Lao Wu Bed and Breakfast

Traveling in Taiwan, the most convenience lodging and easiest way to get close to local resident are to stay in the Bed and Breakfast (民宿). The B&B in Taiwan has become a unique experience since each B&B has set its own characteristic reflecting the background and culture of its owner and the local community. After staying in the B&B in Taiwan, you will not only make friends with the owner, explore the local activities, be refreshed and enjoy the environment, but also take home with a unforgettable memory.

Four of us came to Nantou Shuili Township (南投縣水里鄉) and checked in the Lao Wu B&B (老五民宿). I was very curious about the name of the lodging- Lao Wu which means Old Five in Chinese. It is a funny way to name the lodging. I found out that the owner is the 5th son of his family, which became the name of the place. Lao Wu B&B is one of the well-known B&B’s in Taiwan. It is not known to be luxurious, but it is known to be simple, quiet, organic, and with a no TV living style.

The owner grew up in Shuili Township with mountains, valleys, and stream creeks, He built the LaoWu B&B to reflects his childhood living experience and provide a slow path for those who want to get away from busy cities.

Once we received our keys and got into the rooms, my dream to stay in a mountain cabin came true! I can reach out to the forest. No TV would keep your eyes on enjoying the natural environment. The sound of the frogs constantly blended with the surrounding make you want to go out to say hi to them!

All wood furniture was carefully chopped, designed, and built by the owner. With the 2 story building and a large land, there are only 6 guest rooms. The owner said that a good quality of staying is the goal, not the quantity. Due to the limited rooms, early reservation is definitely needed.

Lodging at Lao Wu includes organic meals, night ecologic tour, and morning organic farm experience. We did not attend the morning farm activity, since we needed to head to the next destination.

“It’s time for dinner”, said the owner! We were so starved with all these delicious dishes, however, we still needed to take photos before we actually started~ All dishes were made with organic materials grown by the owner. Brown rice, cranberry juice, veggie, and smoke pork stripe… etc. The owner saw all dishes were gone fast so she stir-fried an extra dish for us. We were touched by her thoughtfulness.

The most notable item is their healthy steamed buns. They were steamed by the firewood and made with natural ingredients through a sunlight yeasting process. The tasted excellent with fresh flavors.

Recycle trash bins.

After the supper, we joined the owner to the night observation activity to watch frogs and fireflies. We chatted with the owner with tea until we could not help ourselves to fall in sleep~

The next morning, we woke up by the sound of birds which meant to tell us to discover the beauty of nature rather than staying in bed. What a peaceful mountain view when the sky changed the color from the morning white to blue. I spent a good hour in the yard to observe the beautiful birds. If we had not planned another destination after this, we would have not left here……

Lao Wu Bed & Breakfast (老五民宿)

TEL: (049)2821005

Address: No.101-7, Ancun Ln., Shuili Township, Nantou County Read More

A day spent in Checheng, Nantou

Many visitors have heard of the Jiji Train Staiton in Nantou, Taiwan, but not the Checheng Station, which is the last stop of the Jiji branch railway. We came to Checheng (車埕) by car, but obviously the railroad can also take you there along with a splendid mountain scenery.

Checheng has been an essential timber processing industry center for central Taiwan since 1919. Railroads were built for the timber shipping purpose. The name of the “Checheng” even came from the close pronunciation of “Trolley place”. Imagine how busy this place was like because of the timber business. Until 1986, the government implemented the law to prohibit logging, so the operation was completely stalled. However, the legacy of the wood processing facilities and equipment has become a local attraction and a landmark.

During the devastating “921 Earthquake” in Jiji, 1999, the Checheng Station was destroyed. Currently what we see is a beautiful re-built wood platform station. Strolling around town, the process of the wood industry can also be discovered.

This beautiful ecology pond was used to store the big logs that were cut down from the hills. The logs released resin in the water to extend the life of the wood. Now, a gorgeous “Visitor Center” was built next to the pond, providing a place for resting and supplies.

There are three cranes used to lift the floating woods. Each of them had a different purpose. One lifted the logs from the pond, and one from the truck, and the other transported them to the train. The internal motors of the drive could lift 11-13 ton woods. You can tell by the photo, it is a heavy-duty metal hook!

Then the woods were delivered to the planthouse for cutting. This is a 3 story building, and each of the stories has its own function. Mainly they are for storage and cutting. The use of the wood chip and waste were also reproduced to produce goods such as juniper oil… etc.

In the back of the planthouse, the railway warehouse, signal building, and the ruin of the plant can be seen. What a peaceful place for relaxing and putting your minds back to the timer year!

The old town of the Checheng has kept the same old look as in the 80’s, with no commercials except a few snack places. The wooden meal box is the famous souvenir to take home. There are many DIY places in town showing visitors how to make one.

“Meal Box” (Bian-Dang) type of meal is my favorite meal in Taiwan. We came to this small diner in the corner of the old town and had my favorite pork chop with rice! The best of all was that we got to take the wooden box home.

The right top corner of the wooden box is the one we took home. It can also be used to steam rice with the special wood smell. I have not tried it yet; will share the process once I have a chance!

Checheng is such a lovely mountain town! When you are in the famous Jiji Station, don’t forget to continue your journey to stop at the last stop of the most beautiful train station -"Checheng". Read More

Lugang (鹿港), the most charming small town

Next to Tainan and Mengjia, Lugang is the second greatest historical town in Taiwan with at least a 350 year history. It is located in Changhua County in central Taiwan. Unlike Tainan’s historical with modern mixes, Lugang has no high-rise buildings. It has only Quan and Zhang regional buildings with Baroque-styled architecture.

The three unique characteristics of Lugang in the past made this small town very famous. They were the “No Sky”, “No Ground” and “No Women” (不見天，不見地，不見女人). The 2 kilometer long Zhongshan Road which is currently the main street in town, used to be the “No Sky” Street filled with rectangular shaped Street House styled architecture. The sky was hardly seen since all the houses were connected. The streets were paved with red bricks that have been well preserved. Because of the red bricks, the ground can’t be seen, and it makes “No Ground”. Women could not be seen outside of their homes due to the conservative culture.

We came to Lugang from Taipei by train and bus, and spent 2 days to explore this small town. Lots of literature and cultural heritage can be found. We grabbed a map and planned our visit by dividing the town into South and North town. We did not cover everything on the map in these 2 days; however, I think we visited most of them in town.

South Town

Nine- Turn Lane (九曲巷)

I think that the most charming scenery in town is the hidden narrow and winding lane. Also known as Jinsheng Lane(金盛巷), the 1-kilometer long Nine- Turn Lane was built with many turns and curves to prevent the entry of bandits and avoid damages from the "September winds. Walking inside the lane, one turn after another, I really felt like walking in a maze with the curve lines. I could not help myself stop shooting photos of the beautiful red brick walls and floors. This unique scene has also attracted lots of films makers. Therefore, the Nine-Turn Lane is also known as the “Movie Lane”.

A hand-pumped well is found in one of the intersections. An elderly lady told us that they are still using this water as their household water source.

Shihyin Hall (十宜樓)

Shihyin Hall is built across from the Jinsheng Lane and was Chen’s mansion. “Shiyi” means ten amusements. This hall used to be the gathering place for poets and calligraphers to paly instruments, chess, drinking, writing and painting.

Wine Bottle Wall(甕牆)

Another unique wall decorations are the giant wine pottery bottles. Inside a small lane from Zhongshan Road, there is a wall covered with at least 120 pottery bottles. This is the largest Wine Bottle Wall in Lugang. We did not make it to there; however, we found this small wall by Lugang Elementary School.

In the early years of Lugang, because of business reasons, ships sailed frequently in between Mainland China and Taiwan. The giant wine bottles were placed inside the ship to stabilize the ship during the rough sailing. Residents used wine bottles to decorate the walls to reflect how wealthy they were. The wine bottle was also preserved when women were pregnant.

Mo-Ru Alley (Breast Touching Alley) (摸乳巷)

When visiting Lugang , the Mo-Ru Alley for sure can’t be missed. This is the most famous and interesting spot in town. With less than 70 cm at the narrowest point, it is the narrowest alley in Taiwan, meaning that it does not allow 2 people walk side by side in the ally. If a man and a woman walk through this ally, the woman’s breast may be touched accidentally. This was how the amusing name came from.

I barely made it through the narrowest place! It is interesting to know that this alley used to be the fire lane in the past.

Longshan Temple(龍山寺)

It’s hard to believe that there are more than 220 temples in this small town. Strolling through the town, I saw temple after temple. We came to Longshan temple for an evening Nanguan Music performance; it was cancelled unfortunately. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a peaceful evening in the temple.

Longshan Temple was established during late Ming Dynasty about 300 years old now. It is dedicated to Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. It is the National Monument in Taiwan. It does not have brilliant exterior colors as the Longshan Temple in Taipei; however, I prefer the look the way it is in Lugang.

Are they looking for the Nanguan Music performance as well?

The colorful painting and magnificent carvings can bee found on the octagonal ceiling of the opera stage. The octagonal shape of the ceiling calls “Ba Gua” in Chinese, which implies the significance of the peace and wards off evil.

North Town

Ai Gate(隘門)

Near Zhongshan Road, the only remaining gate since Ching Dynasty can be found in a small ally. This gate was built in 1830 to defend against thieves and pirates. Based on history books, there were70 gates in Lugang, however, Ai Gate is the only one remaining now and designed as a county historical site.

Ban Bian Well (Half-Side Well) (半邊井)

Not too far from Ai Gate, the Half-Side Well is located on Yaolin Street. It looks like a half sided well, but it is actually a complete well.

It belonged to the Wang resident. In the past, only the rich family could afford a well. Wang’s family built a well divided by a wall. The outside half is for the public use and inside is for the family. That was a great way to maintain the neighborhood harmony.

Old Market Street (鹿港老街)

On the Putou Street and Yaolin Street, lots of historical houses have been preserved and being used as the stores and shopping area for the visitors. Yi Gu Zhai Tea House is one of the awesome places that we visited for resting and enjoying the local culture.

So many places and heritage culture can be explored in Lugang. We ran out of time during this visit unfortunately. Lugang Folk Arts Museum (民俗文物館) is another unique architecture building that carries lots of stories behind. This museum will be on my priority list for my next visit to Lugang. Read More