Photos and text by Cheryl Robbins

       Miaoli County's Sanyi (¤T¸q) town has long been famous for its plethora of wood carvers. However, it is also home to Hwataoyao ("Hwa Pottery Kiln"), a unique place that includes a ceramic studio, wood-burning kilns and a botanical garden.

       Walking up the sloping path toward Hwataoyao, visitors quickly realize that this is a different kind of tourist attraction. From a distance, it resembles a brick castle nestled among beautiful green hills. On closer inspection, you come to find the real meaning behind Hwataoyao. Its founder, Chen Wen-hui (³¯¤å½÷), was born into a farming family but entered politics, serving as a member of the Legislative Yuan. In Taiwan¡¦s rush to achieve economic prosperity, he felt a loss of the simpler things in life from his rural Taiwan childhood. He also felt an obligation to preserve local culture and, thus, in March 1984, he opened Hwataoyao.

       At first glance, many people mistakenly believe the buildings that make up Hwataoyao are designed to reflect the styles of ancient China. However, it keeping with its function of preserving Taiwanese culture, the architecture includes red bricks from the Netherlands, tiles from Japan and heavy wooden doors commonly found in ancestral shines in early Taiwan. In this way, the buildings reflect the architectural styles of different eras in Taiwan, from the time of Dutch rule to mass immigration from the southern part of mainland China to the Japanese colonial era. Among the buildings there is also an observation deck, perfect for enjoying the beautiful hillside scenery. Other facilities include pottery classrooms, exhibition areas, a cafe, and a gift shop.

       It is also well worth visiting the wood-burning kilns. It takes one week to properly fire ceramic pieces in these kilns. Although not as fast as gas or electric kilns, wood-burning kilns produce finished works that have a very traditional look. Taiwan acacia wood is used, as it creates a large amount of heat when burned, and can burn for a long time. In earlier times it was used for cooking as well as for firing pottery.

       Another popular attraction at Hwataoyao is its botanical garden. In keeping with preserving Taiwan¡¦s culture, this garden is made up of plants native to Taiwan. Chen Yu-ping (³¯¨|¥­), the founder¡¦s daughter and one of Hwataoyao¡¦s key people today, says that Hwataoyao is a leader in garden design and willingly shares its knowledge with others wanting to cultivate and display native plants. She also says that Hwataoyao has plans to internationalize, including the provision of English-language information and exchanges with foreign artists, in an effort to expand its scope and share Taiwan¡¦s culture with people from around the world.

       Unlike many of Taiwan¡¦s tourist destinations, this place is not overcrowded. To preserve its surroundings and quality, it limits the number of visitors to 270 per day. It is best, therefore, to make a reservation in advance, especially for weekend visits. In addition, reservations should be made for all-day guided tours.

       These tours start at 10am and end at about 4pm They begin with a cup of tea at Hwataoyao¡¦s entrance, followed by tours of the botanical garden and the wood-burning kilns. After lunch, visitors can try their hand at making their own ceramic work of art. They will receive their glazed and fired works in the mail about a month after their visit. The cost for this tour is NT$825 on weekends and NT$675 on weekdays per person. Prices include entrance, lunch and guide. Those wishing to make their own pottery will have to pay an extra fee for clay, firing, and mailing the finished product.

GETTING THERE
       Take the Chungshan Freeway and exit at Sanyi. On the off ramp, keep to the right and head toward the Sanyi woodcarving area. From there, follow the signs to Hwataoyao along Miaoli County Road 43.

Hwataoyao (µØ³³½`)
31, Nanshih Li, Yuanli Town, Miaoli County (­]®ß¿¤­b¸ÌÂí«n¶Õ¨½31¸¹)
Tel: (037) 743611~2
Fax: (037) 743744