OutdOOr PlaygrOund

Northeast Coast

no. 59, 20139 10

tOP tEn tOurISt tOWnS MEInOng In SOuthErn taIWan

BaCKPaCK BuS tOurS nOrth COaSt trIP

FOOd JOurnEy dragOn FruIt In taOyuan

taitung Balloon FiestaSimakusi in hsinchu

Water Park Fun

/

Welcome to Taiwan!Dear Traveler,

A hot Taiwan summer is drawing to a close, and while it’s considerably cooler in the fall, the outdoors

still beckon. Many people even say that this is the best time for outdoor activities in Taiwan.

In this issue of Travel in Taiwan, we visit the northeast coast, which is a popular playground for outdoor

enthusiasts. Just a one-hour train ride f rom downtown Taipei, this part of Taiwan is a wonderf ully scenic

area where you can take in marvelous views of the wide open ocean, coastal mountains, sandy beaches,

and steep clif fs. There’s a plethora of choices for outdoor activities, f rom relaxed tanning on the beach to

surf ing four-foot breakers, to snorkeling and scuba diving, to bicycling and kayaking, to hiking and rock

climbing. Activities such as snorkeling and rock climbing can be done safely with the help of experienced

and qualif ied local instructors, so that even beginners can explore the underwater world and test their limits

on vertical rock walls.

For our Backpack Bus Trip we head northwest to explore the north coast, which is equally varied and

scenic. There, between the harbor town of Tamsui and the harbor city of Keelung, you can visit f ine sand

beaches such as Baishawan, the amazing Juming Museum, the old town of Jinshan, and the famous Yeliu

Geopark, among other attractions.

We then visit a farm in Taoyuan County for our Food Journey segment to learn more about dragon

f ruit, the juicy, ref reshing f ruit of a cactus-family plant that has a number of health-enhancing qualities –

and a nice taste too! In our Active Fun section we cool down in one of Taiwan’s best-known water parks, and

have f un trying out a variety of water slides and pools with manmade waves.

Finally, we head all the way down the eastern coast to the city of Taitung. There we spend an evening

taking in the warm and cozy atmosphere of the Tiehua Music Village, a live-music open-air venue where you

can listen to music performed by talented local musicians. North of Taitung is Luye Gaotai, a highland area

which in recent years has become the venue of a joy-inspiring event, the Taiwan International Balloon Fiesta.

For more than two months this summer, each day colorf ul giant hot-air balloons, some with amazingly

creative shapes, could be seen taking to the air, and in our Splendid Festivals article we take you on a short

tethered f light.

As you can see, when visiting Taiwan you’ll have the chance to play in the water, on the ground, and

even in the air! On behalf of the Tourism Bureau, I wish you a f un-f illed time here!

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)September/October, 2013 Tourism Bureau, MOTCFirst published Jan./Feb., 2004ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm

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1028

CONTENTSSeptember ~ October 2013

Travel in Taiwan 3

feaTure10 Northeast Coast — Main The Northeast Coast – Healthy Fun under the (So Very!) Warming Pacific Sun — Stay/Eat Overnighting and Eating on the Northeast Coast – Ocean Views and Fresh Experiences in Food

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

21 Meeting Tourists32 Fun with Chinese 54 Daily Life

BaCKPaCK BUS TriP38 Riding the North Coast Line

— A Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus Trip from Tamsui to Keelung

aCTive FUn50 Water Frolics

— Cooling Down and Having a Blast in a Local Water Park

38

46

TOP Ten TOUriST TOwnS22 Meinong

— Strong Hakka Culture, Bucolic Beauty

SPlenDiD FeSTivalS28 The Taiwan International Balloon Fiesta

— Colorful Balloons Paint the East Rift Valley

inDiGenOUS villaGeS42 Simakusi (Smangus)

— A Charming Village Deep in the Mountains

FOOD JOUrneY46 Cool Fire and Friendly Dragons

— Getting to Know the “Fire Dragon Fruit”

34

MUSiC TOUrS34 Taitung’s Tiehua Village — A Fine Place to Wind Down and Listen to Indigenous Music

Sun Moon Lake International Music Fireworks Festival (日月潭國際花火音樂嘉年華 )Location: Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township,

Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉日月潭 )

Tel: (049) 285-5668

Website: www.2013musicfestival.com.tw

Tranquil Sun Moon Lake’s Lalu Island divides the lake

into two sections, sun-shaped on the east and moon-

shaped on the west. Surrounded by forested mountains,

the lake’s smooth emerald-green surface is the perfect

mirror for fireworks spectacles. The fireworks music

festival is one of three grand annual events on the lake

area’s calendar, along with the Swimming Carnival

and the Cherry Blossom Festival. During the day, enjoy

walks and hikes along the lake and in the nearby hills,

and enjoy the lake loop, called one of the world’s 10

best cycling destinations by CNNGo, before settling

in at lakeside for the night-time symphony music and

fireworks fest.

The weather is cooling, and

festivals embracing

the joys of being outdoors are calling. If we tell you

to “go jump in the lake,” we mean no offense, for

there is a big cross-lake swim event coming up at

popular Sun Moon Lake. The lake is also the venue

for a both soothing and pulse-stimulating fireworks-

and-symphony-music jubilee. Elsewhere around this

endlessly stimulating land, enjoy theater in a city

center sitting on a grassy lawn, ancient Confucian rites

at Taiwan’s original Confucius Temple, a celebration

of woodcarving in a high-hill township, and more

fireworks and international-caliber

cultural-arts performances that are

part of Double Ten National Day

celebrations.

Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival (日月潭萬人泳渡 )Locations: Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township, Nantou County ( 南投縣魚池鄉日月潭 )

Tel: (049) 285-5668

Website: www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/English

Nantou is Taiwan’s only landlocked county, but it possesses one of its most beautiful water

pearls, Sun Moon Lake. This famous mountain-surrounded scenic destination is Taiwan’s

largest freshwater lake, and the idyllic setting has made cross-lake swim events, bicycling,

and marathons big draws. The annual Swimming Carnival, started in 1983 and, recognized

by the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2002, attracts tens of thousands of

swimming enthusiasts from around the world. The swim, 3,000 meters long, is open to

everyone with long-distance skills 10 years and older (minors must be accompanied by an

adult with life-saving qualifications), including the mentally/physically challenged.

Sanyi International Woodcarving Art Festival (三義國際木雕藝術節 )Locations: Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum

(88 Guansheng Xincheng, Guangsheng Village,

Sanyi Township, Miaoli County/ 苗栗縣三義鄉

廣盛村廣聲新城 88 號 )

Tel: (037) 876-009

Website: wood.mlc.gov.tw

Sanyi Township is in the south of hilly Miaoli

County. On the boundary of Taiwan’s north/

south weather systems, oft shrouded in mist November

through March, it is sometimes called “Taiwan’s fog capital.”

Fragrant camphor wood is available in abundance here, and

in 1918 Wu Jin-bao and his son began using it for creative

sculpting, later on passing on their skills to other locals. Today

the area is Taiwan’s wood-sculpture capital, teeming with

shops and studios. The woodcarving art festival, first staged in

2001, brims with local character, and includes static carving-

aesthetics exhibits, dynamic cultural-arts performances, and

DIY woodcarving experiences – both fun and edifying.have

fun during the Yilan International Children's Folklore and

Folkgame Festival.

Sep. Oct.28 13

Sep. 8

Oct. Nov.5 10

Fireworks and Cultural Entertainment Galore

Festivals in the Fall

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

4 Travel in Taiwan

Confucius Temple Cultural Festival (孔廟文化節 )Location: Tainan Confucius Temple (2 Nanmen Rd., Tainan City/台南市南門路 2號 )

Tel: (06) 299-1111

Website: www.confucius-temple.com.tw (in Chinese only)

The elaborate Confucius Ceremony, unchanged since ancient times, is centered around

sacrificial offerings showing respect to the “Supreme Sage and Teacher.” Filled with

auspicious symbolism, it was conducted quarterly (later solely in Spring and Autumn),

and also held to commemorate the establishment of schools by emperors or dukes,

imperial school visits, and emperors’ return from war. The Confucius Temple Cultural

Festival encompasses a wide variety of activities, including the Autumn Confucius

Ceremony, a heritage-site music salon, Confucius Temple ritual musical instrument

exhibit, guided temple tours, Confucian Six Arts theme activities, Minglun Hall

lectures, children’s drawing sessions, and classics readings.

International Fireworks and Arts Festival (國際煙火暨國際藝術季 )Location: Hsinchu County ( 新竹縣 )

Tel: (03) 551-8101

Website: www.hsinchu.gov.tw (Hsinchu City Government)

This is a key event in Double Ten National Day celebrations launched back in 1953, when the

fireworks were released from near Taipei’s Presidential Office Building. With the number of

fireworks growing to tens of thousands, the launch site was moved to near the Tamsui River.

Since 2000, different cities and counties around the country have taken turns serving as host,

each seeking to outdo all previous night-sky spectaculars. Each host incorporates special

local characteristics and folk customs into their presentation. There are myriad cultural-arts

performances, showcasing top troupes from home and abroad, making this also a world-class arts

festival.

Sep. 28 29

Sep. Oct.

Huashan Living Arts Festival (華山藝術生活節 )Location: Huashan 1914 Creative Park ( 華山1914文化創意產業園區 )

Tel: (02) 2707-1336

Website: www.hlaf.com.tw, www.huashan1914.com

This annual event, staged at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park heritage complex, will

feature 400-plus theatrical performances, with free weekend shows in Huashan Square.

The Center Stage program features many hit Taiwan works that have both received critical

acclaim and done well at the box office. The Demonstration program brings together troupes

of widely varying style; you’ll enjoy drama, dance, music, acrobatics, and other artistic

forms. The Outdoor Show program allows visitors to freely roam the Huashan Square lawn,

picnick, and watch shows in a unique theater-viewing experience. In the ARTS Hunting

Ground, you yourself become an artist and stage performer.

Oct. 10 Nov. 3

28 10

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

Travel in Taiwan 5

September ~ October

6 Travel in Taiwan

WHAT'S UP

News& Events around Taiwan

Happening

Giant Rubber Duck in KaohsiungStarting September 19, a giant rubber duck will f loat on the waters

of Kaohsiung Harbor in southern Taiwan. Since it was designed

by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman in 2007 several versions of

this giant yellow duck, which is inf lated with air, have been seen

f loating about in different cities around the world, including Sao

Paulo, Osaka, Auckland and, most recently, Hong Kong. The

artist’s aim in creating the duck has simply been to “spread joy

around the world.” The duck will be on display in Kaohsiung

Harbor near Guangrong Pier for about a month, and is expected to

draw more than 3 million visitors to the harbor.

Travel Guide

101 Tips To Living in TaiwanA couple of expats living in Taiwan recently

released a free online guide for people planning

to visit Taiwan for the first time and who are

considering living and working here. It’s a

comprehensive introduction with numerous

practical tips targeted at foreigners who know

nothing, or not much, about the island, based

on the couple’s own experiences. Download the

guide from: http://acruisingcouple.com/your-

free-ebook-download/.

Tourism

Travel Environment without ObstaclesNot every traveler is young and mobile. With populations in aff luent

countries aging, the percentage of older travelers is constantly

on the increase; families with young children, and the physically

or mentally challenged, are also among those who like to travel

and explore new places. Recognizing the needs of these travelers,

the Taiwan Tourism Bureau is actively working on making local

travel destinations obstacle-free. This year the Bureau has created

five model areas within national scenic areas that are suitable for

travelers with special needs: the seaside beach resort of Fulong on

the northeast coast, Baishawan Beach on the north coast, Sun Moon

Lake in central Taiwan, the hot-spring town of Guguan in Taichung,

and Dapeng Bay in southwestern Taiwan. All of these places feature

special facilities (special toilets, ramps and railings, parking spots

for the handicapped, paths suitable for wheelchairs, etc.), means of

transports (low-floor buses, wheelchairs for rent, etc.), and service

counters with helpful staff that enhance the travel experience of less

mobile visitors.

Exhibition

Pavilion of Dreams ReopenedThe Pavilion of Dreams inside Taipei Expo Park was recently

reopened, featuring a new presentation of a dreamlike world.

Visitors are encouraged to engage in interactive fun with the help

of special handheld smart devices (“The Dream Time Machine”).

Visitors create their own dream story while making their way

through the six halls, marveling at a wonder world created using the

latest technologies. Tickets for adults are NT$100. For more info,

visit www.dreams.tw (at time of issue in Chinese only).

Travel in Taiwan 7

WHAT'S UP

Scenery

Bitan Bridge Light ShowBitan, in New Taipei City’s Xindian District, is a popular spot for relaxed walks,

paddling on the “lake” (which in fact is a widened section of the Xindian River),

and dining on the riverbank. Spanning the river is a well-known suspension bridge,

erected in 1937 and recently listed as a historic site by the city government. In the

evening (every half hour from 7 to 9 p.m.) the bridge is now highlighted with a

special light-and-music show lasting four minutes, with a different theme each day

of the week. Getting to Bitan is very easy. Just take the MRT Xindian Line to the

terminal Xindian Station and walk about 5 minutes to the river.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!We, the producers of Travel in Taiwan, wish to improve our magazine with each issue and give you the best possible help when planning – or carrying out – your next trip to Taiwan. Tell us what you think by filling out our short online questionnaire at v-media.com.tw/survey/travelintaiwan.html. Senders of the first 10 completed questionnaires for each issue will receive three free issues of Travel in Taiwan. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Culture

Tainan’s Great South Gate Now a Cultural VenueHidden in a small park in the heart of Tainan City, the Great South Gate is a national

historic site of the third grade dating back 300 years. This summer the gate has been given

a new purpose, besides being an insider tourist side. Every evening the small half-moon-

shaped plaza in front of the gate, which is encircled by part of the old city wall, becomes

a venue for cultural performances. From Monday to Thursday young amateur musicians

are given the chance to show their talent, while Friday to Sunday established performers

are invited. Friday is “Jazz Night,” Saturday is “Classical Music Night,” and Sunday is

“Taiwan Song Night.” Apart from the musical entertainment, visitors can also sample

local traditional specialties such as shaved ice with fruit toppings, sit down for a fragrant

coffee, and browse stands selling traditional handicrafts. The gate is located inside

Nanmen Park at the intersection of Nanmen Road and Shulin Street.

Travel in Taiwan

E-Magazine AppTravel in Taiwan is also available as an e-magazine edition in the Apple Newsstand. iPad users

can now enjoy more content, and a convenient interactive reading experience. The e-magazine

contains more images than the print version, some of which can be shown in full-screen mode,

and also has multimedia content such as audio and video clips. The user-friendly interface

allows for convenient navigation through the magazine. Download the magazine free of cost

from the app store and read it on you mobile device wherever you go!

Airlines

Hong Kong-Tainan FlightsSince July, the cities of Hong Kong and Tainan have been connected by direct f lights

offered by China Airlines, allowing travelers to get from the modern, hustling

metropolis on southern China’s coast to the laid-back old capital of Taiwan and back

in no time. Services are offered on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. China Airlines

currently operates 159 f lights a week to Hong Kong from four cities in Taiwan,

including 88 f lights from Taoyuan, 28 from Taichung, 40 from Kaohsiung, and 3

from Tainan. For more information, visit www.china-airlines.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.

Akram Khan: Desh阿喀郎‧汗

September 20 ~ 22Novel Hall

Desh is a full-length contemporary solo work, the most personal

created to date by celebrated choreographer and performer Akram

Khan. Khan, born in London, is of Bangladeshi descent, and Desh

(Bengali for “homeland”) is essentially his attempt to understand

his parents’ country and thereby make sense of himself. The

performance is a combination of extraordinary dance, beautiful

music (by Joscelyn Pook) and lighting (by Michael Hulls),

and astonishing animation (by designer Tim Yip and digital

animators Yeast Culture.

Each year, the National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural

Center chooses a theme country for its annual “World View Series,” giving

local audiences the chance to learn about and connect with international

performing art trends. This fall the focus is on Belgium, and there will be

outstanding music, dance, and theater performances by Belgian artists in

the National Theater/Experimental Theater and National Concert Hall/

Recital Hall. The series will start with Guy Cassiers & Toneelhuis performing

Sunken Red, a lamentation for a deceased mother and a recollection of the

Japanese prison camps of WWII. Next up is Isabella’s Room, performed by

Jan Lauwers & Needcompany. The play is about a blind woman, Isabella,

who lives a withdrawn existence in a room in Paris and becomes a participant

in a scientific experiment in which a camera projects images of a collection

of objects directly into her brain. Following this will be the Concert of Lais,

featuring music by accordion player Didier Laloy and performances by

multidisciplinary artist Jan Fabre and choreographer/dancer Lisbeth Gruwez.

World View Series: Belgium

September 26 ~ December 8National Theater

世界之窗：非常比利時

The future of Hello Kitty, the world famous

fictional character created by Japanese

company Sanrio nearly 40 years ago, is

on display in this interactive exhibition.

Visitors can take part in interactive games

and explore the “Robot Kitty Smile

Technology and Interactive Exhibition”

to earn “K coins” and game points by

passing various tests. Hello Kitty fans can purchase a wide range

of Hello Kitty goods, including love arrows and golden helmets,

and marvel at the drawings of Robot Kitty created by several

Taiwanese celebrities.

Robot Kitty 機械 KITTY微笑科技互動展

July 12 ~ October 20Songshan Cultural and Creative Park

July 30 ~ August 4National Theater

Ballet Nacional de España, founded by legendary flamenco icon Antonio Gades in 1978, is a world-class company

consisting of highly talented dancers, singers, and musicians. Current Artistic Director Antonio Najarro has won

international recognition for the group in recent years. On this visit, Ballet Nacional de España is presenting two

classic dance pieces. Grito, which features live-band music, reveals the variety of f lamenco. Suite Sevilla combines

traditional Spanish dance, ballet, and bull-fighting dance with passionate songs composed by Rafael Riguenti.

Ballet Nacional de España: Grito & Suite Sevilla 西班牙國家舞團《佛朗明哥喝采》

Travel in Taiwan 9

CULTURE SCENE

This exhibition by the National Taiwan Museum

and Fu Jen Catholic University introduces you to

the traditional Chinese qipao. It has five themes

– Women’s Qipao Tales, The Bridal Qipao Collection,

Three Generations of Women, Beauty Is in the Details,

and A Century of Qipao Evolution. A total of 144

traditional dresses are on display as well as three

paintings depicting qipao-wearing women during

the Japanese colonial period and the early period

after Taiwan Retrocession. Visitors also have the chance to virtually “try

on” qipaos in a multimedia-experience zone with the help of a computer.

Qipao Memory, Modernity and Fashion旗麗時代：伊人、衣事、新風尚特展

May 11 ~ November 10National Taiwan Museum

The Killers 殺手樂團光榮戰役全球巡迴演唱會

September 28TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall

The Killers is a highly popular American

rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada,

formed in 2001 by lead singer Brandon

Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning.

The group’s debut album Hot Fuss (2004),

featuring the singles Somebody Told Me,

Mr Brightside, and All These Things That

I've Done, was a big success worldwide, with 7 million units sold. The

members have produced three more albums since then, with sales of more

than 20 million worldwide. In 2010, after six years of constant touring,

the group took a break, during which the band members pursued solo

projects. They returned to studio and stage in 2011, producing a new

album and touring the world. This September the band will be in Asia,

with concerts planned in Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan.

Taipei

Taipei Zhongshan Hall （台北中山堂）

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

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

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

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

Tel: (02) 2725-5200, ext. 3517, 3518 www.ticc.com.twNearest MRT Station: Taipei City Hall

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

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

Tel: (02) 2343-1100~3www.cksmh.gov.twNearest MRT Station: CKS Memorial Hall

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

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

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

National Museum of History （國立歷史博物館）

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

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

National Palace Museum （國立故宮博物院）

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

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

National Taiwan Museum （國立臺灣博物館）

Add: 2 Xiangyang Rd., Taipei City( 台北市襄陽路二號 )

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

Novel Hall （新舞臺）

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

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

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

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

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

Taipei Arena （台北小巨蛋）

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

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

Taipei Fine Arts Museum （台北市立美術館）

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Douglas Lapraik & Co. Building （得忌利士洋行）

Add: 316 Zhongzheng Rd., Tamsui District, New Taipei City(新北市淡水區中正路 316號 )Tel: (02) 2629-9522Website: www.tshs.ntpc.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Tamsui

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) 2896-1000Website: www.kdmofa.tnua.edu.twNearest MRT Station: Guandu

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 3 段 332 號 )

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venues

This exhibition focuses on maritime activities

during the Qing Dynasty (1644 ~ 1912). It

is divided into four sections: A Million Miles

of Defense, on the Qing court’s views and

governance of sea affairs; Sailing on the Seven

Seas, on the ships and trade competitions; Those Exotic Foreign Lands, on

the tributary system and Qing China's knowledge of foreign lands; and

Changes in the Coastal Life, on the development of coastal cities and overall

changes in life of those living off the seas. On display are historical

maritime materials from the Qing Dynasty, including various sea charts,

court decrees, palace memorials, imperial comments, official records,

and all kinds of writings about foreign lands and coastal life, as well as

Western reportage on China’s maritime frontiers.

May 3 ~ November 24National Palace Museum

Voyage with the Tailwind: Qing Archival and Cartographical Materials on Maritime History in the National Palace Museum順風相送：院藏清代海洋史料特展

Snorkel ing at Longdong Bay

10 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

Healthy Fun under the (So Very!)

Warming Pacific Sun

More

Travel in Taiwan 11

FEATURE NORTHEAST COAST

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-chen

Rock climbing, snorkeling, cape and mountain hiking, river and

sea kayaking, coast-side bicycling, surfing, barbecuing. These

are some of the outdoor-enjoyment options available on the

northeast coast menu. Sound like pleasure? Let’s head out, then,

to the mighty blue Pacific!

It’s a Monday morning, and I’m standing on a

street corner in downtown Taipei. It’s

startlingly early for night-owl me – 0700

hours. The rest of my adventure team

shows up, one by one. With all present

and accounted for, we launch. We’re self-

driving and, just beating the rush-hour

traffic, we’re out of the city and on the

northeast coast in just 30 minutes.

Our quest this trip – outdoor exercise,

myriad ways, in a big natural playground.

The northeast coast stretches from just

south of the harbor city of Keelung to

just north of the town of Toucheng in

the northeast corner of the wide, ocean-

facing Lanyang Plain in Yilan County.

We’re exploring the section that lies

within the Northeast and Yilan Coast

National Scenic Area, from a place called

Nanya to Toucheng.

Taiwan’s shape is often compared to

a tobacco leaf f loating in the sea, leaf tip

on the north, stubby stem on the south.

Long and high mountain ranges run

north-south along its length, the ridges

in the far north veering northeast and

dropping into the sea. This, as you’d

guess, makes for stunning scenery and

really nice photos. There are a few

f lattish indentations on the northeast

coast where farming is attempted, but

fishing is the name of the game in these

parts (along with tourism these days),

and all along the coast here you’ll come

across brightly painted craft packed

in like sardines in nifty little harbors

with cliff-y backdrops at the base of

high, finger-like capes. A single road –

Provincial Highway No. 2, commonly

called the Coastal Highway – is etched

into the base of the high bluffs that jostle

for position along the shore.

DAY 1

Rock cl imbing at Longdong Cape

12 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

Rock cl imbing instruc tor Xiao Huzi

One cl imbs, one holds the rope to ensure safet y

Rock cl imbing gear

Travel in Taiwan 13

FEATURE NORTHEAST COAST

Our first stop is Nanya, an area between highway

and coast that features gnarled sandstone

rock formations shaped by patient wind/water erosion. The

sun is still at a nice low angle when we arrive, accentuating the

whimsical nature of the shapes. The rock, underwater long ago,

has been pushed up by tectonic activity. The formations have

dazzling striations of iron that have become eff lorescent with

exposure to sun and air. The best-known formation is a giant

rock that looks – to me, an ice-cream lover fighting his weight

– like a humongous butterscotch custard (the sandstone) lined

with caramel layers (the iron) that is melting. Go verify for

yourself. The boardwalks here make a walk a pleasure.

Next up – rock climbing. Longdong, literally “Dragon

Hole,” has north Taiwan’s best rock climbing, on the sheer

rock cliffs that run along much of the length of Longdong

Cape. According to one of our two climbing guides this day,

Xiao Huzi (“Little Beard”), owner of XHZ Adventure School,

“Dragon Hole” refers to a massive cave at the base; long-ago

folk thought that surely “here be dragons.” The hole was carved

by wave and tide before tectonic activity pushed it up and out

of the sea. We meet up with Little Beard and Zhang Yu-xiang,

one of Taiwan’s top rock climbers, at the tiny fishing village

of Longdong, on the cape’s north side on Longdong Bay, at a

diving/snorkeling gear shop – the Longdong area also has north

Salt water swimming pools at Longdong Bay

Water ac tivit ies are safe with qual -i f ied instruc tors at hand

A puf fer f ish; Longdong Bay has many peculiar f ish

Jumping into the cool sea water

FEATURE

14 Travel in Taiwan

Taiwan’s best diving – just before the end of the village’s one,

dead-end, road. Making our way carefully along the boulder-

strewn shore beyond the village, we come to sheer-rock cliffs,

mostly sandstone, that soar 40 meters high, receive instruction

on climbing basics, and revel in two hours of scrambling up

and down at different locations. Our guides bring all gear, and

one is near you at all times, leading the way and attached to the

same safety rope.

Note: A long-time resident of Taiwan, American Matt Robertson, is the

author of a comprehensive guide to Longdong’s scores of climbing routes. Visit

www.climbstone.com for details.

Following this – sea snorkeling. Longdong Bay

(“Longdongwan”) is one of the northeast’s most popular

swimming spots on the northeast, and one of Taiwan’s top

diving locations, featuring a great variety of marine life in its

cool, clear waters. The recreational facilities within the park

here, Longdong Ocean Park, are centered on snorkeling and

diving. There is a large roped-off area with water up to a man’s

chest on the deep side. There are lifeguards, and if you rent

diving/snorkeling equipment you can swim about on your own

here. Snorkeling and diving classes are also held, and you can

pay, as we do, to have one of the licensed instructors take you

out into deeper water, where currents are stronger and a reef

serves as a natural breakwater. Not all of us are experienced

swimmers or snorkelers, so we do not venture further. (The

park demands everyone wear life jackets and dive suits.)

Though not quite as colorful as Kenting National Park, the

marine-life viewing is nevertheless splendid. Among the most

colorful and/or interesting creatures I see are angelfish, puffer

fish, starfish, clown fish, spiky urchins, f lying gurnards, and

scorpion fish. I repeatedly watch, fascinated, as fevered schools

of small sweetfish attack and eat the small, almost invisible

jellyfish that make it past the reef (your dive suit protects you

from the latter).

Tak ing in the sunset at Bitou Cape

The waters are teeming with f ish in al l colors E xplor ing the sea bot tom

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan 15

NORTHEAST COAST

After our sea life exploration – cape hiking. We first

tackle the Longdongwan Cape Trail, starting on Longdong

Cape’s south side. There is a large, attractive temple just off the

highway; the trailhead parking lot is just beyond. Our main

interest here is reaching the tip of the cape and taking in the

spectacular views standing on the edge of the sheer cliffs 40-

plus meters high in spots. For this you need just15~20 minutes

one way, passing by informative signboards with good English

and pathways down to the shore. We see scores of long-line

fishermen posed on rocky outcrops far down below, surf

crashing near their feet. Along the trail are grassy areas, one

with a gazebo where we get a great bird’s-eye view of the giant

dragon cave below, looking down past our feet. The dragon

seems to be out for the day, for all is quiet.

To the north, past Longdong Ocean Park, is the next cape,

rugged Bitou Cape. We go back, get our car, and drive to the

highway-side Bitou Cape parking lot. The large cape covers an

area of almost five square kilometers. There are two paths you

can follow, both starting beside the highway, both following the

cape’s south-side contours, one up above the cliffs, one following

the rocky shore, the latter defined by stone platforms and other

strange-shaped eroded landforms. They join above the cliffs about

half-way along to the cape’s tip, where a proud white lighthouse

stands 120 meters above the crashing surf (the structure itself is

12.3 meters). It was put up by the Japanese in 1896, and was given

its present form after being bombed by the Allies in WW II. The

cape’s path-accessed highest point is just before the tip, from

which we enjoy spectacular views of mountains falling into the

sea, north and south, as far as the eye can see.

DAY 2

Heading for the sea at Fulong

Guide Wang shows the proper way to hold a paddle

Kayak ing on the Shuangxi R iver

16 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

We overnight at Longmen Riverside

Camping Resort (see our

Feature – Stay/Eat article), and in the morning walk over to

the section along the Shuangxi River. Our host this morning

is John Sun, head of the resort’s kayaking operation. We get

our life-jackets and paddles, are introduced to our guide,

Wang Yu-wei (“Wei Wei”), and receive instructions in

kayaking basics. I note that all the kayaks are open-faced

and are for two people (with a middle seat for kids), and John

informs me that originally all craft were the “Eskimo” kind

that seal around the waist, but that Asian folk are not as

experienced as Westerners on/in water, and customers were

always nervous they could not handle rollovers.

We head out with Wei Wei, first visit the long sand bar that

runs almost completely across the river where it meets the sea,

enjoying the sweeping coastal-mountain panorama, then head

upriver for a run of about 8 km (return), enjoying the egrets,

herons, crabs, jumping fish, and other local inhabitants.

Note: You’re out on open water for quite some time, so if pale-skinned like

myself, cover up well and bring sunblock, which is regularly washed off

exposed skin by paddle-splashing.

Just upriver from the kayaking center you’ll see a

picturesque suspension bridge, for bikers and walkers. This is

part of a long, easy-grade route stretching a few km south of

Fulong town and north to Yanliao village. Most people start

out from Fulong; there are bike-rental shops before the train

station, the daily rate just NT$100 (the Longmen campground

also has rentals for guests).

Our final outdoor challenge before heading home

to Taipei is surfing – well, attempts at

surfing, anyway. We first went to Wushi Harbor, where there

is a decided party atmosphere at the beach near the north-

side breakwater. The narrow road before the beach, with a

wooded area between, is lined with surf-gear shops, cafés, and

other outlets catering to the beach-bum crowd. Our host and

instructor this afternoon, Xiao Gu (“Little Gu”), is owner of

G-Cool Surf, a shop/café/bar selling and renting gear. This

and other shops give group surf lessons on the beach, and Xiao

Gu gives us a private lesson, kindly refraining from chuckling

as we endlessly fumble about and perform comic f lips and

tumbles. Telling us that the crowds at this popular location

make it hard for more accomplished surfers to find much open

water, he takes us a bit north to the less- or undeveloped beach

of Honeymoon Bay where hard-core surfers hang out. It is

at Daxi town, directly across from the highway-side railway

station. There are far fewer people here and waves at the area’s

surf beach are about four feet.

English and ChineseBitou Cape 鼻頭角Coastal Highway 海岸公路Daxi 大溪Fulong Visitor Center 福隆遊客中心Gold Fulong Route 黃金福隆線Honeymoon Bay 蜜月灣John Sun 孫兆鴻Longdong Bay 龍洞灣Longdong Cape龍洞岬角Longdong Ocean Park 龍洞海洋公園

Longdongwan Cape Trail 龍洞灣岬步道Nanya 南雅Ruifang Railway Station 瑞芳火車站Shuangxi River 雙溪河Wang Yu-wei 王玉瑋Wushi Harbor 烏石港Xiao Huzi 小鬍子Xiao Gu 小顧Yanliao 鹽寮Lanyang Plain蘭陽平原Zhang Yu-xiang 張宇翔

XHZ Adventure School (小鬍子冒險學校 )Tel: (02) 2215-9019 / Xiao Huzi mobile: 0939 625 099Website: www.xhz.com.tw (Chinese)

Longdong Ocean Park (龍洞海洋公園 )Add: 85K on Provincial Highway No. 2 (台二線濱海公路 85K)Tel: (02) 2490-9258 / 2457-6378Website: www.surfing.com.tw (limited English)

Paddle Around (舟遊天下 )Add: 8, Aly. 30, Ln. 811, Sec. 5, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City (台北市中山北路五段 811巷 30 弄 8)Tel: (02) 8866-2558Website: www.kayak.com.tw

G-Cool Surf Shop (極酷衝浪 )Add: 93-2, Gangkou Rd., Gangkou Borough, Toucheng Town, Yilan County (宜蘭縣頭城鎮港口里港口路 93之 2號 )Tel: (03) 977-0266Website: www.surfing.com.tw (limited English)

Chinese Taipei Surfing Association (中華民國衝浪運動協會 )Tel: 0933-625-518Website: www.facebook.com/ctsa.surf (Chinese)

Sur f shop owner Xiao Gu

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x

Inside the G - Cool Sur f Shop Catching a wave

Sur fer at Wushi Harbor

Travel in Taiwan 17

FEATURE NORTHEAST COAST

Getting There & Getting AroundA number of stations on the North Link Railway, which runs from Taipei to Hualien, are on the coastal strip we’ve explored here, and trains run often enough that you can use it like a bus to explore the northeast coast. Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (www.taiwantrip.com.tw) buses on the Gold Fulong Route also cover much of this article’s area, running between Ruifang Railway Station and the Tourism Bureau’s Fulong Visitor Center.

Boards can be rented on the beach at Wushi Harbor

When exploring the northeast coast’s long, narrow band of somewhat flat land between Nanya and Toucheng town, your sleep options range from rustic “au naturel” campground accommodations to an upscale spa resort. Since you’re traveling an area dotted like a long necklace with fishing harbors, you won’t be surprised that the main ingredient on local restaurant menus is freshness. And local seafood eateries serve delicious fresh-from-the-boat fare that leave you free of pocketbook heartburn.

18 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE STAY/EAT

Overnighting and Eating on the Northeast CoastText: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-chen

Ocean Views and Fresh Food Experiences

If you arrive with zero in the way of camping gear, no problem

Nanya Bitou Cape

Longdong Bay

Longdong CapeLongdong Ocean Park

Honeymoon BayDaxi

Provincial Highway

Railway

County Road

New Taipei City

East China Sea

Yilan County

Wushi Harbor

Toucheng

G-Cool Surf Shop

Longmen Riverside Camping Resort

Fulong

Leo Ocean Resort

Wushi Harbor Live Seafood Restaurant

to Keelung

to Yilan/Hualien

Fullon Hotel Fulong

Other fine options to consider are the Fullon Hotel Fulong

(http://fulong.fullon-hotels.com.tw), a villa-style resort not far from

the Longmen campground, and the hot-spring town of Jiaoxi,

just south of Toucheng (next stop on the railway), which has

scores of quality hot-spring hotels in different price ranges.

Eating“Wushi Harbor Live Seafood Restaurant”

is the largest, brightest,

and best of a row of seafood restaurants fronting Wushi

Harbor. The food here, from land and sea, is ultra-fresh

– you’ll see many of your selections-to-be swimming and

crawling in entrance-area tanks. The catch actually comes

from nearby Daxi Fishing Harbor, for much of Wushi Harbor

is now given over to tourist-cruise craft used for popular

outings to within-sight Guishan (Turtle) Island, and island

f ly-by dolphin/whale-spotting excursions.

AccommodationLongmen Riverside Camping

Resort, perhaps

Taiwan’s most popular campground, is between coast and

highway just north of Fulong town. “Longmen” means “dragon

gate,” referring to the debouche of the camp-side Shuangxi

River, the northeast’s largest waterway. According to the

general manager of the sprawling 37-hectare campground,

Chen Chin-ying, the facility was opened in 1991 on the former

site of a massive sand-mining operation, and hosted the

FICC International Camping Rally in that same year, with

participants coming from around the world. Where there was

once a giant open pit, today you find rest and relaxation amidst

a quiet oasis of tall trees.

Well, quiet during the week, anyway. This is very much

a place for families and student groups on weekends. The

campground can handle a total of 1,400 people. There is a

superb range of accommodation facilities, with 231 campsites

(grass, wooden platforms, roofed wooden platforms, and

automobile campsites) and spacious, comfortable wood cabins

available, and a wide range of recreation facilities – swimming

pool, wading pool, sand pool, bike rentals and bikeway,

watersports, basketball court, etc. (see our main Feature for

more on the exercise options). Food is also sold on-site, and if

you arrive with zero in the way of camping gear, no problem –

everything from tents and sleeping bags to barbecues and towels

can be rented.

Leo Ocean Resort is the brainchild and,

quite evidently, the beloved child

of developer John Kao. Just north of Toucheng, it is built

on a rugged slope right up to and onto the rocky shore.

The architecture emulates elements of Yilan’s traditional

courtyard residences, with red brick, white-mortar trim, and

ceramic artworks worked right into the walls. The grounds are

landscaped so anything man-made blends with the upraised

coral, giant boulders, and stratified rock formations. Pathways

curve around the natural “coral art,” and the freshwater

swimming pool is built around upraised “coral islands.”

There are lovely alfresco saltwater hot-spring pools, with

superb ocean views; and rooms, all sea-facing, are outfitted

with Japanese-style tubs. The nature-heated saltwater, which

seeps down through stratified rock layers, picking up minerals,

is piped up from 800 meters below ground. Within the resort is

the Lion’s Kingdom Museum, displaying Kao’s superb private

collection of ancient Chinese treasures, most of which he says

were smuggled out of China during the Cultural Revolution.

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan 19

STAY/EAT

The food here, from land and sea, is ultra-fresh

Wushi Harbor L ive Seafood Restaurant

On the menu (Chinese) you’ll see six Taiwan banquet-style

feasts for 8~10 diners. The lowest-priced is a 10-course repast

which, though just NT$2,000, features five seafood courses.

Smaller groups and individuals are welcomed, with prices

adjusted according to dish number/type.

The best dishes, in my humble opinion? No. 1, without a

doubt, is the delectable batter-fried neritic squid with garlic and

dried chili peppers, followed by the sashimi platter, clam soup,

and yashang (dried and smoked duck, an Yilan specialty). I’d

better stop there.

Though introduced second in this

article, the

Seascape Café is my favorite area spot for a meal (and two

coffees). Inside Longdong Ocean Park, it has the bright, airy look

and feel of a window-walled café on a quiet Greek island, along

with the requisite majestic, unobstructed sea views. The food is

primarily landlubber fare, and I always have difficulty choosing

between the spicy beef noodles and cordon-blue-style “cheese

pork” (the rosemary chicken is also good), so I usually get my

wife to order the one I don’t and then I eat hers too. Set meals

are just NT$250. There are three tasty specialty items made with

locally harvested seaweed, a peppery seaweed-and-egg soup, agar

jelly, and dried eucheuma seaweed. Agar jelly, popular in Japan

as a health food, is emerging as a local home-made specialty, sold

at more and more northeast coast locations.

It is a rite of passage, so to speak, for travelers to and

through the Fulong area to buy the famed, f lavorful, filling

Fulong railway lunchboxes. The best are sold at shops before

Fulong Railway Station; they were originally sold only from the

platform to hungry passengers on trains stopped at the station.

Each is about NT$60, and typically contains three or four

pieces of meat, a soy-stewed egg and soy-stewed tofu, pickled

cabbage, and rice.

20 Travel in Taiwan

FEATURE

Longmen Riverside Camping Resort (龍門露營渡假基地 )Add: 100, Xinglong St., Fulong Township, Gongliao District, New Taipei City (新北市貢寮區福隆村興隆街 100 號 )Tel: (02) 2499-1791~3Website: http://www.lonmen.tw (in Chinese only)

Leo Ocean Resort (理歐海洋溫泉渡假中心 )Add: 36, Sec. 4, Binhai Rd., Toucheng Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣頭城鎮濱海路 4 段 36號 )Tel: (03) 978-0782Website: www.leogroup.com.tw

Wushi Harbor Live Seafood Restaurant (烏石港活海鮮餐廳 )Add: 31, Wushi Harbor Rd., Gangkou Borough, Toucheng Town, Yilan County (宜蘭縣頭城鎮港口里烏石港路 31號 )Tel: (03) 977-7972

English and ChineseChen Chin-ying 陳錦營Daxi Fishing Harbor 大溪漁港Fullon Hotel Fulong 福容大飯店福隆Fulong railway lunchbox 福隆火車便當Guishan Island 龜山島Jiaoxi 礁溪John Kao 高建文Lion's Kingdom Museum 河東堂獅子博物館neritic squid 小卷Seascape Café 海景咖啡廳yashang 鴨賞

Wushi Harbor L ive Seafood Restaurant

Café at Longdong Ocean Park

SHILIN NIGHT MARKET

Travel in Taiwan: How long are you staying in Taiwan?

Yannick: Two weeks.

Travel in Taiwan: Which places in Taiwan have you visited so far?

Luc: We have been to a lot of places already. In Taipei, we visited

the National Palace Museum – very interesting, with many

ancient treasures. We also enjoyed the hot springs in Beitou. We

went to Yeliu on the north coast, and had a look at the peculiar

rock formations. We’re now exploring Taroko Gorge, and have

already walked the Shakadang Trail, which we liked a lot.

Travel in Taiwan: What do you think about the gorge?

Annie: The views here are very impressive, really

spectacular. The narrow and winding road through it must

have been very difficult to build. Taroko Gorge is the most

interesting of all the places we have visited in Taiwan so far!

Travel in Taiwan: What is your general impression of Taiwan?

Luc: Our travels in Taiwan have been a huge change for us,

coming from France. The language, the landscapes, and the

climate are all so different! The local people are very kind, and

attentive to your needs. There are a lot of places we’d still like to

visit, and we hope we can come back again in the future. Travel in Taiwan: Where have you been to so far?

Julien: First Taipei, then we took a bus to

Kenting [National Park] and then a train up

to Hualien. We travel by bus and train.

Travel in Taiwan: What made you decide to come to Taiwan?

Remy: We are currently studying in Osaka, Japan, so flying to

Taiwan is cheap and convenient. We were just curious about

this place. The weather is great and the landscapes awesome.

Julien, Remy, and Yannick

Yannick: Sorry, we need to hurry now. We want to take the

next Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus to another stop in Taroko

Gorge. See ya!

We Were

Curious

about

this

Place

At Swallows’ Grottos in Taroko Gorge, one of the natural wonders of the world,

Travel in Taiwan asked French tourists about their Taiwan travel experiences.

Luc and Annie

H i g h w a y t h r o u g h Taroko Gorge

MEETING TOURISTS

Travel in Taiwan 21

MEETING TOURISTS

Meinong

Tradit ional Hakka residence

Strong Hakka Culture, Bucolic Beauty

Meinong’s East Gate

Farmers har vesting wild lotus

Jin Xing Shop owners

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS

22 Travel in Taiwan

Text: Rick Charette Photos: Maggie Song, Vision Int'l

Oilpaper umbrellas

Meinong Hakka Culture Museum

Meinong k .c . s . Umbrella

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS MEINONG

Sitting on a small plain, a patchwork quilt of well-tended farm plots with a heritage settlement at its center, mountains looking down from three sides, Meinong is an old Hakka-culture enclave that is today a tourist favorite.

Travel in Taiwan 23

daily from shops by the bus station,

and at the attractive visitor information

center at 789 Tai’an Road, on the south

side of Zhongzheng Lake, the local

irrigation-water source, which is ringed

by parkland and viewing platforms.

Yong’an Old StreetThe Hakka take great pride in their

traditions, and these are on vivid display

along Yong’an Old Street, which abounds

with old shops/residences, shrines, and

other representative structures. At No.

177 is the rustic, open-front Jin Xing

Shop, opened in 1929, where master

tailor Shie Jing Lai and his wife craft

tunics and other traditional Hakka

clothing – all bright, lovely, and popular

with tourists. Shie loves to talk about

the rich symbolism incorporated into the

old-style blue-dye attire. One example:

The wide-band collar of men’s tunics

symbolizes the shape of the classic Hakka

fortified village.

At one end of Yong’an is the tall East

Gate, telling of a time when watchtowers

helped protect against bandits, rebels,

marauders from rival ethnic groups,

indigenous warriors and, sometimes,

government troops, always poorly paid

and almost always unwelcome. Beside

is Meinong’s original Earth God shrine,

built when this riverfront area was

opened. Such protective shrines dot the

area, as do jingzi ting or “respect writing

pavilions,” miniature pavilions where any

paper with writing was ritually burned

and sent back to heaven by education-

venerating Hakka, for it was heaven

that had given the miracle of paper and

written character to humankind in the

first place.

Oilpaper UmbrellasTaiwan’s exquisite handcrafted

oilpaper umbrellas are popular souvenir

purchases, and Meinong has long been

the mecca of production. Featuring an

intricate bamboo frame and lacquered

translucent paper, each is a distinctive

work of art painted with bold, colorful

designs. The secret of the art was brought

from mainland China’s Guangdong

Province in the early 20th century.

The family is all-important

to the Hakka, and an umbrella’s

circular perfection symbolizes the

“perfection” of family togetherness.

They are traditional wedding gifts,

for the pronunciation of “paper,” zhi ,

resembles that for “sons,” zi , thus

promoting fecundity.

Meinong has two tourist-oriented

sales centers. I recommend Yuan Xiang

Yuan Cultural Village, an attractive

mall which has live demonstrations. I

specially recommend Meinong k.c.s.

Umbrella, however, for a view into

Meinong’s non-tourist traditions. This

small workshop, run by a charming,

Featuring an intricate bamboo frame and lacquered translucent paper, each oilpaper umbrella is a distinctive work of art painted

with bold, colorful designs

Meinong History

Meinong was settled by members of the Hakka ethnic community in 1736. Taiwan Hakka today number about four million, about 15% of the country’s population. Meinong itself is about 90% Hakka. The group has close-knit communities, arising in large part as a result of discrimination and oppression in imperial times. The term “Hakka” in fact means “guest people.” Rarely enjoying secure title to land, they often settled in marginal areas – notably in mountains and foothills – and placed great emphasis on education (i.e., a non-material, highly mobile form of wealth generation). Meinong was long famed for producing an unusually high number of imperial scholars and, in modern times, PhDs.

Taiwan’s “Top Ten

Tourist Towns”

were declared early last year, chosen with

the help of public voting. Looking at the

list, I quickly settled on Meinong as my

favorite. In the summer I was contracted

by National Geographic to cover the

towns, and was not surprised when the

photographer sent over from the U.S., the

well-known Mike Yamashita, mentioned

that Meinong was one of the winners

that had made an especially favorable

impression on him. Special exhibits of

Mike’s Taiwan photos were later staged

in U.S. cities.

Here’s a shortlist of what visitors

like so much about the place: the lovely,

quiet farmland, with an in-close, mist-

topped mountain backdrop; thriving

old-time culture of the hardy Hakka

people, in a community brimming with

heritage architecture and the aromas of

the distinctive Hakka cuisine; relics of

the old, now defunct tobacco industry

– last century, Meinong was Taiwan’s

richest production area; exquisite hand-

crafted oil-paper umbrellas and inviting

studios; wonderful, leisurely biking

jaunts, through sleepy settlement and

into the country.

Located in southwest Taiwan, last

year Meinong was eaten up by the

broad-shouldered city of Kaohsiung,

becoming Meinong District. In this

article, however, I’ll do as everyone else

in Taiwan still does and call it a town.

BicyclingI promise that an already

guaranteed good time will be pleasure-

enhanced if you rent a bike to jaunt

about. The places you’ll want to visit

are spread out over the valley f loor.

Driving and scooter rentals are two

other options; public transportation is

not. There are seven color-coded bike

routes, totaling 40 km, with themes

including “folk culture,” “religion,”

“historical relics,” and “country.”

Quality bikes are available for NT$80

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS

24 Travel in Taiwan

gentle couple, Lin Rong-jun and Wu

Jian-ying, has a nationwide reputation.

It’s in the country just outside town

in the rear of the Lin clan’s venerable

courtyard residence; the couple

inherited the business from Lin’s father.

They’ll make your umbrella to order,

and you can also DIY-decorate your

own mini-umbrella for a few hundred

NT dollars.

TobaccoBetween the late 1930s and 2002,

Meinong was Taiwan’s tobacco-growing

king. After Taiwan’s 2002 WTO entry

the industry quickly withered and died.

Many of the curing barns are now used

as storage sheds, and a few have been

turned into pottery studios.

Be sure to visit the Meinong Hakka

Culture Museum. This pleasant facility

sits in open farm country, with big views

all about. Its shape evokes Meinong’s

tobacco barns, and there is a full-scale

mock-up inside. There are displays on all

aspects of local culture and history; some

have English, and there are free English-

audio guides as well as English tours

(with advance booking).

Hakka CuisineThere are a number of good local

Hakka-cuisine restaurants, but I

especially like Meinong Traditional

Hakka Cuisine, home to friendly staff,

tasty, hearty, inexpensive food, and

intriguing antiques sourced from valley

farmsteads.

Traditionally, isolated Hakka

communities, often in the hills, grew

their own food, with few fresh vegetables

available during cool winters. Preserved

meats and pickled vegetables were

thus common. The culinary style is

characterized by an especially sensitive

way of combining only the freshest of

crisp vegetables, when available. These

are chopped and combined in myriad

manners and stir-fried lightly to evince

the most delicate f lavors. The heavy use

of garlic, oils, and spices is avoided.

The frugal Hakka have a dish for all

animal parts; for example, pig’s intestine

with ginger shreds is a favorite. The

heavy labor of both men and women in

mine, forest, and oft-marginal field –

places of traditional Hakka industries

– led to substantial salt loss, leading

to extra-salty dishes. Most restaurants

these days hold back, however. Be sure

to try the wild lotus, a local specialty,

which many locals report plucking from

Zhongzheng Lake when kids. In lake-

area farms you’ll see workers submerged

in water up to chest and neck.

English and ChineseEast Gate 東門Hakka 客家人jingzi ting 敬字亭Lin Rong-jun 林榮君Meinong 美濃Shie Jing Lai謝景來Tai’an Road泰安路wild lotus 野蓮Wu Jian-ying 吳劍瑛Yong’an Old Street 永安老街zhi (paper) 紙Zhongzheng Lake 中正湖zi (child) 子

The culinary style of the Hakka is characterized by an especially sensitive way of combining only the freshest of crisp vegetables

Getting There High Speed Rail, regular railway, and Kaohsiung Metro services converge at Kaohsiung’s Zuoying Station. Kaohsiung Bus Co. (www.ksbus.com.tw) coaches to Meinong can be caught outside the station; 13 stop here daily, 8:20 am to 8:20 pm (NT$148 one-way; 90 minutes).

Traditional Hakka Three-sided Courtyard Residences You’ll come across many old-style residences, even in the town. The semi-enclosed courtyard style is most common, with a single main entrance and high exterior walls to enable defense. To the courtyard’s center-rear is the ancestral altar. True Hakka residences have white brick and black tile; red brick/tile indicates influence by Taiwan’s Han Chinese majority. Other Hakka features are a door-top house name and three-sectioned walls with white-painted mud brick on top, earthenware tiles in the middle, and round stones at bottom. The white represents the older generation’s white hair, the red-tint earthenware symbolizes the hard-working middle generation’s blood (sweat and tears), and the stones represent the hope for many children.

Jin Xing Shop (錦興行 )Add: 177, Yong'an Rd., Meinong District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美濃區永安路 177號 )Tel: (07) 681-1191

Yuan Xiang Yuan Cultural Village (原鄉緣文化村 )Add:147, Sec. 1, Zhongxing Rd., Meinong District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美濃區中興路一段 147號 )Tel: (07) 681-0888Website: www.meinung.com.tw (in Chinese only)

Meinong k.c.s. Umbrella (廣進勝紙傘 )Add: 47, Minquan Rd., Meinong District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美濃區民權路 47號 )Tel : (07) 681-3247Website: www.urhome.shop2000.com.tw (in Chinese only)

Meinong Hakka Culture Museum (美濃客家文物館 )Add: 49-3, Minzu Rd., Meinong District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美濃區民族路 49-3號 )Tel: (07) 681-8338

Meinong Traditional Hakka Cuisine (美濃古老客家菜 )Add: 362-5, Sec. 1, Zhongshan Rd., Meinong District, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美濃區中山路一段 362-5號 )Tel: (07) 681-1156

TOP TEN TOURIST TOWNS

Travel in Taiwan 25

MEINONG

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song

For more than two months each summer the Luye Highland, north of Taitung City, is the venue for a marvelous event featuring colorful hot-air balloons, some of which have amazingly creative shapes.

It’s five in the morning, and the sun is

just coming up over Taitung

County’s Luye Highland (Luye Gaotai), in Taiwan’s

mesmerizing East Rift Valley. With the Central

Mountain Range to the west and the Coastal Mountain

Range to the east, the tableland provides stunning

views along the Beinan River system, the river’s many

tributaries giving rise to a patchwork of river terraces

laid out in lush fruit fields and tea plantations. At over

350 meters above sea level, the Luye Highland has, for

many years, been a popular destination for paragliders,

who come to the expansive grassy meadow with its

sloping south-facing hillside to pursue their passion.

Since 2011, however, the site has also been the launch

pad for a grander, more romantic means of f lying – the

hot-air balloon.

Just as dawn breaks over the plateau, a single

small, black helium balloon is released into the sky to

test the winds. Hundreds of pairs of eyes follow it as

it rises at a slight angle, nudged to one side by a light

breeze. Conditions are deemed favorable, and the hot-

air balloons are prepped to f ly. Ten are laid out on

the grass and, one by one, are slowly inf lated with air

until, within minutes it seems, they stand proudly,

gracefully upright, swaying in the breeze.

As we clamber into the wicker basket of one for a

scheduled ballooning jaunt, our vessel struggles against

its tethers as if impatient to get off the ground. “Are

you ready to go up?” our pilot, Edward Oordt from the

Netherlands, asks us, and with an earsplitting blast

from the burner we’re hoisted into the sky.

Colorful Balloons Paint the East Rift Valley

Ballons tak ing to the sk y

The balloon fest ival is a fun event

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

28 Travel in Taiwan

}{From a distance they

are tranquil giants, like

icebergs floating in the

water. But up close, the

roars of their burners

betray their frustration.

They are tethered beasts

yearning to be free

While for many the attraction

of ballooning

might be the serenity, f loating engineless above the clouds,

for Oordt, who sports a fantastic handlebar moustache, it’s

the sense of unpredictability. “In a balloon there’s always

excitement. Twenty-five years ago I was f lying planes, and in

a plane you just go from airport to airport, from A to B. In

a balloon, it’s always different. Sometimes the weather can

change very quickly, or if you’re f lying over woods or over a

city, finding a place to land can be very challenging.”

It’s also surprising just how big the balloons are. The one

we’re flying in has, according to Oordt, a volume of 133,000

cubic feet, and though it’s filled with nothing but hot air the

force the balloon exerts is palpably immense. Eight of the ten

balloons featured today are tethered to giant concrete dolosse in

order to keep them from making a getaway, and will carry groups

of four to a height of 50 meters before returning to the ground.

From a distance they are tranquil giants, like icebergs floating

in the water. But up close, the roars of their burners betray their

frustration. They are tethered beasts yearning to be free.

Two of the ten balloons, however, are to be let off the leash.

In previous years, only tethering was allowed at the festival, but

this year, for the first time, free-f lying trips are being offered to

groups at a price of NT$8,000 per person. Though it may seem

expensive, all available free-f lying sessions right through the

festival have been booked.

Ballons tak ing to the sk y

Baloon pi lot Edward Oordt f rom the Nether lands

SPLENDID FESTIVALS TAITUNG

Travel in Taiwan 29

{ }

Of the ten balloons on-site today, six are from the

Netherlands, adorned in striking sponsorship messages in

Dutch. There is also a checkered light-and-dark-green balloon

from the UK, nicknamed the Hulk by the organizers; an

American behemoth in the shape of a penguin wearing a cap

and shades, a Hawaiian shirt, and a camera around its neck;

and two of Taiwan’s very own, the pride of which is the heart-

shaped, strawberry-and-cream vessel with “Taiwan: The

Heart of Asia” proudly stamped across its chest.

This balloon is one of the lucky two that will take to the

skies today, to soar north along the East Rift Valley until

it finds terra firma in some as-yet-unknown destination.

It lurches slowly back and forth in anticipation of take-off.

And then finally it’s away, spinning slowly in mid-air until it

catches the wind, then streaming forward with silent purpose

over the crest of a hill and out of view.

Held over a period of ten weeks in the summer (this year from June 1 to August

11), the Taiwan International Balloon Fiesta is now in its third

year. “For over ten years we’ve held a Flying Season here at

the Luye Plateau, focused mainly on paragliding,” says Chen

Shu-hui, director-general of the Taitung County Tourism

Department. “After the first few years many other areas in

Taiwan started offering similar experiences, so we eventually

decided that we needed something fresh to attract tourists to

the area.” After deciding on hot-air balloons, and researching

the logistics for such a project, it was discovered that Taiwan

lacked both its own hot-air balloons and licensed pilots.

Consequently, in the festival’s inaugural year the organizer

were entirely dependent on the help of international pilots.

“The first year we staged the festival, we had to return all

the assets – balloons and pilots – and we realized that to lay

a proper foundation for this event we’d need to set down our

own roots. So we set into motion plans to train our own pilots

and obtain our own balloons.”

To date, seven Taiwanese have qualified as licensed

pilots, gaining their certification from the US’s Federal

Aviation Administration, and Taiwan now owns six

“The landscape here is so varied –

mountains, valleys, plains – and if you get

high enough you can even see the Pacific

over the Coastal Mountain Range”

balloons, purchased from Spanish balloon manufacturer

Ultramagic. There are plans to purchase four more after

this year’s festival.

This rapid local development has not stopped

international pilots from returning year after year

to Taitung. “The landscape here is so varied –

mountains, valleys, plains – and if you get high

enough you can even see the Pacific over the

Coastal Mountain Range,” says Chen. “It’s

not just farmland and fields. To be able to see

so much spectacular scenery in one f light is

something quite rare.”

The dramatic landscape is also something

that keeps drawing visitors back too. Only 20%

of visitors are locals from Taitung; the other 80%

come from all over Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia,

Hong Kong, and Japan. Some even come several

times in the space of a few weeks. “This festival provides

a special seasonal attraction in an already well-established

beautiful spot,” Chen states. “The Luye Highland is already a

picture in itself – but when you add in the balloons, it becomes

really breathtaking.”

This year over twenty different balloons are taking part in

the festival, and different novelty balloons are being featured

at different times. This is one advantage of the festival being so

long – the constant variety. While most ballooning festivals last

about a week, Taiwan’s is a marathon at over two months long.

As most balloonists are hobbyists, Chen invites them to

the festival for as much time as they can spare, often stretches

of one or two weeks. “This way we get to show lots of different

balloons in one two-month-plus period,” she says. “And as we

invite different novelty balloons every year, no one visit is the

same. Variety is the spice of life, as they say.”

30 Travel in Taiwan30 Travel in Taiwan

SPLENDID FESTIVALS

Getting There: From Taitung City, a taxi to the Luye Highland costs around NT$660 and takes around 35 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus to the site. Take the East Rift Valley Line to the terminal stop. For more info about the bus service, visit

www.taiwantrip.com.tw.

English and ChineseBeinan River 卑南溪Central Mountain Range 中央山脈Chen Shu-hui 陳淑慧Coastal Mountain Range 海岸山脈

East Rift Valley 花東縱谷Luye Highland (Luye Gaotai) 鹿野高台

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

This year the festival features a balloon

shaped like Darth Vader’s head,

an Angry Bird, a giant cake, a baseball-cap-wearing turtle, and

the aforementioned penguin. The classic, inverted-teardrop

balloon is, though, for me, hard to top. As they rise and fall

in the morning light, the orange glow of the burners only

momentarily revealing the human presence within, they are

simply ethereal – a natural phenomenon born of color and air.

The balloons fly only at dawn and dusk – a limitation

stemming from the fact that during the day the sun’s heat creates

thermal updrafts that make ballooning dangerous. Two hundred

tickets for the tethered flights go on sale daily at 5 a.m. and 3

p.m., with an extra two hundred going on sale after the first two

hundred passengers have flown. A tethered flight usually lasts

around ten minutes, and costs NT$500 per person. In addition,

the area has eateries, food stalls, and funfair rides for the kids,

and in the evenings there are barbecues and other events.

Pe n g u i n - s h a p e d b a l l o o n f rom the U.S .

Classic inver ted-teardrop balloon

H e a r t - s h a p e d b a l l o o n f rom Taiwan

Travel in Taiwan 31Travel in Taiwan 31

SPLENDID FESTIVALS TAITUNG

Woman in the House = PeaceIn the last issue of Travel in Taiwan we learned that the Chinese character for “man” is 男 (nan), consisting of the

two characters 田 (tian, field) and 力 (li , strength). Let’s now turn our attention to the character for “woman,”

which is 女 (nu, or more correctly, nü). It is said to have been derived from the image of a kneeling women, which when looking at

its present form requires a stretch of the imagination.

Pair 女 with子 (zi), the character for “child,” and you get 好 (hao), the character for “good,” which most people will agree

makes perfect sense, for a woman with a child is generally regarded as something good. The character 好 is, by the way, part of the

most common greeting in the Chinese-speaking world, 你好 (ni hao; lit. “you good”).

If you place the common radical 宀 (mian; roof) over 女 you get the character 安 (an; peace). A male chauvinist might smirk

when learning this character, feeling confirmed in his belief that women should stay at home to bring peace in life. Others might

instead say this character symbolizes that there is no peace without women in general.

So what if you put a roof over a pig – that is, you put the radical 宀 over the character 豕 (shi , pig)? What is the meaning of the

character you get? A pigpen? Or perhaps war, the opposite of peace?

Answer: You get the character 家 (jia), which means home. Some say that, in times past, having pigs and thus “wealth” under

your roof made a home. A female chauvinist might smirk when learning this character, however, feeling confirmed in her belief

that in many homes there is indeed a “pig” [man]...

FUN WITH CHINESE

nü hao an

Illustration: Fred Cheng

32 Travel in Taiwan

Taitung County is home to many a talented musician with indigenous background. Tiehua Village, in Taitung City, provides these musicians with a stage to perform and interact with visitors from afar.

Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Maggie Song

Dusk falls, and the

village

comes alive. A cool breeze blows

through, bringing a welcome respite

from the fierce afternoon heat. Bats dart

above our heads, silhouetted against

the twilight. The cicadas in the trees

across the way chirp rhythmically, their

sound matched in sync with the bustle

and chatter coming from the market that

borders the village. Groups lay picnic

blankets on the grass, order drinks

from the bar, and sit back to soak in the

evening. The clang of an iron bell rings

out. A band starts to play.

Hosting live music from Wednesdays

to Sundays, as well as a local food and

handicrafts market on weekends, Tiehua

Village is not, as its name might imply, a

municipal entity. It is, however, the home

of a small, distinct community, a gathering

point for local musicians and artists, and

a platform for them to perform in a city

strangely lacking in live-music venues.

“In Taitung there have always been a lot

of talented composers and musicians, but it’s

always lacked a good, stable performance

venue where these musicians can play,” says

Xiao Lu, the bassist in tonight’s summer-

jam performance.

The east coast, and Taitung City/County

in particular, is known as a hub of Taiwan’s

indigenous culture. Seven of Taiwan’s

fourteen recognized indigenous tribes

have a significant presence in the county,

representing 15% of the area’s population

– a substantial amount when you consider

that Taiwanese aboriginals only make up 2%

of the island’s entire population.

“Here in Taitung, many of the musicians

are indigenous people, and the music we

write tends to reflect the special qualities of

our tribes. Because of this, the musicians

here, their music, and their opinions about

music are very different from those in

Taipei, and Tiehua Village has provided

a place where the musical community

can come together and develop our own

perspective on music,” Xiao Lu adds.

Taitung’s Tiehua Villagei

t

Playing a nose f lute

A Fine Place to Wind Down and Listen to Indigenous Music

MUSIC TOURS TAITUNG

34 Travel in Taiwan

Built in 2010 on the site of

old railway workers’ dormitories next to the former, now dilapidated, central station, Tiehua Village stands in the middle of the Taitung City like an enclosed bastion of bohemianism. Though Taitung, with its open sky, broad and uncluttered sidewalks, and relaxed coastal vibe, is a far cry from the congested urban headache that is Taipei, Tiehua Village nonetheless gives the impression of being an oasis of calm amidst chaotic bustle, an enclave of peace and love amongst the 24-hr convenience stores, coffee chains, and KTV complexes.

The village comprises a large grassy

area, with one side bordered by a bar and

two permanent shops – Good Buy and

the Lovely Taitung Shop, which sell local

produce and crafts. On the opposite side

is a line of gazebos, which on Fridays,

Saturdays, and Sundays shelter a local

handicraft market, the Slow Bazaar. On

the northeast side is a newly constructed

small exhibition hall, where local

sculptors and artists can display their

work, while on the southeast side there

is an outdoor stage area, and next to it

an indoor venue where gigs are relocated

if the weather turns. In accordance with

the village’s go-with-the-f low approach,

however, performances are often staged

wherever the mood of the day dictates –

on the grass, under the eaves of the shops,

next to the bar.

“For indigenous music, you don’t

need many instruments or fancy

equipment, just people together and a

few drinks, and the singing starts,” says

a laughing Fong Cheng-fa, the village

manager and a member of the Amis tribe.

Fong epitomizes the spirit of Tiehua

Village. Despite standing over six feet

tall, being built like a small house, and

having the hair of a seasoned mosher, he

is remarkably polite and soft-spoken.

“Around 70% of the bands that play

here consist of local and/or indigenous

musicians,” Fong says, “but it’s not just

about the music. Here we have the local

market, workshops, exhibitions, theater

performances – we’re trying to get the

whole community involved. This place is

a sharing space.

“Many people who come here ask

why we haven’t got more indigenous

artifacts or exhibitions, but we feel

a

uh

e

i“Here in Taitung, many of the musicians are

indigenous people, and the music we write tends to reflect the special qualities of our tribes”

Local musician play ing the saxophone

Old Taitung Rai lway Stat ion Market at T iehua V i l lage

Vil lage manager Fong Cheng-fa

MUSIC TOURS

Travel in Taiwan 35

TAITUNG

that’s too old-fashioned, too much like

a museum. We’re not like the Formosan

Aboriginal Culture Village, with model

villages and the like; we’re here to focus

on modern indigenous culture.”

While th e village is certainly not an anthropological museum, it has a definite feel of being a world apart from Taiwan’s dominant, Chinese-inf luenced culture – whether it be the hand-made indigenous crafts available in the shops, the bracelets and patterned bags on sale at the Slow Bazaar, or the millet wine f lowing at the bar.

“For a lot of musicians, the fact that

this place has a lot of indigenous color

is very reassuring – it allows indigenous

musicians to feel like they’re performing

at home, and not feel so ill at ease,” Xiao

Lu says. “If you were to ask us to perform

this music somewhere else, I think we’d

feel very different.” Many of Taiwan’s

indigenous artists have developed a warm

sense of familiarity with the village, and

feel a special kinship. In June, Mandopop

superstar A-Mei, a member of Taitung’s

Puyuma tribe, played at the village along

with mellowed-out rocker Chang Chen-

yue of the Amis, with stripped-down sets

and ticket prices of just NT$500 (a fraction

of their usual concert-ticket prices).

While a few indigenous performers

like A-Mei achieve national and even

international fame, causing their

music to become more mainstream,

many of the local musicians still

experiment with blurring the line

between traditional and modern

music. Songs are sung in the language

of the musician’s tribe, and traditional

melodies, ballads, and chants are

mixed with rock, metal, and punk in

a spirit of experimentation that, while

it may not yield perfect results every

time, is gradually making indigenous

elements a mainstay of the area’s

popular music scene.

“For us personally, if we’re writing a

modern song, it feels safer, more natural

to include indigenous elements in some

way,” says saxophonist Kabudayang, also

from the Puyuma tribe. “It’s difficult to

explain why. Perhaps it has something

to do with this music being a part of our

DNA – we hear it while we’re growing

up, from when we’re very young. It’s like

when African-Americans play the blues

or when the British play punk rock; it’s

not the same when others do it. It may

be something to do with history, and

indigenous music is also an accumulation

of history, so including it has this feeling

of being right.”

But can such diverse musical

traditions coexist in one song?

“Indigenous music tends to be simpler,

less aggrandized, less adorned with skill

and technique than modern Western

music,” Kabudayang says. “It very

directly tells you a story. But the songs

aren’t simply love ballads. There are

songs that express anger, the warrior

spirit, sadness, heartbreak, joy. The

themes, in fact, are quite similar to those

of Western music.”

Xiao Lu adds, “Nowadays, a lot of

young indigenous people are very skilled

at mixing modern music and their own

traditional songs. And the songs they

write clearly have their roots in Taiwan.

If we sing English songs, it’s clear that

they’re not our own. But if we create

songs with elements of indigenous

music, they very clearly convey a unique

Taiwanese identity.”

al liv

Building for indoor per formances Guitar player per forming on stage

MUSIC TOURS

36 Travel in Taiwan

INFOTiehua Village (鐵花村 ) Add: 26, Lane 135, Xinsheng Rd., Taitung City (台東市新生路 135巷 26號 ) Tel : (089) 343-393 Website: See http://tw.streetvoice.com/users/tiehua/ for details on upcoming performances (in Chinese only)Admission: Normal entry is NT$250 (including one drink). Tickets can be bought at the entrance.

Opening Hours & Performance Times:Tiehua Bar, Good Buy, Lovely Taitung Shop: Tue-Sun 14:00-22:00Slow Bazaar: Fri 18:00-22:00 / Sat-Sun 15:30-22:00Performances: Wed-Sat 20:00-22:00 / Sun 17:00-18:00

Getting There: From Taipei, take a train to Taitung City. From Taitung Railway Station, then take a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus to the Visitor Center stop – you can take either the East Coast Line or the East Rift Valley Line. Tiehua Village is a short walk down the road.

English and ChineseA-Mei 阿妹Amis tribe 阿美族Chang Chen-yue 張震嶽Fong Cheng-fa 豐政發Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village 九族文化村Good Buy 好的擺

Kabudayang 卡布達漾Lovely Taitung Shop 台東好店Puyuma tribe 卑南族Slow Bazaar 慢市集Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 台灣好行Tiehua Village 鐵花村Visitor Center 服務中心Xiao Lu 小陸

eg

“Nowadays, a lot of young indigenous

people are very skilled at mixing modern music and their own traditional songs. And the songs they write clearly

have their roots in Taiwan”

T iehua V i l lage in the evening

MUSIC TOURS TAITUNG

Travel in Taiwan 37

Riding the North Coast

Line Text: Joe Henley Photos: Sunny Su, Fred Cheng, North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area

A Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus Trip from Tamsui to Keelung

Another issue of Travel in Taiwan, and once again I was on a backpack bus trip assignment. For those of you not yet in the know, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has set up

numerous tourist-shuttle bus lines around the island, designed to make the highlights of any particular region more accessible for self-help travelers. Buses leave regularly from

major public-transportation points throughout Taiwan, with schedules clearly posted and English signage pointing you in the right direction.

One of Ju Ming's famous Tai Chi sculptures

Baisha Bay Visitor Center

New 18 Kings Temple (Shimen Wedding Plaza)

Juming Museum

MRT Tamsui Station

Yeliu Geopark

Jinshan Old Street

Keelung Railway Station (Visitor Center)

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

38 Travel in Taiwan

Sur f ing at Baishawan

This time I was taking the Crown Northern Coastline route, with six

sites laid out by the Travel in Taiwan editorial team for me to

seek out and explore. A sealed package was handed to me before the trip, much in the

fashion of some black-and-white film noir spy thriller, and inside I found five silhouette

images of landmarks I was to locate. Should I be successful, I was promised a bountiful

night-market feast in the northern port city of Keelung at the end of the trip.

Baishawan is a good, if sometimes crowded, spot to

get some sun, and has warm, shallow water

Stop IAfter purchasing a one-day pass for

just NT$100, I caught the first shuttle

leaving from MRT Tamsui Station at

9 a.m. The first image in the package

depicted a surfer riding a wave. Perusing

the stops along the shuttle line, I saw that

the bus drops people off at the Baisha Bay

Visitor Center at Baishawan, or “White

Sand Beach,” less than an hour’s ride

from Tamsui. Baishawan is a good, if

sometimes crowded (on weekends), spot

to get some sun, and has warm, shallow

water. It also has some fairly tame waves

that are great for beginners to gain a

bit of confidence their first time on a

surfboard. Luckily for me, I was able

to locate the sole surf enthusiast out on

the water this day, lazily bobbing up and

down on the modest swells, waiting for

the right wave to come along. Snapping

a picture as proof of my find, it was back

to the shuttle and on to locate the scene

depicted in picture number two.

Stop IIThe second silhouette: a majestic

archway. Not a lot to go on, but

fortunately I didn't have to wait long

to lay eyes on my architectural quarry.

Just a few minutes from Baishawan, the

next bus I took stopped at the Shimen

Wedding Plaza, a collection of pristine

white arches overlooking a calm blue-

water bay. This is a very popular place

for couples headed to the altar to take

wedding photos. It also presents a perfect

opportunity for playful editors to have

a spot of fun with their writers, as the

accompanying photo of yours truly

sporting a white wedding veil prove.

Stop IIITwo down, four to go. This is where,

sadly, I must confess to a bit of cheating.

Silhouette three should have presented a

challenge, but I had seen such an image

before and immediately knew what it

was. The silhouette was of one of the

famous Tai Chi sculptures created by

well-known Taiwanese artist Ju Ming,

and the Juming Museum was two

stops along on my route. The museum

offers a walk through the artist’s full

career, from many decades past to the

present. Starting off as a woodcarver's

apprentice in his mid-teens, Ju Ming

had the courage to forego the predictable

demand for copies of traditional temple

carvings and choose his own artistic

path, moving into abstract sculptures

that would come to be celebrated by

the worldwide artistic community. The

exhibition of the museum that bears

his name is 80 percent outdoors, so you

can lounge about and enjoy the weather

amidst approximately 3,000 of the great

artist's works. After locating the specific

Tai Chi sculpture shown in my silhouette

package, one of many laid out across a

small plateau overlooking the coastal

town of Jinshan, I did my best to emulate

the frozen movements of the black blocks

of styrofoam locked in bronze, trying not

to pull a hamstring in the process.

Wedding Plaza arch Juming Museum

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

Travel in Taiwan 39

NORTH COAST

Stop IVGood times so far on the Crown

Northern Coastline route, as expected,

but then I saw the fourth silhouette, and

feared this was to be a much greater

challenge. It was like some kind of

abstract painting crossed with a maniacal

Rorschach test. Random happenstance

plays a large role in many of my journeys

to Taiwan’s corners, and Lady Fortune

has smiled upon me many a time. This

was to be one of those instances. I had

an inkling the picture resembled some

sort of featherless cooked fowl, and so

when the bus arrived in the coastal town

of Jinshan and stopped along Jinshan

Old Street, I got out to explore the

historic artery and its many eateries and

food stalls. One place was more crowded

than most. Jin Bao Li Duck is located

right in front of Guang’an Temple, and it

was here that the source of the silhouette

suddenly appeared before me. This

well-known restaurant has been serving

juicy boiled duck since 1960, in front

of a temple that is now over a century

old. After snapping a picture with the

owner holding up one of the restaurant’s

signature birds, I was off again.

Stop VHome stretch. I pulled out the

second-to-last silhouette and... what

was it? It looked something like a bust

of Nefertiti, but since there aren't any

museums specializing in Egyptian

artifacts nearby, I just assumed it must

be a rock formation in Yeliu Geopark,

the next stop along the route. Arriving

at the park, I set out along the pathway

laid out along the smooth, alien seaside

landscape, which resembles the badland

areas of North America. Beautiful sea-

urchin fossils are preserved in the rock,

but they did not distract me from finding

Nefertiti's Taiwan twin. When in doubt,

follow the crowd, and indeed it led me to

my prize: Queen's Head Rock. Posing

for a quick picture with Her Royal

Majesty, it was then back on the bus to

seek out the final cryptic location.

Stop VI

It was now getting toward late

afternoon, and the sheer process of

elimination meant I was on the verge of

locating my final silhouette source, for

there only one stop left along the route,

Keelung Railway Station. The silhouette

rather resembled a temple entrance. But

where is it that people in Taiwan prefer to

go in the late afternoon? Yes, they pursue

that great Taiwanese passion, food. I

was sure I'd find what I was looking

for at Keelung’s famed Miaokou Night

Market, which runs down a couple of

long, intersecting lanes not far from the

city’s harbor. There you'll find food stalls

with English signage advertising what

each specializes in. The evening crowds

get pretty thick, with local foodies and

visitors from abroad keen to fill their

bellies.

Ding bian suoJuic y boiled duck

At a duck restaurant in J inshan

Queen’s Head Rock

At Miaokou Night Market

Yel iu Geopark

BACKPACK BUS TRIP

40 Travel in Taiwan

Refreshing pao -pao ice!

English and ChineseBaishawan 白沙灣ding bian suo 鼎邊趖Guang'an Temple 廣安宮hong shao man geng 紅燒鰻羹Jinshan (Old Street) 金山 (老街 )Ju Ming 朱銘Keelung 基隆Miaokou Night Market 廟口夜市pao-pao ice 泡泡冰Queen's Head Rock 女王頭Shimen Wedding Plaza 石門婚紗廣場Tamsui 淡水Yeliu Geopark 野柳地質公園

Juming Museum (朱銘美術館 )Add: 2, Xishihu, Jinshan District, New Taipei City (新北市金山區西勢湖 2號 ) Tel: (02) 2498-9940Website: www.juming.org.tw

Jin Bao Li Duck (金山金包里鴨肉 )Add: 104 , Jinbaoli St., Jinshan District, New Taipei City (新北市金山區金包里街 104號 )Tel: (02) 2498-1656

More info about the Crown Northern Coastline Route at: www.taiwantrip.com.tw/Besttour/Info/?id=41.

In the midst of this gastronomic

madness was, as my luck would have it,

a temple – “Miaokou” means “temple

mouth” – the archway of which bounded

from my black-and-white printout and

manifested itself before me. Sweet,

sweet victory, and my reward followed

forthwith: a feast fit for a hungry

backpacker fresh from the north-coast

trail. True to their word, my Travel in Taiwan companions carted me about

to one food stall after another, treating

me to ding bian suo (fish ball soup with

rice noodles), a toasted bun filled with

nutritious veggies appropriately dubbed

the “nutritious sandwich,” a sweet, finely

shaved passion-fruit ice concoction

known as pao-pao ice, bite-sized round

pieces of tempura, hong shao man geng (eel

head soup cooked in Chinese medicine)

and, finally, some almond ice jelly to

draw the feeding frenzy to a close. It was

a filling end to a fulfilling day riding

the north coast on the Crown Northern

Coastline shuttle.

Pao -pao ice

Tempura

Hong shao man geng

Nutr it ious sandwich

Almond ice je l ly

BACKPACK BUS TRIP NORTH COAST

Edison Travel Service specializes in Taiwan toursand offers cheaper hotel room rates and car rental services with drivers .Edison welcomes contact with other travelservices around the world.

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宏祥旅行社_1-3_E_2013.01.pdf 1 2013/1/7 下午 05:33:42

Simakusi

Text: Cheryl Robbins Photos: Simakusi Visitor Center

If you really want to get away from it all, deep, deep into the

mountains, the Simakusi (Smangus) Community in Jianshi

Township of Hsinchu County is where you will want to be. This

small settlement is made up of fewer than 30 households and

less than 200 people, mostly from the indigenous Atayal tribe.

A Charming Village Deep in the Mountains

In the Atayal language, the

village is referred to as

Smangus. According to the elders of the

tribe, Mangus was one of their ancestors,

and the name Smangus was given to

commemorate and honor him. Simakusi

is the Chinese transliteration of the name.

To make things even more confusing,

the name Smangus actually refers to the

mountain on which Simakusi is located,

and other villages also located on this

mountain may be referred to as Smangus

as well. So, to avoid confusion, you might

want to stick with the name Simakusi, as

has been done in this article.

Although Hsinchu County is not

far from Taipei, visiting Simakusi is no

day-trip. This is one of the more remote

settlements in Taiwan, located at an

elevation of about 1,500 meters above

sea level. After getting off National

Freeway No. 3 near Hsinchu City it is

still a 60-kilometer, three-hour drive

along winding mountain roads. The

last 16 kilometers require almost an

hour, as the road is narrow, with heart-

stopping hairpin turns. As the tops of

several mountains come into view in

the distance, you will feel that you are

literally on top of the world.

The road into and out of Simakusi

was completed less than 20 years ago,

in 1995. Before that, if the residents

wanted to buy supplies or connect with

the outside world they had to walk many

hours and cross a river gorge.

The residents have a close connection

to the land, and have made the conscious

choice to live here. The Atayal consider

Ren’ai Township in Nantou County to

be the place of origin of their tribe. As

the population of the tribe expanded

groups moved northward and eastward,

including to Simakusi.

Smangus

42 Travel in Taiwan

HSINCHU COUNTYINDIGENOUS VILLAGES

During the Japanese occupation

of Taiwan (1895-1945), the colonial

authorities forced the people of Simakusi

to move to another part of the township.

After the Japanese left Taiwan the people

returned to rebuild their homes, farms,

and lives. Although life was hard at first,

without a road to connect them to the

outside, their priority was on reclaiming

the place where their ancestors had once

dwelled.

As Simakusi is located

high

in the mountains, there is less worry

about insect infestation, and homes can

be built from wood. Walking through

the village, you will see these rustic-

looking buildings lined up in a row. The

elementary school, which has only about

a dozen students, looks very much like a

log cabin. The residents have also built

some traditional structures, including

a watchtower and granaries. These are

some of the elements that give Simakusi

its charm.

All of the residents are involved in

some aspect of tourism, and thus there

are many opportunities to interact

with them. In addition, this tight-knit

community is working to preserve its

traditional tribal culture. There are

regularly scheduled tours of the village,

and those leading these tours dress

in traditional Atayal clothing. In the

evenings there are gatherings at the local

church, during which elders are invited

to speak in the Atayal language, with

translation into Chinese, and traditional

Atayal songs along with more modern

selections are performed by the youth of

the village.

There are several trails to hike here,

the most popular being the one that leads

to a group of nine very old cypress trees

– “old” meaning thousands of years old.

It is a walk of about 5.2 kilometers from

the village to reach the trees. Most of

the trail is fairly f lat, but parts can be

muddy, so shoes with good traction are

recommended. Allow four to five hours

to make it to the trees and back.

According to the Forestry Bureau, the

second- and third-largest cypress trees in

Taiwan are located close to Simakusi

Old c ypress tree

Mil let har vest

Simakusi in the winter

HSINCHU COUNTYINDIGENOUS VILLAGES

English and ChineseAtayal tribe 泰雅族Baling 巴陵Fuxing Township 復興鄉Jianshi Township 尖石鄉lin 鄰lin zhang 鄰長Naluo 那羅Ren'ai Township 仁愛鄉Smangus 司馬庫斯Taigang 泰崗Tianpu 田埔Xiuluan 秀巒Zhulin 竹林

Getting ThereThere is no public bus service to Simakusi, so you will need to have your own transportation. From National Freeway No. 3, exit at Zhulin (toward Zhudong and Chonglin) and connect to County Road No. 120. After connecting to County Road No. 60 you will head into the mountains, passing the villages of Naluo, Tianpu, and Xiuluan. At Xiuluan you will come to a police checkpoint. You must stop here to fill out a simple form and show some identification, such as a passport or ARC (Alien Resident Certificate). This enables the police to make sure that everyone that heads into the mountains from here is accounted for. Just before Taigang Village, there will be a fork. Take the left fork toward Simakusi.

The visitor center in Simakusi can also arrange transport between the village and HSR Hsinchu Station/Hsinchu Railway Station (charges are made per vehicle; see contact info below).

Simakusi (Smangus) Visitor CenterAdd: 2, Simakusi, Lin 14, Yufeng Village, Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County (新竹縣尖石鄉玉峰村 14 鄰司馬庫斯 2號 )Tel: (03) 584-7688; 0928-804-983Hours: (03) 584-7688; 0928-804-983Website: www.smangus.org (in Chinese only)

According to the Forestry Bureau, the

second- and third-largest cypress trees

in Taiwan are located close to Simakusi,

measuring 20.5 meters and 19.7 meters

in circumference, respectively. These

trees were not discovered by accident,

but rather through a long-term search

by the residents. In 1991, a lin zhang

(borough/neighborhood head) visited

the Baling area of Fuxing Township in

Taoyuan County and witnessed how the

discovery of old trees there had increased

tourism. That night he dreamt that there

were sacred trees in Simakusi, and he

remembered a story told to him by the

elders about a place with big trees. Upon

his return to the village he inspired the

residents to help him search, and after

three months they found the place the

elders had described.

Even if you do not have the time or

the stamina to finish this trail, any part

that you do see will be spectacular. The

trail features wooden bridges, small

waterfalls, bamboo thickets, and a forest

of trees that steadily increase in size

as you near the end. There are also a

couple of places where there have been

landslides, startling reminders of Mother

Nature’s sometimes fickle disposition.

Thus, although this trail is not difficult,

do pay attention to the surroundings

and do not attempt the hike if there has

recently been severe weather in the area.

To be able to enjoy

all of the

attractions of Simakusi, it is necessary

to stay overnight. If you do so, you will

discover the unique model for tourism

developed by the residents of the village.

Reservations for accommodation and

food are all made through a single

window, the Simakusi (Smangus) Visitor

Center. This center is operated and

managed by the village’s Presbyterian

Church. The money that is brought into

the community through its tourism

activities is distributed among all of

the households, so that everyone in the

community benefits.

The accommodation is somewhat

rudimentary, and more dormitory-style

than homestay. Rates start at NT$1,600

for a two-person room with shared

bathroom. There is a slightly more

upscale four-person room with own-

bathroom option (NT$5,000). Since it is

mostly groups that come here, the only

restaurant in the village has been set

up to serve round-table groups. Those

traveling with less than seven persons

pay NT$250 per person for lunch or

dinner. Breakfast is included in the room

rate. The fare is mostly Chinese; thus,

those wanting to try Atayal specialties

may be a bit disappointed.

The community maintains a website

with all of the basic tourism information

about the village, including maps and the

process for making reservations (www.smangus.org). There is currently only a

Chinese version, so you will need the

assistance of a Chinese speaker.

Tradit ional wooden house

INDIGENOUS VILLAGES

44 Travel in Taiwan

INDIGENOUS VILLAGES

Dragon fruit farmer Zhang L ai -t ian and his wife Hong Su - l ian

Cool Fire and Friendly DragonsText: Mark Caltonhill Photos: Sting Chen

The fire dragon fruit is a refreshing, nutritious, and healthful fruit that is available in Taiwan throughout the year. The fruit of a cactus plant, it is cultivated in areas with lots of sunshine and dry soil.

46 Travel in Taiwan

FOOD JOURNEY

Har vesting the f ruit

The next time you go for a check-up for diabetes,

high blood pressure, or constipation in

Taiwan, don’t be surprised if the doctor

recommends eating “fire dragon fruit” (huo long guo). Pitahaya – the fruit’s official

name – is rich in vitamin C and phyto-

albumin antioxidants, and its seeds are a

good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The fruit has a mild flavor, and serves as a

refreshing snack on a summer day.

Introduced from Central America to

Asia by European settlers, dragon fruit

were possibly brought to Taiwan as early

as the 17th century by Dutch colonists.

Nevertheless, it is only over the last few

decades that they have exploded in popularity

with both farmers and consumers, as well as,

more recently, with doctors.

Like other members of the cactus

family, the pitahaya is adapted to hot,

dry climates, and so thrives in areas of

exposed, low-altitude soils, which are

common around Taiwan’s coastline.

Like many related species, it grows year-

round, alternating between extending

its green, photosynthesizing stems and

producing f lowers and then fruit. These

vegetative/reproductive phases repeat

up to six times per year, producing six

harvests, meaning the fruit is available in

markets at almost all times.

Rather than

simply picking up this healthy food

in a market, however, it is more

interesting, more fun, and certainly more

educational to visit one of the country’s

growing number of leisure farms. Local

farmers teach visitors about the fruit’s

characteristics, the processes involved

in its production, and the labor involved

in harvesting it, and then invite them to

relax over some tasty dragon-fruit dishes.

Make sure, of course, to call ahead to

confirm that the fruit is in season.

One such destination, near Taipei City

and perfect for a half-day outing, is Xiang

Hao Farm. It is near Xinpo in Taoyuan

County not far from the coast, and is

owned and operated by Zhang Lai-tian and

his wife Hong Su-lian, who provide visitors

with a warm welcome and an informative

tour. Moreover, since Zhang worked as a

chef for 40 years before taking up farming,

a visit ends with a feast of delicious home-

cooked dishes.

“I planted these dragon-fruit plants

more than a decade ago,” says Zhang (in

Mandarin; visitors should make sure to

have a speaker of Chinese in their group).

“They’ve been producing fruit every

couple of months since they were half

a year old. It takes about 45 days from

f lowering for the fruit to develop. When

they’re not f lowering or fruiting, their

stems are growing; and although most

people don’t know it, you can eat those

too. They are good for stomach problems,

and taste a bit like seaweed.”

“Women on a diet should try the fruit

with a little salt,” Hong suggests, adding

that “My husband’s original recipe for a

dragon-fruit stem delicacy won second

Red-f lesh dragon fruit

Travel in Taiwan 47

DRAGON FRUITFOOD JOURNEY

The pitahaya is adapted to hot, dry climates, and so thrives in areas of exposed, low-altitude soils,

which are common around Taiwan’s coastline

Dragon f ruit f lower Ripe dragon f ruit

place at a cooking competition in Taipei’s

Grand Hotel a few years back.”

Zhang likes to eat them with a little

wasabi and thick soy sauce, whereas

Hong prefers them chilled on ice in the

summer months.

Another part of the plant rarely eaten

by non-growers is the f lower, Hong says.

These long tendrils, up to 10 centimeters

in length, can be infused as a tea, added

to stews, or even deep-fried.

A variety of itineraries are offered

to visitors: from simple pick-your-own produce experiences featuring a Zhang and Hong tag-team introduction to the culinary and health features of the fruit (produce paid for by weight), to full tours of the farm, including its other crops – among them passion fruit, lemons, lotus (the f lowers of which are admired and seeds and other parts of which can be eaten), and roselle, with f lowers that can be used to make hibiscus tea – to opportunities to learn the cultivation and harvesting technicalities, all rounded

off with a sit-down meal starring a wide range of vegetarian dishes. Some of these are prepared by Zhang, donning his chef’s hat, but visitors are encouraged to cook too, using the half-dozen open clay ovens erected near the homestead.

If visitors wish to cook meat, they

must mention this in advance, since not

only is Zhang a vegetarian, but he also

spent his four decades as a chef cooking

in Yiguandao restaurants. Yiguandao

is a syncretic religion, drawing on

elements of Confucianism, Taoism,

and Buddhism, and there are many

Yiguandao vegetarian restaurants around

the island, known for quality.

Near the end of their working lives

as a cook and a beautician, and already

with grown children, Zhang and

Hong obtained this land and, instead

of heading into a quiet retirement

playing with their grandchildren, found

themselves embarking on a new career as

fruit farmers.

“The soil in this strip of coastal land

is well-drained,” Zhang says. “This

suits cacti like the dragon-fruit plant. In

addition, the land is f lat and strong winds

are common, which prevents moisture

building up.” The only exception is at the

back of his property, where trees provide

shelter from both sun and wind, and

where he grows roselle.

This also means that irrigation is

light; Zhang hadn’t watered his crop in

three months. In fact, over-watering is a

danger to all cacti, and is one of the main

reasons why people often fail to produce

healthy dragon fruit at home, he says. It

is a relatively easy plant to grow, and can

be started simply by immersing a piece of

stem in wet soil.

Since few insects damage dragon

fruit, no spraying with pesticides is

needed. This makes it an attractive crop

for the couple, and also accords with

their religious belief to not take life.

Similarly, Zhang says that it is acceptable

for squirrels and birds to eat the fruit:

“They get hungry too.”

Does this make their farm organic?

“Well, we have not registered for

certification, so cannot openly claim our

fruit is organic,” says Hong. “In any case,

what we are focused on is producing

healthy and good-tasting fruit.”

“In any case, what we are

focused on is producing healthy and good-tasting fruit.”

Red-f lesh dragon f ruit

Dragon f ruit s tems with wasabi

48 Travel in Taiwan

FOOD JOURNEY

English and Chinesefire dragon fruit 火龍果Hong Su-lian 洪素蓮Xinpo 新坡Yiguandao 一貫道Zhang Lai-tian 張來添Zhongli 中壢

Xiang Hao Farm (翔豪農場 )Add: 37, Neighborhood 11, Tajiao Village, Guanyin Township, Taoyuan County (桃園縣觀音鄉塔腳村 11鄰 37號 )Tel: 0922-586-339 / 0975-402-921Getting there: Take a train to Zhongli Station, transfer to Taoyuan bus 5042 and get off at Xinpo (新坡 ) bus stop. Visitors are welcome on weekends but should call in advance to arrange pickup from Xinpo.

Two main varieties are

grown here.

Both have bright pink or red “fiery”

skins, which are inedible, while inside,

one has white f lesh and the other red.

“The white-f leshed variety is easier

to grow because its f lowers are more

likely to produce fruit,” Zhang says.

This might be the result of pollination,

since some varieties are capable of self-

fertilization, while others require cross-

pollination, aided by bees and perhaps

even moths and bats.

Nevertheless, it is the red-f leshed

pitahaya that the couple prefers, as do

those touting the pitahaya’s medical

benefits. It has higher doses not only of

vitamin C and almost no saturated fat,

but perhaps also of anti-oxidants, those

prized chemicals, which devotees claim

make pitahaya a “super fruit.” These

are credited with a wide range of health

benefits, from preventing hardening

of arteries, and so lowering blood

pressure and preventing heart attacks,

to removing free radicals and slowing

aging. Some even claim it inhibits the

progress of Alzheimer’s disease and can

help improve eyesight.

Whatever the truth of these claims,

dragon fruit is, ultimately, a foodstuff.

At the end of their tour, visitors to Xiang

Hao Farm sample plates of both white

and red fruit, freshly sliced by Zhang,

and try Hong’s delicious freshly squeezed

dragon-and-passion-fruit cocktail,

sweetened with a little honey. The couple

also cooperates with a local factory

to combine red-f leshed pitahaya with

milk to make dragon fruit ice-cream,

a Taoyuan specialty. Now there’s a

medicine that even children will be keen

to take dose after dose of.

Dragon f ruit ice cream and juice

Travel in Taiwan 49

FOOD JOURNEY DRAGON FRUIT

Smoothie House Chang'an Branch ~ Breakfast ShopAdd: 55 Chang'an W. Rd., Taipei City Tel: +886-2-2552-3250

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

The Most Popular Ice Shop in Taiwan

Colorful, Sweet, and Delicious

The ice treats of Smoothie House are made with fragrant aiwen mango cultivated in Taiwan. This type of mango has a firm texture and is 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.

For many tourists coming to Taiwan, visiting

Smoothie House is a must. Eating mango ice

simply is a joy and makes everyone happy.

Selling More than 1,000 Portions a DayMango ice is one of the most popular refreshing foods during the summer months in Taiwan. Try the mixed mango shaved ice, made with fresh mango, strawberry, and kiwi, a sublime combination of ice and superb fruit flavor! This is the best-selling item on the menu.

Smoothie on Facebook: www.facebook.com/smoothie151F, 15 Yongkang St., Taipei City2F, 15 Yongkang St., Da'an District, Taipei CityTaipei University Shop: 82 Guoxue St., Sanxia District, New Taipei CityTel: +886-2-2672-5078Longmen Shop: 52 Guo’ai St., Sanchong District, New Taipei CityTel: +886-2-2972-0758Beitou Shop: 294 Zhonghe St., Beitou District, Taipei CityTel: +886-2-2894-5511

Tel: +886-2-2341-8555Tel: +886-2-2395-8770

50 Travel in Taiwan

I am going to

Formosa

Fun Coast in the Bali District of New Taipei

City, one of the largest and, I hope, the most

exciting water parks in Taiwan. I am not to be

alone; some friends hop on as the train runs through

its stops. We get off at MRT Guandu Station and

transfer to bus R22 (Red 22), which has the water park

as its terminal station. Mt. Guanyin comes into view as

we cross Guandu Bridge over the Tamsui River, and we

then follow the highway along the river’s left side to the

coast. This really has the feel of a grand adventure!

We spot a large array of twisting, spaghetti-like

tubes standing out against the skyline; this is the

Formosa Fun Coast water park. In high season

(July and August) the park attracts 3,000

people on weekdays, and up to 7,000

per day on weekends. We

have come early to avoid the crowds,

but as we pass through the turnstiles the air

is already filled with the sounds of splashing,

laughter, and excitement.

Changed into our swimwear, our first stop is the

UFO Expedition. This year, in a poll of water-park

users, UFO Expedition was voted Taiwan's best ride.

We have high expectations and, climbing the 20-meter-

high staircase, a few nerves. Each f lying-saucer-like

inf latable holds up to five people, so however scary this

is going to be, we are all in it together....

We get off to a very fast start, coasting up

and down the sides of the wide slide like

skateboarders on a half-pipe. Thoroughly

soaked by the intermittent screens

Text: Paul Jacob Naylor Photos: Maggie Song, Sunny Su

It's 8 a.m. on a Thursday morning. On an MRT train full of sleepy

commuters, one young writer is wide awake — no doubt because

he is the only person on his way to a water park!

Cooling Down and Having a Blast

in a Local Water Park

ACTIVE FUN

We fly out of the tunnel and off

the end of the slide and land in a

plunge pool with a splash.

of water, we

enter a tunnel and the lights go

out. Disoriented by the dark and the

spinning of our saucer, we could well be

traveling blind through outer space! We f ly out

of the tunnel and off the end of the slide – for a

moment it is really a f lying saucer! – and land in

a plunge pool with a splash. Could there be a more

exciting 30 seconds?!

Invigorated by the UFO Expedition, we battle across

the Seattle Floating Bridge, an American Gladiators-style

assault course of f loating round and cylindrical pads. A

short stretch of swimming and a quick march up some

stairs brings us to the Tarzan Jump, a single rope swing

dangling 5 meters above a deep plunge pool.

Next we head to the Journey of Sky Pond, the

longest water slide in Southeast Asia. After climbing

into our pink number 8-shaped inf latable, we are

propelled down a twisty-turny slide and land in

the first of five “sky ponds,” all suspended above

the ground. The whims of the current – and the

slide attendants – dictate our crash course

from one pond to the next. At 400 meters

long, this is a real journey, and when we

are not busy handling the buffeting

against the sides of the slide

or overturning

in the sky ponds, we catch some

glorious views of Mt. Guanyin and the

ocean in the distance.

After lunch – Formosa Fun

Coast has a wide

array of eateries, serving everything from burgers

and fries to Taiwanese, Korean, and Italian specialties

– we feel it is time for something a little less active.

The Amazon River Voyage sounds like a safe bet. With

one rubber ring each, we drift sedately here and there,

following the river's winding course.

To our left and right we see children splashing

around in the Madagascar Adventure. While children

under 120cm cannot go on the big slides, there are

plenty of child-friendly play areas. Each space is f lanked

with several fun water cannons and, on top of the

climbing frames and small slides, is a large bucket,

which slowly fills with water and which at any given

moment can overturn, soaking everyone within a

10-meter radius!

Feeling a sense of complete relaxation,

my eyes are almost closed when Joanne,

a friend who is usually glamorously

demure, decides to start a

ACTIVE FUN WATER PARKS

Travel in Taiwan 51

52 Travel in Taiwan

Plunging downwards an

80-degree angle, I can do

nothing but close my eyes and

scream!

water fight. The

peace and calm of the Amazon

River is broken, and a battle royale

ensues...

We leave our rubber rings to continue down

the river on their own, and bound off to catch some

surf at the Formosa Fun Coast. The wave machine

is turned on and the waves, gently lapping the sandy

shore of the artificial beach, quickly turn into large

swells, almost sweeping me off my feet as we walk

into the water. After a short and restful sunbath on the

beach, we head off to find our next thrill, Aladdin's

Flying Carpet.

Laying on my belly, gripping the handholds of my

foam “carpet,” I f ly head-first down the steepest slide

of the day. This slide is covered, but a sea of twinkling

stars above – an Arabian Night? – gives off just enough

light to help me see that I am traveling very fast

indeed, my carpet zipping up and down the walls of

the slide. Suddenly, a bright light, and a big splash.

Approaching our last slide of the day, the

Bermuda Triangle, we all agree that Aladdin's

Flying Carpet has been the most thrilling so

far. At the stairs, we have three choices:

Mount one f light for The Twister, or

go right up to the top for the

Extreme Free-

Fall Slide. I think you can guess

which one we opt for.

“This is not very extreme,” I say to myself,

getting off to a slow start. Then I look past my

feet and see, with horror, that the slide is about to

run out. Plunging downwards an 80-degree angle, I

can do nothing but close my eyes and scream! I am

deposited into the plunge pool a shaking wreck. I get

out and go straight back up to the top. The feeling of

sheer terror as I see the end of the slide approaching

does not disappear the second time round. Five seconds

of near zero-G force later and I am back in the plunge

pool. Up to the top again; certainly, and inadvertently,

we have saved the best till last!

After September, the fun does not stop at

Formosa Fun Coast even though the slides are

closed. Instead, the Tang Spa offers some winter

warmth and relaxation. Decorated in the style of

the Tang Dynasty, the 4000m2 spa-hotel-restaurant

complex boasts a wide range of outdoor pools as

well as saunas, water jets to treat muscle pain,

and private baths. If you fancy playing at

Adam and Eve pre-temptation there is also a

nude spa.

ACTIVE FUN

English and ChineseAladdin's Flying Carpet 阿拉丁飛毯Amazon River Voyage 漂流亞馬遜Bali District 八里區Bermuda Triangle 百慕達禁區Formosa Fun Coast 歡樂海岸Guandu 關渡Journey of Sky Pond 天池之旅

Madagascar Adventure 勇闖馬達加斯加Mt. Guanyin 觀音山Seattle Floating Bridge 西雅圖浮橋Tamsui River 淡水河Tarzan Jump 泰山跳水UFO Expedition 幽浮迷航Zhongshan Road 中山路

Getting ThereTo get to the Formosa Fun Coast water park, take bus no. 13 or Red No. 22 from MRT Guandu Station. If self-driving, the park is easy to find, just off Highway No. 15 (Zhongshan Road) a little west of the raised Expressway No. 64. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in June and September, and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in July and August, except weekends, when it closes at 10 p.m. General admission is NT$$650 (NT$$550 for children). If you arrive after 5 p.m. you pay only NT$450 (NT$360).

Other Water Parks in TaiwanFormosa Fun Coast is not the only water park in Taiwan. Cooling water fun also awaits at Leofoo Village’s Leofoo Water Park in Hsinchu County, at Lihpao Land’s Mala Bay Water World in Taichung City, and at Janfusun Fancyworld’s Vicky the Viking water park in Yunlin County.

Leofoo Water Park is located next to Leofoo Village Theme Park and Leofoo Resort Guanshi. It has a distinct Greek style, and features a variety of water slides. There are a total of 16 water attractions, including eight water rides with unique shapes, a pool with man-made waves, a water cannon area, a fountain area, a sand area, and a family water-play area.

Mala Bay is the largest water park in Taiwan. It features a variety of water attractions, including a huge open-air artificial wave pool, a water-fun house, hydro slides, children's pools, the Lazy River, and much more.

Earlier this year, the Vicky the Viking Pirate Village opened at Janfusun Fancyworld amusement park. The village features multiple amusement facilities, such as the Magical Mirror Maze, the Vicky Lazy River, and Viking Waves. There is also a Pirate Stomp Show performed by professional Taiwanese and foreign dancers, exclusive Vicky the Viking merchandise, and pirate-themed meals.

Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸水上樂園 )Add: 1-6, Xiaguzi, Xiagu Borough, Bali District, New Taipei City (新北市八里區下罟里下罟子 1-6號 ) Tel: (02) 2610-5200Website: www.formosafuncoast.com.tw (in Chinese)

Leofoo Water Park (六福水樂園 )Add: 60, Gongzigou, Ren’an Borough, Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County (新竹縣關西鎮仁安里拱子溝 60號 )Tel: (03) 547-5665Website: www.leofoo.com.tw/village/waterpark/en

Mala Bay (馬拉灣 )Add: 8, Furong Rd., Houli District, Taichung City (台中市后里區福容路 8號 )Tel: (04) 2558-2459Website: www.lihpaoland.com.tw/mala/ (Chinese)

Vicky the Viking Pirate Village (小威の海盜村水樂園 )Add: 67, Dahukou, Yongguang Village, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County (雲林縣古坑鄉永光村大湖口 67號 )Tel: (05) 582-5789Website: http://fancyworld.janfusun.com.tw/webc/html/facility/facility04.aspx (Chinese)

Travel in Taiwan 53

WATER PARKSACTIVE FUN

Getting a Good Luck Charm at Xingtian Temple

Photos: Fred Cheng

Sometimes you just have a run of bad luck, or

you worry that you might be about to.

What to do if none of your “logical” actions seems to help? How

about seeking heavenly protection?

In Taiwan this is a very common practice, and most of the

faithful you see in local temples are doing exactly this when,

incense sticks in hand, they stand in front of the statue of a deity.

Many people in Taiwan always have good luck charms

around. Some put them in their purse, some attach them inside

their vehicle. These charms are obtained at temples, including

Taipei’s Xingtian Temple, a very popular place of worship which

always seems to be thronged with people.

After entering the courtyard of this temple you first go to one

of the volunteers handing out incense sticks. You take two and

first pay reverence to the Lord of Heaven (the Jade Emperor) and

the saints and sages of old, facing the front entrance of the temple

with the incense sticks in hand. Using your left hand, you put

one of the sticks in the incense burner there. You then walk to

the other side of the courtyard and, facing the temple’s main hall,

pay reverence to the Five Saviors and the other deities inside the

hall, putting the second incense stick, again with your left hand,

in the incense burner there.

Then take two half-moon-shaped divination blocks out of

the containers provided, hold them in your hands, and ask the

deities for permission to receive a good luck charm. Silently give

the Saviors your personal details (full name, address, age, and

date of birth), ask your question, and throw the two blocks on

the ground. There are three possible answers: Undecided (the

f lat side of both blocks face up), Negative (f lat sides face down),

and Positive (one f lat side faces up, one down). If the answer

is Undecided, you can throw the blocks again, until you get a

different answer. If the answer is Negative, your wish is not

granted, and you have to come again another day. If the answer

is Positive, you are granted permission to take your good luck

charm home.

After receiving a positive answer, go to the temple’s

information desk and ask for a good luck charm. Return to the

incense burner before the deities in the main hall and, holding

the good luck charm in your hands, move your hands clockwise

three times above the burning incense sticks in the incense

burner. This way you’ll make sure that the good luck charm is

blessed, and will thereafter protect you.

Xingtian Temple is easily reached by taking the MRT Zhonghe-Xinzhuang/Luzhou Line (Orange Line) and getting off at Xingtian Temple Station.

54 Travel in Taiwan

DAILY LIFE

Heavenly protec tion guaranteed

Moving the good luck charm in the incense burner

Paying reverence to the Five Saviors

1.

2.3.

4.

5.

Put t ing the joss s t ick s in the incense burner Throwing the hal f-

moon-shaped div ination block s

Travel in Taiwan 55

HOTEL ÉCLAT怡亨酒店 Taipei 台北

370, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da-an District, Taipei City 1061 0 6 台北市敦化南路一段37 0號

Tel: 02.2784.8888 Fax: 02.2784.7888Res. Hotline: 02.2784.8118

www.eclathotels.com

No. of Rooms: 60

Room Rates: Deluxe Room NT$ 12,000 Grand Deluxe Room NT$ 12,500 Premier Room NT$ 13,000 Premier 9 NT$ 15,000 Éclat Suite NT$ 35,000(All rates are exclusive of 5% VAT and 10% service charge)

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:English, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Cantonese,

RestauRaNts: Éclat Lounge, George Bar

sPecial featuRes: Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World; strategically located in the most fashionable and prestigious district of Taipei; offers guests great convenience for business and entertainment; Wi-Fi connectiv-ity and in-room business facilities; variety of meeting rooms providing the ideal venue for professional meetings, corporate functions, and social gatherings.

COSMOS HOTEL TAIPEI台北天成大飯店 Taipei 台北

43, Chunghsiao (Zhongxiao) W. Rd.,Sec. 1, Taipei City, 100

(MRT Taipei Main Station, Exit M3)1 0 0台北市忠孝西路一段4 3號 (捷運台北車站M 3號出口)

Tel: 02.2361.7856 Fax: 02.2311.8921Reservation Hotline: 02.2311.8901

Reservation Fax: 02.2311.8902 E-mail: cosmos@cosmos-hotel.com.tw

www.cosmos-hotel.com.tw

No. of Rooms: 225Room Rates: SUPERIOR SINGLE NT$ 4,500 SUPERIOR TWIN NT$ 5,000 EXECUTIVE DELUXE NT$ 5,200 DELUXE TWIN NT$ 5,500 FAMILY TRIPLE NT$ 5,600 DELUXE TRIPLE NT$ 5,800 FAMILY QUAD NT$ 6,200 DELUXE QUAD NT$ 6,800 VIP ROOM NT$ 6,800 JUNIOR SUITE NT$ 8,000 DELUXE SUITE NT$ 16,800 COSMOS SUITE NT$ 20,000Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, Japanese, English, Cantonese

RestauRaNts: Cantonese Dimsum, Shang-hai Cuisine, Buffet Breakfast, Lily Café, Ditrevi Ice Cream Shop, La Fusion Bakery

sPecial featuRes: Conference Room, Banquet Hall, Gift Shop, Barber Shop, Flower Shop, Parking Space, Gym

No. of Rooms: 220

Room Rates: Deluxe / Single / Twin & Double NT$ 7,800~8,500 Suite NT$ 9,500~20,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts: La Fontaine (Western), Chiou Hwa (Chinese)

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

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI華泰王子大飯店 Taipei 台北

369 Lin-sen (Linsen) N. Rd., Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市林森北路3 6 9號

Tel: 02.2581.8111Fax: 02.2581.5811, 2568-2924

www.gloriahotel.com

HOTEL SENSE伸適商旅 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 79Room Rates: Superior Room NT$ 7,500 Business Room NT$ 8,500 Deluxe Room NT$ 9,500 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Executive Suite NT$ 10,000 Sense Suite NT$ 15,000 Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

sPecial featuRes: Business center, fitness center, meeting rooms, Club House with luxury furniture and advanced media facilities for private meetings and gatherings, wood-floored open-air Sky Garden, parking tower, close to the MRT system near Zhongshan Elemen tary school MRT station and key commercial and entertainment districts.

477 , Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 1041 0 6台10 4台北市中山區林森北路47 7號

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

www.hotelsense.com.tw

No. of Rooms: 203Room Rates: Deluxe Room NT$ 8,000 Business Room NT$ 9,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 10,000 Boss Suite NT$ 15,000 Premier Suite NT$ 20,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese

RestauRaNts: Rain Forest Café, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81

sPecial featuRes: Business center, Pyramid Club - luxury executive floor, multifunctional room, Internet service, 32-inch LCD TV, garden terrace, bar, fitness club, outdoor pool, sauna, spa, aromatherapy, car park

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI美麗信花園酒店 Taipei 台北

83 Civic Boulevard, Sec. 3, Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市市民大道三段8 3號

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

www.miramargarden.com.tw

Hotels of Taiwan

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

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

accommodation. From five-star luxury hotels that meet the highest

international standards, to affordable business hotels, to hot-spring and beach

resort hotels, to privately-run homestays located in the countryside there is a

place to stay that satisfies every traveler’s needs. What all hotels of Taiwan —

small and big, expensive and affordable — have in common is that serve and

hospitality are always of the highest standards. The room rates in the following

list have been checked for each hotel, but are subject to change without notice.

Room rates at the hotels apply.

56 Travel in Taiwan

ALISHAN HOUSE阿里山賓館 Chiayi 嘉義

No. of Rooms: 139

Room Rates: Scenery Suite Room/Twin Room NT$ 6,600 Double Suite NT$ 10,000 Fragrant Suite Room/Quad Room NT$ 12,000 Superior Suite NT$ 16,000 VIP Suite NT$ 16,000 Executive Suite NT$ 26,000 Handicapped Suite(Free Space Room) NT$ 26,000 President Suite NT$ 300,000

(Prices above not including 10% Service Charge)

GeNeRal maNaGeR: Mr. Jen-Shing Chen

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts: Chinese, Café, Courtyard

sPecial featuRes: Broadband Internet access in guestrooms, business center, Souvenir Shop, Gazebo, 1950’s dance hall, foot massage

16 Sianglin Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County, 605

6 0 5嘉義縣阿里山鄉香林村16號 ALISHAN Tel: 05.267.9811 Fax: 05.267.9596 TAIPEI Tel: 02.2563.5259 Fax: 02.2536.5563

E-mail: service@alishanhouse.com.tw

www.alishanhouse.com.tw

THE GRAND HOTEL圓山大飯店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 487 (Suites: 57)Room Rates: Single/DBL NT$ 5,700 – 11,000 Suite NT$ 15,000 – 28,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese

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

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

1 Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City, 10461 R.O.C1 0 4 6 1台北市中山北路四段1號

Tel: 886.2.2886.8888Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

www.grand-hotel.org

REGENT TAIPEI台北晶華酒店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 538

Room Rates: Superior Room NT$ 12,000 Deluxe Room NT$ 13,000 Junior Suite NT$ 20,500 Corner Suite NT$ 30,500 Residence NT$ 17,000 Elite Suite NT$ 24,500Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:English, Japanese, Chinese

RestauRaNts:Szechuan & Cantonese Cuisine, Japanese Cuisine, Steak House & Teppanyaki, Lounge Bar, Buffet, Café

sPecial featuRes: Executive business center, fitness center, sauna, rooftop swim-ming pool, SPA, ballroom and convention facilities, parking, laundry service, 24-hour room service, wireless Internet, airport transportation service

No.3, Ln.39, Sec.2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市中山北路二段3 9巷3號

Tel: 02.2523.8000Fax: 02.2523.2828

www.regenttaipei.com

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL慶泰大飯店 Taipei 台北

186 Songjiang Rd., Taipei City,1041 0 4台北市松江路18 6號

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

Tel: 02.2541.5511 Fax: 02.2531.3831Reservation Hotline: 02.2541.6888

E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

www.galahotel.com.tw

No. of Rooms: 160

Room Rates: Single Room NT$ 5,800 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 6,200 Deluxe Twin Room NT$ 6,800 Suite Room NT$ 9,800

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:English, Japanese, Chinese

RestauRaNts: Golden Ear Restaurant (Western semi buffet); Golden Pot (Chinese Cuisine)

sPecial featuRes: Business Center, meeting rooms, airport transfer service, parking lot, laundry service, free Internet access, LCD TV, DVD player, personal safety box, mini bar, private bathroom with separate shower & bath tub, hair dryer

11F (Lobby) No. 495, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City 11074

1 1 0 74台北市信義區光復南路49 5號 1 1樓

Tel: 02.8780.8000 Fax: 02.8780.5000 E-mail: pbc.taipei@msa.hinet.net

www.businesscenter.com.tw

PACIFIC BUSINESS HOTEL太平洋商旅 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms:

95 rooms, 28 instant offices, 4 conference rooms Room Rates: Boutique Room NT$ 7,700+10% Business Room NT$ 8,400+10% Junior Room NT$ 9,800+10% Executive Room NT$ 11,000+10% Family Room NT$ 12,000+10% Pacific Room NT$ 12,000+10%

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

RestauRaNt: Ju-Yi RestaurantsPecial featuRes: Free wireless access, Hi-speed ADSL broadband internet, VIP lounge, Business Center, safety deposit box, private conference rooms, private of-fice rental service, secretarial service, gym, plane parking lots, launderette, airport pick-up and limousine service

No. of Rooms: 121Room Rates: Cozy NT$ 7,200 Deluxe NT$ 7,800 Premier NT$ 8,500 Premier City View NT$ 8,800 Dual Queen NT$ 10,800 Premier Dual Queen NT$ 11,800 Executive Suite NT$ 12,800 Grand Suite NT$ 12,800 Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Chinese, JapaneseRestauRaNts: Unwind Bar & Restaurant sPecial featuRes:

Located in the heart of the energetic Xi-mending; 1 minute on foot to MRT Ximen Station; free wireless Internet access; fitness center; business center; laundry; meeting room; complimentary Chinese/Western buffet breakfast; safety deposit box; express laundry service; limousine service; airport pick-up.

TAIPEI WESTGATE HOTEL永安棧 Taipei 台北

No.150, Sec. 1, Zhonghua Rd., Wanhua Dist., Taipei City, 108

(MRT Ximen Station, Exit 6)

1 0 8台北市中華路一段15 0號

Tel: 02.2331.3161 Fax: 02.2388.6216Reservation Hotline: 02.2388.1889

www.westgatehotel.com.tw

TAICHUNG HARBOR HOTEL台中港酒店 Taichung 台中

388, Sec. 2, Dazhi Rd.,Wuqi District, Taichung City 4354 3 5台中市梧棲區大智路二段3 8 8號

Tel: 04.2656.8888 Fax: 04.2656.8899 www.tchhotel.com

No. of Rooms: 200Room Rates: Superior Single NT$ 5,600 Deluxe Single NT$ 6,200 Family Twin NT$ 7,600 Corner Semi-Suite NT$ 8,800 Harbor Suite NT$ 10,800 Executive Suite NT$ 12,800 Presidential Suite NT$ 38,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

RestauRaNts: Gladden Restaurant, Fukumi-nato Japanese Restaurant, Pier 88 Lounge Bar

sPecial featuRes:

SEA SPA, Fortune Boutique Shop, Gym, Conference Room

Taichung Harbor Hotel will make you feel at home with its newest and complete facilities and a tranquil environment.

CHATEAU DE CHINE HOTEL KAOHSIUNG翰品酒店高雄 Kaohsiung 高雄

No. of Rooms: 152Room Rates: Standard Single Room NT$ 6,000 Standard Double Room NT$ 6,700 Standard Triple Room NT$ 7,500 Standard Family Room NT$ 8,000 Standard Suite NT$ 9,000 Executive Single Room NT$ 8,000 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 7,000 Deluxe Double Room NT$ 7,200 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 14,000 Chateau de Chine Suite NT$ 50,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Chinese, Japanese

RestauRaNts: Japanese, Chinese, Cantonese Dim Sum, Lounge Bar

sPecial featuRes:

Multi-functional meeting room, banquet hall, business center, wedding planning center, gym, free use of wired/wireless Internet, silent refrigerator, electronic safe, personal bathrobe/slippers, free cable TV, free use of laundry room, all-new TV-sets

43 Daren Rd., Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City8 0 3高雄市鹽埕區大仁路4 3號

Tel: 07.521.7388 Fax: 07.521.7068 kaohsiung.chateaudechine.com

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