桃園市

Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Park (東眼山國家森林遊樂區)

Translated literally into English as “Eastern Eye Mountain,” the Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Park in Taoyuan has gone through what many would consider a surge in popularity over the past few years.

With the COVID-19 pandemic putting international tourism to a sudden halt, people in Taiwan were (probably for the first time in their lives) forced to look at destinations within their own borders for places where they could enjoy a bit of travel, while also staying safe from the virus.

Amazingly, despite the pandemic dealing a pretty harsh blow to international tourism, with little other option, the people of Taiwan it seems have started to appreciate their beautiful country a little more than they did in the past. For years, I’ve been standing here with a megaphone trying to convince people that Taiwan is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but apparently all it took was a global pandemic to push people to come to the same conclusion.

In truth, it doesn’t really matter what caused this seismic shift in attitude with regard to domestic tourism in Taiwan. The important thing is that people have become content traveling around the country and enjoying its natural beauty. This has become especially true for the youth of the country, who have taken to outdoor activities like hiking mountains, river tracing, rock climbing, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc. Weekends and holidays typically see people traveling from one end of the country to the other to enjoy the hundreds of hiking trails or to the few areas of the island where the coral reef remains alive and well.

This sudden surge in domestic tourism, especially with regard to outdoor recreation, has forced something of a ‘reset’ with regard to how tourism is marketed around here. The pandemic may have forced the unfortunate closure of a number of the nation’s international travel agencies, but it has spawned a growing number of companies that have adapted by planning events to the mountains, outlying islands and even offering scuba-diving packages to those wanting to learn. Similarly, even though the nation’s beautiful mountains have always been accessible, the surge in interest in hiking them has forced the government to improve infrastructure in these areas, allowing more and more people to enjoy all of the breathtaking beauty that Taiwan has to offer.

One of the areas that have benefited most from this surge in domestic tourism are the nation’s ‘Forest Recreation Parks,’ which tend to be large mountainous parks where people of all ages can enjoy leisurely walks through the forest or difficult hikes to alpine mountain peaks. Some of these parks, Alishan (阿里山) and Taipingshan (太平山), for example, have always enjoyed the love and adoration of the Taiwanese public, but with more a dozen of similar parks across the country, people have started to take an interest in the others as well.

As the only one of these parks located in Taoyuan, and one of the most easily accessible within Northern Taiwan, the Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Park is one of those destinations that has received a considerable amount of attention over the past few years.

That being said, as an avid hiker, and one of the few vocal lovers of Taoyuan, I have to admit that over all of my years of living in Taiwan, I’m guilty of being a bit like everyone else in that I’ve only recently discovered the beauty of this National Forest Park. Nevertheless, now that Taiwan has reopened for international tourism, its important that destinations like this receive the attention they deserve, especially from foreign writers like myself.

I hope that this guide to the park, and the photos I’m sharing today help to convince you that a day-trip to Dongyanshan, whether it be with a tour group, or on your own, is well worth the time and effort that it takes to get there. Before I start talking about the park though, it’s probably a good idea to briefly introduce these ‘National Forest Parks’ so that you have a better idea of what to expect.

Taiwan’s National Forest Recreation Parks

Established by the Forestry Bureau in 1965 (民國54年), the government has designated a number of Taiwan’s mountainous areas as protected ‘Forest Recreation Parks’ (國家森林遊樂區). Over the six decades since these protected areas were established, the number of parks on the list has grown significantly, with many of them once utilized by the Forestry Bureau for the purpose of extracting natural resources.

Currently there are twenty-two designated areas around the country that have established Forest Recreation Parks, but that list of parks can often be somewhat confusing, even for locals, given that they often receive slightly different designations, and may or may not be included within what are considered National Parks (國家公園) or National Scenic Areas (國家級風景特定區). Officially, the list includes some twenty-two established areas, which are classified simply as ‘Forest Parks’ or ‘Forest Wetland Parks’, making the actual number of these spaces slightly misleading, given that they differ greatly in size and scope.

Nevertheless, no matter how you classify them, these parks range from tropical monsoon forests in the south and east of the country to temperate high-mountain forests in northern and central Taiwan. In each case, the Forestry Bureau has developed a system of walking paths and hiking trails within where visitors are able to enjoy the natural beauty of Taiwan at their leisure.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of the (current) areas classified as 'Forest Recreation Areas,’ each of which have become popular with local and international tourists, with a few of them becoming rather iconic.

    1. Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area (太平山國家森林遊樂區)

    2. Manyueyuan Forest Recreation Area (滿月圓國家森林遊樂區)

    3. Neidong Forest Recreation Area (內洞國家森林遊樂區)

    4. Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Area (東眼山國家森林遊樂區)

    5. Guanwu Forest Recreation Area (觀霧國家森林遊樂區)

    6. Mingchih Forest Recreation Area (明池國家森林遊樂區)

    7. Wuling Forest Recreation Area (武陵國家森林遊樂區)

    8. Basianshan Forest Recreation Area (八仙山國家森林遊樂區)

    9. Dasyueshan Forest Recreation Area (大雪山國家森林遊樂區)

    10. Hehuanshan Forest Recreation Area (合歡山國家森林遊樂區)

    11. Aowanda Forest Recreation Area (奧萬大國家森林遊樂區)

    12. Alishan Forest Recreation Area (阿里山國家森林遊樂區)

    13. Tengjhih Forest Recreation Area (藤枝國家森林遊樂區)

    14. Kenting Forest Recreation Area (墾丁國家森林遊樂區)

    15. Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area (雙流國家森林遊樂區)

    16. Jhihben Forest Recreation Area (知本國家森林遊樂區)

    17. Siangyang Forest Recreation Area (向陽國家森林遊樂區)

    18. Chihnan Forest Recreation Area (池南國家森林遊樂區)

    19. Fuyuan Forest Recreation Area (富源國家森林遊樂區)

Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Park

The ‘Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Park’ was established in 1991 (民國80年) on 916 hectares of land within Taoyuan’s mountainous Fuxing District (復興區). Originally home to the Llyung Topa (拉流斗霸) of the Tayal Indigenous people (泰雅族), the park, which spans an elevation from altitude of 650 - 1,212 meters above sea level sits on the western edge of Taiwan’s Snow Mountain Range (雪山山脈), and acts as a natural barrier separating the east of the country from the west, protecting Taoyuan and New Taipei City from typhoons and the northeast monsoon.

More commonly known these days as the Dabao Tribe (大豹社), named after the Dabao River (大豹溪) that flows from the mountains into Sanxia, a lot closer to the Manyueyuan Forest Recreation Park. In the late 1800s, the indigenous people were essentially pushed out of their homes, fleeing into the mountains, first by the Qing and then the Japanese.

The sad story started when the Qing government removed its prohibition regarding entering Taiwan’s mountainous regions (開山撫番). Shortly after, the Chinese started making their way into the territory of the Dabao Tribe in order to extract the area’s rich camphor reserves, resulting in the Takoham Incident (大嵙崁社事件), a violent affair that left many on both sides dead.

Later, when the Japanese took control of Taiwan, a similar push into the mountains took place, resulting in guerilla warfare between the indigenous people and the Japanese loggers. Eventually, the Governor-General sent the army marching into the mountains and pushed the Indigenous people out of their ancestral homes.

Link: Sanxia Loyal Spirit Monument (三峽忠魂碑)

The encroachment of the Japanese on indigenous territories across the island often resulted in violence and misery for Taiwan’s indigenous people, but as they stood in the way of the empire’s ambition for the extraction of the island’s precious natural resources, the violence was relentless and unforgiving.

By 1907 (明治40年), the Japanese had pushed their way from Abohei (Amuping / 阿姆坪) all the way to Kappanzan (Jiaobanshan / 角板山 / カッバンソァン), and once the area was firmly under their control, they started to develop a number of facilities dedicated to ensuring the efficiency of the extraction of natural resources from the mountains. Obviously, camphor (樟腦) was at the top on their list of resources to extract, and the area we refer to as Dongyanshan today became an important one for the Timber Industry (林業).

Realizing the extraction of camphor from the area wasn’t a sustainable industry, the Japanese brought with them scientists who set up a research station in Kappazan to search for breakthroughs in the cultivation of cinchona (金雞納樹), a flowering plant known for its medicinal value, especially with regard to treating malaria. In the areas where the cultivation of the plant wasn’t feasible, they ended up reforesting these areas with Japanese cedar, which was also incredibly important for the future development and construction projects across Taiwan.

When the Japanese-era came to an end in 1945, the extraction of camphor continued throughout the post-war era, pretty much until the supply was depleted. Afterwards, the focus of the timber industry shifted to the extraction of cedar which, (ironically was predominately sold back to the Japanese) continued for several decades until it was decided to convert the area into a Forest Park under the 1965 (民國54年) law mentioned above.

As Northern Taiwan’s largest Forest Recreation Park, the Forestry Bureau has done an excellent job creating a network of hiking trails combined with educational resources about the area’s history, making a visit both educational and enjoyable at the same time. Famed for it’s tall cedar forests and it’s ‘sea of clouds’ (雲海), Dongyanshan is not only home to stunning hiking trails, but a large collection of fossils, dating back almost thirty million years to a time when Taiwan was still submerged in the Pacific Ocean.

The park is also home to a number of indigenous animal, insect, and bird species, which you might be lucky enough to encounter during a hike through the forest. Obviously, the most outgoing of the bunch are the Formosan Rock Macaques (台灣獼猴), but you may also be lucky to encounter Red-bellied Squirrels (赤腹松鼠), Formosan Hares (台灣野兔), frogs, snakes, and other smaller reptiles, such as the Formosan pangolin (台灣鯪鯉). The area is also a paradise for bird watchers, so if you’re into that kind of thing, you might want to bring some binoculars along with you!

Points of Interest (東眼山景點)

With the park’s surge in popularity over the past few years, it has also undergone some changes with the addition of some points of interest that help to ensure that a trip there is accessible for one and all. So, before I move on to introducing the trails within the park, I’ll offer a brief introduction of some of the facilities within, so that you have a better idea of what to expect when you visit.

It’s important to keep in mind that although I’m providing a map of the park, it’s essentially the most recent one that is available. Things may ultimately change with the park facilities in the future, so if you visit, I highly recommend grabbing a park brochure at the ticket booth, which will provide the most recent map.

Restrooms (廁所)

Never fear, Dongyanshan Forest Park is a very family-friendly space and unlike most hiking trail across the country, you’ll find that there are several washroom facilities available to hikers and tourists. There are restrooms located within the Tourist Visitor Center as well as several recently constructed facilities along the trails as well - If you find yourself in need, just check out the map of the park given to you at the ticket booth, which displays the locations of all the restrooms.

As I’m writing this article, there are nine different washroom facilities within the park, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a space to relieve yourself should you need to.

Pavilions / Picnic Spots / Rest Areas / Viewing Platforms

Within the park, you’ll find a number of spots where you can stop to rest and enjoy some snacks or drinks with your family, friends and fellow hikers. These spaces offer covered protection from the elements in case of rain, so if you need a space to rest, you’ll find these spots conveniently marked on the map. Similarly, along the Self-Guided Trail, you’ll find three different viewing platforms where you can enjoy some scenic views of Taoyuan and New Taipei City. These platforms aren’t covered, but they do allow hikers to sit and enjoy snacks at their leisure.

Tourist Visitor Center (遊客中心)

Located at the base of the hiking trailheads, the Tourist Visitor Center is an excellent place for groups to meet up prior to or after finishing a hike. The building features a small cafeteria where you can purchase some food, snacks or drinks. It is also home to a pretty nice restroom area where visitors can relieve themselves before or after a hike.

There’s also a free filtered water machine where you can fill up a water bottle with hot, warm or cold water for free.

The Visitor Center also comes equipped with some educational exhibition spaces with informative displays about some of the fossils found within the park as well as a description of the vegetation and animals that make their home within the park.

Dongyanshan Restaurant (東眼山食堂)

The recently opened Dongyanshan Restaurant is located within a beautifully designed building a short distance from the Visitor Center. Taking into consideration the location of the park, it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that the menu is quite limited. Offering set menus (with vegetarian options), fried snacks and various beverages, it’s certainly not a Michelin-quality restaurant, but if you’re hungry and in need of something to eat, it’s a pretty good option.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that the ‘Set Menu’ dishes are only available from 11:00am - 1:30pm while the ‘Afternoon Tea’ fried dishes are available from 2:00 until the restaurant closes.

Reforestation Memorial Stone (造林紀念石)

Located at the end of the Forestry Trail, you’ll find a memorial stone that commemorates the reforestation effort that helped to bring the forest back to life, giving us the beautiful park that we’re able to enjoy today. The memorial isn’t really that much to look at, and it essentially just marks the end of the trail, but it’s an important reminder that this are was once completely clear cut.

Dongyanshan Hiking Trails (東眼山健行步道)

Within Dongyanshan Forestry Park there are essentially three major trails, with a number of off-shoots that connect with other trails, and extend beyond to much longer and more challenging hikes. With a combined length of around sixteen kilometers, you’ll have to choose carefully which trail to hike on your visit, because you probably couldn’t finish them all in a single trip. Most visitors are likely to choose between the ‘Self-Guided Trail’, the ‘Scenic Trail’ or the ‘Forestry Trail’, but for those who are a bit more serious, they might simply be making use of the leisurely trails to extend their hike to ‘Dongman Trail’ (東滿步道) or onto ‘Mount Beichatian’ (北插天山), which aren’t for the faint of heart.

The Self-Guided Trail (自導式步道)

Starting at the Dongyanshan Visitor Center (東眼山遊客中心), the nearly four kilometer-long ‘Self-Guided Trail’ is a bit awkwardly named in that it might mislead some visitors into thinking that the other trails require a tour guide, which isn’t actually the case. This trail is essentially a loop through some of the most stunning natural scenery that Dongyanshan has to offer, and culminates at the highest point of the park, which is essentially the peak (三角點) at 1,212 meters.

View of the Taipei Basin from the peak.

Along the way you’ll get to enjoy ridge-lines with stunning views of Taoyuan and Sanxia, and if the weather is good, you may even catch a view of Taipei 101 in the distance. Keeping things interesting, the trail is home to a number of outdoor exhibits and educational signage that paints a pictures of the area and its history.

Trail length: 3.5 - 4km (1-2 hours) Highest elevation: 1,212 meters

The Scenic Trail (景觀步道)

If you’re looking for the most Instagram-friendly trail, the ‘Scenic Trail’ is probably the one you’re looking for. This short trail doesn’t take very long to hike and along the mostly flat trail you’ll find a number of Instagram popular installations that have been set up by the park staff and local designers to celebrate the history of the park. Along the way, you’ll also get a pretty good introduction to the natural environment that the rest of the park has to offer.

That being said, if you take a trip all the way to the park and only hike this trail, you’re missing out. If you’re traveling with young children though, it’s a friendly area that won’t tire them out too much.

Trail length: 350 meters (10-20 minutes)

The Forestry Trail (森林知性步道)

Looking at the official park map, the ‘Forestry Trail’ is more or less a trail that combines a number of smaller trails. Hiking this one allows you to experience the natural beauty of the park, while also allowing you to experience the re-forestation efforts that have taken place to help the natural environment come back to life in the areas where the logging industry did the most damage. Passing by the ‘Scenic Trail’ mentioned above, you’ll make your way through the forest covered Father-Son Peaks Trail (親子峰步道), which then loops around and connects with the Forestry Trail (森林知性步道), where you’ll make your way back to the Visitor Center at the end of your hike.

This hike is a much different one than the Self-Guided Trail above in that it doesn’t culminate in a ‘peak’ nor does it offer you scenic views of Taoyuan and New Taipei. The trail essentially just winds its way through a reforested section of the park where the tall Japanese cedar trees and the natural environment that has grown up around them make for some pretty beautiful photos.

Personally this trail was my favorite part of the park as it reminded me of some of the mountainous trails back home in Canada that I would cross-country ski through during my youth.

Trail length: 3km + 1.3km (2 - 2.5 hours) Highest elevation: 1,060 meters

The Dongman Trail (東滿步道)

The longest trail in the park is an interesting one because it is essentially a one-way hike that’ll take the entire day and connects you from one Forest Recreation Park to another. The name “Dongman” (東滿) is a combination of the first characters in “Dongyanshan” (東眼山) and “Manyueyuan” (滿月圓), which is another Forest Park located in Sanxia (三峽). Hikers are free to choose to start the roughly eight kilometer hike in the Forest Park of their choice, depending on personal preference, with one starting at a lower elevation and the other starting at a higher elevation.

The trail is known for its panoramic views of the northern mountain range, but is considered an advanced hike, and should always be done in a group for safety. The other thing that you’ll want to keep in mind is that since the hike starts in one park and ends in another, your method of getting there and getting home will be different, so it doesn’t make much sense to drive your car to one, do the hike, and end up stranded in the other.

Fortunately, there are hiking groups like Parkbus that coordinate hikes to the trail and conveniently provide drop off at one park and pick up at the other, solving those logistical problems.

Trail length: 8km (4-5 hours one way) Highest elevation: 1,130 meters

Park Admission Fees

It is somewhat uncommon for popular tourist destinations to charge an admission fee in Taiwan, but in this case for the purpose of maintaining the quality of the trails, the administration of the park, and most importantly the reforestation effort, a modest admission fee is collected at the entrance.

The current admission fee scheme is as follows:

Weekdays: Adults NT$80

Weekends & National Holidays: Adults NT$100

Group Rate (20 or more people): NT$80

Children: NT$10 (3-6 years), NT$50 (7-12 years)

Seniors (65+): NT$10

Parking Fee: Cars NT$100, Scooters NT$20

Getting There

 

Address: No.30, Jiazhi, Fuxing Dist., Taoyuan City (桃園市復興區霞雲村佳志35號)

GPS: 121.41761, 24.825110

Car / Scooter

If you have your own means of transportation, getting to Dongyanshan Forest Park is relatively straight forward. Located along the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北部橫貫公路), otherwise known as Highway 7 (台7線), you can make your way to the road from Taoyuan, passing through Daxi (大溪) and Cihu (慈湖) or from New Taipei City’s Sanxia District (三峽區). Even though the Cross-Island Highway is considered a ‘highway’ it’s not an expressway, so scooters and motorcycles are permitted to ride up and down the mountainous road.

Input the address or the coordinates provided above into your GPS or Google Maps and you’ll have the best route conveniently mapped out for you.

It’s important to note though that if you’re driving a car or a scooter (or a Gogoro), the last gas station (and battery swapping station) is located on the turn off to Jiaobanshan Villa (角板山公園), so you may want to fill up before you head to the park. It’s also your last chance to pick up some hiking snacks as there is a convenience store next to the gas station.

Public Transportation

Currently, the only option for taking public transportation to Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Park is to take a bus from the Daxi Bus Station (桃園客運大溪總站). Service is provided by the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Service (台灣好行) on Route #506, but travelers need to keep in mind that during the week there are only three shuttle services a day and five on weekends and holidays.

It is important that you plan your trip wisely and make sure that you don’t miss the bus, otherwise you might find yourself stranded and waiting around for quite some time.

Weekday departures from Daxi: 8:00, 11:00, 15:00

Weekend departures from Daxi: 8:00, 9:00, 11:00, 14:30, 15:00

Weekday departures from Dongyanshan: 9:30, 13:00, 17:00

Weekday departures from Dongyanshan: 9:30, 12:00, 13:00, 16:30, 17:00

Link: Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Service #506 Dongyanshan Route Timetable (台灣好行)

The fare for the bus is NT$81 each way, or you can purchase a one day pass for NT$150 that’ll cover your trip there and your return trip for a discounted price.

Finally, if you’ve taken the effort to visit Dongyanshan, you’re in luck, because there are a number of other tourist destinations in the area that are also worthy of your time - You’ll find the Jiaobanshan Park (角板山公園), Xiao Wulai Waterfall (小烏來瀑布), Xinxikou Suspension Bridge (新溪口吊橋), Yixing Suspension Bridge (義興吊橋), Daxi Old Tea Factory (大溪老茶廠), Sanmin Bat Cave (三民蝙蝠洞), TUBA Church (基國派老教堂), Cihu Mausoleum (慈湖陵寢), Daxi Old Street (大溪老街), and Sanxia Old Street (三峽老街) all in close proximity to the park.

It doesn’t really matter if you’re visiting to check out some of the trails, or you’re one of those adventurous types making your way along the Dongman Trail. The great thing about a visit to Dongyanshan is that you’re provided access to some of Taiwan’s alpine natural beauty within a short distance from Taipei.

Each of the trails within the park offers stunning views, which are comparable to what some of us from North America are used to, but with the mixture of tropical vegetation at the same time. With beautiful cedar trees, thick vegetation and a variety of indigenous species like Formosan Rock Macaques and a wide variety of birds, the park has something for people of all ages and hiking abilities.

References

  1. 東眼山國家森林遊樂區 (台灣山林悠遊網)

  2. 東眼山國家森林遊樂區 (Wiki)

  3. 東眼山自導式步道 (健行筆記)

  4. 東眼山森林遊樂區 (桃園觀光導覽網)

  5. 國家森林遊樂區 (Wiki)

  6. 東眼山國家森林遊樂區.東滿步道 (Tony的自然人文旅記)

  7. 東眼山步道攻略|攻頂小百岳,享受舒服的森林浴 (不一樣的旅人)

  8. 健行一日遊 走讀桃園東眼山,淺山卻有高山的感覺 (微笑台灣)

  9. Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Area (Forestry Bureau)

  10. Dongyanshan Forest Recreation Area (Wiki)

  11. Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area (ParkBus)

  12. Dongyanshan (Taiwan Outdoors)


Xinxikou Suspension Bridge (新溪口吊橋)

From the perspective of a foreigner living in Taiwan, I have to say that this country can a be a bit weird when it comes to it’s fads; If you’ve been in the country over the past couple of years, you’re likely to have noticed a sudden obsession with claw machines - almost every city, town and village across the country has been rather annoyingly been overrun with the noisy machines. Similarly, when it comes to food, we’ve gone through periods where you’d find a sudden influx of hamburger, pineapple buns and egg tarts places making a quick buck, before closing up shop and moving onto the next sensation. 

When it comes to tourist destinations, social media trends tend to drive most of the interest in specific locations, but one of the more noticeable tourist fads in recent years has been with the appearance of a bunch of newly constructed suspension bridges in picturesque mountain areas.

I can’t particularly speak to the motivations for building these bridges, or their popularity, but with recent trends in domestic tourism shifting toward getting out and enjoying the natural beauty of the country, you’ll discover that mountain destinations are likely to be packed with weekend tourists, looking for something new to do! 

That being said, some of the suspension bridges that have been making an appearance as of late aren’t actually all that ‘new’. Sure, you’ll find some that have glass floors, constructed with modern engineering techniques, but in a lot of cases they’re just modern replacements for a much older bridge.

Case in point, the bridge I’m going to be introducing today! 

Before I start introducing the bridge, I should take a minute to explain something, especially since this is the second article I’ve published covering a suspension bridge in the mountains of Taoyuan in recent months. 

Link: Yixing Suspension Bridge (義興吊橋)

Have I succumbed to the suspension bridge fad? No, I promise you I haven’t.

There’s a reason why I’m writing about these popular tourist spots.

Basically, these articles are meant to be an extension of the work I published in my article, The Daxi that Japan left behind (日本留下的大溪), where I’ll be continuing my research on the development of Taoyuan during the Japanese-era, with Daxi acting as the processing centre for much of the natural resources taken from the mountainous areas. In the next few months I’ll be publishing further work that focuses on the various aspects of the mountainous village of Jiaobanshan (角板山), known during the Japanese-era as Kappanzan (カッバンソァン), where this suspension bridge is located.

So, even though this bridge was completely reconstructed a few years ago, it has also been an important part of the village for the better part of a century, connecting two sides of the Dahan River (大漢溪). and the communities that existed on both sides for well over a century!

Xikou Suspension Bridge (溪口吊橋)

The ‘Jiaobanshan’ area as it is known today has been home to sparse groups of Atayal Indigenous tribes (泰雅族) for hundreds if not thousands of years, referring to it in the their native language as “Pyasan” (北亞山).

Having settled in the area for so long, you might be surprised to learn that the majority of the tribes that exist in Taoyuan’s Fuxing District (復興區) today have actually only occupied space there since the late 1800s.

In fact, many of the ‘tribal areas’ that have been set up in the district today were forced to resettle there as they were forced to abandon their homes in the nearby mountains of Wulai-Sanxia (烏來-三峽) when the Qing started encroaching on their lands, and then following with the arrival of the Japanese in Taiwan. 

Despite armed resistance against both the Qing and Japanese forces, the Atayal people suffered considerable losses, and ultimately succumbed to resettling in areas much deeper in the mountains where they thought they’d be safer. 

Link: Sanxia Loyal Spirit Monument (三峽忠魂碑) 

One of those resettled groups were the Rahaw (拉號), known in Mandarin as the Xikou Tribe (溪口台部落), who settled on the remote opposite side of the river from Kappanzan, which was developed early on during the Japanese-era for the extraction of camphor and tea. Living on the other side of the river, the tribe likely figured that they’d be left alone, but the Japanese had other ideas.

Marching into the area with an armed force of over two thousand soldiers in 1907 (明治40年), the colonial government sought to pacify Indigenous resistance to their rule, and for a three month period the army advanced from Abohei (Amuping / 阿姆坪) all the way to Kappanzan, following the river, in what would become known as the Chinto-zan Conflict (枕頭山戰役). 

Once the area was firmly under Japanese control, construction started on a number of facilities dedicated to ensuring the efficiency of the extraction of natural resources from the mountains.

Ironically, with major hostilities at an end, and taking into consideration the importance of Taiwan’s mountainous areas for the colonial government’s extraction of natural resources, initiatives were taken to attempt a ‘softer’ approach to the sword in dealing with Taiwan’s Indigenous people. Doctors, dentists and educators sent to Kappazan ((and other predominately indigenous areas around the island) and schools and medical stations were constructed in an attempt to usher in ‘improvement’ in the quality of life for these groups.

Of course, it should go without saying that this farcical ‘softer approach’ wasn’t entirely altruistic, as much of the educational system was meant to erase Indigenous cultural values, traditional customs and identity.

The bridge is a bit blown out in this photo, but you can see where it connected to the rice terrace.

At the same time, scientists came to the area looking for breakthroughs in the cultivation of cinchona (金雞納樹), a flowering plant known for its medicinal value, especially with regard to treating malaria, which was a huge problem in Taiwan prior to the arrival of the Japanese. 

In 1922 (大正11年), construction on a steel suspension bridge that spanned the Dahan River was completed, connecting Kappanzan to the tribe, known at the time as ‘Raho-sha’ (拉號社). Referred to by local historians as the ‘First Generation Xikou Suspension Bridge’ (第一代溪口吊橋), the bridge brought economic opportunity to the tribe soon after its completion as engineers constructed a genius irrigation system on the plateau for the cultivation of rice. 

When Super Typhoon Gloria (颱風葛樂禮) swept through northern Taiwan in the summer of 1963 (民國52年), it left a considerable amount of damage and hundreds dead in its wake. Another of its victims was the suspension bridge, which once again cut off the Rahaw from the community in Jiaobanshan. 

Soon after, the Second Generation Xikou Suspension Bridge (第二代溪口吊橋) was constructed for the ‘benefit’ of the tribe across the river, which was gifted the unfortunate nickname the ‘Presidential Tribe’ (總統部落) due to President Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) affinity for the area. (He had a villa in Jiaobanshan).

The newly bridge had an improved capacity of fifteen people at a time, and was used from 1963 until 2015, when it was dismantled to make way for the third generation bridge, a much grander version of it’s predecessors.

Xinxikou Suspension Bridge (新溪口吊橋)

The latest version of the Xikou Suspension Bridge opened to the public in January 2018, measuring at a length of 330 meters, and is (currently) the nation’s longest suspension bridge. Located next to where the original bridge was located, the new version is almost double the length, and is 23 meters above the river, much higher of the original. Where the second generation bridge could only safely sustain about fifteen people at once, the new bridge can easily accommodate more than a hundred, and is wide enough for people to walk back and forth, rather than single file. 

By 2010, it was decided that after a half century, the old Xikou bridge had become far too unstable after years of abuse to continue using for much longer, so the Taoyuan City government came up with a plan to replace it for the third time. This time however, the focus would be on providing a more enjoyable experience for the locals, while also creating a new tourist destination in the mountains that would compliment Jiaobanshan Park (角板山公園).

Instead of referring to it as the 'Third Generation Xikou Bridge’, authorities decided instead to call it the ‘Xinxikou Suspension Bridge’ (新溪口吊橋), which is just the romanized pinyin version of “New Xikou Bridge,” which if you ask me is a bit of a head-scratcher. If it were up to me, I would have taken the opportunity to just rename it completely to better reflect the Indigenous community that it serves, but apparently no one thought about that. 

Nevertheless, where the bridge does reflect the Atayal Indigenous community is in its color scheme and the designs along the sides. Likewise, the side opposite of Jiaobanshan currently features a Tribal market (溪口部落市集廣場), where you can sample some local cuisine (mixed in with typical night market fare) as well as stalls set up to sell arts and crafts, allowing the local community to benefit from the increased tourism in the area. 

In Mandarin, the bridge is known officially as a hammock-style suspension bridge (懸吊式吊橋), in engineering terms, its technically an ‘underspanned suspension bridge’ in that it is anchored deep into the ground on both sides with cables spreading out (in a hammock-like fashion) across its underbelly, with the deck raised on posts above. With this type of bridge, visitors are better able to enjoy the beauty of the natural environment without a bunch of cables getting in the way, but it is a less stable engineering style that does allow for a bit of rocking back and forth when people are walking across the bridge. 

As an extension of the Jiaobanshan Park, which attracts quite a bit of weekend and holiday tourist traffic, most people visiting the bridge are going to do so from that side of the river. Jiaobanshan however is located on a plateau high above the river, so there is a bit of a nature hike involved if you’d like to cross the bridge.

The tree-covered walk is a nice one, but there are quite a few stairs, so once you walk down and cross the bridge, it’s actually really great that there’s an Indigenous market on the other side where you can buy some snacks and drinks before heading back up the hill.

When the bridge first opened to the public a few years back, it was so popular that an online reservation system had to be set up to ensure that long lines of cars wouldn’t be clogging up the narrow mountain highway. Thankfully, some of that popularity has died off as time has passed, so if you are visiting the area today, you shouldn’t have much problem checking out the bridge. 

Oh, and before I finish, I should probably let you know that if the weather is cooperating on the day of your visit, you’re going to be rewarded with some pretty spectacular mountain landscapes with the beautiful turquoise Dahan River (大漢溪) flowing below. You may notice that I’m sharing photos from two different visits to the bridge. On my first visit, the bridge was closed (due to COVID protocols), and the river below was pretty much empty due to a massive drought that we were having at the time. I was much luckier on my second visit as the bridge was open, the weather was perfect and the river was flowing beautifully. 

If you have the opportunity to visit, I hope you’re lucky enough to go on a beautiful day! 

Hours: Wednesday - Monday (8:00 - 15:30)

Admission: $NT 50 per person. 

Website: 新溪口吊橋 (Facebook)

Getting There

 

Address: #8 Zhongshan Road, Fuxing District, Taoyuan. (桃園市復興區澤仁里中山路8號)

GPS: 24.814489, 121.350792

The great thing about bridges is that they connect two sides of a river, right?

Well, that’s ironically also the confusing thing for a lot of tourists who want to visit this bridge. 

You can access this bridge from either the Jiaobanshan (角板山) side, or the Xikou Tribe (溪口部落  / Hbun Rahaw takan) side, with a list of pros and cons for both. For anyone taking public transportation to the area, you’re going to be forced to visit the bridge from the Jiaobanshan side, which features the steep walk down a set of stairs to the bridge mentioned above, something you’ll have to repeat when you’re done. 

On the other hand, if you have access to your own means of transportation, you have the option of starting from the opposite side of the river, but parking on that side is more expensive, and spaces are limited, so you may end up having to wait in line on weekends.

That being said, parking within the Jiaobanshan area can often be difficult to find and expensive as well.

If you’re driving a car or scooter you have the choice of parking anywhere within Jiaobanshan and walking the rest of the way to the bridge. If you choose to start from the other side, you’ll have to pass by Jiaobanshan and continue along the Northern Cross-Island Highway (北橫公路), crossing the Fuxing Bridge (復興大橋) into Luofu Village (羅浮), where you’ll make a right turn onto the famed “Roman Road” (羅馬公路) on your way to the Xikou Tribal area, finally stopping at the Xikou Tribe Cultural Square (溪口部落文化廣場). 

The address here is different than the one provided above, so to make your way to the bridge on the opposite side, I recommend inputting this address into your GPS or Google Maps: 

Address: #59-1 Xikoutai, Fuxing District, Taoyuan (桃園市復興區澤仁里4鄰溪口台59-1號)

Public Transportation

If you don’t have access to your own means of transportation, there are a few different bus routes that you can take from the Daxi Bus Station (大溪客運站) to get to the area. In each case you’ll take the bus from Daxi all the way to the Fuxing Station (復興站) within Jiaobanshan Village and from there you’ll walk to the trail that brings you to the bridge. 

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) Bus #5104 (Daxi - Luofu / 大溪 - 羅浮口)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) Bus #5105 (Daxi - Xiaowulai / 大溪 - 小烏來)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) Bus #5106 (Daxi - Xiayun Village / 大溪 - 霞雲里)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) Bus #5109 (Daxi - Gaorao / 大溪 - 高遶)

For those of you unfamiliar with the Daxi area, you’ll also have to find public transportation to get to the bus station there. There are a number of options for taking the bus to Daxi either directly from the railway stations in Taoyuan or from Taipei. I’ll provide each of the buses that you can take below with links to where you can find the bus, their route map and their schedule.

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) #5096 (Taoyuan - Daxi / 桃園 - 大溪)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) #5098 (Zhongli- Daxi / 中壢 - 大溪)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) #9103 (Banqiao - Daxi / 板橋 - 大溪)

  • Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) #710 (Yongning MRT Station - Daxi / 永寧捷運站 - 大溪)

  • Taiwan Trip Tour Bus (台灣好行) #501 (Taoyuan HSR Station - Daxi / 桃園高鐵站 - 大溪)

Links: Taoyuan Bus (桃園客運) | Taiwan Trip Shuttle (台灣好行)

The Xinxikou Suspension Bridge is just one of a long list of interesting tourist destinations within the Jiaobanshan area in addition to nearby Xiaowulai (小烏來). If you find yourself in the area on a day-trip, I highly recommend you stop by to check out the bridge, which (if the weather is cooperating) can be a beautiful experience. You’ll want to make sure to check out some of the other cool places to visit while you’re in the area, and I recommend you take some time to try some of the Indigenous fried mushrooms and peach smoothies when you’re in town! 

I’ll have quite a bit more about the area over the next little while, so watch this space if you’re interested in what the area has to offer! 

References

  1. 新溪口吊橋 (桃園觀光導覽網)

  2. 溪口吊橋 (Wiki)

  3. 溪口吊橋 (國家文化記憶庫)

  4. 新溪口吊橋‧站在台灣最長的懸索橋欣賞大漢溪谷的風光 (旅遊圖中)

  5. 桃園】復興-羅馬公路:溪口台部落 (湘的部落格)

  6. 第139章[桃園市復興區] 樟香勾勒起的百年大夢 (William的旅行筆記)

  7. 臺灣國定古蹟編纂研究小組 (National Historic Monuments of Taiwan)


Taoyuan Police Dormitories (桃園77藝文町)

When I first came to Taiwan, I took a job that required splitting time between Zhongli and Taoyuan, which unfortunately required traveling back and forth, and a lot of stress - because you know, Taiwanese traffic. 

Obviously, this was before I knew very much about the country, so like any fresh-of-the-boat foreigner, I like to think that I should be excused for not noticing every little thing that crossed my path. Obviously, as the years went by, I learned more and more about my new home, and my explorations started to become a bit more adventurous compared when I had first arrived. 

One of those adventures fortunately included a visit to the Zhongli Police Dorms to check out their original abandoned condition, prior to restoration. In retrospect, even though I probably walked past the Taoyuan Police Dorms hundreds of times during my first year in Taiwan, I didn’t really know what kind of treasure was hidden behind the gates to the community, so I never had a chance to enjoy them in their original condition.

Fast forward more than a decade and the historic dorms, like their counterparts here in Zhongli, have been completely restored and re-opened as a culture park for all to enjoy!

I’m still a bit sour about it all though. I could have been exploring these dorms a long time ago! 

Today, the Taoyuan Police Dorms have been given a fresh look on life and have become one of downtown Taoyuan’s most important tourist attractions, especially with young people who are able to enjoy the beautiful park in any number of ways!

As always, before I talk about the culture park, let me first introduce a little bit about the history of the dorms and the area where they’re located! 

Taoyuan Police Dormitories (桃園警察局日式宿舍群)

Having recently celebrated their centennial, the Japanese-era Taoyuan Police Dormitories have been brought back to life by the Taoyuan City Government as a newly re-opened cultural park. 

Dating back to 1920 (大正9年), the dorms were constructed in the same year that Taoyuan’s administrative status was officially upgraded into a “town” (街). Known back then as Tōengai (桃園街 / とうえんがい), the town was the largest settlements within Shinchiku Prefecture’s (新竹州 /しんちくしゅう) Tōen District (桃園郡/とうえんぐん) which encompassed much of what we know today as Luzhu (蘆竹區), Dayuan (大園區), Guishan (龜山區) and Bade (八德區).

As the largest ‘town’ in the district, Tōengai was an economically prosperous area and was responsible for almost seventy percent of Taiwan’s tea production at the time, and was also one of the major competitors to Yingge (鶯歌), for the production of ceramics and pottery.  

Link: The Daxi That Japan Left Behind (日本留下的大溪)

Developing outward from the Taoyuan Railway Station, “Tōengai,” or the area we know today as downtown Taoyuan, was home to a considerable amount of administrative and economic infrastructure near where the dorms are located. Within the area between the dorms and the railway station you would have found the District Assembly Hall (桃園郡役所), Town Assembly Hall (桃園街役場), Post Office (桃園郵便局), Taiwan Bank (臺灣銀行), Police Station (桃園郡警察課), Public Schools (公學校), and a Martial Arts Hall (桃園武德殿), among others. 

Links: Daxi Martial Arts Hall (大溪武德殿) | Longtan Martial Arts Hall (龍潭武德殿)

Knowing what I do about the Japanese administration of the time, this tells me that the Taoyuan Police Dorms most certainly wouldn’t have been the only civil servant dormitories constructed in the area. There would have also been several clusters of civil servant, teachers and martial arts dorms nearby. 

Unfortunately many of the buildings mentioned above have already been torn down and with them the dorms that would have housed their employees (for the most part) have gone with them. This means that the police dorms are currently one of the only remaining clusters of Japanese-era dorms from that era of Taoyuan’s history.

Historic records about the dorms are hit and miss, but what we do know is that after the colonial era ended they consisted of #5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 on Lane 77 of Zhongzheng Road (中正路77巷). 

If you’re counting that’s ten, which if you divide by two means there were originally five dorms. 

Today however, there are only four remaining, meaning that one of them was probably damaged beyond repair and either collapsed or was torn down long before restoration. 

If we take into consideration that there are currently four “Family-style Shared Dormitories,” and one large open space where the current ‘Prayer Pavilion’ and Public Washrooms are located, its fairly obvious where the dorm was originally located.

Now more than a century old, the four dorms that continue to exist at the park have been completely restored and re-opened as a culture park. 

From 1920 - 1945, the dorms were occupied by members of the police force who were working at the Taoyuan Police Station (桃園郡警察課), and included space for their families.

When the Second World War ended and the Japanese left Taiwan, the dorms continued to be occupied by members of the police force, but this time it was members of the Republic of China Police. 

That being said, as was the case with many of these Japanese-era buildings, as they aged and people moved out, they were abandoned, fell into a state of disrepair, and eventually became an eyesore within the downtown core of Taoyuan.

As mentioned above, when it comes to the design of the dorms, unlike other culture parks where Japanese-era dorms have been restored, there isn’t much of a variation in their design. The four dorms remaining today are all split in half, comparable to a duplex back in North America.

The official name for buildings like this is ‘Family-Style Shared Dorms’, but literally translates as Two-sided-Two-Household Dorm (雙併二戶建宿舍) in Chinese. 

As is the case with these style of dorms, they were always split in half and two families shared the building. When the colonial era ended, this didn’t always remain the case as the buildings were slightly altered in their interior design with people tearing down some of the walls to make for more space, especially those with larger families.

Its important to note that these Japanese-style dormitories follow a basic design rule in that each of them, no matter if they’re a single or a shared dwelling, must consist of the following three spaces: A living space (起居空間), a service space (服務空間) and a passage space (通行空間). 

The “living space” is considerably different than what we’re used to in western standards as what we might consider a “living room” is actually a brilliant multi-functional space where the residents could receive guests, hang out, have their meals, drink tea and sleep.

This space is usually the largest part of these dorms and features tokonoma (床の間/とこのま) or large compartments (like a closet) with sliding doors in the walls where blankets, decorations and other necessities are stored during the day.

Link: Tokonoma (Wiki) 

The “service space” on the other hand could include a number of rooms, which in the double family dorms might be shared spaces between both sides in order to save space. Service spaces typically include the kitchen (台所 / だいどころ), bathroom (風呂 / ふろ), washroom (便所 / べんじょ), etc. 

Finally, the “passage space” in each of these dorms varies, but generally means the front and back entrances to the dorm as well as the corridors within, between the living space and the service space.

Each of the dorms have been constructed using the irimoya-zukuri (入母屋造) style of design, which basically means that the base of the building is smaller than the roof, the weight of which is supported by a network of trusses (屋架) in the ceiling that helps to support the weight of the four-sided sloped hip roof (四坡頂). 

The roof that you’ll find on these buildings however don’t eclipse the size of the building in the same way that the elaborate roofs on shrines and temples do. One final thing to take note of with the roofs of the dorms is that when they were restored, the original tiles were replaced with plastic-looking black tiles, helping to keep cost down.  

Similarly, the wooden shitamiita (下見版 / したみいた) siding on the buildings has been completely replaced. The siding is still too new and is quite dark in colour, but as they age the colours will fade and they’ll look more like what you’d expect from a Japanese building of this kind.

Finally, one of the most significant design features of these buildings, and (as far as I’m concerned) are the stands-outs for me at this culture park are the beautiful ‘engawa’ (緣側/えんがわ) sliding door verandas on the buildings. 

Located at the rear side of each of the dorms, the sliding doors allow for natural air to enter the buildings, while also offering access to the areas where the gardens (and outhouses) would have been located. 

Link: Engawa (Wiki) 

Unfortunately some of them are covered up with curtains at certain times of the day which takes away from their beauty. They are nevertheless one of the most architecturally significant aspects of the dorms that remain today.

Now let’s talk about the the culture park! 

Taoyuan 77 Art Zone (桃園77藝文町)

In an attempt to attract interest to the newly restored culture park, the Taoyuan City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs held a naming contest for the park in late 2017, prior to its official re-opening. 

After careful consideration of all of the submissions, they eventually went with Taoyuan 77 Artzone (桃園77藝文町), which probably sounds a bit strange to most English speakers. 

In Chinese however, the name does hold special meaning as I’ll break down below: 

  1. “桃園” (Taoyuan) - This one should be obvious!

  2. “77” - The number referring to the lane where the dorms are located.

  3. “藝文” - (Art) a common word used to refer to these cultural parks (藝文區).

  4. “町” - (block) a word that is predominately used in Japanese (町/まち) to describe a ‘block’ or ‘neighbourhood’ with the best famous example being Taipei’s “Ximending” (西門町).

Considering Taoyuan has an area that we already refer to as the “Taoyuan Art District” (桃園藝文區), in order to save some confusion, instead of making use of the word “area” (區), they went with a character that is more commonly used in Japan, which in turn helps to identify that the culture park has Japanese-era buildings. 

When the park officially opened to the public in 2018, it quickly became a pretty popular location in downtown Taoyuan as it featured a coffee shop, a couple of restaurants and outside seating for anyone working in the area and wanting to enjoy their lunch outside.

As a culture park, the space is used in a variety of ways that includes reserving space to educate people on the history of the dorms in addition to offering space for local musicians and artists to perform.

It also provides space for weekend markets and food stalls where people can come and enjoy local culture.

As I outlined in a previous post, there is an aspect to this park that helps to ensure that traffic is constantly being driven through the doors. The dorms that have been restored and re-opened to the public have space reserved for historic purpose, but a couple of them have been reserved as space for private businesses to set up shop. 

The Taoyuan City Government registered the dormitories as Protected Historic Buildings (歷史建築) in August of 2013 (民國102年), and shortly thereafter plans were made to restore the buildings and open them up to the public. From their designation as historic properties to the completion of the restoration project, the cultural affairs bureau had an ample amount of time to come up with ideas with regard to the best usage of these spaces. With so much investment in the opening of ‘culture parks’ around Taoyuan though, it is understandable that the government had trouble coming up with ideas on how to fill the space properly.

Link: Longtan Teachers Dorms (龍潭國小老師宿舍)

So, in a case similar to the historic police and teachers dorms in neighbouring Zhongli, the government made use of existing ‘operate transfer’ laws to seek out the participation of the private sector by opening up bids that would make the space available for the short-term rental of the dorms for private purposes. 

These public-private participation partnerships are something that you’ll find is taking place all over Taiwan and has become quite instrumental when it comes to the preservation of historic properties.

Come True Coffee

If you’d like to learn more about how these partnerships are used to help conserve historic buildings in Taiwan, check out the link below: 

Link: The Role Of Public-Private Partnerships In Conserving Historic Buildings In Taiwan

Taking into consideration that most of these partnerships expire after a term of five years, as I’m writing this article, some of the businesses that have opened up shop within the park have already reached the halfway point of their rental agreement. I can’t speak as to whether any of them will renegotiate their rental agreements when their contracts are up, so I won’t talk too much about what you’ll find inside, but I’ll give them a quick mention. 

  1. ComeTrue Coffee (成真咖啡)

  2. Seafood Club Japanese Cuisine (魚鮮會社)

  3. 77 Craft Studio + Gift Shop (手作創意體驗坊/小賣文創商店)

I suppose the standout of the bunch is ComeTrue Coffee, which is a pretty popular spot with tourists and locals alike. There’s something about being able to sit in one of these beautiful buildings and enjoying coffee, tea and dessert that attracts a lot of people. 

If you’d like to go, I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation or getting your name on the waiting list as soon as you show up at the park. Getting a seat can be a little difficult! 

Given that the park is home to four dormitories and three of them are occupied by private businesses, the one you’ll want to pay attention to if you’re interested in learning about history is the largest of them, named the “Six Arts Exhibition Space” (六藝展覽坊).  

There are three exhibition spaces within with one of the spaces acting as permanent exhibition about the history of the dorms with original pieces of the buildings that have been preserved in addition to other interesting historic information about the buildings and the development of Taoyuan during the colonial era. 

There is a strange, yet somewhat practical addition to the park in the form of a pavilion known as the “Make a Wish Pavilion” (祈福亭), where you’ll find traditional Japanese wooden ema (絵馬) fastened to the back. The strange thing about this is that in Japan, these wooden ema plaques are typically only found at Buddhist temples or Shinto Shrines. 

In Japan, prayers and wishes are written on the wooden plaques and are then left hanging up at the shrine where the spirits or gods can see them. 

Link: Ema (Shinto) 

The obvious question one might have if you’re familiar with these things is why you’ll find ema hanging at this culture park. I guess the best way to explain this is that here in Taiwan, these wooden plaques are often easily identifiable as “Japanese” culturally-speaking. So, when you travel around Taiwan and you encounter something Japanese, you’ll sometimes find that space is offered for hanging these plaques.

Practically speaking, the pavilion is functional in that it cleverly hides the public washrooms that have been constructed to its rear. In this way you have an attractive pavilion, which is pretty much Instagram gold and also obscures an addition to the park that would take away from the ambiance, if it weren’t there.

One of the great things about this little park is that you can enjoy the beauty of the four dorms while also learning about their history, enjoying some coffee, making crafts or attending the various activities and events that they have planned. There’s always something to do when you visit, which should make you want to stop by whenever you’re in the area to see what’s going on!

Getting There

 

Address: #5, Lane 77 Zhongzheng Road, Taoyuan District (桃園市桃園區中正路77巷5號)

GPS: 24.991770 121.311750

The Taoyuan Police Dorms, otherwise known as the Taoyuan 77 Art Zone is located within the downtown core of Taoyuan District and is a short walk away from the Taoyuan Railway Station. With that in mind, if you plan on visiting and you’re coming from outside of Taoyuan, I highly recommend just taking the train and walking. 

Train

If you take a train to Taoyuan Railway Station (桃園火車站), it doesn’t matter if you’re coming from the north or the south, you can hop on any of Taiwan’s trains, express or not and they’ll all stop at the station.

From the front of the station (前站), you’ll simply walk down Zhongzheng Road passing by the Tonlin Department Store (統領百貨) and turning left down Lane 77 (中正路77巷), which is located just past the large Land Bank of Taiwan (台灣土地銀行桃園分行). Lane 77, which is pretty much the namesake for the culture park is a narrow one, but don’t worry too much,  you’ll find the entrance to the park quite quickly.  

Car/Scooter

If you are driving a car or a scooter, getting to the dorms should be pretty easy, but parking on the other hand is completely different story. Simply input the address into your GPS or Google Maps and you’ll find yourself at the front entrance to the park in no time. 

If you’re driving a car, you’re going to have to look around to find some parking and even if you’re lucky enough to find a spot on the street, you’re still going to have to pay. There are a number of parking lots in the area, but getting a spot tends to be quite competitive, especially on weekends, so you may find yourself waiting in line for quite a while to get a spot. 

Nearby Parking lots

  1. 文昌公園 公有地下停車場 (40NT/hour)

  2. 新民機械立體停車場 (30NT/hour)

  3. 大林路停車場 (50-60NT)

  4. 嘟嘟房 (40NT/hour)

  5. Times平面停車場 (70-100NT/hour)

Similarly, there is an ample amount of parking spaces on the street available for scooters near the park.

That being said, they’re usually full most of the time and you might have to circle around for quite a while before you find a spot. If you are driving a scooter, you need to make sure you don’t park illegally as the authorities in downtown Taoyuan are quick to issue fines or have the tow truck come to take your scooter away.   

While you’re in the area, I highly recommend checking out the nearby Jingfu Temple (景福宮), which is known locally as Taoyuan’s Big Temple (桃園大廟) and the newly opened Japanese-era Taoyuan Kendo Museum (桃園劍道故事館) next door. Likewise you could also check out the Taoyuan Night market (桃園夜市) or hop on a bus or Youbike and head over the Tiger Head Mountain (虎頭山) to check out the Taoyuan Confucius Temple (桃園孔廟) or the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine (桃園神社), all of which are within walking distance from the railway station. 

The ‘Taoyuan 77 Artzone’ can be a pretty busy spot and the coffee shop within is usually packed with visitors, so if you’re planning a visit on the weekend, remember to head over a bit early so that you can better enjoy the beautiful little park within the busy city. 

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday from 11:00am - 9:00pm (Closed on Mondays and National Holidays)

Website: Taoyuan 77 Art Zone (桃園77藝文町) 

ComeTrue Coffee (成真咖啡): Monday - Friday from 10:00 - 9:00 (Weekends: 9:30 - 9:00)

References

  1. 桃園77藝文町 (桃園觀光導覽網)

  2. 桃園警察局日式宿舍群 (桃園市政府文化局)

  3. 桃園77藝文町 (Wiki)

  4. 桃園77藝文町。桃園警察局日式宿舍群歷史建築。重修後活化為文創園區 (1817BOX)

  5. 桃園警察局日式宿舍群 (文化局)