Hualien is part of Taiwan that I’ve sadly uncared for lately, so on this latest 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 referred to as Fenglin. Whether or not it’s savouring native delicacies, appreciating indigenous tradition and even crafting your personal memento, Fenglin is a good 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.
The place is Fenglin 鳳林 situated?
Fenglin is a part of Hualien County on the northern finish of the East Rift Valley. Fenglin is situated between Shoufeng and Guangfu alongside Freeway 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 identified for tobacco barns and fields because it was a chosen money crop on this space throughout the Japanese rule, and having a big Hakka group 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 japanese Taiwan, and one of many best methods to expertise their distinctive tradition is by consuming their meals. Right here within the city of Xilin of Wanrong Township is the Ciyakang Tribal Village the place the Taroko folks reside, 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. Right here we discovered a beautiful picket 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. Every dish was named by one of many youth and instructed a private story about their tradition as effectively. It was positively fascinating studying extra about how distinct their cultural practices are in comparison with the Han Chinese language practices that we all know.
We have been on a reasonably tight schedule that day so we solely had time to eat lunch, however the expertise often 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 study extra concerning the indigenous tradition right here, however it’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 prepare station is Linrongxinguang Station. A half-day session together with lunch prices about 1,300 NTD (S$57). Study extra about Akay Play.Life on Fb or make a reserving on-line.
Make your personal picket pen at Songluo Workshop 松蘿野店
One other 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 picket pen!
The workshop is outdoor subsequent to a pond that’s stuffed with lotuses and geese in the suitable season, however in different occasions is only a picturesque countryside spot. Our instructor Ye Zuowei confirmed us the fundamentals on find out how to use the machines and after selecting our wooden, away we went to begin crafting.
Grasp Ye did a reasonably thorough demonstration on find out how to whittle down the wooden, shave it to the form we would like after which sand and oil it till it turned the sleek barrel that you can stick a pen nib in. It’s really not that troublesome if barely messy, and an entire lot of enjoyable to do.
Songluo Workshop 松蘿野店 30 Pinghan Street, Fenglin Township 鳳林鎮平漢路30號 [Google maps]. It’s situated nearer to Nanping Prepare Station. A 2-hour DIY workshop the place you make a pen prices 1,200 NTD (about S$52). See extra at Songluo Fb. 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 really was once a tobacco drying shed – Hualien was a chosen tobacco manufacturing space when the Japanese have 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 fashion meal, a callback to the primary dialect group discovered right here in Fenglin and one among their specialities is the barrel broiled hen the place an entire 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 Street Fenglin Township 鳳林鎮中和路71號 [Google Maps]. It’s situated about 10 minutes stroll from Fenglin Prepare Station. Study extra concerning the lodging choices at Fangshuh web site or guide 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 beautiful household enterprise that sells regionally grown peanut merchandise together with nougat, peanut butter and naturally peanuts for munching. One well-liked factor to do right here can be to eat their peanut soup dessert and ice cream!
Proper subsequent to the store was an empty subject with rapeseed flowers! We simply occurred to catch them in bloom for some fairly pix!
Study extra concerning the peanut merchandise obtainable 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 might have preferred to gone biking round this little city like I did in different small cities in Hualien’s East Rift Valley.
One of many highlights of Fenglin is Lintienshan Forestry Tradition Park 林田山林業文化園區 – that’s one thing to take a look at as effectively in future.
The place to remain in Fenglin
I stayed within the Hualien Tourism Sugar Manufacturing unit over in neighbouring Guangfu, however there are some fairly cool lodging choices that you could contemplate:
Learn how to get to Fenglin
Fenglin is about 50 minutes drive south of Hualien Metropolis alongside Freeway 9.
The prepare from Hualien Metropolis 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 many cute little cities in Taiwan to go to, that are your favorite? Try extra of my articles on Taiwan’s east coast.
