April 30 Thursday Sunny and Clear
Before setting out, our Nantou friend gave us an exaggerated warning: "When you come to Nantou in the spring, you must approach it with caution-- otherwise you'll be so enthralled that you may forget to return home, and for this I refuse to take any responsibility whatsoever!"
My first reaction to this statement was that my friend had gone somewhat overboard with his regional loyalties, but after considering more carefully, I decided that there might be reason to his rhyme after all. This area is full of scenic spots; everywhere is a place for recreation, each place with its own allure. If a tourist to this area does not first plan his itinerary with care, there are no guarantees that he won't "lose his way," never to return from whence he came.
As the bright sun beamed down upon us, our friend scratched his head in embarrassment, saying, "I'm really sorry the sun is so hot; you're all going to be baked!" He didn't seem to realize that for us "city bumpkins" out of Taipei, our greatest longing was for nothing other than the warmth of the sun!
Owing to the fact that we were travelling on a tight schedule, we were able to visit only a few of the relatively newer attractions, such as the Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village and the Lin Yuan Stone Sculpture Park, lest we should bite off more than we could chew.
The Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village stands on 62 hectares of land in Yuchih Village of Nantou County, and neighbors the widely renowned Sun Moon Lake. The positioning and layout of the settlements of the various tribes and the construction of the dwellings have all undergone the careful verification of expert scholars, giving the village a sense of accurate realism.
The first settlement is that of the Yamei tribe. Their homes are clustered together on the side of a terraced hill facing the sea, with the mountains behind them. It is an interesting sight, as they have placed the dirt dug up in the terracing around all four sides of their homes, so that from a distance all one can see is their roofs, everything else buried from sight.
Actually, each tribe is possessed of its own unique distinguishing features, but as there are so many of them the best I can do is to select a few for the telling. My favorites are the artwork of the Lukai and P'aiwan tribes.
The P'aiwan tribe is especially outstanding in the area of primitive art. According to tradition, the ancestors of the Lukai people were descended from the "hundred steps snake" (Agkistrodon acutus), so named because it is said that one has time for only one hundred steps between its bite and death. The Lukai tribe has taken the markings of this snake to be symbolic of their forebears. The eaves, pillars, and doors of their homes, the embroidery on their clothing, and even the tattoos on their bodies are therefore all ornamented in its likeness. The wood and stone carvings of the P'aiwan tribe are marvels in themselves. The colors of these are even more richly variegated than those used by the Lukai tribe.
Wandering through the village, I noticed that there were a number of stones placed within the dwellings of some of the tribes, leaving me full of curiosity. It was not until later that I learned that during the winter the tribes living at higher altitudes heat these stones beside a fire, subsequently placing them in their homes as a source of warmth.
May 1 Friday Again, Sunny and Clear
Our route took us past an ancientstyled "Puli Art Center," so we decided to stop the car and take a look. We were surprised to find that the garden contained two works by the sculptor Chu Ming--"The World of Mortals" and "T'ai Chi"--while on display in the inner exhibition hall were none other than Chu Ming's bronze sculptures and water-and-ink paintings. The second floor gallery exhibited the flower-and-bird scrolls of the painter Teng Hsueh-feng.
I hadn't dared to imagine that works of such fame would be housed here at the foot of this mountain. I had often heard that the artistic and cultural traditions in Puli were quite strong, apparently this reputation is not merely empty rumor.
Our next stop was the Lin Yuan Stone Sculpture Park. Lin Yuan has today become a figure of almost legendary stature in Nantou County, but I doubt that this farmer ever in his wildest dreams imagined that he would become a primary attraction for tourists in the area. Carving stones purely for amusement, who would have thought that after a report by the local magazine Puli Times, his rough, humorous works would attract the attention of so many people?
One who has taken particular interest in Lin Yuan's work is Huang Ping-sung, who has provided him with a "salary" so that he can work in conditions free of financial worry. As Lin Yuan's works proliferated, Huang Ping-sung was hit with a flash of inspiration. He bought up over four hectares of land and established the Lin Yuan Stone Sculpture Park, providing for tourists both an area for recreation as well as art objects for appreciation.
Lin Yuan is not only adept at stone carving, he is also a first-class storyteller. To his mind, every carving has a story all its own, and when with companionable people he can be an incessant talker. At noon we sat with Lin Yuan in the shade of a tree and ate our lunches while listening to his stories. As he ate his meal of congee with salted pork, which was prepared by his daughter-in-law, specks of saliva flew along with the words from his mouth.
Watching him eat with such relish, so very happily satisfied, I could not help but smile myself. It seemed to me that chatting with this 75-year-old child was even more worth the price of the entrance ticket than the viewing of his sculptures.
May 2 Saturday Clear
We set out for the famous "Tunpen Hall" on Chushan (Bamboo Mountain). Because this is a private residence and is not open to the public, we had to rely on our friend to pull the appropriate strings in order to gain entrance.
Tunpen Hall was built about eighty years ago as the home of Chushan gentleman Lin Yueh-ting. It is built in the traditional fashion of three main wings encompassing a central courtyard, belonging to the Fukienese style of architecture. Besides enjoying the elaborately carved woodwork of the residence, the calligraphy and paintings hung here are also worth a good look. I think, in view of the high strung temperament of modern man, if we were able to reside in this type of traditionally elegant, scholarly setting, our emotional stability would be greatly increased.
After taking leave of our host, we headed off for Ta An Li on Chushan, where we hoped to take a leisurely stroll in the recently opened to the public Meng Tsung Bamboo Forest.
The Ta An Li area administrator Ts'ai Ch'eng-wei received us with much courtesy, and took us out into the forest to dig for bamboo shoots. Within the blink of an eye he had gathered quite a number of shoots. "This is the last haul of the season!" he exclaimed, adding that we were very fortunate to be able to catch it. I felt too that I was very lucky; it seemed that every time I turned around someone was treating me to another delicious delicacy.
Sometime past four o'clock we started thinking about making our way back home. It seemed that we had exhausted our friend just about to the limit, and seeing this, to stay any longer would have been folly. For ourselves, after a few days of recreation in the great outdoors we seemed to be electrified with an excess of energy. Returning to Taipei would be a fresh experience in itself with this renewed vigor of spirit.
[Picture Caption]
Carvings in the home of the chief of the P'aiwan tribe at the Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village.
(Above) The dance of the mountain peoples is full of passion and vigor; onlookers are filled with an urge to join in.
(Below) This old woman deep in thought is a "model" at the Aboriginal Culture Village. Can you guess which tribe she is from?
No, it isn't Europe--it's the Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village of Yuchih Village in Nantou County!
The Lin Yuan Stone Carving Park in Puli is currently under construction. This stone tower is made of the collected works of Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan's work, "President Fish."
Sitting under a tree in the cool breeze, relaxing and enjoying the stone sculptures- oh, what a feeling!
The elaborately elegant wood carving of the widely renowned Tunpen Hall on Chushan (Bamboo Mountain).
Examples of the many layered, three-dimensional carved woodwork are everywhere to be seen at Tunpen Hall.
The bamboo seems to whisper to you as it sways gently in the breeze.
A quiet, peaceful bamboo crafts shop on Chushan, possessing not a trace of a business atmosphere.
（Above） The dance of the mountain peoples is full of passion and vigor; onlookers are filled with an urge to join in.
（Below） This old woman deep in thought is a "model" at the Aboriginal Culture Village. Can you guess which tribe she is from?
No, it isn't Europe--it's the Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village of Yuchih Village in Nantou County!
The Lin Yuan Stone Carving Park in Puli is currently under construction. This stone tower is made of the collected works of Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan's work, "President Fish.".
Sitting under a tree in the cool breeze, relaxing and enjoying the stone sculptures- oh, what a feeling!
The elaborately elegant wood carving of the widely renowned Tunpen Hall on Chushan （Bamboo Mountain）.
Examples of the many layered, three-dimensional carved woodwork are everywhere to be seen at Tunpen Hall.
The bamboo seems to whisper to you as it sways gently in the breeze.
A quiet, peaceful bamboo crafts shop on Chushan, possessing not a trace of a business atmosphere.
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