Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rueitai Tourist Centre ( 250 1070; 1-1 Rueili Village; 8.30am-5pm) offers brochures, in-
ternet and a very knowledgeable, friendly staff of locals.
Getting There & Around
If you aren't hiking from Fenqihu, there are buses to/from Chiayi. See the Chiayi visitor
centre for the latest schedule.
You will need your own transport to get around Rueili.
TOP OF CHAPTER
County Road 169
The 13km southern stretch of County Rd 169 that starts from Shizhuo (Shízhuō) leads
you to the strongholds of the Tsou people. While damages caused by Typhoon Morakot
in 2009 can still be seen, the landscape of the valley is visually stunning. There's an ex-
plosion of colours in spring when the cherry trees are in full bloom; likewise in autumn,
when the turning leaves remain on the maple trees. The night sky is filled with fireflies
from March to June.
The villages of Dabang (Dábāng) and Tefuye (Tèfùyě) are of particular importance
among the Tsou communities, as only they have the honour of housing a Kuba - a men's
meeting hall where decisions concerning tribal affairs are made, and warring skills, along
with history of the tribe, are passed down to younger generations. The Kuba can be eas-
ily identified: it's a large, thatch-roofed wooden platform on stilts. Note that female visit-
ors are not allowed to enter the Kuba.
Dabang is the biggest Tsou village and is a great place for birdwatching. The white-
eyed nun babbler (regarded as a sacred bird among the Tsou), as well as Swinhoe's
pheasant, can be spotted on the 1km Bird Divination Pavilion Trail (Niǎozhàntíng
Bùdào). The trailhead is near the Km34.2 mark.
At the Km33.5 mark, the road to the left takes you to Tefuye, which has an easy walk-
ing trail, a suspension bridge and tea plantations.
Head back to County Road 169 and drive to the end of the road to find the lovely vil-
lage of Lijia (Lìjiā) sitting on the riverbank. The village boasts several bucolic short
walks near its centre, with the most challenging one in Jushiban (Jùshíbǎn), 5km south-
west of the village. Beautiful Jushiban is a 700m-long flat rock surface that you can walk
on through to the trailhead of Limei Refuge Trail (Lǐměi Bìnàn Bùdào), a 1.6km steep
trail descending to Danayigu Ecological Park (Dánàyīgǔ Zìrán Shēngtài Bǎoyù Gōngyuán) in
Shanmei. The hike takes three to four hours return.
 
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