A travel center designed to cater to foreign tourists has been established in the historic Dasi Township (大溪) in Taoyuan as part of the nation’s efforts to promote travel to local townships, officials said on Thursday.
The “travelers’ space,” which integrates multilingual services, self-guided tourist maps and samples of local delicacies, provides international tourists with a glimpse of the lifestyle in Dasi, Tourism Bureau International Affairs Department Deputy Director Cheng Ying-hui (鄭瑛惠) said.
Starting from Dasi — known for its historical quarter, traditional architecture, tea and tofu dishes — travelers can soak up nostalgic old-town ambiance and experience Taiwan at a grassroots level, Cheng said.
The project is unique, as the space is run by the Lovely Taiwan Foundation, a civic group that has successfully promoted small-town travel to destinations like the Tiehua Music Village (鐵花村) in Taitung.
Through the group’s local connections and expertise in event planning, tours can be better tailored to foreign tourists and their specific needs, foundation chairman Ko Wen-chang (柯文昌) said.
“These lovely towns are the roots of the Taiwanese people. They offer us a sense of stability and connection that we want to share with our foreign guests,” Ko said.
Sitting at the cozy “space,” travelers can also network with each other or talk to local residents to start an impromptu half-day walking tour, which is the spirit of small-town travel, according to Ko.
“We welcome everyone to participate in the creation of a ‘town culture’ that enables residents and visitors alike to comfortably share in the life of the community and be able to deeply feel the goodness of Taiwan,” he said.
Dasi is already highly popular with Chinese tourists for the mausoleums of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), both late leaders of the Republic of China with strong Chinese connections.
Located about 20km from downtown Taoyuan, Dasi is close to the Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫), which has a hydroelectric dam known for its scenic landscape.
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