Domestic Travelling in Chishang Township(池上), Taitung County, Taiwan
One of Taiwan’s most serene and peaceful shelters with beautiful sceneries and refreshing air
Over the past 4 years of Lunar New Year, I usually took advantage of long vacation to go abroad for studying or travelling. In February 2017, I was studying in Vienna, Austria, as an exchange student. In February 2018, I was studying in IIT Bombay in Mumbai, India. In Jan 2020, I was travelling in Busan, Dague, and Seoul in South Korea before Covid-19 broke out.
This year, I chose to explore Taiwan more, and my first stop is Chishang(池上). I have lived in Taiwan for 27 years, but I have never been to Chishan and Taitung(台東). Due in part to COVID-19, I have the chance to visit this gorgeous place. People can easily have magnificent views of arrays of ricelands and mountains no matter where you are in this small town. Fed up with hustle and bustle of urban lifestyles, Chishang is the ideal place for me to deeply relax myself.
Brown Boulevard伯朗大道
This is one of must-go spots when travelling to Chishang. Many people choose to ride the bicycle to go around the ricelands along Brown Boulevard. There are few automobiles in the boulevard, and therefore tourists can even take group pictures in the middle of the roads and stop the bicycle everywhere to take deep breath resting. It would be the perfect laidback tour in the whole afternoon.
Da-Po Pond 大坡池
Da-Po Pond is on the same way to Brown Boulevard, and tourists often arrange this spot to connect with the tour to Brown Boulevard.
This natural wetland covers an area of 28 hectares and provides a rich habitat for birds and fish. Early residents of the Chishang area caught fish and shrimp in the pond and used them with the local rice to produce delicious dumplings which they sold to passing travelers. Although the fish and shrimp from this wetland are no longer used for cooking, “Chishang rice dumplings” are still widely advertised by the box-lunch business.
Endless fields, Waterwheel, and Farm
Chishang is not the big area, and it is needless to arrange detailed tours in advance. It is still full of fun to only arrange 1 to 2 sites a day, and even repeat the same tour in another day. Leaving the hustle and bustle of urban areas behind, just enjoy in the slow pace in Chishang.
Also, one thing that interests me is that the store owner and staff show their strong enthusiasm to every client. Unlike salesperson who make the hard sell or alluring marketing jargons, they often ask “Are you local people?” “Where are you from?” “ So far, where have you been in Taitung ?” and so on. They seek to make a connection to every tourist instead of making best profit of them.