travel in taiwan (no.61, 2014 1/2)
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
City Exploration
Taichung ciTy
no. 61, 20141 2
top tEn toUriSt toUrS Sanxia and yinggE
BaCKpaCK BUS toUrS KaohSiUng’S daShU diStriCt
Food JoUrnEy pEanUt prodUCtion in yUnlin
Skateboarding in taiwanSea of Flowers in xinshe
hiking Mt. Bilu and Mt. yangtou
/
Welcome to Taiwan!Dear Traveler,
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, and I hope you enjoy our island’s winter warmth as
all of us here happily prepare for the holidays. Taiwan’s people, always f riendly and inviting, become
even more jovial and warm-spirited at this time of year.
In this issue we take you to cities and into the countryside, through the plains, into the foothills,
and up, up, up into the high mountains. In our Feature we tour the dynamic city of Taichung
in central Taiwan, escorting you to its best night markets and to many of its young, attractive,
energy-f illed cultural-creative attractions, among which are intriguing boutique hotels housed in
buildings of historical value.
In our Splendid Festivals section we go into the Taichung countryside to farm-carpeted Xinshe
District, in the central-mountain foothills, and spend a day amidst the great f ields of pastel colors at
the popular Sea of Flowers in Xinshe festival.
We head f urther south on the west-central plain in our Food Journey article intriguingly
entitled “The Black King Kong of Yuanchang,” on an exploration of one of Taiwan’s key areas
of peanut cultivation, then move f urther south still in this issue’s Backpack Bus Trip, visiting
Kaohsiung City’s rural Dashu District, which has a character well captured in our writer’s chosen
title – “Old Industry, Natural Wetland, Strong Liquor, Religious Center.”
In our Hiking department, as promised we go up into Taiwan’s soaring mountains, conquering
majestic Mt. Bilu and Mt. Yangtou on a challenging and rewarding three-day hike in powerf ully
picturesque and geologically unparalleled Taroko National Park.
Most visitors to Taiwan use Taipei as their portal, and for those of you who do not have time
to meander around the rest of our land we of fer a number of articles on things to do in our busy,
vibrant capital. In our Special Report we sample three of the city’s f inest health-food restaurants. In
Active Fun we tell you all about the local world of skateboarding, including where to buy gear and
where to play. In Top Ten Tourist Tours we visit Sanxia and Yingge, just southwest of Taipei and
easily reached via public transport, the former known for old-time Taiwan culture, the latter for
ceramics production.
I wish you warmth and joy in this festive season – the most wonderf ul time of our year!
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)January/February, 2014 Tourism Bureau, MOTCFirst published Jan./Feb., 2004ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm
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At the CMP Block Museum of Arts in Taichung (photo by Jen Guo-Chen)
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1026
CONTENTSJanuary ~ February 2014
CONTENTSJanuary ~ February 2014
Travel in Taiwan 3
feaTure10 Taichung: City on the Move — taichung Park and yizhong area — Science Museum and art Museum area — tunghai University and fengjia area
1 Publisher’s Note4 Taiwan Tourism Events6 News & Events around Taiwan8 Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings
21 Hospitality32 Fun with Chinese 54 Nostalgia
BaCKPaCK BUS TriP38 Old Industry, Natural Wetland, Strong Liquor, Religious Center
— Riding the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Dashu Line
aCTive FUn50 Skateboarding in Taiwan
— A Day at a Small Skatepark in Downtown Taipei
10
50
TOP Ten TOUriST TOUrS22 Yingge & Sanxia
— A Day Spent Exploring Two Interesting Districts in New Taipei City
HiKinG26 Mt. Bilu and Mt. Yangtou
— A Challenging and Rewarding Three-Day Hiking Outing
SPeCial rePOrT42 Healthful Eating and Delicious Flavors
— Three of the Finest Health Food Restaurants in Taipei
FOOD JOUrneY46 The Black King Kong of Yuanchang
— Visiting a Peanut Farm in Southern Taiwan
46OlD STYle/new iDeaS34 From Art Brush to Beauty Brush — A Young Entrepreneur Explores New Ways to Apply an Age-Old Craft
SPlenDiD FeSTivalS28 The Sea of Flowers in Xinshe Festival
— Wading through an Inland Sea – of Flowers
28
A Spring Walk among Early Cherry Blossoms at Wuling Farm (春郊早櫻武陵行 )Location: Wuling Farm, Heping District, Taichung
City ( 台中市和平區武陵農場 )
Tel: (04) 2590-1257
Website: www.wuling-farm.com.tw
Wuling Farm is officially part
of Taichung City, but in terms of
character it could not be further from
the dense urban concentration at the core of Taiwan’s
third-largest city. The farm is located high up in the
northern reaches of the Central Mountain Range, off
scenic Highway 7A. In spring, the farm attracts f lower
lovers in large numbers, who come to enjoy the pink
and crimson blossoms of the farm’s many cherry trees.
Paired with the breathtaking mountain panoramas, the
cherry blossoms are a sight to behold. While visiting
the farm, go on a hike to beautiful Taoshan Waterfall,
learn about the protected landlocked salmon in
Qijiawan Creek, and taste the farm’s fresh temperate-
zone produce.
In contrast to countries with colder climates, the blooming
of trees doesn’t start in spring in Taiwan but earlier, in late
winter, when plum and cherry trees add color to parks and
hillsides around the land. Another colorful happening early
in the year is the annual Lantern Festival, which marks the
end of the Chinese New Year festival period and is celebrated
with a number of exciting cultural events, including the sky
lanterns of Pingxi and the beehive fireworks of Yanshui.
New Taipei City Wanjinshi International Marathon (萬金石國際馬拉松 )Locations: Pacific Green Bay, Wanli District, New Taipei City
( 新北市萬里區太平洋翡翠灣 )
Tel: (02) 2998-1382 ext 501 (Sports Office, New Taipei City Government)
Website: www.wanjinshimarathon.com
Road running has become extremely popular in Taiwan in recent years, and there will
be around 30 full marathons, as well as many shorter runs, longer ultra-marathons, and
challenging triathlons in Taiwan and its offshore islands in 2014. (For a full list, visit
www.taipeimarathon.org.tw/contest.aspx?lang=en-US.) One of the earliest races of the
year is the Wan Jin Shi International Marathon, one of Taiwan’s three major annual
marathons. The other two are the Taroko Gorge Marathon (Nov. 1) and Fubon Taipei
Marathon (Dec. 21). The route follows the scenic highway along the north coast through
the districts of Wanli, Jinshan, and Shimen (“Wanjinshi”). There will be a full and a
half marathon, as well as a 6km training run.
Yangmingshan Flower Festival (陽明山花季 )Location: Yangmingshan, Beitou District, Taipei City
( 台北市北投區陽明山 )
Tel: (02) 2720-8889
Website: www.taipei.gov.tw
Much easier to reach from the closest lowland areas
than Wuling Farm, but offering an
equally mesmerizing feast of f loral
beauty, Yangmingshan National Park,
less than an hour by bus from downtown
Taipei, is at its most beautiful in
February/March. Apart from blooming
cherry trees on the mountain slopes,
f lower lovers from near and far are also
delighted by azaleas and camellias. There are countless
hiking trails in the verdant high-mountain park, many
suitable for the whole family, and if you’d like a hot,
relaxing bath after a day exploring Mother Nature’s
delights, there are many options for soothing hot-spring
fun in the area.
Wintertime Festivals
Mar.2
Feb. Mar. Feb. Mar.
Flowers and Lanterns at the Start of the Year
TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS
4 Travel in Taiwan
Taiwan Lantern Festival (台灣燈會 )Location: Zhongxing New Village, Nantou County (南投縣中興新村 )
Tel: (049) 222-2106~9
Website: nweb.nantou.gov.tw/web/2014taiwanlantern (Chinese)
The Chinese New Year holiday season traditionally ends two weeks after the first day of the new year
in the lunar calendar (Chinese New Year falls on January 31 this year), with the Lantern Festival (also
called Yuanxiao Festival). Many cities and townships celebrate the occasion with special Lantern
Festival activities. The biggest event is the Taiwan Lantern Festival, staged by a different selected
city or county each year. Nantou County will be the host this year, and the festival grounds will be in
Zhongxing New Village north of Nantou City, which is home to the Taiwan Provincial Government.
Since 2014 is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac, the prominent main lantern will be
in the shape of a horse. There will be five main lantern exhibition areas and four “special feature” areas,
all highlighting the many attractions Nantou County has to offer.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival (新北市平溪天燈節 )Locations: Shifen, Pingxi, and Jingtong, New Taipei City (新北市十分,平溪,菁桐 )
Tel: (02) 2960-3456
Website: tour.ntpc.gov.tw
One of the most popular Lantern Festival events takes place in the town of Pingxi and
neighboring villages of Shifen and Jingtong. Pingxi is located east of Taipei City and can
be reached by public transport, notably by train on the Pingxi Railway Branch Line or bus
on the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s Muzha-Pingxi Route. Sky lanterns, simple paper lanterns
constructed with a thin wire frame that are usually 120~150cm tall, can now be sent to
the sky year-round, with local lantern-shop operators supplying the lanterns and travelers
writing wishes on the outside, but doing so during the Lantern Festival is an especially
memorable experience because the large crowds release hundreds of lanterns into the night
sky at a time, creating a wonderful image. Apart from its sky lanterns, the Pingxi area
has numerous other attractions, including scenic Shifen Waterfall, old village streets, and
majestic mountain vistas.
Feb.
Dec.
Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival (鹽水蜂炮 )Location: Yanshui Wu Temple, Yanshui District, Tainan City
( 臺南市鹽水區鹽水武廟 )
Tel: (06) 652-1264
Website: www.wumiao.idv.tw (Chinese)
In sharp contrast to the peaceful scenes at Pingxi, the old community
of Yanshui in southern Taiwan, offers a completely different type of
celebration during the Lantern Festival. The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is said to be the third-
largest folk celebration in the world, and is one of the most representative religious events in all of
Taiwan. Hundreds of thousands of tiny rockets are ignited during the event, going off in all directions.
Many revelers come for the thrill of standing right in the line of fire, wearing full-face motorcycle
helmets and thick coats for protection, the coats often suffering serious singeing by the time the last
rocket has been fired. Locals believe that this inferno-like spectacle helps protect the area from calamity
and other troubles and brings good fortune in the year to come.
Feb.13
mid End
7 23
TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS
Travel in Taiwan 5
JANUARY~FEBRUARY
6 Travel in Taiwan
WHAT'S UP
News& Events around Taiwan
Event
Transportation
Rubber Duck in KeelungThe giant, f loating yellow rubber duck, created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, that has been on exhibit in Taiwan since last September, first in Kaohsiung Harbor and then on a lake in Taoyuan County, can now be seen in the northern port town of Keelung. The 18-meter tall inf latable duck can be viewed until February 28 from the Keelung Maritime Plaza, not far from Keelung Railway Station. More than 6 million people are expected to make the trip to Keelung, one hour by commuter train from Taipei Railway Station. Crowds will be especially large during the Chinese New Year holiday period (Jan. 30 ~ Feb. 4).
Hotels
New Hotels in TaiwanThe following four hotels have recently been added, or will be added soon, to Taiwan’s flourishing hotel sector. Design and art are prominent features at Humble House Taipei (humblehousehotels.com) in Taipei’s Xinyi District, operated by Taiwan-based art and antiques dealer My Humble House. The hotel has 235 guestrooms, with room rates starting at NT$9,900. The Mandarin Oriental Taipei (www.mandarinoriental.com/taipei/) on Taipei’s Dunhua N. Road, scheduled to open this April, is all about comfort and luxury. It has 256 spacious guest rooms and 47 suites, including two magnificent presidential suites, each with private spa and gym. The Miramar Hotel Hsinchu (www.miramar-hsinchu.com) is a modern hotel conveniently located close to the city’s well-known science park and National Freeway No. 1. It has 141 guest rooms and suites, and offers international-standard services. Yoo Shan Grand Hotel (www.yooushan-hotel.com.tw) is a new hotel in Puli, a town located in the mountains close to the geographical center of Taiwan. A special feature of the hotel is its Revolving Restaurant, which has a 360° rotation and affords great views of the Puli Basin day and night.
Taiwan Bus Tour OptionsSelf-help travel in Taiwan is safe and very convenient. You can circle the island using the main railway lines, use the connected High Speed Rail system for travel between Taipei and Kaohsiung and to major cities on Taiwan’s west side, make use of branch railway lines to get to mountain-area attractions further inland, and ride the mass rapid transit systems to explore Kaohsiung and Taipei cities. To get to places of interest not serviced by this system, you have two excellent bus options: the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (www.taiwantrip.com.tw) and Taiwan Tour Bus (www.taiwantourbus.com.tw) services. The first includes 31 routes connecting major transportation hubs with tourist spots around the island, and the second has a total of 64 guided tour packages to the island’s major attractions. In a recent survey, travelers were asked about their favorite offerings from both services. For the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service, the Sun Moon Lake Route got the most votes, followed by the Zhuzihu Route (to Taipei’s Yangmingshan National Park) and Lion’s Head Mountain Route (to places in Hsinchu/Miaoli counties). The most popular Taiwan Tour Bus tour was the Wushantou-Guanziling Hot Springs & Cuisine One-Day Tour, followed by the Kinmen-Lieyu and Jincheng Town One-Day Tour and Hengchun Peninsula West Coast Half-Day Tour.
Humble House Taipei
Travel in Taiwan 7
WHAT'S UP
Travel Information
Fun Hualien AppIf you plan to visit eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County, you might consider downloading the mobile-phone app Fun Hualien (玩樂花蓮 ), available for both Android and iOS devices. The free app, available in Chinese and English versions, presents you with a wealth of information about traveling in the county, one of Taiwan’s most attractive areas. You will find detailed introductions of all major tourist attractions as well as info on transportation, accommodation, dining, shopping, and more. Download the app from either Google Play or iTunes.
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.
Tourist Attraction
New Attraction at Raohe Street Night MarketThe popular Raohe Street Night Market, close to Taipei’s Songshan Railway Station, has a new tourist attraction, and it is not food-related. Located at one entrance to the market, near Ciyou Temple, you will find the “Matsuyama-Dogo Onsen Blessing Mechanical Clock,” a 6.6-meter-high work of art co-created by Ciyou Temple and the city of Matsuyama in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture. The Songshan area, where the night market is located, was named after Matsuyama (both names are written with the same Chinese characters) during the period of Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan (1895~1945). Each hour the clock comes to life with a deity-laden treasure ship and various figurines appearing, including a rickshaw-riding lady, traders on foot, a violin-playing maiden, and the goddess Mazu with her assistants Shunfenger (“Ears that Hear with the Wind”) and Qianliyan (“Eyes that See a Thousand Miles”). The whimsical, magical show, with music accompaniment, lasts nearly three minutes.
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!
Airlines
China Airlines and Tourism Bureau PartnershipIn an attempt to attract the attention of global travelers at international airports, China Airlines has partnered with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to paint one of its aircraft with images promoting Taiwan as a travel destination. Images on the fuselage of the Airbus 330-300 feature themes such as ecology, romance, fine cuisine, shopping, and culture. The aircraft is used on routes to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and mainland China, all key inbound-tourism markets for Taiwan.
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.
Le Noir 暗黑馬戲雷諾瓦
January 11 ~ 24ATT Show Box
Described by critics as “sexy Cirque de Soleil,” Le Noir is a spectacular show featuring circus acrobatics and gymnastics-like performances. The action takes place on a round stage that brings performers and spectators into intimate proximity. Difficult balancing acts and elegant gymnastic moves by the highly trained, attractive performers are interspersed with seductive dances by ladies in sexy costumes. The show is highly entertaining, fast-paced, and at times hilarious, with lots of audience interaction. It premiered in 2012 in Japan, and has since enjoyed great success in Singapore as well.
This year, the annual Taiwan International Festival of Arts (TIFA) has “Unlimited Classics around the Globe” as its theme. Established and upcoming artists from Taiwan and abroad have been invited to perform; their works include drama, dance, music, and many interdisciplinary artistic genres. There will be a total of 68 performances by troupes from 13 countries, presenting modern theater, Taiwanese opera and hand-puppet theater, ballet flamenco, experimental dance, classical, exotic, indigenous music, and much more. For detailed info about all performances, visit the festival’s website at http://tifa.ntch.edu.tw
Taiwan International Festival of Arts
February 7 ~ March 30National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center
台灣國際藝術節
This is a very unusual exhibition for Taipei’s National Palace Museum. While the topic, Qianlong, the famed emperor from China’s Qing Dynasty (1644~1912), is nothing out of the ordinary for the museum, the exhibition’s form certainly is. The emperor is presented with the help of different modern media, including electronic music, video games, and manga-based animations, with heavy reliance on modern technology. The idea behind the exhibition is to allow you the visitor to become Qianlong yourself, for instance by inserting yourself into an animation or having the character of your attire incorporated into the design on a vase from Qianlong’s collection of artworks. For detailed info about the exhibition, visit theme.npm.edu.tw/exh102/qianlongchao.
Qianlong C.H.A.O. New Media Art Exhibition 乾隆潮-新媒體藝術展
Until March 16National Palace Museum
Until February 16National Museum of History
This exhibition presents 55 works by French Impressionist painter Claude Oscar Monet (1840~1926), on loan from the collection of the Musée Marmottan Monet, located in Paris. The paintings are grouped under five themes: Monet’s Friends and Portraits, Caricatures, Monet’s Voyage, Monet’s Garden, and The Ultimate Works. As a special feature, f lowers related to these themes can be viewed at the same time in the Taipei Botanical Garden, adjacent to the National Museum of History, evoking the ambiance of Monet’s Garden.
Monet: Landscape of Mind印象 • 經典:莫內
Travel in Taiwan 9
CULTURE SCENE
A woolly mammoth and a rhinoceros that were frozen in permafrost after their deaths are the stars of this exhibition. Both specimens date back more than 39,000 years. The mammoth was named “Yuka” because it was discovered in a place called Yukagir in Siberia, in 2010. A young female mammoth that died at the age of 10, it has a length of 3 meters and stands 1.65 meters tall. The rhino, named “Kolyma,” was discovered in 2007 in Siberia’s Kolyma River. It is 2.9 meters long and 1.2 meters tall. Beyond these two highlights, more than 200 other prehistoric animal specimens are also presented in this exhibition.
The Frozen Wooly Mammoth: Yuka長毛象 YUKA特展
Until March 2National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The Story of “A Hundred Steeds” – An Educational Interactive Show繪動的百駿圖互動科技教育展
Until February 16Huashan 1914 Creative Park
The display of ancient artworks using the latest technologies has of late become increasingly popular in Taiwan. Instead of merely standing in front of a static piece, museum visitors are now used to touching screens and watching animations when exploring the art of times gone by. This exhibition follows the trend by presenting a famous 300-year-old painting from the Qing Dynasty in a variety of ways, including as an oversized projection on a curved wall, as a 3D rendering, in a detailed audio-visual introduction, and via various interactive installations.
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
ATT Show Box
Add: 12, Songshou Rd., Taipei City(台北市松壽路 12號 )Tel: (02) 7737-8881www.attshowbox.com.twNearest MRT Station: Taipei 101/World Trade Center
Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts (關渡美術館)
Add: 1 Xueyuan Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City(台北市北投區學園路 1號 )Tel: (02) 2896-1000www.kdmofa.tnua.edu.twNearest MRT Station: Guandu
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://163.32.121.205Nearest KMRT Station: City Council
Venues
This exhibition of works from the collection of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum is distinctive in terms of the approach used in choosing the art pieces. Instead of following conventional methods for grouping the art the curators have picked works from disparate groupings, such as art form or historical context, and exhibit them together, thus creating an exhibition that is able to elicit more imaginative views of the museum collection by the visitor. On display is a wide range of works, including oil paintings, black & white photographs, installation art, ink paintings, wall projections, and more.
Until February 16Taipei Fine Arts Museum
Intersecting Vectors – Experimental Projects from the TFAM Collection斜面連結─典藏展實驗計畫
Monet: Landscape of Mind印象 • 經典:莫內
Taichung
10 Travel in Taiwan
FEATURE
City on the Move
Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen
Long a city with an unusual hybrid blue-collar/academic character, serving the factories that powered Taiwan’s famed economic miracle and home to numerous universities, Taichung is fast reinventing itself as a city of dynamic cultural sophistication. Everywhere you look, it seems, you see cranes and crews putting up new buildings or fixing and prettying up old ones.
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Ar ts
The city, which ate up surrounding Taichung County in 2010, has a
total population of over 2.6 million, with just over 1 million in the urban core. This
core is known for its roominess. There is park space aplenty, and big museums,
spacious restaurants, and sprawling teahouses. In numerous locations broad
meridians separate parallel road sections lined with restaurants, cafés, boutiques,
and galleries. Known for having Taiwan’s most pleasant weather – drier than
Taipei in the far north and cooler than Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second city, in the far
south – Taichung’s pace is noticeably laid back. To give you a taste of what the city
has to offer, following we present samplers of three major districts of distinctive
character.
Travel in Taiwan 11
FEATURE TAICHUNG
Taichung Park and Yizhong Area
SightsTaichung was founded in 1721 by immigrants from
mainland China. The original settlement was called
Datun, or “Big Mound.” Today, tranquil 20-hectare
Taichung Park occupies the hillock and surrounding
area upon which the original settlement was built.
Designed and opened in 1903 by the Japanese when
they controlled Taiwan, it is a key city landmark and
a designated heritage site. Its best-known structure is
the lovely Lake Heart Pavilion, which hovers over the
waters of small Sun Moon Pond. The lake was formed
from the original wetlands here, and the pavilion was
built by the Japanese in 1908 to serve as a rest area
for a Japanese prince in attendance at a ceremony
celebrating the arrival of the railway in Taichung.
Other park attractions are Taiwan’s only remaining
Chinese watchtower, built in the 1880s, classical-style
arch bridges, the magnificent old Japanese-planted
banyan trees, and rowboating on the pond. The park
and nearby Japanese-built Taichung Railway Station,
an attractive Renaissance-style structure opened in
1917, are the hubs of the city’s old district.
FoodDuring the famed Taiwan Economic Miracle of the 20th century’s
second half, when the local economy expanded at breakneck pace,
islanders knocked down old buildings at equal pace to make way for
the new. Today there is equal passion for preserving the country’s
architectural heritage, and Taichung boasts many fine showcase projects.
Miyahara (www.miyahara.com.tw), a maker of confections, has saved
and renovated a Japanese-era eye-clinic building at 20 Zhongshan Road
and a 1960’s credit-cooperative building at 72 Zhongshan. At both,
modern glass-and-steel additions are fused splendidly with the original
exteriors.
Both Miyahara outlets have a delicious array of fresh-made ice
creams for sale. Specially recommended are those made with in-season
Taiwan fruits, notably Hami melon, mango, lychee, passionfruit, and
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FEATURE
banana. Both also have an upscale Chinese-cuisine restaurant on the
second level. In addition, 20 Zhongshan has a large library-theme
display area for Miyahara gift and souvenir packages – pineapple
cakes, sun cakes, soft candies, and more.
The sun cake and pearl milk tea (bubble tea) are Taichung’s most
famous contributions to the snack-treat world. The first sun cakes
saw the light of day in 1954 at what is today called Tai Yang Tang
Lao Dian (www.sunbooth.com.tw; Chinese) at 25 Ziyou Street, now
operated by the second generation. The round, f lat pastry has a shell
of f laky, paper-thin layers created with phyllo dough and a maltose
filling that is neither greasy nor too sweet. Originally made with pig
lard, today vegetable oil is used. The cakes are a popular gift choice.
With numerous secondary, post-secondary, and what are called
“cram” schools in the area, Yizhong Street Commercial District,
home to one of Taichung’s most popular night markets, is like a giant
kitchen for students. Because of its primary clientele, prices are low,
low, low, though the food is terrific and the quality of the youth-
fashion clothing and adornments good. All night-market snacking
classics are here – stinky tofu, oyster omelets, bubble tea – but among
the most iconic Yizhong Street comestibles are giant fried chicken
steaks, with Yizhong Hao Da Jipai the go-to stand, and the shaved-
ice desserts, especially at Yizhong Fengren Bing, its signature treat a
tangy shaved-ice concoction with sweetened kidney beans, condensed
milk, plum juice, and ice creams made with fresh local fruit.
1. Chinese watchtower at Taichung Park2. Lake Hear t Pavi l ion at Sun Moon Pond3. Miyahara 4. Sun cakes5. Y izhong Commercial Distr ic t6 . Miyahara ice cream7. Y izhong Fengren Bing shaved ice8 . Y izhong Street night market
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FEATURE TAICHUNG
English and Chinese (Taichung Park & Yizhong Area)Datun 大屯Lake Heart Pavilion 湖心亭Miyahara 宮原Reloading Hotel 綠柳町文旅Taichung Park 台中公園Tai Yang Tang Lao Dian 太陽堂老店Yizhong Fengren Bing 一中豐仁冰 Yizhong Hao Da Jipai 一中豪大雞排Yizhong Street Commercial District 一中街商圈
Science Museum and Art Museum Area
SightsThe large National Museum of Natural Science (www.nmns.edu.tw) was
Taiwan’s first science museum. The world-class facility has halls with exhibits,
primarily targeting young minds and those young-at-heart, with space, science,
the life sciences, human cultures, and the global environment as themes. Perhaps
of greatest interest to foreign visitors is the Human Cultures Hall, with sections
on Chinese culture, agriculture, spiritual life, and grand scientific achievements,
as well as on Taiwan’s indigenous peoples.
Beside the museum is an attractive and expansive botanical garden. The
major attraction at this facility is a tall glass and steel structure which houses a
simulated tropical rainforest complete with intermittent rain. Outside are areas of
vegetation showcasing Taiwan’s different regions.
The artwork-decorated Calligraphy Greenway (www.calligraphygreenway.org.tw) is a green belt that stretches from the science museum all the way to large
Civic Square and then on to include the Art Museum Parkway (see below). It
runs parallel to Zhongxing Street, in a trendy neighborhood defined by upscale
retail outlets, restaurants, and cafés, art galleries and other art attractions,
and cultural-creative boutiques. Civic Square, site of the much-loved annual
Taichung Jazz Festival, is always busy on weekends with buskers and other
entertainment. On the corner where the greenway and square meet is the swank
CMP Block shopping complex, which has Taiwan’s iconic Eslite Bookstore as its
AccommodationThe Reloading Hotel (www.reloading-
hotel.com) is a young and stylish small
backpacker-friendly hotel located in a
rescued/renovated old market building that
was once the hub of Taichung’s corridor-
like Electronics Street, which still thrives,
busy with small shops visible from the lobby
restaurant area. The hotel features a unique
circuit-board decorative theme. There are
47 rooms, with rates starting at NT$1,800.
The owners actively cooperate with the
city government in efforts to rejuvenate the
surrounding history-rich neighborhood, and
the hotel serves as base for regular guided
history tours (English guides available;
contact the hotel for details).
1. Guestroom of Reloading Hotel2. Elec tronics Street3. Bathroom of Reloading Hotel
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14 Travel in Taiwan
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1. National Museum of Natural Science2. Statue on Call igraphy Greenway3. National Museum of Fine Ar ts
4. CMP Block Museum of Ar ts5. Hotel One Taichung6. Ar t Museum Park way
main tenant. The greenway-facing sidewalk seating outside the block’s street-level
outlets, such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts and, most delectably, Le Blé d’Or, a
home-grown Taiwan microbrewer, is a big draw. Beside block and greenway is the
CMP Block Museum of Arts, an open-air museum in a well-manicured park-like
setting brimming with public artworks and 11 small covered facilities choc-a-bloc
with the imaginings-made-real of young creative artists.
The magnificent National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (www.ntmofa.gov.tw)
went through five years of renovations after being damaged in the great earthquake
that struck Taiwan in 1999, emerging larger and with an even more visually
dynamic interior and exterior. The emphasis here is on works by Taiwanese artists,
and exploration of the unique characteristics of modern Taiwanese visual arts. The
facility is set amidst a large and well-manicured grassy park dotted with striking
public artworks that invites visitors to lay down for a good read or a snooze.
Across from and perpendicular to the museum’s entrance is the multi-block
Art Museum Parkway, a green belt lined with restaurants, cafés, boutiques,
cultural-creative bookstores, art galleries, and other tourist draws. A pedestrian/
bicycle pathway traverses the middle, bringing visitors past dozens of compelling
public artworks. At night the area is bathed in soft, romantic lighting. A global
buffet is offered; among the culinary choices are Taiwanese, Taiwan indigenous,
Shanghainese, Indian, Tex-Mex, Italian, and Greek.
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FEATURE TAICHUNG
ShoppingClose to the art museum and parkway, Angel LaLa
(www.facebook.com/puregarden; Chinese) looks
outside and inside like a small white rabbit-hutch-style
cottage in a Western forest. It is filled with bright pastel
colors and stuffed with cute items featuring teddy bears,
rabbits, and other cuddly figures. The majority are
imported, but an ever-increasing range of the offerings
are one-of-a-kind designs created by the owner.
Fantasy Story (www.fantasystory.com.tw;
Chinese) is a Taichung group dedicated to saving and
giving new life to old buildings down the city’s alleys,
primarily old residential structures in the Civic Square
district. Facilities are fixed and spruced up, and any
existing tenants can stay on, at reasonable rents. The
group serves as an incubator for small, independent
cultural-creative businesses, providing quality spaces
at attractive rates. One of its projects is a row of two-
story working-class f lats on Lane 117, Meicun Road
(some families still resident). Among the cluster
of intriguing microshops here is Why Not? (www.facebook.com/whynot.wack; Chinese), which can be
reached via a narrow outside stairway made of colorful
kid-style building blocks. A splendid world of clever
kitsch awaits inside, including small robot-typewriter
hanging decorations, cartoon-animal pouch purses –
even panties-shaped coin pouches and a cross on which
Santa has replaced Jesus.
FoodLocated on the Art Museum Parkway, 1924 Shanghai Restaurant
(www.theme.net.tw; Chinese) is fitted out with plush touches that
evoke the sumptuous elegance of the Bund and Nanjing Road – the
retro furniture, chandeliers, poetic couplets, waitresses in cheongsams,
vintage photos, and old-time music evoking the glamour of decadent,
bewitching old Shanghai. Regional Jiangzhe cuisine is featured, lighter
and less sweet to satisfy Taiwan diners’ palates. Among the best choices
are such classics as Dongpo pork, “drunken chicken,” stir-fried eel with
leek, and braised carp with scallion.
Popular Retro/mojo coffee (www.mojocoffee.com.tw), close to
the art museum and parkway, is one of a pair of indie cafés run by a
local with a passionate aversion to chain outlets. Like its sister, Retro/
mojo is not spacious or luxuriously decorated, but it is bright, open,
and comfortable, dressed up in Nordic style, with a look akin to the
welcoming corner area of a big library. All coffee-making equipment is
specially imported. Costs are kept low, and quality high, by importing
and house-preparing all beans – fully one-third of Taichung’s cafés/
coffeeshops purchase the house mojo blends. All coffee is fair trade
and/or eco-friendly; among the café’s charity endeavors are fund-
raising live-band performances on Saturday nights (cover charge),
generally jazz, blues, and folk.
A short walk from Civic Square is the café Robot Station (www.facebook.com/robot.station; Chinese), a place of pleasant whimsy. In
a converted two-story Western-style home, as you walk through the
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FEATUREFEATURE
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English and Chinese(Science Museum & Art Museum Area)Angel LaLa 夢幻家居•小屋雜貨Art Museum Parkway 美術綠園道Calligraphy Greenway 草悟道Civic Square 市民廣場
CMP Block 勤美誠品 CMP Block Museum of Arts 勤美術館Fantasy Story Green Ray 范特喜 - 綠光計畫Hotel Day+ Taichung 台中鳥日子 : 承億文旅National Museum of Natural Science
國立自然科學博物館National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts 國立台灣美術館1924 Shanghai Restaurant 新月梧桐 - 國美店Why Not? 壞那手創雜貨
AccommodationThe newly opened boutique Hotel
Day+ Taichung (www.hotelday.com.tw/Birds/index.html; Chinese) is on a broad,
curving, leafy boulevard in a quiet, upscale
neighborhood not far off busy Taiwan
Boulevard, a key city thoroughfare. The
neighborhood, with many stand-alone two-
story homes, has many expatriate residents.
The hotel, in a renovated office building,
has been given a modern, stylish exterior.
Inside, the styling is minimalist chic. The
rooms, which start at NT$5,000, are bright,
the white bedding, carpeting, and ceilings,
white-paint and light-wood walls, and glass-
wall washrooms and shower stalls creating
a sense of space. There is a fine bar/café,
restaurant with Italian, French, and Chinese
f lavors, and compact yet airy glass-wall
game and exercise rooms.
1. Angel LaLa2. Shop renovated by Fantasy Stor y3. Produc ts at Why Not?4 & 5 1924 Shanghai Restaurant6 & 7 Retro/mojo cof fee8 & 9 Robot Stat ion10 & 11 Isabella’s 12 & 13 Hotel Day+ Taichung
shaded outdoor seating area a life-size warrior robot gazes
down at you from above the entrance. Scores of toy robots
inhabit the window space, and scores of old licence plates from
all over North America adorn the walls. In the bathroom, the
washstand stands in the original bathtub, now an aquarium
with little fish swimming about. The menu is Western
diner-style – the sandwiches, baked pocket sandwiches, and
quesadillas especially tasty.
The Fantasy Story Green Ray facility is near Civic Square
on Zhongxing 1st Lane. Here, glass walls and exposed steel
frames have been dynamically introduced to a long-abandoned
line of traditional-style Chinese houses of red brick and
ceramic-tile roofs built over 60 years ago. Inviting, homey
Isabella’s (www.facebook.com/isabellaxcafe; Chinese), a café/
restaurant at one end, is decked out with Western country-style
handmade decorations created by the owner during her many
years living in British Columbia. Isabella’s dishes range from
Taiwanese and Korean to Asian fusion and sandwiches.
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FEATURE TAICHUNGFEATURE
Tunghai University and Fengjia Area
SightsIt’s not common that the campus of a school
is a tourist attraction, but that of Tunghai
University (www.thu.edu.tw) is. The busy city
has grown past and enveloped it, but within the
perimeter walls you’ll find a sprawling, tree-
shaded oasis of calm. A great many buildings
in the wooded 139-hectare grounds are in the
style of the Tang Dynasty, China’s golden
age of arts and culture – square, squat, and
colonnaded. The style is markedly subdued
and elegant in comparison to the ebullient and
sometimes garish styling of the Ming and Qing
periods. Amidst this setting, a modern contrast
is provided by the abstract Luce Memorial
Chapel, built in 1963, designed by a renowned
Sino-American architect to look like a pair of
hands touching in prayer. Be sure to visit the
Tunghai Dairy, a cottage-style shop where milk
and delicious treats – the ice cream is delectably
creamy – made with milk from the school’s on-
campus experimental farm are sold.
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FEATURE TAICHUNG
ShoppingDespite its name, Tunghai Art Street
(www.tunghai-art.com.tw; Chinese) in fact
takes up a number of streets and alleys in
an enclave filled with creative types of non-
mainstream personality. There are cultural-
creative outlets of myriad character, their
collective defining character individuality of
spirit (and independence of ownership). The
owner of Li Yun Jewellery (liyun.smartweb.tw; Chinese), at 8, Lane 8, Yishu (Art) Street,
creates exquisite one-of-a-kind jewelry art that
compellingly captures the spirit of ancient
Chinese culture. At Deer Wood (tw.myblog.yahoo.com/yuan_0080; Chinese), located
at 2-55 Zhongzhe Road, browse the eclectic
collection of wood furniture and household
decorations, some imported, some handcrafted
by local artists. Hukurou (www.hukurou.com.tw; Chinese), at 3-4, Lane 39, Yishu
(Art) Street, is a little corner of nirvana for
young ladies who love cute little trinkets; the
lines of owl-shaped essential-oil dispensers
and owl-theme jewelry are a hoot. At Master
Liu’s Eyeglasses (0426337078.tw.tranews.com; Chinese), at 25 Yishu Nan (Art South)
Street, Liu crafts stylish glasses tailored to the
individual customer using a self-invented hook
design (i.e., no screws) and materials that gives
eyewear almost unlimited elasticity.
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1. Tunghai Universit y2. Tunghai Dair y ice cream3. Luce Memorial Chapel4. Tunghai Universit y5. Shop at Tunghai Ar t Street6 . Tunghai Ar t Street7. L i Yun Fengjing Fang jewelr y8 . Hukurou9. Deer Wood10. Eyeglasses master L iu
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TAICHUNG
English and Chinese(Tunghai University & Fengjia Area)Ban Yue Shao 半月燒''big sausage wraps little sausage''大腸包小腸Deer Wood 小鹿木工坊Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市Feng Chia University 逢甲大學Guan Zhi Lin Dachang Bao Xiaochang 官芝霖大腸包小腸Hukurou 芙格鹿手創館Le Blé d'Or 金色三麥Liyun Jewellery 李雲風情坊Luce Memorial Chapel 路思義教堂 Master Liu's Eyeglasses 劉師傅手作眼鏡Tunghai Art Street 東海藝術街Tunghai Dairy 東海乳品小棧Tunghai University 東海大學
FoodAlong with the earlier-mentioned Yizhong area, Fengjia
Night Market is one of Taichung’s two most popular night
markets. A sprawling, pulsating place of excitement with
over a thousand vendors, this is said to be Taiwan’s largest
night market. The market is spread out before Feng Chia
University and takes its name from the school, but in addition
to students you’ll see many families and adult couples and
groups mixed within the streaming lines of people. Whether
the source of or there in response to the clientele, the shops
and street vendors here are a little more upscale compared to
Yizhong, though prices are still pleasantly low.
It is possible to buy just about anything here, from clothes
and accessories to pets, glasses, music CDs, cellphones, and
handicrafts. But the main attraction is the food snacks. Two
of the most popular stands – look for the unusually long line-
ups – are almost side by side in the market’s wide entrance
area before the gates of Feng Chia University. Both make
wonderfully delicious and filling concoctions that would
without doubt qualify as soul food if served up in North
America. Guan Zhi Lin Dachang Bao Xiaochang offers
what is often translated directly as “big sausage wraps little
sausage,” though there is only one actual sausage involved.
Pork sausage is griddled until the skin caramelizes, placed in
a “bun” of fried sticky rice (the other “sausage”), and savory
condiments including sweet and spicy chili sauces, pickled
Chinese cabbage, and crunchy dried radish bits are added.
Ban Yue Shao is a crispy-skin pancake of sweet-potato starch,
created on a griddle, folded like a sandwich, and stuffed with
fried egg, your choice of marinated meat, cheese if desired,
and stir-fried basil, green onion, and other yummies. 1 & 2 At Fengjia Night Market3. Ban Yue Shao
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Getting AroundTaichung’s bus system has improved immeasurably in recent years. Since 2010 the number of routes in greater Taichung has more than doubled, per-month ridership has also almost doubled, and measured public satisfaction was second only to Taipei in 2012. Use an EasyCard and ride free for your first 8 km. Check out the city’s Dynamic Bus Info & Transit System site at http://citybus.taichung.gov.tw/eweb/default.aspx . The Taichung High Speed Rail Station and Taichung Railway Station are hubs for bus routes; for information on visitor information centers that can help you with route information, visit http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002168 and travel.taichung.gov.tw. The 24H International Community Service Hotline is 0800-024-111.
HOSPITALITY
Meeting the Ground Staff of Local Airlines
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Amber: My name is Amber, and I have been working as ground staff
for EVA Air for the past 14 years.
Mira: My name is Mira, and I have been with China Airlines for the
past four years working as ground staff.
What has been your experience helping travelers?
Amber: It can be challenging at times, especially if there are flight
delays, which are difficult to predict. Travelers can get impatient
and upset, and our task is to keep everyone informed.
What are your responsibilities as ground staff?
Mira: I work at our check-in counters helping travelers with check-
in and boarding, and also attend to the needs of travelers in our
VIP lounge.
Have you had any especially interesting encounters with foreign travelers?
Mira: My most recent one – we assisted a traveler who came to
Songshan Airport but soon found his plane was actually leaving from
Taoyuan. We often help visitors find their way around the airport, or
help them travel to places in the city.
Do you have any special recommendations for visitors to Taiwan?
Amber: I especially like the islands of Penghu, and Taiwan’s other outlying
islands as well. For stopover travelers I recommend visiting Taipei 101.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
Mira: We welcome everyone to fly to Taiwan with China Airlines!
Working as ground staff at an airport can be a challenging job. Travel in Taiwan recently sat down with two young ladies who work at Taipei Songshan Airport
to find out what it’s like to serve travelers day in day out.
Mira: I really enjoy my job, meeting
and assisting all types of travelers. We
handle many travelers from
abroad and it can be a
challenge communicating
with people speaking in
different languages.
Amber: I have had different responsibilities, from working at check-
in counters to VIP lounges to both departure and arrival halls.
Amber: We once found a travel bag in our VIP lounge left behind by a
tour-group leader. When we opened the bag we found that it contained a
large amount of cash. So I had to take it to the police station. The traveler
called us later and was very grateful that we had taken care of his bag.
Mira: If travelers want to experience the local food, I tell them about
our night markets. If they want to try foods that are unique, I might
recommend stinky tofu or oyster omelets.
Amber: We wish you a good flight with EVA Air, and welcome you
to Taiwan!
Good Flight!”“Wish You a
MEETING TOURISTS
Travel in Taiwan 21
Yi n g g e S a n x i a&
Pot ter y DIY at Y ingge
Yingge Ceramics Museum
TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS
22 Travel in Taiwan
Text: Eric Bratt Photos: Maggie Song
A Day Spent Exploring Two Interesting Districts in New Taipei City
Sanxia Old Street
Zhenxing Noodle Shop
At Qingshui Zushi Temple
TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS YINGGE/SANXIA
If you are interested in ceramics, dyeing, and history, a day-trip to Yingge and Sanxia is perfect for you. These two former towns, now formally “districts” within what is called New Taipei City, offer wonderful insight into the island’s history and traditional crafts. And as is the case with many trips in Taiwan, there is delicious food and plenty of history and culture to enjoy.
Travel in Taiwan 23
able to produce pieces of unique colors,
molds, and designs. The second f loor is
dedicated to history, and consists of four
exhibition halls introducing the history
of ceramics in Taiwan and exploring the
relationship between ceramics, religion,
and architecture. A seemingly countless
number of ceramic works provides a
window into the past. Ranging from the
mundane – rice bowls and teapots – to
the sacred – Daoist statues and Buddhist
icons – these pieces well express the
artistic genius of the craftsmen. Note:
The gift shop is also well stocked with
locally produced handicrafts.
After
my pleasant morning at
the museum, I moved on to the next
stop on my itinerary: Sanxia Old Street.
Upon disembarking after a 15-minute
bus ride, I both heard and felt a rumbling
in my stomach, and launched a search for
my lunch. I found the Zhenxing Noodle
Shop, which had been recommended,
and ordered a bowl of oil noodles with a
side order of pickled cucumber, washing
it down with delicious black tea. The
owner of the shop told me that black tea,
like wine, ages well over time, and that
his tea is aged for more than a year.
As it was almost 2 p.m., I hurriedly
finished my food and moved on.
Unfortunately, I only had one stomach to
fill, and wasn’t able to stop at every food
stand that looked appealing. However,
I did sample some of the excellent fare
at the very affordable Dong Dao Diner
Pavilion. This restaurant specializes in
traditional local Taiwanese specialties,
offering a multitude of dishes that run
from NT$$40 to NT$200.
Now with a full stomach, I headed
off to try my hand at dyeing clothes. The
Indigo Dyeing Workshop specializes in
indigo dyeing, and lets visitors choose
their own fabric and design. I selected
a white piece of fabric 1.5 meters long,
chose a design, hoped that my scarf
would turn out well, and began in
earnest. The process took about 45
History Yingge, meaning “oriole/
warbler song,” came to prominence in the early
1800s when Wu An, a potter from mainland China’s Guangdong
Province, migrated to the area. He found the local clay to be of excellent
quality, and launched the region’s ceramic industry working with brick master Chen Kun, making Yingge
the largest ceramic-producing center in all of
Taiwan.
This day-trip
to the southwestern portion of New
Taipei City is great for individuals,
couples, or entire families. Despite the
fact that I am not artistically inclined, on
my first trip to the area, taken recently,
I was happy to find that I could visit a
ceramics museum and try my hand at
dyeing clothes. What made things all
the better is Yingge’s and Sanxia’s close
proximity to Taipei City. The short
commute from the metropolis makes for
a very relaxing and enjoyable outing.
I began the day by taking a train
from Taipei to Yingge. From the station
I walked to the Yingge Ceramics
Museum, the bright sunshine and gusty
breezes making for a beautiful late-
autumn day. I arrived at the museum
at 10 a.m., and had an hour to check
out the grounds before joining a guided
tour. What initially impressed me most
was the open-air style of the museum –
the grounds and lobby areas seemingly
fused into one through the liberal use
of glass, giving the facility a grandiose
quality. However, I noticed the groups of
schoolchildren walking around seemed
far more enthralled by the sculptures
decorating the atrium. There is a great
deal of green space surrounding the
museum, which I found to be particularly
pleasant on such a gorgeous day.
During the tour I learned that the
bright and beautiful museum was opened
13 years ago with a mission to educate
the Taiwan public about Yingge’s
unique role in the history of Taiwan
ceramics. The first f loor provides an
introduction to traditional ceramic-
production methods in Yingge and
Taiwan. The explanations are clear, and
I learned how masters in ceramics are
The grounds and lobby areas of the museum are seemingly
fused into one through the liberal use of glass, giving the
facility a grandiose quality
TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS
24 Travel in Taiwan
Indigo dyeing in Sanxia
Yingge Ceramics Museum
HistorySanxia, meaning “three
gorges,” is where the Heng Stream and Sanxia River meet, the waters then flowing on to the
nearby Dahan River. Like Yingge, migrating peoples
from China’s Fujian and Guangdong provinces shaped Sanxia’s early
development. It became an important regional
commercial center, as local traders shipped camphor,
tea, and dyed cloth downriver to Taipei. Today
Sanxia is best known for its cultural and architectural
attractions.
Qingshui Zushi Temple
the continuous chanting of Daoist
priests and the impressive number of
locals praying made it very clear that the
temple’s religious community is alive and
thriving.
Having already taken in so much,
I was not surprised to see that it was
already 5 p.m. Before hopping on a
bus to head back home I popped in at
Sanxia’s Culture Art and Nature (CAN),
which has an open-air space, café,
environmental advocacy group facilities,
and publishing house all wrapped into
one. The artistic community for which
this is home allows residents and travelers
to explore art, serves fresh drinks and
fusion dishes, and publishes a periodical
in which writers explore themes related
to art, music, health, and happiness.
My day in Yingge and Sanxia
drawing to a close, I left for Taipei
satisfied in knowing that I had been
able to spend precious added-value time
exploring and learning about ceramics
and also challenging my inner artist.
minutes. After sectioning off the fabric
and pinching it between two narrow
wooden beams, I proceeded to dye it four
times, three minutes each time. After
each soaking I removed the scarf from
the dye, wrung it out, and separated
the sections that had stuck together so
that all parts could dry. After the fourth
round I removed the wooden beams and
unraveled my creation. Thanks to the
much-needed assistance of my instructor,
I had actually created something that
was (somewhat) aesthetically pleasing!
For my final
stop of
the day I opted to visit Sanxia’s famous
Qingshui Zushi Temple. I entered the
temple to the sounds of Daoist chanting,
and circumambulated the perimeter
corridors. The temple brims with
intricate wooden carvings, beautiful
cochin ceramics (also often called koji
ceramics), and awe-inspiring stone-relief
sculptures. The beauty and ornateness
of the temple is a testament to the fact
that cultural preservationists have been
systematically restoring it over the past
few decades. Qingshui Zushi Temple is
not just a historic building, however – it
is a thriving religious site supported by a
vibrant community of believers. Indeed,
English and ChineseChen Kun 陳昆cochin ceramics 交趾陶Dahan River 大漢溪Heng Stream 橫溪oil noodles 油麵Qingshui Zushi Temple 清水祖師廟Sanxia (Old Street) 三峽 (老街 )Sanxia River 三峽河Wu An 吳鞍Yingge 鶯歌
The beauty and ornateness of Qingshui Zushi Temple is a testament to the fact that cultural
preservationists have been systematically restoring it over the past few decades
Getting There From Taipei Railway Station you can take a direct local train to Yingge. A 5-minute bus ride or a 15-minute walk will get you from Yingge Railway Station to the ceramics museum. From there you can take a bus to Sanxia Old Street.
From Sanxia, you can easily make your way back to Taipei via public transportation. A number of buses run from Sanxia to MRT Yongning Station; from there you can take an MRT train to Taipei Main Station. Alternatively, take the bus back to Yingge Railway Station and take the train to Taipei from there.
Yingge Ceramics Museum (鶯歌陶瓷博物館 )Add: 200, Wenhua Rd., Yingge District, New Taipei City (新北市鶯歌區文化路 200號 ) Tel: (02) 8677-2727Website: www.ceramics.ntpc.gov.tw
Zhenxing Noodle Shop (珍興麵店 )Add: 39, Minquan St., Sanxia District, New Taipei City (新北市三峽區民權街 39號 )
Dong Dao Diner Pavilion (東道飲食亭 )Add: 7, Ren'ai Rd., Sanxia District, New Taipei City (新北市三峽區仁愛路 7號 )
Indigo Dyeing Workshop (染工坊 )Add: 61, Zhongshan Rd., Sanxia District, New Taipei City (新北市三峽區中山路 61號 )Tel: (02) 8671-3108
Culture Art and Nature (甘樂文創 )Add: 371, Qingshui St., Sanxia District, New Taipei City (新北市三峽區清水街 317號 )Tel: (02) 2671-7090Website: www.facebook.com/thecam.tw
TOP TEN TAIWAN TOURS
Travel in Taiwan 25
YINGGE/SANXIA
Mt. Bilu and Mt. YangtouA Challenging and Rewarding Three-Day Hiking Outing
Text and Photos: Stuart Dawson
Taroko National Park’s Mt. Bilu (3,371m) and Mt. Yangtou (3,035m) are two of Taiwan’s lesser-known mountains. The two peaks are connected by a sawtooth-like ridge, making for a very exciting and physically demanding hike.
HIKING
26 Travel in Taiwan
The hike begins
inland from Taroko Gorge, where
Provincial Highway No. 8 and Provincial
Highway No. 14A meet at the small
hamlet of Dayuling. We left Taipei in the
morning and arrived at the trailhead in
the late afternoon. The weather had been
fine on the way up into the mountains,
and the forecast was looking good; even
so, it was very chilly on this January day
at 2,600m above sea level.
The hike, like so many others in
Taiwan, begins on an old abandoned
forestry road, which makes for a gentle
start. It s mostly flat along the first
section, and very scenic. We covered the
8km to our camping spot in a couple of
hours, which gave us plenty of daylight to
set up for the night.
Just as it was getting dark, we heard
a sound coming from the camp-side
waterfall, and I saw a large, black body
moving around. After rushing to grab my
camera, thinking I d finally spotted a
Formosan Black Bear, I was disappointed
and a little embarrassed when an elderly
Taiwanese hiker emerged onto the trail!
He looked exhausted, having hiked Mt.
Yangtou in a single day. Though we
were spreading our longer journey
over three days, we wondered if
this was in some way an ominous
sign for what the next two days
would hold – that we might still
be overextending ourselves.
English and ChineseCentral Mountain Range 中央山脈Dayuling 大禹嶺Mt. Bilu 畢祿山Mt. Yangtou 羊頭山Taroko National Park 太魯閣國家公園
Important Notes
Yangtou-Bilu is a particularly tough hike, and should not be undertaken by anyone without a lot of experience and a
high level of fitness. The trail is steep and treacherous in many places, and once you’re on the ridge
there are a series of cliffs with fixed ropes to negotiate.
If camping, be sure to carry at least 4 liters of water; there is no water source after the
forestry road. It’s very much recommended that anyone wanting to climb Yangtou-Bilu get in contact with one of the many local hiking groups to arrange a guided trip.
The next morning we were up at first
light to begin the hike up to Mt. Bilu.
The day before we had hiked 8km in two
hours. This day it took us more than two
hours to complete 800m. The trail in this
section is incredibly steep, made all the
more difficult by having to carry winter
clothes, a tent, and enough water to last
two days.
As we approached the top of the ridge,
the early-morning clouds drifted away
and a brilliant white forest was revealed.
The wind, freezing temperatures, and
moisture had combined to cover all of
the trees in a layer of ice. It was a truly
spectacular sight.
Once on the ridge the trail splits in
two. A short distance along the trail to
the left is the peak of Mt. Bilu; the trail
to the right heads to Mt. Yangtou. We
gratefully dropped packs and headed
left. From the top, the views of the
northern tip of the Central Mountain
Range were amazing, but the driving
wind was freezing cold and we soon
retreated back into the forest.
From
the top of Mt. Bilu we
had seen the ridgeline extending on
to Mt. Yangtou, with its constant ups
and downs, and it had looked daunting
enough, but up close it turned out to
be even more difficult than we had
imagined. We climbed up and down
without end, it seemed, and skirted around
so many cliff faces that we lost count.
After a few hours we arrived at the
campsite we had chosen for our second
night. It s set in a forested area and offers
amazing views, but we d arrived way too
early and none of us fancied spending the
afternoon sitting around in the cold, so
after a quick map consultation we decided
to press on to Mt. Yangtou and then down
off the ridge to another spot where we
could camp. It was a long and exhausting
walk, and at times we began to doubt the
existence of the campsite; fortunately,
however, we found it before dark.
After a fitful sleep, disturbed by deer
brushing up against the tent through the
night, we headed back down the mountain
and rejoined the highway. The people of
Taiwan are exceptionally welcoming, and
as we waited in the rain for the bus, we
were offered hot coffee and toast by people
staying in a small B&B in the area. No
sooner had we finished the coffee than a
kind soul stopped and offered to drive us
the 20km back to our car. A very heart-
warming end to a tough hike!
2 34
1
1. Through the forest2. Across bare rock3. Trees in a layer of ice4. Mountain v iew
HIKING BILU/YANGTOU
Travel in Taiwan 27
Text: Rick Charette Photos: Jen Guo-Chen
On a fine crisp and clear late-autumn day not long ago Travel in Taiwan spent a colorful day visiting the rural Xinshe District in Taichung City – specifically,
the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe Festival.Enjoying the Sea of Flowers
SPLENDID FESTIVALS
28 Travel in Taiwan
This was the
first time
in Xinshe and the festival for us and we
were lucky enough to be escorted around
the sprawling grounds by a number of the
very kind and hospitable folk involved in
management of the event. Xinshe District
is a rural district in Taichung, located on
a wide plain between foothills and rising
mountains along the Dajia River east of
the Taichung urban core. The district is
known for farm production and the main
products grown are mushrooms, citrus
fruits, grapes, carambolas, pears, loquats,
sugar apples, pineapples, persimmons,
bonsai – and f lowers.
According to Liu Man-Wai, the
Deputy Director of the Taiwan Seed
Improvement and Propagation Station
(Council of Agriculture), Xinshe is today
commonly referred to as “Taichung’s
back garden.” A decade ago tourism was
just a minor money-maker. However,
since the great 9-21 Earthquake of 1999,
which was centered in central Taiwan,
government authorities have expended
significant resources to stimulate the
local economy, with tourism a primary
focus, and today the area has become
one of the more popular destinations in
the greater Taichung region, especially
for day-trips. The main attractions are
the local farms, the farm-and-mountain
scenery, open-air cafés, and the many
quaint rustic cottage- and chalet-style
getaway accommodations.
The festival
is held on the
grounds of the Taiwan Seed Improvement
and Propagation Station, established
under a different name during Taiwan’s
1895~1945 period of Japanese occupation.
Deputy Director Liu informed us that
the first edition of the Sea of Flowers was
held in 2005 in an effort to create greater
“brand” visibility for Xinshe produce
and boost its leisure-agriculture industry.
Large swaths of colorful f lowers were
planted over 30 hectares of showcase fields
– including sunflowers, lavender, cosmos,
spider flowers, sage, and begonias – and a
series of related events staged. “We grow
in size and sophistication each year,” he
said, “and in recent years have attracted
more than 1.8 million visitors. Our goal is
2 million.”
The festival is always held in the
late autumn. This, said Liu, is primarily
because the weather in the Taichung area
is close to “perfect” at this time of year,
for both plants and visitors – not too
hot, and minimal rain. There are many
new-theme exhibitions each year; these
were the theme-project areas for the 2013
festival, which ran from November 9 to
December 8: Happy Farming Exhibition,
Cinderella Exhibition, Amu Forest
Exhibition, Happy Farming Villages
Exhibition, Incredible Fern Exhibition,
Healthy and Beautiful Farming, and
LOHAS Promoting Group.
Heading out on a walkabout, our
guide Chung I-Ping, the station’s
Technical Service Section Assistant
Researcher, informed us that each year
the festival’s various specially-themed
exhibition areas are designed to highlight
their unique attributes. There is an
annual rotation of exhibition curators,
with different agriculture-related sections
within the Council of Agriculture
chosen as well as organizations from
outside, meaning brand-new faces and
perspectives are shown each round.
1. Field of Garden Cosmos2. Al l v isi tors have fun at Xinshe
1
2
The festival is always held in
the late autumn because the
weather in the Taichung area
is close to “perfect” at this
time of year
SPLENDID FESTIVALS SEA OF FLOWERS
Travel in Taiwan 29
Among the most arresting
visual settings were the five-
story-high magic castle, a giant
tree cultivated from magic
beans, and a six-meter-tall
rabbit wearing an outfit made
solely of flowers
Among the
various 2013
exhibit pavilions, I found one of the
most intriguing highlighted paddy-rice
production, with neat, tiny plots laid out
showing rice from transplanted-seedling
stage to maturity. There was also a
display presenting the different kinds of
rice grown around the world, including
the short-grain glutinous rice preferred
in Taiwan and the long-grain, non-sticky
fragrant rice eaten throughout Southeast
Asia. This was also the local birds’
favorite pavilion; you had to raise your
voice to be heard above the chatter of the
sparrows and other avian gourmands
trying to get at the rice seed.
Another pavilion was dedicated to
the seemingly countless herbs eaten
by Taiwan folk in tonic foods and
used in medicines. Over 1,000 herbs
were on display, many accompanied
by information on what they are used
for. An especially fragrant and visually
alluring pavilion showcased the orchid
in all its glory, with numerous rare
specimens on dramatically colorful
display.
Back in the open air, while wandering
through a panoramic swath of cosmos
flowers – other “seas” at the most recent
festival were made up of sunflowers,
sorghum blossoms, and wheat blossoms
– we learned that since the natural bloom
times for each flower is different, and
the length of the bloom period for each is
about two weeks, conditions are staggered
in the station’s greenhouses to provide a
constant stream of flowers that are then
methodically transplanted in the fields to
ensure maximum flower density and color.
Long before we entered the grounds of the Taichung
International Flower Carpet Festival,
our eyes were transfixed on its central
attraction, a large “magic castle.” This
annual festival was incorporated into the
larger Xinshe festival in 2011. It has a 3D
theme, with the various f lower-sculpture
areas telling stories that seem to rise
up out of the ground and take life-like
form. The 2013 themes were decidedly
whimsical, focused on Peter Pan, Alice
in Wonderland, and other fairy tales, as
well as film director Ang Lee’s Oscar-
winning movie Life of Pi.
For the fairy tales, a pop-up storybook
approach was taken. Among the most
arresting visual settings were the five-
story-high magic castle, a giant tree
cultivated from magic beans, and a six-
meter-tall rabbit wearing an outfit made
solely of f lowers. Other highlights were
the lifeboat used in the filming of Life of Pi (Ang Lee is a native Taiwan son,
did all ocean-based scenes at a Taichung
film facility that has the world’s largest
wave-generating pool, and donated
many props to the city of Taichung for
tourism use), and an antique horse-drawn
carriage popular for wedding shoots and
sweetheart poses that was formerly used
by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and
Madame Chiang on formal occasions.
Walking
the expansive
grounds is bound to get you both
thirsty and hungry. Your antidote is in
view at all times – a huge food bazaar
where vendors are set up under tent-
roof cover. Half of the food bazaar is
taken up with stands manned by local
farming folk selling fresh-from-the-field
fruits and vegetables, notably the main
local produce mentioned in this article’s
opening. Be sure to visit the juice stands
– the drinks served are delicious! There
is also a budding coffee-plantation
sector in the area, and you can buy both
fresh-packaged beans and sample fresh-
brewed cups made with the local bean at
growers’ stands.
The other half of the food bazaar
features vendors selling night-market-
style snack treats, with savory fried
delicacies the main attraction. Something
uniquely local is the deep-fried Xinshe
mushrooms, prepared on order and
served with a salt-and-pepper sprinkling
30 Travel in Taiwan30 Travel in Taiwan
SPLENDID FESTIVALS
English and ChineseChung I-Ping 鍾依萍Dajia River 大甲溪Liu Man-Wai 廖文偉Sea of Flowers in Xinshe 新社花海Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival 台中國際花毯節Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station 種苗改良繁殖場Xinshe District 新社區
– steamy-hot, chewy, and delectable.
Everything is of high quality, and is
appealingly inexpensive.
A personal
invitation
from Deputy Director Liu: You may
not have visited yet, but Xinshe beckons
next year and the years after, for as
explained there is high turnover in
exhibition highlights each year, making
each visit a novel foray. In addition, live
performances are staged on weekends
throughout the festival, with an emphasis
on music concerts. There are also in-
depth local tours offered in which your
guide takes you to visit recreational farms
in the area, and special packages are
designed each year that encourage you
1. Magic cast le2. Posing in f ront of a f lower f ie ld3. Antique horse - drawn carr iage4. Large f lower sculpture in the shape of a rabbit5. Entrance to the Taichung Int ’ l Flower Carpet Fest ival grounds
to stay at local cottage-style guesthouses,
visit the recreation/resort farms, and take
in other local tourist attractions.
For more information, visit the official
website of the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe
Festival at: f lowersea.asia.edu.tw.
2
3
5
41
Travel in Taiwan 31Travel in Taiwan 31
SPLENDID FESTIVALS SEA OF FLOWERS
Along the New Central Cross-Island Highway, Alishan, Yushan, and Sun Moon Lake form the most beautiful scenic route in Taiwan. Dongpu Hot Springs Scenic Area, also on the highway in Xinyi Township, Nantou County, is close to Taiwan’s highest mountain, Yushan (Mt. Jade). It is a great recreation spot when traveling between Alishan and Sun Moon Lake, as well as a rest stop for climbers as they head for Yushan on Batongguan Historic Trail. Dongpu has superb natural scenery, ancient Bunun culture, as well as excellent hot springs, and is well worth a visit at this time of year to enjoy a special winter holiday in the season the plum and cherry blossoms are in bloom.
The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus service now offers a three-day Sun-Moon Lake-Dongpu-Alishan joint ticket. Travelers can go from Sun Moon Lake to Hotel TiLun Tonpo Spa, then on to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. You are warmly invited to enjoy the beauty of Yushan this winter and experience the charm of an indigenous settlement, tasty aborigine food, and high-quality hot springs against a backdrop of romantic plum and cherry blossoms.
帝綸溫泉渡假大飯店HOTEL TI LUN TONPO SPA
Plum Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms, and Soothing Hot-Spring SoaksHotel TiLun Tonpo Spa – The Secret Mountain Hot Spring Closest to Yushan
Room ReservationTel: 886-49-270-1616Fax: 886-49-270-1360E-Mail: [email protected]: http://www.tilun.com.twAdd: 86, Dongpu Hot Springs, Xinyi Township, Nantou County (南投縣信義鄉東埔溫泉86號)
=
The Chinese character 口 (kou), meaning “mouth” or “entrance,” is easy to
recognize and is very common, both as a stand-alone character
and as part of other characters, serving as a root or “radical.”
Used as a single character in combination with other characters, 口 can have the meaning
“person’s mouth,” as in 開口 (kaikou; “open one’s mouth”), or have the meaning “entrance,” as
in 路口 (lukou; “street entrance” or “intersection”).
In Taiwanese daily life you will come across the terms 入口 (rukou) and 出口 (chukou) quite
often. The first means “entrance” (literally “entry mouth”), the second “exit” 出口 (lit. “exit
mouth”). The latter also means “export,” but the term for “import” is not 入口 but 進口 (jinkou;
lit. “advance/move into mouth”).
In a typical Chinese dictionary you will find around 180 characters with the radical “口”
on the left side, and many others with the “口” at the bottom or in another position. Many of
these characters are verbs related to a person’s mouth. Here are a few examples: 吃 (chi), “to
eat”; 喝 (he), “to drink”; 唱 (chang), “to sing”; 叫 (jiao), “to call”; 吐 (tu), “to spit”; 吹 (chui), “to
blow”; and 吻 (wen), “to kiss.”
In the character 呆 (dai), the “mouth” sits on top of 木 (mu; “wood”). This character
describes someone who is a bit slow or slow-witted; perhaps someone who talks like he has a
“wooden mouth.”
Sometimes there are even two “口” in one character, as in 哭 (ku), where the two “mouths”
sit on top of 犬 (quan; “dog”). Take a guess – what could this character mean?
The answer: 哭 means “to wail/whimper/weep/cry/sob.” You get the picture.
FUN WITH CHINESE
32 Travel in Taiwan
An Easy-to-Learn Character and an Often Seen RadicalIllustration: Fred Cheng
kou
dai
ku
=
Lin Chang-long’s family is originally
from mainland China’s
Fujian Province. His grandfather and great-grandfather both
worked as brush makers, exporting many of their brushes to
Taiwan, where at that time there were very few brush makers.
So when the family moved to Taiwan in 1945 it only seemed
natural to continue its business from the clan’s new home on
Taipei’s Chongqing North Road. At first, the family had many
difficulties. Taiwan did not have all the necessary materials
for brush making, and at the time trade with mainland China
was not possible for political reasons, so the family sourced its
supplies from Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong.
Text: Paul Jacob Naylor Photos: Maggie Song
When L in Chang- long became the four th -generation owner of a calligraphy brush-making enterprise, the brush-making industry was on the decline. Forced to come up with new ideas to stay in business, he created the LSY (LamSamYick) brand. Using his rich experience, and applying traditional techniques, he has developed new product lines such as cosmetic brush sets, and has successfully crossed over into a new field of trade: the beauty industry.
A Young Entrepreneur Explores New Ways to Apply an Age-Old Craft
Art Brushes
1917
34 Travel in Taiwan
OLD STYLE/NEW IDEAS
Beauty Brushes
Over the following fifty years the business grew slowly,
until Lin Chang-long’s father decided it was
time to retire and for his son to take over the business. However,
Chang-long had just graduated from law school, and had his
sights set on moving to Switzerland to study hotel management.
This put him in a difficult position. “I come from a very
traditional family,” he explains, “and when my father decided
that I was going to run the family business, I had no choice.”
He first worked as an apprentice in the business, making the
brush handles and gluing the pre-made brush heads onto them.
“The handle can be made of horn or bamboo,” he explains.
“But it’s not important. Anybody could have done this job.” The
making of the brush heads, however, is a task that takes many
years to learn. Lin, as head of the business, commissions one
of the 20 or so “master brush makers’’ who live in Taiwan to
make the brush heads for his firm. Each master specializes in
a particular type of brush, bringing many years of experience
to the craft – from the finest brushes of only a few hairs’ width
to massive brushes six feet long that are primarily used as
ornaments or for ceremonial purposes.
The traditional method of turning a pile of animal hair into
a brush takes 48 individual steps. For higher-quality brushes the
2013
Travel in Taiwan 35
BRUSH MAKINGOLD STYLE/NEW IDEAS
“Calligraphy brushes must be formed of different lengths of hair, in order to make a fine point”
The hairs are laid out f lat and
painstakingly arranged according to
length. Any damaged or irregular hairs
are removed.
In preparation for the formation of
the brush head, the hairs are grouped
together according to length and type.
Hairs of different origin are blended
together in the designated proportion.
To ensure an even spread and uniform
position, and to make sure there is no
unwanted material in the hairs, they are
scraped with a boar-bone tool.
Step 1: Separating the hair from the fur
Step 4: Mixing the hairs
Step 2: Sorting the hairs Step 3: Separating the hairs into different lengths
When a patch of hair is judged to
be of good quality, the hair is separated
from the skin and surrounding fur. Any
remaining undesirable fur is sifted and
discarded.
process is repeated many times, to ensure
the best possible result. “Even the simplest
brush heads contain more than one type of
hair, and in brush making, proportion is
one of the important things,” Lin explains.
“Each animal hair has its own particular
quality, and each type of animal has many
different types of hair. For example, the
hair on the belly of the goat is very soft,
so we use that for our make-up brushes.
The hair on the legs is thick and hard, so
we use that in brushes designed for the
painting of pottery, which need to be more
durable.”
Lin also uses pig and rabbit hair, but
the best and most expensive hair, he says,
comes from the male golden weasel. This
hair is very elastic yet also very soft,
ideal for calligraphy. By weight it is more
expensive than gold. “Calligraphy brushes
must be formed of different lengths of
hair, in order to make a fine point,” he
says, as he shows off his wares. “If the
hairs were all the same length, it would
look like a paintbrush. You see, the goat
hair acts like a sponge, soaking up the
ink, while the golden weasel hair, which
is slightly longer, directs the ink onto the
paper. With brushes such as these, you can
write a large number of characters with
only one dip of ink.” Indeed, according
to tradition the calligrapher of Buddhist
sutras should only dip his brush once to
write a full sutra. This quality is thus not
only convenient, but also essential for the
passionate calligrapher.
After finishing his
apprenticeship and
officially becoming the new head of the
family business in 2000, Lin realized there
was a problem: the market for calligraphy
brushes was on the decline. “When I was
in school,” Lin recalls, “we had to write a
diary and sometimes whole essays using a
calligraphy brush. But that is no longer the
case. Students are still a good market for
us, but with the birth rate declining, this
market is contracting.” Conversely, with
people living longer, Lin’s main customer
base is now male seniors, who have a lot
of time on their hands and want to escape
the fast pace of modern life by taking
up calligraphy. “Nevertheless, as young
people are not taking it up anymore,
selling calligraphy brushes isn’t a stable
business,” he says.
Years back, Lin did some thinking,
and came to a radical conclusion. “In the
modern market, nobody needs calligraphy
Owner Lin Chang- long
36 Travel in Taiwan
OLD STYLE - NEW IDEAS
“If the feel is good the customer will be happy and
buy more brushes in the future. This is the concept behind all my products”
English and ChineseChongqing North Road 重慶北路Lin Chang-long 林昌隆
LAMSAMYICK (林三益 )Add: 58, Sec. 2, Chongqing N. Rd., Taipei City (台北市重慶北路 2段 58號 )Tel: (02) 2556-6433Website: www.lamsamyick.com
brushes. However, I thought that since
a brush had simply become ‘hair with
a handle,’ I didn’t see why I couldn’t
redefine the calligraphy brush to fit into a
more profitable market.” That new market,
he decided, was cosmetics. About 10 years
ago Lin walked into a nail salon with
his brushes. His claim that calligraphy
brushes had a use in the fingernail-art
business were rejected, but he tried again,
and then again. His persistence paid off,
especially as the brushes the salon had
been using were imported from America
and Europe, and Lin was offering a much
cheaper price for his locally produced
merchandise. His firm was commissioned
to make a range of smaller brushes for the
nail salon, and today he makes over 40
types of brushes for make-up and nails.
Lin shows off his latest product,
a stubby, two-tiered brush
designed to remove blackheads from
the face. “With the calligraphy brushes,
I was always the middleman standing
between the master brush maker and
the customer. Today, it is no different.
Make-up professionals who commission
new designs know the kind of brush they
want; but as they do not know the art of
brush-making, they cannot explain the
practicalities of making such a brush to the
manufacturer. I can.” In Lin’s eyes there
is still much to learn in the transition from
calligraphy to cosmetics. “My wife gives
me lots of suggestions!” he laughs. “I get
her to help me with all my new products.”
The initial reaction from Lin’s
family to his new business direction was
skepticism. Because cosmetics brushes
are exposed to a lot more water than
calligraphy brushes, Lin has to use
artificial hair and plastic handles for
most of his make-up brushes. “My father
thought the plastic handle and artificial
hair looked strange,” he says. “The
traditional way to test the quality of a
brush is to touch the brush to your tongue,
and so that’s what my father did. He said
the brush had good quality, and hasn’t
said anything about it since!”
Despite his new business
direction, Lin
is still passionate about calligraphy. The
knowledge he has gained about marketing,
packaging, and product design while
developing his range of make-up brushes
has also benefitted his calligraphy brushes.
This year he took what is perhaps his
boldest step to date when he acquired the
right to use the Hello Kitty logo to make
a bright-pink calligraphy brush aimed
at children. “This makes a really good
present for someone,” he says, “and I hope
that it may motivate more children to take
up calligraphy in the future.” Another idea
he is pondering: commemorative brushes
made from the hair of a deceased family
pet. “The idea is not mine, actually,” he
says. “A Taiwanese family in Australia
contacted me saying that their favourite
pony had died, and asked if I could make
a brush out of its tail hair. I did it, but to
be honest, horse hair does not make a very
good brush!
“My business model has always been
to go step by step, to go naturally, slowly
but steadily,” explains Lin. His philosophy
has paid off. Today the traditional family
business on Chongqing North Road is still
going strong and his LSY-label cosmetics
brushes are sold at two permanent stands,
one at the Nanjing branch of the Shin
Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store and
the other, which just opened this year,
at the Hankyu Department Store above
MRT Taipei City Hall Station. “Of course,
the customer bases for our two lines
are very different, but for both types of
customer satisfaction is key,” he says. “If
the feel is good the customer will be happy
and buy more brushes in the future. This
is the concept behind all my products.”
With a business outlook such as this,
LamSamYick creations are sure to be in
strong demand with both calligraphers
and make-up enthusiasts far down the
road.
Travel in Taiwan 37
OLD STYLE - NEW IDEAS BRUSH MAKING
Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Aska Chi
Riding the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Dashu Line
“Drink the water of Dashu,” goes an old Taiwanese saying, “and you’ll ever be thin and beautiful” – a fine reason, if any were needed, to visit this pleasant riverside Kaohsiung City suburban area in southern Taiwan. Most
visitors to Dashu are, however, not concerned with such cosmetic foibles, and instead flock to the area with a more spiritual motive – to pay homage to a Buddhist holy relic held at the Fo
Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center. Even for those not on a religious pilgrimage, a visit to the center is an enlightening experience, and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle
service will not only take you right to the gate, but also enable you to take in the best of Dashu along the way.
Riding a bike at the Old Rai lroad Br idge on the Gaoping River
Old Industry, Natural Wetland, Strong Liquor,
Religious Center
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial
Center
Old Railroad Bridge/
Education Wetland Zone
Bamboo Mountain Winery
Fengshan Station
BACKPACK BUS TRIP
38 Travel in Taiwan
Stop I – San-He Tile KilnOur first stop on our Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus tour
along the Dashu route is the San-He Tile Kiln, a near
century-old ceramics factory nestled in the Old Railroad
Bridge Education Wetland Zone. The factory’s three
imposing brick kilns, one of only two sets of large-scale
traditional kilns in Taiwan still in use, are the last remnants
of Dashu’s former glory days as the brick-and-tile capital
of Taiwan. “In the first half of the 20th century there was
a big demand for ceramics,” explains Xu Xi-ping, our
factory guide, “because Taiwanese villages and towns were
mostly collections of traditional courtyard houses, which
used ceramics not only for basic construction but for their
windows, drainpipes, and eaves as well.” During the ’60s,
however, the concrete revolution caused the dwindling of
this business.
Once a set of eight, the remaining three kilns – each
with an internal volume of 144 cubic meters – stand side
by side in the rear of the factory like three fire-blackened
turtle shells. We duck inside one, its ceiling and walls hoary
with the ash of decades of firing clay. Xu explains that after
stacking the bricks or tiles in the kiln, wood and rice husks
are burnt around the clock for two months in the fire-well
by the door, which allows the internal temperature to slowly
inch its way upward to just over 1,000°C. After that, the kiln
is sealed and allowed to stew in its own heat for a fortnight;
the heat is then slowly vented over another two weeks.
With demand for structural ceramics at a low, the factory
now almost solely produces materials for the refurbishment and
reconstruction of old buildings, though it does have a lucrative
side-line in ceramic tableware such as coasters and trivets.
Visitors are offered the chance to do some DIY, including
designing and making their own tableware and sculpting clay
figurines, all activities costing NT$250. I opt for a session
in which you make a mosaic out of shattered tile pieces.
In a moment of adopted patriotism, I attempt “Taiwan” in
Chinese characters, and am complimented on my calligraphy
more out of politeness, I suspect, than anything else.
Stop II –
Wetland Ecological ParkWith half an hour to kill while the glue on my mosaic
masterpiece dries, we decide to spend a little time exploring
the surrounding Education Wetland Zone. Bicycles can be
rented for NT$50 per hour at the park’s Volunteer Hut. The
vast stretch of constructed wetland was created in 2002 in
order to purify the area’s river water, until then blighted
by industrial and agricultural pollution. The wetland was
largely laid waste in 2009 in f looding caused by Typhoon
Morakot, but an extensive campaign by local volunteers has
now restored the artificial wetland, the largest of its kind in
Taiwan, to its former glory. A paradise for birdwatchers, it is
visited by over 140 bird species, the most common of which
are identified on information boards in Chinese, though
hardcore twitchers should have no real problems identifying
these from the pictures provided. The best time to see the
local birdlife is dawn and dusk – so we, visiting at lunchtime,
glimpse only a few egrets and a lonely heron.
Those with an interest in industrial engineering will have
their appetite sated by the Old Railroad Bridge, once the
longest steel bridge in Asia, which has a span of 1,526 meters
and crosses the Gaoping River. The structure, completed in
1913, undulates over the river like a colossal steel serpent,
though there is today a gaping wound in this once noble
metallic beast, caused by a succession of f loods starting in
2005 that have washed away the bridge’s mid-section.
BACKPACK BUS TRIP
Travel in Taiwan 39
KAOHSIUNG
At the Education Wetland Zone
Inside k i ln at San-He T i ln K i ln
The remaining three kilns stand side by side in the rear of the factory like three
fire-blackened turtle shells
Stop IV – Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial CenterIt’s late afternoon by now, and we ride the bus to our last
stop, the Buddha Memorial Center. This center was completed
in late 2011 to house a sacred relic – a tooth belonging to
Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of the Buddhist faith. The
tooth was presented to the Venerable Master Hsing Yun,
founder of the Fo Guang Shan monastic order, in 1998 by the
Tibetan Lama Kunga Dorje Rinpoche, who had guarded the
relic for three decades following the destruction of its original
home during China’s Cultural Revolution.
The center is a capacious complex covering an area of
over 100 hectares, and is loaded with Buddhist symbolism.
At the far western end stands the Fo Guang Big Buddha,
a gigantic 50-meter-tall statue of a sitting Buddha forged
from 1,780 tons of bronze and steel. In front of him is the
center’s Main Hall, topped with four Indian-style stupas that
represent the Indian origins of Buddhism. The Jade Buddha
Shrine inside the Main Hall is where the tooth relic is kept,
and each hour a group of up to a hundred people is led by a
master in a pre-unveiling session of meditation, explanation
of Buddhist history, and prayer before paying reverence to
the relic. Leading up to the Main Hall is the Great Path to
Buddhahood – a paved walkway f lanked by eight Chinese-
style pagodas, which signify both the Buddhist idea of the
Noble Eightfold Path and the religion’s spread to China. It’s
perfectly possible to be ignorant of all these things and still
be astonished at the serenity, the simplicity, and the beauty of
the place, especially as the sun starts to set and the pagodas
and the Big Buddha are lit up against the twilight.
Stop III –
Bamboo Mountain WineryFollowing our jaunt around the wetland and after picking
up my ceramic art piece at the kiln, we get back on the bus and
make the short ride up to the Bamboo Mountain Winery. In
the main visitors’ hall Yang Feng-mao, the winery’s chairman,
shows us some of his wares. The winery’s signature product
is probably the Red Yeast, Onion and Grape Wine. Though
unfamiliar, the combination of f lavors is pleasant, with a subtle
hint of onion seeping through the medicinal tang of the red
yeast. “Red yeast has blood-cleansing properties,” says Yang,
explaining the rationale behind the strange concoction, “while
onion invigorates your organs.” About two years ago the winery
collaborated with the National Kaohsiung Hospitality College
to perfect the fermentation process for this healthful wine,
and Yang says that the winery is the only place in the world
that produces this particular blend. The winery also produces
concentrated fruit vinegars, which are diluted in water before
drinking, and help aid digestion.
After trying the healthy stuff, we move on to something
harder – the winery’s prize-winning Kaoliang liquor. Kaoliang,
a firewater made from fermented sorghum that is popular in
Taiwan and mainland China, is the kind of spirit that first-timers
might suspect would be rather effective stripping lacquer off old
furniture. However, the winery’s 2003 54° Taiwan Real Kaoliang Liquor bagged a silver medal at the 2013 Concours Mondial de
Bruxelles Spirits Selection awards, and so I feel I should hold off
on my judgment until I’ve at least tasted some. After holding a
glass hesitantly to my lips for a moment and muttering a silent
prayer to Bacchus, I knock back the clear, glassy liquid and …
what miracle is this … I do not wince. I find it is much smoother
than the versions I have tried before, with a pleasant roasted
essence that coats the palate on its way down.
BACKPACK BUS TRIP
40 Travel in Taiwan
Buddha Memorial Center
English and ChineseKMRT Dadong Station 高雄捷運大東站Dashu District 大樹區Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center 佛光山佛陀紀念館Gaoping River 高屏溪Kaoliang 高粱Old Railroad Bridge Education Wetland Zone 舊鐵橋溼地教育園區Venerable Master Hsing Yun 星雲大師Volunteer Hut 志工小棧Xu Xi-ping 許西平Yang Feng-mao 楊豐茂
San-He Tile Kiln (三和瓦窯 )Add: 94, Zhuliao Rd., Dashu Dist., Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市大樹區竹寮路 94號 ) Tel: (07) 651-2037 / 652-1432Website: tw.myblog.yahoo.com/san-333 (Chinese)
Bamboo Mountain Winery (竹寮山觀光酒廠 )Add: 75, Zhuliao Rd., Dashu Dist., Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市大樹區竹寮路 75號 )Tel: (07) 652-2660Website: www.bmm.com.tw (Chinese)
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center (佛光山佛陀紀念館 )Add: 1, Tongling Rd., Dashu Dist., Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市大樹區統嶺路 1號 ) Tel: (07) 656-3033 ext.4002Website: www.fgsbmc.org.tw
We have arrived late in the day, but you could in fact spend
the whole day at the center and not find yourself lacking in things
to do. The Main Hall has four exhibition rooms on Buddhist
culture, and each of the eight pagodas is itself a museum of
Buddhist artifacts. Some great vegetarian restaurants can be
found in the center’s Front Hall, including the Water Drop
Teahouse, which is managed by the monks themselves and where
you can try a hearty butterbean noodle soup with a pleasantly
tart Japanese citron sorbet for dessert. The last shuttle bus leaves
the center at 6 p.m. (6:30 p.m. on weekends), so get to the center
in good time to make the most of your visit.
It’s perfectly possible to be ignorant of all these things and still be astonished at the serenity, the
simplicity, and the beauty of the place
Getting There and Around You can catch the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Dashu Route bus from KMRT Dadong Station, which is on the Orange Line of the Kaohsiung metro. Buses run hourly on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. For a full, downloadable timetable, visit www.taiwantrip.com.tw/Besttour/Info/?id=44 . The cost is NT$50 for a full-day ticket, which can be bought on the bus. Note: It’s best to tell, or show, the driver where you want to get off when you board the bus; your stop might otherwise be skipped.
BACKPACK BUS TRIP KAOHSIUNG
Reservation Hotline: (02) 2775-5005 Address: 73, Lane 72, Guangfu S. Rd., Taipei City(台北市光復南路72巷73號) Website: www.burntcharcoal.com
We serve traditional Korean cuisine in a modern yet cozy setting and provide excellent service for a unique Korean dining experience.
Burnt Charcoal Korean BBQ Restaurant
Contemporary Korean Cuisine
Three of the Finest Health Food Restaurants in Taipei
There is no lack of restaurants in Taiwan’s capital, and even the most demanding gourmet will find a place to please his or her palate. If you are
looking for healthful food prepared with organically grown produce, following is an introduction to three of the city’s finest health-food eateries.
Text: Eric Bratt Photos: Maggie Song
Healthful Eating &
Delicious Flavors
Nonzero is an ideal place to
enjoy a meal with friends,
and provides a convivial
atmosphere that makes you
feel comfortable Masala veggie s tew at Nonzero
42 Travel in Taiwan
SPECIAL REPORT
NonzeroMarble f loors, beautiful wooden
tables, and a warm “Good afternoon”
greeted me as I entered Nonzero, a sleek
restaurant absent of loud sound or kitsch
of any sort. Providing the customer
with a variety of dishes and a carefully
thought out wine list, Nonzero strives to
maintain a balance between promoting
healthful eating and creating delicious
f lavors. It doesn’t disappoint.
Looking up from my table, I looked
over Nonzero’s décor with pleasure,
especially its marble f loors. Noticing
my interest, a server informed me that
the majority of Nonzero’s interior
decorations are comprised of discarded
and salvaged materials. The beautiful
f loors, for instance, are used pieces of
f lawed marble salvaged from a quarry.
Impressed by this resourcefulness,
I sat down with owner Tan Yee Ming,
who I found was the embodiment of
the restaurant’s congenial attitude.
She emphasized how Nonzero seeks
to provide a comfortable, relaxing
environment that allows friends from
near and far to enjoy a delectable meal
that makes them feel right at home.
Explaining that the restaurant’s clientele
seeks both health and happiness, Ms
Tan said that Nonzero does all it can to
support Taiwanese farmers who utilize
sustainable methods to produce the wide
variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, and
seasonings that the restaurant uses.
I began my dinner with Nonzero’s
organic salad (NT$350). The arugula,
spinach, and mushrooms were delicious,
and covered with slices of Italian Grana
Podano cheese, hazelnut, and a drizzle
of balsamic vinegar that I chose myself.
Getting There Take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station and
walk south on Fuxing S. Road for about 400 meters before turning left onto Lane 221 of Fuxing S. Road. Walk straight ahead on Lane
221 for about 150 meters.
For my main dish I ordered the excellent
masala veggie stew, which was served
with rice and quinoa (NT$350). The
chef has expertly modified the recipe
of a meat-based dish to ensure that the
proper f lavors come through, despite the
absence of lamb or beef. Although I was
tempted to have a glass of red wine, I
opted instead for a freshly squeezed juice
blend. I left the restaurant very satisfied,
eagerly anticipating a return to what, in
my experience, is one of Taipei’s best,
and coziest, dining establishments.
Nonzero is an ideal place to enjoy
a meal or a glass of wine with friends,
and provides a convivial atmosphere
that will make you feel comfortable.
Best experienced during the hours after
work, it provides a dignified sanctuary
and delectable fare amidst the hustle and
bustle of Taipei.
SonnentorWith three locations in Taipei,
Sonnentor (German for “sun gate”)
operates cozy, quaint cafés that offer
freshly baked breads, creative dishes
made with organically grown fruits and
vegetables, and locally produced meats.
On this occasion I visited the Tianmu
branch, located right around the corner
from Tianmu Square, and enjoyed a
sumptuous brunch.
A well-lit interior greeted me as I
walked through the door, which has a
depiction of a large sun on it. I examined
the eco-friendly foods, wines, and
cooking utensils along the walls, and
then took a long look at the assortment of
mouthwatering breads set out on a table
in the middle of the restaurant. There
was also a “Top 10” list of best-selling
products hanging on one wall, which has
both traditional Western and Taiwanese
selections.
A selec t ion of breads at Sonnentor
Travel in Taiwan 43
RESTAURANTSSPECIAL REPORT
If you are keen on
supporting the organic
movement, Sonnentor is a
great place to visit
Impressed by the wide variety on
offer, I sat down to order. A quick
glance at the menu and a conversation
with my waiter made clear that
Sonnentor is very serious about organic
foods, and is committed to sourcing its
organic ingredients exclusively from
Taiwan. Its fruits and vegetables are
grown on the Tenha Organic Farm
in Tainan. Its meats are from a select
group of island organic farms, and its
seafood supplier also meets stringent
organic standards. So, if you are keen
on supporting the organic movement
while you eat, Sonnentor is a well-
chosen place to visit.
Sonnentor’s head baker, Fan Jia-
hao, bursts with creativity, coming
up with all kinds of creative, distinct,
and colorful breads. I tasted slices
of Matcha Red Bean Bread, Sesame
French Bread, Bamboo Carbon Bread,
and Pineapple and Carrot Bread.
Unusual names aside, each was expertly
prepared, had excellent texture, and
went down nicely when lightly covered
with a dabble of Sonnentor’s dragon-
fruit jam. My brunch also consisted of
fresh yoghurt, crisp french fries, a fruit
and vegetable salad, and freshly brewed
fruit tea. The various brunch selections
cost approximately NT$350. And be sure
to buy some bread for later in the day!
The Villa HerbsClassy, elegant, chic … these were the
words that passed through my mind as
I walked through the door at The Villa
Herbs. Housed in two sizeable reoriented
residences on a quiet street in central
Taipei, the restaurant offers excellent
food, a comfortable atmosphere, and an
impressive drink list. Furthermore, the
unfailingly polite and prompt service will
make your dining experience all the more
pleasant.
The distinctive interior design gave
me the impression that I was getting
ready to dine in the former mansion of
a French colonial official in Southeast
Asia. Members of the staff soon informed
me that the owner carefully selected
and imported all of the furniture from
Thailand. The restaurant’s dignified
and elegant atmosphere has proved
successful, and attracts a posh group of
Getting There Take the MRT Tamsui Line to Shipai Station. From
there, take bus 224, 601, or Red 19 to Tianmu Square. After alighting, cross the street, walk 50 meters up Alley 18 of Tianyu Street; Sonnentor
is on the right.
Sonnentor
Sonnentor brunch
44 Travel in Taiwan
SPECIAL REPORTSPECIAL REPORT
English and ChineseFan Jia-hao 范家毫Tan Yee Ming 陳郁敏Tianmu Square 天母廣場Tenha Organic Farm 巨農有機農場
Nonzero (非零 )Add: 5, Alley 4, Lane 27, Sec. 4, Ren’ai Rd., Taipei City (台北市仁愛路四段 27巷 4弄 5號 ) Tel: (02) 2772-1630Website: www.nonzero.com.tw
Sonnentor (日光大道健康廚坊 )Add: (Tianmu Branch) 6, Alley 18, Lane 38, Tianyu St., Taipei City (台北市天玉街 38 巷 18 弄 6號 )Tel: (02) 2874-0208Website: www.facebook.com/sonnentor.tw
The Villa HerbsAdd: 30/32, Lane 11, Leli Rd., Taipei City (台北市樂利路 11巷 30,32號 ) Tel: (02) 2732-3255Website: www.facebook.com/thevillaherbs
Taiwanese men and women in their mid-
20s, eager to escape the hustle and bustle
of everyday life.
The restaurant offers many seasonal
dishes, the majority of which are
prepared Italian style. Popular dishes
include a multitude of creative risottos,
fresh pastas, kebabs, omelets, and a
number of vegetarian options. Meals
start at NT$250, with a delectable brunch
offered for NT$320. Brunch includes fruit
juice, a choice of omelet, coffee or herbal
Fresh f ruit and juice
Mushroom omelet of The V i l la Herbs
tea, and a seasonal fruit bowl. In addition,
The Villa Herbs offers a number of coffees,
teas, desserts, wines, beers, and exquisite
cocktails, all of which can be enjoyed in
the restaurant or in the pleasant lounge
area in the adjacent building.
On this evening my goal was to
try some of the restaurant’s healthful
cuisine. Upon the recommendation of
the staff, I opted for a mixed mushroom
omelet of egg whites topped with parsley.
Complementing my omelet was a glass
of freshly squeezed pineapple, apple,
and pomelo juice, a warm potato and
f lour biscuit, and a garden salad. The
presentation was aesthetically pleasing,
and the food’s quality and variety
exceeded my expectations. For those with
a sweet tooth, I also highly recommend
the sublime, rich, yet not overly sweet
tiramisu. And for those wondering, yes,
The Villa Herbs does grow its own herbs
– in a garden in front of the restaurant
and on one of the restaurant’s roofs.
Getting There Take the MRT to Liuzhangli Station, walk north
on Leli Road for 400 meters, turn right onto Lane 1, then walk 150 meters; the restaurant is
on the right.
RESTAURANTSSPECIAL REPORTSPECIAL REPORT
The Villa Herbs offers
excellent food, a
comfortable atmosphere,
and a fine drink list
Travel in Taiwan 45
On a peanut farm in Yunlin
The Black King Kong of Yuanchang
Visiting a Peanut Farm in Southern Taiwan
Text: Owain Mckimm Photos: Aska Chi
Though rarely taking the leading role in Taiwanese culinary recipes, the humble peanut makes no end of cameos across the island’s gastronomic map. Peanuts act as a filling for the sticky-rice dumplings gobbled down during the Dragon
Boat Festival, provide a nutritious addition to the pork-knuckle soup eaten by new mothers during
postnatal recuperation, and are a magnet for seasonal gourmands at Chinese New Year in the form of peanut brittle – not to mention their role as a popular topping in Taiwanese desserts like
taro balls, tofu pudding, and shaved ice.
46 Travel in Taiwan
FOOD JOURNEY
Almost a third of all
the island’s peanuts comes from one small
township in southern Taiwan: Yuanchang,
Yunlin County. The level, sandy flats of
this township provide the perfect conditions
for peanut cultivation, though this does
not mean that the farmers of Yuanchang
are immune to troubles. Typhoons and
seasonal rains mean the constant threat
of crop spoilage. Nonetheless, the town’s
yield last year was still more than 10,000
tons. A large portion of this was a cultivar
known locally as youdou, or oil bean, used
for processing into peanut oil. Most of the
remaining tonnage, however, was made up
of Yuanchang’s signature peanut – a black-
skinned variety known as hei jingang, “Black
King Kong.”
The Black King Kong is distinctive for
its deeply wrinkled pod, the color of its testa
(the papery skin that covers the kernel),
which ranges from a rich plum to a charcoal
black, its low oil content, and its delicate
taste and texture. On a recent trip to the
township with a number of companions our
guide, Zhong Bing-qi from the Yuanchang
Township Farmers’ Association, tells us
that this particular cultivar has been grown
in Yuanchang for over a decade, with the
first major yield occurring in 2000. For a
more detailed account of its origins, Zhong
takes us to visit Wu Zhi-cheng, one of the
first farmers to grow the cultivar.
Mr. Wu welcomes us to his
farm with a six-pack of Taiwan Beer and
enough peanuts to sate an elephant. As
we sip our beers and graze on the peanuts,
Wu explains the different kinds of peanuts
grown in Yuanchang. “This one,” he says,
holding a small specimen with a largely
unwrinkled pod that’s quite smooth to the
touch, “is Tainan No. 9, one of the early
peanut varieties we used to grow here.”
A quick note on names: Many of the
cultivars have numerical code names,
which can deceive one into thinking
that the conversation has digressed onto
the subject of perfumes or symphonies.
This is due to the fact that many of the
cultivars were originally supplied by the
Tainan District Agricultural Research and
Extension Station, an organization charged
with the modification and improvement
of agricultural crops. Its job is to breed
better varieties, peanuts among them, and
then supply the farmers with the improved
versions. Each new variety is given a number
– hence Tainan No. 9. “Tainan No. 9 hasn’t
been grown here in quantity for about ten
years,” says Wu, who grows only a small
amount for personal consumption. “And
you can see that it has become small and the
husk is more wrinkled, whereas it used to be
very smooth.” This is a perpetual problem
for peanut farmers – varieties mutate.
“There are over 2,000 hectares of
land being used here for growing peanuts,
all fairly close together, so mutations
due to cross-pollination are inevitable,”
explains Zhong. “After about five or six
harvests you’ll start to notice differences
in the variety you’re using, and that’s
due to the fact that the farmer who owns
1
23
1. Fresh peanuts2 & 3 Dr y ing peanuts
Travel in Taiwan 47
PEANUTSFOOD JOURNEY
The Black King Kong is distinctive for its deeply wrinkled pod, the color of its testa, its low oil content, and its
delicate taste and texture
the neighboring field might be growing a
different cultivar.” This phenomenon is
not always detrimental, however, as it’s
precisely due to this kind of mutation that
the area’s star peanut, the Black King Kong,
came into existence.
“The Black King Kong variety is actually
the descendent of the huaren (florid kernel)
variety,” says Wu, picking up another, bigger
pod and cracking it open to reveal three snow-
white kernels streaked with maroon. “About
ten or so years ago, huaren pods containing
kernels that were all black started to show up.
At the time we thought this was a novelty,
and started specifically selecting black kernels
for use as seeds.”
The same process of mutation that
created them is now, unfortunately, making
the Black King Kong troublesome to cultivate
well: the leaves grow ragged and disheveled,
the pods, which develop underground, bunch
unevenly, making harvesting difficult, and
the plant is increasingly sensitive to bad
weather, yielding fewer and fewer peanuts
each season.
An improved variety, code-named
Tainan No. 16, has been brought in to
replace it. Zhong takes us to a field where
they are growing this up-and-comer. Orderly
and well-groomed, the plants have the
appearance of an assembly of English public
schoolboys in comparison to the grizzled
band of Black King Kong plants growing in
another field nearby. Zhong explains that
the peanuts produced by the plants we see
here will not be sold for consumption, but
will instead be used as a source of seeds to
plant more. “Before we put this cultivar on
the market, we need to create a yield great
enough for sustained sales,” says Zhong.
“This piece of land here is about one fen (a
Taiwanese unit of measurement equivalent
to roughly a tenth of a hectare), and we
can use the yield from this piece of land to
plant five or six fen next season.” A spate
of typhoons and bad weather over the past
two years has, however, caused much of the
experimental No. 16 to spoil before harvest,
meaning that the young pretender has to
date been unable to outdo the old veteran it
was brought in to replace.
Mr. Zhong
takes us to a field
to see a peanut harvest underway. Though
you’ve probably heard this numerous
times – likely from people with annoyingly
adenoidal voices – the peanut is of course a
legume, not a nut. After being pollinated,
the plant’s tiny yellow flowers wither and
the stalks turn downwards, elongating
until they eventually pierce the soil at the
base of the plant. There, below ground, the
fertilized ovaries develop into a pod. It’s for
this reason that Yuanchang’s soft, sandy soil
is well suited for peanut cultivation, and why
wet, humid weather is such a blight – water
plus soil plus peanuts equals rot.
Peanuts are planted twice a year in
Yuanchang, once in January-February and
once in July-August, and are harvested
between 100 and 120 days after planting.
The peanuts are harvested mechanically
– combines with snapping steel mandibles
dig up the plants, separate the pods from
the rest of the bush, and deposit them in
an iron saddlebag on their f lank. With two
machines a hectare of land can be harvested
in two hours, whereas it would take three
or four days with ten people harvesting by
hand. After being harvested, the peanuts are
dried in the sun – a necessary process for
preserving the raw product, which would
otherwise spoil (or even sprout in moist
weather), and to prepare it for roasting.
1 2
3 4
5 1. Har vest ing2. Farm workers3. Fresh f rom the ear th4. Check ing the “nuts”5. Ready for sale
48 Travel in Taiwan
FOOD JOURNEY
Driving through Yuanchang during
peanut season, you’re likely to see many of
the smaller roads either fully or partially
cordoned off by the local farmers, who
dry their peanuts on the asphalt. Zhong
says that this is such a widespread and
time-honored practice that the local police
don’t give the famers any grief. “It’s a hard
enough life as it is,” he shrugs. The reason
for open-air and not mechanical drying
is that the peanuts need a gentle, gradual
drying-out over the course of about two
weeks. Experiments with mechanical
dryers have resulted in peanuts with a sour,
rancid f lavor.
At the farmers’ association facility, we get to see the
roasting process up close. The dried
peanuts are put onto a conveyor belt along
with heaps and heaps of sand. They then
go into the roaster – a revolving drum with
an internal heat of up to 150 °C – where the
sand grains help to evenly distribute the
English and Chinesefen 分hei jingang 黑金剛huaren 花仁Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station 台南區農業改良場
Tainan No. 9 台南九號Wu Zhi-cheng 吳誌成youdou 油豆Yuanchang 元長Yuanchang Township Farmers' Association 元長鄉農會Zhong Bing-qi 鐘炳祺
temperature. After 40 minutes of roasting
the sand is removed, and the peanuts are
subjected to a blow-dry to get rid of any
adhering dust before being spread out on a
rack and left to cool.
When still raw, the dried peanuts
are quite tender, and even a little sweet.
Roasting them, however, brings out that
distinctive umami, peanutty flavor. I crack
open one of the freshly roasted pods, extract
a nut, and slip off the black testa to reveal
a perfectly cooked toffee-brown kernel.
It’s said that no man in the world has more
courage than he who can stop after eating
one peanut. I am not such a man.
It’s said that no man in the world has more courage
than he who can stop after eating one peanut
Travel in Taiwan 49
FOOD JOURNEY PEANUTS
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: [email protected]
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.Mango 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.
1F, 15 Yongkang St., Taipei City2F, 15 Yongkang St., Da'an District, Taipei CityLongmen Shop: 52 Guo’ai St., Sanchong District, New Taipei City
Tel: +886-2-2972-0758
Beitou Shop: 294 Zhonghe St., Beitou District, Taipei City
Tel: +886-2-2894-5511
Tel: +886-2-2341-8555Tel: +886-2-2395-8770
On the second floor there are private rooms where coffee, ice treats, and desserts are served.
50 Travel in Taiwan
Text: Hanre Malherbé Photos: Zenith Lin
As online social networking has become prevalent in the daily lives of people in Taiwan – especially those living in the city – it is no surprise to see a high level of interest in skateboarding here. Many first become interested in the fashion surrounding the sport, taking pictures of themselves and friends posing with their skateboards, dressed head to toe in clothing and footwear specifically designed for the sport, then posting the results online. This brings even more people to the sport. Many then move on from their fashion-oriented phase into serious skating.
A Day at a Small Skatepark in Downtown Taipeiin Taiwan
There are different
disciplines within
the sport of skateboarding, two of which are most prominent –
street skating and longboarding. Most popular in Taiwan is street
skating. The boards used in this discipline are about a meter long
and evenly shaped, both ends possessing a “tail” – a small half-
circle section that is bent upwards away from the ground at a
moderate angle.
Street skating involves three types of tricks: Flat-landing – Performed on a flat surface, jumping (or “olleying”)
and making the board spin or flip in various ways, then catching it
with your feet and landing safely.
Grinds – Jumping onto an obstacle such as a rail or ledge and then
sliding, using any part of the board except the wheels.
Airing – Stunts performed after launching off a ramp of some kind.
Skateboarding X
Nike team r ider Kyle Skateboarder Hanré
ACTIVE FUN
Skateboarding
Kyle performed a variety of difficult stunts. His first trick left me in awe at his control and finesse on the board – huge 180 airs on the six-foot quarter-pipe
Longboarding involves speed (mostly enjoyed downhill), big
cylinder-shaped wheels, and long, narrow boards that usually
don’t have tails. This discipline resembles surfing in more ways
than one, and you slide around corners in a manner similar to
skimming along on a wave. It is illegal to longboard on most
roads in Taiwan, but riders still find space to practice their sport
legally, for example on river embankments.
Being a skateboarder
is a bit like being
a nomad, in the sense that there isn’t much in the way of
promotion done by big organizations, and you are for the most
part on your own. Skate shops, however, do provide crucial
support, if on a limited scale. There are skate shops in most
Taiwan cities, and although some of them only sell related
footwear and clothing, most are well-stocked with all the gear
one needs to go boarding – including the excellent products of
Taiwanese brands such as Nezha. For Taipei City, I recommend
going to Urban Highfive in Shilin District or Jimi Skate Shop
in Zhongzheng District – because going to either of these is also
a good way to get involved in the island’s skateboarding scene.
Many of the owners of skate shops are skateboarders themselves,
usually have a set time each week to go boarding, and are delighted
to have new faces come along. They can also introduce you to
different skate spots and bring you in contact with other skaters.
Kyle Ke tack l ingthe gr ind box
ACTIVE FUN SKATEBOARDING
Travel in Taiwan 51
52 Travel in Taiwan
After we
finished our skating session we headed over
to a coffee shop across the street for a more formal chat. I found
Kyle to be quite mature for his age (he’s 21); he spoke calmly
and clearly, and took time to ponder my questions on Taiwan
skating before responding. Here’s a sample:
Q: Learning the basics of skateboarding is difficult for most
people, and to improve beyond that level is an even bigger
challenge. How did you overcome these challenges?
Kyle: “The only way to overcome the difficulty of advancing your skills in the beginning is to spend as much time as you can practicing. Also, most beginners find it really hard to get to the next level, because there are a lot of inescapable “choke points.” The best way is to go to a skate park and ask other, more advanced, skaters for advice. This is a convenient way for beginners to learn. Most beginners are afraid to ask questions... but they shouldn’t be shy, and instead should feel free to ask for advice from the more accomplished skaters.
Q: Are there any workshops or classes available for
skateboarding in Taiwan?
Kyle: Many skate shops offer training sessions for the public. You can also just go to any skate shop and arrange to go skating with people who work there... Taipei, Taichung, Tainan... almost any larger city in Taiwan. They usually plan a skating session every week. It’s always more fun to skate with other people, you know.
Q: What are the different disciplines in skateboarding?
Where do people usually go to practice? Are there any major
annual events?
Kyle: There are many different kinds of skateboards, actually – long boards, the small plastic boards which are pretty popular because they are considered “cute,” and the kind I skate with, the most common skateboard type. Regarding practice, I recommend the Nangang Extreme Sports Park, because it’s easiest to get to if you’re in Taipei. Another place is the spot we skated at today; it’s very suitable for practice. Every year there is an important local competition, the Nike City Jam; the three finalists go to mainland China to compete against each province’s three finalists, and then there is a finals competition in Shanghai. This is extremely challenging, as they invite some famous skaters to compete as well.
Some skate shops also organize skating events throughout
the year, collaborating with other skate shops and/or the
Chinese Taipei Extreme Sports Association.
For this article,
we arranged to meet up with
Nike team rider Kyle Ke (co-owner of Urban Highfive) for a
little skate session under the Jianguo Elevated Expressway,
right across from Huashan 1914 Creative Park (close to MRT
Zhongxiao-Xinsheng Station). Because this little skate park is
underneath an elevated roadway, you can go skate there even
when it’s raining, and so it is a favorite spot with many local
skateboarders. The park, roughly one hundred meters long and
twenty wide, is f lanked on two sides by roadways buzzing with
traffic. There are almost always people skating there, so even if
you go straight there without visiting a skate shop first (provided
you already have a board), chances are that you will run into
people willing to skate with you, teach you a few new tricks,
and tell you a bit about Taiwan’s skating scene. It’s a lot of fun
skating at this compact facility, which has a number of different
boxes, ledges, and rails. At one end, close to a basketball court,
are some larger obstacles, including a pyramid box, a quarter-
pipe, and a grind box.
I have to admit that as I was riding my scooter to the park
that day I became increasingly nervous about skating with Kyle,
since it had been about eight years since I had last skateboarded.
Fortunately, it turned out to be much easier to remember how
to skate than I had expected. By watching how Kyle distributed
his body weight on the board while doing each trick, I managed
to get the hang of one trick I used to do all those years ago
– a “kick-f lip,” which is done by olleying and then, in mid-
air, kicking your front foot outwards and towards your back,
making the board spin around before you catch it with your feet
and land. After getting it right three times (out of twenty or so
tries!), I decided to try a kick-f lip off a straight drop roughly 5
feet high. Alas, I could not get it right, despite trying numerous
times. This simply means one thing: I’ll be back to try again!
Kyle performed a variety of much more difficult stunts,
as could be expected from someone on Nike’s international
skateboard team. His first trick left me in awe at his control and
finesse on the board – huge 180 airs on the six-foot quarter-pipe.
And, considering the fact that he is rather tall and thin, he made
it look incredibly stylish as well. He topped this by moving over
to the grind box (shaped like a pyramid, with a ledge running
up and over the box) and proceeding to do a “crooked” grind.
This is done by sliding on the front “truck” (the axles which
hold the wheels on either end), with the back end of the board
sticking up behind it, a bit off to the side.
ACTIVE FUN
English and ChineseHuashan 1914 Creative Park 華山 1914文化創意產業園區Jianguo Elevated Expressway 建國高架道路Kyle Ke 柯家恩Shilin District 士林區Zhongzheng District 中正區
Practical Info:Urban HighfiveAdd: 1F, 72, Dadong Rd., Taipei City (台北市大東路 72號 1樓 ) Tel: (02) 2881-3153
Jimi Skate ShopAdd: 36, Sec. 2, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路 2段 36號 ) Tel: (02) 2351-5302
Chinese Taipei Extreme Sports Association (中華民國極限運動協會 )Add: 382, Sec. 7, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路7段 382號 ) Tel: (02) 2786-3258
Skating in the streets of Taiwan’s cities is illegal; visit
the following extreme-sports parks:
Taipei Extreme Sports Training Center (臺北市極限運動訓練中心 )Add: 382, Sec. 7, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路七段 382號 )
Pingzhen Skate Park (平鎮滑板公園 )Add: 58, Zhongyuan Rd., Pingzhen City, Taoyuan (桃園縣平鎮市中原路 58號 )
Taichung Extreme Sports Park (台中極限運動場 )Add: 93, Sec. 1, Chongde 8th Rd., Beitun District, Taichung City ( 臺中市北屯區崇德八路一段 93號 )
Tainan Extreme Sports Park (臺南極限運動場 )Add: 10, Tiyu Rd., Tainan City (台南市體育路 10 號 )
Kaohsiung City Extreme Sports Arena (高雄極限運動場 )Add: 99, Zhongzheng 1st Rd., Lingya District, Kaohsiung City ( 高雄市苓雅區中正一路 99 號 )
Having fun on the quar ter-pipe
ACTIVE FUN
Travel in Taiwan 53
SKATEBOARDING
54 Travel in Taiwan
NOSTALGIA
Old-Style Grocery BagsLight, Handy, Durable, and Chic
Photos: Maggie Song
Sometimes fashion makes a
U-turn, returning to something that went out of vogue decades ago. Sometimes fashion even goes back in time to something that had never been fashionable in the first place. Traditional Taiwanese grocery bags, called jiazhidai (茄芷袋 ) in Mandarin Chinese, are a good example.
Traditionally, these bags were used by countryside folk to carry produce from farm to market, and by grannies to bring food from market to home – hardly an item that made a fashion statement. In recent decades the “Taike” subculture movement has taken hold, in which people have consciously adopted traditional old-fashioned clothes, cuisine, and other elements to emphasize the uniqueness of popular, grassroots
Taiwanese culture (for an introduction on Taike, see http://tinyurl.com/taikeculture). Jiazhidai fit the style of a Taike follower perfectly because they are representative of the common folk of the Taiwan countryside, with a style that can be described as “earthy” or “native soil.”
Apart from helping young people make a fashion statement, these bags, which have blue, green, and red as basic colors, have a practical use as well. In a time when widespread attempts are being made by government and environment-protection organizations to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags, jiazhidai are a great choice as reusable shopping bags. They are very light, durable, easy to clean, come in sizes from small to extra-large, and are very cheap (NT$35 for a small bag). Let’s go shopping, Taike style!