The Wufeng Lin Family's
Residence of the Palace Guard
in is the largest official
Qing dynasty residence in
Taiwan.
The Provincial Council is a relic
of
Taiwan's democratic
development.
The Assembly Affairs Museum
in
the Taiwan Provincial
Council
Memorial Park.
The chewy, hearty and tasty
pork thick soup
"Taiwan's first village": Kuang
Fu New Village
Many colorful chairs can be
seen on MinZu
Road in Kuang
Fu New Village.
This delicious pot-roast meal is
abundantly filled with old-style
flavors.
After the Wu-gui Building was
rebuilt, its red brick arcades
and wooden structures
were returned to their originalappearence.
|
Taichung's Wufeng district, once known as "A-zhao-wu", offers an attractive town center showcasing some precious local culture and history. Family-friendly destinations include national historic sites such as the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden, the cultural landscape of Kuang Fu New Village, and the Taiwan Legislative Memorial Park, a democratic development landmark. Visitors can wander around these important and interesting places, sampling local snacks during their walking tours.
Taiwan History in condensed form: Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden
Around the mid-19th century, Wufeng's Lin Family was given hills and fields as a reward for assisting the government during the Taiping Rebellion, Dai Zhao-chun Incident and Sino-French War. Their astute business and management skills made the Lins a prosperous, rich central Taiwan family, as witnessed by this home. The Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden were almost destroyed by the 921 Earthquake in 1999 but, after 14 years, it was finally partly restored and reopened in 2013.
The Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden is the largest historical residential structure of its kind in Taiwan. The residence is divided into three sections--an "Upper House", "Lower House", and "Laiyuan". The latter section is also part of the Wufeng Lin Family Garden--among Taiwan's four biggest gardens. Today, this complex is also home to Ming Tai High School, the only school built on a historical site.
Currently, if you aren't visiting with a large group, you can go onto the Ming Tai High School campus to see the Laiyuan area, Five-Cassia Tower and Mr. Lin Xian-tang's heritage site. From Tuesday to Sunday, areas open with guided tours include: the plaza in front of the Wufeng Lin Family Lower House, first inner section of the Residence of the Palace Guard, second hall, and large flower hall. To protect and manage this historic site and maintain quality tours, visitors are only guided in groups.
The Residence of the Palace Guard in the Lower House is the biggest official Qing dynasty residence in Taiwan. Here, precious calligraphy by Li Hong-zhang is displayed in the hall. Passing through the main door here takes one to the large flower hall and the only remaining Fuzhou-style stage, named after its peony carvings. This is an important, magnificent representative work of architecture, and the stage's raised eaves are an extraordinary expression of this family's wealth. Today, many parts of the Lin Family Mansion and Garden remain under repair and restoration, with one example of international-class painting restoration being the door guardians for the Residence of the Palace Guard.
A witness to democratic development: Taiwan Provincial Council Memorial Park
The Taiwan Provincial Council was founded in 1951. First known as the Temporary Provincial Council, it was renamed the Taiwan Provincial Council in 1959, and from 1998 has seen known as the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council. The garden around the council building has green grass and a stream flowing under small bridge. providing an elegant-looking setting. Besides the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council, central government legislative offices and museums are also located in the park, allowing visitors to enjoy a free exploration of this valuable piece of government history and gain a better understanding of Taiwan's democratic and political history from inception to full development.
'Taiwan's first village'
Not too far from the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council is Kuang Fu village's Keng Kou community, known as "Taiwan's first village". The quiet, interconnected military communities here feature numerous anti-communist slogans painted on low brick walls. This tree-shaded area is also nice for walking and the beautiful scenery continues to attract many model photo shoots, as well as newlyweds taking wedding photos and leaving with happy memories.
Not long after the Taiwan provincial government downgrade in 1998, the 921 Earthquake in 1999 collapsed many houses in Kuang Fu Village, thanks to the fact that the Che-long-pu fault line passed through the Keng-kou and Kuang Fu Elementary and Junior High School (today home of Fu Sing Elementary School and the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan). This disaster and related drastic geographic changes, led residents to quickly vacate Kuang Fu New Village, with only a few residents remaining today. In 2012, the village was designated as Taichung's first Cultural Scenery Site. To preserve the precious cultural heritage here, the Green Life Workshop and Dream House were created, allowing visitors to better understand Kuang Fu New Village's past and see its future at the rebuilt "New Kuang Fu Station" structure.
Eating in Wufeng
Kuang Fu New Village Beef Noodles
The Kuangfu branch of Kuang Hua Xiao Mao Beef Noodles is located outside Kuang Fu New Village and run by Mr. Chang, its 60-year-old mainland Chinese second-generation owner. Its signature Beef Noodles is a hearty meal with a tasty soup and unforgettably-rich, chewy beef.
The King of Wufeng Zhen-qing Pork Thick Soup
Located on Wufeng District's Linsen Road, this restaurant's signature Mushroom Pork Thick Soup is handmade with a fresh pork back leg, which has a very chewy texture and is paired with savory soup, Puli bamboo and Xinshe mushrooms. This is also goes very well with regular or rice noodles and is a must-try local dish.
Zongzi Wife
Wufeng's Zongzi Sao and Zongzi Wife eateries have gained fame over the years for their inexpensive, tasty fare. The two shops are within 50 meters of each other and, although both offer the same food, each has its own unique features and regular customers. Whether one is enjoying freshly-made or leftover "zongzi" (rice dumplings), the flavors of the savory bamboo melting into the chewy, tender meat are well worth it.
Delicious Pot-Roast Meal
The "Delicious Pot-Roast Meal" restaurant on ZhongZheng Road is open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and attracts a long line even before it starts serving its delicious fried pork chop meals. The Tang family has run this business for 31 years and offers a tender tasty signature roast meal that includes three side dishes and one braised dish. Its abundant, old-style lunch box--a local secret--is only NT$60.
The old lower house at Wefeng Lin Family
Address: 26, MinSheng Rd., Wufeng Dist., Taichung City
Tel: (04) 2331-7985
Hours: Tue.- Sun. 10 am-5 pm (closed Mon.)
Tickets: NT$100 visitors fee for Lower House (Hall of Large Flowers, Residence of the Palace Guard)
Taiwan Provincial Assembly Memorial Park
Address: 734, ZhongZheng Rd., Wufeng Dist., Taichung City
Tel: (04) 2217-2900
Hours: park open 24 hours/day; Government Museum 9 am-5 pm (reservations required during holidays)
Kuang Fu New Village
Address: Keng Kou Village, Wufeng Dist., Taichung City
|
March 2014
