On the Road – The Treasure Island of Taiwan (Part Two)
| On the Road – Kenting, the Treasure Island of Taiwan After enjoying a breakfast with distinct Taiwanese characteristics, we drove to the next scenic spot—Kenting Park, known as the Hawaiian resort of Taiwan. It is said that Kenting originally meant “cultivating strong men,” named after a group of strong men who came from mainland China to cultivate the land during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. Along the way, the guide pointed to a filming location and told us that in 2008, Taiwanese director Wei Te-sheng filmed the romance movie “Cape No. 7” locally in Kenting. Unexpectedly, it achieved great success upon release in mainland China, becoming the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Taiwan’s history, making Kenting even more famous. Kenting is a leisure and sightseeing area dominated by natural landscapes, featuring endless blue seas, skies, and white clouds, as well as long stretches of sandy beaches and lush hills. It also boasts unique landforms such as coral reefs, sea erosion formations, and collapsed rock formations, along with rich flora and fauna. “Combining the beauty of mountains, seas, and marshes,” it has become Taiwan’s premier resort destination. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, it marks the boundary between the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel. To the east lies the vast and boundless Pacific Ocean. |
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| The famous “Cat’s Nose” was our first stop after getting off the bus. According to the introduction, a coral reef rock that fell from a sea cliff resembles a crouching cat, hence the name. It marks the boundary between the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel and stands opposite “Eluanbi,” forming the southernmost tips of Taiwan Island. We passed the “Sail Rock” scenic spot along the coastline and arrived at the “Eluanbi” scenic area. What greeted our eyes was a vast expanse of green land. Stepping onto the meadow with its varying shades of deep green felt as soft as walking on a Simmons mattress—extremely comfortable! Standing amidst the embrace of greenery is the Eluanbi Lighthouse. Against the backdrop of tall betel nut trees, blue skies, and white clouds, it looked even more picturesque and handsome. |
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| The beautiful women and handsome men of Maixin rolled around and posed for photos on the meadow in front of the lighthouse, as if they could never take enough pictures. | |||||||||||||||||
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| Of course, Maixin’s powerful lineup must take a group photo in front of this iconic building! | |||||||||||||||||
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| The sea in Kenting is a clear blue, making one feel transparent and cool. Even though the weather was not favorable, with the sky covered in dark clouds upon our arrival, it did not affect the unique beauty of Kenting’s sea at all. The sunlight struggled to break through the dark clouds, creating an absolutely stunning picture. | |||||||||||||||||
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| The vast, boundless blue ocean, with waves continuously surging and crashing against the rocks, splashing snow-white foam, rushing like clouds stirred by the wind, layer upon layer, intoxicating. | |||||||||||||||||
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| Time cut off the visual scene of the sea. Just as we were about to leave the coast, a small team caught everyone’s attention. Why was Xiao Chen always followed by a group of people? It turned out that Xiao Chen had just injured his waist before the trip, and everyone was worried about him moving alone, so colleagues would naturally follow behind him. During the journey, the touching moments continued… |
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| On the Road – Taipei, the Treasure Island of Taiwan On this morning full of anticipation, everyone got up early. After breakfast, we gathered around the dining table to talk about our feelings and thoughts over the past two days. The biggest impressions were the beautiful scenery, the warm local customs, and the clean and tidy corners everywhere. Of course, we also talked about our anticipation for the high-speed rail connecting Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan Province. After arriving at Kaohsiung Station, the tour bus left on its own, and we waited at Kaohsiung Station for the train to Taipei. “My camera was left on the bus!!” Sister Lin suddenly exclaimed. The guide and colleagues gathered around. Some suggested chasing the bus, while others said to check the bags again. After confirming it was left on the bus, the enthusiastic guide quickly helped contact the bus owner. Fortunately, the owner found the camera and planned to send it to the hotel where we were staying. This incident once again made us feel the strong “Taiwanese sentiment”… The touching moments continued… When we first arrived in Kaohsiung, the guide repeatedly reminded us that smoking and making loud noises are prohibited in public places in Taiwan. Of course, after arriving at the high-speed rail station, the guide emphasized this again and again. But the actual situation was…  But it’s okay! Our carriage is independent, with only Maixin people. Most importantly, it’s very enclosed, so “freedom of speech” and “freedom of action”—let’s take a group photo of our small team!! |
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