China Report Issue 48 May 2017

(coco) #1

Tranquil Taiwan


Drop Off the Beaten Track


How to do as much or as little as possible on Taiwan’s laidback southeast coast


By David Allen Green


Perspectives from within china

OuTsiDein


T


he sparkling Pacific coast of south-
eastern Taiwan beats to a slow diur-
nal rhythm governed by the tides.
Few Taiwanese make the five-hour train or
car journey down from Taipei, and those who
do often head for the islands reachable by
ferry from Taitung, the area’s transport hub.
The pristine plains north of the city, caught
between the ocean and the eastern flanks of
Taiwan’s Coastal Mountain Range, are glori-
ously unpeopled.
The region’s isolation has kept its black
sands cleaner than the northeast’s often plas-
tic-blighted littoral, and the beaches are less
crowded. Even over a national holiday, the
scene set back from the highway resembles
the rural Philippines more than conventional
Taiwan. Cows wander untended fields. Fish-
ermen adorn rocky outcrops. Families reunite
on patios, barbecuing ribs and sharing around
mijiu (rice spirits), along with a bag or three of
betel nuts. You’ll be lucky to escape with just
a shot or two if, like me, you get lost and ac-
cept help in return for a few minutes joining
in the fun.


In winter, visitors are mostly surf-seeking
Japanese, pack-bearing cyclists circumnavi-
gating the island, and a slow drip of foreign-
ers seeking artistic or musical inspiration in
and around the town of Dulan. Summer
sees heavier domestic traffic, but nothing like
Hualien and Taroko Gorge, where coaches
pass with metronomic regularity – a glimpse
of our self-driving future, perhaps.
Dulan, which in Taiwanese dialect unfor-
tunate sounds like “poke the penis,” draws
mixed opinions. Some herald it as an artis-
tic escape and others as a gathering point for
deadbeats. Either view is tenable if you’re only
dropping in (or out) for a day or two. Find the
Dulan Sugar Factory to get a handle on artis-
tic and musical events – you’ll notice a strong
indigenous Taiwanese aspect to the work. The
aboriginals here are a mix of the Amis, Bunan,
Paiwan, and Puyama (who lend their name to
the east coast express trains) tribes, and their
influence remains strong up and down the
valley. Hostels, bars and restaurants showcase
their music, often easy listening, plaintive
melodies over acoustic guitars.

Finding a nice place to stay over the holi-
day can be difficult, so we chose to camp, and
quickly located a breathtaking spot on a head-
land directly south of the Sugar Factory. Du-
lan isn’t renowned for its culinary enterprise,
but if you can find them, make a beeline for
Anita’s taco truck, famous across the island
for her own brand of Sichuan-pepper and
Taiwanese-chilli infused hot sauce. Tuck in to
delicious pork with pineapple and salsa, and
wash it down with equally tasty homemade
Dulan Beer.
Settling down for the night we had the stars
to ourselves, save a few cows and the iridescent
glow of a couple of fishermen and their poles.
The authorities highly encourage camping at
a spot next to the police station, but having
ignored this advice we were left unmolested to
pass a wonderful night around the fire.
The roar of F-16s on maneouvres from
their base in Hualien provided a fascinating
wake-up call and a suggestion it was time to
hit the road. Find Nora at Tangerine House
to hire scooters, ideally with an international
driver’s licence but don’t fret if you misplace
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