GuangHe Temple, Xinpu

壁畫彩繪是台灣寺廟裝飾中，不可或缺的一項，壁畫的主題不外乎忠孝節義的民間故事及宗教神話傳說，位於新埔的廣和宮內的壁畫也一樣，但不同的是，壁畫裡的仙女們個個身材姣好、穿著性感，風格頗異於傳統寺廟彩繪。

Mural painting is an essential component of the temple decorations in Taiwan. The themes of the painting mainly present loyal, filial piety, or justice folk stories or religious related stories. The mural painting in GuangHe Temple has the same theme, however, the the fairy tale ladies in the painting dressed sexy is quite different from the traditional mural painting

廣和宮是新埔第一大廟，位於老街的菁華地帶。廟前廣場曾是清代與日據時代的民防演練、政見發表及農民曬穀之處，可以說是與民眾生活密不可分，曾經風光一時。

GuangHe Temple is the largest temple in Xinpu and located at the center of the Old Street. The temple square was used for the defense drills, rallies, and rice-drying field during Qing Dynasty and Japanese Colonial Era. This place had a glory past and was the main gathering place for the local residents.

廟內供奉的是客家原鄉的守護神「三山國王」。三山國王原本是中國潮洲的普遍信仰。客家人移墾至台灣後，也將這個信仰帶入台灣，因此是客家人獨有的信仰，所以只要廟裡有供奉三山國王的地方，肯定就是有客家人聚集。

The temple is dedicated to the “SanShan King” who is the patron saint for Hakka. “SanShan King” was the local belief in Chaozhou China originally. After the Hakka natives moved to Taiwan, they brought this belief that became the only belief for them. Once you see the “SanShan King” in the temple, you would know this is a gathering place for the local Hakka residents.

Photo by Netliang

廣和宮歷經幾次的整建，交趾陶換上了新的油彩，雖缺乏古樸之感，但這些作品是交趾陶大師蘇陽水少數留於台灣的作品之一，仍值得一看。

After a several renovations and new paint on the JianZhi Pottery in GuangHe Temple, they lost the original look. However, they are still one of the few remaining works of the famous Master Su, YangShui in Taiwan. They are worthy to see.

Photo by Netliang

屋頂的交趾陶是由蘇陽水弟子所翻修，一樣為不可多得的佳作。

The JianZhi Pottery on the roof was re-done by the students of Master Su, YangShui. They are hard to find now.

Photo by Netliang

廣和宮最大的建築特色為採取「對場作」，以中軸線為界，左右兩邊分別由不同的師傅建造施工，來合力完成整幢建築。仔細欣賞的話，會發現左右兩邊看似相似的結構，在樣式及手法上其實並不相同，相當的有趣。

The main architectural feature for the temple is “ parallel work”. The central axis was the boundary with each side designed by different masters and built together to complete the whole building. They look similar in distance; however, they are quite different in a closer look. It’s very interesting!

Photo by Netliang

彩繪壁畫是近幾年重新繪製的，色彩鮮豔、畫風大膽，這是廖姓畫師刻意突破傳統畫風的表現。對於一向保守的寺廟來說，這些身材玲瓏有致，穿著曝露的仙女壁畫出現在這裡，頗受爭議，但也因為這樣，讓早已門口羅雀的廣和宮，開始吸引遊客到訪。

These are the new drawing that was done by Master Liao. Using vivid colors and sexy design, Master Liao deliberately broke away from the traditional mural painting style. The exquisite body and dress exposed have become a controversial topic among all the conservative temples. However, GuangHe Temple has attracted many visitors because of that. Read More

The First Market. Hsinchu. Xinpu

喜歡逛市場嗎？市場是當地人們生活的縮影，是了解一個國度最好的方式，因此不管是在國內或是國外旅行，「逛當地市場」必定是我行程裡最重要的一項。台灣的傳統市場相當多，但仍然有著濃濃古早味的市場，要屬新埔的第一市場了。

Do you like to shop in a traditional farmer market? A traditional market reflects how local people live. Shopping in the farmer market is the best way to get acquainted with the local life. When traveling in Taiwan or other countries, “strolling through the traditional market” is on my priority list. There are many traditional markets in Taiwan; however, the First Market in Xinpu has always kept the most traditional way.

從鎮上的主街轉入，順著小巷步行，便可以看到一連數家的傳統農具店，琳瑯滿目的擺滿了斗笠、漁網、蝦籠、竹籮筐及各種鋤具，還有很多根本沒見過，也叫不出名字的新鮮玩意兒，對於生活在都市的我來說，著實新鮮有趣。

Following the small alley on the main street, a variety of the traditional tool shops stood in line and filled with bamboo hats, fishing nets, shrimp cages, bamboo baskets and all kinds of hoes. There were many others interesting items I couldn’t even tell their names because I had mainly lived in the city.

「絲瓜絡與葫蘆瓢」(Luffa scrubber and Gourd dipper)

早期，人們會將絲瓜曬乾，留下網狀纖維，拿來洗刷鍋碗瓢盆；而將葫蘆曬乾剖半挖空，拿來當作水瓢，沒想到現在還可以見得到呢！

In early years of Taiwan, local residents would air-dry Luffa. The reticular fibers could be used to scrub the pots and pans. They also air-dried the gourd and made it hollow in the center for a water dipper. It surprised me that they still exist today.

新埔是一個純樸且頗為傳統的客家小鎮，因此在市場裡可以見到一應俱全的客家米食與小吃。

Xinpu is a very small and traditional town that offers a complete menu of Hakka food and snacks.

「水粄」（Hakka Rice Cake)

水粄，是我小時候很愛吃的一種客家米食，有甜與鹹兩種口味。白色的為鹹口味，吃的時候會加上絞肉、蘿蔔乾及豆干等餡料，再淋上醬油。褐色的為甜口味，滑溜軟嫩的，相當好吃。

Hakka Rice Cake is my childhood snack with a sweet and salty flavor. The white rice cake can be served by adding ground pork, chopped dried white radish, and soy sauce on top. The brown rice cake is a sweet dessert, very soft and tasty.

「桔醬」(Kumquat sauce)

桔醬是客家人頗具代表性的一種沾醬，用金桔做成的，酸中帶甜，香氣十足，通常是食用雞、鴨與豬等肉類時，沾著吃的。

Kumquat sauce is a very typical dipping sauce for Hakka dishes. It is made with Kumquat. The sauce is a bit sweet and sour and used as dipping pork, chicken and duck dishes.

「煙腸」(Smoked sausage)

客家煙腸和香腸不太一樣，是用地瓜粉與醃過的後腿豬肉做成的。吃的時候，切成一段段，配上老闆自製的甜辣醬，當作冷盤食用。

Hakka smoked sausage is a bit different than the regular sausage. The pork is marinated in sweet potato powder. When sliced and paired with the homemade sweet and spicy sauce, it can be served as a cold dish.

老實說，煙腸看起來有些可怕，但吃起來味道不錯，有點嚼勁，咬一口會有滿滿的肉香。

Be honest, the smoked sausages look a bit scary; however, they taste very good, a bit chewable with great flavor.

「賣豆花的小攤」 Tofu Pudding street vendor

和台灣大部份的傳統市場不太一樣，第一市場裡大多都是農家挑著晨間剛摘採下來的新鮮蔬果前來販售，一個人一小攤，菜色種類不多、數量也都有限，但因為都是自家栽種，吃不完再拿出來賣，不用擔心農藥殘留問題，讓人可以安心的採買。

Unlike the traditional market, The First Market has the freshest vegetables just picked and brought here directly from home by the farmers. Because they were home grown, selection and amount were very limited. They were safe to eat since there were no pesticide residues.

這時，正值洛神花產季，也只有在這樣的鄉間，才有機會看得到新鮮的洛神花。洛神花可以做成蜜餞及果醬，也可以曬乾來泡茶，雖然不知道怎麼做，但還是忍不住向老伯伯買了一些。

Roselle is blooming at this time of the year. Fresh Roselle is only available in this market. Roselle can be made into dried snack and paste. They can also be made as Roselle Tea. I bought a few from this elderly.

這裡的人相當熱情，除了很樂意與人攀談外，看到我這個外地客提著不熟悉的食材經過，還會把我攔下主動的指導烹調方式。這個市場裡特有的人情味，讓人印象十分深刻呢！

People here are so enthusiastic and hospitable. They knew I was from out of town; they started to chat with me and teach me how to cook. I was so impressed with this unique warm touch. Read More

Feng Tian Temple, Xingang

I have always heard from people that, “when visiting Asia, you see temple after another temple, and you see church after another church when you visit Europe”. This is not a negative statement of course, but it shows how essential the religions play the roles in every culture.

Come to Taiwan, the Feng Tian Temple (奉天宮) is one of the temples that you don’t want to miss. Located in Chiayi, southern Taiwan, the Feng Tian Temple provides not only the historical and religious culture information, but also a museum where you can enjoy the gorgeous architecture and famous Xingang JiaoZhi Pottery art.

The Feng Tian Temple is famous for the “Plug the First Incense Stick” activity on the 1st day of the Lunar New Year, and the annual 8-day 7-night Matsu Pilgrimage procession held on 3/23 of the Lunar calendar for Matsu’s birthday. Thousands and thousands believers walk from Chenlan Temple to Feng Tian Temple during the Matsu Pilgrimage process. This exciting activity has always brought world media attention on Taiwan. All this unique background makes the Feng Tian Temple one of the most important historical sites in Taiwan.

The temple contains three halls and four entrances. Three stone lions are located at the front entrance. These lions also have interesting background stories. As you can see, the bottom of the lion sculpture connects to the door pillar, which may make you think that the lion couldn’t be stolen. However, the fact is that this lion was actually carved from the same piece of door pillar stone. The purpose of the door guard lions is to expel evils and strengthen the structure of the building foundation.

Feng Tian Temple is mainly dedicated to Matsu and other important deities, such as Cheng Huang Deity, Jade Emperor, Literal, Martial Judge, and Chi and Ba Yeh…. Etc.

The Jade Emperor is located on the top floor of the temple with all the small golden deities.

In the main hall, two interesting characters are riding the dragons and hiding among all the colorful pillars on the ceiling. The bald head with booth on is on the left; the long hair with no booth on is on the right. It’s hard to discover them. They would require patience and detailed observation.

The Feng Tian Temple is located in the Xingang Township. Xingang is famous for producing the most beautiful JiaoZhi Pottery art in Taiwan. Going up to the third floor of the temple, you would see a magnificent temple roof and colorful JiaoZhi pottery decoration. Each decoration is associated with a folk story. There are too many stories to discover and too many gorgeous arts to enjoy. Does it feel like in an art museum too?

An elderly woman was selling the joss stick outside the temple. This short encounter left me an impressive memory...

A short and skinny elderly woman came to us and asked me to buy the joss sticks from her. I told her that we just finished the visit and we do not need the joss sticks. However, my heart told me that I needed to help her, so I gave her the money and told her to keep it without giving us the joss sticks. I was surprised that she returned me the money right away, and refused to accept my money without giving me the joss sticks. She did not say anything, but from her body language showing she appreciated what I did.

Along with this small event, many other local people I encountered show me street vendors in Taiwan wouldn’t push you to buy things you don’t want. What a great travel experience in Taiwan! Read More

Bantou Village, Xingang Township

Located in Southern Taiwan, Chiayi County, Bantou Village (板頭社區) is the cutest village and is filled with the JiaoZhi Pottery art. (交趾陶) It is one of the places where you can enjoy fresh air with a rural feeling. It’s also a great place to enjoy the JiaoZhi artwork offering visitors surprises in every corner of the village.

JiaoZhi is a soft ceramic used for the wall decorations in numerous temples of Taiwan. It also has become household collections. They are colorful and I couldn’t keep my eyes off them. A simple pile with all the wasted JiaoZhi has become an interesting and gorgeous piece of art. It caught my attention once we arrived here next to the entrance of the Bantouyao. (板頭窯)

Chiayi is the famous region for the JiaoZhi Pottery in Taiwan. Bantou is the birth place of the owner of the Banouyao factory, Mr. Chen, Zhongzheng. Mr. Chen was concerned about the gradually disappearing JiaoZhi pottery in Taiwan and decided to transform this farm village into a characteristics village with the JiaoZhi art.

Walking is the best way to see the whole village although it was about an hour and half walk. However, an alternative is to take the car-train which imitates the original “Wufenzhi train”(五分仔車 ) look.

We received a map at the Bantouyao, and checked out each point of interest in town. Along the road, green rice fields, fresh air and nice breeze make me feel relaxed!

If you pay attention to the wall decorations on the fences of the residency, you may see a cute and humorous JiaoZhi art. Not only children love to hug them, adults love to photograph them. They are all designed differently. Each art has its story. It is said that it tells what this resident was working for living, sheep, cows, and fishing…. They also reflect the old time rural children’s life.

The largest art wall piece is the Large Melia Azedarach Tree (大苦楝樹), also known as Chinaberry tree. The location of this village is far away from the sea that makes hot summer and cold winter. This type of weather hard for most of the plants, however, it’s good for Chinaberry tree. It gets purple flowers in the spring, green leaves in the summer and seeds in the Fall. All those characteristics are all reflected on this large piece of artwork.

As I look at it closer, they are made with porcelain bowls that were broken, cut, then pasted and cemented. The whole tree was made up with 20,000 bowls.

Comparing it to the height of ours, you can see how tall this artwork is!

Another point of interest in this village is the 100-year-old Wufen Railroad. It is also known as “Wufenzhi Railroad”. The railroad track is only about 67.2cm wide and only half of the standard track size, so it was named as “Sufenzhi Railroad” (half of the size). (五分仔車 )

Before the highways, the local residents relied on “Wufen Railroad for transportation. It used to be the most profitable railroad owned by the Taiwan Sugar Corporation, so the railroad was also called “Golden Railroad”. It was completely closed in 1998 because there has not had a need for service.

With the effort of Mr. Chen, Zhongzheng and local residents, the train station and a gorgeous train park were rebuilt in 2004.

We enjoyed our visit so much in every corner. I was impressed that a former farm could be transformed into an artistic village without being interrupted by commercials. Actually, by visiting many farms or fisherman villages in Taiwan, I was left with the impression: “no selling, no advertising, but relaxing and refreshing in a clean, no pressure, and artistic environment.” Read More