Hualien-TaiTung Trip The easT RifT

Valley

no. 63, 20145 6

TOp Ten TOuriST TOurS rural Yilan COunTY

BaCKpaCK BuS TOurS SOuTHweST COaST TOuriST SHuTTle rOuTe

indigenous art of the paiwan Tribe

Kaohsiung’s pier-2 art Center

Hsinchu’s glass art Festival

rollerblading in Taoyuan

/

Welcome to Taiwan!Dear Traveler,

Taiwan’s long-time foreign residents know that the May-June period is one of the best times of the

year for Taiwan travel – perfectly in between the cold and wet of winter and the heat and humidity

of high summer. We thus keep you outside for most of this issue and concentrate our travels on two

lovely areas of fering rich travel rewards, the pristine east coast and the people/culture/history-rich

southwest.

In our Feature section we take you to the East Rif t Valley, a long, beautif ul valley between the

central and coastal mountain ranges, which our writer describes as a “farm-carpeted agricultural

treasure-house, pristine outdoor-adventure playground, (and) grand geology classroom.” We also tell

you about the unique places you can stay, food treats you can eat, and souvenir items you can buy.

We stay in the east in Top Ten Taiwan Tours to go to Yilan County, “a place of relaxation, living

history, and vibrant ecology,” visiting a healthy mix of attractions that includes Jiaoxi, a hot-springs

resort town, f ishing harbors with delicious seafood at harbor-side restaurants, and the tourist-f riendly

leisure farms of Hengshantou Agricultural Leisure Area. In our Hiking article we tackle Wuling

Sixiu, a group of four mountains, which among other rewards presents you with magnif icent views of

the “sea of clouds” above the Yilan Plain.

Now, over to the southwest. This issue’s Food Journey adventure serves up the plump, tasty clams

of Tainan, Taiwan’s “clam heartland,” with an educational visit to one of the region’s shellf ish farms.

Our Backpack Bus Trip features a ramble through the Tainan and Chiayi regions using the supremely

DIY-traveler-f riendly Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus service, with visits to salt f ields brimming with

history, one of Taiwan’s most magnif icent temple complexes, a seafood market in an age-old port town,

and one of the island’s oldest sugar-processing factories (with a “sugar railway” ride bonus).

We visit the urban heartland of sprawling Kaohsiung City in our Special Report, spending time

at the popular Pier-2 Art Center, a complex of 14 old, renovated Kaohsiung Harbor warehouses that

is now one of Taiwan’s great cultural-creative hubs. Then it’s up into the mountains to Sandimen, a

Paiwan Tribe enclave, in Indigenous Artists to explore the one-of-a-kind art of “Handicraf ts Lane.”

I welcome you to Taiwan, and know you will f ind everything you anticipated – plus much, much more.

David W. J. HsiehDirector General

Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月 刊Travel in TaiwanThe Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (Advertisement)May/June, 2014 Tourism Bureau, MOTCFirst published Jan./Feb., 2004ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm

Copyright @ 2014 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved.Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

PUBLISHER  David W. J. HsiehEdItIng ConSULtant Wayne Hsi-Lin LiuPUBLISHIng oRganIzatIonTaiwan Tourism Bureau, Ministry ofTransportation and CommunicationsContaCtInternational Division, Taiwan Tourism Bureau Add: 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 10694, TaiwanTel: 886-2-2717-3737   Fax: 886-2-2771-7036E-mail: tbroc@tbroc.gov.twWebsite: http://taiwan.net.tw

Where you can pick up a copy of Travel in Taiwan

abroadOffices of the Tourism Bureau in Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Frankfurt; Taiwan Representative Offices; Overseas Offices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Overseas Offices of the Central News Agency; onboard China Airlines, EVA Air and other selected international airways; selected travel agencies in Asia, North America, and Europe; and other organizations

onLineRead the online version of Travel in Taiwan at www.zinio.com . Log in and search for "Travel in Taiwan." Or visit www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm

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

The East Rift Valley at Chishang, Taitung County (photo by Jen Guo-Chen)

This magazine was printed with soy ink. Soybean is said to be more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based ink and to make it easier to recycle paper.

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

PRodUCER Vision Int,l Publ. Co., Ltd.

addRESS Rm. 5, 10F, 2 Fuxing N. Rd., Taipei, 104 Taiwan tEL: 886-2-2711-5403 Fax: 886-2-2721-2790

E-MaIL: editor@v-media.com.twgEnERaL ManagER Frank K. YenEdItoR In CHIEf Johannes Twellmann EngLISH EdItoR Rick Charette dIRECtoR of PLannIng & EdItIng dEPt Joe LeeManagIng EdItoR Gemma Cheng EdItoRS Ming-Jing Yin, Chloe Chu, Nickey Liu ContRIBUtoRS Rick Charette, Joe Henley, Stuart Dawson, Owain Mckimm, Steven Crook, Cheryl Robbins, Hanre Malherbe, David AustinPHotogRaPHERS Jen Guo-Chen, Maggie Song aRt dIRECtoR Sting Chen dESIgnERS Fred Cheng, Maggie Song, Eve Chiang, Karen PanadMInIStRatIvE dEPt Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang

MagazInE IS SoLd at:1. Wu-Nan Culture Plaza, 6, Zhongshan Rd., Central Dist.,

Taichung City 40043 886-4-2226-0330   http://www.wunanbooks.com.tw/

2. National Bookstore, 1F., No.209, Songjiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 10485 886-2-2518-0207 http://www.govbooks.com.tw/

1042

May ~ June 2014

CONTENTS

Travel in Taiwan 3

feaTure10 The East Rift Valley — farm-carpeted agricultural Treasure-house, pristine outdoor-adventure playground, Grand Geology classroom

Sleeping and Eating in the Valley — Where to Stay, Where/What to eat, What to buy

1 Publisher’s Note4 Taiwan Tourism Events6 News & Events around Taiwan8 Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings 62 Fun with Chinese

HiKinG42 Climbing the Wuling Sixiu

— A Hike for Hikers with a Good Head for Heights

FOOD JOUrneY54 Opening Up Taiwan’s Clam Heartland

— Visiting a Shellfish Farm in Tainan

inDiGenOUS arTiSTS50 Paiwan Pottery

— Passing Down the Ancient Pottery Traditions of an Indigenous Tribe

aCTive FUn58 Rollerblading in Taiwan

— Skating in Taoyuan with an Accomplished Local Inline Skater

10

58

SPeCial rePOrT22 Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art Center

— Urban Island of Cultural Creativity

TOP Ten Taiwan TOUrS24 Yilan County

— A Place of Relaxation, Living History, and Vibrant Ecology

SPlenDiD FeSTivalS46 2014 Hsinchu City Glass Art Carnival

— Marveling at Amazing Glass Creations at Hsinchu’s Glass Museum

50BaCKPaCK BUS TriP36 Land of Salt, Sugar, and Shrines — Taking a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus to the Southwest Coast

OlD STYle/new iDeaS30 One-of-a-Kind Stamp

— A Meeting Point of Historical, Cultural, and Social Conventions

46

Pingtung BlueFin Tuna Cultural Festival (黑鮪魚文化觀光季 )Location: Donggang Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣東港鎮 )

Tel: (08) 732-0415

Website: www.pthg.gov.tw

If you love seafood fresh from the boat, you will love the quintessential Taiwan

experience of ordering a plate of sashimi at one of the many seafood restaurants found

at local fishing harbors. Not much time goes by between the unloading of the fish from

the boats and the uploading of the delicacies onto your plate. One of the best fishing

harbors in all Taiwan to indulge in fresh-catch cuisine is Donggang, on the southwest

coast. From April through June the town’s harbor is especially abuzz, since this is the

time when local fishermen catch large quantities of bluefin tuna off the southern coast

of Taiwan, celebrated with many bluefin-theme activities.

It’s summertime! Let’s get out there and discover the

beauty of Taiwan’s gorgeous scenery while taking part in

unforgettable events. See the butterf lies of Yangmingshan,

hang out on the beach at Fulong, see eastern Taiwan from

above by going on a hot-air balloon f light, go on an exciting

whitewater-rafting adventure down the Xiuguluan River,

feast on freshly caught bluefin tuna, and cheer for dragon-

boat teams during the Dragon Boat Festival!

Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival (福隆國際沙雕藝術季 )Locations: Fulong, Gongliao District, New Taipei

City ( 新北市貢寮區福隆 )

Tel: (02) 2499-1115 ext. 230

Website: www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw

During the hot summer months the golden-sand beach

at Fulong, on Taiwan’s northeast coast, attracts large

numbers of beachgoers, who come to escape the often

sweltering heat of the city and enjoy sea and sun. In

May and June, large-sized sand sculptures created by

professional local and foreign sand sculptors, as well as

amateurs participating in sand-sculpture contests, turn

the beach into a grand outdoor-art exhibition venue. The

size of the sculptures and the artists’ attention to detail

are truly remarkable.

Tainan City International Dragon Boat Championships (臺南市國際龍舟錦標賽 )Location: Anping District, Tainan City (臺南市安平區 )

Tel: (06) 215-7691 ext. 226

Website: sportmap.tn.edu.tw (Chinese)

Before and during the annual Dragon Boat Festival,

held on the 5th day of the 5th month in the lunar

calendar (June 2 this year), a popular activity is the

racing of long dragon-shaped boats on waterways

around Taiwan. Races take place in many locations,

from the harbor at Keelung in the north to Kaohsiung’s

Love River in the south. In the southern city of Tainan,

the races take place on the Tainan Canal at Anping, a

city district with numerous tourist attractions. Apart

from watching the intense races between more than

150 participating teams, visitors can also witness some

of the traditional ceremonies conducted as part of the

festival celebrations.

Events in the Early SummerEnjoy the Sun, Enjoy the Great Outdoors !

May3

May3

June30

June30 May

29June

2

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

4 Travel in Taiwan

23.5N Taiwan Fun on the Tropic of Cancer (2014台灣夏至 235 Sun Fair)Location: Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, Kaohsiung City

( 高雄市高雄展覽館 )

Tel: (04) 2331-2688 ext.131

Website: www.taiwan235n.tw

The Tropic of Cancer runs right through Taiwan, cutting across the central-south of the

main island and through the Penghu Islands archipelago, which floats in the Taiwan

Strait to the west of Taiwan proper. Last year, the Tourism Bureau organized the Taiwan

Fun on the Tropic of Cancer summerfest campaign with activities in cities and counties traversed by the

Tropic of Cancer, including Hualien County, Nantou County, Chiayi County and City, Yunlin County,

and Penghu County. This year, a two-day festival in Kaohsiung will highlight some of the attractions

on offer in central-south Taiwan. There will be stands serving local cuisine and a market where you

can buy local produce. You can also take in a colorful street parade and enjoy entertaining stage

performances, and will also have the chance to learn about options for traveling in this part of Taiwan.

Time for Raft Triathlon (秀姑巒溪國際泛舟鐵人三項競賽 )Location: Ruisui Township, Hualien County ( 花蓮縣瑞穗鄉 )

Tel: (089) 841-520 ext. 1608

Website: www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw

Whitewater rafting on the Xiuguluan River in eastern Taiwan has

been a popular outdoor activity for decades. Boats depart the rafting

center at Ruisui throughout the year, weather permitting, and the 20km

journey from the East Rift Valley through the Coastal Mountain Range

to the Pacific Ocean is a fun-filled adventure. Much care is taken by

the organizers to make sure that it is a highly thrilling but always safe

experience. An exciting sports event that includes rafting on the river is

the Time for Raft Triathlon, a challenging competition combining 11km

of rafting, 12km of running on the road that follows the river, and 44km

of bicycling along the coast on Provincial Highway 11.

June28 29

June22

Taiwan International Balloon Fiesta (臺灣熱氣球嘉年華活動 )Location: Luye Township, Taitung County ( 臺東縣鹿野鄉 )

Tel: (089) 336-141~6

Website: www.taitung.gov.tw

In recent years this hot-air balloon festival, staged on the Luye Plateau

north of Taitung City in southeastern Taiwan, has become a huge hit.

Each year, the organizers invite hot-air balloon teams from Taiwan

and abroad to show off their colorful and sometimes funny-looking

balloons. Visitors can go on tethered f lights and, if willing to pay

significantly more, on untethered f lights, which last longer and allow

you to see more of the grand scenery of eastern Taiwan.

May30

AUG.10

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

Travel in Taiwan 5

MAY~JULY

6 Travel in Taiwan

WHAT'S UP

News& Events around Taiwan

Books

Lonely Planet TaiwanSince the 1970s, Lonely Planet’s guidebooks have been indispensable for backpackers on their journeys into foreign lands. This February, Lonely Planet published the 9th edition of its Taiwan guidebook, with updated information on major and minor tourist attractions. The new edition also includes a Taiwan Top 15 “Must Do’s” list, and offers detailed information about hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities, experiencing Taiwan’s most exciting festivals, learning about the island’s indigenous tribes, soaking in hot springs, visiting offshore islands, and much more. More info about the new LP Taiwan at: www.lonelyplanet.com/competitions/taiwan-the-beautiful-isle.

Books

Chineasy – The New Way to Read ChineseLearning Chinese characters can be a daunting task for Westerners, who are used to the simplicity of the alphabet system. With the Chinese language emerging as another “lingua franca,” the desire to learn and master Chinese is becoming ever stronger around the globe. Getting off to a good start when learning written Chinese is very important, and the recently published book Chineasy, The New Way to Read Chinese might be exactly what beginners need. It introduces you to Chinese characters with the help of cute and colorful illustrations. The aim of the author, Taipei-born Shaolan, is “to allow people to learn to read Chinese easily by recognizing characters through simple illustrations” and help them “gain a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural references of the vocabulary.” More info about this book at http://chineasy.org.

Airlines

China Airlines with Indigenous ImagesTravelers f lying with China Airlines on the Taipei-Brisbane-Auckland route will notice that their plane sports a dynamic painting depicting scenes from a traditional Taiwan indigenous wedding. The painting was created by Sakuliu Pavavalung, a well-known artist from the Paiwan Tribe. The aircraft art represents the strengthening of relations between Taiwan and New Zealand. Since the indigenous peoples of Taiwan and New Zealand's Maori both belong to the Austronesian language group, and share cultural and genetic attributes, their two countries are eager to expand cultural exchanges and research on indigenous subjects of mutual concern.

Travel in Taiwan 7

WHAT'S UP

Tourist Spot

Cat on the Roof in HuweiThe small rural town of Huwei in Yunlin County has, quite unexpectedly, emerged as a bit of a tourist hotspot recently. It all began in 2003, when a resident of the town’s Dingxi Community took in a stray kitten. His son raised the kitten, and created the picture book “Cat on the Roof” starring his furry friend, which became the winning entry in a picture-book contest staged by the county government. When, sadly, the cat was killed by a truck two years ago, father and son teamed up with community students and volunteers to create murals depicting the cat. Cat images were soon also being made for power-line poles, signboards, buses, and park benches, and cute cat sculptures were introduced to the community park. If you want to visit the town for a “cat on the roof” experience, now popular with visitors from around Taiwan, a train journey to Dounan with a short bus ride from the station is all it takes.

Hotel Booking

Hotel Quickly Now Available in TaiwanThe Hong Kong-based startup Hotel Quickly, which offers a mobile-only, last-minute hotel booking application, is now cooperating with hotels in Taiwan. This is great news for travelers wanting to make last-minute travel decisions and looking for special offers. The service allows users to make same-day bookings at discounted prices, choosing from the best deals offered by six hand-picked hotels. The choices are based on geo-localization, and are divided into three categories (prime, design, and comfy). The app is available for iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices. More info about the service at: www.hotelquickly.com.

8 Travel in Taiwan

CULTURE SCENE

Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

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

Four Great Masters of the Ming Dynasty: Wen Zhengming 明四大家特展－文徵明

April 3 ~ June 30National Palace Museum

The Four Great Masters of the Ming Dynasty were Shen Zhou (1427~1509), Wen Zhengming (1470~1559), Tang Yin (1470~1524), and Qiu Ying (ca. 1494~1552). This year, the National Palace Museum presents in succession exhibitions highlighting each of those four masters. This exhibition focuses on Wen Zhengming, who, after first failing repeatedly at civil service examinations and then struggling as an official, devoted his life to poetry, painting, and calligraphy, becoming a greatly accomplished artist. He had a major impact on painting and calligraphy of the middle and late Ming dynasty, excelling at the major calligraphic types and establishing a unique style of his own in painting. This exhibition shows both calligraphy and painting masterpieces by the artist.

The acclaimed Huang Yi is one of Taiwan’s most inventive young choreographers. In 2012, he impressed with Huang Yi & Kuka, a duet featuring a dancer (Huang Yi) and an industrial robot (Kuka). The production won the Digital Art Performance Award 2012. Creating works incorporating technology and machinery, Huang Yi is known for his avant-garde performance experiments as well as the velocity and precision of his movement. His latest production, Special Order, is a highly experimental work that has been produced following requests from the public and his co-producers. There will be three different seating areas, from which audience members can choose according to their preferences in experiencing a show, and everyone is asked to bring his/her own headphones, to enjoy the best possible audio experience.

2014 Innovation Series – Special Order by Huang Yi

May 29 ~ June 1National Theater (Experimental Theater)

2014新點子舞展－黃翊《量身訂做》

This year, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum will for the first time stage X Site, an outdoor installation project combining architecture and contemporary art. Plans are to make this an annual event happening for three months each spring. The venue is the plaza in front of the entrance to the museum. The artists chosen as creators of this public installation art, Su Fu-Yuan, Jen Tah-Sien, and Chen Xuan-Cheng, were selected by a museum jury from among 29 groups supplying design concepts. The artists’ work is a large scaffolding-type structure made with bamboo, in the past an important material for construction work in Taiwan.

Program X Site: The Landscape of the Boundary X site地景裝置計畫：邊緣地景

April 12 ~ June 29Taipei Fine Arts Museum

May 26 ~ June 1National Concert Hall (and other venues around Taiwan)

The Taiwan International Percussion Convention (TIPC) is a triennial convention bringing together percussion groups from Taiwan and abroad. This year 30 concerts around Taiwan are scheduled, featuring leading percussionists including Pius Cheung from Canada, Percossa Percussion from the Netherlands, and The Percussions Claviers of Lyon from France. Performers from Taiwan include Forum Music, Ju Percussion Group, and Succession Percussion Group. First staged in 1993, TIPC has been growing with each edition and is now widely considered one of the most important international percussion events in the world. TIPC 2014 Program: www.jpg.org.tw/TIPC/program.php

Taiwan International Percussion Convention台灣國際打擊樂節

Travel in Taiwan 9

CULTURE SCENE

TaipeiATT Show Box

Add: 12, Songshou Rd., Taipei City(台北市松壽路 12號 )Tel: (02) 7737-8881www.attshowbox.com.twNearest MRT Station: Taipei 101/World Trade Center

Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts （關渡美術館）

Add: 1 Xueyuan Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City(台北市北投區學園路 1號 )Tel: (02) 2896-1000www.kdmofa.tnua.edu.twNearest MRT Station: Guandu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

National Museum of History （國立歷史博物館）

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

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

National Palace Museum （國立故宮博物院）

Add: 221 Zhishan Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City( 台北市至善路二段 2 21 號 )

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

National Taiwan Museum （國立臺灣博物館）

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

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

Novel Hall （新舞臺）

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

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

Taipei Arena （台北小巨蛋）

Add: 2 Nanjing E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City( 台北市南京東路四段 2 號 )

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

Taipei Fine Arts Museum （台北市立美術館）

Add: 181 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei City( 台北市中山北路三段 181 號 )

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

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

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

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

Taipei Zhongshan Hall （台北中山堂）

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

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

Venues

X site地景裝置計畫：邊緣地景

May 26 ~ June 1National Concert Hall (and other venues around Taiwan)

Taiwan International Percussion Convention台灣國際打擊樂節

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

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

Taichung

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

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

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

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

Add: 332 Zhonghua E. Rd., Sec. 3, Tainan City( 台南市中華東路三段 332 號 )

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Farm-Carpeted Agricultural Treasure-House, Pristine Outdoor-Adventure Playground, Grand Geology Classroom

The East Rif t Valley at Yuli

The east coast is often described as “isolated,” kept locked away from the rest of the island by the soaring, rugged, thick central mountains. But this is meant in a decidedly positive sense, and in a relative sense – the west and north are busy and densely populated, the east coast virginal and unspoiled, sparsely populated, laid-back, even sleepy.

The East Rift Valley

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen, Vision Int'l

10 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

And it’s easy to get to. Hop on

a plane at downtown Taipei Songshan

Airport and you’re there in about 35

minutes (Hualien) or one hour (Taitung).

And on a sunny day a few weeks back I

met up with the usual members in my rat-

pack Travel in Taiwan gang at downtown

Taipei Railway Station at 9:30am, before

10 was on a sleek Puyuma Express train

smelling sweetly of spanking-newness,

and was sitting in a car rented right

outside Hualien Railway Station at 12:15.

We were in the lyrical East Rift Valley

less than 30 minutes later.

The valley is long and narrow, about

150 kilometers in length, framed by the

north-south Central Mountain Range

and the Coastal Mountain Range, with

the city of Hualien just beyond its north

end and Taitung just beyond its south.

Since the establishment of the East Rift

Valley National Scenic Area (www.erv-nsa.gov.tw) in 1997, which encompasses

the entire valley and a little bit more,

there has been systematic tourism-facility

development.

The valley is one of my favorite

Taiwan playgrounds, and is certainly one

of the quietest on the main island, along

with the parallel East Coast National

Scenic Area just over the coastal

mountains. I have three days of all-day

fun to tell you about, so let’s not tarry.

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen, Vision Int'l

Travel in Taiwan 11

FEATURE EAST RIFT VALLEY

Day 1First stop

of the day, Liyutan

(Carp Lake). In the foothills of the

central range just southwest of Hualien

City, crowded on weekends/holidays, the

place comes into its own at other times –

our Day 1 was a Monday – when the birds

find it quiet enough to come out and sing

for you. About 104 hectares in area, this

is the east’s largest lake. Among the well-

developed tourist facilities are a visitor

center; pedal-boat, canoe, and motorboat-

with-driver rentals; bicycle rentals; a

4km ring road offering pleasant walking/

cycling; camping/picnic areas; easy-

challenge trails that take you into the

hills; and open-air local-style restaurants,

where lake shrimp is the big hit. When

we visited the lake’s aesthetics were being

augmented, inventively, by a giant black

rubber duck, in cartoon-style à la Dutch

artist Florentijn Hofman’s world-touring

giant yellow ducks. Hualien is known for

its black duck denizens.

When the Japanese controlled

Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, they set up

10 immigrant villages in the East Rift

Valley. One of the areas of settlement

mouth of a central-mountain side valley,

this was once Taiwan’s fourth-largest

logging operation, with 2,000 residents

at its height, and many of the buildings,

built with Chinese cypress, have been

beautifully restored. There is a history

center, remnants of the extensive railway

and cableway systems that ran high into

the hills, train, machinery, and other

displays, plus many informative English

signboards.

is on Fenglin town’s north/northeast

side. A cash-crop tobacco industry was

launched to help the Japanese immigrants

support themselves, and among the

best-preserved historical sites are two

lovely traditional Japanese-style tobacco

buildings, on Darong 2nd Road, used for

storage and smoke-roasting. These were

actually built later, after the immigrants

had gone back home post-WWII, by

local families who had learned the trade.

Fenglin has the most concentrated, and

best-preserved, collection of tobacco

barns in Taiwan.

History buffs will find even richer

reward at Lintian Mountain Forestry

Center, southwest of Fenglin town. The

center is a former timber-industry village

established by the Japanese – my favorite

destination in the valley. Located at the

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12 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

Geology Classroom – The War of the PlatesHere’s how it all went down. Er, IS going down, for the tectonic show is still very much “live,” with continuing – geologically speaking – high drama.

The Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate have been in the midst of a mighty slow-motion car crash for some time now – 15 million years. Stand in the East Rift Valley, look west, and you see the great Central Mountain Range wall. That’s the visible edge of the Eurasian Plate, thrown up from the sea bottom. Look east, at the lower, more rounded Coastal Mountain Range. That’s the visible edge of the Philippine Sea Plate, a former spaced-out necklace of volcanoes far out at sea that has come crashing into Taiwan.

The deep seawater-filled trench that once existed between the two has been filled with the materials from mountain collapses and mountain-valley erosion, creating a gently undulating, extremely fertile plain. Each year the Philippine plate encroaches 8cm on its enemy, and each year island Taiwan is thrust 0.5cm higher.

1. Black rubber duck on Carp Lake 2. Pedal -boating on Carp Lake 3. Old tobacco building in Fenglin 4. Old building at L int ian Mountain Forestr y Center5. Old train at L int ian Mountain Forestr y Center6 . Mountains of the Central Mountain Range4

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Travel in Taiwan 13

FEATURE EAST RIFT VALLEY

Day 2

The people of Taiwan love hot-spring

soaking, a deep-rooted cultural element

picked up from the Japanese. The

dynamic local geotectonic activity has

given rise to a string of hot-spring pearls

down the east coast, with a number of

locations developed as resorts by the

Japanese.

The waters of the Ruisui Hot Springs

– Taiwan’s only carbonate hot springs

– have a metallic quality, with a murky

yellowish-orange look from the abundant

iron. Locals believe they are notably good

for the spawning of baby boys; many just-

married couples come. The resort’s oldest

hotel, the venerable predominantly wood-

built Ruisui Hot Springs Villa (www.js-hotspring.com.tw; Chinese), was built

by the Japanese. There are both open-air

and private facilities.

A few kilometers higher in the central-

mountain foothills are the Hongye Hot

Springs. “Hongye” means “red leaf,”

referring to the area’s maple trees and

their mild seasonal color changes. The

springs, long used by the local indigenous

residents before the arrival of the

Japanese, have clear, odorless sodium-

bicarbonate and calcium waters suitable

for both bathing and drinking. The oldest

hotel here, Japanese-built as a police

sanatorium, has been preserved largely

unchanged.

The Ruisui Rafting Tourist

Center is the launch point for 4-hour-

long whitewater-rafting trips on the

Xiuguluan River (23 rapids, 21km, Class

III), through a magnificent canyon the

river has sculpted through the coastal

mountains to the sea. The river performs

a rare trick, running down from one

mountain range (the Central), crossing

a valley, and slicing through another

mountain range. How? The coastal range

is both softer and younger, rising slowly

enough to give the river time to erode

everything placed in its path.

Those who’ve been denied the joys

of time spent around farm animals will

relish J.J. Valley Farm (www.jjfarm.com.tw; Chinese), located behind the rafting

center. This is a dairy farm where you

can feed the cows and view the milking

process. You can also get up close to

water buffalo, horses, goats – even

ostriches. The farm’s and surrounding

roads are long, quiet (on weekdays), and

scenic, and bicycles can be rented at the

big service center, where there are also

milk-theme treats such as milk hotpot,

candies, etc. (see accompanying Stay/Eat/Buy article).

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14 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

Day 3

Southwest of Yuli town on Provincial Highway 30 is the welcoming garden-

style Nan’an Visitor Center, gateway to Yushan National Park’s eastern section.

Further up the highway is lofty, photogenic Nan’an Waterfall, and at the dead-end

highway’s stop is the Walami Trail trailhead. This trail, specially targeted by hike-

lovers from overseas, is part of the cross-central-mountain Batongguan Japanese Era

Crossing Trail, opened to facilitate Japanese east-west communication and control of

indigenous groups in the area. It’s 14km from the trailhead to Walami; the return trip

takes about 12 hours. The high-mountain scenery is striking, with soaring waterfalls,

deep gorges, f lying-high suspension bridges, and cliff-face traverses. Many choose

the shorter, easier hike to Shanfeng Waterfall, which takes three hours and does not

require permits. For details, visit the national park website (www.ysnp.gov.tw).

Southeast of Yuli town on Highway 30, in another deep, clear-cut side valley,

are the Antong Hot Springs. The waters are rich in hydrogen sulfide, meaning the

famous “rotten egg” smell dedicated soakers love. Local lore has it that a “Japanese

gentleman” stumbled upon the springs way back when while on an exploratory hike.

The Japanese systematically mapped their new colony’s exploitable assets after taking

control. Visit the An-Tong Hot Spring Hotel (www.an-tong.com.tw), which has both

indoor and outdoor soaking, where in the rear you’ll find the well-preserved original

Japanese-built spa inn (display only), built with dark wood. Like the bigger places in

Ruisui and Hongye, the hotel is a 2/3-star facility.

1. Hot-spr ing bathing in Ruisui2~5 J . J . Val ley Farm6. R ice farmer seen f rom Count y Road 193

7. Nan’an Water fal l8 . Suspension br idge on the Walami Trai l9. An-Tong Hot Spr ing Hotel

County Road 193The rift valley has many scenic drives, on roads major and minor, but perhaps one of the best is County Road 193 between Ruisui and Yuli, which hugs the contours of the coastal mountains at their foot, generally five to 10 meters above the plain – perfect for photos. Vehicles are few, settlements few and small, and often all you see below and beyond is a vast expanse of paddy fields. The road’s easy grades and gentle curves make it a bike-rider favorite.

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Travel in Taiwan 15

FEATURE EAST RIFT VALLEY

South of the springs, Sixty Stone

(Liushidan) Mountain overlooks the rift-

valley floor, its peak about 800 meters

above sea level. A 300/400-hectare

tableland of daylilies carpets its top,

blooming in spectacular fashion

August~September, with the paddy-grid

far below a unique backdrop. I’ve been on

the mountain when the big orange show

is on, and it really is a thrill; on this trip,

however, we found ourselves wrapped

up in thick, rolling mists, which though

not what we’d come for was nevertheless

wonderfully rewarding aesthetically,

creating myriad artistic shanshui-painting-

style canvases for eye and camera. Chike

Mountain, northeast of Yuli, is also

known for lovely daylily vistas.

The East Rift Valley’s f lat terrain and

alluring pastoral scenery makes it a very

popular bicycling destination, with many

routes to choose from. I am especially

fond of the loop routes around the

townships of Chishang and Guanshan,

which bring you through picturesque

paddy-field tapestries and to many sites of

historical/cultural interest. In Chishang

is one of the valley’s most photographed

roads, Bolang Dadao (“Brown Avenue”),

made famous in a Mr. Brown Coffee

commercial and an EVA Air commercial

starring Japanese-Taiwanese pop-idol

heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro.

English and ChineseAntong Hot Springs 安通溫泉An-Tong Hot Spring Hotel 安通溫泉飯店Batongguan Japanese Era Crossing Trail 八通關古道Bolang Dadao 伯朗大道Central Mountain Range 中央山脈Chike Mountain 赤科山Chishang 池上Coastal Mountain Range 海岸山脈Darong 2nd Road 大榮二路Fenglin 鳳林Fengtian Immigrant Village 豐田移民村

Guanshan 關山Hongye Hot Springs 紅葉溫泉J.J. Valley Farm 吉蒸牧場Lintian Mountain Forestry Center 林田山林業文化園區Liyutan 鯉魚潭Nan'an Visitor Center 南安遊客中心Nan'an Waterfall南安瀑布Ruisui Hot Springs 瑞穗溫泉Sixty Stone Mountain 六十石山Walami Trail 瓦拉米步道Xiuguluan River 秀姑巒溪Yuli 玉里

Rift Valley CyclingFor good information on routes, bike-rental locations, and more, visit the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area website (www.erv-nsa.gov.tw). The Taiwan Tourism Bureau also has a detailed, clearly formatted booklet – Traveling on Two Wheels: Guide to Bikeways in Eastern Taiwan – which though published in 2010 remains invaluable.

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16 Travel in Taiwan

FEATUREFEATURE

Getting There & Getting AroundFor the full Taiwan train schedule and prices, visit www.railway.gov.tw/en.

There are good car-rental agencies right outside both the Hualien and Taitung railway stations. The majors, such as Hotai Leasing Corp. (www.easyrent.com.tw), allow you to pick up in one city and drop off in the other. Both railway stations have nearby scooter-rental outlets, Hualien’s has bicycle rentals, and there are scooter/bike-rental shops elsewhere throughout the region outside smaller stations and in major tourist areas. Check with the Tourism Bureau or East Rift Valley National Scenic Area authorities for the latest info.

If you don’t feel like transporting yourself around the region, check out the Taiwan Tour Bus service (www.taiwantourbus.com.tw).

1. Dayl i l ies at Six t y Stone Mountain2. Bic ycl ing in the East R i f t Val ley 3~ 6 Bolang Dadao (“Brown Avenue” )

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Travel in Taiwan 17

FEATURE EAST RIFT VALLEYFEATURE

F

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Groups are welcome. Looking for cooperating travel agenciesAnd representatives Contact: service@smoothie.com.tw

1F, 15 Yongkang St., Taipei City Tel: +886-2-2341-85552F, 15 Yongkang St., Da’an District, Taipei City Tel: +886-2-2395-8770

Longmen Shop: 52 Guo’ai St., Sanchong District, New Taipei City Tel: +886-2-2972-0758

Beitou Shop: 294 Zhonghe St., Beitou District, Taipei CityTel: +886-2-2894-5511

Colorful, Sweet, And Delicious

World - Renowend Mango Snow�ake Ice Shop

World - Renowend Mango Snow�ake Ice Shop

The ice treats of Smoothie House are made with fragrant aiwen mango cultivated in Taiwan. This type of mango has a firm texture and very juicy. The fruit meat melts in your mouth and creates an amazing sweet and sour sensation. No one seems to be able to resist this unbelievable treat.

Whatever your Stay/Eat/Buy decisions when exploring the East Rift Valley, there will no doubt be a close connection to the land.

1 & 2 Sunshine Hot Spr ing B&B3 & 4 Wisdom Garden5 & 6 L in T ian Shan restaurant pig trot ters7. Green Genie milk hot pot8 . Ta T i Hotel rai lway lunchbox

Family-run Sunshine Hot Spring

B&B is on the main road leading through

the Ruisui hot-springs area (see main

Feature article), 10 minutes by taxi from

Ruisui Railway Station. The “B&B”

is misleading; rooms are in purpose-

built cabins and a small two-story

building. A farm was here before the

Sunshine operation, and the attractive

original Hakka-style farmhouse has been

converted into the open, breezy reception

and breakfast areas. The friendly operators

make great coffee, using local beans.

Rooms range from Japanese-style

tatami dorm rooms to a suite done in

European chalet-style with aromatic

cypress wood, red-earth ceramic f loor

tiling, and in-suite spa tub. A waterfall

springs from a cliff at the back of the

site, and directly before this are small

open-air hot-spring pools and a number

of private-stall hot-spring tubs, the latter

overlooking a creek. Pickup at Ruisui

Railway Station can be arranged. (Rooms start at NT$1,500.)

I’ll call Wisdom Garden a “B&B-

plus.” In the central-mountain foothills a

short drive off Provincial Highway 9 just

north of Yuli town, it sits amidst thick

slopeland tree growth. On approach it

looks, to a Westerner, akin to a ranch

house, with an inviting veranda and yard.

The interior is open-concept, and though

the trappings are elegantly Chinese, the

big open kitchen reminded me of the

farmhouse kitchens of my youth. I said

“B&B-plus” because the main building,

though clearly owner May Xu’s home,

has large rooms specially built for

guests, and the later-built rear building is

exclusively for guests.

May, originally a big-city denizen,

long harbored a dream to live in an

idyllic “Peach Blossom Spring paradise.”

For guests, evidence of her success lies

in such things as lovely views of the

rift-valley plain beyond and below, the

hearty breakfasts featuring veggies May

has fresh-plucked hours before, and the

early-morning visits by deer, rabbits, and

occasional boar to the property’s stream.

Further evidence – the similar-style

homes on left and right were built by a

one-time guest and a colleague of her

husband. (Rooms start at NT$1,600.)

Where to Stay

Sleeping and Eating in the ValleyWhere to Stay, Where/ What to Eat, What to BuyText: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen

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18 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE STAY/EAT/BUY

1 & 2 Sunshine Hot Spr ing B&B3 & 4 Wisdom Garden5 & 6 L in T ian Shan restaurant pig trot ters7. Green Genie milk hot pot8 . Ta T i Hotel rai lway lunchbox

Hualien County is known for the quality of its

pork, and its best-known related dish is braised pig

trotters. On my last few trips I’ve noted local consensus

that the best are at Lin Tian Shan restaurant, near

Lintian Mountain Forestry Center (see main Feature

article). The owner, Ms. Zheng Xiu-yun, says her

dishes, following Hualien custom, are “honest,” with

simple preparation and combinations used to showcase

the natural f lavor of the star ingredient, which are

“especially rich because the land here is especially

rich.” The trotters are first fried, turning golden-brown,

then soy-braised for many hours with Chinese herbs,

mushroom, garlic, and onion.

Demand for guaranteed-healthy foods is surging in

Taiwan, the people love hotpot, and Ruisui Township’s

clean environment has led to surging dairy production

– leading directly to a novel Ruisui specialty, milk

hotpot. The preparation is similar wherever you go, but

the versions at two restaurants in Ruisui town, Green

Genie and Bamboo Village Japanese Cuisine, both

popular with both tourists and locals, are especially

tasty. The broth is made with vegetables and chicken

bone, then ultra-fresh Ruisui milk is added. Your large-

bowl individual serving will contain myriad ingredients;

the creamy editions at both recommended restaurants

contain pepper and (again ultra-fresh) crab, clams,

shrimp, spring onion, red carrot, and egg yolk. Green

Genie’s beef and mutton is fresh and tender, Bamboo

Village’s udon noodles and seaweed add Japanese

character. Hearty, savory, delish – guaranteed.

Everyone in Taiwan knows that the best rice in

the country is said to come from Chishang Township.

The land’s fertility and ideal climate bring forth rice

grains that are larger, more resilient, and of superior

quality and taste. During Taiwan’s period of Japanese

rule Chishang rice was sent to the Japanese emperor

as tribute. Building on this quality, Chishang railway

lunchboxes, in the past sold from the train-station

platforms to passengers on passing trains, are also

said to be Taiwan’s best. Each typically contains, at a

minimum, a chicken leg or pork cutlet, sausage, soy-

stewed egg and soy-stewed tofu, pickled cabbage,

and rice. The railway lunchboxes at Ta Ti Hotel, in

Chishang town, are considered by many to be the best.

The hotel also offers cod, soy-stewed marbled pork, and

vegetarian variations, plus such other goodies as fried

dried beancurd and beancurd skin.

Where/What to Eat

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FEATURE STAY/EAT/BUY

Bamboo Village Japanese Cuisine (竹村日式料理 )Add: 15, Sec. 1, Zhongshan Rd., Ruisui Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣瑞穗鄉中山路一段 15號 )Tel: (03) 887-6083

Green Genie (綠晶靈瑞穗鮮奶鍋 )Add: 52, Chenggong N. Rd., Ruisui Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣瑞穗鄉成功北路 52號 )Tel: (03) 887-6306

Lin Tian Shan (林田山豬腳 )Add: 80, Changqiao Rd., Changqiao Borough, Fenglin Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣鳳林鎮長橋里長橋路 80 號 )Tel: (03) 875-1999Website: www.lintiansan.url.tw (Chinese)

Siang-Ye Knife Shop (鄉野鐵店 )Add: 9, Neighborhood 7, Tongmen Village, Xiulin Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣秀林鄉銅門村七鄰 9 號 )Tel: (03) 864-1011

Sunshine Hot Spring B&B (山下的厝 )Add: 137, Sec. 3, Wenquan Rd., Ruisui Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣瑞穗鄉溫泉路三段 137號 )Tel: (03) 887-0203, 0937-468-021Website: bulao.hlbnb.tw

Ta Ti Hotel (大地飯店 )Add: 210, Zhongxiao Rd., Chishang Township, Taitung County (台東縣池上鄉忠孝路 210 號 )Tel: (089) 864-330Website: www.c-tati.com.tw (Chinese)

Wisdom Garden (智嵐雅居民宿 )Add: 98-1, Suangan, Neighborhood 5, Dayu Borough, Yuli Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣玉里鎮大禹里 5鄰酸甘 98-1號 )Tel: (03) 888-2488, 0921-986-461Website: wisdom-garden.18851.com.tw (Chinese)

English and ChineseAmis mochi 阿美麻糬Amis Tribe 阿美族Chishang railway lunchboxes 池上鐵路便當May Xu 許琨亮mingchan 名產Ruisui Railway Station 瑞穗火車站Tongmen 銅門Truku Tribe太魯閣族Zheng Xiu-yun 鄭秀芸

You no doubt noticed the “hotel”

rather than “restaurant” in the last entry.

The Ta Ti Hotel is an unusual place –

above the check-in counter is a menu.

The counter staff also handles orders

for both the first-f loor restaurant and

a sizable retail outlet. A steady stream

comes in to buy the tasty, super-low-

fat rice ice-cream – original f lavor, plus

other surprisingly pleasant down-on-the-

farm variations such as pumpkin and

roselle – and rice sponge cake. You can

even buy bags of uncooked Chishang

rice, decidedly more expensive elsewhere,

including organic.

Other unique East Rift Valley buy

options include superb-quality traditional

Truku-tribe hunting and other knives

crafted by hand at Siang-Ye Knife Shop,

in the mountain-surrounded Truku

village of Tongmen not far from Liyu

Lake, known for masterly folk-craft skills.

For more on Tongmen and other Truku

masters, visit ap.shlin.gov.tw/Truku/.

Right outside Hualien Railway Station

are numerous mingchan or “famous

products” outlets, selling Hualien-area

processed snacks. My favorite? Delicious

Amis mochi. Japanese mochi features

glutinous rice, but the Amis Tribe uses

millet. Flavors range from sesame and

green tea to strawberry and pineapple

preferred by kids.

Some of the closest friends in my

world – my “taste bud-dies” – are telling

me I cannot finish without mentioning the

many fresh milk-based treats sold at J.J.

Valley Farm, visited in the main Feature

article. The range of creative snack items

is impressive, but our collective vote for

“best at J.J.” goes to the milk ice cream,

milk pudding, and milk nougat candies.

Dreamily creamy, all.

Ta T i Hotel r ice sponge cake J . J . Valley Farm dair y produc ts Siang-Ye Knife Shop hunting knives

What to Buy

FEATURE

20 Travel in Taiwan

Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art CenterUrban Island of Cultural Creativity

First,

something about me. I live

in Taipei, and I love zooming down-island

on High Speed Rail trains for quick day-

trip explorations of Taiwan's west-side

cities. Downtown Taipei to downtown

Kaohsiung in just 90 minutes – the future,

already here! My wife (she’s Taiwanese)

and I most enjoy walkabout and rented-

bicycle city touring. My mom/pop-in-law

often tag along, and there's nothing Dad

likes better than hiring a local taxi for a

half-day meander. These guys, he says,

''know all the inside stuff.''

One thing we see eye-to-eye on

(actually, he's right about the taxi drivers,

and I enjoy this style as well) is that

Outdoor Art Treasure HuntHere are my four favorite Pier-2 installation artworks, among the scores. Go find them.• A 3D-mural train seeming to burst from the wall of a warehouse.• A picture-perfect single-plot rice paddy, in the large square between two sets of warehouses, that bursts with bright green when the rice is ripe – a celebration of the south’s proud rural heritage.• A giant yellow transformer seemingly standing as protector over the (to-be-mentioned) bike path.• A “sound tree” with copper bells hanging from stainless-steel branches that sprout from a massive scrap-metal trunk – a celebration of Kaohsiung’s industrial past/present.

Kaohsiung's Pier-2 Art Center (www.pier-2.khcc.gv.tw) is one of the city's

best attractions – for him a great city-

tour launch point, for me a half-day-plus

end in itself, because there are so many

attractions within this attraction.

As the authoritative CNNGo has said,

Kaohsiung, ''Once known mainly for its

industrial harbor … has grown into a hub

of art and culture.'' Pier-2 Art Center,

expansive and still growing, is at the heart

of this cultural-creative bloom. CNNGo

says the city has ''the largest port and the

coolest art,'' and the still-young special

zone, opened in the early 2000s, has

become one of Kaohsiung's most popular

cultural attractions. The 14 old, renovated

Kaohsiung Harbor warehouses here (with

more to come), long abandoned, were

formerly used to store such treasures as

1. “Sound tree” with copper bells 2. Giant yel low transformer3. Fantasy f igures4. 3D -mural t rain5. Pier-2 Ar t Center in the evening

fish meal and granulated sugar. Today,

they are dedicated to cultural-arts

creation and treasure displays, including

exhibits, live musical/theatrical shows,

and large-scale outdoor installation

artworks and graffiti-style murals.

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SPECIAL REPORT

22 Travel in Taiwan

Kaohsiung’s Pier-2 Art CenterUrban Island of Cultural Creativity Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen , Vision Int'l

English and Chinese

Kaohsiung Design Festival 高雄設計節Kaohsiung Museum of Labor 高雄市勞工博物館Pasadena Italian House 帕莎蒂娜義大利屋Pier-2 Art Center 駁二藝術特區Rainbow Bay Festival 大彩虹音樂節

Getting There & Getting Around

If you are taking public transport from west-side cities, the High Speed Rail system is fastest and most comfortable. In Kaohsiung, the three rail systems (regular railway, High Speed Rail, and metro) converge at Zuoying Station, enabling easy transfers. The art center is a short walk from KMRT Yanchengpu Station. There is a Kaohsiung Public Bike station between the metro station and art center, and private (city-vetted) rental shops by the bike path just outside the Penglai warehouses.

A Kaohsiung Visual Tour

For an enthusiastic, insightful 30-minute visual tour of the art center and Kaohsiung in general, go to http://travel.cnn.com/cnngo-kaohsiung-062776 .

In one warehouse is the

Kaohsiung Museum of Labor (museum_new.kcg.gov.tw). Half of another – the roof

was first damaged by fire and then removed

to create an “open box” for under-the-sky

entertainment – is now the Kaohsiung

base for The Wall (thewall.tw/grounds/pier2), synonymous with Taiwan’s indie-

music scene. There are also arts and crafts

boutiques showcasing independent Taiwan

cultural-creative design talent.

End your day when your tummy says

it’s time in yet another warehouse given

new life, home to Pasadena Italian House

(it.pasadena.com.tw), a bright neon-and-

tiffany restaurant in the North American

mode. Be sure to buy the award-winning,

islandwide-renowned walnut and dried

longan bread at the on-site bakery.

You also

need to know that

Kaohsiung’s popular harbor-area bikeway

rolls right by the art center, the section here

running where the trains that once served

these facilities trundled along. In 2010,

CNN Travel declared Kaohsiung one of

Asia’s five best biking cities.

Large-Scale Events

Pier-2 is a key event stage for, among other big-time annual happenings, the Kaohsiung Design Festival and Rainbow Bay Festival. The latter is one of Taiwan's biggest music events. Check the center's website for May/June events.

SPECIAL REPORT KAOHSIUNG

Travel in Taiwan 23

A Place of Relaxation, Living History, and Vibrant Ecology

24 Travel in Taiwan

Lanyang Museum

Sheng Yang Leisure Farm

Huaquan Farm

Memorial Hall of the Founding of Y i lan Administration

Tangwei Brook Hot Spring Park

Lanyang Museum

Diudiudang Forest

TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS

Text: Joe Henley Photos: Maggie Song

Wai ’ao Beach

Huaquan Farm

Sheng Yang Leisure Farm

Wushi Fishing Harbor Lanyang Museum

TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS YILAN

Yilan is just an hour away by bus or train from Taipei City, but it is a world apart from the big city in terms of scenery and pace of life.

Ar temis Garden

Huaquan Farm

Today such stories are just that,

however – colorful tales of a rich past. The

Yilan of modern times, easily reached from

the capital of Taipei (less than an hour

by car via the much-tunneled National

Freeway 5), is a place of relaxation,

living history, and vibrant ecology, with a

welcoming culture all its own.

The fastest way to get to Yilan from

central Taipei using public transport

is to catch a bus from either Taipei

Bus Station, just to the north of Taipei

Railway Station, or Taipei City Hall Bus

Station, located above MRT Taipei City

Hall Station. You can also take a train;

the fastest reaches Yilan in a little more

than one hour.

Your first stop

might well be the hot-spring town of

Jiaoxi, famed for its many relaxing

resorts, which pipe in the mineral-rich

local spring water that bubbles up from

under the plain, not from the mountains

directly behind. Take a walk through

narrow Tangwei Brook Hot Spring

Park, a beautifully manicured public

promenade where you can grab a coffee

or other refreshing drink at one of the

small commercial establishments at the

head of the park, where there is comfy

outdoor seating on the boardwalk, and

soak your feet in the free public foot

bath pools. Should you feel the need for

some spa treatment, there are also small

pools inhabited by appropriately named

doctor fish, which nibble harmlessly and

painlessly at feet that are dipped in.

If you happen to be in Yilan during

the warmer months, a visit to Wai’ao

Beach, just to the north of Wushi Fishing

Harbor, is a must. You'll find fine, soft

sand, and gentle waves suitable for

beginner-level surfers. Small beachfront

guesthouses overlook the water, backed

by steep, green foothills. There is even a

windmill that looks as though plucked

straight out of the Dutch countryside.

From the beach you can see Turtle

Island, a shell-shaped volcanic land

mass that, although small, provided

a much-needed visual landmark for

sailors in the days of sail. In those days,

if coming from the north you needed to

sail between Turtle Island and the main

island to make land in Yilan, because of

the currents. This led to the development

of Wushi Fishing Harbor, which for a

time was an important center of trade

and commerce (the original harbor was

just south of the present-day site, behind

Lanyang Museum).

The glory days of Wushi Fishing

Harbor are gone, but it is remains an

active fishing port. This means one thing

for tourists: fresh seafood, and lots of it.

Along the harbor’s edge is a two-story

complex; the ground f loor is dedicated

to seafood snacks, and the upper

level houses a menagerie of seafood

restaurants. When you walk up the stairs

you will be met by a clutch of insistent

yet polite folk holding out menus in front

of you and imploring you to take a seat.

Oysters, sushi, squid, whole fish of all

kinds, you name it – if it comes from the

ocean, they've got it here.

After you've filled your tummy with

the bounty of the sea, a stroll through

the nearby Lanyang Museum may

be in order. The museum's exterior is

unmissable, formed with aluminum

and stone panels rising up out of the

ground at around a 45-degree angle in

the direction of the Pacific Ocean, made

to look like the coastal cuesta formations

that define the area. The museum, which

is almost completely bilingual, focuses

on Yilan's history and culture. You start

your journey through the region's past

on the fourth f loor and work your way

down. As you descend from the top f loor,

you f low in the same manner as the local

waters do, which fall from the sky, first

hitting the mountains, then gradually

making their way to the plain below and,

finally, to the sea. This is only fitting,

as Yilan County sees about 200 days of

rainfall per year.

If you were

to stand

atop a high mountain in the northeast

of Taiwan and look out over the expanse

of Yilan County below, you would see

an alluvial fan spreading out toward the

sea, bracketed by hill and mountain, that

has been formed over eons by the steady

rush of the Lanyang River and other

local waterways. The area was once

almost completely cut off from the rest of

Taiwan, accessible only by sea save for a

few trails over the mountains blazed by

the island’s native peoples. It was a region

of mountain-dwelling headhunters and

almost equally fierce f latland-dwelling

warriors, forbidding and even deadly to

outsiders.

Wai ’ao Beach

Lanyang Museum

TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS

26 Travel in Taiwan

TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS

Travel in Taiwan 27

NANZHUANG

Welcome to your home in Taipei

www.parktaipei .com

The hotel is conveniently located in front of

Exit 6 of the Daan MRT train station

Only 6 minutes to Taipei Songshan Airport

Park Taipei Hotel is conveniently located

in the heart of downtown Taipei.

A carefree place in the center of bustling Taipei

After taking care of business, doing shopping and traveling around

You’ll return to your new cozy and relaxing home

Your home in Taipei, Park Taipei Hotel Welcomes You!

Tel: (02) 5579-3888Add: 317, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City (台北市復興南路一段317號)Website: www.parktaipei.comHow to get there: Take the MRT Wenhu Line or Xinyi  Line to Daan station. The hotel is just in front of Exit 6 of the Daan MRT train station.

All this rain

makes Yilan

a productive center of agriculture as

well, and nowhere is this more evident

than in Yuanshan Township, to the

west of Yilan City, where several leisure

farms in the Hengshantou Agricultural

Leisure Area give visitors a taste of what

it's like to work the land for a living.

Huaquan Farm, for example, is a place of

tranquility where visitors are introduced

to the organic, laid-back lifestyle that

Yilan has recently come to embrace as

part of its new, environmentally friendly

image. You can pick fresh vegetables

to cook and enjoy in the farm's hotpot

restaurant, or opt to just take a walk

around and see the sights.

For something a little different,

there's the Sheng Yang Leisure Farm

next door, where edible aquatic grass

is grown and can be sampled in an

elegant Japanese-style restaurant. Not

far away is Artemis Garden, another

popular Yilan tourist farm. It's basically

a giant greenhouse teeming with f lowers

and all things green and growing. The

English and ChineseDiudiudang Forest 噹森林Ewang Community 鄂王社區Jiaoxi 礁溪Hengshantou Agricultural Leisure Area 橫山頭休閒農業區Lanyang River 蘭陽溪Sky Street 天空步道Sun Lake 太陽湖Tangwei Brook Hot Spring Park 湯圍溝溫泉公園Turtle Island 龜山島Wai’ao Beach 外澳沙灘Wushi Harbor 烏石漁港Xueshan Tunnel 雪山隧道Yuanshan Township 員山鄉

Lanyang Museum (蘭陽博物館 )Add: 750, Sec. 3, Qingyun Rd., Toucheng Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣頭城鎮青雲路三段 750號 ) Tel: (03) 977-9700Website: www.lym.gov.tw

Huaquan Farm (花泉農場 )Add: 15-1, Bajia Rd., Shangde Village, Yuanshan Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉尚德村八甲路 15-1號 ) Tel: (03) 922-015

Sheng Yang Leisure Farm (勝洋水草休閒農場 )Add: 15-6, Bajia Rd., Shangde Village, Yuanshan Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉尚德村八甲路 15-6號 ) Tel: (03) 922-2487Website: www.sy-water.com.tw

Artemis Garden (香草菲菲 )Add: 650, Neicheng Rd., Neicheng Village, Yuanshan Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉內城村內城路 650號 )Tel: (03) 922-9933Website: www.artemisgarden.org.tw

Memorial Hall of the Founding of Yilan Administration (宜蘭設治紀念館 )Add: 3, Lane 3, Lixing, Jiucheng S. Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County (宜蘭縣宜蘭市舊城南路力行 3巷 3號 )Tel: (03) 932-6664Website: memorial.e-land.gov.tw

Luna Plaza Mall (新月廣場 )Add: 6, Lane 38, Sec. 2, Minquan Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County (宜蘭縣宜蘭市民權路二段38巷6號 )Tel: (03) 932-8800Website: www.lunaplaza.com.tw

The Wall – UriSabakiJo (賣捌所 )Add: 38, Kangle Rd., Yilan City, Yilan County (宜蘭縣宜蘭市康樂路 38號 )Tel: (03) 935-2493Website: thewall.tw

fragrant, calming interior, filled with

birdsong, is complete with a DIY craft

area, an elevated walkway known as Sky

Street, a bakery that serves up delicious,

soft home-style bread, and an outdoor

area with a view of Sun Lake and the

surrounding green hills.

Now, on to

the big city –

in this case a relative term. Yilan City is

a quiet yet stimulating big town/small

city of just less than 100,000. Stepping

out of the railway station, you'll see the

towering Diudiudang Forest, a steel

sculpture in which a f loating train weaves

its way through green girders doubling as

rainforest trees.

The city's history is well preserved,

with architecture dating back to the time

of the 1895-1945 Japanese occupation

dotting the urban landscape. Check out

the verbosely named Memorial Hall of

the Founding of Yilan Administration,

a restored former Japanese magistrate’s

residence that is also known for the giant

camphor trees which dot its immaculate

gardens and grounds.

For even more history, visit Ewang

Community, a village within the city

filled with architecture that dates back

to the early 20th century, traditional

markets, temples, and artisan shops.

For a touch of modernity, head to Luna

Plaza Mall, the largest shopping mall

in the county – especially if you need to

stock up on necessities.

At night, if you're looking for a place

to hang out and possibly take in some

live acoustic music, be advised that

Yilan City now has its own branch of

The Wall, a live-music house that grew

to prominence in Taipei, expanded into

Kaohsiung, and now has a presence on

Taiwan's eastern shore. The Yilan branch

is a laid-back, small affair, housed within

the walls of a Japanese-style residence

– charming and relaxed, much like the

county itself.

丟丟

Memorial Hall of the Founding of Y i lan Administration

The Wall – UriSabakiJo

TOP TEN TAIWAN TOWNS

28 Travel in Taiwan

A Meeting Point of Historical, Cultural, and Social Conventions

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song

Two young Taipei designers are producing a unique type of stamp, making use of the old typesetting method common in Taiwan before the arrival of the computer age.

Stamps, or

chops/seals as

they’re also often called in English, are

an essential part of living in Taiwan.

A fact of life here is that any document

that has not been thoroughly pummelled

and left covered in angry-looking red

welts – created using said stamps – is

not worth the paper it’s written on.

Taiwanese administration, and thus

society in general, undoubtedly moves to

the sound of a stamp falling. And it’s not

just officials who love to stamp. Everyone

in Taiwan, it seems, has his or her own

personal name chop, the impression of

which serves as one’s official signature on

anything and everything that needs to be

signed. In Taiwan, more stamping goes on

in a single morning than does in an entire

run of the musical Stomp.

The stamp that I hold in my hand,

though, is a far cry from the cheap,

computer-carved stamps you can pick

up for NT$50 at one of the many key-

cutting stores around Taiwan. It’s also

different from the embellished jade

chops with characters and decorative

arabesques carved by calligraphic masters

for thousands of NT dollars apiece –

though these give a similar sense of high

officialdom to those using them, I’m sure.

No, this chop is unembellished apart

from the simple grain on the gourd-shaped

wooden handle and turquoise dapple

pattern on the newly oxidizing copper of

the base. It is also reassuringly heavy, and

feels more like a blackjack than a piece of

stationery. And, unlike traditional chops,

the raised letters which serve to imprint

one’s name onto paper are not carved from

stone. The face of the stamp is, instead,

made up of movable lead type – the kind

used by the likes of Gutenberg or Caxton

in old-fashioned printing.

I give it a spin, dipping it first in ink

and then applying it to a sheet of a thick

handmade card. With a satisfying thunk,

a block of rubicund lettering appears,

debossed into the fibrous white background.

1. Lead t ype stamp2. R is K Studio work shop3. R ick and K imberly

1

1

32

2

OLD STYLE / NEW IDEAS

30 Travel in Taiwan

The designers

of this

strange instrument, who I have come to

meet at their central Taipei studio, are

Rick Wu and Kimberly Lin. Together

they run the R is K Studio, producing

items with a unique Taiwanese flavor on

a cottage-industry scale. Though still in

their twenties, both Rick and Kimberly

have a design aesthetic that is not what

one would think of as modern, though

it’s certainly not old-fashioned, either.

Rather, the two have an understanding

of the value of history in giving a piece

character, and this shows through in their

designs, in which they often take old, used

objects and put them to a new purpose.

“History makes objects attractive,”

says Kimberly, directing my attention to a

bookcase with a back that is an ornate set

of window bars, slightly worn and rusted.

“These bars – who knows what their story

is? A family might have hung clothes from

them, or owned a cat that would squeeze

through them, or grown bonsai trees next

to them. It’s because they have history

that we find such objects desirable. When

something experiences life, a sense of that

life sticks around on it.”

Though the stamp itself is not made of

reappropriated materials, the design and the

concept are infused with history both recent

and ancient – complex strands of influence,

inspiration, and symbolism that have twined

together over more than three millennia.

The initial idea

for

the stamp came to Kimberly when she

attended a printing workshop at a nearby

shop in one of the lanes off Taipei’s

Taiyuan Road. Situated directly opposite

the shop is one of the most fascinating

stores in all of Taiwan – the Rixing Type

Foundry – the last shop in Taiwan, and

perhaps one of only a handful left in the

world, that makes movable lead type. ''The

owner of the foundry, Chang Chieh-kuan,

is really keen for people to learn about

the old printing industry, and so we were

encouraged to collaborate with him and

make a product that would help introduce

people to that culture, which has all but

vanished,'' explains Kimberly.

Printing and chop-making, by their

very natures, share a common ancestry.

Name chops first surfaced during the

3

OLD STYLE / NEW IDEAS STAMPS

Travel in Taiwan 31

1

The stamp is a work of poetry in which the ancient ceremonial chop, suffused with all its pomp

and circumstance, is infused with the stalwart rigor of the industrial

printing revolution

Those who

buy one of Rick

and Kimberly’s stamps, however, will be

among the few who can use Rixing’s lead

characters for their original purpose. After

you purchase a stamp (wooden handle and

copper base) at a shop (funfuntown or 324

Print Studio; see addresses at end of article),

you’re given directions to the Rixing Type

Foundry on Taiyuan Road, where you pick

out the characters you want, in your desired

font of course, and are then directed to

another shop (the Riyu Printing Company

in Wanhua District), where a master

typesetter sets your letters for you and fits

them into the base of the stamp. This might

seem like an impractical way of buying a

stamp, but it has the benefit of obliging you

to go on a journey to two of the oldest and

most interesting neighborhoods in Taipei,

Dadaocheng and Wanhua.

And there is one further thing that sets

this stamp apart from the common name

chop. It is not, as you may have thought,

designed for providing one’s official

signature. The 9 x 5.4cm size of the copper

base makes it perfect for holding type to

print another of Taiwan’s societal must-

haves – the business card.

Business cards, like chops, are one of

the cornerstones of Taiwanese society.

Everyone has them – car mechanics,

bartenders, even Buddhist monks. In

Taiwan, swapping business cards is as

common as shaking hands. And the fact

that Rick and Kimberly’s chop is designed

to print business cards is yet another

wink to history: In the very early days,

chops were not used as stamps at all, but

carried around the waist to be presented

as evidence of one’s rank and office – very

much the business cards of their time.

Rick and Kimberly’s stamp, then,

represents something much greater

than the sum of its parts. It is a meeting

point of historical, cultural, and social

conventions, a work of poetry in which

the ancient ceremonial chop, suffused

with all its pomp and circumstance, is

infused with the stalwart rigor of the

industrial printing revolution.

Shang Dynasty (1600~1046 BC), and were

impressed into the wads of clay used to seal

important documents (stacks of bamboo

sheets tied together with cord). After the

invention of paper in 105 AD, chops were

used to stamp officials’ names directly

onto the documents themselves after being

dipped in a paste made from crushed

cinnabar. This practice may well have

contributed to the invention of woodblock

printing, in which entire pages of characters

are carved into wooden blocks, covered in

ink, and printed onto paper.

Movable type, which was invented

in China around 1040 AD, remained

somewhat of a novelty in Asia, due to

the non-alphabetical nature of Chinese,

Korean, and Japanese writing, until more

advanced mechanical printing presses

began to appear from Europe. Taiwan’s

first printing press arrived on the island

in 1881, donated by Scottish missionary

Dr. James Laidlaw Maxwell, and the first

mass-printed newspaper was distributed

in 1885. By this stage, manual typesetting

using individual letters was being replaced

in the West by increasingly sophisticated

methods of mechanical typesetting, which

could cast entire lines of text with the

push of a few buttons.

In Taiwan, though, again due to the

vastly impractical number of characters

in the Chinese language (over 100,000

by some counts), mechanical typesetting

remained a pipe dream until well into

the 20th century, with shops like the

Rixing Type Foundry (which was

established in the 1950s) receiving orders

from a publisher and then painstakingly

arranging the type by hand, sometimes

compiling scripts of over one million

words long from their stock of over ten

million lead characters.

This has, of course, now all changed,

and the stacks and stacks of lead

characters at Rixing are likely never again

to be used to print a novel or a newspaper.

Nowadays they are museum pieces more

than anything else, and people buy the

characters merely as curiosities.

32 Travel in Taiwan

OLD STYLE / NEW IDEAS

1 & 2 Rix ing Type Foundr y 3. Test ing an R is K Studio s tamp

12

3

3

2

English and Chinese

Chang Chieh-kuan 張介冠Taiyuan Road 太原路

funfuntown (放放堂 )Add: 2, Alley 1, Lane 359, Fujin St., Taipei City (台北市富錦街 359 巷 1弄 2號 )Tel: (02) 2766-5916 Website: www.funfuntown.com (Chinese)Hours: Wed. ~ Sun. 14:00~21:00

324 Print Studio (324 版畫工作室 )Add: 16, Lane 97, Taiyuan Rd., Taipei City (台北市太原路 97巷 16號 )Tel: (02) 2558-8880Website: www.324ps.tw (Chinese)Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10:00~18:00

Rixing Type Foundry (日星鑄字行 )Add: 13, Lane 97, Taiyuan Rd., Taipei City (台北市太原路 97巷 13號 )Tel: (02) 2556-4626Website: http://rixingtypography.blogspot.tw (Chinese)Hours: Mon.~Fri. 8:30~12:30, 14:00~18:00; Sat. 9:30~12:00

Riyu Printing Company (日裕印刷有限公司 )Add: 10, Lane 201, Kunming St., Wanhua District, Taipei City (台北市萬華區昆明街 201巷 10 號 )Tel: (02) 2311-0117

OLD STYLE / NEW IDEAS STAMPS

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

www.hscake.com.tw

Delicious handmade cakes. Famous Chinese imperial palace cakes.

He Sheng Cake Shop

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

Mung Been Cake

Main Shop: 2, Lane 26, Sec. 1, Zhongshun St., Wenshan District, Taipei City (台北市文山區忠順街一段26巷2號) Tel: (02) 2936-5702

Zhongshan Branch: 91, Yitong St., Zhongshan District, Taipei City (台北市中山區伊通街91號)Tel: (02) 2504-8115

1

Land of Salt, Sugar, and ShrinesTaking a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus to the Southwest Coast

Text: Steven Crook Photos: Rich Matheson

Taiwan’s southwest is a treasure house of traditional culture and rural scenery. However, exploring beyond the major cities of Tainan and Chiayi is not easy for those without their own vehicle. The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s Southwest Coast Route plugs this gap, and recently Travel in Taiwan jumped aboard for a tour of some of the many attractions served by the shuttle.

Both garlic and sugarcane grow well in

south Taiwan, but garlic and sugar are not

usually blended. The name of this factory

is in fact derived from an unusual place

name. Suantou (meaning “garlic”) is a tiny

village on the southwest’s Jianan Plain, and

the sugar factory here is one of Taiwan’s

oldest, having begun operations in 1904.

From the late Qing Dynasty until

the 1950s, sugar was Taiwan’s No.

1 export, with about one-fifth of the

island’s farmland devoted to sugar

cultivation in the latter stage. Since then

the industry has been in steady decline,

one key reason being Taiwan sugar’s

high cost in comparison with cane-sugar

produced in Brazil and other countries.

Most of Taiwan’s sugar factories are

now shuttered, and a few have been

dismantled. Suantou’s has been idle for

over a decade, yet remains intact. As

such, it is a magnet for those curious

about Taiwan’s industrial heritage.

It is also one of just a handful of

places in Taiwan where what are called

“sugar railway” trains still run. At the

industry’s zenith, diesel locomotives

hauled wagons full of cane from

plantations to sugar factories, and

passenger cars from town to town. The

network comprised about 900km of

762mm-gauge track.

Arriving with time to spare before

the 10am train (there’s another at 3pm

each day; extra services are put on

when needed), we sampled some of the

unusual popsicles sold here. The taro

and pineapple versions are popular, but I

recommend the sugarcane-juice popsicle

– refreshing as well as fitting.

After buying our tickets (NT$100

for adults) inside Suantou’s endearingly

quaint passenger station (a relic of the

Japanese colonial era, which lasted from

Stop I: Garlic Sugar Factory

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

36 Travel in Taiwan

THSR Chiayi Station

Dongshi Fisherman’s Wharf

Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields

Garlic Sugar Factory

Budai Visitor Center

Donglong Cultural Center

Puzih Embroidery Cultural Hall

Nankunshen Daitian Temple

Mashagou Coastal Recreation Area

Taiwan Salt Museum

Siantian Temple Beimen Visitor Center

Qigu Salt Mountains

Engineering buffs are sure to find the machinery

fascinating, and anyone whose eyes

appreciate the subtleties of shadow

and light will be beguiled

Ask 10 people what you ought to do when visiting this lively seaside town, and

buying/eating seafood is sure to dominate the answers given by nine. Budai Seafood

Market, where dozens of seafood vendors sell live crabs, shellfish by the bucket, cuts

of grouper, and other ultra-fresh delights, is also a splendid place to enjoy lunch. Little

English is spoken in the 40-odd eateries which surround the vendors, but photo menus

do a good job of overcoming the language barrier.

If you lack the time or appetite to sit down for a proper feast, buy a deep-fried

oyster wrap for later enjoyment. The fishing harbor is a good spot for a picnic, and

clearly visible from Budai Visitor Center, the town’s tourist-shuttle stop. The walk

from center to harbor – where photogenic fishing vessels are moored for unloading,

cleaning, and repair – takes 10 minutes.

In addition to the tourist shuttle, Budai is served by several buses each day from

Chiayi City and the town of Xinying, both of which can reached by train.

1895 to 1945), we boarded the train.

The contrast with Taiwan’s high-speed

railway – which is visible just to the east

– could not be greater. With an average

speed of 15 km/h, bench seats, and open

sides, it is a true “slow travel” experience.

The on-board guide provided a stream of

commentary in Chinese about the local

history, sugar industry, f lora, and fauna.

After trundling through nearby

fields – some are still used for growing

cane – the train returned to the factory.

Wandering inside the main building, we

saw massive machines formerly used to

crush cane, and vats where the pulp was

boiled. Engineering buffs are sure to find

the machinery fascinating, and anyone

whose eyes appreciate the subtleties of

shadow and light will be beguiled. There

has been no effort to spruce up the interior

for visitors – commendable honesty.

The area lacks both steep gradients

and heavy traffic, so cycling is a popular

pastime. Biking from Suantou to

Dongshi’s Fisherman’s Wharf on the coast

takes two and a half hours, almost half

of which is spent on a dedicated bikeway.

Bicycles can be rented for NT$100 to

NT$250 per day from Songmeng Rental

Store (open 8am to 5pm daily), just behind

Suantou’s old railway station. The Taiwan

Tourist Shuttle bus stops at Fisherman’s

Wharf before heading south to Budai.

Stop II: Budai

5

BACKPACK BUS TRIP SOUTHWEST COAST

Travel in Taiwan 37

1. Salt f ie lds on Tainan's coast2 & 3 Gar l ic Sugar Fac tor y4 & 5 Budai Seafood Market

Taiwan Salt Museum

2

3

4

If you have time for only one house of worship during your visit to Taiwan, consider making it

Nankunshen Daitian Temple

If you have time for only one house

of worship during your visit to Taiwan,

consider making it Nankunshen Daitian

Temple. This sprawling complex may be in

sleepy farming country, but it is no place for

quiet contemplation. Come on a Sunday,

or on the birthday of one of the six plague-

busting “kings” enshrined here, and you

are guaranteed an intense introduction to

Taiwanese folk religion. Rites invariably

feature deafening drums, immense

quantities of firecrackers and spirit money,

and spirit mediums known in Taiwanese as

tangki. These individuals, almost always

men, demonstrate how the gods possessing

them protect them from harm by making

superficial cuts on their forehead, shoulders,

and back with swords and blunt axes, or by

pushing long needles through their cheeks.

Nankunshen, however, offers so much

more than human spectacle. This temple has

been drawing pilgrims since 1662, and over

the centuries has received vast donations of

cash and gold. Much of the former has been

utilized to expand and renovate the complex.

Not long ago, 405kg of the latter was melted

down and used to cast an icon symbolizing

the Jade Emperor, Taoism’s chief deity.

Unlike most of Taiwan’s traditional

pantheon, the Jade Emperor is almost always

represented by a rectangular tablet, rather

than a human-shaped effigy. The metal alone

is worth over US$17 million.

Taller than a man, the icon is an inspiring

sight – but tourists should not visit thinking

this solid-gold tablet is the only or even the

main attraction at Lingxiaobao Hall, the

annex constructed to house it. The whole is

very much greater than the sum of its parts.

Showing great pride in the building,

as well as expert knowledge, temple guide

Mr. Kao Ying-fu began by explaining a

key concept behind the hall’s design and

decoration. From the outset, he said,

Nankunshen’s management committee was determined to make the hall

an expression of Taiwanese culture. For this reason, rather than regurgitate

episodes from ancient Chinese myths and legends, several of the beam and

panel paintings depict scenes of everyday local life. There are images of

farmers and fishermen, and nativist painter Hung Tung (1920-1987), who

lived near the temple.

Well-known symbols of Taiwan such as Alishan’s forest railway and

Taipei 101 also make an appearance, as do Taiwanese sporting heroes like

golfer Yani Tseng and NBA star Jeremy Lin. We would not have recognized

a hero of another sort, internationally lauded philanthropist Chen Shu-chu,

were it not for Mr. Kao’s help.

Stop III: Nankunshen Daitian Temple

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

38 Travel in Taiwan

Nankunshen Dait ian Temple

Caesar Park Hotel brings you all of the beauty of Kenting.

Your first choice for an unforgettable vacation!

Various Activities

Fantastic Taste

The Caesar Park Hotel – Kenting is located on the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan, immediately

adjacent to Kenting National Park. Offering blue skies, beautiful sandy beaches and an alluring tropical ambi-

ence, Caesar Park Hotel – Kenting is without question the finest holiday hotel in the Kenting area. With its

relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff, this is a real home away from home. A wide range of leisure activities are

available to suit all preferences, from families to honeymooners; Caesar Park Hotel – Kenting has everything you

need! Why not come and experience Taiwan’s tropical paradise? You can be sure of taking beautiful memories

away with you when you leave.

Relaxed Atmosphere

Friendly Staff

SOUTHWEST COASTBACKPACK BUS TRIP

Travel in Taiwan 39

Caesar Park Hotel brings you all of the beauty of Kenting.

Your first choice for an unforgettable vacation!

Various Activities

Fantastic Taste

The Caesar Park Hotel – Kenting is located on the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan, immediately

adjacent to Kenting National Park. Offering blue skies, beautiful sandy beaches and an alluring tropical ambi-

ence, Caesar Park Hotel – Kenting is without question the finest holiday hotel in the Kenting area. With its

relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff, this is a real home away from home. A wide range of leisure activities are

available to suit all preferences, from families to honeymooners; Caesar Park Hotel – Kenting has everything you

need! Why not come and experience Taiwan’s tropical paradise? You can be sure of taking beautiful memories

away with you when you leave.

Relaxed Atmosphere

Friendly Staff

Shallow ponds where seawater was evaporated by sunlight to produce salt were

until recently one of the southwest coast’s distinctive sights. Many of these former salt

pans are now used for aquaculture. One of the very few places where salt is still made

the time-honored way – and then merely for educational purposes – is Jingzaijiao, 13

minutes by Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus from Nankunshen.

The salt fields here took on their current appearance around 1818, when the

bottoms of the ponds were covered with broken pottery shards so salt crystals would

not stick to the mud. For almost two centuries, salt was harvested between early fall

and late spring. Typhoon rains meant summers were usually washouts.

The site’s information boards in Chinese and English do a fine job of explaining

the traditional salt-making method. During the peak months of March, April, and

May, a 100-square-meter of crystallization pond yielded up to 350kg of salt every three

days, but collecting it involved backbreaking amounts of shoveling and hauling.

Learning about a defunct industry is not the only reason to stop at Jingzaijiao.

Thanks to the utter f latness of the landscape and the water’s reflective qualities, this spot

has been the source of countless gorgeous sunsets captured in photos and on canvas.

Getting There and Around

The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s Southwest Coast Route (service #7702) can be boarded at Bus Platform 4, THSR Chiayi Station, 11km west of Chiayi City. There are three services each day, departing from the station at 9:45, 10:45, and 15:15. Buses take 1 hour, 45 minutes to get from the station to the final stop at the Taiwan Salt Museum. The last bus from the museum back to the station sets out at 17:30. Alternatively, tourists can take a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle #99 Taijiang Route bus from the museum into downtown Tainan via Anping District. Visit www.taiwantrip.com.tw for details.

English and Chinese

Anping District 安平區Budai 布袋Budai Seafood Market 布袋漁市Budai Visitor Center 布袋遊客中心Chen Shu-chu 陳樹菊deep-fried oyster wrap 蚵仔包

Dongshi 東石Fisherman's Wharf 漁人碼頭Garlic Sugar Factory 蒜頭糖廠Hung Tung 洪通Jianan Plain 嘉南平原Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields 井仔腳瓦盤鹽田Kao Ying-fu 高英富

Lingxiaobao Hall 凌霄寶殿Nankunshen Daitian Temple 南鯤鯓代天府Suantou 蒜頭Songmeng Rental Store 松錳租車sugar railway 糖業鐵路tangki 童乩Xinying 新營

Stop IV: Jingzaijiao Tile-paved Salt Fields

1

2

40 Travel in Taiwan

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

1 & 2 J ingzai j iao T i le -paved Salt Fields

Climbing the Wuling Sixiu A Hike for Hikers with a

Good Head for Heights

Text and Photos: Stuart Dawson

Located just north of Snow Mountain (Mt. Xue; 3,886m), the Wuling Sixiu is a group of four mountains in Shei-Pa National Park (www.spnp.gov.tw). Hiking all four of the peaks usually takes three days, making this a more challenging hike than Snow Mountain.

The hike

begins at the end of

Wuling Road, next to Wuling Villa (www.hoyaresort.com.tw/inn/; Chinese), which

is an excellent place to stay the night

before the trek to acclimate and get ready

for the first day.

It’s best to set off early in the morning.

The first day’s hike is relatively short –

only 4.5km, the goal Taoshan Cabin –

but it involves climbing some 1,500m in

altitude. It takes the average person most

of the day to complete.

You start out

along a

forestry road. We set out at 8am on the

short 1.5km walk along the beautiful and

flat pine-tree-lined road, which brings

you to the trail proper. From there the

route suddenly becomes very steep, and

it’s a relentless slog uphill. About halfway

up we came out of the trees, and found

ourselves looking at a magnificent “sea

of clouds” above the Yilan Plain. It’s

amazing how quickly you forget about a

difficult climb when being rewarded with

such inspiring views.

Before reaching the cabin, you come

to the peak of Taoshan (Mt. Tao; 3,324m),

the first of the three mountains we

were hiking on this trip (we didn’t hike

to the fourth of the Wuling Sixiu, Mt.

Kelaye; 3,133m). On the exposed top it

was freezing, with a bitterly cold wind

blowing so strong that we could barely

stand. After a quick photo, we headed on

towards the cabin.

The cabin space had already been

fully booked when we had applied for the

necessary permit before our trip, so we

pitched tents. There’s a small section of

dwarf bamboo before the cabin that offers

excellent protection from the wind, which

was much needed.

HIKING

42 Travel in Taiwan

1

2

The trail takes you along an incredibly scenic ridge and you’re surrounded by tall

Chinese hemlocks and twisted junipers the whole time

English and Chinese

Central Mountain Range 中央山脈Mt. Chiyou 池有山Mt. Kelaye 喀拉業山Mt. Pintian 品田山Shei-Pa National Park 雪霸國家公園Snow Mountain 雪山Taoshan 桃山Taoshan Cabin 桃山山屋Wuling Farm 武陵農場Wuling Road 武陵路Wuling Sixiu 武陵四秀Wuling Villa 武陵山莊Xinda Cabin 新達山屋Yilan Plain 宜蘭平原

Safety

The Wuling Sixiu is certainly not a hike for beginners. The trail up to and down from the ridge is very steep. In several places hikers need to have a good head for heights as they scramble up cliff faces with big drops. It is highly recommended that anyone wishing to do this climb join a group with a qualified guide.

After a cold

night, we

woke up in time to hike back to see the

sunrise from the top of Taoshan, and

were grateful for the warmth that the

sun provided.

After the cabin, the trail turns west

and takes you along an incredibly scenic

ridge. You’re surrounded by tall Chinese

hemlocks and twisted junipers the whole

time. After a couple of hours, we arrived

at the base of a “waterfall of rocks.” This

vast river of small boulders has been

formed by freeze-thaw action. Following

it, we came to the peak of Mt. Chiyou

(3,303m), where you are presented with

spectacular panoramas of large swaths of

Shei-Pa National Park.

From there we carried on towards

Xinda Cabin, where we camped the

second night. This night was even colder

than the previous one. There was no moon

and not a cloud in sight, and we were

able to see the Milky Way. It would have

been great to sit out looking at the stars

for much longer than we did, but the cold

drove us back into our tents.

The next morning we were once again

up early enough to watch the sunrise

above the Central Mountain Range, this

time as we headed to Mt. Pintian (3,524m),

the third and final peak of our three-day

adventure. The climb to Pintian requires

a good head for heights. The last stretch,

300 meters long, has some fixed-rope

sections with tremendous drops. There are

plenty of good footholds, but hikers need

to have strong nerves to overcome the

height. From Pintian, we simply retraced

our steps back to our starting point and

then continued on a bit further, hiking

down to the main area of Wuling Farm

(www.wuling-farm.com.tw), a popular

recreation farm.

HIKING WULING SIXIU

Travel in Taiwan 43

1. Atop Mt . Tao2. Tak ing in the mountain scener y

3. Twisted tree of f the trai l

3

2014 Hsinchu City Glass Art CarnivalMarveling at Amazing Glass Creations at Hsinchu’s Glass Museum

Text: Dave Austin Photos: Maggie Song

Hsinchu, in northwest Taiwan, is a city with a bright and colorful

history that has established itself as Taiwan’s glass arts

capital. At this year’s Hsinchu City Glass Art Carnival, Hsinchu

let its colors shine!

Art pieces

from renowned

glass artists were on display at the Hsinchu

City Glass Museum this year as part of the

Hsinchu City Glass Art Carnival. Visitors

came to explore their world – a world of

masterful artisans – and learn about the

special techniques each uses during the

melting and heat-shaping processes in his

or her search for beauty, meaning, and

uniqueness, each artist seeking to break

away from old conventions.

Hsinchu is one of Taiwan’s economic

boomtowns, and its advanced-

technology sector has earned it a global

reputation. The Hsinchu Science Park

is a leader in high-tech research and

product development, most notably in

semiconductors, information technology,

computers, and optical engineering.

Since its establishment in 1980, the park

has seen enormous success in many

fields, earning Hsinchu the title “City of

Technology.”

But it is not only high-tech prowess

that has gained Hsinchu attention

on the international stage. The city

has also made a name for itself in

a craft that dates back long, long

before the first ever computers or

semiconductors made an appearance:

glass art. The annual Hsinchu City

Glass Art Carnival, which this year

took place from January through

April in and around the Hsinchu City

Glass Museum, fuses traditional art

with modern society. It is a showcase

of beautiful artworks in splendid

diversity complemented with glass-

workshop demonstrations and DIY

sessions during which visitors can

design their own pieces with the

guidance of professional artists.

“Happiness” and “Peace” were

the themes for this year’s carnival –

themes quickly understood by anyone

who visits Hsinchu Park where the

museum is located. A short walk from

Hsinchu’s main bus and train stations,

the park is a pleasingly calm oasis in

the midst of bustling surroundings.

When you enter, the buzz of traffic

quickly fades, replaced by the

sound of birds chirping and breezes

whispering through trees.

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

46 Travel in Taiwan

2014 Hsinchu City Glass Art Carnival

We found ourselves surrounded by a colorful array of palm trees, cherry blossoms, and

flowers. Glass-art pieces were scattered throughout, glistening

beautifully in the sun

On a sunny Friday morning during

a mid-February visit to the city with a

couple of friends, I entered the park by

crossing the Nine Curves Bridge, which

spans the appropriately named Lichi, or

Beautiful Pond. As its name suggests,

the pond is a charming introduction to

the park, with a lovely little pavilion in

the middle where visitors can take in the

beautiful landscape, watch schools of koi

swimming about, and listen to the many

species of bird chirping to each other.

Moving further inside the park, we

found ourselves surrounded by a colorful

array of palm trees, cherry blossoms, and

f lowers. Glass-art pieces were scattered

throughout, glistening beautifully in

the sun. The inspirational ideas behind

the works range from peace, love, and

happiness to religion and childhood

memories. The park is also home to the

Hsinchu Zoo (the third largest in Taiwan),

the Holiday Flower Market (open

weekends and holidays), the Hsinchu

Confucius Temple, and the Vision Hall of

the Windy City.

The building

in which the

Hsinchu City Glass Museum is housed

was constructed in 1936 for the use of the

Japanese royal family and high-ranking

government officials visiting Taiwan.

In the decades after Taiwan regained its

independence from Japan in 1945, the

facility was utilized by such groups as the

Kuomintang's Taiwan Military Takeover

Committee, the Americans’ Military

Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG),

and the Hsinchu Military Police. The

city government opened the museum on

December 18, 1999.

The building has a south European-

style oblique roof, reinforced Western-

style brickwork on the first-floor level of

the façade, and a Western classical-style

foyer. Design modifications were made to

the courtyard, interior space layout, and

landscaping to accommodate the museum’s

five functions: collect glass artworks, hold

glass-art exhibitions, engage in glass-art

education, boost the industry’s sales and

marketing, and conduct research on the

history of glass and on glass-making and

glass-art techniques.

SPLENDID FESTIVALS GLASS ART

Travel in Taiwan 47

One of the highlights of the annual

exhibition is the attractive Glass Art

Street, beside the museum along the

banks of the Beautiful Pond. Artists

were displaying and selling their

works in four beautiful Japanese-style

structures. They greeted us to their

small stalls with a smile, and a number

took pleasure in telling us stories about

traditional glass-art techniques that have

been passed down through generations.

Many have melded these traditions

with more modern stylistic elements,

such as using solar power and recycled

materials. It was evident that great care

goes into each finished art piece and the

processes used to create it.

The museum

is split into

numerous different sections with themed

permanent exhibits. The first section

we visited tells the history of the site,

portraying scenes of the past. We then

spent time in two large galleries on the first

floor in which works by artists from both

Taiwan and abroad are displayed. This

year’s carnival featured a solo exhibition

by Taiwan artist Zheng Mu-lian, entitled

“The Wild Fun of Making Glass Crafts.”

His 53 pieces on display were a splendid

showcase of creativity in the use of

materials available in day-to-day life.

Another noteworthy permanent

exhibit was the “Glass Imprisonment

Room,” featuring glass-art reproductions

of articles left behind by the last occupant

of what was used as a detention room

when the military police occupied the

building. Upstairs, visitors can follow

the timeline of glass’s history in various

human societies, from its first recorded

uses in 3000 B.C. Mesopotamia to

modern-day Hsinchu and elsewhere.

In the last display room we visited,

housing the permanent exhibit “The

Beauty of Glass Art,” we learned about

the three defining characteristics of a

English and Chinese Beautiful Pond 麗池Holiday Flower Market 假日花市Glass Art Street 玻璃藝術街''Glass Imprisonment Room'' 玻璃監獄Hsinchu Confucius Temple 新竹孔廟Hsinchu City Glass Art Carnival 新竹市玻璃藝術嘉年華Hsinchu Park 新竹公園Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport 國光客運Nine Curves Bridge 九曲橋The Wild Fun of Making Glass Crafts 游矽野趣Vision Hall of the Windy City 風城願景館Zheng Mu-lian 鄭木連

glass-art piece: its shape, its color (the

piece’s “feeling”), and its creative idea.

Most importantly, we were told, is the

use of light. The nature of a piece can

change completely depending on the

intensity, angle, and distance of the

light shone upon them. Much like the

infinite spectrum of light, a piece of glass

art can stimulate an infinite number of

sentiments within its viewer.

We learned that the Chinese style of

glass art captures the feelings from deep

within the hearts of the artists. This was

evident in all the creations we viewed at

the Hsinchu City Glass Museum, and

in the sense of pride that glowed on the

faces of the artists we met – knowing that

they had captured something rare and

beautiful, and proud to have it on display

for the whole world to see.

Practical Info

Hsinchu is easily reached from Taipei by both bus and train. Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport has a regular service (Bus 1822) from Taipei Bus Station; the trip takes just over an hour. Most trains, conventional and high-speed, traveling Taiwan’s western lines also stop at Hsinchu.The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00~17:00. Entry is NT$20 for adults.

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

48 Travel in Taiwan

Hsinchu City Glass Museum (新竹市立玻璃工藝博物館 )Add: 2, Sec. 1, Dongda Rd., Hsinchu City (新竹市東大路一段 2號 ) Tel: (03) 532-4834

The Chinese style of glass

art captures the feelings from

deep within the hearts of the

artists

GLASS ARTSPLENDID FESTIVALS

MRT Ximen Station, Exit 1

NET

Guanqian BranchAdd: 12, Sec. 1, Hankou St., Taipei City

(台北市漢口街一段12號)Reservation Hotline: (02) 2370-2323 (24h)

Ximen BranchAdd:156, Hanzhong St., Taipei City

(台北市漢中街156號) (Exit 1 of MRT Ximen Station)

Reservation Hotline: (02) 2389-0828 (24h)

Jilin BranchAdd: 196, Jilin Rd., Taipei City

(台北市吉林路196號)Reservation Hotline: (02) 2521-0060 (24h)

Jilin Branch IIAdd: 155, Jilin Rd., Taipei City

(台北市吉林路155號)Reservation Hotline: (02) 2521-1677 (24h)Guanqian

Branch

Jilin BranchJilin Branch II

Hankou St.

Kaifeng St.

Hu

ain

ing

St.

Jilin R

d.

Gu

an

qia

n R

d.

Chengdu Rd.

Ximen BranchMinsheng E. Rd.

Minquan E. Rd.

Foot massage(40 min.)+essential oil foot spa(10 min.)=50 min.

Price NT$500Whole-body massage(60 min.) or foot massage(60 min.)

(choose one of two) + essential oil foot spa (10 min.) =70 min.

Special Price NT$799Whole-body massage(60 min.) + foot massage(30 min.) +

essential oil foot spa (10 min.) =100 min.

Special Price NT$1,200

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

Zho

ng

hu

a R

d.

Xin

ing

S. Rd

.

Ha

nzh

on

g St.

Li Bing-hui Foot Massage Health CenterMany locals, travelers, and business people come to this well-known health center

Taiwan-style body meridian massage helps to stimulate blood circulation and metabolism and to strengthen the immune system. It also helps to relieve fatigue and pain.

10% discount for services costing more than NT$1,000 (at Ximen and Guanqian branches) Except for special prices

20% discount for services costing more than NT$1,000 (at Jilin and Jilin II branches) Except for special prices

Paiwan Pottery

Passing Down the Ancient Pottery Traditions of an Indigenous Tribe

Text: Cheryl Robbins Photos: Aska Chi

The Paiwan

Tribe has a population of

approximately 86,000, mainly

distributed in Pingtung and Taitung

counties in southern and southeastern

Taiwan. Traditional Paiwan society

was hierarchical, roughly divided

into four levels: chieftain, nobility

(chieftain’s siblings and other family

members), shamans/artisans, and

commoners. From objects in and

decorations on homes, and from

patterns on clothing and accessories,

it was possible to identify a person’s

social status.

For example, the hundred-pace

pit viper was (and is) a sacred animal,

and its depiction, whether on clothing

or on the lintel of a home, was strictly

for the chieftain. In addition, the

courtyard in front of a chieftain’s

home contained a large stone carving

of the ancestral image. Today, three art

forms are considered Paiwan cultural-

legacy treasures: bronze knives, glass

beads, and pottery vessels.

In the Paiwan creation legend,

the first members of the tribe hatched

from eggs inside a protective pottery

vessel guarded by the hundred-pace

pit viper and incubated by the sun’s

rays. For this reason, traditionally

not all pottery vessels were used

by the tribe for practical purposes.

There was a type of vessel that was

considered sacred, and displayed

on shelves in designated areas of

homes. It was taken out only during

special ceremonies. Such pots were

personified, and had male and female

versions – the first decorated with

hundred-pace pit vipers, the second

with protruding bumps representing

nipples. These vessels were not only

important ceremonial items, but also

essential betrothal gifts for weddings

within the chieftain’s clan.

INDIGENOUS ARTISTS

50 Travel in Taiwan 1

“The elders of the village say that clay has a memory. It can keep a form and even the artist’s

fingerprints”

Just as with

the tribe’s

other cultural treasures, however, many of its

pottery vessels have been “lost” in recent times

– sold to, or taken away by, collectors and others

outside the tribe – leading to a cultural crisis,

until some artisans from Sandimen Township

in Pingtung County stepped in. They researched

how to make the traditional-style pots, including

the technique used in firing them over an open

hearth. One of these artisans is Oko Matilin,

who opened the Oko Handicrafts Workshop to

produce the pots for the people of the tribe, later

expanding to serve a wider market and including

other cultural products.

Oko’s son Lavurus Matilin has opened a

cultural-creative design company on the same

premises to complement the efforts of the

workshop, and helps to design its products. The

workshop is located just off Provincial Highway

24 in Sandimen Township’s Sandi Village, down

a narrow lane, which is home to a number of

indigenous-run workshops.

Lavurus, like his father, grew up in this

village. He traces his artistic roots back to

his grandparents, who were also artisans. He

grew up watching his family members create

pottery, wood, and metal artworks, and became

interested in art and design at a young age. He

has never entered formal fine arts studies, but

has worked as an artisan’s apprentice and as an

intern at the National Taiwan Craft Research

and Development Institute in Nantou County,

learning the basic techniques of working with

all three media. When asked which medium he

prefers, he says that because they are so different,

he has no favorite. He first worked with clay, and

notes that, “The elders of the village say that clay

has a memory. It can keep a form and even the

artist’s fingerprints.”

For him, however, it is not the medium that is

important but the ability to continuously create

new works. This is the spirit of the Oko Workshop,

which is divided into two distinct work areas: one

for making pottery and one for woodworking. In

the pottery area, traditional-style pots are made

in different sizes: the larger conform to the actual

size of the traditional pots, while the smaller are

meant to serve as gift items. Molds are used for the

smaller pots, but the larger ones have to be formed

exclusively by hand due to their size and the detail

of their decoration.

Product development is currently focused on

the integration of different media, such as clay

and wood. Colorful ceramic coffee mugs are

created, some fitted with wooden handles that are

handmade in the adjacent woodworking area. The

solid-color mugs are decorated with traditional

Paiwan patterns. Some are crafted as a set of two

that fit together vertically, creating a splendid

gift to present to couples, notably at weddings,

especially as they can be packaged in an elegant

wood box. The workshop’s line of coffee mugs

and other everyday-use pottery items is currently

its most popular; in addition to being sold onsite,

they can be found at gift shops around the island.

Lavurus

notes that the use of

traditional Paiwan patterns is very important. “The

advantage of indigenous peoples in producing

products is our stories. These stories lead to different

patterns.” Near the entrance to the pottery work

area is a set of shelves lined with product prototypes.

New products are constantly being designed and

tested, and custom orders are also accepted, such

INDIGENOUS ARTISTS PINGTUNG COUNTY

Travel in Taiwan 51

1. Paiwan ar t is t Lavurus Mati l in2. Oko Handicraf ts Work shop3. Color ful ceramic cof fee mugs

1

2

3

2

3

Yuan Gan Wu Jian Creative Culture Company Ltd./Oko Handicrafts Workshop (原感物件創意文化有限公司 / 峨格手藝工作室 )Add: 52, Sec. 2, Zhongzheng Road, Sandi Village, Sandimen Township, Pingtung County ( 屏東縣三地門鄉三地村中正路二段 52號 )Tel: (08) 799-5200

English and Chinese Lavurus Matilin 拉夫拉斯馬帝靈Oko Matilin 峨格馬帝靈Paiwan Tribe 排灣族

Getting There & Getting Around

Self-drive: From National Freeway 3, exit at the Changzhi/Sandimen Interchange and connect to Provincial Highway 24, heading east toward Sandimen. Cross the Sandimen Bridge and continue on Provincial Highway 24. A few hundred meters past the intersection with County Road 185, turn left onto a smaller road. The workshop is about 100 meters ahead on the right.

Public transport: Take a train to Pingtung Railway Station. Turn left on exiting the station and walk to the Pingtung Bus Station (www.ptbus.com.tw; Chinese). Take bus No. 8227 to Sandimen (NT$68).

of the Taipei 101 building on the top. Just

below the skyscraper, on a piece of wood

jutting out that represents a girder, is a

pottery sculpture of a construction worker

who had no idea that he was helping

to create what would be, for a time, the

world’s tallest building. The message of

this piece is that we need to consider who

great achievements really belong to.

Another

of his interests is

developing tourism in his village. Part of

the property has been transformed into a

campground, and those interested in art can

stay overnight and make use of the pottery-

making and woodworking areas to create

their own works. Lavurus encourages such

exchanges, and recalls a visit by two artists

from the Caribbean who came to learn

traditional Paiwan pottery making and

firing techniques. Other plans for the future

are the development of a showroom and a

space for DIY activities.

as from companies wanting to create an

exclusive gift or commemorative item.

Although he enjoys being able to

create functional products based on

Paiwan legends and motifs, his dream is

to be able to spend more time creating

pure, one-of-a-kind artworks. Several of

his artworks have been exhibited around

Taiwan, and are on display at the entrance

to the pottery work area, including a set

of three wood-carved books representing

a record of stories.

Stories told to him by people during

conversations are the inspiration for his

works, such as a pottery sculpture of a

man sitting slumped over on a piece of

driftwood. This is the depiction of a now-

middle-aged man whose biggest desire in

life is to study in junior high school, but

after 40 years that opportunity has still

not come. Another work is a vertical piece

of driftwood with a carved representation

“The advantage of indigenous peoples in producing products is our stories. These stories

lead to different patterns”

INDIGENOUS ARTISTS

52 Travel in Taiwan

Visiting a Shellfish Farm in Tainan

Text: Steven Crook Photos: Rich Matheson

Taiwan is – no exaggeration – a paradise for lovers of seafood, with

clams being a particular favorite. They appear in soups and stir-fries, and

can also be grilled or pickled. Curious why Taiwan enjoys such an abundance

of clams, and eager to sample some of the island’s best, Travel in Taiwan recently headed to the southern city

of Tainan in search of answers.

Opening Up Taiwan's Clam

Heartland

54 Travel in Taiwan

FOOD JOURNEY

Clams are

found

around the world, in freshwater as well

as salt. An Arctica islandica clam found

in the sea off Iceland in 2006 turned

out to be 507 years old, making it the

oldest individual animal ever discovered

with an age that could be accurately

ascertained. Clams, like trees, have

annual growth bands, although the ones

enjoyed in Taiwan’s restaurants are

seldom more than two years old.

For as long as humans have been

living on the island, clams have featured

in the cuisine. Clam shells have been

discovered in middens around the

island. Even now, at many points

along the coast, some members of the

older generation still gather to cook

wild clams. The vast majority of clams

eaten in Taiwan nowadays, however,

are cultivated in coastal ponds along

the southwestern coast. With over

100 hectares devoted to raising clams,

Tainan’s Qigu District plays a major role

in local shellfish production.

Outside Taiwan, Qigu is best known

for the black-faced spoonbills and other

migratory birds that spend their winters

here. The presence of so many birds is

no coincidence. The mild conditions in

which clams thrive also support shrimps,

snails, and small fish, staple foods for

waterbirds.

Qigu’s

clam-raising heartland

is utterly f lat. Compared to other parts

of Taiwan, the absence of buildings and

greenery is striking. The region is criss-

crossed by long, straight, raised roads

and utility poles; at least three-quarters

of the surface area is covered with water.

It appears deserted at first, because when

they can the workers shelter from the

hot sun beneath tarpaulins. But as soon

as we began talking with our guides for

the day – among them Mr. Zhang Feng-

xu and Mr. Chen Jun-zhang, both third-

generation clam farmers – we began to

appreciate how much hard-work activity

and diligence is involved in bringing

tasty clams to the dinner table.

I asked Mr. Chen why his ponds

lacked the paddle-wheel aerator machines

that are a common feature of fish farms

in Taiwan. He explained that as long

as the ponds are big enough (20,000

square meters is an ideal size), waves

whipped up by the consistent breezes

from the nearby Taiwan Strait provide

enough aeration for clams. Each pond

is completely drained at least once every

two years so the sun’s rays can disinfect

the mud.

The ponds are 30 to 50 cm deep, and

have openings through which sea- or

freshwater is added, and exit channels for

draining excess water. The water’s salt

content must be between 25g and 28g per

kg (the seawater off Qigu has 33g per kg),

and Mr. Zhang said this level is easy to

achieve because plentiful freshwater f lows

into the area from rivers and streams.

12

3

1. Sor t ing clams according to size2 & 3 Work ing in the c lam ponds

If the water is insufficiently saline – a

risk if there has been very heavy rainfall

– the clams may die. These days, clam

farmers use a pocket-size instrument

to measure salinity, but in the old days

highly experienced farmers simply

checked by tasting the water. There are

no industrial parks nearby, so water

quality is of little concern.

Opening Up Taiwan's Clam

Heartland

Travel in Taiwan 55

ClamsFOOD JOURNEY

The region is criss-crossed by long, straight, raised roads and utility poles; at least three-quarters of the surface area is

covered with water

The clams raised by both

men only spend about half their lives in Qigu. The shellfish are actually bred on the coast of Yunlin County, 40km to the north, then moved to Qigu for eight or nine months before harvesting. According to Mr. Zhang, usually 70 to 80 percent of the clams transplanted from Yunlin reach a saleable size, which for most varieties is around 3cm across.

Clams, like most shellfish, consume

plankton, but modern-day clam farmers

supplement this diet with yeast and high-

protein fish food. Piscicides are not used;

in fact, Mr. Chen and his fellow farmers

raise milkfish in their clam ponds, and

not only because the fish can be eaten by

the farmers or sold. Milkfish feed on a

kind of weed which, if allowed to thrive,

chokes and kills clams.

Mr. Zhang and Mr. Chen work year-

round, but an especially busy period is

just before the Mid-Autumn Festival,

which usually falls in September.

Millions of Taiwanese families celebrate

this important traditional festival with

barbecues, and a large number of them

add clams to the feast.

There can be no doubting

the popularity of Qigu’s clams with

Taiwanese consumers, especially now

that it is known that these shellfish

are a lean source of protein, contain a

useful amount of omega-3 fatty acids,

and are high in iron. However, like most

other forms of farming in Taiwan, few

young people are willing to enter this

industry. The authorities are endeavoring

to introduce high technology to add

value and make the business less labor-

intensive. Both Mr. Chen and Mr. Zhang

have attended classes in which they have

learned how to minimize chemical inputs

and reduce disease risks.

The two men agree that among the

biggest problems now facing clam farmers

are the difficulty they face hiring workers

and climate change. None of the ladies

sieving harvested clams (sorting them by

size) at the time of our visit was under 45;

those out on a raft collecting clams from

the bottom of a pond with a vacuum-

cleaner-like device were scarcely any

younger. Temperatures have f luctuated

unpredictably in recent years, baff ling

even tremendously experienced clam

farmers like Mr. Chen’s grandfather.

Just as Qigu’s clam farmers

are doing their best to make their

industry more sustainable, consumers

can help by minimizing “food miles”

(the distance food travels from where it

is produced to where it is consumed). An

excellent way to do this is to enjoy Qigu

clams and other seafood delicacies close

to the source, at A-Food Alive Sea-Food

Restaurant, a few minutes’ drive from

Mr. Chen’s clam ponds.

Decorated with blow-up photos

of black-faced spoonbills, A-Food is

delightfully unpretentious. The tables

are of the circular sort favored by local

banquet-style establishments. The staff

wear matter-of-fact aprons. The fact

2

that this eatery was three-quarters

full, though it is in the “middle of

nowhere” and we visited on a weekday at

lunchtime, speaks for itself.

Like many seafood restaurants in

Taiwan, the menu lists neither prices nor

quantities. The former vary according to

season and availability. As for the latter,

customers can ask for larger or smaller

portions depending on how hungry

they are. It is best not to arrive with set-

in-stone opinions on what you want to

eat, but rather come with a mind open

to suggestions made by the chef, who

always knows what is best and freshest.

It can be assumed that A-Food has

served a great many clams in its history,

and the ones we enjoyed – in a soup, as

well as larger ones cooked to perfection

and served by themselves without

seasoning – exceeded our expectations of

excellence. Good clams taste more like

mussels than oysters, and anyone who

associates shellfish with slimy or rubbery

textures or gritty aftertastes will leave

A-Food with a newfound appreciation for

this food category.

56 Travel in Taiwan

FOOD JOURNEY

English and ChineseChen Jun-zhang 陳浚彰Qigu District 七股區Taiwan Salt Museum 臺灣鹽博物館Zhang Feng-xu 張峰旭

Anyone who associates shellfish with slimy or rubbery textures or gritty aftertastes

will leave the restaurant with a newfound appreciation for

this food category

1 2

3

1. Feast ing on f resh seafood2 & 3 Washing and inspec t-ing the clams

Getting There and AroundTo properly explore Qigu’s clam-raising district, you will need a car, motorcycle, or bicycle. Two Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus services, #7702 Southwest Coast Route from THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) Chiayi Station and #99 Taijiang Route from Tainan Railway Station, go to Qigu’s Taiwan Salt Museum, from where you can take a taxi to the clam-farming area.

A-Food Alive Sea-Food Restaurant (阿芬海產餐廳 )Add: 27-1 Haipu, Qigu District, Tainan City (台南市七股區海埔 27之 1號 ) Tel: (06) 788-2207; mobile: 0987-751-158

A-Food’s other standout dishes include

fried grouper, salted giant tiger prawns,

milkfish, and lobster. You will need a

Chinese speaker, or a decent phrasebook,

to order – but as is true with so much of

the Taiwan culinary experience, fortune

favors bold travelers, and rewards their

palates and stomachs!

Travel in Taiwan 57

ClamsFOOD JOURNEY

brelloWhen someone mentions the word “rollerblading” to you, you might remember a time when almost everyone you knew had a pair of roller skates or rollerblades, perhaps using them to train for the next ski season. Or you might remember people wearing neon-colored spandex, dancing to disco music on MTV spots during the'80s. This is a familiar part of the past for many Westerners, and although the memories or the knowledge of that era of high popularity may be ever fuzzier, some have continued with the sport and have pushed the boundaries of what is possible on rollerblades ever further. You might wonder, “Was it the same for people in Asia?” The short answer is: Yes, it was pretty much the same – the boom of rollerblading was indeed global.

The sport

has developed

numerous disciplines in the years since,

like speed skating, roller hockey, various

recreational forms and, as dubbed in the

’90s – aggressive inline skating, meaning

the extreme forms of inline skating. This

is the kind of rollerblading I personally

find to be the most enjoyable, and it is the

type you will see most often in Taiwan.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that other

disciplines are not popular here as well.

For example, when I go skating with

friends at Taipei's Guting Riverside

Park, we often run into others enjoying

recreational inline skating – a discipline

focused on endurance and fitness.

Other times, at skate spots on university

campus grounds, I’ve seen groups of

students slalom skating for social or

extracurricular fun on more than one

occasion, smoothly weaving back and

forth between little cones placed on

the ground. There is also a substantial

roller-hockey following in Taiwan, with

regular matches happening in major

cities and towns – sometimes even with

cheerleading squads! Most notable,

however, is that the Taiwanese are

actively seeking out formal instruction

in rollerblading, akin to people seeking

out qualified private-sector guidance in

music, mathematics, or foreign languages

in the West.

When it comes to aggressive inline

skating here in Taiwan, there are quite a

few individuals who perform at its highest

level. Wang Wei-chieh is one, and I have

had the privilege to go skating with him as

well as other advanced skaters on a regular

basis for about two years now. Wei-chieh

primarily makes his living by serving as

a rollerblading instructor – getting people

of all ages started, and teaching them

how to keep advancing. The training he

provides leans toward the extreme forms

of inline skating, but also includes other

forms. I often see him finishing up a class

with a group of smiling enthusiasts when I

arrive at a skate park for a little “blading”

session, and sometimes the students will

join us afterwards and continue practicing

till the lights are turned off.

A few weeks

ago we

went together to the recently built concrete

skate park in Xinshi Park in Pingzhen

City, Taoyuan County. While strapping

on our skates and loosening up, I took the

time to ask Wei-chieh about the best places

for rollerblading in Taiwan, and if he

himself chooses spots based on the specific

things he’d like to practice. His reply:

“For me, a pair of rollerblades is just like a pair of sneakers: I will always need them no matter where I go. So, regarding the question of where to go rollerblading,

brello

ACTIVE FUN

58 Travel in Taiwan

Wang Wei- chieh jumping at a ver t ical wall

bladingin Skating in Taoyuan

with an Accomplished Local Inline SkaterText: Hanré Malherbe Photos: Zenith Lin

“For me, a pair of rollerblades

is just like a pair of sneakers:

I will always need them no

matter where I go”

TaiwanL: Rollerblader Wei- chiehR: Rollerblader Hanré

bladingin Taiwan

ACTIVE FUN ROLLERBLADING

spine that connects the deep and shallow

ends of the skate park’s large bowl.

Impressively, Wei-chieh can spin both

towards the left and right in mid-air. Each

time I f lew over the spine with relative

ease, but not nearly as stylishly as he did.

Next, we went over to the street course

next to the bowl to do some “grinds” on a

big “box” in the middle.

It went

pretty smoothly

for both of us regarding successful

execution of tricks, although it took time

refining the stunts, and after almost

countless jumps we needed a little break.

I asked Wei-chieh how rollerblading has

influenced him over the years:

“As I think back over the past 10 years or so, one of the most valuable things I’ve learnt from rollerblading is how to be brave. Brave people never only

say ‘I want to …’, or ‘I wish I could …,’ but instead think of a practical way to deal with a challenge. You are most certainly going to fall down or fail at some point, but you must stay optimistic, and think about what happened. Maybe your body strength is not enough … or your reaction time was not fast enough. Approaching a challenge this way opens your mind to search for a solution. In the beginning I wouldn’t try to find a solution; instead I’d just take off my skates and go see a movie with friends or whatever. But each time I regretted not having worked at it just a little bit more. The same goes for the many challenges life throws at you: If you don't figure out a way to deal with them, you will end up living a life filled with regrets. But if you choose to think of ways to solve your problems, you will become more and more confident.”

His confidence shows. After our break

he proceeded to do the most difficult trick of

the most important factor in your choice should be imagination. If you use your imagination, many locations are suitable for skating. Trying to skate at a place you would usually ignore will force you to think differently about how you skate, and ultimately bring about better advancement of your skills. For me it is extremely important to make rollerblading a free and creative activity – which is what the sport is all about. Obviously, skate parks will provide many of the necessary elements, but there are so many more obstacles out there waiting to be creatively explored in non-conventional locations.”

I found this perspective inspiring, and

now felt even more excited about the day’s

rollerblading, so we got started right away.

First, we did some simple 180s (jumping

straight up and then turning 180 degrees

in mid-air, landing backwards) over the

He proceeded to do the most difficult trick of the day:

Grinding on top of the tallest, gnarliest mountain of concrete

the park has to offer

ACTIVE FUN

60 Travel in Taiwan

1. Gr inding on top of the tal lest wall in the park2. Pingzhen Skate Park3. Roll ing across a box4. Jumping of f the box

1

23

4

English and Chinese

Guting Riverside Park 古亭河濱公園Pingzhen City 平鎮市Wang Wei-chieh 王韋傑Xinshi Park 新勢公園

www.facebook.com/inlineriders?ref=profilewww.facebook.com/funboxrollerblade?ref=profileAlso, feel free to contact this writer via e-mail: idetitakimasu@gmail.com.And finally, here is a webpage with a good reference list of rollerblading terms: www.rollerblading.com.au/skating_glossary.htm

Pingzhen Skate Park (平鎮滑板公園 )Add: 58, Zhongyuan Rd., Pingzhen City, Taoyuan County (桃園縣平鎮市中原路 58號 )Take a train to Zhongli Railway Station and take a taxi to Xinshi Park (5 min.).

For more info on Taiwan's rollerblading scene, visit the following two Facebook pages (events, photos, Taiwanese rollerblade culture, etc.). They are mostly in Chinese, but don't be shy to post in English ... someone will answer you.

the day: Grinding on top of the tallest,

gnarliest mountain of concrete the park

has to offer – the coping on top of the

more-than-vertical wall in the deepest end

of the bowl. There was no way I would

attempt the same, so I just watched him in

awe for awhile, before deciding to finish

off the day with some jumps off of the

ramp-side of the box in the street course.

I’ll leave

you with

something one of my friends from the UK

once said to me about the rollerblading

scene here in Taiwan, which I think sums

things up pretty well:

“From my experience, the community is alive and well in Taiwan, whereas in the UK it is more broken up and it’s harder to find people. Here, the simple fact that you like the sport allows you to make friends and skate, but back home it is more about who you know and what you can do.”

ROLLERBLADINGACTIVE FUN

Your Journey Begins Here

The modern

version of the Chinese character for sun, 日 (ri), doesn’t

much resemble the sun, but in ancient times the character had the sun’s rounded shape.

The curvature on the left side of the modern Chinese character for moon, 月 (yue), is an

indication of the original character’s depiction of a crescent moon.

Both characters are quite common in Chinese; they also have the meaning of “day”

and “month,” respectively. If you put the two together you get the character 明 (ming),

which means “light” or “bright.” Combine 明 with the character 天 (tian; “day”) and you

get 明天 , meaning tomorrow (as in “when the skies once again brighten”).

Put two 月 together and you get the character 朋 (peng), meaning “friend/companion,”

which is usually used in combination with 友 (you), which alone also means “friend.” If

there should ever be a night sky with two moons shining down on you, make sure that a

good 朋友 is at your side.

Here are some other common characters containing either 日 or 月 : 早 (zao; “early”),

昌 (chang; “prosperous”), 唱 (chang; “to sing”), 晶 (jing; “crystal”), 有 (you; “to have”),

and 朝 (chao; “morning”).

One of the most famous tourist destinations in Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake in the center

of the island, is also written with the two characters for sun and moon in Chinese: 日月潭

(the last character, tan, means “lake”).

FUN WITH CHINESE

62 Travel in Taiwan

Illustration: Fred Cheng

ri

yue

Luckygift Bakery was established in 1988. The founder, Mr. Huang Yong-ji, is a first-generation apprentice of Mr. Tsuyama, a honey Castella cake master baker with renowned Japanese company Nagasaki Hompo. To prevent these handmade skills to be lost, Mr. Huang decided to establish his own company, Luckygift Bakery. He insists to use natural ingredients and keep the original taste and therefore, he won the major award such as National Quality Guarantee Golden award. Luckygift Bakery was named Excellent Business and noted as Famous Gift Bakery in Taipei. Recently, it is ranked No. 1 nougat in Liberty Times' fine food blog and No. 1 Mother's Day cheesecake in Apple Daily News.

Round Nougat (Rated No.1 by Fine Food Blogs)Luckygift Bakery’s original round nougat is soft, aromatic, and chewy but not sticky to your teeth; it has become one of its star best-selling products. Each piece is made by hand.Enjoy now our six different nougats in different delightful flower packages.

Honey Castella CakeThis house special cake with browned surface emits pure flower aroma and tastes delicious. This special skills to make it has been passed down over two decades.

Pineapple Cake (Star Product)With the crispy crust and soft filling, the sweet Pineapple cake is beloved in Taiwan. It is also the best seller for visitors.

Round Nougat

Pineapple Cake

Honey Castella Cake

Customer Service Hotline: (02) 2694-2299

Yanji Branch: 4, Lane 137, Yanji St., Da’an District, Taipei City (台北市大安區延吉街137巷4號); Tel: (02) 2741-7457

Guangfu Branch: 422 Guangfu S. Rd., Da’an District, Taipei City (台北市大安區光復南路422號); Tel: (02) 2704-5157 www.lucky-gift.com.tw

Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd.

Sec. 4, Ren’ai Rd.

Civic Blvd.

Lane 137, Yanji St.

●

ShinkongMitsukoshi

●

Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

● Taipei 101

MRT Zhongxiao-Dunhua Station

MRT Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

GuangfuBranch

Yanji Branch

Yanji St.

Guangfu S. Rd.

Baked Shaqima

EXIT 2

EXIT 1

EXIT 4

I S S N : 1 8 1 7 7 9 6 4

200 NTDG P N : 2 0 0 9 3 0 5 4 7 5