Year of the Ox Fun in Greater Taichung

By Lishea Zheng Translated by Ann Lee

During this year's long lunar new year holiday, you can bet that popular tourist attractions around the island will be jammed with visitors from all over. No doubt flights off the island to popular destinations will be packed, too. If you want to avoid the traffic jams, or save some money by staying on island, read on and learn about some great, convenient destinations to explore in the nearby Greater Taichung area. In particular, the focus here is on a few unique places that don't require admission fees and will help save you some gas money. Don't forget your camera and come prepared for an enjoyable adventure to start out your Year of the Ox.

Mt. Chiu-Chiu Arts and Ecology Center: Forest of Arts

(04) 257-1939
152, JianXing Rd, Pinglin Li, Caotun Township, Nantou County

The Forest of Arts is located on Mt. Chiu-Chiu and offers great landscapes and a rich ecology. The Chiu-Chiu Arts and Ecology Center's administration office has asked Taichung's National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts to recruit artists to display their works here. Artist Wu Feng-yi's "One Cup of Soil, One Seed" project helped to cultivate the entire forest grounds here. Networking over the Internet, people from different parts of Taiwan donate a cup of soil through postage, packed inside a card board box with plants held inside a waterproof flower pot made with paraffin wax. These plants are osmanthus saplings from different cities and counties of Taiwan. They are planted in these forest grounds according to their location on the map. When fully grown, the saplings will be sent back to the people who first donated the soil to show appreciation and to thank them for helping to complete the cycle.

Artist Lin Shu-hua's "Home to the Insects" can also be seen at the Forest of Arts. This special forest section is decorated with bamboo sticks. Large, bamboo-woven cocoons hang as decorations here and visitors can observe how they change according to the surrounding ecological environment. Besides these two artistic projects, there are many more natural treasures to explore, including a variety of plants, like the camphor trees planted in the earlier days by former presidents and government officials and labeled with signs that tell each tree's story.

Taichung Distillery Cultural Museum

(04) 2350-1318
2, GongYe 28th Rd (Taichung Industrial Park), Xitun District, Taichung City

Walk into this museum and you'll see a Creative Box Store on both sides. These beautiful displays were launched on May and showcase the works of 12 central Taiwan artists. The purpose here is to help talented artists from less-privileged backgrounds explore their creative potential, with every artwork showing its own distinct personality. The arched entrance takes you into a land of liquor, with old pottery liquor containers lining the walls like creative works of art. If you decide you want to purchase something alcoholic here, order 12 bottles or more and the museum will deliver them to your home within a week (within Taiwan only). Another unusual attraction is the "liquor bank", which comes with a "liquor bank book" to keep track of the alcohol you keep in storage here. To join this "bank", visitors have to spend at least NT$5,000 for Gaoliang or Shao-Xing liquor. This is stored in special, customized containers, emblazoned with Chinese zodiac signs, which the museum will keep for customers, free of charge, for up to two years. The various historic alcohol-related museum displays and the Creative Box Store make the Taichung Distillery Cultural Museum an interesting destination right within Taichung city limits.

Chang Family Ancestral Temple

111, AnHe Rd, Taichung City

The Chang Family Ancestral Temple is a great example of traditional architecture in Taiwan. In front of the temple is a half-moon shaped courtyard pond, including the delicate display of the small bamboo raft carrying creek water from the left side of the pond to the right. Traditionally, the Chinese believe that this symbolizes money and fortune flowing through. At the same time, the waters also serve other purposes such as preventing fire, irrigation, washing clothing and keeping fish alive. Inside the temple you'll find bright decorations, with red Chinese couplets representing great fortune and luck. The bamboo hangings symbolize modesty in Chinese tradition. More couplets make references to butterflies and bats, representing luck, while other references to peonies, the phoenix and Chinese unicorn express the blessings of great fortune.

The Fa-Xiang (great fortune) Hall is decorated with dragon symbols and there are listed names of loyal government officials from ancient times, as well as ancestors who have left words of wisdom for visitors to ponder. These include, "There are books I've not read", encouraging people to read as much as they can; "There is nothing I can't say to others", meaning people should do everything with honesty and feel secure in what they do; and "Everything in life is like playing chess, you never know what move your opponent is going to make next", meaning that everything in life is like a game of chess; people you come across with in life are often not what they seem, and unless you can read their minds, you must face difficult situations in life with a humble heart. Visiting this old temple and pondering words of wisdom left by sages from times past seems like a good way to start a new year.

Taichung County Seaport Art Center

(04) 2627-4568
21, JhongJheng Rd, Cingshuei Township, Taichung County
Hours: 9 am-5:30 pm (24~29 / closed Mondays and Jan. 24-29, 2009)

One enters this art center's Fujianese-style mansion main building through its old country-style entrance. If you visit on January 10 (Saturday), you get to celebrate the arrival of spring with 10 talented calligraphy artists, who will writing Spring Festival couplets at the art center and giving away 20 couplets to the public (first come, first served). The works of 18 outstanding contestants from the "2008 Exhibition of the Newly Emerging Artists in Taiwan" are also on display at the Seaport Art Center. Center officials are making an effort to attract a greater range of visitors, particularly younger ones. The center's spacious grounds are perfect for an enjoyable, relaxing walk, through the enclosed gardens and small bridges, and are ideal for the many cultural and leisure activities that take place here on a regular basis. Those interested in an English guided tour of the art center may go online to make a reservation. Website: http://www.tcsac.gov.tw/

Ju Kui Ju

36, Lane 405, SyueTian Rd, Wurih Township, Taichung County

This fancy baroque-style house was built by the wealthy Chen family back during the Japanese colonial period. Its impressive looking circular corridor columns and traditional red-brick walls exude a unique oriental ambiance. If you are a fan of architecture and art, put this place on your list as a must-see spot in Wurih (near the High-Speed Rail Station).

Tanyashen Green Bikeway

Tanyashen Parkway stretches from Tanzhih township (about 200 meters from the Tanzhih Train Station) to the Central Taiwan Science Park. It features a well-planned park and, on both sides of the parkway, tourists can take in verdant scenery and local pastoral vistas. Along the way, you will find bicycle rental shops, including Shun-Feng Bicycle Rental (04-2535-0861), and Song Meng Bicycle Rental (04-2565-3842), next to the Liou Bao Park (aka Daya War Tank Park). A visit and ride along this parkway promises to be a rich rural and ecologically-friendly experience.

Moors Garden

(05) 532-1768
123, YingShen Rd, Douliou Township, Yunlin County
Hours: 11 am-9 pm (Admission fee required.)

The fairytale-themed Moors Garden is located within Douliou city in Yunlin County. Its stone-carved architecture includes corridors decorated with rows of columns, and the structure uses many mosaics, wood, bricks and stone to create a dreamy castle-like setting. This place is a nice setting for enjoying a picnic with friends and family while taking in some natural beauty.