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Going back in time by rail

By David Momphard
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Jun 22, 2003, Page 17

PHOTO COURTESY OF HENGSHAN COUNTY TOURISM BUREAU

There's a common misconception that escaping the smog of Taipei is a prolonged hassle if you rely on trains and buses -- but a day trip to Neiwan in Hsinchu County can easily soften even the most persistent public transportation pessimist.

The Neiwan Line is one of three Taiwan Rail Administration lines that reach into the island's interior. Originally serving the mining and timber industries, these "small lines" as they're called now happily shuttle tourists to some of the nation's more quaint locations.

And of these tourist-trod townships, perhaps none are worth a visit more than Neiwan.

While other townships in Taiwan hold festivals centered around kites, rocks and even windsocks to draw tourists, Neiwan's quiet charm suffices. It is this charm that has most famously drawn filmmakers to the township. Neiwan has provided the backdrop for several films, including Black Skin and White Teeth (黑皮與白牙), My Mother's Tea House (春秋茶室) and Wu Nien-jen's Duo-Sang (多桑), about an elderly Taiwanese obasan who retains a strong emotional tie to her Japanese youth.

It's no surprise then that Wu chose to shoot his film in Neiwan, as the town itself retains a strong Japanese feel. During the Japanese occupation when the mountainsides surrounding the township were being pillaged of hardwoods, occupying soldiers found the local climate to be similar to Japan's Kyushu and therefore conducive to growing cherry trees. Not long afterward, enough of the trees were planted to earn Neiwan the moniker "city of cherry blossoms" (櫻花之都), and blanket the township in vivid pink blossoms at the end of winter.

Another floral attraction is found in mid-winter, when you'd least expect to see blossoms. Whole fields turn from green to bright yellow with the blooming of rapeseed flowers planted by farmers to fertilize their fields for spring.

This time of year, however, the main visual attraction is lightning bugs. In the 1970s, when the area became famous for them, huge clouds of the luminescent bugs would light up the forest and river valley at mid-evening. But even as scientists went to work classifying the various types (the area is home to at least six kinds of lightning bug), advances in pesticides and the aforementioned deforestation began decimating their numbers.

Nowadays, while there aren't enough to make the night bright, there are enough to brighten the spirits of young couples, who are happy to stroll hand-in-hand into the evening countryside in search of them.

It's Neiwan's natural beauty that is its biggest draw and this asset has been accentuated by several trails that have been raked across the mountainsides. The Taisan Trail (台三步道), as its name suggests, follows Taiwan's route three before cutting across the valley by way of a harrowing footbridge (攀龍吊橋), suspended hundreds of meters above the riverbed. It then arcs around the hillsides above the township to the Neiwan Footbridge ( 內灣吊橋) and into town.

Looking out of the final tunnel on the approach to Neiwan, in Hsinchu County. PHOTO: DAVID MOMPHARD, TAIPEI TIMES

Other popular -- and well paved -- trails are the Dachidong trail (大旗崠步道), the Chiling trail (騎步道) and the Teahouse trail (茶亭古道), all of which are less than 2km in length and can be walked leisurely within a couple hours. Besides the panoramic vistas, the highlights along each of these trails are waterfalls, bamboo forests and ancient stone structures, including the teahouse, sticky rice bridges (糯米 橋) and Yang family stone house.

Smaller trails will take you along the paths used by the old pulled wooden horse ( 拉木馬), which helped denude the forest. It consisted of a line of greased cedar logs and a wooden sled used to pull loads of cut timber. The hardwood remnants of it can still be seen in several locations in the hills above the town and along sections of the Neiwan Line and are worth searching for -- if not for the wooden trail itself, then for the several centuries-old hardwood trees that were left in place.

The historic Neiwan Theater was built by the Japanese to entertain loggers. PHOTO: DAVID MOMPHARD, TAIPEI TIMES

Legend has it that after cutting one of the oldest and biggest hardwood trees, several lumberjacks became ill. The timber crews then came to believe that the older trees had a spirit and refused to fell them. These ancient giants are easily spotted given the contrast in size between them and the new trees that have grown since deforestation stopped. One of the biggest of these trees can be seen in the town itself, adjacent the elementary school where a 200-year-old camphor tree rises out of the playground.

Another site of interest in Neiwan village is the town theater built by the Japanese to entertain lumber and mining crews. The inside has been turned into a restaurant and crafts store, with displays of alcohol and cigarettes manufactured by the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly over the decades.

The Hakka Culture Hall is located near the side of the river at the entrance to the Neiwan village and provides insight into the culture and customs of the area's Hakka population.

Most every street in the village contains something of interest and most are identified by life-sized cartoon characters, the creations of the county's most prominent citizen, cartoonist Liu Hsing-ching (劉興欽), whose hugely popular titles include Teacher Ding, Cleverness, Brother No. 3 and Robots. Liu's portraits can also be seen decorating the several cafes, restaurants and crafts shops in town.

If fact, if your idea of a relaxing getaway is a location with plenty of quaint cafes and arts and crafts stores, Neiwan should rank high on your list of destinations. Tourism is now the town's mainstay industry and a stroll along Neiwan's streets makes that very apparent. But do yourself a favor and take a walk out of town before loading yourself down with souvenirs. You'll be glad you did.
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