Travel in Taiwan (No.75 2016 5/6 )

No. 75, 2016

may & jun

Along the Coast of

Taitung

Land of Mountains and Ocean

EASY HIKING

Caoling Historic Trail

HUALIEN

Two-Lake Bicycling Route Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch

FINE FOOD

Noodles, Buns, and Dumplings

Places to Go in Tainan Pisirian Indigenous Community Shopping for Ceramics in Yingge

Recruitment of International Students for Spring 2017 & Fall 2018 About the University Established in 1946.

9 colleges, 54 departments, 1 affiliated senior high school.

More than 284 sister schools in Europe, North America, the Americas, and Oceania.

A diverse and internationalized university attended by 1,500 degree-seeking international students and 1,700 Mandarin Training Center students (3-month average).

1470+ faculties (including 3 Nobel Prizes Laureates) with 18:1 of students to faculty ratio.

The Mandarin Training Center (MTC) is the oldest, best-known and largest such center in Taiwan with students from more than 70 countries having studied at the center. Famous MTC alumni include the former prime minister of Japan, Ryutaro Hashimoto, former prime minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, and former US ambassador to China, Jon Meade Huntsman.

Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings (2015-2016) – 1st in the International Outlook category among Taiwan universities Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings (2016) --22nd in Education and Training, 64th in Asian University, 160th in Arts and Humanities, and 376th in Overall Performance.

11th QS Asia Pacific Professional Leaders In Education conference and exhibition (2015) – Silver of Creative Awards for Best International Website.

Term Dates and Application Information Announcement Term Begins of Admission Results

Terms

Application Deadline

Fall Term

March 15

Mid May

September

January

Spring Term

October 31

Mid December

February

June

Term Ends

If different, please follow the dates published in the Admission Prospectus.

For application documents, eligibility, admission procedures and individual program requirements, please refer to the NTNU Admission Prospectus for International Students which is downloadable at： http://ap.itc.ntnu.edu.tw/istudent/apply (*Online application site)

English-taught Programs Master’s Program: Information & Computer Education, English, Mathematics, Physics, Earth Sciences, Electro-optical Science and Technology, International Human Resource Development, European Cultures and Tourism Doctoral Program : Information & Computer Education, English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Science Education, Electro-optical Science and Technology

Chinese Language Degree Courses Distinguished Colleges Arts, Education, International Studies and Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Management, Music, Science, Sport & Recreation, Technology and Engineering

Scholarships NTNU offers various categories of scholarships. Please refer to www.ntnu.edu.tw/oia/scholarship.php

Students with basic Chinese proficiency and are interested in Chinese language and culture may consider applying for the Department of Chinese as a Second Language (Bachelor’s degree program, taught in Chinese, focusing on Chinese listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.)

National Taiwan Normal University Website：http://www.ntnu.edu.tw

Applications to Degree Programs – Office of International Affairs Tel: 886-2-7734-1272 Fax: 886-2-2362-5621 Email: intlntnu@gmail.com Website: http://www.ntnu.edu.tw/oia/

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler, What type of traveler are you? Each of us has our own “travel personality,” which may or may not match that displayed in our everyday lives. Are you a daredevil adventurer? Foodie? Arts hound? All of these, and much else too? Mix and match from the “Taiwan possibilities package” presented in Travel in Taiwan to craft the trip that perfectly matches the person you see in the mirror – or in your mind’s eye.

Back-to-nature type? Visit Taitung County in our Feature , where we go on a multi-day road trip exploring the tropical coastal area above and below quiet Taitung City. People here – both local and ever more folk from elsewhere, including overseas – make a deliberate attempt to live in closer harmony with nature’s rhythms. Savor outdoor hot-spring soaking and forest walks, tribal-culture and surfer-culture experiences, character-rich cultural-creative shops and eateries, and much beyond.

That reference just made to “tribal culture” got your mind racing? Spend extra time in Taitung in Tribal Experience , visiting the Amis-tribe coastal village of Pisirian, which has become a tourist draw in recent years. Enjoy its renowned “Paw-Paw” drumming, indigenous driftwoodart DIY, village cultural tour, and an Amis-classics feast.

Back-to-the-land types will smile at our Farm Fun experience. We visit the Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch in east Taiwan’s lovely East Rift Valley, an eclectic “farrago of all things ‘leisure farm’” which, in addition to an orchard and dairy ranch, is part zoo, part sculpture garden, part themed village, and part hot-spring resort.

Cycling enthusiasts can test-ride the 36km Two Lakes Bikeway, just north of here, in Rail/Bus/ Bike. The route takes you from the scenic coast just above Hualien City, along the city’s port-side, and into the country south and then west, ending at pretty, mountain-surrounded Liyu Lake.

Hikers and history buffs? To Easy Hiking and the visually striking, history-rich Caoling Historic Trail. Foodies? To Popular Flavors and Taipei restaurant taste thrills in the dough-based world of noodles, buns, and dumplings. Nightlife lovers? To Where to Go Tonight for news on the hip and the traditional in Tainan. Shopping devotees? To Precious Gifts for all you need to know on Yingge town, Taiwan’s “ceramics capital.”

Enough on our colorful-adventure palette to excite your palate? Taiwan never disappoints. Enjoy!

David W. J. Hsieh Director General Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

CONTENTS May ~ June 2016

10 22

Taiwan Slang Keelung

— Seaport City of Deep Character

PUBLISHER David W. J. Hsieh Editing Consultant

Producer Vision Creative Marketing & Media Co. Address 7F-1, 1, Sec. 4, Nanjing E. Rd., Taipei City 10595, Taiwan

Where you can pick up a copy of Travel in Taiwan

Wayne Hsi-Lin Liu

TEL: 886-2-2715-1052 Fax: 886-2-2715-0924 E-MAIL: editor@v-media.com.tw General Manager Frank K. Yen Editor in Chief Johannes Twellmann English Editor Rick Charette DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & EDITING DEPT Joe Lee MANAGING EDITOR Jade Lin EDITORS Ming-Jing Yin, Chloe Chu, Nickey Liu CONTRIBUTORS Rick Charette, Owain Mckimm, Joe Henley

Richard Saunders, Nick Kembel PHOTOGRAPHERS Ray Chang, Maggie Song, Chen Cheng-kuo DESIGNERS Choc Hsu, Eve Chiang, Maggie Song, Andy Chang ui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang, Administrative Dept H Chen Wen-ling

Abroad

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Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications CONTACT

International Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10694, Taiwan Tel: 886-2-2717-3737 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036 E-mail: tbroc@tbroc.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月 刊 Travel in Taiwan The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (Advertisement) May/June, 2016 Tourism Bureau, MOTC First published Jan./Feb., 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200 www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm 中華郵政台北雜字第1286號執照登記為雜誌交寄

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Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

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Offices 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.

Mawuku River in Donghe, Taitung County (photo by Ray Chang)

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In Taiwan

ONLINE

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28 1 Publisher’s Note 4 Taiwan Tourism Events

40 6 News & Culture 66 Talk in Taiwan

FARM FUN

40 Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch — A Place Where the Child in You Cannot Help But Smile

FEATURE

10 Taitung by the Sea

— A Slow-Drive Meander Along the East Coast

22 Savoring the Taitung Style — Living Good on the Southeast Coast – Stay, Eat, and Buy Recommendations

EASY HIKING

46 Silvergrass in the Wind — Scaling the Heights of the Caoling Historic Trail

WHERE TO GO TONIGHT

52 Tainan – Traditional and Hip

— Places to Go in the Hai’an Road Commercial District

TRIBAL EXPERIENCE

28 Pisirian on the Sea

— The Story of an Amis-Tribe Community's Rejuvenation

POPULAR FLAVORS

54 Noodles, Buns, and Dumplings — Dough-based Delights in Taipei City’s Restaurants

RAIL/BUS/BIKE

34 Hualien Two Lakes Bikeway — A Relaxed Ride from Scenic Beach into Enchanting Countryside

PRECIOUS GIFTS

60 Ceramics Shopping in Yingge

— In Search of High-Quality Works of Art Made with Clay

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

Summer Events 7/1 8/7

Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar website

Taiwan International Balloon Festival 臺灣國際熱氣球嘉年華

This summer will be the sixth time colorful hot-air balloons, some in the traditional upside-down-teardrop shape and some in fantastical shapes breaking with all tradition, fly over the scenic Luye Plateau to the north of Taitung City. The festival is hugely popular, drawing up to a million visitors each year, who come to see the balloons from afar and go on short tethered flights or longer free flights. Because of Taiwan’s high daytime temperatures, flying is only possible in the early morning (5:30~7:30am) or evening (5~7pm). Tethered flights (about 5~7 min., NT$500; first-come-first-serve basis) take you about 20 meters above ground, giving you a taste of what hot-air balloon flying is like. If you want to go on an untethered flight, you have to make a reservation in advance. Flights last up to 45 minutes, and cost NT$9,000.

During the festival, shuttle buses will run between the venue and Luye Railway Station.

Location: Luye Plateau, Longtian Village, Luye Township, Taitung County ( 臺東縣鹿野鄉鹿野高台 ) Website: balloontaiwan.taitung.gov.tw

July Aug

Tern-Watching Tours, Matsu 生態賞鷗暨海上看馬祖

The small islands of Matsu, located just off the mainland China coast, are not on the radar of many international tourists, but they are indeed worth checking out. Among the attractions are traditional fishing villages, historic sites related to the military confrontation between Communist and Nationalist forces, a number of fine temples, mountain scenery, unique local cuisine, sandy beaches, and birds – many of them. There are many smaller islands besides Matsu’s four main islands, for the most part uninhabited, that serve as excellent feeding and nesting grounds for a large variety of sea birds. To protect these birds, among them the Bridled Tern, Black-napped Tern, Roseate Tern, Crested Tern, Black-tailed Tern, Reef Egret, and Fork-tailed Swift, the Matsu Islands Tern Refuge was established in the year 2000. Prime time for birdwatching is June through September, and boat trips to the small islands are available from Matsu’s main harbors. Bring good binoculars or a telephoto lens if you want to see the birds clearly.

Location: Zhong Islet, Beigan, Lienchiang County ( 連江縣北竿中島 ) Website: www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw

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J U LY ~ A U G U S T

7/2 8/14

Yilan International Children’s FolklorE & Folkgame Festival 宜蘭國際童玩藝術節

This festival is an event highly anticipated by children each summer.

First and foremost, it means a lot of fun in the sun and in the water. But the festival also provides much more. Apart from the water-fun facilities – last year there was a Folkgame Airship, a Kite Rider, and a Bathing Dragon – there are also several stages on which troupes from Taiwan and abroad present folklore and folk dance performances, educational and fun exhibitions for children, experiences such as dragon boating and wind sailing, and various handicraft workshops during which children can learn to be creative with paper and wood.

Location: Dongshan River Water Park, Wujie Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣五結鄉冬山河親水公園 ) Website: www.yicfff.tw/en

7/8 Taoyuan International ACG Fair 7/24 桃園國際動漫大展

Each year, artists and illustrators from Taiwan and around the globe gather in Taoyuan to present their works to anime and comics fans. There are two exhibitions, one for still and another for moving images. Visitors have the chance to try out a wide variety of interactive games, and to learn how to create anime/comics in DIY workshops held by professional artists. The fair showcases the latest technology applied to comics and anime-related games, as well as toy robots, 3D animated films, outstanding works of comic art and cartoons, and myriad products with a comic or anime theme, such as figurines, T-shirts, mugs, coasters, flip-flops, and pillowcases.

Location: Taoyuan Performing Arts Center, Taoyuan City ( 桃園市桃園展演中心 ) Website: www.facebook.com/TY.ACGT

July

HO-HAI-YAN Gongliao Rock Festival 貢寮國際海洋音樂祭

Let’s rock on the beach! HO-HAI-YAN is one of the biggest open-air music events in Taiwan, and the location is a great part of why the festival has been such a great success. Fulong Beach, on the island’s northeast coast, has golden sand, comprehensive beach facilities, easy access, and an overall great vibe. The festival stages are built right on the beach, allowing revelers to sit in the soft sand or even play in the water while listening to indie music by talented artists from Taiwan and around the world.

Location: Fulong Beach, Gongliao District, New Taipei City ( 新北市貢寮區福隆海水浴場 ) Website: tour.ntpc.gov.tw

Travel in Taiwan

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W H AT ' S U P

NEWS & Events around Taiwan

Puyuma and Taroko Express Service to Kaohsiung Good news for railway travelers in Taiwan. The modern Puyuma and Taroko express trains, which used to ply the route from Taipei to the cities of Hualien and Taitung on the east coast only, are now serving the western half of Taiwan as well, all the way down to the southern port city of Kaohsiung. The service between the country’s two biggest cities is faster (3 hours, 40 minutes) than the original Tze-Chiang Limited Express service (around 5 hours; same price), and cheaper (NT$843) than the faster High Speed Rail service (1 hour, 30 minutes; NT$1,490).

There's also more good news. Paying for railway fares with an e-card (EasyCard or iPass) is now possible on the east coast route all the way to Hualien and, according to the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA), will be possible by mid-2016 at all stations on the system’s main lines around the island.

Giant Glass Slipper in Chiayi

North Coast Scenic Attractions

Photo courtesy of Taiwan Trip Shoot

Glass is a fascinating building material, heavily used in the construction of buildings of all shapes and sizes. In Taiwan, there are a now quite a number of tourist attractions built, in great part, with glass. There is a glass-bottom suspension bridge in Nantou County, for example, and a whole temple made of glass in Changhua County. The latest glass installation attracting tourists on the island is a giant Cinderella-type slipper located in a park in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan. The structure is reportedly made of 320 pieces of tinted blue glass, and stands 17m high and 11m wide. While the slipper is touted as a “glass church,” it is in fact not a place for worship but rather a place for wedding ceremonies, backdrop for wedding-photo shoots, and memorial commemorating those in this coastal area who suffered from blackfoot disease caused by the drinking of contaminated groundwater water in the 1950s.

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Travel in Taiwan

The area administered by the North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration has recently been expanded to include three scenic sights in Keelung City: Huhai Bay, Lovers Lake, and Hepingdao (“Peace Island”). Huhai Bay is a sandy beach west of central Keelung, popular with visitors on sunny summer days.

Lovers Lake, nestled in the coastal mountains behind the bay, has a pleasant round-lake trail; overlooking it from a nearby mountain are the ruins of Dawulun Fort, one of many old batteries in Keelung.

Hepingdao is especially attractive because of its amazing coastal rock formations, rivaling those found at Yehliu Geopark west of Keelung. These three new additions complement an already large number of attractions in the national scenic area, which stretches from Mt. Guanyin, west of Tamsui in New Taipei City, all the way to the east of Keelung Harbor. Most attractions can be reached by taking the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s (www.taiwantrip.com.tw ) Crown Northern Coastline and Keelung Shuttle Bus East & West lines.

M AY ~ J U N E

Taiwan Goods Located adjacent to the National Museum of History and Taipei Botanical Garden is a round building resembling Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. It houses the Taipei Branch of the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute and, since last November, the Taiwan Goods Mall (second floor). A great variety of gift and souvenir choices are presented in the mall, all made in Taiwan, from exquisite and expensive handicraft and art products to unique, yet affordable, daily-use designer items. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/ taiwangoodsmall.

Big Cruise Liners Coming to Hualien

Best Tastes of Taiwan – Organized Tour Options

Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

Pacific-island Taiwan is attracting an increasing number of big cruise liners to its shores, among them Asia’s biggest, the Quantum of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean International, which made stops at the cities of Taichung and Keelung last year. This June, Hualien Harbor will be included in the ship’s itinerary, and a sister ship, the Ovation of the Seas, will also make a Hualien stop this November. Cruise tours to Taiwan are on the rise; Hualien Harbor alone will host 12 cruise liners this year, bringing about 40,000 tourists to the beautiful east coast. Cruise ships are expected to make a total of more than 560 stops in Taiwan’s harbors in 2016, with a total of close to 900,000 passengers on board.

Taiwan is a convenient travel destination for free independent travelers, but not all tourists want to do all of their own planning and organizing, and are willing to spend a bit to have it done by professional tour organizers. If you are based in North America, you can find an overview of select tour organizers offering a wide range of themed tours to Taiwan at http://go2taiwan.net/traveldeal.

C U LT U R E S C E N E

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

Until 6/26

6/25 & 6/26

National Palace Museum

The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

A Special Exhibition of Paintings on “Up the River During Qingming” in the Museum 清明上河圖特展 Collection

笑傲江湖 Based on the wuxia (“martial hero”) novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong (Louis Cha), first serialized in the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao in the late 1960s, this show, performed by the Guangzhou Acrobatic Art Theatre, is a great spectacle of martial arts, acrobatics, modern dance, and sophisticated lighting effects. This is the first time a story of the wuxia genre is being presented on stage in such grand fashion, rivaling the performances of the worldfamous Cirque du Soleil.

Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum

Zhang Zeduan's “Up the River During Qingming ,” from the early 12 th century during the late Northern Song period, is universally recognized as one of the great masterpieces of Song genre painting. It depicts scenes of prosperity along the banks of the Bian River in Kaifeng, the Northern Song capital.

While the original painting is now in Beijing’s Palace Museum, it is believed up to a hundred versions exist, including copies based on Zhang’s original work found in private collections and major museums around the world, with eight in the collection of Taipei’s National Palace Museum. Though considered copies, the quality of these paintings from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties is celebrated. This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to view the eight scrolls side by side.

Until 5/28

Dajia Riverside Park

SpringWave Sunset III

日落春浪電子音樂節 III

After the first and second SpringWave Sunset events in May and October last year, this will be the third edition of the allday electronic music festival, which features major DJs from Taiwan and abroad. There will be two stages, the Sun Stage and Moon Stage, on which a total of 15 DJs will spin their music.

Superstars of the night are to be Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike from Belgium, currently holding the #1 spot on DJ Magazine's annual Top 100 DJs poll.

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Travel in Taiwan

National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Until 7/22

Huashan 1914 Creative Park

Upside Down House 顛倒屋

This is a sight that gets a lot of double-takes. “Did I just see a house standing on its roof?” might be a question that goes through the mind of many passersby. Rest assured, you will not be hallucinating when you spot the complete two-story house that has been built upside-down on the grounds of Taipei’s Huashan 1914 Creative Park. The American country home-style house, the construction of which cost NT$10 million, has been attracting large numbers of curious visitors. You can go inside to check out the detailed interior design. This is a great place for creative photo snapping!

c ulture s c ene

5/28 ~

9/18

National Taiwan Science Education Center

NASA – A Human Adventure NASA – 一場人類冒險

Space travel, walking on the moon, Mars exploration… the stuff of dreams, and the stuff of NASA. This exhibition introduces you to mankind’s amazing space endeavors, showing 300 historically significant artifacts from the space programs of the U.S. and Soviet Union – many brought back from space. Get up close with space equipment, including space suits, satellites, and space capsules, and learn about the scientists who have made space travel possible and the astronauts who have realized their dreams of exploring new frontiers. This exhibition gives you a whole new perspective on what it must be like to go “up there.”

6/4 &

6/5

National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Magic of the Dance

魔力之舞 - 風雲再起 - 愛爾蘭踢踏舞劇

This is a fascinating dance show telling a wonderful love story about Irish emigrants at the beginning of the 20th century who come to America with nothing more than their music, their dancing, and their passion. Two lovers are separated when they depart on the long journey across the Atlantic, and their search for each other in the new land takes them to many exciting places, full of dance adventures. This is a riveting production, with breathtaking dance routines, explosive tap sequences, and highly refined footwork.

FEATURE TAITUNG

Text: Rick Charette

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Travel in Taiwan

Photos: Ray Chang, East Coast National Scenic Area Administration

FEATURE TAITUNG

Long, narrow Taitung County, in Taiwan’s southeast, is a land of good, slow living. The tropical coastal stretch above and below the small, relaxed city of Taitung has a bit of everything a traveler looking for a bohemianstyle respite from big-city living might be looking for.

Outdoor hot-spring soaking, forest walks, tribal-culture explorations, surfer-culture experiences, character-rich cultural-creative shops and eateries ‌ get the colorful (pastel hues, of course) picture?

Mawuku River near Donghe village

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FEATURE TAITUNG

W

e’re about to roll out on a 3-day drive-about designed as a picture-window showcase of lazy days lived the Taitung way, during which the rolling, crashing waves of the mighty blue Pacific are almost always in view, providing the soothing background music, akin to gentle rolling thunder, that invariably plays when returnees’ roll back through their happy memories. All sites introduced are either right on the coastal highway (Provincial Highway 11) that runs the length of Taitung County along the narrow strip of more-or-less flat land between the ocean and north-south Coastal Mountain Range, or a short drive off it.

Day 1 After picking up our rental car upon arrival from Taipei at Taitung Railway Station, we headed out along Highway 11 to the Zhiben Hot Springs resort area, not far south. Taitung City sits on the coast in the gap between the southern tip of the coastal mountains and the central mountains; the latter fan out and sprawl to the sea south of the city. The resort area lies close to the highway, just inside the mouth of a valley carved out by the Zhiben River.

The Japanese developed the area as a healing resort during their 1895-1945 period of colonial rule, after systematically mapping the island’s natural resources upon takeover, at the same time introducing the Taiwanese to hot-spring culture. However, the local indigenous natives had long been using the healing waters, digging soak pools in the rocky riverbed.

The scores of inns and hotels are strung out along riverside County Road 194. At this road’s head you’ll find the entrance to the 110-hectare Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area (http:// recreation.forest.gov.tw/RA_ E/RA_16.html). Cross a brightred 80-meter-long bridge, buy your ticket, and head uphill to the visitor center, which has displays on the local geology and flora/fauna. From there, explore the web of mountain-slope trails between the riverside cliffs and a boundary ridge. If you have the better part of the day you can consider tackling them all, but be sure to conquer the staircase Brave Man’s Slope Trail – steep, 320 meters long, rising 150 meters, 792 steps – which leads you past magnificent white-bark banyan trees. The roots of the giant Thousand Root Banyan create a fairyland setting you’ll expect to see forest spirits flitting through. There are fine views toward the ocean from the highest trail-points.

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FEATURE TAITUNG

2

3

Back to Highway 11, and up to the Liji Badlands, directly north of Taitung City. They constitute the coastal range’s southern tip, on the Beinan River’s north side, city on the south. What are they, and what makes them “bad”? What you’ll see is a kilometers-long mountain wall riven with deep gullies. Enjoy them from viewing areas along County Road 45 that feature lookout pavilions, footpaths, and Chinese/ English explanatory signage. You are in a grand outdoor geology museum: standing on this side of the river, you’re on the Philippine Sea Plate; peering across at the other side’s sedimentary hills, you’re looking at the Eurasian Plate.

These are the two key players in Taiwan’s mighty, ongoing geotectonic drama, which among other things has given birth to the island’s scores of hot-spring sites. The badlands are primarily made up of fine mudstone pellets, long at the sea’s bottom, that are too light to go down under the Eurasian Plate with the rest of the Philippine Sea Plate. Now exposed, the unstable sediment suffers deep erosive scarring, creating a façade of ferocious, menacing demeanor. The forlorn, desolate landscape has also given rise to a nickname – Moon World.

1. Thousand Root Banyan 2. Hot-spring bath at Hotel Royal Chihpen 3. Liji Badlands 4. Brave Man’s Slope Trail

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FEATURE TAITUNG

Day 2

Jialulan seaside art park

Xiaoyeliu was our first stop inside the East Coast National Scenic Area (www. eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw), which stretches from just north of Taitung City to just south of Hualien City. Beyond its sheer beauty, this natural stone-sculpture scenic area is highly info-taining for those types – like your writer – thrilled with matters geology-related. Along the shore you’ll find large rock formations – honeycomb rock, mushroom rock, tofu rock, cuestas – and in the visitor center well-crafted models and rock samples introducing the geological features of Xiaoyeliu and the coastal mountains.

A short distance north is Jialulan.

This is a seaside art park – and an ecoengineering showcase, on a transformed waste-soil site created during construction of the adjoining air-force base – with works spread out over an expansive grassland. Most are of wood, and most of the wood is coastline-gathered driftwood, a popular Taitung-artist medium. My favorite installation features a wood-weave shell stuffed full with the human-created detritus that washes ashore in monster storms – things you’d expect, like fishing gear, but also much that’s bizarre. A stethoscope? A calculator?

Travel in Taiwan

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FEATURE TAITUNG

1

Another short drive north brings you to small Jiamuzi Bay, at the foot of Mt. Dulan. This is a place of stunning archetypal tropical scenery – the mountain sloping right down to the coast, coconut trees along the shore, attractive coral reefs just offshore, disappearing under frothy waves and then popping up again. This is a popular spot for surfing, snorkeling, and other watersports.

The Water Running Upward attraction, a must-visit spot for the tour-bus crowd, is just south of Dulan village. And just what is it?

A long, narrow, shallow irrigation channel comes down from the hills, running through a small sculpted park. And for all the world, it looks as though the gurgling waters defy gravity along this 100m stretch. Real or illusion? We inspected the waterworks from every angle; the stream, counter-intuitively, seems not to slow down or pool up at all. Take the riddle on for yourself with a first-hand gander. (Nevertheless, I give you the answer at article’s end.)

makes sugar no more. The heritage complex, now protected, is today a place for local and expat artists and craftsmen. There are artist workshops, a cultural-creative boutique, a café, a craft brewery, Taiwanese and Japanese restaurants, a quick-food kiosk, a driftwood stage, and other attractions. The big action is on Saturday nights, when there is free live music, with both local and expatriate talent performing.

On the slopes of Mt. Dulan just to Dulan’s northwest, on a road that leads to the popular Moonlight Inn café (see Stay/Eat/ Buy article), is the Dulan Site. The short paths to the spreadout finds on view, which include a sarcophagus and large stones from a long wall used in worship rites, start at roadside and have clear signage. They are from what is called the Qilin culture, and date to about 3,000 years ago. It is believed that the local tribal inhabitants likely moved up here after the coast was hit by a tsunami. Mt. Dulan is revered as a divine presence by the area’s The sprawling, big-shouldered old Dulan Sugar Factory, in Amis and Bunun tribal groups.

Dulan village, one of the coast’s largest Amis-tribe settlements,

1. Eatery/Shop at Dulan Sugar Factory 2. Jialulan seaside art park 3. Sunrise at Jinzun beach 4. Water Running Upward 5. A cat at Dulan Sugar Factory

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Day 3 This day we were up before the dawn to hit the Jinzun Recreation Area beach, just south of Donghe village, for a session of red-eyed sunrise enjoyment. Then after breakfast it was back again, to see what it all looked like with somewhat-less-bleary eyes and in full streaming sunlight. The lovely 2km-long bay, on Jinzun Fishing Harbor’s south side, is reached from the highway-side parking lot via a well-built 200m-long wood staircase that takes you through tree cover home to foraging macaques, exotic lizards, and other wild things. At its top is the breezy Jinzun Café, an excellent spot, we proved with lazy, short-of-sleep hazy pleasure, for clifftop ocean viewing from a roofed deck complemented with refreshing fresh-made local-fruit juices and Western-style baked goodies.

After this we head to the Mawuku River. Highway 11 flies high over the river atop a very camera-friendly bright-red bridge, off Donghe’s north end. Heading north, take the last side road (ocean side) before the bridge, which leads to a popular surfing location. Half-way along you’ll see the traditional-style thatchhut buildings of the Amis-run Marongarong Donghe Tribe House (marogarog.tacocity.com.tw; Chinese). This center offers indigenous-culture experiences, including handicraft DIY, traditional-style feasts, song-and-dance and other performances,

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Water Running Upward: Answer Illusion. It’s said the tilt of the slope and road right beside fool the eyes as to the channel’s angle. Even knowing the answer, the “truth” still escaped me.

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Taitung’s Surfing Scene You’re sure to notice there is a pronounced surfer culture in the DongheDulan area. Taiwan’s north has had a strong surfing scene for a decade or so, but the big wave has just hit the east coast in recent years, building on a small corps of longtime local devotees. Taiwan’s biggest surfing event, the Taiwan Open of Surfing staged at Jinzun Fishing Harbor, attracts top-tier talent from around the globe. This competition is integrated with the elite Asian Surfing Championships Tour. The ASC gives Taitung’s surfing environment a rating of 4 stars out of 6.

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and guided excursions into surrounding areas. On the river you will see traditionalstyle bamboo rafts, which the Amis call their “refrigerator.” In the past fishermen would sit on a wood box with a hole, into which catch was stuffed. “Marongarong” – name of this location’s Amis sub-group and their settlement – means “river rapidly f lowing”; the massive jumble of riverboulder you can see scattered about in the river reveal why.

The boulders and deep cliff-sided defile they sit in mark the mouth of the meandering Taiyuan Valley. Head inland down County Highway 23, which starts just off the north end of the aforementioned red bridge. A few kilometers in, the road leaps diagonally and dramatically across a close-walled, rugged gorge. You’re in the Dengxian Bridge Recreation Area, a little bit of paradise for Formosan rock macaques. Comfortable with humans, they

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climb on parked cars, pull on pant legs, peer into bags, and mosey about, looking for handouts.

North of Chenggong town is one of the east coast’s most iconic tourist sites, Sanxiantai, the Platform of the Three Immortals. We visited – but I’m not telling you about it.

At least not here. I started by saying this Feature was a “three-day showcase,” and that’s true. But the Travel in Taiwan team was on the road a fourth day, visiting an Amis-tribe settlement just north of here for this issue’s Tribal Experience file. Read about Sanxiantai on page 30.

There’s still Taitung coastline aplenty north of this point, with a number of wellknown tourist draws – most notably the magical Baxian Caves (Caves of the Eight Immortals). We’ve wandered the coast in

Taitung and adjoining Hualien County to the north a number of times in recent years, as well as the arcadian East Rift Valley on the other side of the coastal mountains, and our reports await you online at http://tit.com.tw/appdownload. html .

1. Jinzun Recreation Area 2. Dengxian Bridge Recreation Area 3. Marongarong Donghe Tribe House 4. Formosan rock macaques 5. Surfer on Taitung's coast

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Dengxian Bridge Recreation Area

Day 1 Day 2

DONGHE

Day 3

Marongarong Donghe Tribe House

Jinzun Recreation Area

DULAN Dulan Sugar Factory

Water Running Upward Jiamuzi Bay

PACIFIC OCEAN Liji Badlands

Jialulan seaside art park Xiaoyeliu Scenic Area

TAITUNG CITY

Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area

Google Map with info

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English and Chinese Amis tribe 阿美族 Baxian Caves 八仙洞 Beinan River 卑南溪 Brave Man’s Slope Trail 好漢坡步道 Bunun tribe 布農族 Chenggong 成功 Dengxian Bridge Recreation Area 登仙橋遊憩區 Donghe 東河 Dulan 都蘭 Dulan Site 都蘭遺址 Dulan Sugar Factory 都蘭新東糖廠 Jialulan 加路蘭 Jiamuzi Bay 加母子灣 Jinzun Café 金樽咖啡 Jinzun Fishing Harbor 金樽漁港 Jinzun Recreation Area 金樽遊憩區

Liji Badlands 利吉惡地 Marongarong Donghe Tribe House 瑪洛阿瀧東河部落屋 Mawuku River 馬武窟溪 Moon World 月世界 Mt. Dulan 都蘭山 Sanxiantai 三仙台 Taiwan Open of Surfing 臺灣國際衝浪公開賽 Taiyuan Valley 泰源幽谷 Thousand Root Banyan 千根榕 Water Running Upward 水往上流 Xiaoyeliu 小野柳 Zhiben Hot Springs 知本溫泉 Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area 知本國家森林遊樂區 Zhiben River 知本溪

Getting To/Around Taitung There are numerous daily Taipei-Taitung flights (45 minutes one way), and regular rail service to/from Taipei, the fastest trains taking just 3.5 hours. Book seats on Puyuma Express trains, the fastest service, well in advance (two weeks). Arrange car rentals in advance so you’ll be met at the airport/train station; the Taiwan Tourism Bureau website (www.taiwan.net.tw ) provides information on vetted car-rental groups.

For those not self-driving, note that the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service 3

will get you right to, or very close to, almost all of the places we’ve introduced (www.taiwantrip.com.tw ).

1. Liji Badlands 2. Jinzun Recreation Area

3.Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area 4. Jialulan seaside art park Travel in Taiwan

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Text: Rick Charette

Photos: Ray Chang, East Coast National Scenic Area Administration

Hot-spring bath at Hotel Royal Chihpen

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STAY/EAT/BUY TAITUNG

STAY The Hotel Royal Chihpen is Zhiben’s No. 1 accommodation selection.

Up on a hillside, it is hidden away in the forest, invisible from the main hot-spring resort area. Among its many first-rate facilities is an array of open-air spa-soak choices and swimming pool tucked away in an oasis-like setting between the hotel building and mountain slope behind, beautifully lit up at night. Guests can also enjoy a recreation center with table tennis and e-games, a gym, private karaoke rooms, putting green, archery range, badminton court, sand playground, children’s library, and menu of special activities that includes indigenous song-and-dance performances and indigenous outdoor cooking. As you can see, ennui is not an option here. Guestroom styling is contemporary Western and Japanese. (Rooms start at NT$7,800; buffet breakfast included.)

Tropical Low Pressure Surf & Guesthouse is at Donghe village’s south end, just off Highway 11. This laid-back, funky place is made up of three separate houses, one an original home now transformed, the other two purpose-built for guesthouse use. The owner-couple: He is Japanese, studied music in the U.S., and was brought to Taiwan by his love for surfing; she is local, from the Bunun tribe, and you couldn’t ask for a more relaxed, congenial host. He takes guests on guided surfing outings, and also teaches beginner classes (fees for both). Full gear is available for rent or purchase. The simple guestrooms are tastefully designed and furnished, and there is an irresistible open-air bar/café patio with a streetfacing counter. (Rooms start at NT$1,500; sandwich breakfast included.)

Hotel Royal Chihpen ( 知本老爺酒店) Add: No. 23, Ln. 113, Wenquan Village, Beinan Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣卑南鄉溫泉村龍泉路113 巷23 號) Tel: (089) 510-666 Website: www.hotelroyal.com.tw/chihpen

Tropical Low Pressure Surf & Guesthouse ( 熱帶低氣壓民宿) Add: No. 99, South Donghe, Donghe Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣東河鄉南東河99 號) Tel: (089) 896-738 Website: www.easttaiwan-surf.com

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STAY/EAT/BUY TAITUNG

EAT I’ll be hard-pressed to ever find a café with a view besting the one you can enjoy at the Moonlight Inn, a café in an old Japanese-built forestry-service building standing alone high on Mt. Dulan’s side, overlooking Dulan village and the Pacific. Beyond the premium coffees and light refreshments, there’s an art gallery and crafts shop focused on local talent, plus live weekend artistic performances. The second floor showcases the hit Taiwan film The Moon Also Rises, which was shot here. The café is higher up on the same pretty road as the Dulan Site (see main Feature article), which though a bit steep is billed as a bicycle route.

Moonlight Inn ( 月光小棧) Add: No. 20, Borough 46, Dulan Village, Donghe Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣東河鄉都蘭村 46 鄰 20 號) Tel: (089) 530-012 Website: www.ewuyu.com (Chinese) Moonlight Inn

Dulan Diner

Dulan Diner pizza

Dulan’s highway-side Marino’s Kitchen is run by David Marino, an expat American and one-time DJ at Taipei-based ICRT, Taiwan’s sole English-language radio station. The kitchen is a bakery, known for its fine breads. We found the Pumpkin Walnut Quick Bread and Black Olive Pesto Bread most enticing – as in enticing repeat buys. Next door is the open-front Dulan Diner, run by his friendly sister-in-law, to whom he has passed on his kitchen knowledge regarding pizzas, pastas, and other good things, primarily Italian-American. The emphasis at both businesses is on handmade freshness and local ingredients. Be sure to try the zesty homemade tomato sauce/pesto combo on your pizza; we also much relished the textured au gratin dishes.

Dulan Diner / Marino’s Kitchen ( 都蘭食堂/ 馬利諾廚房) Add: No. 436-2, Dulan Village, Donghe Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣東河鄉都蘭村436-2 號) Tel: (089) 531-810 FB: www.facebook.com/DulanDinner

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Lalauran Millet Workshop is, in fact, a highway-side restaurant in Taimali, south of Zhiben, run by a Paiwan-tribe family. This simple eatery has a homey rural-farmhouse look and quirky homespun decorations. Its award-winning fare, hearty and flavorful, features innovative twists utilizing traditional tribe-used herbs, spices, and other flavorings. Menu stars include pork cutlet stuffed cordon blue-style with roselle paste, beef noodles with wild vegetables, and Bunun-staple a-bai , a type of tamale/dumpling made with millet and such seasonings as mountain cinnamon – all very appealing.

Lalauran Millet Workshop ( 拉勞蘭小米工坊) Add: No. 21, Borough 10, Xianglan Village, Taimali Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣太麻里鄉香蘭村10 鄰21 號) Tel: (08) 978-2547 FB: www.facebook.com/lalauran.millet.workshop

A-Bai Beef noodles with wild vegetables

Donghe Baozi

Bread & Chocolate Warehouse

Chinese-style bread is generally light, highly refined, and nearflavorless. Michael, an expat Floridian, has declared it his mission to introduce Taitung folk and visiting travelers to the flavors and textures of old-style Western artisanal breads. His Bread & Chocolate Warehouse, on the highway main drag in somnambulant Longchang village, is in a large, cement-walled former rice warehouse/sales center.

His best breads, in my humble gourmand opinion, are the Dark Rye Beer Sourdough, Mozzarella Cheese, and Cabernet Cranberry. Not to be forgotten are his hot-selling chocolate brownies, which tend toward the bitter, with understated sweetness.

Donghe Baozi is an almost obligatory stop for tourists plying Highway 11. The big, airy shop stands by the highway in Donghe village. A baozi is a traditional steamed, stuffed bun. The best-selling pork and Chinese cabbage buns are both very good, but I find the lightly sweetened peanut version, filling crunchy like fine sand, absolutely delicious.

Bread & Chocolate Warehouse ( 麵包與巧克力倉庫) Add: No. 236, Longchang Village, Donghe Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣東河鄉隆昌村236 號) Tel: 0909-301-199 Website: breadandchocolatewarehouse.blogspot.com (Chinese)

Donghe Buns ( 東河包子) Add: No. 420, Neighborhood 15, South Donghe, Donghe Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣東河鄉南東河15 鄰420 號) Tel: (089) 896-369

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BUY Long Hui-mei is a former nurse whose hospital colleagues, seeing the beauty and quality of the knitted hats, bags, and other items she crafted as a sideline, encouraged her to pursue her passion full-time. She did so, and her Mian Ma Wu (“Cotton and Hemp House”) can be found on Highway 11 very close to the above-introduced Bread & Chocolate Warehouse. An Amis-tribe member, she learned her craftsmanship from the senior tribal women around her, and today she employs 40 local Amis-community women to knit her designs, in demand by, among others, greater China celebrities and by companies for use as premium-gift presents. She uses no dyes, loving the purity of her organic-material colors and textures, and much of her material (cotton, hemp, flax, and linen) is imported from France to ensure unsurpassed quality. Her designs are modern, sleek and chic; no traditional indigenous patterns/totems are used.

Mian Ma Wu ( 棉麻屋) Add: No. 55-1, Longchang Village, Donghe Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣東河鄉隆昌村55 之1 號) Tel: 0930-989-858 Website: cottonant.weebly.com; Chinese

Li Bing-hui

English and Chinese douhua 豆花 a-bai 阿拜 Dulan Diner 都蘭食堂 baozi 包子

Longchang 隆昌 The Moon Also Rises 月光下我記得

Foot Massage Health Center

Many locals, travelers, and business people come to this well-known health center Foot massage (40 min.) + essential oil foot spa (10 min.) = 50 min.

Price NT$500 Whole-body massage (60 min.) or foot massage (60 min.) (choose one of two) + essential oil foot spa (10 min.) = 70 min.

Special Price NT$799 Whole-body massage (60 min.) + foot massage (30 min.) + essential oil foot spa (10 min.) = 100 min.

Special Price NT$1,200 10% discount for services costing more than NT$1,000 (at Ximen and Guanqian branches), except for special prices 20% discount for services costing more than NT$1,000 (at Jilin and Jilin II branches), except for special prices Guanqian Branch

Chengdu Rd.

Minquan E. Rd.

Jilin Branch

Minsheng E. Rd.

Jilin Rd.

Ximen Branch

Zhonghua Rd.

Kaifeng St.

Ximen Station, Exit 1

Hanzhong St.

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Huaining St.

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Hankou St.

Guanqian Rd.

Taiwan-style body meridian massage helps to stimulate blood circulation and metabolism and to strengthen the immune system.

It also helps to relieve fatigue and pain.

Guanqian Branch

Jilin Branch

Ximen Branch Add: 196, Jilin Rd., Taipei City Add: 156, Hanzhong St., Taipei City (台北市吉林路196號) (台北市漢中街156號) Reservation Hotline: (02) 2521-0060 (24h) (Exit 1 of MRT Ximen Station) Jilin Branch II Reservation Hotline: (02) 2389-0828 (24h) Add: 155, Jilin Rd., Taipei City (台北市吉林路155號) Reservation Hotline: (02) 2521-1677 (24h) MRT Xining S. Rd.

The most popular services of the health center are foot massage and whole-body massage.

Add: 12, Sec. 1, Hankou St., Taipei City (台北市漢口街一段12號) Reservation Hotline: (02) 2370-2323 (24h)

Jilin Branch II

Fine Cuisine

He Sheng Mung Been Cake Established in 1974, He Sheng Cake Shop makes traditional Chinese cakes just like those made by imperial palace chefs.

If your impression of Chinese cakes is still the sweet and greasy cakes of the past, try this exclusive house special cake. Shelled golden mung beans are mixed with a special formula to produce a cake with an enticing mung bean and milk aroma and a melt-inthe-mouth texture. This delicious cake leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth and will leave you wanting more; its fresh fragrance and delicate flavor can also be enjoyed frozen or eaten as a tea snack.

Date Paste Cakes

Mai Wo Wo Grain Buns

Sesame Cakes

Yitong Branch: 91, Yitong St., Zhongshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市中山區伊通街 91 號 ) Tel: +886-2-2504-8115

Sweet Glutinous-rice Sticks

Almond Pineapple Cakes

Muzha Branch: 101, Sec. 1, Zhongshun St., Wenshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市文山區忠順街一段 101 號 ) Tel: +886-2-2936-5702

Mung Been Cakes

hscake1974

www.hscake.com.tw

TRIBAL EXPERIENCE PISIRIAN

Young Pisirian community members

Pisirian on the Sea The Story of an Amis-Tribe Community’s Rejuvenation and Emergence as a Tourist Draw “ P aw-P aw ” d r u m m i n g , i n d i ge n o u s - c r a f t drif t wood DIY goats, village cultural tour, indigenous feasting – sound like your cup of tea?

Text: Rick Charette

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Photos: Ray Chang, East Coast National Scenic Area Administration, Pisirian PAW-PAW Drum Ensemble

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t’s not known exactly when the Amis people, today Taiwan’s largest indigenous tribe, arrived and settled on the east coast.

Written history records they were here when the Dutch and Spanish both took stabs at lording it over the island in the 1600s, setting up colonies. But the Amis had no written language, and their spoken tales of origin, gods, and heroes contain no clear clues. It’s also not known if they are the direct descendants of the ancient peoples that inhabited this region, who came here over three millennia ago – evidence of their existence unearthed by archeologists over the past century, some of which can be viewed at locations such as the Dulan Site and Baxian Caves (see this issue’s Feature article).

And it is unknown when the Pisirian came to Pisirian, which I found myself standing in, in the middle of one cool, overcast recent day. One thing, however, is known – there were goats aplenty on the spot to greet them. I’ll let Pisirian Chen Chun-mei decode what I just said: “In the Amis culture, the name of a place is generally given to the village that grows up there, and to the Amis sub-tribe that lives there,” she told me, standing outside the Pisirian Cultural Center. “I am Pasirian, from the Pisirian sub-tribe, and the name of our village is Pisirian, which is Amis for ‘goat goat,’ as in ‘many goats’ and ‘place for raising goats.’ When our people arrived here long ago, traveling down the Taitung coast, they found many wild goats ‘waiting’ for them as they came ashore.”

TRIBAL EXPERIENCE PISIRIAN

Sanxiantai also squeezed our traditional lands, affecting income.

Our village-tourism development over the past decade has breathed new life into the community, and the young generation is given great responsibility, giving them a sense of accomplishment and income incentives, keeping them here.”

The village has been made a place of public art. You’ll come across wood versions of goats everywhere, most moderate in size, a few very large. You’ll also see cute painted-cartoon figures on walls in 11 locations. These are based on the award-winning picture books of the much-loved Taiwan illustrator Jimmy (Jimmy

Driftwood Little Goat DIY session

Who is Chen, and just where were all those goats found? The latter first. Pisirian sits against the northeast tip of a Coastal Mountain Range spur that juts out into the sea, forming a small peninsula. Wild goats would long come out of the hills to munch on the peninsula-edge grasslands. Just off the headland’s middle is Sanxiantai (“Platform of the Three Immortals”), a major tourist attraction, which once was part of the headland.

Chen is head of the Paw-Paw Drum Ensemble, Pisirian’s big tourist draw, and the community’s development association. She’s also the person to contact regarding enjoyment of the village’s four offered tourist experiences, with the cultural center as hub. As she led our Travel in Taiwan team out on the village tour (NT$150 person), she gave us more background: “The center is our ‘window’ for visitors. We offer four experiences – a guided village tour, a Driftwood Little Goat DIY handicraft workshop, a traditional Amis feast, and a drum show with traditional song and dance. There’s a separate fee for each (minimum five people), so you can pick and choose.” Whichever you choose, reservations are a must.

“In recent decades Pisirian was slowly fading. Young folk were not interested in our traditional goat-raising, fishing, and small-scale farming. The government’s development of

Paw-Paw Drum Ensemble

Liao), who wanted to help the community’s tourism-promotion efforts. The direction these characters face shows you where to go on self-guided tours.

Chen showed us a number of wood-built thatch-roof pavilions.

“These are traditional-style rest pavilions, common in the old days, where you could chat and catch the breeze,” she says. “We’ve dotted the village with them again, to get people outside and interacting.

They’ve done wonders for community spirit, especially among seniors. If someone doesn’t appear, everyone notices, and we go to check.”

Among the other sites visited are an open-air workshop, the village-run homestay, and a small stand of areca palms. The workshop is where “Amis mochi” (made with millet, rice, and sweet potato), traditional-style wedding feasts, etc., have long been prepared. The homestay, beside the cultural center, was long the home of an important fisherman and village leader; before it are low-walled cement tanks the village’s best catch and fry would be showcased in for out-of-town buyers.

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TRIBAL EXPERIENCE PISIRIAN

Sanxiantai in the early morning

Our 90-minute tour ended back at the cultural center. Chen went off to help the drum troupe get ready, and the show (NT$300) started soon thereafter.

The Paw-Paw Drum Ensemble has performed all around Taiwan, and even overseas in Shanghai. Its energetic shows, showcasing traditional Amis song and dance, feature heart-thumping drumming.

The performers are all young students.

“We only stage Saturday and Sunday shows (11am and 2pm),” Chen informed us, “so the kids can concentrate on their studies during the week. They receive artist payments: part goes to their family, part is their pocket money, and part is reserved and presented upon their high-school graduation, contingent on good behavior.”

The center was transformed to serve as their training/performance facility. “In Amis we call fishing buoys ‘paw-paw.’ Our old and damaged ones kept piling up, and it was found that when the hard, thick-plastic buoys were cut through, the drum-like halves, when struck, had a sound akin to African drums. An idea was born. Village driftwood artists carved wooden drum bodies for them, and stretched goatskin over them. The drums were then decorated with traditional-style engraved patterns, ribbons, etc., with the Amis-clothing colors red, green, and yellow emphasized. In 2009 the founder of Taiwan’s acclaimed Ju Percussion Group, Ju Tzong-Ching,

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Amis-fare feast

came for a show, and right then and there decided to help us. His group has since given us invaluable, intensive training, raising us to international standards.”

A note of “warning”: Do not expect to be allowed to gaze on passively during the hour-plus-long fireworks. Audience members are strongly “encouraged” to get up on their feet and lend their talent to the happy rhythmic dancing.

Afterwards, it was up to the center’s rustic thatch-covered rooftop for our Amis-fare feast (NT$350), which turned out to have an unexpectedly wide range of tastes. We lingered, the sweeping ocean views, salty breezes, and sound of crashing waves encouraging our appetites, over such Amis classics as roast boar, fried flying fish, baked sweet potato, wood-cured roasted shrimp, and a-bai (see our Feature – Stay/ Eat/Buy article), these containing taro and tender marinated roast pork.

to regale us with stories of Pisirian life.

Pointing to a mammoth-sized goat sculpture atop the dike directly before the center, she said there were once two.

“Typhoon Morakot (Taiwan’s strongest recorded typhoon) hit us hard in 2009, and we woke up to find the second goat gone. No trace has ever been found. The gods blessed us in one way, however. For years we had plans to build on our roof.

Morakot stuffed the bay before us with driftwood, and our young people spent days in boats hauling in the best pieces, giving us everything needed, notably the beautiful pieces used for our large tables and massive pillars, which would have cost a fortune.”

Sanxiantai is visible over the dike from the rooftop, and Chen had numerous tales about the island and adjacent mainland area.

“They used to be part of our traditional lands,” she told us. “We’d collect laver around the island after storms. Up until

We finished up with our Driftwood Little Goat DIY session (NT$250). Your fee Sanxiantai brings you the needed Sanxiantai is a small volcanic-rock island of massive black-tinged wood pieces, acrylic bluffs said to resemble three Daoist deities, in petrified form, who visited here on an immortal cross-ocean flying journey long ago. paints, tools, and You reach it on foot via a long dragon-back-shaped arch bridge. We instruction, and you of spent a happy 90 minutes traipsing along the bridge and the island’s course get to take your easy loop trail. Note that a pleasant bike path to nearby Jihui Fishing artwork home. During Harbor starts at the Sanxiantai parking lot, with rentals available. our class, Chen continued

TRIBAL EXPERIENCE PISIRIAN

I was a young girl, our custom during the annual Harvest Festival was to drive all village goats and cattle across the short section of open water to the island, which had enough forage and fresh water to last during our busy week-plus of celebrating. Amis aren’t good swimmers, so young folk would follow the animals across in lines of 6~8, arms interlocked. Great fun!”

With our goats done, so was our visit. I have “revisited” Pisirian since, however, oft drifting back in my dreams, vivid visions of drumming and dancing in my head. Amis dancers and – strangely yet understandably – dancing goats as well. Great fun indeed.

Pisirian Cultural Center ( 比西里岸文化中心 ) Add: No. 260, Bailian Rd., Chenggong Township, Taitung County ( 台東縣成功鎮白蓮路 260 號 ) Tel: (089) 854-434 Website: pawpawdrum.weebly.com (Chinese)

English and Chinese a-bai 阿拜 Amis mochi 阿美麻糬 Amis tribe 阿美族 Chen Chun-mei 陳春妹 Chenggong 成功 Coastal Mountain Range 海岸山脈 Jihui Fishing Harbor 基翬漁港

Jimmy Liao 廖幾米 Ju Percussion Group 朱宗慶打擊樂團 Ju Tzong-Ching 朱宗慶 Paw-Paw Drum Ensemble PAWPAW 鼓樂團 Pisirian 比西里岸 Sanxiantai 三仙台

Zhongli Dist., Taoyuan City

Getting There On Provincial Highway 11, turn toward the coast just north of Chenggong town at the direction sign to Sanxiantai. Along the way is a split (three large shoulder-to-shoulder boulders in the grassy area between), with a sign, again with English, indicating Sanxiantai to the right and Shiyusan to the left. Bear left; Pisirian will appear almost immediately.

Discovering Taiwan

Without Leaving the Airport A Tour of Taiwan Taoyuan International If you walk through Taiwan’s largest airport you will find that the terminals are a convenient, intellectually stimulating, cultural-tour microcosm of Taiwan, allowing you to truly enjoy your stay at the island ’s most important gateway.

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time well, “exploring Taiwan” without leaving the airport.

Here’s how. The duty-free area is divided into quadrants – interconnected, no movement restrictions, Ever Rich handling A, B, and C, presenting scores of “Taiwan travel” themes to choose from.

Using the airport when traveling to destinations throughout Asia and beyond means spending time at different gates and various duty-free areas each time. The Ever Rich program ensures, you can spend this

Passageways Ever Rich maintains the interconnecting passageways, beautifying all in accordance with iconic Taiwan-culture themes. A prime example is actually two examples – the Wall of Literature, experienced in two Terminal 1 locations. The calligraphy-covered walls have been created by a renowned Taiwan calligrapher and award-winning music lyricist who specializes in bringing Taiwan landscapes, foods, and everyday culture to life through word imagery. Elsewhere, you’ll see walls teeming with foliage; look closely and you’ll see thousands of individually tended pots, homage to Taiwan’s fecund earth and rich globe-straddling cashcrop decorative-plant industry.

our time is precious. As is your money. You’ve expended hard-won resources to be in Taiwan, and have limited time here, but want to know the country as best you can.

Guaranteed is that precious time will be spent at the international airport – most likely Taiwan Taoyuan International – and Ever Rich Duty Free guarantees that you will have zero down time while there.

It has designed an expansive duty-free space, which encompasses Terminals 1 and 2 and the long corridors connecting the two, as a giant square gallery of cultural edu-tainment for your exploration.

As you’d expect, this is a sparkling showcase of the world’s most prestigious brands. But, even more importantly for your purposes, it is a microcosm of Taiwan’s traditional culture and modern culturalcreative dynamism.

Advertorial

Waiting Lounges Each lounge has been made an aesthetic showcase of a single iconic element in Taiwan’s cultural mosaic. A dynamic marquee wall greets you on entry, boldly announcing the theme, and inside is specially commissioned artwork, accompanied by a kiosk with explanatory video and printed Chinese/English background info. Among the most compelling is the Taiwan Aboriginal Arts lounge (A6), where indigenous artist Siki Sufin has used three classic native mediums, driftwood, rattan, and bamboo, in a powerful wall-art display of traditional artistic motifs. Among the other intriguing lounge themes are Taiwan Alpine, Taiwan Fruit, Glamorous Textile Art, Taiwan Orchid, MIT Bike, Taiwan Opera, Taiwan Music, and Taiwanese Local Cuisine, the last mimicking the island’s raucous, colorful traditional night markets.

“Taiwan Famous Products” Shops What better way to experience Taiwan than to buy an iconic culture sample to take home as souvenir? I strongly suggest starting at Taiwan Image (C6). First, you’ll see a large map-poster showing Taiwan’s score upon score of “famous products” made in each locality – pineapple cakes, nougat candy, Hakka-style f loral fabrics, etc. Almost all, purchasable in souvenir form, are available in the duty-free area. Right beside this map-poster is another one indicating where Taiwan’s renowned teas are grown – especially its high-mountain varieties – and directly below this is a driftwood table-chair set, typical of those found at high-mountain plantation retail outlets, where free samples are prepared traditional-style.

Eating Taiwan’s Traditional Food Culture Your culture-hunting gives you much food for thought, and as you’ve found, much inspiration for purchase of actual “famous foods” in packaged form to take home to share. At this time your adventuring will no doubt result in a growling tummy, demanding to be fed, so continue your themed edu-tainment with “live” gourmand tou r ing. Ever R ich’s homee K itchen restaurant serves a delicious menu of Taiwan-classic culinary creations – the

name “homee” was, in fact, chosen because it sounds like “delicious” in Taiwanese.

The chef’s special is gourmet beef noodles.

Among the hot-snack dishes beloved by locals are Tainan danzai (“carrying-pole”) noodles, braised pork rice, wonton soup, and other delicious specialties.

As well, keep a n eye out along the corridors for the old-style street-vendor carts, where samples of other fresh-made classic treats are “hawked,” such as pork crisps, pineapple cakes, and egg rolls.

A final note: To help you, Ever Rich has prepared a special brochure, Journey Through an Airport, available at its info centers in each area, with suggested tours of differing duration.

RAIL/BUS/BIKE HUALIEN

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UALIEN

TWO LAKES BIKEWAY Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Chen Cheng-kuo

Liyu Lake

Hualien, the largest city on Taiwan’s east coast, has plenty of attractions to keep a visitor busy for a day or more. If you want to take things in at a slower pace, rent a bike and follow a bikeway that connects a scenic pebble beach north of the city with a scenic lake to the west of it.

Q i xi ng tan Hu ali en Stati o n C ou ntry Mother’s

Su nward Pla z a Hu ali en Harb or B ei b i n Park

Two L ake s Bi keway Liy u L ake

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he Two Lakes Bikeway stretches 35 kilometers from Qixingtan (Qixing Lake), just north of Hualien, to Liyu (Carp) Lake at the mouth of the East Rift Valley. It skirts along the coast before cutting west on old railroads and levees through the rural villages south of the city, until it jackknifes southwards into the funnel formed by the north-south Central and Coastal mountain ranges. If you don’t fancy doing the bikeway in one go, there are plenty of places to rent bikes en route, so it’s easy to start partway along the bike path and do your preferred section.

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1. Qixingtan park 2. Bike rental 3. Bikeway

Q i xingtan

With a group of travel friends, on a recent spring day I start a trip at Qixingtan, a popular tourist spot. Uninitiated visitors to “Qixing Lake” will be surprised to find that it is not in fact a lake at all, but rather a picturesque stretch of coastline that includes a small fishing village and a shingle beach.

The misconception comes about because there once indeed was a group of lakes nearby, but they were rather unceremoniously filled in in 1936 to build an airport. The bay, which now retains the name of the once-upon-a-time lakes, is a visitor-busy scenic area known for its gorgeous aquamarine waters – which seem to

shine even in gloomy weather – and also as an ideal spot for stargazing.

find many colorful agates and striped pebbles littered about.

Though it might be tempting, considering how beautiful the water looks, swimming is prohibited because the waves and currents here are particularly treacherous. The beach, though, is certainly not off-limits. Due to the protruding headland on the south at Qilaibi, the rocks from the area's rivulets have over time accumulated on this stretch of coast into a long, pebbly beach. The constant weathering by the Pacific has also revealed the stones’ inner beauty, and you'll

If you visit in the summer, you might be lucky enough to catch a display by local fishermen of one of their traditional fishing methods – use of the beach seine, a net cast into the ocean from the beach and dragged to shore, hopefully thrashing with fish.

There are vendors selling traditional Taiwanese snacks in the park area near the beach, and the visitor center in the village on the south side also has a coffee shop and seafood restaurant attached.

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Hualien Harbor Further along the coast, we come to Hualien Harbor.

The aromas of the working fishing port within this large-scale fishing/shipping facility hits you like an iron chum bucket to the nose. Freshly caught fish, diesel fuel, and the salty ocean air; it's enough to make you want to pull on a pair of oilskins, hop on a trawler, and have a good ol’ scrap with Davy Jones.

There is a bustling fish auction here every day, from 2 11am until sunset, and while carting a fish along on your cycling trip may not be ideal, it's certainly worth stopping by to soak in the atmosphere and see the vendors hawking the morning's catch.

If you fancy a bite, you can also try some fresh seafood at the Tian Mama (“Field Mothers”) restaurant at the head of the market. “Tian Mama” is a scheme launched in 2001 as a way to allow local women in various locations around Taiwan to open restaurants specializing in local delicacies. At the Hualien Harbor branch, the focus is unsurprisingly on freshly caught saltwater catch. Choose yours out front, and the talented ladies will rustle up tasty dishes for you.

If you fancy something a little more upmarket, head across the harbor’s north-end fishing port to the Sunward Plaza, a large mock-Tudor manor house painted in red, blue, and yellow – you really can't miss it. Inside you'll find the “Chinese & Japanese Food” Restaurant, which serves top-notch seafood cooked in both Chinese and Japanese styles, accompanied by locally grown vegetables. Elsewhere in the plaza, purchase products made from the locally caught fish, such as fish floss, fish balls, and cured surimi , and participate in such DIY activities as making your own coral jewelry and even rolling your own fish balls.

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3 1. Sunward Plaza 2. Locally caught fish 3. Beibin Park

RAIL/BUS/BIKE HUALIEN

Country Mother’s Veering off the trail slightly, heading a bit into the city from the harbor area’s midpoint, we stop for a refuel at a Hualien institution – Country Mother's. A Western-style breakfast/brunch restaurant, Country Mother's is rather a novelty in Hualien, where breakfast habits are still largely traditional (unlike in Taipei, where brunch places are now two a penny). What's perhaps more surprising, though, is the fact that this ostensibly provincial effort stands toe to toe with the best on offer in the capital. Perhaps the secret is Country Mother's authenticity. The brainchild of a Canadian expat with more than 12 years' experience in Canadian restaurant kitchens, along with his Taiwanese partner, Country Mother's bakes all its bread and makes all its preserves in-house, and serves some really fantastic homey grub in very generous portions – eggs Benedict, French toast, waffles, pancakes, bagels, and more types of omelet than you can shake a whisk at. It closes at 2pm, so make sure you pick up the pace to get there before it closes.

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B ei bin (North Shore) Park Continuing south on the trail, we pass over the old Daybreak Bridge, an attractive little viaduct topped with several wooden-frame arches. Built in 1939 by the Japanese, the bridge crosses the Meilun River, and gets its name from the fact that by standing on it and looking east you get a perfect view of the dawning sun. Once a railway bridge that connected Hualien Harbor to the city, it was, after the old line was decommissioned, converted for cycling path use.

Crossing the bridge, you enter Beibin Park, a pretty little green area that has recently been given a bit of a makeover as an open-air art gallery – though don't expect any Renaissance masterpieces.

The art on offer here is purely whimsical. Three-dimensional paintings of whales, clownfish, sharks, and other ocean dwellers line the walls around the park, providing photo ops aplenty for the so minded. If you're feeling peckish and don't want to go off-route to find an eatery, there's an Australian pie shop at the south end of the park, which is sure to fill in any meat-and-gravy-shaped holes you might have.

6 4. Country Mother's restaurant 5. Omelet brunch set 6. 3D paintings in Beibin Park

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Getting There and Around

Biking around Liyu Lake

Liyu Lake

Country Mother’s Add: No. 34, Fuqian Rd., Hualien City, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣花蓮市府前路 34 號 ) Tel: (03) 823-6008 Google Map with Info

Finally, we reach the jadeite waters of Liyu Lake – the largest lake in eastern Taiwan. The lake was formed through a complex series of natural events that caused the diversion of a source river on the south and the blockage of exit waters on the north, creating a barrier lake.

Five peaks, resembling deep-emerald waves, surround the lake and look, on drizzly, misty days, as if they come straight out of a classical Chinese painting.

The flora and fauna in and around the lake are quite spectacular, too. The lake itself is full of several species of carp (liyu means “carp” in Chinese), and its banks are home to egrets and herons. At the end of spring, around April, the area is a breeding ground for fireflies, which can be seen flashing through the forest or near the shores.

English and Chinese Beibin Park 北濱公園 “Chinese & Japanese Food” Restaurant 中和日食坊 Daybreak Bridge 曙光橋 East Rift Valley 花東縱谷

The 5km circuit around the lake can be done in no time, but there are also numerous diversions along the way. On the lake's eastern shore you'll find the trailheads for several hiking trails, which take you up onto Mt. Liyu, where you'll be able to see barbets, shrikes, babblers, and bulbuls as well as several species of butterfly, while on the western shore you can rent dragon-shaped paddle boats for a jaunt on the lake, or take a photo with the Red-Faced Duck – a blow-up Muscovy duck of the same ilk as Florentijn Hofman's floating Rubber Duck sculpture.

Perhaps a little baffling to visitors, it is in fact a bit of an in-joke for the Taiwanese – Muscovy duck, fried with ginger and served in a hotpot with various pungent herbs, being a popular dish here.

Hualien Harbor 花蓮港 Liyu Lake 鯉魚潭 Meilun River 美崙溪 Mt. Liyu 鯉魚山 Qilaibi 奇萊鼻 Qixingtan 七星潭

Red-Faced Duck 紅面鴨 Sunward Plaza 向日廣場 Tian Mama 田媽媽 Two Lakes Bikeway 兩潭自行車道 Two-Railways Bikeway 兩鐵自行車道

Alishan House has the best location of any hotel in the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, offering uninterrupted views of the best scenery Alishan has to offer, including the sea of clouds, the sunset glow, and sacred trees.

The hotel itself is a mix of old and new structures. The main building (Historical House) has an old-time atmosphere and used to be the guesthouse where past ROC presidents stayed. There is also the new building (Modern House), completed in December 2012 after nine years of construction and costing NT$1.3 billion, which has modern design and novel facilities. Alishan House is definitely the best accommodation choice in the Alishan area.

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The easiest way to get to either end of the bikeway is to take a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (www.taiwantrip.com.tw ) service bus from outside Hualien Railway Station or the nearby tourist information center. Buses plying the Hualien East Rift Valley Route stop at Liyu Lake, and those that ply the Taroko Route stop at Qixingtan.

If you’d like to start your bike outing right away, you can rent bikes from the Giant bicycle shop near the railway station (exit the station and bear left). From this point, follow the Two-Railways Bikeway east, then proceed down along the Meilun River, and you’ll emerge at Beibin Park.

Bike Rental GIANT Hualien Station ( 捷安特花蓮站 ) Add: No. 35, Guoxing 1st St., Hualien City ( 花蓮市國興一街 35 號 ) Tel: (03) 833-6761 Hours: 09:00~18:00 Mon~Fri; 08:00~18:00 weekends Rates: NT$150/day Mon~Fri; NT$375/4hrs weekends Website: www.giantcyclingworld.com (Chinese) If you’d like to start at Qixingtan, you can rent bikes in the south-end village. For groups of five or more, you can arrange for the shop to come and pick the bikes up at your destination.

Qixing Lake Bike Rental ( 花蓮七星潭租車 ) Add: No. 68, Aly. 1, Ln. 10, Mingtan Street, Xincheng Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣新城鄉明潭街 10 巷 1 弄 68 號 ) Tel: (03) 822-5347 Hours: 08:00 ~ 19:00 daily Rates: NT$100/day Website: cake.886.idv.tw (Chinese) If you’d like to start at the other end of the route, bikes can be rented next to the entrance at the Liyu Lake north-end visitor center. You can rent for more than one day if you like, but bikes must be returned to the Liyu Lake shop.

Yuxiang Bike Rental ( 鈺翔商行 ) Add: No. 100, Huantan N. Rd, Chinan Village, Shoufeng Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣壽豐鄉池南村環潭北路 100 號 ) Tel: (03) 864-1222 Rates: NT$100/day

Staying at Alishan House allows guests to conveniently experience the five wonders Alishan is well-known for: sunrise, sea of clouds, sunset glow, forest, and mountain railway! You can also enjoy the natural forest air and appreciate clouds and mist and the lush green mountains at an elevation of more than 2,000 meters. A stay at Alishan House is like enjoying a natural spa, and is a great way of leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city and charging one’s batteries in the embrace of nature.

16 Xianglin Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County +886-5-267-9816 www.alishanhouse.com.tw Travel in Taiwan

Let’s experience some exciting traditional Taiwan stage performances!

TaipeiEYE stages shows for tourists visiting Taiwan, including folk music, aboriginal dance and music, Peking opera improved by new scenes of dances and martial arts, and much more. English subtitles are provided so that foreign visitors can easily follow the action. The performances at TaipeiEYE are a must-see for anyone interested in the amazing performing arts of Taiwan.

Performances: Mon., Wed., Fri., & Sat. at 20:00 Tel: +886-2-2568-2677

E-Mail: taieye@taipeieye.com

Add: Cement Hall at Taiwan Cement Building 113, Sec. 2, 主辦單位：

贊助指導單位：

Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City(Jinzhou St. entrance) www.taipeieye.com

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FARM FUN HUALIEN

Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch

A Place Where the Child in You Cannot Help But Smile Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Chen Cheng-kuo

Summer is upon us, school will soon be over, and family days out are high on many people’s agenda. Taiwan’s many leisure farms, offering wholesome, educational experiences far away from the noise and sticky heat of the city, are unsurprisingly a popular option for locals and visitors alike. We recently visited one of these farms, located in Hualien County’s East Rift Valley.

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ne of the largest, and most certainly one of the quirkiest, leisure farms on the island is the Shin Kong Chao Resort Ranch. Located in Taiwan's stunning East Rift Valley, the ranch is a farrago of all things “leisure farm.” Part zoo, part dairy ranch, part sculpture garden, part themed village, part orchard, part hotspring resort – the ranch does at first seem like something of a Frankenstein's monster, thrown together at the whim of an unchecked eccentric.

Dig a little deeper into the ranch’s history, however, and you’ll discover that it’s more akin to a slowly evolving organism that has gradually complexified to fit the changing demands seen during its almost fifty-year existence.

“People often have the mistaken impression that farms like ours just appear out of nowhere,” says Yang Shun-sheng, head of the ranch’s leisure management department, “when in fact it's a long and difficult process of development.”

According to Yang, this plot of land was bought

way back in the 1970s by the Shin Kong Group – a large Taiwanese conglomerate – and initial plans were to develop a retreat for the company's employees. The land was originally covered with rocks which had to be painstakingly removed, and irrigation channels were dug to transport enough water to the mud and earth to be able to grow grass, bushes, and trees – especially for the cultivation of fruit.

“But in the beginning, the soil just wasn't rich enough,” says Yang, “so we brought in cows and sheep to graze, and their natural fertilizer helped slowly transform the soil so that we could plant a fruit orchard here.”

The oranges that grew in the orchard were sweet, and people began to come and pay to pick the fruit to take home. As the fruit-picking became more popular, people started requesting a place to stay the night, and the old workers' quarters were converted into accommodation.

“As people were spending longer periods of time

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here, we also felt the need to provide them with food and entertainment, so the restaurant was built, and we began to set up the zoo and the hot-spring facilities,” Yang says. “To our former chairman, the ranch was like a child, something that he slowly built and nurtured over decades.”

At 726 hectares, the farm is big – seriously big – and if you want to get around it all, walking is probably not your best option, especially during the sweltering summer months. Fortunately, there are other options. You can rent a bicycle or take one of the three choo-choo trains (imported from Italy) from the visitor center. However, by far the best way to tour the ranch is in an electric golf cart. So, with our new wheels ready, and the engine gently humming, we put the pedal to the metal and headed to the ranch zoo.

The zoo’s crown jewel is undoubtedly the bird park, near the entrance-area visitor center, which contains nearly 300 species of bird, including a stunning collection of golden-plumed oriental pheasants, primary color parrots, regal black-crowned cranes, free-roaming peacocks, and one (thankfully penned in) irritable cassowary.

The Cute Animals Area is next on the route; if you have kids, it will certainly take up a sizable chunk of your day. This is the zoo’s most interactive area, and features plenty of furry critters – rabbits, monkeys, and foxes – that are more than happy to be fed by visitors. The stars of the area,

4 1. Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch park area 2. Water fowl 3. Raccoons 4. Feeding rabbits in the Cute Animals Area

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however, are undoubtedly the raccoons, natural showmen who will stand on their hind legs and clasp their hands together on the cue of “bai tuo ” – the Chinese for a begging/pleading “please.”

As you move further down the length of the park, the land becomes more wooded – according to Yang, the ranch contains over 10 million hand-planted trees – and is divided by long, straight avenues bordered by cotton trees, which bloom with dense clusters of scarlet flowers in the springtime. It’s here that the deer live. Three types of deer populate this easterly area of the farm – sambar, Formosan sika, and white fallow deer – and you can see them clustered together, eating the bark from felled trees or taking shelter beneath the boughs.

At the far end of the park is the resort's dairy farm. It’s a working farm, and the cows are milked twice daily – once at 3am and then again at 4pm. In one of the barns you'll find some newly born calves, which you can feed from a large rubber-uddertopped bottle. The milk produced here is bought by the Taiwan food conglomerate Uni-President, which stocks 7-Eleven and Starbucks; so chances are, if you've been in Taiwan awhile you'll have tried some of the milk. There is a café at the farm, too, where you can pick up some dairy products such as milk nougat, extremely delicious milk pudding, milk ice cream, and also milk soap, and try a cup of sweet milk tea.

If you'd like something a little more personal to take away with you, visit the resort's DIY area. There are several DIY options to get involved with, and all are simple enough for children to do. We sampled the kumquat vinegar session, during which a healthy fruit vinegar is produced that you can dilute and drink. There are also candle-making sessions, bag-making sessions, and ostrich-eggpainting sessions, offered throughout the day.

Later in the day, after an eight-course feast in the resort’s large banquet hall, decked out in royal purple and red, we retired to the hot-spring facility for a long soak. The sodium-bicarbonate spring that feeds this Japanese-style onsen originate over 1,500 meters below ground in the bowels of a nearby mountain. There is a public pool, but we opted for a private bath, which has a time limit of 40 minutes, more than enough time to fill the large stone tubs and take a soak. For those eager to party on, the ranch also has several karaoke facilities, which stay open until 11pm.

Evidently, then, there is no shortage of things to do. Yet perhaps the most striking thing about the ranch is not its large roster of

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2 1. Flower field 2. Feeding a newly born calf 3. Kumquat vinegar session 4. Farm produce shop

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activities, but rather its unconventional and highly eclectic exterior/interior styling. The reception hall, for example, is reminiscent of an American hunting lodge, replete with hung replica animal heads. The visitor center is neo-classical, with Mediterranean domes, porticoes, and pediments, and overlooks a manicured garden that wouldn’t look out of place f ront i ng a French palace. The main guest accommodation is a collection of semi-detached wooden cottages known as Holland Village – complete with a windmill, for any detractors of its authenticity. And the aforementioned hot-spring facility is pure Japanese in style, entered via a torii gate, overlaid with bamboo panelling, and finished with a backdrop of red and yellow lanterns.

Now, while some may see this as lacking in direction or taste, it is, in fact, quite charming in a way that is also rather beautifully “Taiwanese.” Having had what one might call a turbulent political history – with Dutch, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese all exerting some kind of control over the island at some point during the last 400 years – Taiwan is, architecturally speaking, a magpie's nest of Western and Eastern influences that blend into an attimes slightly eccentric, but nevertheless charming, hodgepodge.

Getting There From Taipei, take a train to Hualien (2~3 hours); then take a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus (www.taiwantrip.com.tw/busline_post_e2_en.html ; Hualien East Rift Valley Route) from outside the station or the nearby tourist information center to the Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch stop.

Nowhere is this style more evident, however, than in the many sculptures that pepper the ranch. They are a true collector's cupboa rd of mismatched cu r iosities: Totemic animal f ig u res and sinewy indigenous hunters line the avenues, Grecian maidens, cherubs, and posing Adonises cluster in conspiratorial gatherings, Taiwanese folk gods and Thaistyle Buddhas peep out from alcoves in the shrubbery, giant snails patrol the flower gardens, alabaster wild horses and trains of bronze oxen roam the meadows, a giant King Kong rears up from behind a spinney, and a life-sized pack of dinosaurs gnash and quarrel in a clearing. And there's a giant Statue of Liberty knocking about too … and an Egyptian obelisk, and ….

“Most of the younger staff here find the stylistic flourishes to be a little strange,” Yang says with a laugh. “It’s true that it's not a very modern approach. Our former chairman, who has now passed away, was quite a traveler, and if he liked something he saw abroad, he’d appropriate it and use it at the ranch. If there was an empty space he'd order something put there, without really considering the aesthetic harmony of it.”

Though it probably wouldn’t pass muster nowadays, there's no denying that English and Chinese bai tuo 拜托 East Rift Valley 花東縱谷 Holland Village 荷蘭村 Shin Kong Group 新光集團 Uni-President 統一企業 Yang Shun-sheng 楊順勝

the result has something wonderful about it. While your adult sensibilities may cause you to do a few double-takes and engage in a bit of pensive squinting, the child in you cannot help but smile.

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Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch ( 新光兆豐休閒農場 ) Add: No. 20, Yongfu St., Fenglin Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣鳳林鎮永福街 20 號 ) Tel: (03) 877-2666 Park Opening Hours: 08:00 ~ 17:00 Website: www.skcf.com.tw Park Admission Fee: NT$350 for adults, NT$250 for teens, and NT$200 for children Guests staying at the ranch can enter the park without paying the admission fee. Rooms can be booked on the ranch’s website; prices start at NT$3,800 per night for a standard double room.

There is also a free pick-up service from Hualien Railway Station for guests staying at the ranch.

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1. Giant King Kong 2. Dinosaur sculptures

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One of the Most Beautiful Bays – One of the Best Secret Islands

Twin-Hearts Stone Weir Earlier residents of Penghu built hook-shaped fish traps to take advantage of the action of the tide to catch fish.

When the tide went out, the fish that had entered the trap at high tide were stranded and could be easily caught.

To catch more fish, a unique and beautiful stone twin-heart fish trap was built at Dingxihu on Qimei Island. The hearts always stay close together as the tide rises and falls, symbolizing never-ending love.

Aimen Aimen sounds like “Love Gate” in Chinese. The area has a white-sand beach over 3km meters long that extends along the southeastern shoreline of the main island of Penghu, just 5 minutes away from the airport. Nearby Lintou Park is heavily wooded, offering welcome shade, with flowers and grass swaying in the wind. With sun, sand, and ocean, Aimen is a paradise that is ideal for a romantic stroll with a significant other while enjoying the scenery and tranquility of the island.

Exchanging Solemn Vows Wander across the islands, feel the breathe, enjoy hand in hand a dazzling fireworks display, swear a solemn oath facing the sea, make a sincere promise before the magnificent basalt columns, imprint happy memories of a visit with double happiness window grills... this is Penghu, a place that has one of the most beautiful bays in the world, that is also one of the “best secret islands” in the world.

Penghu Tour Website: http://tour.penghu.gov.tw/en/index.aspx

Penghu International Fireworks Festival Held every Monday and Thursday evening from April through June, this is the festival that has been held for the longest time by a Taiwan county government. With Xiying Bridge as the backdrop, as the colorful fireworks explode in the air to stunning audial and visual effects a happy atmosphere instantly envelops the entire archipelago. This is the most romantic event of spring and summer on Penghu not to be missed.

Sweet Passion Evergreen spikey cacti are native residents of the islands of Penghu and form a landscape full of life. The fruit of the cactus is made into jelly, jam, ice, and other products that have a sour-sweet taste and a passionate natural bright red color. Okinawan brown sugar is skillfully transformed by Penghu bakers into brown sugar cake, the most famous local product. It not only bears witness to the history of the islands, the sweet taste and chewy texture is a pleasant encounter fondly remembered by visitors.

Advertisement by the Penghu County Government

Silvergrass in the Wind Scaling the Heights of the Caoling Historic Trail

Silvergrass along Caoling Historic Trail

There are several good reasons why the Caoling Historic Trail, located on the northeast coast of Taiwan, is one of the most popular day-hikes in the Taipei region. It’s not too strenuous. It’s rich in history. Above all, it’s a very scenic walk.

Text: Richard Saunders Photos: Twelli, Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area

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C

rossing the mountains close to Taiwan proper’s easternmost point (Cape Sandiao), the Caoling Historic Trail is one of the few remaining stretches of the Danlan Historic Trail, which once connected the north-coast port of Tamsui (Danshui) with the fertile but then-remote east-coast plains of present-day Yilan County. This section of the route (one of the few stretches that can be followed today) was restored in the 1990s, and has since been a favorite with both local and visiting walkers.

The Danlan Trail was established in 1807 during the Qing Dynasty (1644~1911) by Yang Ting-li, governor of Taiwan (which was then part of China’s Fujian Province), and ran from Tamsui in the northwest, across the Yangmingshan mountains and the hilly eastern part of what is now called New Taipei City, to end at the coast of present-day Yilan County, facilitating the opening up of a hitherto relatively inaccessible area of the island.

EASY HIKING TAIPEI/YILAN

which makes for straightforward walking and route-finding.

Bring protection against both sun and rain, plus food and plenty of water. Most of the central section of the walk is exposed, with little or no shade.

Most people begin their excursion at the Fulong-area trailhead, thus saving the best scenery for the later part of the outing.

Fulong village heaves on summer weekends, thanks to one of the finest sandy beaches in Taiwan, located just a few minutes’ walk away from the railway station.

If you have your own vehicle, you can drive to the trailhead, which is about 6km from Fulong by main road; head to Provincial Highway 2C, then watch for the side-road turn-off, which is clearly marked in Chinese and English. On foot, however, you can take a shorter route (about 4km) along quiet minor roads and trails, which is also a more scenic way than the main road.

To walk to the trailhead, turn left upon leaving the railway station building, follow the railway tracks for about a hundred meters, and turn left again, passing beneath them under a bridge.

Then simply follow the clearly signposted quiet country roads, slowly approaching the hills. After a few kilometers you need to take a short trail through a small bamboo grove; you’ll then meet another country road. Turn left at the next intersection and follow the road, which is beside a stream, passing idyllic Yuanwangkeng Riverside Park, a great place to stop and rest awhile before continuing up to the start of Caoling Historic Trail.

From the park, it’s another 1.5 kilometers to the trailhead. On the way you will cross an old bridge, interestingly named “HorseFalling-to-Death Bridge.” The story goes that in the old days, when the bridge at this point was narrow and made of wood, horses had, on different occasions, fallen into the stream and died when attempting to cross.

Two further sections of the Danlan Trail still exist. Another crossridge stretch of the trail starts above Houtong (the former mining village southeast of Keelung, best known today for its population of several hundred street cats), and a short length of the trail near Shiding (southeast of central Taipei City) has also been reopened.

However, the Caoling (“grassy-ridge”) Historic Trail, named after the silvergrass that grows thickly around its highest point, is by far the most popular section, boasting two rocks carved with florid, 150-year-old calligraphy, a sea of silvergrass, and (best of all!) some really amazing views of the east coast and the Pacific.

The walk is a short day-hike (allow 4-5 hours), and the area is easily reached by train (Fulong Railway Station in the northwest, Dali Railway Station in the southeast). There’s a fair amount of vertical ascent, but the well-signposted path is wide and for the most part surfaced with stone slabs (including many steps),

In reaching the trailhead, you pass from narrow vehicle-access roadway to stone-slab pathway and follow the tumbling stream up into the hills. Right beside the stream, shortly after the start of the trail, is the Great Banyan Tree, a particularly large and beautiful specimen.

The path then takes you through lush forest and past meadows with grazing water buffalo, before you come to a huge boulder on the right, inscribed with four Chinese characters that proclaim “Boldly Quell the Violent Mists.” This is the first of two boulders carved in 1867 with calligraphy by Liu Mingdeng, who was regional commander of the military in Taiwan at the time. When the commander made a trip to inspect the trail that year, the weather was less than ideal, and Liu and his party encountered thick fog and strong winds. He drew the four characters on the boulder (which were afterwards carved permanently into its face) with the intention of subduing the evil forces thought to have summoned up the troublesome mist.

After the rock, the path reaches a rest area with a pavilion and toilets, then gradually climbs out of the woods into an area where silvergrass covers both sides of the valley. Near the source of the stream the path has followed up to this point another, much smaller, rock comes into view to the right, this one engraved with a single Chinese character: the word “Tiger,” executed in elaborately calligraphic strokes by Liu using (it’s said) a “brush” Travel in Taiwan

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EASY HIKING TAIPEI/YILAN

"Tiger" inscription

made from silvergrass stems. Liu’s party was assailed by strong gales as they reached this point, near the highest part of the trail, and the inscription was intended to calm the tumult (since the tiger was believed to have the power to command the wind).

A minute or two after passing the Tiger inscription, the path reaches a large paved area, which marks the Caoling Historic Trail’s highest point, the “Pass.”

There is a tiny shrine to the Earth God (accompanied by his wife, a rarity), and (if the weather is cooperating) a magnificent view over the steep coastal hills and out to the Pacific, with the mysterious, humpbacked Turtle Island in sight.

At t h is poi nt (r ig ht on t he borde r between New Taipei City and Yilan County) there’s a choice of routes. The Caoling Historic Trail joins a road here, which winds downhill for nearly four kilometers (although several paths make useful shortcuts on the longer zigzags) to reach the colorful Tiangong Temple on the coast, just a short walk from Dali Railway Station. On the way you’ll pass a pavilion with nice views of the coast and the former Forestry Station, which now houses a small visitor center with toilets and soft-drink vending machines.

However, if the weather is clear, instead of starting downhill to Dali

consider taking the path on the right that climbs up the grassy hillside to a rest pavilion, about 400 meters away. This path is the long and challenging Taoyuan Valley Trail. The views as the stoneslabbed path ascends, both out to sea and inland, are exceptional. Beyond the pavilion, the path follows the grassy top of the coastal ridge for 4.5 kilometers (about 2 hours). There are magnificent views most of the way, as the path climbs over 616-meter-high Mt. Wankengtou (the highest point along this stretch of the coastal mountains) and on to the beautiful, close-cropped hillside meadows of Taoyuan Valley, a popular picnic spot with more magnificent views both over the ocean and inland.

If you’ve made it this far (and the hilly terrain means the ridge walk is best attempted only by the fairly fit) you can turn the ramble into a full day’s hike of about 8 hours. March along the ridge for Taoyuan Valley Trail

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EASY HIKING TAIPEI/YILAN

Taoyuan Valley

another 30 minutes or so, then take a trail (signposted to Daxi) on the left that descends back into the woods. Eventually the sea is reached once more (on the far side of Cape Sandiao) near the little harbor village of Daxi, where several great seafood restaurants make for a well-deserved après-hike meal. Turn right (south) along the coastal highway, and Daxi Railway Station is a 10-minute walk away.

If you want to rest your weary legs on a fine-sand beach after your hike, take a local train from either Dali or Daxi back to Fulong, or, in the other direction, down to Wai’ao, site of a very popular surf beach. Nearby Wushi Harbor also has some excellent seafood restaurants.

For more info about the area, visit the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area website at www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw.

Taoyuan Valley

View from coastal mountains

Caoling Historic Trail (Total length: 8.5km; hiking time: 4~5 hours) Fulong Railway Station – 2.8km – Yuanwangkeng Park – 1.2km – Great Banyan Tree – 0.8km – “Boldly Quell the Wild Mists” Inscription – 0.7km – Pavilion – 0.5km – “Tiger” Inscription – 0.13km – Pass – 0.56km – Pavilion – 0.14km – Forestry Station – 1.8km – Dali Tiangong Temple – 0.6km – Dali Railway Station English and Chinese Pass 啞口 “Boldly Quell the Violent Mists” Shiding 石碇 雄鎮蠻煙摩碣 Tamsui 淡水 Caoling Historic Trail 草嶺古道 Taoyuan Valley Trail 桃源谷步道 Cape Sandiao 三貂角 Tiangong Temple 天公廟 Dali 大里 Tiger 虎 Danlan Historic Trail 淡蘭古道 Turtle Island 龜山島 Daxi 大溪 Wai’ao 外澳 Forestry Station 護管所 Wushi Harbor 烏石港 Great Banyan Tree 大榕樹 Yang Ting-li 楊廷理 “Horse-Falling-to-Death Bridge” Yangmingshan 陽明山 跌死馬橋 Yuanwangkeng Riverside Park Houtong 猴硐 遠望坑親水公園 Liu Ming-deng 劉明燈 Mt. Wankengtou 灣坑頭山 Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area 東北角暨宜蘭海岸國家風景區

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WHERE TO GO TONIGHT TA I N A N

Places to Go in the Hai’an Road Commercial District Text and Photos: Vision

L

ocated in Tainan City’s Zhongxi District, H a i’a n R o a d S h o p p i n g D i s t r i c t i s characterized by the combination of the traditional appearance of Taiwan’s old capital with new shops and modern art. This area was the most prosperous in the city in earlier times. Today, historic arteries such as Shennong Street and Hai’an Road are home to many new public artworks, cafés, and bars, while the Guohua Road/Zhongzheng Road area has many trendy shops and traditional-snack eateries. To experience the stimulating mix of old and new in Taiwan’s former capital city, Hai’an Road Commercial District is the place to go!

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Shennong Street

Cafés Sightseeing and Shopping 1

Hai’an Road Art Street ( 海安路藝術街 )

On Hai’an Road Art Street the special scene of dilapidated walls of old buildings given a new look with modern art can be seen. The painted walls are illuminated by night, exuding a different kind of charm. The road is lined with outdoor cafés, clothes and accessory shops, and restaurants. At night, crowds of young people flock here to stroll, take photos, or chat over a meal, creating a bustling scene.

Location: Sec. 2, Hai’an Rd., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區海安路二段 )

2

Shennong Street ( 神農街 )

Shennong Street is a well-preserved old street with quite a few Qing Dynasty and Japanese colonial period buildings still to be seen. Its city-designated historic sites include Jinhua Temple and Yaowang Temple, giving it a strong historical flavor. Many distinctive stores, cafés, and bars have opened up along the street in recent years, which, together with the modern art on nearby Hai’an Road, drive the whole area’s development.

Location: Shennong St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區神農街 )

3

Guohua You’ai New Commercial District ( 國華友愛新商圈 )

This commercial district is bordered by Ximen Road on the east, Hai’an Road on the west, Zhongzheng Road on the north, and Zunwang Road on the south.

Zhongzheng Road is the main thoroughfare in Tainan’s oldest business district, and a place where old and new meet. Traditional Tainan snacks can be found here, as can many new youth-oriented stores that attract many young people.

Location: Intersection of Zhongzheng Rd. and Sec. 2, Guohua St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區中正路與國華街二段路口 )

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4

Fat Cat ( 肥貓 )

The proprietor of Fat Cat is a member of a rock band. Inside, one wall is covered in DVDs – for-sale albums by independent bands from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Europe, and North America. Various other music-related items, such as vinyl records and guitars, are also hung up as decorations. The café has three cute cats-in-residence. Breakfast and lunch are served all day, and snacks, coffee, and soft drinks are also available.

Add: No. 114, Xinyi St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區信義街 114 號 ) Tel: 0983-788-010 Hours: 11:30-22:00

5

Zhengxing Café ( 正興咖啡館 )

Hidden away on a narrow street, Zhengxing Café exudes an air of history, the Japanese-style pebbledash outside wall, the blue-painted wooden front door, and the wooden interior decorations all catching the eye. The café serves Taiwan tea, coffee, and various snacks; dishes change with the seasons.

Add: No. 43, Sec. 3, Guohua St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區國華街三段 43 號 ) Tel: (06) 221-6138 Hours: Sun.~Thu. 9:00~21:00, Fri.~Sat. 9:00~22:00

6

Funny Wenqing ( 文青好好笑 )

Funny Wenqing is located on a lane off Shennong Street. Customers are much entertained by the numerous decorative items the proprietor has brought back from overseas, which are characterized by exaggeration, humor, and even violent aesthetics. Serving coffee and desserts, Funny Wenqing is especially suitable for those who like unusual journeys.

Add: No. 82, Shennong St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區神農街 82 號 ) Tel: (06) 222-9257 Hours: Mon.~Fri. 15:30~23:00, Sat.~Sun. 14:30~23:00

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WHERE TO GO TONIGHT TA I N A N

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Late-Night Drinks 7

High & Lo Music Bar ( 海安路的海岸鷺 )

The atmosphere at this characterful bar on Hai’an Road takes you to the Mediterranean. Serving various creative cocktails, soft drinks, and fried foods, High & Lo is a great place to relax and enjoy a few drinks. In terms of nonalcoholic beverages, black tea latte made using fresh milk direct from the bar’s own dairy farm is the most popular drink.

Add: No. 38, Sec. 2, Hai’an Rd., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區海安路二段 38 號 ) Tel: (06) 222-4297 Hours: Fri.~Sat. 7:00pm~4:00am; Sun.~Thu. 7:00pm~3:00am

Taikoo

( 太古百貨店 )

Taikoo is a bar-cum-furniture shop in a traditional Taiwanese house. Décor that merges north European and industrial styles presents patrons with imagery that tells the stories of different cultures and eras. Taikoo offers good food, cocktails, and a comfy, expansive space, and is suited to the traveler who enjoys cultural exchange and a few drinks.

Add: No. 94, Shennong St., Zhongxi District, Tainan City ( 台南市中西區神農街 94 號 ) Tel: (06) 221-1053 Hours: Mon.~Thu. 18:00~2:00; Fri. 18:00~3:00; Sat. 16:00~3:00; Sun. 16:00~2:00

English and Chinese Guohua Road 國華路 Hai’an Road 海安路 Hai’an Road Commercial District 海安路商圈 Jinhua Temple 金華府

Shennong Street 神農街 Ximen Road 西門路 Yaowang Temple 藥王廟 Zhongzheng Road 中正路 Zunwang Road 尊王路

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POPULAR FLAVORS PASTA

Rice or noodles? This is the foundation question when eating out in Taiwan, and throughout much of Asia for that matter. While your rice options are usually either brown or white, noodles – and a variety of other dough-based staples – come in enough textures, tastes, and varieties to keep things interesting.

Dough-based Delights in Taipei City’s Restaurants Text: Joe Henley Photos: Maggie Song

Dining at Beiping Tianyuan

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POPULAR FLAVORS PASTA

H

akka flat noodles, beef noodle soup, steamed dumplings, stuffed buns – this sector of the broad Taiwan culinary map draws from the cooking traditions of many regional cuisines in mainland China, but the island has also developed its own unique flavors. This fascinating mix can be taste-experienced at a few hotspot eateries in the capital, Taipei, a place where culinary traditions are honored, tweaked, and perfected.

We begin our navigation of Taipei’s dough-based treats at Beiping Tianyuan, a small restaurant in the city's Zhongzheng District, a short walk from Taipei’s main railway station. The family-run establishment has been in business for 40 years, the chefs preparing an ever-evolving array of dishes concocted by members of the Wang clan.

Now run by Sandy Wang along with her husband, the intimate, unpretentious eatery was opened by her father-inlaw, Deng Qing-yu, a retired Nationalist Army soldier. After coming to Taiwan in the wake of the Chinese Civil War, he and his military buddies would often fondly recall favorite dishes they had enjoyed back home in the Beijing area, lamenting the fact that there was no place to get them in their newly adopted homeland. Eventually, Mr. Deng and company decided that the old axiom “If you want something done right, you'd better do it yourself” held true, and Beiping Tianyuan was born.

The restaurant is located in an area that has gone through a thorough revitalization of late. Previously choked by an overpass constructed to take vehicular traffic over a railway line that was eventually put underground, the blocks surrounding Beimen (North Gate), one of five gateways into the old walled city of Taipei, have now been freed from the hulking concrete boa constrictor.

Modern business and boutique hotels now line the main thoroughfares. But some of the old guards, the places that have been here for decades, hold on thanks to the loyalty of their customers, some of whom have been coming since the early days.

“We talk to each other like friends,” Wang says during a break in her hectic 12-hour day. She notes that the restaurant has some patrons who come in two or three times a week, keeping up routines they have followed for years. “Even if they go abroad,” she adds, “they come back and share stories of coming here years

Tomato beef noodles

ago. ”During noon on a post-Lunar New Year holiday Monday in mid-February, the restaurant's ten or so tables are packed with many such familiar faces, drawn by the authenticity of the Beijing cuisine. Wang, a former nurse at the city's Mackay Memorial Hospital and a mother of four, took over running the place in 2008, and quickly brought her own style to the restaurant's kitchen. One of the eatery staples, beef noodle soup (almost invariably simply called beef noodles in Chinese and English), was the first dish to undergo a few minor – but nevertheless vital – modifications.

Though the handmade noodles remain the same, Wang tweaked things slightly by adding tomato and bits of chopped fried pork

Steamed Dumplings Pastry with green onion

Beiping Tianyuan ( 北平田園餡餅粥 ) Add: No. 1, Lane 5, Chongqing S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市重慶 南路一段 5 巷 1 號 ) Tel: (02) 2314-8032 Website: www.beiping-tianyuan. com (Chinese)

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POPULAR FLAVORS PASTA

Beef rolled pastry with sweet bean sauce

Dry noodles with minced pork and fried bean sauce

to the beef broth. After first testing out the new recipe on family, friends, and restaurant regulars, she entered the dish in a city-wide competition (serious business in a town billing itself as the “world capital of beef noodles”), taking third place in 2009 and second in 2012.

Beef noodles, however, isn't the only specialty to keep local customers coming back and attracting a steady stream of tourists from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and the West as well.

The pork roll with sweet bean sauce is another favorite. Whereas the secret with the beef noodles is in the handmade noodles and broth, it's the sauce that sets this dish apart (a tightly rolled pastry stuffed with pork, locally sourced vegetables, and other ingredients). In most other restaurants serving this food, the sauce is salty, reminiscent of soy sauce. Going to the opposite end of the flavor spectrum is a bold move that pays off, making for a mid-meal treat that almost feels like a dessert.

Such flavor twists are very much part of Beiping Tianyuan's grand dichotomy – remaining faithful to the northern-Chinese style of food preparation while adding new elements along the way that, while innovative, don't take the cuisine too far away from its roots. The fried leek pie, a staple found throughout Taiwan at night markets, street stands, and elsewhere, has been augmented with pork oil. Vegetarians fear not, however. There are true vegetarian options available on the menu, such as the vegetable steamed dumplings, served up the traditional way in their wooden steam trays. There are also pork-free dishes for Muslim guests, specified on the bilingual menu.

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Mr. Deng now spends much of his time in the Pacific Northwest, moving between the homes of his children living in Seattle and Vancouver. But the 90-year-old grandfather will no doubt be pleased to know the little place he started back in the mid-’70s has withstood the test of time by remaining faithful to his vision and that of his partners.

To this day, tourists coming in from Beijing, his old stomping grounds, remark that the dry noodles with minced pork (and other dishes, of course) are just like those they get at home. Those from the area who, like him, came over to Taiwan after the end of the civil war in 1949, and now call Taiwan home, say it takes them back to their younger days.

Beiping Tianyuan is an out-of-the-way place, found down a narrow, nondescript alley where canvas awnings hang over the rear exits of other area eateries, the chefs sitting outdoors enjoying a smoke break during the afternoon downtime. It's in a neighborhood that has seen, and continues to see, great change.

But for a city to retain a sense of what it used to be, it needs places like this to hang on and thrive. This is a place which proves that food is culture. Food is history. It's an integral part of a city's makeup, and of the diverse group of people that call it home.

English and Chinese Beimen 北門 Deng Qing-yu 鄧慶瑜 Sandy Wang 王靜儀

xiaolongbao 小籠包 Xinyi District 信義區 Zhongzheng District 中正區

POPULAR FLAVORS PASTA

Dian Shui Lou A restaurant that has grown from a single location specializing in Jiangzhe cuisine to a chain that has expanded throughout northern Taiwan, the interior décor at Dian Shui Lou outlets varies from location to location, in some calling to mind the oldschool Chinese restaurants of yesteryear in Taiwan. But the main focus, of course, is on the food, highly lauded by patrons and professional food critics alike, who are drawn by such menu highlights as the Shanghai-style dim sum.

On the dough-based delicacies end of the menu, the juicy

xiaolongbao , or steamed stuf fed dumplings, are not to be missed. Individual set meals are available starting at NT$600, and sets for four to eight go for NT$1,800 and up.

Steamed dumplings (xiaolongbao )

Dian Shui Lou Sogo Nanjing Branch ( 點水樓南京店 ) Add: No. 61, Sec. 4, Nanjing E. Rd., Songshan District, Taipei City ( 台北市松山區南京東路四段 61 號 ) Tel: (02) 8912-6689 Website: dianshuilou.com.tw

Yu Yue Quan For another take on local dough-based cuisine,

Shabu shabu set meal

head for Yu Yue Quan, tucked away on a side street opposite the W Taipei hotel, to its north, in the city's modern Xinyi District.

In this restaurant the approach is something more akin to fusion – a combination of traditional noodle dishes with the much beloved shabu shabu , or hotpot cuisine. For the full experience, try a set meal which includes three cold veggies, braised beef with Japanese radish, and your own small gas stove with a bowl of bubbling beef broth. Then there's a bowl of noodles, which your server will ladle the broth over, and a plate of sliced beef. As your broth boils, you take the thin-sliced strips of meat and swish them around in the bowl (creating the “shabu shabu” sound that is the source of this dish name), pulling them out when the meat turns from uncooked reddish hue to a light grayish-brown.

Yu Yue Quan ( 遇月全 ) Add: No. 44, Aly. 5, Ln. 147, Keelung Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City ( 台北市信義區基隆路一段 147 巷 5 弄 44 號 ) Tel: (02) 2745-5959

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PRECIOUS GIFTS CERAMICS

Ceramics Shopping in Yingge

In Search of High-Quality Works of Art Made with Clay

Text: Nick Kembel Photos: Maggie Song, ACERA, Anta Pottery

If pottery and ceramics are what you are looking for when shopping for souvenirs in Taiwan, Yingge is the place to go. Travel in Taiwan recently made the short trip from Taipei City to find out what’s firing in the island’s “ceramics capital.”

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PRECIOUS GIFTS CERAMICS

W

h i le h a n d m a d e p ot t e r y a n d c e r a m ic s a r e produced elsewhere on the island, Yingge District in southwestern New Taipei City is the country’s undisputed center for the craft. Over 800 businesses dedicated to manufacturing and selling pottery and ceramics can be found in the area, many on or around Yingge Old Street. Additionally, the district boasts an excellent ceramics museum, historic attractions, and a brand-new ceramics shopping mall. If you are looking for the perfect souvenir, a locally produced tea set or flower vase, no other place in Taiwan offers the sheer selection that Yingge does.

Ceram ic s Capit a l

While the production of pottery and ceramics in China is ancient, and porcelain was invented there more than 2,000 years ago, the history of pottery and ceramics in Taiwan, and especially the development of a distinctly Taiwanese style, is very young.

The development of pottery on the island was tied to historical developments. Taiwan’s indigenous peoples abandoned their pottery methods in favor of new techniques imported by the Dutch and Chinese in the 1600s. Throughout the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan continued to import the majority of its ceramics from China. During the Japanese era, modern Japanese and Western styles flooded in, transforming local techniques and aesthetics, but production was primarily focused on functional items.

When the Japanese left and the Chinese Nationalists arrived, imports from Japan and China were cut off, resulting in a sudden jump in local production.

It was around this time that large-scale production of pottery and ceramics in Yingge began; but it wasn’t until the 1960s, and thanks in large part to vigorous support from the government, that Yingge became the main center for pottery and ceramics production in Taiwan. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Yingge’s industry burgeoned, and a shift also took place from purely functional to more artistic items. The 1990s saw the rise of mainland China’s economy, and many local production facilities were transferred there. To counteract that decline, Yingge underwent a parallel rise in the production of fine ceramic artworks, and grew into the popular tourist destination and artistic community that it is today.

Blue-crystal muye shao

by Taocheer

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1. Yingge Spot Handcraft Gallery 2. Shopping for ceramics on Yingge Old Street

Ex plor i ng Ceram ic s Tow n

Yingge is a 30-minute journey by train from downtown Taipei.

After disembarking at the town’s station, which itself features a number of ceramics displays, exit onto Wenhua Road, turn right, and follow the signs to the Yingge Old Street area. It’s about a 10-minute walk.

When you reach the entrance to the old-street area, you can either stay on tree-lined Jianshanpu Road, the original old street, or turn right into Chongqing Street, a later addition to the ceramics-shop area. A few minutes along, either way, you come to a connecting street, Taoci Street (lit. “Ceramics” Street), where you can find the Yingge Spot Handcraft Gallery, a recently opened three-story art and ceramics mall. Many of the shops in this mall, and throughout the Old Street area, are set up so tastefully that they resemble mini art galleries, and with so many works on offer, you can surely find something that suits your taste and budget.

From the Old Street area, it’s a 10-minute walk to the highly informative Yingge Ceramics Museum. Opened in 2000, this modern glass and steel-frame architectural work is home to a museum of international quality, with a strong focus on the local artistic culture. The creation of this museum has helped in attracting many Taiwanese ceramics artists to move to Yingge.

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PRECIOUS GIFTS CERAMICS

Joyce Li n , Loc a l Ceram ic s Ma st er

During our visit to Yingge, we pay a visit to Taocheer studio to speak with Joyce Lin, a local potter whose works are among those displayed in the Yingge Railway Station. Taocheer is a 5-minute drive from the station, and you can call for free pick-up.

Entering the studio, we are greeted by the soft-spoken, smiling Lin, who immediately offers us a seat and begins preparing tea.

The table is littered with her works: a large tea tray with swirls of off-white, tan, brown, and blue clay, on which sits a teapot and pitcher, multiple teacups on saucers, and flower vases.

My cup is so small it fits in the palm of my hand. Its interior is rocky like concrete, while on the exterior, smooth enamel melts into cracked, sparkling patches, which she tells me are produced using Japanese shino glazing, a process by which soda ash is added during the firing process.

Like every ceramic work displayed in Lin’s shop, the cup in my hand is one-of-a-kind. “For me, pottery is a way to record thoughts and experiences,” Lin explains. “So each one of my works reflects my ideas at a specific time in the past.”

The artist draws most of her inspiration from nature. As an example, she shows me a large, inverted-pyramid flower vase colored to resemble the clouds in the sky as she once saw them from an airplane window.

Lin, like many artists residing in Yingge, was drawn here relatively recently. Working for 40 years as a financial controller in an American company in Taipei, she first began making ceramics in a course offered to employees. She found that mashing the clay with her hands had a calming effect. Her hobby developed into a passion, and she finally realized her dream when in 2006 she retired and moved to Yingge, a place she says has “an artistic atmosphere flowing in the air.”

Despite her studio being located away from the Old Street area, Lin remarks, she has no difficulty attracting customers or competing with the countless other shops in town. “I offer a unique product, so the artwork itself draws the customers.”

After moving here, Lin soon acquired fame for three of her ceramics lines. The first, Chaishao, features earthy designs such as that used for the teacup just mentioned. The second, Muye Tianmu, is a style known as tenmoku in Japanese, which dates to China’s Song Dynasty. Cups and dishes feature black glaze inlaid with leaves. Only ten or so varieties of leaf are strong enough to withstand the high temperatures of firing, one of them being maple, and another foye (lit. “Buddha’s leaf”), a beautifully intricate leaf that Lin found while traveling in mainland China. She subsequently even had a tree imported to Taiwan. Before being fired, the leaves must be slow-cooked for 12 hours, and then blasted with pressurized water to remove everything but the veins. One dish, which she calls her “baby,” features one gold and one silver leaf, side by side. Lastly, Lin’s line of Xuanji Hu (“spinning teapots”), have won her multiple awards.

Lin’s work is a stunning example of modern-day Taiwanese ceramics art. She takes ancient traditions and adds her own gentle yet daringly creative touch.

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3

1. Chaishao tea set 2. "Spinning teapots" 3. Foye tianmu plate and bowls

Taiwan’s First Historic-Site Hotel

Taipei City Hotel

Taipei City Hotel is located at the intersection of Chongqing North Road and Bao’an Street. Its most striking part is the 1st to 3rd floor Baroque-style old building with its red brick and pebbledash exterior. The part from the 4th to 11th floor is a new gray granite tile-clad building. This seemingly contradictory mix of old and new actually makes this innovative hotel stand out amongst the many modern buildings in the city.

Taipei City Hotel has excellent transport links, and Ningxia Night Market, Dihua Street, Xia Hai City God Temple, Dadaocheng Wharf and other attractions are easily accessible.

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2

3

1 - Ningxia Night Market 2 - Dihua Street 3 - Dadaocheng Wharf

Add : No. 172, Sec. 2, Chongqing N. Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City 台北市大同區重慶北路 2 段 172 號 Tel : +886-2-2553-3919 Website : www.taipei-hotel.tw E-mail : service@taipei-hotel.tw

PRECIOUS GIFTS CERAMICS

Tall tea cups

by Acera Ru Ware

by Anta Pottery

O ther Re com mendat ions

One shop on Taoci Street worth checking out is Acera, located on the first floor of the Yingge Spot Handcraft Gallery. Acera takes Han and Tang dynasty designs and improves on them by utilizing modern and eco-friendly production techniques, with the goal of integrating the arts with daily life. The Liven Clay series, which includes coffee cups, tumblers, and tea sets (NT$2,290~9,800), is unique in that the clay used is a combination of local varieties and ones sourced from ancient kilns in China’s Shandong Province, where the Beixin Culture, in which techniques that were an important stepping-stone in the development of pottery were created, thrived 7,000 years ago. Liven Clay products are free of superfluous decoration, featuring simple glazes and refined shapes, resulting in a soft and understated elegance.

Anta Pottery is another excellent choice. We recommend the Ru Ware line of products, which includes teacups, teapots, and incense burners (NT$1,000~$15,000). Ru ware is a rare style of ceramics dating to the Song Dynasty that was produced in northern China for the imperial court. Its most notable feature is the crackles or “crazing” on its surface, which are produced when the glaze cools and contracts faster than the body. Anta does a fine execution of this style, using soft colors including ecru, sky green, bean green, shrimp green, and sky blue.

Tea set by Acera

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Travel in Taiwan

English and Chinese Beixin Culture 北辛文化 chaishao 柴燒 Chongqing Street 重慶街 foye 佛葉 Jianshanpu Road 尖山埔路 Joyce Lin 林映汝 Liven Clay 活瓷陶器 Muye Tianmu 木葉天目 Ru Ware 汝窯 Taoci Street 陶瓷街 Wenhua Road 文化路 Xuanji Hu 璇璣壺 Yingge District 鶯歌區 Yingge Old Street 鶯歌老街 Yingge Spot Handcraft Gallery 鶯歌光點美學館

Acera ( 乾唐軒 ) Add: 1F, No. 18, Taoci St., Yingge District, New Taipei City ( 新北市鶯歌區陶瓷街 18 號 1F) Tel: (02) 2678-0388 Website: www.acera.tw (Chinese) Anta Pottery ( 安達窯 ) Add: No. 78, Chongqing St., Yingge District, New Taipei City ( 新北市鶯歌區重慶街 78 號 ) Tel: (02) 8677-6129 Website: www.anta.com.tw Taocheer ( 陶喜 ) Add: 1F, No. 28, Ln. 3, Gaozhi E. St., Yingge District, New Taipei City ( 新北市鶯歌區高職東街 3 巷 28 號 1 樓 ) Tel: (02) 8677-3872 Website: www.artspersonalstyle.com (Chinese) Yingge Ceramics Museum ( 鶯歌陶瓷博物館 ) Add: No. 200, Wenhua Rd., Yingge District, New Taipei City ( 新北市鶯歌區文化路 200 號 ) Tel: (02) 8677-2727 Website: www.ceramics.ntpc.gov.tw

Excellent-Quality Spring Water Straight from the Source

We believe that a positive attitude to life is the key to health and that the warmth of a-hot spring bath is the best way to relax.

We believe that Art Spa Hotel and its partners operate a hot-spring hotel that makes people happy.

We believe that love for the hot springs of Jiaoxi town can be the foundation for a successful business.

W

ith these beliefs, the current owner of Ar t Spa Hotel regretted to see the Jiaoxi Hotel, one of the first hotspring hotels in Jiaoxi, close. As a local, he then took it upon himself to work toward the further development of the Jiaoxi hot-spring area and he took over the hotel, planting seeds of hope.

Ar t Spa Hotel is conveniently located next to the Jiaoxi bus and railway stations, not far from Tangweigou Park. The work of a famous designer, the overall space is ingeniously designed. A life style based on Eastern health wisdom and a landscaped garden that is full of southeast Asian charm are combined to offer more than 50 spa facilities and water play pools that make full use of Jiaoxi’s renowned sodium bicarbonate spring water, which leaves your skin moist and smooth. With a total of 54 elegant Western- and Japanese-style rooms and an outdoor café the hotel offers diverse hot-spring bathing fun.

Ar t Spa Hotel offers unique two-spring (hot spring + cold spring) bath guestrooms, decorated using Guanyin stone to match the qualities of the spring water, where private bathing can be enjoyed.

Guests can also have fun at “Milky Way Legend Hot Spring World” to enjoy cold-spring baths, essential oil hot-spring baths, stone slab hot-spring beds, a five-story high 360-degree spiral water slide, and a water fun area, experiencing different kinds of hot-spring fun. Afterwards guests can go to enjoy

various types of delicious cuisine prepared by our highly skilled head chef, and have a leisurely chat or just quietly relax while sipping a cup of good coffee at the outdoor café.

The hotel is located at the source of the spring so that there is no need to heat the pure spring water. Transport is also very convenient; no matter if traveling by car, bus or train the hotel can be easily reached, allowing lovers of hot-spring bathing to enjoy a relaxing and invigorating soak without undergoing a tiring and stressful journey.

To Taipei

Zh ong sha n

.

Rd oxi Jia

Wenquan Rd.

Art Spa Hotel

Rd .

Jiaoxi Railway Station

Post Office

Deyang Rd.

P

Car park of Art Spa Hotel

To Yilan City

Art Spa Hotel ( 中冠礁溪大飯店 ) Add: 6, Deyang Rd., Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣礁溪鄉德陽路 6 號 ) Tel: 886-3-988-2011~5 Website: www.art-spa-hotel.com.tw Check in: After 15:00, Check out: Before 11:00 Credit cards accepted Getting there (self-drive): Take Freeway 5 to Toucheng Exit, drive in the direction of Jiaoxi, turn left into Deyang Road.

Talk in Taiwan

Hao Bu Hao Chi? 好不好吃 ?

Essential Chinese for the Night Market Illustration: Ivy Chen

V

isit i ng a n ig ht m a rke t ( 夜市; ye sh i ), a nd t r y i ng some of t he exot ic sn a ck fo o d d ishe s ( 小吃 ; x ia o ch i ) on offer, is one of the essential activities on a typical Taiwan-visit itinerary. Bigger night markets that receive a fair number of foreign visitors, such as Taipei’s Shilin Nig ht M a rke t ( 士林夜 市 ; sh i l i n ye sh i ), do have some English, Japanese, or even Korean signage; but in general night-market menus and food-stall signs are in Chinese only, so it comes in handy if you know some of the key words/ Chinese characters for ordering food in the local language.

First, what are some of the most famous snack-food treats to be found at most night markets around Taiwan? Here’s a short list:

Grilled squid ( 烤 魷魚 ; kao you yu) Minced soy-braised pork rice ( 滷肉飯 ; lu rou fan ) Non-fried spring rolls ( 潤餅 ; run bing ) Oyster omelet ( 蚵仔煎 ; eh ah jen in Taiwanese; the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation ke zai jian is almost never used) Oyster vermicelli ( 蚵仔 麵 線 ; eh ah mi sua ; another dish rarely ordered in Mandarin, ke zai mian xian ) Pepper buns ( 胡椒 餅 ; hu jiao bing ) Pig blood cake ( 豬血糕 ; zhu xue gao) Small sausage in large sausage ( 大 腸 包 小腸 ; da chang bao xiao chang) Soy sauce-braised foods ( 滷味 ; lu wei ) Stinky tofu ( 臭 豆 腐 ; chou dou fu ) Now to the ordering. Usually, you can just point to the things you would like to order, because many food stalls have all their offerings laid out right in front of you. Here are some very basic, but helpful, phrases you can use when ordering:

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Travel in Taiwan

[Talking to the vendor] Boss! ( 老闆; lao ban ) I want this ( 我要 這個 ; wo yao zhe ge) I want one (two, three) ( 我要一個 [ 兩個，三個 ]; wo yao yi ge [liang ge, san ge]) [Beverages] I want one (two, three) cups/glasses ( 我要一杯 [ 兩杯，三杯]; wo yao yi bei [liang bei , san bei ]) [Rice or soup, etc.] I want one (two, three) bowls ( 我要一碗 [ 兩碗，三碗 ]; wo yao yi wan [liang wan, san wan]) How much is it? ( 多少錢 ; duo shao qian ) Thank you! ( 謝謝 ; xie xie) I want it spicy ( 加辣 ; jia la) I want it less spicy ( 少 辣 ; shao la) I am a vegetarian ( 我吃素 ; wo chi su) Finally, if sitting down to enjoy an oyster omelet or bubble tea and you want to share your Taiwan snackfood experience with local diners at your table, here are some things you might say: Tastes very good! ([ 很 ] 好吃 ; hen hao chi / if someone asks: How does it taste? [ 好不 好吃 ; hao bu hao chi]) Very sweet! ( 好甜 ; hao tian ) Very spicy! ( 好 辣 ; hao la) I am full ( 我吃飽了; wo chi bao le / if someone asks: Are you full? [ 你吃飽了嗎 ; ni chi bao le ma]) This night market is fun ( 夜 市很 好玩 ; ye shi hen hao wan / if someone asks: Do you like this night market? [ 你喜 歡夜 市嗎 ; ni xi huan ye shi ma])

OHYA‧ALL YOUR CHAIN BOUTIQUE MOTEL 歐遊國際連鎖精品旅館

HOTEL ÉCLAT 怡亨酒店

Taipei 台 北

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI

MIRAMAR HOTEL HSINCHU

美麗信花園酒店

新竹美麗信酒店

No. of Rooms: 20~98

No. of Rooms: 60

No. of Rooms: 203

Room Rates:

Superior

Titanium

Flagship

VIP Presidential

Room Rates:

Deluxe Room Grand Deluxe Room

Premier Room

Premier 9

Éclat Suite

Room Rates:

Deluxe Room

Business Room Executive Deluxe Room

Boss Suite

Premier Suite

Suite Suite Suite Suite Suite

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

3,500 - 4,300 3,800 - 4,500 5,000 - 6,000 6,000 - 7,200 8,800-12,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Chinese

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

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

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

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

Restaurants: Breakfast Buffet Special Features: Parking lot, free internet access, private bathroom with separate shower & bath tub, pool, massage chair

Yilan County, Hualien County, Taitung County, Linkou (New Taipei City), Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Taichung City, Changhua City, Nantou County, Chiayi City, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, PingtungCounty Tel: 886.5.551.5555 Fax: 886.5.551.7755

www.ohyamotel.com

K HOTELS - TAIPEI SONGJIANG

柯 達 大 飯 店 - 台 北 松 江 Taipei 台 北

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

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese

Special Features: Business Center, café, free parking, free selfservice laundry, air-conditioning and heater, multimedia system, Wi-Fi, bidet toilet

251, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City, 104 104 台 北 市 松 江 路 251號

Tel: 02.2515.9999, 0800.020.222 Fax: 02.2515.6789

www.khotel.com.tw

8,000 10,000 11,000 17,000 21,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, and Chinese Restaurants: Rain Forest, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81, Tic-Tac-Toe Café Special Features: Business Center, Multifunctional Room, Fitness Club, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Spa, Aromatherapy, Car Park

Room Rates:

CORNER 8

COMFY ZONE

D ROOM

QUEENS

KINGS

STUDIO M

NT$ 6,000 NT$ 7,000 NT$ 8,000 NT$ 9,000 NT$ 12,000 NT$ 20,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, and Chinese Restaurants: The Zone Bar & Restaurant Special Features: Gym, Sky Lounge, Sky Garden

www.eclathotels.com

www.miramargarden.com.tw

www.miramar-hsinchu.com

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

PARK TAIPEI HOTEL

華 泰 王子大 飯 店

台北美侖大飯店

Taipei 台 北

Room Rates: Deluxe / Single / Twin & Double NT$ 7,800-8,500

Suite NT$ 9,500-20,000

4,500 4,900 5,200 5,400 5,400 5,600 6,500

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

111, Sec. 2, Gongdao 5th Rd., East Dist., Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan 3 0 0 新 竹 市 公 道 五 路二 段111號 Tel: 03.623.1188 Fax: 03.623.1199 E-mail: info@miramar-hsinchu.com

No. of Rooms: 220 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

No. of Rooms: 141

83 Civic Boulevard, Sec. 3, Taipei City, 104 10 4台北市市民大道三段8 3號 Tel: 02.8772.8800 Fax: 02.8772.1010 E-mail: info@miramargarden.com.tw

Room Rates: Standard Single Superior Double Superior Room Deluxe Double Deluxe Twin K Deluxe Room K Family Room

Hsinchu 新 竹

370, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an District, Taipei City 106 106 台 北 市 敦 化 南 路 一 段 370 號 Tel: 02.2784.8888 Fax: 02.2784.7888 Res. Hotline: 02.2784.8118

No. of Rooms: 85

Taipei 台 北

Desk Personnel Speak: Chinese, English, Japanese Restaurants: L’IDIOT RESTAURANT & BAKERY (Western), Chiou Hwa (Chinese) Special Features: Coffee Shop, Fitness Center, Business Center, laundry service, meeting and banquet facilities, non-smoking floor, parking lot, airport transfer service

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 143 Room Rates:

Standard Room

Superior Room

Deluxe Room

Deluxe Triple Room

101 View Room

Executive Room Executive 101 View Room

Park Suite

SAN WANT HOTEL TAIPEI

Taipei 台 北

台北神旺大飯店

No. of Rooms: 268 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

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

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese

Restaurants:

Food Symphony (Full Buffet)

Special Features: Separate bathroom and toilet, TOTO washlets, Denmark Damixa Merkur bathroom hardware, DVD player, Japanese satellite broadcast, safety deposit box, gym with massage chairs, VIP lounge, high-speed broadband Internet access (computers available), free high-speed WiFi throughout hotel, conference room, balcony (smoking allowed)

Room Rates: Superior Room Single/ Twin Deluxe Room Single/ Twin Deluxe Suite Single/ Twin Executive Room Single/ Twin San Want Suite

NT$ 6,000 / 6,800 NT$ 7,000 / 7,800 NT$ 8,000 / 8,800 NT$ 8,800 / 9,600 NT$ 16,800

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese Restaurants: French All Day Dining (Buffet), Bon Amis Steak Room, Chao Ping Ji (Cantonese & Dim-Sum), Sumie Nouvelle Japonaise Cuisine (Japanese), Sumie SHABU (Hot pot), Pozzo Bakery, Zorro Bar Special Features: Two minutes walk from MRT ZhongXiao Dunhua Station. Business Center, Fitness Center, Conference Room, Banquet Room for 500 people, Free Parking for Room Guests, Free Broadband Internet Access in Guestrooms, In-Room Safe, Express/Dry Cleaning Service, Fine East and West Art Collections on Display

369, Lin-sen (Linsen) N. Rd., Taipei City, 104 104 台 北 市 林 森 北 路 369 號 Tel: 02.2581.8111 Fax: 02.2581.5811, 2568.2924

Tel: 886.2.5579.3888 Fax: 886.2.5579.3889

172 ZhongXiao East Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 106 106台北市忠孝東路四段172號 Tel: 02.2772.2121 Fax: 02.2721.0302 E-mail: reservation@sanwant.com

www.gloriahotel.com

www.parktaipei.com

www.sanwant.com

317, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City 10665 10665 台 北 市 復 興 南 路 一 段 317 號

Travel in Taiwan

67

HOTEL SENSE 伸適商旅

Taipei 台 北

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL 慶泰大飯店

THE GRAND HOTEL 圓山大飯店

Taipei 台 北

53 HOTEL 寶島53行館

No. of Rooms: 79

No. of Rooms: 160

No. of Rooms: 500 (Suites: 57)

No. of Rooms: 70

Room Rates:

Superior Room

Business Room

Deluxe Room Executive Deluxe Room

Executive Suite

Sense Suite

Room Rates:

Single Room Deluxe Single Room Deluxe Twin Room

Suite Room

Room Rates:

Single/DBL

Suite

Room Rates:

Standard Room

Superior Room

Deluxe Room

Family Room Deluxe Family Room

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

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

477 , Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 104 104 台 北 市 林 森 北 路 477 號

NT$ 6,400 NT$ 7,000 NT$ 7,800 NT$ 12,000

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

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

Desk Personnel Speak: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese Restaurants: Western, Cantonese, Northern China Style Dumplings, tea house, coffee shop, steak house Special Features: Grand Ballroom, conference rooms for 399 people, 10 breakout rooms, business center, fitness center, sauna, Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, billiards

186 Songjiang Rd., Taipei City,104 104 台 北 市 松 江 路 186 號

Taichung 台 中

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

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

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

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

27, Zhongshan Rd., Central District, Taichung City, 40042

Tel: 02.7743.1000 Fax: 02.7743.1100 E-mail: info@hotelsense.com.tw

Tel: 02.2541.5511 Fax: 02.2531.3831 Reservation Hotline: 02.2541.6888 E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

1 Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10461 10461 台 北 市 中 山 北 路 四 段 1 號 Tel: 886.2.2886.8888 Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

40042 台 中 市 中 區 中 山 路 27 號 (距離火車站 2 分鐘) Tel: 04.2220.6699 Fax: 04.2220.5899 E-mail: service@53hotel.com.tw

www.hotelsense.com.tw

www.galahotel.com.tw

www.grand-hotel.org

www.53hotel.com.tw

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

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

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

Edison welcomes contact with other travel services around the world.

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Taipei 台 北

Travel in Taiwan

( two minutes from railway station)

Welcome to your home in Taipei

w w w.p a rk ta i p ei .com

Park Taipei Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Taipei. The hotel is just in front of the Exit 6 of the MRT Daan Station and is only 6 minutes to Taipei Songshan Airport.

A carefree place in the center of the bustling Taipei City, you can relax and indulge your senses in your room after returning from a busy and hectic business schedule or a long day of shopping.

Park Taipei Hotel, Your Home in Taipei!

Tel: (02) 5579-3888 Add: 317, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City (台北市復興南路一段317號) Website: www.parktaipei.com How to get there: Take the MRT Wenhu Line or Xinyi Line to Daan station.

The hotel is just in front of Exit 6 of the Daan MRT train station.

GLOBAL RESERVATION

ISSN:18177964

GPN:2009305475

200 NTD