Double Down! 雙十節 - eazychinese.com

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Last Thursday was guó qìng jié 國慶節 Taiwan's Independence Day, also known as shuāng shí jié 雙十節 Double Ten Day because it is celebrated on October tenth, 10/10. Besides the holiday though, there is another reason that this was a special day for Ruby and I. It was our four-year anniversary nián jì niàn 年紀念! She's the love of my life; she's beautiful and she can put-up with my terrible jokes and childish antics. What more could a guy ask for?

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(She's my pride and joy!)

So, to celebrate we did something we haven't done in a while and we decided to take a day trip to one of the island's many scenic mountain areas…Nanzhuang.

To get there we took a train to Zhunan and then took a shuttle bus over to the Nanzhuang old street in the mountains of Miaoli county. The bus station is directly across the street from the train station and opposite from the 7-11. The tickets ran us 100NT per person and gave us day passes to take the bus to three destinations: nán zhuāng lăo jiē 南庄老街 Nanzhuang old street, xiàng tiān hú 向天湖 Xiangtian lake, and xiān shān 仙山 Xian Mountain. What a bargain!

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(Here I am, at the Zhunan train station)

The bus ride to Nanzhuang took about 40 minutes, and when we got there we checked out the visitors' center which had a lot of information on the surrounding tourist spots, as well as a little about the local aboriginal tribes yuán zhù míng de bù luò 原著名的部落 and their history. We chatted with the staff to find our next bus, which was just out front, and we headed out to the aboriginal village and culture center at Xiantian lake.

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(This is where the bus drops you off, it's also where you can catch a bus to the local attractions, or back to Zhunan station)

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(Here's a map of the bus route and the local sights, but also make sure to grab a copy from the information center)

The bus ride to the village was worth the trip alone to catch a glimpse of the scenery as we slowly snaked our way up the mountain road. It was like we were in another country, or world.

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(It is just amazing up there in the mountains!)

When you enter the village there are several stands where you can get some aboriginal snacks, such as wild-boar sausage and mă gào dàn 馬告蛋, eggs marinated in mă gào 馬告, a really fragrant type of seeds that the local sài xià zú 賽夏族 Saisiyat tribe uses for seasoning many of their dishes.

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(This stuff tastes so good, I had to learn the secret recipe!)

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(And here it is! 馬告!)

I have a feeling that they don't get many foreign visitors, as one young aboriginal girl kept marveling over my hair, asking me why it wasn't black and if I had dyed it. I am used to this kind of stuff, especially as I live in a county area, though not to this extreme. This just multiplied the feeling that, even though people were speaking Mandarin and there were plenty of Taiwanese tourists around us, we were no longer in Taiwan!

Another thing that the aboriginal people in this area are famous for is honey, and you could see lots of beehives with swarms of bees, placated by the strongly scented smoke that was burning by their homes.

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(There were lots of bee-keepers and people selling honey in the village)

As we went through the village and looked through the different stalls, we eventually came to the lake which this place was named after. It was a beautiful lake, and there was a tree-shrouded path that led around it. It was a relaxing hike, and any direction that you looked you had beautiful scenery popping out at you, be it the lake itself, the flowers and trees, or the gorgeous mountain backdrop that overshadowed it all. It was fantastic!

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(The walk around the lake is a great escape)

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(Just taking in the natural beauty)

When we had made our way around the lake, we came to an aboriginal culture center which displayed a lot of beautiful handmade artifacts that the Saisiyat people had used to do anything from carrying children to farming. Practically everything was woven from grass or made from bamboo, and the craftsmanship was impressive. There was even a traditional bamboo house with many artifacts on display for viewing, though, unfortunately, taking photographs was not allowed in the museum.

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(The aboriginal culture center is definitely worth a visit)

One interesting display described the tribes origins, and the myth surrounding how their people came to be in that area.

After finishing up I'm the village, we waited for the bus and headed to the nearby Donghe suspension bridge dōng hé diào qiáo 東河吊橋. The bridge is massive and it is quite thrilling(and a little scary) when it wobbles and springs up and down as you cross. The view of the river below was just awesome from the middle, and on the other side was the head of a promising hiking trail.

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(You're not supposed to run on these things, but I was too excited to see the view!)

After hiking a ways up, however, we realized it just led to some lucky people's homes. Though I bet there is a trail if you continue on back there, we chose to turn back and catch the bus back into Nanzhuang.

While we waited for the bus, we walked around the area and took a look at a few interesting pieces of aboriginal art, and perused a gift shop where the local people sold their handmade bamboo crafts. The homes in the area were beautiful and the people were very friendly, and I really envy them their beautiful mountain home, but it was time for us to head back into the hubbub of modern civilization.

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(We didn't get to take photos in the museum, but there was plenty to photo here!)

By the time we got back to the old street, we were starving and immediately got in line at the first stand we saw.

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(They sell the best huā shēng bīng qí lín juăn bĭng 花生冰淇淋捲餅 I have ever had!)

The entrance to the old street is really narrow, but it opens up a bit as you get further inside. Besides the usual snacks, there was one particularly famous stand selling the local specialty, guì huā fĕn yuán bīng 桂花粉圓冰.

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(The local specialty. Make sure to bring home a jar of 桂花 jam to spread on your toast!)

After refueling we found ourselves at the back of the old street, where there was a gigantic temple and a 100 year old post office from the Japanese occupation period. There was also an old school (the sign said 100 years old, though it looks like its been rebuilt) and a 100 year old stone pathway leading down to the street below. This place is old!

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(Taking a break on the temple's steps)

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(Here we are at the 100 year old post office!)

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(Here's the old school…)

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(And an even older tree!)

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(This path is over a hundred years old too!)

Unfortunately it was getting dark, so we didn't have time to go out to Xian Mountain, but I don't mind. It just gives us a reason to go back! Before heading back, we checked out one last suspension bridge in the surrounding area, and then used our day passes to head back to the train station. It was a great day, and I slept like a baby on the way home. Who knew having fun took so much energy?

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(Taking one last photo in front of the visitors' center before leaving)

Check out the rest of the photos here!

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How To Get There:

Nanzhuang old street: To get there take a train to Zhunan and then take a shuttle bus over to the Nanzhuang old street. From there you can use your day pass to take busses to the various local attractions. Also, If you stay in a hostel in Nanzhuang, your day pass can be validated for a second day.

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Chinese phrases of the day:

國慶節= National Day

雙十節= Double Ten Day

年紀念= anniversary

南庄老街= Nanzhuang old street

向天湖= Xiangtian lake

仙山= Xian Mountain

原著名的部落= Aboriginal tribe(s)

馬告= a seed that the Saisiyat people use for seasoning their food

賽夏族= the Saisiyat tribe

東河吊橋= Donghe suspension bridge

桂花粉圓冰= an iced desert consisting of chevy balls of cooked flour and covered with osmanthus jelly

花生冰淇淋捲餅= a ice cream wrap with peanut powder

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