Recreation - eazychinese.com

17 October 2013

No Hitching, Just Hiking: Part 3 獅頭山

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If you missed it, check out the first two posts in this three-part series here and here! And now, for the grand finale…

On Sunday I went with a group of friends to go exploring in shī tóu shān 獅頭山, Lion-Head Mountain. The mountain park is huge and borders both Xinzhu and Miaoli Counties. Just as any good adventure, we went in with only a vague idea of what we were doing and where we would end up, and as usual, Taiwan did not disappoint.

The most challenging part of the day was getting to 獅頭山, which isn't easy if you don't have a car, but it is manageable. We took a shuttle-bus from Zhongli to the Taoyuan HSR station and bought our tickets. Honestly, this was part of the fun of the trip in itself, as I had never been on the HSR (High-speed rail) in all of my time in Taiwan. We didn't get seats, and surprisingly had to stand, which I would have thought was not allowed, but I'm not going to complain as it was just a ten minute train ride to the Xinzhu HSR station(the normal train is around an hour). From the HSR station, we went and hopped on a shuttle-bus to the 獅頭山 visitors' center. The tickets ran us 100NT a person and included round-trip fare(though be careful, the last bus back is at 6pm).

Once in the park, we visited the visitors' and got maps of the local attractions, then we hit the trails!

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(Check in at the visitors' center to get a map)

It was a surprisingly hot day, but luckily I had sunscreen this time. The hike up the main trail was not very difficult, though it was pretty steep. It took us well under an hour to climb. Along the way were tons of smaller side-trails and temples, but we didn't check them out this time, as we had thought we would see them on the way back, but plans have a way of changing. More to explore next time!

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(on the way up)

At one point at the top of the trail, you have an awesome view of the mountains and a giant Buddha in the distance. And then you head down a trail, into the jungle and towards the mountain's main attraction.

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(You can just make out the giant Buddha in the distance…grab a hiking stick if you need one, you're not there yet!)

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(Descend through the jungle, and you will be well rewarded!)

After hiking through the peaceful forest trail, you come out into a clearing where you find yourself dwarfed by the area's huge temple, which is carved out of the face of a cliff. This place has such an incredible view of the surrounding mountains, and it's unreal to think about the manpower and dedication that went into building it.

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(Go ahead, soak-up the view!)

We rested at the top and enjoyed the view for a bit, then we went into the temple and burned incense and I explained some of the traditional religious practices to my friends before we left.

We headed down to the lower levels and were pleasantly surprised to see a group of musicians playing traditional music in a pagoda by the cliff-edge, as well as a store selling many traditional items, such as paper money for burnt-offerings and intricately detailed folded-paper dragons and boats for the same purpose.

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(A good chance to take a look at the traditional side of Chinese culture)

By this time we were hungry, so we followed the signs to the temple's restaurant. The meal was delicious and inexpensive, only costing us 600NT for five people. And the food was vegetarian, naturally, as we were in a temple! There are also rooms available for travelers who want to stay the night and watch the sunset in the majestic mountains.

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(You'll be hungry when you make it up here!)

Wile we were up-top, we spotted a giant Buddha statue in the distance and decided that we wanted to get a closer look.

We hiked down to the road level and found a bus to the 獅頭山 visitors' center, then took two other buses to get to Emei Lake é méi hú 峨眉湖, the home of the giant Maitreya Buddha.

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(A view of the temple from down below, the bus stop is down here)

It was difficult getting there without a car, and in hindsight I think that a cab ride would have been far more practical, but that's what made it an adventure!

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(Nice country roads the bus will take you down as you go to Emei Lake)

Unfortunately you are not allowed to go into the enclosure where the Buddha stands unless in a tour group, and there weren't any when we were there. The Buddha easily dwarfs the nearby building, which is massive in its own right, and there are lots of other impressive sculptures in the surrounding area, but they pale in comparison.

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(That's one big Buddha!)

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(The sign above the entrance says "the world is one family"…that includes pigs too!)

The area surrounding the Buddha was originally built as a reservoir, though it is no longer used as such, and there is a nice trail which you can follow around the lake and across a suspension bridge, though it was under renovation when we were there so we couldn't take a closer look. Still, it was worth the trip to see a Buddha statue that is taller than the Statue of Liberty!

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(The world is in the palm of his hand)

Check out the rest of the pictures here!

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How To Get There:

Lion-Head Mountain- The easiest way to get here is by car, but you can also take a bus from the Xinzhu HSR station directly.

Emei Lake- It's tricky getting here without transportation, I suggest taking a bus from the Lion-Head Mountain visitors' center and then switching buses, or take a taxi

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Chinese phrases of the day:

獅頭山= Lion-Head Mountain

峨眉湖= Emei Lake

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9 October 2013

No Hitching, Just Hiking: Part 2 七星山

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This past Thursday, I went to Yangming Mountain Park with a few friends. This place is huge, the air is fresh and the scenery is beautiful. There are tons of hiking trails, hot springs and scenery to take in, and it's also a famous place to go to see Taiwan's national flower, the beautiful plum-blossom méi huā 梅花, and many others when they bloom in the spring.

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(Ruby and I with some beautiful plum blossoms…not at Yangming Mountain Park though!)

But we didn't wake-up at 5AM to take the train from Zhongli to Taipei just to see a bunch of flowers! Our mission was hiking to the tallest peak in the park, qī xīng shān 七星山 Seven-Star Mountain.

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(A shot of the train station in the early morning)

We took the hóng 紅15 bus from MRT Jiantan Station which goes directly to the trail head. On my previous visit, I had taken bus number 260 from Taipei Main Station and switched busses at the Yangming Mountain Park visitors' center. Either way will work fine, depending on your plans.

This was my first time taking a bus directly to 七星山 though, and like any good adventure, it was a little chaotic. When we got off the bus, the sky looked really gloomy, and before we had figured out where the trail was, it started raining heavily. Luckily we were right next to a free wēn quán 溫泉 hot spring, and we were faced with a choice. We could either climb-up into the mountains in the pouring rain and freeze our butts off, or we could soak in the hot spring for a bit and wait the weather out. Easy choice, only there was an unexpected surprise…

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(The hot spring from out front)

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(The hot spring is on the other side…a naked hot spring. I had no idea it was going to be this kind of party!)

After relaxing in the hot spring, we decided to figure out where to go and asked around a bit. Eventually we took a bus back to the visitors center and got on another bus to take us to the trail head. We got off at the deceptively named 七星山 stop, which was nowhere near the mountain, and we had to walk for a bit before coming to the trail.

I had done this hike a few years earlier in the hottest part of the summer with my fiancé, Ruby, but it was a totally different animal this time. Hiking in the summer's heat made it a lot more difficult and exhausting, but this time it felt rather easy and it only took about an hour-and-a-half up and down, whereas it had probably taken around three hours total the last time. As you climb up, you can see tons of sulfur deposits and it feels like you've traveled to another planet.

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(This sign talks about the volcanoes in the area which we owe the hotsprings to!)

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(A few pictures of the misty mountain)

I had wanted to make this hike again because the last time I was there, my camera's batteries died when I got to the peak, and I was hoping to take a few pictures of the scenery from the top this time. Nature was conspiring against me, however, as the higher we went the foggier it got. we could barely see anything. And after a while the wind picked up and I felt like I was going to be blown away!

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(They were building a new rest area and had left all of the tools out. This is when the wind picked up!)

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(Here I am at the top. Couldn't really see much that day)

After hanging out at the top for a bit, we made our way back down the other side of the mountain and checked out the other peak. The scenery was spectacular and it was a fairly easy hike down. Embarrassingly, the trail ended just by the Lengshuikeng hot spring where we had started off at!

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(Soaking our feet in the hot spring water)

Unfortunately the hot spring was closed for cleaning, though we soaked our feet in a natural hot spring pool just out front. It was cold, windy and we were hungry, but it was another amazing day in Taiwan.

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Check out the rest of the pictures here!

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How To Get There:

Yangming Mountain Park- Take bus number 260 from Taipei Main Station (outside the South exit)

七星山– Take the bus at the Yangming Mountain Park visitor's center, or alternatively take the 紅15 from MRT Jiantan station

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Chinese phrases of the day:

梅花= plum blossom(s)

七星山= Seven-Star Mountain

溫泉= hot spring(s)

紅= red

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6 October 2013

No Hitching, Just Hiking: Part 1

This past week was action-packed, with pirates and buried treasure around every corner…not really, but I got to go hike some awesome trails, some that I have been to before and others that were totally new to me. Now, first on the list in this three-part series is….

Wuliaojian wŭ liáo jiān 五寮尖

On Tuesday I went to Wuliaojian 五寮尖, which is in the mountains between Sanxia and Wulai in xīn bĕi shì 新北市 New Taipei City. The best way to get here is by car or scooter, but there is public transportation as well. You can take a bus to Sanxia and then transfer number 807 from Sanxia.

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The path starts at hé zuò qiáo 合作橋 along the side of Highway 7. Just as a lot of the best hikes in Taiwan, the trail starts at an unassuming and utterly random stone-stairway sticking out of the side of the mountain. If you didn't know it was there, you would drive by without even noticing it. Well, now you know, so what's your excuse?

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(That's a view of the ridge we were just on from the top)

There are lots of paths around the mountain that all end up eventually taking you to the same destination, though the level of difficulty varies. Either way, allow at least 3-4 hours to finish the hike and bring plenty of water (foolishly, I only brought one tiny bottle and was getting thirsty towards the end). And if you're a pale-skinned freak-of-nature like I am, do yourself a favor and bring sunscreen! I forgot to, and I am as red as a Maine lobster as I am typing this! Plus if you plan to go swimming, a swimsuit and a change of clothes wouldn't go amiss, though I didn't have either.

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(We had to scale down this huge cliff wall)
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(Now you see me…)
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(Now you don't!)
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(Just check out the view from the top! This is Taiwan!)
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(Who wouldn't want to take a dip after a long, sweaty hike? The water was cold and refreshing!)

All of that aside, you're in for a challenging hike which you'll be rewarded for with a ton of gorgeous scenery and an experience you won't soon forget, but I wouldn't advise beginners to try it until they get a little experience under their belts, and it's a good idea to go with a friend regardless of your skill level.

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(Have fun and stay safe out there!)

Check out the rest of my photos here!
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How To Get There:

Wuliaojian 五寮尖– It's difficult to get here if you don't have a scooter or a car, but it's doable. First take a bus to Sanxia and then transfer to bus number 807. Tell the driver where you are going and he should tell you when to get off. The bus stop is called Hezuo Bridge 合作橋.

The swimming spot- It's just a few minutes down the road from the trail head on the left. Go slow, it's easy to miss. You can get down into the river from the other side of the bridge by taking the stairs next to the temple.

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五寮尖= Wuliaojian hiking trail
新北市= New Taipei City
合作橋= Hezuo Bridge…"Cooperation Bridge" is a true translation, but that sounds better in Chinese, right?
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14 September 2013

This Little Piggy Went to Market

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(Recently I saw a procession of decorated, God pig trucks drive by. Too bad I was on a bus at the time so I couldn't take better pictures)

Okay, so yesterday I wrote about the pet industry in Taiwan and how much people care for their animals. I want you to keep that in mind while you read today's article.

The God Pig Festival is a cultural tradition that's roots stem from Hakka origins. A "God pig" called a shén zhū 神豬 in Mandarin, is a pig that has been raised to be a sacrificial offering. In the past the pigs were slaughtered in public and the meat was used to 拜拜, and then later shared with friends and family. The pigs are shaved but for a thin strip of fur, much like a mohawk, that runs the length of their back.

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(My new hair style. My fiance shaved it for me!)

After they are slaughtered, their skin is cut opened and stretched out to make them look larger and rounder and a pineapple is put in their mouth. The reason for this is that it is thought to bring wealth, as the word "pineapple", fèng lí 鳳梨 which is pronounced o'ng lai in Taiwanese sounds similar to wàng lái 旺來 "bring wealth and prosperity". The character wàng 旺 means prosperous and many stores will have a sticker with this word written on it placed somewhere in them.

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(look at the pineapple stuffed in his mouth…that's right, a pineapple, not an apple)

But nowadays this practice is seen to be cruel to animals, the days of public-pork executions are over.

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(The picture says it all…)

神豬 are force-fed to the point where they cannot stand, much less walk on their own feet. Families compete against each other in a contest with the goal of raising the fattest pig. It is not uncommon for a 神豬 to weigh over 1000 kg! And the title-holder (or former title-holder, seeing as he's no longer among us) weighed in at a grand total of 1054 kg! That's a big pig!

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(a contest where only the fattest prevail)

There has been a lot of controversy about the inhumane treatment of the 神豬, but it is an old religious tradition that is important to the Kè jiā rén 客家人, Hakka people. I am an animal lover, but I also respect other cultures and their practices, so I will stay neutral on the subject. The point of this article is to let you hear about a unique cultural practice that you might not have heard of otherwise.

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Chinese phrases of the day:

shén zhū 神豬= God pig (sacrificial offering)

fèng lí 鳳梨= pineapple

wàng lái 旺來= bring wealth and prosperity

Kè jiā rén 客家人= Hakka people

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The second two images of the God pigs were found at http://vivoverde.com.br/em-taywan-ocorre-um-sdico-festival-de-louvor-a-deus-utilizando-porcos/ and the picture of Porky Pig was taken from http://free-extras.com/images/porky_pig_thats_all_folks-5172.htm