Friday 15 January 2010

Guanziling 關子嶺

Guanziling (關子嶺), Tainan County

Guanziling is best known for its muddy hot springs, and was one of the big four hot spring areas in Taiwan. During the Japanese occupation, in addition to visiting VIP's, injured Japanese soldiers came here because they believed the water here had healing properties. The guardian deity of the hot springs is a monkey god, and the stone carving was brought here from Kyushu, Japan during the occupation.



水火洞源 water and fire




stone monkey


cameraman monkey


碧雲寺 Pi-yun Temple




大鋤花間 cafe



coffee trees along both sides of "cafe highway 175" 175咖啡公路






fantastic view




龍眼花茶 longan blossom tea - I really liked!
they process it with rock sugar (as a natural preservative)
so the tea tastes flowery and just a little bit sweet




Mr and Mrs Guo, the owners


Ella, the concierge



silly and loveable


incredibly friendly and trusting - even I wasn't afraid!




orchid


art installment by day, tin lantern by night


桶仔雞 drum roasted chicken, served all over 關子嶺


嘉義火雞肉飯 Chiayi turkey rice with turkey juice and fried garlic slices - YUM
Chiayi is right next to Tainan County


there are tons of guavas sold by the side of the road in 關子嶺
our driver wanted to buy some but needed someone to hold his hand,
so I split this pile with him - TWD 200 for the whole thing


cute roadside guava stand lady


More pictures here.

We couldn't fit the coffee house into our story, but it was one of the things I enjoyed most about this trip. I'd love to stop by there one day, spend an afternoon sipping tea (I'm not so much a coffee person), reading if by myself, chatting if with friends and enjoy the view they have on the plains of Chiayi and Tainan. Mr & Mrs Guo said you can see the ocean and Penghu on a nice day. I'd like to stay until evening to watch the sun set, then take in the night view and watch the stars at night. But you need a car to get there, so obviously I'm not going by myself. Having grown up in California and often driven...well...too fast...(it wasn't the sports car, I raced people in the jeep too...), it must sound very strange that I don't have a license, but I'm enjoying not having to drive in Taipei. I live close to work, so I cycle there, and public transportation in Taiwan is convenient and inexpensive, so I have no urge to hurry up and go take the silly test where in one part you have to drive forward and then backward in an S shape.

Although my assignment was to get people to fall in love with Guanziling (愛上關子嶺), I think I fell in love with the cafe. And Ella.


Script for tv news:

Guanziling Hot Springs


The Guanziling hot springs area was developed during the Japanese occupation period. The water there is known for its muddiness, making it rich in minerals and supposedly good for the skin. FTV’s Michella Jade Weng has the story.##
台南縣關子嶺,是以前台灣四大溫泉之一,您多久沒去了呢?今天帶您重回關子嶺爬山、逛寺廟、泡黑泥溫泉,讓您重新愛上關子嶺。##

In the hills of Tainan County, Guanziling was a strategic military point for the Japanese during their occupation of Taiwan. It has since become a tourist area where people come to pray at the two-century-old Pi-yun Temple, now a historic site, and at the fountain of fire that’s guarded by a Japanese monkey god. The fire is lit up by underground natural methane gas.

來關子嶺,可以先到紅葉公園,走步道、接近大自然、眺望山谷風情,接著再到有超過兩百年歷史的碧雲寺拜佛、賞古蹟,之後再去神奇的水火洞源,看火直接從水中冒出,還有順便許個願。


Traveler (female)
I wish that my family is safe and that the kids behave and do their homework.
遊客
許願家裡平安
小孩子乖乖的
功課好

But the hot springs are the biggest attraction in Guanziling.
許完願,來泡溫泉!

[[ns bubbling hot springs]]

If you look closely, you'll see that the water has a thick, grayish consistency.
關子嶺在日治時代,可是四大溫泉之一喔~
它的水質很特別,灰灰濁濁的。

Hou Ming-zong (male)
Hot Springs Resort Operator
The water brings up metamorphic rock sediments with it as it makes its way to the surface – that's why it looks a little gray.
溫泉業者 侯明宗
它穿透了地裡的泥塊
把變質岩的岩層泥沙帶上來
所以它會呈現灰黑色

Wu Che-hung (male)
Siraya Scenic Area Administration
Aside from being more than 100 years old, the Guanziling hot spring area is closest to the freeway. If you spend NT$1000 here before July, you'll get a chance of winning a car in a lucky draw.
西拉雅國家風景區管理處管理課課長 伍哲宏
關子嶺溫泉區除了開發百年之外
它其實也是距離高速公路
最近的一個地方
一直到六月底
只要到關仔嶺消費滿一千元
就會送一張摸彩券
這張摸彩券到六月底
會摸出一台轎車

Supposedly loaded with minerals and good for your skin, in between dips in the hot springs, people pack the mud on their face. Does it really make your face smoother and younger? The only way to find out for yourself is to make a visit here.

來到這兒泡湯,許多人還會把溫泉的黑泥拿來敷臉。敷完會更美更年輕嗎?下次您可以自己來試試看!

Michella Jade Weng, Formosa TV, Tainan
民視新聞 翁郁容 葉尚松 台南報導

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