Yunlin Travel: Visiting Erlun's Watermelon Festival, Story House and More!

Travel date: 2024/05/04

In early May, we headed to Yunlin and stumbled upon a watermelon festival happening at that time. Curious, we drove to Erlun Township to check it out. Since we were already near Changhua, we decided to make the most of our trip by stopping at other places, such as the Sports Park and the Story House.

Erlun Watermelon Festival (二崙西瓜節)

The Erlun Watermelon Festival, held at the Ziqiang Fruit and Vegetable Market in Erlun Township, Yunlin County, showcases the achievements of local watermelon farmers and offers free watermelon eating activities. The organizers prepared 700 watermelons weighing nearly 10,000 kilograms for the public to enjoy. Additionally, there was a watermelon eating competition. Watermelons were cut at specific times, and people could line up to receive free watermelons provided by the township government and local farmers and manufacturers. Watermelons are a significant crop in Erlun Township, covering an area of more than 500 hectares, with April and May being the peak seasons for production. The festival, organized for several years now, is a celebration of the town's delicious and juicy watermelons.

Erlun Sports Park

After enjoying the sweet watermelons, we visited Erlun Sports Park, which spans 6 hectares and features various attractions such as a military history park, a green space square, a Taiwan Sugar Train Exhibition Ground, installation art, playgrounds, tennis courts, leisure trails, and a parent-child water play area. The Military History Park showcases retired fighter aircraft, tanks, and artillery pieces, accompanied by Chinese introductions.

Erlun Story House (二崙故事屋)

Our next stop was Erlun Story House, located in the old Erlun Police Station, built in 1899. It holds significant historical value and played a crucial role in policing history and the development of Erlun Township. The preservation of the Erlun branch station highlights the development of the police system during the Japanese Occupation period and its contribution to maintaining public order. Registered as a county historic building in 2005, the site was revitalized in January 2014 as the Erlun Story House, serving as a cultural base for sharing, recording, organizing, and creating local stories.

The opening hours are as follows:

Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and national holidays: 09:00-17:00

Saturdays: 13:00-21:00 

During our exploration, we also tried Jian Bing filled with cabbage and meat. Unfortunately, it lacked seasoning, resulting in a rather bland taste.

Address:

1. Erlun Vegetable Market: 649雲林縣二崙鄉太平路1-11號號

2. Erlun Sports Park: 649雲林縣二崙鄉中正路101號

3. Erlun Story House: 649雲林縣二崙鄉中山路108號

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Travel Yunlin: Erlun Story House & Lunbei Fengtian Temple

Travel Date: 2021/08/14

In Tainan, it was still raining, but the weather in Yunlin was quite nice. We drove from Huwei to Erlun, a small town where, aside from the Story House, there isn't much to see.

Erlun Story House (二崙故事屋)

Erlun Story House is located in the old Erlun Police Station, which was built in 1899. It is the oldest police station in Yunlin County and holds great historical value. It played a crucial role in the policing history of Yunlin County and the development of Erlun Township. The preservation of the Erlun branch station not only showcases the development of the police system during the Japanese Occupation period but also its long-term contribution to maintaining public order in Erlun and the surrounding villages. In 2005, it was registered as a county historic building. Since January 2014, the site has been revitalized and transformed into the Erlun Story House, serving as a community cultural base for sharing, recording, organizing, and creating local stories.

The opening hours are as follows:

Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and national holidays: 09:00-17:00

Saturdays: 13:00-21:00

From Erlun, we continued driving to Lunbei. I wanted to stop by Chan Chau Ku Happy Moo Ranch, but it was crowded with people. The car park was full, and there were even two tour buses filled with visitors. Instead, we decided to drive around the town and then head to Mailiao to see my husband's grandparents' house. I remember visiting there once. The house was quite old and traditional, although it has since been demolished.

Lunbei Fengtian Temple (崙背奉天宮)

In Lunbei, there is the Fengtian Temple, which was founded in 1797. The main deity enshrined in the temple is Mazu, accompanied by Shennong the Great, Zhusheng Empress, and Fude Zhengshen. It is the oldest temple in Lunbei Township.

During a period of drought and poor harvests, coupled with a widespread plague in the local area, the villagers suffered from hunger and disease, and fear gripped the community. Mr. Liao Qingxin, a wise individual in the village, suggested inviting Mazu from Meizhou to drive away evil spirits and pray for relief. Mazu's extraordinary power was evident as the epidemic disappeared three days later. A temple made of bamboo was constructed at this site to commemorate the event.

Address:

1. Erlun Story House: 649雲林縣二崙鄉中山路102號二崙故事屋
2. Lunbei Fengtian Temple: 637雲林縣崙背鄉中山路280號崙背奉天宮

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Yunlin Travel: Huwei Puppet Museum and Story House

Puppet Theatre Museum (雲林布袋戲館)

The Yunlin Puppet Theater is located on the first floor of the museum, showcasing various special exhibitions of puppets in Yunlin. On the second floor, you can explore a collection of precious puppet-related cultural relics, including Huang Haiyan. The museum also offers puppet shows, and during our visit, they were scheduled to open a show at 14:30, though other timings may vary. Entrance to the museum is free, and you can also visit the old jail section of the building.

The Huwei County Office, originally an administrative organ of Huwei County during the Japanese occupation, was designated as a historical building by the Yunlin County Government on October 31, 2001. It now serves as the Yunlin Puppet Theater. During the 2013 Yunlin Agricultural Expo, it was recognized as a highlight of the agricultural blog.

The Huwei County Office was established in 1920 and completed in 1931. After World War II, in 1946, it was converted into the Huwei District Police Station. In the 38th year of the Republic of China, it became the Huwei Branch of the Yunlin County Police Station. In 1989, the Huwei Branch was relocated to a new site on Guangfu Road.

In 1999, the Yunlin County Government entrusted the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology to conduct investigations and research, which led to the proposal of the "Theme Pavilion of Huwei Town." The restoration project, led by architect Li Zhenglong and undertaken by Renfa Construction, began in 2002 and was completed in 2007, transforming the building into the Yunlin Puppet Theater.

The building, known as the "half-wood building," blends various architectural elements and was an experimental design at the time. It features clean water red bricks imported from Macao and retains its original brick color. The building incorporates a ventilation system that allows for natural cooling, eliminating the need for air conditioning. The windows utilize a "balance weight hammer sliding" mechanism. With its historical significance and architectural value, the building serves as a witness to the development of the Huwei area.

See also: Huwei Sugar Factory

Story House (雲林故事館)

The Yunlin Story House, formerly known as the Huwei County Shouguan, was established between 1920 and 1923. It is a well-preserved Japanese-style house and considered the highest-class building in Huwei County. In 1950, with the implementation of local self-government, it was converted into the dormitory of the Yunlin District Court, with external extensions made to the kitchen.

In 2000, the "Huwei Wenshi Studio" initiated a preservation campaign to renovate, paint, remove covered parts, and restore the walls. On September 5, 2001, it was designated as a county-level historical building. Today, the former official residence of the Huwei County Office serves as the "Yunlin Story House."

The Yunlin Story House offers an annual picture book production teaching course, cultivating the interest of Yunlin residents in creating picture books and nurturing them to become picture book writers.

In 2007, the ruins and monuments of the Huwei County Guardian were integrated into the Yunlin Story House. The aim was to gather local life, art, education, and culture, train local story volunteers, provide local storytelling experiences for the people, and collect literary works from local writers. In recent years, the Yunlin Story House has organized storytelling sessions by Yunlin writers. The entrance fee to this place is 50 NTD, but it is free for visitors living in Huwei.

Fire station (虎尾合同廳舍)

Huwei Contract Hall, built in 1903, served as the emergency relief building for the fire department during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. The four-story tower, overlooking the town, stands as the tallest architectural landmark in Huwei. The building was registered as a historic building on October 31, 1990, and the restoration work was completed in December 1995. In December 2013, Eslite Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee opened as the first stores in Yunlin County.

The space organization of the building resembles a façade, with separate left and right areas divided by the central entrance. The first floor is divided into two areas with independent exits, allowing for both separate use and internal access to the central area. The interior space of the contract hall consists of three parts: the police station under direct jurisdiction, the fire department, and the public hall.

Address:

1. Puppet Museum: 632雲林縣虎尾鎮林森路一段498號雲林布袋戲館
2. Story House: 632雲林縣虎尾鎮林森路一段528號雲林故事館

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