Nantou Yi Noodle

Located near Mingtan Reservoir in Nantou, Checheng (車埕) is a rustic little village serving as the terminus of the Jiji tourist railroad. Once upon a time, it was home to a thriving timber industry, and these nostalgic trains were used to facilitate logging during the Japanese Colonial Era. As the timber industry began to decline, Checheng (車埕) was abandoned, too. Today, the village has successfully restructured its tourist industry by promoting a more family-oriented scene combined with leisure and pleasure, continuing to serve as a reminder of the flourishing history of the local industry.

In the old days, the Shuili Township was a collection and distribution center for wood in Nantou and acted as a transshipment point, where hundreds of handcarts were parked, hence the name Checheng (車埕) (literally “car yard”). In 1919, the Japanese colonizers started to construct Jiji railroad while building the hydroelectric power station at Sun Moon Lake in order to transport equipments and materials needed for the hydropower project. Serving as the terminus of the Jiji railroad, Checheng (車埕) drew in a significant number of workers, which hastened the village into a prosperous town. In the 1960s, Zhenchang Logging Co. built a plant here, turning Checheng (車埕) into a major hub for timber transport. However, the economic structural change resulted in the decline of traditional industries such as logging. In recent years, tourism has boomed along the Jiji railroad, and Checheng (車埕), named one of the most beautiful train stations in Taiwan, is no exception. These days, most old streets are quite commercialized and start to lose their original luster – but that is not the case with Checheng (車埕) Old Street. Small as it is, the wood museum located near to the train station is an educational and inspirational experience for visitors of all ages, where myriads of wood handicrafts are on display and the nostalgic wood processing scenes have been recreated.

Walking around the small town of Checheng (車埕), you will find a scenic pond that once served as a log pond. Storage of logs in water has the additional advantages of preventing splitting of logs which might otherwise dry prior to milling. Take a leisurely stroll along the walking trail encircling the pond, and enjoy the utmost tranquility surrounded by nature at its best. At Checheng (車埕), visitors could sit back and relax a bit before experiencing a short nostalgic rail journey to another beautiful town — Jiji. Before leaving, be sure to have a “wood bucket bento,” which is a perfect combination of local lumber industry and the single-portion takeout that miners used to have as everyday meals. One single bite will bring you back to the 1960s.

Daan Sea of Bamboo (大鞍竹海) is located in Zhushan Township, Nantou. In Chinese, Zhushan means bamboo mountain. Bamboos cover the whole mountain area. Once you stand on the top point, tens of thousands of bamboos under your feet swing along with the breeze.

Before Ang Lee (李安), an Academy Award for Best Director winner, chose Sichuan (四川) to shoot a fighting scene in a bamboo forest for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, Daan Sea of Bamboo was his first choice.

Located in the heart of Nantou, Jiji has been transformed from a barren land into a highly-raved railway town. In 1933, the Japanese colonizers tore down the original Jiji Train Station and turned it into a nostalgic structure built of cypress planks. In 1999, a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck the center of the island, and Jiji was the nearest town to the epicenter of the quake. Unfortunately, the historic Jiji Train Station was seen partially collapsed. After months of renovation work, it has been greeting travelers to the town with its original look since 2000.

The reborn town of Jiji attracts even more hordes of rail buffs, and the crowds are especially hectic during weekends. A street of gastronomical fun will make sure your stomach is filled with loads of yummy goodies. From Jiji, you could experience a short nostalgic rail journey to other quaint little towns such as Longquan (龍泉) and Shuili (水里), Checheng (車埕). If you want to stay away from the stresses of city life, why not rent a bike to have a scenic ride through the green tunnel of shaggy evergreens?

Another attraction worth visiting in Jiji is Mingxin Academy (明新書院). Built in 1885, Mingxin Academy was one of the four major traditional academies in Nantou during the Qing dynasty and named a national historic site. As the academy now enshrines the God of Literature as its main deity, students flock here to pray for exam success. Having been around for more than a century, the very well-preserved Mingxin Academy never fails to serve as a symbol for the everlasting academic atmosphere in Jiji.

Located in the Shuili Township of Nantou, Shuili Snake Kiln is the the oldest wood-fired kiln in Taiwan and has absolutely nothing to do with snakes. From far off, the thirty-meter-long kiln bears a striking resemblance to a wriggling snake, hence the name. This traditional pottery kiln creates its own glaze when the wood ash lands on the pieces as they are firing, whose rustic touch is a home away from home – something that most modern kilns cannot reproduce. Today, potters here still prepare their own clay and fire their own pots, selling their works to some of the best hotels in Taiwan. A visit to Shuili Snake Kiln will help you understand how the traditional ceramic industry connects the small town of Shuili with the whole wide world.

In 1999, Shuili Snake Kiln was badly damaged during the devastating 921 Earthquake. In 2000, the kiln was properly repaired and reopened for operation. To celebrate its rebirth, potters created a 6.6-meter-tall pot, certified as the tallest kiln work in the world by Guinness World Records. Shuili Snake Kiln also successfully transformed itself into a cultural park, where the family-friendly pottery classes allow visitors to experience traditional clay making in an educational and interactive way.

There is a very popular Tetra Pak drink sold in almost all of the stores in Taiwan, which is Pure Tea (純喫茶) by the brand Uni-President (統一). In Chinese, we call it “Chun-chi cha”. Chun means pure and chi means eat. It is because in Taiwanese, sometimes we use “eat” as the verb for drinking tea. Cha means tea.

The tea is one of the few food products taking the system of contract farming. One of the tea farms is here in Mingjian (名間). As you walk around this place, you will see fields of tea farms in front of you. All the greenery is soothing and providing fresh air. You can see parts of the tea tree caring process here. You will see shells of peanuts in the farm. It serves many purposes. They separate dirt so the shoes will not get dirty easily when farmers step in. The shells can reserve some water when the sun comes out. It also prevents other grass from growing and when they finally decompose, they can be the nutrient for the soil. Wisdom learned from generations of farmers!

Set on the mountainside of Nantou, Baihao Temple is surrounded by a forest of trees and infused with an aura of culture and spirituality with an absence of excessive ornament. Enveloped in pious air, the temple fills every visitor with serenity.

A calm, still pond with blooming lotus flowers greets you by the entrance, while frogs can be heard croaking out a spring melody, where visitors are encouraged to embrace a peaceful state of mind. Sweet olive trees are all around the temple, and the refreshing scent wafts from all directions on the breeze to lift your mood all day long.

The design reduces the form and color to a minimum and takes full advantage of its magnificent natural surroundings, striving to create an uplifting spiritual place for those in quest of serenity and tranquility. If you need to escape from the stress of city life, noise and technology – take a nice stroll around the temple grounds, which will make for one very zen afternoon for all.