan’s major hot-spring resorts, opened up by the soak-loving Japanese when they controlled Taiwan (1895 ~ 1945). It was from the Japanese that Taiwan’s people acquired their own love of the hot-spring culture. High, green-foliage slopes surround the town, and on a promontory above is the pretty, Japanese-designed Red Leaf Park. It is f illed with old-growth trees, and purple-crow and other butterf l ies f l it about in large numbers, feasting on the colorful f lowers and blooming shrubs. A moderate-grade road takes you from town to park, the 25-minute walk done by many visitors, especially the elderly, with hiking staffs in hand.
WATER AND FIRE SPRING
Going for a walk at Nan Yuan Resor t Farm
Irr igat ion channel at
J ibeishua
Travel in Taiwan11
Chickens are a common sight in the countryside
FEATURE
Travel in Taiwan12
A short drive from Guanziling is the Water and Fire Spring. Methane and boiling-hot mineral water – and mud – pour forth from a clif f-face f issure here, and the methane has been ignited. Water and f lame seem to magically mix together, in a paradoxical phenomenon locals long ago dubbed “f ire in water and water in f ire.” The f lames, today about a meter high, once shot out about three meters, and have licked the grotto black.
Ornate Biyun Temple, the “Temple of Azure Clouds,” is close by. The temple is by the roadside, and the temple complex climbs up a soaring, steep mountainside. The Jianan Plain is spread out far lef t to far right before you, as though you’re sitting in a theater watching a widescreen movie. You’ ll see many monks on-site, and unusual practices such as exorcisms are common. In the temple’s rear is a dragon sculpture on a clif f-side wall f rom which sacred, drinkable mineral water trickles and is eagerly bottled by local tourists.
Still near Guanziling, County Road No. 175 in Tainan’s Dongshan (East Mountain) District is called the Dongshan Coffee Highway. There are about 20 plantations with dedicated cafés on one section, almost all on high slopeland, all with great views. Kuo Ya-cong, owner of Hoes vs. Flowers, started it all in 1998. He knew the Japanese had tried coffee cultivation here, but there was no local market then; he brought in Arabica beans to start things back up, and he and Dongshan have enjoyed great success. Dongshan Coffee is a boutique brand, available only locally, which makes it tastes all the better as you gaze out over mountain and plain.
Further south, nearing the NSA’s middle, is Nan Yuan Resort Farm, a family/group-oriented oasis of lush plant l ife and artif icial lakes, waterfalls, and tiny islands. The islands are inhabited by macaques, rabbits, and other animals – including, incongruously, one very big yellow cow. The surrounding water prevents waywardness. There’s also an aviary with wonderfully costumed, healthy-looking birds, and a Formosan sika deer feeding area. You can stay in lakeside wooden chalets, and comfy Cafés also overlook the waters.
Just south of this is the large, scenic Wushantou Reservoir. Its intricate, zigzagging shoreline inspired the old name “Coral Lake.” Near the dam is the Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park. A Japanese civil engineer, Hatta designed and built the reservoir and Jianan Plain irrigation system from 1920 through 1930. In the park is his residence, other restored wooden Japanese buildings, and a museum. His gravesite overlooks the reservoir; Hatta was killed at sea in 1942 in an Allied attack, his body later found and brought here.
NAN YUAN RESORT FARM
WUSHANTOU RESERVOIR
There are about 20
plantations with
dedicated cafes along
the Dongshan Coffee
Highway, almost all on
high slopeland, all with
great viewsGrave of Yoichi Hat ta Sika deer at Nan Yuan Resor t Farm
At a café on the cof fee highway
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SIRAYA/CHIAYI
Getting AroundA free shuttle bus runs between HSR Chiayi Station and the downtown
Chiayi Railway Station. Inexpensive scooter rentals are available at shops in f ront and in back of the latter. A taxi ride f rom HSR station to Guanzil ing is NT$800, f rom Chiayi Railway Station NT$750; agree in advance. The Chiayi-Guanzil ing bus, which departs f rom in front of the railway station, is NT$80.
Alishan Forest Railway 阿里山森林鐵路
Beimen Station 北門驛站
Biyun Temple 碧雲寺
Chiayi Old Prison 嘉義舊監獄
Chiayi Park 嘉義公園
Chiayi Railway Station 嘉義火車站
Dapu Township 大埔鄉
Dongshan 東山
Dongshan Coffee Highway 東山咖啡大道
Guanziling 關子嶺
Historic Archives Building 史蹟資料館
Jianan Plain 嘉南平原
Jibeishua 吉貝耍
Kuo Ya-cong 郭雅聰
Nan Yuan Resort Farm 南元休閒農場
Red Leaf Park 紅葉公園
Siraya National Scenic Area 西拉雅國家風景區
Sun Shooting Tower 射日塔
Water and Fire Spring 水火同源
Wushantou Reservoir 烏山頭水庫
Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park 八田與一紀念園區
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Biyun Temple
Water and Fire Spring
Nan Yuan Resort Farm
WushantouReservoir
Baihe District
Chiayi HSR Station Siraya National
Scenic Area
Guanzil ing
Dongshan Coffee
Highway
174
175
Zengwen Reservoir
Jibeishua
For more info, visit: www.siraya-nsa.gov.tw
to Chiayi City
Chiayi CityThe fortunes of old Chiayi City f lourished when the Japanese built
the island’s west-side railway and Alishan Forest Railway in the early 1900s, connecting them here, and the Jianan Plain irrigation system, which engendered an explosion in regional agricultural production. Many facil ities from this period have now been restored and opened to tourists.
Wooden, Japanese-style Beimen Station was built as the forest railway’s launch-point. In the immediate area are numerous large wooden Japanese-style dormitories for Japanese workers; a lovely clubhouse for Japanese forestry off icials; a railway yard, now a park, with well-maintained antique U.S., English, German, and Japanese locomotives on display; and a building built to house power-generation equipment for moving giant logs on-site, now housing large-scale wood sculptures by Taiwan artists.
Large, pleasant Chiayi Park, built by the Japanese in tiers on a hillside, has many original architectural elements still in place, and many tall, original trees. The 62-meter-high Sun Shooting Tower stands where a Shinto shrine once stood. Its shape symbolizes Alishan’s giant trees, its name an aboriginal myth. The elegant wood-built Historic Archives Building originally housed the shrine’s off ices and fasting rooms.
The Chiayi Old Prison is about half-way between Beimen Station and Chiayi Park. It is the only one remaining of f ive prisons built by the Japanese; the last inmates were moved out in 1998.
Beimen Station
Historic buildings are one of the attractions of Chiayi City
Travel in Taiwan13
FEATURE
Travel in Taiwan14
A Night (or Two)
at the
Hot SpringsThe Obligatory Siraya NSA Hot-Spring Hotel Experience
There are many other fine accommoda-tion options in Siraya National Scenic Area, but if you haven’t overnighted in Guanziling, you haven’t fully qualified for your Siraya “Been There, Done That” badge. By Rick Charette
Main building of The King’s Garden Villa
Hot-spring pool area of The King’s Garden Villa
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STAY
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This mountain town has many hot-spring hotels, in different budget ranges, on and just off the
main road. Said road also has a cluster of restaurants, and things get busy on weekends/holidays, everyone out for a good time and in a good mood. From Sunday night through Thursday night the ambience is much more subdued (except during the summer vacation period and the Chinese New Year holidays), with few parents with kids in evidence.
My wife is Taiwanese, from a tight-knit family that loves spa outings, and I’ve been on many a 3-generation clan-vacation excursion in my years here. I’ve been to the pretty Guanziling area on many an occasion, and I here recommend one high-end and one mid-range place for you to stay.
My first choice is The King’s Garden Villa. It is a complex, not a stand-alone hotel building – a
conf iguration of wood cottages and two-f loor wood-façade buildings. In the latter you walk directly into your room from outside, and the second-f loor units are set up like walk-up apartments. The complex has the look and ambience of a small, densely-knit European mountain village, everything is painted bright white, and the facades and cozy park-like walkways between buildings are spic and span. The management shows obvious pride in every detail, which guests in turn obviously notice and appreciate.
Each unit has hot-spring tubs in a room partially exposed to the outside, though designed to ensure privacy. The resort is at the top of Guanziling, with only forest, ridge, and peaks behind, though not all units have views in this direction.
There is also a large and airy spa facil ity, with an attractive outdoor pool that offers a partial mountain view, sauna facil ities, mineral pools of various temperatures, and other amenities. Guanziling’s famous health-enhancing mineral mud is available here. Note that there are public facil ities as well as separate men’s/women’s facil ities.
Though there is also much else to recommend at The King’s Garden Villa, if I must choose just one more to highlight, it is the covered, open-side verandah dining area of the main (reception) building’s restaurant. You dine along a rail ing at
just under forest-treetop level, branches seeming to reach out at you in the breeze. The breakfast buffet is splendid, with both standard and creative local and international selections. (Rooms start at NT$5,000)
Whereas The King’s Garden Villa has a subdued, somewhat secluded,
private air, Guan-Zih-Ling Toong Mao Spa Resort is a much more public place. It’s right on the main thoroughfare, and guests are constantly walking in and out, heading off to or coming back from a round of town shopping and/or eating. The hotel is built on a slight slope, and the basement area opens up to the large outdoor swimming pool, hidden from street view. People lounge around on the wide ceramic-tile deck area, reading and relaxing. The pool is in full view of a roomy basement café where guests lounge about in bathrobes, reading and chatting. People, in pairs and small groups, head past café and swimming pool to the hot-spring pools beyond, which have a tree-shaded, partial mountain view.
On one side of the basement café is the indoor spa complex, which has private rooms, and on the other side is the well-equipped – and well-soundproofed – games arcade. Up on the ground-f loor level are large VIP rooms from which boisterous karaoke singing will emanate at night. The hotel’s f ront half has numerous large meeting rooms, which many companies/organizations make use of.
All guestrooms are in the back section of the hotel, ensuring overnight guests’ quiet and mountain views. Not all these rooms have hot-spring tubs; the tubs are on the balcony in those that do, providing soothing green-covered mountain views. (Rooms start at NT$2,640 weekdays, NT$3,200 weekends/holidays.)
THE KING'S GARDEN VILLA (景大渡假莊園)
Add: 56, Guanziling, Baihe District, Tainan City (台南市白河區關子嶺56號) Tel: (06) 682-2500Website: www.myspa.com.tw
GUAN-ZIH-LING TOONG MAO SPA RESORT (關子嶺統茂溫泉會館)Add: 28, Guanziling, Baihe District, Tainan City (台南市白河區關子嶺56號)Tel: (06) 682-3456Website: www.toongmao.com.tw
The King's Garden Villa
complex has the look
and ambience of a small,
densely-knit European
mountain village
Toong Mao Spa Resort Guanziling’s famous mud
STAY
Travel in Taiwan15
Travel in Taiwan16
FEATURE
The small mountain town of Guanziling is choc-a-bloc with hot-spring resorts, and its main street
is l ined with attractive, brightly l it eateries featuring moderate prices, many with timber themes, that serve hearty Chinese/Taiwanese fare. Above the town on the main road is the rustic Rock Top Restaurant, run by ebullient Jian Baba, or Daddy Jian. You dine outside in covered wood pavilions, amidst gardens busy with purple-crow butterf l ies that Jian tends himself, with orchards on slopes below that Jian also tends himself, in a complex of simple, homey buildings and structures that the eco-conscious Jian has built himself using recycled materials.
The Taiwanese dishes here are healthy and f illing, well matched with big views over Guanziling to the plains beyond. Following the Rock Top theme, most key ingredients are grown/raised by Jian himself, a busy yet obviously happy man. The big seller is the delicious whole roast chicken, roasted in a sealed container to keep in the juices, the juices also preserved using a thick soy-sauce paste as the sole f lavor enhancer, which creates a crispy, delectable skin. I also much admire the sausage cooked in a coffee-based sauce, with coffee powder sprinkled atop, and the medicinal chicken soup pot, prepared with espresso and containing wolfberry and other Chinese medicinal ingredients. Jian has his own coffee orchard.
Prime Food,
Great ViewsCollecting Culinary Experiences and Souvenirs in Siraya/Chiayi
When you’re happily meandering about the large, spread-out Siraya National Scenic Area, you’re in sparsely populated country, but you’re in tourist-focused country, and your dining options are many. All quality spots emphasize the freshest local produce, and your souvenir-buy options are also heavily oriented toward local produce. By Rick Charette
FEATURE
Hoe vs . Flowers café
Rock Top Restaurant
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NAN YUAN RESORT FARM (南元休閒農場)Add: 25, Nanhu Borough, Liuying District, Tainan City (台南市柳營區果毅里南湖25號)Tel: (06) 699-0726Website: www.nanyuanfarm.com.tw
ROCK TOP RESTAURANT (岩頂自然休閒坊)Add: 65-28, Guanling Borough, Baihe District, Tainan City (台南市白河區關嶺里65-28號)Tel: (06) 682-3339Website: www.rocktop.com.tw (English on menu shown)
HOE VS. FLOWERS (大鋤花間)Add: 109-17, Gaoyuan, Gaoyuan Borough, Dongshan District, Tainan City (台南市東山區高原里高原109之17號) Tel: 0939-723-117
cubic pastry 方塊酥
Jian Baba 簡爸爸
mingri leaf 明日葉
T.K. Yang 老楊食品
ENGLISH & CHINESE
We toured the large, shady Nan Yuan Resort Farm in our main Feature article. Here we visit its large Chinese/Taiwanese
restaurant, which has 80 round tables that seat 8~10 each. Everything here is locally sourced, some items from the farm itself. Smaller groups can order individual dishes, a 5-course set for just NT$1,000, or a 7-course set for NT$1,500. I especially l ike the Taiwan cinnamon soup with pork, f iddleheads with tiny freshwater f ish, pork slices with lemongrass, half-shell orange f illed with abalone, orange, and cucumber, shrimp with tender sugarcane-stalk tops and red pepper, and chewy black range chicken with fried mingri leaf, l iterally “tomorrow” leaf, an Asian medicinal herb formally called Angelica keiskei Koidzmi.
Across from the restaurant, overlooking a lake, is a chalet-style café where you can buy packets of Dongshan Coffee, one of this area’s most famous products.
Another location I have an especial fondness for is Hoe vs. Flowers, on the Coffee Highway,
which we have also already visited in our main Feature article. So I won’t dally. This treehouse-style café, perched on high slopeland, offers l ight, simple meals, notably hotpot. You can also buy the coffee bean produced on the surrounding orchard – Dongshan’s original coffee orchard – sold here and nowhere else. Also packaged and sold nowhere else is the delicious longan f loral tea, made from the tiny, dried f lowers of the orchard’s longan trees, roasted with brown cane sugar. This is a treasure I’ve never seen elsewhere.
In Chiayi, the best-known souvenir product is the cubic pastry, also called a square cookie and other names – crispy, layered baked-wheat cookies cut into small squares. The best-known local seller is T.K. Yang, which offers a wide range of f lavors, from original to almond, green tea, brown sugar, and even wasabi and pepper (the last two my favorites). There’s a T.K. Yang outlet diagonally across from the Chiayi Railway Station, and one in Chiayi Rear Station. Shops in HSR Chiayi Station have displays of Chiayi’s best-known processed-food products.
The Taiwanese
dishes at Rock Top
are healthy and
filling, well matched
with big views over
Guanziling to the
plains beyond
Passion fruit juice (Rock Top)
Delicious chicken (Rock Top)
Abalone with orange (Nan Yuan)
Travel in Taiwan18
FEATURE
The Alishan and Maol in national scenic areas, in the central mountains, are just beyond Siraya
NSA. Look at the NSA map on the Taiwan Tour ism Bureau website (www.taiwan.net.tw → English → Attractions → National Scenic Areas) and you’ ll see that Siraya, Al ishan, and Maol in come close to touching. Another combo-option suggestion, Tr i-Mountain National Scenic Area, is less than an hour north of Chiay i at its closest point. This NSA is cut up into three sections, each of distinctive character.
Alishan National Scenic Area has the older Al ishan Forest Recreation Area at its core, famed for its tall, old-growth cypress forest, ancient “sacred trees,” deep valleys that f ill w ith thick, churning cloud, which are v iewed by tour ists f rom above, and are aptly named a “sea of clouds.” The area is also known for its heart-thumping sunr ises, bursting to l ife each morn over the l ine of soar ing peaks to the east, one of them Yushan (Mt. Jade), northeast Asia’s highest mountain.
The lyrically scenic narrow-gauge Alishan Forest Railway runs across the plains from Chiayi and then zigzags and corkscrews through the NSA to the forest recreation area. It was built by the Japanese in the early 1900s for service in their exploitation of Alishan’s magnif icent, untapped timber stands. (The line, undergoing repair, is currently partially open.)
The NSA is home to the northern Tsou indigenous people, numbering about 7,000. A key tribal-culture showcase is YuYuPas (www.yuyupas.com), a theme park on a broad valley slope with tremendous mountain vistas. Enjoy tribal song-and-dance performances, traditional foods (the grilled boar is superb), arts-and-craf ts demos, and the well-laid-out museum.
The NSA administration has been systematically developing Alishan’s trail system, which brings you through towering timber stands, past pretty waterfalls and huge boulder falls, through tea f ields, and to many other pleasant photo-opp spots.
Alishan is famed for its tall c ypress forest, deep valleys that f ill with a “sea of clouds,” and its heart-thumping sunrises
Friends
of
SirayaOther National Scenic Areas in Southern and Central Taiwan
In our Feature art ic le th is i ssue we have introduced the Siraya National Scenic Area and the nearby jumping-off c i ty of Chiayi , on Taiwan’s west side. Tourists commonly vary this com-bination, for other fine national scenic areas are also close to Chiayi. We in-troduce three here. By Rick Charette
Alishan
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SCENERY
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The prime attractions in the Maolin National Scenic Area are the indigenous villages, hot-
springs soaking, and butterf ly watching. Oh, and the magnif icent mountain scenery. I’ ll stop there.
Members of the Rukai and Paiwan tribes, which share many cultural elements, l ive in the south, members of the southern Tsou and Bunun in the north. In Duona, a cluster of 30 traditional Rukai slate houses is being preserved, the largest concentration in Taiwan. In Sandimen, a Paiwan settlement, are tourist-friendly studios where glass-bead ornaments are made; the beads are imbued with deep cultural symbolism.
The NSA is blessed with many hot-spring sources. There are numerous commercially operated hot-spring facil ities, and the area has the most extensive distribution of natural stream springs in Taiwan.
The Purple Crow Butterf ly, an intrepid traveler that l ike the Monarch Butterf ly accomplishes impossibly challenging annual migrations, winters in tremendous number in Maolin. In the Purple Butterf ly Valley you may well see hundreds of thousands f l itting about. Another prime viewing spot for this and other species is Maolin Ecological Park.
In the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area, the closest of the three sections to Chiayi is Mt. Bagua Scenic Area, which
touches the city of Changhua at its northern tip. This area offers very good rural-area bicycling. Its biggest scenic attraction is the Great Buddha, a giant statue atop a hill overlooking Changhua; you can climb to the top. Another recommended destination is Taiwan Folk Village (more info at www.themeparks.net.tw), which has many full-size mock-ups of Taiwan’s traditional forms of architecture, as well as demonstrations of traditional incense-making, candy sculptures, camphor-oil production – even weddings.
The main attraction at Lion’s Head Mountain Scenic Area is the scores of temples running up and down its sides, some located in caves, some with caves in them. The Lishan Scenic Area, high up along the Central Cross-Island Highway, is a quiet alpine getaway featuring highlands, steep clif fs, deep canyons, crystal-clear rivers, pristine forest, hot-springs, alpine fruit/vegetable farms, recreational farms, and Atayal indigenous culture.
Note that in issues past we have f iled many longer reports on all the above-named places, and on two other worthy areas within easy reach of Chiayi, the Southwest Coast NSA and Sun Moon Lake NSA. For more information about Taiwan’s national scenic areas, visit the Tourism Bureau website (see above).
Alishan Forest Railway 阿里山森林鐵路
Alishan National Forest Recreation Area 阿里山國家森林遊樂區
Atayal tribe 泰雅族
Bunun tribe 布農族
Duona 多納
Great Buddha 大佛
Lishan Scenic Area 梨山風景區
Lion's Head Mountain Scenic Area 獅頭山風景區
Maolin Ecological Park 茂林生態公園
Mt. Bagua Scenic Area 八卦山風景區
Paiwan tribe 排灣族
Purple Butterfly Valley 紫蝶幽谷
Rukai tribe 魯凱族
Sandimen 三地門
Taiwan Folk Village 台灣民俗村
Tsou tribe 鄒族
Yushan 玉山
YuYuPas 阿里山鄒族文化部落
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Southwest Coast
Maolin
L ion’s Head Mountain
Enjoying a Cultural Renaissance
When the Dutch arr ived in present-day Tainan in 1624, beginning
a per iod of colonial rule over Taiwan that would last until 1662, one of the f irst and most important indigenous groups they encountered was the Siraya. The Siraya was a matr iarchal pingpu zu or f latlands-dwell ing tr ibe, most of its members l iv ing in the Tainan coastal-plains area, its lands stretching f rom Tainan all the way down to the Hengchun Peninsula. The word “Taiwan” is generally bel ieved to have come f rom the Sirayan place name for the spot at which the Dutch decided to build their port and, later, the grand Fort Zeelandia, the ruins of which are today a tourist draw.
The tr ibe led a simple agricultural existence, supplemented by coastal f ishing and hunting. The then teeming deer of the southwest plains were the main source of meat. Han Chinese immigrants streamed into the plains f rom the 1600s through early 1800s, pushing the Siraya to the east side and into the central-mountain foothills. Like other pingpu peoples they were largely assimilated, and their language went dormant when the last known Sirayan speaker of earl ier times died in 1908.
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Fort Zeelandia 熱蘭遮城
Hengchun Peninsula 恆春半島
pingpu zu 平埔族Pho
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Certain ceremonies and religious customs of the Siraya have survived, and today a cultural
revival is underway
However, certain ceremonies and rel igious customs survived, and many people retained
consciousness of their Sirayan ancestry. Today a cultural rev ival is underway, and the language is being revived through study of such sources as Roman-alphabet bible translations by Dutch missionaries (the Siraya had no written language). Language classes are being set up, and annual ceremonies at a number of Sirayan v illages become more elaborate each year, drawing more and more tourists.
The most popular is the Night Sacr if ice at Jibeishua (see Feature article) on the 6th day of the 9th lunar month). This features a giant sacr if icial pig, which is of fered to Al imu, the Great Ancestor, and other ancestral deities. There is a formal invitation to the gods, r ice-wine toasting, chanting, and a “call ing of the sea” celebration commemorating the safe arr ival of the tr ibe’s ancestors in Taiwan long ago – the Siraya are part of the great Austronesian diaspora. Jibeishua elders also say this is Al imu’s birthday.
Elder at Jibeishua village
By Rick Charette
INDIGENOUS CULTURE
Travel in Taiwan20
Only a mil l imeter thick and more britt le than an eggshell , the I-lan Cake Company’s extra-thin ox-tongue cookies are a modern twist on a traditional local recipe which dates back more than a century, to Taiwan’s Japanese colonial era.
Developed by I-lan Cake’s founder Liu Deng-hui in 2001,
the cookies have become one of Yilan County’s most celebrated delicacies, ensuring that anyone who visits the area is almost bound by law to bring back a box of the crisp, tongue-shaped cookies as a gif t.
I-lan Cake’s extra-thin ox-tongue cookies are nothing if not consumer-friendly. They come in nine different f lavors – milk, cheese, maple syrup, spring onion, bamboo charcoal and sesame, seaweed, Chinese toon, coconut, and coffee – are l ight, fragile, and fragrant, and break with a satisf ying snap. A commonly used expression at the company is that the cookies are so delicate that anyone from a newborn baby to a 99-year-old can eat them, regardless of their lack of teeth or preference for sweet or savory.
By Owain Mckimm
Ox-Tongue CookiesThin and Crispy
Visiting the I-lan Cake Tourist Factory
The company has seven branches, dotted around the northeast of Taiwan, but the
I-lan Cake Tourist Factory in the port town of Su’ao is the place to go to try your hand at making
your own. Even with an area of over 5,000 square meters and two f loors open to the public, on the Saturday we visit, the factory is still incredibly crowded with visitors. The f irst f loor consists of a shop, café, and exhibition area, while the area upstairs is the venue for a 20-minute DIY session and a factory tour.
Modelled after an ancient Chinese marketplace, the shop is an idyll of tiled eaves, hanging lanterns,
wooden beams, and tilted carts
Modelled af ter an ancient Chinese marketplace, the shop is an idyll of tiled eaves, hanging lanterns, wooden beams, and tilted carts – though the charm can sometimes be dampened somewhat by the crescendos of clamor and chatter from frantic cookie-hunting guests.
The exhibition area to the lef t of the entrance tells the story of the company and its founder, as well as the history of the ox-tongue cookie itself. While thoroughly informative the exhibition boards do not have English translations, but English-speaking guides are available if the factory is notif ied in advance. For those who drop in unannounced, the exhibit still has some appeal in its collection of old photos, and also in its collection of traditional cake molds; these include some early examples made from wood and clay, with hand-carved designs that range from simple geometric patterns to intricate turtle-shell motifs.
Children love Y i lan’s ox tongue cook ies
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COOKIES
Travel in Taiwan21
Pho
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The factory ’s activities manager, Chen Yan-
che, guides us through the plant. He f irst tells us a l ittle about the history of Yilan’s ox-tongue cookie. The original ox-tongue cookie came from the Japanese colonial era (1895~1945), he says. The name of this rustic snack was ox-tongue gui – gui is a Taiwanese word meaning a snack made of rice. Chen says that the rice farmers at the time were very poor and of ten could not afford to pay good wages to the extra hands used during the rice harvest. So they would ask their wives to make these snacks for the workers as a kind of compensation.
“To make the ox-tongue gui, rice was soaked in water, mixed with certain plants and herbs such as wild mulberry leaf, cudweed, or lemongrass, and then ground into a paste,” Chen says. “This mixture was then boiled until it became viscous, and then cooked in a steamer until it was f irm enough to be molded into the desired shape.” For ease of eating, the gelatinous snack was of ten molded into a long, thin slab, resembling an ox’s tongue.
“Af ter the Second World War, there was a severe shortage of resources in Taiwan,” Chen continues. “The American military, which was stationed here af ter the war, introduced f lour to the local farmers. Rice began to be replaced with f lour when making the ox-tongue gui, and was baked instead of steamed; it thus became the ox-tongue ‘cookie.’ ” At one time, this kind of cookie would be hung around the necks of four-month-old babies as a ritual practice. The parents would
invite their friends and relatives to use the tongue-shaped cookie to wipe away the baby’s saliva, an action that symbolized a blessing and was thought to bestow the child with intell igence.
While similar to I-lan Cake’s extra-thin ox-tongue cookie, this original version of the cookie, which is still made, is
thicker and not nearly as popular as the wafer-thin creation of Liu Deng-hui. By the time he developed his famous cookie, Liu already had over three decades of experience in the baking industry. Coming from a poor family which had no money to pay for a formal education, Liu started his career young, at 16, working in bakeries as an apprentice. He quickly made a name for himself as a talented young man who specialized in Western pastries and cakes.
During Liu’s time in the air force, doing Taiwan’s compulsory military service, Chiang Ching-kuo, then President of the ROC, would personally request Liu’s cakes whenever he visited Liu’s base for inspection. Liu opened a series of bakeries af ter he lef t the military, but fell on hard times when he attempted to develop vegan-friendly cakes without using eggs. Not one to be put off by failure, Liu was determined to develop a product that could speak for and represent the area where he grew up. Manager Chen tells us that Liu developed the extra-thin ox-tongue cookie because, due to her poor teeth, his elderly mother found it diff icult to eat the thicker version. Af ter experimenting for two or three months, Liu f inally put his new cookie on the market, and the rest is confectionery history.
At one time, this kind of cookie would be hung around the necks of four-month-old babies, which was thought to bestow the child with intelligence
E xhibit ion hall
Cook ies on sale
Entrance lobby
Cook ie produc tion
TOURIST FACTORIES
Travel in Taiwan22
Chen takes us to the second f loor of the factory, where we join a large group he now leads in a DIY session. Two lumps of ingredients are
placed in front of us – the one on the lef t is dough, which will become the crust of the cookie (a mixture of f lour, warm water, and cream), and the one on the right is the f lavoring (containing f lour, powdered milk, butter, and sweetener).
First, we roll both parts separately into 15cm-long cylinders. Then we cut each one into six small parts. Chen tells us to take one of these from the crust section and f latten it into a circle. Then we take a piece from the f lavoring section, put it in the middle of the circle, and wrap it up like a Chinese dumpling. Af ter repeating this for each one, we take the balls of combined dough and f latten them again into small circles. We take a roll ing pin, give them a few short preliminary rolls
to make them even, and then start roll ing them out into long, thin, ox-tongue-shaped strips. When suff iciently sheer, they are placed onto grease paper, where we cut a thin line down the middle of each one. This is to make sure that the dough is suff iciently ventilated when it’s in the oven; it also gives the cookie a certain lingual authenticity.
The cookies are baked for 12 minutes at 180°C (though when done professionally they take only 10 minutes), and are returned to us a short while later packaged in a lovely pink ziplock bag. To train a worker to make the company’s signature 1mm-thin cookies can take up to a month, and some workers can produce up to 400 cookies per hour. Even though ours may not be up to the factory ’s exacting standards, they are nonetheless delicious.
The extra-thin ox-tongue cookie DIY session costs NT$120 per person, and can be followed comfortably with no Chinese ability. The factory usually hosts the DIY class only for larger groups; but if you call ahead (3 days is best), management will do its best to accommodate you in a pre-arranged session.
In addition to the extra-thin ox-tongue cookie, I-lan Cake also produces the traditional thicker ox-tongue cookie, as well as a sof t, f laky version akin to a puff pastry. A bag containing nine packets of the extra-thin ox-tongue cookies (one for each f lavor, each containing four cookies) costs a mere NT$285. The company also sells delectable mochi-stuffed pastries, f luff y cream cake rolls, and a host of other hand-made snacks and desserts.
Also in the Area
After baking away your morning, pay a visit to Su’ao’s famous cold springs. These natural wonders emit highly carbonated mineral water, which is most commonly used for bathing but also to make jelly cake and, once upon a time, to make soda. The odorless spring water emerges from the ground at around 22°C, so you’ll feel a chill as you get in. But after a few minutes soaking, you’ll be nice and comfy. Cold-spring facilities can be found along Zhongyuan and Lengquan roads, adjacent to each other.
Chen Yen-che 陳彥哲
gui 粿
Liu Deng-hui 劉鐙徽
ox-tongue cookie 牛舌餅
Su’ao 蘇澳
ENGLISH & CHINESE
GETTING THERE:From Taipei, take a train to Suaoxin Station (蘇澳新站). The I-lan Cake Tourist Factory is about 1.3km from the station. To walk, leave the station at the back exit; to catch a taxi (around NT$150), leave by the front.
I-LAN CAKE TOURIST FACTORY (宜蘭餅發明館)Add: 369 Haishan W. Road, Aiding Borough, Su'ao Town, Yilan County(宜蘭縣蘇澳鎮隘丁里海山西路369號)Tel: (03) 990-5999Hours: Mon~Thurs 8:00~18:00, Fri~Sun 8:00~20:00Website: www.diy-icake.com.tw (Chinese only)
DIY classroom
Large cook ie mold
COOKIES
Travel in Taiwan23
FESTIVAL
Travel in Taiwan24
Lonely Planet recommended Taiwan as one of the top 10 countries for travel in 2012. This is
f rom its website:
“Taiwan has always had a jaw-dropping landscape – oversized sea cli f f s and densely f orested mountains barely start to describe its ma jest y. And then there’s the museums, which are simply bursting with treasures (including the best o f imperial China, spirited across the strait a f ter WW I I), plus a thriving f olk culture that includes some wild displays o f Taoist and Buddhist worship. In terms o f cuisine, Taiwan is a f usion- and slow- f ood showcase. So why is 2012 the time to visit? Because Taiwan is best seen on two wheels and in
recent years the authorities have embraced the biking market with sur prising enthusiasm, vision, and (most importantly) f unding. This year sees the linking o f thousands o f kilometers o f paths, including two round-the-island routes, and a host o f other c ycling f riendly inf rastructure pro jects”.
CNNGo has declared Sun Moon Lake, one of Taiwan’s most famous scenic destinations and the centerpiece of the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area, one of the world’s 10 best bike routes:
“Some o f the best c ycling routes in the world pass through its most beauti f ul scener y…. Located in the heart o f Taiwan,
The Taiwan
Leisurely Excursions, Competitive Races, Inspiring Scenic Backdrops
Cycling Festival
Ten years ago, the words “Taiwan,” “cycling,” and “international tourist” would not appear in the same sentence. This combination is now common. As demonstration, let’s see what Lonely Planet and CNNGo, two of the most prestigious names in international travel reporting, have had to say on the subject of cycling experiences here. Then we’ll tell you all about this year’s Taiwan Cycling Festival, which is happening in November. By Rick Charette
Racing through Taroko Gorge
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The Formosa 900 is a round-island tour by 10 teams that will each launch f rom a di f ferent
location along the round-island route
If you want to learn more about this year ’s event or sign up a team or individually for next year, contact the event organizer, the Taiwan Bicycle Exporters’ Association, or the assistant organizer, the Cycling Lifestyle Foundation (contact info below).
East Rift ValleyDuring this year ’s Formosa 900 the East Rif t Valley
National Scenic Area is being specially spotlighted. Running north-south through pristine Hualien and Taitung counties, it is f ramed by the majestic Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range. The roll ing valley-bottom landscape is a carpet of neatly cut, carefully tended farm plots that are of ten bursting with pastel colors – this has of t been called a “land of milk and honey.” Wide, l ight-traff ic Provincial Highway No. 9, spanning the valley ’s length, has a dedicated bike lane very popular with cyclists. The easy-grade side roads are also inviting, as are bike paths through and around local farming towns. Formosa 900 riders are to be specially introduced to the Ruisui Hot Springs and white-water raf ting, Japanese-built heritage architecture such as the old Guanshan Railway Station and Guangfu Sugar Factory, Chishang Dapo Pond bikeway, and the particularly lovely scenery along County Route No. 193.
Sun Moon Lake has long been charming curious f oreigners and local visitors alike. Its calm, turquoise water has also inspired many ancient Chinese poets and painters. The route around the largest lake in Taiwan is a three-hour ride, where visitors can enjoy lake scener y, ex perience Thao aboriginal culture and learn about the local ecology in Nantou Count y. I f you arrive in early spring, you can even catch the cherr y blossoms near this mirror-like lake.”
The goal behind the annual Taiwan Cycling Festival is to introduce the full panoply of the Taiwan cycling
experience to all the people of Taiwan and to people overseas looking for new, healthy, and inviting travel destinations: the range of natural scenery that is so impressively varied for an island of this size, the alluring man-created scenic sights, the island’s full and still growing network (over 3,800 km) of interlinked regional and local bike-route webs, the ever more comprehensive infrastructure of rental and repair facilities, the quality accommodations that span the full budget range wherever you bike, Taiwan’s superb, pleasingly affordable food, and the warmhearted friendliness and hospitality of the local people.
The festival is the creation of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, and is built around two main events, the Formosa 900 and the Taiwan KOM Challenge, complemented by a number of events smaller in scale.
Formosa 900The Formosa 900 will take place November 10 to 18. It is
a round-island tour by 10 teams that will each launch from a different location along the round-island route. Each team does a leg a day, covering 900 kilometers in 9 days, and ends up at its starting point. This is not a race – a leisurely pace will be maintained, and sightseeing is the primary goal. Team members will be introduced to the main tourist attractions along the way, and entertained at lunch and dinner each day with iconic foods. A sample of meal themes includes “temple snacks,” “Tainan snacks,” “Taitung-Hualien seafood,” “Chishang lunchbox,” “home-style cooking,” and “turkey rice.” A grand evening feast and party will be held af ter the event, in Taipei, with all bikers invited.
Each team has a limit of 30 members, and each biker pays NT$30,000 to participate. This includes insurance, all accommodations, all meals, bike repair/maintenance support, etc. If riders don’t have their own bikes, the organizer will help out. Teams have themes: there’s an indigenous-tribe team from Taitung, a ladies’ team from Taichung, a team of physically challenged bikers from Hsinchu, a husband/wife team from Yilan, and international teams from Pingtung and Hualien. This is the inaugural event for the Formosa 900. All are welcome, and the intent is for the team composition to change each year.
Taking part in the Formosa 900 requires a team ef fort
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TAIWAN BICYCLE EXPORTERS’ASSOCIATION (臺灣區自行車輸出業同業公會)Contact: Wei Shyi-Ling (魏錫鈴) / Secretary GeneralAdd: 5F, 189, Sec. 2, Keelung Rd., Taipei City (臺北市基隆路二段189號5樓)E-mail: [email protected]: www.tbea.org
CYCLING LIFESTYLE FOUNDATION (財團法人自行車新文化基金會)Contact: Sheron Wang (王玫文)Add: 17F-2, 51, Sec. 2, Keelung Rd., Taipei City (臺北市基隆路二段51號17F-2)Tel: (02) 8978-5060E-mail: [email protected]: www.cycling-lifestyle.org.tw
TAIWAN CYCLIST FEDERATION (自行車騎士協會)Contact: Zoe Lee (李照圓)Tel: (04) 2381-3936/ 0920-522-171E-mail: [email protected]: www.cyclist.org.tw
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Chishang Dapo Pond 池上大坡池
Chishang lunchbox 池上便當
East Rift Valley 花東縱谷
Formosa 900 騎遇福爾摩沙900Guangfu Sugar Factory 光復糖廠
Guanshan Railway Station 關山火車站
Qixingtan 七星潭
Ruisui Hot Springs 瑞穗溫泉
Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
Sun Moon Lake Come! Bikeday 日月潭 Come! BikedayTaiwan Cycling Festival 臺灣自行車節
Taiwan KOM Challenge 太魯閣登山賽 - 台灣登山王
Taroko Gorge 太魯閣峽谷
Xiangshan Visitor Center 向山遊客中心
Taiwan KOM ChallengeThe Taiwan KOM Challenge (“KOM” stands for “King of
the Mountains”) is being run on November 10, racers setting off at 6 a.m., the f inish line closed at 1:30 p.m., the winner expected to f inish at about 11 a.m. This is an international race for serious riders – above 16 years of age and capable of f inishing the route in 7 hours or less. This starts in the scenic Qixingtan area in the small east coast city of Hualien, and takes riders through magnif icent Taroko National Park. It was mentioned earlier that CNNGo has specially recommended Sun Moon Lake; it has also given special coverage to Taroko National Park, stating that:
“Taiwan is a place that should be on ever y tourist’s travel plans… . What should really persuade potential tourists to visit are Taiwan’s natural attractions, with Taroko National Park getting top billing.”
At the park’s base just inland from the coast is Taroko Gorge, Taiwan’s greatest natural wonder, where sheer marble-laced cliffs a thousand meters high almost kiss in places. The race ends far, far uphill along the Central Cross-Island Highway at Wuling/Hehuanshan, Taiwan’s highest road point at 3,275 meters. Riders, starting at sea level, cover 100 km, with the route featuring many winding and challengingly steep sections. British pro rider Lee Rodgers said of his 2011 experience:
“It was, in the end, breathtakingly beauti f ul and yet incredibly tough… . However, ever yone who f inished that day is a hero. Plain and simple. This is a race that more people
should know about, because it is absolutely unique… . To those thinking o f taking a trip to Hualien and the Taroko Gorge: this area is astonishingly beauti f ul and I thoroughly recommend a trip here. Breathtaking, in ever y sense!”
Among the celebrated riders competing this year are Matteo Rabottini, f rom Italy ’s Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli team,
who won the 2012 Giro d’Italia KOM; Anthony Charteau, from France’s Team Europcar, winner of the 2010 Tour de France KOM; and Jeremy Roy, from France’s FDJ-BigMat team, 2011 Tour de France stage KOM and Combative rider. Among the many competing teams are the CCN Cycling Team, based in Malta; the KTM Cycling Team, based in Germany; and the Specialized US cycling team. There will be trophies and cash prizes in each category: an Elite, Men’s in numerous age brackets, and a Women’s.
Sun Moon LakeThere will be an awards ceremony
and f ireworks show at Sun Moon Lake’s Xiangshan Visitor Center at 6 p.m. on November 10. The next day is being called Sun Moon Lake Come!
Bikeday: there will be a fun 30-km ride around the lake with some of the pro racers, and a 9-km family run along the lake. Both launch from the Xiangshan center at 7 a.m. There will also be an autograph session. For more information, contact the event organizer.
As Lonely Planet has noted, Taiwan is now energetically promoting green tourism through the vigorous marketing of cycling tours. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has introduced numerous incentive packages and other promotional activities for international tourists. For more information, visit the bureau’s website (www.taiwan.net.tw).
Taiwan KOM Challenge starts in the east coast cit y of Hualien, takes riders through magni f icent Taroko Gorge, and ends far,
far uphill at Wuling/Hehuanshan
Riding to the top of the mountains
UPCOMINGFestivals and Events from November to December
For more information on upcoming festivals and events, visit the website of the Tourism Bureau at http://eng.taiwan.net.tw and click on “Festivals” or call the 24-hour toll-free Travel Information Hotline at 0800-011765.
DEC 312013 Taipei New Year's Eve Countdown Party 2013臺北跨年晚會Location: Citizen Square in front of Taipei City Hall (臺北市政府前市民廣場 )Tel: (02) 2720-8889 ext. 2031Website: www.taipei.gov.tw
DEC ~ FEB2012/2013 Maolin Purple Butterfly Season2012/2013茂林紫蝶季Location: Maolin National Scenic Area (茂林國家風景區 )Tel: (08) 799-2221Website: www.maolin-nsa.gov.tw
DEC 1 ~ 22012 Taipei International Beef Noodles Festival2012台北國際牛肉麵節Location: Taipei Expo Food Court, Yuanshan Park (圓山公園花博美食商城 )Tel: (02) 2720-8889 ext. 6506Website: www.tcooc.taipei.gov.tw
UNTIL DEC 22012 Taipei Shopping Festival2012台北購物饗宴Location: EXPO Dome, Taipei Expo Park (花博公園爭艷館 )Tel: (02) 2720-8889 ext. 6494Website: www.taipeishopping.com.tw
NOV 62012 Taroko Gorge Marathon2012太魯閣峽谷馬拉松Location: Taroko Gorge National Park, Hualien County (花蓮縣太魯閣國家公園 )Tel: (03) 862-1100Website: www.taroko.gov.tw
NOV 1 ~ 11Caoling Historic Trail: The Season of Silver Grass2012草嶺古道芒花季Location: Caoling Historic Trail, Gongliao District, New Taipei City (新北市貢寮區草嶺古道 )Tel: (02) 2499-1115Website: www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw
UNTIL DEC 302012 Guandu Int'l Outdoor Sculpture Festival2012關渡國際自然裝置藝術季Location: Guandu Nature Park, Taipei City (台北市關渡自然公園 )Tel: (02) 2858-7417 ext. 232Website: www.guandu.org.tw
UNTIL JUN 12012 Taipei Flower Exhibition2012臺北花卉展Location: EXPO Dome, Taipei Expo Park(花博公園爭艷館 )Tel: (02) 2182-8886 ext. 6041Website: www.taipei-expopark.tw
Photo by Li Wen-ren
Travel in Taiwan 27
3D paintings on the ground or on a wall can play tricks with your mind, and at times it can be difficult to discern where reality ends and the painting begins. An artist who has mastered this type of art is Tu Long. By Joe Henley
ART
Travel in Taiwan28
Exploring the Amazing 3D Artwork by Local Artist Tu Long
ART
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On a warm September night, a crowd has gathered alongside a red carpet outside a theater complex
in Taipei's glitzy Xinyi District. In the shadow of the landmark Taipei 101 skyscraper, they await the stars of a new movie, Tai Chi 0, a martial-arts action f ilm directed by Stephen Fung. With cameras at the ready, fans hold up placards greeting the movie's actors and actresses, among them Tony Leung, Eddie Peng, and Shu Qi, but one man stands off to the side. Dressed in a thin turtleneck sweater, fashionable scarf wrapped loosely about his neck, and dark sunglasses, his arms are folded neatly in front of him, and he has a sly and somewhat shy smile on his face. With his hair tucked neatly behind his ears, he looks every bit the artist. His eyes rarely stray from the 3D, L-shaped work of art at the head of the red carpet that leads to a stage where the director and celebrities in attendance will later address the crowd. His name is Tu Long, he is Taiwan's f irst 3D painter, and this is his moment – the moment he gets to watch with unfettered pleasure as complete strangers become a joyful part of his creative process as they interact and have their picture taken with one of his eye-popping works of art.
One of Tu Long's 3D paintings isn't to be taken in passively, as one would with a regular work of art in a gallery or a museum. It is to be experienced with tactile enjoyment, and marveled at in disbelief, as you walk to its center and then have your picture taken in its midst, striking a playful pose. Such is Tu Long's skill that his paintings, though of ten fantastical in theme, blend right into the surrounding cityscape, taking the participants along with them. At times, it's diff icult to tell what is real and what Tu Long has created. His spray-paint and brushwork masterpieces swallow up the people who venture into them, transporting them into worlds of the artist's own imagination.
Tu Long's 3D paintings are experienced with tactile en joyment, and marveled at in disbelie f
Taitung Art Museum Tu LongKaohsiung MRT Formosa Boulevard Station
He showed a keen interest in art at a young age, and his passion was nurtured by his parents, who enrolled him in a private painting school in his hometown, the southern port city of Kaohsiung. Upon his graduation from college 25 years ago, he began painting full-time, though for a time he had to take on other work to support his artistic ambitions. His f irst move towards 3D painting began roughly f ive years af ter his post-secondary education came to a close. He was commissioned by a government organization to create a giant statue of the god Guangong for the Tainan Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival, a riotous annual event in which revelers in protective gear brave roaring blasts of rocket f ireworks in a practice dating back to the late 19th century, when local citizens believed doing so would help the god in his efforts to drive away the evil otherworldly types that had caused an epidemic. It took Tu Long three months to complete the massive f iberglass work, and he worried privately that it might burn during the festivities. Luckily his concern was, for the most part, the consternation of a young artist hoping to impress, which he did in spades. The skills he picked up in this huge undertaking would later be transferred to the 3D paintings that have gained him fame around Taiwan.
Tu Long's career as a 3D painter began in earnest at Kaohsiung's Fengshan Junior High School, which in 2009 asked him to come up with a piece for its art classroom that ref lected the theme of caring for Mother Nature. Outside the classroom he created a work in which it looks as though the f loor has given way to reveal a crystal-blue pond beneath, its sides walled by pristine white-and-cobalt glaciers. A few of the f loor tiles have been incorporated into the piece as pillars that extend downward into the pool, allowing viewers to stand upon them and reach down to favor penguins, a bear, and an orca whale breaking the water's surface with a playful pat. The painting was such a hit with the students and faculty that he was asked back to teach a series of classes at the school. His schedule has since become so full that he no longer has time for teaching.
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These days, the artist never knows where his next commission might come from. It seems that
everyone from government off icials to movie and singing stars are looking to monopolize at least part of his busy schedule so that he might bring a section of wall or a piece of sidewalk to life with some masterful work of the brush and spray can. With each work taking two months to complete on average, his dance card f ills up quickly. Pop sensation turned movie star Jay Chou snatched him up for one of his music videos, for which Tu Long created the crumbling ruins of an ancient civilization presided over by fearsome stone gargoyles at Taipei's Huashan 1914 Creative Park. Two of the pillars featured in the painting were in fact real – part of the building utilized in the shoot – and one was painted. Looking at the painting, however, it was nearly impossible to discern which is which. One of Jay Chou's personal cars, very much resembling the Tim Burton-era Batmobile, also featured in the video, and was parked over a turquoise body of water painted onto the ground. Tu Long has always maintained that the two most diff icult things to paint in a 3D painting are water and sky, with the challenge lying in showing the layers of each to make them seem as genuine as the real thing.
Speaking of the real thing, a stroll along Kaohsiung's Pier-2 Art Center, a complex of old harbor-side warehouses transformed into a center for art exhibits and performances, will take you past the closest approximation of actual trains you'll ever see. This is where you'll f ind Tu Long's largest work to date, a 4-story-high, 27-meter-wide 3D painting depicting Taiwan's past and present on the railroad tracks. This painting features an old diesel locomotive towing several orange and black cars, and the sleek, aerodynamic form of a more modern train. Surprisingly, this piece took just one month to complete. Even more surprising is that Tu Long had no set plan for the piece. He simply cl imbed the scaf folding set up alongside the building that served as his canvas, painted for a time while strapped into a safety harness, cl imbed down to v iew the work in progress, and repeated this process until it was done. And yet, despite the lack of planning, everything is in perfect proportion, and every form and structure is true to l ife. When asked why he didn't simply use a projection of a pre-made image to speed his work along and make things easier on himself, the artist deadpans, “I l ike a challenge.”
Tu Long's largest work to date is a 4-stor y-high 3D
painting depicting Taiwan's past and present on the
railroad tracks
Kaohsiung Pier-2 Art Center
3D PAINTINGS
Travel in Taiwan31
A journey to Taiwan's east coast and the city of Taitung will bring you to the site of another of Tu Long's many career
milestones. He is the creator of the world's largest ceramic painting. Measuring 5.5 meters in height and 2.7 meters in length, the work was f irst painted onto a sheet, and then transferred onto the ceramic in a painstaking process. The work, exhibited at the Taitung Art Museum, includes themes that are dear to Tu Long's heart, and are tied to his native land. Whenever possible, he hopes to conjure some aspect of his homeland in his work, and this is a prime example, featuring traditional Taiwanese red-brick architecture, an ancient tree up on Alishan, and a tranquil lotus pond so inviting visitors can't help but try to dip a toe in it. Though he has had many invitations to paint overseas, he wants to do more for Taiwan f irst, before venturing abroad.
Perhaps the last place visitors to Taiwan might see one of Tu Long's works of art is Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where he has recreated a night-market scene in one of the departure waiting halls of Terminal 1. His f lowing tableau is complete with red hanging lanterns, food stalls, and various night-market snacks that Taiwan visitors will no doubt enjoy during their stay. No matter where you take in Tu Long's artworks, found all around the island, be sure to take a look around you as you delve into his 3D world. You just might see the artist himself, smiling as his artwork is enjoyed just as he meant it to be.
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Eddie Peng 彭于晏
Fengshan Junior High School 鳳山國中
Jay Chou 周杰倫
Guangong 關公
Huashan 1914 Creative Park 華山1914文創園區
Pier-2 Art Center 駁二藝術特區
Shu Qi 舒淇
Stephen Fung 馮德倫
Tai Chi 0 太極0Tony Leung 梁家輝
Tu Long 圖龍 Xinyi District 信義區
Tainan Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival 台南鹽水蜂炮
Xinyi Dis tr ic t
Marvelous Sunset Scenes on the North Coast Photos by Iv y Chen
MY PHOTO TOUR
Travel in Taiwan32
One of the most popular scenic areas in northern Taiwan is Yel iu Geopark, northwest of the port city of Keelung, best known for its beautiful rock formations. In all seasons,
weekends and weekdays, large groups of tourists f lock to the rocks and enjoy walking around and taking pictures – loads and loads of pictures. Groups from mainland China, where the park and its formations have acquired iconic status, are especially noticeable.
It’s unlikely you’ ll have this truly magnif icent place all to yourself, except perhaps on the coldest and most blustery days of winter and getting pictures of the most attractive rocks without a stranger or two in the background can be tricky. But why fret about it? During a recent visit on a gorgeous af ternoon we went with the f low and intentionally incorporated other tourists in our images. With the sun low on the horizon, the silhouettes of people on the rocks created unforgettable scenes.
We stayed until closing (usually 5 p.m., May~Sept 6 p.m.), and kept shooting in the waning light. At this time, with all tourist groups back in their coaches, we had the place almost to ourselves, the line-up to take pictures of what most consider Yeliu’s most photogenic attraction, the famous Queen’s Head rock, having magically disappeared.
YELIU
Travel in Taiwan33
Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant
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There are countless places in Taiwan that can serve up a memorable meal that will leave you raving for months after the final bite. But there are only a select few where the décor and design are just as memorable as the dishes themselves. Let’s take a look at three such restaurants found in and around Taipei City. By Joe Henley
Though the address for Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant says “Xizhi District, New Taipei City,” you'd be hard-pressed to f ind
anything that even remotely reminds you of the fast-paced city during a visit to this getaway, located in an idyllic mountain valley 30 minutes by taxi from the MRT Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station. Proprietor Lin Hwai-min, who is also the founder and director of the famed Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, opened his f irst restaurant in Xindian District, New Taipei City, over a decade ago, and since then has gradually found himself moving deeper and deeper into natural surroundings, changing locations f irst to Yangmingshan, and then to Xizhi in 2009. He couldn't have picked a more picturesque setting. Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant sits in a lush valley complete with a crystal-clear creek f lowing through its central path of least resistance. The many colonial-era structures that make up the restaurant and teahouse are former farm buildings, some dating back a century, that have been renovated and refurbished to create an atmosphere that is nothing less than absolute Zen calm. Guests can follow a path, part of a mountain road dating back to an era before modern vehicles and highways, from between the buildings to take in the bucolic surroundings and breathe the fresh mountain air.
ENJOYMENT
Travel in Taiwan34
FashionArtZen
Taipei Restaurants with Style
Sweet taro desser t
Lin is a meditation enthusiast who started Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant because he wanted to give people a place where they can slow down and gain peace of mind in today's hectic world. Tea classes, taught by champion tea-pouring masters and experts in the of t-forgotten tranquil art of the tea ceremony, are offered to guests and Lin's employees alike, as he attempts to revive what he views as one of Taiwan's most vital forms of art.
Shi-Yang Culture Restaurant also brings peace if you're the type who stresses out over what to order. Each season brings a different set menu, leaving guests' hardest choice simply whether to order the regular set or the vegetarian. As an example, the fall set, priced at a very affordable NT$1,210, with the vegetarian option being slightly cheaper, includes corn soup with sea salt and peanut tofu, salmon spring rolls topped with roe and served with broccoli, eggplant, and a steamed egg, a sushi set complete with clams and sea urchin with ginger, prawns served over mochi stuffed with dried f ish along with a pumpkin/pineapple/passion-fruit palate cleanser, chicken soup with lotus f lower, and taro with peanut powder for dessert. Enjoy an amazing meal while marveling at just how far away you can get from city l ife in just 30 minutes.
SHI -YANG CULTURE RESTAURANT (食養文化山房)Add: 7, Lane 350, Sec. 3, Xiwan Rd., Xizhi District, New Taipei City (新北市汐止區汐萬路三段350巷7號)Tel: (02) 2646-2266Website: www.shi-yang.com
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
RESTAURANTS
1. Corn soup & tofu2 . Prawns & mochi3 . Seafood plat ter
4 . Lotus f lower soup
1 3
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Lis t
FiFi is a place where haute cuisine meets high fashion. Founded by Isabelle Wen, a well-known Taiwan designer with over 30 years
in the fashion industry, the establishment on Ren’ai Road in Taipei is part boutique, part café, part restaurant, and part lounge bar. The café, known as Khaki due to the color motif, is an exhibition of pure vintage styling in everything from the chandeliers to the delightfully retro furniture. Throughout the multi-floor establishment, candles of all kinds adorn the many antique furniture pieces, making for an intimate atmosphere as the daylight hours draw to a close and the wicks are lit up like old-time street lamps. The café provides the perfect place to kill time for those who might not share their partner's enthusiasm for shopping, with an outside garden suitable for lounging during the warmer months of the year. Next door to Khaki on the ground floor is Wen's boutique, featuring her own designs, inspired by simple, understated elegance and the youthful exuberance of rock ‘n’ roll culture.
On the second f loor is the FiFi restaurant, divided straight down the middle, with the two sides done in Chinese and Western styling, respectively, items drawn mostly from the 1940s. Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then again for dinner from 6 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. during the week and until 12:30 a.m. on weekends, the restaurant is a magnet for both local and international celebrities, with Taiwanese-American TV presenter Janet Hsieh of Fun Taiwan travel-show fame and international action-f ilm superstar Jackie Chan just two among many notable patrons who have popped in. Antiques picked up during Wen's travels abroad catch the eye, and have been transformed from mere
Candles of all kinds adorn the many antique furniture pieces, making for an intimate atmo-
sphere as the daylight hours draw to a close
curios into vital elements of the building's personality, with an old steel birdcage, ornate decades-old Chinese tea thermoses, and several vases among the many items that take diners back to a bygone era of tasteful decadence. The menu is a mix of Shanghai and Sichuan dishes, with recommended items including the fried tofu with garlic sauce, shrimp with pineapple, and crispy ham with plum sauce served with steamed bread. For those who might f ind their Chinese skills lacking, never fear. The friendly manager, the highly fashionable Carmelo Terranova, a native of Belgium and a f luent speaker of English, is happy to guide you through the menu and assist you with anything you might need in any of FiFi's three establishments.
One f loor up from the restaurant is W Bar, a cocktail lounge where DJs spin relaxing house music from 7 to 10 p.m. each night before upping the tempo a bit until closing time comes around, which is 2 a.m. during the week and 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Try a signature Carmelo Special, named for the affable manager, a mix of red wine, vodka, lemon, peach liqueur, and a secret ingredient. Or sample FiFi's own brand of wine, similar to a sweet Bordeaux, made right here in Taiwan. Whether you're looking to shop, snack, sip some tea, have a meal, or rub shoulders and perhaps have a drink with some of Taipei's glitterati, FiFi has you covered.
FIFI TEA HOUSE LOUNGE RESTAURANT (FIFI茶酒沙龍)Add: 15, Sec. 4, Ren’ai Rd., Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段15號)Tel: (02) 2779-1152Website: www.isabelle-wen.com
FiFi Tea House Lounge Restaurant
Fashion
ENJOYMENT
Travel in Taiwan36
1. Squid with salted egg2 . Spic y sauce chicken
3 . Cr ispy ham in honey sauce
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Cloud Gate Dance Theatre 雲門舞集
Isabelle Wen 溫慶珠
Lin Hwai-min 林懷民
Orchid Island (Lanyu) 蘭嶼
Xie Li-xiang 謝麗香
Xindian District 新店區
Xizhi District 汐止區
Yangmingshan 陽明山
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Designed by Xie Li-xiang, a self-described loner, the Five
Dime Boathouse looks more like a modern art gallery or an off-the-wall museum than a restaurant. From the outside it looks like a fantastical cave complex, with warped, intertwining stalactites and stalagmites weaving their way upward and inward along the
façade towards the seven-story storybook-style structure's conical peaks. The interior is just as fantastical and whimsical. It's l ike a bizarre yet wonderfully welcoming hive from a children's book of fables, a welcome piece of levity in a sea of shining skyscrapers.
From a young age, Xie was encouraged by her parents to pursue her own interests, and had lots of time to daydream. Her thoughts turned to architecture, and though she underwent no formal training, she f irst designed her own house in her hometown of Tainan using found materials such as drif twood and planks, as well as beautifully imperfect materials such as misshapen bricks. Af ter making this dream a reality, Xie had ideas for many more projects, but was short of cash. The idea then struck her to found a restaurant that would provide funds for all future endeavors, and the Five Dime Boathouse (now a chain) was born. Diners are surrounded by huge tree trunks uprooted by the terrible fury of Taiwan’s typhoons, ceramic creations such as primal female f igures plucked straight from Xie’s own imagination, and tribal-theme sculptures made of steel salvaged from decommissioned ships.
The Taipei restaurant’s showpiece is a seven-story statue of a female caught in the midst of performing the “shake hair dance” that is done by the aboriginal women of Taiwan’s outlying Orchid Island (Lanyu). The ground f loor also features a canoe from the island, situated in a clear pond and encircled by a school of pure-white koi f ish. Many of the artistic works found within the restaurant, from large tapestries cut into soundproofing foam using a fruit knife, to the ceramic f igures, to several driftwood sculptures, were created by Xie herself, who devoted six months to creating all the installations for the Taipei venue. The interior of the building, in which up to 1,000 guests can be seated, is mostly empty space in the middle, and those who aren’t afraid of heights can venture up to the fourth f loor for a spectacular view of the full inside layout.
All the food prepared at Five Dime Boathouse is made with local ingredients. Signature dishes include deep-fried oyster mushrooms coated in duck-egg batter, deep-fried shrimp from Chiayi County covered in Oolong tea leaves cultivated in high-mountain Alishan, sakura shrimp from the south of Taiwan served with thousand-year eggs and leeks grown in Changhua County, and pork cheek f lambéed in Kaoliang liquor on a f lat stone heated to 300 degrees Celsius, served with kimchi and sesame sauce. For a dining experience that exuberantly stimulates the visual sense, Five Dime Boathouse is a can’t-miss destination.
FIVE DIME BOATHOUSE (伍角船板餐廳)Add: 8, Lane 32, Sec. 1, Neihu Rd., Taipei City (台北市内湖路一段32巷8號)Tel: (02) 8502-5567, 8501-1472Website: www.five-dime.com.twThe restaurant looks like a fantastical cave complex of warped, intertwining
stalactites and stalagmites weaving their way upward and inward
Five Dime Boathouse
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Travel in Taiwan37
Many cyclists in Taiwan dream of circling the island on a bike, and an increasing number of them are completing the feat. The trip takes about 10 days for the average rider, but if you decide to take in more of the scenic sights and make detours along the way you can easily spend two weeks or more in the saddle. By Mark Caltonhill
How to Complete One Third of Taiwan’s Unique “Triathlon”
Near Wuling, on Taiwan’s highest road
BEST BIKE ROUTES
Travel in Taiwan40
BEST BIKE ROUTES
Taiwan has a unique “triathlon” undertaken by many local and visiting outdoor enthusiasts. This involves participating in
the Sun Moon Lake cross-lake swim held each September, climbing Yushan – at 3,952m, Northeast Asia’s highest peak – and cycling around the island.
Those cyclists with limited time or energy can circumnavigate Taiwan following a route of less than 1,000 kilometers – in about a week to ten days at normal touring speeds, though Internet reports suggest that the record is under 48 hours – by sticking to main roads and avoiding the temptation of diversions.
Those with more time, perhaps three or four weeks, have such a wealth of natural, historical, culinary, cultural, recreational, and sporting seductions to choose from that a journey of 2,000 kilometers is not uncommon. These include a number of National Scenic Areas (NSAs), historical towns such as Beipu, Lugang, and Meinong, and indigenous homelands. If a round-the-island trip is not enough, ambitious riders can also take part in competitive triathlon and bicycle races held in the spring and autumn.
These two seasons are also the best for touring, though hardier cyclists will not f ind the local summer too hot nor the winter too cold. Another decision facing cyclists when heading to new lands is the choice of bike. Unless off-road routes are to be included in your itinerary, a regular road or touring model is well suited to Taiwan’s well-surfaced roads. Most airl ines will transport passengers’ bikes as part of their luggage allowance or for an extra fee; alternatively, machines of all standards can be easily and inexpensively hired from bike shops following arrival, or purchased, since prices in Taiwan are signif icantly lower than in many other developed countries.
Foreign visitors launch their huan-dao (“circle-the-island”) trips at a surprisingly varied range of starting points, but the
route suggested here begins at most people’s arrival point: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Like most other routes, it takes you down the west coast, saving the spectacular – and more demanding – east coast for last.
Cyclists seeking rapid circumnavigation tend to take Highway No. 1 or, more of ten, No. 3, which connect Taipei with the south of the island via the coastal plains or the foothills of the Central Mountain Range, usually 10~50 kilometers inland from the sea. But since the Taoyuan and Hsinchu county governments have constructed interconnected bike paths that follow the coast and do not add too many kilometers to the total, the route suggested here will make use of these.
The climb up to Wuling is a test-of-ability challenge undertaken by innumerable local cyclists
To access this route, take Sanmin Road (Highway No. 4) northward from the airport to Zhuwei Fishing Port. (Note: If you want to visit the city of Taipei f irst to get acclimatized, stock up on supplies, and rent/buy a bike if needed, you can start your trip from Taipei by following the bikeway on the right bank of the Tamsui River north, crossing the river at Guandu, following the lef t bank to the coast, and then following Highway No. 61 to Zhuwei Fishing Port.) Af ter a breakfast at the f ishing port (or a lunch or dinner of freshly caught and cooked seafood), you can take the bike path southeast beneath Expressway 61, past Guanyin and Yong’an, before joining Highway 15. A convenient overnight stop might be nearby Hsinchu City.P
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AROUND TAIWAN
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Budget accommodation throughout Taiwan can be found near railway stations or at motels near freeway intersections; in more rural areas, homestays (B&Bs) are bookable through visitor centers or online. Camping – popular with many cyclists because they cannot always accurately predict cycling conditions in unfamiliar countries or might suffer mechanical problems – is recommended as a back-up plan, although there are only a l imited number of off icially recognized campsites along the most popular round-island bike routes.
South of Hsinchu the coastal road is busier, so cutting southwest on Highway No. 122 is a
good way to link up with No. 3 at the town of Zhudong. A good brunch stop is the historic Hakka township of Beipu, which has a f ine temple in the main town, good examples of 19th-century architecture, and a cold spring nearby.
This route also offers cyclists the option of a visit to Shitoushan (“Lion’s Head Mountain”) in the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area, and of a detour via Highway No. 124 through Nanzhuang before rejoining No. 3 in Miaoli County. The area is highly popular with weekend walkers, who visit the dense cluster of temples, some in caves, and cyclists can mount the hills by an access road.
Back on the No. 3, by turning lef t up the No. 8 (and then No. 21) at Dongshi you can reach the town of Puli, at around 500 meters above sea level, f rom where you can attack Wuling, at 3,250 meters the highest point on a public road in Taiwan. This is a test-of-ability challenge undertaken by innumerable local cyclists, either privately or in races held by the Taiwan Cyclist Federation (www.c yclist.org.tw) or Neverstop organization (www.t pe-bike.org.tw).
Either from Puli, or Ming jian on the No. 3, circumnavigators can make another diversion eastward to Sun Moon Lake, whose round-the-lake road is very popular
with cyclists. West of Ming jian via No. 139 or No. 150 is the Baguashan area of the Tri-Mountain NSA, and beyond that on the Changhua County coast is Lugang, once Taiwan’s second-largest port. The port is long since silted up, but the town retains its old-world charm.
In Chiayi County, the No. 3 crosses Highway No. 18, which provides another possible diversion up to the
Alishan NSA, about 60 kilometers to the east. Home to the Tsou indigenous people, this area is immensely popular with tourists, who take the pre-dawn former logging railway to watch the sunrise over Yushan. The climb here from Chiayi City is another standard challenge among local cyclists, as well as being a favorite route in races put on by various organizations.
The most recent addition to Taiwan’s proud corps of scenic areas is Siraya NSA, named af ter one of the pingpu (“plains aborigines”) ethnic groups that inhabited the island’s western plains prior to and af ter immigration by Han Chinese, today with pockets of members still extant and working toward cultural revival. The area has many lakes expanded into reservoirs, and highways 172, 174, and 175 offer beautiful alternatives to the main road, perhaps with an overnight break at the Guanziling Hot Springs.
A stop in downtown Tainan, the capital of Taiwan under the Dutch and early Han Chinese administrations – still known by many as the cultural capital – is highly recommended. To reach the city, take Highway 20 west at the former town of Yujing, now off icially Tainan City ’s Yujing District.
From Tainan, the suggested route follows Highway No. 17 southward near the coast through mixed farming, f ishing, and former salt-making areas to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second-largest city. Cyclists can either remain on this road or take their bikes on a ferry to Qijin Island, which has views both out to sea and back to the city ’s center and port, before reconnecting with the No. 17.
Just af ter crossing the border into Pingtung County is Dapeng Bay NSA, with lagoons, alluvial land, and mangrove swamps that provide homes to a wide range of birds and other wildlife.
Further south, No. 17 joins the No.1, which takes you to the southern tip of
Taiwan. Kenting National Park ’s beaches, and an annual spring-time music festival, make this one of the top recreation spots with locals and visitors alike. The town of Kending is also the site of the Ironman 70.3 Taiwan held in early November; the lighthouse at Eluanbi is also a P
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Kending
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Kaohsiung
Yunlin
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AROUND TAIWAN
Travel in Taiwan43
famous cycling landmark, as it is the start of the 500-kilometer shuang-tai (“two lighthouse”) challenge ending at Fugui Cape Lighthouse on Taiwan’s northern tip, which hardcore cyclists attempt to complete in 24 hours, starting off at midnight.
At this halfway point, cyclists start their way back north, either by retracing Highway 26 or following inland roads 200 & 199 to Highway No. 9. An east-coast equivalent of No. 1 and No. 3, this road runs about 480 kilometers in total, and heads along the east coast all the way up to Taipei.
“Touracers” (cyclists who like to participate in races while touring in foreign countries) should closely check schedules before their visits to the east coast. Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung counties all host triathlons; Taitung has several in spring and autumn – including the island’s only full Ironman-length, 226-kilometer event – and there are many biking-only events, including the prestigious Tour of East Taiwan, which follows Highway No. 11 from the city of Hualien to Taitung on a spring Saturday, followed by a return up No. 9 the next day, around 300 kilometers in total.
Round-island cyclists must choose between these two routes, and consequently between the East Coast NSA and East Rift Valley NSA. Raf ting adventures are available on the Xiuguluan River, which runs through both areas; the former area has cetacean-watching offshore tours and the latter is home to a major rice-growing district, where many townships have constructed bike paths through local f ields and foothill woodlands.
After Hualien, one highly popular diversion is west into Taroko Gorge and the national park that encompasses it, with only the
toughest of athletes going on to challenge the road to the Wuling high point from this steeper eastern side. There is also a race for serious riders over this route in late autumn (see our article on pages 24-26).
The coast north from Hualien is simply spectacular, if somewhat challenging, and cyclists arriving in the port town of Su’ao at the southern end of Yilan County’s Lanyang Plain of ten celebrate what is the virtual end of their trips, now that the hardest sections are over.
There are still plenty of treats, however. After tracking highway No. 9 or No. 2 across the plain, some riders head from Toucheng directly for Taipei on No. 9 through the tea-growing area around Pinglin. Others continue up No. 2, around the magnif icent coastline at Fulong and Ruifang, enjoying the scenery of the Northeast and Yilan Coast NSA, through the city of Keelung, perhaps best known for its temple-entrance night market, and then through the North Coast and Guanyinshan NSA to Tamsui. Good swim spots for cooling off are found at beaches along the north and northeast coasts.
Tamsui connects to the town of Bali and then Zhuwei Fishing Port and Taoyuan Airport, completing one’s huan-dao. It is hard to imagine, however, that any visitor to Taiwan who has completed the tour will not allocate a (or another) day or two to exploring the pleasures of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital – and to congratulating themselves on a great achievement at one or more of the city’s f ine eateries, of course.
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Alishan 阿里山
Baguashan 八卦山
Bali 八里
Beipu 北埔
Dapeng Bay 大鵬灣
Dongshi 東勢
Eluanbi 鵝鑾鼻
Fugui Cape Lighthouse 富貴角燈塔
Fulong 福隆
Guanyin 觀音
Guanziling 關子嶺
huan-dao 環島
Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園
Lanyang Plain 蘭陽平原
Lugang 鹿港
Mingjian 名間
Nanzhuang 南庄
Pinglin 坪林
pingpu tribes 平埔族
Puli 埔里
Qijin Island 旗津島
Ruifang 瑞芳
Ruisui 瑞穗
Sanmin Road 三民路
Shitoushan 獅頭山
Su’ao 蘇澳
Tamsui 淡水
Toucheng 頭城
Tour of East Taiwan 全國俱樂部聯賽公路賽
Tsou tribe 鄒族
Wuling 武陵
Xiuguluan River 秀姑巒溪
Xiziwan 西子灣
Yong’an 永安
Yujing District 玉井區
Zhudong 竹東
Zhuwei Fishing Port 竹圍漁港
The coast north from Hualien is simply spectacular, if somewhat challenging
Taipei
Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l Airport Tamsui
Baguashan
Ming jian
Keelung
Yilan
Hual ien
Taitung
Kaohsiung
Tainan
Chiayi
Nantou Pul i
Dongshi
Wuling
Siraya
Guanzil ing
Alishan East Rif t Valley
East Coast
Taroko Gorge
Pingl in
Northeast Coast
North Coast
Sun Moon Lake
Taichung
Miaol i
Hsinchu
Changhua
Dapeng Bay
Kending
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And here you have it, the answer for the question on page 5. The Chiayi Old Prison, now a museum, is one of the many places worth visiting when touring the city of Chiayi in southern Taiwan. Opened in 1922, the facil ity
is l isted as a f irst-grade historic site. When in operation, the facil ity housed as many as 300 male and 30 female inmates at any given time. It was f inally closed in 1998. The complex has a radial f loor plan, with a command unit at the center from which a single guard could watch the entire inmate population. The front gate, forecourt, administrative off ice, and central tower are all aligned with the central axis of the complex. Jail cells stretch out from the central corridor in three long cell blocks. The prison is surprisingly well-preserved; the doors and windows are made of cypress from nearby Alishan, and remain strong and durable even today. The prison is located at 140 Weixin Rd., Chiayi City (嘉義市維新路140號). (Guided-tour visits only, daily at 10:30, 13:30, and 14:30.)
Pomelo Farmer Zhu Yong-fa
FOOD JOURNEY
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FOOD JOURNEY
Travel in Taiwan48
Juicy and Sweet Citrus Fruits Cultivated in Southern TaiwanMadou’s Pomelos
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Taiwan is a culinary paradise, and part of the fun of exploring local foods is trying the many types of fruit cultivated here. Among them is the pomelo, a citrus fruit that can grow as big as a soccer ball and is harvested during the fall. One of the best places to find out more about this fruit is the district of Madou in southern Taiwan. By Owain Mckimm
The Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival is celebrated half-way through the 8th lunar month (September 30
in 2012), and signals the end of summer and the beginning of autumn in Taiwan. Like many other traditional holidays, the festival comes paired with certain foods. For this particular celebration the people enjoy an unusual feast combination of barbecued meat and pomelos. The iconic mooncake is eaten separately.
Though unfamiliar to many Westerners, the pomelo is in fact an ancestor of the modern grapefruit (an 18th-century hybrid of the pomelo and sweet orange). And Madou produces its very own toponymous cultivar – the Madou wendan pomelo – that is second to none. An independent rural town until recently, Madou is now off icially a district of the city of Tainan.
We arrive in Madou on the day of the Wendan Fair, one in a series of events organized by the Madou District
Farmers’ Association to promote and sell the town’s signature product. Stalls overf lowing with tear-shaped fruit the color of a tennis ball l ine the street, and the local farmers thrust already-peeled slices into our hands, urging us to have a taste. We meet Connie Liang, whose husband is one of Madou’s youngest pomelo farmers. Liang explains the different types of pomelo that are grown in Madou.
By far the most common is the wendan pomelo. This fruit was introduced to Taiwan from mainland China’s Fujian Province in 1701. Around 1850, a resident of Madou traded 20kg of rice for six pomelo trees from an orchard in neighboring Anding – at that time famous for its delicious produce. He planted the trees in his garden, and the resulting fruit turned out to be even more delicious than that from the original area. Madou took over the crown as the wendan
pomelo capital of Taiwan. Cuttings from Madou were used to grow trees in orchards in other districts, and the Madou wendan cultivar became a scientif ic name. Wendan pomelos now make up around 70-80 percent of Madou’s pomelo harvest, and over 700 hectares of land are dedicated to growing trees of the wendan variety – the most of any area in Taiwan.
Liang tells us that wendan pomelos from older trees are of a higher quality than those from younger trees. “Older trees bear smaller fruit,” she says. “This means that the f lavor is more concentrated, and also more consistent. In many wendan pomelos from younger trees you’ ll f ind that one half might be sweet, the other sour. In fruit from older trees, the f lavors are mixed together more evenly.” The oldest tree in Liang’s orchard is 53 years old. Indeed, many of the stalls have signs that advertise the age of the grower ’s trees.
Liang holds up two wendan pomelos for us to compare. One is from a ten-year-old tree, the other from her oldest. “The skin on the younger tree’s fruit is rougher, thicker, and f irmer, see?” She points out that the skin from the older tree’s f ruit is thin and smooth, and dents when you press a f inger into it.
Pomelos come in di f ferent shapes and sizes
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Travel in Taiwan49
Lee Yu-hsien, the general manager of Madou’s farmers’ association, explains that the dryer the outer skin becomes, the more
succulent the inner f lesh will be. “Madou is particularly suited to growing wendan pomelos because of the climate here,” he says. The ideal average temperature for growing pomelos is 28°C, with 180 days of sun exposure per year. In Madou, between the trees’ blooming in March and the beginning of the harvest in September, the average temperature is almost exactly that. “Additionally, in the month before harvest, the temperature usually rises to 30°C, which helps dry out the skin of the fruit.” The thinner skin of the fruit from older trees expels water more quickly, and as a result the f lesh is more succulent. Lee describes the perfect Madou wendan as being able to make you drool as soon as you put a piece into your mouth. Like the pomelo’s modern descendent, the grapefruit, Madou’s wendan pomelo has a bold, fresh f lavor. Its f lesh, however, is a modest and unassuming beige, and there is no overpowering sharpness or astringency. The balance of sweet and sour is underpinned with a hint of dry bitterness which, as Lee rightly describes, gets the saliva glands f lowing.
“Do you know why we eat wendan pomelos at the Mid-Autumn Festival?” Liang asks us. “The soy-sauce companies wanted to promote their sauces by encouraging people to eat barbecue during the festival, wendan pomelos are supposed to be good for your digestion, and it just so happens that the wendan harvest is around two weeks before the festival.” Eating wendan pomelos with barbecue has thus become a key Mid-Autumn Festival tradition – encouraged, of course, by the fruit farmers of Madou.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, another pomelo harvest begins – the red wendan harvest. Liang points
out a much larger fruit shaped like a gourd. Whereas the best wendan pomelo should be small, and have a wide, f lat base and a rounded head, selective buyers of the red wendan go for the biggest and most perfectly pear-shaped examples they can f ind.
Although it has been grown in Madou for decades, the red wendan pomelo has only recently been put on the market. In the past it
was kept for consumption by the farmers’ famil ies and f r iends. In 2007, a report on new research into the health benef its of the red wendan pomelo was released, claiming that it contained a signif icant amount of antioxidants. Conducted at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University, the research revealed that the total number of phenols (compounds which slow down oxidative degradation) in the red wendan pomelo was 1.48 times higher than in the regular wendan pomelo, and that its v itamin C content was 47.2 times higher than in sugarcane.
The per fect Madou wendan is able to make you drool as soon as you put a piece
into your mouth
Red and white wendan
Red wendan
Visit ing a pomelo orchard
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FOOD JOURNEY
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These f igures have since made the red wendan pomelo a highly sought-after fruit. Having said this, the number of red wendan pomelo trees in Madou is nevertheless still far lower that that for the classic Madou wendan. For example, in the orchard of Zhu Yong-fa, a pomelo farmer for over 50 years, there are 10 red wendan pomelo trees, while Madou wendan pomelo trees number around 160. Even though his red wendan crop is fairly small, Zhu kindly picks one for us to taste. As soon as the skin is hacked off the rich smell of citrus f ills the air. The f lesh of the red wendan pomelo is a soft, rosy pink, and the f lavor is something quite special. Lusciously juicy, it is more complex than that of the wendan pomelo, and seems to dole out its bittersweet f lavor with relish.
Zhu tells us that in order to allow pomelo trees to grow to their full potential, it’s important to stop younger trees from bearing any fruit. Zhu does this by completely plucking off any f lowers that bloom on a new tree for the f irst two years, letting it bear just f ive or six fruits in the third year, and letting it bear its full load only in the f ifth year. It’s also important to drain the soil of any excess moisture as the shallow roots of the pomelo tree can easily rot if exposed to too much water.
Finally, Connie Liang shows us the baiyou pomelo. As big as a soccer ball, this
white-f leshed pomelo is harvested af ter the red wendan, and is largely used to make side-line products such as pomelo-pith candy, preserves, and pomelo ginseng. Liang’s husband, Zhang Zhong-xian, tells us that to make pomelo-pith candy he f irst dries the spongy white pith in the sun, then soaks it in brine for 24 hours to get rid of its bitterness, boils it in syrup for 3-4 hours, and then brushes it with sugar. It’s tough and chewy at f irst, but quickly dissolves in your mouth, leaving behind that quintessential citrusy tang.
MADOU DISTRICT FARMERS' ASSOCIATION (麻豆區農會)Add: 56, Xinsheng N. Rd, Madou District, Tainan City (台南市麻豆區新生北路56號)Tel: (06) 572-2016Website: www.madou.org.tw (Chinese)
Getting There: From Taipei Bus Station, take a U Bus to Madou Station (4.5 hours). Buses leave every hour f rom 7:15 to 22:15. If you're driving, take National Freeway No. 1 and get off at the Madou Interchange. From downtown Tainan you can take a Shing-Nan Bus to Madou. Alternatively, take a train f rom Tainan to Longtian Railway Station (隆田車站), and take a taxi to Madou from there.
ENGLISH & CHINESE
baiyou 白柚
Connie Liang 梁琇斐
Lee Yu-hsien 李育賢
Madou 麻豆
Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節
pomelo 柚子
pomelo ginseng 柚子蔘
pomelo-pith candy 柚皮糖
red wendan 紅文旦
Shing-Nan Bus 興南客運
U Bus 統聯客運
wendan 文旦
Wendan Fair 文旦節
Zhang Zhong-xian 張仲賢
Zhu Yong-fa 朱永發
Pomelo ginseng, on the other hand, may not be to everyone’s taste. A traditional Chinese medicine, it takes the form of pungent brown cubes and is used as a lozenge for sore throats. The top of a baiyou pomelo is chopped off, and kumquat, citron, purple perilla, licorice root, fritillary bulb, and other traditional ingredients are stuffed in amongst the f lesh. The whole thing is then dried in an oven. It’s bitter enough to make you pull a face.
Madou’s famous pomelos, as well as products in which the fruit is used, including moisturizer and shampoo made from pomelo f lowers, can be bought in the supermarket next to the Madou District Farmers’Association, while shops selling pomelos can be found all around Madou. To be sure that the pomelos you buy come from Madou itself, look for the badge of authentication provided by the farmers’ association.
Pomelos have a spongy white pith Pomelo shop in Madou
POMELOS
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Beautiful Turtle Island
A Mysterious Eden
Tur t le Is land
Lake on Tur t le Is land
From most spots along the coast of Yilan County in northeast Taiwan you
can see a small, mysterious island in the ocean. This is Turtle Island, which
is worth a visit because of its scenic mountain, a rich natural habitat, and
interesting geological characteristics. By Richard Saunders
NATURAL TREASURES
Travel in Taiwan52
As our boat speeds across the water, the island rising
out of the steely-gray sea ahead (neatly capped
with a cushion of cloud) looks dark and forbidding. The
mysterious Turtle Island is wearing its hat, which our
guide informs us means we should expect to get wet.
Luckily, the day’s rain has just f inished fall ing, and as
the yacht approaches the island and begins circling it, the
“hat” disappears, the summit of the island ( just under 400
meters above us) materializes, and the sun breaks through
the thinning clouds, allowing us to enjoy the impressive
clif fs and rock formations, and the surrounding powder-
blue waters off the turtle’s “head,” at their colorful best.
Turtle Island (also known as Guishan Island) exerts
an almost magnetic attraction for those driving (or riding
the train) along the Yilan coast. Off-l imits to the public
for 23 years until opened to permit-carrying tourists in
2000, it was long one of Taiwan’s most mysterious places.
Although only about 3.3 kilometers long by 1.7 wide, the
island rises to a lof ty height of 398 meters, and at the
foot of the very steep slopes of its mountain lie two
brackish, f ish-f illed lakes and a pair of springs, one cold,
one hot. The island is Taiwan’s only volcano that has
erupted in recorded history – a small lava f low was noted
in historic records around 1785. Turtle Island’s volcanic
nature ensures that its soil is quite fertile. It’s rich in
species of butterf ly and other insects, and home to an
impressive range of plants – an estimated 400 species, a
few of which can’t be found elsewhere in Taiwan.
The island is actually a relatively young landform,
created about 7,000 years ago when two adjacent volcanoes
rising from the ocean f loor repeatedly erupted. Over the
course of four (perhaps more) eruptions, the volcanoes
merged to form the distinctive shape of the island – two
highlands divided by a low-lying “neck.” Strata l ines in
the clif fs of the island’s western end (near the harbor)
clearly illustrate the succession of four main eruptions
that formed the island.
As our boat draws near, Turtle Island presents its
sof test, least forbidding aspect, with steep slopes
covered in a thick canopy of greenery sweeping down to
the harbor area. However, before docking for an on-land
look, the yacht takes a spin around the island, revealing
the awesome clif fs that guard its south and east. The
most impressive section is around the “head,” where af ter
swooping low from the main part of the island to the
gracefully curved “neck” the land launches upwards once
more to end abruptly in the island’s most dramatic clif fs.
At their base, a large area of ocean is a striking powder-
blue color, evidence of the unusual underwater hot springs
oozing up through cracks on the seabed.
Turtle Island exerts an almost
magnetic attraction for those
driving along the Yilan coast
Tur t le Is land has unique f lora and fauna
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YILAN
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After circling the island the boat docks at the little harbor, from where it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk to the small visitor center close to the turtle’s “tail.” This kilometer-long bar of shingle wags – though just slightly – to lef t or right according to the prevailing current, which changes through the year. The visitor center has cold drinks and snacks, but l ittle else, so bring a picnic lunch.
Just past the visitor center, a small, colorful temple stands on the shore of the larger of the island’s two lakes. The original inhabitants dedicated it to Mazu, the Taoist Goddess of the Sea and protector of f ishermen, but nowadays it serves as a Buddhist shrine. The area around the expanse of water is the only f lat land on Turtle Island, and the only place where fresh water can be found, thanks to the cold spring on its bank. This was the area settled when people began arriving on the island in 1853. In 1967, Turtle Island’s population was 750 and its single village even had a school. However, in 1977 all inhabitants were relocated to mainland Taiwan when the army claimed the island and turned it into a restricted military zone. At the far (eastern) end of the lake is a reminder of this time: a series of tunnels totaling 800 meters is bored into the cliff here, ending at a number of gun emplacements, which offer wonderful views over the ocean. The one huge gun still on site here points – a bit disconcertingly – not out to the sea but directly towards mainland Taiwan.
High on the slopes grows a beautiful species of palm tree which is native to no other part of Taiwan
The sole f lat area on the Is land
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Paths circle the lake, one passing a large, white statue of Guanyin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, sheltering under the steep, overgrown slopes of the interior, and the other passing through the remains of the abandoned village. Several of the buildings now house exhibitions of old photos dating back to when the island was inhabited by civil ians.
A walk around the lake provides a great introduction to the island’s ecological richness, and guides can point out some of the more interesting and/or unusual species. In autumn the leaves of the Rowan trees that grow in abundance on the island turn red, covering the steep hillside above the lake in swathes of russet. The hillsides are covered in screw pine and studded with the sturdy trunks of tree ferns, while high on the slopes grows a beautiful species of palm tree which is native to no other part of Taiwan; the reason for this isn’t known for sure, but it’s thought that the island’s original palms grew from seeds washed up on the shore.
The lakes, dotted with f lowering water l il ies, are a resting place for migrating birds in spring and autumn, while year-round avian residents include mallards and
NATURAL TREASURES
Travel in Taiwan54
ENGLISH & CHINESE
Beiguan Tidal Park 北關海潮公園
Guanyin 觀音
Mazu 媽祖
Mt. Datun 大屯山
shihuadong 石花凍
Toucheng 頭城
Turtle Island 龜山島
Wushi Harbor 烏石港
Yangmingshan 陽明山
pure-white egrets. A variety of f ish live in the waters, f reshwater-loving species congregating on the inland side, near the cold spring, while saltwater-tolerant species can be found on the far side, nearer the seashore. The surrounding ocean is extremely rich in f ish, which thrive on nutrients swept off the seabed by the Kuroshio (Black Current), which comes up from the south. Feeding on these in turn are whales and dolphins; the best time for spotting them is between April and August, when spinner dolphins, bottle-nosed dolphins, small killer whales, and false killer whales may be seen. Flying f ish are also common in these waters during their annual migration north along the eastern shore of Taiwan; they pass this area in June, when they can of ten be seen skimming above the water for improbable distances, of ten in an effort to f lee the boat you are on.
Unless you’re planning on climbing to the summit, a trip to Turtle Island can be completed as a half-day trip, which
leaves plenty of time to enjoy one or two other spots along the mainland’s beautiful northeast coast. About six kilometers up the coast road from Wushi Harbor, the jumping-off point for Turtle Island boats, Beiguan Tidal Park is a particularly scenic place, combining f ine views of distant Turtle Island with some stunning rock-and-water scenery of its own. A short walk from the large parking area beside the coast road leads to the park’s impressive rock formations, passing through a small market sell ing fresh and dried f ish, as well as shihuadong. This local delicacy is a kind of jelly made from a variety of sea grass that thrives in these clean, unpolluted seas. The colorless jelly is eaten as a refreshing dessert, f lavored with fresh lemon and honey and topped with iced water.
The short loop path through the park leads to a number of impressive sandstone cuesta formations tilted upwards and inland, and climbs to the top of the highest for a f ine view over the ocean and Turtle Island before looping back through a thin band of woodland hugging the seashore and returning to the car park. Between path and sea, look out for rock pools lef t behind at low tide, in which can be found a variety of tropical f ish in various beautiful colors.
Turtle Island and Beiguan are easy to reach from Taipei. Take a train or bus to the town of Toucheng, then take a brief taxi ride to Wushi Harbor. Boats leave for Turtle Island between April and the end of November. If intending to land on the island, it’s necessary to apply for a permit from the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration a couple of weeks before the trip. Alternatively, the trip can also be arranged through one of several local travel agencies that organize day-trips to the island. Especially energetic visitors can also apply for a second permit allowing them to climb the 1,708 steps to the summit of the island to enjoy the truly magnif icent view at the top. From whichever angle you see it, f rom marveling at the 360-degree panorama from the peak to goggling at the impressive cliffs and deep-blue (and in places powder-blue) waters from a boat at sea level, Turtle Island is a place of rare beauty, and certainly one of the f inest day-outing destinations in the Taipei region.
For more information about Turtle Island and the northeast coast, visit the website of the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area at www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw.
Path through the rock s at Beiguan T idal Park
Tur t le Is land seen f rom Beiguan T idal Park
YILAN
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Yancheng & GushanNostalgic Port City Art Tours
To experience Kaohsiung’s port-town beauty, you must meander the Yancheng and Gushan districts. Near Love River and Kaohsiung Harbor, they possess resplendent seascapes. Using Love River as launch point, ride a bicycle about its lanes and alleys of international flair, appreciating classic old Western-style buildings, tra-ditional Juejiang Shopping District, open-air riverside cafés, and the romantic sentiments of local Kaohsiung residents. In Gushan, experience the old-times spirit of Hamasing fishing village, fishing boats, ferries, cross-harbor bridge, lovely Sizih Bay sunsets, and sea breezes. From afternoon till night drops, views here are like evocative movie trailers on the big screen, grand panoramas constantly unfolding.
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Aihe Visitor Information Center (愛河旅遊服務中心)Tel: (07) 221-0768Add: 1F beneath the sea-tortoise sculpture at the junction of Hedong Rd. and Minsheng 2nd Rd. (kitty corner across from the Ambassador Hotel)Hours: 13:00 ~ 22:00 (all year round)
Tourist InformationYancheng (鹽埕)Take the KMRT Orange Line to Yanchengpu Station, walk or use Kao-hsiung public bicycle rental for immedi-ate arrival at Love River scenic attrac-tions, Yancheng shopping district, etc.
Gushan (鼓山)Take KMRT Orange Line to Sizihwan Station, walk or use Kaohsiung public bicycle rental for immediate arrival at Sun Yat-sen University, Sizih Bay, Takao British Consulate Residence, Hamasing shopping district, etc.
How to Get There
Love River
Takao Br it ish Consulate ResidenceSiz ih Bay
Yancheng District, with the inherent advantages of its harbor-side location, had a key role in Kaohsiung’s early development. In 1960 it was the city ’s most prosperous area. Sinle Street, brimming with jewelry shops, was called “Gold Street.” Nearby Juejiang Shopping District’s f lourishing fortunes were due to the booming port trade, the grand, dense bazaar of shops handling imported goods a favorite place for browsing among city residents.
Later, the port trade declined, the shopping district shif ted east, and Yancheng declined. Recent years have brought a renaissance, however, with Yancheng linked with the Love River banks and Hamasing, much new construction, and a popular new tourist area born. Though no longer a prosperous commercial district, Yancheng is the perfect place for leisurely strolls, rich in nostalgia.
Walk to the seaside from Yancheng, to Gushan, where ferries leave for Ci jin Island, old Gushan Fish Market is busy, and the place has the tapestry of a f ishing village. Boats of all description are moored by wharves, and on the other side is the Sun Yat-sen University tunnel mouth, with low Chaishan (“Firewood Mountain”) beside.
The lifetime memories of locals have the pretty sea-and-mountain scenery as backdrop, which also attracts many visitors. Cross the Sun Yat-sen University campus to arrive at the beach and Sizih Bay dike, Kaohsiung’s most romantic spot, where at dusk each day sightseers gather in large number for the sunset. In front, ships maneuver in and out of port, and behind is the classic red-brick former British Consulate Residence, today a much-loved scenic attraction.
Tel: (07) 521-4899Add: 1 Dayong Rd., Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區大勇路1號)Hours: Mon. ~ Thu. 10:00 ~ 18:00, Fri. ~ Sun. 10:00 ~ 20:00
Pier 2 Art Center A big hit with young people, this special zone has become Kaohsiung’s most popular cultural attraction. The renovated old Kaohsiung Harbor warehouses here, formerly used to store fish meal and granulated sugar, are now venues for art exhibits and activities. The complex also features many public installation artworks and graffiti murals, a dedicated bike path, and a cultural-creative store. Concerts, of myriad type, are also frequently staged.
YanchengYancheng is an enclave of international character. By the seaport and Love River, it is
Kaohsiung’s most exotic district, and renting a bike makes touring easy. First visit the streets of Juejiang Shopping District, once Kaohsiung’s busiest place, today still teeming with shops where you’ ll f ind many retro curios. Cycle to nearby Sinle Street, informally called “Jewelry Street,” where jewelry shops line both sides, f illed with treasure. Next visit Pier-2 Art Center, a new cultural-creative complex, where old warehouses now serve as new-style exhibition spaces. Many dynamic large-scale public artworks also grace the complex. In the af ternoon, cycle the Love River bike path, visiting Love Pier, shoot locations for the hit f ilm Black and White, Kaohsiung Film Archive, Kaohsiung Museum of History, and other attractions. When night falls lamps go on and the river ’s banks are bathed in a romantic hue, the renowned Love River nightscape a coruscating gem.
Yancheng (鹽埕)
Location: Junction of Gongyuan 2nd Rd. (公園二路) and Hesi Rd., (河西路), Yancheng District
Love Pier This facility, formally called Ka-ohsiung No. 12 Pier, was chris-tened “Love Pier” to capture the local romance for tourists. In the shape of a white sail, it is faced by a line of tall buildings across the way. This is the site of the Love River’s loveliest night-scape.
Location: Sinle Street (新樂街) in Yancheng District
Kaohsiung Jewelry Street Many of Sinle Street’s jewelers specialize in gold jewelry. In early days when shipping and port-related business flourished, this sector had Kaohsiung’s most expensive real estate. Though most commercial activity has now migrated elsewhere, Xinle Street remains filled with jewelers, its fortunes like its gems still sparkling.
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Tel: (07) 551-1211Add: 10 Hesi Rd., Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區河西路10號)Hours: Tue ~ Sun, 13:30 ~ 21:30Closed on Mondays, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year
Kaohsiung Film Archive Established in 2001, this is a compact space of sophisticated design where tick-eted movies are screened daily. Within the archive’s collection are all types of projection equipment, movie-related books, art films, and documentaries. The facility, beside the Love River, attracts many Kaohsiung film aficionados, provid-ing a diversified visual feast.
Tel: (07) 521-7943Location: Gongyuan 2nd Rd. (公園二路), Yancheng District (part of the Love Pier)Hours: Daily 11:00 ~ 19:00, Holidays: 10:00 ~ 20:00Closed on Mondays
South District Police Department Technology Concept Hall This building, beside Love Pier, was a key filming location for the Taiwan movie Black and White. It is avant-garde, with a circu-lar shape and extending upper level, done with as-cast-finish molding. The building is now home to the South District Police Department Technology Concept Hall. Enjoy movie-shoot prop displays, interactive games, and movie merchandise in what has become a popular tourist draw.
Location: Between Hedong Rd. (河東路) and Hesi Rd. (西路沿線)
Love River Dayscapes & Nightscapes
The Love River, 12 km long, meanders through the city’s heart, framed by attractive bike paths and pe-destrian walkways. This is local citizens’ favorite place to go walking. During the day, enjoy the shimmering waters and luxuriant flower and tree life. At night the lights come on, blending with the building illumina-tion on either side to create a resplendent road of romance.
Tel: (07) 531-2560Add: 272, Zhongzheng 4th Rd., Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鹽埕區中正四路272號)Hours: Tue. ~ Sun. 9:00 ~ 17:00Closed on Mondays
Kaohsiung Museum of History
The building housing this museum was built in 1939, during the Japanese colonial era, to serve as Kaohsiung’s second City Hall. Bright and imposing, it is in the Imperial Crown Style. The museum, opened when the government relocated, houses documents and artifacts telling the city’s story. Special exhibits and activities are staged regularly.
GushanGushan is by Kaohsiung Harbor. South
Gushan is also called Hamasing, from the old Japanese Hamasen. Most familiar to tourists is the Sizih Bay area. There are numerous Western-style heritage structures here, built when the local port trade was intense and the waters thick with merchant vessels. Tour the Takao Railway Museum, learning about the glory years of Kaohsiung’s f irst train station, then visit Wude Hall and the Former Sanhe Bank, attractive architectural works fusing Chinese, Japanese, and Western elements.
End a tour of heritage sites beside Sizih Bay, at the Takao British Consulate Residence, high on a slope. Relax here with af ternoon tea accompanied by grand harbor and sea views. As dusk approaches head down to the Sizih Bay dike, completing your portfolio of Gushan-tour memories with a splendid sunset tableau.
Tel: (07) 525-0100Add: 20 Lianhai Rd., Gushan District (鼓山區蓮海路20號)Hours: 9:00 ~ 21:00Closed on the third Monday every month
Takao British Consulate Residence Visit Sihzi Bay and you must visit this lovely red-brick structure, built in 1879 to serve as the British consul’s abode. A notable feature is the series of semi-circular arched galleries. The facility today houses a museum display space and a restaurant/café, and provides stunning high-slope views over Sizih Bay.
Location: On Lianhai Rd. (蓮海路), Gushan District (at side entrance of Sun Yat-sen University)
Sizih Bay Sizih Bay’s sunsets are one of the most cherished collective memories of Kaohsiung’s people. The renovated dike has become an attraction and strolling is now safe and comfortable on the wide space, tourists enjoying the sunset canvases even more. Each evening you see sweethearts gathered in number, and anglers in number along the shore. The sky’s golden hues form a lovely, romantic painter’s vision.
Tel: (07) 531-6209Add: 32 Gushan 1st Rd., Gushan District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鼓山區鼓山一路32號)Hours: Tue. ~ Sun. 10:00 ~ 18:00Closed on Mondays
Takao Railway Museum This facility, originally Kaohsiung’s port station, was also its first railway station, a key hub in the city’s development of land-sea transportation. The station was targeted and destroyed by Allied bombing in WW II, rebuilt, and finally entrusted by the city government to an outside enterprise for operation as a museum. There are exhibit rooms, a railway-document archive, and a platform and track area.
Tel: (07) 531-8845Add: 36 Dengshan St., Gushan District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市鼓山區登山街36號)Hours: Tue. ~ Sun. 10:00 ~ 18:00Closed on Mondays
Wude Hall Completed in 1924, this facility was originally used as a martial-arts training center for police and youth. Made of red brick, the grandiose entrance features Chinese Tang Dynasty stylistic elements, and even more intriguing are wall reliefs symbolizing the traditional Japanese “wude” spirit, emphasizing chivalry and morality. The facility, managed by the Kaohsiung City Kendo Culture Promotion Association, is open to tour-ists, has kendo-related activities, and rental facilities.
Eat,Buy,
Fun
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Dogpig Art Café This second-floor venue, decorated in bohemian style and with unembellished walls in a state of studied disrepair, is an eclectic exhibit space. A gathering spot for indie artists and other creative types, the exhibits, light foods, and good coffees and drinks also attract foreign travelers.
INFOTel: (07) 521-2422Add: 131, Wufu 4th Rd., Yancheng District (鹽埕區五福四路131號2樓)Hours: Sat. ~ Sun. 14:00 ~ 23:00, Tue. ~ Fri. 17:00 ~ 23:00Closed on Mondays
INFO
Rice Cake City This traditional-style old shop is a beloved local icon. It is a traditional-snack special-ist, notably southern-style rice cakes, “four-divinity” soup, milkfish tripe, and pig tripe soup. Prices are very friendly – in fact, significantly lower than Taipei’s, for the exact same thing. These dishes are authentic, featuring genuine, unchanged old-time flavors, and make for a tasty and filling lunch. Come see what true old-time rice cakes taste like.
Tel: (07) 533-3168Add: 107 Daren Rd., Yancheng District (鹽埕區大仁路107號)Hours: 9:30 ~ 22:30
The King of Bookbags Everyone in Kaohsiung knows this is the place to go if you need a bookbag. It carries the bags of every Kaohsiung school. Catching the recent passion for cultural-creative invention, it now also offers cute mini-bags great for leisure use, as purses, etc. This has become a prime spot for tourists seeking Kaohsiung souvenirs.
INFOTel: (07) 531-2542Add: 33 Daren Rd., Yancheng District (鹽埕區大仁路33號)Hours: Mon. ~ Sat. 11:00 ~ 21:30, Sundays 12:00 ~ 21:30
Love Boat Love River Tours Everyone knows the best Love River views are from down on the water’s surface, and for good reason Love Boat tours are greatly popular, sailing by the tall buildings and riverside strollers. The 20-minute outings take you from Jhongjheng Bridge to Love Pier and back. The best time is dusk, the sky aglow with the day’s sunset art.
INFOTel: (07) 521-2463 (Love Pier)Tel: (07) 216-0668 (Kaohsiung City Ferry Co./高雄市輪船公司)Tickets: Adults NT$80 (Kaohsiung residents NT$50)Concession ticket NT$40 (Kaohsiung residents NT$25)Group ticket NT$70Boarding Locations: On Hesi Rd. (河西路) and Hedong Rd. (河東路) near Jhongjheng Rd. (中正路)Operation Time: 16:00 ~ 23:00
Ocean of Ice A Sizih Bay summer visit requires an Ocean of Ice visit, for an eye-popping super-size serving of shaved ice. Bring a group of friends, dare the owner to sell you the special 20-serving shaved-ice monster, and he’ll dare to sell it. A tasty bowl drives the scorching summer heat away.
INFOTel: (07) 551-3773Add: 76 Binhai 1st Rd., Gushan District (鼓山區濱海一路76號)Hours: 10:00 ~ 23:30Closed on Mondays
Please do not drink alcohol if underage
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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Relaxing near the hot-spring pools of The King’s Garden Villa
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Near the source of Guanziling’s hot springs
Hot-spring bath with mud
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Hot-spring bathing in Guanziling is a whole lot of fun
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Old hot-spring guesthouse in Guanziling
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Water and Fire Spring near Guanziling
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Dining area of The King’s Garden Villa
Swimming pool of Toong Mao Spa Resort
Suite at The King’s Garden Villa
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