Interesting Green: The best of nature in Hualien (Part 11)

MY PAPER, MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2011, PAGE A9, TRAVEL
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/cnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2011-10-31
Source Website:
http://www.relax.com.sg/relax/features/803106/The_best_of_nature_in_Hualien.html
http://sgtravellers.com/index.php?c=article&id=1283&title=Part-11:-The-best-of-nature-in-Hualien&type=1
By Joy Fang, joyfang@sph.com.sg, my paper, Mon, Oct 31 2011

PHOTO: BIG DAY OUT: The writer is pictured by the bike path at Chishingtan Coastal Bay, 七星潭 (qī xīng tán), which offers gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. http://sgtravellers.com/upload/article/1283/1283__1320045923.jpg
http://sgtravellers.com/index.php?c=article&id=1283&title=Part-11:-The-best-of-nature-in-Hualien&type=1
MY PAPER, MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2011, PAGE A9, TRAVEL

In the ninth instalment of a 26-part series, my paper visits a county on the eastern coast

THE Hualien county of Taiwan, which snakes along the island’s mountainous eastern coast, is known for its scenery, full of breathtaking wonders.

Its rugged countryside boasts brilliantly hued wild flowers, while its tranquil lakes are where one can enjoy a boat ride on calm waters. And the black sands of Hualien’s main beach make it quite the sight to see.

PHOTO: Liyutan ( 鯉魚潭(lǐ yú tán)/ Carp Fish Lake/ Karper Meer) @ Hualien
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GET INTO NATURE
Liyutan (Carp Fish Lake)

Two words describe this place: absolutely beautiful. The serene lake, the largest inner lake in eastern Taiwan – located 18km from Hualien City – boasts clear blue waters surrounded by green mountains.

PHOTO: Liyutan ( 鯉魚潭(lǐ yú tán)/ Carp Fish Lake/ Karper Meer) @ Hualien
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Rent a swan-shaped or dragon-shaped paddle boat and take a lazy jaunt (excursion) on the lake, or snooze under wooden pavilions which shelter you from the sun.

A footpath runs between the lake and vast green fields where you can enjoy a leisurely picnic. You can rent bikes and explore the lake via a 5km bicycle trail.

PHOTO: Liyutan ( 鯉魚潭(lǐ yú tán)/ Carp Fish Lake/ Karper Meer) @ Hualien
Rent bikes and explore the lake via a 5km bicycle trail. Photo by Yichen Chiang
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PHOTO: Liyutan ( 鯉魚潭(lǐ yú tán)/ Carp Fish Lake/ Karper Meer) @ Hualien
Rent bikes and explore the lake via a 5km bicycle trail. Photo by Yichen Chiang
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Across the main road, check out a long row of shophouses offering local souvenirs and handicraft, and sup on authentic local dishes as well as fresh seafood, such as live shrimp, from the lake.

PHOTO: Carp Lake and the surrounding mountains. Picture is taken from the Tanbei Observation Platform of the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area Administration's Carp Lake Management Station.
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http://twcam.www.gov.tw/webcam/english/scenery/main.jsp?view_id=86&belong_id=21&who=view

PHOTO: GLORIOUS: A must-see is Liushidanshan when it’s covered in golden daylilies.
By Joy Fang

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http://sgtravellers.com/index.php?c=article&id=1283&title=Part-11:-The-best-of-nature-in-Hualien&type=1

Liushidanshan (Mount Sixty Stones) 六十石山 (liù shí shí shān)

This 800m-tall mountain is best known for its fragrant golden daylilies.

PHOTO: A lovely family 一家人晒恩愛！

Daylily blossom season in Sixty Stones Mountain 花蓮縣富里鄉六十石山金針花季

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 25, 2011 using a Canon EOS 7D.

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The flowers bloom annually from August to September. During this season, over 300ha of the mountain, located in the Fuli town of Hualien County, is covered by a blanket of the bright yellow flowers.

PHOTO: Liushidanshan, the mountain of daylily 六十石山 (Mount Sixty Stones)

By enjoylifeforever.lin YAHUI LIN. This photo was taken on August 29, 2009 using a Canon EOS Kiss Digital X

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PHOTO: Daylily blossom season in Sixty Stones Mountain 花蓮縣富里鄉六十石山金針花季

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 26, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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PHOTO: Daylily blossom season in Sixty Stones Mountain 花蓮縣富里鄉六十石山金針花季

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 26, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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PHOTO: Daylily blossom season in Chikeshan 花蓮縣玉里鎮赤科山金針花季

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 26, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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PHOTO: Butterfly 蝴蝶

Daylily blossom season in Chikeshan 花蓮縣玉里鎮赤科山金針花季

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 26, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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Catch farmers harvesting the daylilies – its golden-needled stems are edible raw but are often made into tea or cooked with vegetables. Its flavour? Some describe it as a little musky-sweet.

PHOTO: Farmer harvesting the daylilies

Daylily blossom season in Sixty Stones Mountain 花蓮縣富里鄉六十石山金針花季。

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 26, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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PHOTO: Golden road 黃金路

Daylily blossom season in Sixty Stones Mountain 花蓮縣富里鄉六十石山金針花季

*The flowers of some species are edible and are used in Chinese cuisine. They are sold (fresh or dried) in Asian markets as gum jum or golden needles (金针 in Chinese; pinyin: jīnzhēn) or yellow flower vegetables (黃花菜 in Chinese; pinyin: huánghuācài). They are used in hot and sour soup, daylily soup (金針花湯), Buddha's delight, and moo shu pork. The young green leaves and the tubers of some (but not all) species are also edible. The plant has also been used for medicinal purposes. Care must be used as some species of lilies can be toxic. Above referred from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylily.

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 25, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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There are 10 pavilions on the mountain, each offering a different view, so take your time to explore.

PHOTO: A happy family 一家人
Daylily blossom season in Sixty Stones Mountain.

花蓮縣富里鄉六十石山金針花季 (謝謝圖中一家人和勝利章的風箏)。

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 25, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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PHOTO: A tourist train run thru the red bridge 觀光號列車經過玉里紅橋

Yuli town, Hualien county, Taiwan, 2011/8/26

By *dans. This photo was taken on August 26, 2011 using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

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PHOTO: Chishintan Beach at noon, Hualian, Taiwan
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Chishingtan Coastal Bay, 七星潭 (qī xīng tán)

The rocky beaches of Chishingtan lie at the tip of a crescent-shaped bay. Its sand is grey-black in colour and covered completely with coloured pebbles.

A common activity among tourists involves hunting for the prettiest rocks to take home as souvenirs.

PHOTO: Hualien East Coast Trip 花东海岸之游 - Chishintan Beach, 七星潭 (qī xīng tán)

The beach does not have much sand, mostly pebbles. Heard the pebbles are wash down from the mountains of Taroko Gorge.

Posted by Ciyou, Tuesday, June 29, 2010
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http://ciyoucolorscity.blogspot.com/2010/06/101-zhi.html

The bay offers a glorious view of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby cloud-shrouded mountains, and one can sit and admire the sea’s fierce rolling waves rushing to the shore. The beach is not safe for swimming, though.

PHOTO: The current of the sea is just so powerful. The water splash on the gap of the rocks. The beach is not safe for swimming. Some news reporting people die because of this powerful sea.

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PHOTO: Chishingtan bay with the Central Mountain Range in the background. The sea’s fierce rolling waves rushing to the shore.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hualien_County

You can ride along a 21km-long bike trail, where you will pass a stone-sculpture park, Nanbin Park, and a stargazing area.

PHOTO: Taiwan 2009 Bike Touring FuLi Town
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hualien_County

PHOTO: The seaside park is a pristine man-made area set along the coastline

花蓮南濱-賞海飆風一次GO！ - South coast of Hualien - enjoy a sea and breeze

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GREAT EATS
Nanbin seaside park, 南滨海滨公园 (nán bīn hǎi bīn Gōng yuán) and night market

The seaside park is a pristine (primitive) man-made area set along the coastline. Pavilions, rocky pathways and sculptures line the park. It also has a coconut garden and a pigeon aviary (large enclosure for confining birds).

PHOTO: Sculptures in the park 花蓮南濱-賞海飆風一次GO！- South coast of Hualien - enjoy a sea and breeze
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Head to its night market in the evening, where you can enjoy fresh seafood such as clams and fish. Other stalls also sell delicacies such as stinky tofu steamboat.

PHOTO: Nanbin Night Market
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http://www.guide.taiwan-adventures.com/2011/nanbin-night-market/

Stalls which allow you to shoot BB guns and arrows, fish for terrapins or throw hoops around cans, are aplenty.

Head to the beach at night, where you can watch fireworks setting the sky ablaze every few minutes.

PHOTO: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Children fish for terrapins at the Nanbin night market.
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LOCAL LISTINGS

AN INCONSPICUOUS corner of Nanbin night market is where you’ll find the stall named Ai Zi Ye Shi Feng Wei.

The makeshift stall, which sells cooked dishes such as grilled fish and hot-plate mountain pig, almost sways with each movement of its stall owner, Madam Wu Ah Ai.

PHOTO: FOODIE FIND: Madam Wu Ah Ai’s stall at Nanbin night market.
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Madam Wu, 55, operates her stall from 4pm to 4am, and is more than familiar with where to go for good food and shopping around town.

Ask her what there is to do, and she is more than happy to give pointers.

Fresh mountain vegetables grown by aboriginal groups, and dishes such as large clams fried with basil and chilli, and catfish in herbal soup are the town’s iconic offerings when it comes to eating, she said.

You can find them at several stalls in the market, including her own.

For sights, she recommended a visit to Hualien fish market (No. 37, Gangbin Road) in the early morning.

There, you can buy freshly caught fish, and watch fishing boats unloading their catch.

She also suggested visiting the Old Railroad Cultural Shopping Street (intersection of Zhongshan Road and Jieyue Street), which features an old railroad, wooden houses and shops.

Buy handicraft from various aboriginal groups, such as pottery and glazed beads from the Paiwan tribe and hand-dyed clothing from the Rukai and Bunun tribes.

GETTING THERE

TO GET to Hualien from Taipei, take a train from Taipei Main Station to Hualien Train Station. The journey takes about two hours by express train, and three to four hours by local trains.

From now until Dec 31, visitors to Taiwan are entitled to gifts, while stocks last.

Simply flash your air ticket and hotel confirmation to redeem them from Taiwan Visitors Association Singapore at 5 Shenton Way, UIC Building, #31-11. Call 6223-6546/7 or e-mail tbrocsin@singnet.com.sg

To view past and new instalments of this series, visit www.sgtravellers.com
By Joy Fang, joyfang@sph.com.sg, my paper, Mon, Oct 31 2011

HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Jaunt: 游览 - yóu lăn
Bloom: 开花 - kāi huā
Harvesting: 收割 - shōu gē
Stargazing: 眺望星星的 - tiào wàng xīng xing de

Reference