On an early spring morning, not long after sunrise, Maling’s undulating ridges seem sprinkled with gold dust.

When Maling’s tung tree blossoms drop in May, they add to the romantic atmosphere.

A debt to the Earth God

At the Fude Temple, not far from the visitor center, we are greeted by a smiling Lin Feihai, director general of the Marcy Community Development Association. Born and raised nearby, Lin is an expert on the local culture: “That Earth God temple has a long history. Miners used to believe that their wealth was borrowed from the Earth God, so they were accustomed to going there to pray.” Owners would build Earth God temples near the mines to keep the good times rolling. This small temple was built by three brothers of Keelung’s Yan family, then one of Taiwan’s five most illustrious clans. The brothers also came up with the couplet flanking the temple’s doorway.

For a time, the area around here flourished. But when the coal mines closed, Maling returned to being both a quiet backwater and something of a marvelous fairyland.

At the visitor center, you can gain a deeper understanding of the area’s mining history by examining tools used at the coke ovens.

Sticky rice bridge

With Lin and the community association’s chairwoman, Do Shojen, we drive to the locally famous Cuigu (“emerald valley”) Bridge.

Lin points downstream: “That’s the water intake for the Liudu Water Treatment Plant right there, so you know that the water here is especially clean.” A glance under the bridge shows that the water is indeed crystal clear. Formosan stripe dace and Taiwan torrent carp, species that are extremely sensitive to water quality, inhabit the creek. Lin and other locals carry out patrols, confronting anyone they deem suspicious. If they discover that someone has released non-­native species such as tilapia, they mobilize immediately, working through the night to catch the fish. The entire village is committed to these patrols to protect the native fish.

The Cuigu Bridge looks brand new, but there is in fact an historical attraction underneath it: the remains of an old “glutinous rice bridge.” A stout hexagonal pier stands under the bridge deck. Back in the day this was built by locals from stone blocks held together with a mortar composed of glutinous rice mixed with red lime, brown sugar, and other materials. The construction method may seem primitive, but the pier has survived countless typhoons since 1949.

“The techniques used by our forefathers were outstanding,” says Lin. “Upstream there were piers constructed of concrete that were destroyed by typhoons.” From Fumin Riverside Park, you can see rubble in the creek from those toppled concrete bridges. Yet this pier made using glutinous rice still stands erect after many decades of exposure to torrents and typhoons. It is indeed remarkable that rice has weathered better than concrete.

From the bridge, you can see a famous local landmark: Mt. Shishi (“stone lion”). The year that Lin gradu­ated from Maling Elementary School, his entire class climbed that peak. It was a typical trip for a gradu­ating class of the era. Maling Elementary is more than a century old. In recent years it almost closed because of declining enrollment. Now it has turned into a “forest ele­ment­ary school”—one much loved by the Taipei parents who send their children there. 

Still standing after many decades, this bridge pier was built using mortar made with sticky rice. Its longevity bears witness to the wisdom of earlier generations in understanding how to coexist with nature. The rocks under the bridge feature unusual “giant’s kettle” potholes.

Coke ovens from a past boom

The coke ovens next to Changtan Pavilion on Dahua Industrial Road are easy to find. There are 24 of them, each made of rectangular blocks of stone built into the grassy slope. Together they suggest an old city wall or military fortification. Locals used to pyrolyze coal here to make coke. The top-grade stuff went to China Steel, whereas coke of lower quality was sold to ­ironsmiths. With the rising popularity of gas as a fuel, this method of coke-making fell out of use, so today the ovens stand only as reminders of what once was.

May snow: Tung tree blossoms

Of course, you cannot come to Maling in the spring without admiring the tung tree blossoms. “These days all my old classmates want up-to-date reports about their blooming. I always use the most beautiful tree as an index.” Lin’s index tree is in Fumin Riverside Park, where the paths wind gracefully among tung trees. The most famous giant tree grows on the riverbank. When the trees are blossoming, its snow-white petals can be seen drifting down onto the water, a sight that recalls beautiful lines of classical Chinese poetry.

Walking uphill from the park for about five minutes, you come to a secret garden. No signs on the road announce its existence. Rather, there are just some simple ropes to climb down to the creek bed, where the babbling water awaits. Next to a large rock there is a deep emerald pool.

When Lin was little, he would often come here with friends. They would jump into the pool from the rock or mount a swing suspended from a tree. Because of the shape of a rock next to the creek, they used to call the place “Coffin Cave.” “In fact, Maling is also known as the ‘witch’s tomb’ because it is so secluded,” Lin explains. It’s hard to disagree. The place does indeed have much of the aura of a mysterious witches’ hideout.

The spooky atmosphere of this out-of-commission police station, which dates to the Japanese era, beckons to the intrepid to explore.

Stephanie’s Amoureux Maison

Having explored all morning, our stomachs are rumbling. We ascend the Ride Mine Trail and arrive at Stephanie’s Amoureux Maison, which is set amid a rose garden. The unique Western-style building was designed and built by Do Shojen herself. Decorated in the European style, the dining room features displays of curios collected from around the world and provides expansive views. With its big arched windows that start at floor level and its beige sofas, the room offers a stylishly relaxed atmosphere. 

After enjoying an exquisite set meal, we order pineapple iced tea and some soothing orange and cinnamon infusion, lazily taking in the charming European-style garden. What bliss! Before waving goodbye to Maling, we wander over to the famed Fangyu Farm, where we bump into its owner, Yang-Zheng Jinman. She points us to some shelves where there is a magnificent array of pomelo and cinnamon floral waters that she makes herself. We end up bringing home several monkey-head mushrooms grown on the farm.

Stephanie’s Amoureux Maison is located next to the Ride Mine. The beautiful, secluded location is a great place to enjoy a meal on a lazy afternoon.

Recalling fortifications, this mottled wall of old coke ovens is strikingly well preserved.

An expression of the sensibility of the woman who runs it, the famous Fangyu Farm brings nature into its interior spaces. It is a good place to pick up a gift to bring back home.

Imposing Maling Bridge, which arches over Malingkeng Creek, is a famous local landmark.