No. 48, 2011

The Official Bimonthly English Magazine of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.Website: ht tp://taiwan. net .t w I S B N : 1 8 1 7 7 9 6 4

/1112

Taipei 101 FireworksModern Artist Jun T. LaiLate Evening ActivitiesPineapple Cake DIY

THE BEST ROUTESQuick Trip around Hengchun Peninsula

HISTORYLegacy of Mining in Jinguashi and Shifen

FOOD JOURNEY The Spring Onions of Sanxing

Hot-SprINg pleaSureS

Beitou, a Place for Recreation and Cultural Exploration

Welcome to Taiwan!

Dear Traveler,

You’ve just recently f lipped your wall calendar over to the 11th month, and you no doubt have many empty boxes to be f illed in with “things to do.” After f lipping through the many pages in this issue of Travel in Taiwan, you’ll no doubt then be faced with a serious box shortage. Thankfully, however, December presents you with another clean slate.

Explorations in our main articles are for the most part focused on the north part of the island, with one excursion to the southernmost tip. In our Feature section we soak up the history and culture of the famed Beitou hot-springs resort area, on Taipei City’s mountainous north side, an R&R destination that f irst f lourished under the Japanese 1895~1945. We stay in Taipei for a visit to artist Jun T. Lai’s studio in On Stage/O f f Stage, chatting about the inf luence her global travels have had on her work and her lifelong exploration of “being and transformation.”

In a lighter and more active vein, we then head out in Let’s Go Out Tonight! for a night on the town reveling in some of the healthy sporting activities Taipei offers well into the dark hours each day. Indoor rock climbing, anyone? Bowling? Ice skating? In our Histor y section we dig deep into the story of the mountain-def ined Shifen and Jinguashi communities, which sport proud mining legacies and attractive related tourist facilities, and in Food Journey we satisfy your appetite for cultural knowledge with a piece on “Spring Onion County,” Sanxing Township, in Yilan County, f inding out just what makes this area’s spring onions recognized as the best in the land.

Our southern-tip trip is to the Hengchun Peninsula, in the Best Routes section, where our intrepid writer takes you on a round-the-peninsula scooter adventure, you (vicariously) hanging on as passenger, introducing the many beautiful natural spots that can be visited inside and outside the large park that def ines the region’s character, Kenting National Park

As you can see, an exploration of “small island” Taiwan requires many major decisions. Enjoy.

Janice Seh-Jen Lai

Director GeneralTourism Bureau, MOTC, R.O.C.

台 灣 觀 光 雙 月 刊

Travel in Taiwan BimonthlyNovember/December, 2011www.tit.com.tw/vision/index.htmCopyright © 2011 Tourism Bureau. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without written permission is prohibited.

Publisher Janice Seh-Jen Lai editing Consultants

David W. J. Hsieh, Wayne Hsi-Lin LiuPublishing organization Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communicationsaddress 9F, 290 Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei, 104, Taiwan Tel: 886-2-2717-3737 Fax: 886-2-2771-7036 E-mail: tbroc@tbroc.gov.tw Website: http://taiwan.net.tw

ProduCer Vision Int,l Publ. Co., Ltd.

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

e-mail: vision@tit.com.twgeneral Manager Wendy L. C. Yen dePuty general Manager Frank K. Yeneditor in Chief Johannes Twellmann english editors Rick Charette, Richard Saunders direCtor of Planning & editing dePt Joe LeeManaging editor Sunny Su editors Aysel Then, Ming-Jing Yin, Vivian Liu, Gemma ChengContributors Rick Charette, Joe Henley, Catherine Thomas & Alice Davis , Amanda Hsiao, Owain Mckimm, Andrew Crosthwaite, Richard Saunders, Kurt WeidnerPhotograPhers Sunny Su, Maggie Song, Bobby Wu, Karen Pan art direCtor Sting Chen designers Ivy Chen, Maggie Song, Rinka Lin, Karen PanadMinistrative dePt Hui-chun Tsai, Nai-jen Liu, Xiou Mieng Jiang advertising hotline + 886-2-2721-5412

CONTENTS Nov ~ Dec 2011

42

8

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

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

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

Relaxing and healthful — hot spring bathing in Beitou is one of the popular things to do in Taipei during the cooler winter months.

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

Travel in Taiwan 3

LEARNING EXPERIENCE40 Pineapple Pastry DIY

— Learning How to Make Taipei’s No. 1 Gift

Choice at Kuo Yuan Ye MuseumoN stAGE/off stAGE18 Artist Jun T. Lai

— About Being and Transformation

fooD JoURNEY34 Spring Onion Country

— Sanxing Township Offers Ideal Conditions for Cultivating Scallions

HIstoRY22 Jinguashi and Shifen — Two Excellent Places for History

Tours

3034

48

feaTure8 Beitou — Main The Beitou Hot Springs Resort Area — eat Beitou Day Trip: A Good Soak & Good Food — stay The Beitou Experience: From Rustic Japanese Inn to Sleek Modern Resort — buy Beitou’s Museums: Cultural Showcases of Past Worlds

16 Hot Springs — Soaking around the Island: Five Excellent Choices for Hot-Spring Fun in Taiwan

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

47 Peculiar Taiwan52 Festivals and Events

tHE BEst RoUtEs42 Sandy Beaches, Rocky Coastline,

Quiet Country— A Whirlwind Tour Round Hengchun Peninsula

fEstIVAL48 Launching the New Year with a Bang!

— Ringing in the New Year at Taipei 101

LEt’s Go oUt toNIGHt30 Evening Workout — Active Fun till the Late Hours

MY PHoto toUR28 Vistas Big and Wide — Capturing Amazing Scenes in Grand Panorama Pictures

LEt’s EAt!38 “Eggplant Bites Onion”

— Sampling Dishes Made with Spring Onion

WHAT'S UP

NEWS & EVENTS

AROUND TAIWAN

Number of Visitors Surpasses 500,000 in AugustDespite this year’s catastrophic earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster

in Japan, which had a huge negative impact on travel in East Asia during

the first half of the year, as well as other factors that have caused minor

setbacks in the growth of Taiwan tourism, the number of visitors coming to Taiwan sur-

passed 500,000 in August, a growth rate of 14.62%, with visitors from Indonesia accounting

for the largest growth (71.55%), followed

by Malaysia (42.21%), Argentina (40.48%),

Singapore (29.35%), Japan (28.53%), and

mainland China (16.91%). Tourism author-

ities are confident that, with this trend

continuing, the total number of visitors to

Taiwan for 2011 will surpass the targeted

6 million.

Tourism

Flights between Taitung and Nanjing Starting this November, the city

of Taitung in Taiwan’s south-

east and Nanjing in mainland China’s Jiangsu

Province will be connected by direct scheduled

flights. There will be one flight per week, de-

parting from Taitung Airport for Nanjing Lukou

International Airport on Wednesdays and return-

ing on Thursdays. The flights will benefit trav-

elers based in Taitung, who otherwise need to

travel to Taoyuan or Kaohsiung before flying to

mainland China, and will allow mainland Chinese

travelers direct access to the beautiful but com-

paratively remote southeast part of Taiwan.

Aviation

New Taipei City, All in OneThe New Taipei City Government has recently published a new comprehensive

and practical multilingual travel guide for the greater Taipei area. The book,

named “New Taipei City, All in One,” is available in four different versions (tra-

ditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, English, and Japanese), each featuring content designed

to meet the needs of the respective targeted readership. The English version, subtitled “The

Ultimate Travel Guide,” caters to Western tourists’ tastes, with a focus on outdoor activities,

and includes helpful and practical info on how to get around New Taipei City. At the time of

writing, the Chinese version of the guidebook was already available at major local bookstores

such as eslite and Kingstone, priced at NT$149. The English version is expected to be in stores

in early 2012. The guidebook (all versions) can also be downloaded free of cost via the App

Store if you are using an iPhone or iPad and have the Chinese az Travel app installed.

Guidebook

Repertory Theaters around TaiwanA new trend in Taiwan’s cultural scene is the establishing of repertory theaters

around the island staging regularly scheduled shows. The Executive Yuan’s Coun-

cil for Cultural Affairs has launched an initiative whereby representative venues

will be selected around Taiwan, and has so far approved three theaters, which

will receive subsidies: Tainan Ten-Drum Culture Village, Neihu Studio 18, and the Chinese

Culture and Movie Center. While Ten-Drum Culture Village (www.ten-hsieh.com.tw) presents tra-

ditional Taiwanese percussion music, Neihu Studio 18 is the venue for a “Formosa Show” with

well-known Taiwanese artists and performing groups; performances at the Chinese Culture and

Movie Center cover a wide range of Taiwanese cultural icons, from betel-nut beauties to drum

performances to Taiwanese opera and aboriginal dance.

CultureJiufen’s Shengping Theater ReopenedThe town of Jiufen, overlooking

the rugged northeast coast of

Taiwan, was once a thriving mining town sporting

northern Taiwan’s largest movie theater, Sheng-

ping Theater. When the town fell on hard times

in the modern era, many businesses successively

closed down, including the theater, in 1986. Now,

with Jiufen having become a boomtown again,

thanks to tourism, Shengping Theater has been

reopened and has taken its place as one of the

many historic and cultural attractions of Jiufen.

Movie Theater

Travel in Taiwan

5?Do You Know Taiwan?

If you know the answers to the following

questions, you are most likely an experienced

Taiwan traveler. If you don’t know the

answers, you can find them within the pages of this issue

of Travel in Taiwan.

1. Taiwan’s first public bath was opened in Taipei’s Beitou area in which year: 1895, 1913, 1947?

(Find the answer on page 10)

2. The township of Sanxing in Yilan County is famous for which produce: bitter gourd, sweet potato, spring onion?

(Find the answer on page 35)

3. Which small mountain southeast of Taipei 101 is regarded as the best vantage point from which to watch the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show launched from the skyscraper: Snake Mountain, Elephant Mountain, Dragon Mountain? (Find the answer on page 50)

Fo Guang Shan’s Buddha Memorial CenterOn April 8, 1998, presumably the last existing relic of

the Sakyamuni Buddha, a tooth, was brought to Tai-

wan. The tooth, rescued and protected by a Tibetan lama who brought

it from Tibet to India during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, was

Religion

Travel in Taiwan 5

Tell us what you think!We, the producers of Travel in Taiwan, wish to improve our maga-

zine with each issue and give you the best possible help when

planning – or carrying out – your next trip to Taiwan. Tell us

what you think by filling out our short online questionnaire at

www.tit.com.tw/survey/travelintaiwan.html. Senders of the first

ten completed questionnaires each issue will receive three free is-

sues of Travel in Taiwan. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Wushe Street Film Set in Linkou“Seediq Bale” has been the movie-industry highlight

of 2011 in Taiwan. The film, about the Wushe Inci-

dent, an indigenous-tribe uprising against Taiwan’s Japanese colo-

nial rulers in 1930, was filmed in various locations around Taiwan.

A large set depicting the mountain village of Wushe in the 1930s

was built in New Taipei City’s Linkou District. In September this year

this set, called “Wushe Street,” was opened to visitors, becoming

an instant tourist attraction. Here you can step back in time and

get a feel for the living conditions of mainly the Japanese military

and their families in Wushe 80 years ago. The facility is open to the

public until December 4. Tickets (NT$180) can be bought at ibon

vending machines in 7-Eleven convenience stores (tickets are not

sold at the site). A shuttle-bus service (included in the ticket price)

is available from the MRT Banqiao Station (Exit 3).

Taiwan Hotels Recognized by WTAThe Sherwood Taipei was recently named Taiwan’s Lead-

ing Hotel and Taiwan’s Leading Business Hotel by the

World Travel Awards (www.worldtravelawards.com). The

Sherwood, a member of The Leading Hotels in the World, is a 5-star

hotel in central Taipei known for its elegant European-style interior

design, sophisticated services, and excellent cuisine. At the same time,

the Crowne Plaza Hotel Kaohsiung E-Da World was named Taiwan’s Lead-

ing City Resort and Taiwan’s Leading Conference Hotel. The only five-

star hotel in the Kaohsiung area, the Crowne Plaza is an upscale resort

hotel with 656 rooms and a wide range of facilities for leisure and busi-

ness guests.

Hotels

New Tourist

Spot

donated to Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the world-spanning Fo

Guang Shan Buddhist organization based in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.

The donation was made by a group of Tibetan lamas to whom Master

Hsing Yun promised to build a shrine as home for the tooth and a

religious site where the faithful could pay their respects to the Bud-

dha and make offerings. Planning for the building of the Buddha

Memorial Center in Kaohsiung started in 1998, with support from the

government. Over a decade in the making, the center, featuring a wide

boulevard flanked by eight tall pagodas, a pyramid-shaped shrine, and

an 80-meter-tall golden Buddha statue, is now near completion, and is

scheduled to be officially opened in late December. For more informa-

tion about Fo Guang Shan, visit: www.fgs.org.tw.

CULTURE SCENE

Concerts, Exhibitions,

and Happenings

Taiwan has a diverse cultural scene, with art venues ranging from international-caliber concert halls and theaters to makeshift stages on temple plazas. Among Taiwan’s museums is the world-famous National Palace Museum as well as many smaller museums dedicated to different art forms and aspects of Taiwanese culture. Here is a brief selection of upcoming happenings. For more information, please visit the websites of the listed venues.

Taipei International Convention Center

Yukie Nishimura: Smile Best Tour 2011西村由紀江: 鋼琴演奏會

Yukie Nishimura is one of the most famous Japanese

female pianists and composers on the contemporary

scene. She started playing the piano at age three,

and won the Yamaha Junior Original Concert Music

Award when she was just eight. Her first solo album

was released in 1986, and since then she has recorded

more than 30 albums and gone on many concert tours

in Asia, North America, and Europe. Among her best-

known compositions are the soundtracks for Japanese TV

drama series, most notably the soundtrack for The 101st

Proposal (1991), with 350,000 copies sold. Her music is

known for a light and ethereal sound, with inner power

and strength and beautiful melodies that go straight

to the heart.

This year she has

performed concerts

in Japan and other

Asian countries to

celebrate her 25th

anniversary as a

pianist/composer.

10/3 ~

1/3

National Theater

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan: How Can I Live On Without You 雲門舞集: 如果沒有你The inspiration for this dance performance came when Lin Hwai-min,

founder and artistic director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan,

once found himself in the shower humming “How Can I Live On Without You,” a famous

love song of the 1940s by Chinese singer Bai Kwong. He conceived the idea of having his

dancers move to this old classic and other Chinese songs, as well as the latest pop-chart

hits, breaking with his traditionally strict rules of minimal make-up and focus on the

physical aspects of dancing. According to the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre dancers, there

was great fun during rehearsals, the dancers enjoying moving to tunes they were very

familiar with. Lovers of Cloud Gate can’t wait for the world premiere of this performance

in December.

12/11

National TheaterLa Com die-Française - Le Malade Imaginaire by Molière法蘭西戲劇院—莫里哀 誰真的愛我?The last play by French playwright and actor Molière (1622~

1673), Le Malade Imaginaire (“The Imaginary Invalid”), is a

comedy about a hypochondriac man and his relations with members of his

family and the medical profession. The play ends with the man playing dead

to find out about the real feelings of his second wife (who is only interested in

his money) and his daughter (who loves her father deeply). In an ironic twist

of fate, Molière died shortly after performing the lead character himself on

four occasions, collapsing on stage. La Com die-Française is the world’s most

longstanding French theatrical company, its home a sacred shrine for classical

French drama; it is also known as La Maison de Molière (“House of Molière”).

National Palace MuseumEmperor Kangxi and the Sun King Louis XIV: Sino-Franco Encounters in Arts and Culture康熙大帝與太陽王路易十四 中法藝術文化的 交會特展

This exhibition reveals fascinating facts about the

distant relationship between two great rulers of

the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Louis XIV of

France (1638~1715), also known as the “Sun King,”

and Chinese Emperor Kangxi (1654~1722), one of

the three most important emperors of the Qing Dy-

nasty (1644~1912). Though worlds apart, both geo-

graphically and culturally, the two rulers led lives

with many similarities, from ascending the throne

at a young age, to being raised by a grandmother/

empress dowager, to becoming well versed in the

literary and military arts, to exhibiting industry

and diligence in ruling, and to consolidating the

rule of their respective families. This exhibition,

featuring a large number of objects from the Na-

tional Palace Museum and museums in mainland China and France, gives a comprehen-

sive account of the lives, times, and impact of Emperor Kangxi and Louis XIV, reveals

the intangible bridge linking the two monarchs that was formed by French Jesuits,

addresses connections between China and France and the mutual emulation in arts and

culture prompted by missionaries and traveling merchants, and illustrates innovations

in China and France that occurred in the wake of their encounters with each other.

12/2 ~

12/11

11/11 ~

11/13

Travel in Taiwan 7

VenuesTaipei

Taipei Zhongshan Hall （台北中山堂）

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

Nearest MRT Station: Ximen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

National Museum of History （國立歷史博物館）

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

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

National Palace Museum （國立故宮博物院）

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

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

National Taiwan Museum （國立臺灣博物館）

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

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

Novel Hall （新舞臺）

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

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

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

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

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

Taipei Arena （台北小巨蛋）

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

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

Taipei Fine Arts Museum （台北市立美術館）

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

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

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

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

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

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

Add: 189 Shishang Rd., Taipei City (台北市士商路 189號 )Tel: (02) 6610-1234www.ntsec.gov.twNearest MRT Station: Shilin

TaichungTaichung Zhongshan Hall （台中中山堂）

Add: 98 Xueshi Rd., Taichung City( 台中市學士路 9 8 號 )

Tel: (04) 2230-3100www.tccgc.gov.tw

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

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

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

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

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

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

KaohsiungKaohsiung City Chungcheng Cultural Center （高雄市立中正文化中心）

Add: 67 Wufu 1st Rd., Kaohsiung City( 高雄市五福一路 67 號 )

Tel: (07) 222-5136 ext. 8908, 8909, 8910www.khcc.gov.tw (Chinese only)Nearest KMRT Station: Cultural Center

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Photographic Journey of a Maverick – Huang Tse-Hsiu, 82 Years Young臺灣攝影獨行俠—黃則修82影展

Born in 1930, Huang Tse-Hsiu is one of the

pioneers of Taiwanese photography. His

solo exhibition Longshan Temple (1961) and

his exhibition with Wu Dongxing, entitled

Yehliu – Forsaken Paradise (1962), marked

the beginning of thematic photography in

Taiwan. Apart from being a professional

photographer, Huang also held such jobs

as professor and news reporter. This

exhibition includes selected photos from

his earlier exhibitions as well as other black & white works and

more recent color photographs. His photos are valuable depictions

of Taiwan society and scenery spanning the past 50 years.

Taipei Fine Arts Museum11/11

~ 11/13

National Palace Museum

National Taiwan Science Education Center

Traveling The Silk Road 穿越時空—絲路行In collaboration with the American Museum of

Natural History in New York, the National Taiwan

Science Education Center presents this special exhibition featuring

precious historical artifacts and specimens related to the Silk Road,

on loan from five prestigious museums around the world. Unlike

other exhibitions about the Silk Road, the focus of this show is on

the technological innovations of the major cities along this ancient

trade route. The exhibition includes life-like recreations of natural

scenes, fascinating videos, high-tech computer-generated displays

with interactive experiences, and even hands-on games, bringing

the ancient Silk Road closer to visitors than ever before.

10/29 ~

1/29

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan 8

FEATURE

Pho

to/ B

obby

Wu

Hot-spring bathing with nighttime views of the city at The Mountain Star hot spring resort

Based in Taipei, have a full day to play, and wondering where your hours can be edu-tainmentally whiled away? Let me show you the way. We’re headed off to a valley enclave in Taipei’s Beitou area where hot-spring waters flow and many attractive resorts, public baths, museums, and other attractions exist because of them.

More

BEITOU

Travel in Taiwan 9

BEITOU

Pho

to/ B

obby

Wu

Get on the Taipei Metro (MRT) Danshui Line and head to Beitou Station, transfer to Xinbeitou Line and

get off at Xinbeitou Station. Exiting, look up to see the peaks of Yangmingshan far off – Taipei’s north frontier. Look straight ahead and you’re staring into a narrow valley leading up into the Yangmingshan massif. The valley was carved by the Beitou Stream and people have been soaking in the sulfurous hot-spring water of this stream for more than a century, if not centuries. Narrow Beitou Park stretches along the stream, and we’re headed up the valley, through the park, on a day-tour, visiting historical, cultural, and natural sights strung out all the way up to the valley ’s top like a necklace of priceless gems. If you walked to the top-most site at a brisk pace without stopping, you’d need no more than 30 minutes, but we’re going easy, using a full day.

First up, right in the park, is the young (opened in 2006) Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch. This, Taiwan’s f irst “green” library, is a place of stimulating innovation. Built of wood and steel, everything recyclable, it looks more like a big ski lodge in the North American Rockies than a l ibrary. Roof top greenery keeps things cool, rainwater is gathered for interior use, and there are tree-shaded reading balconies, plus many other impressive green-architecture highlights.

Facing the library, just outside the park, is the Ketagalan Culture Center. The Ketagalan tribe were Beitou’s original inhabitants, plains-dwellers. The local steaming waters and sulfurous mists made them think witches lurked about, and they named the place “Patauw,” meaning “witches’ abode,” transliterated as “Beitou” in Mandarin Chinese. The center hosts myriad temporary/permanent displays, performances, symposiums, and other activities to introduce Taiwan’s 14 off icially recognized indigenous tribes and the f latland

peoples now mostly absorbed. Especially attractive is the exhibit on the well-craf ted traditional dress, highly varied, and arts/craf ts by today’s creators.

Back in the park, beside the library is Beitou Hot Spring Museum, its home

a fetching Victorian-style building. The Japanese, rulers of Taiwan 1895-1945, began developing Beitou’s springs soon af ter taking over. This facil ity was Taiwan’s f irst public bath, long East Asia’s largest. It opened in 1913, in part because the hygiene-strict Japanese wanted soakers out of Beitou Stream. A Romanesque pool and columns have been restored, as has the original large, breezy tatami resting room, and there are good artifacts and info displays, but for me the most valued gem is the wonderful (and rare) documentary footage of Beitou and Taipei’s riverside areas, made quite beautiful by the Japanese, inveterate landscape “improvers.”

The sulfurous waters bubbling and spitting, the steam sometimes fills the entire Thermal Valley on

cool days

Thermal Valley

FEATURE

Travel in Taiwan 10

Pho

tos/

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Next up, still in the park, is the young, attractive Beitou Outdoor Public Baths. Wood is the theme, well complementing the surrounding green of the hills. There’s a series of outdoor hillside pools, and a two-hour soak costs just NT$40. Unlike Japanese practice, in Taiwan soakers wear swimgear and the sexes bathe together, unless otherwise stipulated.

Outside the park, just downhill, is Longnaitang, Beitou’s oldest

operational bathhouse (built in 1907). Small and simple by today’s standards, this is a purists’ delight, the “old days” still in place – separate male/female pools (though swimwear now obligatory), and the original “Beitou Stone” pools. The stone has hokutolite, a weakly radioactive crystall ine substance that forms on stone in crusts, found only in Beitou and Japan. Immerse yourself in history here – l iterally – for just NT$100.

Back in the park, beside the baths is Plum Garden, an attractive villa of timber featuring Japanese and Western elements. Built in the 1930s, it was a summer home to celebrated politico and call igrapher Yu You-ren 1949~1964. Today a visitors center, the old residence has Yu’s call igraphy on display and features various distinctive architectural and decorative elements. Most interestingly, the villa was built atop an existing bomb shelter, and has outer walls with battlements.

1. Enjoying a relaxing foot bath in the warm waters of Beitou Stream 2. Memorial marker outside Longnaitang commemorating Japanese crown prince Hirohito’s visit to Beitou 3. Beitou Outdoor Public Baths 4. Thermal Valley is a popular tourist spot in Beitou

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From the villa, continue uphill through the ever-narrowing park via a tree-shaded boardwalk. You’ll pass a couple of the small waterfalls that served as the area’s original hot-spring pool

points. At pathway’s end, leave the park, cross the road, and enter Beitou Thermal Valley, Beitou Stream’s sulfur-water source, popularly called Hell Valley.

This is the heart of the hot-springs area, where witches long dwelled before modernity drove them out. A deep rock-strewn depression created by a long-ago volcanic burst, it’s f illed with what’s more a lake than pool, the sulfurous waters bubbling and spitting, the steam sometimes f illing the entire little valley on cool days. These are the Yangmingshan massif ’s hottest waters, at about 100 degrees Celsius.

Beitou Park ends outside Thermal Valley. The two roads running along its sides merge and, just ahead, this road veers left. Make the turn and, on the high-slope (right) side, you’ll see a sign and steps leading up to Puji Temple, just beyond view. This is one of Taiwan’s few intact Japanese-style temples. Started in 1905, it was later f inished with signif icant donations from Japanese railway employees. It long enshrined the spirits of railway workers who gave their lives in the line of duty, and today enshrines the Tangshou Guanyin, protector of the local hot-springs. An immaculate, rarely seen Shingon Buddhist sect temple, it’s in a style popular in Japan’s Edo period.

Returning to the main road, your walk now becomes steeper, leading in 10 minutes to three Japanese wood-built heritage sites near the valley’s top – in order, the still-operating Whispering Pine Inn and complexes today home to the Taiwan Folk Arts Museum and Shann Garden restaurant/teahouse. Detail on this trio is given in the articles following.

We end our printed-page practice trip with a few tips. After passing Thermal Valley, there are no stores, so bring water. Also, the folk-arts museum has

a free shuttle to/from the MRT Xinbeitou/Beitou stations; on hot and humid days, consider doing this tour “backwards,” walking downhill.

Beitou 北投

Beitou Park 北投公園

Beitou Stone 北投石

Beitou Stream 北投溪

Beitou Outdoor Public Baths 北投公共露天溫泉

Thermal Valley 地熱谷

Plum Garden 梅庭

Puji Temple 普濟寺

Taiwan Folk Arts Museum 北投文物館

Tangshou Guanyin 湯守觀音

Yangmingshan 陽明山

Yu You-ren 于右任

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Beitou Hot Spring Museum was Taiwan’s first public

bath, long East Asia’s largest

TAIPEI PUBLIC LIBRARY BEITOU BRANCH(臺北市立圖書館北投分館)Add: 251 Guangming Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區光明路251號)

KETAGALAN CULTURE CENTER (凱達格蘭文化館)Add: 3-1 Zhongshan Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區中山路3-1號)

BEITOU HOT SPRING MUSEUM (北投溫泉博物館)Add: 2 Zhongshan Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區中山路2號)

PLUM GARDEN & BEITOU OUTDOOR PUBLIC BATHS (梅庭 /北投公共露天溫泉)Add: 6 Zhongshan Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區中山路6號)

LONGNAITANG (瀧乃湯)Add: 244 Guangming Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區光明路244號)

PUJI TEMPLE (普濟寺)Add: 112 Wenquan Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區溫泉路112號)

1. Beitou Hot Spring Museum 2. Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch 3. Puji Temple1

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Explorers of the Beitou hot-springs area have a number of upscale dining options, some in rustic Zen-style sur-roundings, others in chic new resorts.

Few expatriates based in north Taiwan who have an interest in modern Chinese history are not aware

that the Shann Garden in Beitou was once the Taiwan home of the “Young Marshal,” Zhang Xue-liang, a Manchurian warlord best known for kidnapping Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in 1936. Zhang survived the incident and lived under house arrest thereaf ter.

Zhang lived for a time in what is today the Shann Garden (“Marshal Zen Garden”), a complex of Japanese-built wooden structures high on the Beitou slopes, fronted by a sprawling panorama. In the Japanese era it served as a hot-spring inn, off icers’ club, and short-stay R&R retreat for kamikaze pilots. A Taiwan company, af ter undertaking a magnif icent renovation, now runs it as a teahouse/restaurant complex.

The menu, turned over every two months, features the Young Marshal’s favorite delicacies. My favorites from among his (as of Sept. this year) are the fried shrimp cakes, which he ate frequently af ter being introduced to them by his chef in 1928 as part of his daily late-night health snack, the

Shann Garden in Beitou was once the home of the “Young Marshal,” Zhang Xue-liang

SHANN GARDEN (少帥禪園)Add: 34 Youya Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City(台北市北投區幽雅路34號)Tel: (02) 2893-5336 Website: www.sgarden.com.tw

Shaoxing wine 紹興酒

Zhang Xue-liang 張學良

ENGLISH & CHINESE

By Rick Charette

A Good Soak

& Good Food

Beitou Day Trip

indigenous-style roast pork ribs, introduced to him by Taiwan natives when he lived in the Hsinchu County hills, and the delectable cherry tomato marinated in Taiwanese Shaoxing wine. Additional non-food treats are outdoor foot-soak mineral pools, f ree for customers, and cozy private hot-spring rooms, rented by the hour; both come with grand outlooks.

Other memorable dining experiences in this hot-spring area – the many local historical

treasures draw me here about every six months – have come at the teahouse/restaurant inside the Taiwan Folk Art Museum next door to the Shann Garden, which offers traditional Kaiseki set meals associated with the Japanese tea ceremony, and at Chikurintei and Elegant 18 restaurants just down the slope at the Spring City Resort. The former serves Japanese Kaiseki, the latter Western and Chinese, in modernistic settings complemented by antiques, high-end art, and big-window vistas.

Fine dining at Shann Garden in Beitou

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THE MOUNTAIN STAR (山玥新館)Add: 68-15 Dongsheng Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區東昇路68-15號)Tel: (02) 2896-5858 Website: www.mountain-star.com.tw

SPRING CITY RESORT (春天酒店)Add: 18 Youya Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區幽雅路18號)Tel: (02) 2897-5555 Website: www.springresort.com.tw

WHISPERING PINE INN (吟松閣溫泉旅館)Add: 21 Youya Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區幽雅路

21號) Tel: (02) 2891-2063

Mt. Datun 大屯山

Mt. Qixing 七星山

Mt. Shamao 紗帽山

Yangmingshan 陽明山

ENGLISH & CHINESE

From Rustic Japanese Inn to Sleek Modern Resort

Beitou's Resorts

In its heyday, the Beitou hot-springs area was home to a dense concentration of about 100 Japanese inns, hotels, and related enterprises. Mineral water was brought in by underground pipe from high above. Today, you can still opt to stay at an original Japanese inn.

By Rick Charette

The Mountain Star

Places to stay run from rustic inns to large-sized box-type hotels catering to the tour-bus

trade to sleek and modernistic newer resorts with attractive wood/glass/polished-stone themes, the latter ranging from mid-range to very expensive. Of course, the higher your location the better your view, with your sense of quiet isolation increased. Here are a few spots I’ve particularly enjoyed.

The Whispering Pine Inn began whispering its welcome in 1934. This cozy Japanese wood-built getaway, a place of f irst-rate woodwork, has a small, secluded garden strategically graced with stone steps, a f ishpond, and other sculpted-landscape gems. Rooms are tatami and Western and have stone baths but no phones/Internet. Shoes come off at the front entrance. (Rooms start at NT$3,600)

Spring City Resort is perhaps the f irst of the new generation of chic upscale resorts built when Beitou’s hot-spring renaissance began in the 1990s, there are both Western- and Japanese-style rooms, all in bright creamy hues, and the well-chosen antiques and high-end art in rooms are a true pleasure. Note that not all rooms have mountain views, and hot-spring rooms have private sulfur baths in stone tubs, all ref lected in the price. (Rooms start at NT$6,800)

The Mountain Star resort sits far up above the close-knit cluster of commercial and residential buildings of the lower hot-springs area. What I like best about a stay here is the

360-degree big-picture scenery and sense of isolation. There is green all around, either trees or small farm plots. To the rear looms Yangmingshan’s broad-shouldered Mt. Datun, to the east is Mt. Qixing and rounded Mt. Shamao. Chinese Culture University is perched on a plateau in the distance, looking like a giant mountain monastery. Taipei 101 twinkles and blinks, far off and far below, in the Taipei Basin.

The resort, mid-range in price, has a strong wood-plank theme. There are just three levels, the upper taken up with a quality restaurant wrapped in French windows, presenting majestic panoramas. The largest rooms are furthest from the northwest-corner lobby, facing downslope, with isolated alfresco hot-spring pools. The least expensive rooms, in the rear (upslope), have pretty hot-spring rooms viewed through an almost complete wall of glass, with two sunken tubs and foliage that gives them the look of encased Japanese-courtyard miniature sculpted gardens. (Rooms start at NT$2,500) The Mountain Star offers 360-degree big-picture

scenery and a sense of isolation

STAY

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Beitou’s MuseumsCultural Showcases ofPast WorldsAn enclave with a deep-flowing stream of his-tory and nostalgia, it is only appropriate that the Beitou hot-springs area has a number of fine museums amidst its many inns and resorts. They can be seen as bookmarks defining the valley, located at its bottom and top.

TAIWAN FOLK ARTS MUSEUM (北投文物館)Add: 32 Youya Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區幽雅路32號)Tel: (02) 2891-2318Website: www.folkartsm.org.tw (free shuttle bus to/from Beitou/Xinbeitou MRT stations)

At the valley ’s top is my choice as Taiwan’s prettiest museum, Taiwan Folk Arts

Museum. Housed in a former Japanese hot-spring inn (built in 1921) that served as an imperial off icers’ club and once entertained kamikaze pilots on their f inal nights of mortality, the complex is among Taiwan’s largest examples of Japanese wood-built architecture, measuring about 2,500 square meters. Built in Chinese Tang Dynasty style, it was renovated top to bottom 2002~2007, and is a work of art in itself.

The museum stages exhibits on early Taiwan life and culture, with a Beitou focus. Beitou was once a key area in Taiwan’s ceramics production, the mineral-rich local earth much appreciated, and many exquisite high-end works are displayed, with historical background provided. I, avid history buff, particularly savor another exhibit, presenting black and white photos from the area’s Japanese colonial-period heyday, when the developed valley looked nothing like it does today.

The two other major local museums are far below, at the valley ’s mouth. The Ketagalan Culture

Center (www.ketagalan.taipei.gov.tw) is focused on Taiwan’s

indigenous peoples, and tells the tale of the tribal people that once inhabited the hot-springs area. Beitou Hot Spring Museum (beitoumuseum.taipei.gov.tw; Chinese) is housed in an attractive Japanese-built building of red brick, stucco, and stained wood that has many original public-baths facil ities intact. It’s focused on the f lourishing of the Beitou hot-springs culture in Taiwan’s f irst developed resort area.

Your best Beitou memento-item location is the colorful cabin-corner gif t shop at Taiwan Folk Arts Museum, with quality selections of artistic value, including hand-painted oil-paper umbrellas (NT$960), fans (NT$1,880), and stone-pendant necklaces (NT$600), mounted glove-puppet costumes (NT$1,980), and craf t necklaces (NT$250). Shann Garden restaurant/teahouse next door has a clutch of cutesy knick-knack items that is being steadily built up; the Ketagalan Culture Center ’s shop offers arts and craf ts with indigenous themes.

By Rick Charette

Taiwan Folk Arts Museum stages exhibits on early Taiwan li fe and culture

Japanese-style stone garden at Taiwan Folk Arts Museum

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My wife and her family, good Taiwanese folk, are passionate hot-spring soakers. New and/or untried resort destinations are often the focus of extended-family trips of up to 20 people and three generations. In my 20-plus Taiwan years I’ve sweated away many hours in this land’s steamy waters and I here present you with my choice of Taiwan’s very best hot-spring destinations.

Soaking around the Island

Five Excellent Choices for Hot-Spring Fun in Taiwan

By Rick Charette

FEATURE

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Wulai is one hour by car south of Taipei, its hot-spring area at the mouth of a deep and picturesque gorge. This is the northernmost settlement

of the Atayal Tribe, one of Taiwan’s largest indigenous groups, and tribal cuisine can be enjoyed here, as can traditional song-and-dance performances and good museum facilities. The mineral waters are a sulfur-carbonate composition, odorless, colorless, and transparent. There’s a cluster of hot-spring hotels, in all price ranges, but my favorite attraction is the three Wulai Outdoor Hot Spring pools, right by the river’s side – public, 24 hours, and free.

Ruisui Hot Spring is 77 km south of Hualien City in eastern Taiwan, in a rif t valley at the foot of the Coastal Mountain Range. Its

waters have a metall ic quality – this is one of Taiwan’s few chloride-carbonate hot-spring spots – low-alkaline and with a murky yellowish look from the abundant iron. Locals believe these are notably good for the spawning of baby boys. The resort, opened in 1919, has a Japanese-style hotel, public bathing area, and open-air pool. Facil ities include wooden tubs, family-use porcelain tubs, and group pools. The area has numerous tea plantations with retail outlets, but the big draw for me is that Ruisui is also launch-point for Taiwan’s best white-water raf ting on the Xiuguluan River, creating a wonderfully convenient destination for soaking-raf ting outings.

Zhaori Hot Springs, on Green Island off the southeast coast, are one of the globe’s rare seawater-fed springs. Three large pools give

you three temperature options, the pool furthest from the beach receiving the least “coolant.” A separate spa pool has also been developed. The facil ity sits right at sea’s edge on a beach of exposed coral-rock; “Zhaori” means “facing the sun,” and the pools indeed face the morning sun over the sea. Enhancing this unique experience are scenery-rich trips around the island’s coastal loop road, by rented scooter, bicycle, or taxi. (There’s also a tourist shuttle-bus service.)

Guguan is in the central mountains not far from Taichung City. Developed as a hot-spring resort by the Japanese during the

1895-1945 colonial era, it achieved particular fame when Emperor Mei ji, it is said, was granted a son following a soak here, bringing the “male child springs” moniker still heard today. The bicarbonate waters, clear, odorless, and slightly acidic, are also suitable for drinking. Numerous hotels and inns offer private bathing, water provided through in-room taps. The resort area straddles the boulder-strewn upper Dajia River, in a lovely, rugged valley setting of superb views at 800 meters.

Tai’an Hot Springs in Miaoli County is one of Taiwan’s lesser-developed hot-spring resorts, home to just a cluster of hotels simple and

straightforward in character, surrounded by mountain and pristine forest. The clear, odorless waters are mildly carbonic-acidic. Beyond the superb natural scenery, the great attraction here is Tai’an Village’s unique concentration of Han-Chinese Hakka and indigenous Atayal-tribe residents, creating a compelling cultural mix.

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Atayal Tribe 泰雅族

Coastal Mountain Range 海岸山脈

Dajia River 大甲溪

Green Island 綠島

Guguan 谷關

Hakka 客家人

Ruisui Hot Springs 瑞穗溫泉

Tai 'an Hot Springs 泰安溫泉

Wulai 烏來

Wulai Hot Springs 烏來溫泉

Xiuguluan River 秀姑巒溪

Zhaori Hot Springs 朝日溫泉

HOT SPRINGS

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Int'l

The creations of many of history's greatest artists can be categorized according to distinct periods

of creative impulse and stylistic shif ts. Picasso had his Blue and Rose periods, Renoir had his Impressionist and Pearly periods – among others – and on and on the l ist goes. For Lai, her inspiration bounds back and forth across a wide array of mediums and muses, f rom painting to sculpture to public installation pieces and back again. Her chosen materials ref lect her state of mind and are used to convey her beautiful, joyous, transformative view of the world around her.

Lai's Taipei studio-cum-gallery, named “Jun’ Space,” is located down a nondescript, quiet alley in a mixed

residential and business district of the bustling city. The sign out front, with her f irst name cut skillfully into steel in cursive, simply reads “Jun Art Studio,” with the branches of a tree bearing bright-pink f lowers hanging unobtrusively overhead. Walking through the glass f ront door, one is greeted by scores of multicolored plexiglass hearts mounted on the wall, the colors contained within each one bleeding into another. Plexiglass, as it turns out, is just one of many materials that has called out to Lai during her many years as an artist, its clear, shimmering, ref lective properties reminding her of the

The old cliché has it that art imitates life, and vice versa. If that holds true, to get a good idea of what this ever-changing, always fluid, non-linear thing called “life” is all about, one need only spend a few moments appreciating the works of versatile Taiwanese artist Jun T. Lai.

Being and Transformation

BreathingLocation: Dapinglin Station, MRT Xindian LineDimensions: 15 x 12.7 x 14.6 mMedium: Stainless steel, LED lighting equipmentYear: 2006Taking natural scenery as the main concept, this work transforms a ventilation shaf t into a brighter free object, symbolizing a breathing channel for the MRT and the connecting of the subway with the open air. Visually and conceptually speaking, this work outlines a natural setting that allows people to breathe freely.

By Joe Henley

About

Jun T. Lai

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Embracing the FutureLocation: Entrance of National Nanke International Experimental High School Dimensions: 882 x 565 x 643 cmMedium: Solid steelYear: 2011This work is based on the forward-looking planning that underpins the establishment of all schools. The piece is entitled “Embracing the Future” and is shaped to resemble a person standing at the corner of intersecting roads. It could be a student, arms outstretched to welcome whatever the future has to of fer, a ship about to set sail or a gesture welcoming new visitors to the school. The green circle at the top of the work represents the vital growth of seedlings, alluding to the expectations and aspirations of students for the future.

“I don’t typically work with just one material. It depends on what

I want or what I have”

waters which surround her native land. But it was not until she lef t Taipei, the city of her birth, to explore the rest of Taiwan's wonders that she gained such an appreciation for the lush, bountiful natural side of the island. To get the full story of her artistic transformation, we have to go back to the very beginning.

Born in 1953, her f irst artistic aspirations as a young girl did not focus on the palette and brush, or

the hammer and chisel. Instead, she set her sights on learning to play the piano, a form of expression she no longer dabbles in but nevertheless does not rule out the possibil ity of returning to. “I was very interested in music because I think it’s the purest in terms of harmony and the most joyous, beautiful thing,” she says. As anyone who has spent even a short amount of time with this artist of indomitable spirit soon realizes, she is a passionate, determined woman who could never in good conscience rule out any form of personal exploration even remotely within the realm of possibil ity.

Later, she attended Taiwan's Chinese Culture University, studying in the Department of Fine Arts, before receiving her master's degree from Tama University in Japan. She began as a painter, but quickly found that other art forms and a more organic approach appealed to her.

“I don’t typically work with just one material. It depends on what I want or what I have,” she iterates in her elegant and relaxed manner as she gives a tour of her Taipei studio. “For example, this one,” she continues, walking toward an oblong, smooth, tapered wooden sculpture mounted on the wall, pointed at one end not unlike a surf board, which was part of her Rising Horizon Sculpture Series I I I f rom the early nineties. “The reason why I sometimes use wood is I want to touch more with my hands and also wake up my sense of intuition.”

The studio is f illed with pieces that clearly convey the depth and breadth of her artistic spirit, ranging from a bust she made during her college days to contemporary pieces. Every once in a while, she'll switch pieces for ones that

are kept in storage to, as she says, “give them a suntan,” displaying an easy sense of humor that goes perfectly with her spunky short-cropped hairdo and sharp, f iery eyes.

Lai's first big break as an artist came in 1982, af ter she returned to Taiwan from a teaching

and studying sojourn in New York City. Prior to that year, according to the artist, there weren't many stages for Taiwanese artists to display their work, and thus there wasn't much of a contemporary arts scene. But upon her return, she found that the American Cultural Center was staging exhibitions and she seized the opportunity to put her work in the public eye. At this time she also met painter and

sculptor Richard Lin, whose abstract works would become a huge inf luence on Lai's own work.

Then, in 1985, Lai, who was now noticing galleries and museums popping

up all over Taiwan, took f irst prize in a contemporary-sculpture competition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) with a piece that was part of her f irst Being and Trans f ormation Sculpture Series. This also marked the f irst time she worked with plexiglass, and upon ref lection she recollects that she wanted to make the colors of the material appear as though musical tones, perhaps in tribute to her early musical aspirations, “free and independent” in her words, frozen in time. She was drawn to the evocative and alluring nature of the strong, f lexible material, and was intrigued by the unique way it played with shadows.

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Graceful Look Location: Lef t side of the main entrance of New Taipei City HallDimensions: (W) 600 x (H) 700 cmMedium: Ceramic, Plexiglas, Stainless SteelYear: 2003 “Graceful Look” is installed at the lef t side of the main entrance of the New Taipei City Hall, symbolizing the elegant landscape and human kindness of New Taipei City. “Graceful Look” incorporates the rivers, sandbanks, the ocean, moun-tains, the tree of the city (camphor), and the f lower of the city (azalea), to create a poetic image with rich colors and texture, creating a wall painting with Asian aesthetics.

River in the Sky Location: Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station, MRT Wenhu LineDimensions: 98 x 1200 x 260 cm Medium: Plexiglas, Neon Light Year: 2008The MRT system is the major means of transportation in Taipei. It connects people, as rivers did in the times past, which carried people’s memories and hopes. As with the transit system today, the f lickers of the f lowing water ref lected by the River in the Sky signifies the dreams and hopes of modern lives.

“When light is involved, the shadow is not a complete shadow; the shadow becomes like another space, l ike another world,” she says assuredly, yet with a hint of mysticism behind her words.

“Being” and “transformation” are themes that have cropped up time and again during the course of Lai's l ife in the art world – concepts for which she offers her own interpretation, gained through a lifetime of wonder and inquisitive exploration. “‘Being’ is the harmony, the light, or joy. But recently I feel I have found a new way to explain this. ‘Being’ is more spiritual, and ‘transformation’ is l ife.”

Buoyed by her success at the TFAM competition, Lai then traveled to Basel, Switzerland to take part in an artist-residency program, one of many she has participated in since the 1980s. It was there that she f irst started working with wood, and moved into installation pieces and sculpture, despite the fact that she had never formally trained as a sculptor. At this time her passion awakened for large, ambitious pieces of public art, of which there are now many examples scattered throughout Taiwan. Whenever she is commissioned to create a new piece of public art, she takes her audience into account f irst and foremost. She always begins with the same question: “What can I give them through my work?” The answer she always returns to is: “I want to give them a chance to think.”

ON STAGE／OFF STAGE

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She always begins with the same question: “What can I give them through my work?” The answer she always returns to is: “I want to give them a chance to think.”

Jun. T. Lai putting the final touches on one of her art objects before a museum exhibition

JUN' SPACE (純’空間)Add: 5, Lane 87, Yitong St., Taipei City (台北市伊通街87巷5號)Tel: (02) 2507-5128Hours: Thur~Sat 2~7 pmWebsite: www.juntlai.com

Chinese Culture University 中國文化大學

Jun'Space 純'空間

Jun T. Lai 賴純純

Mt. Dulan 都蘭山

Richard Lin 林壽宇

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Checking out two of Lai's most recent contributions to the

artistic aesthetic of Taipei City and the surrounding New Taipei City is as easy as hopping on the MRT. At Dapingling Station on the Xindian Line, she transformed an ordinary ventilation shaf t into a towering white abstract representation of the free-f lowing nature of her hometown, simply and appropriately entitled “Breathing.” At Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Station, the terminal station of the Wenhu Line, Lai unveiled “River in the Sky,” a blue-and-green plexiglass and neon-light formation on the station's ceil ing, the of ten-unencumbered space she prefers to work with for her public pieces. Each piece of public art that she makes represents a time commitment of no less than one to three years from start to f inish.

Taipei and its environs, however, are not the only places to view Lai's many creations. Over the years she has traveled and lived all over Taiwan, spreading her concept of pure mirth and beauty as she has moved about, and she now plans to split her time between the capital city and the southeastern seaside county of Taitung, where she f irst gained her appreciation for the ocean and its captivating qualities, which drew her into her ongoing plexiglass period. In Taitung, near Mt. Dulan, said to resemble a beautiful woman, she plans to open a second studio by the end of this year. Like many who have embraced a l ife of travel, Lai has taken her experiences on the literal and metaphorical road and absorbed many a lesson from them. “[Travel] has helped me know my land, my place, my country. Before that I was a city girl because I grew up in Taipei. But through travel I have come to understand more and appreciate more about Taiwan and all its many different cultures. I feel I have been very lucky to have this opportunity to learn.”

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Two Excellent Places for History Tours, Featuring Museums with Myriad Treasures to Explore

Most of us are constantly at the beck and call of bleeping cellphones and crashing laptops. Taiwan, in particular, is syn-onymous with high-tech gadgets and rapid economic development, yet we seldom pause to think about how quickly things have changed. Our recent trip to a couple of mining museums, where we saw firsthand how miners lived just a generation ago, put the past century of the island’s history into better perspective. By Catherine T homas/ Alice Davis

Jinguashi and Shifen

Posing at Shifen’s Coal Mine Museum

Head to the Gold Ecological Park in Jinguashi, easily accessible by direct bus or train/

bus from Taipei City, and 21st-century life will fast be far behind you. Snuggled into a hillside on Taiwan’s blustery north coast, the town of Jinguashi is eminently charming, memorable not least for the world’s largest statue of Guan Gong, the God of War, a god known to help in the making of money. A little further up the valley, the Gold Ecological Park awaits.

The park’s landscaped grounds are beautiful, even in the driving rain. We’re met by our guide for the visit, Verna, who explains that the purpose of the park, which opened in 2004, is to preserve the gold-mining heritage and natural surroundings of the area, with community involvement with the park actively encouraged. Excellent translations around the site make this a particularly tourist-friendly destination.

Verna tells us that gold was discovered in the area in

1889, causing a prospecting rush. Six years later Japan took control of Taiwan, and its gold. The Japanese built mines, and Jinguashi became a booming mining town.

The f irst thing we do is get a feel for how the Japanese who managed the mines l ived. Four elegant Japanese residences not far from the park’s entrance area have been dismantled and then rebuilt to the original specif ications. Inside the f irst house, there’s a short subtitled documentary on how this work was carried out. The other houses are authentically furnished to ref lect different periods from the time of the original Japanese occupants to when Taiwanese lived there in the 1970s.

The smell of tatami mats, the period newspapers, the eight-track player, and the pre-war glass “grenade-style” f ire extinguisher bring history to l ife. Perfectly preserved details l ike this around the park set it apart from many other museums.

HISTORY

Travel in Taiwan 22

GOLD ECOLOGICAL PARK (黃金博物館區)Add: 8 Jinguang Rd., Jinguashi, Ruifang District, New Taipei City (新北市瑞芳區金瓜石金光路8號)Tel: (02) 2496-2800Website: www.gep.tpc.gov.tw

The smell of tatami mats, the period newspapers, the eight-track player, and the pre-war glass “grenade-style” fire extinguisher bring histor y to li fe

Touching the world’s largest gold ingot

Down in Jinguashi town, Mr. Zhang A-hui, a sprightly 85-year-old retiree, is kind enough

to tell us about his many years working at the mines. His home is a museum exhibit in itself, with pictures of the area dating back to the 1940s. Zhang began working in the mines when he left school, aged 15, in Japanese colonial times. He enjoyed his work repairing and maintaining the modern machinery with which the Japanese had equipped the mines, and rapidly rose to the position of supervisor.

Seeing Zhang’s photographs and hearing him speak passionately and vividly of the past, city life seems a million miles away. He speaks fondly of the learning culture fostered by the Japanese, with bilingual textbooks freely available to employees (with the notable exception of those books which detailed how to actually ref ine the raw materials into gold!) and a good wage and rice ration. As a young man, he saw the undernourished POWs who were made to work in the most dangerous mines. Many decades later he met some of these same men when they returned to Taiwan, and has photos of them all at the nearby POW memorial that

was erected in their honor in 1997.B

At the same time, the park has no fear of today’s more advanced technology and has made excellent use of it

as an educational medium; yet it is delicately, not obtrusively, incorporated into your experience. Inside the Gold Refining Building, an animated f ilm is projected 180 degrees around the audience, evoking the atmosphere of the heady days of gold prospecting.

“Mr. Ref iner’s Story” features a nostalgic ghost who describes what it was like to live and work there in days gone by. The animation is alternately beautiful and terrifying, an amusing, romantic, sad, fascinating presentation on the highs and lows of mining life.

The Environmental Education Building also occupies an original building from the Japanese period. Videos, models, and interactive multimedia teach visitors about the local topography, geology, and ecology. It’s a perfect introduction to the scenic hiking trails nearby.

Next, a tunnel gives us insight into what it might have been like below ground. On entering we’re given a hard hat to put on, and pass a sign forbidding women, whistling, and mentioning snakes. As we walk through the damp, atmospheric interior, audio tracks enliven the life-size models of miners at work.

The Gold Building houses an informative exhibit which nicely rounds off our visit, summarizing the history of the local mines and the cultural importance of gold. Miners’ possessions are on display – working permits, tools – and there’s information about the WW II Allied prisoners of war who toiled under the Japanese, forced to work with meager rations in the cruelest conditions.

You can’t put a more climactic end on a stroll around a gold museum than this: to touch, no, to caress, the world’s largest gold ingot. Weighing in at 220.3 kilograms, it’s a huge hunk of solid gold. Weigh yourself and see what proportion of the gold bar is equivalent to your own body mass! Even the least materialistic will be impressed, and inspired to try the hands-on gold-panning experience next door.

MINING TOWNS

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In the year that gathering took place in Jinguashi, coal miners in Shifen (about 15 km southwest of

Jinguashi) faced the closure of their pits. The Coal Mine Museum, which is within walking distance of Shifen Railway Station, pays tribute to their labor.

In the 1960s, there were 500 active mining companies in Taiwan. Thousands made their living in the sweltering, cramped tunnels. They worked seven-hour days in the dark, wet, and dusty mines, their labor powering Taiwan’s power stations. By the turn of the century, the local mining industry had collapsed af ter cheap imports f looded the market. Were it not for the dedication of mining enthusiasts, this world would have been entirely swept away.

Coal mining in Taiwan was a hard business, with coal seams just 40-60 centimeters thick – as opposed to Australia’s seams of around 30 meters – meaning miners had to stoop to mine the coal. On our tour we experience how cramped the conditions were in the recreated tunnel. Hunched over, we clamber through only with diff iculty. The tunnel is very slippery, so wear sensible shoes!

The Sky Lantern Room contains maps of Taiwan’s coal belt, and black-and-white photographs of miners, but it should be noted that there’s l ittle in the way of English translation. We don coal miners’ clothes and smear coal dust on our faces for a memorable snap.

Another tunnel offers the opportunity to see how the mine shaf ts were built, and appreciate the sheer mass of the one-ton carts that just two or three workers pushed along the shaf ts. The adjoining display room houses some period equipment and a few models.

The original bathhouse somewhat resembles a hot spring with its two large, sunken stone tubs. The water was heated using coal from the mine. The f irst tub was used to rinse off the sweat and grime, and the second offered a soothing bath to ease the muscles af ter an arduous shif t.

We experience how cramped the conditions were in the recreated tunnel. Hunched over, we clamber through only with difficulty

1. Entrance to the old mine adjacent to the Gold Museum in Jinguashi2. Reconstructed mine shaf t at the Coal Mine Museum in Shifen

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Travel in Taiwan 24

The highlight of the museum is the tram ride. The tram jostles past a cornucopia

of foliage and veggie patches, following the original tracks to where the coal was tipped and sorted. The ride is highly enjoyable in the winter drizzle, but must be quite spectacular when the tung trees blossom heavily along the route each May.

Visitors f lock to the museum for the April f iref ly season to enjoy a guided tour, ride the train in the evening when f iref lies can be seen, complete a Do-It-Yourself craf t project, and eat a simple lunchbox for the bargain price of NT$350. During this season the museum stays open until 10 pm. A visit here can be nicely followed with a trip to the Gold Ecological Park in Jinguashi, or can be combined with a trip to the nearby valley town of Pingxi, or with mountain hiking and a stop at scenic Shifen Waterfall.

Back at the museum af ter our tram outing, we paint a sky lantern – one of the selection of craf t activities that visitors can take part in – and let it f loat off into the night sky, dark as coal and studded with golden stars. As we drive back to Taipei along the snaking mountain roads, mile by mile “returning” to modern civil ization, our phones spring back into life, bleeping us back into the here and now.

COAL MINE MUSEUM (台灣煤礦博物館)Add: 5 Dingliao Zi, Xinliao Village, Pingxi District, New Taipei City (新北市平溪區新竂里頂竂子5號)Tel: (02) 2495-8680Website: www.coalmine.com.tw (Chinese)

ENGLISH & CHINESE

Environmental Education Building 環境館

Gold Building 黃金館

Gold Refining Building 煉金樓

Guan Gong 關公

Jinguashi 金瓜石

Pingxi 平溪

Shifen 十分

Shifen Waterfall 十分瀑布

Sky Lantern Room 天燈室

Zhang A-hui 張阿煇

1. Tram ride 2,3. Exhibit at Coal Mine Museum 4. Preparing to send a sky lantern up into the night sky at Shifen

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MINING TOWNS

Captur ing A mazing Scenes in Grand Panorama Pictures

VISTAS BIG AND WIDE

MY PHOTO TOUR

Photos by Maggie Song

With today’s modern technology, creating wonderful panoramic photos is a snap! All you have to do is f ind a great spot with a 180-degree panorama – or even wider – and take pictures in succession from one end of the

panorama to the other. Using a tripod is helpful, but not essential, for maintaining the same height for all captures, and you don’t even have to be very accurate with the overlapping of the separate images. With the help of special panorama sof tware (many programs can be downloaded free of cost from the Internet), your computer can quickly recognize the same spots in pictures, and stitches the images together accordingly; the process is of ten almost completely automatic. You can also stitch separate images together manually for some added creative effects.

Taiwan is a great place for panorama photography; you’ ll f ind myriad spots where panoramic images are the perfect solution for capturing amazing, sweeping vistas in their entirety. The photos on these two pages were shot at the coastal town of Danshui (Tamsui) in northern Taiwan, a great place to shoot because of the conjunction of river, mountain, and ocean scenery, especially in the late evening when there is a high chance for dramatic sunsets.

PANORAMA

LET’S GO OUT TONIGHT

Travel in Taiwan 30

The wonderful thing about Taipei is the plethora of sporting options available after the work day has ended. Whether you are looking for a strenuous workout or just a relaxing night out with friends, it’s just a matter of finding the right venue. Here are a few possibilities for anyone looking for a fun and healthy activity to engage in, available even into the late evening hours. By Amanda Hsiao

Let 's have some fun!

Follow us!

For an activity that offers a challenge as well as a great way to work out, look no further than the rock-climbing gym at IDEA (Institute

on Developing Enhanced Adventures) at the Taipei City Beitou Sports Center in Beitou District. It’s a 10-to-15-minute walk from the MRT Shipai Station on the Danshui Line to the center, located on Lane 39 of Sec. 1, Shipai Road.

Head up to the second f loor; IDEA is directly to the lef t as you enter. With its towering climbing wall rising from the middle of the gym, it’s hard to miss. It’s advisable to make a reservation by telephone, although drop-ins are allowed (though you run the risk of having to wait an hour or so for a group class to end). With a reservation, all you have to do is check in with the staff, take off your shoes, put on your climbing gear, and be ready to climb. Just be sure to reserve a starting time before 9 pm, since the rock-climbing gym closes at 10 pm. P

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LET’S GO OUT TONIGHT

Travel in Taiwan 32

CHUNG CHENG BOWLING AND BILLIARDS CENTER (中正保齡球撞球俱樂部)Add: 392 Zhongzheng Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City (台北市士林區中正路392號)Tel: (02) 2836-0101Website: www.ccbowling.com.tw

You don't think you can beat me at bowlin g ,

do you?

So embarrassin g . . .

Ha ha , never seen someone

so scared.

You don't think you can

beat me at bowlin g ,

do you?

If you’re looking for fun that is more laid-back and less strenuous, bowling might be the way to go. A good place

to go is the Chung Cheng Bowling and Bill iards Center, located on Zhongzheng Road, next to Xinguang Hospital, a short walk away from the MRT Shilin Station and Shilin Night Market. It makes a great stop af ter a trip through the night market, being conveniently open 24 hours.

The bowling facil ity has a large clientele of high-school and university students, so no bumpers for the younger

set, but children are still welcome. And there’s no need to worry about whether the center could get crowded; with over 50 lanes, there is more than enough room for everyone.

Pricing is staggered, different on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays/holidays, and also changing

according to time period. For evening games on a weekday, the price is NT$70 a game from 6 pm to midnight

and NT$45 a game from midnight to 7 am. The weekend and holiday prices are only slightly higher at these same times, with special pricing if you buy a session of 10 games.

There’s more to do at Chung Cheng than just bowling. The bill iards facility boasts 23 tables, 18 imported from overseas. The pricing is reasonable; to play on a regular table for three hours, the price is NT$290, while imported Brunswick tables are NT$370 for three hours.

This facil ity is also spacious and clean, with staff will ing to help explain the basics of pool to newcomers. Comfortable seating is available for players waiting for their turn with the cue stick. And if you are craving an evening snack, food and drinks are also available in both the bill iards and bowling facil ity, with snacks and traditional Taiwan foods both sold.

And just in case someone gets the urge to go local and do a l ittle karaoke, there are a few small rooms you can rent with friends, where you can belt out some classic English tunes for NT$20 a song.

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TAIPEI ARENA (台北小巨蛋)Tel: (02) 2181-2345Add: 2, Sec. 4, Nanjing E. Rd., Songshan District, Taipei City (台北市松山區南京東路4段2號)Website: www.taipeiarena.com.tw

The main thought on everyone’s mind during a hot Taipei summer is: Where can I go to stay cool? So

if the sun sets and there is still no relief from the sweltering heat and humidity, grab a jacket, a friend and/or your signif icant other, and head to Taipei Arena.

Located a short walk down Nanjing East Road from MRT Nanjing East Road Station, it’s hard to miss the large egg-shaped arena (the name in Mandarin actually does mean “little giant egg”). Although best-known for amazing pop concerts and sports-competition events, Taipei Arena is f illed with a variety of shops and restaurants and – key for our needs here – a large permanent ice-skating rink on the second f loor. Taipei Arena is very foreigner-friendly; most signs are posted in English as well as Chinese.

Ice Land, the name of the skating rink, is open on weekdays from 10 am to 9 pm, on Saturdays and public holidays from 9 am to 9 pm, and on Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm. Tickets are sold for a time block of two hours for NT$190 (plus NT$10 for medical insurance), with every additional 30 minutes costing NT$45. However, if you are just bringing the kids for some fun on the ice and are content just to watch, a spectator ticket can be bought cheaply, only NT$30 for four hours.

Safety is very important at Ice Land, and all skaters are required to wear gloves and a helmet, unless they are willing to sign a safety release form. The equipment rental is inexpensive – skates can be rented for NT$80 and a full set of protective equipment (including helmet, knee pads, palm pads, and elbow pads) for just NT$50.

And for those who worry about spending more time falling and sitting on the ice than skating on it, there is a small sectioned-off area for beginners to practice before hitting the main skating circle. There is also the option of classes

and teachers to choose from, and sometimes teachers set up impromptu classes for large groups of beginners. Regardless of whether you are whizzing around other skaters, or clinging onto the boards, Ice Land is a great place to stay cool, exercise, and have fun.

After closing time for public skating, the rink is most every night used for ice-hockey league games or practices, with one and all welcome to watch, at no charge. So, if you’re not yet ready to head back out into the heat, or are just missing the excitement of watching a puck f ly around the ice to the sound of crunching skates and yelling players, feel free to stick around; the players always appreciate it.

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FOOD JOURNEY

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Farmer Lin Dong-hai in his spring onion field in Sanxing

FOOD JOURNEY

The terrain around the town of Sanxing, l ike the pancakes on our plates, is astonishingly

f lat. Passing f ield af ter f ield of blue-leaf spring onions (or scall ions), rice, and willow bushes, the road stretches out as though searching through a maze without walls, the land disorientates because of the few landmarks and minimal variation, and a long crescent of hazy mountains occupies the skyline, with only a bare stretch of open space to the east, signif ying the presence of the ocean, as an indicator of direction.

The reason for this f latness is that Sanxing lies on the far west side of the Lanyang Plain. A delta plain formed over mill ions of years as the Lanyang River carved its way between the Snow Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range, f lowing down from a height of a thousand meters to the Pacif ic Ocean – with the help of some tectonic uplif ting – this alluvial f latland stretches over an area of 300 square kilometers. The plain has a distinct triangular shape; Sanxing is located at the westernmost and highest point.

Sanxing is in a prime position for farming, as a free-f lowing supply of fresh mountain water, protection from harsher sunshine by frequent cloudy weather, a cooling westerly wind, and a geological structure that naturally irrigates the soil give the produce grown here a distinctive f lavor which has brought renown to Sanxing’s “four treasures”: garlic, silver willow, admiral pear and, most famous, spring onions.

Yilan’s Sanxing Township Offers Ideal Conditions for Cultivating Scallions

By Owain Mckimm

We are eating Taiwanese-style spring-onion pancakes. Usually, in other parts of Taiwan, the spring onion is rolled in the dough which is then flattened, says Song Yi-xuan of the local farmers’ association, but here, in the township of Sanxing in Yilan County, they take two pieces of dough and put the pancake to-gether like a sandwich. Crisp and delicious! Trust the people of Sanxing when it comes to spring onions, because this town in northeast Taiwan is one the prime producers of this vegetable in Taiwan.

Spring Onion Country

What makes Sanxing's spring onions special is a long white stem filled with a juic y and sugar y glycogen,

tender f ibers, and a sweet f lavor

What makes Sanxing’s spring onions special, explains Lin Dong-hai, a former chef who took over the

family farm from his father, which now specializes in organic cultivation, is a long white stem f illed with a juicy and sugary glycogen, tender f ibers that give a pleasing crunch, and a sweet and fragrant f lavor that is not too spicy yet possesses a mild peppery quality. Lin says the ideal length of the white stem is between 18 and 21cm; any longer and the scallion will be too lank, while shorter stems fetch a lower price.

There are two main types of spring onion, the “f ine onion” and the “rough onion.” In Sanxing, 250 hectares of land are used to cultivate the “f ine” variety, though, as Lin explains, the term is a little too general as there are over a hundred breeds of “f ine” onion, due to farmers experimenting with cross-breeding.

SPRING ONIONS

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Lin has a whole f ield dedicated to testing different fertilizers, natural pesticides, and nutritional supplements. However, he explains, the spring onion is an especially diff icult plant to cultivate organically. “There are about 20 diseases that regularly attack spring onions,” he says. “Most vegetables take less than a month to grow and harvest, but the spring onion takes about 3 months, so the risks are greater.”

The simplest way to protect the spring onions is to coat the ridges of earth where the vegetable is planted with dried rice grass. “This keeps the soil cool in summer, and conserves heat in the winter. It also prevents many types of weed. We call it a ‘spring-onion duvet,’” Lin says.

The spring onion can be planted year round, and this makes it a stable source of income for most farmers; they sign yearly contracts with the local farmers’ association, which promises to buy a set amount of the farmers’ produce per season, guaranteeing sales where otherwise they might struggle at local markets or lose out to competitors.

Lin says that he can take in up to three harvests a year, one crop every three months with a month’s interval in between to prepare the f ield for replanting. When the time comes to plant a new f ield, Sanxing’s method differs from that of farms in the south, as farmers don’t plant from seed but rather transfer a portion of young, already cultivated scallions to new soil. Lin f irst dips the roots of these shoots in a natural bacterial inoculant, then plants them in rows of six. After three months each shoot has branched out into a bunch of eight and is ready to be sent to the sales/delivery center run by the local farmers’ association, from whence the spring onions will be sold to supermarkets and wholesalers or dried and ground into the powder used to f lavor the mysterious local spring-onion ice cream.

Visitors to Sanxing can probe the history and methodology of spring onion farming in the Spring Onion

Culture Museum, housed in a facility used as a rice-storage building during the Japanese colonial era (the old rafters where the rice was stored give the place a pleasant nostalgic feel). The museum was opened in 2005 as a celebration of all things spring onion. It’s a beautiful little facility, consisting of a small exhibition hall and a shop at the back selling the aforementioned “four treasures” in their various culinary incarnations.

Exhibitions range from the farming process to the various dishes in which the scallion is a major ingredient, and nestled among these are examples of local artwork in which the four treasures are used as building material or inspiration. Chinese-language tours can be arranged, and though there is no posted/printed English information at the moment, Song says there are plans to add English translations in the future.

The spring onion is a symbol of prosperit y, good luck, and intelligence in local culture

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1. Spring onions are protected with a layer of dried rice grass 2. Tool to plant spring onions 3. Spring onions are harvested every three months 4. Testing the crop

SPRING ONION CULTURE MUSEUM (青蔥文化館)Add: 31 Zhongshan Rd., Yide Village, Sanxing Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣三星鄉義德村中山路31號)Hours: 8:30 am ~ 5 pm (Mon-Fri), 9 am ~ 6 pm (Sat-Sun)

CONSTELLATION HOMESTAY AND CONG ZAI LIAO COUNTRY GUESTHOUSE (星宿渡假別墅，蔥仔寮田園民宿)Add: 13-2 and 13-5 Dongxing Rd., Tianfu Village, Sanxing Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣三星鄉天福村東興路13之2，13之5號)Website: cons.ilanbnb.tw; 0937995104.travel-web.com.tw

GETTING THERE: From Taipei drive to Luodong town on National Freeway No. 5, and then on to Sanxing via Provincial Highway No. 7C, or take public transport to Luodong and transfer to a Kuo Kuang Motor Transport Co. bus near the railway station, which will take you into Sanxing proper. Scooters can be rented in Luodong for NT$350-500 per day, though some rental businesses seem reluctant to rent to foreigners, even if an International Driving Permit is presented.

For those who want a more hands-on experience, there are many guesthouses in the area which offer a DIY spring-onion pancake experience. Constellation Homestay and Cong Zai Liao Country Guesthouse form a guesthouse pair owned by two brothers. Located next to the family’s spring-onion f ields, and backed by the emerald-colored slopes of the Snow Mountain Range, these guesthouses offer day-tours of the f ields during which guests can pick their own scallions and then use them in cooking pancakes under the tutelage of Li Jian-hong, the younger brother of the two, who performs his teaching duties as if he were taking part in one of Taiwan’s TV variety shows.

Rooms are spacious, clean, and tastefully decorated, with gorgeous views, and prices range from NT$1,500 for a double room on a weekday to NT$4,500 for a 4-person family room on the weekend.

The spring onion is a symbol for prosperity, good luck, and intelligence in local culture.

The Taiwanese word for “spring onion” is pronounced cang, the same sound as that for “prosperity,” while the Mandarin Chinese for “scallion,” cong, is the same as that for “intelligence.” Such linguistic curiosities have given rise to a host of expressions, such as “Steal onions at night, marry Mr. Right,” and such customs as the offering of spring onions to the deities as a prayer for good results in exams.

Like the Lanyang River, which spreads out in rivulets and streams across this area, so the spring onion has quietly permeated Taiwanese cooking and tradition, appearing in hundreds of dishes and snacks and in myriad stories and sayings. However, it takes a visit to the peaceful plains of Sanxing to see the verdant scallion, perennial and abundant, in all its glory.

cang (prosperity) 昌

cong (intelligence) 聰

cong (spring onion) 蔥¨fine onion¨ 細蔥

Kuo Kuang Motor Transport Co. 國光客運

Lanyang Plain 蘭陽平原

Lanyang River 蘭陽溪

Li Jian-hong 李建鴻

Lin Dong-hai 林東海

Luodong 羅東

Central Mountain Range 中央山脈¨rough onion¨ 粗蔥

Sanxing 三星

Snow Mountain Range 雪山山脈

Song Yi-xuan 宋怡萱

spring-onion duvet 蔥的棉被

spring-onion pancake 蔥油餅¨Steal onions at night, marry Mr. Right¨ 偷採蔥，嫁好老公

ENGLISH & CHINESE

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Travel in Taiwan 37

1. Washing freshly harvested spring onion at Cong Zailiao Country Guesthouse 2. The guesthouse of fers courses in spring onion pancake making

In 2001, Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture set up a scheme that would allow women living in the island’s farming communities to open restaurants

specializing in local delicacies, promoting ingredients unique to the surrounding area. Since then these restaurants, called Tian Mama (meaning “Mother Field”; http://tianmama.coa.gov.tw), have sprung up all over the countryside, attracting visitors with expertly made traditional dishes.

In 2006, the Tian Mama Onion and Garlic Restaurant was opened next to the Spring Onion Culture Museum in the town of Sanxing (see previous article), and true to its name it has provided top-quality food rooted in the area’s most famous staple – the spring onion or scall ion – cooked with that distinctive rustic quality found in the best kind of home cooking.

The restaurant itself is a simple affair, painted in browns and whites and with tablecloths the color of spring-onion shoots. Customers can order a set meal for four, which includes a main dish and f ive smaller dishes, for NT$800, or order a selection of individual entrées with prices ranging from NT$150 to NT$400 each. A selection of the latter was prepared for myself and my group of friends by chef Liao Jia-zhen.

“Eggplant Bites Onion”Sampling Dishes Made with Spring Onion

By Owain Mckimm

LET’S EAT!

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TIAN MAMA ONION AND GARLIC RESTAURANT (田媽媽三星蔥蒜美食館)Add: 31 Zhongshan Rd., Yide Village, Sanxing Township, Yilan County (宜蘭縣三星鄉義德村中山

路31號)Hours: 11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00 (Mon-Fri), 11:00-17:00 (Sat-Sun)Tel: (03) 989-5179

¨eggplant bites onion¨ 茄咬蔥

Liao Jia-zhen 廖家甄

onion and garlic tenderloin stew 蔥蒜牛腩

onion-root soup 蔥根湯

red-yeast meat and onion bun 紅麴蔥肉包

Tian Mama 田媽媽¨without onions, cooking is pointless¨ 無蔥不炒菜

ENGLISH & CHINESE

The most popular dish, according to Liao, is the qie yao cong or “eggplant bites onion,” an intriguing

dish in which fresh eggplant is stuffed with spring onion and pork, deep-fried, and served on a bed of tomatoes.

A particular triumph, however, is the spring-onion root soup, where the bases of several scall ions, complete with the root hair, are boiled together with chicken and Chinese wolf berries for an hour before being served piping-hot in what looks like a porcelain casserole dish. The roots have an earthy, f ibrous texture, akin to bamboo, which is heightened by the distinctive tartness of the wolf berry, an ingredient strongly associated with traditional Chinese medicine. Liao explained that the dish is known for its health benef its, especially for the lungs and kidneys. If you try anything while you’re here, try this soup.

Among my other favorites is the red-yeast meat and onion bun, which is served together with the restaurant’s especially crispy spring-onion pancakes, and the onion and garlic tenderloin stew, which is cooked for an hour and contains 10 different spices. Sanxing’s famous scall ions are sprinkled on top just before serving.

Eating at the Tian Mama restaurant is an incredible foray into the variety of dishes that can be made with spring onion, and whereas the scall ion is usually treated more as a seasoning than as a major ingredient, the point of Sanxing’s Tian Mama is to make the spring onion the star of the show, a task which it manages with great skill.

After lunch, we popped next door to the Spring Onion Culture Museum to browse the

banquet of spring onion-related goods on offer in the gif t shop. More a supermarket than the traditional type of shop where souvenirs are picked up, the place is f illed to the brim with every conceivable incarnation of the spring onion in packaged form.

There are egg rolls, seaweed crackers, and pies, all infused with dried spring onion, onion-root tea – a cousin of the delicious soup we’d just eaten – creamed onion to spread on toast, onion oil, black pepper and scall ion sauce to use with meat, and yes, the holy grail itself – spring-onion ice cream! Made with spring-onion powder, this creamy delight has a potent fragrance, but retains all the sweetness that makes Sanxing’s spring onions famous. The staff at the store told us that some visitors even put it on onion pancakes. We didn’t quite go that far, but it certainly was both a strange and a delicious experience.

There is a Chinese saying that “without onions, cooking is pointless.” Our visit to Sanxing showed us that spring onions are not just an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cooking – they’re also full of surprises.

Eating at Sanxing’s Tian Mama restaurant is an incredible foray into the variety of dishes that can be made with spring onion

Sanxing’s T ian Mama restaurant of fers a wide range of dishes made with spring onion and the Spring Onion Culture Museum sells prod-ucts such as spring-onion crackers and spring-onion oil

SPRING ONIONS

Travel in Taiwan 39

Pineapple Pastry

Learning How to Make Taipei’s No. Gift Choice at Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry

Pineapple pastries, or pineapple cakes, are almost

always named as one of the top must-buy souvenir or gif t items when locals are asked

what to take home from a visit to Taipei. There are numerous producers of these little brick-shaped, sweet,

and slightly sour treats, and pineapple cakes in fancy gif t boxes are found in most bakeries around town. They might all look alike, but pineapple cakes from different bakeries are far from identical. There can be signif icant differences in size, consistency, and the amount of pineapple included in the f ill ing. With the Taipei City Government each year organizing a special pineapple cake contest, competition is strong between the bakeries and recipes are usually well-kept secrets. There is, however, a place where you can enjoy a hands-on experience at pineapple pastry-making, the Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry in Taipei’s Shilin District. Travel in Taiwan recently

signed up for a 3-hour class, seeking to learn all there is to know about the craf t and, best

of all, take home a box of self-made treats.

By Kurt Weidner

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Travel in Taiwan 40

During the week, Kuo Yuan Ye offers DIY classes only to

schools. On the weekend, classes are available for large groups (at least 20 persons for the pineapple-

pastry classes we attended), which you may join if space is available. The fee depends on the type of pastry or cake you are

learning to make. For the traditional pineapple-pastry class the fee is NT$300 per person, and includes a box containing your nine self-made pineapple cakes, a guided tour of the museum displays, and some tea and snacks. Whether you want to join a class or just visit the museum (which is in fact just a large display room), f irst make a reservation and inquire about the conditions that apply.

At the beginning of the class, all the ingredients you need for the shells of the cakes are prepared in the exact amount needed to create 10 of the standard small-sized pineapple cakes: a mix of f lour and milk powder, sugar, butter, and egg yolk.

Insert the dough balls containing the pineapple paste into the molds. If you want to be creative and personalize you pastries, you now have the chance to carve patterns into the sof t dough. Make a face or write a name, for example.

Add the sugar to the sof t butter and quickly stir for a few minutes, until the butter ’s color has turned f rom yellow to almost white.

Add half of the egg yolk. Af ter thorough stirr ing, add the rest of the egg yolk and continue stirr ing until you get a creamy white paste.

The staf f brings simple square-shaped metal molds (10 for each person) and the already-prepared pineapple paste for the f ill ing; it is time to put the paste into the dough and the dough/paste combinations into the molds.

During the baking (takes about 20 min.), you can

go on a guided tour through the museum and learn

about the history of Kuo Yuan Ye and the cakes

and pastries traditionally eaten during Taiwanese

festivals and family celebrations.

Once the pineapple cakes are ready, you can savor one of the 10 cakes you’ve made before wrapping the other 9 in paper and putting them into a box that can be sealed, making a great gif t for f r iends and famil ies. Yummy pineapple pastries made all by yourself!

Mix in half of the f lour. When the

f lour has been fully absorbed, add

the second half. Continue with

the mixing until you get a moist

chunk of dough almost the size of a

baseball.

KUO YUAN YE MUSEUM OF CAKE AND PASTRY (郭元益糕餅博物館)Add: 4F, 546 Wenlin Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City (台北市士林區文林路546號4F)Tel: (02) 2838-2700 ext. 457Website: www.kuos.com/foundation/cake/index.html (Chinese)

Qian St. 前街

Wenlin Rd. 文林路

Zhongzheng Rd. 中正路

ENGLISH & CHINESE

1Step

4Step6Step

7Step 8Step 9Step

2Step 3Step

How to get there: Take

the MRT Danshui Line to Shilin Station; leave the

station by Exit 1; cross Zhong-zheng Rd. and follow the path under the elevated MRT line to

Qian St.; turn left and walk to Wenlin Rd.; turn right

and you will see Kuo Yuan Ye.

Flatten the dough and roll it in the shape of a bratwurst, then cut it into 10 pieces and roll those into l ittle balls.

Make a ring with your thumb and index f inger, place a dough ball on top, take a piece of pineapple paste and press it with the thumb of your other hand into the dough. Turn the dough during this process until it closes at the top.

5Step

PINEAPPLE PASTRIES

Travel in Taiwan 41

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Sandy Beaches, Rocky Coastline, Quiet CountryA Whirlwind Tour Round Hengchun PeninsulaIsolated, sparsely populated, and with large portions undeveloped, the Hengchun Peninsula in the far south of Taiwan is a world apart from the rest of the island. Best known for the white-sand beaches in and nearby the town of Kending, it’s also home to an incredible range of other scenic attractions that includes barren coastal grasslands, towering sand dunes, and small farming villages. The peninsula’s eastern coast is particularly beautiful.

By Andrew Crosthwaite

THE BEST ROUTES

Travel in Taiwan 42Travel in Taiwan 42

Sandy Beaches, Rocky Coastline, Quiet Country

Beautiful coastline at Jialeshui northeast of Kending

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Until recently I didn’t know much about Hengchun’s scenic attractions, my spir it of adventure and curiosity not yet taking me to the island’s far south. All this changed

when I found myself in the southern city of Kaohsiung with some spare time on my hands, and I f ixed on the idea of doing a quick trip by scooter. I decided to start at the town of Checheng, on a looping route that would take me around the peninsula, following Prov. Highway No. 26 to the southernmost tip of Taiwan and then moving north along the eastern coast before heading inland and returning to Checheng on narrower county roads.

The f irst, and probably most important, thing to say about this ride is that it’s not short, and there are a lot of places along the way worth stopping at. You can def initely do it in a single day, but if that is your goal then try and plan out your trip in detail before you set off. Since you won’t have time to visit all places of interest along the way, you’d best select a few beforehand and leave the rest for another time.

After grabbing a bite to eat in Checheng, I hit Highway No. 26 and headed south. It wasn’t long before I passed signs for the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium (www.nmmba.gov.tw). I’d def initely like to check out this modern museum one day, but on this excursion I wanted to spend more time exploring the peninsula’s nature-crafted attractions, so on I went. The f irst sizable town you pass south of Checheng is Hengchun. It’s an old settlement, and there are signs in both English and Chinese leading you through the town to its old gates and other historic sites.

HENGCHUN PENINSULA

Travel in Taiwan 43

Travel in Taiwan 43

South of Hengchun, rolling hills on the inland side make for a picturesque drive, and it’s easy to make good time along the wide, well-maintained highway. It was tempting to plough on all the way to the beach at Nanwan (South Bay), close to Kending town (also often spelled “Kenting”), but I decided instead to turn onto County Road No. 153 and head southwest to Maobitou (lit. “Tip of a Cat’s Nose”), a promontory forming Taiwan’s second most southerly point. Although not very large, Maobitou Park has some gorgeous coastal scenery. The cliffs here are made of dark, craggy rock and jagged exposed-coral formations, and they’re topped by dense outgrowths of coarse plants and thickets.

Retracing my way back to Highway No. 26, I continued on south to Nanwan,

which some call the peninsula’s mecca for such water activities as jet-skiing and riding banana boats. This is great fun if you’re with friends or family on a summer vacation, but if you’re on your own, like I was that day, riding a banana boat would just be a bit lonely. Nanwan’s also a great place to stop if you’re feeling hungry, as there are a string of inexpensive restaurants.

There are more restaurants a couple of kilometers further

down the road in Kending, and I stopped there for lunch at Smokey Joe’s Café. You’ll pay NT$400-500 for a meal and a drink, so it’s a bit more expensive than other places in town, but it’s got a nice atmosphere and good service, and the Tex-Mex food they serve is delicious. You’ll f ind it at the far end of town next to the Howard Beach Resort Kenting.

Kending comes alive at night. If you’re around after the sun goes down you’ll f ind the main street f illed with people, and a lively night market takes shape. During the day, though, it’s fairly quiet, so after eating I headed for Kenting Forest Recreation Area and Sheding Nature Park, both located inland, north of Kending on Township Road No. 165. If you enjoy nature you’ll f ind both destinations great places to explore. Which one you choose might depend on how much time you have, as the former is far larger than the latter. I chose Sheding, and had an hour-long walk through narrow caves and open grasslands. You might also get a sight of some rare wildlife in the area – I was lucky enough, and quite amazed, to see a beautiful golden-brown deer run across the road about 10 meters in front of my scooter.

The route to Sheding has limited signposting, but is found with minimal diff iculty by driving a few kilometers past the P

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THE BEST ROUTES

Travel in Taiwan 44

clearly marked section to Kenting National Forest Recreation Area. If you continue on No. 165 after Sheding, you’ll meet Highway No. 26 again, further to the east on the way to Eluanbi.

Eluanbi is about 10km east of Kending. This is Taiwan main island’s southernmost point,

and many people come here to walk and take pictures of the splendid views and the picturesque lighthouse. After this, Highway No. 26 turns north, moving along the east coast, and I was mesmerized by the scenery along this stretch of road. Wide, flat expanses of grass and heathland dominate the surroundings, the only breaks coming where the vegetation has been worn down by the elements to reveal the hard, rust-red earth underneath. To enjoy this landscape to the fullest, stop at Longpan Park or Fengchuisha (“Sands Blown by the Wind”), about 5 and 8km north of Eluanbi, respectively.

About 20 minutes north of Fengchuisha you come to the intersection of Highway No. 26 and County Road 200A. Turn right, to continue moving north along the coast. At the end of

this stretch, about 5km, is Jialeshui, a tourist destination that features some incredible rock formations. Afterwards, head back along the same road to the aforementioned intersection, then continue along County Road 200A, heading inland, until you meet County Road 200. If you need gas at this point, turn left and head west for a few hundred meters to what is the only gas station in this part of the Hengchun Peninsula; I don’t remember seeing

another gas station on the way from Kending to this point, nor on my way from this point along my loop route

until I had almost returned to Checheng.

My gas needs met, I headed back east and then north along County Road 200. After passing the small town of Manzhou, I rode another 20km to my next stop-off point. The lush, gentle hills and beautiful countryside along this stretch provided wonderful visual pleasure as I ventured to the town of Gangzai, where the next stretch of Highway No. 26 is found. (On the peninsula’s east side, No. 26 is a long-term work in progress, and on your map you’ll see gaps along the coast where sections of the highway are waiting to be built.) Gangzai is home to some colossal sand dunes, advertised on roadside signs as the Gangzai Big Desert. The largest of the dunes must be at least three or four

Riding the open roads that characterize the Hengchun Peninsula makes for a

fantastic day – or two, or more

Hengchun Peninsula has a lot to of fer, rocky coastline, sandy beaches, historic towns, idyllic countryside, tropical forest, and much more.

HENGCHUN PENINSULA

Travel in Taiwan 45

ENGLISH & CHINESE

The road hugs the coast and you see promontor y a fter promontor y standing resilient

against the Paci f ic Ocean

stories high, and there’s nothing quite like it anywhere else in Taiwan. Some of the townspeople have set up businesses offering jeep tours across the dunes and renting out quad bikes that you can drive over the sand, but after spending so long sitting on my scooter, I was happy just to stretch my legs with a long walk.

Back on Highway No. 26, still heading north, the scenery continued to be breathtaking. The road

here hugs the meandering coastline, and you see promontory after promontory standing resilient against the power of the Pacific Ocean. This section of the highway is about 10km long and terminates at the eastern end of County Road No. 199A, which takes you back inland. A few minutes down this road brings you to a place named Xuhai; look for a narrow side road, on your right-hand side, leading to the Xuhai Grasslands. There is a sign at the road’s mouth; the road itself is 3km.

The longest of the walks at these grasslands takes about an hour to finish and will lead you past small herds of thankfully tame, rather long-horned cows. Taking the walk rewards you with a wonderful elevated view of the coastline.

The final stretch of my trip took me further inland along County Road No. 199A to its connection with County Road No. 199, which (turning left and heading west) takes you all the way back to Checheng. This section is about 25km long, and takes you past low hills and rice fields. If you find yourself running low on

gas at this point, note there is a gas station at the settlement of Shimen, close to Checheng. Shimen is the site of an old battlefield where Japanese forces and warriors of the indigenous Paiwan Tribe clashed in 1874. Before reaching Checheng you will also pass the hot-spring resort of Sichongxi, offering relaxing hot-spring soaking.

Riding the open roads that characterize the Hengchun Peninsula makes for a fantastic day – or two, or more. There really is nowhere else in Taiwan like this, and I know I’ll be going back. There are many places I didn’t have time to check out on this trip, which requires a return trip, and others I can’t wait to see again and explore further.

Sichongxi

Shimen

Checheng

to Kaohsiungto Taitung

Gangzai Big Desert

Fengchuisha

Jialeshui

Hengchun

Maobitou

Kending

Nanwan

National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium

Eluanbi

Kenting National Forest Recreation Area

Longpan Park

Manzhou

Xuhai Grasslands

Hengchun Peninsula

26

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Eluanbi 鵝鑾鼻

Fengchuisha 風吹沙

Gangzai Big Desert 港仔大沙漠

Hengchun 恆春

Hengchun Peninsula 恆春半島

Jialeshui 佳樂水

Kending 墾丁

Kenting National Forest Recreation Area 墾丁國家森林遊樂區

Kenting National Park 墾丁國家公園

Longpan Park 龍磐公園

Manzhou 滿洲

Maobitou 貓鼻頭

Nanwan 南灣

National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium 國立海洋生物博物館

Sheding Nature Park 社頂自然公園

Shimen 石門

Sichongxi 四重溪

Xuhai Grasslands 旭海大草原

199 A

200

26

26

200 A

26

200

199

26

Sheding Nature Park

THE BEST ROUTES

Travel in Taiwan 46

The Japanese started it. They’ve been in what’s been called

full “cute worship” mode since the 1970s. The phenomenon is ever

stronger; everything young and pure and innocent and carefree is

glorif ied, the younger the better. Think Hello Kitty and other sweet-

eyed characters. Japan is East Asia’s main fashion arbiter, and Taiwan has

followed suit—think young girls acting even younger, seeking to “re”-

capture the charms of the little girl, and think not-so-young girls, even

closing in on the dreaded 30-year mark, doing the same. Think high-pitched

coquettish voices, squeaky and squealing giggles—and the iconic V sign,

f ingers framing face, eyes wide like impossibly big-eyed dolls and anime

characters (who often use the V sign themselves), cheeks often puffed up

and lips almost always pursed in emulation of cute, plump, rounded baby-

girl faces. It’s charming and it’s become so common in Taiwan because it

works—just ask the boys you see pretending not to sneak looks. By Rich Charette

PECULIAR TAIWAN

Travel in Taiwan 47

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FESTIVALFESTIVAL

Launching the New Year with a

Bang!

Times Square, the River Thames, Syd-ney Harbor Bridge, the Eiffel Tower: These iconic world landmarks are the focus of everyone’s attention come New Year’s Eve, as their renowned an-nual fireworks displays are unveiled to both the crowds on the streets and to millions around the world watch-ing the events on TV. To this select company was added the brand-new Taipei 101 when the first New Year’s fireworks display was presented there to welcome in the year 2005.

By Richard Saunders

Ringing in the New Year in Taiwan at Taipei 101

Travel in Taiwan 49

NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

The very best place to watch the fireworks show is from one of the

steep little hills southeast of Taipei 101

In the years since that f irst display, the spectacle has increased in length from a brief 35 seconds to just over

three minutes, and recent editions have drawn an estimated 800,000 people. The exact length of the show this year is to be 188 seconds, a number chosen for its lucky properties; the pronunciation of the number “eight” in Chinese, ba, is similar to that for the word f a, meaning “to launch/issue” and used in multiple propitious terms meaning such things as “to become rich” and “to develop.”

As with other New Year ’s Eve events in Taiwan, the annual f ireworks display at Taipei 101 has seen much development during its existence, not only in terms of length, but in quality and creativity as well. Last year ’s display, designed by famous Chinese artist Cai Guo-qiang (who was also behind the displays at the Bei jing Olympics), lasted a record 288 seconds and imitated a dragon spiraling up the

tower. The display heralding 2012 will return to the now standard 188-second format, both for f inancial reasons and in consideration of audience members on the streets below, obliged to crane their necks for an extended period of time – but once again we’re promised a show to remember.

Preparing for the biggest annual Taipei 101-related event is a huge undertaking, launched each year in March when a team

begins researching the latest f ireworks designs from Taiwan

and mainland China (the latter produces about 70 percent of the world’s f ireworks). New types of f ireworks are tested for safety and effect, a design is drawn up, and over the summer a soundtrack of orchestral music is developed for the show and a computer simulation of the integrated whole created, tweaked and finalized, in cooperation with a Taiwanese f ireworks-design company. The aim is to produce an intense but safe show.

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Taipei 101 on New Year’s Eve The east coast of fers excellent spots to watch the first sun rays of the year

FESTIVAL

Travel in Taiwan 50

Working with a budget of around US$1 mill ion, and on a building that’s a

landmark of international renown, there’s a lot of pressure to produce a show that’s not just spectacular but creative and original as well. The Taipei 101 f ireworks-show team normally has complete creative control over the design of the show, which incorporates an orchestral soundtrack to complement the 20,000~30,000 individual f ireworks used in each year ’s display. The f ireworks are mounted on trusses placed on balconies on eight levels of the building, lowest on the 34th f loor and highest all the way up at the top of the tower ’s crowning spire.

With the better part of a mill ion spectators crowding the streets around Taipei 101 on the big night, safety is of paramount importance. Many months before the f irst f ireworks are placed in position, safety tests are carried out at a secret location on all the f ireworks to be used in the year ’s display. Only f ireworks with a maximum shell diameter of 3 inches (which will burn up completely before reaching the ground) are used in the display, and in the lead-up to event day the design team and representatives f rom both the Taipei City Government and Taipei City Fire Department carry out multiple safety checks on the installed f ireworks and on the trusses which support them. Finally, four hours before midnight on December 31st, the team begins the nerve-wracking process of connecting the many thousands of f ireworks up to the computer used to control the show, and making sure the l ights in every one of the building’s thousands of rooms are turned off.

So what happens if it rains on the big night? The f ireworks used in the display are all waterproofed, and

aren’t af fected by poor weather. Furthermore, the cl imate at this time of the year in Taipei tends to be cool but relatively dry (which makes standing out on the street for hours here on New Year ’s Eve a much more comfortable experience than in either London or New York!). However, when picking a spot to watch the show f rom the street below, it ’s worth consider ing the prevail ing wind f rom the northeast that blows across Taipei at this time of the year. The steady breeze blows the smoke generated by the thousands of f ireworks towards the southwest, substantially reducing v isibil ity for those watching f rom that direction. The very best place to watch the show, according to the designers, is f rom one of the steep l ittle hills, such as Elephant Mountain or Nine-Five Peak, to the southeast of Taipei 101. These eminences of fer fantastic v iews of the tower every day of the year, but come December 30th local TV stations and private enthusiasts are already taking up prime positions on these interl inked “mountains” in preparation for the show, still over a day away.

As the smoke wafts through the air at the end of the show, this grand annual celebration might seem at odds

with Taipei 101’s position as the world’s tallest green building — it has LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certif ication platinum status. The designers, however, take great care to balance the expectations of a public wanting a grand New Year’s celebration with environmental concerns, and the amount of CO2 released during the display is less than that produced by one Taipei City bus in a day. Elsewhere, Taipei 101’s carbon footprint is being further reduced through the management’s impressive new “Green On” initiative (www.taipei101greenon.com.tw). P

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Sunrise at Alishan

Alishan 阿里山

Alishan Sunrise Impression Concert 阿里山日出印象音樂會

Cai Guo-qiang 蔡國強

Elephant Mountain 象山

fa 發

Nine-Five Peak 九五峰

renao 熱鬧

Sandiao Cape 三貂角

Yushan 玉山

Zhushan 祝山

ENGLISH & CHINESE

If the idea of ringing in the New Year standing among hundreds of thousands of other revelers packing the streets of Taipei City seems a bit too renao (that expression, beloved in Taiwan, basically means “loud and lively”), consider instead catching the f irst sunrise of 2012 up in the mountains in the center of the island at the beautiful Alishan resort area. Zhushan, a mountain peak rising above this magnif icent forest recreation area, has long been one of Taiwan’s most renowned sunrise-viewing points, and the experience is made even more memorable on January 1st each year when the rays of the rising sun are accompanied by the Alishan Sunrise Impression Concert, usually launched with the haunting tones of a solo singer. Taking in the view, which includes the summit of nearby Yushan (Mt. Jade, Northeast Asia’s highest mountain), is one of the most inspirational ways imaginable to begin the New Year, but take along a warm jacket, as it’s cold up there!

Alternatively, be among the earliest in Taiwan to see the f irst sunrise of the New Year in the somewhat milder climes of Sandiao Cape, the easternmost point of the Taiwanese mainland. This rugged, unspoilt headland, topped with a historic l ighthouse, is less than a 90-minute drive by car from the capital, yet this beautiful, wild spot is the perfect place to ponder the coming of a brand new year – and also, perhaps, to contemplate that important annual consideration: your New Year ’s resolutions!

Travel in Taiwan 52

UPCOMINGFestivals and Events from November to January

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

NOV 5 ~132011 Taiwan Cycling Festival 台灣自行車節

Location: Yilan, Hualien, Taitung (宜蘭、花蓮、台東 )Tel: (02) 2719-2025Website: www.taiwancup.com.tw

NOV 11 ~ 14Taipei International Travel Fair (ITF) 台北國際旅展Location: Hall 1 & 3, Taipei World Trade Center( 台北世界貿易中心 1、3 館 )Tel: (02) 2597-9691Website: www.taipeiitf.org.tw

OCT 15 ~ JAN 15Taiwan Hot Spring & Fine Cuisine Carnival 台灣溫泉美食嘉年華Locations: Hot-spring areas around TaiwanTel: (04) 2331-2688 ext. 110Website: http://www.taiwanhotspring.net/

NOV 1 ~ 30Caoling Historic Trail Silver Grass Season 草嶺古道芒花季Location: Caoling Historic Trail, Gongliao District, New Taipei City (新北市貢寮區草嶺古道 )Tel: (02) 2499-1115Website: www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw

NOV 5 ~ 6Taipei International Bird Watching Fair台北國際賞鳥博覽會 Locations: Guandu Nature Park, Zhishan Cultural and Ecological Garden, Taipei City (台北市關渡自然公園，

Tel: (02) 2325-9190 ext. 22Website: www.wbst.org.tw

NOV 17 ~ 20Taipei Beef Noodles Festival 台北國際牛肉麵節 Location: Expo Dome, Taipei Expo Park(花博公園爭艷館 )Tel: 1999 (from outside Taipei, dial 02-2720-8889) ext. 6507Website: www.tbnf.tw

OCT 8 ~ NOV 19Sun Moon Lake Music Festival 2011日月潭國際花火音樂嘉年華Location: Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area, Nantou County (南投縣日月潭國家風景區 )Tel: (049) 285-5668Website: http://event.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/2011musicfestival/

Until FEB 29Guandu Int'l Outdoor Sculpture Festival 關渡國際自然裝置藝術季

Location: Guandu Nature Park, Taipei City (台北市關渡自然公園 ); 55 Guandu Rd., Taipei City (台北市關渡路 55號）Tel: (02) 2858-7417 ext. 232Website: www.guandu.org.tw

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Travel in Taiwan53

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ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 7,500 Business Room NT$ 8,500 Deluxe Room NT$ 9,500 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Executive Suite NT$ 10,000 Sense Suite NT$ 15,000DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Sen Salon Restaurant

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

HOTEL SENSE伸適商旅 Taipei 台北

477, Linsen N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City 104

1 0 4台北市中山區林森北路47 7號

Tel: 02.7743.1000 Fax: 02.7743.1100

www.hotelsense.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 60

ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 12,000 Grand Deluxe Room NT$ 12,500 Premier Room NT$ 13,000 Premier 9 NT$ 15,000 Éclat Suite NT$ 35,000

(All rates are inclusive of 5% VAT and subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Cantonese,

RESTAURANTS: Ming Yuen, Éclat Lounge, George Bar

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

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

Tel: 02.2784.8888 Fax: 02.2784.7888Res. Hotline: 02.2784.8118

www.eclathotels.com

HOTEL ÉCLAT怡亨酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 220

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese

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

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

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

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

Tel: 02.2581.8111

Fax: 02.2581.5811, 2568-2924

www.gloriahotel.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 88ROOM RATES: Standard Double Room NT$ 6,000 Deluxe Double Room NT$ 6,500~6,700 Superior Twin Room NT$ 6,500~6,700 Deluxe Triple Room NT$ 7,500 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 8,000 Business Suite NT$ 9,000~9,200 Premier Twin Suite NT$ 15,000

( Prices above including 15% Service Charge )

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese, Cantonese

RESTAURANTS: Chinese and Western buffet breakfast, Café One

SPECIAL FEATURES: Welcome fruit basket, newspaper, gym, free parking, free self-help laundry, business center, free cable and wireless Internet access, free pick-up service within city limits

1, Alley 34, Lane 123, Sec. 6, Minquan E. Rd., Taipei City台北市民權東路六段1 2 3巷3 4弄1號

Tel: 02.2791.5678 Fax: 02.2796.2311 E-mail: rsvn@fushin-hotel.com.twwww.fushin-hotel.com.tw

FUSHIN HOTEL富信大飯店 Taipei 台北Hotels of Taiwan

Visitors to Taiwan have a wide range of choice when

it comes to accommodation. From five-star luxury

hotels that meet the highest international standards,

to affordable business hotels, to hot-spring and beach

resort hotels, to privately-run homestays located in the

countryside there is a place to stay that satisfies every

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

big, expensive and affordable — have in common is that

serve and hospitality are always of the highest standards.

The room rates in the following list have been checked

for each hotel, but are subject to change without notice.

Room rates at the hotels apply.43, Chunghsiao (Zhongxiao) W. Rd.,

Sec. 1, Taipei City, 100(MRT Taipei Main Station, Exit 3)1 0 0台北市忠孝西路一段4 3號

(台北捷運總站3號出口)

Tel: 02.2361.7856 Fax: 02.2311.8921 Reservation Hotline: 02.2311.8901

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

www.cosmos-hotel.com.tw

COSMOS HOTEL天成大飯店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 226ROOM RATES: Superior Single Room NT$ 4,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 4,500 Superior Twin Room NT$ 4,500 Family Triple Room NT$ 4,800 Deluxe Triple Room NT$ 5,000 Family Quad Room NT$ 5,500 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 6,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 7,600 Cosmos Suite NT$ 10,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, Japanese, English, Cantonese

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

SPECIAL FEATURES: Conference Room, Banquet Hall, Gift Shop, Barber Shop, Flower Shop, Parking Space, Laundry

＊Hotel list in alphabetical order from Northern Southern Taiwan.

2011_11-12_專刊飯店名錄.indd 53 2011/10/24 下午 03:22:02

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NEW OPEN IN OCTOBERNO. OF ROOMS: 152ROOM RATES: Standard Single Room NT$ 6,000 Standard Double Room NT$ 6,700 Standard Triple Room NT$ 7,500 Standard Family Room NT$ 8,000 Standard Suite NT$ 9,000 Executive Single Room NT$ 8,000 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 7,000 Deluxe Double Room NT$ 7,200 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 14,000 Chateau de Chine Suite NT$ 50,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese

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

SPECIAL FEATURES:

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

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

Tel: 07.521.7388 Fax: 07.521.7068 kaohsiung.chateaudechine.com

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

NO. OF ROOMS: 211ROOM RATES: Superior Single Room NT$ 4,800 Superior Twin Room NT$ 5,400 Superior Triple Room NT$ 6,000 Superior Family Room NT$ 6,600 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 7,800 Deluxe Suite Room NT$ 8,800 Executive Suite Room NT$ 16,800(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Western buffet-style, Chinese

SPECIAL FEATURES:

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

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

Tel: 03.823.5388 Fax: 03.822.1185 hualien.chateaudechine.com

CHATEAU DE CHINE HOTEL翰品酒店花蓮 Hualien 花蓮

SAN WANT RESIDENCES TAIPEI台北神旺商務酒店 Taipei 台北

128 Nanjing East Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市南京東路一段1 2 8號

Tel: 02.2511.5185 Fax: 02.2511.1585 E-mail: reservation@swresidences.com

www.swresidences.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 81ROOM RATES: Studio Room NT$ 8,000~ 9,000 Park View Room NT$ 8,800~ 9,800 Deluxe Suite NT$ 12,600~ 13,600 Park View Suite NT$ 20,000~ 21,000 Penthouse NT$ 50,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: Dinging Lounge (Buffet Breakfast, Free Beverage and Light Snack for Room Guests)

SPECIAL FEATURES: A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Showcase of con-temporary Taiwanese art collections, Personal secretarial assistance, Fitness center, Free wireless internet, Free rental of cell phone, Complimentary shoeshine service, 37” LCD TV, Pants presser& Suit rack, Multi-Functional Printer, Sunken Bathtub

NO. OF ROOMS: 160

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

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

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

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

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

Tel: 02.2541.5511 Fax: 02.2531.3831Reservation Hotline: 02.2541.6888

E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

www.galahotel.com.tw

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL慶泰大飯店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 100

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 5,500 Executive Room NT$ 5,900 Deluxe Room NT$ 6,200 Junior Suite NT$ 6,800 Fullerton Room NT$ 7,100 VIP Suite NT$ 8,100 Presidential Suite NT$ 19,000

(above rates not including 10% service charge; for discount offers, please call hotel or visit our website)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

SPECIAL FEATURES: Close to Taipei 101 com-mercial area; 1 minute on foot to MRT Daan Station; free coffee and handmade cookies in lobby; free wireless Internet access; gym; sauna; business center; valet parking; com-plimentary Chinese/Western buffet breakfast; welcome fruit basket and mineral water.

41, Sec. 2, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City 106(near junction with Xinyi Rd.)

1 0 6台北市復興南路2段41號(信義路口)

Tel: 02.2703.1234 Fax: 02.2705.6161E-mail: service2@taipeifullerton.com.tw

www.taipeifullerton.com.tw

TAIPEI FULLERTON – FU-XING SOUTH台北馥敦-復南館 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 538

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 12,000 Deluxe Room NT$ 13,000 Junior Suite NT$ 20,500 Corner Suite NT$ 30,500 Residence NT$ 17,000 Elite Suite NT$ 24,500DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

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

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

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

1 0 4台北市中山北路二段41號

Tel: 02.2523.8000Fax: 02.2523.2828

www.grandformosa.com.tw

THE REGENT TAIPEI台北晶華酒店 Taipei 台北

1, Zhonghua Rd. Sec. 2, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 10065

1 0 0 6 5台北市中正區中華路二段1號

Tel: 886.2.2314.6611 Fax: 886.2.2314.5511 E-mail: fo@taipeigarden.com.tw

www.taipeigarden.com.tw

TAIPEI GARDEN HOTEL台北花園大酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 241ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 8,000 Premier Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Triple Room NT$ 9,500 Deluxe Room NT$ 10,000 Junior Suite NT$ 12,000 Garden Suite NT$ 20,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Japanese, English, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: La Fusion Restaurant, La Fusion Bakery, Hanazono Japanese Restaurant, La Fusion Bar, La Fusion Deli

SPECIAL FEATURES: Garden SPA, Sky Garden, Fitness Center, Business Center, Conference & Dining Facili-ties; (Rooms Facilities) 32” LCD TV/Pay Broadband Internet Access/Multi Channel Satellite TV with Domestic and Foreign Programming/En-suite Shower and Bath/TOTO Washlet

NO. OF ROOMS: 203ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 7,000 Business Room NT$ 8,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Boss Suite NT$ 13,000 Premier Suite NT$ 18,000

GENERAL MANAGER: Linda Chu

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese

RESTAURANTS: Rain Forest Café, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81

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

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

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

www.miramargarden.com.tw

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI美麗信花園酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 48ROOM RATES: Standard Room NT$ 6,000+10% Deluxe Room NT$ 6,500+10% Superior Suite NT$ 7,500+10%DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese,

RESTAURANTS: Lobby Lounge (Western and Chinese buffet breakfast)

SPECIAL FEATURES: Full-amenity meeting rooms, gym, business center, airport limousine service, laundry service, free mechanized parking lot, tour arrange-ments, currency exchange, close to the MRT system and major commercial and tourist sites.

ROYAL BIZ TAIPEI金來商旅 Taipei 台北

71, Sec. 1, Jinshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100

1 0 0台北市中正區金山南路一段71號

Tel: 02.2397.9399 Fax: 02.2397.1399 Res. Hotline: 02.2396.9321

E-mail:rsvn@royalbiz.com.tw service@royalbiz.com.tw

www.royalbiz.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 93 rooms, 28 offices, 4 meeting roomsROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 6,000+10% Executive Room NT$ 6,600+10% Junior Room NT$ 7,800+10% Excellency Room NT$ 8,800+10% Premium Suite NT$ 9,800+10%

GENERAL MANAGER: Te Yao

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English

SPECIAL FEATURES: Free wireless access, VIP lounge, private meeting rooms and secretarial services, private office rental services, high-speed ADSL broadband Internet, non-smoking floors, safety deposit box, laundry service, limousine service, airport transportation, base-ment parking, gym

11F, 495 Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City 11074

1 1 0 74台北市信義區光復南路49 5號 1 1樓

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

www.businesscenter.com.tw

PACIFIC BUSINESS CENTER HOTEL太平洋商旅 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 487 (Suites: 57)ROOM RATES: Single/DBL NT$ 5,700 – 11,000 Suite NT$ 15,000 – 28,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese

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

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

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

Tel: 886.2.2886.8888Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

www.grand-hotel.org

THE GRAND HOTEL圓山大飯店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 35

ROOM RATES: Scenery Suite NT$ 6,600 Honey Suite NT$ 6,600 Fragrant Suite NT$ 8,600 Superior Suite NT$ 9,500 VIP Suite NT$ 12,000(Prices above not including 10% Service Charge)

GENERAL MANAGER: Mr. Jen-Shing Chen

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Chinese, Café, Courtyard

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

ALISHAN HOUSE阿里山賓館 Chiayi 嘉義

16 Sianglin Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County, 605

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

E-mail: service@alishanhouse.com.tw

www.alishanhouse.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 738ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 7,700 Premier Room NT$ 8,200 Junior Suite NT$ 9,200 Deluxe Suite NT$ 11,500 Executive Suite NT$ 17,500

EXECUTIVE CLUB FLOOR

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, Japanese, English

RESTAURANTS: Le Parc Café, Magnolia Court, Canton Palace

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

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

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

SUNWORLD DYNASTY HOTEL TAIPEI王朝大酒店 Taipei 台北

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

5 5 5 4 6南投縣魚池鄉日月潭中正路2 3號

Tel: 049.285.6788 Fax: 049.285.6600www.fleurdechinehotel.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 211ROOM RATES: Mountain View King Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Mountain View Two Queen Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Zen Mountain View Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Lake View King Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Lake View Two Queen Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Washiki Lake View Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Governor Lake View Suite NT$ 20,000~21,000 Royal Lake View Suite NT$ 25,000 Summit Lake View Suite NT$ 120,000 Penthouse Suite NT$ 150,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese RESTAURANT:Chinese food, buffet, teppanyaki, afternoon tea, lobby lounge, rooftop restaurant

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

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

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

1 0 3 5 1台北市承德路一段三號

Tel: 02.2181.9999 Fax: 02.2181.9988www.palaisdechinehotel.com

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English,Chinese, Japanese RESTAURANTS: La Rotisserie, Le Palais, Le Thé, Le BarSPECIAL FEATURES:Gym, business center, ballroom and function rooms, VIP salon, wireless internet, gift shop, room service, E-butler service, airport transportation service, located in an area of the city with heritage sites and tourist attractions.

PALAIS DE CHINE HOTEL君品酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 288ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 8,000 Premier Room NT$ 8,500 Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Club Deluxe Room NT$ 10,000 Suite NT$ 13,000 ~16,000 Imperial Suite NT$ 28,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS:Cantonese, Steakhouse, Bar ,

T3(T Cube)Bar & Restaurant, T2(T Square )

Toyko In Dining Bar, T1(One )Thai Bistro, 24-

Hour Room Service

SPECIAL FEATURES: Banquet and Convention Facilities ,Business Center ,Fitness Center, Club Floors, MRT Transfer Service ,Parking Lot

600 Lin Shen North Rd., Taipei City,1041 0 4台北市林森北路6 0 0號

Tel: 02.2596.5111 Fax: 02.2592.7506E-mail: taipei@imperialhotel.com.tw

www.imperialhotel.com.tw

IMPERIAL HOTEL TAIPEI台北華國大飯店 Taipei 台北

2011_11-12_專刊飯店名錄.indd 54-55 2011/10/24 下午 03:22:43

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NEW OPEN IN OCTOBERNO. OF ROOMS: 152ROOM RATES: Standard Single Room NT$ 6,000 Standard Double Room NT$ 6,700 Standard Triple Room NT$ 7,500 Standard Family Room NT$ 8,000 Standard Suite NT$ 9,000 Executive Single Room NT$ 8,000 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 7,000 Deluxe Double Room NT$ 7,200 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Suite NT$ 14,000 Chateau de Chine Suite NT$ 50,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese

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

SPECIAL FEATURES:

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

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

Tel: 07.521.7388 Fax: 07.521.7068 kaohsiung.chateaudechine.com

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

NO. OF ROOMS: 211ROOM RATES: Superior Single Room NT$ 4,800 Superior Twin Room NT$ 5,400 Superior Triple Room NT$ 6,000 Superior Family Room NT$ 6,600 Deluxe Family Room NT$ 7,800 Deluxe Suite Room NT$ 8,800 Executive Suite Room NT$ 16,800(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Western buffet-style, Chinese

SPECIAL FEATURES:

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

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

Tel: 03.823.5388 Fax: 03.822.1185 hualien.chateaudechine.com

CHATEAU DE CHINE HOTEL翰品酒店花蓮 Hualien 花蓮

SAN WANT RESIDENCES TAIPEI台北神旺商務酒店 Taipei 台北

128 Nanjing East Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei City, 1041 0 4台北市南京東路一段1 2 8號

Tel: 02.2511.5185 Fax: 02.2511.1585 E-mail: reservation@swresidences.com

www.swresidences.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 81ROOM RATES: Studio Room NT$ 8,000~ 9,000 Park View Room NT$ 8,800~ 9,800 Deluxe Suite NT$ 12,600~ 13,600 Park View Suite NT$ 20,000~ 21,000 Penthouse NT$ 50,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: Dinging Lounge (Buffet Breakfast, Free Beverage and Light Snack for Room Guests)

SPECIAL FEATURES: A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Showcase of con-temporary Taiwanese art collections, Personal secretarial assistance, Fitness center, Free wireless internet, Free rental of cell phone, Complimentary shoeshine service, 37” LCD TV, Pants presser& Suit rack, Multi-Functional Printer, Sunken Bathtub

NO. OF ROOMS: 160

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

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

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

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

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

Tel: 02.2541.5511 Fax: 02.2531.3831Reservation Hotline: 02.2541.6888

E-mail: galahtl@ms18.hinet.net

www.galahotel.com.tw

TAIPEI GALA HOTEL慶泰大飯店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 100

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 5,500 Executive Room NT$ 5,900 Deluxe Room NT$ 6,200 Junior Suite NT$ 6,800 Fullerton Room NT$ 7,100 VIP Suite NT$ 8,100 Presidential Suite NT$ 19,000

(above rates not including 10% service charge; for discount offers, please call hotel or visit our website)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

SPECIAL FEATURES: Close to Taipei 101 com-mercial area; 1 minute on foot to MRT Daan Station; free coffee and handmade cookies in lobby; free wireless Internet access; gym; sauna; business center; valet parking; com-plimentary Chinese/Western buffet breakfast; welcome fruit basket and mineral water.

41, Sec. 2, Fuxing S. Rd., Taipei City 106(near junction with Xinyi Rd.)

1 0 6台北市復興南路2段41號(信義路口)

Tel: 02.2703.1234 Fax: 02.2705.6161E-mail: service2@taipeifullerton.com.tw

www.taipeifullerton.com.tw

TAIPEI FULLERTON – FU-XING SOUTH台北馥敦-復南館 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 538

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 12,000 Deluxe Room NT$ 13,000 Junior Suite NT$ 20,500 Corner Suite NT$ 30,500 Residence NT$ 17,000 Elite Suite NT$ 24,500DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

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

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

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

1 0 4台北市中山北路二段41號

Tel: 02.2523.8000Fax: 02.2523.2828

www.grandformosa.com.tw

THE REGENT TAIPEI台北晶華酒店 Taipei 台北

1, Zhonghua Rd. Sec. 2, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 10065

1 0 0 6 5台北市中正區中華路二段1號

Tel: 886.2.2314.6611 Fax: 886.2.2314.5511 E-mail: fo@taipeigarden.com.tw

www.taipeigarden.com.tw

TAIPEI GARDEN HOTEL台北花園大酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 241ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 8,000 Premier Room NT$ 9,000 Deluxe Triple Room NT$ 9,500 Deluxe Room NT$ 10,000 Junior Suite NT$ 12,000 Garden Suite NT$ 20,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Japanese, English, Chinese

RESTAURANTS: La Fusion Restaurant, La Fusion Bakery, Hanazono Japanese Restaurant, La Fusion Bar, La Fusion Deli

SPECIAL FEATURES: Garden SPA, Sky Garden, Fitness Center, Business Center, Conference & Dining Facili-ties; (Rooms Facilities) 32” LCD TV/Pay Broadband Internet Access/Multi Channel Satellite TV with Domestic and Foreign Programming/En-suite Shower and Bath/TOTO Washlet

NO. OF ROOMS: 203ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 7,000 Business Room NT$ 8,000 Executive Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Boss Suite NT$ 13,000 Premier Suite NT$ 18,000

GENERAL MANAGER: Linda Chu

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese, Cantonese

RESTAURANTS: Rain Forest Café, Garden Terrace, Lounge 81

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

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

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

www.miramargarden.com.tw

MIRAMAR GARDEN TAIPEI美麗信花園酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 48ROOM RATES: Standard Room NT$ 6,000+10% Deluxe Room NT$ 6,500+10% Superior Suite NT$ 7,500+10%DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese,

RESTAURANTS: Lobby Lounge (Western and Chinese buffet breakfast)

SPECIAL FEATURES: Full-amenity meeting rooms, gym, business center, airport limousine service, laundry service, free mechanized parking lot, tour arrange-ments, currency exchange, close to the MRT system and major commercial and tourist sites.

ROYAL BIZ TAIPEI金來商旅 Taipei 台北

71, Sec. 1, Jinshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100

1 0 0台北市中正區金山南路一段71號

Tel: 02.2397.9399 Fax: 02.2397.1399 Res. Hotline: 02.2396.9321

E-mail:rsvn@royalbiz.com.tw service@royalbiz.com.tw

www.royalbiz.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 93 rooms, 28 offices, 4 meeting roomsROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 6,000+10% Executive Room NT$ 6,600+10% Junior Room NT$ 7,800+10% Excellency Room NT$ 8,800+10% Premium Suite NT$ 9,800+10%

GENERAL MANAGER: Te Yao

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English

SPECIAL FEATURES: Free wireless access, VIP lounge, private meeting rooms and secretarial services, private office rental services, high-speed ADSL broadband Internet, non-smoking floors, safety deposit box, laundry service, limousine service, airport transportation, base-ment parking, gym

11F, 495 Guangfu S. Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City 11074

1 1 0 74台北市信義區光復南路49 5號 1 1樓

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

www.businesscenter.com.tw

PACIFIC BUSINESS CENTER HOTEL太平洋商旅 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 487 (Suites: 57)ROOM RATES: Single/DBL NT$ 5,700 – 11,000 Suite NT$ 15,000 – 28,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese

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

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

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

Tel: 886.2.2886.8888Fax: 886.2.2885.2885

www.grand-hotel.org

THE GRAND HOTEL圓山大飯店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 35

ROOM RATES: Scenery Suite NT$ 6,600 Honey Suite NT$ 6,600 Fragrant Suite NT$ 8,600 Superior Suite NT$ 9,500 VIP Suite NT$ 12,000(Prices above not including 10% Service Charge)

GENERAL MANAGER: Mr. Jen-Shing Chen

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS: Chinese, Café, Courtyard

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

ALISHAN HOUSE阿里山賓館 Chiayi 嘉義

16 Sianglin Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County, 605

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

E-mail: service@alishanhouse.com.tw

www.alishanhouse.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 738ROOM RATES: Deluxe Room NT$ 7,700 Premier Room NT$ 8,200 Junior Suite NT$ 9,200 Deluxe Suite NT$ 11,500 Executive Suite NT$ 17,500

EXECUTIVE CLUB FLOOR

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, Japanese, English

RESTAURANTS: Le Parc Café, Magnolia Court, Canton Palace

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

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

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

SUNWORLD DYNASTY HOTEL TAIPEI王朝大酒店 Taipei 台北

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

5 5 5 4 6南投縣魚池鄉日月潭中正路2 3號

Tel: 049.285.6788 Fax: 049.285.6600www.fleurdechinehotel.com

NO. OF ROOMS: 211ROOM RATES: Mountain View King Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Mountain View Two Queen Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Zen Mountain View Room NT$ 13,000~14,000 Lake View King Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Lake View Two Queen Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Washiki Lake View Room NT$ 15,000~16,000 Governor Lake View Suite NT$ 20,000~21,000 Royal Lake View Suite NT$ 25,000 Summit Lake View Suite NT$ 120,000 Penthouse Suite NT$ 150,000

(All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese RESTAURANT:Chinese food, buffet, teppanyaki, afternoon tea, lobby lounge, rooftop restaurant

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

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

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

1 0 3 5 1台北市承德路一段三號

Tel: 02.2181.9999 Fax: 02.2181.9988www.palaisdechinehotel.com

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English,Chinese, Japanese RESTAURANTS: La Rotisserie, Le Palais, Le Thé, Le BarSPECIAL FEATURES:Gym, business center, ballroom and function rooms, VIP salon, wireless internet, gift shop, room service, E-butler service, airport transportation service, located in an area of the city with heritage sites and tourist attractions.

PALAIS DE CHINE HOTEL君品酒店 Taipei 台北

NO. OF ROOMS: 288ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 8,000 Premier Room NT$ 8,500 Deluxe Room NT$ 9,000 Club Deluxe Room NT$ 10,000 Suite NT$ 13,000 ~16,000 Imperial Suite NT$ 28,000

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:English, Japanese, Chinese

RESTAURANTS:Cantonese, Steakhouse, Bar ,

T3(T Cube)Bar & Restaurant, T2(T Square )

Toyko In Dining Bar, T1(One )Thai Bistro, 24-

Hour Room Service

SPECIAL FEATURES: Banquet and Convention Facilities ,Business Center ,Fitness Center, Club Floors, MRT Transfer Service ,Parking Lot

600 Lin Shen North Rd., Taipei City,1041 0 4台北市林森北路6 0 0號

Tel: 02.2596.5111 Fax: 02.2592.7506E-mail: taipei@imperialhotel.com.tw

www.imperialhotel.com.tw

IMPERIAL HOTEL TAIPEI台北華國大飯店 Taipei 台北

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AdvertisementHOTEL INFORMATION

NO. OF ROOMS: 79

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

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese

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

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

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

Tel: 03.835.9966 Fax: 03.835.9977 Reservation: 03.833.6066

E-mail: service@classichotel.com.tw

www.classichotel.com.tw

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

NO. OF ROOMS: 153

ROOM RATES: Superior Room NT$ 3,800 Classic Room NT$ 4,600 Deluxe Room NT$ 6,800 Theme Room NT$ 6,800 Azure Suite NT$ 12,000 DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: Chinese, English, Japanese

RESTAURANTS:Taiwanese/Hakka cuisine, brunch, Western cuisine

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

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

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

AZURE HOTEL花蓮藍天麗池飯店 Hualien 花蓮

NO. OF ROOMS: 90ROOM RATES: Business Single Room NT$ 3,900 Deluxe Single Room NT$ 4,100 Deluxe Twin Room NT$ 4,500 Business Suite NT$ 5,600 Deluxe Suite NT$ 6,800 (All rates are subject to 10% service charge)

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK: English, Chinese, Japanese

RESTAURANT: Breakfast Lounge

SPECIAL FEATURES: Located in the center of the city, spacious rooms with wide views, 24H self-service business center, free Internet access, gym, multifunc-tional meeting and banquet rooms, coin laundry, free indoor parking, Tainan Railway Station and shuttle-bus stop for High Speed Rail close by, beside major university campus with century-old trees and jogging opportunity.

2, Daxue Rd., Tainan City 701

台南市大學路2號

Tel: 06.275.8999 Fax: 06.209.3567

www.zendasuites.com.tw

ZENDA SUITES成大會館 Tainan 台南

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

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

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

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

www.kingstown-hotel.com.tw

NO. OF ROOMS: 150

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

( Prices above including 10% Service Charge )

DESK PERSONNEL SPEAK:Chinese, English, Japanese

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

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

KING’S TOWN HOTEL京城大飯店 Kaohsiung 高雄

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Outdoor hot spring pool of The Mountain Star with the mountains of Yangmingshan as backdrop

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Hot-spring bathing indoors at Shann Garden

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At Beitou Thermal Valley

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At Taiwan Folk Art Museum

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At Taiwan Folk Art Museum

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At The Mountain Star

Guestroom of The Mountain Star

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