December 27, 2023

Harvesting and Transporting Sugar Cane: Century-old Train in Yunlin, Taiwan

By Żaneta Hsu December 27, 2023 // No comments

Travel Date: 2023/12/24

Despite the chilly weather, we embarked on a journey to document the process of harvesting and loading sugar cane in Baozhong. Our stops were stations 10 and 9 (10番裝車場), where we hoped to witness the iconic sugar cane train in action. The last operational sugar cane train in Taiwan continues its route from Beigang to Huwei, offering a unique glimpse into the sugar cane industry. The train operates between December and March, possibly extending into early April. We chased it through fields and waited in town to witness its passage—a yearly tradition for us!

Check out my video:

Now, let me share more about the sugar factory. Established in 1907 during the Japanese occupation, Huwei Sugar Factory played a significant role in Taiwan's sugar industry. Remarkably, the factory is still involved in the sugar business, being one of the two remaining sugar factories in operation. Shanhua Sugar Factory in Tainan is the other one. Unfortunately, the sugar factory cannot be visited, but there are still Japanese dormitories left and other attractions in the town. I've covered the topic in my other posts, so for more information, check here [LINK].

Today wasn't our lucky day, as no matter where we arrived, we had to wait for a long time. Since it was noon, it was their lunch break, and time for maintaining the sugarcane harvester. We spent about 4 hours in the fields waiting for the train to come and sugar canes to be harvested. As we waited there for quite a long time, during noon, their resting time, we also had the chance to try sugarcane straight from the farm. It was nice, sweet, and juicy, but biting into it was quite tough.

If you want to come here and see it for yourself, you have to be patient, as the timings of the train and which station it will stop at depend on the harvest that day, so there is nothing certain. I can only tell you roughly that the first train we saw was around 10 am, and another came around noon. As we got to know, the train runs 6 times a day, so it shouldn't be that difficult to see it.

We also went for lunch in a nearby village called Maguang and ate at the beef noodle shop. The flavor is fine, but I feel like the beef noodle portion is quite small for the price compared to other places in Huwei. When we were living in Huwei back in 2017, I would often hear the sound of the train early in the morning. The places have changed since then; for example, the Jianguo Military Village has been refurbished. I'm still waiting for it to be finished as there are still some things being built, so I'll introduce it more after that.

There were also some Christmas decorations at the National Formosa University

[Recipe] Ginger Tea with Brown Sugar: A Soothing and Warming Brew

By Żaneta Hsu December 22, 2023 // No comments

Sip and savor the soothing warmth of the ginger tea with brown sugar. It's a comforting and invigorating beverage, perfect for cold days or as a pick-me-up.

Adjust the amount of brown sugar based on your taste preferences.

Feel free to experiment with additional ingredients such as lemon slices or a dash of honey for added flavor variations.

I was inspired by one of the popular Taiwanese chefs while watching a TV show and created my own version.

Ingredients:

250g Ginger

100-150g Brown Sugar

1L Hot Water

Instructions:

1. Sslice the ginger into thick pieces.

2. Use a kitchen tool or the back of a knife to smash the ginger slices. This helps release the flavors during brewing.

3. In a pan, lightly fry the ginger until fragrant. You can char it a bit.

4. Pour 1 liter of hot water into the pan with ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil.

5. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. This simmering process ensures the ginger infuses its essence into the water.

6. After simmering, add brown sugar to the ginger tea. Start with 100g and adjust according to your sweetness preference. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.

7. Strain the ginger tea to remove the ginger pieces (it will get very spicy if you keep it in)

Hsinchu / Miaoli Christmas 2023

By Żaneta Hsu December 19, 2023 // No comments

The holiday season possesses a magical ability to transform cities and towns into enchanting wonderlands adorned with festive decorations and the warm glow of Christmas lights. Recently, we visited two charming cities in Taiwan - Hsinchu and Miaoli. In comparison to Taichung, Tainan, and, of course, Taipei, there were nearly no decorations here. But something is better than nothing, right?

Our first stop was Zhubei, a district within Hsinchu, where we stumbled upon a small Christmas Market selling local crafts and handmade goods. We waited a while for the Christmas tree to light up. Sadly, except for that one tree, there were no other decorations around. Later on, we drove to the Big City shopping mall. There are always Christmas trees and some decorations in front of the entrance, although each year they are fairly similar. The same goes for the SOGO shopping mall. Unlike five years ago, this year there were no decorations around the east gate and the river nearby.

Hsinchu County Hall, Zhubei

Another time, we drove to Miaoli City. The only decorations (that I know of) can be found at the Library and City Hall. I think those at City Hall were quite nice and more than in other places in Hsinchu and Miaoli we've visited previously. It was cold that day, as a cold front had just come. From 27 degrees Celsius, it dropped to 12, and it will be less than 10 by the end of the week. Also, the strong wind is pretty cold. Not a big deal, right? Taiwan doesn't have heating at home, as there aren't many cold days. So once it gets to 10 degrees outside, at home, the temperature quickly drops too. We also went to the night market and tried a few different foods there.

For more on our experiences, feel free to check out my YouTube video. Welcome to check it out!

Miaoli Library

Miaoli Travel: Exploring Mountains of Nanzhuang - Saisiyat Folklore Museum

By Żaneta Hsu December 13, 2023 // No comments

We were driving to Nanzhuang to visit Nanzhuang Old Street, and decided to explore further by heading to the Saisiyat Folklore Museum. Upon arrival, we found that not much was happening at that time, with only a few visitors around. Nevertheless, some food options were available. Aboriginal cuisine, known for its tastiness and delightful aroma, possibly enhanced by the addition of MaGao (Mountain Pepper).

We tried several snacks, including Millet mochi, Sausage, and MaGao tea eggs. The mochi had a unique taste, somewhat reminiscent of bread, possibly due to the millet. Having never tried millet on its own, I wasn't certain about its flavor. The mochi taste was distinct from the typical mochi found elsewhere.

Nearby the mochi stall, there was an aunt selling sausages that emitted a delightful fragrance. We later learned that they were seasoned with lemongrass and mountain pepper, resulting in a fantastic taste. Highly recommended!

Around the car parking area, vendors were selling mountain pepper-flavored tea eggs. We tried both, and while they tasted fairly similar, the stall on the left had a stronger flavor, possibly because they were cooked longer. By the way, the chef had worked in a restaurant in the USA several years ago.

I believe that in the summer, during the more rainy season, the lake must look beautiful. However, when we visited Xiangtian Lake, it was very shallow, and the fishes were swimming at the top, gasping for air. A trail circled the lake, providing a perfect opportunity for a walk in the sunny, warm weather.

Following the track, we found a stall with a note displaying the prices of vegetables and ginger, and a jar for placing money. Such setups might be a failure in Europe, as people might not pay and still take items away...

Saisiyat Folklore Museum (賽夏族民俗文物館)

The Saixia people are an ethnic minority among the aboriginal groups, with a population of around 5,000. They primarily reside in Wufeng Township in Hsinchu County, Nanzhuang Township, and Shitan Township in Miaoli County, as well as in Egongji Mountain and Hengpingbei Mountain, divided into Southern and Northern Saixia. Due to their small population, preserving their culture is challenging. To address this, the Miaoli County Government established the Saixia Ethnic Cultural Relics Museum on the bank of Xiangtian Lake to pass on the Saixia cultural heritage.

The museum houses various Saisiyat artifacts, including bamboo weavings, ramie fabrics, aboriginal creative arts, as well as fishing and farming equipment. It also explains the process of Saisiyat ceremonies. The museum serves not only as a place for outsiders to understand the Saixia way of life but also as a means of preserving the Saixia culture. In the future, the museum plans to hold exhibitions on Saisiyat photography, crafts, and food to enrich its content and establish itself internationally as a world-class cultural relics museum.

Dwarf Spirit Festival (矮靈祭)

In ancient times, black dwarves, who were less than one meter tall, imparted special skills to the Saisiyat people, teaching them how to farm and worship gods. Every year during the harvest, the Saisiyat people invited the Dwarf tribe to join in the celebrations. Over time, the Dwarf tribe began behaving inappropriately towards Saixia women. In response, the Saixia tribe devised a trap during a harvest festival, leading to the demise of the Dwarf tribe. To appease the spirits of the deceased Dwarves, the "Dwarf Spirit Festival" is now held in mid-October of the lunar calendar, occurring both annually and once every ten years.