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Hualien is part of Taiwan that I’ve sadly uncared for lately, so on this current journey to Taiwan, I managed to spend a while exploring each Hualien’s Coast in addition to the small cities within the East Rift Valley together with this little city known as Fenglin. Whether it’s savouring native delicacies, appreciating indigenous tradition and even crafting your personal memento, Fenglin is a superb spot to stopover in as you discover Hualien, so right here’s my information to Fenglin and a few cool issues to do right here.
Where is Fenglin 鳳林 positioned?
Fenglin is a part of Hualien County on the northern finish of the East Rift Valley. Fenglin is positioned between Shoufeng and Guangfu alongside Highway Route 9 (it runs parallel to Fengbin and many coastal sights on the opposite facet of the coastal mountain vary).
Fenglin was as soon as recognized for tobacco barns and fields because it was a delegated money crop on this space through the Japanese rule, and having a big Hakka neighborhood which influenced numerous the meals and tradition right here.
Eat indigenous meals at Akay Play.Life 阿改玩生活
Taiwan’s indigenous tradition is particularly sturdy in jap Taiwan, and one of many best methods to expertise their distinctive tradition is by consuming their meals. Here within the city of Xilin of Wanrong Township is the Ciyakang Tribal Village the place the Taroko folks stay, and their youth have arrange Akay Play Life – experiences to teach and share about their tradition with vacationers.
The compound is tucked away within the fields by a flowing stream and with mountains within the background. Here we discovered a stunning wood shelter and a magazine-worthy eating desk and campfire set as much as welcome us.
The meal was served course by course and we had meals like wild boar, roasted candy potato and eggs, pumpkin, yam, a very hearty soup, a vegetable fern dish that’s fairly distinctive to Hualien’s indigenous folks, and even some home made rice wine. Each dish was named by one of many youth and informed a private story about their tradition as nicely. It was positively fascinating studying extra about how distinct their cultural practices are in comparison with the Han Chinese practices that we all know.
We had been on a fairly tight schedule that day so we solely had time to eat lunch, however the expertise normally includes taking a stroll round their village and even serving to to make the dessert! I want we had a bit extra time to expertise and be taught extra concerning the indigenous tradition right here, but it surely’s positively one thing I’d suggest if you wish to go a bit deeper into Taiwan’s tradition past the everyday sights.
Akay Play.Life 阿改玩生活: 979 Wanrong Township, Hualien County 979花蓮縣萬榮鄉 [Google Maps]. The closest practice station is Linrongxinguang Station. A half-day session together with lunch prices about 1,300 NTD (S$57). Learn extra about Akay Play.Life on Facebook or make a reserving on-line.
Make your personal wood pen at Songluo Workshop 松蘿野店
Another enjoyable factor we obtained to do on this gray day in Hualien was to cease by the Songluo workshop the place they concentrate on wooden crafting, and one of many issues they teaches lessons on is find out how to make your personal wood pen!
The workshop is outside subsequent to a pond that’s stuffed with lotuses and geese in the best season, however in different instances is only a picturesque countryside spot. Our trainer Ye Zuowei confirmed us the fundamentals on find out how to use the machines and after selecting our wooden, away we went to start out crafting.
Master Ye did a fairly thorough demonstration on find out how to whittle down the wooden, shave it to the form we wish after which sand and oil it till it turned the graceful barrel that you could possibly stick a pen nib in. It’s truly not that troublesome if barely messy, and a complete lot of enjoyable to do.
Songluo Workshop 松蘿野店 30 Pinghan Road, Fenglin Township 鳳林鎮平漢路30號 [Google maps]. It’s positioned nearer to Nanping Train Station. A 2-hour DIY workshop the place you make a pen prices 1,200 NTD (about S$52). See extra at Songluo Facebook. You should purchase pre-made pens from their on-line store
Eat Hakka meals at Fangshuh 芳草古樹花園
After a busy day in Fenglin, we stopped for dinner at Fang Shuh Restaurant. What’s fascinating about this constructing is that it truly was once a tobacco drying shed – Hualien was a delegated tobacco manufacturing space when the Japanese had been in energy – however has since been transformed right into a guesthouse with a tenting floor, restaurant and cute cafe with canines and cats!
Our dinner was a Hakka type meal, a callback to the principle dialect group discovered right here in Fenglin and one in all their specialities is the barrel broiled hen the place a complete hen is served and somebody has to placed on gloves and tear it aside for the desk.
Fang Shuh 芳草古樹花園 71 Zhonghe Road Fenglin Township 鳳林鎮中和路71號 [Google Maps]. It’s positioned about 10 minutes stroll from Fenglin Train Station. Learn extra concerning the lodging choices at Fangshuh web site or ebook a room at reserving.com [affiliate link]
Feast on peanuts at Meihao 美好花生
A brief distance from Fang Shuh is a cute little store that appears like an artwork gallery from outdoors – Meihao Peanut is a stunning household enterprise that sells domestically grown peanut merchandise together with nougat, peanut butter and naturally peanuts for munching. One widespread factor to do right here can be to eat their peanut soup dessert and ice cream!
Right subsequent to the store was an empty subject with rapeseed flowers! We simply occurred to catch them in bloom for some fairly pix!
Learn extra concerning the peanut merchandise accessible at Meihao web site
What I missed
I visited Fenglin on a media journey so I did handle to go to locations that I wouldn’t have gone alone however I feel there’s nonetheless alot that I haven’t seen but. If I had my very own time, I’d have preferred to gone biking round this little city like I did in different small cities in Hualien’s East Rift Valley.
One of the highlights of Fenglin is Lintienshan Forestry Culture Park 林田山林業文化園區 – that’s one thing to take a look at as nicely in future.
Where to remain in Fenglin
I stayed within the Hualien Tourism Sugar Factory over in neighbouring Guangfu, however there are some fairly cool lodging choices you can take into account:
How to get to Fenglin
Fenglin is about 50 minutes drive south of Hualien City alongside Highway 9.
The practice from Hualien City to Fenglin takes about 25-40 minutes relying on whether or not you catch the specific or slower trains.
My go to to Fenglin was part of a Media journey organised by Taiwan Tourism Bureau. All opinions are my very own.
There are a number of cute little cities in Taiwan to go to, that are your favorite? Check out extra of my articles on Taiwan’s east coast.