[RD] Discovering Taiwan

[warpus]

Cycling Chishang’s Rice Fields
aka The Hometown of Rice (米之鄉)

Chishang rice fields have a reputation for growing some of the finest rice in Taiwan. During colonial times rice from here was selected to be used as tribute for the Japanese emperor. The Japanese government basically surveyed various Taiwanese rice fields and selected rice from here as having the finest quality overall. That reputation has stuck ever since, along with the "Hometown of Rice" tag, and for good reason! Or rather multiple reasons:

Chishang rice fields are located in the middle of the East Rift Valley, in between two mountain ranges. Rivers flowing down from the mountains have over time been eroding minerals and alluvial deposits and depositing them into the valley, making the soil rich in nutrients. The mountains also shield the rice fields from pollution, other human activity, and adverse weather.

But that's not all! Large day-night differences in temperature in the valley also help create a firmer sweeter rice. Something to do with slower grain pespiration that happens during larger temperature variations during the day/night cycle. Coincidentally these temperature swings also help keep some pests away.

Last but not least, the The Xinwulu River helps irrigate these fields with clean chemical-free water using a network of irrigation channels first constructed by the Qing in the late 1800s.

Overall these are just excellent rice growing conditions.. set in a beautiful landscape for you to cycle through in relative peace

Spoiler :

The official map promoted by the local tourism board outlines 3 variations of a route you can take around the rice fields, although there's more points of interest there that would take you off some of these routes.

 

[warpus]

Paradise Road (天堂路)

In 2013 a commercial was filmed near here involving Taiwanese born actor/singer star Takeshi Kaneshiro. This has resulted in this area becoming quite popular, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. It is often cited as the most photographed rural Taiwanese landscape.

From what I think I've figured out "Paradise Road" doesn't really refer to any particular road, it is moreso the popular name for this whole set of streets that criss-cross these rice fields, especially the ones that directly connect to Brown Boulevard, which is where the commercial was filmed. Brown Boulevard is not the street you see in the background.

I was able to squeeze in a photo of the empty swing in between people waiting in line to pose here. The picture makes things look deceptively empty, and it wasn't incredibly packed either, but this place can get busy.

 

[warpus]

The Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree
aka Tea Offering Tree

This is probably the most popular tree in Taiwan. The only reason it's popular is because a commercial was filmed here in 2013 starring a famous Taiwanese born actor/singer.

At the time I had no idea. I had this spot marked on my map and thought it was probably a coincidence that there were so many people here when I arrived. I figured the tree is a landmark because it's a bit of a solitary tree, and that's true to an extent.. This Bishop Wood tree was planted here by farmers decades ago in a spot where shade was needed during periods of rest. Trees were generally not planted in the rice fields for that reason - the shade would only get in the way of maximizing a rice harvest. But an exception was made in this case and several others, in strategic spots where farmers would often pass and stop to rest.

So it's a somewhat iconic tree just because it's a lone tree growing in a picturesque spot. When that commercial was shot though, the popularity of the tree exploded. It is estimated that it helps bring in $15 million USD worth of spending by tourists in the Chishang area every year. For a small community like Chishang that is huge.

Officially the name of the tree was actually changed a couple years ago to Tea Offering Tree. However, tourists, google maps, and many locals continue to call it the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree. From what I understand the new official name didn't stick at all.

A short video I found explaining some of the naming controversy:

And if you're curious, here is the commercial that made the tree famous:

Spoiler :

If you're wondering why the tree looks so much fuller in the commercial, it's due to 2014 Typhoon Matmo. The tree survived, but its appearance was significantly altered during the storm, as several main branches snapped in half. Local farmers came together in an attempt to save and preserve the tree, putting up supports and pruning unnecessary branches. All this has turned the tree into a bit of a local symbol of resilience.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Ok Warpus, what kind of tree is it?

 

[EnglishEdward]

Bischofia javanica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[warpus]

Bischofia javanica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You got it! It's also known as a Bishop Wood tree, it's a tropical shade tree with broad leaves native to south, southeast, and east Asia, as well as a lot of pacific islands incl. Australia. It's considered sacred by several indigenous Taiwanese tribes and used as a communal meeting place. Curiously enough a number of aboriginal ethnic minorities in mainland China also find this tree sacred, although they are not Austronesian (unlike the indigenous peoples in Taiwan, who are)

It seems to be a popular source of hardwood in a lot of the places I mentioned, but in Taiwan other hardwood species became more dominant and ended up being used for this purpose.

 

[warpus]

Brown Boulevard Frame (伯朗大道畫框)

Brown Blvd. is the car-free road that the Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree can be found on, although it is out of view in the first picture and too far away to see in the second.

This frame is popular with those who are here to take pictures, although I thought it looks more interesting on its own. The idea is to pose and get your picture taken such that Brown Blvd. is behind you, although everything in the distance looks pictureworthy if you ask me.

 

[warpus]

Chishang Canal Irrigation System (池上圳灌溉系統)

This irrigation network was initially constructed by Qing-era farmers in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a local grass roots project. During the Japanese colonial period the network was officially surveyed and upgraded, with further modernizations in the 1950s and beyond.

Water is drawn from the Xinwulu River (新武呂溪), a tributary of the larger Xiuguluan River (秀姑巒溪), which is the longest river in eastern Taiwan.

 

[amadeus]

Worth mentining is also a Taiwanese version of the trendy 10 yen shaped piece of bread filled with melted cheese. From what I've been able to determine this night market treat originated in South Korea, spread to Japan, and then to Taiwan.

I’ve never seen a 10-yen coin-shaped thing here, but it sounds similar to taiyaki—a fish-shaped bread thing filled with red bean paste, or custard, or some other ingredient.

Here in Osaka there is also Ikuno Koreatown, a district that has historically … for … reasons … been populated with a heavy concentration of Koreans. Anyway, there are a few stalls there that sell something similar but the name is lost on me and I haven’t been out that way in a few years now.

 

[warpus]

I’ve never seen a 10-yen coin-shaped thing here, but it sounds similar to taiyaki—a fish-shaped bread thing filled with red bean paste, or custard, or some other ingredient.

I bet they essentially evolved from the same sort of snack. I have come across a variety of "some sort of starch/batter with some sort of filling" night market snacks on my travels. It's fascinating how many different types of things like that you can make with different textures and flavours. The 10 yen coin had a fluffy airy pancake-like sort of texture, correct me if I'm wrong but taiyaki is a bit tougher, more like a waffle.

 

[amadeus]

The 10 yen coin had a fluffy airy pancake-like sort of texture, correct me if I'm wrong but taiyaki is a bit tougher, more like a waffle.

It is a bit more rubbery, I guess, although I’m not painting the most flattering picture despite enjoying them quite a bit.

 

[warpus]

Great View Pavilion (大觀亭)

This elevated lookout platform is a part of Chishang Canal Park, a tourist-forward ecology park integrated with parts of the Chishang Canal Irrigation System.

Unfortunately the area had been hit hard by Typhoon Leon right before I arrived in Taiwan, and as a result the park was partially dissassembled and shut down while undergoing repairs. When I google the park now I recognize very little from what I actually saw there. At the time I didn't even know about the park's existence!

What I came across was a cordoned off Great View Pavillion, which was partially damaged. I noticed a couple people hanging out on it though, so I also decided to bypass the barriers and make my way to the top.

The views from the pavillion were nice, but you've basically seen those pictures already.. What was more interesting to me was the typhoon damage that hadn't been taken care of yet.

The pavillion reopened this March along with the rest of Chishang Canal Park.

 

[warpus]

Chishang Huge Waterwheel (池上大水車)

This is a popular wooden waterwheel that was built in the early 2000s, when Chishang township was investing in its eco-tourism infrastructure. It was actually never used as an irrigation waterwheel, although it was built to look exactly like one, minus the buckets. Like the Great View Pavillion, this waterwheel is a part of Chishang Canal Park.

Wooden waterwheels like this were used in Taiwan under the Qing and the Japanese to channel water from a flowing stream into irrigation channels. By the 1940s and 1950s most of this type of infrastructure had been replaced with more modern equivalents though, mainly diesel and electric pumps. This waterwheel was built to resemble something older as a nod to the past. These days it's a popular spot for scenic photos and selfies.