On the third day of the Amazing Tour - "Gently touching the spring of Taiwan", writer Phan Y Yen and the group members had an interesting experience when they went to Lukang ancient town and made ancient tea at the workshop by Sun Moon Lake.
Lukang Old Town, where traditional culture is preserved
Lukang Old Street, located in Lukang Township of Changhua County, Taiwan, welcomes the tour group on a clear morning. It consists of three short streets, Dayou, Yaolin and Putou. These streets are famous for their long-preserved historical and cultural heritages, as well as traditional flavorful dishes that attract a large number of domestic and international tourists.
Lukang Old Town was a bustling port during the Qing Dynasty in the 1600s and continued to thrive as a thriving commercial center until 1895, when the Japanese moved in. The name Lukang means “deer harbor” because it was the main port for exporting deer skins during the Dutch colonial period. But now it has lost both.
Lukang Old Street welcomes the tour group on a clear morning.
Lukang Old Street still retains traditional Taiwanese architectural features. Intricate arches over the main entrance, red brick walls and pavements, and green mailboxes hanging outside. Many of the old houses are still used for local businesses, while some have been renovated but are preserved as part of their heritage.
One of the famous destinations in Lukang is the over 200-year-old alley called “chest-touching alley”. The name comes from the narrow space, about 40-60 cm wide and just enough for one person to pass through, if two people walk, they will definitely bump into each other.
Lukang Old Town still preserves ancient architectural features.
Located across the Taiwan Strait, Lukang Old Town cuisine is famous for its seafood dishes and ancient flavors, including thick soup with duck meatballs, fried shrimp, oyster omelet, fried fried shrimp, shrimp balls, Yuzhenzhai cake, phoenix cake, mung bean cake, ox tongue biscuits and steamed buns. Or street food such as candied sweet potatoes, tea eggs...
In addition, traditional shops and stalls with a variety of handicrafts, antique toys, paper lanterns and more in a nostalgic environment will make your Taiwan trip memorable.
When coming to Lukang, you cannot miss the attractive street food.
Coming to Lukang Old Town without visiting the temples would be a mistake. All the temples here were built a long time ago so they bear the traces of time and antiquity.
One of the temples that you definitely cannot miss when coming here is Lukang Longshan Temple. The temple is about 890 m wide.2, is a place to worship Thien Hau Nuong Nuong. Lukang Longshan Temple was built during the Ming Dynasty and possesses many cultural symbols. With architecture that clearly shows the Asian style such as carvings of dragons, carp, elephants and yin-yang circles on the roofs or pillars, it brings a sense of majesty and respect to visitors.
Coming to Lukang old town without visiting the temples would be a mistake.
This place has many sophisticated motifs, imbued with traditional culture.
Sun Moon Lake, visit the tea factory with ancient style
Leaving Lukang Old Town, writer Phan Y Yen and his group continued to explore Taiwan when they came to the ancient tea factory by Sun Moon Lake. This is the largest lake in Taiwan, welcoming about 6 million tourists every year. Originally, there were two lakes here, Sun Lake and Moon Lake, both named after their shapes, with their water levels significantly lower than today. During the period 1895-1945, the Japanese blocked the drainage of the basin to build a hydroelectric project, and at the same time ran pipes through the mountains to divert river water into the lake. Since then, the two lakes merged into one, 7.93 m wide.2, average depth 30 m and more than 750 m above sea level.
The scenery at Sun Moon Lake is extremely lyrical, attracting 6 million international tourists each year.
Enjoy the traditional Taiwanese tea flavor with writer Phan Y Yen.
Writer Phan Y Yen also shared his thoughts: "The location of the ancient tea factory in Nhat Nguyet impressed me a lot. Partly because I am a person who really loves tea and tea culture, and partly because I am impressed by the architecture and the tea production process that has been perfectly preserved over the years. It is both traditional and modern. It brings convenience while preserving the excellent quality of flavor."
There is a complex that houses a tea factory and a place to sample Taiwanese teas. In 1917, the Japanese introduced Indian assamica tea to Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake to compete with the British. They later found that the tea thrived because the climate and altitude were very similar to India. Today, this tea is known worldwide as a premium handcrafted black tea.
Visitors to the complex will enjoy local biscuits and Assam black tea. The most popular specialty is the lightly scented Ruby Tea (Tea #18), a special tea grown only around Sun Moon Lake. The ancient tea factory on Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful place to learn about the history of Taiwan’s many famous teas. Visitors will learn about the tea production process and why the founders believe in organic tea farming, despite almost having to close down in 2003.
The tea complex offers many interesting stories about the traditions here.
In addition, visitors can enjoy lakeside activities such as boating and cycling around the lake. In addition, the cultural villages of the Thao ethnic group, the 10th indigenous ethnic group of Taiwan, are also a special cultural feature that attracts visitors here.
Stay tuned for more articles about the exciting Amazing Tour in Taiwan on Travellive orfanpageAmazing Tour official!
More information:
Amazing Tour is a series of destination promotion trips initiated by Travellive magazine since 2013. Up to now, Amazing Tour has cooperated with international tourism promotion agencies such as Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Türkiye... to successfully organize practical experience trips, promote tourism and quickly make a strong impression.
Entering 2023, Amazing Tour returns with a new program format with the desire to inspire travel enthusiasts to explore the world. Accordingly, each program will include many practical activities aimed at providing service and destination information based on the real experiences of celebrities, people who have a profound influence on the community in the field of tourism and photographers.
The Amazing Tour February 2023 "Taiwan - Gently Touching Spring in Taiwan" is organized by Travellive Media Group and Taiwan Tourism Bureau, sponsored by STARLUX Airlines from Taiwan.
