After passing through Tungshih, a small town close to Taichung in central Taiwan, the traveler starts his journey on the famed East West Cross Island Highway. On one side of the road lie huge boulders interspersed with orchards, while on the other the Tachia Chi (river) flows swiftly by. The distant mountains, looking blue through the haze, the sparkling of the stream, and suspension bridges hanging high in the air, present an idyllic picture. After Kukuan, the mountains become steeper and more rugged. Waterfalls splash by the side of the road, and the unfathomable valley is shrouded in dense mist. As the dusk deepens, lights can be seen in the mountains ahead, and the traveler knows he has reached the haven of Teh Chi villa, an elegant retreat in terrace-style architecture set on a steep hillside.

Snowy white peach and apricot blossoms flank both sides of a wide and gradually ascending staircase. The villa is a home for young people from all over Taiwan who are participating in the self-reliance activities sponsored by the China Youth Corps. During the holiday season, the forests, mountains and valleys around the villa echo with the laughter of young people.

Formerly a dormitory for the Taiwan Power Co.'s engineers building a power plant close to the Teh Chi Dam, the villa only recently took on its present aspect. In February 1977, the Tourism Bureau acquired the dormitory from the Taiwan Power Co., and the China Youth Corps was entrusted with the renovation work in July 1978. After several months of work, the villa was opened to the public at the beginning of last year, and has since been used by hundreds of thousands of young students.

The villa covers an area of three hectares. From the parking lot at the top level, 20 steps lead to the office and activities lounge, and underneath, the dormitory and individual rooms for visitors, and the restaurant. All the buildings overlook the Teh Chi Dam.

Visitors are impressed by the graceful and spacious appearance of the Teh Chi Villa. The milky white roof fringed with orange eaves gives the building an ethereal outlook among the surrounding greenery. Explaining that the design was worked out particularly with young people in mind, engineer Chang Chih-hsiung said he did not know how to start at first when he took on the renovation project.

After surveying the dilapidated condition of the old villa, whose woodwork was rotten and wormeaten, and the special terrain in which it lay, Chang realized the work could only be completed with great difficulty. In the end, however, the project cost only NT$8 million (US$220,000), small compared with other Youth Corps projects. The villa is now one of the most popular centers for the nation's youth.

The villa's warden, Tseng Ying-chen, was chosen as a national representative of good men with good deeds for his efforts in saving the lives of some 200 people while he worked at nearby Hohuanshan. Tseng and his family take good care of the eating and sleeping facilities for the guests. Even though food is brought in only with great difficulty, meal charges are not high. Breakfast, for instance, costs NT$20 (US$0.55) while lunch and dinner are NT$40 (US$1.l), with 40 percent off for students. The restaurant covers an area of 70 ping (1 ping = 36 square feet) and is equipped with moveable tables and chairs. With eight persons at each table, it can accommodate 240 people at a sitting.

The 50 residential units at the villa can accommodate some 250 people. Duplex suites with closet and desk cost NT$180 (US$5) per night, while dormitories for six to 10 persons can be hired for NT$100 (US$2.8) per person. Public facilities such as toilets and bathrooms are kept clean and neat. The Youth Corps has installed a hi-fi stereo equipment in the villa's office to relay Chinese and Western music throughout the complex by means of a dozen amplifiers. The activities lounge covers an area of 70 ping, and provides ample room for students to play games, watch television or rest after a day of strenuous outdoor activities.

Located halfway between Lishan and Chingshan, at about 1,450 meters above sea level, the villa is close to Wuling Farm. It takes about three hours to reach the resort by bus from Taichung in the west, and about four hours from Ilan or Hualien in the east. Teh Chi is an ideal summer resort, since temperatures average about 17 or 18 degrees Centigrade during this season. Orchards of peaches and apples surround the villa, and among popular activities are boating, fishing, picking flowers, drinking tea with old friends along the riverbank, and animal watching.

[Picture Caption]

Opposite: Surrounded by green mountains, and flanked by the Teh Chi Dam, the area around the villa is enlivened by snowy white apricot and peach blossoms. Students stroll in front of the villa (above left), and start their morning activities below left.

Opposite: Young students from all over Taiwan participate in activities sponsored by the China Youth Corps at the Teh Chi Villa. Left: Led by the CYC flag, students set off for a hike.

Surrounded by green mountains, and flanked by the Teh Chi Dam, the area around the villa is enlivened by snowy white apricot and peach blossoms.

Surrounded by green mountains, and flanked by the Teh Chi Dam, the area around the villa is enlivened by snowy white apricot and peach blossoms.

Students stroll in front of the villa （above left）, and start their morning activities below left.

Students stroll in front of the villa （above left）, and start their morning activities below left.

Young students from all over Taiwan participate in activities sponsored by the China Youth Corps at the Teh Chi Villa.

Led by the CYC flag, students set off for a hike.