Taichung... You Asked For It!: 谷關—大雪山纜車，新社—大坑 Popular Cycling Routes Threatened By Mayor Hu's Tourism Plan

Dear Taichung Cyclists,

You asked for it and you got it!

In the wake of last weekend's election in which you chose to re-elect Mayor Jason Hu to another term, the mayor has outlined his top priorities for the New Taichung region.

If you guessed the mayor would focus on bread and butter issues like public welfare... you're wrong.

Mayor Hu issued a statement declaring his top priority for his third term will be to construct a cable car system that will run from Dakeng to Gu Guan in an effort to attract more tourists.

How does this impact us as cyclists?

Part of the plan will call for widening the roads and developing the popular cycling areas around Dakeng, where recreational cyclists from around the area can find a little respite from the traffic and chaos that often makes cycling more accessible locations a total nightmare. We will be forced to endure tour busses and the problems they create. Currently, this little oasis of nature provides a getaway from the city... until the city comes to Dakeng.

The plan does not stop there. The plan is set to include other popular cycling routes in Da Xue Shan and Gu Guan. Both areas currently provide relatively safe and less trafficked areas where cyclists can climb and descend while enjoying the natural beauty of Taiwan's great outdoors. The beautiful vistas and panoramas will be interrupted with cable.

I implore you all to write to your new city council members to express your concerns and request that they deny the mayor funding for this reckless project that will result in even more environmental degradation.

There are not many natural places near the city to cycle through and enjoy. Don't let the mayor steal another one from us to enrich his construction cronies.

You get what you vote for.

Yours!

Taiwan In Cycles

p.s.

If the mayor had lived in Taichung during the 921 earthquake he may have thought twice about planting anything into those mountains.

Policy Details HERE

Contact DPP city councilor 王岳彬. He has apparently been a major proponent of this project as well.

Second Grader Bikes Around Taiwan!!!

Wow! Above is a screen capture from the write up in Chinese of a Taiwanese second grade student's adventure cycling around Taiwan. Incredible. The full version can be seen here. Click on the Photo button to see his photo expose. What an inspiration!

Added:

Here is a little more in English.

News For A Coffee Stop AND Cancer Riders Prologue

The group of cancer fighters from the UK have safely finished their tour of Taiwan and are now safely in front of a fire someplace enjoying the lovely Fall weather.

You can see some pictures from their adventure HERE.

They also have a full write up of their daily travel schedule, which may be very useful to people who are not regular cyclists, but would like to consider the adventure of biking around Taiwan.

An excerpt:

We knew at this point we had the toughest part of the day coming up. We had psyched ourselves up for this ALL week – it was now time for the killer hill! We had to cross the mountains and head into the valley on the other side. The hill we had to tackle was a constant incline for 7km!

We set off from out break point and headed onto the mountain road and the hill began. The temperature was now hotting up and the whole way up the hill we were in the scorching sun! The hill really did seem to go on forever but it was worthwhile as the views as we got higher and higher were amazing. As we were cycling we kept looking up and seeing the road spiralling up and up in the distance at times we really thought we would not be able to make it!

We finally made it to the top after a great deal of hard work! It was such an amazing feeling reaching the top and being welcomed by those members of the team who had arrived before us!

You can check out the whole report HERE.

Around The Hub

• Ma-Ying-jiu greets Taiwanese Medalists from the Asian Games.
• Bike Injuries vs. Running Injuries.
• Cycling Geomancy and Feng-shui silliness.
• Hop aboard the Bicycle Super Highway.
• Ole' Motorlegs Cancellara has chosen to ride for the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project after Specialized devoted a ton of capital in the rider as their star.

Taiwan In Cycles "Knows The Price of Everything and The Value of Nothing"

Apparently, the Chinese cyclist who violated the terms of his visa (who hasn't been guilty of that at some time or another in Taiwan?), has generated quite a buzz with his ride report that primarily focused on the differences between Chinese and Taiwanese service culture. His blog has had over 2 million hits since his return.

The 26yo. web designer entered Taiwan on a 12 day business visa, but managed to circumvent the country on his bike.

On a beach at the Kenting Park at the southern tip of Taiwan, Liu saw no trespassers at all after a "No Entry" sign was erected at a dangerous spot. It would be an entirely different scene in China, he commented.

On the eve of the Oct. 10 National Day of the Republic of China in Taiwan, Liu witnessed the change of guards at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei from only an arm's length like all other surrounding people, a scene that also said would be unfathomable would be impossible on the mainland.

He noted that even in the generally pro-taiwan independence south, people are friendly and hospitable. Tainan is a power base of Taiwan's opposition "green camp" where Vice Chairman Zhang Minqing the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) was once pushed onto the ground by some anti-China protesters when visiting the Confucius Temple honoring the Chinese sage. Nevertheless, Liu still pointed out that he had to admit about a little difference in the atmosphere from other major cities in Taiwan. He said it could have arisen from certain psychological reason.

What I find really interesting about this report is in the subtle ways the perception of a "shared Chinese culture" falls by the wayside when it comes into contact with the result of independent structural and experiential and social change.

Read Carefully

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In Other News:

Singapore sends a humanitarian bicycle mission to Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) takes great pride in helping to facilitate the Singaporean Concern & Care Society on a humanitarian mission to deliver 10,000 Christmas cards by bicycle.

The stated mission is to, "spread Singaporeans' concern to their Taiwanese friends caught in times of difficulties and to encourage the victims to bravely face the challenges in life."

The 25 day bicycle mission, which officially started on November 17, is expressly focused on the victims of typhoons Megi and Fanapi, which both ravaged the Philippines with some lesser damage to Taiwan. I kind of feel this effort is misplaced as there are other places in more dire need of these human resources, organization and financial support.

From this observer's standpoint it appears these are two groups trying to subvert the goals of the other to proselytize for their respective faiths.

The Singaporeans seem to be using the type of coded language associated with missionary work, and MOFA seems to be a) trying to increase ties between fellow, "Chinese" compatriots with the aim of extending the political reach of a "greater China" rooted in imagined blood relations; and b) hoping to stimulate growth in bicycle tourism, which can serve several simultaneous goals.

That is what I was guessing, so I made sure to check the information provided by the Concern and Care Society.

To serve fellow human beings with the Christian spirit of love, humility and sacrifice, through the provision of direct services to needy families and individuals, especially the elderly, and the promotion of good family and personal values, working with Christians, other Christian organizations, and other individuals and organizations who share our values, as much as possible to maximize the impact of our endeavours.

Hmmmmm! Or maybe I am just being a cynic.

Thinking About Sheng-Shing Station (勝興車站) and the Nature of Touring Taiwan

Bike Routes Around Sheng-Shing

Yesterday, Taiwan's central government kicked off its 2011 tourism campaign in which cycling appears quite prominently as one of Taiwan's 10 major attractions.

The government has narrowed the campaign into three key ideas; 1) "Tour Taiwan 100", an obvious (and shamefully ideological) focus on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China, which first arrived in Taiwan between 1945 and 1949. 2) Authentic Taiwan, an attempt to distill and locate Taiwan's cultural authenticity through invented symbols and meanings provided by the government. 3) Great Service in Taiwan; a plan to woo Chinese tourists with Taiwan's strange and exotic service culture.

Authentic Taiwan will promote the culture and traditions of Taiwan through four key events, one for each season: Taiwan Lantern Festival (Spring), Taiwan Cuisine Festival (Summer), Taiwan International Cycling Festival (Autumn) and the Taiwan Hot Springs and Fein Cuisine Carnival (Winter). In conjunction with these events, there will also be a number of new initiatives such as ‘Taiwan Tea Adventure’ and ‘Taiwan Night Market Competitions’ designed to promote the other aspects of culture on the island.

It appears the bicycle aspect of this campaign will focus on East Coast tourism and "Aboriginal" entertainment.

This news could not have come at a more fortuitous time for this blogger, who was just about to write a little bit about his trip through Sanyi, and specifically, Sheng Shing Station (勝興車站)with some interesting insights into this tourist attraction and others like it in Taiwan.

Route Marker

Sheng Shing Station is the site of an old Japanese Colonial era train stop along the old North-South route to Kaohsiung, which was completed by 1908.

The area is located in the foothills just above Sanyi, a town that is regarded as a Hakka town predominantly populated the descendants of Hakka speaking immigrants from the foothills of Qing era Fujian, and the descendants of Kaxabu and Taokas speaking indigenous peoples who have lived in and around the Dajia River basin and river valley for thousands of years.

Japanese Era Building?

At first glance it appears the hoards of tourists that descend on Sheng Shing Station each weekend are looking for the things many tourists around the world seek when they travel; a little escape from their hectic lives in the cities. Here they seek some type of refuge in a little idyllic rail road town full of shops pedaling "traditional" food and handicrafts. These tourists may also hope to enjoy some of the authentic "local Hakka culture", eat authentic "local" food, and see lives that are different than their own.

In Sheng-Shing visitors can walk the old cobbled streets, enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the traditional, antique buildings and really get a feeling of authenticity of what life in this little town must have been like during its heyday almost a century ago.

Romantic Getaway From City Life

At first I was fascinated at how the local people had located their cultural and historic authenticity in the Japanese Colonial period (1895-1945), which had been so reviled by the Chinese Nationalists when they arrived on Taiwan. The Chinese Nationalists spent an enormous amount of energy trying to eradicate any residual evidence of the 50 years the Japanese spent colonizing and transforming Taiwan into a model colony of the Japanese Empire. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hoped to eradicate the Japanese "taint" and replace it with the symbols and meanings of their own Chinese Nationalist colonial project.

The task would have been too great as the social and structural implications of the Japanese colonial project were just too great and too deep to destroy. It would have meant burning Taiwan to ashes. Therefore, several structures like this old station remain and communities have constructed entirely new local identities around these vestiges of life during the Japanese era.

What I found so interesting was that without the Japanese experience, these local communities like Sheng-Shing would look much different or might not exist at all. Moreover, the local residents have made the projection of their Japanese experience their raison d'etre. It is not a Chinese identity or a projection of Qing era Hakka culture. Instead, the locals have chosen to "other" themselves to exist in a different time or mythical past than the tourists. The tourist is allowed to break from achronological time and visit people and places from the "past".

At first this seems astounding that an identity from the Japanese colonial period, which has long been over, could still find salience in modern Taiwan.

Hakka Food

I then stepped back a little and considered that the locals may not necessarily fix their identity in the symbolism of the Japanese era, but instead may be responding to provide the tourists with exactly what the tourists want to see.

They have constructed a facsimile of a Japanese era railroad town with faux cobbles in the streets, imitation wood facades covering more recent concrete-box buildings, and quaint little shops or stalls to sell the things that probably never existed in the time and place being portrayed by the locals.

The locals have created a fabrication to satisfy the exotic fantasies of the visitors, who, themselves, have located and identified Shing-Sheng's authenticity in a particular time, which is the actual object of desire-- not the locals.

Sheng-Shing Station Street

I was then reminded of one of my favorite passages from Michael Taussig who examines the way indigenous/local cultures, which have become the object of desire by the West, appropriate the West's imagery and symbolism, then reflect it back like a type of video feedback:

"To become aware of the West in the eyes and handiwork of its Others, to wonder in fascination with their fascination, is to abandon border logistics and enter into the "second contact" era of the borderland where "us" and "them" lose their polarity and swim in and out of focus. This dissolution reconstellates the play of nature in mythic parts of contactual truths. Stable identity formations auto-destruct into silence, gasps of unaccountable pleasure, or cartwheeling confusion gathered into what I call "mimetic excess" spending itself into a riot of dialectical imagery"--Taussig, Mimesis and Alterity p.246

Although Taussig had a more profound contrast between West and Other, I think the basic thesis can be applied here in the dialectic between the Local and Non-Local.

In the case of Sheng-Shing Station, it is not as simple as the locals engaged in cultural production or the commoditization of identity for consumption by the visitor. Nor is it necessarily a simple case of locals industriously deploying their cultural/historical resources for economic benefit.

The locals are not providing the visitor with the facsimile of what the visitor wants, but is instead reflecting back the reflection.

The locals (or the developers behind them) have produced an image of what the locals imagine the visitor would like to see. This exercise requires the locals to imagine themselves in the eyes of the visitor and project what that image may look like, while the visitor consumes the local's image of what the local thinks the visitor would like to consume. It becomes an endless house of mirrors of unintended parody in the world of mimesis and its alter.

Despite this strange and almost ridiculous contrivance, the result gains a type of authenticity as a living local culture that could not exist without the visitor, the visited and their preconceived imagination of the other reflecting back at themselves.

Many of Taiwanese tourism destinations are built around this relationship and make it interesting to watch, and thus when the government starts pedaling "authentic" local culture, I wonder if this is what they have in mind?

Sources:

1. Taussig. Michael.1993. Mimesis and Alterity: A Particular History of the Senses. New York, NY. Routledge

A Friendly Climb?

MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE!

Here is a little video from Team 136, which is associated with Terry Lin's group from Cafe Terry, which I profiled couple weeks back.

Every month or so they run a climbing Time Trial on Taichung's famed Local Road # 136. Any rider who can make it to the top in under 40min. earns the right to wear a special jersey to signify the accomplishment. The event is open to all. Just stop by Cafe Terry for details.

I believe the record time is something like... 36min.

Epic Fail!: Misadventures On Nantou's Sweet 16

With my birthday on Saturday, I decided to spend the day with my wife. Sunday was to be a selfish day to myself-- a day to rise to a new challenge and explore places I have never been. I really wanted to punish my body for turning another year older. I also needed a little solitary riding to just let the thought flow.

The plan was to do something approximately 160 to 200km... with lots of climbing.

My route of choice was the Highway 16 that starts in Nantou and climbs up to the base of Yushan, the highest mountain in East Asia. From looking at the map it was long enough, high enough, and in the right location.

I figured I could make good time out to Shuili, just at the base of the Highway 16, and then climb until 12:30pm or maybe 1:00pm if I was feeling good. The return would be down hill, thus saving energy, and once I returned to Shuili it would be an easy and familiar shot home along the Highway 3.

That was the plan.

I woke up early, but was pretty tired from some solid rides during the week and the hours of saddle time the day before. On my saturday ride I tried not to exert much energy, but I still wasn't resting.

In preparation for this epic ride I calculated my birthday dinner into the equation and pigged out at Chili's in Tiger City. Lots of good food and a rare dessert to pack in the carbs.

I put myself together and eased out onto the early morning road with a head full of music and some kind of plan for my day.

By the time I rolled into Ming-jian, I could tell my legs were not 100% and worries a little about my day's forecast. I hoped to rally through it and push the sluggishness aside. Part of the plan was to stop in Ming-jian for a coffee and a little more nutrition before entering the mountains. I chose McDonalds for their Sausage McMuffin with Egg meal although I wasn't hungry. After a few bites, I wrapped up half the muffin and stuffed it in my jersey pocket for later.

I hit the road once more to Shuili, where I took in a sport drink, filled up my mounted water bottle, drank enough water out of another bottle to squeeze the air out and flatten it into something pocketable, then I was off into unknown territory.

I highly recommend Shuili for its access to several locations in the foothills and central mountain range. From Shuili you can access Sun Moon Lake, Lugu, Hsitou, Sanlinxi, Alishan, Yushan and several other places.

The road out was surprisingly easy and I spun past a few easy-going cyclists on expensive road bikes. The burst of adrenaline had brought new energy into my legs and I felt unstoppable.

Then, just after the junction with the Highway 21, which goes to Alishan, the Highway 16 shoots up high above the beginnings of the Zhoushui River. The Zhoushui carves an impressive grey rift between the mountains, where the gravel trucks owned by the infamous Yen Ching-biao could be seen working non-stop to dredge out the riverbeds.

The road quickly narrows into a cliff-hugging ribbon of concrete. I expected the climbing to continue ever higher. Surprisingly, it leveled off. There were even a few downhill sections that emptied me out into a fantastic valley of green farms.

The feeling was surreal. I was surrounded on all sides by towering cliffs and dark, shadowy mountains, but I was cruising along flats drenched in sunlight. In the not so distant distance I could make out the silhouette of Yu Shan towering above the other mountains drenched in mist and sunlight. It was such a powerful image... too bad non of my shots could capture it through the light.

The flats suddenly rise up a steep slope to Dili Village, a Bunun town nestled into the side of a mountain. I made a standing assault on the hill until it flattened out into some very charming corners. If not for the debris that littered the road it would have been a cyclists dream.

I finally made it back to where I could get a proper view of the Zhoushui and it was an amazing sight as it eddies and curls in separate tendril-like streams that split and converge.

At one point the road overlooks a tight bend in the river where the vertical cliffs drop straight down into the valley.

After several pictures I continued up the road. It was nearing 11:30 and I still wanted to ride for another hour and a half.

I rounded a bend that revealed a treelined "boulevard" that zig-zaged toward the river. There were a few fern farms in there and more views than I could capture on my camera.

I was jamming down the hill, when I rolled over a gutter grate. The grate was loose and popped up as I passed with just enough speed to catch the raised lip with my rear tire. I knew in an instant I had a flat.

I attempted to change the tube, but as I filled the new tube with CO2, the tire remained soft. A faulty valve on the tube had cost me my last cartridge of CO2. Now I was really stuck and made the mental preparations to walk the bike out.

Just as I was putting everything back together, a caravan of three cars came by led by a pick-up truck. I thumbed a ride up the mountain back to Dili village. I had hardly seen anyone all day and just happened to be there when a guide and his customers were coming back from a little adventure. It was also fortuitous that they has a pick-up truck. You don't see many of those in Taiwan. Ever grateful was I. Still, in the back of my mind I was thinking about all those calories I took in the night before that I wasn't going to spend.

One of the best things about riding in Taiwan is how hospitable people are. I received so much help and it was so great.

Having imposed myself upon the group, I had to oblige the offer of food, which was freshly caught and cooked mountain shrimp. I couldn't refuse.

My wife finally arranged to have our friend from Lugu come down and save my ass. It was noon and our friend wouldn't be available until the afternoon. I whiled away my time at the hostel owned by Mr. Wu, who may give Trong Chai a run for his money in the category of "manliness". Mr. Wu is an older gentleman, but looks much younger. He was wonderful conversation and a very awesome fellow. I am so grateful for his hospitality. We just chatted and sipped tea into the afternoon. I highly recommend his hostel if you would like to spend a weekend exploring the area.

"Jacky", our friend finally arrived and brought me off the mountain. We stopped off in Shuili for some Bawan "Taiwanese meatball" at one of the famous vendors.

We finally located a bike shop in Shuili where, after about 10min. the owner was able to find a road tube.

I got myself all set up for my ride back to Taichung.

When I finally got back on the road I hit a blistering pace back to Taichung. My cruising speed generally ranged between 35-46kph. I was hammering home. My legs felt perfect running smooth as butter. Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh! Everything was clicking and I was eating up scooters all along the Highway 3.

I finally reached my front door in 2:23:31 from Shuili. I had still managed to ride 138km despite the premature end to my trip. It was a failed trip, but it was still very epic and in many ways a huge success.

I think it also served as a reminder to myself to not get so careless. There were a few things I should have done differently. I know where I screwed up:

• I should have had one more tube with me.
• I should have carried a spare CO2 cartridge.
• I should have taken the Standard to Presta pump adapter off my kitchen table, where it has been for 6 weeks, and put it in my seat bag. These are very useful in Taiwan, where there are lots of standard pumps.

Anyways... I made it home safe.

Notes:

The Hostel is the Yen Shi Hostel

Tel:電話：049-2741100 Cell:手機：0937-295570

Yenshi Hostel: #7-2 Dili Village, Xinyi Township, Nantou County.
岩石休閒民宿地址：南投縣信義鄉地利村7-2號

Website:http://www.rock-home.com.tw/