2022/07/19-20
We attended the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Taitung after convincing my husband to go. We stayed in Taitung for only two days, primarily for the festival, but we also had the opportunity to visit other places. We attended the festival twice, once at night and once during sunrise. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong at night, resulting in fewer balloons being launched.
Additionally, we visited the Beinan Site and Longtian Village, which have many remnants from the Japanese era. We also made a stop in Hualien, specifically at a Japanese-era shrine. Lately, I've developed an obsession with Japanese buildings and shrines, even though I never had a desire to visit Japan. Perhaps I've become a bit bored with Taiwan and its architecture.
On our drive back along the coast road, we visited Nanrenshi, Sanxiantai, and even had the chance to see wild monkeys and the Amis Folk Center.
During our trip, my husband had a job interview with another company. He stayed in the car while I explored Beinan. Unfortunately, his interview was rescheduled and slightly disrupted our travel plans, as it was supposed to take place before we arrived in Taitung. Nonetheless, he managed to complete it. However, the signal in our accommodation wasn't strong enough for him to stay there, so he had to go to the nearby park.
We also had to shorten our trip because he had a second round of interviews. Wish him good luck anyway!
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After enjoying the Hot Air Balloon Festival in the morning, we drove along the mountain road up north, eventually reaching Yuli in Hualien to visit the remains of a Japanese shrine. Later, we took road no30, which led us to the coast. Along the coast, there are several interesting places to visit, such as Nanrenshi (Man's Stone), Sanxiantai, wild monkeys in Donghe, Torik Shrine, the Amis culture center, and "Water going upward." We had seen most of these places three years ago, but it was nice to revisit them. The heatwave across Taiwan made the sun scorching hot, and by the afternoon, I didn't feel like traveling anymore. All I dreamed about was getting into an air-conditioned space. We only took a break at noon to find some lunch, and in the afternoon, we met my husband's uncle for dinner. It was an opportunity to try some aboriginal cuisine, which I had always wanted to taste because it's not easy to find those dishes in western Taiwan.
See also: Hot Air Balloon Festival
See also: remains of Japanese shrine
See also: Amis culture center
Nanrenshi / Man's Stone (男人石)
The Man's Stone is an isolated limestone sea erosion column, standing approximately 35 meters tall at its highest point. It serves as evidence of the early seismic site's relative uplift movement and shares similarities with the sea steps near the "stone umbrella" (石雨傘). The Amis people, who immigrated earlier, referred to the Man's Stone as "kotid ni malataw," which means "the glans of the gods," evoking a sense of awe. Another story calls the Man's Stone "fasonihar," where "fasiaw" means "a kite," and "fasonihar" refers to "a place to tie a kite." The Man's Stone is located approximately 25 kilometers north of Baxiandong and 6 kilometers south of Sanxiantai. The similar geographical positions have given rise to various legends. According to one legend, the Sendai tryst, where Lu Dongbin met his lover, took place here. In anger, Lu Dongbin swung his sword and slashed the pair, turning Baxiandong Cave into the woman and the Man's Stone into the man. Subsequently, a temple was built around the Man's Stone with nine stone-carved phalluses surrounding it. The Man's Stone has now become a trail with prescribed methods of making wishes and offering prayers. Apart from seeking marriage and children, visitors can also pray for wealth, career, and health. It stands as a unique religious and cultural attraction.
Sanxiantai (三仙台)
Sanxiantai is a well-known tourist attraction in Taitung County, comprising a small offshore island, a coral reef coast, and a gravel coast. Covering an area of approximately 22 hectares, it takes about one hour to visit. Due to minimal human disturbance, it is also an important base for studying coastal plant ecology and is listed as a nature reserve. In the Ami language, "nuwalian" means "the most eastern place," while "Pisirian" signifies "the land of the shepherd." The highest point, standing at around 77 meters above sea level, belongs to the volcanic agglomerate of Tuoshan Mountain. Over the years, through weathering and seawater erosion, various unique sea-eroded landforms have formed, including sea-eroded columns, potholes, and tunnel-type sea-eroded gates. The northern end of the island features numerous potholes, with the largest having a diameter of 5 meters and a depth of 4 meters. On the northeast coast, there is a tunnel-type sea-eroded gate known as Acacia Cave, measuring 58 meters in length, 3 meters in width, and 3 meters in height.
Both the Han people and the local Ami people have their own legends about Sanxiantai. According to one legend, the "Eight Immortals" - Li Tiezhu, Lu Dongbin, and He Xiangu - once stopped on the island, leaving behind three immortals in the mountains, hence the name Sanxiantai. The Ami people tell the story of Sanxiantai being protected by the patron saint "Wu'an." The Sanxiantai Lighthouse is located on the second peak of the island and requires climbing 287 stone steps from the base. To facilitate tourist access to the island, an eight-arch cross-sea pedestrian bridge was constructed in 1987. Its beautiful shape has made it a local landmark.
Wild monkeys in Donghe
Traveling from Donghe Bridge along the Dongfu Highway into the coastal mountains, one arrives at the famous Taiyuan Valley. Surrounded by mountains and sculpted by rivers, it features canyon terrain and serves as a paradise for Taiwanese macaques. Monkeys can often be seen in the woods or approaching tourists to seek food, creating a unique scenery. It is the best place in Taitung to observe monkeys, adding more charm to the journey. It is recommended to visit in the morning or afternoon (after 4 PM) during the summer days, as monkeys do not fare well in the heat and tend to stay hidden. When we arrived at 2:30 PM, it was initially empty, but just as we were about to leave, we spotted two monkeys.
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