In the previous Taiwan blog we took at look at Taiwan’s Da Hu Strawberry Farms, Central Market, Sheng Xing Old Railway, the Gao Mei Wetland and Feng Jia Night Market.
In this blog I’ll like to share with you Miyaharu, Sinshe, Rainbow Village, Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village, Wen Wu Temple and finally the ascent to the mountains of He Hehuan Shan in the Taroko National Park.
We also visit the home of the original Bubble Tea.
Our guide Ah Hui, always made sure we get a good start to the day through our stomach. Although most ming su (homestay) don’t provide breakfast as part of the accommodation, it turned out perfect for us as we got to experience the popular local eateries. This always enhances the novelty quotient and pleasant memories in any vacation, especially if you are a foodie.
When you are new to a country (my last trip to Taiwan was during my army training 25 years ago), everything and anything sounds exciting.
The 1st mouthful tasted “weird” but after my taste buds reorientated and adapted, it tasted pretty good! I love it now! Of course, there were quite a few other items on the menu, too. :-9”’
It has become so popular that it is listed on most travel guides to Taichung. Miyaharu is worth visiting even if its just to see the shop’s interior. Buy some gifts for friends and relatives and try their wide range of ice cream and bubble teas.
This is a perfect example how exquisite packaging, presentation, ambience and service can influence a consumers’ buying decision. I came here without expecting to buy anything but as cautioned by our guide I found it difficult to resist the spending urge. We were “happily relieved” of some Taiwanese currencies.
Most mushrooms are planted in growth packs under a cool humid conditions. During our visit, there were several mushrooms available for picking: Shiitake and Coral. These fresh mushrooms have to be preserved in the refrigerator within 8-12 hours, so it’s not quite suitable to take home for us visitors. Dried mushrooms would be the way to go.
A beautiful Coral Mushroom seen in it’s “original packing”. Not in the wrapped grocery mart style.
The Lavender Cottage was founded by two bosom friends – a music teacher and a banker who both had the dream of having their very own lavender farm. The two girls love coffee and herbs, and they drew their life story and recorded their feelings into music while traveling.
After years working in Taipei and Kaohsiung, they quit their jobs and went to live out their dream by being farmers. They tried to cultivate lavenders and bought a hill in a remote place, where there was no phone network connectivity. It was very difficult but after years of determination, they fulfilled their dream. These two girls are the hosts of Lavender Cottage (薰衣草森林).
The two purple figures in the pic represented the two girls.
Our visit in November saw just the beginning of the blooming season. Somewhere towards December onwards will see a denser field of lovely purple bloom.
Make your own bookmarks at the farm booth. No charges applies, a sweet touch.
The farm entrance fee comes with vouchers that you use to redeem drinks and ice cream – lavender flavoured, of course!
But being of high-grade and organically produced, it’s quite pricey.
For spicy hotpot lovers, a meal at Ding Wang Spicy Hotpot Restaurant should not be missed. Other than the delicious offerings at this renowned restaurant with many outlets islandwide, you will be bowled over by the impeccable service by the waiting staff, who will bow at almost 90 degrees every time they serve or converse with diners as a sign of respect.
This is definitely part of their culture and points towards the founder’s humble beginning.
The menu offers a wide variety of hotpot ingredients, including sliced white pork, prime beef, squid, fishballs, mushrooms and fried dough sticks, as well as handmade dumplings. Ding Wang Spicy Hotpot Restaurant also offers free refills of the soup, pickled cabbage, bean curds and duck’s blood. Even their complimentary white rice (which you can help yourself to) is nicely cooked.
After our meal, the leftovers in the hotpot are packed for you to takeaway (upon your request). They even top up the pack with bean curds and the duck blood, complimentary! My guide’s apartment security guard (he’s a Taichung resident) enjoyed that takeaway on that chilly 13’C evening.
Tip: you MUST make an advance appointment or be prepared to wait in line.
You will just simply love the decor and food, all without much damage to your wallet.
Our noodles with braised pork were, prepared with TLC.. Too pretty to eat. :-9””’
The sole surviving veteran soldier is Grandpa Huang, who is 92 years old at the moment. He is the face and soul of the village, and he still paints at the wall, floor almost everyday. There’s no entry fee but do show him your support by buying mementos from his stall or drop some money for his expenses as art materials cost money.
Prepare to spend about 20-30min while taking memorable pics there. Have a picture taken with him, if he’s around at the time your visit. A truly special place with it’s time ticking away. Hope it stays as long as possible.
My family with Rainbow Grandpa Huang….healthy and strong at 92 years old.
This popular huge 62 hectare themed park was opened in 1986. It was famed for introducing Taiwanese aboriginal culture and its lush forest and beautiful European Garden. I remembered visiting this themed park as part of our R+R after our army training. It has grown much bigger since and now and includes an amusement themed park and cable cars to Sun Moon Lake.
Sort of a bigger version of Genting Highlands but without the casino. It was awarded the “Premium Award theme park”, from the Taiwan tourism bureau. Prepare to spend at least 3-4 “rushed” hours before taking the cable car to Sun Moon Lake. Remember, in winter solstice the days are much shorter. It gets dark from 5:30pm onwards.
An aboriginal craftsman honing his skill, and as showcase for visitors…
A family shot, courtesy of our guide Ah Hui, at the end of our cable car ride to Sun Moon Lake. It was so foggy that afternoon, we could not see any scenery, which is spectacular on a clear day. But we loved the cold weather all the same.
But once you are in their “lair”, chances are you will part with some NTs. Not that they’re cheating you, but that their warm and hospitality will bowl you over. It helps that their food is delicious 🙂
The Sun Moon Lake visitor centre, designed by Japanese architect Norihiko Dan and Associates is an awesome modernistic and Zen-like structure completed in 2006. Certainly worthy of a stop-over whenever you visit Sun Moon Lake, one of Taiwan most famous landmarks.
Most offer awesome expansive view of the mountain valleys, plantation and of course, cool clean unpolluted air. Other than the room, bed and breakfast, WiFi connectivity are commonly available too. My only gripe is that most ming su websites are in Mandarin.
Burrrrr… We were “lucky” to encounter such a cold snap as it means we will be able to see snow. That is rare in Taiwan and only possible in Hehuanshan in Taroko National Park.
The amazing view of the mountains with a ming su built in European style. Don’t you feel as if you are in Germany? or Swiss Alps…it certainly brought back fond memories of those days.
A rodeo show at the farm. Feel the power of the whip!
Sheep feeding time! A word of caution, these sheep are hungry, in fact, Famished! Little kids might be pushed over if not careful.
Just had to do a picture for my family with the “castle” in the background so we could tell friends we were in “Europe” 😉 …
Bees farm at the Cing Jing market further down the mountain, excellent bee pollen and honey products are available for purchase at reasonable prices.
For a non-fish lover, this ultra delicious and fresh deep fried head hotpot was something of a gem of a find! It tasted like fried chicken wing with a really tasty superior broth. No MSG of course. :-9”’
Words cannot expressed the chills from the -5’C temperature we experienced that day. It’s also the wind that further adds to the chills down your spine. Be prepared. Ear mittens are a must, to prevent frostbite. It helped that our guide prepared hot Milo to warm us up and the spectacular scenery made it worthwhile.
The frozen foliage encrusted with ice. When the wind blows, the plants jingle like wind chimes. An experience beyond description.
We rewarded ourselves with an aboriginal-recipe roasted chicken after the descent from Hehuanshan. The chicken came whole, so you can tear it apart for a more tasty experience. It was a delicious end to the day but not before we had a gorgeous hot spa outing at the Lushan region.
Thank you for joining me thus far. In the final segment, you will get to see more food and Taiwanese attractions!
Note: All pictures in this blog are copyrighted to Jensen Chua all rights reserved and not to be used without permission! 🙂
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