Travel in Taiwan (No.69, 2015 5/6)

No. 69, 2015

MAY & JUN

VISITING The Great

Sun Moon Lake

PLACES OF INTEREST

Visiting Hualien City

RAIL, BUS & BIKE

Taipei’s Tamsui River Estuary

EASY HIKE

Silver River Cave and Maokong Indigenous Cuisine Road Running Hualien Farms Ximending Nightlife

Work or Rel a x Th e Choice is Yo u r s in an E v er green Hotel

Dream about any of the features you’ll find in a world-class hotel and you might be dreaming about one of the hotels of Evergreen International Hotels. All our hotels provide a modern, comfortable, clean, entertaining, and secure environment so that business travelers and vacationers can relax, dream, and enjoy the finest of services. For over 20 years, Evergreen International Hotels has offered a home away from home for its distinguished guests with great locations and comprehensive business and recreational facilities.

An extensive hotel chain, Evergreen International Hotels has branches in cities in Taiwan and abroad, including Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Yilan, Taoyuan, Paris, Penang, Bangkok, and Shanghai.

The Evergreen Laurel Hotel (Taichung) was designed to meet both your business and leisure needs and also offers choices of restaurants and bars for your dining pleasures.

Situated in downtown Keelung, the Evergreen Laurel Hotel (Keelung) is known for its charming harbor views. It's an ideal venue for business, workshops, seminars or just a weekend away from it all.

Each room of the Evergreen Laurel Hotel (Taipei) is quiet, with ambient noise kept below 40 dB. Guests can therefore enjoy the luxury of supreme relaxation and maximum efficiency.

Situated in the eastern district of Tainan, the modern Evergreen Plaza Hotel (Tainan) combines elegant and heartfelt service quality with top-rated and comfortable facilities to entertain its guests.

The five-star Evergreen Resort Hotel (Jiaosi) features 231 European and Asian style hot-spring suites and 20 hot-spring houses. Guests are welcome to use the nano-milk bath, ganbanyoku (stone bath), a large outdoor hot-spring swimming pool, and a rooftop hot-spring spa pool.

For more information, please call Global Reservation at +886-2-2504-8800 or visit our website at www.evergreen-hotels.com

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler, Welcome to Taiwan, land of friendly people and almost endless cultural and scenic discoveries. In this issue we give you the “Taiwan runaround” – you’ll be exploring spots all around the island, and in many instances will indeed hit the road running, in sneakers. In others you’ll be hiking, riding a bicycle, or riding a cable car.

In our Feature section we head to lovely Sun Moon Lake, one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist destinations, enjoying the area’s tremendous beauty by walking its hill trails, riding bikes on its lakeside bike paths, taking a yacht tour, sailing over mountain-ridge crests on a “ropeway” … the list of different-mode travel experiences is too long to finish here. We also give you ideas on where/what to eat, what gifts and souvenirs to buy, and where to lay down your head to rest at night.

In our Popular Pastimes section we run the whole island, telling you all about how local folk have developed a passion for running in recent years, the hundreds of running clubs, and the many hundreds of annual mass runs long and short, competitive and for-fun, and giving you practical guidance on hooking up with like-minded others and getting out on the roads, paths, and trails.

We slow down for some scenic walking in Easy Hiking , with a visit to the “Silver River” Cave. There are many attractive trails in the mountains rimming the Taipei Basin; on this hike we head through Taipei’s Maokong tea-plantation area. In Rail/Bus/Bike it’s off on rented bicycles along the Taipei area’s comprehensive riverside bike path network, exploring the Tamsui River estuary area, rich in nature’s treasures, where all the waters of the Taipei Basin empty into the sea. In Where to Go Tonight , you’re off on a walkabout through Taipei’s Ximending, one of the city’s centers of youth fashion and entertainment.

We showcase the east coast’s laid-back, easy-paced Hualien city and county in this issue’s My Favorite Spots and Farm Fun articles. In the first, our writer introduces his ten favorite Hualien City sites with an emphasis on the region’s heritage. In the second he gives you background on the region’s eco-friendly farming practices, and you spend an afternoon at a slopeland poultry farm overlooking the picture-perfect East Rift Valley.

The “Taiwan runaround” brings you nothing but joy. Time to hit the road!

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

CONTENTS May ~ June 2015 See more amazing images of Taiwan in our Travel in Taiwan app!

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Taiwan Slang Keelung

— Seaport City of Deep Character

,

PUBLISHER David W. J. Hsieh Editing Consultant

Producer Vision Int l Publ. Co., Ltd. Address Rm. 5, 10F, 2 Fuxing N. Rd., Taipei, 104 Taiwan

Where you can pick up a copy of Travel in Taiwan

Wayne Hsi-Lin Liu

TEL: 886-2-2711-5403 Fax: 886-2-2721-2790 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 Gemma Cheng EDITORS Ming-Jing Yin, Chloe Chu, Nickey Liu CONTRIBUTORS Rick Charette, Steven Crook, Joe Henley, Owain Mckimm, Richard Saunders PHOTOGRAPHERS Ray Chang, Maggie Song, Twelli DESIGNERS Choc Hsu, Eve Chiang, Karen Pan ui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang Administrative Dept H

Abroad

Publishing Organization

Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications CONTACT

International Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 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, 2015 Tourism Bureau, MOTC First published Jan./Feb., 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200 www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm Copyright @ 2015 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

MAGAZINE IS SOLD AT:

1. Wu-Nan Culture Plaza, 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City 40043 886-4-2226-0330 http://www.wunanbooks.com.tw/ 2. N ational Bookstore, 1F., No.209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 10485 886-2-2518-0207 http://www.govbooks.com.tw/

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 In Taiwan

Tourism Bureau Visitor Center; Tourism Bureau; Taiwan Visitors Association; foreign representative offices in Taiwan, Tourism Bureau service counters at Taiwan Taoyuan Int’l Airport and Kaohsiung Int’l Airport, major tourist hotels; Taipei World Trade Center; VIP lounges of international airlines; major tourist spots in Taipei; visitor centers of cities and counties around Taiwan; offices of national scenic area administrations; public libraries

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ONLINE

Read the online version of Travel in Taiwan at www.tit.com.tw or download the iPad app from http://appstore.com/travelintaiwan or the Android app from https://play.google. com/store/apps/details?id=com.vmedia. foribookstore.

The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area (photo by Ray Chang)

This magazine is printed on FSC TM COC certified paper. Any product with the FSC TM logo on it comes from a forest that has been responsibly maintained and harvested in a sustainable manner.

This magazine was printed with soy ink.

Soybean is said to be more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based ink and to make it easier to recycle paper.

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34

56 1 Publisher’s Note 4 Taiwan Tourism Events

6 News & Culture 62 Taiwan Slang

FEATURE

10 The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area

Farm Fun

39 Down on the Farm in Hualien — Learning About Organic Farming in Eastern Taiwan

EASY HIKING

44 The “Silver River” Cave — A (Short) Hike on Taipei’s Wild Side

— An Experience Wholly Different Every Few Hours

22 The Sun Moon Lake Area — Where to Eat, Where to Shop, Where to Put Your Head Down

POPULAR PASTIMES

49 Taiwan Runaround

— The Local Passion for Running the Roads

Indigenous CUISINE

28 Bunun Hunters Restaurant — Indigenous Specialties in Kaohsiung

RAIL/BUS/BIKE

34 Guandu / Bali / Tamsui

— An Arcadia for the City Folk of Taipei

WHERE TO GO TONIGHT

54 Ximending (West Gate District) — Taipei and Taiwan’s Key Youth Entertainment and Fashion Center

MY FAVORITE SPOTS

56 Hello Hualien!

— Places to Go in East Taiwan’s Largest City

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

In the Heat of the Summer Spending Time in the Open, Enjoying Nature and Local Culture An island surrounded by water, Taiwan has its share of fine sand beaches. One, Fulong on the northeast coast, in summer serves as venue of two great events you don’t want to miss.

Elsewhere, you can fly in a hot-air balloon, go on a seabird-watching excursion, and witness how men, for uplifting religious reasons, willingly try to climb tall greasy poles. Targeting the younger crowd is a comic convention and a very cool and refreshing outdoor festival.

5/2 FULONG SAND SCULPTING ART FESTIVAL 6/30 福隆國際沙雕藝術季 While Fulong Beach on the northeast coast is not the only beach on the island good for sand-sculpting, the quartz sand here is especially suitable because it clumps together easily. For this reason, the World Sand Sculpting Association has named it the best beach in Taiwan for sand sculpting. Fulong also has other advantages, such as easy access – the beach can be reached by foot in less than 20 minutes from the local railway station. There is also hotel and camping accommodation available close by; and among the popular activities in the area, besides the fun on the beach, are bicycling outings along the coast and through an old railway tunnel, and kayaking on a local river.

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

7/4 TAOYUAN INTERNATIONAL ACGT FAIR 7/13 桃園國際動漫大展

Lovers of comic books and animation flock to this annual fair to find out about the latest creations of comic artists and illustrators. The fair exhibits showcase both still and moving images, and feature local and foreign comic creators. Among the many activities visitors can partake in are games and contests, cosplay shows, workshops, and lectures.

Location: Taoyuan Performing Arts Center ( 桃園展演中心 ); 1188 Zhongzheng Rd., Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City ( 桃園市桃園區中正路 1188 號 ) Website: ty-acgt.com

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Travel in Taiwan

7/9 HO-HAI-YAN GONGLIAO ROCK FESTIVAL 7/14 新北市貢寮國際海洋音樂祭

After the sand sculpture festival (see entry above) has ended, visitors have yet another reason to come to Fulong Beach in the summer, the HO-HAIYAN Gongliao Rock Festival. The music stage is set up right on the beach, so that music lovers can sit in the soft golden sand while lapping up both the sounds of the indie music from performers from Taiwan and abroad and the sound of the Pacific waves washing ashore.

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

JUNE ~ AUGUST

6/27 8/9

TAIWAN BALLOON FESTIVAL 台灣熱氣球嘉年華活動

If you plan to visit Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan this summer, note that you can go on a hot-air balloon flight to see the marvelous landscape of this part of the island from high above. The Luye Plateau, north of Taitung City, provides excellent conditions for hot-air ballooning, and many teams from Taiwan and abroad come to Taitung each year to fly their colorful and sometimes creatively shaped balloons. Since mid-day temperatures are usually too high, flying is possible only in the early morning hours and in the evening. You can choose either tethered flights, with balloons attached to the ground by ropes, or untethered flights to spots in the East Rift Valley, north of Luye (costs are significantly higher for untethered flights, and registration well in advance is requisite).

Location: Taitung City ( 台東市區 ), Luye Plateau ( 鹿野高台 ), Taimali Township ( 太麻里鄉 ), Chenggong Town ( 成功鎮 ), and other places in Taitung County Website: balloontaiwan.taitung.gov.tw

YILAN INTERNATIONAL 7/4 CHILDREN’S FOLKLORE & 8/25 FOLKGAME FESTIVAL 宜蘭國際童玩藝術節

It gets hot during the Taiwan summer. Where can you take your children to cool off? Try the Yilan International Childrenʼs Folklore and Folkgame Festival, a fantastic happening with myriad draws allowing kids to cool off with an abundance of water and water-based games. But that is not all. The festival is also highly educative, something parents will welcome. Kids have the chance to learn a thing or two while playing, and to interact with peers from around the world while enjoying the many performances, exhibitions, and games.

Location: Dongshan River Water Park ( 冬山河親水公園 ); 2, Sec. 2, Qinhe Rd., Wujie Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣五結鄉親河路二段 2 號 ) Website: www.ilccb.gov.tw

JULY AUGUST

TERN-WATCHING TOUR, MATSU 生態賞鷗暨海上看馬祖

The islands of Matsu seem to be a long way from Taiwan proper, but in fact it takes less than an hour to get there by airplane from Taipei. Once there, tours of the amazingly green and hilly islands await, with visits to old villages and sites introducing Matsuʼs military history mixed in. And then there is the birdwatching. During the summer months the islands are a prime destination for bird lovers, and there are guided boat tours that bring you close to the many barren smaller islands, where you can spot large numbers of different types of terns and other seabirds. Donʼt forget to bring your best binoculars!

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

TOUCHENG "QIANGGU" 8/28 GRAPPLING WITH THE GHOSTS POLE-CLIMBING COMPETITION 頭城搶孤民俗文化活動 “Wouldnʼt it be easier to climb up poles that are not covered in grease?” This is a question you might well ask yourself when watching the annual qianggu competitions held in Yilan Countyʼs Toucheng and Jiaoxi townships. But what would be the fun in that? During the annual “pole-climbing grappling with the orphaned ghosts” competitions, teams of brave men seek to be first to the top of an almost 20-meterhigh tower, leaving onlookers fascinated by the spectacle. The grease makes the quest all the harder, and more riveting to watch.

The event, steeped in tradition, is held to honor the ancestors of the people of Yilan, and their pioneering efforts.

Location: Wenxiaoyi Cultural Park ( 文小一文化園區 ), estuary of Zhuʼan River ( 竹安河口 ), villages in Toucheng Township ( 頭城鎮各里 ), Baiyun and Yushi villages in Jiaoxi Township ( 礁溪鎮白雲、玉石二村 ) in Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣 ) Website: toucheng.e-land.gov.tw

Travel in Taiwan

5

W H AT ' S U P

NEWS & Events around Taiwan

Tourism

Tourism Bureau to Introduce Travel Cards This January, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau accepted proposals by Kaohsiung City and Yilan County, from among many submitted by local cities and counties, for the introduction of travel cards that will make it more convenient for travelers to get around in their respective areas and enjoy discounts on accommodation, dining, and shopping. Once issued this summer, the card designed by the Kaohsiung government, named the K.P.P. 2-Day Pass, can be used in Kaohsiung City, as well as in Pingtung and Penghu counties.

Use of the Yilan 2-Day Pass, also to be issued this summer, will be restricted to Yilan County. For more information about the passes, contact the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (website: eng.taiwan.net.tw ).

TV

Tourist Numbers

Taste of the Tropic: Taiwan on Nat Geo

More Tourists from Korea Visiting Taiwan

National Geographic Channel and the Taiwan Tourism Bureau have co-produced Taste of the Tropic: Taiwan , introducing the culinary highlights of areas in Taiwan straddling the Tropic of Cancer, including Penghu, Chiayi, and Hualien. During the one-hour show, host Harry Yuan takes viewers to a variety of scenic locations where he learns about a selection of local foods. At several stops, he sources ingredients for dishes he then cooks on the spot to entertain new friends he has met on his trip.

More info at: http://natgeotv.com/asia/taste-of-thetropic-taiwan/videos/taste-of-the-tropic-taiwan.

In 2014, 527,000 people from South Korea visited Taiwan, 50% more than in 2013, setting a new record. The number is expected to rise even higher in 2015. Among the reasons for Taiwanʼs popularity with Korean travelers are Korean TV shows filmed on the island and new low-cost flights between Korea and Taiwan.

Websites

New Kinmen Tourism Website A new website promoting tourism on Taiwanʼs outlying islands of Kinmen has been launched by Kinmen students.

Currently available only in Chinese, it offers a wide range of information on accommodation, dining, shopping, and transportation. www.unikm.tw

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Travel in Taiwan

M A Y ~ J U LY

Airlines

Tourist Info

More EVA Air Flights Connecting Taiwan and Singapore

New Travel Center in Daxi The town of Daxi, in northwestern Taiwanʼs Taoyuan City, is known for heritage sites and local specialties, such as beancurd. The town draws many domestic tourists, and is also popular with international travelers. In order to make a visit to Daxi more convenient, a travel center has recently been set up, offering multilingual services, providing tourist-information pamphlets and maps, and introducing visitors to the townʼs delicacies. The center is run by the Lovely Taiwan Foundation (www.lovelytaiwan. org.tw ), which promotes small-town travel around Taiwan, and is located at 48 Heping Rd., Daxi District, Taoyuan City ( 桃園市大溪區和平路 48 號 ).

EVA Air, Taiwan's second-largest carrier, recently announced that it will add more flights between Taiwan and Singapore beginning in June. From June 21 EVA Air will operate 10 roundtrip flights per week, and from July 1 there will be 11 flights. Of the 11, three will feature Hello Kitty-decorated planes. www.evaair.com

Hotel Royal Group_print ADs_EN_2015Apr.pdf 1 2015/4/7 下午 5:15

Tourist Spots

Best of Hualien Hualien County, in east Taiwan, is arguably the islandʼs most scenic area. What are its best spots? In a recent survey by local website Daily View (dailyview.tw) , the top choices were as follows: 1. Taroko Gorge; 2. Qixingtan Beach; 3. Huilan Bay (windsurfing); 4. Liyu Lake; 5. Nat. Dong Hwa University (wedding photography); 6. East Coast (whale watching); 7. Ruisui Dairy Farm; 8.

Xiuguluan River (whitewater rafting); 9.

Pine Garden (heritage complex); and 10. Mukumugi (mountain valley).

Airlines

Taiwan-Turkey Flights Turkish Airlines began operating direct flights between Taipei and Istanbul in April, giving travelers more options for journeys between East Asia and Europe/the Middle East. www.turkishairlines.com

c u ltu r e s c ene

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

Until 5/24

National Museum of History

Until 7/5

Amazing Light of Seven Gems – Buddhist Art of Southern China

建築之境：路易．康

This exhibition focuses on how Buddhism developed and how it was integrated in native Chinese religions as it was introduced to southern China starting with the Han Dynasty (206 BCE ~ 220 CE). Among the artifacts on display are money trees, soul vases, bronze mirrors, and the Asoka Pagoda of Seven Gems excavated in the underground palace of Nanjingʼs Chang Gan Temple. www.nmh.gov.tw

National Theater

Tianjin Peking Opera Theatre 天津京劇院 The Tianjin Peking Opera Theatre has over l00 plays in its repertoire, 26 of which have won various national prizes. The troupe often tours abroad and has performed in Taiwan twice before, with great success.

At present, the theatrical group has 62 first- and second-grade playwrights, performers, and musicians.

5/22 2016/ 2/22

8

National Museum of Natural Science

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Louis Kahn.

The Power of Architecture

七寶瑞光 - 中國南方佛教藝術

5/12 5/17

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

This exhibition is the first major retrospective of the work of American architect Louis Kahn (1901~1974) in two decades. It encompasses an unprecedented and diverse range of architectural models, original drawings, photographs, and films, including a four-meter-high model of the spectacular City Tower designed for the city of Philadelphia. www.tfam.

museum

Until 8/31

National Palace Museum

Crown of the Alps:

Masterworks from the Collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein 阿爾卑斯皇冠－列支敦士登秘藏瑰寶展 Liechtenstein is a landlocked microstate located between Switzerland and Austria. It is a constitutional monarchy headed by the Prince of Liechtenstein. This special exhibition features more than one hundred works by masters such as Raphael, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Rembrandt van Rijn. www.npm.gov.tw

Until

5/31

National Museum of History

The Exhibition of the 30th Anniversary of National Museum of Natural Science 鼎立三十

Golden Blossom on Gemmed Treasures: Gem-Inlaid Gilt Filigree Collection from Hui Fung Ge

The National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung will be 30 years old in 2016. The museum, one of the most visited in Taiwan, has over 50 exhibit areas covering astronomy, space science, paleontology, ecology, gems and minerals, human cultures, tropical plants, and geology. This special exhibition sheds light on the earliest attempts by humans to produce metal, steps enabling mankind to make the leap from the stone to the bronze age. www.nmns.edu.tw

This exhibition offers a glimpse into Chinaʼs time-honored tradition of gem-inlaid filigree craftsmanship, showcasing a series of exquisite silver-gilt adornments.

The dazzling, eye-catching masterpieces are the product of filigree and inlay techniques of immense technical difficulty. The exhibition features 38 superb pieces, including gilt filigree baskets, dragon boats, pagodas, lanterns, incense burners, and a money tree. www.nmh.gov.tw

Travel in Taiwan

寶鈿金花－惠風閣金銀器展

VENUES Until 6/7

National Science and Technology Museum

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

Add: 1, Sec. 1, Bade Rd., Taipei City

Piece of Peace – World Heritage Exhibition Built with Lego Brick 樂高世界遺產展 This exhibition features World Cultural and Natural Heritage replicas made with LEGO® bricks, among them Angkor Wat, Mont Saint-Michel, historic monuments of ancient Kyoto, the Sagrada Familia, the historic center of Vienna, and the Sydney Opera House. The exhibition, originating in Japan, supports UNESCOʼs World Heritage activities and promotes peace by raising World Heritage awareness among people of all ages around the globe. www.nstm.gov.tw

( 台北市八德路一段 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2358-1914 www.huashan1914.com Nearest MRT Station: Zhongxiao-Xinsheng

Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts （關渡美術館） ( 台北市學園路 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2896-1000 www.kdmofa.tnua.edu.tw Nearest MRT Station: Guandu

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

Add: 39 Chang-an W. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市長 安 西 路 3 9 號 )

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

Add: 21 Zhongshan S. Rd., Taipei City

Hushan 1914 Creative Park

The Face of Leonardo – Images of a Genius 真相達文西

( 台北市中山南 路 21 號 )

Tel: (02) 2343-1100 www.cksmh.gov.tw Nearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

National Concert Hall（國家音樂聽） National Theater（國家戲劇院） Add: 21-1 Zhongshan S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市中山南 路 21-1 號 )

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

National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Considered one of the greatest painters of all time Italian Leonardo da Vinci (1452 ~ 1519) was a multi-talented genius who created masterpieces in diverse fields of the arts and sciences. This exhibition shows 55 of his paintings, including portraits of the French kings Henry II and Francis II.

（國立國父紀念館）

Add: 505 Ren-ai Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City ( 台北市仁 愛 路 四 段 5 0 5 號 )

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

National Museum of History （國立歷史博物館）

Add: 49 Nanhai Rd., Taipei City

Until 8/31

( 台北市 南 海路 4 9 號 )

Chimei Museum

A Dream Came True: The Story of Chimei Museum 我 的 夢． 阮 的 夢． 咱 的 夢： 奇美博物館的故事

( 台北市中山北 路三段 181 號 )

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

Taipei International Convention Center（台北國際會議中心） Add: 1 Xinyi Rd., Sec.5, Taipei City ( 台北市信義 路五段 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2725-5200, ext. 3517, 3518 www.ticc.com.tw Nearest MRT Station: Taipei 101/World Trade Center

Taipei Zhongshan Hall （台北中山堂）

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

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

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

Add: 1 Jingmao 2nd Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市經貿二路 1 號 )

Tel: (02) 2725-5200 www.twtcnangang.com.tw Nearest MRT Station: Nangang Exhibition Hall

Taichung National Museum of Natural Science （國立自然科學博物館）

Add: 1 Guanqian Rd., Taichung City ( 台中市 館 前路 1 號 )

Tel: (04) 2322-6940 www.nmns.edu.tw

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts（國立台灣美術館） Add: 2 Wuquan W. Rd., Sec. 1, Taichung City ( 台中市五權 西 路 一段 2 號 )

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

Tainan Chimei Museum （奇美博物館）

Add: 66, Sec. 2, Wenhua Rd., Rende District, Tainan City ( 臺南市仁德區文華路二段 66 號 )

Tel: (06) 266-0808 www.chimeimuseum.org

Kaohsiung

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

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

National Palace Museum

( 高 雄 市美 術館 路 8 0 號 )

（國立故宮博物院）

Add: 221 Zhishan Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City ( 台北市至 善路二 段 2 21 號 )

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

National Taiwan Museum （國立台灣博物館）

Tainanʼs new Chimei Museum, a grand museum and new iconic landmark for southern Taiwan, was opened at the beginning of this year. The museum is the brainchild of Chimei Group founder Hsu Wen-long, a Tainan native who has been fascinated by museums from an early age. This exhibition shows how art and music lover Hsu realized his lifelong dream of creating a great museum. www. chimeimuseum.org

Add: 181 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei City

Add: 1 Xueyuan Rd., Taipei City

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

6/27 9/20

Taipei Fine Arts Museum（台北市立美術館）

Add: 2 Xiangyang Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市 襄 陽 路 2 號 )

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

Add: 80 Meishuguan Rd., Kaohsiung City Tel: (07) 555-0331 www.kmfa.gov.tw Nearest KMRT Station: Aozihdi Station

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

Add: 272 Zhongzheng 4th Rd., Kaohsiung City ( 高 雄 市中正四 路 27 2 號 )

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

National Science and Technology Museum （國立科學工藝博物館）

Taipei Arena（台北小巨蛋）

Add: 720 Jiuru 1st Rd., Kaohsiung City

Add: 2 Nanjing E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City

Tel: (07) 380-0089 www.nstm.gov.tw Nearest KMRT Station: Kaohsiung Main Station

( 台北市 南 京 東 路 四 段 2 號 )

Tel: (02) 2577-3500

( 高 雄 市九 如 一路 7 2 0 號 )

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FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area

An Experience Wholly Different Every Few Hours

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Ray Chang

Sun Moon Lake has been a lodestar Taiwan tourist destination for many decades. Yet up to just 15 years ago the visitor experience here was largely restricted to a narrow range of options – static views of the pretty body of water from the shore, tour-boat rides, and visits to a limited array of cultural attractions. Today the options menu is far deeper and richer, calling for repeated visits to the lake and surrounding area and making each an experience wholly different from those prior, and those yet to come.

Shuishe Pier

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FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

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his area was the epicenter of Taiwan’s great 921 Earthquake in 1999, which left the people reeling.

The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area (www. sunmoonlake.gov.tw ) was established soon after, and today the local economy, in which tourism has been given the leading role, is abloom just as the thousands of local cherry trees engage in a glorious renaissance each spring, blossoms bursting forth, radiant. Here’s a 3-day sampler of the things you can get up to.

Day 1 Hiking, Chilling, Biking, Temple Exploring The lake is in the mountains just about in the exact center of the island, and just about in the exact center of Nantou, Taiwan’s sole landlocked county. If self-driving, from Taipei it is reached in about 2.5 hours, via National Freeway 1 or 3 and then 6, then Provincial Highway 21. I arrived lakeside one cool recent Wednesday morning, with a small crew of Travel in Taiwan friends. Those of you who love big crowds – as said, Sun Moon 1

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Lake is one of Taiwan tourism’s brightest beacons – be sure to visit on a weekend/holiday.

The first adventure on our SML-experience itinerary to be checked off was a traverse of the scenic Mt. Maolan Trail.

The clearly marked entrance (Chinese/English) is off the roundlake highway a few hundred meters west of the Shuishe Visitor Center. About 3km long, save for a timber-staircase section it is in fact a narrow paved road that leads up past the neat fields of the Tea Research and Extension Station, established by the Japanese when they ruled Taiwan 1895~1945, to a mountaintop weather station. This was where Assam black tea, today a favorite SML souvenir purchase, was introduced to Taiwan.

Near the trailhead you pass renovated old-style cypress-built Japanese worker dormitories. There are info boards with good English along the way, and superb sweeping views along the upper section. The crest is a prime choice for SML sunrise viewing, and fireflies come out in splendid number in April.

Over the past half-decade I’ve visited the lake once a year on average, and dropping in at the striking Xiangshan Visitor Center for a leisurely coffee, served with a large dose of idyllic scenery, has become a ritual. Located at the end of a small, tranquil bay, the broad-shouldered complex is fronted by a reflecting pool that blends seamlessly with the lake waters. The bright glass-walled café here has outdoor seating; patrons go noticeably quiet after sitting, soaking in the soothing mountain-

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backed vista. Be sure to explore the exhibit hall, which has firstrate information displays, short films, and a 3D film on the national scenic area, all with English.

The fatigue accumulated during our Mt. Maolan ascent now fully dispersed by our java interlude, we hopped on bicycles sourced at the rental station located across the round-lake road, on the other side of the bridge just north of the visitor center, and followed the inviting lakeside walking/biking pathway system, which features long boardwalk sections jutting out over the water. Leisurely meandering all the way to Wenwu Temple on the lake’s other side, then back again, along the way we stopped off at the pretty, new Xiangshan Scenic Outlook skywalk, Tongxin Bridge and Yongjie Bridge, the latter duo known as the “wedding photo bridges,” and Shuishe Pier, where we had wonderful gelato, another of my SML rituals (see our Eat/Stay/ Buy article).

Monumental Wenwu Temple, on the north side of the lake, was built in China’s Northern Dynasties style (386~581 AD). It was severely damaged in the 921 Earthquake but, if anything, today surpasses its former glory. Its distinctive, prominent imperial-yellow glazed-tile roofing draws the eye from all round the lake. “Wen” and “Wu” mean “civil” and “martial”; the temple is dedicated to scholar Confucius and to warriors Guan Gong and Yue Fei, major figures in Chinese history. By way of example, teachers and civil servants will make offerings to the

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former, policemen and businessmen to the latter. The two giant entrance-guardian stone lions are claimed as Taiwan’s largest.

My favorite time of day here is sunset, after the day’s tour-bus busyness, when a deep air of peace and tranquility wafts in with the lake breezes.

1. Mt. Maolan Trail 2. Xiangshan Visitor Center 3. Bike path to Xiangshan Scenic Outlook 4. Xiangshan Scenic Outlook

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FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

Day 2 Boat Touring, Gondola Riding, and Tribal Culture Exploring A yacht tour is a de rigeuer SML experience. Mid-morning, while the waters were still relatively quiet, we hit the pier at Shuishe after browsing the gift-and-souvenir shops on the busy, narrow, tourist-focused street that runs parallel. There are also many places to eat here, both stand-alone and in the various hotels. Shuishe is one of two villages on the lake; the other is Ita Thao, visible on the opposite side. We chose quiet electric boats for our lake meandering, hopping off to visit Xuanguang Temple, then hopping on another boat headed to Ita Thao.

Xuanguang Temple, a short walk from Xuanguang Pier, enshrines a statue of the famous monk Xuanzang, sent to India

by Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong to learn about Buddhism and bring back scriptures. His sojourn forms the core of the adventures related in the classic Journey to the West . After visiting, we started up the stairs of the sometimes steep Qinglong Hiking Trail, which begins near the pier and leads to Xuanzang Temple and, beyond, Ci’en Pagoda, visible from around the lake and with sweeping views of the lake. Xuanzang Temple, which also offers fine high-up views, is among my favorite temples in Taiwan. It is built in Tang Dynasty style, featuring a pure-white exterior and

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SML Boat Tours

Boats launch from four points around the lake: Shuishe, Ita Thao, Xuanguang Temple, and Zhaowu (the last for group excursions only). Ticket booths are right at the piers.

A standard outing is a visit to Ita Thao if launching from Shuishe (and vice-versa), with a visit to Xuanguang Temple and a swing around iconic Lalu Island. Passengers are entertained with broadcast info and stories in Chinese.

Service is 8:50am to 5pm; bicycles can be brought on board.

Fares are stage-based, NT$100 per stage, NT$300 for a full lake tour (ie, back to original spot). The electric boats are in the minority, with numbers steadily growing; choosing one might entail a bit of a longer wait than normal.

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FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

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pretty landscaped grounds, and among the sacred items inside is a parietal-bone relic of Master Xuanzang and a golden Sakyamuni Buddha statue. Ci’en Pagoda, which faces mainland China, was built by a homesick Chiang Kai-shek in memory of his mother. By climbing the pagoda you earn the right to bang the great drum at the top, ensuring a year’s good fortune. The trail is about 1.5km; leave 3 hours (return), not including stops.

Ita Thao is the main settlement of the Thao people, one of the smallest of Taiwan’s indigenous groups. Among its scores of eateries and tourist-oriented retail outlets are a good number selling indigenous fare and handicrafts. After a quick, late lunch of Thao delicacies served with rice or noodles, capped with snacking at street-side stands, we headed to the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway (www.ropeway.com.tw ) along the Ita Thao Lakeside Trail, a picturesque forest-backed, bay-fronted 500m boardwalk pathway connecting village and cable-car station.

The much-praised gondola service takes you on a pulse-lifting 1.8km aerial ride from lakeside to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (www.nine.com.tw), sailing over two mountainridge crests. A combined gondola/FACV ticket brings a significant discount. FACV is a large theme park with amusement rides, a European Garden area and, very popular with international tourists, an Aboriginal Villages section that celebrates Taiwan’s indigenous peoples with scores of first-rate architectural replicas, song-and-dance shows, and traditional-culture demos.

1. Boats on Sun Moon Lake 2. Sun Moon Lake Ropeway 3. Ita Thao Lakeside Trail

4. Indigenous art at Ita Thao 5. Xuanguang Pier

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FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

Day 3 History Exploring Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan’s major production center for Assam black tea. It is also a key producer of electric power. What’s the story? Visits to the Mingtan Power Station and Daguan Power Station, on the Shuili River far below the lake, reveal all. The Mingtan grounds are open to the public, with prime photo-shoot spots over the V-shaped reservoir, where a side river joins in, backed by jagged, soaring riverside cliffs. Daguan, where great water pipes streak down the mountainside in a giant postmodernist landscape artwork, offers both a visitor center and plant access.

In the center (good English), you’ll see how almost a century ago the Japanese dammed the Sun Moon Lake basin and raised its waters, building the Jiji Line, Taiwan’s longest branch rail line, to haul in the equipment and materials for the massive endeavor, Taiwan’s first hydro-dam project. In the public-access plant you’ll inspect some of that equipment, heritage pieces still at work – German boilers marked “J.M. Voith 1923” and USmade generators marked “GE Co., Schenectady, NY.”

Photogenic Checheng village sits, dramatically, just below the Mingtan dam. The rail-line terminus, it bristles with attractive wood-built structures. In the Qing Dynasty this was a camphor-production settlement. The Japanese first built a pushtrolley railway for sugarcane and people transport, then replaced it with the Jiji Line. Logging was key thereafter, local operations eventually shut down in the 1980s. Today the town is a popular tourist destination.

Visit the sprawling, airy Checheng Wood Museum, in the old timber mill, which has displays with good English on Checheng’s past and different types of wood. DIY woodhandicraft sessions are also held. The quaint Checheng Railway Station is a replica in the classic Japanese rural architectural style. The town’s graceful boardwalk-rimmed pond is the original timber storage pond; logs stored in water release resins faster, augmenting preservation.

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7 English and Chinese Checheng 車埕 Checheng Railway Station 車埕火車站 Checheng Wood Museum 車埕木業展示館 Ciʼen Pagoda 慈恩塔 Daguan Power Station 大觀發電廠 Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village 九族文化村 Guan Gong 關公 Ita Thao 伊達邵 Ita Thao Lakeside Trail 伊達邵親水步道 Jiji Line 集集線 Lalu Island 拉魯島 Mingtan Power Station 明潭發電廠 Mt. Maolan Trail 猫囒山步道 Qinglong Hiking Trail 青龍步道 Shuili River 水里溪

Shuishe 水社 Shuishe Pier 水社碼頭 Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 Sun Moon Lake Ropeway 日月潭纜車 Tea Research and Extension Station 茶業改良場 Thao people 邵族 Tongxin Bridge 同心橋 Wenwu Temple 文武廟 Xiangshan Scenic Outlook 向山眺望平台 Xiangshan Visitor Center 向山遊客中心 Xuanguang Temple 玄光寺 Xuanzang Temple 玄奘寺 Yongjie Bridge 永結橋 Zhaowu 朝霧

Getting There & Around There is regular Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus service (www.taiwantrip.com ) to Shuishe Visitor Information Center from Taichungʼs railway/High Speed Rail stations. Catch the bus at the latterʼs groundlevel bus terminal. Taomi Eco Village (see Eat/Stay/Buy article) is passed on the way; tell the driver in advance if you want to get off there. Thereʼs also regular round-the-lake shuttle service from the visitor center at Shuishe (hop on/hop off, NT$80 day pass, bike racks on buses), as well as shuttle service to/from Checheng.

1. Mingtan Power Station 2. Daguan Power Station 3. Checheng 4. Checheng Wood Museum

5. Checheng Railway Station 6. Checheng Wood Museum 7. Checheng pond

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FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area

to Yuchi/Puli

131 Sun Moon Lake Package Passes

A number of passes have been designed that give you discounts at popular SML tourist destinations, on transpor tation, on shopping, etc. These are available at the national scenic area visitor centers.

Find more information here: www.sunmoonlake.gov.

tw/smlbus/ticket.asp?lang=en

Song-and-Dance Shows at Ita Thao Zhulu Market Thao-theme song-and-dance performances, with elements from Taiwan始s other tribes incorporated, are staged daily at 11:20am, 2:20pm, and 5:20pm,

Daguan Power Station

with an additional show at 4:20pm on weekends/ national holidays. A special outdoor performance is also staged at 10:20am in the Ita Thao Pier plaza on weekends/holidays.

Taipei

Mingtan Power Station

Taichung Nantou

Checheng Railway Station Hualien

Tainan Kaohsiung

to Shuili

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

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Checheng Wood Museum

FEATURE SUN MOON LAKE

to Yuchi/Puli

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Wenwu Temple

Mt. Maolan Trail

21 A Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

Shuishe Pier

Sun Moon Lake Tongxin Bridge Yongjie Bridge

Xiangshan Scenic Outlook

Xuanguang Temple Ita Thao Pier

Xiangshan Visitor Center

Xuanzang Temple

Sun Moon Lake Ropeway Ita Thao Lakeside Trail

Qinglong Hiking Trail

Ci’en Pagoda

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to Shuili

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Advertisement by Penghu County Government

Blue Skies, Green Sea, Beautiful Bays Feel the Boundless Charm of Penghu Penghu (The Pescadores) is an archipelago to the west of Taiwan proper. Due to the numerous firewheel flowers (Gaillardia pulchella ) that grow on the islands it is also known as the island of flowers. With its blue skies, azure sea, pristine beaches, colorful coral reefs, and magnificent basalt geology, as well as its unique religious culture and historic relics, Penghu has become a well-known tourism destination and vacation island. In 2013, it also became a member of the “Most Beautiful Bays in the World,” receiving international recognition.

This summer, everyone who longs for an island vacation to remember is invited to Penghu to discover the new charm of the flower islands.

Rich History and Culture th

Magong is the urban center of Penghu. In the 19 century it was called Magong City (Mazu Palace City – the “gong” a different Chinese character to its current name). Today, many historic sites remain, such as the old city gate, Shuncheng Gate, and the old city wall, as well as the unique Four-eyed Well. The old part of the city is today called “Magong Cultural City.” Zhongyang Street, in the center of Magong, is the oldest street in Taiwan, not just Penghu, and has many old Minnan style buildings and long-established stores. There is also Tianhou Temple, over 400 years old, giving the area rich historical charm and making visitors feel like they have gone back in time.

Magong Cultural City has quite a few military dependents’ communities, once the home of military personal and their families

from all over mainland China. The former residents having moved on, some of the houses have been preserved and given a new purpose.

For example, Duxing 10th Village is a listed building cluster used to introduce local culture and famous people and Juguang New Village brings together the cuisine of 13 provinces in mainland China. From the downtown area, visitors can take a walk to the Guanyinting Recreation Area on the sea shore, where they can enjoy lovely views.

This is also a great spot from which to view the fireworks displays staged in the summer and the sunset. Close-by rainbow-like Xiying Bridge is a romantic spot that is very popular.

Stunning Natural Scenery Penghu has magnificent basalt column landscapes. Tongpan Islet, where the columns are the largest and most numerous, is also

For more information contact: Penghu County Government Tourism Department Tel: 886-6-926-8545

http://tour.penghu.gov.tw/en/index.aspx

Magong Ancient Castle Guanyinting Recreation Area

Tianhou Temple

Penghu Museum of Life

Zhongyang Street

Magong City

Shetoushan

Penghu National Scenic Area Administration

Fenggui Blowholes Suogang South and North Pagodas

Marine Life Propagation Station

Qingwan Cactus Park Jing-An Shanshui Beach

known as the “Yellowstone Park in the Sea.” Daguoye Columnar Basalt, located in Penghu’s Xiyu Township, offers the magical sight of basalt pillars reflected in a pond. In the past, residents used basalt or coral rock to build their homes and block out the strong winds.

This became a special feature of Penghu’s traditional architecture.

The most complete examples of this type of building can be seen at Erkan settlement.

Following the coastal roads, the visitor is greeted by one traditional fishing village after another as well as homestay clusters with an exotic flavor and, of course, beach after beautiful beach.

There are long beaches with fine sand, such as Shanshui and Shili, as well as many smaller, clean, and romantic beaches like Qingwan and Fenggui, each having its own character, but all bewitching. Qingwan,

on Fenggui Peninsula, has plants that are typical of Penghu, such as cactus, sisal agave, and firewheels, growing all over. The area has been turned into a Cactus Park.

Culinary Diversity Surrounded by the sea, Penghu has an abundance of seafood and, with its long history and unique culture, has developed some distinctive local foods such as brown sugar cake, salty biscuits, seaweed crisps, and scallop sauce. The local cactus is also used to make ice, cakes, and jam, and even noodles, all creative and tasty and not to be missed!

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STAY/EAT/BUY SUN MOON LAKE

THE SUN MOON LAKE AREA Where to Eat, Where to Shop, Where to Put Your Head Down In our main feature article we showed you how wide-ranging the national scenic area’s menu of tourist-experience adventures is.

Here we show you how wide-ranging your slate of eat/buy/stay options is, providing recommendations in each category, all vetted during Travel in Taiwan’s most recent research trip in March.

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Ray Chang

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STAY Af ter the 921 Ear thquake Taomi farming village, just south of central Puli, restyled itself as Taomi Eco-Village and refocused on ecotourism and guesthouses.

Tao-Mi Country B&B is among its rearmost buildings, on a hill slope overlooking the settlement within view of, but as far away as you can get from, Highway 21. The affable owner, Guo Yong-mao, is very proud that his was among the very first wave of homestays/B&Bs green-lighted by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in the early 2000s.

The exterior has a bright Mediterranean look, and the sparkling-clean guest rooms and public areas have a strong timber theme.

Chen designed Tao-Mi Country himself, sourcing all the railway ties and other wood locally. (Rooms start at NT$1,600; simple combo Western/Chinese breakfast included.)

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As the name indicates, the Zen and Pine Resort has a Zen look and ambience, with a simple, understated Japanese-style architectural design. It is located below Sun Moon Lake on broad slopeland carpeted with white pine in what was once prime logging land. The Zhuoshui River and town of Shuili, on the Jiji Line, can be seen below off in the distance. Some of the inn’s rooms are in a large, rustic cypressbuilt side building once part of a major logging complex; this was the secondlargest lumber landing and milling site in the Shuili area in the 1960s/1970s. Zen-style meals and afternoon tea are available in the reception-lobby dining area. (Rooms start at NT$2,800; simple noodle or sandwich breakfast included.)

In 2014, the Nantou County Government set up a “seniors friendly” certification scheme for accommodations, and three

1. Liao Mayor Black Tea 2 & 3 Tao-Mi Country B&B 4 & 5 Zen and Pine Resort

SML hotels have now received certificates. I especially recommend the upscale Fleur de Chine, which is perched high above the lake shore and has tremendous views.

Tao-Mi Country ( 若瑟桃米民宿 ) Add: 59 Taomi Ln., Puli Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣埔里鎮桃米巷 59 號 ) Tel: 0920-169-422 Website: www.taomi.com.tw (Chinese) Zen and Pine Resort ( 禪與松休閒養生會館 ) Add: 11, Ln. 71, Dingping Rd., Dingkan Village, Shuili Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣水里鄉頂崁村頂平路 71 巷 11 號 ) Tel: (049) 287-1277 Website: www.zenandpine.com.tw Fleur de Chine ( 雲品溫泉酒店 ) Add: 23 Zhongzheng Rd., Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉日月潭中正路 23 號 ) Tel: (049) 285-6788 Website: www.fleurdechinehotel.com

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STAY/EAT/BUY SUN MOON LAKE

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EAT I love ice cream, star of many of my earliest, most cherished flashback reels. All my aunties and uncles knew how to “buy” my love. Many SML visitors stop off at the town of Puli, where Freeway 6 and Highway 21 connect. One of the most popular pitstops is King Garden, a retail/dining center with an exterior mimicking a European chateau. The ice-cream puffs here, made on-site, are creamy delicious.

Between Puli and the lake is another popular stop-off retail/snack outlet, Liao Mayor Black Tea, right on Highway 21. Liao was indeed once mayor of Yuchi Township, in which SML sits, and after the devastation caused by the 921 Earthquake in 1999, was instrumental in the renaissance of the (tourismoriented) black-tea production. Visit the cute dollhouse-character snack bar beside the main building and try the yummy Assam-tea ice cream – I’ve already used “creamy delicious,” so after consulting my thesaurus I’ll here use “silky delightful” – which has a pleasing teagrain texture that tickles the palate.

While in the area you’ll find that sellers of iced black tea using local Assam leaf (lightly sweetened, no milk) are ubiquitous, and your seemingly always thirsty Travel in Taiwan research team agreed that the iced tea sold at Mayor Liao’s is among the best.

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Like hotpot? Following numerous recommendations, we tried Guzao Wei (“Old-Time Flavors”) in Yuchi town, on Highway 21 just south of Mayor Liao, and came away highly pleased. The signature hotpot’s stock is flavored with Assam black tea, which works very well. The Thai-style and tomato-and-cheese versions were also mighty fine. Be sure as well to try the piquant house BBQ and chili dipping sauces.

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Gua bao is a delect ably savor y traditional Taiwan snack delicacy – tender braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, fresh cilantro, and gently sweetened peanut powder in a f luffy, steamed white bun. Along Ita Thao’s main and by far busiest street, narrow Yiyong Street, which cuts straight up through the town from the pier, gua bao is served with an indigenous twist at a number

STAY/EAT/BUY SUN MOON LAKE

of stands – shanzhu , or mountain boar, is used. Mountain boar is an indigenous hunting staple, and a prominent totem in indigenous art/decorations. The gua bao meat used is comparatively lean, not from the belly, and is in fact from boar farmraised locally, not wild.

A number of Ita Thao eateries also prominently advertise their “Thao tribe rice” meals, using large photos. These feature such treasures as fish (fried) and shrimp from the lake, fishballs and boar meat, plus greens, mushrooms, onion, and other locally-grown produce. Many tourists order takeaway, for a nice picnic meal on the pier.

Checheng has a reputation as a center for woodworking arts, and along its old streets are quality eateries selling hearty traditional railway-lunchbox meals – in former times these boxed lunches were sold to travelers on station platforms – serving yours, for an added NT$170, in a Checheng-crafted souvenir wood bucket.

The bucket comes with a nifty wood cover, and is stamped with “Checheng” in Chinese and a puffing steam engine. We chose Sanheyuan Canguan (“Three-Sided Courtyard Residence Restaurant”), which overlooks the Checheng Wood Museum grounds and local trains pulling in and out.

My bucket now graces my front balcony, a unique flowerpot.

BUY I mentioned King Garden’s ice-cream puffs above. Its other key hot-ticket item is packaged traditional Taiwan biscuits.

The center also has many other regional packaged snack items on display.

Liao Mayor Black Tea has a wide range of local black teas and f loral teas for sale, and provides samples at its tea bar. Be sure to leave time for the informative display of heritage equipment (still in use), the period tea-industry photos, and the curing room.

In Yuchi you’ll find Yuchih Cheese, a small traditional bakery with a big reputation for decidedly non-traditional cheesecake. The founder’s son, Eason Xie, a chef who’s worked in Taiwan’s Evergreen hotel chain, makes delicious, novel cheesecakes incorporating local flavors. The Assam tea cheesecake is a runaway hit, the pumpkin cheesecake a close second. Satisfying local palates, Eason’s creations are slightly less sweet and rich than in the West.

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King Garden ( 大黑松小倆口元首館 ) Add: 219, Sec. 4, Zhongshan Rd., Puli Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣埔里鎮中山路四段 219 號 ) Tel: (049) 291-8668 Website: www.9420.com.tw/kinggarden (Chinese) Liao Mayor Black Tea ( 廖鄉長紅茶 ) Add: 6-31 Tongwen Ln., Xincheng Village, Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉新城村通文巷 6-31 號 ) Tel: (049) 289-6217 Website: www.liaomayor.com.tw (Chinese)

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Guzao Wei ( 古早味 ) Add: 375 Yuchi St., Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉魚池街 375 號 ) Tel: (049) 289-7829

1. Liao Mayor Black Tea ice cream 2. King Garden ice-cream puff 3. Guzao Wei hotpot 4. Checheng railway-lunchbox meal 5. Liao Mayor Black Tea 6. King Garden pastry 7. Yuchih Cheese cheesecake 8. Plum-flavored soy sauce at Checheng's Plum Hall

Sanheyuan Canguan ( 三合院餐館 ) Add: 38 Minquan Ln., Checheng Village, Shuili Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣水里鄉車埕村民權巷 38 號 ) Tel: (049) 277-5224 7

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STAY/EAT/BUY SUN MOON LAKE

The Checheng Wood Museum has a well-stocked wood-crafts shop fronting its DIY woodworking center, and you can watch the pros in the studio beside. I went away with a stylish one-piece crescentmoon-shaped wine rack (NT$350; for six bottles), and one of my travel companions t o o k h o m e a cl e ve r c o m b o c h a i rstepladder (NT$750). As well, browse Checheng’s Shuili Farmers’ Association Plum Hall, offering a tasty assortment of pickled/preserved plums, plum-flavored biscuits and sweets, etc., plus snack treats made from other local produce.

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English and Chinese Eason Xie 謝宜軒 Fleur de Chine 雲品酒店 gua bao 刈包 Guo Yong-mao 郭永茂 Puli 埔里

shanzhu 山豬 Shuili Farmersʼ Association Plum Hall 水里農會真梅館 Thao tribe rice 邵族飯 Yiyong Street 義勇街

Yuchih Cheese ( 空中的魚 ) Add: 433 Yuchi St., Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉魚池街 433 號 ) Tel: 0915-519-966 Website: skyfishcheese.blogspot.tw

1 & 2 Wood-crafts shop of Checheng Wood Museum

The Original Taste of Yongkang Street Mango Ice Visit King Mango and enjoy the original taste of Yongkang Street mango ice all year round. Apart from mango ice, there are also 20 other fruit shaved ices and snow ices to choose from. The No. 1 ice, Original Fresh Mango Ice, and the No. 13 ice, Fresh Mango Snow Ice, both made with high-quality mango of Taiwan, are must-try treats.

To reach King Mango, from Din Tai Fung or Exit 5 of MRT Dongmen Station, walk along Yongkang Street for one minute (around 50 meters).

Exit 5,

MRT Dongmen Station

Watsons

Sec. 2, Xinyi Rd.

Din Tai Fung KaoChi

Lane 2, Yongkang St.

King Mango

Cosmed

HOURS 10:00-22:30 ADD

2-1, Lane 2, Yongkang St., Taipei City

WEB

www.kingmango.com.tw

TEL

(02) 3322-6009

( 台北市永康街 2 巷 2-1 號 )

FROM OUTSIDE TAIWAN +886-2-3322-6009

Welcome to your home in Taipei

ww w. parktaip e i. c o m

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.

INDIGENOUS CUISINE K AO H S I U N G

Bunun Hunters Restaurant Indigenous Specialties in Kaohsiung Text: Steven Crook

Photos: Rich Matheson

All the focus is on the food at Kaohsiung’s Bunun Hunters Restaurant, where adventurous diners try specialties of the Bunun and Paiwan tribes, including some very exotic dishes.

T

ourists who come hoping for the kind of cultural-visual experience some indigenous establishments offer may leave disappointed. Members of the multiethnic staff don’t wear tribal costumes. There’s no stage on which indigenous entertainers sing or dance for the customers. In terms of decor – apart from a handful of wild-boar and barkingdeer skulls, plus some nice woodcarvings – the interior looks much like countless other Taiwan eateries.

Entertainment is provided by a TV. Most of the 40-odd seats are arranged around circular banquet-style tables. If it’s a sunny day – and in Kaohsiung it usually

28

Travel in Taiwan

is – consider having your meal at one of the slate-topped tables on the shaded deck. If the temperature is above your comfort zone, you’ll find the air-conditioned interior very welcoming.

Visitors who come expecting good food will leave more than satisfied. In the five years he’s been running the restaurant, owner Yibi has built up a loyal following in this affluent neighborhood near Chengqing Lake, about 7km northeast of downtown Kaohsiung.

Yibi is a member of the Bunun tribe, the fourth-largest of the 16 Austronesian ethnic groups recognized by Taiwan’s

government. Just over one-tenth of the island’s approximately 540,000 indigenous inhabitants are Bunun. Most live in mountainous parts of Nantou County, Hualien County, Taitung County, and Kaohsiung City.

Yibi has a great deal of experience in the restaurant industry. For a time he ran two eateries in the mountains along the Southern Cross-Island Highway, a key road linking Tainan and Kaohsiung in Taiwan’s southwest with Taitung County/City in the southeast. One of his operations was in the hot-spring village of Baolai. The other was close to where he grew up, in what is now Kaohsiung City’s Taoyuan District (not to be confused with Taoyuan City in north Taiwan).

The region suffered dozens of landslides and serious floods in the wake of Typhoon Morakot, which struck in early August 2009. The highest and most scenic stretch of the Southern Cross-Island Highway has been closed ever since the disaster. Visitor numbers dwindled as a result, and Yibi was

INDIGENOUS CUISINE K AO H S I U N G

Yibi, owner of Bunun Hunters Restaurant

forced to shutter his restaurants. Like many other indigenous residents, he decided to relocate to the lowlands, where making a living is easier.

Yibi doesn’t claim to offer absolutely traditional indigenous fare, emphasizing that when using a gas stove, it’s very difficult to recreate the exact taste of dishes normally cooked over a wood fire. But there’s no doubting his skill and knowledge. He’s much in demand as a teacher of indigenous cuisine in local elementary schools and for evening adult classes.

It’s the subtle differences between Yibi’s establishment and more run-ofthe-mill eateries which make dining here so intriguing. Near the kitchen, there’s a steamer filled with cooked white rice, to which customers can help themselves.

Look closely, however, and you’ll see yellow specks of millet mixed in with the

rice. Until a few decades ago, millet rather than rice was the staple carbohydrate in many indigenous communities. Milletbased delicacies continue to play a prominent role in indigenous festivals.

No more than half the dishes on the menu can be considered truly indigenous, but it’s these which attract most of the repeat customers. For the less adventurous, Barbecued Mountain Boar (NT$200) and Fried Mountain Boar (NT$150) are excellent introductions to indigenous cuisine. A more unusual offering is Cold Tossed Boar Skin (NT$160 for a single portion). Thin slivers of skin and meat are served with onion and leek. Yibi sources his boar meat from Taitung County, even though there are suppliers much nearer, saying the superior quality more than makes up for the inconvenience.

Ahvai is a specialty not of the Bunun, but of the Paiwan tribe, one of the Bunun’s indigenous neighbors. It has been called “indigenous sushi,” and in terms of appearance it’s quite similar. Even the way it’s made is like sushi, the contents being rolled up in a tube, then sliced into morsels perfectly proportioned for consumption in two dainty bites.

For the Paiwan of yesteryear, ahvai played the same role as the cardboard lunchbox does for office workers in 21stcentury Taiwan. Those heading to their fields or hunting grounds found it a convenient way to carry food to be eaten later.

Rather than seaweed, ahvai is wrapped in a large leaf; which type depends on the season, but it’s often banana. And instead of steamed white rice, the filling is mostly glutinous rice pounded into a paste, somewhat like mochi. Yibi offers Travel in Taiwan

29

INDIGENOUS CUISINE K AO H S I U N G

“Indigenous sushi”

two versions. One, yellow in color because a generous amount of fermented millet is added, contains pork. The other, which has an orange hue thanks to the inclusion of pumpkin, is stippled with adzuki beans.

“Three cup” dishes, a Taiwanese invention, are available in every corner of Taiwan, prepared using roughly equal amounts of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. But instead of the standard chicken, the protein Yibi serves up is bandicoot rat.

And rather than cook a freshly slaughtered animal, he slices up rat which has been salted and cured like ham.

Unlike other indigenous restaurants, Bunun Hunters Restaurant sources the rat it serves not from the mountains, but from south Taiwan’s sugarcane plantations.

According to Yibi, this is because lowland rodents are larger and meatier than their hillcountry equivalents. One portion of ThreeCup Bandicoot Rat costs NT$200.

Seasonal specialties also appear on the menu (which is Chinese only). Gonzo gourmands will want to try the Fragrant & Crispy Deep-fried Hornet Grubs, (NT$300), which Yibi serves with a garnish of spring onions, leeks, and sliced chili.

These 2cm-long tidbits are most plentiful in the fall and early winter, with very few available after February.

The restaurant also has fish, freshwater shrimp, chicken, and mutton options, all priced NT$200 to $300. Although Taiwan’s indigenous peoples have a reputation for being carnivorous, diners who eat little or no meat won’t go hungry, as the menu lists 30

Travel in Taiwan

10 vegetable dishes. Among them are taste adventures you may never have tried before, such as Vegetable Fern Salad (NT$100) and Stir-fried Bamboo Shoots (NT$60).

The former, according to Yibi, is rich in protein and potassium. The latter is high in fiber and low in calories and carbohydrates.

There’s a good range of soups, too. Be warned that the more expensive ones are meals in themselves. The Pineapple & Bitter Melon Chicken Soup (NT$350), for instance, contains half a bird.

If you prefer noodles or fried rice to steamed rice, you’ll find the standard Taiwan options (NT$60 a portion) on the menu. Like many other eateries in Taiwan, Bunun Hunters Restaurant is best enjoyed by small groups. Get together with five or more friends – one of whom should speak or read some Chinese – order at least half a dozen dishes, and tuck in.

To wash your feast down, there are soft drinks and imported beers (NT$50 to $100 per 600cc bottle). As well, consider having a tipple of xiaomi jiu . A sweet, cloudy fermented spirit made from millet, it’s not very strong – the type sold here (NT$300 for a 600cc bottle) is 10 percent alcohol – and it’s usually drunk from tiny glasses at the end of a meal. (A reminder: do not drink and drive.)

Steven Crook ( stevencolincrook@gmail. com) is a long-term resident of Taiwan and author of the book Taiwan: The Bradt Travel Guide.

Barbecued Mountain Boar

Selected Dishes Ahvai 阿粨 Barbecued Mountain Boar 烤山豬肉 Cold Tossed Boar Skin 涼拌山豬皮 Fragrant & Crispy Deep-fried Hornet Grubs 香酥蜂蛹 Fried Mountain Boar 炒山豬肉 Pineapple & Bitter Melon Chicken Soup 鳳梨苦瓜雞湯 Three-Cup Bandicoot Rat 三杯山河 Vegetable Fern Salad 過貓沙拉

English and Chinese Baolai 寶來 Bunun tribe 布農族 Cheng Shiu University 正修科技大學 Chengqing Lake 澄清湖 Chengqing Lake Baseball Stadium 澄清湖棒球場 Dapi Road 大埤路 Paiwan tribe 排灣族 Shennong Road 神農路 Southern Cross-Island Highway 南橫公路 Stir-fried Bamboo Shoots 炒桂竹筍 Taoyuan District 桃源區 “three cup” 三杯 xiaomi jiu 小米酒 Yibi 一比 Zhongzheng Road 中正路

INDIGENOUS CUISINE K AO H S I U N G

Bunun Hunters Restaurant

Chengqing Lake Dapi Rd.

Chengqing Lake Baseball Stadium

1

183

Zhongzheng Rd.

Cheng Shiu University

Jianguo Rd. 1

Fengshan Railway Station

Outside the restaurant

Yibi at work

Deep-fried Hornet Grubs

Getting There If youʼre coming from outside of Kaohsiung, take National Freeway 1 to the Kaohsiung exit at the 367km mark. Turn east, then follow Dapi Road past Cheng Shiu University and Chengqing Lake Baseball Stadium. Thereʼs no English-language sign, so look for the three very large Chinese characters meaning “Bunun Tribe” on the right as you approach the intersection of Dapi Road, Zhongzheng Road, and Shennong Road. The building itself stands alone, and has just one floor. Itʼs often possible to park right outside.

There is no metro station nearby, but city bus services get you within 100m of the restaurant (bus 5, 217A, 217B, and 217C).

The restaurant is open daily 11am to 2pm and 5:30pm to 9pm, occasionally closing on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Itʼs therefore advisable to call ahead if youʼre thinking of coming mid-week.

Nearby Attraction While in the area, consider visiting Chengqing Lake (open 6am~5:30pm; NT$100 for adults, NT$50 for children and seniors).

Itʼs been a magnet for local tourists since the 1960s, and itʼs easy to spend a whole afternoon taking in its peaceful scenery.

里山 觀光協_英文版.pdf 1 2015/4/8 下午 6:45

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.

Bunun Hunters Restaurant ( 布農族獵人餐廳 ) Add: 1 Dapi Rd., Niaosong District, Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市鳥松區大埤路 1 號 ) Tel: (07) 735-1971 / 0937-372-385

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

31

since 1949

A Long-established Taipei Store Characterized

by Delicious Taste and Affection for its Customers

Located in Taipei’s Ximending area, this cake and biscuit shop was opened in 1949 and has built up an excellent reputation in its more than 60 years of operation. Its traditional Taiwanese cakes and biscuits, made following the original techniques of old master bakers, are handmade and delicate and are now made with less sugar and oil to satisfy many people’s desire to eat in a healthy way. Thirdgeneration owner Jason is boldly innovative with regards to Taiwan-shaped cakes and biscuits the store sells and at the same time insists on using the finest local ingredients. These delicious tastes of Taiwan have become fond memories many overseas visitors take away when they visit the island.

Tai-ho Traditional-Biscuit Motto

Diligence overcomes difficulties. Great harmony lies in tolerance.

With diligence there is nothing difficult in the world; with tolerance there will be harmony and peace at home. Ancient people believed that diligence and tolerance were the basic requirements for achieving great things. If you try hard, then even the most challenging difficulties can be overcome and success can be achieved. Guided by the spirit of diligence and tolerance, Tai-ho Traditional Biscuit is dedicated to producing excellent products and treating each customer with modesty and respect.

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TaiHo Tradit

昆明街

Kunming St.

成都路

ional Biscu

it

g St.

Exit 6

MRT Ximen Station

內江街

Neijian

中華路一段

Xining S. Rd.

西寧南路

Chengdu Rd.

Zhonghua Rd., Sec .1

漢中街

Hanzhong St.

峨眉街

Emei St.

西門捷運站

The Red House in Ximending 西門紅樓

● Add: 47 Chengdu Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市成都路 47 號 )

● Tel: (02) 2331-2772, 2331-2091

● Website: www.thtb.com.tw

● Fax: (02) 2312-0596

RAIL/BUS/BIKE TAIPEI

Guandu / Bali / Tamsui

Waziwei Conservation Area

Tamsui Old Street Tamsui Station

Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology

An Arcadia for the City Folk of Taipei

Bali Old Street

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song

Hongshulin Station

Bali Left Bank Park

U

nlike many rivers that cut through big urban areas, the Tamsui River has a pretty good life. In the early days of Taipei, the river provided the industry and access to international trade that facilitated the city's rapid development, which could have led it to a polluted present sandwiched between gray high-rises and factories. Fortunately, however, the river enjoys a rather more pleasant existence, flanked as it is by long stretches of riverside parks. And this doesn’t stop when it leaves the city center. As the Tamsui travels on towards the sea, it enters a land of nature conservation areas and charming estuary settlements. Three settlements, Tamsui and Guandu on the river’s eastern bank and Bali on the western bank, form something of an Arcadia for Taipei folk, who flock there on weekends in order to soak up some of the seaside joie de vivre, cycle along the riverside bike paths, and/or get in touch with the natural world in one of the area’s several nature parks.

Zhuwei Station

Guandu Bridge

Guandu Food Court

Guandu Station

Guandu Temple Guandu Nature Park

Bali Left Bank Park

Near Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology

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Travel in Taiwan

Guandu Nature Park

RAIL/BUS/BIKE TAIPEI

At Tamsui

Near Guandu Temple Bali Old Street

Guandu Temple

Guandu Temple Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology

Bali

Travel in Taiwan

35

RAIL/BUS/BIKE TAIPEI

Guandu Temple In walking distance from MRT Guandu Station is Guandu Temple. Though the main building has been rebuilt several times, the site itself has been used for the worship of Mazu, Goddess of the Sea, for over 300 years.

Apart from Mazu, the temple also pays homage to Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy, and Emperor Wenchang,

God of Culture and Literature. To the right of the main hall is the Old Buddha Cave, an 80-meter-long tunnel with painted life-sized statues of 28 Buddhist deities set into the walls on either side. At the end of the tunnel is an imposing golden statue of a thousand-armed Guanyin and a terrace with a pleasing view over the river.

Guandu Food Court Looking to fuel up before cycling on to Tamsui? Just pop round the back of Guandu Temple to the Guandu Food Court, home to dozens of stalls selling traditional Taiwanese snack delicacies. Classics such as braised pork rice, oyster omelet, deep-fried taro and sweet potato, fried rice noodles,

stinky tofu – all can be enjoyed here.

And, if youʼre interested in taking some fresh produce home to cook yourself, check out the stall in the far left corner at the back, which sells live loaches, swamp eels, toads, and turtles for your culinary adventures.

Tamsui Old Street & Around Guandu Nature Park Covering 57 hectares, this collection of ponds, marshes, and mudflats is a haven for waterfowl and shorebirds. Itʼs also an important wintering and breeding ground for many species, and as a result over 250 bird species have been documented here, making it a hotspot for birdwatching. The areas of the park open to the public offer serene strolls by freshwater ponds and through coastal forests. In addition, sculptures

and other artworks made of all-natural materials found in the park – stickand-mud huts, giant seed pods, curling wooden ferns – have been subtly integrated into the landscape, giving the impression that youʼre walking through some enchanted elfin forest.

In the visitor center youʼll find a café and an observation area set up with telescopes and bird guides so you can hone your birdwatching skills.

You could easily spend a whole day exploring the delights of Tamsui. Tamsui Old Street is the place to load up on the townʼs renowned iron eggs (quailsʼ eggs stewed in spices and dried until chewy); and of course you should visit the surreal Believe It Or Not Museum, with its assortment of pickled oddities and some live ones too – a two-headed, six-legged turtle, for one. Along the riverbank you can take in herons fishing in the Tamsui estuary, blow all your change on fairground-style games, and try another Tamsui specialty, ah-gei (fried beancurd stuffed with vermicelli noodles) at the Original Ah-Gei Store (No. 4, Alley 11, Zhongzheng Rd.).

Up the narrow set of stone stairs that make up Alley 14 of Zhongzheng Rd. is the Red Castle – a 19th-century mansion built in the Victorian style, now home to a high-end restaurant and terrace bar with wonderful views from the café on the 3 rd floor. Follow the river downstream and youʼll come to the “Old Dutch Fort,” Fort Antonio (better known as Fort San Domingo) and the Former British Consular Residence.

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Travel in Taiwan

From the fort, head uphill on Zhenli Street and youʼll arrive at the former Tamsui Customs Officerʼs Residence, also known as the Little White House – a beautiful white colonial-style building with vaulted arcades, fronting a meticulously tended garden.

RAIL/BUS/BIKE TAIPEI

Bali Left Bank Park

Bali Old Street Across the river from Tamsui, just a few meters from where you step off the ferry, Bali Old Street is a slightly shorter, slightly more laid-back version of Tamsui Old Street. The pace here is a little slower, a little less frantic than its counterpart on the other side of the river. Food choices inc lude more roasted c orn, fried squid, corn dogs, barbequed tofu,

and fried birdsʼ-eggs-on-a-stick than you can shake a stick at. The most popular vendor, though, is undoubtedly the donut shop at the top of the street. Three snacks are on sale here – your classic donut, a two-pronged crispy bun called “ twins,” and taro cookies, which consist of taro paste sandwiched between two deep-fried cream crackers.

A fairly similar experience to Tamsuiʼs riverside pedestrian-walkway area, Bali Left Bank Park is, as well, somewhat more easy-going than its cousin across the water. A slew of interesting shops selling Western ʼ50s-style toys lines the bank – think cup-and-ball and rubber-band rifles (though youʼll

Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology The arc haeol ogi c al site at Shih sanhang, discovered in the 1950s, offered up a rich trove of archaeological treasures that shed considerable light on the history of one of Taiwanʼs nor thern lowland tribes.

The site threw up potter y, beads, bronze utensils, silver, copperware, gold jewelry, and coins, as well as human and animal remains, some dating bac k alm ost 2,0 0 0 year s; and, moreover, provided evidence

that the Shihsanhang people were the earliest in Taiwan to have possessed iron-smelting technology.

The museum, opened in 20 03 to exhibit the finds, provides a fascinating look both into the lives of this early Taiwan indigenous people and into the archaeological process itself. Good English signage throughout, and lots of hands-on activities f o r yo u n g s t e r s , m a ke t h i s a f u n place to visit as a family.

also find that some are distinctly Taiwanese – child-sized versions of the war god Guan Gongʼs Green Dragon Crescent Blade, for example). There are also some expansive green spaces and sheltering trees where you can sit awhile in the shade and enjoy your ice- cream tower. Follow the path downriver and youʼll come to the Waziwei Conservation Area – an old village and a peaceful mangrove park, which few tourists visit, even on weekends, with soft muddy earth that is home to fiddler crabs and mudskippers galore, as well as several species of waterfowl.

Getting There & Getting Around Take the Taipei Metro (Taipei MRT) TamsuiXinyi Line (Red Line; Line 2) to its northern terminus, Tamsui Station. Or get off a few stops earlier at Guandu Station. Bali can be reached by ferry from Tamsui Ferry Pier (tickets are NT$23 for an adult, NT$25 with a bike), located along the riverside pedestrianwalkway area north of Tamsui Station, or by taking the Red 13 or Red 22 bus from outside Exit 1 of Guandu Station (the bus journey takes just over an hour).

By far the most pleasant way to explore the area is by bike. An excellent network of bike paths is available, winding through old riverside streets, mangrove parks, and wetlands.

The sheer number of bike-rental shops en route makes it impractical to list them all, but if you feel the urge to cycle, throw a stone and chances are youʼll hit a rental shop. Most rent bikes for the whole day, with returns due at 7 or 8pm. One of the people in your party will need to leave ID – a passport or driverʼs license if youʼre not a resident, your national ID or health insurance card if you are. Prices differ, but expect to pay between NT$50 and NT$150 for the whole day. Tandems and fourperson quadricycles are also available at most shops.

Travel in Taiwan

37

RAIL/BUS/BIKE TAIPEI

Bike Rental Perhaps the most practical of the bike shops to rent from is the Bicycle Classroom, situated in an alley near Exit 1 of MRT Guandu Station. Bike hire is NT$100 for the day (to 7pm on weekdays, 8pm on weekends). For an extra NT$50, you have the option of returning your bike to one of the shopʼs partner outlets in Tamsui or Bali, meaning you can do the full triarea without having to worry about speeding back to Guandu come sundown. The outlet provides maps with the location of its partner shops.

In Bali: Huanle Bike Rental ( 歡樂協力車 ) Location: 8, Alley 21, Duchuantou St., Left Bank, Bali District, New Taipei City ( 新北市八里區左岸渡船頭街 21 巷 8 號 ); Bali riverside, near Bali Ferry Pier Tel: (02) 2610-0356 Hours: Weekdays 12 noon~8pm; weekends and holidays 10am~10pm Fee: NT$50 per day

Bicycle Classroom ( 單車教室 ) Add: 36, Alley 296, Sec. 3, Dadu Rd., Beitou Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市北投區大度路三段 296 巷 36 號 ) Tel: (02) 2897-5559 Hours: Weekdays 8am~7pm; weekends 8am~8pm There are also plenty of places to rent bikes in Tamsui and Bali.

In Tamsui: Tamsui Bike Rental ( 淡水租車站 ) Location: Near MRT Tamsui Station on the riverfront Tel: (02) 8978-5108 Hours: Weekdays 8am~7 pm (6pm in winter); holidays and weekends 8am~8 pm (7pm in winter) Fee: NT$15 per hour; bikes need to be returned same day Websites: www.rhbd.ntpc.gov.tw/cht/index.php?code=list&ids=13, www.ukan.com.tw/main.html (both Chinese) Leqi Bicycles ( 樂奇單車 ) Add: 6-1 Zhongzheng E. Rd., Tamsui District, New Taipei City ( 新北市淡水區中正東路 6-1 號 ); near Exit 2 of MRT Tamsui Station Tel: (02) 2626-3233 Hours: Weekdays 10am~9pm; weekends and holidays 9am~9 pm Fee: NT$100 per bike/day; bike needs to be returned on same day Website: hbike.myweb.hinet.net

English and Chinese ah-gei 阿給 Bali 八里 Bali Left Bank Park 八里左岸公園 Bali Old Street 八里老街 Believe It or Not Museum 淡水信不信由你搜奇博物館 Emperor Wenchang 文昌帝君 Former British Consular Residence 前清英國領事官邸 Fort Antonio/Fort San Domingo 紅毛城 Green Dragon Crescent Blade 青龍偃月刀 Guandu 關渡 Guandu Food Court 關渡古早街坊 Guandu Nature Park 關渡自然公園 Guandu Temple 關渡宮

Guan Gong 關公 Guanyin 觀音 Mazu 媽祖 Old Buddha Cave 古佛洞 Original Ah-Gei Store 阿給原創店 Red Castle 紅樓 Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology 十三行博物館 Tamsui Customs Officer's Residence/ Little White House 前清淡水關稅務司 官邸 / 小白宮 Tamsui Old Street 淡水老街 Tamsui River 淡水河 “twins” 雙胞胎 Waziwei Conservation Area 挖仔尾自然保留區 Zhenli Street 真理街

師大國語中心英文招生_E_1-3W_2014_12.pdf 1 2014/12/17 下午 12:06

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FARM FUN HUALIEN

Learning About Organic Farming in Eastern Taiwan Text: Joe Henley

Photos: Maggie Song

Hualien County, on Taiwan's east coast, is the largest county in the country in terms of area. However, due to its rugged terrain less than ten percent of the region is inhabited, with the rest being largely mountainous. Farmers ply their trade on the alluvial plains of the East Rift Valley, taking advantage of Hualien's abundant rainfall, consistent temperatures, and copious spring and summer sunshine to grow products that are famed throughout the island.

Chicken farmer Chang Chin-yi

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Travel in Taiwan

Travel in Taiwan

39

FARM FUN HUALIEN

trip to Hualien offers the chance to observe and even participate in the way of life of those for whom the land is the grand arbiter of personal destiny and philosophy. The land can give and it can also take away – in Hualien, however, farmers are showing that if you treat the environment with respect, man and nature can find equilibrium and comfortably co-exist.

To see Taiwan's take on eco-friendly farming firsthand, head for the township of Shoufeng, 30 minutes from Hualien City by train. On a recent Hualien weekday excursion, our train slowly meandered its way through the picturesque East Rift Valley, which is bordered by the lush and rocky monoliths of the Central Mountain Range to the west and the Coastal Mountain Range to the east. From

Fonghua Zai Xian Guan

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Travel in Taiwan

Shoufeng Railway Station, we took a 10-minute taxi ride to Fonghua Zai Xian Guan, a combination shop and education center r un by the local far mers’ association. It is located in Fengtian village, the next stop on the railway line (we had taken an express train, which does not stop there).

Here you can peruse a large selection of products grown throughout Taiwan, with a special focus on Hualien, and if you can read Chinese you can learn a little about the region's history. Fengtian started to flourish around the turn of the 20 th century when the occupying Japanese colonial authority established it as an immigration village for Japanese nationals. In the 1960s, it became known as a gathering point for farmers to sell a product that Hualien today remains noted for – seedless watermelons.

In addition to sales displays and samples, D.I.Y. bread-baking classes are also offered. On the second floor of the facility is a restaurant, with the rear doors leading outside to an observation deck with an expansive view of the surrounding mountain ranges and the rift valley, running north-south. Dining reser vations are

Self-made bread creations

required only if you will be arriving with a large group, in which case it's best to book at least a week in advance. Note that if you're just stopping by, there are organic lunchboxes available for takeaway.

The center also provides area history tou r s; g u ides explai n t he v illage's relationship with agriculture in general, as well as its recent commitment to organic farming. If you happen to visit from mid-January to end-February, the fallow period for the rice paddies, the area will be lit up with flower blooms. The tours are done by bike, at this point are offered in Chinese only, and should be booked a week in advance. Half-day packages are available in which you take a bread-baking class and get some hands-on experience with local farming techniques for NT$400 per person, with a guided bicycle tour included gratis. Or, if you're coming with an especially large group, a one-hour bike tour can be booked for parties of 30 to 40 people at a total cost of NT$1,200.

From the center it's a short drive west toward the Central Mountain Range, where on an otherwise unoccupied valleyfacing slope Chang Chin-yi, along with his wife and three sons, runs the Hsiangting Poultry Farm, one of Taiwan's few true free-range organic chicken operations.

Chang follows the simple but important belief that people should be more mindful of the effects that the foods they put into their bodies might have on their health, with a wary eye on the potential harm of

FARM FUN HUALIEN

eating factory-reared food day in and day out. This is why he has chosen to raise his 10,000-odd head of poultry in a more natural way.

Chang, now 59 years of age, came to poultry farming in a rather roundabout way.

In his younger days, he was a member of the country’s special forces. Once out of the service, he worked for Taiwan Cement for some time, until his fifties and retirement loomed. He wondered how he would spend his golden years, and what his legacy would be. Just over a decade ago, he decided to give chicken farming a try, buying some land on the plains before moving to his current perch overlooking the rift valley five years ago.

Though the farm sits at an elevation of just 130 meters above sea level, raising chickens in the hills took some getting used to, requiring Chang to adjust his approach to suit the different terrain. His investment was nearly used up in the process, but he kept going, and through a combination of perseverance, media savvyness, and passion, he has managed to become something of a poster boy for the organic food movement in Taiwan.

He speaks enthusiastically, talking about his eggs and birds as a proud father would of his children, and is eager to point out the differences between his product and those of factory farms. One of the aspects he loves to draw attention to is the yolks of his eggs. They seem to be uncommonly strong, and can even be plucked by hand from the egg white and

grasped firmly between two fingers. Eaten raw, the yolks have a slightly sweet taste and a thick texture.

What really sets Chang's farm apart from others is his slow and steady approach.

At factory farms, chickens are injected with hormones to expedite their growth, allowing them to mature in just 27 days.

Chang needs from four-and-a-half to fiveand-a-half months to raise a bird, allowing it to roam free on the slopes so as to build up its strength like it would in the wild, and providing a coop for it to roost in at night or take shelter from the sun or rain.

Taking more time to raise the birds means buying more feed, which makes the operation less profitable than factory farming. But for Chang, clichĂŠ as it might seem, it's about more than just turning a profit. It's about changing the way people think about what they put into their bodies, and showing a greater respect for the natural world. Thanks to people like Chang, there is a small but growing movement in Taiwan wherein people are asking more questions about where their food comes from and how it is raised. More people are also starting to buy locally rather than choosing the cheaper option of factory-reared food shipped in from other areas of Taiwan, or even other countries.

Chang is only too happy to educate visitors to his farm about how to recognize free-range, organic eggs from

Fresh eggs

Egg yolk

Hsiangting Poultry Farm

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FARM FUN HUALIEN

Fresh organic chicken

English and Chinese Central Mountain Range 中央山脈 Chang Chin-yi 張進義 Coastal Mountain Range 海岸山脈 國賓-2.pdf Fengtian 1 2015/2/16 上午 10:33 豐田 Shoufeng 壽豐 Shoufeng Railway Station 壽豐車站

factory-raised, and inform them on how certain unscrupulous operations might seek to mislead them. One of the main scams, he points out, is that some farmers claim that brown eggs are free range, whereas white are factory-raised. In actuality, the color of the egg simply relates to the color of the hen that lays it. Another widely perpetuated myth is that eggs smaller in size are freerange, whereas the larger are not. In fact, the smaller eggs are just those that are laid first by the hen, the larger ones following.

In no way does Chang engage in proselytizing or preaching. Strolling around the idyllic grounds of his farm, with guava trees, coffee plants, and lemon trees scattered about, talking about such things with him takes on the air of a natural conversation more than a teacher-student type of dialogue.

This is a man who is simply doing what Fonghua Zai Xian Guan ( 豐華再現館 ) Add: 5, Sec. 2, Fengping Rd., Fengping Village, Shoufeng Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣壽豐鄉豐坪村豐坪路二段 5 號 ) Tel: (03) 865-5111

he loves to do, at the same time attempting to make the world a healthier, more environmentally conscious place.

If you happen to be headed to Hualien County, do yourself a favor and call two days ahead to book a meal at Chang's place.

You'll enjoy a seat on his front balcony, looking out over the rift valley, and enjoy a sumptuous meal of barrel-roasted chicken and other dishes comprised entirely of locally grown organic ingredients. For an extra NT$200, he'll even teach you how to select eggs for sale, and soak them in salt water both to preserve the egg and enhance the flavor. Then, time permitting, you might spend some time sipping tea with Chang and learning about his way of life. In the end, you just might walk away with a whole new perspective.

Hsiangting Poultry Farm ( 鄉庭畜牧場 ) Add: 36, Lane 157, Sec. 2, Shanbian Rd., Fengshan Village, Shoufeng Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣壽豐鄉豐山村山邊路二段 157 巷 36 號 ) Tel: (03) 865-1315

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

Please contact us if you need more detailed information

www.taipeieye.com

Tel: +886-2-2568-2677 Fax: +886-2-2568-2335 E-Mail: taieye@taipeieye.com Add:【Cement Hall at Taiwan Cement Building】 113, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City(Jinzhou Rd. entrance) 【台泥大樓士敏廳】 台北市中山北路2段113號(錦州街入口)

10

off ％

Not valid with any other offers Offer ends Dec31, 2015

EASY HIKING TAIPEI

The “Silver River” Cave A (Short) Hike on Taipei’s Wild Side

There is no shortage of trails in the mountains surrounding the Taipei Basin, many quite scenic and easy for the average hiker to follow. One such trail leads from the Taipei suburb of Xindian to the tea-plantation area of Maokong, passing the unique Yinhe (“Silver River”) Cave.

Text: Richard Saunders Photos: Twelli, Vision Int'l

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Travel in Taiwan

T

emples are ubiquitous in the populated areas of Taiwan, and even in the mou ntains small shrines to the Earth God (Tudi Gong ), at which locals may pause to pray and perhaps leave an offering in return for a safe passage, can be found beside many trails. These are often exuberantly colorful places to experience the equally colorful local culture.

Yinhe Cave, however, is unique.

A lt houg h t h is t i ny t emple is of no

architectural distinction and there’s little to see inside, its gravity-defying position makes it one-of-a-kind. It clings to a ledge half-way up a tall and sheer cliff face, beside a lofty, graceful waterfall.

Yin he Cave lies at the head of a wooded ravine just outside Xindian, Taipei’s southernmost suburb. It is reached with a short and easy climb up a stepped path from the road. Public transport provides easy access to the trailhead. Take

EASY HIKING TAIPEI

3

The scenery is lovely right from the trailhead, and it’s not long before the waterfall and the little temple behind come into view above

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the Taipei Metro to Xindian Station (the southern terminus of the Songshan-Xindian Line) and then take bus Green 12 (headed for the town of Pinglin) from the bus stop area outside the station. After getting off at the Yinhe Cave bus stop, walk along the highway (Provincial Highway 9) for about 50 meters to a sharp hairpin bend, and turn onto narrow Yinhe Road. There is a large Buddha statue at the entrance. Follow the road for about a kilometer, until you come to another sharp bend. A signpost on the right points to the first steps – of almost 500 – leading up a thickly wooded hillside beside a cascading stream. The scenery is lovely right from the trailhead, despite the proximity of the urban built-up area, and it’s not long before the waterfall and the little temple behind come into view above.

A final push up a steep flight of stairs and through a gateway (usually kept open during daylight hours) gives access to the temple, a collection of cramped chambers with the natural rock of the cliff face for a back wall. Emerging from the last chamber brings you to a path that climbs along the natural overhang in the sheer cliff, passing behind the waterfall and finishing at a

small natural cave with a large statue of Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals of Chinese legend.

Lu Dongbin is also worshipped at Zhinan Temple (www.chih-nan-temple.org ), one of Taipei’s biggest and most popular temples, which is reachable by a pleasant and not-too-strenuous 2-hour hike over the hills from Yinhe Cave. Head down to the foot of the waterfall; facing the waterfall, the main path veers to the right here, and beyond a flight of steep steps rejoins the stream at the top of the waterfall. In a couple of minutes the surfaced path crosses a bridge on the left at a fork in the trail and heads uphill, bringing you, eventually, to Muzha’s well-known Maokong area. This trail is broad and easy to follow.

If looking for something a bit wilder and more natural, at the aforementioned fork in the trail keep to the right and follow the narrow dirt trail that continues along the right bank of the stream. Conditions

1. Yinhe Cave temple 2. Statue of Lu Dongbin 3. Waterfall beside the Yinhe Cave temple

Travel in Taiwan

45

EASY HIKING TAIPEI

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here can be a bit muddy after rain, and it’s necessary to cross the stream several times in quick succession, but the plentiful rocks in the streambed generally make it easy enough to accomplish this feat dry-shod.

Af ter about 10 minutes the t rail crosses the stream once more and veers left, climbing through the jungle to the top of a ridge. You will reach a wooden resting platform about 30 minutes after the crossing. It’s a surprisingly secluded walk considering the fact that the big, busy city is just over the next ridge, and it’s unusual to see more than a couple of other hikers along this stretch of the trail, even on weekends. As the trail continues down the far side of the ridge a raised boardwalk makes progress easy, and soon the path emerges onto a road in Maokong, directly opposite the uppermost station of the Maokong Gondola (www.gondola.taipei ), Maokong Station.

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Travel in Taiwan

3

Before taking the gondola across the valley here to Zhinan Temple (the next stop) or all the way down to the Taipei Zoo (www. zoo.gov.taipei ), where there is a connection with the Taipei Metro’s Wenhu Line, it’s virtually de rigueur while in the area to sit back and enjoy a leisurely hour or two sipping tea, ‘old man’ style, while enjoying panoramic views over Taipei and the surrounding hills (an especially memorable experience at night when the city lights up).

Teahouses are dotted along Sec. 3, Zhinan Road on either side of Maokong Station.

Those wanting to learn a bit more about the area’s tea production can visit the nearby Zhang Nai-miao Memorial Hall, dedicated to Tieguanyin and Baozhong tea.

For those eager to explore a little more, several short, easy trails that start near Maokong Station provide a nice, easy postlude for your hike. Simplest is the level Camphor Tree Trail, a short stroll through

camphor trees and tea fields. Another short, signposted trail, to the curious natural pothole formations after which Maokong (which means ‘cat holes’) is named, begins a 10-minute walk along Zhinan Road from the gondola terminus (facing the station, turn right).

A visit to magnificent Zhinan Temple is another compulsory stop when in the area, and since the temple complex is pretty spread out, expect to do a fair amount of walking to explore it fully. For eager hikers, however, after Yinhe Cave the best hike in the area is launched from Zhinan Road after a walk of a couple of minutes uphill from the gondola station, taking you to the top

1. Maokong Gondola ride 2. Teahouse in Maokong 3. Camphor Tree Trail

Addicted to Atayal & Wulai’s Attraction!

Taiwan’s Unique hot-spring hotel with waterfall view!

Enjoy a relaxing hot-spring bath, experience Atayal culture, and breathe in healthful anion on a forest hiking.

Wulai Vigor Village ˙Naluwan Hot Spring Hotel has Wulai Waterfall

in the front and Cherry Blossom Park at the back. The hotel offers views of the waterfall and there is a high concentration of healthful anion in the air. Visitors can enjoy different scenery through the four seasons: In spring view the cherry blossoms, in summer go stream trekking, in autumn taste fish and crap, and in winter enjoy a warming hot-spring bath. Vibrant and passionate Atayal culture can also be experienced throughout the year. You are invited to stay with us and be invigorated physically, mentally, and spiritually through a dialogue with the stream rushing through the valley.

Suggested Itinerary Day 1.

8:00

Waterfall view breakfast

9:30

Hotel shuttle bus to Neidong Forest Park

11:30

Return to hotel and enjoy a hot-spring bath

Atayal-style dinner

12:00

Rest in room – enjoy a bath in the sodium bicarbonate spring water

Thanks for staying with us – check out

Afternoon

You can remain in Wulai and take a cable car ride, visit Yunshien Resort, an organic farm, the Atayal Hunting School or the Atayal Weaving Workshop, at your own expense.

15:00

GAGA Theater – Atayal Dance Show

16:00

Ride on Wulai mini train – explore Wulai Old Street

18:30

Return to hotel on hotel shuttle bus

19:00 20:00

Coming soon in August 2015…

In August 2015, Wulai Vigor Village’s “One day Atayal Tribe” will open. You are invited to go into the mountain forest, take off your shoes and tie, and experience traditional food, tribe dance, atayal weaving and hunting together with Atayal villagers.

Day 2.

Afternoon Arrive at hotel and check in

Recreation in the hotel free use of the pool room, table tennis room, and majiang room

21:00

Say good night to the waterfall

｜Tribal Theater ｜Chief’s Banquet｜Waterfall View Café｜ Atayal Culture Creativity｜

˙

Wulai Vigor Village Naluwan Hot Spring Hotel 新北市烏來區烏來里瀑布路 33 號

No.33 Pubu Rd., Wulai Village, Wulai District, New Taipei City Tel: (02) 2661-6000 Fax: (02) 2661-6909

How to reach us: MRT Line: Tamsui – Xindian Take the MRT from Taipei Main Station to Xindian Station → take Xindian Bus to Wulai Terminal Station → take mini train / taxi / or walk to Naluwan Hot Spring Hotel Shcheduled hotel shuttle bus is available for hotel guests.

EASY HIKING TAIPEI

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of rocky Houshanyue. It’s a short but very steep climb, the last section of which is up a series of rocky bluffs with fixed ropes in place so hikers can haul their way to the top, where there’s a magnificent view of the Taipei Basin.

From the Houshanyue peak the trail follows a ridge, eventually joining up with a classic Taipei-area hike, the Bijia Ridge walk. This rather strenuous but wonderful day-long hike follows a long, rugged ridge from Maokong all the way to the old town of Shenkeng, now a district of New Taipei City, about 10 kilometers to the east. On the way you pass through pristine forest, with magnificent views enjoyed at several points,

3

especially from the rocky cap of Mt. Bijia.

This hike is generally done in the opposite direction, which means the chance, at the end of a long day, to enjoy a pot of reviving tea. Ending at Shenkeng, however, has the advantage of finishing at a place famous for its tofu. Restaurants along Shenkeng Old Street sell a range of delicious dishes that taste especially good after a day spent in the hills!

Richard Saunders is the author of several books about hiking and traveling in Taiwan, including Taipei Escapes I and II, introducing day walks and day trips in northern Taiwan.

English and Chinese Baozhong tea 包種茶 Bijia Ridge 筆架連峰 Camphor Tree Trail 樟樹步道 Green 12 綠12 Houshanyue 猴山岳 Lu Dongbin 呂洞賓 Maokong 貓空 Maokong Gondola 貓空纜車 Mt. Bijia 筆架山 Pinglin 坪林 Shenkeng 深坑 Shenkeng Old Street 深坑老街 Tieguanyin tea 鐵觀音茶 Tudi Gong 土地公 Xindian 新店 Yinhe Cave 銀河洞 Yinhe Road 銀河路 Zhang Nai-miao Memorial Hall 張迺妙茶師紀念館 Zhinan Road 指南路 Zhinan Temple 指南宮 1. Zhinan Temple 2. Taipei seen from the Maokong area 3. Shenkeng Old Street 4. Shenkeng tofu

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POPULAR PASTIMES RUNNING

Taiwan Runaround The Local Passion for Running the Roads

Text: Rick Charette

Photos: Chinese Taipei Road Running Association, Puma

Road running has become extremely popular in Taiwan in recent years. Almost every weekend there is a marathon taking place somewhere on the island, not to mention many more minor running events.

A recent trend is the organizing of special-theme runs where the focus is less on winning and more on having a good time while running together with other running enthusiasts.

T

h ink of what types of outdoor exercise/sporting activities are practiced by locals in Taiwan, and certain archetypal images will no doubt present themselves to you. Formations of people in public parks in the early morn, moving in rhythmic symphony, going through their timeless wushu (martial arts) routines. Middle-aged and senior hikers ascending trails, making sure to reach high points at dawn to absorb the day’s best qi . Those who follow team sports will be aware of the prowess of Taiwan’s youth on the baseball field.

Over the past two decades, however, the central gover nment and other organizations, public and private, have been enthusiastically promoting more vigorous forms of outdoor activity, seeking to improve national health. Two that have been embraced with especial fervor are bicycling and running. We gave readers the low-down on the bicycling phenomenon in our January 2015 issue. In this issue we tackle running.

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POPULAR PASTIMES RUNNING

The Journey to Now Taiwan is a crowded place, and there is little danger of exaggeration in saying that two decades ago, save for a few annual road-running events, the limited number of running enthusiasts were largely limited to tracks on sports and school grounds and to pathways in some large urban parks. Hash House Harriers groups run by locals and expatriates existed in Taipei and Kaohsiung, with members mapping out courses in city-edge districts for weekend runs. Few runners hit the public roads, where the motor vehicle was the unchallenged king, though some quieter roads in national scenic areas and national parks, such as the scenic Balaka Highway in Yangmingshan National Park on Taipei’s north edge, were runner-friendly outside of weekends/holidays.

Since then there has been an explosion in interest, especially in the past 10 years. Today there are over 200 running clubs in Taiwan, almost 50 full marathons are staged each year, and there are almost countless runs of shorter length. The Taipei City Government stages almost 40 major/minor running events each year.

So what happened?

First, there have been heroes (see accompanying box), pioneers who have brought Taiwan pride on the international stage and served as models back home, stimulating energetic fellow countrymen to lace up, pursuing ambitions large and small.

After the decades of “Taiwan Economic Miracle” hard work and national self-sacrifice, in the 1990s the now-wealthy population began calling for an enhanced quality of life.

Tremendous improvements have since been made in recreationaluse infrastructure. For example, Taipei is now encircled by

an interconnected system of riverside-park paths reserved for walkers/bikers/runners. Kaohsiung has ripped up its urban-core railways and replaced them with greenery-lined recreational Sprawling Menu of Races and Runs Cit y and other gover n ments have also engaged in systematic road smoothing, and launched programs targeting vehicle emissions, resulting in much-enhanced air quality.

They stage road races of various lengths to draw attention to their improved environments and promote tourism.

The best and biggest example of this is the annual Taipei Fubon Marathon, which attracts over 120,000 runners from Taiwan and 50-plus other countries. The starting point is the grand plaza before Taipei City Hall; the course zigzags through the closed-off downtown area, winding by Taipei 101 and other city landmarks. There is a carnival atmosphere, with many fun side events, enthusiastic spectators lining the course, and live TV coverage. There’s a full marathon, half marathon, and 9km run, divided into age/gender categories, plus a 3km fun run and 2km run for kids.

Another distinctive category is scenic runs, staged to promote tourism in specific areas within national scenic areas, national parks, etc. By far the most popular of these is the Taroko Gorge Marathon. This is surely among the world’s most “gorge-ous” road races – you run the highway along the bottom of magnificent Taroko Gorge, Taiwan’s greatest scenic attraction, located just in from the east coast above Hualien City.

Two other key categories, which have some overlap with the above two, are charity runs and special-theme runs. Stagings of theme runs have surged in the past few years – these are

Super Supau Cup Running Race

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Travel in Taiwan

Taibei Fubon Marathon

POPULAR PASTIMES RUNNING

especially popular with younger folk. Here are a couple of the most successful theme events: The Color Run is staged in various locations around Taiwan.

Billed as the “Happiest 5K on the Planet,” it is a unique “paint” race that “celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality, and giving back to the community.” An untimed event, open to all, participants are doused with eco-friendly colors each kilometer.

A rousing Color Festival party awaits at the finish line.

Taiwan’s premier night-run event is the PUMA Night Run. There are two editions, in Taipei and Kaohsiung. These are “fluorescent” runs, with entrants decked out in glowing attire, creating an ethereal river-like gleam as the mass moves along.

There are 14.3km (10km in Kaohsiung), 5km, and 3km runs, all untimed and open to all. A stage show awaits runners at the finish, set up like a Taiwan TV variety show, with alternating games and celebrity pop singers.

Joining the Movement Sellers of running gear abound in Taiwan. You’ll find all the big international brand names, from Nike and Asics to Adidas, Puma, and Mizuno, in malls and department stores and in streetside stores. What you almost surely won’t find, however, is staff with strong English, so if you’re not already clear on what you want, bring along a Chinese-speaking friend if possible.

If your appetite has been whetted, hit the ground running by checking out the impressive list of events found on the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association website (www.sportsnet.org. tw), and on the Runner’s Plaza website (www.taipeimarathon.org. tw/contest.aspx).

Running Help The key organization in the Taiwan running movement is the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association (CTRRA), established in 1993, which today runs up to 25 major events each year in cooperation with public/private bodies. Its stated vision is to transform the marathon from “professional sport” to a “diversified civil-health road-running activity,” bringing “health and happiness to civilians.”

Its events will commonly have a mix of competitive longer runs, easier-challenge mid-distance runs, and shorter themed fun runs.

If looking to meet English-speaking running friends, try the Hash House Harriers and Taiwan Beast Runners.

These are trail-running groups that have a mix of locals and expatriates. Both can also give you guidance on what gear to buy and where to buy it. (Taipei HHH www.chinahash.org / www.taipeihash.com.tw ; Hsinchu HHH hsinchuhhh.word-

press.com ; Taichung HHH www.taichunghash.com ; Kaohsiung HHH groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/kaohsiunghash/

info ; Taiwan Beast www.taiwanbeastrunners.com ).

Good sources on routes to run are the WalkJogRun and MapMyRun websites (www.walkjogrun.net / www.mapmy-

run.com ), which have many suggested routes in locations around Taiwan, outlined on maps and with information on distance, estimated time, elevation, ascent/descent, etc.

Happy trails … and roads, pathways, and tracks!

PUMA Night Run

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POPULAR PASTIMES RUNNING

Running Heroes

CTRRA Tips on Taiwan Running

It all began with Chi Cheng, the “flying antelope of the East,” setter of many track-and-field records and 1968 Mexico Olympics bronze-medal winner in the 80-meter hurdles. Later, as a high-level

1. Taiwan can be very hot and humid; whatever the length

government official, she transplanted

of your run, be sure to bring sufficient water to keep hy-

the knowledge and techniques devel-

drated. As well, wear gear that allows your skin to breathe.

oped in running the prestigious Boston and New York marathons to Taiwan, and the first Taipei Marathon

2. The weather can change abruptly here, and can change a number of times in a single day. Bring a light jacket to

was run in 1986.

More recently, ultra-marathoner Kevin Lin has achieved stunning

keep warm when needed, and/or bring raingear – the am-

athletic feats and brought pride to the country. Lin has long been one

bient air may be warm after a rainfall, but you soon won’t

of the world’s best-known and most accomplished endurance ath-

be if you’re soaking wet.

letes. He won his first big international race in 2004, finishing first in the 241-km run across Chile’s Atacama Desert. Among his other ca-

3. Whether an expatriate or visitor, remember that you’re

reer highlights: together with two other runners, he was the first mod-

far from home. Have ID and emergency-contact info on

ern runner to cross the Sahara Desert, in 2007 (see the documentary

you. It’s also a good idea to register with the local repre-

Running the Sahara , narrated by Matt Damon), and he accomplished

sentative office of your country/territory.

an extraordinary 10,000-km traverse of the Silk Road in 2011.

English and Chinese Balaka Highway 巴拉卡公路 Chi Cheng 紀政 Chinese Taipei Road Running Association 中華民國路跑協會

"flying antelope of the east" 東方飛躍的羚羊 Kevin Lin 林義傑 PUMA Night Run PUMA 螢光夜跑 qi 氣

Taipei Fubon Marathon 台北富邦馬拉松 Taiwan Beast Runners 跑山獸 Taroko Gorge 太魯閣峽谷 Taroko Gorge Marathon 太魯閣馬拉松 wushu 武術

Our mission is to do our best to meet the needs of our guests

“Serving guests like they are family” is the aim of Taipei’s Hotel B, giving every guest a warm and comfortable stay; to this end, whether in terms of breakfast dishes or special needs during their stay, the hotel always does its best to meet the requirements of guests, to create a service style that stands out in the hotel industry. We know from the feedback of many of our guests that they really appreciate the warm, enthusiastic, and diligent service we provide.

Hotel B enjoys a superior location and has easy access to convenient transport networks; so, no matter if you want to take a walk, shop or enjoy Taiwan’s tasty foods, it is easy. Other parts of the city and areas beyond can also be reached conveniently. We’re between Taipei Metro’s Zhongxiao-Xinsheng and Nanjing E. Rd. stations, making for problem-free explorations of scenic sites throughout Taipei City and surrounding New Taipei City. There’s an international-airport bus stop right beside us, splendidly reducing the fatigue of long-distance travel, and you can also catch a bus for the famed Jiufen and Jinguashi mountain towns nearby, saving you both money and effort. Jiufen’s popular taro dumplings, and Jinguashi gold-panning experience, are just a short jaunt away. Stay with Hotel B and we guarantee that peace of mind, joyful fun and adventure, great eating, and unbeatable shopping are all part of the package.

Civic Blvd. Sec. 3

Zhongxiao E.Rd. Sec. 3 太平洋sogo(復興店)

T e l :+886 2 27813121 Fax:+886 2 27718796

No.367 ,Sec 2,Bade Rd., Taipei City 105,Taiwan 105臺北市八德路二段367號

Changan E.Rd. Sec. 2

c. 2 . se Rd De Ba

Dunhua N.Rd

Nanjing E.Rd. Sec. 3

臺北小巨蛋 Taipei Arena

Dunhua S.Rd

長榮巴士站 Evergreen Airport Bus

Fu Xing S.Rd

遼寧夜市 Liaoning Night Market

Fuxing N.Rd

Nanjing E. Rd MRT Station

Liaoning St.

Our rooms are a contrast of two different stylistic approaches, understated European elegance and black-and-white modern minimalist chic. They present a fusion of tranquility, warmth, romance, and art, each an oasis of comfort and independent solitude within the midst of the busy and boisterous city. Among our complete suite of services we offer you a fine Western restaurant, fitness center, business center, conference room, and laundry room. Hotel B Taipei sincerely invites everyone to come and enjoy a happy stay.

微風廣場 Breeze Center Civic Blvd. Sec. 4

太平洋sogo(忠孝店) Zhongxiao E.Rd. Sec. 4 Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station

Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT Station

E-mail:taipei.hotelb@gmail.com www.hotelb.com.tw

WHERE TO GO TONIGHT XIMENDING

Ximending

(West Gate District)

Taipei and Taiwan's Key Youth Entertainment and Fashion Center Text and Photos: Vision Int’l

X

imending is the key youth sub-culture center of Taipei, a colorful and pulsating emporium of clothing and accessories, food and drink, and entertainment and art. It is at the same time a Taipei attraction that has its finger on the pulse of international fashion, oft compared to Tokyo’s Shibuya and Harajuku districts, its vivacity also attracting large numbers of overseas visitors. Here are a few of the many Ximending shopping, dining, and entertainment options.

Snack Food d 1 Chengdu Star Fruit Soup ( 成都楊桃湯 ) This renowned ice-treat shop, established in 1966, is famous for its carambola, plum, and pineapple ice creations. The preserved fruit is covered in crushed ice.

Sweet, savory, and sour flavors can be tasted in a single mouthful, a rather unusual ice experience.

Add: 3 Chengdu Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市成都路 3 號 ) Tel: (02) 2381-0309 Hours: 10am~10pm

Shopping and Entertainment d 1 eslite Bookstore Ximen Branch ( 西門誠品 ) This bookstore is on the 3 rd floor of the oldest shopping center in Ximending. The superior reading environment makes the bookstore a popular place for locals, as well as for foreign tourists exploring Ximending.

Add: B1-3F, 52 Emei St., Taipei City ( 台北市峨眉街 52 號 B1-3F) Tel: (02) 2388-6588 Hours: 11:30am~10:30pm

2 Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle ( 阿宗麵線 )

3 Lao Tien Lu ( 老天祿滷味 )

rice-noodle thick soup with chewy sausage, fish shavings, and shredded bamboo shoots. Eaten with a sprinkling of Chinese parsley or Chinese basil and with a splash of Ay-Chungʼs own hot sauce, this dish is highly flavorsome.

This is a renowned, longestablished soy saucebraised food restaurant.

The braising liquid is a mix of water, soy sauce, and Chinese medicinal herbs, lending a rich and delicious taste to the food items.

The tasty dishes, including duck tongue and duck wing, attract gourmands from around Taiwan, and even from abroad.

Add: 8-1 Emei St., Taipei City ( 台北市峨眉街 8-1 號 ) Tel: (02) 2388-8808 Hours: 11am~10:30pm

Add: 55, Sec. 2, Wuchang St., Taipei City ( 台北市武昌街二段 55 號 ) Tel: (02) 2361-5588 Hours: 9:30am~10pm

This is a small eatery with a big reputation. One of the most popular dishes is aromatic

2 The Red House ( 西門紅樓 ) This two-story, red-brick Western-style building is a national Grade 3 historical site that has been transformed into a cultural-creative design space and arts/performance venue. It has a café, exhibition space, and designer boutiques, along with an indiedesigner creative market on weekends and holidays.

Add: 10 Chengdu Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市成都路 10 號 ) Tel: (02) 2311-9380 Hours: Tue~Sun 11am~9:30pm

Cafés/Restaurants d

3 Wannian Commercial Building ( 萬年商業大樓 ) A shopping and entertainment mecca for young people, Wannian Commercial Building has an ice palace (skating), MTV (private-room movie viewing), pool hall, and other entertainment and leisure facilities.

There is also a Japanese comic/anime and model exchange center. This is a favorite Ximending spot for fans of all things Japanese.

Add: 70 Xining S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市西寧南路 70 號 ) Tel: (02) 2381-6282 Hours: 11am~9pm

3 Chin-Hsiang Foods Guangdong Shantou Satay Hot Pot ( 清香廣東汕頭沙茶鍋 )

1 Fong Da Coffee ( 蜂大咖啡 )

2 chiba Restaurant, Amba Taipei Ximending ( 吃吧 ! 台北西門意舍 )

This granddaddy of Taipei coffee houses is a Taiwanese-style business established in 1956.

As well as selling coffee and old-style biscuits/ cookies, it also offers coffee bean and coffee accessories.

This restaurantʼs open kitchen, Chinese-Western fusion cuisine, sharing-type tables and chairs, music bar, and ornamental organic grasses and plants combine to create a laid-back dining space.

This famous and long-established satay hotpot restaurant uses stock pork bones as the base of its soup stock. The other ingredients, such as meat slices, vegetables, and various unique Taiwanesestyle selections, are ordered individually.

Add: 42 Chengdu Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市成都路 42 號 ) Tel: (02) 2371-9577 Hours: 8am~10:30pm

Add: 77, Sec. 2, Wuchang St., Taipei City ( 台北市武昌街二段 77 號 ) Tel: (02) 2375-2075 Hours: 6:30am~10am, 11am~10pm

Add: 5, Lane 82, Xining S. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市西寧南路 82 巷 5 號 ) Tel: (02) 2331-9561 Hours: 5pm~12 midnight

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Travel in Taiwan

WHERE TO GO TONIGHT XIMENDING

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Theme Streets d 1 America Street ( 美國街 ) Shops in this area sell a wide variety of fashionable US clothing and accessories.

Another special feature is that the walls on both sides of the lanes and alleys, and the iron doors of the shops, are decorated with graffiti.

Area: Lane 120, Sec. 2, Wucheng St. ( 武昌 街二段 120 巷 ) / Lane 74, Kunming St. ( 昆明街 74 巷 ) / Lane 96, Kunming St. ( 昆明街 96 巷 ) / Lane 90, Sec. 2, Hankou St. ( 漢口街二段 90 巷 )

2 Movie Street ( 電影街 ) Among the long-established movie theaters operating on Ximendingʼs famed “Movie Street” are Lux Cinema, VieShow, and in89 Digital Cinemax. This is a prime place to catch the latest flicks from Taiwan and Hollywood.

This street is the place to head to if you need to rent or buy costumes and props for a party.

Area: Sec. 2, Wuchang St. ( 武昌街二段 )

Area: Hankou Street ( 漢中街 )

3 Party Supplies Street ( 派對道具街 )

Travel in Taiwan

55

MY FAVORITE SPOTS HUALIEN

Hello Hualien!

Places to Go in East Taiwan’s Largest City

Text: Joe Henley Photos: Maggie Song

At times, Taiwan can seem like it offers but two options for urban travel – the sprawling metropolis, such as Taipei, Taichung, or Kaohsiung, or the proverbial one-horse town. However, there are options that are somewhere in between, and Hualien City, located fairly close to the island's belt line on the east coast, is the perfect example. Part cosmopolitan city, part small town, Hualien retains its historical charm and distinctive local culture while keeping a measured eye toward modernity. Here are a few spots worth checking out when you hit town.

Famous Resident of Hualien Comic Artist -

Ao You xiang

One of Hualien’s most famous residents is comic artist Ao You-xiang. His best-known work, Wuloom Family, has enjoyed sales of more than 43 million copies worldwide.

Feeling too much pressure from being in the limelight after finding success, he decided to give up everything and live in seclusion in Hualien. After being invited to teach at National Dong Hwa University by the school’s president, Ao established the course Image 56

Travel in Taiwan

Creativity and Comic Production , then later opened Open Comic , the first comic-talent nurturing base in Taiwan. Open Comic houses a large number of Ao works, displaying substantial visual-image creativity.

While visiting Hualien, learn more about Ao's creative and teaching world by visiting Open Comic (Add: 115 Jinfeng St., Hualien City / 花 蓮 市 進 豐 街 115 號 ; Hours: Tue~Fri 2~5pm; Tel: (03) 833-0214).

MY FAVORITE SPOTS HUALIEN

Pine Garden Overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the east and the city center to the west at the highest point of Hualien City, Pine Garden is a former Japanese military office used by the colonial force during its time in Taiwan from 1895 to its defeat at the end of WWII. During the war, it is said that this was a site where kamikaze pilots were given heavenly wine before taking off in their planes for the last time.

Following the war, the site was used as a vacation resort for American military personnel. Later, it was converted into the cultural center and preserved historical site that we see today.

One of the center’s main focuses is the art of poetry. The second floor of the former army installation is a reading room, filled with books by noted Taiwanese poets. Colorful paper lanterns dangle from the ceiling above a warm parquet floor. Antique leather chairs are scattered around the room, and outside, a balcony looks out over the sea and the century-old pines spread out over the grounds. There is also an art-exhibition room. On a visit this February, the works of local artist Daidi Hu, paintings made using coffee grounds, were on display. On the first floor is

a café to sit and relax in, breathing in the scent of the fresh pine needles carpeting the ground and enjoying the gentle breezes coming in off the sea.

Pine Garden ( 松園別館 ) Add: 65 Songyuan St., Hualien City ( 花蓮市松園街 65 號 ) Tel: (03) 835-6510 Website: www.pinegarden.com.tw

Daiji Bianshi About 20 minutes by foot from Pine Garden is Daiji Bianshi.

This is a small, hole-in-the wall type restaurant that has been run by the same family for three generations. In that time, the recipe for the perfect bowl of wonton soup has been honed with the focus and zeal of an artist striving for nothing less than perfection.

Actually, wonton is the only thing on the menu. Upon arriving, simply tell the host how many bowls you want, grab a seat, and within minutes a steaming bowl of soup will be before you. You'd be hard pressed to find a better wonton anywhere on the island, so for a quick snack, this Hualien institution is tough to beat.

Daiji Bianshi ( 戴記扁食 ) Add: 120 Zhonghua Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中華路 120 號 ) Tel: (03) 835-0667 Website: www.daiwa.url.tw (Chinese)

A-Zone (Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park; 花蓮文化創意產業園區 ) Add: 144 Zhonghua Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中華路 144 號 ) Tel: (03) 831-2111 Website: www.a-zone.com.tw

A-Zone A short walk from Daiji Bianshi, located on Zhonghua Road, A-Zone (official name: Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park) is the old Hualien Winery complex. There are 26 old warehouses, some dating back nearly a century, on the site of just over three hectares. Today, the warehouses, offices, and facilities where distilled spirits, rice wine, and beer was once manufactured, bottled, and shipped have been converted into art galleries, cafés, restaurants, and shops.

The former packing house, dating back to 1929, is now a live house for bands and other artistic performers. The old lab where the recipes for rice wines were once perfected is now the iP Gallery, wherein local photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists have their work displayed. There are also several stores selling locally made products, everything from fashion items to antiques, music, artworks, and more. If you're looking for a meal, the old admin building now houses Andante Bistro, a Western-themed restaurant. The oldest structure in the park, this two-floor building features both European- and Japanese-inspired architectural elements.

Travel in Taiwan

57

MY FAVORITE SPOTS HUALIEN

Golden Triangle Shopping District The area around the old colonial-era railway station is the center of a triangle-shaped district formed by Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, and Zhonghua roads, in which you'll find stores catering to all your shopping needs. Since 2003, restaurants, cafés, drink stands, and shops of all kinds have popped up along the Old Railway Walkway, a small walkabout zone. The zone is closed to vehicle traffic, and is an excellent spot to stop for a rest and perhaps enjoy a light snack in the midst of the shopping portion of your trip through Hualien.

Time Secondhand Bookstore Further north, on narrow Jianguo Road, near the intersection with Lane 125, stands a building with a yellow wood exterior built in the traditional Japanese style. Dating back over 60 years, the building houses the Time Secondhand Bookstore. The store, also a café and reading room, is filled with the pleasant, sweet scent of the pages of well-worn books.

Though the focus is largely on Chinese-language literature, there is a shelf of English-language books for sale, with some old gems to be found. If you do happen to pick up a book or two, don't be surprised if you come across on old bookmark or train ticket tucked within the pages – such nostalgic treasures are placed at random inside the store's selections. The store is also home to a pair of friendly, sleepy cats, who love to lounge on the tables and chairs, taking up real estate in the patches of warm sunlight that pour in through wood-slat windows.

If you follow Jianguo Road west to the next intersection and then turn left, you’ll find yourself on Fuxing Street, known by

locals as “scallion pancake street.” There is a cluster of vendors, one of which has been selling scallion pancakes, an old-time snack treat, from a blue truck for more than 45 years.

Time Secondhand Bookstore ( 時光二手書店 ) Add: 8 Jianguo Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市建國路 8 號 ) Tel: (03) 835-8312

Gongzheng Buns

Gongzheng Buns ( 公正包子店 ) Add: 199-2 Zhongshan Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中山路 199 之 2 號 ) Tel: (03) 834-2933

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Travel in Taiwan

What Daiji Bianshi is to wonton, Gongzheng Buns is to xiaolongbao , or soup dumplings, and steamed dumplings. To find it, head to the intersection of Gongzheng Street and Zhongshan Road, and simply look for the lineup snaking its way out of the cloak of steam billowing from three ovens stacked high with circular wooden steaming trays.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, soup dumplings so large they could be mistaken for steamed buns are prepared and sold for NT$5 a piece, while the steamed dumplings go for NT$30 for ten. To wash down the dumplings, the shop offers cups of red tea mixed with soy milk. Be warned – though you might think of dumplings as a snack, a few of these soup dumplings will leave you feeling very full indeed.

Recruitment of International Students for Fall 2016 & Spring 2017 Established in 1946 54 departments, 22 research and teaching centers More than 307 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).

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.

Ranked 411th-420th in overall performance, 317th in world reputation, 358th in internationalization, 136th in arts and humanities, 42nd in social sciences and education and 296th in social sciences and business Management in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2014/2015 (UK).

Term Dates and Application Information Terms

Application Deadline

Fall Term

March 15

Spring Term October 31

Announcement of Term Begins Term Ends Admission Results Mid May Mid December

September January February

June

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：http://ap.itc.ntnu.edu.tw/istudent/apply

Distinguished Colleges

College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, College of Arts, College of Technology & Engineering, College of Sports & Recreation, College of Music, College of Management, College of International Studies and Social Sciences

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

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.)

More Information Scholarships: www.ntnu.edu.tw/oia/ scholarship.php

Contact Info

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

Multi-Language Website: www.ntnu.edu.tw/oia/multi/ Applications to Degree Programs – Office of International Affairs Tel：886-2-7734-1272

Fax：886-2-2362-5621

Email：intlntnu@gmail.com

www.ntnu.edu.tw/oia/

MY FAVORITE SPOTS HUALIEN

Miao Kou Black Tea This old-school teahouse serves up cups of black tea, almond tea, and plum tea, pumped down from vats on the second to the first floor serving area via double-layered steel tubes that keep the beverages cool even during Taiwan’s notoriously hot summer months. Like Gongzheng Buns, Miao Kou Black Tea is open 24 hours a day, and has been around for decades. The place specializes in traditional Taiwanese breakfast fare, such as danbing (egg pancake) and luobogao (turnip cake), but the menu also includes pastries, desserts, and lunch and dinner options.

Located at the intersection of Ren'ai Road and Chenggong Street, the restaurant is across the street from Chenghuang Temple, named for the guardian deity of the city. The temple also houses a shrine to Koxinga, the famed general who drove the forces of the Dutch East India Company from Taiwan in the early 1660s.

Stone Art Street At the intersection of Bo’ai Street and Chongqing Road is this market square, in which stone art takes center stage. The tens of shops feature jade artworks, stone sculptures, glass-bead jewelry, and coral art, all made by local artists. Visitors have a chance to talk with the artists about their trade and life in Hualien, a place where many artists from around Taiwan have chosen to settle, drawn by its laid-back atmosphere and vibrant creative community.

The market also features a stage on which performances of indigenous song and dance take place nightly at 7:30pm. Performers showcase traditional tribal dances and wear the ornate clothing of many of Taiwan's indigenous tribes – the traditional music is augmented with contemporary styling. Information on the histories and languages of the tribes is presented in a fun way that encourages audience participation, and for the big finale members of the

Miao Kou Black Tea ( 廟口紅茶 ) Add: 218 Chenggong St., Hualien City ( 花蓮市成功街 218 號 ) Tel: (03) 832-3846

audience are invited on stage with the performers to see if they can duplicate the moves of the skilled artists who work to preserve this vitally important aspect of Taiwan's history and culture.

A Zhi Bao Handicrafts

A Zhi Bao Handicrafts ( 阿之寶手創館 ) Add: 48 Zhongshan Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中山路 48 號 ) Tel: (03) 835-6913

English and Chinese Boʼai Street 博愛街 Chenggong Street 成功街 Chenghuang Temple 城隍廟 Chongqing Road 重慶路 Daidi Hu 胡黛娣 danbing 蛋餅

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Travel in Taiwan

This three-story enterprise is just down the road from Stone Art Street, at the intersection of Chongqing and Zhongshan roads.

Once the headquarters of a newspaper, a transport company, and the local operations of China Airlines, respectively, today the building is home to what is part grocery store, part gift shop, and part teahouse/restaurant. Antiques adorn the walls and corners of every floor, with some for sale and others merely for display.

If you're looking for local products – not just from Hualien, but from all over Taiwan – and need some souvenirs to bring back for yourself or others, this is the place to go.

Fuxing Street 復興街 Golden Triangle Shopping District 花蓮金三角商圈 Gongzheng Street 公正街 Jianguo Road 建國路 luobogao 蘿蔔糕

Old Railway Walkway 舊鐵道行人徒步區 Ren'ai Road 仁愛路 “scallion pancake street” 蔥油餅街 Stone Art Street 石藝大街 Zhonghua Road 中華路 Zhongshan Road 中山路 Zhongzheng Road 中正路

Countryside Town Puzi River Basin in Chiayi County – 2-Day, 1-Night Farming and Fishing Village Experience Tours The town of Puzi, encircled by the Puzi River, is close to the National Palace Museum southern branch (scheduled to open at the end of 2015).It only takes about 15 minutes to drive from Taiwan High Speed Rail’s Chiayi Station.Puzi is the home of the traditional craft of embroidery with many historic buildings.It is also an important legume production center and famous for its healthy food.

Legume Feast The Puzi River basin is covered in fields as far as the eye can see. These fields bear different legume crops in different seasons, including red beans, mung beans, soybeans, black beans, corn, peanuts, and flax seeds. The area has a number of distinctive traditional snacks, restaurants and homestays that are themed with legumes.The well worth visiting include “Tai Guo Zi,” hidden away in Puzi Market, renowned for its “Qing Palace Cake,” “SPK Bakery,” known for its bread, and “8 Yaya Bakery” popular for its handmade biscuits.

Hundred-year-old “Dong Hor Oil-making Factory” is famous for its legumes oil, and another notable business is “Gnomy's Diaries Theme Restaurant,” a country-style restaurant located on the riverbank.

Farming and Fishing Village Experience Visitors can spend the night in the Taiwan Tourism Bureau c e r t i f i e d “Chau-a-thau Artists’ Village” homestay, soaking up the charm of a traditional courtyard building and roasting the plump and juicy oysters that are a local specialty while listening to stories told by the owner. The next day, take a leisurely bicycle ride through the local countryside, pick your own ingredients and make traditional Taiwanese snacks. Then enjoy these snacks picnic-style in a field. You can also paddle a dragon boat on the Puzi River, the only place to experience this all year round in Taiwan, or take a trip to nearby Dongshi fishing village to catch fish and shrimp and spend part of the day as a fisherman.

A Little Trip Back in Time Walking on the old streets of central Puzi is like taking a trip back to the early 20th century, with baroque style buildings and early traditional Taiwanese crafts to be seen all around. Peitian Temple, in the middle of the city, is the local belief center. Every year in February and March, lanterns and flowers decorate the road in front of the temple when the famous Lantern and Flower Festival is held. Because of praying to Peitian Temple’s Mazu (Goddess of the Sea) for offspring is believed to have high efficiency, many people who want to have a baby, are attracted.

Puzi was once an important embroidery center. Visitors can go to the Puzi Embroidery Cultural Hall to learn about this exquisitely beautiful traditional Taiwan craft. “Shen Fu Creative Embroidery” is a business that creatively merges modern elements into traditional embroidery works, making them into daily-use products suitable for all ages or lucky gifts that are must-buy souvenirs for visitors.

Website - www.puzih.cyhg.gov.tw/html/sec_13.html Facebook - www.facebook.com/hellopuzih Advertisement by the Chiayi County Government

TAIWAN SLANG

This Is

Funny Illustration: Choc Hsu

A

Sometimes Even the Locals Get Their Chinese Wrong

s a foreign learner of Chinese, you might think the locals all have a “perfect grasp” of their complex language. Rest assured, however, that such mastery is beyond the grasp of most, if not all.

In a time in which members of the younger generation are more likely to be found playing online games than digging through dictionaries, less commonly used words are sometimes mis-understood, mis-pronounced, and even mis-written.

The word 哏 (gén ) is a case in point. The original meanings of this word (which is about 1,000 years “young” in Chinese terms) were “very,” similar to 很 (hen ), and “cruel,” similar to 狠 (also hen). Later, it came to be used to say something was funny or a joke, for example in the traditional art form xiangsheng ( 相聲 ; Chinese comic dialogue or cross-talk).

Move forward to the present time. If you have watched Taiwan TV, you’ve probably noticed that many programs have Chinese subtitles. Because of the sheer volume of Chinese characters that needs to be put out in the industry, writers of these subtitles tend to

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be young, fast typists not likely to be professors of Chinese literature.

According to one story, a typist once heard the word 哏 in a TV-program dialogue, but was not sure how it was written. Instead of looking it up in a dictionary or asking someone more experienced, he/she typed the word 梗 instead, which has no resemblance to the former but has a similar pronunciation (geng ). The original meaning of 梗 is “stem,” like in “the stem of an apple.”

People saw it and started to use it instead of 哏 , and this usage has now become part of the vernacular. As expected, purists of the Chinese language are shocked at such negligence, and despair at what they proclaim is the younger generation’s lack of knowledge of and interest in the Chinese language.

The next time you hear someone using the word gêng to say that something is funny, for example in the sentence 這個梗很好笑 (zhège geng hen hao xiào ; “this joke [“stem”] is very funny”), you can smile and think “What is also funny is that they are using the wrong word, and are not even aware of it...”

Hotels of Taiwan

K HOTEL - TAIPEI SONGJIANG

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

柯達大飯店-台北松江

華 泰 王子大 飯 店

Taipei 台 北

Taipei 台 北

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when it comes to accommodation. From five-star luxury hotels that meet the highest international standards, to affordable business hotels, to hot-spring and beach resort hotels, to privately-run homestays located in the countryside there is a place to stay that satisfies every traveler’s needs. What all hotels of Taiwan — small and big, expensive and affordable — have in common is that serve and hospitality are always of the highest standards.

The room rates in the following list have been checked for each hotel, but are subject to change without notice. Room rates at

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

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

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI

Taipei 台 北

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

8,000 9,500 10,500 16,000 20,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese RESTAURANTS: Rain Forest Restaurant, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81 SPECIAL FEATURES: Business Center, Pyramid Club - Luxury Executive Floor, Multifunctional Room, Internet Service, 40-inch LCD TV, Garden Terrace, Bar, Fitness Club, Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Spa, Aromatherapy, Car Park

新竹美麗信酒店

NO. OF ROOMS: 141 ROOM RATES: CORNER 8 COMFY ZONE D ROOM QUEENS KINGS STUDIO M

Hsinchu 新 竹

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

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, and Chinese RESTAURANTS: The Zone Bar & Restaurant SPECIAL FEATURES: Gym, Sky Lounge, Sky Garden

83 Civic Boulevard, Sec. 3, Taipei City, 104

111, Sec. 2, Gongdao 5th Rd., East Dist., Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan

10 4台北市市民大道三段8 3號

3 0 0 新 竹 市 公 道 五 路二 段111號

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

www.miramargarden.com.tw

RESTAURANTS: L’IDIOT RESTAURANT & BAKERY (Western), Chiou Hwa (Chinese)

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

369, Lin-sen (Linsen) N. Rd., Taipei City, 104 104 台 北 市 林 森 北 路 369 號

HOTEL SENSE 伸適商旅

Superior Room Business Room Deluxe Room Executive Deluxe Room Executive Suite Sense Suite

Tel: 02.2581.8111 Fax: 02.2581.5811, 2568-2924

www.gloriahotel.com

Taipei 台 北

HOTEL ÉCLAT 怡亨酒店

Taipei 台 北

NO. OF ROOMS: 60

NO. OF ROOMS: 79 ROOM RATES: NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese

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

www.khotel.com.tw

MIRAMAR HOTEL HSINCHU

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

Business Center, café, free self-service laundry, car park, free unlimited Internet access, air-con and heating, multimedia system, automatic toilets

Tel: 02.2515.9999, 0800.020.222 Fax: 02.2515.6789

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

NO. OF ROOMS: 203 ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room Business Room Executive Deluxe Room Boss Suite Premier Suite

ROOM RATES:

SPECIAL FEATURES:

the hotels apply.

美麗信花園酒店

NO. OF ROOMS: 220

NO. OF ROOMS: 85

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

7,500 8,500 9,500 9,000 10,000 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 open-air Sky Garden, parking tower, close to the MRT system near Zhongshan Elemen tary school MRT station and key commercial and entertainment districts.

ROOM RATES:

Deluxe Room Grand Deluxe Room Premier Room Premier 9 Éclat Suite

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: 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.

Tel: 03.623.1188 Fax: 03.623.1199 E-mail: info@miramar-hsinchu.com

477 , Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 104 104 台 北 市 中 山 區 林 森 北 路 477 號 3 minutes by foot from Exit 2 of MRT Zhongshan Elementary School Station Tel: 02.7743.1000 Fax: 02.7743.1100 E-mail: info@hotelsense.com.tw

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

www.miramar-hsinchu.com

www.hotelsense.com.tw

www.eclathotels.com

Travel in Taiwan

63

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL 慶泰大飯店

Taipei 台 北

NO. OF ROOMS: 160 ROOM RATES:

Single Room Deluxe Single Room Deluxe Twin Room Suite Room

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

6,200 6,800 7,600 11,000

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

THE GRAND HOTEL 圓山大飯店

NO. OF ROOMS: 500 (Suites: 57) ROOM RATES: Single/DBL NT$ 8,200-13,000 Suite NT$ 18,000-30,000 DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese RESTAURANTS: Western, Cantonese, Northern China Style Dumplings, tea house, coffee shop SPECIAL FEATURES: Grand Ballroom, conference rooms for 399 people, 10 breakout rooms, business center, fitness center, sauna, Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, billiards

186 Songjiang Rd., Taipei City,104 104 台 北 市 松 江 路 186 號 Exit 1 of MRT Xingtian Temple Station on the Luzhou Line.

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

www.galahotel.com.tw

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.

64

Travel in Taiwan

Taipei 台 北

1 Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10461 R.O.C 10461 台 北 市 中 山 北 路 四 段 1 號

TAIPEI WESTGATE HOTEL

53 HOTEL

永安棧

寶島53行館

Taipei 台 北

NO. OF ROOMS: 121 ROOM RATES: Cozy Deluxe Premier Premier City View Dual Queen Premier Dual Queen Executive Suite Grand Suite

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

7,200 7,800 8,500 8,800 10,800 11,800 12,800 12,800

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese RESTAURANTS: Unwind Bar & Restaurant SPECIAL FEATURES: Located in the heart of the energetic Ximending; 1 minute on foot to MRT Ximen Station; free wireless Internet access; fitness center; business center; meeting room; laundry; express laundry service; complimentary Chinese/ Western buffet breakfast; safety deposit box; limousine service; airport pick-up.

150, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd., Wanhua Dist., Taipei City, 108

(MRT Ximen Station, Exit 6) 108 台 北 市 中 華 路 一 段 150 號

Tel: 886.2.2886.8888 Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

Tel: 02.2331.3161 Fax: 02.2388.6216 Reservation Hotline: 02.2388.1889

www.grand-hotel.org

www.westgatehotel.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 70 ROOM RATES: Standard Room Superior Room Deluxe Room Family Room Deluxe Family Room DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

Taichung 台 中

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

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

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 ( two minutes from railway station) 40042 台 中 市 中 區 中 山 路 27 號 (距離火車站兩分鐘) Tel: 04.2220.6699 Fax: 04.2220.5899 E-mail: service@53hotel.com.tw

www.53hotel.com.tw

Art Spa Hotel

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.

With these beliefs, the current owner of Art Spa Hotel regretted to see the Jiaoxi Hotel, one of the first hot-spring 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.

Art 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.

To Taipei Zh ong sha n

.

Rd oxi Jia

Wenquan Rd.

Art Spa Hotel

Rd .

Jiaoxi Railway Station

Post Office

Car park of Art Spa Hotel

（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

Deyang Rd.

P

Art Spa Hotel（中冠礁溪大飯店） Add: 6, Deyang Rd., Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County

To Yilan City

Getting there (self-drive): Take Freeway 5 to Toucheng Exit, drive in the direction of Jiaoxi, turn left into Deyang Road.

Art 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 coldspring 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.

ISSN:18177964

GPN:2009305475

200 NTD