No. 52, 2012 /

Fashion Brand Free EastSoy Sauce Factory in Xiluo

Indulgence with Spectacular ViewsGhost Festival at Keelung

WhErE MouNtaINS MEEt thE SEa

Taiwan’s EasT CoasTthE BESt BIKE routES

From Bitan to tamsui

NaturaL trEaSurES GIaNt aNcIENt trEES at LaLaShaN

FooD JourNEYDonggang’s Bluefin tuna

the official Bimonthly English Magazine of the taiwan tourism Bureau.Website: ht tp://taiwan. net .t w advertisement

7 8

Welcome to Taiwan!Dear Traveler,

In this issue of Travel in Taiwan we explore Taiwan’s pristine East Coast, which will remind you of the palm-treed South Pacif ic. A key theme is how you can explore the region on different kinds of wheels: train, car, bicycle, bus. This is also a good way to describe this full issue, for we’re zooming all around Taiwan on warm mid-summer trips of discovery, taking you to points north, south, east, and west. We add another point, “up,” in our article on Taipei bars/restaurants with the best views.

The East Coast’s tremendous natural beauty is its main attraction, with high green mountains and pretty blue Pacif ic almost always in view. In our Feature articles we tell you how to explore it by rented car, bike, and other means, and give you suggestions on what souvenirs to buy, where to eat, and where to stay. There are high-quality indigenous crafts, great seafood, and many quality homestays.

Speaking of indigenous culture, Taiwan’s East Coast is home to a high concentration of members from Taiwan’s indigenous tribes, and we have a special article introducing these tribes in general and the Amis, the largest tribe on the East Coast and in Taiwan, in particular. Speaking of great natural beauty, we also introduce the locations of some of Taiwan most magnif icent coastal rock formations. In our Natural Treasures segment we then tour the majestic ancient trees of Lalashan, in the island’s northern mountains, and in our Food Journey we head to Donggang port town in the far southwest, famous for its bluef in tuna and the annual Donggang Bluef in Tuna Cultural Festival celebrating the summer catch. And speaking of bicycling, in Best Bike Routes we take a two-wheeled jaunt from southern Taipei to the coast on the city’s breezy, easy-grade riverside bike-path system.

We stay on the north coast to enjoy the wonderful color and pageantry of the annual Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival, happening in late August, and tell you about the intriguing Ghost Month traditions that surround it. Then we come back to Taipei to enjoy colorful attire of a different use and purpose – high-fashion clothing with distinctive Taiwan cultural themes – created by Henry Lai, who’s been making a splash on the international fashion scene.

I hope we’ve wheeled out enough adventure suggestions to keep you both very busy and very happy. Enjoy.

David W. J. HsiehDirector General

Tourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月 刊

Travel in Taiwan BimonthlyJuly/August, 2012 Tourism Bureau, MOTCFirst published in Jan./Feb., 2004ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htm

Copyright © 2012 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

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

CONTENTS July ~ August 2012

8

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

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

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

Sunrise at Sanxiantai, one of the most scenic spots on Taiwan's East Coast (Photo by Twelli)

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

28PRodUCER Vision Int

,l Publ. Co., Ltd.

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

E-MaIL: editor@v-media.com.twgEnERaL ManagER Wendy L. C. Yen dEPUty gEnERaL ManagER Frank K. YenEdItoR In CHIEf Johannes Twellmann EngLISH EdItoRS Rick Charette, Richard Saunders dIRECtoR of PLannIng & EdItIng dEPt Joe LeeManagIng EdItoR Sunny Su EdItoRS Ming-Jing Yin, Vivian Liu, Gemma Cheng, April SuContRIBUtoRS Rick Charette, Owain Mckimm, Mark Caltonhill, Joe Henley, Richard Saunders, Tobias Tilsiter, Kurt WeidnerPHotogRaPHERS Sunny Su, Maggie Song, Ivy Chen aRt dIRECtoR Sting Chen dESIgnERS Ivy Chen, Maggie Song, Eve Chiang, Kirk ChengadMInIStRatIvE dEPt Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang advERtISIng HotLInE 886-2-2721-5412

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

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

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

Travel in Taiwan 3

44

24

13

MY PHOTO TOUr48 Posing with Posters

— Incorporating Big Streetside Ads in Your Photos

TOUriST FaCTOrieS50 The Smell of Home Brewing

— A Visit to Wuan Chuang Soy Sauce Tourist Factory

naTUral TreaSUreS44 Among Giants

— The Ancient Trees of Lalashan

FaSHiOn41 Free East — Forging a Taiwanese Fashion Revolution

feaTure8 East Coast — Main Eastward Ho! – The Magnificent East Coast, on Wheels: Train, Car, Bike — Stay Big Sea Views and Cool Sea Breezes – Accommodation Options on the East Coast — Eat The Blue Pacific, in Culinary Form — Buy East Coast Specialties – Indigenous Arts and Crafts / Tasty Snack Treats

16 Scenery — The Strange and the Beautiful – Taiwan’s Amazing Coastal Rock Formations

18 Indigenous Culture — Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples – A Look at the Amis and their Many Fellow Tribes

1 Publisher’s Note 4 News & Events around Taiwan 6 Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

33 Who Is This?40 Festivals and Events

TOUriSM34 Enjoying a Free Ride

— An Austrian Couple Visits Taiwan after Winning a Tour on a Radio Show

enJOYMenT20 Dining Way Up There — Taipei Bars and Restaurants with a View

BeST BiKe rOUTeS28 Bitan to Tamsui

— Cycling Taipei South to North, Into the Country's Past

FOOD JOUrneY24 The Rolls Royce of Fish Meat

— Indulging in Bluefin Tuna at Donggang Harbor

FeSTivalS36 Tables Set for Keelung Festival

— The Harbor City Gets Ready to Host Some Unusual Guests

4

Cuisine

From the early 20th century to the late 1990s, the traffic circle at

Nanjing W. and Chongqing N. roads was home to a bustling food-stall

night market. After fires in 1993 and 1999 destroyed the market, the city

decided to tear it down and build a modern circular structure housing

more upscale eateries. Business wasn’t as good as expected, and the

building’s operations were closed down twice in recent years. In a third

attempt to revive what is now called the Taipei Circle, a restaurant of a

special kind was opened earlier this year. Named Yuanhuan Guoyan (圓環

國宴; “Circle State Banquet”), it serves banquet-style cuisine prepared by

local celebrity chef Huang Te-chung, who in the past has prepared state

banquets hosted by ROC presidents. For NT$6,000 a table, diners have the

chance to indulge in Taiwanese delicacies worthy of a state guest.

Add: 2F, 284-1 Nanjing W. Rd., Taipei City (台北市南京西路284之1號2F)

Tel: (02) 2558-0960

State Banquet Cuisine at Taipei Circle

A new bus route was recently added

to the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service

(www.taiwantrip.com.tw), offering

greater convenience for independent

travelers visiting the scenic north

coast. The North Coast Route, with

start/end points at Tamsui and

Keelung, has a total of 12 stops, including Baishawan, Shimen, Jinshan, Yeliu, and Feicuiwan. Buses

depart every half hour on weekends (9 am to 4 pm) and every hour on weekdays (9 am to 5 pm).

Tickets (NT$100) are valid for one day and you can get on and off buses multiple times along the

route. For more information about the route, visit www.crownnsa.com.tw (Chinese).

The hot summer months are the

ideal time to have fun in a theme

park, especially if cooling water is

part of the action! To find out about

all the major parks around Taipei,

visit www.themeparks.net.tw. You’ll

find detailed info on 23 theme parks

offering fun ranging from thrill rides

and water slides, to sea-world shows

and safari tours, to indigenous

culture and nature experiences.

Taiwan Tourist Shuttle North Coast Route

Tourist Bus

Summer Time, Theme Park Time!

Theme Parks

Airlines

Accommodation

Taiwan’s “homestays” (B&Bs), small guesthouses often run by friendly, idealistic owners and located in scenic areas,

have become a popular accommodation option for travelers in Taiwan in recent years. This popularity, however, has

also spurred an explosion of new openings of many self-declared “homestays” that do not meet the quality standards set by the government.

In an effort to make it easier for travelers to find those that offer a friendly, clean, and safe environment, the Tourism Bureau has now started

to reward homestays meeting the highest standards (so far more than 300 have been selected) with a “Taiwan Host” certificate. If you see the

“Taiwan Host” logo at a homestay, rest assured that you have made a good choice.

“Taiwan Host” Homestays

EWS & EVENTS AROUND TAIWAN

On May 2nd the former director-general of the Tourism Bureau, Janice Lai Seh-jen was awarded the Order

of Brilliant Star with Special Cravat by President Ma Ying-jeou for her contributions to the development

of Taiwan’s tourism industry and improvement of the nation’s overall economic efficiency. Former

Director-General Lai is only the second civil servant in the history of the Republic of China, and the

first female, to receive this honor. She is also the first recipient to be honored for her contributions to

tourism. Ms Lai stated that with the nation’s highest-ranking official attaching such importance to the

industry she feels confident about the future development of Taiwan tourism. She also expressed the

hope that everyone involved in the industry, overseas as well as in Taiwan, should have confidence in

the Taiwan tourism sector’s ability to develop a positive travel environment.

Former Director-General of Tourism Bureau Honored

Tourism

Travel in Taiwan

Travel in Taiwan 5

Visitors to Taipei can’t miss it,

and most won’t want to miss it.

Towering high above the city and

sometimes above the clouds, Taipei

101 has become Taipei’s foremost

landmark. It looks impressive from

the ground, but wait until you

arrive at the tower’s 89th-floor

observatory – the views are simply breathtaking. On April 27 this year, a

Japanese tourist surnamed Kimura became the 10-millionth observatory

visitor since it was opened in 2004. She was greeted by government and

Taipei 101 officials and presented with various valuable gifts, including

free entrance to the observatory for a full year.

There’s good news for travelers planning trips between Taipei and Seoul. Direct flights from Taipei Songshan Airport to Seoul Gimpo

Airport and vice versa are now available, a more convenient Taiwan-South Korea air link since both countries’ main international

airports can be avoided. A total of 14 flights per week serve this route, with seven flights operated by Taiwanese airline carriers,

including China Airlines and EVA Air, and seven flights by South Korean airline carriers, including T’way Air and Eastar Jet. The new

connection is another initiative in the Taiwan central government’s Northeast Asia Golden Flight Circuit policy; by connecting Taipei

to major city airports in Northeast Asia, the government aims to improve convenience for travelers and enhance trade, tourism, and

cultural exchanges between Taipei and other cities in the region.

Sightseeing

Transportation

Taipei 101 Observatory Visited by 10 Million People

Direct Flights between Taipei Songshan Airport and Seoul Gimpo Airport

A new cultural park has just been opened in the

southern harbor city of Kaohsiung. Hongmaogang (lit.

“Harbor of the Red Hairs”) Cultural Park is located at

the entrance to Kaohsiung’s Second Harbor, opposite

the southern tip of long and narrow Qijin Island. The

park introduces visitors to the history of the city’s

harbor and has great vantage points to take in the

harbor, including a revolving restaurant and a long sky

bridge. There is also an exhibition hall and an open-air

display area featuring old restored houses from

Hongmaogang, which was once a small fishing village.

A planned boat-cruise service will connect the new

park with the Pier-2 Art Center near the mouth of Love

River, close to downtown Kaohsiung. For more info,

visit http://english.khcc.gov.tw.

Culture Hongmaogang Cultural Park

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 www.tit.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.

You might see him at religious events,

such as the annual Mazu Pilgrimage.

He’s dressed like a clown, and looks

funny. Do you know who he is and

why he is dressed like this? Find the

answer on page 33.

WHO IS THIS?

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Summer Jazz , one of the most exciting and anticipated music

events in Taipei. Each year, celebrated jazz masters

from abroad present jazz fans with outstanding live

performances. Among the international musicians

performing this year at the National Concert Hall

will be saxophone maestro Joe Lovano, the all-star

ensemble Mingus Big Band, celebrated vocalist Patti

Austin, and a special jazz project featuring Michael

Philip Mossman, Antonio Hart, Tootie Heath, and top

musicians from Taiwan.

2012 Summer Jazz Party2012 夏日爵士派對

National Concert Hall

August 24 ~ September 8

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.

oncerts,

Exhibitions, and

Happenings

Taipei Arts Festival 台北藝術節 www.taipeifestival.org

Madame Butterfly, one of the most frequently performed

operas in the world, tells the story of an unfortunate

relationship between a U.S. naval officer and a Japanese

girl in the Japanese harbor city of Nagasaki at the

beginning of the 20th century. Cultural differences between the East and the

West and the contrast between old traditions and modern culture are some of

the elements that have made the opera a huge success worldwide. Australian

opera director Moffatt Oxenbould spent three years on this production, which

features delicate Japanese-theme staging featuring tatami mats, a zen pond,

Japanese sliding doors, cherry-blossom petals, and flower arrangements.

Opera Australia: Madame Butter�y澳洲歌劇團 蝴蝶夫人

National TheaterJuly 25 ~ 30

This exhibition shows 470 pieces of fine works from the

collection of the National Palace Museum and special loans

from the Cartier Collection and Shenyang Palace Museum,

together presenting jewelry’s colorful and fascinating culture.

The exhibition offers a fascinating comparison between the jewelry

of the Chinese Qing court and that of Western nobility. It also

explores how East and West have encountered one another at different points

and places in time, and how elements from one culture have been incorporated

in the jewelry of the other. During periods of interaction the possibilities for

materials, techniques, and designs have expanded, leading to more diverse

jewelry styles and imbuing pieces with deeper cultural meaning.

Royal Style: Qing Dynasty and Western Court Jewelry皇家風尚 清代宮廷與西方貴族珠寶

National Palace Museum

Shang-Chi Sun Company: Breakfast崎動力舞蹈劇場 早餐時刻

Wellspring Theatre August 10 ~ 12

June 9 ~ September 9

This dance performance, choreographed by Shang-Chi

Sun, a rising young choreographer from Taiwan,

deals with “breakfast,” the time between night and

day, when everyone leaves the dreams of the night

behind and prepares for the day to come. Together with author Gordon

Florenkowsky and filmmaker Krzysztof Honowski, Shang-Chi Sun creates

a live dance film. He guides the audience along undefined paths between

reality and fiction, truth and lies, emotions and comedy.

Les Chaises (The Chairs) is a play by Eugene Ionesco, the

French dramatist who became one of the foremost playwrights

of the Theater of the Absurd. Swiss director Luc Bondy’s

interpretation of the play has been a huge success since its

premiere in 2010. The story features an old man and an old

woman who prepare for one last party before they commit

suicide. Imaginary guests come on the stage, decorated like a ballroom and filled

with chairs, to listen to the old couple’s ramblings about their lives.

Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne: Les Chaises 洛桑劇院 椅子

Metropolitan HallAugust 3 ~ 5

Travel in Taiwan 6

National Concert Hall

The Cardigans, a Swedish pop band formed in 1992,

achieved worldwide success in the late 1990s. Over

the past two decades the band has mixed busy periods

of recording and touring with long breaks, and has

transformed its style from sugary pop to tunes influenced

by American country music. After a 2007-2011 break the

band has announced a reunion this year and is scheduled

to go on tour in Scandinavia, Russia, and Asia, the Asian

leg including concerts in Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan.

The Cardigans Taipei Concert羊毛衫2012台北演唱會

TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall

August 16

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/englishNearest 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

National Taiwan Science Education Center （台灣科學教育館）

Add: 189 Shishang Rd., Taipei City (台北市士商路 189號 )

Tel: (02) 6610-1234www.ntsec.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Shilin

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

Metropolitan Hall （城市舞台）

Add: 25, Sec. 3, Bade Rd., Taipei City(台北市八德路 3段 25號 )Tel: (02) 2577-5931www.tmseh.taipei.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Nanjing E. Rd.

Wellspring Theatre （水源劇場）

Add: 10F, 92, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City(台北市羅斯福路四段 92號 10樓 )Tel: (02) 2362-5221Nearest MRT Station: Gongguan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The secrets of the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (the first

emperor of China) are revealed in this exhibition, with

the help of modern digital technology. The famous silent

terracotta warriors and their horses, discovered by farmers

in Shaanxi Province in 1974, are brought back to life with

vivid animations. The exhibition shows excavated items,

such as antique weapons, coins, and two large bronze

chariots, and introduces visitors to the different types

of buried terracotta warriors, shows the layout of the

mausoleum, and presents other interesting facts about this

fascinating and historic archeological find.

June 30 ~ October 7

Decoding the Secret of the First Emperor’s Mausoleum and Silent Warriors of Ancient China千古一帝秦始皇─地宮與兵馬俑大揭秘

National Taiwan Science Education Center

Venues

Travel in Taiwan 7

Pacif ic Ocean

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan8

The Magnificent East

Coast, on Wheels:

Train, Car, Bike

My four indispensable ingredients for the perfect travel experience? Road trip, trails, bicycling, nature’s beauty. The East Coast? Perfect. By Rick Charette

EastwardHo

Baqi Lookout

Shitiping

Xiuguluan River

Baxian Caves

Sanxiantai

Amis Folk Center

Dulan

Xiaoyeliu

Fugang Fishing Harbor Taitung

Hualien

Changhong Bridge !Co

asta

l

M

ount

ain

R

ange

Beach before Baxian Caves

Pho

to/ T

wel

li

EAST COAST

Travel in Taiwan9

We had a two-day window, Thursday and Friday. We decided on the East Coast. Lots of places to cover, but I was heading out with two

old friends who also loved spur-of-the-moment jaunts, preferably during the week to beat the crowds.

Let me explain about the “East Coast.” To Taiwan folk this means the region from, roughly, the small cities of Hualien to Taitung. It isn’t all “coast,” however. Taiwan is about two-thirds mountain and high hill, and the rugged north-south central mountains pretty much plunge into the Pacif ic north of Hualien and south of Taitung. The East Coast is, again roughly, the area framed within. Part of this area is another and lower range, the coastal mountains, which runs from just south of Hualien to just north of Taitung. On the western side of this mountain range is the long, narrow East Rif t Valley, and on the coast side is a long ribbon of, in many places, f lat land.

You might say, then, that our destination was the “east coast of the East Coast,” the long Pacif ic-side ribbon. Almost the entire length of this ribbon falls within the East Coast National Scenic Area (www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw).

More

Pho

tos/

Sun

ny S

u, T

wel

li

Strange rock s at Xiaoyeliu

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan10

Train trip! Our train lef t Taipei Railway Station at 8 a.m. We’d be in Taitung at

12:40 p.m. We were on a Ziqiang-class train, meaning fastest and most comfortable. Taiwan train travel is wonderfully convenient and inexpensive; my one-way ticket to Taitung City was just NT$785. This was mid-week, so there were empty seats – this doesn’t happen on weekends/holidays.

Af ter Hualien City, East Coast trains traverse the East Rif t Valley, not the coast. This is prime farming area, Asian style, f illed with eons of mineral-rich silt f rom the mountains on either side, f illed with small, neatly tended farms, f illed with pastel-colored crops. Each time I pass through I think how Van Gogh and Monet would have enjoyed time here.

Road trip! Our road to fun was Provincial Highway No. 11, pleasantly sleepy

on weekdays, which rolls along the coast between Taitung and Hual ien cities, pretty blue Pacif ic almost always immediately on your r ight, pretty green coastal mountains immediately on your lef t. Almost all the sights we v isited were r ight by the highway; our longest of f-road drive was but a few hundred meters.

Buckle up tight – time and word count is very limited, and we’ve places aplenty to cover.

Before hitting our f irst off icial stop, Xiaoyeliu, we dropped in at Fugang Fishing Harbor, just north of seaside Taitung City. The attractions here are the eclectic, brightly painted f ishing boats, appropriately beaten up a bit by Pacif ic wind, wave, and salt, and the even more ebulliently colored ferries to Green and Orchid islands, big, sleek, modern, and obviously built for speed.

Don’t know what a mushroom rock is? Honeycomb rock? Cuesta? Tofu rock? You will

after visiting Xiaoyeliu

Xiaoyeliu is your f irst stop inside the East Coast National Scenic Area. I strongly urge you to visit the visitor center before hitting the palm-lined paths to

Day One

Amis Folk Center Xiaoyeliu Fugang Fishing

Harbor

Taitung

Dulan

Sanxiantai

Baxian Caves

Car Rental

In Taitung we picked up our rental car right outside the

station. We used Hotai Leasing Corp., which rents Toyota/

Lexus vehicles. Exit the station and go to the last building

on the right; af ter that it’s open f ield. Our Camry cost

NT$3,600 per day, and we dropped it off at the Hualien

Railway Station outlet the next day. If concerned about

English abil ity, start with a website visit (www.easyrent.com.tw) or f irst

visit the Taipei Railway Station off ice. Note that other reputable national

agencies also have Taitung/Hualien station outlets.

Swimming under palm trees Sculpture beside the highway

EAST COAST

Travel in Taiwan11

Baqi Lookout HualienShitipingChanghong Bridge

Xiuguluan River

explore the impressive shoreline rock formations. The center has good exhibits, and good English, on Xiaoyeliu and east coast geology. Don’t know what a mushroom rock is? Honeycomb rock? Cuesta? Tofu rock? You will af ter this.

The sprawling, big-shouldered old Dulan Sugar Factory, in Dulan town, makes sugar no more. The heritage complex, now protected, has been taken over by local artists from this indigenous town. There’s an art workshop, café, drif twood stage, homestay, and retail shop (see our accompanying “Buy” article). There’s also l ive music on Saturday nights.

Donghe Baozi is another iconic Taiwan must-try food experience. A baozi is a traditional meat-f illed steamed bun. The attractive Donghe Baozi shop is right on the highway in Donghe town, and the food treat is indeed well worth the stop. The pork was very tender, and quite noticeable was that a l iberal dose of pepper and extra-big squared chunks of bamboo shoot had been added, both great decisions with me.

The East Coast has a heavy concentration of indigenous peoples. The relative isolation of the region has resulted in a degree of cultural protection. The Amis Folk Center, by the headquarters of the national scenic area administration (which has a good visitor center), has replicas of traditional indigenous architecture, a cultural exhibition area, craf ts, specialty products for sale, and traditional song-and-dance performances (weekends).

Bicycle Outings

In the past decade or so, Highway 11

has been made very bicycle f riendly. South of the

Xiuguluan River, grades are easy and bike lanes/

shoulders wide and well-marked. There are more

challenges north of the Xiuguluan, where mountains

at times come down to dip toes in sea, the road

narrows and is more winding, and there are tunnels.

The national scenic area website is very helpful.

We had stayed in a cabin at a very inviting “spa villa” south of Chenggong town on the night of Day One (see our “Stay”

article). Much against my will, my over-energized travel partners insisted I get up much before dawn on Day Two to catch the justly acclaimed sunrise at Sanxiantai, on Chenggong’s north. I obliged, am now happy I obliged – no earlybird I, but I’m also always pleased af ter the fact, and a bit more sleep.

Sanxiantai is a small volcanic island said to resemble three Daoist deities, in petrif ied form, who visited here on an immortal cross-ocean f light journey long ago. You reach it via a long, dragon-shaped arch bridge. The island, today an eco-preserve, is the East Coast’s most famous landmark and most popular tourist site. Be sure to take the island-looping trail, a 90-minute walk, bridge included.

Sanxiantai, today an eco-preserve, is the East Coast’s most famous landmark and most popular tourist site

After our Sanxiantai outing I had a snooze back at our villa and then went on an invigorating bike ride on an old section of the coastal highway. It was then back in the car and on to the Baxian Caves. These are the “Caves of the Eight Immortals,” a key Taiwan archeological site. Numerous large caves, carved out by wave action and now pushed high above sea level by tectonic activity, are l inked by paths and stairs. Visit the small visitor center f irst for a basic explanation in English. Once home to some of Taiwan’s earliest settlers, today a number of caves also house Buddhist/Daoist shrines.

Day Two

Sunrise at Sanxiantai

Pho

tos/

Sun

ny S

u, T

wel

li

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Amis Folk Center 阿美族民俗中心

Baqi Lookout 芭崎瞭望台

Baxian Caves 八仙洞

Dulan Sugar Factory 都蘭新東糖廠

Donghe Baozi 東河包子

East Rift Valley 花東縱谷

Fugang Fishing Harbor 富岡漁港

Hotai Leasing Corp. 和運租車

Sanxiantai 三仙台

Shitiping 石梯坪

Tropic of Cancer Marker 北回歸線碑

Xiaoyeliu 小野柳

Xiuguluan River 秀姑巒溪

Ziqiang 自強號

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan12

Further north, the Baqi Lookout is at one of the highest points on the highway, a place of cooling breezes and tremendous views. Far below and beyond the highway snakes around promontories, and f ishing boats slowly make their way in and out to sea.

We did not visit the wildly popular Hualien Farglory Ocean Park because it deserves a full day and because it did not f it the “trip ingredients” I gave you in my opening. Rest assured, however, it’s a heck of a lot of fun, with rides galore, a fairytale castle, lagoon, underwater world, marine-animal shows, and more. Something important: management policy is to use show animals saved from unpleasant prospects, not snatched from the wild.

Tiring but contented, at 8 p.m. we pulled up at the rental agency’s off ice right in front of Hualien Railway Station, dropped off the car, picked up food and drink for the ride home, and headed home on a Ziqiang-class train at 9:10 (ticket NT$440). We pulled into Taipei at 12:05 and I was in bed at 1 a.m., lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of Pacif ic breakers still in my ears.

Taking the BusIf you don’t feel l ike doing your own driving, here’s two ideas. The inexpensive Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service (www.taiwantrip.com.tw) operates coach shuttles between Taitung City and Sanxiantai. Hop on and off at the stops along the way, paying by section. The Taiwan Tour Bus service (www.taiwantourbus.com.tw) offers great-value, full-package bus tours in English.

While here, also be sure to cross the highway to the lovely fronting bay, where the offshore waters are dynamically divided into bright pastels. Locals informed us that the ships on the horizon heading north were riding the powerful Kuroshio Current for extra speed and fuel-savings. Those heading south were further out to avoid the current, and of course looked smaller.

Everyone stops at the soaring Tropic of Cancer Marker to take a quick photo – and so did we. Stand spread-eagled before the obelisk and half of you is in the tropics, half in the subtropics. The marker is about two kilometers north of the Hualien-Taitung county border.

Shitiping is a wild place of dramatic terraced volcanic rock, surging tide pools, and teeming marine li fe

Shitiping means “stone steps.” The great erosive powers of the sea are

in dramatic evidence here in this wild place of dramatic terraced volcanic rock, surging tide pools, and teeming marine life. Again, take advantage of the good explanatory info at the bright, attractive visitor center.

Small f ishing harbor

Shit iping

Shitiping Baxian Caves Xiaoyeliu Fugang

HualienSanxiantaiTaitung

STAY

Travel in Taiwan13

My f irst exploration of the coast between the cities of Taitung and Hualien happened way back in 1988, in “Rick’s Taiwan Life

Year One.” Our youngest readers may think dragons and dinosaurs roamed the land back then, but I declare this a myth. What is true is that l ittle was available in terms of accommodations between the cities. Yesterday and today is l ike the Dark Ages and glorious modernity – today you f ind a huge 5-star hotel above Hualien Farglory Ocean Park (www.f arglor y-hotel.com.tw), there’s been an explosion of homestays in the past decade, and small, quiet, cozy resorts dot the route.

In the last category is Fu Jhang Villa (20 rooms). I cannot say enough about this place, south of Chenggong town, perhaps my favorite accommodation choice in Taiwan. Perhaps it’s because I’m Canadian, and the main building and adjoining cabins are in the Canadian Rockies style, the wood imported from Canada and the building technique studied by the owner there. The owner has labelled this a “spa villa”; it’s right over the Pacif ic, and on the upper slope behind the main building is a cool-water pool with spiritually invigorating sea views, Bali-style cabins, and a Bali-style coffee bar with outdoor seating. There’s food and drink on the breezy, open-faced main-building covered terrace, and oceanside barbecuing. Take advantage of the free bikes; the villa is on an old highway section (new section up-slope behind), and you have miles of quiet seaside exploring with just water buffalo, inshore anglers, and farmers for company.

FU JHANG VILLA (福樟VILLA)Add: 27-5 Fengtian Rd., Xinyi Borough, Chenggong Township, Taitung County(台東縣成功鎮信義里豐田路27-5號)Tel: (089) 841-639Website: www.lodge.com.tw (Chinese)

PAKELANG (巴歌浪船屋民宿)Add: 15, Dafengfeng, Zhangyuan Vil-lage, Changbin Township, Taitung County(台東縣長濱鄉樟原村大峰峰15號)Tel: 0920-196-504 / 0939-113-053Website: pakelang.e089.com.tw (Chinese)

ADAGIO (緩慢)Add: 123 Shiti Bay, Fengbin Township, Hualien County(花蓮縣豐濱鄉石梯灣123號)Tel: (04) 2251-2000Website: www.theadagio.com.tw (Chinese)

Almost all of the dozens of newly-built

coastal minsu, or homestays, add pleasant visuals to the landscape, and many of these might be more accurately described as inns, though without the full range of services. From personal experience I can specially recommend two spots. Pakelang (8 rooms), south of the Xiuguluan River, is Amis-owned. On the ocean down a winding lane passing paddy, cornf ield, and f iref lies, stay in a ship-shaped building or thatch hut-style cabin room, enjoying the native art and occasional shows. There's also camping. Adagio (20 rooms), which overlooks the Shitiping scenic area, is a chic and modern facil ity with a wood-and-stone theme, alfresco breakfast/dinner dining with Amis-tribe dishes including f lying f ish, and seashore/f ishing harbor tours (Chinese).

Big Sea Views Cool Sea BreezesAccommodation Options on the East CoastBy Rick Charette

and

Fu Jhang V i l la

Pakelang

Pho

tos/

Sun

ny S

u, T

wel

li

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Chenggong 成功

Olympic crab 奧運螃蟹

Sunfish 曼波魚

Xiuguluan River 秀姑巒溪

EAT

Travel in Taiwan14

The Blue Pacific, Culinary FormOn an East Coast seaside road trip, the bright blue Pacific is almost always in grand view, small fishing harbors regularly roll by, and the freshest marine catch is highlighted on menus. By Rick Charette

I especiall y en joyed the “Olympic crab,” so named by the Amis

because it runs so fast

MAKAIRA COFFEE (佳濱成功旗魚專賣店)Add: 65-1 Datong Rd., Chenggong Township, Taitung County(台東縣成功鎮大同路65-1號)Tel: (089) 854-899 / 0932-396089Website: www.makaira.com.tw (Chinese)

ATOMO ARIFOWANG CANGLAH(陶甕百合春天)Add: 15, Dafengfeng, Zhangyuan Vil-lage, Changbin Township, Taitung County(台東縣長濱鄉樟原村大峰峰15號)Tel: (03) 878-1479 / 0921-633-406

Not far north of Taitung City is Chenggong, a harbor town, and in this town is Makaira Coffee, right on the main drag (Provincial Highway No. 11).

The f irst f loor surprises – it is f illed with freezers. Catch from the local harbor is sold here. On the second f loor is an upscale restaurant. The specialty here is sailf ish, the “makaira” in the business name.

You can eat well for NT$500~1000 per person. The hotpot is more than f ill ing enough for three people, as my group discovered during our recent road-trip visit. The star attraction is the different types of raw f ish slices provided, notably the sailf ish. Not knowing how f ill ing this would be, we also ordered sashimi and other treats. Yes, the sof t, delectable sailf ish was the sashimi star. The staff reported that “99.99%” of the restaurant’s seafood is from Chenggong’s harbor, and since in the past most of the sailf ish was exported to Japan, the sailf ish cuisine here remains an unusual Taiwan culinary experience. We f inished with a deliciously refreshing dessert-type creation presented like a martini, with chunks of ocean sunf ish (mambo f ish) skin in crushed ice with a helping of l ime. The transparent chunks were very gelatinous, with no hint of f ishiness.

Rustic, laid-back Atomo Arifowang Canglah restaurant is at the highway’s 72.5-km mark, not far south of the Xiuguluan River.

Overlooking the ocean, it is in the style of a large thatch hut, features Amis art and decorative trappings such as f ish nets, and is open on the east side to the sea breezes.

The cuisine is Amis fusion, and the chef is highly inventive. She uses only what’s in season, and there’s no menu; tell her your budget and see what she

brings. We ate well for NT$800 per person. I especially enjoyed the “Olympic crab,” so named by the Amis because it runs so fast, the Amis-style wood-grilled pork rib, and the Amis-style salt-encrusted BBQ f ish.

in

Amis fusion cuisineOlympic crab

Sai l f ish sashimi

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Ba Nai 巴奈

Mama Chen 陳媽媽

mingchan 名產

Taimali 太麻里

BUY

Travel in Taiwan15

You’ll find arts and crafts on sale at numerous locations along the coast, but I strongly recommend you hold

off buying anything until you’ve visited the Dulan Sugar Factory heritage complex, where the Good-Buy shop is housed in a small building that originally served as an administration off ice. Despite its limited size there is a wide-ranging selection: works from over 80 indigenous artists and craftsmen are displayed, 70% of them created locally.

Attractive indigenous-theme bags and other practical items are handmade by 87-year-old Mama Chen, f rom Taimali south of Taitung City. She is a member of the Paiwan tribe, which excels at embroidery and glass-bead decoration, and classic totems such as the revered hundred-pace pit viper f igure prominently in her work. While remaining true to tradition, however, she also incorporates modern elements to satisf y today’s consumers.

In days past the Amis tribe made such items as hats and sheaths from bark. Af ter it was lost for 60 years, Dulan chief Ba Nai revived the art af ter f inding an ancestor ’s bark jacket in a hunting cabin. Off icially declared a national treasure for his work, Ba Nai makes startlingly alluring hats and other apparel in old and new styles that have a surprisingly sof t texture. His range even extends to full wedding dresses.

Outside the Baxian Caves (see main Feature article) is a neat l ine of shaded, well-stocked souvenir

shops. The items here are quantity-produced yet of solid quality, and are sold at reasonable prices. Items I f ind especially attractive, and which I or family members have bought over the years, include Amis-theme clothing, indigenous-totem handbags, carved walking canes, beautiful area-sourced polished stones, wooden prayer beads, and traditional woven farmers’ hats.

Outside Hualien Railway Station, facing the wide, inviting square fronting it, are many mingchan or “famous products” outlets. All these feature well-known Hualien-area processed snacks. On this trip I bought delicious Amis mochi; Japanese mochi features glutinous rice, but the Amis have introduced millet. Flavors range from sesame and green tea to kid-exciting strawberry and pineapple much appreciated by my nephew and two nieces.

GOOD-BUY (好的擺)Add: 61-1 Dulan Village, Donghe Township, Taitung County(台東縣東河鄉都蘭村 61-1號)Tel: (089) 531-702Website: zh-tw.facebook.com/goodbuy959 (Chinese)

East Coast Specialties

It should come as no surprise that indigenous arts and crafts are front and center when it comes to deciding on which East Coast souvenir items to take home. By Rick Charette

Indigenous Arts and Crafts /

Tasty Snack Treats

Tree bark hat and woven bags

Backpack with indigenous embroider y

Pho

tos/

Vis

ion

Int'l

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan16

Taiwan, sitting on the Rim

of Fire, is very young and

immature in geological

terms. It is being hurled up

from the sea at a rapid rate

as two tectonic plates, the

Eurasian Plate and Philip-

pine Sea Plate, jostle for

position. The result is many

bizarre, wonderful, ever-

evolving coastal landscape

formations, with additional

sculpting added by Mother

Nature wielding her wind,

wave, and other artist

tools. By Rick Charette

Yeliu

On the north coast not far from Taipei is the f ishing port of Yeliu, with Yeliu Geopark adjoining (entry fee). The town and port are at the tip of a cape, and the park is at the edge of the town, on a headland sliver that resembles an upside-down crooked f inger. Bizarre sandstone and coral formations on the rocky promontory have been carved by Mother Nature. The gallery of works includes a bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, Cinderella’s lost sl ipper, burning candles (to my mind, by far the most beautiful), and eggs lef t to hatch by ancient sea monsters. The works are fast-transforming, for the sandstone is sof t and Mother Nature’s tools persistent and eff icient.

The artworks are all in the f irst section nearest the mainland, accessed by wide, comfortable boardwalks. If time allows, af ter enjoying the formations walk the footpath that takes you to the promontory ’s tip. The views from the lighthouse here are stunning, the sea wrapping around you almost 360 degrees.

Here’s my selection for f ive of the best coastal

rock formations found on Taiwan and its offshore islands.

The Strange and the Beautiful

Taiwan’s Amazing Coastal Rock Formations

Nanya and Longdong

Located on the northeast coast, Nanya features gnarled and twisted sandstone and exposed-iron rock formations shaped by patient wind/water erosion. Oxidization has turned the iron brill iant shades of red, striping the many artistic sculptures. The most famous work here is a giant striated pile resembling a huge block of two-tone ice-cream in the process of melting.

Longdong is also on the northeast coast. The stark clif fs here rise up almost directly from the surf, hundreds of meters high in places. Massive boulders l ie at the bottom, and you can sometimes make out their original locations on the clif fs. For good reason, this spot is one of the most popular rock-climbing locations in north Taiwan. “Longdong” means “dragon hole,” and the Longdongwan Cape Trail gives you viewing access of the massive clif f-bottom cave, today well above the sculpting surf, where dragons may well have once lived.

Yeliu’s famous Queen’s Head Rock

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Beauty Cave 美人洞

Black Dwarf Cave 烏鬼洞

Jialeshui 佳樂水

Little Liuqiu 小琉球

Longdong 龍洞

Longdongwan Cape Trail 龍洞灣岬步道

Nanya 南雅

Penghu 澎湖

Tongpan Island 桶盤嶼

Vase Rock 花瓶石

Wild Boar Ditch 山豬溝

Yeliu 野柳

Yeliu Geopark 野柳地質公園

SCENERY

Travel in Taiwan17

Little Liuqiu / Vase Rock

Little Liuqiu, a small island off Taiwan’s southwest coast, is composed of coral. There are fantastic rock formations all around the island, with Vase Rock perhaps the most popular. The area abounds in colorful underwater marine life, which you can enjoy in a semi-submersible or glass-bottom boat. Other key nature-sculpted attractions are Beauty Cave, Black Dwarf Cave, and Wild Boar Ditch.

Jialeshui

Located near the south tip of Taiwan, on the east-coast side, this stretch of comparatively isolated coastline (stretching about 2.5 km; entry fee) is one of Taiwan’s premier geological classrooms. It has been said that the landscape here looks more like that of another planet than that of spaceship Earth. Three different geological layers are clearly discerned, the carved outcroppings of the exposed-sandstone stratum resembling such familiar f igures as the hare, frog, seahorse, beehive, and chessboard. A long signposted trail guides you through the area.

J ialeshui

Penghu Lit t le L iuqiu

Nanya

Penghu / Tongpan Island

Much of this Penghu archipelago of 64 small islands in the Taiwan Strait, which locals proudly describe as “pearls sprinkled in the turquoise sea,” was formed long ago by volcanic activity that has long since ceased. Basalt-column clif fs rising from the sea are a common sight – formed as lava shot up from the sea f loor, was quick-cooled by seawater and then air, and almost

instantly contracted and cracked.

The best viewing destination is Tongpan Island,

which features a basalt mesa platform and is almost entirely ringed with neatly stacked clif f columns. There is a trail atop the mesa. This island is a regularstop on boat tours from the main Penghu islands; you’ ll feel you are visiting a whimsical work created by giants.

Members of the Amis in Hualien Count y

Pho

tos/

Jen

Guo

-che

n, C

hery

l Rob

bins

, Vis

ion

Int'l

They landed on Taiwan’s shores long, long ago, crossing the open and often hostile sea on small craft the people of today might not consider “oceangoing.” These hardy and intrepid folk were the ances-tors of today’s 14 officially recognized in-digenous peoples. Let’s have a closer look at yesterday and today, with a special look at one group, the Amis. By Rick Charette

Yesterday

More than 14 indigenous peoples have inhabited the island, but the fate of these others has been to fade into the

mists of history. In modern times many of the plains-dwelling peoples have been absorbed into the much larger body of Han Chinese, who began arriving

in Taiwan en masse in the 1600s.

No one knows if the ancestors targeted Taiwan or if the forces of fate merely placed the island in their way. It is agreed that this is the northernmost bastion of the great Austronesian diaspora, which stretches from Madagascar in the west to Hawaii and Easter Island in the east and to New Zealand in the south. It is not agreed if Taiwan was merely one destination of these peoples on the move or if it was in fact a diaspora launch pad.

Today

The indigenous population today is just over 500,000. In Chinese the term yuanzhumin is used, literally “original inhabitants,” with “aborigine” self-selected as an acceptable translation. “Tribe” is most commonly used for each ethnic group. Though all are Austronesian, the tribal languages are mutually unintelligible, and the traditional cultures have featured surprisingly little cross-pollination. In the past, intertribal hostility was the norm.

Starting in the 1990s, the tribes have been more assertive, the government has focused more resources in support, and the general public has developed an interest in all things indigenous. Today, interested travelers have a wide selection of museums, theme parks, and tourist-friendly festival celebrations and village visits to choose from.

Here are the 14 tribes: Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Kavalan (or Kamalan), Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Sakizaya, Sediq, Thao, Truku (or Taroko), Tsou, and Yami (or Tao).

The three largest tribes are the Amis, Atayal, and Paiwan. Since we visit the Amis home area in our Feature article this issue, the east coast, we have a special introduction of the tribe below. The Atayal number just over 81,000, and inhabit north Taiwan’s central mountainous region. The tribe is known for sophisticated weaving skills featuring intricate designs and patterns; in days past these loomed large in defining a woman’s social status. The traditional area of the Paiwan tribe, which numbers just over 90,000, is the south part of the Central Mountain Range. The tribe is renowned for its attractive glazed-bead ornamentation and skill in carving wood and stone. Its best-known aesthetic motif, and most powerful totem, is a stylized version of the hundred-pace pit viper; traditional belief is that the tribe is descended from this snake.

Skilled woodcarving is in fact found among all Taiwan tribes. When traveling on the east coast, watch for woodcarvers moving along the shore in the hunt for driftwood, especially after storms. This is their main source of raw material.

Taiwan’s Indigenous PeoplesA Look at the Amis and Their Many Fellow Tribes

INDIGENOUS CULTURE

Amis belle Dancing at the annual har vest fest ival

Amis 阿美族

Atayal 泰雅族

Beinan Cultural Park 卑南文化公園

Bunun 布農族

Formosan Aboriginal 九族文化村

　Culture Village Kavalan (or Kamalan) 噶瑪蘭族

National Museum 國立台灣史前 　of Prehistory 文化博物館

Paiwan 排灣族

Puyuma 卑南族

Rukai 魯凱族

Saisiyat 賽夏族

Sakizaya 奇萊族

Shung Ye Museum of 順益台灣原住

Formosan Aborigines 民博物館

Thao 邵族

Truku (or Taroko) 太魯閣族

Tsou 鄒族

Yami (or Tao) 雅美族 (達悟族)yuanzhumin 原住民

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Learning MoreHere are some recommended places

to go f or a strong general introduction to the various tribes.

The Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines (www.museum.org.tw), in Taipei, has permanent and special exhibits along with animated f ilms on tribal legends. The Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (www.nine.com.tw) is a large theme park close to Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County with scores of full-scale mock-ups of traditional tribal architecture, handicraf ts and other demonstrations, colorful song-and-dance shows, and traditional foods. In the same vein is the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Culture Park (www.tacp.gov.tw), in Pingtung County.

In the city of Taitung is the Beinan Cultural Park and the National Museum of Prehistory (www.nmp.gov.tw). The park is an outdoor museum created around an active excavation site dating from the Neolithic Age. The museum displays the f indings f rom this site, its exhibitions introducing Taiwan’s history f rom the time of the f irst human inhabitants to today ’s indigenous peoples.

Also highly recommended are visits to indigenous villages and to tribal festivals. Your best next-step source for guidance on these is the Taiwan Tourism Bureau website (www.taiwan.net.tw).

The AmisThe Amis people live on the rugged, still isolated east coast, on the narrow plains and

in the valleys. Most live on the f latlands; no settlements are above 500 meters. They form Taiwan’s largest tribal grouping, today numbering above 190,000. Amis villages tend to be larger than those of other groups, with 200 and 1,000 inhabitants. Fishing today remains an important source of wealth; hunting is now primarily for ritual or recreational purposes. The tribe was the f irst to begin cultivating paddy f ields using oxen. Millet was grown in quantity, most used for the millet wine consumed in rituals and celebrations.

In addition to woven bamboo and rattan utensils and practical items such as f ishing nets, the Amis were the only tribal people on Taiwan proper to have preserved the art of pottery-making (the Yami, on Orchid Island, also make pottery). Only women were engaged in the craft, creating food vessels or containers such as rice pots, steamers, and ewers. Sacrif icial vessels, the private property of individuals, were also crafted; these were buried with the owners.

In the past the tribe had a matrilineal clan structure and system of inheritance. Decisions regarding such family matters as property holdings and f inance were the responsibility of the female head of household. Public matters, such as those pertaining to religion, consensual community laws, and tribal politics, were the responsibility of a male leadership group encompassing members of different age groups. This social system has seen much change as a result of Han Chinese inf luence, but still plays a role in members’ lives.

The Amis Harvest Festival, which evolved from warrior training, is perhaps the most elaborate in Taiwan. Each village stages its own celebrations, which generally go on about three days, usually around the middle of July for Taitung settlements and in August in Hualien. These events include rituals for celebrating the transformation of boys into men,

and are well known for the vibrant singing and dancing of participants. Tribal members, dressed in bright and colorful traditional ceremonial attire, form a circle and dance to the chants of an elder. In the early stages only certain segments of the group will dance – females, young braves, etc.

The formal dates are set about two months in advance by tribal elders. Villages will also come together for collective harvest

festivals. A number of villages invite tourists to come watch, and some even invite visitors to join the dance circles. Check in advance with the Tourism Bureau, or with the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration (www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw). Note that the Paiwan, Puyuma, and Rukai also hold their harvest festivals in the summer.

Travel in Taiwan 19

AMIS

Pho

tos/

Mar

co P

olo

Loun

ge &

Res

taur

ant,

Yen

If there are two things Taipei knows how to do, it’s keeping your stomach and your glass full. Truly, there is no shortage of places to wet your whistle or grab a great meal or even just a snack. There are a few special places, however, that will literally take your fine dining and drinking experience to new heights, and we’ve got the best of the best for you. Come along as we take to the top of the Tai-pei food and drink chain. By Joe Henley

One of the soaring twin towers

of the Taipei Metro complex on Dunhua South Road houses the

Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, home to one of Taipei’s top bars with a stunning

view, the Marco Polo Lounge. Located on the 38th f loor of what is one of the city’s most luxurious

places to stay while on a vacation or business trip, the Marco Polo Lounge is everything you’d expect from such a world-class establishment.

The crescent-shaped lounge, formed to one of the rounded sections of the hotel’s tower, features a 180-degree view of the city’s southeastern portion from the window-side tables and tables set slightly farther back. The spotless glass windows seem like a portal into the city’s soul. There is a grand view of Taipei 101, not far away, making the Marco Polo Lounge the perfect viewing spot for the famed New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza. But any night of the year is a great night to stop by for a drink, and to take in the bright nighttime lights of Taipei City from this glamorous vantage point.

If “glamour” has a signature drink it must be the martini, of which the Marco Polo Lounge has recently rolled

out 101 different varieties. Browse the extensive new

martini menu and you’re sure to f ind several that f it your personal taste. Many of

the martinis found at the Marco Polo Lounge are signature drinks concocted by the lounge’s team of expert bartenders, meaning you won’t f ind them

anywhere else.

Another delight found only at the Marco Polo Lounge is its specialty tiramisu, a rich, chocolaty layered dessert

served in a martini glass that is garnished with edible ribbons of chocolate on top, crafted by hand in the hotel’s central kitchen by world-renowned chefs brought in by the hotel from around the globe. The current head chef hails from northern Italy.

After a drink or two in the lounge your party may well fancy a bite to eat, and just next door is the Marco Polo Restaurant. Larger parties of eight or more can reserve private dining rooms in advance, and in fact calling ahead to reserve a table is always advised. Many a romantic soul has used the restaurant’s dimly lit, stylish ambience as the backdrop for a proposal, with window-side lucky table number seven, called the “proposal table,” known as the ideal place to pop the question. Should you wish to do the same, the staff is willing and able to help you out with any special arrangements you might wish to make.

ENJOYMENT

Travel in Taiwan 20

Located on the 31st f loor of the W

Taipei, right in the heart of the ultra-fashionable Xinyi District, is

Yen, a chic and stylish yet cozy lounge bar that’s both upscale and upbeat. When

a lounge is in a hotel that has re-branded its Food and Beverage Department as “Beverage and

Food,” you know the drinks menu is going to be top-notch and one of a kind, and that’s exactly what you get

at Yen. Some of the cocktails, such as the specialty mojito, are infused with green tea – a unique combination that makes for very vibrant and refreshing f lavors that really provide the perfect pick-me-up during an evening out. Or try the Oolong Fizz, a Yen creation made with Oolong tea,

gin, lemon, and sugarcane. There’s also an extensive selection of top-shelf whiskeys and wines.

Special V.I.P. rooms with excellent views of the cityscape and surrounding mountains, including a close-up look at the famous Taipei 101 tower nearby, can be

reserved for a minimum charge. The friendly, knowledgeable staff is able to expertly guide you through the menu in English, from cocktails to appetizers to Asian tapas and back again. The dress code is smart casual to f it with the modern, sexy, and comfortable atmosphere of this new and cutting-edge establishment, which combines the best in fashion and interior design with a professional, highly sophisticated emphasis on warm hospitality.

Yen is a great spot to chill out, but for something a bit l ivelier, head down to Woobar on the 10th f loor of the hotel. This is a lounge that turns into a club, featuring Taipei’s and the world’s best DJs, in the later hours. Ladies can enjoy a signature Wonderful Cosmopolitan, with citrus vodka, orange liqueur, l ime, and cranberry juice topped with cotton candy – one of many drinks unique to Yen and Woobar. Sink into one of Woobar ’s invitingly sof t red sofas, or, if you happen to be visiting on a f ine summer day, step out onto the outdoor pool deck with a beverage in hand to enjoy yet another spectacular bird’s-eye view of what is Taipei’s most vibrant business and fashion center. Special events such as fashion shows, parties featuring international DJs, and more pop up all the time, so check the W Taipei website for updates while in Taipei. The dress code here is also smart casual, so be sure to dress the part.

With a menu featuring sumptuous pasta dishes combining Eastern and Western cooking styles and techniques, there are several elegant set meals available that, while offering the very best in presentation and taste, won’t stretch your budget to the breaking point. The dress code is smart casual.

Marco Polo Lounge & Restaurant

Yen

Travel in Taiwan 21

DINING

We’ve saved the highest for last, located high up

in a local attraction mentioned more than once when describing the views afforded by the previous two hotels we’ve visited on our Taipei gastronomic journey: Taipei 101. Ding Xian 101, perched on the 85th f loor of what was once the tallest building in the world, just below the tower ’s observation deck, offers the most stunning vista of the city of any restaurant in the surrounding area. Take the world’s fastest elevator up to the restaurant, and enter a dining venue that is, on some days, situated well above the clouds drif ting wistfully by.

Ding Xian 101, which also has a smart casual dress code, features several private dining rooms, 11 in total, for parties of up to 30 guests. Each is named after a Taiwan county or city, with the largest and most stately being the Taipei and Kaohsiung rooms. All feature exquisite Wedgwood porcelain dinnerware imported from England – the same brand favored by the British royal family – along with handcrafted wooden furniture and tables. Decorations include large crystal chandeliers with energy-saving, eco-friendly LED lights, part of the restaurant’s environmentally conscious vision, and peacock color schemes that add another regal touch of elegance, including wallpaper featuring actual peacock feathers.

The menu is focused on seafood, caught around the island and shipped in fresh daily. Though seafood is the focus at myriad restaurants in Taipei and around the island, one thing you’re not l ikely to f ind of ten outside Ding Xian 101 is giant grouper, a specialty that requires giant tanks

and specialized care given the f ish’s incredibly large size. Try some melt-

in-your-mouth steamed grouper to start, have a shrimp roll wrapped in lettuce, then lobster topped with

roe, and eventually make your way to some famous Tainan danzai noodles, a simple yet classic Taiwanese dish consisting of noodles,

fried minced pork, and soy sauce, along with many other delicious ingredients, in a recipe

that is many generations old. This particular style of danzai noodles has been served over the last 50 years by a uniquely styled Taiwanese seafood restaurant, named “Tainan Danzai Noodles,” located on Huaxi Street near Taipei’s famous Longshan Temple. Operated by the same owners, Ding Xian 101 is in fact a more upscale and luxurious version of that restaurant; and, preserving tradition, the new restaurant has set aside a small traditional-style open kitchen where danzai noodles are prepared.

Smaller parties can also drop in at the main dining area just beyond the entrance, though call ing at least one or two days in advance to reserve a table is advised, to eat and enjoy the views of the city and the Yangmingshan peaks in the distance. On clear days, patrons can also trace the progress of the Tamsui River as it makes its way toward the sea on the north coast, tens of kilometers from Taipei 101. The main dining area is open for lunch and dinner, and there are plans to offer af ternoon tea in future. A banquet hall for weddings and corporate events for parties of up to 300 is also available, and this hall, along with the private dining rooms, is equipped with multimedia gear for video/photo presentations on large projector screens.

View from Ding Xian 101’s banquet hall

Pho

tos/

Mag

gie

Song

ENJOYMENT

Travel in Taiwan 22

YEN AND WOOBAR (W TAIPEI)Add: 10 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 5, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路5段10號)Tel: (02) 7703-8888Website: www.wtaipei.com.tw

MARCO POLO RESTAURANT (FAR EASTERN PLAZA HOTEL TAIPEI)(馬可波羅餐廳 /台北遠東國際大飯店)Add: 201 Dunhua S. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路2段201號)Tel: (02) 2376-3156Website: www.feph.com.tw

DING XIAN 101 (TAIPEI 101)(頂鮮101/台北101)Add: 7 Xinyi Rd., Sec. 5, Taipei City (台北市信義路5段7號)Tel: (02) 8101-8687Website: www.dingxian101.com

One thing the main dining area and all the rooms here feature, in common with the other venues we’ve covered, is a view you’ ll get nowhere else in Taipei, and nowhere else in the world for that matter. Come for the amazing food, and stay for the unforgettable sights.

danzai noodles 擔仔麵

Dunhua South Road 敦化南路

Huaxi Street 華西街

Longshan Temple 龍山寺

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Ding Xian 101

Ding Xian 101

Tamsui River 淡水河

Xinyi District 信義區

Yangmingshan 陽明山

Travel in Taiwan 23

DINING

Catch of the day

FOOD JOURNEY

Travel in Taiwan24

The fish is l if ted from the boat with a crane. Hanging by its tail with its head almost touching the

ground, it’s taller than many of the f ishermen who crowd around trying to lower it onto a trolley. The excitement in Donggang Fish Market is palpable. It’s the f irst catch of the day, and as the f ish is wheeled away to be weighed and sold, an avid crowd of onlookers follow it l ike a gaggle of teenage fans desperate to catch a glimpse of a Korean boy band. It’s mid-May in Donggang, Pingtung County, and tuna fever has descended upon the town.

From early May to early July, Donggang – southern Taiwan’s biggest f ishing harbor – is obsessed with the Pacif ic bluef in tuna. The gigantic f ish, which can weigh up to 500 kg, is known to sashimi af icionados as “the Rolls Royce of f ish meat.” The underbelly, called “toro” in Japan, is source of one of the most expensive sashimi cuts due to the fatty meat’s beautiful snowy-pink color. In fact, Japan buys 80% of Donggang’s tuna catch; but since the Donggang Bluef in Tuna Cultural Festival was held for the f irst time back in 2001, more and more Taiwanese have gained a taste for the succulent, melt-in-your-mouth meat. Practically every part of the f ish can be used in cooking. The skin, the spine, the eyes, the lower jaw – all are used in dishes ranging from medicinal soups to teppanyaki.

For visitors to Donggang, the most astonishing thing about the f ish, apart from the taste, is probably the price. Hong De-wen, one of the f ish sellers who set up permanent stalls at the market, tells my friends and I that a good cut from the upper belly, the most expensive part of the f ish, can easily sell for around NT$12,000 per kilogram. He says that the price of tuna has gone up a lot this year because the amount of f ish caught has decreased enormously. The most bluef in tuna ever caught in one season by Donggang f ishermen was over

11,000, but that was around ten years ago. Last year only 779 of the f ish were caught.

The f irst tuna of the season was sold on May 2nd for NT$1.36 million to a Japanese supermarket in Taichung in central Taiwan. Hong says that both the color and fat content of the meat is integral in deciding how high the price will be. He takes us to the back of his stall and shows us a large slab from a tuna’s underbelly. The part of the underbelly nearest the jaw is the fattiest, he says, and thus the most expensive. The middle section is a little less so, and the part nearest the tail, which has the least fat, is the cheapest. The meat from the upper belly looks a little like oily ham, and Hong says another reason it is the most expensive is because there are no tough tendons or sinews in this area. The meat is described as having the texture of ice-cream.

From early May to July, Donggang – southern Taiwan’s biggest f ishing harbor – is obsessed with the Paci f ic blue fin tuna

Indulging in Bluefin Tuna at Donggang Harbor

At Donggang Fish Market

Pho

tos/

Ivy

Chen

If you love your fish raw and fresh from the ocean, head to Donggang in southwestern Taiwan. In early summer everything in this harbor town revolves around the an-nual bluefin tuna catch, and you’ll have the chance to sample the best-tasting – and possibly most expensive – tuna sashimi you’ll ever find. By Owain Mckimm

BLUEFIN TUNA

Travel in Taiwan25

Hong then points to a smaller cut from the tuna’s back. The color ranges from the deep burgundy of a rich Italian red wine to the gentle pink of cherry blossoms. He says that for this kind of cut, the redder the meat the better, and it is commonly used in sushi or l ightly f r ied and doused w ith pepper – doing an excellent impression of Japan’s famously high-quality Matsusaka beef.

Chen Wen-ming, the skipper of the ship that caught the tuna we saw being lif ted onto a trolley earlier,

says that during the bluef in tuna festival, boats from Taiwan usually f ish in an area of ocean near Taiwan’s Orchid and Green islands. For this kind of big f ish, he explains, a f ishing

technique called longline f ishing is used. A line is strung out far behind the ship, kept af loat with buoys. Around 800 hooks baited with squid hang down from this l ine at regular intervals. When a bluef in tuna is landed, the crew immediately bleeds and guts the f ish, stuffs the internal cavity with ice, and puts it into storage. When enough tuna is caught, the boat makes the journey back to Donggang to sell the f ish. Af ter sell ing, it’s straight back out to sea again. Chen says the most bluef in tuna he’s ever caught on one trip is nine. The 252 kg f ish that Chen has brought back and sold this morning went for just over NT$400,000. Wang

Chih-min of the Donggang Fishermen's Association estimates that the buyer, who is now busy carving up the f ish at his stall, will be able to make a prof it of around NT$200,000 on the f ish by sell ing the meat to restaurants which may charge up to NT$500 per slice.

In April and June, bluef in tuna gather near Luzon Island in the Philippines to spawn, Wang says. They then circle the Pacif ic following the Kuroshio, a current of warm water originating off the east coast of Taiwan and f lowing past Japan before turning eastward and merging into the North Pacif ic Current. Wang says that Taiwanese f ishermen are becoming more and more reluctant to venture further south than the 21st parallel because of fears that they will be detained by the Philippine government for breaching declared f ishing boundaries. This accounts in some measure for the dramatic drop in the number of bluef in tuna caught over the last ten years, but Wang says another concern is that the bluef in population is being overf ished. He says that around 70% of the tuna caught this year have been older f ish, weighing between 300 and 360 kg. While this may be good news for the f ishermen, who bring in more money with each bigger f ish, Wang sees the steady decline in the number of young tuna as a warning that the population may be heading for a crash. He encourages visitors to buy and eat responsibly, and to try to educate themselves about the conservation of the species in addition to the gastronomy.

The meat of the middle belly is firmer and much

less fatty than that of the upper belly, and resists ever so slightly before

collapsing like crushed ice between your teeth

Donggang Harbor

Bluef in tuna sashimi

Pho

tos/

Ivy

Chen

FOOD JOURNEY

Travel in Taiwan26

To try some of Donggang’s tuna cuisine, we go to Zhang Jia Shi Tang, a local restaurant specializing in dishes made

using the Pacif ic bluef in. Proprietor Zhang Tai-fang prepares a selection of the celebrated bluef in sashimi for us to try. First we sample a sliver of the coveted upper belly section closest to the lower jaw of the f ish, snowy with fat and NT$500 a slice. This prime cut is only available during the bluef in tuna season and is not on the restaurant’s menu, but can be requested. It l ives up to its reputation as melt-in-your-mouth; it’s so sebaceous that the meat must almost be sucked from between the reams of fat, making the overall experience a l ittle l ike eating a barbecue rib. More to our taste is the slice of middle belly. At NT$200 a slice it’s f irmer and much less fatty than the meat from the upper belly, and resists ever so slightly before collapsing like crushed ice between your teeth. A very slight hint of fat l ingers af ter swallowing, but it complements rather than overpowers. This sl ice, all in my group agree, is certainly worthy of the bluef in tuna’s lauded status as king of sashimi. The restaurant also offers such other dishes as bluef in matsusaka, grilled bluef in chin, and bluef in sausage, for between NT$80 and NT$400 per serving.

For those wanting to spend a little less, buying a small selection of tuna meat from the market is surprisingly easy. Simply give the seller a f igure and let him prepare a selection of cuts for you. For a reasonable NT$300 we receive a range of eleven slices, packed in ice and ready for transportation. Whether you’re a sashimi connoisseur or simply sashimi-curious, tasting Donggang’s Rolls Royce of f ish meat is not something you can afford to miss.

Getting there and around: From directly opposite Kaohsiung Railway Station, take a Chung-Nan Bus Company bus directly to Donggang (in Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area). Buses depart approximately every 30 minutes, and the journey takes one hour. Donggang itself is relatively small, and can be explored comfortably by bicycle. Most of the small hotels will allow you to rent or borrow bicycles during your stay.

ZHANG JIA SHI TANG (張家食堂)Add: 65-1, Sec. 2. Guangfu Rd., Donggang Township, Pingtung County(屏東縣東港鎮光復路二段65-1號)Tel: (08) 833-7251Website: www.toropro.com.twHours: Mon ~ Sun 11:30 am ~ 2:30 pm, 5 pm ~ 9:30 pm

DONGGANG FISH MARKET (東港魚市場)Add: 175 Xinsheng 3rd Road, Donggang Township, Pingtung County(屏東縣東港鎮新生三路175號)Hours: 9.30 am ~ noon (closed on Fridays; some vendors start selling their fish earlier and stay open until the late afternoon)

More information about Donggang and the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area can be found at www.dbnsa.gov.tw.

ENGLISH & CHINESE

bluefin tuna 黑鮪魚

Chen Wen-ming 陳文明

Chung-Nan Bus Company 中南客運

Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area 大鵬灣國家風景區

Donggang 東港

Donggang Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival 東港黑鮪魚文化觀光季

Donggang Fish Market 東港魚市場

Green Island 綠島

Hong De-wen 洪德文

Lanyu (Orchid Island) 蘭嶼

Wang Chih-min 王志民

Zhang Tai-fang 張泰芳

Elders at a local temple who give blessings to f ishermen

BLUEFIN TUNA

BEST BIKE ROUTES

Travel in Taiwan28

Bitan to TamsuiCycling Taipei South to North, Into the Country’s Past By Tobias T ilsiter

For most of human history, waterways have been highways. For most of Taiwan’s history, the quickest way from Tainan in

the south to Taipei in the north was by boat along the coast, and the quickest way from what is now Taipei’s southern suburb of Xindian to the north-coast port of Tamsui was by boat along the Xindian and Tamsui rivers.

Boats are commemorated in the name of the city ’s oldest district, Wanhua. The place name “Wanhua” is derived from the Japanese (Manga) and Hoklo/Taiwanese (Bangka) transliterations of the Ketagalan aboriginal word for the canoes (banka) used to transport charcoal and sweet potatoes downriver to sell to the earliest Han Chinese immigrants.

The Keelung River, which enters the Taipei Basin from the east, was subsequently used to move coal and ore from hill mines around Jiufen and Ruifang. The Dahan River, f rom the southwest, was used to bring tea, camphor, and indigo dye from Sanxia and Daxi.

Following the invention of steam trains and gasoline-powered cars and trucks, rivers became obstructions. Grand bridges were built to span them, and levees were constructed to protect citizens from f looding. The waterways were soon all but forgotten.

Today the rivers are f lourishing again. Private tourist yachts, public ferries, f ishing boats, and at least one

large imitation Mississippi-style steamer work their way up and down the main channels. The real renaissance is on the riverbanks, however, where tens of thousands of cyclists ride the latest racing models or rent low-cost bikes from government-tendered kiosks. Weekends are busiest, with student groups organizing social events and parents introducing children to the pleasures of recreational cycling, but the bike paths are also increasingly used on cool summer evenings by workers commuting to suburbs in all directions.

The main attraction driving this phenomenon is the freedom from the noise – and danger – when sharing one’s journey with cars, trucks, and motorbikes. A decade ago, if asked why they did not cycle, most people cited danger as their main concern. At that time, bicycles were predominantly ridden by schoolchildren, grandmothers, and Southeast Asian laborers. The government – central and local – determined to remake Taiwan into a country of cyclists, has built thousands of kilometers of paths, improving every county.

The several hundreds of kilometers set up in Taipei and New Taipei cities follow all the main – and even some minor – watercourses, allowing cyclists to retrace the routes taken by their forebears in earlier centuries. Bike-only paths now connect westward from Taipei to Sanxia and Daxi, as well as to the tourist pottery town of Yingge and the Hakka township of Longtan, with its lake-surrounded temple. To the east is the Taipei suburb of Neihu, the Xizhi and Wudu exurbs, and eventually the port of Keelung, where cyclists can connect with the north and northeast coast routes.

Bikeway along Tamsui River nor th of Dadaocheng

Pho

to/ S

teve

Cha

ng

TAIPEI

Travel in Taiwan29

The main Taipei Basin cycle route, what you might call the super-highway of bike paths, runs south-to-north between Bitan (“Emerald Lake”), beside the MRT Xindian Station, and just beyond the MRT Tamsui Station in the north-coast port town of Tamsui. Land and water connections also allow you to reach the town of Bali, Tamsui’s companion town on the “Lef t Bank.” All three points are in New Taipei City, whose government has recently asked for tenders on a city-wide bike-rental scheme with a special provision: that bikes may be borrowed from and returned to any of the dozen or so outlets. (Note: Similar bike-rental stations are currently operated within Taipei City l imits, but it’s not possible to rent a bike in New Taipei City and return it at a Taipei City station, or vice-versa. Roughly, all areas west of the Tamsui and Xindian rivers, south of Jingmei Stream, and north of Guandu are in New Taipei City; in between is Taipei City.)

This makes the 45-kilometer north-south corridor a convenient half-day adventure – longer with breaks or side excursions. Bike rental is NT$25 per hour (NT$15 weekdays), NT$150 for 4 hours, and NT$250 per day if return is to a different outlet. (Note: Rental fees at Taipei City stations may vary slightly from those in New Taipei City.)

Bitan, Bali, and Tamsui all have their charms, so choosing start and end points can be tricky.

A variety of paths connects them. The following course is recommended for its special combination of sights, romance, and culinary delights.

Take the MRT Xindian L ine to X indian Stat ion – bikes can be carr ied on this l ine on weekends, or in a

bag at any t ime. At al l stat ions, water bottles can be f i l led f rom a founta in in the forecourt. The X indian R iver is to the west, and although called a lake, Bitan is in fact a deep, slow-mov ing sect ion of r iver sided by steep forested cl if fs. These prov ide a ma jest ic backdrop to the New Ta ipei City dragon-boat races held here each summer. Pedal-powered swan-shaped vessels can be hired year-round, and musicians play at r iverside eater ies; but today the focus is bikes, which can be rented f rom a cabin about 300 meters to the north of the pedestr ian suspension br idge.

The bikeway sets of f north among sculptured f lowerbeds. Before long, the Jingmei River branch forks off to the right, of fering a detour to Muzha and the Taipei Zoo. Pressing on straight ahead soon brings cycl ists to the Gongguan area.

For those w ith chi ldren who star t to ask why they cannot sw im in the appeal ing X indian R iver waters, Gongguan’s Taipei Water Park, w ith its var ious amusements, w i l l prov ide a welcome break. Others might l ike to stop for a bite to eat, as the presence of the ma in Taiwan National University campus nearby ensures a w ide range of inexpensive restaurants and street snacks. Anyone f inding their clothing inappropr iate for the long r ide may, in similar f ashion, make use of the many inexpensive

spor ts outlets.

From Gongguan the path makes a leisurely loop around Taipei’s histor ic Wanhua Distr ict before arr iv ing at Dadaocheng Wharf, a gathering point for many cycl ist groups. Cof fee, snacks, and bike equipment are on sale. Those with time for explor ing might l ike to v isit nearby Dihua Street, famed for its shops sell ing Lunar New Year provisions and its many histor ic houses, some dating f rom the 19th century when international trading f irms f illed the area.

Three k i lometers nor th of here is a turn to the lef t that prov ides a pleasant 7-k i lometer detour around Shezi Island, actual ly a duck-head-shaped peninsula. If you sk ip the detour, both before and af ter the next large br idge there are r ight turns for routes east along the Keelung R iver to d istr icts of nor th Ta ipei and on to Keelung itsel f.

Although called a lake, Bitan is in fact a deep, slow-moving section of river sided by steep forested cliffs

At Bitan

Pho

tos/

Tw

elli,

Wen

-zhe

n Fa

n

BEST BIKE ROUTES

Travel in Taiwan30

The government, determined to remake Taiwan into a country of cyclists, has built thousands of

kilometers of paths, improving every county

Pedal-powered boats at Bitan On weekends, bikeways can get crowded

Near Taipei ’s Zhongxiao Br idge

Leisure r iders Ambit ious r ider

Distance marker

Taipei ’s bikeways are easy to fol low

Mississippi-s t y le s teamer at Guandu

TAIPEI

Having resisted these temptations, continue northwest, with the f ine views of

Yangmingshan’s peaks to the right. The path winds its way along mangrove swamps, and coffee cabins offer drinks and snacks and a longer rest than those taken for photos and to read the informative signs about the ecology created by these brackish-water-loving plants.

Further sustenance is available in Guandu, and further insights into local fauna and f lora, migratory birds in particular, are available at the Guandu Nature Park nearby. Those visitors with more human cultural interests can visit the major temple here, dedicated to Mazu, the seafarers’ deity. The above-mentioned Mississippi-style steamer is of ten to be seen moored nearby.

Tamsui and its famous sunset views is reached by continuing along the river’s right-hand side, past the even more magnif icent mangrove swamps near the MRT Hongshulin Station.

Tamsui’s unique delicacies include “iron” eggs,” a-gei (tofu stuffed with bean-sprout

noodles), and shrimp rolls. Its historic attractions include temples, the former British Consulate at Fort San Domingo, George Mackay’s Oxford College – as well as his grave (Mackay is a key 19th-century historical figure) – Tamsui Old Street, and Huwei Fort, built to repel the French in 1884. Many visitors are content just to wander the waterfront enjoying the views – and that famous sunset, of course.

The final leg of the cycling trip is by regular road up to Fisherman’s Wharf, for scenic views and freshly caught fish cooked on site or taken home. From here, visitors can jump on a ferry across to Bali on the opposite side of the estuary. Bikes can be transported for an extra NT$20. (Note: At Bali you can return your bike, if rented from a New Taipei City bike-rental station;

starting this August, returning bikes will also be possible at a new rental station in Tamsui, saving you the trip across the river.)

Sheltering on the shore below Mt. Guanyin (so named because the mountain is said to look like the Bodhisattva Guanyin’s recumbent face and body in prof ile), Bali is a historic f ishing port at the mouth of the lef t bank of the Tamsui River that actually predates its now larger neighbor opposite. Now primarily a tourist destination, it is renowned for its seafood, especially its mussel and clam dishes. Af ter returning your bike (if hired), take a ferry back to Tamsui and catch the MRT to downtown Taipei.

For those wishing to complete their journey in style, the Blue Highway tour service has boats running to Zhuwei, Guandu, and Dadaocheng. Tickets are NT$200~340, and bikes may be taken on board for no extra charge. Cruising back to downtown Taipei in the fading evening light, it is easy to reconnect with the city ’s past, when the fastest mode of travel was by rivercraf t.

Tak ing in the sunset at Tamsui

ENGLISH & CHINESE

a-gei 阿給

Bali 八里

Bangka 艋舺

Bitan 碧潭

Dadaocheng Wharf 大稻埕碼頭

Dahan River 大漢溪

Dihua Street 迪化街

Fisherman's Wharf 漁人碼頭

Fort San Domingo 紅毛城

Oxford College 牛津理學堂

Gongguan 公館

Guandu 關渡

Huwei Fort 滬尾砲台

"iron"eggs 鐵蛋 Jingmei River 景美溪

Keelung River 基隆河

"Left Bank" 左 岸

Mazu 媽 祖

Mt. Guanyin 觀音山

Shezi Island 社子島

Taipei Zoo 台北市立動物園

Taipei Water Park 台北自來水園區

Tamsui 淡 水

Tamsui Old Street 淡水老街

Wanhua District 萬華區

Xindian 新 店

Xindian River 新店溪

Yangmingshan 陽明山

Zhuwei 竹 圍

Pho

to/ T

wel

li

Fisherman’s WharfTamsui Old Street

MRT Tamsui Station

MRT Hongshulin Station

MRT Zhuwei Station

Dadaocheng

Guandu

Tamsui River

New Taipei City Taipei City

JingmeiXindian River

Dahan River

Keelung River

Gongguan

Bitan, Xindian

Bali

Shezi Island

Dihua Street

N

BEST BIKE ROUTES

Travel in Taiwan32

Travel in Taiwan 33

WHO IS THIS?

Pho

to/ M

aggi

e So

ng

Bobe-aAnd here you have it, the answer for the question on page 5. Bobe-a (Taiwanese pronunciation) is the goddess Mazu's

advance courier, beating his gong in the vanguard of Mazu processions, notif ying temples, villages, and towns to light incense and prepare to receive the goddess. An amusing character in affecting costume, his accouterments are steeped in symbolism. He wears only one sandal – the other foot is bare – symbolizing the ecstasy and absent-mindedness one naturally feels at the approach of the heavenly presence. He also wears a conical, helmet-shaped hat, and sports bifocals and a long moustache. Among the items the bobe-a carries is a pig trotter. The idea is that if a tiger attacks the procession it will go for the trotter and leave the marchers alone; by extension, the trotter symbolizes long life.

En joying a Free Ride

“Auf und Davon” (lit. “Let’s Get Up and

Go Away”) is a radio show produced by Radio Wien, which has been around for 13 years. Every Sunday morning from 10 to 12 listeners have the chance to call in and be chosen to take part in a 5-round travel-related Q&A session. In each round two callers compete against each other, with the one coming up with the correct answer moving on to the next round and the loser replaced by another lucky caller. The caller who gives the correct answer in the last round wins a trip to the country or destination featured on that show.

Franz and Katharina, who are regular l isteners, had tried call ing in numerous times previously, and were f inally able to get through on October 9th last year. They entered the quiz in the second round, replacing the caller who had failed to answer the f irst question, asking how narrow Taiwan’s famous Taroko Gorge is at its narrowest point (10 meters, by the way). In the second round the callers had to tell the host how many of Taiwan’s mountains are higher than 3,000 meters. Af ter a quick online

check, Franz and Katharina answered “200.” They weren’t really sure of themselves, because they hadn’t expected such a small island to have so many high mountains – even more than their home country. In the third round they had to decide whether the super-fast elevators of the Taipei 101 skyscraper are faster going up or down. Vaguely remembering having heard something about wind resistance in tunnels,

Franz quickly answered “slower down.” He was right.

In the next round, the host asked what is the equivalent word for

“hurricane” used in Taiwan, and again Franz and Katharina were quicker than the other caller, replying “typhoon.” In

the show’s climax, with nervous tension high, it was time to f ind out who would be going on the free Taiwan tour. The host had visited Taiwan not long before the show, and now asked what souvenir he had brought back home, which regular l isteners would know. Our young Austrian couple said Taiwan Oolung tea, the answer was declared correct, and the two immediately leapt out of their seats in celebration.

An Austrian Couple Visits Taiwan after Winning a Tour on a Radio Show

Taroko Gorge made such a deep impression on the two that

they decided to stay a few days longer and explore the gorge

on bike and foot

It’s not often that you get to travel in a fore ign land for f ree . But i t does happen to a lucky few, and sometimes it does help to be smart and persistent. Just ask Franz and Kathar ina Werner f rom V ienna , Austr ia , who won a free tr ip to Taiwan after answering questions correctly on a radio call-in show. By Kurt Weidner

At Sun Moon Lake

Pho

tos/

Fra

nz &

Kat

hari

na W

erne

r

TOURISM

Travel in Taiwan34

Half a year later, they landed in Taiwan for their all-arranged, all-expenses-paid trip around the island. Meeting with Travel in Taiwan on the last day

of their stay here, they had nothing but praise for the experience, in its entirety. They had been part of a group of tourists of different nationality and age, who had had a lot of fun together. Among the places visited on the tour, organized by local tour operator Edison Travel, were many of Taiwan’s top tourist attractions, including Sun Moon Lake, Tainan, which is the old capital of Taiwan, Kaohsiung, south Taiwan’s major harbor city, the tropical beaches of Kending at the island’s southernmost tip, and Taroko Gorge, a magnif icent world-class scenic wonder. The gorge made such a deep impression on the two that they decided to split f rom the rest of the group and stay a few days longer at their own expense. They explored the gorge on bike and foot, and even took a dip in a natural hot-spring pool.

Upon their return to Taipei, the two Austrians were treated by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau to two more short tours, to the north and northeast coast, and to a city tour of Taipei. Af ter seeing so many great sights, meeting so many friendly people, and experiencing the delicious local cuisine – they had especially enjoyed the fresh seafood served at a f ishing-harbor restaurant and the dumplings of the famous restaurant Din Tai Fung – they wished they had time to stay on past the end of their free Taiwan adventure. They did promise to come back, however, to see more of Taiwan, especially offshore islands such as Penghu and Green Island, where the two avid divers knew amazing underwater worlds were waiting to be explored.

Kathi and Franz share their Taiwan-trip experiences in their online blog at kathi- franz.blogspot.com.

At Yel iu

Tak ing a hot-spr ing bath in a natural set t ing

REPORT

Travel in Taiwan35

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Green Island 綠島

Kending 墾丁

Penghu 澎湖

Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

Tainan 台南

Taroko Gorge 太魯閣峽谷

Tables Set for

Keelung Festival

FESTIVAL

Travel in Taiwan 36

The Harbor City Gets Ready

to Host Some Unusual Guests

By Mark Caltonhill

Of fer ings to the ghosts are made at Zhupu Altar

Tables Set for

Pho

to/ M

aggi

e So

ng

In a break with a tradition dating back 157 years, tables of Western food will be laid out this year alongside the more usual Chinese fare at the Keelung Mid-Summer

Ghost Festival (August 30~31), for the feeding of hungry ghosts. Also for the f irst time, a priest will perform Christian rituals beside Buddhist and Daoist counterparts. This strange turn of events derives from a unique combination of religious belief and historical circumstance.

The 7th lunar month (Aug. 17 ~ Sep. 15 this year) is also known as Ghost Month, since according to popular belief the Gates of Hell are open the full month and spirits of the deceased are free to wander the earth. Given the Han Chinese people’s complex help-and-be-helped relationship with their ancestors, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Except, that is, in the case of “hungry ghosts” (more commonly called “good brethren”), who do not have descendents making regular offerings and who might therefore cause trouble rather than offer help from the af terlife. Elaborate ceremonies and fabulous feasts are prepared to placate them.

These celebrations are held all over Taiwan, but the largest and one of the most colorful takes place in Keelung. It culminates at the small f ishing port of Badouzi, where f loating lanterns are launched onto the sea. Curiously, these lanterns are all decorated with a single Chinese character, such as 謝 (xie; “gratitude”), 林 (lin; “wood”), and 江 ( jiang; “river”).

Elaborate ceremonies and fabulous feasts are prepared to placate “hungr y ghosts” who do not have descendents making regular o fferings

The answer l ies in the Keelung festival’s origins. During its long period of colonization by Han Chinese, from the early 1600s well into the 1800s, Taiwan was a frontier territory in which following the rule of law was not always easy or desired, and armed clashes were not uncommon. These were not l imited to conf licts with indigenous people, or between Hakka and Hoklo-speaking immigrants, but even occurred between members of the last group, almost all of whom hailed from either the Quanzhou or Zhangzhou regions of Fujian Province in mainland China. One particularly nasty clash in Keelung in 1851 led to around 100 deaths.

To heal social wounds and prevent future clashes, an annual ceremony honoring the dead was mutually devised and initiated in 1855. Rather than being based on hometown aff iliations as was normal, it was organized according to clan names, since these were shared by families of both groups. This is the origin of the character on each lantern: Each is a family name that also has other meaning. It is believed that the farther a lantern f loats out to sea, the better the luck to be enjoyed by that clan in the year to come.

This history also explains the system used for organizing the event, which once every dozen years is the duty of a particular clan association. This year it is

the turn of the Chen Hu-Yao Association, which represents three of the less numerous clans.

The association, in coordination with public and other private cultural organizations, arranges a month’s worth of religious, culinary, and artistic activities. It will provide about two-thirds of the NT$20 million to be spent on the festival, with the other one-third coming from local and central government cultural departments.

Chen Hong-shi, deputy director of this year’s organizing committee, says that it is increasingly diff icult to raise this kind of money. There are about 100,000 members of the three clans in Keelung, but only about 10 percent will participate in the event, and only about 1 percent is really active nowadays. Young people have other distractions, he says.

KEELUNG

Travel in Taiwan 37

Pho

tos/

Mag

gie

Song

The festival starts on August 30 with ritual ceremonies at the city ’s four main temples: City God Temple, Qing’an Temple, Dianji Temple, and Juexiu Temple. This is followed by the off icial Gates of Hell opening ceremony at midnight the next night at Laodagong Temple (37, Lane 76, Le 1st Rd.) – said to contain the bones of some of those who died in 1851 – which is broadcast l ive on national television. It ends with the off icial closing ceremony.

Visitors to Keelung on any day of Ghost Month can catch sight of different

clans taking turns to parade their lanterns through the streets, and there are international and domestic artistic and cultural events on the main plaza at the harborfront and in theaters, halls, government buildings, hotels, and on street-side stages throughout Keelung. These include dancing, Taiwanese opera, puppetry, drumming, martial arts, children’s shows, traditional and modern music, circus-style tricks, painting, photographic and art competitions, folk singing, quizzes, and call igraphy.

Without doubt, however, the highlight of the month’s events is the full parade of decorated f loats bearing the lanterns on the evening of the full moon, August 30. These are constructed in the shape of miniature mansions, and are taken through the streets of downtown Keelung, then out past the docks toward Badouzi a few kilometers away. Here they are again worshiped before being carried into the sea at midnight, where they f loat away silently until the paper walls catch f ire, and the burnt-out shells sink. Around

midnight everyone sets off home, or back to downtown Keelung where the Miaokou (Temple Entrance) Night Market, the city ’s famous year-round tourist attraction, does good business until well into the small hours.

At 6 p.m. on August 31, the day af ter the f loating-lantern event, the hungry ghosts will be fed a choice

of vegetarian and meat dishes at Zhupu Altar – with, as mentioned, Western dishes included this year. Around 11 p.m., once they have f inished eating, they will be encouraged to return to the underworld by the dancing of Zhongkui the “ghost catcher.” Living participants at the ceremony may then eat the ghosts’ lef tovers.

The highlight of the month’s events is the full parade of

decorated f loats bearing clan lanterns on the evening of the full moon

Keelung’s other tourist attractions include fortifications dating back to the 19th century, such as Ershawan Fort, Baimiweng Fort, and Dawulun Fort to the west of town, and Gangziliao Fort to the east. Boat tours take visitors around the harbor and out around Keelung Island.

On the city’s east by the main harbor’s mouth is Heping Island. It has a newly opened park (NT$60) with curiously shaped rocks and an enclosed sea-swimming pool. Nearby, Sheliao East Fort dates from the early years of Japanese rule, and walking there you’ll pass a mountain-like community of Amis-tribe members who migrated from further down the east coast in recent years. The Keelung City Indigenous Cultural Hall (75, Lane 116, Zhengbin Rd.), across from Heping Island, introduces the cultures of all of Taiwan’s indigenous groups, with displays of material artifacts.

The Keelung Story House (181 Xinyi Rd., next door to the city hall, has introductions to the area’s history, ecology, people, and coal mining, as well as to Steve McQueen, who visited in 1966 for the filming of the Oscar-nominated “The Sand Pebbles.”

FESTIVAL

Travel in Taiwan 38

Dragon dance troupe

The clan lanterns burning on the sea

Parade par ticipant

O f fer ings

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Badouzi 八斗子

Baimiweng Fort 白米甕砲台

Chen Hong-shi 陳鋐謚

Chen Hu-Yao 陳胡姚

City God Temple 城隍廟

Dawulun Fort 大武崙砲臺

Dianji Temple 奠濟宮

Ershawan Fort 二沙灣砲臺

Gangziliao Fort 槓仔寮砲台

Ghost Month 鬼月

good brethren 好兄弟

Heping Island 和平島

hungry ghosts 惡鬼

Juexiu Temple 覺修宮

Keelung City Indigenous Cultural Hall 原住民文化會館

Keelung Island 基隆嶼

Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival 雞籠中元祭 Laodagong Temple 老大公廟

Miaokou Night Market 廟口夜市 Qing’an Temple 慶安宮 Sheliao East Fort 社寮東砲台

Zhongkui 鐘馗 Zhupu Altar 主普壇

The main reason for a foreign element in this event is visible as the parade makes its way to Badouzi, when shortly af ter leaving the dock area it passes what is called the French Cemetery. This contains the remains of almost 600 soldiers and sailors who died when Keelung was occupied for a time during the Sino-French War of 1884~85.

The cemetery is of interest to visitors year-round, and is hard to miss with its dynamic mural depicting the military engagements. Few soldiers died during the armed skirmishes; the occupation was a sideshow to the main battles between Chinese and French forces in what is now northern Vietnam. The vast majority died from malaria, cholera, dysentery, and other diseases. Two of the most prominent graves, those of Lieutenant Louis Jehenne and Sous Commissaire de la Marine Marie Joseph Louis Dert, were moved to Keelung many years af ter they died in another sideshow that took place in the Pescadores archipelago (today’s Penghu Islands), west of Taiwan proper.

These French spirits are not the only foreign ones requiring placation, however, as the Spanish and then the Dutch had trading posts in Keelung in the 17th century, and the Japanese also landed near here in 1895 when they arrived to begin their 50-year colonial occupation of Taiwan.

Getting to Keelung: Frequent trains run from Taipei (30-min tr ip; NT$43), and buses run to and from most places in northern Taiwan.

For further tourism, accommodation, and transportation information, visit Keelung City’s website at www. klcg.gov.tw.

KEELUNG

Travel in Taiwan 39

UPCOMINGFestivals and Events from July to August

For more information on upcoming festivals and events, visit the website of the Tourism Bureau at http://eng.taiwan.net.tw and click on “Festivals” or call the 24-hour toll-free Travel Information Hotline at 0800-011765.

AUG 16 ~ 18Amis Tribe Harvest Festival in Fata’an, Hualien花蓮馬太鞍部落豐年祭Location: Fata’an Settlement, Guangfu Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣光復鄉馬太鞍部落 )Tel: (03) 870-2206

AUG 17 ~ 20Taiwan Culinary Exhibition台灣美食展Location: Taipei World Trade Center, Section A (世貿一館 A區 ); 5, Sec. 5., Xinyi Rd., Taipei City (台北市信義路 5段 5號 )Tel: (02) 2568-4726Website: www.tcff.com.tw

JUN 16 ~ AUG 12Taipei Chenghuang Temple Cultural Festival台北霞海城隍文化祭Location: Taipei Chenghuang Temple, Yongle Plaza (台北霞海城隍廟、 永樂廣場 )Tel: (02) 2558-0346Website: www.tpecitygod.org (Chinese)

JUN 29 ~ JUL 21Taipei Film Festival台北電影節Locations: Taipei Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂 ), Shin Kong Cineplex (新光影城 ), Wonderful Theatre (真善美劇院 )Tel: (02) 2528-9580 ext. 162Website: www.taipeiff.tw

JUN 5 ~ AUG 15Taiwan Hot Spring Fine-Cuisine Carnival 台灣溫泉美食嘉年華Location: Around TaiwanTel: (02) 2331-2688 ext. 101Website: www1.tvbs.com.tw/project/ad/spa (Chinese)

JUN 16 ~ JUL 31Baihe Lotus Flower Festival白河蓮花季Location: Baihe District, Tainan City (台南市白河區 )Tel: (06) 685-5102Website: http://baihe.mw.com.tw

JUL 2~ AUG 5Taipei Children’s Arts Festival台北兒童藝術節Locations: Expo Hall, Taipei Expo Park (臺北花博公園舞蝶館 ), Taipei Zhongshan Hall (台北市中山堂 ), Taipei Cultural Center (社會教育館 ) and othersTel: (02) 2528-9580 ext. 194Website: www.taipeicaf.org

JUL 7 ~ AUG 19Yilan International Children’s Folklore & Folkgame Festival宜蘭國際童玩藝術節Location: Dongshan River Water Park, Yilan County (宜蘭縣冬山河親公園 )Tel: (03) 9322-440 ext. 316Website: www.yicfff.tw/2012

Travel in Taiwan 40

There was a time when the words “Made in Taiwan” brought to mind cheaply-made products of rather dubious quality, some of them knockoffs of famous brands. However, that stigma is quickly becoming a thing of the distant past thanks to the nation’s new breed of technological innovators, designers, artists, and artisans that is setting out to break the mold rather than merely attempt to fit in with or copy what has worked before. By Joe Henley

One man at the forefront of this movement is Henry Lai, founder of Free East, a fashion brand that

seeks to merge the worlds of f ine art and fashion in a way no other Taiwan designer has done before.

Lai started in the garment industry 35 years ago, making active wear for men and women for export to Japan. Over time, he developed a personal philosophy that only natural materials should be used for his products – cotton, cashmere, and silk – and he diversif ied his company’s offerings to include accessories, scarves, jewelry, and captivating evening dresses. He also introduced environmentally conscious production modes in his facil ities. Lai wished to bring out the essence of his homeland in his products, and sought a way to combine his love of his country, Taiwan’s natural beauty, and the charming, glamorous, and detail-oriented aspects of the fashion industry ’s glory days.

Six years ago, Lai began to make his vision a reality in earnest. Using materials that he sourced himself,

such as cashmere from the highlands of Mongolia, he set about the task of f inding a way to incorporate the works of great Taiwan watercolor painters into his company’s f ine garments. But f irst, he needed to f ind the right artists to work with.

With the same care he took in f inding the best, most luxurious

materials, Lai pored through the portfolios of Taiwan’s top painters,

and was especially taken with the works of Lin Yu-shan (1907~2004), a master known for his skillful and emotive depictions of the proud and powerful tiger. Before speaking with Lin’s family, Lai attempted to make a paper mock-up of a dress that included one of Lin’s tiger prints, stitched sleekly down its side to accentuate the grace of the female form. When one of Lin’s sons was shown the mock-up, he agreed to let full-scale production proceed, and even helped make some useful alterations to its design.

Free Ea s tForging a Taiwanese Fashion Revolution

The silk dresses’ svelte designs dabble in both Eastern and Western aesthetics, and

both traditional and modern values

Free East s tore on Taipei ’s Zhongshan Nor th Road

Pho

tos/

Sti

ng C

hen,

Fre

e Ea

st

FREE EAST

Travel in Taiwan41

The challenge was far from over, however, as Lai now needed to f ind a way to reproduce the intricate patterns of artistic prints on his products without compromising the quality of the images he wanted to use. Using a computer program to guide a sewing machine, he took two weeks to complete the f irst dress. What’s more, the complex tiger patterns didn’t transfer well to the dress, and Lai’s high standards were not met. The problem was caused by the need to frequently change the color of the thread. Once again Lai was lef t to his own devices, which is something the man clearly revels in. When all known solutions are exhausted, the great minds must forge their own path, and that’s precisely what Lai and Free East did.

Where the computer program failed, Lai succeeded; Free East was able to design its own program, which relied partly on technology and partly on the human touch, to put together a new line of dresses. So unique was the program that it gained Lai an international patent, and what was more it cut down the production time from two weeks for a single dress to a third of that. Most importantly, it allowed Lai to perfectly capture the images of Taiwan's f lora and fauna as depicted in great works of art – birds, insects, plants, and animals, all with deep associations with Taiwan and its culture – on his clothes in the way he had always pictured.

Chinese calligraphy from classic poems also features prominently in Lai’s works, as he delves into history for inspirational passages to bring to

his creations. His silk dresses’ svelte designs dabble in both Eastern and Western aesthetics, and both traditional and modern values. One such dress on display in his f lagship shop on Zhongshan North Road in Taipei, for example, features a Western cut that is essentially a modern take on the traditional red silk qipao. His classic knee- and f loor-length creations have a timeless quality, meaning they wouldn’t look out of place in a photograph from Hollywood’s Golden Age, nor would they fail to garner positive attention if worn in Taipei’s fashionable Zhongxiao East Road or Xinyi shopping districts today.

Lai has also made Free East a family affair, bringing the Taiwanese tradition of putting family f irst into his business. His two daughters, his son, and his wife are all involved in various capacities in running the company, helping to keep Free East competitive in a domestic market that has seen more and more Taiwan designers rise in recent years to achieve both local and international recognition. Never fail ing to keep up, the company’s l ine of clothes has been featured in many fashion shows in Taiwan, and its designs have garnered praise abroad as well – including selection for display in a fashion show in designer mecca, New York City.

Buying a Free East dress is indeed like buying a work of art Henry Lai, founder of Free East

The t iger is a recurr ing theme in Free East produc ts P

hoto

s/ S

ting

Che

n, F

ree

East

FASHION

Travel in Taiwan42

Lai’s goal is to bring Taiwanese culture to the world, with an emphasis on quality over quantity. Only three or four copies are made of each dress

created by the company, meaning buyers are unlikely to see another person wearing it. Buying a Free East dress is indeed like buying a work of art, and couldn’t be further from the experience of purchasing a quantity-produced ready-to-wear number off the rack. Lai hopes to not only see his brand grow, but also to see other designers in Taiwan follow his lead, producing original designs rather than simply looking to designers in France or Italy for inspiration.

In fact, Free East has an all-encompassing mantra that emphasizes positive growth for both the brand and everything it touches. With his new LOHAS line, natural materials, and environmentally-friendly production methods, Lai is doing his part to ensure Taiwan’s natural wealth, which has inspired so many of his products, will have a bright future. Free East is also f inding new ways to give back to the community that has helped it grow, such as providing jobs for the deaf in its factory in Xindian District, New Taipei City.

Of course, Free East is not the be-all-and-end-all of Taiwan fashion. Fashion lovers have a myriad of options available when visiting Taipei, including districts presenting everything from high-end fashions to basic everyday wear. The aforementioned Zhongxiao East Road and Xinyi districts are places shoppers can go to f ind the top international brands as well as both aspiring and well-established Taiwanese designers looking to stake their claim on the international scene. Zhongshan North Road is also home to clusters of designer shops for those looking for one-of-a-kind and custom-tailored clothing. For something more basic and affordable, there is the youth-oriented Ximending commercial area, with its maze of shops and stands sell ing famil iar name brands and new, original designs f rom talented creators who may one day become Taiwan’s next Henry Lai.

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Henry Lai 賴鴻儀

Lin Yu-shan 林玉山

qipao 旗袍

Ximending 西門町

Xindian District 新店區

Xinyi 信義

Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路

Zhongxiao E. Rd. 忠孝東路

FREE EASTAdd (Zhongshan Branch): 37-1, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei 106, Taiwan(台北市中山北路二段37-1號)Tel: (02) 2581-6896Website: www.free-east.com.tw

4-day around-the-Island TourDay 1 Wed Taipei-Taichung - Sun Moon LakeDay 2 Thu Sun Moon Lake - Tainan-KaohsiungDay 3 Fri Kaohsiung - Kenting - TaitungDay 4 Sat Taitung - Hwalien – Taipei

TAIWAN HIGH SPEED RAIL3 DAY PASS

3 Day NT$2400 (US$86)

美國運通 American Express (02) 2717-8726 金龍旅遊 Dragon Tours (02)2714-8907格利安 Gullivers Travel (02)2507-3410 易遊網 EZ Travel (02)2501-0888 宏祥 Edison Travel (02)2563-5313

Formosa Holidays Director Email:

stephen_wu@zion.com.tw

For foreign passport holdersTour Price:

USD$548 for one adult (double occupancy)

Single supplement: USD$157 per person

Natural treasures are often found in the least accessible locations. This is certainly true for the Taiwan red cypress, a tree that can grow very tall and very old. Most of these trees are in the deep forests of remote mountain areas. One of the best spots to get up close to these giants is La-lashan in Taoyuan County. By Richard Saunders

Among GiantsThe Ancient Trees of Lalashan

Pho

tos/

Sun

ny S

u

NATURAL TREASURES

Travel in Taiwan44

The Chinese have a rather nice idiom, renjian xianjing (“a fairyland on earth”), to describe nature’s most enchanting scenes. And enchanting is a word that immediately springs to mind when

describing the majestic mountain fastness of Taiwan’s wild interior. Scattered across the great forests, ancient giants tower above the surrounding trees, their limbs stretching high above their competitors in search of the sun. These aren’t monsters from some fairytale, but works of natural art that grow to a prodigious age and vast dimensions in the cool, moist, and undisturbed remoteness of the island’s interior.

The lower temperatures and prevailing mistiness of these medium-high altitudes are perfect conditions for the cloud forest that clothes much of Taiwan’s mountain area, but to f ind the awesome giant specimens hiding within, you have to look in the right places: usually, on sheltered slopes above mountain streams at altitudes of between about 900 and 2,600 meters. Here, in a wide arc stretching from the New Taipei City/Taoyuan County border all the way south to the slopes of Mt. Dawu in southern Pingtung County, Taiwan red cypress (Chamaec yparis f ormosensis) trees grow, usually far away from human eyes, to mind-boggling ages of two and three thousand years of age.

Tragically, havoc was wreaked on large stands of these natural wonders during the last century, when many of the trees were cut down and carted off to make furniture. In some of the more accessible spots such as Taipingshan in Yilan County, the only remaining ancient cypress trees are one or two fascinatingly deformed specimens considered to be of a quality too poor to hack down.

Thankfully, Taiwan’s mountainous interior is an extremely

inaccessible place, and away from areas such as Taipingshan and Alishan, which were opened up for commercial logging during Japanese colonial times (1895~1945), many giant trees two or more millennia in age continue to thrive, safe from the attentions of hardwood hunters.

Taiwan’s giant red cypress trees are congregated in “pockets” of groves dotted across the central mountains; the biggest area corresponds to the borders of southern Taoyuan, northern Hsinchu, and western Yilan counties, an area protected by law in the Chatianshan Nature Reserve. This area is moist and cool year-round, enjoying the wet northeast monsoon during fall and winter, while the southwest monsoon keeps things cool during the summer months. These conditions are perfect for the red cypress, which f lourishes in the stony soil and the steeply sloping ravines found here. It rains an average of 140 days a year at Lalashan (incidentally, “lala” means “beautiful” in the language of the region’s Atayal indigenous people), and dense fog descends on the reserve most af ternoons.

A number of these groves of majestic ancient creatures are now accessible to hikers, but many can only be reached af ter long drives down rutted, unsurfaced tracks and then a long hike. What is one of Taiwan’s most famous and most accessible groves of ancient trees, however, the twenty-odd stunning specimens at Lalashan Forest Reserve, is accessible to most, and for those with their own transport this remarkable reserve can be explored during a day-trip from Taipei.

One of Taiwan’s most famous and most accessible groves of

ancient trees is the twenty-odd stunning specimens at Lalashan

Forest Reserve

ANCIENT TREES

Travel in Taiwan45

The Lalashan Forest Reserve lies at an altitude of about 1,300 to 2,600 meters in the northern reaches of the

Central Mountain Range, and is easily accessible via a road branching off the beautiful Provincial Highway No. 7 (better known as the Northern Cross-Island Highway). The three-hour journey from Taipei is an attraction in its own right, passing through the historic old towns of Sanxia (about 20 kilometers southwest of Taipei) and Daxi, which has interesting Chiang Kai-shek connections, and the beautiful Fuxing Township area.

Beyond Fuxing, the road is cut high into the side of the spectacular gorge of the Dahan River, offering magnif icent views over some of northern Taiwan’s most impressive mountain scenery, before climbing high up along a north-side offshoot canyon to the twin settlements of Baling. The name “Baling” comes from an aboriginal word meaning “giant trees,” and the surviving long-lived beauties are just a few kilometers past the uppermost settlement, clinging to the side of a steep little valley carved by picturesque mountain streams, hidden deep in a forest of mostly pine and broad-leaved trees.

The road ends at a car park in the forest, by a visitor center which is the ideal place to start an exploration of the forest reserve. Extending out over a steep gully, the center boasts large picture windows which give a f ine panorama over the wooded expanse laid out below, the emerald-green canopy pierced at intervals by the twisting, sun-bleached branches of huge red cypress trees. The visitor center also provides an introduction to the ecology of the reserve. Lalashan is one of the top birding spots in northern Taiwan (May to early July is peak time), with at least 60 species recorded here; the forest is also home to several endemic mammal species, including the Formosan black bear, Formosan macaque, and Formosan white-faced f lying squirrel. Among the many plants that also call the reserve home, rhododendrons make a lovely show in April and early May; the beautiful Taiwan pleione orchid can also be found.

Beyond the visitor center the track leading into the forest is for pedestrian traff ic only, and within a couple of hundred meters the forest is already alive with birdsong. Much of the route around the grove is raised from the ground on wooden boardwalks and steps, partly to prevent erosion, but also to keep visitors from approaching the trees. Also massive, the roots of the red cypress l ie close to the surface, and constant tramping and compacting of the peaty soil around their base can damage them.

After a walk of 15~20 minutes the f irst of the 22 ancient trees on the loop path around the central part of the reserve looms ahead. Taiwan’s red cypress trees are related to the giant cypress trees found elsewhere in the world only in Japan and on the Pacif ic coast of North America; the Taiwanese species, however, provides the best-quality wood, which is why these natural wonders have taken such a beating over the last century or so. The Chatianshan Nature Reserve was established in 1992 to protect the local trees from further poaching, and today Taiwan’s giant red cypress trees are protected, lying within nature reserves or the national parks of Yushan, Taroko, and Shei-pa.

NATURAL TREASURES

Travel in Taiwan46

A number of trees along the route have grown in arrestingly odd ways – especially striking are the

trees that grow on the steepest inclines, which have anchored themselves by growing wildly distorted trunks

up to ten meters wide, but only a meter or two thick.

The trail divides just af ter tree no. 4, with raised wooden steps climbing the hillside on the right to the huge tree no. 5, one of the oldest in the reserve at 2,800 years (which means it would have pushed through the earth a couple of centuries before Confucius was born). This tree was rated Taiwan’s tenth-largest tree in a nationwide survey carried out by the Forestry Bureau in 1994.

A little further along the trail is tree no. 9, the only Japanese or hinoki cypress (Chamaec yparis obtuse var. f ormosana) specimen on the route, another species of cypress endemic to Taiwan but with a much more limited distribution. This species is easily distinguished from the more common, many-branched red cypress by its tall, straight trunk.

Further along the trail, just before tree no. 13, the trail divides again. The lef t fork soon returns to the outward path back to the car park, completing a small loop that take you about 2 leisurely hours around the central part of the reserve. Alternatively, turn right and more wooden steps climb the hillside at the beginning of a second loop around the remaining nine trees (which adds about an hour to your walk). Many visitors forego this part of the reserve, which is therefore the quietest part of the walk. Several covered shelters here provide a chance to sit for a few minutes and ponder the beauty of this fairytale place,

the enormous age of these stately creatures, and the privilege of being in their mighty company, before returning to the humdrum realities of the real world.

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Alishan 阿里山

Central Mountain Range 中央山脈

Chatianshan Nature Reserve 插天山自然保留區

Baling 巴陵

Dahan River 大漢溪

Fuxing 復興

Lalashan 拉拉山

Lalashan Forest Reserve 拉拉山國有林自然保護區

Mt. Dawu 大武山

Northern Cross-Island Highway 北部橫貫公路

renjian xianjing 人間仙境

Sanxia 三峽

Shei-pa 雪霸

Taipingshan 太平山

Taiwan red cypress 紅檜

Taroko 太魯閣

Yushan 玉山

Pho

tos/

Sun

ny S

u, Y

anni

ck C

ario

t

Especially striking are the trees that grow on the steepest inclines, which

have anchored themselves by growing wildly distorted

trunks

ANCIENT TREES

Travel in Taiwan47

ANCIENT TREES

Posing with

Posters

Incorporating Big Streetside Ads

in Your PhotosPhotos by Maggie Song

MY PHOTO TOUR

Travel in Taiwan 48

Walking the streets of vibrant and pulsating Taipei, you are

surrounded by advertisements of all shapes and sizes.

You’ ll see them in shop windows, on buses and taxis, on shopfronts, and atop

buildings. The city is, af ter all, a grand marketplace for consumers and those

searching for entertainment. Outdoor advertising is especially prominent in

Ximending, a city district popular for its dense concentration of movie theaters,

department stores, restaurants, and boutiques.

This is a great place to make billboard posters part of your photos. React

to famous f igures in the advertisements or interact with them. Play with the

themes of movie posters or just pose the same way the actors do. It’s a whole lot

of fun and will surely bring a laugh to friends and family back home.

Travel in Taiwan 49

The Smell of Home Brewing

A Visit to Wuan Chuang Soy Sauce Tourist Factory

Whether it’s being used as a dip for your dumplings or simmering in a pot for your classic “three cups chick-en,” the salty zing of soy sauce provides a familiar, pervasive undertone for much of Taiwanese cooking. If you want to learn more about the production of soy sauce, a good place to start is Xiluo, in southern Tai-wan’s Yunlin County. By Owain Mckimm

Ear thenware pots for s tor ing soy sauce; Chuang Y ing- chih, Wuan Chuang’s general manager

TOURIST FACTORIES

Travel in Taiwan50

The unfiltered sauce straight from the earthenware pot has everything that is comforting about home-cooking, while at the same time retaining that

bold saline kick

It is not hard to f ind soy sauce in Taiwan, though high-quality sauce made in the traditional way is perhaps

more of a rarity. The Wuan Chuang Soy Sauce Tourist Factory is one of the few places that not only preserves these centuries-old methods, but also allows visitors to make their own soy sauce. Located on Yanping Road in the town of Xiluo, Yunlin County, the factory ’s wood-paneled shop front has the semblance of a homey village apothecary. Bottles of dark liquid line the walls, and the strong smell of fermentation waf ts from large earthenware pots in the back. General Manager Chuang Ying-chih, whose grandfather started the company over a century ago in 1909, says he’s gotten so used to the smell of fermenting beans that he doesn’t notice it anymore. But for any visitor walking through the door, it’s a smell immediately evocative of small-scale home-brewing.

Xiluo f inds itself uniquely and fortuitously positioned as a place for preserving the traditional methods for producing soy sauce. The temperature and humidity levels are ideal for cultivating the fungus which ferments the black beans used in Taiwan’s particular brand of soy sauce, while the mineral-rich water from the area’s Zhuoshui River complements the smell and f lavor of the f inished product.

Soy sauce is one of the more ancient condiments. Its predecessor, rou jiang (“meat sauce”),

was f irst produced during the Zhou Dynasty around 3,000 years ago by fermenting a mixture of meat, salt, and alcohol for a period of one 100 days. Over the centuries, beans gradually replaced meat as the primary ingredient. The traditional methods used for producing this bean-based sauce were brought to Taiwan from mainland China during the 17th century by immigrants from Fujian.

“Black bean soy sauce, or Taiwanese-style soy sauce, has been made in Taiwan for hundreds of years,” says Chuang. During the early part of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895~1945), black bean soy sauce was primarily made at home by small family operations. “After 1941, when the war in the Pacif ic began to escalate, the Japanese began to integrate and industrialize small businesses in order to increase food production. At this point they also introduced their preferred yellow bean soy sauce, in which the beans are mixed with wheat and which is now more commonly used in Taiwanese cooking.”

Wang Chuang’s naturally fermented black bean soy sauce is known for its mellow f lavor and dark mahogany color. In typical Taiwanese fashion, Chuang compares the f lavors of black bean and yellow bean sauce using a tea analogy. “Black bean soy sauce is l ike oolong tea, and yellow bean sauce is l ike jasmine tea. The f lavor of black bean sauce is deeper, and lingers in your mouth for a long time. Yellow bean sauce is more fragrant, because the beans are mixed with wheat, but the f lavor is f leeting.”

Chuang says that the company makes all its traditionally produced black bean sauce in the tourist factory and its adjacent buildings. The yellow bean sauce is mass-produced in the company’s other factory in neighboring Erlun, where the already fermented black bean sauce from the tourist factory is also f iltered and bottled. According to Chuang, the company produces around twice as much yellow bean soy sauce as it does black bean sauce, but the revenue from the two is roughly equal. Black bean soy sauce, made using time-honored methods and rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and amino acids, is considered of higher quality and is thus more expensive.P

hoto

s/ Iv

y Ch

enSOY SAUCE

Travel in Taiwan51

A tour of the tourist facil ity includes a historical video and many informative information boards on the history of both types of sauce

and the production methods used – though unfortunately neither have English versions.

During our tour, Chuang explains how the famous Taiwanese-style black bean soy sauce is produced. The beans are f irst washed, soaked, and then boiled until they become sof t. Af ter they have cooled they are spread onto circular racks arranged in vertical layers, and a species of fungus is introduced and allowed to develop on the beans. The ideal conditions for culturing the fungus are a temperature between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius and moderate humidity. Xiluo’s geographical position, near the Tropic of Cancer, provides just such conditions.

The fungus is lef t to grow on the beans for seven days. At this point, it will have penetrated the skin and permeated the bean. The outer layer of crusted fungus is then washed off, and the beans are put in large earthenware pots. Salt is mixed in thoroughly, and a thick layer is also spread on top to seal out any contaminants. The pots are placed outside in the sun for six months, to assist the fermentation. The fungus breaks down the proteins in the black beans, releasing the amino acids that give soy sauce its distinctive umami f lavor. Some companies replace this long, natural fermentation process with a chemical fermentation process in which hydrochloric acid is used to break down the beans, and which takes a mere three days to complete. The effects of this corner-cutting on the sauce’s f lavor and nutritional value are predictably detrimental.

Chuang says that the company uses traditional earthenware pots because they naturally regulate the temperature of the fermenting soup within, keeping the mixture comfortably below 40 degrees. Any higher and the mixture would spoil. Af ter six months under the sun, the viscous broth of beans, amino acids, and salt is pressed until every last drop of raw soy sauce is free. According to Chuang, one pot can yield up to 80 bottles of rich, sun-baked soy sauce. He lets us taste the unf iltered sauce straight from the earthenware pot. It’s opulently savory, raw, salty, and rounded, with a pure, elemental aroma. It has everything that is comforting about home cooking, while at the same time retaining that bold saline kick.

Wait ten

minutes

Black beans covered

with fungus

Store for a weekFill in jar

Mix

Add salt

Wash Soak

Fill in jar

Rinse

Add salt

Wait four

hours

Pho

tos/

Ivy

Chen

, Wua

n Ch

uang

Simple Steps for Making Own Soy Sauce

Travel in Taiwan52

ENGLISH & CHINESE

black bean soy sauce 黑豆醬油/黑豆蔭油

Chuang Ying-chih 莊英志

Erlun 二崙

Kuo-Kuang Bus Co. 國光客運

rou jiang 肉醬

Taipei West Bus Station 台北西站

wa gui 碗粿

Xiluo 西螺

Yanping Old Street 延平老街

Yanping Road 延平路

yellow bean soy sauce 黃豆醬油

You Mei-ling 游美玲

Zhuoshui River 濁水溪

WUAN CHUANG SOY SAUCE TOURIST FACTORY(丸莊醬油觀光工廠)Add: 25 Yanping Rd., Xiluo Township, Yunlin County(雲林縣西螺鎮延平路25號)Tel: (05) 586-3666Website: wuanchuang.com.tw (Chinese)

QIN LIAN WAN GUO CHENG (琴連碗粿城)Add: 76 Yanping Rd., Xiluo Township, Yunlin County(雲林縣西螺鎮延平路76號)Tel: (05) 586-5466

Itching to make our own sauce, we are introduced to You Mei-ling, a guide

at the factory. The factory offers a DIY session in soy-sauce making for NT$200 per person, and there is no need to book in advance. The whole process takes six months, of course, but the DIY class at the factory takes you through the preliminaries and leaves the six months of fermenting up to you. Ms. You has prepared 300g of black beans, already covered with a week’s worth of fungus, 150g of salt, an attractive ceramic pot, and some essential basins and sieves.

She instructs us to f irst wash the fungus off the skin of the black beans, being careful not to strip the skin off with the layer of fungus. After rinsing, we soak the beans in water for ten minutes. This is to allow the beans to suck in the water, raising their moisture content in preparation for the long, six-

month fermentation. Our guide tells us that the

beans now need a four-hour respite period in order for the fungus to begin the prel iminary fermentation. As af ternoon visitors may not want to stay too late in Xiluo waiting, the next part of the process can be done at home. Af ter four hours, mix two-thirds of the salt with the beans and then pour them into the ceramic pot. The remaining third of the salt goes on top as a sealant. The l id then goes on, and the pot should be placed outside in the sun for one week. Af ter

seven days, open the pot and add 160ml of water to the mixture by inserting a funnel through the salt seal. Re-cover the hole, put the l id back on, and af ter

six months in the sun the pot should yield a batch of raw, aromatic soy sauce. Ms. You suggests that brewers dilute this raw sauce using a ratio of one part sauce to three parts water, then boil it. Af ter boil ing it will at last be ready for use as a dip or for splashing in a wok to spice up that tasty stir f ry.

The f lavor of black bean sauce is deeper, and lingers in your mouth for a long time. Yellow bean sauce is more f ragrant, but the f lavor is f leeting

Other Places of Interest in the AreaFor those who want to stick around in Xiluo while their beans undergo the four-hour preliminary fermentation, the buildings on Yanping Old Street (Yanping Rd.) are of unique architectural interest. Unlike many of Taiwan’s “Old Streets,” which grab one’s attention with bold baroque facades and undulating colonnades, Yanping Old Street bustles with a more early-modern edge. The street’s original buildings were largely destroyed in an earthquake in 1935, but were rebuilt in the newly fashionable style of ’20s and ’30s Europe. The fusion of innovative Western ideas with native architecture has resulted in the island’s first art deco Old Street.

The area’s engineering triumph is Xiluo Bridge, inaugurated in 1953. This red, serpentine structure, which stretches out of town, over the Zhuoshui River, and far into the distance, was once the longest bridge in East Asia.

An interesting lunch can be taken at Qin Lian Wan Guo Cheng. Recommended by the locals, this small eatery specializes in bowl rice cakes called wa gui in Taiwanese. These dome-shaped puddings can be eaten savory or sweet, and are made with four-year-old rice flour. The age of the rice means that the flour will absorb more water during cooking, resulting in a chewy pudding that is cooled with an electric fan to preserve its springy texture.

Getting ThereThe easiest way to get to Xiluo is by bus. You can catch a Kuo-Kuang Bus Co. bus at Taipei West Bus Station (Terminal B) that travels directly to Xiluo. The journey takes approximately 3.5 hours. Buses headed to Taipei can be caught in Xiluo, as can buses headed to southern cities such as Kaohsiung or Tainan if you plan to make Xiluo a stopover on your way further south.

Bowl r ice cake

Xiluo Br idge

SOY SAUCE

Travel in Taiwan53

AdvertisementHOTEL INFORMATION

Travel in Taiwan54

No. of Rooms: 160

Room Rates: Single Room NT$ 4,200 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 4,600 Deluxe Twin Room NT$ 5,000 Suite Room NT$ 6,600

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:English, Japanese, Chinese

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

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

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

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

Tel: 02.2541.5511 Fax: 02.2531.3831Reservation Hotline: 02.2541.6888

E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

www.galahotel.com.tw

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL慶泰大飯店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 738Room Rates: Deluxe Room NT$ 7,700 Premier Room NT$ 8,200 Junior Suite NT$ 9,200 Deluxe Suite NT$ 11,500 Executive Suite NT$ 17,500

EXECUTIVE CLUB FLOOR

Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Premier Room NT$ 9,500 Deluxe Suite NT$ 15,000 Executive Suite NT$ 21,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, Japanese, English

RestauRaNts: Le Parc Café, Magnolia Court, Canton Palace

sPecial featuRes: 738 large-size guest rooms with high ceilings, incl. 42 suites. Grand lobby entrance with magnificent atrium. Outdoor swimming pool heated during winter. Fully equipped gym, fitness center, sauna, and aerobics room. Fully equipped business center. Hi-speed broadband Internet access. Safety deposit box. Express laundry service. Limousine service, airport pick-up. State-of- the-art audiovisual equipment.

100 Dun Hua North Road, Taipei Taiwan R.O.C.台北市敦化北路10 0號

Tel: 02.2719.7199 Fax: 02.2545.9288 E-mail: bc@sunworlddynasty.com.twwww.sunworlddynasty.com

SUNWORLD DYNASTY HOTEL TAIPEI王朝大酒店 Taipei 台北

Hotels of Taiwan

V isitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when it

comes to accommodation. From five-star luxury hotels

that meet the highest international standards, to affordable

business hotels, to hot-spring and beach resort hotels, to

privately-run homestays located in the countryside there is

a place to stay that satisfies every traveler’s needs. What all

hotels of Taiwan — small and big, expensive and affordable —

have in common is that serve and hospitality are always of the

highest standards. The room rates in the following list have

been checked for each hotel, but are subject to change without

notice. Room rates at the hotels apply.

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

COSMOS HOTEL天成大飯店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 226Room Rates: Superior Single Room NT$ 4,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 4,500 Superior Twin Room NT$ 4,500 Family Triple Room NT$ 4,800 Deluxe Triple Room NT$ 5,000 Family Quad Room NT$ 5,500 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 6,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 7,600 Cosmos Suite NT$ 10,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, Japanese, English, Cantonese

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

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

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

(MRT Taipei Main Station, Exit 3)1 0 0台北市忠孝西路一段4 3號

(台北捷運總站3號出口)

Tel: 02.2361.7856 Fax: 02.2311.8921 Reservation Hotline: 02.2311.8901

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

www.cosmos-hotel.com.tw

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

No. of Rooms: 220

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

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, English, Japanese

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

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

369 Lin-sen (Linsen) N. Rd., Taipei City, 104 1 0 4台北市林森北路3 6 9號

Tel: 02.2581.8111

Fax: 02.2581.5811, 2568-2924

www.gloriahotel.com

HOTEL ÉCLAT怡亨酒店 Taipei 台北

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

Tel: 02.2784.8888 Fax: 02.2784.7888Res. Hotline: 02.2784.8118

www.eclathotels.com

No. of Rooms: 60

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

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

RestauRaNts: Éclat Lounge, George Bar

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

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI美麗信花園酒店 Taipei 台北

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

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

RestauRaNts: Rain Forest Café, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81

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

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

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

www.miramargarden.com.tw

2012_7-8_專刊飯店名錄.indd 62 2012/6/28 下午 04:30:42

AdvertisementHOTEL INFORMATION

Travel in Taiwan55

No.23, Zhongzheng Rd., Sun Moon Lake, Yuchi Township, Nantou County 55546

5 5 5 4 6南投縣魚池鄉日月潭中正路2 3號

Tel: 049.285.6788 Fax: 049.285.6600www.fleurdechinehotel.com

FLEUR DE CHINE HOTEL雲品酒店 Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

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

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Chinese, Japanese

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

sPecial featuRes:

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

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

Tel: 07.521.7388 Fax: 07.521.7068 kaohsiung.chateaudechine.com

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

No.3, Sec. 1, Chengde Rd., Taipei City 10351

1 0 3 5 1台北市承德路一段三號

Tel: 02.2181.9999 Fax: 02.2181.9988www.palaisdechinehotel.com

No. of Rooms: 286Room Rates: Superior Room NT$ 11,000 Deluxe Room NT$ 12,500 Family Twin Room NT$ 14,500 Executive Superior Room NT$ 15,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 16,500 Junior Suite NT$ 18,000 Executive Suite NT$ 21,000 La Rose Suite NT$ 100,000 Charles V Suite NT$ 150,000(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English,Chinese, Japanese RestauRaNts: La Rotisserie, Le Palais, Le Thé, Le BarsPecial featuRes:Gym, business center, ballroom and function rooms, VIP salon, wireless internet, gift shop, room service, E-butler service, airport transportation service, located in an area of the city with heritage sites and tourist attractions.

PALAIS DE CHINE HOTEL君品酒店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 146

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

(Prices above not including 10% Service Charge)

GeNeRal maNaGeR: Mr. Jen-Shing Chen

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts: Chinese, Café, Courtyard

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

ALISHAN HOUSE阿里山賓館 Chiayi 嘉義

16 Sianglin Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County, 605

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

E-mail: service@alishanhouse.com.tw

www.alishanhouse.com.tw

317, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City 106651 0 6 6 5台北市復興南路一段317號

Tel: 886.2.5579.3888 Fax: 886.8.5579.3889

www.parktaipei.com

PARK TAIPEI HOTEL台北美侖大飯店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 143Room Rates: Superior Room NT$ 8,000 Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Triple NT$ 9,900 Balcony Room NT$ 10,000 101 View Room NT$ 10,000 Park Room NT$ 11,000 Park 101 View Room NT$ 12,000 Park Suite NT$ 28,800

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:English, Japanese, Mandarin

RestauRaNt:

sPecial featuRes: Separate bathroom and toilet, TOTO washlets, Denmark Damixa Merkur bathroom hardware, Japanese satel-lite broadcast, safety deposit box, DVD player, gym with massage chairs, VIP lounge, broadband Internet access (computers available), conference room, balcony (smoking allowed)

No. of Rooms: 211Room Rates: Mountain View King Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Mountain View Two Queen Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Zen Mountain View Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Lake View King Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Lake View Two Queen Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Washiki Lake View Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Governor Lake View Suite NT$ 20,000~21,000 Royal Lake View Suite NT$ 25,000 Summit Lake View Suite NT$ 120,000 Penthouse Suite NT$ 150,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, English, Japanese RestauRaNts: Chinese food, buffet, teppanyaki, afternoon tea, lobby lounge, rooftop restaurant

sPecial featuRes: Banquet and conference facil-ity, VIP lounge, boutique, wireless internet, e-butler, laundry service, room service, parking, SPA, hot-spring, play ground, swimming pool, gym, HSR transportation service, out circular concourse, trail hiking, etc.

THE GRAND HOTEL圓山大飯店 Taipei 台北

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

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

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

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

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

Tel: 886.2.2886.8888Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

www.grand-hotel.org

THE REGENT TAIPEI台北晶華酒店 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 538

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

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

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

41 Chung Shan (Zhongshan) N. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei City, 104

1 0 4台北市中山北路二段41號

Tel: 02.2523.8000Fax: 02.2523.2828

www.grandformosa.com.tw

CHATEAU DE CHINE HOTEL HUALIEN翰品酒店花蓮 Hualien 花蓮

No. of Rooms: 211Room Rates: Superior Single Room NT$ 4,800 Superior Twin (1 double bed) NT$ 5,800 Superior Twin (2 single beds) NT$ 6,000 Superior Triple NT$ 6,800 Superior Family (2 double beds) NT$ 7,600 Superior Family (4 single beds) NT$ 7,600 Chateau Deluxe Twin NT$ 7,000 Chateau Deluxe Family NT$ 8,600 Chateau Deluxe Suite NT$ 10,800 Chateau Executive Suite NT$ 20,000 (All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese

RestauRaNts: Western buffet-style, Chinese

sPecial featuRes:

Multifunctional banquet and meeting facilities, business center, male and female saunas, rental facilities for cars and bicycles, lounge bar, children’s games room, fitness center, chess room, outdoor swimming pool, green eco-pond, free transport to railway station and airport.

No.2, Yongxing Rd., Hualien City, Hualien County 970609 7 0 6 0花蓮市永興路2號

Tel: 03.823.5388 Fax: 03.822.1185 hualien.chateaudechine.com

2012_7-8_專刊飯店名錄.indd 63 2012/6/28 下午 04:30:51

AdvertisementHOTEL INFORMATION

Travel in Taiwan56

No. of Rooms: 126Room Rates: Royal Suite NT$ 48,800 Family Deluxe Suite NT$ 24,800 Family Suite NT$ 18,800 Deluxe Double Double NT$ 15,800 Honey Moon Room NT$ 11,800 Deluxe Twin NT$ 10,800 Deluxe Single NT$ 9,800 Standard Twin NT$ 9,800※Changes of room rates will not be specially announced

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese

RestauRaNts:Original Café, Ocean Teppanyaki, H Restaurant, U.F.O Lounge sPecial featuRes:Infinity pool, KTV, boutique, local produce center, confer-ence room, banquet hall, High-Speed Rail shuttle service, broadband Internet, online room reservation, wedding garden, guestroom mini bar, guestrooms with ocean view

No. of Rooms: 79

Room Rates: Standard Room NT$ 4,000 Superior Twin NT$ 4,200 Superior Triple NT$ 4,800 Superior Double Twin NT$ 5,600 Superior Suite NT$ 6,000 Classic Suite NT$ 10,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts:Chinese, Western, and Inter-national cuisine, afternoon tea

sPecial featuRes:1/2F public area with unlimited Internet access, broadband Internet access in guestrooms, notebooks available at meeting room, free self-help coffee and tea, free parking, central location (5-min. walk to railway station), pick-up service, projector and screen available at conference room, newspa-pers and magazines, LCD screen TV-sets

139 Guolian 5th Rd., Hualien City, 970970 花蓮市國聯五路139號

Tel: 03.835.9966 Fax: 03.835.9977 Reservation: 03.833.6066

E-mail: service@classichotel.com.tw

www.classichotel.com.tw

HUALIEN CITY CLASSIC RESORT HOTEL花蓮經典假日飯店 Hualien 花蓮

362 Jiuru (Chiu Ju) 2nd Rd., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, 80745

(Faces the exit of rear railway station) 8 0 74 5 高雄市三民區九如二路3 6 2號

Tel: 07.311.9906 Fax: 07.311.9591E-mail: ksthotel@ms33.hinet.net

www.kingstown-hotel.com.tw

No. of Rooms: 150

Room Rates: Business Single Room NT$ 2,640 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 3,080 Business Twin Room NT$ 3,080 Family Twin Room NT$ 4,400

( Prices above including 10% Service Charge )

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts:Chinese and Western style food, delicious buffet, cold dishes, fruit, and salad bar

sPecial featuRes:Business center, non-smoking floors, wireless Internet access, 32” LCD TVs, newspaper, free parking, tourist map, currency exchange

KING’S TOWN HOTEL京城大飯店 Kaohsiung 高雄

No. of Rooms: 153

Room Rates: Superior Room NT$ 3,800 Classic Room NT$ 4,600 Deluxe Room NT$ 6,800 Theme Room NT$ 6,800 Azure Suite NT$ 12,000 Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts:Taiwanese/Hakka cuisine, brunch, Western cuisine

sPecial featuRes:Guestrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, views of Pacific Ocean or Central Mountain Range, multifunctional public space, Azure Club, gym, pet hotel, KTV, board game and computer game room, located in Hualien City center, close to snack food and shopping streets

590 Zhongzheng Rd., Hualien City, 970970 花蓮市中正路590號

Tel: 03.833.6686 Fax: 03.3.832.3569 www.azurehotel.com.tw

AZURE HOTEL花蓮藍天麗池飯店 Hualien 花蓮

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

H RESORT H會 館 Pingtung 屏東

NO.60, Jhukeng Ln., Shihzih Township, Pingtung County 94352, Taiwan(R.O.C.)

(Pingtung County Farmers’ Educational and Recreational Activity Center)

9 4 3 5 2屏東縣獅子鄉竹坑村竹坑巷6 0號(屏東縣農民教育休閒活動中心)

Tel: 08.877.1888 Fax: 08.877.1919E-mail: ksthotel@ms33.hinet.net

www.h-resort.com

2012_7-8_專刊飯店名錄.indd 64 2012/6/28 下午 04:30:57

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

RIMOWA.pdf 2012/6/28 3:36:14 PM

At the beach before Baxian Caves

Back

At Shitiping

Back

Lazy cat of Fu Jhang Villa

At Xiaoyeliu

Back

Coastal road near Chenggong

Outdoor pool of Fu Jhang Villa

Back

At Baxian Caves

Back

Early morning at Sanxiantai

Back