Tatajia and Yushan Front Peak

Taiwan’s Yushan National Park is a place of immense beauty. With panoramic views, inter-lapping mountains, and deep, plunging valleys, Yushan must have the most stunning mountain scenery anywhere in Taiwan. Seas of dense, billowing clouds often fill the valleys, giving you the impression that you’re standing on top of the world. Jade Mountain itself, or Yushan as it’s known locally, stands at over 3500m and provides the perfect centerpiece for the area.


One of the best things about the Park is the dramatic change it undergoes with each passing season. I have been there four or five times, and have seen something different with every visit. Spring is a burst of color as flowers everywhere come into bloom; green fills the landscape in summer and fall when the plants and trees are at their fullest: during winter, much of the plant life dies away and the views are a lot more clean and crisp, you should even see snow on the top of Yushan.

Then there’s the sky. You could lose yourself in the skies above Yushan. Blues of the very deepest and richest shades fill them during the daytime. At sunset, sharp reds give way to a subtle purple that gently blankets the entire landscape. In the black of nighttime, the stars are so bright, so clear, and seem so close that you’d swear you could reach out and touch them; and finally, sunrise. At its best, the morning sky is filled with the most dazzling display of colors that you will have ever seen. From a brilliant red at the horizon, through oranges and yellows, to greens and on to ever deeper and darker shades of purple and violet; you cannot come here and fail to be entranced.

To climb Yushan Front Peak, you’ll have to first go to Tatajia. To get there, follow the No. 18 road to Alishan, but then drive about 25 kilometers past that town. Serving as a home base for most people’s attempts on Yushan’s Main Peak, Tatajia must also rank as one of Taiwan’s best hiking destinations in its own right.

You should start your walk early, the weather’s better, the air is clearer, and it’ll give you more time to complete your hike. If you want to stay the night in Tatajia, there is a small hostel you could stay in. Separate male and female dorms, and a bucket of cold water for a shower though, make for very simple accommodation and it’s little wonder that most people just pitch a tent in the parking lot by the side of the road.

From Tatajia it’s a short and very pleasant walk to the gate of Yushan National Park. To keep going past this point you will need a permit, for information on how to get one, go to http://www.ysnp.gov.tw/ After the gate, its just 3.5km to the top, but don’t let that modest distance fool you, this isn’t an easy walk. For nearly a kilometer, the path takes you up an extremely steep slope, covered with loose and angular rocks. However experienced a hiker you are, you’ll be glad to reach the top.

Yushan Front Peak is a small but intriguing hike set in one of Taiwan’s most beautiful areas. Suitable for both experienced walkers and complete beginners, you should definitely give it a go. Keep one eye on the weather when you plan your trip though. While many scenic spots need the right conditions to set off their beauty, Yushan’s charms can be stripped away almost entirely in murky, cloudy weather. So avoid those times, come when it’s sunny and you will be treated to some of the finest views you’re ever likely to see.

Wu Feng Temple and Park in Jhongpu, Chiayi County

In modern day Taiwan, Wu Feng is a controversial figure, many say that his life story has been exaggerated and manipulated, and others believe that he never even existed. In Jhongpu however, (a quiet little town just a few minutes outside Chiayi on the No. 18 road) you will still find a couple of interesting sites built in his commemoration.

The story runs that Wu Feng was born in China in 1699, and settled in Chu-lo Hsien, the site of present day Chiayi City. An intelligent and kind young man, he learned the aboriginal languages and set about resolving disputes between them and the Chinese plainsmen. He proved himself to be both fair and incorruptible, and won the respect and affection of the two rival groups of people. During his time as a government official, he stood up for the aborigines against the plainsmen who tried to cheat and bully them out of land and money. He also vowed to abolish the aboriginal custom of human sacrifice, a feat he eventually achieved, but only at the expense of his own life.

To appease their gods and stop the spread of an infectious disease that was killing many of their people, the aborigines vowed to sacrifice the plainsmen. Wu Feng told them he would let them kill one plainsman, a man dressed all in red who would come to them at noon. When the man came, they immediately set upon and killed him. After striking him down, they realized that the man was none other than Wu Feng. So appalled were they by what they had done, that they vowed to end their practice of human sacrifice.

When the Kuomintang's ruled Taiwan by martial law, this story was required reading for all Taiwanese schoolchildren. When martial law was lifted in 1987 however, aborigines protested at the way they were portrayed in the story. It was also felt that the whole saga was fabricated by the KMT to give the impression that the Chinese in Taiwan were necessary, civilising influences.

Wu Feng Temple is a 3rd class historical site, and houses a permanent exhibition which honors the traditional legend. Apart from retelling the old story, the modest exhibition also contains statues, paintings, documents and artifacts. It represents a small but interesting window on Taiwanese history; and wherever you stand on the issue, the very nature of this controversy should be a lesson on Taiwan's turbulent past.

The gate to Wu Feng Temple

The front and rear shrines at Wu Feng Temple

About 15 minutes down the road from the Wu Feng Temple, is Wu Feng Park. The less imposing of the two places, Wu Feng Park is also my favorite. Its low, red-clay walls that enclose and divide the site have huge character. One of the best things about them is that, while they separate the different areas of the park, they don’t close anything off. Their many octagonal, circular, and jar-shaped openings, windows, and doorways see to that, and also provide many intriguing multi-layered views through several of the parks’ enclosures. Walking round the outside of the park, you really feel that you’re stepping back through time into 18th century Taiwan.




Wu Feng Park is the now the headquarters of the Alishan National Scenic Area. In keeping with this, the central courtyard is devoted to an exhibition which shows Alishan’s past, present, and its proposed future developments. Fittingly, there is a large display showing off the history and modern crafts of the region’s Tsou aboriginal tribe.

A large wooden penis, um..?

Both the Temple and the Park have peaceful and relaxing grounds where you can easily wile away an hour or two with a good book or newspaper. So if you’re in the area, or just passing by,
why not stop off and have a look around.

Chung Cheng University

At the heart of Chung Cheng University’s 中正大學 leafy 132 hectare campus, is a large and picturesque lake. The walking path around its perimeter is really very pretty and boasts a rich variety of plants and trees. With vivid greens, coppery reds and oranges, pinks, and yellows, the leaves and flowers around the lake fill the route with life and color. A rare species of black swan grace the lake’s surface. They glide elegantly across the water while the more rowdy ducks noisily squabble with each other.





The university campus is very easy to get around, well signposted in both English and Chinese, you’d have a hard job getting lost; the sidewalks are broad and plentiful, and the roads are quiet, as motorbikes and scooters are not allowed on campus.



As you make your way around, a few things will quickly become obvious, firstly that this is a friendly and inviting place. There are large courtyards and open spaces where groups of students meet to play games or practice their dance moves, activities that stand in stark and favorable contrast to the main pastime of heavy drinking that English students engage in. For something a little quieter, many of roads are lined with benches where you can sit and talk with a friend, or just watch the world go by.



Then there are the trees, they’re everywhere. Chung Cheng has an around 200000 of them in a huge number of different species. To add to the “green” feeling of the site there are also some large grassy fields, and well maintained gardens.



Finally, there are the buildings. While not beautiful, not by any conventional sense of the word anyway, they are most certainly imposing. Rising out of the ground in various shades of orange and gray, they dominate the skyline and command your attention, none more so than the centrally located administration building. With its gothic looking twin bell towers and unusual pyramidal shape, the building’s original design makes it a real focal point for the University.



If you live in the Chiayi 嘉義 area you may want to take advantage of Chung Cheng’s excellent sports facilities. With an Olympic-size indoor swimming pool and extra outdoor pool, a golf driving range, bowling alleys, rooms for weight lifting and judo, and badminton, tennis, and volleyball courts, there should be something to satisfy anyone. You should check with the University before you go however, as students’ classes take priority over activities involving outside visitors.

There are some big changes taking place outside the campus as well. When I moved to the nearby town of Minshiong 民雄 about 3 years ago, the area next to the University had a few dirty looking shops and fried rice stores, and not much else. You could hardly say that now though. The area is going through a huge period of development. Thousands of new apartments have been built, and with that has come business. New convenience stores, hair salons, restaurants and cafes have all been opened. Add in the landscaping work and you have the beginnings of a pleasant and attractive new town, one that should prove worthy of sitting alongside Chung Cheng University.

Jhihben, Taidong

The small town of Jhihben知本 in Taidong County台東縣 boasts one of the nation’s best known, and most popular hot spring resorts. First developed by Japanese colonial forces more than a century ago, it was designed as a rest and relaxation point for the army’s officers.



Fast-forward one hundred years and, while some things have changed, many have stayed very much the same. Taking a bath in Jhihben’s naturally hot spa water is still the perfect way to relax and unwind, and the beauty of the area’s scenery remains undiminished. The main change of course, is that instead of playing host to officers of an occupying army, the town now welcomes tourists from all over Taiwan, and also a growing number of international visitors.
At just a few minutes drive from Taidong City, Jhihben is ideally located for those holidaying in South East Taiwan. Located in the Jhihben River valley, the resort is surrounded on all sides by wonderfully green and dizzying mountains. Visitors should take heed, and plan to stay for more than just the few hours needed to sample the hot springs themselves.

Perhaps the best way to see what’s on offer is to visit the National Jhihben Forest Recreation Area. I love hiking, and one of the best things about doing it here is the very natural feel the place has. Unlike so many of this country’s hiking areas, the paths in the Forest Park are not covered with concrete. Now that can make walking conditions a little bit more tricky. For those interested in really connecting with their surroundings however, the abilities you have here to walk on real earth and trip up on exposed tree roots, it’s an enlivening experience.



Aside from the old suspension bridge with its wonderful illusion of fragility and danger, the Park’s outstanding feature is its 100-year-old Banyan Tree. Given its age and the way in which Banyans grow, with branches successively spreading out and growing into the ground, this isn’t so much a single tree as it is a great chaotic mass of tree. It’s fantastic, and when animated by a family or two of Formosan macaques, the sprawling madness really comes to life.





The Jhihben area, both inside and outside of the Forest Park, is the home to a diverse range of animal life. Apart from the monkeys, the mountains also contain boar, mongooses, many species of bird and insect life including some large and beautifully winged butterflies, and I was very surprised to see a red crab scuttling across a rock near to the White Jade Waterfall.






That said, Jhihben remains a hot springs resort, and if you’re not an enthusiast then you might want to make it a day trip instead of a weekend visit. The nightlife isn’t wonderful and consists of a few KTV bars where grandparents stand and belt out hits from yesteryear, and shops where you cook eggs in hot spring water. Not that eggs aren’t fun, they surely are, but unless your buddies call you Cool Hand Luke, then there are only so many eggs that you can eat.
Should you love a spa holiday though, and it seems that a good many people do, Jhihben certainly is the perfect destination.

Rueili, Chiayi County

Rueili

Yuntan and Shuangxi Waterfalls, Swallow Cliff,

and Bat Grotto

Just below the picturesque town of Rueili瑞里 in Chiayi County嘉義縣, lie the Yuntan雲潭 (Cloud Pool) and the Shuangxi雙溪 (Twin River) waterfalls. The beauty of these sights, coupled with the fact that they lie just a few hundred meters walk from the main road, have made them a favorite with tour buses and family visitors alike.

The pathway down to the waterfalls is easy to find, located as it is within a relatively spacious car park and resting area at the side of the road. As you leave the car park, the first waterfall you come to, the Yuntan, is the tallest and also the prettiest of the two. The water here seems to carry a sense of elegance and grandeur. Though I had never witnessed people doing anything like this before, I wasn’t surprised on a previous visit to see people sitting on the rocks and meditating in front of the water. I don’t know if they were contemplating its beauty or drawing on its power, it didn’t seem right to disturb them and ask, but either way it says a lot for the sight’s magnificence.



Yuntan Waterfall


Despite the popularity of Yuntan, only a handful of visitors follow the path down to the Shuangxi waterfall. It’s a shame because, despite their close proximity, the two waterfalls are really very different. Where Yuntan is elegant, and seems to be in perfect harmony with its surroundings, Shuangxi is a stark and jarring feature. The surfaces of the rocks here are flat, the edges, angular and sharp. They appear to attack the water that thunders down on them, almost as if the two elements were locked in a savage struggle that neither could ever win.



Shuangxi Waterfall

The base of this second waterfall is much larger and flatter, and it is littered with the rocks and boulders that have been washed down after centuries of heavy storms. If you’re anything like me, then you’ll be straight off, jumping over the rocks like some great balding monkey. For the less energetic, it’s great to take a rest on the rocks, slip off your shoes, and dip your feet in the lovely cold water. Neither of these activities would be advisable at the Yuntan waterfall where the rocks tend to be slippery, sometimes dangerously so.



The trail continues past Shuangxi and makes use of a succession of suspension bridges that repeatedly cross the river, and give wonderful views of the valley. The walking path eventually leads to the marvelous Swallow Cliff and Bat Grotto. They are another 2km away though, and on a steep pathway, that might prove too big a round-trip for some. A much easier option would be to go back to your car and drive into Rueili, either to the Rueili Hotel or to the elementary school. From both of these places you can join another, shorter, trail that also leads to Swallow Cliff.

This is one of my favorite things about this area. Not only is it blessed with a number of great things to see, but also in the variety of ways that you can get to these places, there is something for everyone, regardless of their level of fitness.

Bat Grotto is a large rock-face riddled with cavities, apparently the result of ages-old river erosion. Bats used to nest in these holes and, though they’re not around anymore, their former presence does add to the sense of eeriness created by the strangely shaped cavities.
About 20 meters down the road you’ll come to Swallow Cliff, no prizes for guessing what nests here. The best thing about this cliff is that you actually walk underneath it as the entire rock-face hangs over the pathway. The experience is slightly unnerving but also well worth it, especially on a rainy day when water runs down the cliff and creates a curtain of water in front of you.

Swallow Cliff

Bat Grotto

For more information about any of these sites you should go to Rueili’s excellent Visitor Center. Apart from being an interesting and imaginatively designed building, the people inside are both helpful and knowledgeable.

Rhinoceros Beetle Farm, Chiayi County

A great family day out:

Rhinoceros Beetle Farm 獨角仙農場, Jhongpu 中埔

With attractions to suit both young and old alike, Rhinoceros Beetle Farm is the perfect family day out. Located in Jhongpu, Chiayi County, it is a must for those living nearby; and with kindergartens visiting from across the country, its appeal to the younger generation cannot be underestimated.



When a friend of mine introduced me to Rhinoceros Beetle Farm, she described it as a mini Ching Ching Farm 清境農場. It’s easy to see where this comparison comes from. Its main features, like Ching Ching Farm, are its animals and a lush grassy hill. My friend’s description however, doesn’t really do this destination justice.

The sheep at Nantou’s Ching Ching Farm are great, but with goats, ponies, cows, ostriches, rabbits, and a hothouse containing snakes, various insects, and reptiles, Rhinoceros Beetle Farm boasts a much more varied range of animals. It also offers a much greater range of activities, and a more hands on experience. Visitors are able to feed nearly all of the animals, the snakes would be one exception, and this makes for a place where you can really interact with animals instead of just observing them. The goggle-eyed expression of the baby cows, as they suck up the milk you offer them is hard to forget. For younger children, there is also the chance to take a pony ride.

For their older brothers and sisters who might be too old and too cool for a petting zoo, there are a number of other amusements. Aside from the arcade games, paintball, and archery, the grassy field is a great place for some badminton, soccer, or Frisbee. Even granddad and grandma are accommodated with places, both near to the action and separated from it, where they can sit down and relax.

Rhinoceros Beetle Farm boasts a restaurant and a number stalls selling a variety of snacks, you should try the very milky ice cream, it’s delicious. Should you want to cook your own food, there is a large picnic area with tables and chairs where you barbecue and cook hot pot at your leisure.

To get to Rhinoceros Beetle Farm from Chiayi, take the number 18 road and follow it until it meets the number 3, turn left and drive to Jhongpu. From there, just follow the signs and prepare yourself for an enjoyable day out.

Jiji, Nantou

Jiji; the perfect day out

Take a trip to Jiji and a few things will quickly become apparent; that it is very popular, especially with young couples and young families, that its surrounding scenery is really very beautiful, and that it most likely has the largest concentration of tandem bicycles anywhere in Taiwan, perhaps in the world.

Jiji is the perfect day out, just close enough to be accessible, just far enough away to ensure that it never gets truly overrun. Whether you arrive by road or rail, you’ll be treated to some of Taiwan’s prettiest countryside views, sweeping mountains, tall and jutting hills that seem almost to be growing out of the ground. When seen against a crisp blue sky, you can feel your spirits lift with every passing kilometer.



Travel by train and you’ll experience one of the town’s most enduring attractions. The Jiji line, which runs from Ershuei, takes you right up to Taiwan’s oldest train station. Built in 1933, the Jiji station is by far the most popular, and photographed place in the town. The building itself is simple enough but with its white, wooden walls, it has a quaint charm that cannot be denied. It is this building in the heart of the town that really sets the area’s quiet and intimate tone.
No matter how you arrive, your first point of business should be to rent yourself some transport. Jiji has just about every form of two-wheeled vehicle you care to think of, bicycles, tandems, scooters, miniature motorbikes, and electrically powered bicycles. They’re all here, they’re cheap, convenient, and more than just a means of getting around, they’re part of the overall experience of visiting the town. Indeed, you can’t really say you’ve been to Jiji until you’ve made yourself look like a silly fool, struggling with a tandem, or some other weird looking bike that you normally wouldn’t even dream of riding. The great thing about it is that in this town, you’ll have fun doing it.


So you’ve got your bike, now where to? West of the town center you’ll find the Tianxing Kiln; this is an old fashioned wood-burning kiln and, should you be interested, it has a small museum, exhibitions, and even a classroom where you can try your hand at pottery. Nearby is the Green Tunnel, so called because the trees that line the road grow to meet each other in the middle.
Adjacent to the kiln are a couple of leisure areas. One of them, offering a large selection of snacks and some very pretty, red brick (no doubt products of the kiln) souvenir shops, is very nice. The other one however resembles a beaten up, and broken down traveling carnival. There are a few of these around the town and that’s a very unfortunate thing, they all look seedy, second-rate, and can only tarnish Jiji’s image.







Heading east out of Jiji, you can follow the train track to the Mingxin Academy. Standing right next to the local elementary school, this temple is always busy, as students from around Taiwan come here to pray before taking exams. Even if you don’t want to pray, you’ll be sure to enjoy the temple’s relaxing gardens.



Wu Chang Gong Temple is also to the east of Jiji town center. Leveled by the 921 earthquake, Wu Chang Gong has been left in its partially ruined state, and has now become something of a tourist attraction. It is quite incredible to see the carnage of the building and to imagine the force of the earthquake that brought it down.




Destroyed 8 years ago by the massive 9/21 earthquake, Jiji is a town characterized by its contrasts. A mountain town, it remains remarkably flat; bright and youthful, it also carries a strange air of faded grandeur; it is often busy, yet remains quiet and intimate. Jiji is a small and thriving center in Taiwan’s competitive tourist market, and one of the forces helping it succeed is its legacy of destruction.