Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Off the travellers' radar until recent years, this former logging and coal-mining centre
has changed little since Japanese times, and many streets and villages have retained their
signature clapboard facades. The food is also delicious and varied, reflecting the diverse
ethnic make-up of the residents: Hakka, Taiwanese as well as aboriginal Taiya and Sais-
iyat.
Nanzhuang is set in the foothills of the Snow Mountains, one of the greenest and most
enchanting regions in northern Taiwan. There are only a couple of roads running through
the region, so orienting yourself is not hard with a basic map. In essence, if you follow
County Rd 124 as it makes a big loop off Provincial Hwy 3, you've covered most of
Nanzhuang. If you take a side trip up Township Rd 21, you will have seen everything.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
COMMUNITIES IN THE CLOUDS: SMANGUS & QINGQUAN
Some of the most remote places in Taiwan are small aboriginal hamlets tucked into
the Snow Mountains. If you are looking to get truly off the beaten path and explore
a way of life far removed from the coastal cities, consider the Atayal villages of
Smangus and Qingquan.
Smangus
Deep in the forested mountains of Hsinchu County lies the Atayal settlement of
electric grid (in 1980). For centuries life went on pretty much as it always had, with
hunting and farming for millet, taro, yams and bamboo forming the backbone of
the local economy.
In the early 1990s a forest of
ancient red cypress trees
was discovered nearby and
lowland Taiwanese began to flock here in numbers. There was intense competition
between villagers for customers, until in 2004 a cooperative (modelled on the Is-
raeli kibbutz) was formed to manage lodging and the area's resources. Fortunes
could have been made selling out to developers but instead the village has admir-
ably gone the local and sustainable route.
Directions to the village are posted on the website (in Chinese). It's a long drive -
at least five hours from Taipei - but everyone knows the place once you get closer.
Homestay lodging
( 03-584 7688; 9am-6pm)
is booked through one office and
ranges from NT$1600 for a basic double to NT$5000 for a four-person cabin.
Meals are taken in the communal dining hall.
The main attraction in the area, besides the chance to learn about Atayal life, is
the old tree grove, which is reached by a clear 6km trail (about five hours return).
The oldest tree is reported to be 2700 years old.
Qingquan (Cingyuan, Chingchuan)
