Alishan A-Go Go! Are You Coming?

The weather looks good. My health is good. My legs are good.... And I am chompin' at the bit to have a little more adventure during these mild autumn months.

I had been planning a single day-ride to Kenting, but the call of the mountains has been too great. I just feel like climbing.

Therefore Michael at The View From Taiwan, and myself, would like to host a two day trip over the spectacular and fabled Alishan.

Alishan gets its name from the word "Kalee", a term plains people once used to describe the people who live in the high mountains, mainly the Tsouic groups, but also some Bunun groups as well.

During the period of Japanese colonization, Alishan has the focus of the forestry and logging industries. This allowed the town of Chia-yi to greatly expand as the center for saw mills and paper. Interestingly, the massive torii at the entrance to the Meiji Shrine in Japan, were originally logged from Alishan. The Japanese also built recreational hot springs in some of Alishan's most picturesque spots, complete with sakura at certain times of the year.

There is, or has been periodically, an old steam train that runs up and down the old narrow gauge rails.

PLAN:

We plan to leave Taichung early on Saturday morning on the Highway 3 to Zhushan. From Zhushan we will slowly climb up the 149甲 and stay the night at the reservoir.

The Next day we will take the 149 to the peak of Alishan and hop on down along the less trafficked 159甲. From the base of the mountain you could either catch a train home or ride back. Michael and I plan to ride.

Although the weather is expected to be clear and dry, the temps on the mountain will probably drop below 10 degrees C.

It should be a blast and I hope we can get some readers to join us for a little adventure. This is not going to be super difficult, but it will be some climbing. This is not a race, but a friendly ride where nobody gets dropped. If you are interested, please contact me through my contact info on the sidebar.

Bike route 769130 - powered by Bikemap

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More on Alishan:

My favorite Alishan story involves my old friend Sam, who met his wife on Alishan while they were students at the Taipei First School. Half way up the mountain the train broke down and the conductor ordered all the luggage removed. The boys were asked to hike all the luggage back down the mountain. Sam decided to show off for the girls and immediately went for the largest suitcase in the pile. It happened to belong to Grace, a sassy little toothpick of a woman with a will of iron, who was absolutely not impressed. They remained in touch and later dated and married before spending their lives living and working in the United States as leaders in exile of the movement for Taiwanese democracy and independence. They are both heroes in my book.

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.