Travel in Taiwan (No.95 2019 9/10 )

2019

SEP & OCT

No.

ISLAND FOODS

DELICIOUS HOT-SPRING CUISINE IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN

95

SCENIC ROUTES

THE SUHUA HIGHWAY IN EASTERN TAIWAN

FAMILY FUN

SEAFOOD FARM EXPERIENCE IN YUNLIN

FOLK EXPERIENCE

THE BOMBING MASTER HANDAN CELEBRATION

RAIL TRAVEL AROUND TAIWAN CRUISE-STYLE RAILWAY TRIPS Android

iOS

The hotel is situated in a quiet corner of the administrative, cultural, and education district of Hualien City. It has 95 exquisite suites and free WiFi is provided throughout the building. The hotel is only around 10 minutes from Hualien Railway Station, Hualien Airport, and downtown. Attractions nearby include Pine Garden, Qixingtan Scenic Area, and Tzu Chi Cultural Park, all just around 10 minutes away.

HUALIEN LI-SHIUAN I N T E R NAT IONA L HOT EL Sincere Hospitality and Attentive Service Li-Shiuan Will Win Your Heart

Add:99-1, Zhongmei St., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中美街 99-1 號 ) Room Reservation: +886-3-824-6898 E-mail: lishiuan970@hotmail.com.tw Website: www.lishiuan.com

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PUBL ISHER 'S NOTE

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler, We’ve entered the autumn season, perhaps the best time of the year for exploratory ramblings around Taiwan and her many offshore islands. Temperatures are now cooling, and in this season the rain gods are quieter than in the other three. We’ve got an unusually varied lineup in this issue, presenting you with new places and novel experiences and a number of different “modes” of fun: on the rails, on the road, on the water, and even “in” the water. Head deeper inside our pages to see just what we mean.

On the rails. Our Feature article introduces you to the island’s “cruise-style rail travel” phenomenon, which has taken hold just over the past number of years. We’ve selected one of the many full-package rail tour options available to use as a sample, taking you on a 2-day adventure along the scenic South Link Line, traveling from the west coast to the east and back again.

On the road. In our Scenic Routes department we lay the magnificent Suhua Highway at your feet. Considered by many to be Taiwan’s most scenic road, it hugs the coastal cliffs between the Yilan County fishing town of Su’ao and Hualien City. Over in our Small-Town Charm segment, we hit the road to visit three small and “slow” central Taiwan towns of rich character: Lugang, Beigang, and Xinshe. And in Family Fun a fine time is had at the Bon Bon Fresh farm on the rural Yunlin County flatlands – which raises seafood!

On the water. In Harbors and Beyond a day is spent at and around Taichung Port, central Taiwan’s main seaport. Among the numerous enjoyable traveler experiences presented, two take you out on the water – a dolphin-spotting yacht cruise and a breezy boardwalk saunter that takes you far out over a wetland to the sea’s edge.

In the water. By “in,” we mean exploration of Taiwan’s beloved hot-spring culture with long soaks in the soothing mineral waters at some of our very best hot-spring resorts. In our Feature article you overnight in the Zhiben resort on the east coast, and in Treasure Island Foods we specially showcase the award-winning hot-spring cuisine of Guanziling and Baolai, in the low mountains on the island’s west side.

We wish you a great time in Taiwan – where the “roads” to rewarding discovery are richly varied!

JOE Y. CHOU PH.D. DIRECTOR GENERAL TOURISM BUREAU, MOTC, R.O.C. TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

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Travel in

Taiwan 2019 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月刊 Travel in Taiwan The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (Advertisement) September/October, 2019 Tourism Bureau, MOTC First published Jan./Feb. 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200

中華郵政台北雜字第1286號執照登記為雜誌交寄

Copyright @ 2019 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

ON THE COVER Train at Yuli in the East Rift Valley, Eastern Taiwan

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PUBLISHER Joe Y. Chou EDITING CONSULTANT T. C. Chou PUBLISHING ORGANIZATION TAIWAN TOURISM BUREAU, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT International Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10694, TAIWAN Tel: 886-2-2349-1500 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036 E-mail: tbroc@tbroc.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw PRODUCER Vision Creative Marketing & Media Co. ADDRESS 1F, No. 5, Aly. 20, Ln. 265, Sec. 4, Xinyi Rd., Taipei City 10681, Taiwan TEL: 886-2-2325-2323 Fax: 886-2-2701-5531 E-MAIL: editor@v-media.com.tw GENERAL MANAGER David Hu EDITOR IN CHIEF Johannes Twellmann ENGLISH EDITOR Rick Charette DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & EDITING DEPT Joe Lee MANAGING EDITOR Regina Chuang EDITORS Masako Takada, Yvette Chan CONTRIBUTORS Rick Charette, Dana Ter, Owain Mckimm, Steven Crook, Mark Caltonhill PHOTOGRAPHERS Chen Cheng-kuo, Ray Chang, Aska Chi DESIGNERS Ian Tsai , Nell Huang, Hsieh Yun-jhen ADMINISTRATIVE DEPT Lily Wan, Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang, Sophie Chen

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Any product with the FSC TM logo on it comes from a forest that has been responsibly maintained and harvested in a sustainable manner.

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Culture Plaza, No. 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City 40043 886-4-2226-0330 http://www.wunanbooks.com.tw/ 2. National Bookstore, 1F., No. 209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 10485 886-2-2518-0207 http://www.govbooks.com.tw/ WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY OF TRAVEL IN TAIWAN ABROAD Offices of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Frankfurt. Taiwan Representative Offices; Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; onboard China Airlines, EVA Air, and other selected international airways; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations.

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 ONLINE Read Travel in Taiwan online at https://issuu.com/ travelintaiwan. You can also download the Travel in Taiwan app for iOS and Android mobile devices at https://tosto.re/ travelintaiwan.

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Contents

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23

“CRUISE STYLE” RAIL TRIPS

CARD SMART

Take a Taiwan Cruise …

On Railway Tracks!

Four Stored-Value Cards That Make Payments So Much Easier

FEATURE

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SMART TRAVEL

46

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

24

TREASURE ISLAND FOODS

04

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

GUANZILING AND BAOLAI

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Two Popular Hot-Spring Resort Villages in Southern Taiwan with Excellent Food Options

CONVENIENT TRAVEL

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SPECIAL REPORT

SCENIC ROUTES DELIGHTFUL FOLK THE SUHUA HIGHWAY EXPERIENCE

THE 2019 TAIPEI FASHION WEEK SS2020

An Amazingly Scenic Road Wedged between Mountains and Ocean

THE BOMBING MASTER HANDAN CELEBRATION

CULTURE AND ART

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Presenting the Latest Fashion Statements by Leading Local Designers

Heart and Soul of Taitung’s Lantern Festival Calendar

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LUGANG, BEIGANG, AND XINSHE

FLATLANDS AND WETLANDS

HARBORS AND BEYOND

Small and “Slow” Towns in Central Taiwan

A Refreshing Seafood Farm Experience in Yunlin

TAICHUNG HARBOR

SMALL-TOWN CHARM

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FAMILY FUN

Places to Visit Close to Central Taiwan’s Main Seaport

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TA I WA N TOUR ISM E V ENTS

AUTUMN EVENTS

September | November

Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar Website

Art Exhibitions, Sports Competitions, Cultural Celebrations

MIAOLI COUNTY October 10~13

SANYI INTERNATIONAL WOODCARVING ART FESTIVAL 三義 國 際木 雕 藝 術 節

This annual festival is an exciting event for those who love art made of wood. Presented are outstanding wood sculptures created by local sculptors, many of them residents of Sanyi town in Miaoli County. Visitors can also marvel at fine sculptures by foreign artists; last year the focus was on wood art from Thailand, with an exhibition showcasing creations with a distinct Southeast Asian character.

Also noteworthy are two events held each year: the wood-sculpture competition, with awards given to the best contestants, and the woodcarving show, during which artists show off their amazing skills in front of festival-goers.

TAIPEI CITY October 18~21

ART TAIPEI

臺北國 際 藝 術 博覽 會

Art Taipei is an important annual event for art lovers in East Asia. Held for the first time in 1992, the fair is organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the Taiwan Art Gallery Association. Last year, works from 135 galleries in 13 countries, including outstanding examples of contemporary art, were presented to professional buyers and the general public. Each year the event also includes themed exhibitions, art salons, lectures, and guided tours.

2019.art-taipei.com (Art Taipei)

wood.mlc.gov.tw (Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum)

PENGHU COUNTY November 3

GAILLARDIA ISLANDS PENGHU CROSSSEA MARATHON 菊島 澎 湖 跨 海馬 拉 松

This marathon is far from being the only one in Taiwan (there are well over 100 full marathons being run in Taiwan this year, not to mention countless other road-running events), but it’s the only one that takes runners on a route traversing different islands connected by bridges.

The race starts on Xiyu Island, Penghu’s second-largest, with the runners first heading north, crossing the famous Penghu Great Bridge to reach Baisha Island, then heading south to traverse two more seacrossing bridges to reach Penghu’s main island. The finish line is in Magong, the archipelago’s only city.

TAINAN CITY October 26~27

KUNSHEN WANGYE’S SALT FOR PEACE FESTIVAL 鯤 鯓王平 安 鹽 祭

This festival, first held in 2004, has two key foci, southwest Taiwan’s salt industry and local folk belief. The itinerary includes a ceremony at the Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields in Tainan City’s coastal Beimen District, a parade from the salt fields to the Nankunshen Daitianfu Temple (about 5km away), which features lads carrying long, brightyellow dancing dragons, and ceremonies at the elaborate temple, one of the most important places of worship in this part of Taiwan. swcoast-nsa.travel (Southwest Coast National Scenic Area)

www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw (Penghu National Scenic Area)

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Hot of T Cen Com with and trave room of th yet r neig same

SEP TEMBER- NOV EMBER

TAITUNG COUNTY

KAOHSIUNG CITY

November~December

November 16~17

TAIWAN OPEN OF SURFING

KAOHSIUNG LION DANCE FESTIVAL

After being selected by the World Surf League (WSL) as the venue for the “World Longboard Championships,” Jinzun, a fishing-harbor locale in Taitung County on Taiwan’s East Coast, has become an important destination for many professional surfers from around the world.

Last year, for the first time, the World Longboard Championships competition was paired with the World Junior Surfing Championships, further raising the prestige of surfing in Taitung. Known for its friendly atmosphere, the event is a great occasion to see world-class athletes up close tackling the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

This exciting event, which takes place once ever y two years, brings together the best lion dance performers from Taiwan and Chinese communities abroad. In 2017, 10 groups from Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mainland China, and Taiwan competed against each other. The competition takes place at two separate venues, the Kaohsiung International Swimming Pool and the Kaohsiung Arena, the participants performing acrobatic moves on high poles placed in the swimming pool and above the arena floor, respectively.

臺灣 國 際衝 浪公 開 賽 暨 東 浪 嘉 年華

www.taiwanopenofsurfing.org

Hotel rêve Taichung is located in the center of Taichung City’s Daya District, close to the Central Taiwan Science Park and the Fengjia Commercial Area. The hotel has 125 guestrooms with an interior design that combines fashion and cultural elements. Business and leisure travelers alike feel at home in the comfortable rooms, which present you with splendid views of the city. The hotel stands out for its elegance yet relaxing ambience. It has revived an old neighborhood with fresh new elements, at the same time keeping a simple and subdued style.

高 雄 戲 獅甲

www.khcc.gov.tw

Add : No. 100, Sec. 1, Minsheng Rd., Daya Dist., Taichung City 428, Taiwan(428 台中市大雅區民生路一段 100 號 ) Tel : +886-4-2568-0558 Fax : +886-4-2567-7134 Website : www.hotel-reve.com.tw

CON V ENIENT TR AV EL

YUNLIN BY BUS

Taiwan Tour Bus website

Tour Bus Sightseeing on the Jianan Plain TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Yunlin is a predomina ntly rura l count y loc ated in a reg ion k now n for f lat la nd agriculture on the Jianan Plain and fishing harbors along the west coast. But, surprisingly, it also has its fair share of cultural attractions, which can be conveniently visited by taking the following bus tour.

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he Yunlin Culture Experience One-day Tour is focused on three areas in Yunlin County: the town of Beigang, best known for the Chaotian Temple; the town of Huwei, center of Taiwan’s traditional hand-puppet theater; and the town of Xiluo, which has a rich history of soy sauce production. The places visited on this tour give you insight into the traditional lifestyle of rural southern Taiwan.

Beigang Chaotian Temple Look at a satellite image of the small town of Beigang in southern Yunlin County and you will notice two things. One is the Beigang River, which hugs the town on three sides like a snake. The other is the Chaotian Temple, surrounded by two roads that form a ring, giving it the look of an island in the middle of a densely populated district. This is one of the bestknown temples in Taiwan dedicated to Mazu (the Goddess of the Sea). It is at its most raucous during the annual Mazu pilgrimages to Beigang from temples all around Taiwan, which take place around the birthday of Mazu (23 rd day of the 3 rd lunar month; May 15 in 2020).

Beigang Spring Living Museum This is a quirky museum located in the center of Beigang Township, to the north of Beigang town. Originally a factory producing wooden door frames, the site was turned into a museum welcoming visitors interested in learning about wood manufacturing and trying a bit of woodwork DIY. (For more info about Chaotian Temple and the museum, see our Small-Town Charm article on page 40).

SL Towel Industrial Tourism & Explore Factory This is an operating factory, located north of Huwei town, producing towels.

It is open to visitors, who will be taught all about the production of towels.

Walking through the complex, you learn about the raw materials, the tools, the bleaching and dyeing process, the weaving, and the packaging, among many other things. Sold on-site are towel-themed souvenirs and also creative sweet treats, such as Swiss-style sponge cakes in the shape of rolled-up towels. For more info, visit www.sltowel.com.tw.

Cats on the Roof in Dingxi Borough Dingxi is a quiet village about 3km east of the towel factory. The “cats on the roof” are not real cats, but cute feline figures and murals that are discovered when roaming the streets. Opportunities for whimsical photographs abound.

Xiluo Xiluo Township, located immediately south of Yunlin’s border with Changhua County, is well known for the bright-red Old Xiluo Bridge, an almost 2km long steel-frame heritage bridge spanning the Zhuoshui River.

Another local tourist attraction is the town of Xiluo’s Yanping Old Street, where you can see some beautiful old shophouses and also purchase the locale’s most famous product, soy sauce.

Yunlin Culture Experience One-day Tour 雲林文化薈萃 傳統藝術精華一日遊 Duration: about 10 hours Minimum number of participants: 2 Price: NT$1,850/person Pick-up in downtown Taichung City Beigang Chaotian Temple ( 北 港 朝天宮 )(40min.)

Beigang Spring Living Museum ( 北港春生活博物館 ) (60 min.)

Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum ( 雲林布袋戲文化館 )(30 min.)

SL Towel Industrial Tourism & Explore Factory ( 興 隆 毛 巾 觀 光 工 廠 ) (30 min.) lunch Cats on the Roof in Dingxi Borough ( 頂溪里屋頂上 的貓 )(30 min.)

Xiluo ( 西螺 )(Yanping Old Street/ 延平老街 , Zhenwen Academy/ 振文書院 )(1.5 hrs) Old Xiluo Bridge (pass by)( 經舊西螺大橋 ) (10 min.)

Return

Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum If you want to learn about traditional hand-puppet theater in Taiwan, there is no better place to go than the town of Huwei, known as the center of this art form. Visit the Yunlin Puppet Theatre Museum and learn all about the history of Taiwanese puppet theater, the different types of puppets used, the bestknown plays, and much more. The museum is also the venue for the annual Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival, which takes place in October.

MARSHAL TOURS ( 元帥旅行社 ) www.marshaltour.com.tw (04) 2302-9699 11F, No. 161, Gongyi Rd., West District, Taichung City (台中市西區公益路161號 11樓 ) Traveling in Yunlin: en.tour.yunlin.gov.tw

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Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum

Beigang Spring Living Museum

Old Xiluo Bridge

CULTURE A ND A R T

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

October 11 ~ 13

October 18~20

MOZART: “THE MAGIC FLUTE” 莫 札特 歌 劇《 魔笛》

One of the world’s most famous operas, The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozar t premiered in Vienna in 1791. An example of Singspiel, with singing and dialogue interspersed, the opera is, on the surface, a fairy tale featuring a damsel in distress and a handsome prince. On a deeper level it is an allegory of the quest for wisdom and enlightenment. British theater group 1927 first staged this opera in 2012 in Berlin’s Komische Oper, and since then the acclaimed production has been seen worldwide by about half a million people.

National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) [Kaohsiung City] www.npac-weiwuying.org

October 11~20

TAICHUNG JAZZ FESTIVAL 臺中爵士 音 樂 節

First held in 2003, the Taichung Jazz Festival has over the years grown into an internationally recognized music event, each October presenting the finest in jazz talent from Taiwan and abroad. More than a million music lovers attend the stage performances, held in different parts of the city, each year. Internationally acclaimed jazz musicians are invited to each edition – among the foreign stars performing last year were Grammy Award winner Pablo Ziegler and American jazz double bass player Rodney Whitaker.

Various venues [Taichung City] www.taichungjazzfestival.com.tw

WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL 世界音 樂 節

This annual festival, first held in 2016, is a celebration of folk music from around the world. Last year, the 3-day event featured a rich lineup of individual performers and groups from Taiwan and abroad.

Apart from the stage performances, the festival also has a variety of lectures and workshops, as well as art & crafts, and food bazaars.

Dajia Riverside Park [Taipei City] wmftaiwan.com

September 27~29

COMPAGNIA FINZI PASCA: LA VERITA 芬 茲 ‧ 帕 斯 卡劇 團《 魔 幻旅程 》

This show is a feast for the eye. Eleven artists perform on stage in a mix of theater, acrobatics, dance, and music before a backdrop painted

by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí in 1940 for a production of Tristan and Isolde in New York. Stories are told about immigrants in the New York of the 1940s, with the presentation merging dreamlike ideas with breathtaking visuals in a theatrical spectacle. The Switzerland-based Compagnia Finzi Pasca, founded in 2011, develops artistic projects that adhere to the “theater of the caress” concept, a philosophy and means of artistic expression in which the performers help the spectator access nostalgia and memory.

National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) [Kaohsiung City] www.npac-weiwuying.org; finzipasca.com

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COMING SOON

During Taipei Fashion Week Taiwan’s vibrant fashion scene is presented to the world

The 2019 TAIPEI FASHION WEEK SS2020

Presenting the Latest Fashion Statements

by Leading Local Designers

A

TE X T & PHOTOS TA IPE I FAS HION WE E K BY MINI STRY OF CULTURE OF TA IWA N (R .O.C.)

famous line from America’s reality TV series, Project Runway, goes “As you know in fashion, one day you’re in, the next day you’re out.”

Fashion design is highly emotional, subjective, and competitive, but at the same time it can help to make urban landscapes more alluring, with vivid colors, silhouettes, and styling.

Taipei City is an international melting pot, where the cultures of East and West come together. Myriad multicultural elements are in play in the fashion scene here, often inspired by the city’s rich history. Among the local fashion hotspots are Taipei’s buzzing East District, the modern Xinyi shopping area, the youthful Ximending neighborhood, and the elegant Zhongshan North Road area. All of these areas attract both local and international visitors in search of the latest local fashion trends. Taipei is well known for its liberal atmosphere, which has helped to foster a booming fashion scene.

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Taiwan’s economic strength lies in areas such as material R&D, automated manufacturing processes, and mass production capabilities. But sectors in which creativity is the driving force, including fashion design, have the potential to become an important part of the economy as well, as seen in countries like France, Italy, the UK, and Japan. Creative design leads to the emergence of well-known brands, which can then become strong symbols of a country, helping to promote its image.

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With this in mind, Ministry of Culture of Taiwan (R.O.C.) has teamed up with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs to stage the 2019 Taipei Fashion Week SS2020. This major happening will serve as an important platform for local fashion designers to show off their talent, inspiring ideas, and latest creations.

Beginning on October 5th, the Taipei Fashion Week will feature 16 brand shows; the biggest event this year will be Taipei Charisma, lasting five days and consisting of five theme shows during which 30 different brands will be presented. During the Taipei Fashion Week, the city is expected to take on a special and noticeably chic and stylish atmosphere. With the participation of international buyers, fashion industry leaders, and academic experts, the hope is to create countless business opportunites for local designers. This will also be a great opportunity to present Taiwan’s vibrant fashion scene to the world through international media exposure.

NOWISM is the contemporary, NOWISM is the prosperous, and NOWISM is the way to the future.

The above Taipei Fashion Week statement reflects the current status of Taipei’s fashion scene. We don’t know yet to where the future will lead us – however, we do know that through action we will have the opportunity to impact its course.

See you soon, joyfully immersed in the Taipei Fashion Week!

Oct. 5-9, 2019 Exhibition Hall 3, Taipei World Trade Center; Songshan Cultural and Creative Park; Warehouses No. 1 - No. 5( 松菸倉庫 N0.1-5 ) www.tpefw.com (Chinese)

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FE AT U R E / CRUISE-S T Y L E R A IL TR AV EL

“Cr u i s e S ty l e”

Rail Trips Ta k e a Taiwan Cruis e … On Railway T racks!

TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE

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PHOTOS CHE N CHE NG - KUO, V I S ION

FE AT U R E / CRUISE-S T Y LE R A IL TR AV EL

Traveling by train – for work, personal matters, and pleasure – has long been an intrinsic part of Taiwan life.

In recent years something new, the concept of “cruisestyle rail travel,” has taken firm root. If full-package “let us do the driving” island touring sounds like your kind of thing, grab yourself a coffee or tea, sit yourself down with this article in hand, and let us tell you all about it.

Train on the South Link Line (photo by Yan Zan-cheng)

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h e p e o p l e o f Ta i w a n e n j o y a c o m p r e h e n s i v e , f i r s t- c l a s s ra il tra nspor tation net work, encompassing regular rail, high-speed rail, mass rapid transit (metro), and narrowg au g e tou r i sm- or ie nte d br a nc h l i ne services, and make enthusiastic use of it. In rural areas, especially along the less densely populated East Coast region, the regularrail facilities are used both by locals and self-help travelers much in the same way as a bus service.

I n 2 010 , t h e Ta i w a n R a i l w a y s Administration (TR A), operator of the reg ula r-ra il a nd bra nch line ser vices, imported a new travel concept: cruisestyle rail tours. The rail-cruise experiments rolled out were a hit, and the program has grown steadily since.

Two of t he T R A’s prime goa ls in introducing the land-cruise excursions were promotion of the relaxed “slow travel” lifestyle with the Taiwan public and the generation of more people-traffic at lesseru sed ra i l st at ions, w it h concom it a nt increased opportunity for station-vicinity businesses. The popularity of the program and gradually expanding number of outings Tourist train at Fangye signal station

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developed means that major, secondary, and true “off the beaten track” destinations are now packaged together, providing a unique and rewarding holistic view into Taiwan life for travelers from overseas.

The seamless package trips include transportation, accommodation, and food.

Save yourself all the planning hassles and other bothers involved in getting yourself to so many places in one trip. All you have to do is show up at the launch station, and at the end of the adventure you are delivered right back at the same spot.

A few years ago the TRA commissioned EZ Travel to design its budget-friendly cruisetrain itineraries and run the actual tours.

Established in 2000, EZ Travel is today one of Taiwan’s leading travel agencies, both in quality and size, and the recognized leader in handling rail trips. It’s long been known for expertise in customized leisure and corporate trips, as well as for its roundisland outings.

To give readers a full picture of what one of these cruises is like, a Travel in Taiwan team recently joined a 2-day weekend

adventure showcasing the South Link Line, the southernmost section of Taiwan’s round-island railway loop, between the cities of Kaohsiung in the west and Taitung in the east.

The cruise served up scenic, cultural, hot-spring, and railway-related enjoyments. The keystones of the nonstop scenic attractions were the beautiful coastlines along the Taiwan Strait and Pacific Ocean, the rugged and nigh-empty sout hern mounta ins, a nd the Zhiben Forest Recreation Area. The key cultural foci were southern small-town life and the region’s artistic life, including the worldview of local indigenous artists.

Taiwan’s beloved hot-spring culture was explored with time spent in the celebrated Zhiben Hot Springs resort area, with accommodation at its premier hotel. Rail buffs were especially enthralled with the bonus features exclusive to EZ Travel’s dedicated cruise trains, including a photoopp stop at a mountain station not visited by regular trains, a long 25kph roll along an especially grand Pacific-side section of track, and special traditional-style railway biandang (boxed lunches).

FE AT U R E / CRUISE-S T Y LE R A IL TR AV EL

Taichung Launch & Kaohsiung Museum of Arts Our cruise began with embarking on a dedicated train at Taichung’s Xinwuri Railway Station. Cruise-trippers could board at any TRA station between Taichung and Kaohsiung’s Xinzuoying Railway Station. South of Taichung the countryside opens up, our land-cruiser rolling through neat fields of paddy rice and colorful fruits and vegetables. In the background we could spot the jagged peaks of the central mountains, soaring ever higher toward the east.

The fun began in earnest on our Kaohsiung approach. The dedicated guide for our carriage formally introduced the trip, our group-travel rules, and our first sightseeing stop – the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA; ammpc.kmfa.gov.tw). At Kaohsiung’s Xinzuoying Railway Station the EZ Travel crew escorted us on a platform transfer and 3-stop ride by local commuter train to the Museum of Fine Arts Railway Station.

The KMFA is in 40ha Neiwipi Cultural Park, once the site of a large wetland and irrigation ponds. Among the park’s other attractions are the Children’s Art Museum, Sculpture Park, Ecology Park, and Austronesian Cultural Area. Walk the beautifully landscaped grounds, along the large, tranquil lake and pathways lined with Madagascar Almond trees, inspecting some of the 37 large-scale installation sculptures, which have English introductions.

The 4-story museum primarily celebrates contemporary works by Taiwanese artists, with a strong focus on creations by artists from the south, including indigenous artists. At the facility’s core is the Sculpture Hall, entered from the spacious first-floor lobby, which soars four stories high and is topped with a large skylight, draping the artworks in natural lighting.

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

South Link Line Taiwan’s first rail line, connecting Taipei and Keelung, was built in the late Qing Dynasty by Taiwan’s governor. The Japanese built much of today’s network when they ruled Taiwan from 1895 to 1945. Round-the-island rail travel only became possible in 1991, when the South Link Line was opened. This made east-west travel much easier for residents of the island’s southern half, and presented a fresh exploit for rail-travel enthusiasts, taking you quickly from the azures of the Taiwan Strait through rugged, largely unsettled mid-height mountains – via many a tunnel – to the inshore marble-green and offshore steel-blue waters of the Pacific side. The line officially extends from Fangliao town, south of Kaohsiung, to Taitung City, but most travelers begin/end their trips in Kaohsiung.

Neiwipi Cultural Park

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Down the Coast from Kaohsiung, Across the Mountains, and Up the Coast to Zhiben South of Kaohsiung, as the train moved through more luxuriant farmland the central mountains and sparkling Taiwan Strait started to close in on one another. Not far south of Fangliao town, a Day 2 stop to be introduced later, they met. The train jumped from the plain to hug mountainside above the rocky coast. The panorama was striking, large Little Liuqiu island out in the strait, Kaohsiung’s skyscraper cluster looking like a miniature model-set to the north. After a few minutes came a turn inward for the cross-mountain run.

The many tunnels mean this region’s sparsely populated low mountains are conquered quickly. A special scenic stop was made at Fangye, a traffic-control signal station not visited by regular trains. Westbound trains burst from the mountain-base tunnel beside the station, the South Link Line’s highest, making for thrill-inducing head-on photos.

After our train popped out on the east coast it trundled along for some time, northward bound, high above the pounding Pacific breakers. The most exquisitely “tropical Eden-esque” of the between-tunnel sections is just south of pretty Duoliang Railway Station; on the Day 2 return the train sauntered along here at just 25kph, maximizing viewing time and pleasure.

The steep cliffsides give way to farm-decorated sloping mountainside around Taimali, a Paiwan tribe village.

Everyone disembarked and boarded the coaches that then road-cruised us to all destinations until the Day 2 train return. First up was the Millennium Dawn Memorial Park, on the section of a wide, kilometers-long, coconut palmfringed beach fronting the village. The name commemorates Year 2000 first-sunrise celebrations held here.

Zhiben Hot Springs

Zhiben Hot Springs & Forest Recreation Area The evening of Day 1 and early morning of Day 2 were spent in the renowned Zhiben Hot Springs resort area, just south of Taitung City. It’s a short distance from the coast, at the mouth of a long, sinewy mountain valley carved out by the Zhiben River. The exposed rock of the riverbed runs high up the valley sides, demonstrating how the waters swell dramatically when typhoons visit.

The Japanese developed the area as a healing resort during their period of colonial rule – one of their earliest-targeted mineral-spring locations – after systematically mapping Taiwan’s natural resources upon takeover. These resort developments were the fountainhead of Taiwan’s hot-spring culture, now so intrinsic to the Taiwanese character. The local indigenous natives had long been using the healing waters, digging soak pools in the gravelly riverbed. Our cruise group stayed at the forest-surrounded 5-star Hotel Royal Chihpen (www.hotelroyal.com.tw), long-reigning empress of Zhiben’s forest of hot-spring hotels.

A short distance further inland from the hot-spring area, the valley deepens dramatically and the valley road ends. The 110ha Zhiben Forest Recreation Area (recreation.forest.gov. tw), our Day 2 morning entertainment, was reached across a brilliant-red bridge that soars across the chasm. We perused the visitor center first, home to displays on the local geology and flora/fauna, then explored the trail-web that brings you to and fro, high and low, across the mountain slope. The steep Brave Man’s Slope Trail is the star (792 steps!), leading you past magnificent white-bark banyan trees born centuries ago.

The la st sightseeing stop on our ra il-cruise trip wa s Fangliao. The big draw here, immediately left of the station, is the Fangliao F3 Art District, a complex of re-charactered rail-employee dorms, off ices, and other facilities now home to tourist-oriented artist studios, cafés, and eateries.

Zhiben Forest Recreation Area

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Beach at Millennium Dawn Memorial Park in Taimali

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Fangshan Railway Station on the South Link Line

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Other Rail-Cruise Travel Options EZ Travel is constantly offering new cruise-train package options.

Special foci are season-specific regional tourism highlights and local festivals. An example is the famed daylily-bloom season on the mountain slopes around Taimali, the Paiwan tribal village visited earlier in this article. New itineraries are published three months prior to departure. A summertime highlight is the use of steam engines on selected outings, in June/July; early booking is a must for these.

Check out all that’s on offer at this website address: www. eztravel.com.tw/event/cruisestrain/. Small discounts are sometimes available, such as for earlybird registrants and those booking more than one person to a hotel room. Large discounts are offered for youngsters, and only a token fee is required for infants. Note that currently EZ Travel offers only limited English services on its website and among its office and tour-crew staff.

Onboard service

To give you an idea of the tour-option diversity, we’ve selected two outings from the autumn menu for brief introductions. One explores the island’s east side, one the west, and although the two are in close proximity as the eagle flies, your sights, experiences, and memories will be worlds apart.

At Fangliao F3 Art District

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Art class in Fangliao

Railway Biandang When the Japanese ruled Taiwan they introduced their bento, or boxed lunch, tradition. Called biandang in Mandarin Chinese, a derivative of the Japanese name, today they’re sold everywhere.

But initially they were a railway specialty, sold on platforms to travelers. In recent decades a surge in interest and pride in local history has led to a resurgence of t he ra i lway biandang.

E aterie s clu stered a rou nd st at ions sel l t heir versions, and the TR A prepares its own, selling over 10 million annua lly on its trains and at station kiosks. The classic version contains a bed of rice, a cut of meat (deep-fried chicken leg, pork cutlet, etc.), and assorted side goodies s u c h a s s o y-m a r i n a t e d egg, tofu/beancurd, and pick led veggies. EZ Travel provides “special edition” deluxe railway biandang showcasing the specialties of the region in which you’re traveling.

Enjoying a railway biandang

Fangliao F3 Art District 18

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Zhiben National Forest Recreation Area

EZ Travel guide and travelers on the train

Practical EZ Trip Things to Know Each dedicated “cruise-liner” train has six cars, with a maximum of 277 other cruiser friends on your trip (ie, beyond you and staff).

Embark and, on the return run, disembark at different designated stations; for example, on the South Link Line trip this meant anywhere between Fengyuan Railway Station in Taichung and Kaohsiung’s Xinzuoying; your hop-on and -off points need not be the same.

There is one EZ Travel guide per car, available at all times.

Your guide also looks out for you and your fellow travelers on the buses to/from sightseeing spots. At the spots you visit you can wander on your own, and EZ Travel staff will still be posted at various points if you need assistance. You can opt out of any of the bus-travel sections, but are responsible for catching up with

the group on your own. Bus departures at follow-on points will not be delayed for you.

EZ Travel provides water on the trains and buses, and the TRA provides on-train snack/drink/souvenir services. When visiting both train and bus sightseeing points, luggage can be safely left onboard.

All meals are provided as part of your travel package, from the Day 1 lunch to final-day dinner. On the South Link Line trip the first and last meals were the on-train railway boxed lunches introduced earlier. The Day 1 dinner and Day 2 breakfast were in the Zhiben hotel’s first-rate Chinese/international buffet restaurant.

The Day 2 lunch was at a restaurant serving Chinese banquet-style and indigenous dishes.

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

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September 13 launch (3-day outing)/ Ta itung Night Visit to Xiaoyeliu – East Rift Valley Granary Festivities Music Concert – National Museum of Prehistory

Sanxiantai

This Friday~Sunday cruise down Taiwan’s east coast falls on the Mid-Autumn Festival long-weekend holiday. Launch is from Taipei Main Station. On Day 1, the first sightseeing stop is Toucheng Old Street, the first commercial street in the first Han Chinese settlement on Yilan County’s Lanyang Plain, dating to the early 1800s. In Taitung County, Sanxiantai, the Platform of the Three Immortals, is one of the East Coast’s most iconic tourist sites.

Reached via a dragon-resembling arched pedestrian bridge, its volcanic-rock bluffs are said to resemble three petrified Daoist deities who visited here in the mythic past. Xiaoyeliu, just above Taitung City, is a geology-art masterpiece – a tidal-zone park rich with honeycomb rock, mushroom rock, tofu rock, and cuestas. It is visited at night, multiplying the magic.

Day 2 experiences include a visit to the Dulan Sugar Factory, a sugarcane-processing complex opened by the Japanese now home to myriad cultural-creative enterprises; the Yuan Sen Applied Botanical Garden, a low-mountain 5ha tourist-oriented edutational attraction dedicated to medicinal herbs and biotechnology; t he R ice Cou nt y School, which teaches about Gua nsha n Township’s history as a paddy-rice breadbasket, with DIY activities aplenty; and a nighttime pop-music concert in Chishang town that is part of the annual East Rift Valley Granary Festivities.

There are two Day 3 stops. First is the Taiwan Museum of Prehistory, a world-class Taitung City facility that explains the region’s indigenous-peoples presence. Second is the Tangweigou Jiaosi Hot Spring Park, in central Jiaoxi, a popular Yilan hotspring town near Toucheng.

Tangweigou Jiaosi Hot Spring Park

Xiaoyeliu in Taitung County

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Alishan Forest Railway

September 28 launch (2-day outing)/ Chiayi Culture Tour – Alishan Forest Railway This is a Monday/Tuesday outing along Taiwan’s west coast launched from Taipei Main Station. On Day 1, the first walkabout attraction visited is Chiayi Park. Chiayi is a small city in the middle of the western plains that was built on surrounding-region farm produce and its railway connection to the mountainous Alishan region, constructed by the Japanese in the early 20th century to extract its timber.

Chiayi Park, also opened by the Japanese, is a landscaped beauty laid out in tiers. The 62m-high Sun Shooting Tower stands where a Shinto shrine once stood. Its shape symbolizes Alishan’s giant trees, its name an indigenous-tribe myth. The elegant wood-built Showa J18 – Chiayi City Historic Archives Building originally housed the shrine’s offices and fasting rooms. Not far from the park is the Chiayi Old Prison, the only one remaining of five Japaneserun prisons. The last inmates were moved out in 1998.

T he A l i sha n Fore st R a i lway, a ma g n i f ic ent work of engineering, is today an iconic Taiwan tourism draw. The incredibly twisting narrow-gauge line runs 71.4km from Chiayi City up to today’s Alishan Forest Recreation Area, at an altitude of about 2,200m, on the way traversing 49 tunnels and 77 bridges. On Day 2 you ride the line from Chiayi up to Fenqihu village, at about 1,400m. Originally established to serve as a half-way point repair and maintenance depot, Fenqihu is spread out over a mountain slope, has a narrow Old Street stuffed with tiny tourist shops, and is surrounded by pleasant forest paths. Also visited is Zhangnaoliao Station, at 543m, a rarely encountered zig-zag station.

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Railway tracks at Fenqihu

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Brave Man's Slope Trail 好漢坡步道 Duoliang Railway Station 多良車站 EZ Travel 易遊網 Fangliao 枋寮 Fangliao F3 Art District 枋寮 F3 藝文特區 Fangye 枋野 Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts 高雄市立美術館 Little Liuqiu 小琉球 Millennium Dawn Memorial Park 千禧曙光紀念園區 South Link Line 南迴線 Taimali 太麻里 Zhiben Forest Recreation Area 知本森林遊樂區 Zhiben Hot Springs 知本溫泉

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Card Smart Four Stored-Value Cards That Make Payments So Much Easier TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

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he first electronic card many travelers want to purchase after arriving in Taiwan is a SIM card for their mobile devices. The next is most likely one of the following four: EasyCard, iPASS, icash, and happycash. These are stored-value electronic cards that can be used for a wide variety of small-amount money transactions, significantly reducing the need for cash.

When the EasyCard was first issued by the EasyCard Corporation in 2002, its main usage was limited to the MRT system in the Taipei area (Taipei Metro). Now, almost two decades later, this stored-value card can be used to make money transactions for an amazingly wide range of purposes, and in hundreds of different locations, including well beyond the Taipei region. It can now be used to take public buses, trains, and ferries, to enter theme parks, to pay at convenience stores and supermarkets, to dine at selected restaurants, to get fuel at gas stations, to park your vehicle in car parks, and to handle numerous other matters.

A few years after the roll-out of the EasyCard, the iPASS card was launched in the southern city of Kaohsiung by the company that runs that city’s metro system (KMRT). Over the years, the usage scope of this card has been expanded significantly as well. As of the end of 2018 about 62 million EasyCards and about 14 million iPASS cards were in circulation.

The usage scope of the two other cards, the icash and happycash cards, has also been widened in recent years. The icash card is issued by the icash Corp., part of the President Chain Store Corp., which owns the 7-ELEVEN convenience-store chain. happycash cards are issued by the Yuan Hsin Digital Payment Co. under the retail operations of the conglomerate Far Eastern Group.

To find out more about each type of card, including how and where the cards can be used, visit the following websites: EasyCard: www.easycard.com.tw/en/ iPASS: www.i-pass.com.tw/en icash: www.icash.com.tw/en_web/ happycash: www.happycashcard.com.tw/corporate/en/index.do

If you are a collector, note that apart from the standard credit-card-size types, the above cards may also be available in other shapes and sizes. Go to one of Taiwan’s ubiquitous convenience stores and ask the clerk about the latest souvenir-type stored-value cards. Popular with many users, for example, are key ring EasyCards.

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g n i l i z n a Gu i a l o a B d an

Scenery at Guanziling

Two Popular Hot-Spring Resort Villages in Southern Taiwan with Excellent Food Options TE X T M A RK CA LTONHILL

PHOTOS CHE N CHE NG - KUO

Both Guanziling and Baolai have the right preconditions for a perfect hot-spring soak environment: enchanting mountain scenery, quiet and relaxed atmosphere, excellent spring-water quality. Making these popular hot-spring resort villages even more attractive are the two award-winning restaurants introduced in this article.

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hether it's a mounta in hike followed by a feast of mountain boar, ven i son, a nd u nu su a l veget able s cooked to some special indigenous recipe; or swimming, surfing, and building sandcastles at the beach f ol lowe d by t r a d it ion a l s e a f o o d d i s h e s ; o r a d a y s p e nt hu nt i n g f o r f a s h i o n it e m s a n d b a r g a i n s in dow ntow n ma l ls su sta ined by interm it tent i nt a ke s of Ta iwa n's world-renowned night-market snacks – it is clear that the people of Taiwan have a penchant for combining their hobbies with eating. Or perhaps, one might say, for combining one of their secondary hobbies with their main hobby of eating.

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Guanziling hot-spring bath

This is no less true when pampering themselves in the pools and spas of a hot-spring resort. Taiwan has over 10 0 hot spring s, bot h c a rbonate and sulfur, hot and cold, mountainhigh and ocean-side, and many have been developed into resorts. Last year the Taiwan Tourism Bureau felt the time had arrived to recognize the importance of food to the local hot-spring resort experience with its inaugural Hot Spring Cuisine Awards, to help discriminating visitors indulge themselves just that little bit more.

The ten winners in two categories – banquets and set meals – were selected with the help of experts from the Chinese Gourmet Association and voting by the general public.

Guanziling One of Taiwan’s most popular hot-spring resort villages, perhaps because it is one of the most unusual, is Guanziling, located in the central mountain foothills of Tainan City’s Baihe District and within the Siraya National Scenic Area (www.siraya-nsa.gov.tw). It is readily accessible by bus, car, scooter, or bicycle from downtown Chiayi and Tainan cities. This close proximity to Taiwan's western plain makes not just for accessibility but also for fine views: as far as the “oyster capital” of Dongshi Township on the coast, by day and by night.

This is not what makes it unusual, however.

Nor is it the area’s interesting temple complexes – the Daxian Temple, with its many pagodas, and the Biyun Temple, dating back over 200 years; the clay-pot roast chicken restaurants

Guanziling

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Assorted banquet dishes

that line the main access road for miles; nor even the Water and Fire Spring, created when geothermal gases emerging from a hotspring vent caught fire many centuries ago, though this is almost unusual enough.

No, what is special about Guanziling is that it is one of only three mud hot springs in the world, the others being in Japan and Italy.

Hot-spring pilgrims therefore head here to bathe in the opaque alkaline water and daub themselves with the thick, dark “skinrejuvenating, joint-improving” mud.

A wide range of hotels and bathhouses in Guanziling offer variations on this theme, including the imposing Guanziling Toong Mao Resort Hotel, which has a conference center and 400-seat dining room. Built 18 years ago on the former site of an elementary school, in addition to private rooms it has a swimming pool and half-a-dozen outdoor pools ranging in temperature and muddiness, all beneath century-old trees which early in the year hang romantically with cherry blossoms.

During a recent Travel in Taiwan summer visit, we had the chance to talk to Shen Chi-tsong, head chef of the resort hotel’s a w a rd-w i n n i n g (C h i n e s e B a n q u e t S t yl e D ishes categor y) re st au r a nt.

He expla ined t hat his ba nquet menu changes every three months depending on seasonal freshness and availability, but that local produce is used wherever possible. Prices vary from NT$2,000 to NT$20,000 per table, and menus can also be tweaked by contacting the resort in advance.

Chef Shen Chi-tsong of Toong Mao Resort Hotel

Chicken soup with gouqi

The meal we sampled started with a selection of cold side dishes, presumably to contrast with the hot water in which most diners will have just bathed. These included jellyfish with turnip and carrot; whelk meat cooked until tender – as distinct from the Taiwan night-market variety readers may have chewed their way through previously; slices of pork arranged over fermented cabbage, spring onion, and chili kimchi; and black mu-er (“tree ear” fungus) marinated in ginkgo-f lavored vinegar. All were so delicious it was hard to hold back for the main hot dishes that were on the way from the kitchen. They were also visually appealing, with Shen explaining that color plays an important role in his menu design.

Next up was a chicken soup. No clay-pot roast here, but rather Shen's innovative recipe, using slices of sun-dried lotus root he had fermented and slow cooked to impart an unusual and most enjoyable f lavor, enhanced by the addition of gouqi (Chinese wolfberry), which in recent years has made the transition from traditional herbal medicine to cooking ingredient.

Another Shen original recipe is his fish with mango sauce, using locally grown fruit but saltwater fish since, he said, many diners find the fiddly dismantling of more bony freshwater fish more suited to family meals than to banquet-style group dining.

The combination, which at first seemed a little surprising, turned out to be a masterful innovation, with the sour and sweet fruit notes complementing the freshness of the fish.

More seafood came in the form of a geng (starch-thickened soup), which contained clams, local sigua (loofah gourd), and again gouqi; a plate overflowing with prawns steamed with rice wine and herbs; and finally, as if any more was needed, scallops cooked with tomato, carrot, and chewy balls made from fish paste.

As Shen intended: a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

GUANZILING TOONG MAO RESORT HOTEL ( 統茂溫泉會館 ) (06) 682-3456 www.toongmao.com.tw No. 28, Guanziling, Guanling Borough, Baihe District, Tainan City ( 台南市白河區關嶺里關子嶺 28 號 )

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Baolai As a hot-spring resort, Guanziling dates back at least to early in the period of Japanese rule (1895~1945), though history does not recall what use the area’s Siraya indigenous people might have made of the waters in earlier centuries. On the other hand, Baolai, located about 50 kilometers to the southeast in Kaohsiung City's Liugui District, is a much more recent resort development, dating back around three decades. It is hardly less popular, however, and with the Shan Jr Lian Local Flavor Restaurant established and run for the last decade by the wife-and-husband team of Guo Hui-ru and Li Chong-rui having also won the Tourism Bureau's coveted hot-spring cuisine award (Chinese Banquet Style Dishes category), it is equally worthy of a visit.

In fact, until recently both the restaurant's and indeed the whole area's prosperity hung in the balance following severe damage by Typhoon Morakot in 2009.

The hot-spring source was even lost for a while, and at the time of this writing the Southern Cross-Island Highway, which connects Baolai with eastern Taiwan, was still only open to local traffic. Rediscovery of the source – carbonate waters at pH 7 and 60 degrees Celsius – as well

Wife-and-husband team of Guo Hui-ru and Li Chong-rui

as patience and hard work are paying off, however, and a new hot-spring park, in which presently visitors can bathe their feet, will open for full immersion around year-end.

From the outside, Shan Jr Lian (lit. “Love of the Mountains”) looks much like other restaurants on the area’s main road, when one might expect a big sign boasting “WE WON A PRESTIGIOUS AWARD.” But Guo said they didn't want to rub it in their friends' and neighbors' faces, by which she probably also meant they don't need to, that word of mouth is sufficient advertising. And indeed, business was good when Travel in Taiwan visited on an out-of-season weekday afternoon.

Driving up from the western plain – there is a bus from central Kaohsiung, but it is infrequent and winds its way along at a country pace – provides a lesson in hilly-terrain farming, as pineapple fields give way to groves of tree-sized bamboo, then to betel-nut and coconut plantations, and finally to fruit farms with wax apple trees covered in black nets and mangoes in individual bags to keep birds off.

Higher up still, beyond Baolai, are the plum orchards that provide Guo and Li with their primary ingredient. Of the three dozen or so items on their daily menu – more exotic items such as handmade, preservative-free tofu need to be ordered in advance – quite a few include plums: pork ribs with plums, ribs and taro with plums, chicken and plum soup, fried tofu in plum sauce, and so forth.

The first dish brought to our table comes as a revelation: Served with mini carrots that taste of plum, as well as plums that taste of savory gravy, the meat on the bone is sticky and chewy. Then there is a kind of bambooPrawns cooked in plum vinegar

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Hot-spring bathing at Baolai

and-spring-onion omelet, with a subtle cream cheese taste that helps clear the palate after the strong flavors of the meat. For our vegetable dish, what else but shansu (bird's nest fern), a Taiwan mountain-cuisine classic, though it is not usual to find it adorned with plum sauce and sesame seeds. Providing a change, locally reared pork is served with orange and shacha (a sauce of oil, garlic, onion, chili, shrimp paste, etc.); pig-skin cold cuts come with ginger, chili, and cucumber; and fish are flavored with pobuzi (small fruit from local Cordia dichotoma trees). Prawns cooked in plum vinegar bring up the main theme once more, as does the final offering, a large bowl of the chicken and plum soup.

Bizarrely, none of the dishes scream PLUM, as the flavor has been judiciously used to bring out the main ingredients' essential characteristics. Except for the mini carrots, of course, which were great!

Award-wining dishes, including pig skin, omelet, and shansu

Meat served with mini carrots

SHAN JR LIAN LOCAL FLAVOR RESTAURANT ( 山之戀風味餐廳 ) (07) 688-3168 No. 105-5, Zhongzheng Rd., Liugui Dist., Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市六龜區中正路 105-5 號 ) GETTING THERE A lthough one's own tra nsp or tation – ca r, s c o ote r/m oto r cyc l e, o r b i cyc l e – i s m o s t convenient, both locations are served by buses: Chiayi Bus (wwm.cibus.com.tw; Chinese) No. 7214 runs from Chiayi Bus Station to Guanziling.

On weekends there is a direct Kaohsiung Bus, H11, twice a day from Kaohsiung's Zuoying Station to Baolai. On other days, you can take Kaohsiung Bus E25 from Kaohsiung Station or Zuoying Station to Liugui town, and there transfer to bus H11 to get to Baolai.

Chicken and plum soup

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Baihe District 白河區 Biyun Temple 碧雲寺 Daxian Temple 大仙寺 Dongshi Township 東石鄉 gouqi 枸杞 geng 羹 Guanziling 關子嶺 Guo Hui-ru 郭惠如 Li Chong-rui 李崇瑞 Liugui District 六龜區 mu-er 木耳 pobuzi 破布子 shacha 沙茶 shansu 山蘇 Shen Chi-tsong 沈啟聰 sigua 絲瓜 Siraya National Scenic Area 西拉雅國家風景區 Water and Fire Spring 水火同源

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Explore the Home of Mist and Clouds – Experience Rukai Life!

Sabau! Learn this greeting before going to Wutai to say “Hello!” to the people of the Rukai indigenous tribe!

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ften shrouded in clouds and mist, Wutai Township sits at a higher elevation than any other township in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County. It is also one of the main townships of the Rukai people, one of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes. Living amidst the ever-changing clouds, the Rukai have developed a highly-distinctive culture. They attach great importance to sharing and are especially friendly towards visitors. With its clear skies, clean streets, and comfortably easy pace of life, Wutai is a place you will certainly fall in love with.

In Wutai you will see slate houses, lilies, carvings, and other distinctive elements of Rukai art and culture. The lily is the tribal flower of the Rukai.

Worn by men, it symbolizes courage; worn by women it represents virtue and purity. The Rukai are expert carvers. In the past, carving had class restrictions and only at the chief ’s house the art could be displayed. Today, however, there are no restrictions to ensure that the traditional skills are passed on to the younger generations.

The slate houses of the Rukai are warm in winter and cool in summer.

Entering one of these houses is an experience that should not be missed by visitors. These traditional houses are good examples of environmentally friendly dwellings. In the lush mountain forests, Rukai life, art, and culture are closely related. Wander about the village and find treasures at every turn!

It is recommended that you spend at least two days in Wutai to experience the Rukai life and culture up-close, and enjoy the sharing and warm hospitality of the people.

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Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

(Jan. ~ Mar.)

Apr. ~ June

July ~ Sep.

Oct. ~ Dec.

Cherry blossom festival

Hayou River river-tracing

Waterfall and river tracing Hiking experience

Eco-trail experience

Harvest festival

Rukai banquet

Tung blossom season

Millet / red quinoa harvest

Lily festival

Flamegold rain tree and maple leaf season Colorful Christmas

Two-Day Trip Itinerary Day 1

Pingtung Railway Station No. 8233 Pingtung Bus Wutai Line Guchuan Bridge Strolling through Shenshan Village Wutai Slate Lane (Tathikaran) Iron Forgery House Dubanan Memorial House Slate Lane (Tathikaran) Café Rukai building art (Presbyterian Church) Kalawa Slate House Chief's House Rukai Folk Culture Museum Wutai Village Cultural Plaza (Millet donuts, Wutai coffee) Slate House Homestay Check-in Rukai-style dinner

Day 2 Breakfast Wutai Eco Tour (content varies according to season) Handicraft DIY or agriculture experience No. 8233 Pingtung Bus from Wutai back to Pingtung Railway Station

Contact:

Tourism Section, Wutai Township Office, Pingtung County Tel: (08) 790-2571 The Wutai Travel app can be downloaded and provides useful information including: Map guide Voice guide

Introduces distinctive businesses, such as handicraft workshops and eateries serving local food.

The English Guide function introduces Wutai’s many distinctive attractions to foreign visitores.

Shopping

Here you can select and order Wutai foodstuff and other products. You can also find special offers for homestays and restaurants.

Wutai Travel

Different trips are suggested for each season, including 1-day; 2-day, 1-night; and 3-day, 2-night experiences.

Photo experience

Here you can use Wutai-themed photo frames to take unique photographs. Download the photos to your phone and share them with friends and family.

Online Shop

Here you can conveniently make purchases online by scanning the QR-codes of businesses.

HOW TO GET TO WUTAI SELF-DRIVE Second Southern Freeway → Changzhi Interchange → Prov. Highway 24 → Shuimen → Sandimen → Sande Checkpoint → Wutai From Pingtung to Yanpu → Ailiao River Bank Highway → Shuimen → Sandimen → Sande Checkpoint → Wutai TAKING A PINGTUNG BUS Take bus no. 8233 (Wutai Line) from Pingtung Bus Station (opposite Pingtung Railway Station's main entrance). Buy a ticket inside the bus station or pay with an iPASS card on the bus. The ride takes about 95 minutes.

Download the Wutai Travel app by scanning the QR code for your device

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Small farmers’ market

SCENIC ROU TE S / Y IL A N/HUA L IEN

edged W d a o R ic ngly Scen i z a nd OceaCnH I a m s A n i n a A t n u o SK A between M M C K IM M P H O T O S A W A IN TEX T O

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SCENIC RO U TE S / Y IL A N/HUA LIEN

Asked to name the most scenic road in all of Taiwan, most locals and long-term expats will say “the Suhua Highway.” Loved by tourists for its sheer beauty, and dreaded in almost equal measure for its unpredictable conditions (rockfalls) and – at times – annoying users (gravel-truck drivers, especially), the road is a must-do for any road-trip aficionado who is looking for the best routes on the island.

Beautiful Nanfang'ao Fishing Harbor seen from the Nanfang'ao Observation Deck

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SCENIC ROU TE S / Y IL A N/HUA L IEN

SS

tretching from the fishing town of Su'ao in southeast Yilan County to Hualien City almost 120 kilometers to the south, the Suhua Highway is widely considered Ta i w a n's mo s t sp e c t a c u l a r c o a s t a l ro a d . Forc e d to t he ver y edge of the isla nd by the arresting coasta l slopes of the Central Mountain Range, the highway offers travelers unpa ra l leled vie ws of Ta iwa n's lapis-blue por tion of t he Pacif ic a nd verda nt jungle-covered su mmits a s it sna kes south towards the spectacular Taroko Gorge.

Punctuating t he route a re a ha ndf u l of cha racterf u l set t lement s (popu lated la rgely by member s of Ta iwa n's indigenous Ataya l tribe), which lie in the a lluvia l pla ins created by strea m a nd river water t hat ha s made its way f r om d e e p i n t he m ou nt a i n s t o t he o c e a n . Unt i l v e r y recently, the highway has been the only road connecting the coastal settlements bet ween Su’ao and Hualien. However, prone to landslides and typhoon damage, it has been known for its dangers almost as much as for its scenic beauty.

A s pa r t of t he Su hua Highway Improvement Project, three new, long highway sections have been built. These feature nu merou s tu nnels a nd bridges, a nd w i l l provide alternative routing through the mountainous inland region, avoiding the more perilous coa st-hugging sections of the original highway. The first new section, between Su’ao and the village of Dong’ao, was opened in 2018. The other two a re set to be opened before Chine se Ne w Yea r in 2020.

Drivers are now presented with a choice of roads, the old winding highway sections along the coast or the new and faster sections through the mountains. The opening of the most northerly inland section last year has made the coastal road down to Dong’ao far less crowded than it once was, and it can now be enjoyed at a leisurely pace without fear of speeding trucks and haste-frenzied motorists.

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View from Snake Mountain Love Lock Beach

SCENIC RO U TE S / Y IL A N/HUA LIEN

Nanfang'ao Our journey begins on the Lanyang Plain (Yilan Plain), the vast triangular flatland in Yilan's northeast, which is home to Yilan City as well as the popular tourist towns of Luodong (famed for its night market) and Jiaoxi (renowned for its hot springs). Tucked into the southeast corner of the Lanyang Plain is Su'ao, the starting point of the Suhua Highway.

Choose the newer, inland prong of the highway and you'll sweep quickly across gorge-spanning bridges and through mountain tunnels to coast-side Dong'ao. However, choose the older, more scenic coastal route and you'll soon find yourself presented with a panoramic view of the bustling triple harbor of Nanfang'ao, Su'ao's major fishing port.

The best vantage point can be found at the Nanfang'ao Observation Deck, located on the highway roughly 4km out of Su'ao. At around 140m above sea level, the platform affords visitors views of Neipi Beach and Nanfang'ao Bridge, as well as Su'ao's naval harbor and the three artificial inlets, all a-clutter with fishing boats, that comprise Nanfang'ao Fishing Port. On clear days, the shape of Guishan (Turtle) Island can be glimpsed rising from the sea beyond the northeast end of the large bay in which the Suâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ao/Nanfangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ao marine facilities are located.

In fact, though you may be eager to continue forging southward, stopping off in Nanfang'ao for a meal is a splendid idea. The restaurants that line the harbors specialize in seafood, and most offer set feasts of various sizes and prices (ranging from NT$1,000 to NT$3,000) designed to showcase the multifarious fruits of the sea that arrive daily on the fishing boats.

Dong'ao Bay Dongyue Cold Springs

Dong'ao From the Nanfang'ao Observation Deck, it's an 11km drive along the winding coastal highway to Dong'ao, the next village on the route. On the way, stop at the small Dong'ao Tudigong Temple (dedicated to the Land God) for a stunning vista of Dong'ao Bay and the headlands beyond.

Dong'ao itself, though tiny, has more than enough charms to entertain you for several hours. Begin by working up a sweat with a short hike up Snake Mountain to gain the lie of the land. Stairs, followed by a concrete path, and finally a gravel track will bring you quickly to a mountaintop meadow flanked with electricity pylons. From here you get a sweeping view of the new highway as it emerges from one of the mountain tunnels, of two railway bridges, one derelict and one in current use, and beside them the Dongyue Cold Springs, where you can pop in to cool off. Entry to the cold-spring park is free of charge, and the water, which bubbles up from the earth, remains at a refreshing 14~16 degrees Celsius year round.

After splashing about for a bit, on our recent Travel in Taiwan research trip we head to Dong'ao Bay for a stroll on its sand-pebble beach, at the south end of which is situated the tiny fishing enclave of Fenniaolin Fishing Harbor. If lucky, you may catch a fish auction, as boats laden with all kinds of sea life netted in the bountiful Kuroshio Current return to dock in the harbor and unload their catch. Climb some stone steps at the far end of the harbor and, beyond, you'll discover a hidden cove known as the Love Lock Beach, where you can lie on the pebbled shore and enjoy the splendid views or snorkel in the placid outcrop-enclosed waters.

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Nan'ao A further 10km from Dong'ao along the highway is the larger and livelier town of Nan'ao, which sits between two waterways inland from the coast. The trailhead for a short 2.2km hike along the old Qing Dynasty-blazed Chaoyang Trail that skirts the coastal cliffs east of the town can be found on the roadside just before the Zhaoyang Fishing Harbor, while a drive to the south through fish farms and paddy fields dappled with egrets sees you to the Mystery Beach – a long stretch of grey sand with several sea caves cut into the beach-end cliffs.

Venture due west inland towards the mountains, on the other hand, and you'll soon arrive at the trailhead for the Jinyue Waterfall – a magnificent 25m-high waterfall that can, unfortunately, only be reached by tracing up the Lupi Stream (river-tracing excursions to the falls can be booked through several local adventure groups based in Taipei). Casual visitors must content themselves with a stay at the paddling pools at the start of the trail – a lovely place for a picnic, a-flutter with dragonflies and butterflies of all shapes and colors.

Only a little further upstream (if you're willing to take your shoes off and walk through the knee-deep water) is an 8m-high mini-waterfall where the brave (or reckless) can get an adrenaline fix by riding over the fall's lip and plunging into the deep pool below.

Returning to central Nan'ao we decide to do some refueling at the town's most distinctive restaurant, Chili Hunter – a celebration of all things spicy. The owner, Ye Wu-xun, whose family are long-time Chili Hunter restaurant

Lupi Stream

producers of peeled chili – a favorite Taiwanese condiment – decided to both expand his horizons and indulge his love of chilies by importing specimens from around the world and planting them in Nan'ao. After browsing the restaurant's chili products on the first floor – which range from mild Mexican-style salsas to sauces made from some of the world's hottest chilies – we move to the second floor to order a hearty lunch of beef noodles topped with Trinidad scorpion peppers, peeled chili dumplings, silken tofu and century eggs garnished with crunchy peeled chili, and a chili beer (flavored with habanero) to wash it all down.

CHILI HUNTER ( 樸艷辣椒文創美食館 ) (03) 998-1828 www.chilihunter.com.tw Mon~Sun, 8am~5pm No. 276, Sec. 2, Suhua Road, Su'ao Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣蘇澳鎮蘇花路二段 276 號 )

For dessert, and to cool our tongues, we visit a Nan'ao institution, the Nanxing Ice Store, for some traditional Taiwanese iced refreshments.

The owner, Aunty Huang, has been making iced desserts here for decades, and still makes them the traditional way, with a 50-year-old ice-cream maker – a great blue contraption that clatters and whirls away by her side. Huang's specialty is Red-Bean Peanut Milk Egg Ice, three scoops of banana-infused ice topped with red bean, peanuts, a few good squirts of condensed milk, and a sunny raw egg yolk in the middle. We sit in what appears to be Huang's living room (in one corner is a wooden sofa and TV set with a Taiwanese soap opera playing) and tuck in. The yolk, though perhaps an acquired taste, gives the dessert a wonderfully sticky quality and blends perfectly with the sweetness of the condensed milk, while the texture of the red bean and peanuts keeps the palate entertained until the very last spoonful.

Red-Bean Peanut Milk Egg Ice

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NANXING ICE STORE ( 南興冰店 ) (03) 998-1171 www.facebook.com/NanXingicestore/ No. 420, Sec. 2, Suhua Road, Su'ao Township, Yilan County ( 宜蘭縣蘇澳鎮蘇花路二段 420 號 )

SCENIC RO U TE S / Y IL A N/HUA LIEN

Taroko Gorge

Qingshui Cliff

Nanfang‘ao Fishing Harbor

Su‘ao

Down to Taroko

Nanfang‘ao Observation Deck

9

Driving south from Nan'ao towards Hualien (the opening of the final two inland sections before 2020 will significantly relieve the traffic on this stretch), the coastal road remains magnificent.

Beginning at the village of Heping, the Qingshui Cliff, a sheer face of gneiss and marble, rises almost vertically above the road to an average of 800 meters on one side, and drops precipitously to the sea on the other, accompanying the highway for over 20 kilometers. To observe the cliffs on foot, take a stroll down the Huide Trail (a now-unused 750m-long section of the highway that was closed after the opening of the Huide Tunnel), which allows you to take in the sheer cliffs and the clustered reef rocks in the ocean waters below unthreatened by speeding cars.

Continuing south, you'll soon arrive at the village of Xincheng and the entrance to the world-renowned Taroko Gorge, where even more spectacular natural wonders await – though that, of course, is a subject for another article....

Yilan County

Dongyue Cold Springs

9丁

Snake Mountain

Dong’ao Bay Fenniaolin Fishing Harbor Nanxing Ice Store Chili Hunter

Jinyue Waterfall 9丁

Mystery Beach

Suhua Highway

9丁

Hualien County Taroko Gorge 8

Pacific Ocean

Qingshui Cliff Huide Trail

Taroko National Park Visitor Center

Taiwan

to Hualien City

Pebble beach south of the Qingshui Cliff

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Atayal tribe 泰雅族 Dong'ao 東澳 Dong'ao Bay 東澳灣 Dong'ao Tudigong Temple 東澳土地公廟 Dongyue Cold Spring 東岳湧泉 Fenniaolin Fishing Harbor 粉鳥林魚港 Heping 和平 Huide Trail 匯德步道 Jinyue Waterfall 金岳瀑布 Lanyang Plain 蘭陽平原 Love Lock Beach 愛情鎖海灘 Nan'ao 南澳 Nanfang'ao 南方澳 Nanfang'ao Observation Deck 南方澳觀景台 Mystery Beach 神秘海灘 Qingshui Cliff 清水斷崖 Snake Mountain 蛇山 Su'ao 蘇澳 Suhua Highway Improvement Project 蘇花改 Suhua Highway 蘇花公路 Xincheng 新城 Ye Wu-xun 葉武訓 Zhaoyang Fishing Harbor 朝陽魚港 Zhaoyang Trail 朝陽步道

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The Bombing Master Handan Celebration Heart and Soul of Taitung’s Lantern Festival Calendar TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE PHOTOS CHEN CHENG - KUO, TA ITUNG COUNT Y GOV ERNME NT

One of Taiwan’s most bizarre annual Lantern Festival traditions is the firecracker infernos that greet the deity Master Handan in Taitung City when he sallies forth on inspection processions. Care to join in?

Bombing of Master Handan

T

he traditional Lunar New Year season is brought to a close on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month with the Lantern Festival. At this time visitors to Taiwan can choose “I’ve been there” experiences from among a plenteous palette of vibrant traditional celebrations.

Among the most renowned of these are the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which is rotated around the island, and the official city Lantern Festival events staged in Taipei and Kaohsiung. All feature large-scale theme lanterns based on the Chinese zodiac, creative lantern displays, brilliant sound and light shows, and revelry manifested by numerous other means. They are a modern-day outgrowth of the smaller celebrations held at individual temples.

Among the more colorfully eclectic celebrations are the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival and the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. Each night during the Pingxi festival hundreds of paper-and-wire “sky lanterns” – think of them as miniature hot-air balloons – are released in unison, time after time, carrying people’s wishes up to the gods. On Lantern Festival eve, Yanshui, a town in southern Taiwan, literally explodes to life with the release of bottle rockets from “beehive” racks at all angles and in the hundreds of thousands. The most derring-do thrill-seekers brave the onslaught up close, dressed in motorcycle helmets and protective clothing. This annual pyrotechnics blitzkrieg arose as a means to frighten away pestilence-delivering demons in the late Chinese imperial era.

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Taitung County councilor Lee Chien-chih

DELIGHTFU L FOLK E X PER IENCE / BOMBING M A S TER H A NDA N

Bombing Master Handan Matching the explosiveness of the Yanshui spectacle is the Bombing Master Handan pageant, held in Taitung City. This is perhaps the most important annual folk-religion event on Taiwan’s East Coast, and certainly the most important in Taitung City.

During the city’s Lantern Festival bash, brave young men representing Master (sometimes “Lord”) Handan are paraded through the streets on a bamboo throne, and are blasted relentlessly with bricks of firecrackers by the thousands of onlookers they pass. These daredevil fellows wear nothing but red shorts, a red-and-yellow headdress, goggles, and a bandana pulled up over the mouth.

INFO NUGGET In Chinese culture red is the most auspicious color, associated with good for tune and happiness.

One explanatory theory is that long ago, when most Chinese were subsistence farmers, precious animals were only slaughtered on special occasions – i.e., maximum blood/red directly correlated with maximum material wealth/fortune/happiness.

Two of the volunteer braves

Folk belief is that the more firecrackers you throw, the greater fortune enjoyed in the coming year. Note that firecrackers have red-paper skins, though in this instance the main source of your good luck lies elsewhere, as we’ll see. Residents wait outside homes and employees outside businesses for the deity to pass, as do great throngs of Taiwanese from elsewhere, and as do ever larger numbers of tourists from overseas as the reputation of the event has spread offshore.

Who Is the Master?

There are two main stories about just who Master Handan is. Most widely believed is that he is one of the Daoist Five Gods of Wealth, the Military God of Wealth, who oversees the celestial treasury – the deified Zhao Gongming, a Shang Dynasty general.

As it happens, this god cares little for the cold, and the “bombing” heat keeps him warm. Pleased, he returns the favor with blessings and good fortune.

The other story is more nebulous. It’s said that sometime long past a ne’er-do-well member of an outlaw gang sought atonement for his dastardly deeds by getting members of a community he’d harassed to bombard him with firecrackers. After his death, some talent that said story retellers leave unstated got him deity promotion as a god of wealth.

Master Handan altar inside Xuanwu Temple

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Xuanwu Temple in Taitung City

Xuanwu Temple The home of Taitung City’s powerful Master Handan effigy is the Xuanwu Temple. During Taiwan’s 1895~1945 period of colonial rule, the Japanese suppressed traditional Chinese religious expression, and Handan traditions largely died out. In Taitung, devotees rotated their Master Handan icon among shrines in private homes. In 1951 the tradition of procession bombings was rekindled, and in 1989 the master moved into a newly built permanent home, the Xuanwu Temple.

If Master Handan stands at the epicenter of the temple’s immortal world, the heart and soul of its mortal realm is Lee Chien-chih. Today a Taitung County councilor, he has for much longer been the temple’s head. In his youth he was a Handan brave, and the current crop of braves hold him in awe, professing that he could endure almost otherworldly intensive bombardment, and for far longer than the average. Over the years, he has been a zealot in promotion of the Bombing Master Handan spectacle as a tourist attraction, and is proud of how far things have come.

“We’ve become one of Taiwan’s most iconic Lantern Festival religious festivities, and are a foundation stone of Taitung culture,” he states. “Taitung County was one of Taiwan’s last areas settled by Han Chinese. People brought the Handan traditions over from the island’s west side sometime during the Chinese imperial era. Into the Japanese era, the bombing processions were part of a larger Taitung deity procession celebrating the Lantern Festival, but since 1951 have been separate, become the signature Taitung Lantern Festival attraction. To my knowledge, today the bombing tradition is observed nowhere else.” In 2013 the Ministry of the Interior declared this one of the Top 100 Religious Scenes of Taiwan – these embody the history of early Taiwanese settlers and illustrate the island’s religious landscape and great diversity. The temple’s troupe has even traveled to Qingdao in mainland China, where local authorities are seeking to rediscover lost traditions.

INFO NUGGET To explore the Top 100 Religious Scenes of Taiwan and the related and invaluable Taiwan Religious Culture Map, visit www.taiwangods.com.

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Bombing sessions last 5 to 10 minutes

Lee states that the young men who volunteer to face Handan-procession bombardment have various motivations, but two dominate: respect for tradition and seeking Handan’s favor. The two young fellows who agreed to pose in costume for this article encapsulate the two inspirations. The stockier of the two wants to do his part to preserve beloved Taitung traditions; for the other, Master Handan answered his prayers in a time of need, and he is fulfilling his pledge to return the favor (others play the Handan role specifically to ask for wish fulfillment).

During processions, the players take turns standing atop Master Handan’s sedan chair to receive the bombardments. Atop an extension, above their heads, sits a small Handan statue from the temple. “The volunteer must have true faith, and be pure of heart, to receive Handan’s protection,” says Lee. “Bombing sessions last 5 to 10 minutes; the longest will go about 15. Afterwards, the volunteer raises his hands high to show he is OK.” His sole handheld “weaponry” is a cluster of banyan-tree sprigs. Daoists believe banyan branches and leaves protect against demons. The bunches are used to ward off firecracker bursts and cinders.

DELIGHTFU L FOLK E X PER IENCE / BOMBING M A S TER H A NDA N

Master Handan's sedan chair

Impersonating Master Handan is a source of pride

With the adrenaline f lowing comes a general numbness, Lee says, and soon the volunteer feels direct firecracker hits merely as pricks of pain. Far more difficult is enduring the smoke. For long spells the volunteer may see nothing at all, and breathing can be labored. Lee himself suffered serious hearing damage when, on one outing, he didn’t realize his cotton earplugs had come out.

The volunteers look on their body wounds partly as marks of valor, akin to how swordsmen long ago regarded their facial wounds in the West, and partly as badges of their devotion, purity of heart, and unselfish service. On a more mundane front, they state that there is a spectrum when it comes to how members of the fairer sex view these “badges,” depending for the most part on how much of a Daoist devotee she herself is. A prospective girlfriend who is a firm believer sees the marks in the same way the volunteers do; those who rarely visit a Chinese temple – “not so much.”

Taitung Bombing Master Handan Culture Festival Lee’s continuing efforts have given rise to the Taitung Bombing Master Handan Culture Festival, which runs five to six days.

Beyond the Handan bombings, it features la ntern d isplays, a cu lture c a mp, a nd performances both modern and traditional.

Master Handan goes on his grand inspection processions on Lantern Festival day and the following day, in both cases accompanied by performance troupes and specially invited deities from other local temples.

O t her f e s t i v a l h i g h l i g ht s i nc lu de information sessions for members of the public on the event’s history and traditions, w i t h a p r i v a t e “ h a n d s - o n” H a n d a n bombardment, and a similar session for international exchange students, with the bravest able to experience the receiving end of a Handan bombardment – the perfect “I did that!” story with which to someday regale the grandkids.

GETTING TO/AROUND TAITUNG There are numerous daily Taipei-Taitung flights (45 minutes one way), and regular rail service to/from Taipei, the fastest trains taking just 3.5 hours. Book seats on Puyuma Express trains, the fastest service, well in advance. Quality car-rental chain outlets are located outside the Taitung Railway Station, along with scooter-rental enterprises.

Be sure to take in some of the many other local sightseeing attractions while in the Taitung region.

Specially recommended is the Zhiben hot-spring resort area, Zhiben Forest Recreation Area, East Rift Valley National Scenic Area, and East Coast National Scenic Area. We cover the first two in this issue's Feature article, and have visited the other two in back-issue files over the past few years (issuu.com/ travelintaiwan).

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Bombing Master Handan 炸寒單 Five Gods of Wealth 五路財神 Lantern Festival 元宵節 Lee Chien-chih 李建智 Military God of Wealth 武財神 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival 平溪天燈節 Taitung Bombing Master Handan Culture Festival 臺東元宵節慶觀光活動 Taiwan Lantern Festival 臺灣燈會 Xuanwu Temple 玄武堂 Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival 鹽水蜂炮 Zhao Gongming 趙公明

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Lugang Folk Arts Museum

Lugang, Beigang, and Xinshe Small and “Slow” Towns in Central Taiwan

TE X T STE V E N CROOK PHOTOS V I S ION

Small-town travel has come into vogue in recent years in Taiwan, with travelers increasingly seeking out what’s in between the big cities and the top tourist draws. In central Taiwan there are numerous small towns of great character. Some, like Lugang, are better known to the foreign visitor; others, like Beigang, have in the past only been on the radar of domestic tourists.

V

isitors who spend any time in central Taiwan are sure to pass through Taichung, which recently became the island’s second most populous municipality. As befits a growing city, Taichung’s airport is now “international,” handling direct flights to/from several major hubs in East Asia.

The urban core of Taichung has many and varied attractions, yet many of the region’s most appealing sights and experiences are to be found elsewhere, in little towns like the three described in this article. Lugang is near the coast in Changhua County, south of Taichung. Beigang is a lowland town a little further down-island in Yunlin County. Xinshe, in the hilly interior of Taichung, is in fact a rural district rather than a town.

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Lugang Bet ween t he f irst qua r ter of t he 18 t h c e nt u r y a nd t he m id d le of t he 19 t h c ent u r y, Lu g a ng wa s sec ond on ly to Ta i n a n a s a p o p u l a t i o n c e nt e r a n d commercia l hub. At one point, 3,500 ships per yea r were dock ing here.

However, after silt blocked the harbor, the town’s entrepreneurs drifted away. Long term, there was an upside to this loss of vitality: the town retains a great deal of its preindustrial character.

During Lugang’s heyday, many of the town’s businessmen lived on Putou St re e t a nd Ya ol i n St re e t , c onjoi ne d thoroughfares which have never been widened for cars. To tourists, they’re collectively known as Lugang Old Street, and it’s here – and in the alleyways nearby – that you can best get a sense of life in the Taiwan of yore.

Wander the neighborhood slowly, because each old abode is unique, with ma ny intriguing features. At No. 12 on Yaolin Street, for instance, a wealthy yet publicspirited household that once lived here wanted the convenience of an on-site water supply, but decided to dig the well that is today still in place on the perimeter of their land, so neighbors could also draw water from it.

Lugang has several shrines of interest, and one of the most convenient to visit is the Chenghuang Temple, at No. 366 on Zhongshan Road, about 100m from the Old Street. Some of those who come here to pray and offer incense have special requests for Chenghuang Ye (City God), the deity they believe protects the town. This god, it’s said, has a remarkable ability to identify thieves and recover stolen items. The faithful claim he’s even cracked cases that had confounded human authorities.

SM A LL-TOW N CH A R M / CENTR A L TA I WA N

The Lugang Folk Arts Museum is housed in a former residence that’s strik ingly different from the merchants’ abodes along the Old Street. This imposing centuryold Baroque mansion was built for the Koo family, one of Taiwan’s most important business clans right up to the present day.

The Koos donated the house as well as many of the books, musical instruments, antique furnishings, and traditional garments now displayed inside. Admission is NT$130/$70.

The best way to reach the museum is by entering the Ding Mansion, at No. 132 on Zhongshan Road, and exiting from its back door. Behind the 1920s façade is a tastefully restored residence built in 1893 by a local scholar of considerable renown. There’s no admission charge.

Yu Zhen Zhai

If you’re willing to walk a little further, head south to the Longshan Temple. It’s possibly Taiwan’s oldest Buddhist shrine, and without

Men Men Cha Cha ice treat

Longshan Temple

doubt a superb example of religious architecture.

The complex has 99 doorways, delicately carved wooden screens, and a stunning octagonal ceiling in the front pavilion.

Lugang has its own culinary traditions, and one of the town’s longest-running food businesses is called Yu Zhen Zhai. At the flagship store on the corner of Minzu and Zhongshan roads, you can sample oldschool baked goods filled with pineapple, mung bean, adzuki bean, or sesame paste, as well as other delicacies.

Ding Mansion

While Yu Zhen Zhai plays up tradition and history, Men Men Cha Cha offers a modern coffee-shop aesthetic, not to mention desserts and drinks that the folk of yesteryear wouldn’t recognize. Among the ingredients these concoctions bring together are boba, diced mango, adzuki beans, pudding, and mian cha – the last being flour that’s been heated with a little sugar and some white sesame, then served in the form of a powder ideal for mixing. If this sounds altogether too strange, instead order a simple Americano to get your strength up before continuing your small-town tour.

CHENGHUANG TEMPLE ( 城隍廟 ) (04) 778-8545 www.cheng-huang.com (Chinese) No. 366, Zhongshan Rd., Lugang Township, Changhua County ( 彰化縣鹿港鎮中山路 366 號 ) LUGANG FOLK ARTS MUSEUM ( 鹿港民俗文物館 ) (04) 777-2019 lukangarts.org.tw No. 88, Guanqian St., Lugang Township, Changhua County ( 彰化縣鹿港鎮館前街 88 號 ) YU ZHEN ZHAI ( 玉珍齋 ) (04) 777-3672 No. 168, Minzu Rd., Lugang Township, Changhua County ( 彰化縣鹿港鎮民族路 168 號 ) MEN MEN CHA CHA ( 麵麵茶茶 ) 0916-017-504 No. 439, Zhongshan Rd., Lugang Township, Changhua County ( 彰化縣鹿港鎮中山路 439 號 ) DING MANSION ( 丁家古厝 ) (04) 778-3488 No. 132, Zhongshan Rd., Lugang Township, Changhua County ( 彰化縣鹿港鎮中山路132 號 ) LONGSHAN TEMPLE ( 龍山寺 ) (04) 777-2472 No. 100, Longshan St., Lugang Township, Changhua County ( 彰化縣鹿港鎮龍山街 100 號 ) TR AVEL I N TAIWAN

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Beigang For generations a magnet attracting both traders and pilgrims, Beigang was also once accessible to the nimble, shallow-draft vessels that during the 17th and 18th centuries were used to carry migrants to Taiwan and ship rice and other produce to the Chinese mainland. The river that shares the town’s name, while no longer a transportation artery, doubles as the border between Yunlin County and Chiayi County.

The Chaotian Temple stands at the very heart of this town of 40,000 people. Founded in 1694 and devoted to the worship of Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea, who is likely the island’s most popular deity, the temple is among Taiwan’s busiest places of worship. On weekends, expect a non-stop barrage of firecrackers and clouds of incense smoke. You may even see one or two tangki – individuals possessed by a supernatural spirit. To demonstrate how their patrons protect them from pain and serious harm, some tangki cut their foreheads or shoulders with ancient-style instruments, or push needles through their cheeks. “Tangki” is the Taiwanese pronunciation.

A far newer religious landmark stands 2km north of the Chaotian Temple. Major sections are less than a decade old at the visually 42

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impressive Wude Temple, a place of worship that has a fascinating backstory. It was founded by a man surnamed Chen who had moved to Beigang in 1955 to practice traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

Despite being a healer, Chen was unable to cure his wife when she fell ill some years later. Perplexed and perturbed, he sought comfort and answers through the set of beliefs that’s variously known as Chinese popular religion, folk religion, or Daoism. The results from conducting divination rites convinced him that he should set up a censer in his own home, and offer incense to the gods each morning and evening. He followed these deity-provided instructions with zeal, and his wife finally recovered.

Eventually, he determined that the god who had helped him was Zhao Gong-ming, the Military God of Wealth. Accordingly, when he later established Wude Temple, the principal deities enshrined there were the Five Directions Wealth Gods, among whom Zhao represents the “central” direction. The temple has subsidiary altars for Zhao’s parents and three sisters, as well as the Jade Emperor and other major deities. If you want proof that Taiwan’s thousands of temples aren’t merely relics of a bygone age, and that traditional religious belief thrives throughout the island, you’ll find it here.

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Tramping around town, you’re likely to work up an appetite. While you’re here, you should try jianpanguo, a delicacy that’s usually fried on a circular griddle. It looks quite similar to Taiwanese savory radish cake, but it’s 100% made of rice. If you’re trying to cut down on carbs, don’t worry, because at vendors like Chen Family Jianpanguo you can order some sliced sausage or pig intestine stewed in gravy to go with the delightfully textured jianpanguo.

Beigang is synonymous with what are known simply as “Beigang big cakes,” large pies given to friends and relatives to mark joyful occasions such as a daughter’s impending wedding or a son’s college graduation. They come in various flavors, sweet and savory, among them adzuki bean, mushroom, and braised pork. The town’s BEIGANG YUANZI SOUP ( 北港圓仔湯 ) (05) 773-1231 No. 29, Zhongshan Rd., Beigang Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣北港鎮中山路 29 號 )

CHAOTIAN TEMPLE ( 朝天宮 ) (05) 783-2055 No. 178, Zhongshan Rd., Beigang Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣北港鎮中山路 178 號 ) WUDE TEMPLE ( 武德宮 ) (05) 782-1445 No. 330, Huasheng Rd., Beigang Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣北港鎮華勝路 330 號 )

CHEN FAMILY JIANPANGUO ( 陳家煎盤粿 ) 0927-252-833 No. 84, Guangming Rd., Beigang Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣北港鎮光明路 84 號 ) Chaotian Temple in Beigang

Wude Temple

bakers also sell palm-sized pastries and cookies ideal for travelers who want to taste something traditional. Of the several bakeries that operate close to the Chaotian Temple, Zhenxing Theater is perhaps the most popular with tourists. As its name implies, this 84-year-old building in which this retail operation is located used to be a movie theater, with a good bit of its pre-TV-era character preserved.

For another type of inexpensive and refreshing snack, sit down for a spell at the modest shop Beigang Yuanzi Soup, named for the dish that made it famous. Its bite-sized rice-flour dumplings, which have no filling, are cooked just before serving, then eaten cold in a “soup” that’s awash with mung beans, adzuki beans, and steamed peanuts. This medley of natural flavors is sweetened with a little honey, then covered with shaved ice – an ideal combination on a warm day!

ZHENXING THEATER ( 振興戲院 ) (05) 782-3798 No. 42, Zhongshan Rd., Beigang Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣北港鎮中山路 42 號 ) Wall at Chen Family Jianpanguo

Jianpanguo

Yuanzi soup

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TE X T DA N A TE R PHOTOS R AY CH A NG

Beigang Spring Living Museum A woodwork factory since the Japanese colonial era (1895~1945), Beigang Spring was transformed into a local-history museum in 1992. A 10-minute drive from the iconic Chaotian Temple (see main text), this museum is in the heart of Beigang Township. It is easy to recognize thanks to the dozens of multicolored, spotted, and white chickens that run out to greet visitors entering the museum’s wonderfully manicured garden grounds.

Follow these friendly, pint-sized guides past giant potted plants with colorful pinwheels to a raised, single-story wooden home where pots of piping-hot floral tea await. Museum owner Hsu Shu-chu loves taking care of her guests, and serves tea in wooden holders she makes by hand, accompanied by a small platter of her homemade chocolate cookies.

Old wooden-frame bicycle

The centerpiece at Beigang Spring is several wooden residential-style buildings made with hinoki, or Japanese cypress, each serving as a showcase of a different aspect of traditional life in the township, told through antique furniture, trinkets, and paintings.

Among the items you will see are beautifully carved wooden dressers and vanity sets, some of which are for sale, though the most impressive item is a 70-year-old bicycle (not for sale) made with wood framing, which is accompanied by an equally old, frayed tote bag.

A large warehouse at the back of the complex houses a DIY station where visitors can learn to make their own wooden chopsticks, which they can bring home, and play games more suited for young children, such as balancing on wooden stilts or tinkling the keys on a wooden xylophone. Some of the games, such as hopscotch and skipping rope, do not have a direct tie-in with the Beigang area’s woodworking past, but are, as Hsu will enthusiastically explain, windows into traditional Beigang life – and opportunities for guests to put their smartphones down.

Out in the garden area, visitors can throw dried rice to the chickens and watch them gather around their legs. There are also cute cut-outs for the taking of pictures, including life-sized cartoon depictions of farmers with strategic holes for propping your head – something for which it is definitely worth once again whipping out your phone.

BEIGANG SPRING LIVING MUSEUM ( 北港春生活博物館 ) (05) 783-1632 No. 53-1, Liucuo Borough, Beigang Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣北港鎮劉厝里 53-1 號 ) www.facebook.com/pg/www.beikang.tw (Chinese)

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Xinshe to County Road 129

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If you’re driving yourself, and plan to head into Taiwan’s mountainous interior the following day, spending the night at a B&B in the Taichung district of Xinshe makes a great deal of sense. From here, Provincial Highway 21 leads southeast toward tourist-popular Puli town, Sun Moon Lake, and Hehuanshan (Mt. Hehuan).

During cherry-blossom season, a significant part of Greater Taichung’s population heads to Xinshe to take photos of the trees that line County Road 129. The annual Xinshe Sea of Flowers festival – typically scheduled for early November to early December – is even more popular. The landscape becomes a stunning multicolored patchwork, and visitors aren’t confined to viewing it from afar. Thanks to a network of paths between fields, anyone with a camera can grab Instagrammable images.

Xinshe’s farmers don’t only grow flowers. Mushroom consumption in Taiwan has surged in the past few decades, and Xinshe is a center for the production of king oyster mushrooms, wood ear, and other edible fungi. At the Baigu Chuang tourist farm you can pick your own fresh organic mushrooms, or buy dried mushrooms perfect for adding to soups and hotpots. As you might expect, Xinshe also has a number of restaurants that specialize in mycological cuisine. Come, see, and eat!

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Baigu Chuang

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Mushroom dish served at Baigu Chuang

BAIGU CHUANG ( 百菇莊 ) (04) 2582-2665 No. 2-1, Xiezhong St., Xinshe District, Taichung City ( 台中市新社區協中街 2-1 號 ) www.howgu.com.tw (Chinese)

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Beigang 北港 “Beigang big cakes” 北港大餅 Chenghuang Ye 城隍爺 Five Directions Wealth Gods 五路武財神 Hsu Shu-chu 徐淑珠 Jade Emperor 玉皇大帝 jianpanguo 煎盤粿 Lugang 鹿港 Lugang Old Street 鹿港老街 mian cha 麵茶 Putou Street 埔頭街 tangki 童乩 Xinshe 新社 Xinshe Sea of Flowers 新社花海 Yaolin Street 瑤林街 Yuanzi soup 圓仔湯 Zhao Gong-ming 趙公明

HOW TO GET THERE All three of the aboveintroduced towns can be easily reached by public transportation. There are regular buses to Lugang from THSR Taichung Station (highspeed rail) and Changhua Railway Station (regular rail).

To get to Beigang, board a bus in downtown Taichung or at THSR Chiayi Station. Xinshe is served by the no. 270 bus from Taichung Railway Station.

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Flatlands & Wetlands A Refreshing Seafood Farm Experience in Yunlin

TE X T DA N A TE R

PHOTOS R AY CH A NG

At the Bon Bon Fresh fish farm, located close to the Hukou Wetlands in southwestern Yunlin County, visitors can immerse themselves in a traditional way of life by fishing, bamboo rafting, and digging into a scrumptious barbecue.

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Bamboo raft fun

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W

hen I moved back to Taiwan in 2014, I was in search of wild, primitive experiences, be it eating flying squirrel in a small Hualien County mountain community or surfing off a deserted beach next to a driftwood guitar-making factory in Taitung County. Yunlin was not at the top of my list, due to stereotype descriptions declaring it rural and dull, with nothing to offer but flatlands and farms.

Flash forward to 2019, and the night before a Travel in Taiwan visit to Yunlin’s Bon Bon Fresh fish farm. Things seem to be off to an amusing start when owner Lin Chung-hsiung calls to remind our contingent of three to bring a change of clothes lest we stumble and fall into the water while fishing. “Thank you for visiting,” he says.

“Yunlin doesn’t get much coverage at all!”

One of the least developed counties in Taiwan, Yunlin is about 80 percent flat land and has mild winters, which make it ideal for growing tropical fruits such as papaya and pomelo and cereal/ vegetable crops such as corn and sweet potato.

However, our gastronomic exploration target for this trip is more of the crustacean variety – we’re headed to the southern coastal area of Kouhu Township, which is home to several wetlands, including the Hukou Wetlands. Once fertile farmland belonging to the Taisugar company, this area became marshy due to encroaching seawater following a major typhoon in 1986. The Hukou Wetlands now spans 200 hectares, and is home to a wide variety of migratory birds. Close to the wetlands you will find many a fish farm where tilapia and other fish, as well as oysters, clams, and shrimp, are raised in manmade ponds. One of these farms is the place we are going to visit.

We pull into Bon Bon Fresh, a place with a seemingly endless grid of fish ponds encircled by grassy walkways. The smell of saltwater and shucked oyster shells is raw and enticing, which I take as a sign of an adventurous stay ahead. There is no time for niceties – after a quick bathroom break, Mr. Lin, a tan, pudgy man in black slippers, puffing on a cigarette, hands each of us a long bamboo fishing pole and we’re off to one of the ponds. Our mission: catch our own lunch.

As Lin shows us how to hook the bait – just drive the hook right through the body of a shrimp – he tells us the interesting story about how he ended up running this fish and oyster operation.

Like many locals, he left Yunlin in search of better opportunities in the big city, and worked for years as an interior designer in Taipei.

However, also like many, he became disillusioned with the 9-to-5 office lifestyle.

Lin missed being outdoors, and decided to return to Yunlin.

Having grown up fishing in his home village, over 10 years ago he started a seafood business, the seafood restaurant Bon Bon Fresh, which has grown into a chain with branches around Taiwan. In the initial years he did most of the work himself, including driving a large truck to deliver seafood harvested from Yunlin’s wetlands to his own and other seafood restaurants around the island.

By the time I have finally managed to wind my line around my fishing pole, I see that one of my friends has already caught her second medium-sized tilapia. She douses it with a bottle of water, then tosses it in a bucket. Lin continues: “My family thought I was nuts when I moved back to become a fish and oyster farmer.”

He chuckles, and gazes out at the blue-green expanse. A couple

Flatland with fish ponds

Fresh oyster

Fishing at a fish pond

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Art installations in the Hukou Wetlands

of seagulls have landed near us, and appear to be watching us curiously. It’s a wonderful, sunny day, with blue skies and temperatures of around 32 degrees Celsius.

The farm still derives most of its income from supplying seafood to restaurants, including oysters, clams, prawns, and fish – for instance, it delivers about 20 big buckets of oysters to restaurants every day – but over the years Lin has since put together a small team to help with that. Today he spends most of his days teaching visitors like us how to fish, and educating them on Yunlin’s agriculture and ecosystems.

I finally give up on my attempt at fishing, and try another activity on offer at the farm – rowing a bamboo raft on a fish pond. Surprisingly, it’s easier than I had imagined, the process being similar to standup paddleboarding. “The schoolchildren who visit us love it!” Lin exclaims encouragingly. I stick a bamboo oar into the black-sand bottom of the pond, which feels more like mud, and it creates a small whirlpool that makes some of the smaller fish scatter.

It’s now almost afternoon, and we decide to give oyster collecting – another popular fun activity at the farm – a miss, having already built up an appetite for lunch. Luckily, Lin and his nephew have prepared a feast of freshly-harvested oysters, clams, and shrimps to barbecue, so we drive over to the farm’s “restaurant,” operated out of the driveway of the Lin family home.

Here, we unstack and set up plastic stools around a little grill under a bamboo shelter and refresh ourselves with iced green tea as Lin barbecues the seafood, a process that involves quite a bit of crackling and spitting. In the neighboring driveway, an elderly man and woman are shucking oysters that have been spread across a large wooden table.

Lin hands us disposable wooden chopsticks, which we use to pry open the hot oysters and clams. It’s not the tidiest process, but the meat tastes excellent, juicy and naturally sweet, needing 48

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Fish farm owner Lin Chung-hsiung preparing a tuji chicken

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Hukou Wetlands

no sauce or other flavoring. Lin’s nephew has brought out a big white bucket to toss our shells in. I proceed to peel prawns and, looking at my slow progress, Lin offers to peel them for me, doing so deftly and shoveling the shells into the bucket quickly. The prawns are fat and succulent, and the tilapias we caught earlier are just as delicious. Saucefree once again seems to be the best option.

“It’s quite a different experience than eating seafood at a fine-dining restaurant,” Lin remarks as we use the outdoor hose to rinse our hands.

“After years of eating fresh seafood in Yunlin, I can’t go back to more upscale seafood restaurants. There’s always too much unnecessary preparation, too much sauce!”

It doesn’t get more farm-to-table than this, I am thinking to myself, just as Lin surprises us with a grand finale – tuji (according to Lin, chicken released early in its life to roam about for one month, then caught and raised in a cage), its neck contorted, and its little head slumped lifelessly to one side. Lin skillfully debones the chicken, barbecues it and cuts it up with a huge knife. We dig in with our chopsticks, relishing the meat, which is thick and naturally sweet.

After we’ve eaten our fill there’s still much meat left. So naturally, Lin sends us to his mother to ask for a paper plate. “Sorry, my leg isn’t good,” he apologizes. He places the remaining chicken meat on the plate, wraps it in a plastic bag, and sends us on our way back home.

This is true southern hospitality.

Chicken strapped safely in the back seat, we drive about five minutes to the Hukou Wetlands. A better-known wetland in Yunlin is Chenglong, venue for the Chenglong Wetlands International Environmental Art Project, an annual event that brings artists from around the world to the site each spring to create art that raises environmental awareness.

The Hukou Wetlands is just as breathtaking, however, and we’re the only people here on a weekday afternoon, making it more serene.

There is a feast of narrow, muddy passageways to explore. We spot two pieces of installation art rising from the marsh water that have been made to look like fishermen’s nets, and serve as resting posts for seagulls. In the distance, patches of grass poke out from the water, looking like little green islands.

Largely free of mass-market tourist frills and gimmicks, Yunlin is a place to go for introspection. It’s possible to spend hours just gazing out into its southeast wetlands breathing in the salty air and watching seagulls swoop. Far from being dull, our trip has been the perfect mix of untouched nature, exceptionally fresh seafood, and genuine hospitality.

Fresh shrimp

Fresh clams GETTING THERE There is no public transport to the farm, but it is a convenient halfhour taxi ride from Chiayi's high-speed rail station, which is a 1.5hr high-speed rail ride from Taipei.

BON BON FRESH ( 雲林口湖第一蹦蹦鮮 ) 0972-359-131 No. 3, Hukou Rd., Hukou Village, Kouhu Township, Yunlin County ( 雲林縣口湖鄉湖口村湖口路三號 ) www.facebook.com/Bon.Bon.Fresh (Chinese) ENGLISH AND CHINESE Chenglong Wetlands 成龍溼地 Chenglong Wetlands International Environmental Art Project 成龍溼地國際環境藝術計畫 Hukou Wetlands 湖口溼地 Kouhu Township 口湖鄉 Lin Chung-hsiung 林忠雄 tuji 土雞

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Taichung Harbor

Places to Visit Close to Central Taiwan’s Main Seaport TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Taichung Port receives both cross-strait ferries as well as international cruise ships. From the harbor it’s a 1-hour taxi ride to downtown Taichung, but there are also a number of tourist attractions right on or close to the coast.

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or a taste of local seafood culture, head to the Wuqi Fishing Harbor, just to the north of Taichung Port. At the harbor you’ll also have the chance to go on exciting dolphin-watching yacht cruises. Head further north from the fishing harbor and you’ll soon arrive at the scenic Gaomei Wetlands. For some upscale Taiwanese-style dining there is the New Palace Wuqi restaurant, and for shopping-spree enjoyment at Taichung Port, check out the brand-new Mitsui Outlet Park.

Wuqi Fishing Harbor One of the things to do at the Wuqi Fishing Harbor is going to the lively fish market and observing how fresh fish and other sea creatures are unloaded from the fishing boats and then auctioned in the market. An essential part of most fish harbor markets in Taiwan is the adjacent food court, where diners feast on seafood picked at the market, and Wuqi is no exception.

Ordering can be a bit challenging, with prices varying depending on the selection, but freshness is guaranteed.

Yacht Cruises (04) 2657-8282 No. 30-2, Beiti Rd., Qingshui Dist., Taichung City ( 台中市清水區北堤路 30-2 號 ) www.horngshing.com (Chinese)

Gaomei Wetlands This is one of the most popular and scenic locations in the greater Taichung area. Especially on weekends, large numbers of visitors will take the long wooden boardwalk that leads from dry land to the edge of the sea, walking above the sedgegrass marsh. At low tide you’ll see the exposed mudf lats teeming with fiddler crabs and mudskippers. This is also a great spot to take photographs, especially at sunset. If you are interested in birdwatching, make sure to bring binoculars, since many different sea birds come to the wetlands to feed.

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The next thing to do at the harbor is boarding tourcruise craft operated by the Horng Shing tourist-boat operation. A typical tour lasts 1~1.5 hours. You will be taken out to the open sea, from where you’ll see the impressive Taichung Port facilities, the numerous windpark turbines along the coast and, most importantly, dolphins! There is a good chance of spotting humpback dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and harbor porpoises.

Adult tickets are NT$400/person.

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New Palace Wuqi The New Palace restaurant chain is among Taiwan’s best-known names in seafood. Management here proudly proclaims this is the Taichung region’s oldest seafood restaurant. The exterior of the multi-story building in which the eatery is located echoes that of a French chateau. Inside, the elegant décor evokes the sumptuous banquets of Versailles. The extensive array of dishes is primarily Chinese, but the well-traveled owner is fond of other cuisines, and incorporates favorites. Among the must-tries are buxom batter-fried oysters; the halibut, in which the fish is quick-fried in oil then smoked over Taiwan tea and sugarcane; and the seafood “pizza,” featuring a medley of seafood chunks served in a tart-like shell and covered with melted cheese.

(04) 2656-2222 No. 400, Sec. 2, Dazhi Rd., Wuqi Dist., Taichung City ( 台中市梧棲區大智路 2 段 400 號 ) newpalace1945.business.site (Chinese)

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(04) 2521-8999 No. 168, Sec. 10, Taiwan Blvd., Wuqi Dist., Taichung City ( 台中市梧棲區臺灣大道 10 段 168 號 ) www.mop.com.tw/taichungport

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Wuqi Fishing Harbor

Mitsui Outlet Park Taichungport Located right on the edge of one arm of Taichung Port, the Mitsui Outlet Park Taichungport is a popular place to shop and dine. Opened late last year, the park is the second of its kind in Taiwan (the first was opened in Linkou District, New Taipei City in 2016). The park has about 170 stores, entertainment venues, and eateries, plus a 60-meter-high Ferris wheel presenting you with excellent views of Taichung Port, the coastal area, and the sea beyond.

Gaomei Wetlands

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ENGLISH AND CHINESE Gaomei Wetlands 高美濕地 New Palace Wuqi 台中新天地 Wuqi Fishing Harbor 梧棲漁港

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Hotels of Taiwan North Taoyuan City

Taipei City

Keelung City

New Taipei City

Hsinchu City Hsinchu County

common is that serve and hospitality are always of the highest standards. The room

Central Nantou County

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

Taichung City

Yunlin County

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

Yilan County

Miaoli County

Changhua County

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when it comes to accommodation. From

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

Hualien County

Chiayi City Chiayi County

Outlying island

Tainan City

Northern Taiwan Kaohsiung City

Taitung County

East

Central Taiwan

CAESAR PARK TAIPEI

HOTEL REVE TAICHUNG

TAIPEI GAL A HOTEL

BEACON HOTEL TAICHUNG

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

Pintung County

THE GRAND HOTEL MADISON TAIPEI HOTEL PARKVIEW TAIPEI

South

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

CAESAR PARK TAIPEI 台北凱撒大飯店

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 478 Room Rates:

Superior Room

Deluxe Room Superior Double Double

Metro Room

Metropolis Room

Station Suite

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

8,500 9,500 11,000 13,000 14,000 18,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge.)

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese

Restaurants: 2F Checkers, 3F Dynasty Restaurant

Special Features:

e-Lounge, Banquet, Meeting Room, GYM, SPA, Roof Garden, Free Wi-Fi,Room Service, Laundry, Luggage Storage, Valet parking service

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL 慶泰大飯店

Taipei 台 北

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL Taipei

THE GRAND HOTEL

華 泰 王子大 飯 店

圓山大飯店

Taipei 台 北

Taipei 台 北

No. of Rooms: 160

No. of Rooms: 220

No. of Rooms: 500 (Suites: 57)

Room Rates:

Single Room Deluxe Single Room Deluxe Triple Room

Suite Room

Room Rates: Single / Deluxe / Executive NT$ 6,000- 8,500

Suite NT$ 9,500-20,000

Room Rates:

Single/DBL

Suite

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese

Desk Personnel Speak: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese

Restaurants: L’IDIOT RESTAURANT & BAKERY (Western), CHIOU HWA RESTAURANT (Chinese)

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

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

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

NT$ 6,400 NT$ 7,000 NT$ 9,000 NT$ 12,000

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

NT$ 8,800-15,800 NT$ 22,000-36,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge.)

No. 186, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City 台 北 市 松 江 路 186 號 No. 38, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao W. Rd., Taipei City 台 北 市 忠 孝 西 路 一 段 38號 Tel: +886 -2-2311-5151 Fax: +886 -2-2331-9944 E-mail: info_tpe@caesarpark.com

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

Tel: +886-2-2541-5511 Fax: +886-2-2531-3831 Reservation Hotline: +886-2-2541-6888 E-mail: reservation@galahotel.com.tw

No. 369, Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 台北市林森北路3 6 9 號 Tel: +886-2-2581-8111 Fax: +886-2-2581-5811

No. 1, Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City 台 北 市 中 山 北 路 4 段1號 Tel: +886-2-2886-8888 Fax: +886-2-2885-2885

taipei.caesarpark.com.tw

www.galahotel.com.tw

www.gloriahotel.com

www.grand-hotel.org

52

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

MADISON TAIPEI HOTEL 慕軒飯店

Taipei 台 北

PARKVIEW TAIPEI

Taipei 台 北

美侖商旅

HOTEL RÊVE TAICHUNG

BEACON HOTEL TAICHUNG

威汀城市酒店

碧根行館

Taichung 台 中

No. of Rooms: 124

No. of Rooms: 70

No. of Rooms: 125

Room Rates:

Classic Room

Deluxe Room

Oasis Room

Madison Room

Skyline Suite

Madison Suite

Room Rates: Deluxe Room City View

Deluxe Room

Room Rates:

Standard Double Room

Business Double Room

Family Queen Room

Deluxe Family Suite

Family Suite

Executive Suite

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

14,800 16,800 18,800 20,800 60,000 90,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Chinese Special Features: Workout Room, VIP Rooms, Underground Parking, Italian Restaurant, Whisky Bar

- Recommended by Michelin Guide Taipei - Luxury City Hotel by World Luxury Hotel Awards - Top 10 Popular Hotels for Business Travelers by Hotels.com

NT$ NT$

9,000 9,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese RESTAURANTS: All day dining /Bar /Private/Meeting room

Special Features: Featuring a 24-hour front desk. The property has luggage storage space, and currency exchange for guests., Free WiFi and a bar, meeting rooms, luxury furniture and advanced media facilities for private meetings and gatherings, Garden, car park, close to the MRT system SongJiang Nanjing Station MRT station and key commercial and entertainment districts.

Taichung 台 中

No. of Rooms: 130 NT$ 5,200 NT$ 7,000 NT$ 8,000 NT$ 9,000 NT$ 10,000 NT$ 10,000

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese RESTAURANTS: RÊVE Kitchen (6:30-10:30 Daily Breakfast) Special Features: Business Center, Conference Room, Fitness Gym, Parking Lot, Laundry, Bike Renting, Free Wifi, Personal Electronic Safety Box

Room Rates:

Standard Double

Superior Twin Room

Deluxe Suite

Deluxe Twin Room Beacon Family Room E xecutive Double Room

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

5,500 6,000 7,000 8,000 9,000 12,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

Desk Personnel Speak: English, Japanese, Chinese Special Features: Business Center, Fitness Center, Conference Room, Parking Tower, DVD player, Free High-speed WIFI Throughout Hotel, Breakfast Hall, 24H Free Supply of Coffee, close to the Fengjia Night Market near Feng Chia University near city center and entertainment districts.

No. 331, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Taipei City 台 北 市 敦 化 南 路1 段 3 31 號 (8 minutes by foot from Exit 2 of MRT Xinyi Anhe Station or Exit 4 of MRT Da’an Station) CHM Central Reservations: +886-2-7706-3600 Tel: +886-2-7726-6699 Fax: +886-2-7726-9070 E-mail: guestservice@madisontaipei.com

No.49, Jilin Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City (Four minutes from MRT station) 台北市中山區吉林路49號(距離捷 運站4分鐘) Tel: +886-2-2531-3535 Fax: +886-2-2523-9168 E-mail: services@parkviewtaipei.com

No. 100, Sec. 1, Minsheng Rd.,Daya Dist., Taichung City 台 中 市 大 雅 區 民 生 路1 段1 0 0 號 Tel: +886-4-2568-0558 Fax: +886-4-2567-7134 E-mail: service@reve.com.tw

No.427,Fusing Rd., Situn Dist., Taichung City 407,Taiwan 台中市西屯區福星 路427號 Tel: +886-4-2451-5828 Fax: +886-4-3504-5205

www.madisontaipei.com

www.parkviewtaipei.com

www.hotel-reve.com.tw

www.beacon-hotel.com.tw

NT$1,300 NT$1,500

NT$1,500

3-Day Southern Taiwan Tour

NT$1,500

(Tainan, Kaohsiung, Kenting) (Taiwan High-Speed Rail – Bullet Train Ride) 三天二夜 台南 ˙ 高雄 ˙ 墾丁深度之旅 ( 含台灣高鐵體驗 )

NT$4,200 NT$1,200

NT$1,500

NT$1,300

台北市松江路 190 號 4F

4-Day Central & Southern Taiwan Tour

NT$1,500

NT$1,300

NT$14,500

(Stay at Sun Moon Lake)

(Stay at QingJing)

(Sun Moon Lake, Kaohsiung, Kenting) 四天三夜 台灣中南部觀光 ( 日月潭、高雄、墾丁 )

4-Day Eastern Taiwan Tour NT$6,600

NT$6,900

(Yilan, Hualien, Taitung) (Taiwan Railway Train Ride) 四天三夜 海岸、縱谷豐富之旅 ( 宜蘭、花蓮、台東 ) ( 含臺灣鐵路體驗 )

5-Day Round Taiwan Island Excursion NT$12,500

(All hotels are 5-star hotels) 五天四夜 台灣環島巴士之旅 ( 全程五星級旅館 )

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

Edison welcomes contact with other travel services around the world.

NT$ 14,000

NT$ 15,500

NT$ 16,900 本廣告受交通部觀光局補助