Hsinchu Travel: Beipu Old Street ~ Hakka Style and Heritage

Travel Date: 2018/09/18

Bored at home, we decided to go somewhere. I had an idea of a place to visit, and my husband agreed. After a 30-minute drive, he asked, "Where exactly do you want to go in this town?" I checked Google Maps and realized we were in completely the wrong place! But never mind, since we had never been here before, we decided to take a walk around Beipu Old Street.

See never post about Beipu Old Street: HERE

Beipu Township is dominated by hills and mountains and is densely covered by rivers, with the longest river being Dapingxi. It was one of the earliest developed areas in Hsinchu. The development of Hsinchu began in the late Qing Dynasty by people from Fujian and Guangdong. Beipu was originally named Zhubei Yibao Nanxingzhuang (竹北一堡南興莊). The settlement buildings in Beipu focused on multi-layered protection, creating a settlement with good defensive function. Beipu's natural and pollution-free environment makes it a good place to watch fireflies from the end of April to the beginning of May. The viewing period is very short, lasting about two weeks.

Beipu, a small village in Hsinchu, is home to about 1,000 residents, most of whom are Hakka people. The unique culture and lifestyle of the Hakka people are the main attractions here. Many of the original buildings have been preserved or renovated. The Hakka people first moved to Beipu about 150 years ago, but they faced friction with the Saisiyat tribe, who inhabited the nearby mountains. As a result, the Beipu town suffered many attacks.

Beipu Township, along with the nearby Emei and Baoshan Townships, was formerly known as "Dayu." It was a community for the Pingpu ethnic group. In 1826, the first Han people entered the area. Under the leadership of Jiang Xiuzhen, people from Zhudong entered the area and built Jinguangfu Mansion.

During the Japanese occupation, Beipu was very prosperous. A tea factory was opened here due to the popularity of tea in Japan. However, in 1964, the tea factory collapsed, and the tea industry in Beipu declined. In addition to the tea industry, Beipu's prosperity was also influenced by coal mines. Unfortunately, this period of history was marked by the suffering of the people under Japanese oppression. In 1907, a group of Hakka people, supported by the Saisiyat tribe, killed 57 Japanese officers and their families. As a brutal retaliation, 100 people were killed by the Japanese.

After the coal mines were depleted, Beipu once again declined. At that time, this place had almost completely lost its commercial prosperity. However, due to the Hakka food and the old street, it has now become a tourist destination. The main tourist attraction is Beipu Old Street, which is crowded with many food stalls. Walking there, you can explore many narrow streets that resemble a maze for every tourist.

See also: Beipu Bald Cypress

See also: Xinpu

In Beipu, you can also visit Grade 1 historic sites such as Jinguangfu Residence, Chiang Family's Tianshui Hall, or Chiang-a-xin Residence. These buildings are over 160 years old and serve as witnesses to the development in the mountainous area during the Qing Dynasty. Jinguangfu Mansion was built in 1835. The word "Jin" means gold, "guang" refers to the Hakka people in Guangdong, and "fu" represents the people from Fujian. This building is built in the Hakka style, without many decorations.

Another notable site is Ci Tian Temple, which was initially a small shrine built in 1835 by farmers to pray for peace. In 1846, it was rebuilt into a wooden temple and completed in 1848, becoming the religious center of Beipu. In 1874, two side wings and a front building were added to the construction. The temple primarily worships Kwan-yin, along with other gods. Ci Tian Temple is a courtyard-style temple with two entries, two corridors, and two wing-rooms. The major wood used in the temple's construction comes from the camphor tree. The temple features a rare stone-carved dragon pillar, as well as colored drawings, clay sculptures, and Koji poetry.

Due to its historical and cultural value, the temple was designated as a third-grade relic in 1985.

Beipu is also known for its dried persimmons. A kind woman noticed me and invited me to try this fruit. It's quite yummy, and I think it's even better than the fresh ones.

Another place to visit is Chiang-A-Xin House. Chiang-A-Xin was born in 1901 and was the chairman of Zhudong Tea Company. After the end of Japanese rule, he founded Yung Kwang Co, which exported black tea. His house was built between 1946 and 1949 and served as accommodation for foreign guests and living quarters. The building is mainly decorated in a modern style. It was repaired and restored to its original appearance in 1995.

Lastly, you can explore Chiang's Family Ancestral Temple. This temple, completed in 1924, belonged to the largest family in Beipu at that time—the Chiang family. The temple's main hall is dedicated to worshiping the Chiang ancestors. It features colored drawings, sandstone carvings, and wood carvings. Due to its artistic value, this temple is recognized as one of the four largest ancestral temples in Taiwan.

See also: Xinpu Dried Persimmons 

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/xGit1XESXaiPgag78

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/j4e26hq7X79kDGXk7

Address:

314新竹縣北埔鄉北埔街北埔老街

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New Taipei Travel: From Ancient Origins to Skyward Wishes: The History of Pingxi and Sky Lanterns

Picture source: https://goo.gl/images/vPCsp5

Travel Date: 2018/09/18

Today, we came to release sky lanterns in Pingxi. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best timing as the Middle-Autumn Festival would take place two days later, so I couldn't witness the sight of thousands of lanterns floating in the sky. This is my third time in this area—last year, we visited the incredible Shifen Waterfall. I hope to return here next year during the Lantern Festival to fulfill my dream.

This time we traveled with firends from Nantou, as they came to Hsinchu to visit us.

Pingxi is a small mountain town that is truly worth visiting. Besides the lanterns, the main attraction here is Pingxi Train Station. The streets around are filled with lantern-like decorations and street food.

Pingxi is known for its waterfalls, with 36 discovered in the area. One of the most popular waterfalls is Shifen Waterfall (十分瀑布). Over millions of years, geological forces have created numerous valleys and canyons. The average height of mountains in Pingxi is only 500 meters.

The area has played an important role in Taiwan's mining history. It is a sedimentary rock formation that contains valuable resources such as coal, oil, and gas. This geological structure was formed 3-4 million years ago.

In the 1870s, Pingxi had many indigo plantations and was a prosperous place, accounting for 80% of all indigo plantations. However, synthetic dyes quickly gained popularity, leading to the replacement of the plantations with tea gardens. Oolong tea is the most important tea variety grown here, and it was primarily exported to Europe and America during the Japanese period.

See also: History of Lantern Festival

See also: Shifen Waterfall

The development of the Pingxi coal mine began in 1908 when the Japanese obtained the rights to the coalfield and built the Pingxi Line railway. Pingxi has the longest operating history among Taiwan's coal mines. However, in the 1970s, due to the emergence of alternative energy sources, labor disputes, and significant losses from mining disasters, Taiwan's mining industry disappeared. Pingxi Train Station became a popular place, particularly for releasing sky lanterns.

Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming lanterns, were invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period. In the past, these lanterns were used to convey military messages.

The Sky Lantern Festival in Pingxi is named the second biggest New Year's Eve festival in the world. The festival lasts about two weeks and is always held on the 15th day of the first lunar month as part of the Lantern Festival. Pingxi is the only place where the release of sky lanterns is allowed by the government.

Traditionally, lanterns have four or five sides on which wishes can be written. They are made of rice paper, bamboo, and wire, which allows for recycling. Making lanterns is relatively simple. Bamboo is split into strips and formed into a semicircular frame. A triangular wire piece is placed on the bottom to hold joss paper, which serves as the fuel. The frame is then covered with four or five layers of rice paper. Before being placed on the wire, the joss paper is coated with a mixture of peanut oil and kerosene. When the hot air rises into the lantern, it eventually floats into the sky.

There are a few speculations about how sky lanterns became popular in Pingxi. According to one belief, in 1821, Chinese people arrived in Pingxi and began building villages. During the Qing Dynasty, these villages were difficult to control and protect by the provincial government. When the final harvest was finished, villagers would sometimes pack up and hide in the mountains. Only a few men would stay behind to protect their village. Once the dangerous time had passed, these men would release lanterns as a signal for others to return.

Another belief suggests that the sky lantern festival originated from the practice of releasing prayer lanterns every spring. Women would often release these lanterns while praying for smooth childbirth and a bountiful harvest.

Address: 

226新北市平溪區平溪街226新北市平溪區平溪街

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Taiwanese street food: soup and noodles

Noodles have a history of 4000 years in Asia and come in a wide variety of types. They are distinct from Italian pasta and can be made from ingredients such as rice, yam, mung beans, or wheat flour. Noodles have different textures and flavors and are used in numerous dishes.

1. Beef noodles (牛肉麵)

Beef noodle soup is a popular dish made with stewed or red-braised beef, beef broth, and vegetables. It originated from the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty and is considered a national dish of Taiwan. The beef broth is typically cooked with brisket or shank, and there are variations such as braised beef noodle soup and clear beef noodle soup.

2. Duck noodles

Duck noodles feature duck meat cooked with various Chinese herbs such as jujube, goji berries, ginseng, angelica, and red dates. The soup also includes ginger and rice wine. The herbs are cooked first, then filtered, and the duck and organs are added and cooked with rice wine and ginger. This soup is often consumed in winter for its warming properties.

3. Oyster vermicelli  

Oyster vermicelli is a dish that includes oysters and other ingredients such as pork, intestines, or a mixture of various ingredients. It is served with Chinese vermicelli noodles (misua), which originated in Fujian, China. The noodles are made from wheat flour and salt and are steamed, giving them a unique texture and color.

4. Milkfish soup (虱目魚湯)

Milkfish soup is a traditional dish from Tainan that features a whole fish and sliced ginger cooked in a soup.

5. Sesame oil chicken soup

Sesame oil chicken soup is made with chicken broth, red dates, angelica, ginger, rice wine, and sesame oil.

6. Pork feet peanut soup (豬腳花生湯)

Pork feet peanut soup is a soup made with rice wine, jujube, ginger, and peanuts. The pork feet are cooked with seasonings for several hours.

7. Golden Needle Flowers Soup  

8. Squid soup 

9. Dry noodles 

Dry noodles refer to noodles served without soup, which is unique to Asian-style noodles. They are typically seasoned with soy sauce, sesame paste, and garlic chives.

10. Hakka fried noodles 

Hakka fried noodles are pan-fried noodles with sliced ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and vegetables such as carrots and cabbage.

11. Hakka flat rice noodle soup

Hakka flat rice noodle soup consists of rice noodles made from rice flour and water. The noodles are served in a light-flavored soup with fried chopped onions, minced meat, and sprouts.

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Taiwanese street food: popular desserts

1. Ice cream and peanut roll (花生捲冰淇淋)

This unusual ice cream is made by wrapping ice cream in popiah with shaved peanut brittle and coriander. Popiah is a soft, thin crepe or pancake made of wheat flour. Brittle is made by mixing nuts with caramelized sugar. This dessert originated from Yilan but has become popular all around Taiwan.

2. Mochi (麻糬)

This dessert originated from an aboriginal recipe in Taiwan but is well-known in many Asian countries and comes in different styles. It's made of sweet rice flour with water and cooked until it forms a sticky white mass. Mochi can be filled with peanut, sesame, beans, or simply covered with peanut powder. You can find them served cold or boiled, both of which are delicious.

In early Taiwanese society, this dessert was known as doushu, but under Japanese influence, it became better known as mochi. In Taiwan, there are three different kinds of mochi: the Han, Hakka, and aboriginal versions. The aboriginal version uses millet instead of glutinous rice and is called Dulun.

In the past, mochi was served during ceremonies and festivals without any added flavor. In Hakka culture, women prepare mochi for wedding parties as a symbol of the union and stickiness of the couple.

3. Tofu pudding (豆花, dou hua)

Tofu pudding is made with very soft tofu and originated in ancient China. Douhua is served with sweet toppings like peanuts, beans, tapioca balls, and syrup. It can be served with crushed ice in the summer or warm during winter.

4. Glutinous rice dumplings (湯圓, tangyuan)

Tangyuan is a dessert made of glutinous rice flour mixed with a small amount of water. There are two versions of this food: small unfilled dumplings and larger ones filled with sesame, peanut, or red bean paste. They are usually cooked in a sweet syrup and were traditionally eaten during festivals.

5. Egg tarts (蛋撻, Dàntà)

Egg tarts are a kind of custard tart found in various countries. The pastry crust is filled with egg custard and baked. This dessert originated from China in 1920 and was first introduced to Hong Kong in 1940. Egg tarts can have two main types of crust: shortcrust pastry and puff pastry. Sometimes, black sugar jelly is added inside the egg tarts.

6. Shaved ice and snowlake shaved ice  

Shaved ice is made by shaving blocks of ice and topping it with sauces, fruits, beans, nuts, or other ingredients. Shaved ice originated from Taiwan. Snowflake shaved ice is made using condensed milk, chocolate, or fruit-flavored ice blocks and is often decorated with fruits. It has a fluffy texture similar to ice cream.

 7. Jelly (草)

There are different kinds of jelly available, from fruit flavors to herbal options like grass jelly (仙草, xian cao) and aiyu jelly (愛玉). Grass jelly is made with the Chinese mesona plant, a member of the mint family. It can be served chilled or hot with various toppings. Aiyu jelly is made from the seeds of ficus pumila plants. The seeds are dried, soaked in water, and condensed to form jelly.

8. Candied / caramelised sweet potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes are cooked in a sugary syrup with spices for about an hour. Caramelized sweet potatoes are cooked and then simmered in caramel for about 20 minutes. Once dried, the caramel outside becomes crispy.

9. Peanut candy (花生糖, Huāshēng táng)

10. Candied fruits (冰糖葫蘆, Bingtang hulu)

This snack traditionally consists of candied Chinese hawthorn, but nowadays you can find versions with tomatoes, strawberries, and other fruits.

11. Fried dough (油條, Yóutiáo)

Long pieces of deep-fried dough, usually served with soy milk or almond milk.

12. Peanut candies (糖蔥, tang cong)

Sugar and water are boiled and then cooled down to make a paste. The sugar is then pulled, cut into pieces, and coated with peanuts.

13. Fried maltose cookies (麻荖, ma lao)

These cookies are made of glutinous rice and fried to make them larger. After cooling down, they are coated with maltose mixed with sugar and wrapped in sesame, peanuts, or coconut.

14. 花生捲 (hua sheng tang)

Made of peanut sugar and maltose.

15. Black sesame candie (黑芝麻, hei zhi ma)

Made of sesame and maltose.

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