There's a story that goes something like this: there once were three friends who went to get their fortunes read together. When the person from Ilan approached, the fortuneteller said, "You look elegant and refined in manner and will become an official." As the person from Lotung took his seat, the money he was carrying made a clanging sound. The fortuneteller remarked, "You will be richly bejeweled; you will be wealthy beyond imagination." The person from Suao had yet to approach the fortuneteller when he covered his nose and said, "You reek with the smell of fish; you'll have to depend on the sea for your livelihood."

From the above joke we can see the characteristics of the three places mentioned. Suao's interest in cultural activities is unlike that of Ilan City and her financial status is unlike that of Lotung. It may seem that the only thing worthy of mention is her poor fishermen and the dangerous life they face.

Of course this is merely a joke. In fact, the opposite is true of Suao. In addition to serving an important function of being a crossroads and harbor, she is also known for her agricultural, industrial, fishing products, and scenery as well.

At an early period in time when people moved from Changchow and Ch'uanchow in Fukien Province to Taiwan, the western plain was mostly comprised of people from Ch'uanchow while people from Changchow were the major inhabitants along the borders of Ilan County. Only Suao, located within Ilan County, was developed by people from Ch'uanchow.

During the early period of immigration, Suao was referred to as Kangk'ou, meaning harbor, or Tungkang, meaning east harbor. The inland was called Shihpakeng.

Up until the Chiaching reign period (1796-1819), a person from Ch'uanchow by the name of Su Shih-wei led 44 people to cultivate the area, and then in 1827 brought an idol of a god named Fa Chu Kung from Ch'uanchou to Taiwan in order to expel any disease from the area. Later, in order to commemorate the achievements Su Shih-wei had made to open up the new land for settlement, people chose his surname "Su" and the word "ao" meaning harbor in the Fukienese dialect to come up with the name Suao.

Before arriving at the cold spring the sound of children could be heard as they played about. Their sounds of laughter are most likely due to their being unaccustomed to the temperature of the cold spring which is 22 degrees celsius.

Ch'en Ch'un-jong, an octogenarian, is an old friend of the cold spring. Although his two children earnestly hope that their father will move to Taipei to live with them, Ch'en enjoys being where he is because the cold spring has become a part of his life. He's not the only one hooked on the cold spring; his daughter-in-law of more than twenty years and grand son who is in primary school are also frequent visitors to the cold spring.

By taking a look at a map of Suao you can see the plain in the northeastern part produces rice and peanuts, while the remaining area is a range of mountains extending to various heights. Mountains surround three sides while one side faces the ocean.

If you stand by the Paimi Bridge you'll notice many large trucks passing before your eyes carrying limestone and dolomite along the Paimi Creek towards Paimiweng. Paimiweng (meaning "rice jar") doesn't produce rice (pronounced shih mi in Mandarin Chinese) but produces gravel (also pronounced shih mi in Mandarin Chinese). There is an abundance of minerals which have been unearthed since the time of the Japanese Occupation (1895-1945). About twenty gravel factories have sprung up along the roads in the area. Large trucks travel back and forth, some unloading their quarry with a loud bang. Other trucks load up with heavy gravel packaged in sacks. The workers make this arduous task look like a piece of cake. In the factory, workers wear cloth masks, long sleeves, and towels to cover them; only their eyes can be seen. The gravel which shoots out from the mouth of the machine is like the rapid fire of a machine gun.

The county government has planned to develop the cold spring and Wumaokeng and turn them into tourist attractions. The plans for this project have already been completed. Since construction is still underway, the facilities for the cold spring and transportation to Wumaokeng are somewhat deficient.

Resource development is important of course, but more important is the prior planning which has to go into the project and the maintenance thereafter. Naturally, the townsfolk hope that the construction will be completed at an early point in time and that the area will become well known. A local resident said, "Of course, it's good to develop the area. The only thing I fear, though, is that as soon as many people frequent the area after the project is complete then the environment will be ruined."

Whether it is in the area of tourism or industry, Suao has definite potential for development. However, the dilemma the people of Suao now face is whether to create an industrial center or enjoy the area as a Shangri-La.

[Picture Caption]

Silently seeing the locals off to study while welcoming new tourists, the bus station looks on as Suao passes through time.

Suao Township

A bath in the cold spring is an integral part of many people's lives in Suao.

The seashore of Tungao, a Shangri-la, is a great place to play in the water and do some fishing as well.

Now that the fishing boat is back from the sea, you tidy things up while I do some mending. This fish net is probably the best companion a family has, so it has to be well protected.

Housewives shell shrimp while chatting over the market products. Peeling shrimp is a good means of making money and catching up on the local news.

With the passing of Ghost Month, boats quickly fill up with ice in order to prepare to go out and make a living.

Canned fish and other marine products are specialties of Suao.

Machines roar and rumble as the bright white stones are ready to be moved. Suao is Taiwan's major supplier of gravel for construction.

There have been many changes in Suao over the years, yet it still is able to maintain its unique characteristic of a simple fishing village.

Suao Township.

A bath in the cold spring is an integral part of many people's lives in Suao.

The seashore of Tungao, a Shangri-la, is a great place to play in the water and do some fishing as well.

Now that the fishing boat is back from the sea, you tidy things up while I do some mending. This fish net is probably the best companion a family has, so it has to be well protected.

Housewives shell shrimp while chatting over the market products. Peeling shrimp is a good means of making money and catching up on the local news.

With the passing of Ghost Month, boats quickly fill up with ice in order to prepare to go out and make a living.

Machines roar and rumble as the bright white stones are ready to be moved. Suao is Taiwan's major supplier of gravel for construction.