A Stroll through Su’ao:

An major transit hub

Su’ao is located at the final exit of National Highway 5 (the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway) and is the starting point of the upgraded Suhua (Su’ao to Hualien) Highway. It also lies at the intersection of Provincial Highways 2 and 9. In addition, the Port of Su’ao was one of the Ten Major Construction Projects undertaken in the 1970s. Su’ao has always been an important transportation nexus.

There is also the railroad. “This year marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Yilan Line,” says local cultural historian Vincent Chuang. The line, which opened in 1924, offered an additional mode of transit between Taipei and Yilan, overcoming the barrier of the Xueshan Mountains.

With the town being the starting point of the Suhua Highway, in days gone by people who wanted to go to Hua­lien had to stay in Su’ao overnight to catch an early morning bus. As a result there were numerous hotels and bustling traffic in the area around the Su’ao train and bus stations.

Following the opening of the North Link rail line connecting Su’ao with Hualien in 1980, a new train station, Su’aoxin Station, was built at a different location in Su’ao. Today only local trains stop at the old Su’ao Station and the glory days of the town’s prosperity have faded.

But transportation has left its marks in the history of the town. Vincent Chuang guides us to a railway turntable at the very end of the original Yilan rail line, and says that trains nowadays have two engines, one at each end of the train, but in the old days if you wanted to change direction you had to use this turntable—which is a precious piece of local cultural heritage—to turn the engine around.

Gazing out from here towards the sea, beyond the end of the tracks one can see in the distance a railway tunnel that once connected Su’ao Station with the harbor. One can imagine the majestic scene in days gone by of train cargoes being transferred onto freighters and the ships’ departure from the port.

Jin’an Temple, the oldest temple in Su’ao, is designated as an Yilan County historic site. Built by immigrants from Quanzhou in China, it indirectly shows that they were the earliest Han Chinese immigrants to the area.

Quanzhou immigrants

“The earliest development was probably the construction of a church here by the Spanish,” says Vincent Chuang. “The Spaniards came by sailing ship, and they named this place San Lorenzo, which was likely the earliest appellation for Su’ao.”

Meanwhile, Han Chinese have been involved in the development of Su’ao for more than a century. Chuang first leads us to Jin’an Temple, dedicated to the deity Fazhugong, which is located near the railway station. He tells us this is the oldest-established temple in Su’ao, having been founded in 1827, though at a different site. At the entrance there are two stone tablets, one commemorating a donation by Qing-Dynasty provincial military commander Luo Dachun to establish a school free of tuition, and the other a mile marker for the old foot trail between Su’ao and Hualien.

We then walk to Baoshan Temple in the nearby Zhong­yuan Market. Dedicated to Qingshui Zushi (Patriarch Ching Chwee), it houses the spirit tables of the pioneers who developed Su’ao. Chuang explains: “Qingshui Zushi was a major spiritual master for people from Quanzhou [in ­China’s Fujian Province], while Fazhugong was their guardian spirit. The deities worshipped in these temples are all gods of Quanzhou people, which attests to the fact that Su’ao was first developed by them.”

Tasty local dishes

Zhongyuan Market, beside Su’ao train station, is a center of food and dining for Su’ao residents. Located at the market’s entrance, Su’ao Snack Shop, founded in 1933, features rice noodles in thick soup and still serves sweet and savory foods to this day. The ingredients of their rice noodles in thick soup are substantial and the soup stock is fresh and delicious. The peanut soup, another old-style flavor, can be eaten with fried dough sticks or maltose buns.

Across from Jin’an Temple is Ah Ying Restaurant, a venerable establishment now being run by the third generation of the founding family. Specialties include smoked fish offal, made using fresh fish purchased early each morning at Nanfang’ao Fishing Harbor, with the types of fish changing with the seasons. The internal organs are removed and smoked to make the dish, which is a Su’ao specialty.

Smoked fish offal is a specialty of Su’ao cuisine.

Peanut soup with maltose buns and rice noodles in thick soup are two more old-fashioned specialties served in Su’ao.

The views from Qixingling Trail

The entrance to Qixingling (Mt. Qixing) Trail is near Cold Spring Park. The 4,750-meter-long trail has stone steps with a gentle grade, making it easy to walk. The county government has built seven viewing platforms at various elevations, each offering different scenic vistas. From the third viewing platform you can see Mt. Benji and (in the distance) the upgraded Suhua Highway, and appreciate how Su’ao is ringed by mountains. The fifth platform offers a view of the coastline including the Port of Su’ao and the harbors at Beifang’ao and Nanfang’ao. From the sixth platform, on a clear day you can see all the way to Guishan Island (Turtle Island), take in magnificent seascapes and experience the visual pleasure of “Su’ao blue”—the color of the sea blending into the sky. Climb another 200 meters and you can get a panoramic view of the Lanyang Plain and the scenery around Su’ao. Follow your hike with a soak in a cold spring to make a wonderful finish to the day!

This former railway tunnel connecting Su’ao train station to the port has been converted into a bicycle path. The 3D imagery in the tunnel is a highlight of any visit.

From a high elevation one can get an excellent view of the Port of Su’ao, while “Su’ao blue”—the color where the sea meets the sky—delights the eyes.