Travel in Taiwan (No.93 2019 5/6 ) by Travel in Taiwan

2019

MAY & JUN

No.

Camping IN

TAIWAN

The best campsites around the Island

SCENIC ROUTES

CHIAYI CITY, BAIHE, AND GUANZILING

FOLK EXPERIENCE

TRADITIONAL ROADSIDE BANQUETS

ISLAND FOODS

DELICIOUS HOT-SPRING CUISINE IN WULAI AND WANLI

FAMILY FUN

TOMATO PICKING IN TAICHUNG

Android

iOS

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The civilized actions of mankind reﬂect the accumulation of spiritual culture over many generations. If we treat earth, mountains, and rivers, animals, plants, and trees with respect, then we can easily be comfortable and modest in life. What we can do in our life is limited, but what we must do is lead our children in adopting a simple and natural diet, easily taking part in change, and experiencing the fun of easy cooking. With a conscientious attitude, satisfy yourself with a full belly, quietly calm your innermost being, and grow happier by the day. Lead a good life with your feet on the ground every day.

PUBL ISHER 'S NOTE

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler, In the articles of this issue of Travel in Taiwan, to whet your appetite for some travel we have a strong “food” theme. Local folk have a passion for eating out and eating well, both avidly exploring the best renderings of classic dishes and seeking out creative culinary talent, from 5-star hotels to night markets, serving up fresh new ideas. And whatever the scenario, the demand for the freshest of ingredients from farm and sea is built into the DNA of the local diner. In our Feature we go camping, presenting an overview of the different types of camping experiences available in Taiwan. There are over 1,700 campgrounds to choose from, ranging from the most basic to facilities well on the way to “plush.” In one example of upscale camping provided, in Miaoli County, you enjoy a fine catered dinner by lamplight under the stars showcasing regional ingredients, and engage in DIY activities centered on the foods of the Hakka people. There is also a quality restaurant on-site serving Hakka-cuisine classics. The people of Taiwan also cherish the joys of hot-spring soaking, notably the pleasure combination of a good soak followed by a healthy “hot-spring cuisine” meal. In Treasure Island Foods we dine at two resort hotels in north Taiwan that were gold-medal winners in the 2018 Taiwan Top Ten Hot Springs awards, announced late last year. Our Family Fun pages are filled up with a day at a tourist farm in a rural section of Taichung City where visitors pick greenhouse-grown tomatoes, peppers, and other seasonal produce while learning about Taiwan’s agriculture and leisure farms. In Delightful Folk Experiences the gastronomic topic explored is bando, Taiwan’s unique traditional-style outdoor banqueting culture. Foodie palates will also be tickled by the news that the Michelin Guide Taipei 2019 has been released. This new edition of the Guide has been eagerly awaited by gourmets and gourmands alike. For this issue, we have also spent significant time outside the world of food to serve you with a full travel-experience buffet. For example, in Small-Town Charms we tour Taiwan Small Town Ramble destinations in the Taoyuan/Hsinchu region; in Scenic Routes we take you on a day-trip from Chiayi City to Guanziling, a mountain hot-spring resort; and in Harbors & Beyond we present you with a quick half-day tour of Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan’s big port city. Happy travels – and happy eating!

JOE Y. CHOU PH.D. DIRECTOR GENERAL TOURISM BUREAU, MOTC, R.O.C.

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Travel in

Taiwan 2019 MAY / JUNE

台灣觀光雙月刊 Travel in Taiwan The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (Advertisement) May/June, 2019 Tourism Bureau, MOTC First published Jan./Feb. 2004 ISSN: 18177964 GPN: 2009305475 Price: NT$200

中華郵政台北雜字第1286號執照登記為雜誌交寄

ON THE COVER Glamping in Miaoli (photo by Chen Cheng-kuo)

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

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

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Contents 28

FEATURE

TREASURE ISLAND FOODS

CAMPING AROUND TAIWAN Getting to Know This Land by Sleeping Close to Its Earth

SHOWCASING THE BOUNTY FROM LAND AND SEA Fine Cuisine in the Wulai and Jinshan/Wanli HotSpring Resort Areas

TAIWAN TOURISM EVENTS

TAICHUNG TOMATOES

THE ART OF MANAGING TABLES

Picking Vegetables at a Greenhouse Farm in Shigang District

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

FAMILY FUN

CONVENIENT TRAVEL

DELIGHTFUL FOLK EXPERIENCE Bando, Taiwan’s Unique Outdoor Banqueting Culture

TRAVEL NEWS

SCENIC ROUTES

MUD SMEARIN’ AND FLOWER GAZIN’ FUN A Day in Scenic Southwest Taiwan

CULTURE AND ART 50

TAIWAN FUNPACK APP

KAOHSIUNG HARBOR

A Helpful Translation and Concierge Service on Your Mobile Device

Scenery, History, and Gorgeous Sunsets

THE TAIWAN SMALL TOWN RAMBLE

TRAVEL SMART

HARBORS AND BEYOND

SMALL-TOWN CHARM Small and “Slow” Towns in Taoyuan and Hsinchu

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TA I WA N TOURISM E V ENTS

HOT EVENTS FOR A HOT TAIWAN SUMMER

May | July

Beach Fun, Balloon Flights, Bluefin Tuna

TAITUNG June 29 ~ Aug. 12

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

Certainly one of the best and most memorable large-scale events in Taiwan, this festival allows you to see the beautiful East Rift Valley from high above. Each year hot-air balloon teams from around the world showcase their colorful and uniquely shaped balloons, presenting visitors with superb photo opportunities, especially in the evening when the balloons are illuminated from within. For the best experience sign up for an untethered flight, which will take you above the Luye Highland and then north across the rural landscape of the East Rift Valley. balloontaiwan.taitung.gov.tw

CHANGHUA May 11

Lugang Dragon Boat Festival 鹿港慶端陽系列活動

For many centuries dragon-boat racing was a purely Chinese activity. In recent times, however, it has become popular around the world as well, with competitions held in places like Auckland, Vancouver, and even arid Arizona. In Taiwan, dragon-boat races are part of the annual Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, with the action taking place on rivers and lakes, including Taipei’s Keelung River and Kaohsiung’s Love River. Held in the afternoon and evening, the races in the old, history-rich town of Lugang are especially attractive, with the beautiful lights of the colorful festive decorations reflected on the water where the races are held. tourism.chcg.gov.tw (Travel in Changhua)

Photo courtesy of Lugang Township Office

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Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar Website

M AY- AUGUS T

PINGTUNG May 4 ~ June 30

Pingtung Bluefin Tuna Cultural Festival 屏東黑鮪魚文化觀光季 For lovers of fresh seafood, the fishing-harbor town of Donggang in Pingtung County is a place not to be missed. The season for bluefin tuna is April to June, and during this time of the year you can not only sample the best and freshest of melt-in-your-mouth sashimi, but also enjoy a wide variety of cultural activities. Apart from tuna, Donggang is also famed for sakura prawns and oil fish roe. From the harbor, the mainland area of Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area can be reached by a quick drive, and you can take a ferry to Little Liuqiu (Xiaoliuqiu) island, also part of the scenic area, which is known for its coral rock formations and sea turtles.

TAINAN June/July

Salt & Sand Sculpture Art Festival 一見雙雕藝術季

The well-known sand-sculpture festival at Fulong is not the only such festival in Taiwan. In the southwest of the island, in Tainan City, another annual festival is held that not only showcases sand sculptures but also works made with salt. The sand sculptures can be seen at Mashagou Beach, just to the north of Jiangjun Fishing Harbor. The salt sculptures are presented inside an exhibition hall at the Qigu Salt Mountain in Qigu District, a well-known tourist attraction that resembles a large snow-covered hill. swcoast-nsa.travel (Southwest Coast National Scenic Area)

www.dbnsa.gov.tw (Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area)

Photo courtesy of Pingtung County Government

NEW TAIPEI CITY April 19 ~ Aug. 25

Fulong International Sand Sculpting Art Festival 福隆國際沙雕藝術季

The village of Fulong on the Nor theast Coast is known for having one of the best beaches in Taiwan. A popular destination year-round, the beach attracts most visitors during the hot summer months. Another reason for its popularity is this annual international sand-sculpture festival, which features amazing works by master sand sculptors from Taiwan and abroad. Last year, 76 sculptures were created for display by artists from 13 different countries, and for the first time the festival’s sculptures were colorfully illuminated in the evening, creating unforgettable scenes. www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw (Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area)

YILAN July 1 ~ Aug. 13

Yilan International Children’s Folklore and Folkgame Festival 宜蘭國際童玩藝術節 This grand party for children is all about frolicking in cooling pools and spraying waters. Last year the main attractions included a large pirate ship and a giant turning jellyfish. Many kids will long remember their adventure bicycling – safely, but nonetheless bravely – on a tightrope high above the water area. Apart from the aqua fun, the festival also offers plenty of opportunities to gain other new experiences, including kayaking and sailing, playing a variety of exciting games, and watching some of the many stage performances by local and international artists. www.yicfff.tw

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CON V ENIENT TR AV EL

LET’S GO AND GAZE AT THE CLOUDS!

Taiwan Tour Bus website

TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Bus Tour to the Pristine Guanwu Forest Recreation Area

Guanwu literally translates as “cloud gazing,” and if you visit this high-mountain location in Hsinchu County, chances are that you will indeed see mountains covered in clouds or – even more eye-pleasing – look down on valleys filled with clouds, a phenomenon known in Taiwan as a “sea of clouds.”

ne drawback of visiting a place like the Guanwu Forest Recreation Area – one that comes with the territory – is the inconvenience of access. With no public transport available, self-driving or hiring a taxi are options. However, as the access road is winding, narrow, and sometimes steep, driving is only recommended if you are up for the task. Finding a taxi driver willing to drive all the way up to Guanwu, on the other hand, might be another challenge. Luckily, there is another option – going on a Taiwan Tour Bus trip. The Taiwan Tour Bus service (www.taiwantourbus.com.tw) is provided by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in cooperation with 21 local travel agencies that organize bus tours to popular tourist destinations around the island.

Shei-Pa National Park Guanwu Scenic Area (two-day tour) 雪霸國家公園觀霧自然風情二日遊 Day 1 Departure: 7am Pick-up locations: Hotels in Taipei City/Taipei Main Station/Taipei HSR Hsinchu Station ( 新竹高鐵站 ) Zhudong Songshan Airport Shei-Pa Leisure Farm ( 雪霸休閒農場 ) lunch (1 hr) ( 竹東 ) (20mins) Guanwu Recreation Area ( 觀霧遊憩區 ) (2 hrs) Yunhai Café ( 雲海咖啡 dinner (1 hr) guided tour of farm (1 hr) 廳 ) afternoon tea (1 hr) overnight at Shei-Pa Leisure Farm stargazing (depending on weather) Day 2 Breakfast at farm (1 hr) guided tour on the Yemakanshan Forest Trail ( 野 lunch at the farm (1 hr) Chang Hsueh馬瞰山森林步道 ) (1.5 hrs) HSR liang's former residence in Qingquan ( 清泉張學良故居 ) (40 mins) return to Taipei Hsinchu Station

If you search for “Guanwu” on the website, you’ll find the tour named Shei-Pa National Park Guanwu Scenic Area (two-day tour). The tour, organized by the Best Travel tour agency, costs NT$4,299 per person and includes one night of accommodation at Shei-Pa Leisure Farm, a recreational farm located a few kilometers north of the forest recreation area. There you will have the chance to sit on a large terrace sipping coffee or tea and marvel at stunning views of mountains with clouds rolling in dramatically or peacefully covering the valley below in a large blanket of white fluffiness. During the two days of this trip you’ll also have the chance to go on invigorating walks through the refreshing coniferous Guanwu forest, bird songs and cicada chirps accompanying you along the way. On your way back down from the mountains to the flatlands of Hsinchu, you’ll also make a stop at the hotspring village of Qingquan, where you will learn a bit about the fascinating history of Chang Hsueh-liang. A well-known historical figure who played a key role in the infamous Xi’an Incident in China in 1936, Chang spent 40 years of his life under a loose form of house arrest in Taiwan, a brief time of which was in a Qingquan residence that is now a small museum.

BEST TRAVEL ( 怡容國際旅行社 ) www.besttravel.com.tw (02) 8973-2973

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RELATED WEBSITES Guanwu Forest Recreation Area: www.forest.gov.tw/EN/0000179 Shei-pa National Park: www.spnp.gov.tw

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NEWS & Events around Taiwan

SAILING BACK IN TIME

MICHELIN TAIPEI 2019

If you have an interest in the histor y of Taiwan, there is arguably no better place to learn about it than the city of Tainan in the island's southwest. There you'll find numerous well-preserved historic sites dating back to the times when European colonial powers were busy occupying foreign lands. The Dutch came to Taiwan's shores in the early 17th century, and managed to control parts of the island until they were driven out by the Ming Dynasty loyalist Koxinga and his army in 1661/62. This important change of fortune in Taiwan's history is commemorated at the new 1661 Taiwan Warship Museum, located in Tainan's Anping District. The centerpiece of the museum is a full-size replica of an armed Ming Dynasty merchant ship, which visitors can board to examine its interior. The museum provides ample explanator y information in Chinese and English.

Last year, the first Michelin Guide Taipei was published, listing a total of 110 restaurants, representing 33 different types of cuisine. Twenty of these restaurants were awarded the coveted Michelin star rating; 17 received one star, two received two stars, and one, Le Palais, was bestowed with the highest rating, three stars. This April, the listings for the 2019 edition of the "red gourmet bible" were announced during a grand ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Taipei hotel. Since being included in the guide is a big deal for restaurateurs, and receiving a star rating can change the fortunes of a restaurant significantly, keeping the names of the selections a top secret before the announcement has always been a major task for the publishers. Gourmets and gourmands eager to find out who has been deemed to have the best cuisine in town can now check out all the recognized restaurants at guide.michelin.com/ tw/en/taipei/.

Website: taiwanwarship.tainan.gov.tw

NEW REGULATIONS FOR HIKING IN TAIWAN Before venturing up into the high mountains of Taiwan, many of which are located within the boundaries of national parks and national forest recreation areas, until this year hikers have been required to apply for a mountain permit. This system, often criticized by individual hikers and hiking associations as being too restrictive, is now going to be changed significantly. Starting June 1, hikers who wish to enter high-mountain areas will no longer be required to apply for mountain permits. Also, forestry roads within national forest recreation areas will be opened to those on foot. Vehicle access, however, will remain restricted. While the new regulations will open most mountain and forest areas to hikers, entering protected nature preservation areas will still require a special permit.

NEW TAINAN ART MUSEUM Tainan is known for its long history and its many heritage sites, but that does not mean that the city does not offer enticements of attractive modernity as well. A great example of how a bridge between the old and the new can be created is the recently opened Tainan Art Museum. It has two main buildings, Hall 1 and Hall 2. For the first, the old building of the Tainan City Police Station, an Art Deco structure dating from the early 1930s, was restored and expanded. The latter is a sparkling-new avant-gardestyle structure designed by Tainan architect Joe Shih and the Japanese firm Shigeru Ban Architects. The museum is a grand new venue for local and international exhibitions, and also serves as an important arts education and research center. Website: www.tnam.museum

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CULTURE A ND A R T

CULTURE Concerts, Exhibitions, and Happenings

Until June 25

SILHOUETTE OF A GREAT MASTER: A RETROSPECTIVE OF CHANG DAICHIEN'S ART

巨匠的剪影— 張大千 12 0 歲紀念大展

Chang Dai-chien (1899~1983) is widely recognized as one of the best-known and most influential Chinese artists of the modern era. Leading a life both eventful and productive, he spent his first 50 years in China, then wandered the world. After residing in Argentina, Brazil, and California, he settled in Taipei’s Shilin District, spending his final years in close proximity to the National Palace Museum. He famously visited Picasso in France in 1956, a meeting that was viewed as a summit between two preeminent representatives of Eastern and Western art. A selection of the finest works in the National Palace Museum collection is on display in this special exhibition. National Palace Museum [Taipei City] www.npm.gov.tw

Until May 21

May 24 ~ June 1

TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL PERCUSSION CONVENTION 臺灣國際打擊樂節

The 10 th edition of this event, organized by the Ju Percussion Group, will feature a total of 15 performances by 70 percussionists from 12 countries, taking place in various venues around the island. The first highlight will be a joint concert by Ju Percussion Group and the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (May 24). Among the foreign troupes performing is the Grammy-winning Third Coast Percussion quartet from the US city of Chicago, presenting Lyrical Geometry (May 26). National Concert Hall [Taipei City] (and other venues around Taiwan) eng.jpg.org.tw (Ju Percussion Group)

Until June 2

THE TASTE OF HOMETOWN: SOUTHEAST ASIAN FLAVORS TAIWAN PANEGYRIC

南洋味．家鄉味特展

臺灣禮讚

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a panegyric is “a speech or piece of writing that praises someone very much.” This exhibition, ser ving as a celebration of the Tainan A r t Museum’s recent establishment, features representative works of contemporary Taiwanese artists who have made significant contributions to the development of Taiwan art. The exhibition, featuring 150 works of excellence, not only honors the artists for their outstanding creations, but also celebrate s contemporar y ar t in general, providing visitors with a great glimpse into the Taiwan art scene of the past few decades. Tainan Art Museum [Tainan City] www.tnam.museum

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A term that has come into frequent use in Taiwan in recent years is “new immigrants.” It mainly refers to people from Southeast Asia (including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia) who have come to Taiwan in recent times and made the island their new home. Along with these new arrivals, traditional regional cooking methods have been introduced to local home and restaurant kitchens as well, making Taiwan’s already diverse culinary scene even richer. This exhibition enables visitors to gain a deeper understanding of Southeast Asian cusines and learn how new arrivals stay connected with their home countries through the continuation of familiar culinary practices. National Museum of Taiwan History [Tainan City] www.nmth.gov.tw

CULTURE A ND A R T

Until June 11

July 20 ~ Aug. 1

HYPERREALISM ART IN TAIWAN

THE LION KING

Hyperrealism has been described as an “ar t form of creating illusions by enhancing reality.” Going a step further than the form known as Photorealism, artists of this young genre aim at putting an even sharper focus on chosen aspects of everyday life, which is achieved in their paintings and sculptures by using intense colors, sharp contrasts, and more vivid depictions than what one is able to see with the naked eye. This exhibition showcases 102 works by 55 Taiwanese artists, including many recipients of the museum’s prestigious Chimei Arts Award.

Running for more than 20 years, Disney’s The Lion King is one of the world’s most popular musicals. This latest production, the first international tour of the musical, premiered last year in Manila and has since been seen by thousands of lovers of musicals in the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. A winner of six Tony Awards in 1998, The Lion King is the only show in history to generate six productions worldwide running 15 or more years. Currently, eight productions can be seen worldwide, including on Broadway in New York and in London’s West End.

臺灣精微寫實藝術大展

Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum [Chiayi County] south.npm.gov.tw

獅子王

Taipei Arena [Taipei City] www.arena.taipei

June 8 ~ 22

NETHERLANDS FOCUS 聚焦荷蘭

During the month of June the spotlight will be on pe r fo r ming a r ti sts from the Nethe r la nds at Kaohsiung’s brand-new Center for the Arts. First up is the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, one of Holland’s finest orchestras (June 8/9); next is the young and dynamic piano duo of brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen, who will present a rich program, including works by Mozart, Schubert, and Chopin (June 12); winding things up will be the Nederlands Dans Theater, regarded as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies, which will wow audiences with breathtaking and mesmerizing dance moves (June 21/22).

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

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FE AT U R E / C A MPING

Camping Around

Taiwan Getting to Know This Land by Sleeping Close to Its Earth

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FE AT U R E / C A MPING

TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE

PHOTOS CHE N CHE NG - KUO

North, south, east, west, up in the high mountains, down by the deep blue sea, big island, small island, roughing it in a simple pup tent, sleeping on a plush bed in a large yurt-style tent.â&#x20AC;Ś The Taiwan camping scene can match all the widely varying preferences of the international traveler, from scenic location to amenities to price range.

Shangrila Camping Area in Miaoli

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Longmen Riverside Camping Resort

Longmen campsite in the evening

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here are few better ways to rest, relax, and reinvigorate yourself than to get back to nature for a dose of the inimitable joys the great outdoors offers. And among the best ways to do this is camping. Over the past decade or so interest in camping has surged in Taiwan, especially as a form of family outing. Taiwan’s main island and many offshore islands possess all requisite ingredients for high-quality experiences: a moderate climate, natural splendors in singular abundance and diversity considering the island’s comparatively small size – something which amazes many international visitors who get out of the cities – and easy access to quality sites. Tent-loving outdoor enthusiasts are spoiled for choice. According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, there are over 1,700 campsites spread across the land. These range from the basic to the upscale, and from sites with easy vehicle access to deep-mountain sites where you may well find yourself all alone if you haven’t brought your own companionship. In the following pages we’ll explore spots in Taiwan’s national scenic areas, national parks, and other areas. We’ll specially introduce the upper end of the scale with a visit to two facilities that provide full-package camping experiences, eating experiences beyond that of the normal camping outing, and guided activities on edu-tational themes (ecology and traditional culture).

FE AT U R E / C A MPING

Kayaking on the Shuangxi River near Fulong

A Few Tips Whatever your scenic preferences, selections are available guaranteeing satisfaction – days by the sea, days by a lake, days high up on a mountainside, days down inside the magnif icent Taroko Gorge … the possibilities are startlingly wide-ranging. Almost always, a campsite gives quick access to some other form of recreational pursuit, such as hot-spring soaking, hiking, cycling, surfing, rock climbing, or river tracing. Camping Taiwan-style differs in a few key ways from what foreigners, especially Westerners, might be used to. Locals often camp in larger groups, set their tents up close together, eat communally, and bring along more creature comforts, with families especially liking to set up their sites as a little “home away from home.” O c t ob e r t o A pr i l i s t he opt i m a l camping time, as the summers can be very hot and steamy everywhere but in the high mountains. Note that many popular campsites are fully booked on weekends, often well in advance. Prices at the most well-equipped and popular sites can reach NT$1,500 per tent space nightly in peak periods, though the norm is generally significantly lower. Prices at the higher end

will be at privately run sites; public sites, the majority of which are in central governmentrun national scenic areas and national parks, are much lower and are kept steady. Many campsites rent out essential equipment.

Camping in National Scenic Areas Taiwan’s national scenic areas are overseen by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. In comparison to the national parks, these areas are more tourism-oriented, with a broader range of leisure and recreational facilities. This difference is reflected in the campgrounds. L ongmen R iverside Ca mping Resor t (w w w . l o n m e n . t w ; C h i n e s e), l o c a t e d within the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area (www.necoast-nsa. gov.tw), is among Taiwan’s most popular campgrounds. It sits west of Fulong village on the Northeast Coast just off Provincial Highway 2. To get there, many campers opt for the convenient train travel to the Fulong Railway Station. “L on g men” me a n s “ d r a g on g ate ,” referring to the debouche of the campgroundside Shuangxi River, the northeast’s largest

waterway. The campground was opened in 1991 on the revamped site of a massive sand-mining operation, and hosted the FICC International Camping Rally in that same year, with participants coming from around the world. Where there was once a giant open pit, today you find rest and relaxation amidst an oasis of tall trees. This is very much a place for families a nd s t u d e nt g r ou p s on w e e k e nd s / holidays. There is a superb range of accommodation facilities, wit h 231 campsites (grass, wooden platforms, roofed wooden platforms, and automobile campsites) and spacious, comfor table wood c abins ava ilable, plus myriad recreational facilities that i nc lude a s w i m m i n g p o ol, w a d i n g pool, sand pool, bike rentals, bikeway, basketball court, and watersport-fun rentals, such as a kayaking center that provides all needed equipment and, if desired, beginner classes. Food is also sold on-site, a nd if you a rrive wit h zero in the way of camping gear, no problem – everything from tents and sleeping bags to barbecue units and towels can be rented.

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Another national-scenic-area favorite among foreign camping enthusiasts is the Shitiping Campground (camping33.pgo.tw; Chinese) in the East Coast National Scenic Area (www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw). Shitiping is one of the major tourist attractions along the east coast. The word itself means “stone steps.” The ocean’s great erosive powers are in dramatic evidence in this wild place of dramatic terraced volcanic rock, surging tide pools, and teeming marine life. Set up on level ground directly behind the rugged coastal geological features, the campground has open grassy areas with shade trees and pleasant landscaping. Individual campsites are primarily large or medium-sized wooden A-frame platform structures. All are close to a clean, well-supplied washroom/shower facility, with hot water available. Area tours and barbecues are organized for campers in the summer.

By the Paciﬁc Ocean at Shitiping

Camping in National Parks Taiwan’s national parks are overseen by the Ministry of the Interior. Each is a protected space for the unique set of natural and historical attractions within its jurisdiction, and there is a concomitant strong eco-protection theme. The result is campgrounds that are generally more basic than those in national scenic areas, with the emphasis on nature appreciation, hiking, etc., rather than on more commercial types of recreational fun. Amongst visiting foreign travelers and foreign expatriates with a love of camping, it can safely be posited that Taroko National Park (www.taroko.gov.tw), on the east coast, is seen as the premier must-stay destination. The magnificent Taroko Gorge is a magisterial rivercut slice right through solid mountain that starts far inland and opens directly onto the Pacific – 19km of unremitting wonder. Visitors move through the gorge along the twisting Central Cross-Island Highway just above the river, marveling at the towering cliffs thickly laced with marble. The best and most popular campground within the gorge is the Heliu Campground. There are 12 woodenplatform tent spaces (uncovered), the daily fee per space just NT$300. Drinkable water is provided, and there are washrooms with cold-water showers, washstands, BBQ pits with grates, and night lighting. There is no provision of equipment rentals. The campground is located at a narrow point in the gorge, by the head of the popular, easy-hike Lushui-Heliu Trail and the Lushui Geological Exhibition Center, which has displays explaining the natural forces that created the Taroko Gorge area.

Taroko Gorge 14

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The magnificent Taroko Gorge is a magisterial river-cut slice right through solid mountain

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Wooden huts at the Wuling Farm campground

Other Types of Campgrounds These run the gamut, from private basic campgrounds all the way up to the plush-experience facilities visited in the next section. In one recent online poll conducted by pk.yam.com, a local onlinepolling enterprise, the campground at Wuling Farm (www2.wulingfarm.com.tw) was voted best and most popular in Taiwan. Where is it? High up in the central mountains, about 20km from the town of Lishan. Wuling Farm and Fushoushan Farm, renowned for highmountain fruit production, were cleared and settled long ago by retired servicemen who had come over to Taiwan with the Republic of China military after the Chinese Civil War ended in the late 1940s. Over the past few decades the main Wuling money-making focus has shifted to tourism. The farm fills up a breathtakingly radiant narrow mountain valley, with views all around of the peaks of central-mountain giants and high slopes covered with the deep greens of coniferous forest. Beyond the campers who spend their whole time in the valley, many hikers overnight here before starting off on a long, popular trail that leads from the farm’s boundary to Mt. Xue (Snow Mountain), Taiwan’s second-tallest mountain. The campground is on a hillside-terrace area called the Alpine Botanical Garden, which among other attractions sports an ecopond, water-plant pond, Chinese herb garden, shrub-display area, and “sea of flowers” area. A coffee bar stands at the campground’s edge amidst a stand of soaring pines. Tents, sleeping mats, and other equipment are available for rent, and both picnic tables and barbecue pits are provided (no open flames are allowed), along with free shower facilities and hot water. The fee per campsite (with a reservation) without rentals is NT$1,000, with tent/mat rentals NT$1,300. 16

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The farm as a whole offers a changing cascade of bright-colored botanical attractions throughout the year, with a variety of flowers blooming in spring, pleasant temperatures during summer, maple trees with color-changing leaves in the autumn, and cherry blossoms in the winter.

Wuling Farm forest park

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Yurt-style huts at Vanaheim

Plush Theme-Package Camping A newer type of camping now gaining traction in Taiwan is higher-end camping that includes more comfy-than-normal tent facilities, guided activities based on eco-promotion or cultural-promotion themes, and the provision of quality meals served at pleasant facilities. You purchase a package rather than picking things a la carte. Not surprisingly, this means the cost will be more than the high of around NT$1,500 quoted for individual traditional-style camping sites earlier. Travel in Taiwan has vetted a number of these operations, and we present two here as a sampler, one focused on eco-protection and one focused on promotion of distinctive local cultural traditions. We spend more time on the second, which is the newer and plusher of the two.

Vanaheim (www.facebook.com/vanaheim.love.manor) is an eco-theme camping resort located right off the Taiwan Strait immediately outside the north entrance of the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area (swcoast-nsa.travel), which is located at quaint Beimen, a small fishingport town. You camp here in simple, sturdy, permanent structures that resemble yurts, which are big enough inside for two small beds sleeping two adults each as well as a small toilet and shower. The accommodations sit on the edge of a large, wildlife-busy mangrove forest that is separated from the Taiwan Strait by a wide, high sandy beach and tidal flat. Tectonic activity has caused some coastal land in this region to subside, and mangroves have been encouraged to once again take root where saltwater aqua farms long flourished. Included in a visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stay package is a Chinese-language guided mangrovechannel boat tour, an eco-tour along a long forest-wending raised boardwalk, and meals at the Vanaheim eatery.

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The campground is located in a large, shallow basin surrounded by forest

The 40ha Shangrila Camping Area (www.shangrila.com.tw; cmpvillage.tw; both Chinese only) is located in the hills of Miaoli County, not far from the THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) Miaoli Station, just 10 minutes away by taxi. When you camp here you camp on the forest-surrounded grounds of the former Shangrila Paradise theme park, one of Taiwan’s original such parks. The campground for purchasers of the upscale camping package, called the CMP Village, is located in a large, shallow basin in the center of the grounds. The itinerary spans two days and one night, starting at 2:30pm on one day and ending at 11am the next. Packages are offered starting on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday (NT$5,000 per person; online registration necessary); student camping/education experiences are offered the other days, using adjacent campgrounds outside the basin. On Day 1, CMP Village campers gather at the main entrance. This is the original Shangrila Paradise entrance, a large covered arcade with a big souvenir shop selling traditional-style Miaoli County foodstuffs and handicrafts and a restaurant serving quality Hakkaculture food. They are then taken on a guided tour, following a path that leads down into the basin and to CMP Village, a collection of 15 large canvas yurt-like tents that provide sumptuous comfort. Each accommodates four people, with either one or two large, comfy beds 18

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plus soft pillows and quilts, and has air-conditioning in summer and heating in winter. Outside each is a wooden platform with seats, perfect for late-night stargazing. On the walk in, while stopping many times to explain the local plant and animal life, your guide will also explain the culture of the Hakka people of Miaoli. The Hakka are a Han Chinese ethnic minority that makes up about 15% of Taiwan’s population, and constitutes two-thirds of the Miaoli County population. Shangrila teaches visitors about the Miaoli Hakka – their daily lives, how they have integrated with the Miaoli natural world, and how the Shangrila facility itself is being returned from life as a theme park to a place that exists in the time-honored Hakka way in harmony with nature. The natural world is being invited back in and protected. Before setting out on an excursion driven in golf-cart-style carts to the first DIY-experience location, in a large roundhouse made of dark-color netting set deep in the woods, the CMP Village facilities are introduced: your tents; a large roundhouse-style washroom/shower facility with washcloths, towels, and shower slippers supplied, which is open and staffed 24H; beside it, a kiosk selling beverages, snacks, and Miaoli specialty products; a recreation area for youngsters; and beside it a coffee/tea counter. The Day 2 buffet breakfast is enjoyed at picnic tables in the recreation area – a traditional Chinese-style meal of tea, pork congee, a mantou (steamed bread), and an assortment of locally grown vegetables.

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Both the Day 1 and Day 2 DIY experiences are changed seasonally, as is the Day 1 gourmet dinner. This reflects the changes in Miaoli produce availability, as well as the resulting changes to the daily lives of Miaoli’s Hakka folk, and this also encourages visitors to make return visits. On Travel in Taiwan’s most recent visit (we’ve camped there twice), the Day 1 activity involved baked sweet potatoes, warmed orange juice given very different flavor personalities through the addition of dried roselle, ginger, or orange peels, and the making of old-time-style fragrance sachets containing mint, Taiwan native cinnamon, and other Shangrila-grown aromatic ingredients. The Day 2 activity, held on a slope-side woodenplatform area overlooking the basin, was centered on the making of suancai. The Hakka have traditionally made much use of preserved vegetables, using them in iconic Hakka dishes. One is suancai (lit. “pickled vegetable”), made with leaf mustard. Campers also feasted on DIY guabao, a Taiwanese snack treat made with soy-stewed pork belly, suancai, peanut powder, and coriander in a steamed bun.

CMP Village Itinerary Day 1 2:30pm – Guided tour of the grounds and DIY experience 4:30pm – Free time to explore the grounds 6:00pm – Gourmet lamplight meal under the stars 7:30pm – Guided night tour 8:00pm – Free time

Day 2 07:30am – Alfresco traditional-style buffet breakfast 08:30am – Check-out from tents 09:00am – DIY artisan workshop 11:00am – End of package itinerary Glamping tents at CMP Village

Communal gourmet dinner

Hakka-style suancai TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

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The communal gourmet dinner, featuring mood lighting provided by table lamps, overhead lines of hanging lightbulbs, and a roaring campfire, is usually taken under the stars in front of the tents (and the bamboowoven dome introduced below). On this night it was raining lightly, however, so the repast was taken in a performance roundhouse outside the basin. The many-course feast is a hearty medley of dishes prepared with regional produce highlighted, the cooks performing true magic using nothing more than simple gas stoves and grills.

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The Day 1 night ends with a night tour up through the tree area and back down into the basin. In days past, the basin was filled with the theme park’s European garden attractions. Today’s spacious shower facility is in what was formerly a beverage bar. The night tour ends with a walk through the visually monumental artwork named Qing Tian Mu (roughly, “cover [through which to] love the sky”) at the basin center before the tents, a bamboo-woven dome reached through long bamboo-woven walkway tunnels that has large roof holes for stargazing. The artwork is beautifully lit up at night, lending an ethereal glow to the placid setting.

Enjoying a relaxing time close to nature

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A final note: Be sure to use your free time, including the time after the official program ends, during which campers are encouraged to roam the grounds freely, to search out the many treasures in the forest outside the basin. These include a section of the old theme park with rides still in place, a traditional Hakka courtyard residence that now serves as a mini-museum, a large herb garden with goodies used in Miaoli cuisine (and your CMP Village foods), and forest paths, one with a nifty installation-artwork treehouse open to climbers.

Making suancai

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Beimen 北門 CMP Village 勤美學 Fulong 褔隆 Fushoushan Farm 福壽山農場 guabao 割包 Heliu Campground 合流露營區 Lishan 梨山 Longmen Riverside Camping Resort 龍門露營渡假基地 Lushui Geological Exhibition Center 綠水地質景觀展示館 Lushui-Heliu Trail 綠水合流步道 mantou 饅頭 Mt. Xue 雪山 Qing Tian Mu 情天幕 Shitiping Campground 石梯坪露營區 suancai 酸菜 Taroko Gorge 太魯閣峽谷 Vanaheim 愛莊園 Wuling Farm 武陵農場

Forest path with wooden treehouse

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Simple breakfast

Shangrila Camping Area Fushoushan Farm Campground

Vanaheim

Longmen Riverside Camping Resort Wuling Farm Campground Heliu Campground Shitiping Campground

Taipei Metro Tamsui-Xinyi Line

Tamsui

Among all lines of the Taipei Metro (MRT), the TamsuiXinyi Line passes the most popular places of interest for tourists. If you want to experience the old flavors of this modern city, visit the Old Street in Tamsui and the hot-spring district of Beitou; if you want to indulge in delicious night market snack food cuisine head to the Shilin Night Market, close to MRT Jiantan Station; and for window shopping, real shopping, and tasting fine cuisine, step off the MRT at Zhongshan, Dongmen, and in the Xinyi District and satisfy all your cravings!

2 Xinbeitou Beitou

Fullon Hotel ( 福容大飯店 )

Shilin

Fullon Hotel Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf is located in the Fisherman’s Wharf scenic area in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District, just 30 minutes by car from downtown Taipei. Easily accessible by taking the MRT Tamsui Line, this is the vacation resort closest to the city of Taipei. The hotel has a striking cruiseship-style exterior, offering stunning mountain and sea views. The sunset view is reputed to be one of the top 10 sunsets in the world. Next to the hotel is one of the best-known landmarks in New Taipei City, the 100-meter, 360-degree revolving observation tower, the only one of its kind in Taiwan. (02) 2628-7777 www.fullon-hotels.com.tw No. 83, Guanhai Rd., Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City ( 新北市淡水區觀海路 83 號 )

Jiantan Yuanshan

Minquan W. Rd.

Shuanglian

Zhongshan

Taipei Main Station 3

TaipeiEYE ( �北�棚 )

Experience the Charm of Traditional Taiwanese Arts The performances include Peking opera, folk arts/acrobatic, folk music, indigenous dance, and folk musical theater. Subtitles are provided in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. Four performances are held each week and the program is changed once every one and half months to two months, always giving audiences something new to marvel at! Mon., Wed., Fri., and Sat.; admission at 7pm, show starts at 8pm (02) 2568-2677 www.taipeieye.com 3F, No. 113, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Taipei City ( 台北市中山北路二段 113 號 3 樓 )

Spa Spring Resort ( �都溫�� )

Located next to Thermal Valley, Spa Spring Resort provides high-quality sulfur hot-spring water, rich in microelements and minerals. Hotspring bathing can be enjoyed in the outdoor furo hot-spring pool or in the guestrooms’ hotspring bath tubs. Shui-Yue Restaurant serves creative Taiwanese cuisine and has premium private wings where guests can dine, sing, enjoy a hot-spring bath and stay overnight. Next to the hotel main entrance you will find a hot-spring egg boiling facility where fun can be had boiling eggs in a small bamboo basket, an activity that is very popular with children and adults alike. (02) 2897-9060 www.spaspringresort.com.tw No. 283, Guangming Rd., Beitou Dist., Taipei City ( 台北市北投區光明路 283 號 )

Taipei 101/ World Trade Center Chiang Kai-Shek Dongmen Memorial Hall

Xiangshan Shopping in Xinyi District

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Showcasing the Bounty from Land and Sea

Fine Cuisine in the Wulai and Jinshan/ Wanli Hot-Spring Resort Areas

TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE

PHOTOS M AGG IE SONG

Spend any time here and you shall discover that the people of Taiwan have a passion for hot-spring resort soaking and dining experiences that runs only just slightly less deep than that harbored, famously, by the people of Japan. This is no coincidence.

apan ruled Taiwan as a colony from 1895 to 1945, and in the first months of the takeover trained personnel were dispatched to all corners of the island to map its exploitable resources. The mountainous island’s nature-gifted bounty of mineral springs quickly became clear, and in their efficient manner the Japanese began diligently developing hot-spring resorts, one after the other. Vestiges of these times remain in place today in many locations. The Japanese hot-spring culture was transplanted to Taiwan. This included love of a hearty, invigorating meal after a bathing session to boost further the health-enhancing benefits of time spent in mineral-rich water. Over time a distinctive Taiwanese hotspring culture has bloomed from the original roots, based to a significant degree on repasts that are built around the island’s own unique fountainhead of food ingredients and culinary traditions. This much-loved local creative-cuisine niche was recently celebrated in the 2018 Taiwan Top Ten Hot Springs awards, announced late last year. Organized by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in cooperation with the Chinese Gourmet Association, 14 hot-spring hotel restaurants in two categories, Banquet Dishes and Set Meals, were awarded gold medals based on these criteria: Taste and Creativity, Localness and Culture, Health, Speed and Quality, and Management. In this issue we introduce two gold-medal winners from hot-spring areas just north and south of Taipei City: the Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort in the Wulai hot-spring area and the Howard Beach Resort Green Bay in the Jinshan/Wanli hotspring area. Both of these were among the winners in a list of top 10 hot-spring areas announced by the Tourism Bureau last year, based on a public survey supplemented with evaluation by a team of experts.

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Wulai Hot-Spring Resort Area L o c ate d i n Ne w Ta ip ei Cit y, i n t he mountains just south of Taipei City, Wulai is a popular weekend getaway destination for people in the Taipei metropolitan region. Small boutique hot-spring hotels are found in close proximity to the main nonhot-spring attraction, Wulai Old Street, thick with souvenir shops and eateries selling bot h Chinese a nd indigenous food. This area is home to members of the Atayal tribe, Taiwan’s northernmost; the attractive, modern-architecture Wulai A t aya l Mu seu m, on t he Old St reet, explains the tribe’s culture and history. Near Wulai Old Street, hop aboard the Log Cart mini-train (logging was once a key moneymaker here) to the Waterfall Area, further up the river valley in which Wulai is located. From there, ride a cable car across and up to the Yun Hsien Resort (w w w.y un - hsie n .com .t w) f rom wh ic h thrilling views over the valley are enjoyed. Wulai has alkaline sodium bicarbonaterich mineral waters, which emerge from the earth at about 80 degrees Celsius.

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Wulai Waterfall Area

Fine dishes made with fresh Taiwan produce

Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort – Soyan Restaurant The Volando is the reigning resort queen at the Wulai hot-spring party. It stands at the water’s edge along a narrow stretch of the Nanshi River, looking directly at the forested cliffside opposite, just a stone’s skip or two away. The view from one side of the resort consists of nothing but the bright emerald color of the river liquid, the darker greens of the cliff-clinging trees and, for awhile after rains of quantity, a waterfall that magically appears. There is a strong Zen ambiance. The resort’s French restaurant, Soyan, won gold in the Set Meals category in the 2018 Taiwan Top Ten Hot Springs competition. The Executive Sous Chef, Kim Chang, started his career as an apprentice studying French cuisine, then later studied Italian cuisine. Eventually he “came home” to study his native Taiwanese cuisine. Soyan is dedicated to the joys of slow food, combining “French food art aesthetics with Taiwanese soul.” Chef Chang searches high and low for the best of Taiwan ingredients to showcase in his 7-course set meal guided taste-travel experiences. By way of example, the cuttlefish entrée uses catch from the Keelung region. The seafood selection uses the product of the only

farm in Taiwan to raise Murray cod, on a misty mountainside in Yilan County. The pork tenderloin, a main course selection, is made with pork sourced from a Taichung farm that feeds its animals exclusively with Taiwan herbs. The dessert is a delectably sweet mousse-like pleasure made with red sweet potato from Nantou County, purple sweet potato from rural Jinshan District in New Taipei City, and pomelo from rural Madou District in Tainan City. The set meal price is NT$2,500 per person. Note that some dishes change with seasonal ingredient availability. VOLANDO URAI SPRING SPA & RESORT ( 馥蘭朵烏來渡假酒店 ) (02) 2661-6555 www.volandospringpark.com No. 176, Sec. 5, Xinwu Rd., Wulai Dist., New Taipei City ( 新北市烏來區新烏路五段 176 號 )

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Executive Chef Ku Lai Wen and his creations

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Jinshan/Wanli Hot-Spring Resort Area The adjoining New Taipei City districts of Jinshan and Wanli, on the North Coast, are where Taiwan’s northernmost hot springs are found. The hot-spring establishments here range from resorts so close to the coast that you can enjoy splendid up-close sea views while soaking in a hot-spring pool, to those inland right at the base of the mighty Yangmingshan massif. This massif is a cluster of extinct volcanoes under which – very deep – a massive magma chamber lies. The area has many sightseeing attractions. In Yehliu Geopark (www.ylgeopark.org.tw) is a 1.7km-long spit of land jutting into the Pacific that is home to fantastic sandstone sculptures carved by wind and water. Jinshan Old Street, the old town of Jinshan’s heritage street, is stuffed with purveyors of oldtime-snacks. The Shimen Stone Arch is a massive nature-carved arch pushed by tectonic forces up and away from the pounding waves that sculpted it. The striking black-and-white-striped Fugui Cape Lighthouse, built in 1897 by the Japanese, stands at the northernmost tip of the island. The Jinshan/Wanli hot-spring mineral waters are seawaterfed, and feature a mix of carbonic acid and sulfur iron oxide. The water temperature is 45 to 50 degrees Celsius.

Howard Beach Resort Green Bay – Yangtze River Restaurant The Howard Beach Resort Green Bay is the grand old dame of the North Coast hotel scene. It can safely be said that many of Taiwanese adults who these days come to stay or just eat here were first brought here as children by their parents. The hotel has two quality restaurants, a bar, a gym, and a children’s play room, but what has always been the main reason for coming here is its location – right on the beach at wide, peaceful Feicuiwan (Green Bay). The ocean panorama from the top-f loor Yangtze River restaurant is coruscating: Yehliu Geopark immediately to the north, ships exiting Keelung’s busy harbor to the southeast, and Keelung Islet bobbing out at sea (accessible via boat tours from Keelung Harbor). The Yangtze River won gold in the Banquet Dishes category of the 2018 Taiwan Top Ten Hot Springs. The restaurant specializes in Jiangzhe cuisine, the traditional cuisine of the Shanghai region. Its 10-course banquet is the creation of Executive Chef Ku Lai Wen, who started his professional career in the kitchen at the tender age of 16 and who has won numerous awards and coauthored a number of books on culinary technique over the years. Ku celebrates the first-rate produce of the Jinshan/Wanli/Keelung region in the dishes, sourcing all his seafood, for example, from Wanli Fishing Harbor, in view from the restaurant immediately to the southeast. The chef is an artist at heart, and each of the four stars of the banquet are works of impressive visual artistry – as is his sculpture of a sailing ship on a rolling sea, crafted entirely from dried loofah, which is put on display for diners to admire. The four dishes are: Dongpo pork woven into the shape of a rose; seafood balls (made from whitebait/Neritic squid/shrimp paste) resembling embroidery balls; shrimp and bright-colored vegetables

sculpted in the shape of a lotus flower; and yellow croaker with head and tail, the body transformed into individual “f ish” containing croaker, ham, and shrimp. Each artwork is symmetrical, with exactly 10 individual portions, matching the standard number of diners at a Chinese banquet table. The cost of the banquet is NT$12,000. Three days’ advance notice is required, because of the need for Chef Ku to specially order certain ingredients. On the day itself, he must start early in the morning to have his sophisticated creations ready by evening. HOWARD BEACH RESORT GREEN BAY ( 翡翠灣福華渡假飯店 ) (02) 2492-6565 www.howard-hotels.com.tw No. 17, Feicui Rd., Wanli Dist., New Taipei City ( 新北市萬里區翡翠路 17 號 ) GETTING THERE Wulai: From the MRT Xindian Station in New Taipei City, take bus No. 849 to the last stop, which is close to the Wulai Old Street area. Volando also has its own dedicated shuttle-bus service, operating on a regular schedule between the hotel and the same MRT station. Jinshan/Wanli: From either Tamsui or Keelung, take bus No. 862 to reach places of interest along the North Coast, including in the Jinshan and Wanli districts. For more information about New Taipei City, visit tour.ntpc.gov.tw (New Taipei City Travel). ENGLISH AND CHINESE 2018 Taiwan Top Ten Hot Springs Awards 2018 台灣 10 大好湯美食 Atayal tribe 泰雅族 Chinese Gourmet Association 中華美食交流協會 Feicuiwan 翡翠灣 Fugui Cape Lighthouse 富貴角燈塔 Jinshan Old Street 金山老街 Keelung Islet 基隆嶼 Kim Chang 張家誠 Ku Lai Wen 古來文 Nanshi River 南勢溪 Shimen Stone Arch 石門洞 Wanli Fishing Harbor 萬里漁港 Wulai 烏來 Wulai Atayal Museum 烏來泰雅民族博物館 Wulai Old Street 烏來老街 Yangmingshan 陽明山 Yehliu Geopark 野柳風景特定區 Shrimp and bright-colored Yun Hsien Resort 雲仙樂園 vegetables

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g n u h c i a T oes t a m To

Farm e s u o h n e a Gre t a s e l b a eget trict s i D Picking V g n a g in Shi TEX T

DA N A

TE R

CHEN H OTOS

At the You and Me farm in Taichung’s Shigang District you can pick tomatoes, peppers, and other seasonal produce grown inside greenhouses while learning about agriculture and leisure farms in Taiwan.

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CHEN

G-KUO

aiwan is often described as a bountiful island. Its subtropical climate, fertile soil, and varying terrain, ranging from coastal plains to alpine mountains, make it suitable for growing an especially wide range of crops, and in quantity. Vegetable plantations are common in central and south Taiwan, while in the north you’ll find strawberry farms and orange orchards. During the summer, fruit vendors and dessert shops throughout the island are stocked full of tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, guava, and mango. While working in the agricultural sector still means hard labor for many, the toiling under the sun does not have the back-breaking connotation that it did a generation or so ago. Disillusioned by city life, a considerable

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number of people young through old have felt the urge to return to the countryside in search of greener pastures, literally. Over the past 15 years there has been a proliferation of “leisure farms,” or farms that engage and educate tourists, whether it’s through planting rice or feeding chickens and ducks. Many visitors come for the sheer entertainment, while others are curious about where their food comes from. Leisure farms often rely on tourism for survival – only some derive a portion of their income from sales to vendors and supermarkets. Many have even gone beyond just offering basic services, such as DIY fruit-picking, to providing complete vacation packages for tourists, including accommodations. On a particularly balmy day in February, together with a couple of friends I visit an operation that specializes in greenhouse fruit and vegetable cultivation. Located in Shigang, a rural district northeast of the Taichung City center, it is known in English as the You and Me farm. The bustling urban core of the city of Taichung, Taiwan’s secondlargest, is a gateway to central Taiwan’s high mountains and indeed, as we approach the Shigang area I get a glimpse of the soaring Central Mountain Range in the distance.

Farm owner Chiu Shun-jun

Picking a yellow tomato

The farm is located on Provincial Highway 3, the main road through the district. Along the highway in this section are auto-repair shops, shops selling colorful birds, sundries shops, and other businesses, interspersed with plots of palm and banana trees. We take a narrow lane opposite an off-road-vehicle shop (look for a yellow sign on a fence at the intersection with the name of the farm in Chinese written on it). Walking away from the highway, we enter a wondrous world with thickets of wild hibiscus plants. Soon I spot the greenhouses of the farm to the right. Entering the grounds, we find the smiling owner, Chiu Shun-jun, brewing Oolong tea. He gets up to greet us, showing us to a wooden table from where you can peer into the first of the greenhouses. Vines droop from the transparent netting-roof of the greenhouse, forming a green arch from which clusters of brilliant yellow cherry tomatoes and stark-hue purple peppers dangle. We are served tea and a plate of freshly-plucked cherry tomatoes and peppers in various colors. As I eat the crunchy veggies, I imagine that we are in an enchanted garden. Most of the fruits and veggies are grown inside the greenhouses, the durable netting allowing in ample sunlight while shielding the precious crops from bad weather, notably the typhoons that can visit Taiwan during the summer and autumn. TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

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A retired military doctor from a Hakka family that lived in Dongshi, the district neighboring Shigang to the east, Chiu started helping friends using hydroponic systems to grow vegetables nearly 30 years ago, before opening his own farm. In the beginning he sold his produce to supermarkets in central Taiwan, but later he realized that operating a leisure farm was more profitable. “I also like to talk to people!” he chuckles. Since he revamped You and Me into a leisure farm more than 15 years ago, Chiu has entertained countless visitors, from around Taiwan and abroad. He explains that the characters in the farm’s Chinese name, written as you en mi in Hanyu Pinyin and translating literally as “excellence, kindness, sweetness,” were chosen to convey the meaning of “produce grown with care,” and though the crops are not entirely organic, they qualify for the Taiwan Safe Fruits and Vegetables stamp and meet the strict Taiwan Agricultural Products Traceability System standards.

Hakka-style stir-fried vegetables

Approximately 70 to 80 percent of You and Me’s earnings come from tourists. A cover fee of NT$100 is charged for fruit and vegetable picking, with additional charges for every 600 grams of produce picked. Around 10 percent of the farm’s earnings are from sales to supermarkets in the cities of Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, while the remainder comes from locals who visit the greenhouses to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. In addition, Chiu teaches interactive classes on how to sow seeds, grow hydroponic veggies, and build greenhouses. His students range from

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“It’s definitely a step up from the days of harsh farm life,” Chiu says. “And it’s rewarding seeing visitors, especially city folk whotake an interest in farming or just enjoying nature.”

The farm also grows peppers in different colors

High-sole shoes for high-hanging fruit

elementary-school children to the elderly. We visit at the end of winter, during the tomato and pepper season, and are to be shown around by Hung Min-fang, a young woman who approaches us wearing a distinctive checkered apron and pushing a cart full of colorful peppers. Noticing our wide-eyed reactions, she explains that six varieties of peppers are grown on the farm: red, green, orange, yellow, purple, and white. The farm has several greenhouses. Hung leads us into one of the houses, and shows us tomatoes and peppers that have

been planted on raised beds, arranged in three tiers. Above the beds are thin black rods used for watering the plants according to a set timer. The aisles are intentionally spacious to allow visitors – including those in wheelchairs – easy access. Hung explains that coconut-fiber soil is used, which is better at absorbing water than other types of soil. She lets us touch it – it’s incredibly soft and spongy. The beds are changed seasonally to accommodate different crops. In the summer, hundreds of watermelon and squash fill the greenhouses.

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YOU AND ME FRUITS & VEGETABLES TOURIST FARM ( 優恩蜜溫室蔬果觀光果園 ) (04) 2582-6058 you-ame.myweb.hinet.net (Chinese) No. 391-10, Fengshi Rd., Shigang Dist., Taichung City ( 台中市石岡區豐勢路 391 之 10 號 )

Tuniu Hakka Cultural Museum

“We’re always experimenting with different crops,” Hung tells us. She shows us some of their other winter crops, including corn from a small field behind one of the greenhouses, along with Taiwanese basil, figs, and blueberries, which are planted in pots. There are also apples, turnips, and – most amusing – giant-sized Taiwanese cabbage that are so big and heavy that I would definitely struggle to carry one by myself. Good thing, I think to myself, that I won’t be obliged to do any veggie hauling today as part of my farm experience. Hung brings out a small red shopping basket, scissors, and a traditionalstyle Taiwanese conical straw hat. It’s time to pick cherry tomatoes! There are a number to choose from – yellow, red, light green, and dark purple. “The yellow and red ones are the sweetest,” Hung says. She describes how to tell ripe ones from ones that aren’t ready; basically, there shouldn’t be any dark-green coloring on the skin. I put on the big hat and clutch the basket with one hand, feeling a little silly, like a farmhand depicted in an illustrated book. I’m not as deft with my fingers as Hung is, so I use the scissors to slowly and delicately snip red and yellow cherry tomatoes from their stems, choosing plump-looking ones and standing on my toes to reach tomatoes dangling below the roof. Ten minutes into the picking, my fingers are a dusty shade of green. I think that maybe I’m not cut out for farm life. “Don’t worry – that’s normal!” Hung laughs reassuringly. We rinse the cherry tomatoes with water and sample a few. I prefer the yellow ones, as they are less acidic than their red counterparts and a pleasant sort of sweet. The rest of the cherry tomatoes are packed neatly in a tiny, transparent plastic box for me to take home. Outside, a dark-grey cloud cover has settled in, and the tall palms and scraggly banana trees have become gnarly silhouettes. Like curtains coming down on an afternoon play, it’s the perfect end to our visit to Shigang, a place that’s both urban and rural, both tame and wild, and where the people are welcoming – and their tomatoes are lip-smacking good.

Dongfeng Bikeway

Shigang District 3

Tuniu Hakka Restaurant

You and Me Fruits & Vegetables Tourist Farm

Tuniu Hakka Cultural Museum

Taiwan

GETTING THERE Public Transport Take a train ( TR A) to Fengyuan Station, transfer to Fengyuan bus No. 90 (headed for Dongshi), get off at the Mingshan Temple ( 明山寺 ) bus stop; look a little further east along the highway and you'll see the a large brownbackground road sign for the You and Me farm, which is just beyond on the right (south) side of the road. Self-Drive Take National Freeway 1 or 3 to northern Taichung City, switch to National Freeway 4 and drive to its eastern end, then take Provincial Highway 3 further east. TUNIU HAKKA RESTAURANT Close to the farm on Provincial Highway 3 is the Tuniu Hakka Restaurant, run by the same people as the farm. Order delicious Hakka-style dishes, including the Hakka versions of fried noodles, eggplant, preserved pork, and omelets. The restaurant is a humble abode with round communal tables and stools under a simple metal roof. In fact, many buildings in the area are what in Taiwan is known as tie pi wu, a term meaning "iron house," describing four walls and a ﬂat roof all made with metal sheeting and designed for utility, not aesthetics.

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN SHIGANG Shigang District has a few prominent tourist attractions. There's the impressive Shigang Dam on the Dajia River, built in the 1970s for ﬂood control and irrigation purposes, and the picturesque Dongfeng Bikeway, which follows an abandoned railway line. Like neighboring Dongshi District across the Dajia River, Shigang is a Hakka stronghold. At the Tuniu Hakka Cultural Museum you can learn about the Hakka way of life inside a complex of traditional red-brick, blue-roofed courtyard-style residences fronted by a half-moon-shaped pond. At the center of the complex is a glittering ancestral shrine, complete with red lanterns dangling from the ceiling, with the names of members of the clan that own the complex, the Liu family, dating back to the late 18th century. ENGLISH AND CHINESE Chiu Shun-jun 邱舜君 Dongfeng Bikeway 東豐自行車道 Dongshi District 東勢區 Hung Min-fang 洪敏芳 Shigang Dam 石岡壩 Shigang District 石岡區 Taiwan Safe Fruits and Vegetables 台灣安全蔬果 tie pi wu 鐵皮屋 Tuniu Hakka Cultural Museum 土牛客家文化館 Tuniu Hakka Restaurant 土牛客家小吃 you en mi 優恩蜜

t a d o o F e n i F tional Airport Taoyuan Internati avors of Fill Your Belly with the Fl

Mind! Taiwan and Satisfy Your

What is the deepest impression you have of Taiwan after visiting? Is it the mountain and forest scenery, the history and culture hidden away in cities and towns, or the pure white sand beaches, the sun, and the sea? Everyone has a beautiful image of Taiwan in their own mind. Aside from the lovely scenery, the food is what many people remember most fondly of their visit. The gateway to Taiwan, Taoyuan International Airport, has recently brought in popular Taiwanese restaurants and snacks to allow visitors to bring their stay in Taiwan to a perfect end. Just before leaving you can now enjoy tasty dishes that you might have missed or that you simply can’t get enough of.

Short Rib Beef Noodles Featured in Bib Gourmand in 2018, Taipei’s Lin Dong-fang Beef Noodles has opened shop at the airport for the first time this year and now offers delicious limited-edition short rib beef noodles. With melt-in-the-mouth beef and rich but light broth, short rib beef noodles are sure to satisfy anyone with a craving for a bowl of excellent Taiwanese noodles. Lin Dong-fang Beef Noodles (4F, Terminal 2 Departure Hall Restricted Area)

Steamed Chicken with Chili Sauce and Sichuanese Dandan Noodles

Honey Lager Beer Long-established Taiwanese beer company Sunmai’s innovative Honey Lager Beer, former gold medal winner at the World Beer Cup, can now be enjoyed at Taoyuan International Airport. Local longan honey, produced each year over a short period of just 28 days, is paired with refreshing lager-style beer, every mouthful giving you the taste of honey and malt, with pleasing results. SUNMAI BAR (Terminal 1 Boarding Gate Area B)

Part of the Kiki Sichuanese restaurant group, KiKi Noodle Bar focuses on the wheat-based dishes that are an indispensable element in Chinese cuisine. Dandan noodles, with the spiciness of Sichuanese food and the fragrance of peanuts, is paired with another famous dish of Sichuan, cold steamed chicken in chili sauce. Spicy, aromatic, and tender, rich in flavor and hearty in portion, the dish is now available at the airport for the first time. KiKi Noodle Bar (4F, Terminal 2 Departure Hall Restricted Area)

The restaurant area on the fourth ﬂoor of Taoyuan International Airport's Terminal 2 was recently refurbished, turning it into a great attraction for travelers who want to dine in the airport.

Danzai Noodles Danzai noodles originated in Taiwan’s old capital Tainan and is one of the classic snack foods of Taiwan. The dish consists of a bowl of clear, tasty, and sweet broth made by boiling pork bones for hours together with al dente oil noodles, fresh white shrimp, and crunchy bean sprouts. The taste is simple but delicious. Danzai noodles is a traditional taste of Taiwan that should not be missed by passengers departing from Terminal 1.

Xiaolongbao (Steamed Dumplings)

Homee kitchen (Terminal 1 Area A and Area B)

Original Flavor Pork Chop with Rice Taiwanese deep-fried pork chop is also an authentic dish of the common people. A soy-braised pork chop is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and paired with seasonal vegetables and classic sausage and shrimp roll. Served lunch-box style, pork chop with rice allows everyone to enjoy the most traditional Taiwanese home cooking in one go.

Taiwanese food cannot be talked about without mentioning steamed dumplings. Located in Terminal 1, Bistro: D serves delicate thin-shell shrimp soup dumplings that fill the mouth with delicious soup at first bite. The dumplings are steamed to order and arrive at the table piping hot. Be careful eating them so the hot soup inside the dumplings doesn’t scald your mouth! Bistro: D (Terminal 1, Area A and Area B)

Bistro: D (Terminal 1, Area A and Area B)

Free Samples of Food and Drink At Taoyuan International Airport, qu ite a fe w store s of fer f re e samples of food and drink, for example, freshly baked pineapple cake once in the morning and once in the evening, and also onthe-spot sampling of Taiwanese tea, allowing you to try some of the best local products of Taiwan. These items make ideal gifts to take home for family and friends. Bistro: D uses fresh in-season produce sourced in Taiwan for its Italian/French cuisine to create rich and ﬂavorful dishes

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ique n U s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; n a e aiw Bando, Tanqueting Cultur B Outdoor PH OT

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ETS OOK N CR ANQU TEVE NG B S O L T G X TE , XIAN SONG A G G IE

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Pop-up restaurants have been a thing for a decade or so in Taiwan, and open kitchens have been a popular draw since the late 1990s, making it possible for diners to watch as their meals are prepared. These trends enjoy high visibility in the island’s dynamic culinary scene, but visitors may be surprised to discover that one of the most distinctive local food traditions combines the mobility of pop-ups with the transparency of cooking where all can see.

Banquet tables set

ando, a Taiwanese term which means “to set (or manage) tables,” describes a casual banquet held by a roadside, in a courtyard, or in another sufficiently large open space to celebrate an event such as a wedding, a housewarming, or a religious festival. Rather than looking for a suitable restaurant, many Taiwanese businesses also find it more convenient to celebrate the traditional pre-Lunar New Year shindig for employees (called a weiya) with a bando on the company premises. At many a bando there’s also a stage where musicians perform and speeches are made, and from which the hosts raise a toast to everyone in attendance. Whether it’s a wedding or a weiya, the bando team will arrive at the venue (which could be a community hall, a parking lot, part of a school campus, or even a stretch of road) several hours before the meal. Having agreed with the client well in advance on an 8-, a 10-, or a 12-course menu, and on the number of tables to be served (generally 10 people per table), the head chef and his or her assistants then begin prepping. All the work is done beneath tarpaulins draped over a scaffold, while similar structures are set up to shelter diners from the elements. The entire kitchen and all the ingredients – as well as every pole, round banquet table, and chair – are brought to the site by truck.

The banquet in full swing

Everything is brought to the venue

The bando custom emerged long before the 1895~1945 period of Japanese colonial rule, back when Taiwan was a volatile frontier society awash with opportunities. According to food historians, feasts to which you invited your neighbors, or those who worshipped at the same temple, were a way new arrivals could establish and reinforce social networks. All of Taiwan’s 21st-century presidents have celebrated their inaugurations by inviting supporters and notable citizens to bando banquets. On each occasion the menu has reflected the leader’s priorities, be it ethnic harmony, environmental protection, or food safety. To better understand the bando phenomenon, Travel in Taiwan recently ventured to Qishan, a town that was incorporated as a district into Kaohsiung City in 2010, to meet up with Lu Zhaohui and Li Chi-yu, a husband-and-wife bando team. Qishan, which is synonymous with the banana production that was launched in the 1960s and 1970s and enriched its farmers, is adjacent to Neimen, a rural district that has for generations produced some of Taiwan’s hardest-working bando crews.

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Food preparation

Li’s grandmother, Li Zhang Jin-ye, was the first in the family to work as a bando chef. She was also a pioneer in a different sense: very few bando teams are led by women. Her son, Li Wen-zhan, expanded Neimen-based Xianglong Banquets – the family business that’s been going strong since 1953 – married, and fathered four daughters. Li Chi-yu was the third child, and as it has turned out the only one to have developed an interest in a banqueting career. She met Lu, a native of Taoyuan in north Taiwan, while both were working in Taipei. Soon after getting married, the couple moved to Li’s hometown. Five years ago, they wholeheartedly embraced the itinerant lifestyle of bando professionals. During her childhood Li helped her parents, so she was already well versed in the industry’s shortcuts and terminology. In south Taiwan, for instance, the middle-aged women who do much of the chopping, plating, and serving are known as chui kha (Taiwanese Hokkien for “water feet”). When you see them squatting down to scrub dishes using large metal basins, water splashing their toes, you’ll understand the name – and why they usually wear rubber boots. Lu, for his part, was no stranger to the kitchen. Before getting married, his passion for cooking led him to take classes in French, Italian, and fusion cuisines. He says this knowledge was of little use when he started working at events catered by Xianglong, because many of the chopping and frying techniques are utterly different. But nevertheless he was soon hooked: “I found it really interesting, and I think Taiwan is the only place where you can see bando culture.”

Chopping boards

Youfan ("oily rice")

Because many Taiwanese are nowadays reducing their meat intake and avoiding oily foods, some bando chefs have expanded their repertoire. Non-Taiwanese elements such as sashimi, shabu-shabu, and kimchi now often appear on banquet tables. Lu, by contrast, has moved in the opposite direction. Realizing that age-old recipes and culinary techniques might be lost as his father-in-law’s generation fades from the scene, he has tried to learn and preserve as much of this knowledge as he can. He’s now comfortable cooking well over 50 bando favorites. What’s more, he sees a place for bando in Taiwan’s growing cultural-creative sector. Kitchen tool box

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Cold platters

Traditional Taiwan dish cooked three-cup style

Old-Time Favorites Demand for bando has been declining for some time. Modern couples prefer to celebrate their nuptials with feasts in hotel banquet halls, and the custom of rotating banquets tied to the religious calendar has almost died out. Lu is therefore seeking new venues. “I’m trying to find a new business model,” he says. “I’m trying to build links with different industries. I want to attract young people, and show them what a traditional bando is, because many of them have no idea.” He therefore cooks old-school dishes that tend to be rich and ornate. One of the 10 courses he served at an event in Qishan during Travel in Taiwan’s visit was Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a banquet classic that has been served since before World War II. It’s a chicken-stock soup featuring spare ribs, bamboo shoots, chestnuts, quail’s eggs, mushrooms, thinly sliced pork, scallops, and a few other ingredients. Other dishes that evening included red-braised eel ser ved in a sweet-andsour sauce awash with sliced bell pepper; crispy aromatic duck; a seafood-based geng (a starch-thickened soup somewhat like pottage or gumbo); black-boned chicken cooked with Cordyceps militaris fungus and ginseng; and sea cucumber cooked threecup style with Pinellia pedatisecta (“threecup” is a traditional Taiwanese stewing

style using one cup each of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil). Lu occasionally uses a charcoal grill, but never an electric range. At the event in Qishan, all the cooking was done on three gas-fired portable stoves. Youfan, or “oily rice” (featuring slivers of seafood and julienned carrot), was steamed by stacking circular stainless-steel containers above a wok filled with boiling water. Ducks were deep-fried whole in large woks. B an d o h ave t r a d it ion a l ly i nc lude d a large number of fried dishes because, in the Taiwan of yore, cooking oil was too expensive for ordinary people to use on a daily basis. Most families subsisted on boiled and stewed dishes, and looked forward to special occasions when they could gorge on oilier, fattier, and saltier delicacies. The crate of condiments Lu lugs to events provides some insights into how a bando chef gives his dishes f lavor and texture. Like many Taiwanese cooks, he works with ginger, medicinal herbs, oyster sauce, black and white pepper, rice wine, salt, sesame oil (both black and white versions), sugar, soy sauce, and soy-sauce paste. But there are also a couple of items not usually associated with East Asian cuisines: ketchup and tapioca starch.

In certain respects, Lu’s approach is admirably modern. He refuses to cook shark ’s f in for environmental reasons. To cut down on trash he doesn’t provide disposable cutlery, even though it means more washing up for his team. Surprisingly, he doesn’t cook any vegetarian dishes. If a client insists on a meat-free table or two, he partners with another catering outfit. A successful bando operation requires much more than cooking skills and the ability to negotiate prices with clients. Scalability is also of great importance. The basic unit for a banquet chef is a table around which 10 people can sit. When Travel in Taiwan first met up with Lu and Li, they and three assistants were gearing up for an eight-table event. In other words, they had to cook enough food for 80 people. The previous day they had catered a huge event with 120 tables, an effort requiring a crew of 25. “It’s becoming more and more difficult to find part-time workers who have the right skills,” Lu laments. “On average, they’re over 50. I’m training some youngsters, but it’s hard to find suitable people. If we’re catering a lunch, we need to start work at 3am, and not many are willing to get up that early.”

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The pool of potential helpers has certainly shrunk. Li says that now only around 100 families in Neimen are still engaged in banqueting work, down from more than 200 when the industry was at its peak. According to Lu, October to March is the busy season for bando crews, because the cooler weather is more conducive to eating outdoors. But whatever month it is, he makes the best of that season’s vegetables. Among Taiwanese of Han Chinese descent, tradition dictates that the number of courses served should never be an odd number. However, Lu says that when catering events in indigenous communities, clients “often want 13 courses, to show their generosity,” adding one more course to the most traditional bando celebration.

What to Expect If you’re a bando first-timer from a Western country, you’ll notice some important differences in serving and dining etiquette. Each diner gets one spoon, one set of chopsticks, one small bowl, and one flat plate for the entire meal. Don’t expect fresh cutlery or tableware for each course. What’s more, there’s hardly a pause between courses. They come thick and fast, and before you know it the table is crammed with food. In fact, for many folks the sensation of abundance this creates is key to enjoying the occasion. Debris isn’t routinely cleared, either; just leave any bones or shells on the table. Inevitably, there’s more food than the guests can possibly eat. As the feast winds down, “water feet” hand out doggie bags so uneaten food can be taken home. Don’t be shy to grab your share!

Where and How Now for the bad news: It isn’t easy for foreign visitors to find a bando they can attend. Your chances, quite logically, will increase dramatically with every new friendship you strike up with a Taiwanese person. Drop a few hints that you’d like to experience one of these joyful banquets and you may well find yourself invited to an outdoor feast. Also, be sure to ask at tourist information centers, in case there’s an upcoming event you can join. In the meantime, watch the film Zone Pro Site: The Moveable Feast. This 2013 Taiwan-made box-office triumph, a humorous depiction of the bando lifestyle, takes its English name from the pronunciation of the Taiwanese Hokkien term for a professional bando culinary master, chong pho su (“zone pro site”). ENGLISH AND CHINESE bando 辦桌墙 chui kha 水腳 geng 羹 Li Chi-yu 李芝瑜 Li Wen-zhan 李文棧 Li Zhang Jin-ye 李張金葉 Lu Zhao-hui 呂昭煇 Neimen 內門 Qishan 旗山 weiya 尾牙 Xianglong Banquets 翔龍筵席 Zone Pro Site / chong pho su 總舖師

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Cheap and lightweight, plastic stools are almost always used to seat the guests

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At most bando banquets diners will sit at round tables, usually accommodating ten

Organizing a bando is more about efďŹ ciency and less about aesthetics

Apart from the food, many bando banquets also have entertainment such as live music

Food is carried to the tables in quick succession to create the sensation of abundance

Steaming is one of the common methods used to cook food at a bando event

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Penghu

Kuibishan

Discover the Charm of Old Villages on the Islands Kuibishan (“Moses Parts the Sea”) ( 奎壁山 [ 摩西分海 ])

The “Brilliant Stars of Kuibi” of Kuibishan in Beiliao was one of the old “Eight Sights of Penghu” in the Qing dynasty. Kuibishan is a coastal area that includes Chi Islet. When the tide is out, an S-shaped gravel path around 300-meters long is revealed looking like the biblical scene when Moses parted the Red Sea, hence the nickname. Land-tied Chi Islet can be reached by walking along this basalt gravel path. It is a fine spot to watch the sunrise or to do some stargazing. To walk this path, it’s essential to be aware of the time the tide rises and falls. When the tide is coming in, the water rises slowly but, when it reaches a certain height, it will surround the islet and submerge the gravel path. As well as knowing when the tide rises and recedes, to stay safe it’s advisable to be accompanied by a local who is familiar with the local sea characteristics. At night, visitors can take a boat out to sea off Kuibishan. Viewing the many islets and the lights of the fishing boats decorating the sea in the moonlight east of Penghu, the true meaning of “Brilliant Stars of Kuibi” can be appreciated.

Nanliao Community ( 南寮社區 )

Located on the northeast coast of Penghu’s main island, the east shore of Huxi Township has two villages. In the north is Beiliao Village, north of which is the well-known Kuibishan area. In the south is Nanliao Village. Due to its location away from the coast, Nanliao has somewhat struggled in the past. As many of the old buildings have been abandoned, the village retains more of a traditional Penghu rural atmosphere than other villages on the islands. Recently, efforts have been made to preserve this traditional appearance of the village, to revitalize the community, and to infuse new vitality by transformation. Take your time when visiting Nanliao, walk slowly past the old buildings and savor the slow pace of life common in Taiwan’s offshore islands Nanliao Community has won international honors two years in succession; it was named one of the 2018 Top 100 Green Destinations at the 2018 ITB Berlin travel fair. Success this time can be attributed to the effort of its residents who have been engaged in re-building the community. The Penghu National Scenic

Area Administration and the Huxi Township Township Office as well as various entities at central and local level have also been hard at work assisting in Penghu’s sustainable development. T he Pe n g hu C ou nt y G ov e r n m e nt believes that the successful development of villages like Nanliao will allow Penghu to move even further onto the international stage and introduce the islands to more p e ople over s e a s , a nd at t r a c t i n g more visitors to this beautiful archipelago. More communities are encouraged to join in and to develop the local environment and overall improve Penghu into an excellent place to travel. The county government will also, with regards to the results of Nanliao Community’s traditional culture preservation a nd communit y build ing, en ha nce cooperation and strengthen promotion, developing distinctive tours that introduce visitors in creative ways to traditional villages, including tours during the winter season and with fun elements such as cosplay.

Advertisement by the Penghu County Government

Shanshui Beach ( 山水沙灘 )

White-sand Shanshui Beach stretches for over 200 meters. The expansive views, with endless blue and white, will lift your spirits. Due to the beautiful golden color of the sand, one of Penghu’s abundant natural resources, the beach is also known as “Golden Beach.” At the fringe of this scenic golden beach you will see large patches of Seahorse Vine Morning Glory. Playing on the beach you will also see how the crystal-clear water off Shanshui Beach shimmers, reflecting the sun’s rays. Shanshui Beach is one of the most popular must-visit tourist attractions in Penghu.

Duxingshi Village Cultural Park Shanshui Beach

( 篤行十村文化園區 )

Du x ingshi Villa ge is a historic milita r y dependents’ village that spans the Japanese Colonial Period and the “Chinese” period after 1949. The oldest military dependents’ village in Taiwan, it was once home to quite a few famous people, including the late Pan Yubang, who sang the song “Grandma’s Penghu Bay,” which was popular on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and singer/songwriter/producer Chang Yu-sheng (Tom Chang). Both grew up in Penghu.

Duxingshi Village

Cactus Ice

First Fishing Harbor Marina

Cactus Ice ( 仙人掌冰 )

The cactus ice and juice made by the locals from the local wild cacti are very popular with visitors; food processing business have also turned cactus into novel jelly, jam, cactus wine, and other products.

Juguang New Village ( 莒光新村 )

Besotted by the tranquility and slow-pace of life in this old settlement, many visitors take away fond memories of Juguang New Village. The wooden-pillar and bluestone-tile buildings exude an old-time feel and bear the marks of the vicissitudes of time, of dusk falling over the dazzling Rainbow Bridge and of being caressed by the east wind in the evening.

First Fishing Harbor Marina ( 第一漁港遊艇碼頭 )

Walk along a wooden-plank trail and enjoy the night scene in a leisurely way. Illuminated by lights in the evening the marina has unique appeal and charm. During the Penghu Yacht Life Festival every June, the local yacht club leads a fleet of boats on various leisurely cruises around Penghu. Vendors selling distinctive products gather in the area around the marina and an oceanthemed cultural and creative products market is held. Visitors have a chance to go on fun yacht trips and everyone from around the world who loves marine recreation is invited to visit Penghu. Nanliao

Penghu Tour Website http://tour.penghu.gov.tw/en/index.aspx

SCENIC ROU TE S / CHI AY I/ TA IN A N

Mud Smearin' and Flower Gazin' Fun A Day in Scenic Southwest Taiwan

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SCENIC ROU TE S / CHI AY I/ TA IN A N

Chiayi

Tainan

TE X T STE V E N CROOK PHOTOS CHE N CHE NG - KUO

The Chianan (Jianan) Plain in southwest Taiwan is one of the island’s key agricultural regions. So named because it is divided between Chiayi County, Chiayi City, and Tainan City, the plain is dotted with small towns, between which there are fields of rice, corn, pineapples, and other crops. About 30km from the coast, the flat, farmer-friendly land begins to morph into hills, and it was to this appealing corner of the country that Travel in Taiwan recently ventured.

ur route from Chiayi City to the hotspring resort of Guanziling was far from direct – there were half a dozen scenic spots we wanted to take in – yet the total distance was barely 50km. In other words, self-driving tourists following in our footsteps won’t have to spend valuable sightseeing time behind the wheel. Those getting around on a rented scooter needn’t wear themselves out, and cyclists able to tackle gradients can do it in a single day. Linchupi Kapok Tree Road in Baihe Township

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SCENIC ROU TE S / CHI AY I/ TA IN A N

Showa J18

Chiayi City With a population of 270,000, Chiayi City is too small to have a metro system. What’s more, the local bus network isn’t very comprehensive, so visitors tend to get around on foot, by taxi, or by bicycle. Some local hotels provide bikes for guests to use. Our first destination was the best known of Chiayi’s three botanical gardens. What’s variously called the Chiayi Botanical Garden, Shanziding Botanical Garden, or Chiayi Arboretum, located about 3km east of the Chiayi Railway Station, has been a research center since its establishment in 1908. Along with the adjacent Chiayi Park – of which more in a moment – it forms the city’s largest “lung.” Some people come here to jog, others to let their children or pets blow off some steam. If you’re at all green-fingered, you’ll enjoy identifying the various mahogany, sandalwood, and rubber trees, all of which are labeled in English as well as Chinese. In addition to being a fine place for a picnic, Chiayi Park contains two very different structures of interest. The SunShooting Tower (open 9am to 5pm, Wednesday to Friday; until 9pm on Saturday and Sunday), is the tallest building on this side of the city. If the sky is clear, it’s worth buying a ticket (NT$50) to the observatory on the tenth floor so you can gaze westward across the city and inland toward the two reservoirs that were also on our “to do” list. Facing time constraints on this busy travel day, rather than head up to the tower’s top, we walked over to a sublime single-story building less than 100m away. During the 1895~1945 period of Japanese colonial rule, Chiayi Park was the location of a major Shinto shrine. Much of the shrine complex was demolished after World War II, but the building, now called Showa J18 (open 8am to 5pm, Tues.

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to Thurs. and Sun.; until 8pm on Fri. and Sat.), was pressed into service as a storeroom, an office, and then a museum. Its current name is a reference to the year it was built – the 18th year of the reign of Japanese Emperor Showa, 1943. Showa J18 houses a very pleasant café, and several rooms have displays about the building’s history. Admission is NT$50 per person, but this can be redeemed against purchases, so buy a coffee and study this heritage gem carefully. It’s absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. Next, we drove east on County Highway 159A to the Lantan Reservoir. “Lantan” can be translated as “Orchid Lake,” but you’re unlikely to see any orchids around here. The name actually alludes to a legend that the reservoir was created by the Dutch back in the 17th century when they controlled Tainan and its hinterlands for a few decades (the “Lan” in the name is the second character of the Chinese name for Holland). A favorite spot for taking photos is Rippling Moonlit Talk, an imposing piece of public art near the reservoir’s southernmost point. To create it, artist Wang Wen-chi shaped, twisted, and combined countless pieces of aluminum. From one angle it will have you thinking of a cocoon. From another, you’ll be reminded of a magical forest. You can come here at any time of day or night (when it’s colorfully illuminated). The Renyitan Reservoir is both larger and newer than the Lantan Reservoir. Work began on the dam in 1980, and the project was completed in 1987. As with Lantan, it’s possible to drive almost the entire way around it if you want to search for the best possible views. Alternatively, do as we did: park at the western end of the dam and go for a stroll to enjoy the scenery from there.

SCENIC ROU TE S / CHI AY I/ TA IN A N

Houbi and Baihe Immediately south of Chiayi County, delightful rural settlements pepper the Tainan City districts of Houbi and Baihe. One of the best known is Tugou, where art students and local activists have energized an agricultural community in seemingly terminal decline. Over the past decade and a half, they’ve succeeded in transforming the village into a vibrant community that draws visitors with captivating works of art set amid rural splendor. On Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays, Tugou can be reached from the Xinying Railway Station, Houbi Railway Station, or central Baihe by taking the Yellow 6-1 bus. There are eight services per day in either direction.

Tugou Village

The same bus route will get you very close to another of the area’s attractions. The ideal time of year to visit the Linchupi Kapok Tree Road is mid-February to mid-March, when the neighborhood’s straight-trunked Bombax ceiba (red silk-cotton) trees explode with flowers. In addition to the orange-red canopy crowning the trees, the ground becomes littered with large five-petal flowers. There’s no reason not to pick up a few of these if you’re so moved, perhaps to decorate your hotel or homestay room for a day or two.

Lotus ﬂower ﬁeld in Baihe

Rural Taiwan has every conceivable shade of green, and the cherry and peach blossoms that enliven numerous hillcountry locations add pink and white to the palette. But few places on the island offer such vivid and fiery colors as Linchupi, so it’s no wonder people come here in the thousands. If you’re driving or riding, look for Tainan Road 90 and keep going until you reach the kilometer mark that reads “4” (a white number on green background, below the road number). At peak times traffic controls are imposed; visitors are encouraged to park in designated lots, then walk a short distance. If you arrive in this part of Tainan a few months too late for the springtime

Rippling Moonlit Talk

kapok-tree f lora l bloom, your next option is enjoyment of Baihe’s other floral attraction. The district is famous for its lotus ponds, and the delicate pink flowers of these aquatic plants are the center of attention throughout the summer. Like agriculturalists the world over, the farmers of Baihe are practical folks who wouldn’t think of cultivating lotuses for aesthetic reasons alone. If you explore the local Taiwan cuisine, you’ll discover why the Indian lotus has become a crop of significance hereabouts. Sliced lotus roots are sometimes served in salads, and they are also sometimes stir-fried or pickled. Oven-baked lotus-root chips are said to be healthier than potato chips. Lotus seeds are also edible.

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SCENIC ROU TE S / CHI AY I/ TA IN A N

Guanziling Driving from Baihe’s ponds to Guanziling takes a mere 20 minutes or so. This village, part of Baihe District, is around 270m above sea level. It is one of Taiwan’s oldest hot-spring hotspots. People started coming here to soak when the hot spring was developed as a health resort by the Japanese in 1902, and they continue to arrive in large numbers, especially during the cooler months. Other resorts may have swankier hotels, or a greater range of eating options, but Guanziling is almost unique in having famously muddy alkaline sodium bicarbonate water. The mud particles are very fine, so they don’t rub like beach sand. They’re also believed to confer a variety of health and beauty benefits on those who linger awhile in the grey water and – this is important – don’t wash off the silt as soon as they emerge from the baths. Getting a tan is easy in Taiwan’s sunny south, and some people think that having one implies you labor outdoors. Consequently, many Taiwanese aspire to a pale complexion. During your stay, you’ll see a constant stream of ladies who think the minerals in the Guanziling mud can whiten skin going all out with the silt. If you’d like to smear yourself with natural sludge, but don’t plan to stay overnight, head to a local inn equipped with a public pool, such as the 79-room Toong Mao Resort Hotel. Toong Mao has both indoor pools (one for each gender; swimsuits must not be worn) and outdoor bathing facilities (swimsuits required). At both, you’ll find wooden pails of hotspring mud by the pools, so you can cake yourself so thoroughly you’ll look like a swamp monster!

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

GETTING THERE If Guanziling is your main objective, there's no need to rent a vehicle. From central Baihe, the Yellow 12 and Yellow 13 buses make a total of 17 runs to Guanziling per day. Other publictransportation options for tourists include the bus no. 7214 service from Chiayi Railway Station via central Baihe (11 departures per day) and Tourist Shuttle 33 (four per day; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays only). The latter takes a circuitous but useful route from Xinying Bus Station to Guanziling, stopping at THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) Chiayi Station, the National Palace Museum Southern Branch (south.npm.gov.tw ), and Houbi Railway Station (considered one of Taiwan's finest surviving colonial-era station buildings), as well as central Baihe.

Toong Mao Resort Hotel

3 Chiayi Botanical Garden Showa J18 Sun-Shooting Chiayi Park Tower

159

Lantan Reservoir

Chiayi

Rippling Moonlit Talk

159甲

Renyitan Reservoir

Taiwan

165 163 168

Lotus Flower Park Tugou Village

Linchupi Kapok Tree Road

Tainan

172

Guanziling Hot Springs

165

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175

ENGLISH AND CHINESE Baihe 白河 Chianan Plain 嘉南平原 Chiayi Arboretum 嘉義樹木園 Chiayi Botanical Garden 林業試驗所嘉義樹木園 Chiayi Park 嘉義公園 Guanziling 關子嶺 Houbi 後壁 Lantan Reservoir 蘭潭水庫 Linchupi Kapok Tree Road 林初埤木棉花道 Renyitan Reservoir 仁義潭水庫 Rippling Moonlit Talk 蘭潭月影潭心 Shanziding Botanical Garden 山仔頂植物園 Showa J18 昭和 J 十八 Sun-Shooting Tower 嘉義公園射日塔 Tugou 土溝 Wang Wen-chi 王文志

SM A R T TR AV EL

Taiwan FunPack App TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

A Helpful Translation and Concierge Service on Your Mobile Device

ver dreamed of getting personal travel and language assistance from knowledgeable tourism-office staff without having to actually search out a visitor center or info booth? Ever run into communication problems caused by a language barrier abroad, and needed someone to help you with on-the-spot translations? Ever been lost in a foreign city with no one around who could give you directions? Now, when traveling in Taiwan, there is no more need to worry about these or a variety of other similar types of situations. All you need to do is download the Taiwan FunPack app to your mobile device and purchase a 4G Pre-paid Card. Do so and help will be in the palm of your hand in an instant! The card (issued by Chunghwa Telecom in cooperation with the Taiwan Tourism Bureau) can be purchased at the four major airports and many tourist sites in Taiwan. Priced at NT$699, it is valid for 120 hours (5 days), and includes a data plan, WiFi, and phone call functionality (NT$50 credit for voice calls), as well as instant interpreter and travel-concierge services. Assistance and translation services are available in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean daily between 9 am and 9 pm (Taipei time). The scope of information that can be provided is limited to matters concerning local travel, including directions, travel planning, booking of hotels and restaurants, tips on things to do in a certain location, and how to get help in case of an emergency. Likewise, the translation help that can be provided is limited to local travel-related matters. Users are advised that the app operator reserves the right to refuse the provision of services if requests are unreasonable, or go beyond the scope of services outlined in the service conditions. For more information, visit the website tourtalk.me/taiwanfunpack.

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i Penghu~Magong Smart Business District O2O (Online To Offline)

About Penghu Penghu, Taiwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only island county, consists of 90 islands spread out in the Taiwan Strait over an area of 60-plus kilometers north to south and 40-plus east to west. The cluster of islands form an inner sea that is surrounded by wide open sea. Penghu possesses a world-class landscape and cultural heritage ďź? from the widespread columnar basalt to the Tianhou (Queen of Heaven) Temple and countless sights beyond, this is a place of integrated m a r i ne lei s u re , s hoppi n g a nd si g ht s e ei n g , waterfront markets, and rich historical ambience. With its deep bounty of historical, cultural, a nd natura l resources, Penghu ha s not only become a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) club, it has also leapt onto the international stage. In recent years, with the goal of helping travelers to explore the local culture in depth, the Penghu County Government has been encouraging young people to engage in innovation and entrepreneurial ventures, and new technologies have been introduced such as mobile payments, augmented reality (AR), APP downloads, etc. This has made traveling in Penghu easier, more convenient, and more fun than ever before!

AR Smart Poster Use one of the two QR codes on the far right to download the "Playing Penghu" app (currently only available in Chinese), then navigate the home page to check information on Magong business district shops and eateries, nearby attractions, service facilities, and events. It is fast and convenient!

Penghu County Government Advertisement

Using New Technology to Make Travel More Convenient To satisfy all the needs related to different travel styles, from cycling to driving tours and from backpacker DIY to in-depth DIY touring, travelers in Penghu visiting Magong can download the “Playing Penghu” APP to find information on tourist attractions, locator maps, and planning travel routes. This “mobile platform” was built on the needs of the user, providing the latest information on sightseeing events and activities in the Magong business district, enabling visitors to use their smartphones or handheld devices as handy tools to master Penghu’s unique local customs and colorful activities. The GPS location of a visitor can be used to search for information on nearby businesses, and to get merchant coupons, discount coupons, and other promotional information. Using mobile payment, a super-fast and convenient consumer experience can be enjoyed at over 100 specially selected enterprises in the business district. T he Pen g hu C ou nt y G over n ment h a s developed the “Penghu Adventure GO” AR game

and AR scratch-and-win lottery sheet, which feature the unique character elements that make up the local commercial district. To play, use the mobile AR technology to interact with the game characters relating to Penghu’s sightseeing attractions, or to take photos. The AR game map is a conversion of the Google map of Penghu done in the Pokemon GO st yle, with the addition of 3D models of important architectural works and AR characters. After completing set-up tasks such as check-in, 2D barcode, and social media sharing, not only can you begin collecting exciting travel memories, you can also collect points by handling a series of tasks, with entry in a lucky draw offering great gifts. In addition to satisfying all your eat, drink, and play needs, you can also join local special-experience activities and buy specialty gifts to bring back home for friends and family!

A Local Tour Starting from the “Magong Walled City” In the Qing Dynasty Magong was called “Magong Cheng,” or the “Magong Walled City.” It has always been Penghu’s political and economic center. The narrow old roads around the Tianhou Temple have developed into today’s key central-area old streets. In the past, this was Penghu’s busiest neighborhood, over the many years accumulating deep historical and cultural riches. It is the first must-visit attraction that travelers explore when they come to Penghu. Strolling through the center of town, all along the old streets and down the side lanes and alleys are businesses selling all kinds of items and experiences, from specialty goods to souvenirs, local foods to DIY experiences. Try some iconic cactus ice, make your own one-of-a-kind DIY seashell photo frame, sit down at a café for views of the sea when you need a break from your walkabout, or buy a signature snack treat for a breezy stroll along the seawall. These are some of the best travel modes to immerse yourself in local customs.

Choose some unique Penghu jade coral and wind some steel wire to create your desired shape, crafting your own personalized, oneof-a-kind work of gemstone jewelry.

The board game “Fishing Ground Battles” offers a quick way to learn about Penghu, presenting many different types of commercial and conser vation fish commonly seen in Penghu and combining the concept of fishing rights with a fish-catching game!

Shells are gifts from the sea, symbolizing wealth and happiness. Craft your own “Creative Shell Photo Frame,” to bring the happiness home!

Take a trip on a pirate ship, and even if you can’t swim take a walk on the sea bottom to feed the fish, meeting them face to face. So exciting!

Use Penghu seaweed-dye buttercream to decorate the top of a cupcake, creating your own unique-design plump little cake treasure, both tasty and fun!

The floating ball is a sea float b r o u g h t b y P e n g h u ’s s e a s o n a l northeasterly winds. Local residents use these to make vessels for potted p la nt s , o r p aint th e m f o r u s e a s ornaments. Remaking waste items into useful items is both a valuable environmental concept and attractive form of artistic expression. Aren’t seafloat potted plants the cutest thing?

i Penghu~Magong Smart Business District O2O website

“Playing Penghu”app iOS

“Playing Penghu”app Android

Supervisory Organization: Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs

Organizer: Penghu County Government

H A R BOR S A N D BE YON D / K AOHSIUNG

Kaohsiung Harbor

Scenery, History, and Gorgeous Sunsets TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION

Fourteen cruise liners are scheduled for stops at Kaohsiung Harbor in 2019, including the MS Europa 2, one of the highest-rated cruise ships in the world. Following is a quick look at what the passengers on these vessels (and travelers arriving by other means of transport) can take in on a quick visit to southern Taiwan’s big harbor city.

here are two entrances for ships coming in to Kaohsiung Harbor, one at the north end of narrow Qijin Island, the natural barrier that sits between the Taiwan Strait and the mainland, with the harbor in the narrow waters in between, and the other at the south end of the island. Most cruise ships dock at Pier 9, near the north end on the mainland side. From there, passengers headed ashore have convenient and immediate access to many of the tourist attractions for which the city is well known. Among these are various sites in Gushan District’s Hamasen area, including the Banana Pier and The Pier-2 Art Center. Those who want to use Kaohsiung’s light rail/subway system to explore the city further afield can reach the LRT Penglai Pier-2 stop from their cruise ship on foot in less than 15 minutes.

Banana Pier, Warehouse No. 2, The Pier-2 Art Center From the cruise-ship pier (No. 9), it’s just a short walk along the harborfront to the Banana Pier (Pier No. 2), a location where you can find good examples of how Kaohsiung has been gradually transitioning in recent times from an industrial city with a predominantly blue-collar character to a colorful modern metropolis that nurtures cultural and recreational pursuits. One of the former warehouses on the pier, easy to recognize because of its bright banana-yellow color, is home to the cruise-ship terminal and shops selling Kaohsiung-themed souvenirs. Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 next door, which opened last year, attracts local and international visitors with a food court and a market area where vendors sell a wide variety of cultural-creative items and snacks. From Banana Pier it’s just a short walk to The Pier-2 Art Center, a well-established cultural hotspot known especially for installation art, murals, and fashionable eateries. 50

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Qijin Island To get to Qijin Island, most commuters and tourists take the ferry from the Gushan Ferry Pier (takes about five minutes and costs NT$40 one way). To get there from the Banana Pier, walk for about a kilometer west along the harbor following Jiexing 1st Street and then Binhai 1st Road (connected to each other by a narrow alley). On weekends, however, you can also take a ferry directly from the Banana Pier (departures every half hour; NT$40 one way; info about Kaohsiung ferry services: kcs.kcg.gov.tw). After arriving at Qijin Island, make sure to do the following: walk up to the Qihou Lighthouse and the Qihou Battery; check out the Tianhou Temple and Qijin Old Street; rent a bicycle or electric quadricycle and explore the island’s sea-facing side (part of which is Qijin Seaside Park). If time allows, take in one of the gorgeous sunsets Qijin is famous for while relaxing on the island’s dark-sand beach.

to Lotus Pond

Kaohsiung Railway Station

Shoushan

Martyrs’ Shrine The British Consulate at Takow Qihou Lighthouse ENGLISH AND CHINESE Qihou Battery 85 Sky Tower 高雄 85 大樓 Banana Pier 香蕉碼頭 Dream Mall 統一夢時代購物中心 Hamasen 濱線 Kaohsiung Martyrs' Shrine 高雄市忠烈祠 Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 棧貳庫 Liuhe Night Market 六合夜市 Lotus Pond 蓮池潭 Love River 愛河 Qihou Lighthouse 旗後燈塔 Qihou Battery 旗后砲台 Qijin Island 旗津島 Qijin Old Street 旗津老街 Shoushan Lover's Observatory 壽山情人觀景 Taroko Park 大魯閣草衙道 The British Consulate at Takow 打狗英國領事館 The Pier-2 Art Center 駁二特區 Tianhou Temple 天后宮

Liuhe Night Market

Shoushan Lover’s Observatory

Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT)

The Pier-2 Art Center Banana Pier

Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2

Love River

Kaohsiung Light Rail System (LRT)

Tianhou Temple Qijin Old Street

85 Sky Tower

to Taroko Park

Qijin Island

Dream Mall

British Consulate, LOVE Sign

Riding the Light Rail and Subway

From Qijin Island, take the Gushan ferry back to the mainland and from the ferry pier head north. Cross the pedestrian bridge across narrow Gushan Fishing Harbor and then turn left and follow Shaochuan Street until you come to the entrance to The British Consulate at Takow (britishconsulate.khcc.gov.tw). This is a fine historic site with a history-exhibit hall, café/restaurant, and excellent views of Kaohsiung Harbor and Qijin Island. Another popular location for enjoying views of the city from an elevated point and taking photos is the Shoushan Lover’s Observatory. The LOVE sign there (a large sculpture in the shape of the word “LOVE”) is especially pretty when illuminated in the evening. The observatory is located on low-elevation Shoushan (“Longevity Mountain”) close to the Kaohsiung Martyrs’ Shrine; the easiest way to get there is to take a taxi.

If you want to explore attractions of the city further away from the harbor area, consider taking the Kaohsiung light rail (LRT) and subway (KMRT) lines. The best-known sights in Kaohsiung are the Love River (boat trips available during the day and evening), the 85 Sky Tower (the city’s easy-to-spot architectural landmark), the Dream Mall (www.dream-mall.com.tw; a large shopping mall with a giant Ferris wheel), Taroko Park (www.tarokopark.com.tw; a shopping and amusement complex with a large go-cart race track), Lotus Pond (known for its colorful Dragon and Tiger Pagodas), and Liuhe Night Market (the city’s best-known place for snackfood indulgence). Taking the above- and below-ground lines is convenient and cheap. You can buy single tickets for each journey or purchase a stored-value card (iPASS, EasyCard). For more information, visit www.krtco.com.tw. TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

SM A LL-TOW N CH A R M / TAOY UA N/HSINCHU

The Taiwan Small-Town Ramble Small and “Slow” Towns in Taoyuan and Hsinchu TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE

PHOTOS V I S ION

Come with us for a little quality time in selected Taiwan Small-Town Ramble tourist-popular destinations in the island’s northwest.

or the foreigner looking in at Taiwan with the thought of travel here, the general impression is quite likely of busy cities and a coterie of iconic natural attractions of international repute such as the deep, marble-veined Taroko Gorge and the highmountain, mist-streaked Alishan National Scenic Area. Yet for travelers who have spent significant time in Taiwan, and expatriates who have lived here for awhile, something additional is seen. These individuals also come to see this as a land of eclectic small towns, not of cities. And as with locals, a cherished weekend/holiday pursuit is a quick getaway to a town of unique personality, with destinations selected much as you decide on a tasty dish from a restaurant menu. T h e Ta i w a n To u r i s m B u r e a u i s h a p p i l y lauding this magical small-town world with a fullyear tourism-promotion celebration dubbed the 2019 Taiwan Small Town R amble ( feversocial . com/2019town/Home-6459; Chinese). The goal is the creation of a clear “local town” tourism brand for Taiwan by showcasing the rich and diverse cultural landscapes, ecological landscapes, and recreational resources of specially-selected towns. These include “classic towns of various counties and cities in Taiwan, as well as theme towns recommended by various ministries in Taiwan, such as Hakka towns, indigenous triba l villages, and towns certif ied as slow-paced cities by Cittaslow International.” Significant weighting in the destination selection was given to online public polling. Through the coming pages we catwalk three destinations picked from the Taoyuan/Hsinchu region in Ta iwa n’s hilly northwest. Note that the definition of “town” is expansive. Some are administratively independent towns, some are former towns now absorbed as districts in cities, and some are neighborhoods or “old streets” long part of a larger town or city district. 52

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Daxi Old Street

SM A LL-TOW N CH A R M / TAOY UA N/HSINCHU

Daxi, Taoyuan City

Old Riverside Trading Town, a Generalissimo’s Resting Place, Tea Factory, and Mountain-Backed Reservoir Recreation

Daxi is a rural town within sprawling Taoyuan City, incorporated when the city absorbed Taoyuan County in 2014. Together with the surrounding Daxi Township, it is today part of what is officially called the Daxi District. The town arose as a riverport centuries ago, its goods reaching markets as far away as mainland China. Its original main street, Daxi Old Street (Heping Street), is located on a plateau overlooking the Dahan River. During the 1895~1945 Japanese colonial era, following the example of Japanese trading merchants, the shophouses lining this street were beautified with intricate façades in neo-Baroque style, with traditional south Fujianese decorative elements added. Look for the auspicious carvings of birds, bats, etc. Many of the buildings have been restored to their original glory, and today many house tourist-oriented enterprises, notably eateries. Daxi is renowned for its specialty dried beancurd, called “black dried beancurd,” which is firmer than the regular variety. Among the various Daxi attractions outside the town is Cihu, site of the Cihu Mausoleum and Cihu Sculpture Memorial Park. This is where Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek lays at rest. The area, like numerous others around Taiwan, reminded him of his hilly hometown area in mainland China, and here as elsewhere he appropriated land and built a villa, said villa now his mausoleum. A key Cihu tourist draw is the changing-of-the-guard ceremony carried out at regular intervals each day. In the streamside park visitors stroll amongst hundreds of busts and fullsized statues of Chiang Kai-shek (and a few of Dr. Sun Yat-sen) that once adorned public sites all around Taiwan.

Daxi Old Street

Cihu Sculpture Memorial Park

Shimen Reservoir

Daxi Tea Factory

The Daxi Tea Factory (www.daxitea.com), a calm tea-plantation oasis encompassing an attractive retail/ production center surrounded by neat lines of hillside tea bushes, was established in 1926. The original complex of buildings was largely devastated by fire in 1956, but in a fortuitous turn of events Chiang Ka-shek soon thereafter passed by on his way to another of his villa complexes and decided to issue a decree ordering its rebuilding. Visitors will especia lly enjoy the award-winning restoration of an original 1925 warehouse, in which the tea factory’s museum is located, original machinery and other equipment is on display, and visitors are taught all about tea cultivation and processing. The Shimen Reservoir is on the Dahan River’s upper reaches a few kilometers above Daxi town. The Dahan is the main source of the Tamsui River, which flows north past Taipei and out to sea. The reservoir lies behind a tall dam – the Shimen (“Stone Gate”) Dam, completed in 1964 with American aid – built at the mouth of a long, narrow gorge that is now mostly water-filled. The area is rugged and dramatically scenic. Visitors come to the dam area for lake cruises, ecotours (with Chinese-language guide) that launch from the visitor center, walks along the reservoir, hikes in the nearby mountains, bicycling (rentals available), and meals at waterside eateries featuring reservoir fish cooked in multiple ways, notably the large deepwater carp. In spring, peach blossoms, cherry blossoms, and azaleas compete in a florid beauty contest, and in autumn maples planted to prevent erosion turn golden. TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

SM A LL-TOW N CH A R M / TAOY UA N/HSINCHU

Guanxi, Hsinchu County

Hakka Traditions and Family-Friendly Theme Parks

Guanxi is a Hakka town in the hills east of coastal Hsinchu City. The Hakka, a Han Chinese subgroup, constitute between 15 and 20 percent of Taiwan’s population. The cultural epicenter of this slowmoving, time-resistant town is Guanxi Old Street (Zhongzheng Road). This short, narrow artery is densely packed with heritage buildings, most with a walk-in commercial enterprise at street level, many targeted at the tourist trade. In recent years the oldtime businesses have been joined by an energetic group of culturalcreative ventures run by younger folk. The north section is home to many two-f loor edifices with façades done in the neo-Baroque style, a practice imported by the Japanese when they ruled Taiwan. A unique feature is the artworkadorned porcelain tiles embedded in a number of the façades, identifying each as a business or residence erected by Hakka of means. Most of the vibrant cultural-creative attractions are located on the southern section of the street, which is defined by heritage single-story Chinese-style shophouses (with a shop in front and family quarters in the back).

Say “I’m off to Guanxi today” and many Taiwan locals will think not of the town but of the Leofoo Village and/or Window On China theme parks, located close by and close together in Guanxi Township. Leofoo Village is Taiwan’s largest theme park. Sprawled over 100-plus hectares, its attractions include a waterpark, an amusement park with more than 60 rides that is divided into different themed areas (Wild West, South Pacific, Arabian Kingdom, African Safari), a safari area, and a safarithemed luxury resort. Window On China is Taiwan’s oldest theme park. As you walk the grounds you walk by its signature draw, hundreds of well-wrought large-scale miniatures of scenic landmarks from around Taiwan, mainland China, and the wide world beyond, including Taiwan’s Alishan Forest Railway, Beijing’s Forbidden City, the Acropolis, and Mount Rushmore. Kids also love the youngster-oriented rides, waterpark, games, and live entertainment.

Guanxi Old Street

Two special recommendations are Dream Theatre 52, a selfdescribed “theatre café” with a café, art gallery, and performance space (piano recitals, Chinese opera and puppetry shows, and more), and Shidianzi Ye Tea 49, where the bohemian artistowner sells self-grown/processed organic teas and self-crafted ceramic works. Old Dong’an Bridge spans the small river that wends through the town’s east side. The stone-arch architectural beauty was erected by the Japanese in 1933, replacing a wood bridge torn down just six years after birth due to severe weakening by Taiwan’s typhoons, earthquakes, and powerful humidity. The indomitable new stone bridge greatly expedited the hauling of timber and other resources out of the mountains to the east. The bridge is the visual core of peaceful Niulanhe Riverside Park, through which a steady stream of exercisers, picnicking families, and photo buffs courses. Area historical photographs are prominently displayed along the park’s walls. 54

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

Dong'an Bridge

SM A LL-TOW N CH A R M / TAOY UA N/HSINCHU

Old Hsinchu City

A Central Park, Temple, Moat, and Market Dating to Imperial Days

Hsinchu City God Temple

Pork meatballs in soup

4 31

Hsinchu Moat

The old city of Hsinchu is on the northwest coast by the Taiwan Strait. In days gone by, this was a “walled” city. The city’s Chinese characters translate as “new bamboo,” perhaps a reference to an early perimeter wall built with bamboo. This wall and a subsequent stone version stand no more, but the old walled-city core is filled with historical character, and many Qing Dynasty and Japanese-era architectural works remain. The 18ha Hsinchu Park, opened in the early 1900s, is a short walk from Hsinchu’s main railway station. Its landscaped grounds are a congenial city-center oasis of pine and cypress trees and classical Chinese-style flourishes such as pond-side pavilions. Its main attractions, however, are the Hsinchu Zoo and the Glass Museum of Hsinchu City. Glass production was long a key Hsinchu industry. The highlight exhibit in the museum building, built in 1936 and once a military police station, is the Jail of Glass, with glass walls and bars and even a glass toilet. The visually cacophonous Hsinchu City God Temple is the old core’s social and religious heart. Founded in 1748, it has been rebuilt on a grander scale many times, the last in 1924. Each urban area in old China had a City God temple. Like an oldtime mandarin official, the god watches over and records human activity in his mortal realm, ending with judgment and proclamation on each resident’s afterlife fate upon death. The steady stream of locals and tourists is thickened by the equally renowned, dense thicket of food stalls and eateries around the temple. Signature Hsinchu treats are stir-fried rice noodles and pork meatballs in soup. The Hsinchu Moat is a 600-meter-long preserved section of the moat constructed around the walled city in the 1830s. This long strip did double-duty, as it was also used as part of a transportation canal. Today transformed into a landscaped stream, it is lined with wide swathes of greenery along both sides, collectively forming a flowerfestooned riverside park. Restaurants and cafés line the outside of both sides. The renovated Dongmen (“East Gate”) Market is named for the landmark East Gate, erected in 1829 and the sole remnant of the old city-wall perimeter. Once Taiwan’s largest market, the city government is now working with private enterprises to make this a market-cum-youth hub. The Youth Base was opened on the third floor last year, enticing visitors with metalcraft works, regeneration-art creations, indigodye operations, music, dance, and other forms of cultural-creative expression.

Taoyuan

1 4

Hsinchu 1

Daxi 7

Guanxi

Hsinchu City 3

Taiwan

MORE INFORMATION For more information on the places presented above, including transportation and other practical information, there's no better "home base" startpoint than the Taiwan Tourism Bureau website, at taiwan.net.tw (Travel in Taiwan – Attractions section).

ENGLISH AND CHINESE black dried beancurd 烏 ( 黑 ) 豆干 Cihu 慈湖 Cihu Mausoleum 慈湖陵寢 Cihu Memorial Sculpture Park 慈湖紀念雕塑公園 Dajia River 大甲溪 Daxi 大溪 Daxi Old Street 大溪老街 Daxi Tea Factory 大溪茶廠 Dong'an Bridge 東安古橋 Dongmen Market 東門市場 Glass Museum of Hsinchu City 新竹市玻璃工藝博物館 Guanxi 關西 Guanxi Old Street 關西老街 Hsinchu City God Temple 新竹城隍廟 Hsinchu Park 新竹公園 Hsinchu Moat 護城河 Leofoo Village 六福村 Niulanhe Riverside Park 牛欄河親水公園 Shidianzi Ye Tea 49 石店子冶茶 49 Shimen Reservoir 石門水庫 Window On China 小人國

TR AVEL IN TAIWAN

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL

Hotels of Taiwan

Taoyuan City

Taipei City

Keelung City

it comes to accommodation. From five-star luxury

New Taipei City

Hsinchu City Hsinchu County

hotels that meet the highest international standards, to affordable business hotels, to hot-spring and beach

Yilan County

Miaoli County

resort hotels, to privately-run homestays located in the countryside there is a place to stay that satisfies every

Taichung City

traveler’s needs. What all hotels of Taiwan — small and

Central Nantou County

Yunlin County

big, expensive and affordable — have in common is that serve and hospitality are always of the highest standards.

Hualien County

The room rates in the following list have been checked

Chiayi City Chiayi County

for each hotel, but are subject to change without notice. Room rates at the hotels apply.

Tainan City Kaohsiung City

Taipei 台北

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when

North

Changhua County

慶泰大飯店

Taitung County

East

Northern Taiwan

Central Taiwan

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL

LEMIDI HOTEL CHITOU

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL TAIPEI

Pintung County

THE GRAND HOTEL K HOTEL TAIPEI CHANG-AN

South

PACIFIC BUSINESS HOTEL

No. of Rooms: 160 Room Rates: Single Room Deluxe Single Room Deluxe Triple Room Suite Room

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

6,400 7,000 9,000 12,000

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

MADISON TAIPEI HOTEL HOTEL RÊVE TAICHUNG No. 186, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City 台北市松江路 186 號 Exit 1 of MRT Xingtian Temple Station on the Luzhou Line.

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

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

GLORIA PRINCE HOTEL Taipei

THE GRAND HOTEL

華泰王子大飯店

圓山大飯店

Taipei 台北

K HOTEL - TAIPEI CHANG-AN

柯達大飯店 - 台北長安 Taipei 台北

No. of Rooms: 220

No. of Rooms: 500 (Suites: 57)

No. of Rooms: 103

Room Rates: Single / Deluxe / Executive NT$ Suite NT$

Room Rates: Single/DBL Suite

Room Rates: Standard Room Superior Double Room Superior Twin Room Deluxe Family Room K Suite

6,000- 8,500 9,500-20,000

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

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

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

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

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

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

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

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

www.galahotel.com.tw

PACIFIC BUSINESS HOTEL

Taipei 台北

太平洋商旅

No. of Rooms: 106 NT$ 5,800 NT$ 6,100 NT$ 6,300 NT$ 7,600 NT$ 10,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese sPecial featuRes: Business Center, Breakfast Hall, 24H Free Supply of Coffee, Free WI-FI, Self-help Laundry, NESPRESSO Coffee Machine

Room Rates: Boutique Business Junior Family Executive

Room Room Room Room Room

NT$ 7,600 NT$ 8,400 NT$ 9,400 NT$ 13,000 NT$ 10,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts/facilities: Ju-Yi Restaurant, Gym, Laundromat (no coins needed) and Lounge

sPecial featuRes: Free high-speed Wi-Fi, compass and praying mat, crib, luggage storage, city tourist information, business center, balcony, free parking lot, airport shuttle service (fee), meeting room & instant office (for rental)

No. 61-1, Songjiang Rd., Taipei City (Exit M4, MRT Songjian Nanjing Station; 5 min. by foot)

台北市松江路 61 -1 號 No. 369, Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 台北市林森北路3 6 9 號 Tel: +886-2-2581-8111 Fax: +886-2-2581-5811

No. 1, Chung Shan N. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei City 台北市中山北路 4 段1號 Tel: +886-2-2886-8888 Fax: +886-2-2885-2885

www.gloriahotel.com

www.grand-hotel.org

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(捷運松江南京站M4出口，步行5分鐘)

Tel: +886-2-2516-9999, 0800-020-222 Fax: +886-2-2516-8799 Email: chang-an@khotels.com.tw

www.khotels.com.tw

11F, No. 495, Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 台北市信義區光復南路 49 5 號 11樓 Tel: +886-2-8780-8000 Fax: +886-2-8780-5000 E-mail: pbc.taipei@msa.hinet.net

www.businesscenter.com.tw

MADISON TAIPEI HOTEL 慕軒飯店

Taipei 台北

HOTEL RÊVE TAICHUNG

LEMIDI HOTEL CHITOU

威汀城市酒店

溪頭米堤大飯店

Taichung 台中

No. of Rooms: 124

No. of Rooms: 125

No. of Rooms: 243

Room Rates: Classic Room Deluxe Room Oasis Room Madison Room Skyline Suite Madison Suite

Room Rates: Standard Double Room Business Double Room Family Queen Room Deluxe Family Suite Family Suite Executive Suite

Room Rates: Classic Double/Twin Room Classic Triple Room Classic Quad Room Deluxe Quad Room Media Suite Miro Suite Midi suite

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

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

NT$ 5,200 NT$ 7,000 NT$ 8,000 NT$ 9,000 NT$ 10,000 NT$ 10,000

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Chinese

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

sPecial featuRes: Workout Room, VIP Rooms, Underground Parking, Italian Restaurant, Whisky Bar

RestauRaNts: RÊVE Kitchen (6:30-10:30 Daily Breakfast)

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

Taichung 南投

Kuan Hotel

No. of Rooms: 174 NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

11,000 13,000 15,000 16,000 28,000 32,000 42,000

Room Rates:

Standard Twin Room (Twins) Mirth Triple Room (Triple) Superior Double (Twin) Room Mirth Quadruple Room

RestauRaNts: Lobby Bar, Tea House, Miller Western Restaurant, Qingyuan Chinese Restaurant sPecial featuRes: Foot Health Massage Center,SPA,Karaoke Room,Spring Water Sauna,Parent-child Play Room,Spring Water Private Baths,Fitness Center,Spring Water Swimming pool, Conference Room, Banquet Halls, Underground Car Park

NT$ NT$ NT$ NT$

6,800 7,500 7,800 8,500

NT$ NT$

8,500 8,800

NT$

10,500

NT$

12,800

( 110 x 200 x 10 cm*4)

Family Room (King Bed*2) Deluxe Quadruple Room (King Bed*2with sofa-bed)

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak: English, Japanese, Chinese

sPecial featuRes: Business Center, Conference Room, Fitness Gym, Parking Lot, Laundry, Bike Renting, Free Wifi, Personal Electronic Safety Box

Chiayi 嘉義

寬悅花園酒店

Essence Suite Room (Queen Bed*4 )

Yett Suite Room (Queen Bed*2/King Bed)

Desk PeRsoNNel sPeak:

Chinese, English, Japanese

RestauRaNts:

Vue Lobby Bar Lounge Bar, La Chine Distinctive flavor in cnventional Cantonese cuisine, La She Banquet Hall

seRvice:

Conference, Exhibition, Dining, Wake-up service, car rental, luggage storage, business center, valuables safe, Lounge, Fitness, Kid Club, Pet House

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

No. 100, Sec. 1, Minsheng Rd.,Daya Dist., Taichung City 台中市大雅區民生路1 段1 0 0 號 Tel: +886-4-2568-0558 Fax: +886-4-2567-7134 E-mail: service@reve.com.tw

No. 1, Miti St., Lugu Township, Nantou County 南投縣鹿谷鄉內湖村米堤街1號 Tel: +886-49-261-2222 Fax: +886-49-261-2000

No.69.Baoshun Rd., East Dist., Chiayi City, 600, Taiwan 嘉義市東區保順路69號 Tel: +886-5-277-8666 E-mail: info@kuanhotel.com.tw

www.madisontaipei.com

www.hotel-reve.com.tw

www.lemidi-hotel.com.tw

www.kuanhotel.com.tw

NT$1,300 NT$1,500

NT$1,500

3-Day Southern Taiwan Tour

NT$1,500

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

NT$4,200 NT$1,200

NT$1,500

NT$1,300

台北市松江路 190 號 4F

4-Day Central & Southern Taiwan Tour

NT$1,500

NT$1,300

NT$14,500

(Stay at Sun Moon Lake)

(Stay at QingJing)

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

4-Day Eastern Taiwan Tour NT$6,600

NT$6,900

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

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

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

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

NT$ 14,000

NT$ 15,500

NT$ 16,900 本廣告受交通部觀光局補助

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