A mini-vacation

Words and photos by Gareth Morgan
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR OF TAIPEI TIMES
Sunday, Feb 20, 2000, Page 19

The Window on China is a quick way to get "reunited" with the mainland, offering more than 130 miniature models of mainland attractions reduced to 1/25 their original size.

The old ones took their time, nodding respectfully at the massive black casket before shuffling past. Likely they had seen him in person, perhaps often, while he was still alive. They remembered.

Pushing the legs of the old ones where the children, curious at first, but then restless and anxious to move on. "Dad, is this all there is to see?" one asked, pulling on his father's sleeve. His father didn't answer.

Tzuhu, which means Lake Kindness, is where the late President Chiang Kai-shek's body is entombed. Chiang's mausoleum attracts thousands of visitors a year, and most Chinese in Taiwan are said to have visited the location. Couples, families and old-timers were all there, evidence that the memory of Chiang's continues to inspire -- or at least intrigue -- people from beyond the grave.

The site is officially regarded as "temporary," a designation that doesn't detract from its beauty The lake is picturesque, with swans paddling quietly and birds singing overhead. Sentries and guides are dotted throughout the grounds. The mausoleum itself is reserved but regal -- all in all a fine final resting place.

The original Great Wall of China is the only man-made object that can be easily viewed from outer space.

Temporary the official designation because Chiang is to be returned and buried on the mainland after China is "reunited." I asked a fresh-faced guide whether "reunited" is an echo of the 1950s "retake the mainland" ambitions of the KMT, or a forecast of eventual assimilation of Taiwan into communist China. He didn't say, but instead flinched like a deer caught in headlights, then apologetically darted off to retrieve a tourist handout for me to look at. It didn't say, either.

The Shihmen Reservoir is best visited after a typhoon, when water shooting off its cement apron creates a waterfall effect.

All I could glean from this was that while the young people of Taiwan may not know much about the past, nearly everyone is clueless about what the future holds. Tzuhu was pretty, but like the lake, its secrets ran deep and were not easily surrendered.

Not far down the road I was enticed by an attraction called Window on China. The destination promised exact miniature models of famous Asian landmarks, such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Arriving at the gate, I noted that the entry fee was the only large-scale component of the exhibit: NT$600 for a full day's visit. Fortunately it was after 3pm and the admission charge dropped to NT$300.

The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

Model attraction

For anyone with an interest in Asian architecture or travel, Window on China holds kitschy appeal. More than 130 miniature models reside within its sprawling campus, all of which are intricate likenesses of their originals, albeit reduced to 1/25 their size.

The `Golden Night Club,' for example, was not the groovy disco promised in the brochure photos, but a quiet, empty room inhabited by a bored-looking old man playing video poker and chewing betel nut.

I hopped on a little sightseeing train at the back of the park, which I assumed skirted the perimeter of the grounds. Instead, the train proceeded on a long straight track through a farmers' field, then popped out in ... America.

Slowly dawned on me that the entry fee to Window on China also included this recent addition -- a fully fledged Western-style amusement park. And there it was in all its hideous glory: The roller-coaster, the merry-go-round, the same corny games, the overpriced popcorn, the teenagers eating greasy pork sausages on a stick, the parents soothing heartbroken children too short to go on the big rides. Reverse culture shock settled in.

More still was the "Pharaoh's Theater," decked out with impressive Egyptian-style motifs, promising "Taiwanese folk performances." All this was topped off by the ubiquitous presence of Window on China's mascot, Lucky Dragon, an icon identical to Mickey Mouse in every way save his ears and nose. I stood in the midst of a theme park with an identity crisis, a bizarre crossroads where miniature Asian buildings share space with some of the most hackneyed elements of Western excess. Savoring the host of comical ironies, I shivered as I boarded the log ride for the second time, wondering if this was what president Chiang would have wanted, or could have even expected.

As the sun set over Window on China, it was time to move to Shihmen Reservoir. The reservoir's close proximity to Taipei makes it a popular weekend getaway for city-dwellers. As such, my hotel was an archetype of '70s Vegas-style holidaying. A kidney-shaped outdoor swimming pool, generously upholstered leather recliners in the lobby, rugs and lacquered wood everywhere, brochures advertising "luxurious guest rooms" and other amusing touches all gave the place a delightfully antiquated flavor. One could almost expect a beaming Telly Savalas to emerge from behind the concierge's desk, cigar in hand, exclaiming, "Welcome, friends!"

Forgotten feeling

However, time had not been kind to the establishment, and I concluded the retro look and feel of the place was due to neglect rather than design. It really was built in the 1970s. No one, apparently, had informed the management of the passing of time. The "Golden Night Club," for example, was not the groovy disco promised in the brochure photos, but a quiet, empty room inhabited by a bored-looking old man playing video poker and chewing betel nut. My room was large, and the blankets were certainly plush, but it was cold, dank, and there were many suspicious-looking stains on the carpet. The towels afforded that familiar brillo-pad texture that comes from years of bleaching and tumble-dry deprivation. There was no cable TV.

But it was clean, and relatively quiet. Being out of Taipei for the night was enough to keep a smile on my face. Moreover, I was still recovering from a delicious Hakka-style dinner of noodles and steamed perch, freshly caught from the reservoir. The Shihmen area has a bounty of excellent fish restaurants, with bargain prices compared to similar eating in metro Taipei.

The Shihmen Reservoir Dam becomes more impressive the closer one gets to it. Built in the 1950s, it used to supply hydroelectric power to the whole island before additional generating facilities were constructed. In addition to electricity, it continues to provide irrigation water to 22 communities in northern Taiwan. There is a nice park with picnic tables at the base of the dam, and above you can actually walk along the top of the colossal structure, observing the sluices and massive spillway chute from a birds-eye view. As a design flourish, the bottom of the spillway was designed with a pronounced lip, causing water descending the chute to be propelled into the air to create a waterfall effect.

After walking the length of the dam, I went down to the small dock where a number of boats were moored. For NT$150, leisurely jaunts around the reservoir were available, but the cold wind was picking up, and I declined. The water's lack of cleanliness was disappointing as well. Contrary to the spic-and-span picture of the area implied by the video I had just watched, most of the tourist areas and shoreline were littered with plastic wrappers, styrofoam, drink containers and other unsightly flotsam. As is the case with many pretty natural spots in Taiwan, it's always disappointing to see a place sullied just because sightseers can't be bothered to find a rubbish bin.

Turning the dam, I cruised the highway surrounding the reservoir, drinking in the winding road and gentle scenery. Coming here in the winter wasn't bad, but I decided the reservoir would be a glorious place to visit in the summer, once the Taipei sun and heat inspired in me thoughts of open space and cool water. But although public littering seems okay at the reservoir, swimming is forbidden. Maybe I could go for a dip in lake Tzuhu then, if the presidential guards didn't mind. And if that option didn't work out, there would always be Window on China's log ride.

For your information:

Tzuhu, Window on China and the Shihmen Reservoir are all less than an hour from Taipei, and close to one another. By road, leave Taipei southeast through Panchiao and take the number 3 highway. Following this road, you will reach Tzuhu, then the Shihmen Reservoir. Leaving south from the reservoir, the road leading to Window on China is well signposted.