Organic Kitchen

Yunlin is perhaps the least traveled county in Taiwan, and also the least spot you would imagine to have a cafe with exquisite European mansion. From the Spanish inspired buildings with arches and columns, to the fountain in the garden, the delicate carvings on the wall, the painted pottery decorations on the rooftop, the colors of the ceilings, and the shape of the windows. All of these show the owner’s passion towards European architecture. Surrounded by this atmosphere, it is almost like you are in Spain! Because of the location, one of the nicest things about dining in this cafe during the weekdays is that you get to enjoy a peaceful and quiet time without tons of tourists around. And for photography lovers, the beautiful outdoor scenery is completely yours to take lots of pictures without Johns and Janes in your shot. The food they serve are mainly pastas, pizzas, and Spanish risottos. The taste may not be as European, but under this budget plus the surroundings and the atmosphere, it is definitely worth visiting.

10000 Year Gorge is situated at the border between Nantou and Yunlin counties and is not far away from Chiayi County. For general tourists, the spot is not easy to get to as it takes around 1 to 2 hours’ drive no matter from Nantou County or Yunlin County through industrial roads along the mountains.

As Taiwan is an island located in the subtropical zone, it is impossible to see terrains formed by glacial movement which is common in Europe, or by river erosion that is often seen in America. However, 10000 Year Gorge, being rare in Taiwan topography, is like a mini Great Canyon with the geographic variations and stream erosion.

In addition to 10000 Year Gorge, a travel schedule including Zhushan Sky Ladder and Xitou Monster Village in Nantou County during one day is recommended.

This red bridge crossing Zhoushui River (濁水溪) to connect Changhua and Yunlin had been started to construct since Japanese Colonial Era. The schedule was delayed for a long time as purposed building materials were used up for military use during WWII. Eventually, it was completed in 1953 with assistance from America. At the time of completion, it was the second largest bridge in the world, just next to Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Apart from road for vehicles, its deck of nearly two kilometers was also shared by railway for sugar transportation. The image of this bridge could be seen on TWD10 bill released in the year of 1963, revealing its importance and symbolic meaning over transportation development of Taiwan. As time goes by, this bridge has become less crucial in this area, and was once proposed to be demolished for aging. Luckily the motion was rejected under local residents’ petition. Nowadays, this historic bridge has become an appointed stop of annual regional parade of Dajia Mazu (大甲媽祖). In March and April of every year, more than three hundred thousands worshipers would follow Mazu to cross the bridge by foot.

Cats has recently surpassed dogs as the most popular companion animal all around the world. For example, there is Houtong Cat Village in Taipei as well as Dingxi Colorful Cat Village in Yunlin. Both are perfect examples of how cats are dominating the world. The only difference is that Houtong Cat Village is literally home to hundreds of cats, while Dingxi Colorful Cat Village is graced with adorable cat-themed artworks throughout the community.

Students from National Formosa University are the creative souls behind this project. Portrayed through the eyes of cats, these pieces of artworks are about how they perceive the world and act in it. While visiting, you will come across a giant orange cat as well as three little ones lying on the windowsill, all in three-dimensional paintings that seem to pop from the walls. Everyone — cat lovers or not — will definitely enjoy an enchanting stroll along this 100-meter-long cat-themed street that has a cuteness overload within Dingxi Colorful Cat Village.

It might be hard to say no to a mouthwatering selection of cakes and desserts on display, but don’t put them into your mouth too soon as they are probably just really cute towels! It might sound confusing, but located in Yunlin County, a tourism factory converted from the traditional towel manufacturing industry sure knows how to make these cuteness-overloaded towels that come in shapes of dogs, cats, flowers, pastries, and many more.

As the country joined World Trade Organization in 2002, the government gave the green light for imports from China. Taiwan therefore became the dumping ground of cheap products, and its towel manufacturing industry experienced a sharp decline. In order to bring the business back to life, the company turned that crisis into an opportunity by transforming the factory itself into a tourist attraction and educational space where visitors get to learn how to identify and choose high quality towels while being surrounded by all kinds of creative designs. The tourism factory is now a must-visit attraction for visitors to Yunlin, and they always take away some mouthwatering cakes that will never go bad.

From its outstanding tower, loudspeakers on top floor, round wooden windows, exterior wall without tile cover and roof tiles in grey, Huwei Government Building is clearly not a product of modern architecture. It was constructed as a complex building for multiple government departments’ office. One of designing features was that offices inside had their independent entrance and traffic flow. During Japanese Colonial Era, it was shared by police force, fire bureau and assembly hall. Similar Japanese-style buildings with certain design could also be found in Tainan and Keelung, though they are both renamed as Tainan City Government Fire Bureau 2st District HQ (台南市消防隊第二分隊) and Keelung Harbor Building (基隆海港大樓) respectively.

The tower splitting the building into two parts was the tallest structure of Huwei in Japanese Colonial Era and used by fire department as elevation of observing fire incident. Due to growth of the town and raising height of buildings, such usage is no longer needed. Still, the building is kept after restoration and used as branch of Eslite Bookstore and Starbucks for now. At the entrance, a police badge is still hanged as past time. Books and accessories are placed in the space previously as police station. People are either standing or sitting on ground to enjoy their reading. The green logo of cafe on first floor merges well with black walls and wooden window frames. Time seems to be slowed down when having a beverage and gossiping with friends here.