Joy Fang

AVISIT to sleepy Lugang has taught me a valuable lesson: Never judge a place before you have even set foot on it.

Lugang used to be a populous trading port, but fell by the wayside after its harbour silted and the conservative city refused to allow trains to be built in the city.

The north-western township, located in Changhua County and the second-oldest township in Taiwan, might look like it is home to a forgotten city which has largely fallen into decline. But this is precisely why it’s so interesting.

The town’s traditional architecture is relatively untouched by modernisation. It is perfectly preserved, providing an insight into the past, especially its thriving heyday in the 18th century.

It is also increasingly gaining popularity among the Taiwanese, who are keen to explore their roots.

my paper shows you where to go in the quaint township in just 12 hours.

9.15am:
From Changhua Railway Station, take a bus (board the bus opposite the station) to Lugang. It takes about 40 minutes.

10.15am:
Make your way to a famous temple, the Tianhou Temple (No. 430, Zhong Shan Road, Yu Shun Village), which is five minutes away. Dedicated to Mazu, the Chinese goddess of the sea, the temple is bustling, filled with locals and tourists alike, who go there to pray.

Built in 1725, the temple is flamboyant, with life-size statues as well as carvings and figurines on its roofs and pillars.

Look out for surprisingly Western figurines, a remnant of Dutch colonial times.

11.45am:
Explore the area around the temple and have lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area. The myriad of eateries all sell some of Lugang’s best-known delicacies. Fill your stomach with delicious snacks such as deep-fried monkey shrimp (also known as mud shrimp) with basil leaves, oyster omelette, greenbean cake and meatball bao.

1pm:
Visit the Lugang Folk Arts Museum (No. 152, Zhongshan Road), a very beautiful European- style building that was built in 1920, during the Japanese colonial period. It also has a wood-and-brick structure built in the 19th century, which has a strong traditional Fujian influence.

The museum houses a wide collection of traditional artefacts, numbering more than 6,000, featuring scenes such as the kitchen and marital bedroom, as well as how life was like in the house.

2.30pm:
Make your way to Longshan Temple (at the junction of Sanmin Road and Zhongshan Road) to view one of Lugang’s most historic temples, considered the best-preserved Qing Dynasty temple. With its roots in the 17th century, it is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan and certainly looks the part.

Well-worn and antiquated, its magnificence lies in its peaceful atmosphere and the unique features of its 99 doors and dragon pillars. Severely damaged in the 1999 earthquake, restoration was completed in 2008 so you can see it in its full former glory.

3pm:
Follow the English signs to get to the nearby Nine-Turns Lane – a cramped alley with sharpcornered turns meant to repel cold wintry winds in September.

It is lined with antiquated brick and concrete houses, some falling apart and abandoned and some still inhabited. Again, follow the signs (there are many, because of how increasingly touristy the place is), to the Shih Yih Hall (on Chinsheng Lane), an elevated redbricked corridor connecting two buildings.

The corridor used to be a hangout of members of the literary society, who would touch base there, waxing lyrical about poetry while sipping wine.

Another lane nearby, called the Gentleman’s Alley or Touch-Breast Lane in Mandarin, is an interesting sight. It is so named because it is so incredibly tight and narrow that two people going through would have trouble not touching.

3.45pm:
Next on the list is the Old Market Street (along Putou Road) near Longshan Temple. The narrow, winding road is filled with alleys and quaint houses. Many of the rickety wooden houses and shops with old hanging signboards date back to the Qing Dynasty.

The historical shops, some with decades of history, sell an assortment of items, such as hand-painted paper lanterns and fans, calligraphy works, tea, traditional clothing and toys, sweets and pastries.

Check out the pastry shop Zheng Yu Zhen along the street, set up in 1887. It claims that it is the birthplace of phoenix-eye cake – a tiny, oval-shaped confectionary which melts in your mouth. The snack was apparently a huge hit among the Japanese
emperors in the past.

Also snack on ox-tongue pastry (yes, it is shaped like an ox’s tongue; no, it is not made from it), pineapple cake, green-bean pastry, dragon-whisker soft candy, and more. Plan on spending two hours exploring.

5.50pm:
Make your way to the nearby Wang Gong Fishermen’s Harbour (about 15 minutes away from Old Market Street by cab), where you can spot fishing boats, a lighthouse, an arch bridge, as well as picturesque views of the nearby Strait of Taiwan. You can catch breathtaking views of the sunset here. Bask in the orange light, which seems to caress the old wooden boats docked there.

7.05pm:
The fishermen will peddle oysters along the streets in town, along with their daily catch. Snack on them for dinner, before making your way back to Changhua to catch the train back to Taipei.

This page is brought to you by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and Taiwan Visitors Association

HELPDESK
Trading port: 贸易港 mào yì gǎng
Life-size: 与原物一样大小 yǔ yuán wù yí yàng dà xiǎo
Earthquake: 地震 dì zhèn
Pastry shop: 糕饼店 gāo bǐng diàn