I went back to Hualien after two weeks. The weather was suitable for biking in Fenglin Township and I grabbed the opportunity to see the tobacco barns of this former Japanese town. The place was called Hayashida before World War II and one of the immigrant towns that were established in Karenko Prefecture. Just like in my previous cycling adventure, I rented a bike near Hualien Station for one whole day. I just presented my ARC and paid the rent worth NTD 150.
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My bike and train ticket to Fenglin Station from Hualien Station |
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Fenglin Station |
The 12:48 local train brought me to Fenglin Station and from there I started my adventure. Exploring the town by foot was also possible but the cultural sites were far away from each other so cycling was the best way possible to see them efficiently. I studied the town first using Google street view so that I can easily locate the buildings that I want to see. However, there were things that one cannot really control. There were a lot of aggressive dogs in this town and they don't look friendly so visitors must be careful in checking each house.
According to reports, there are 10 surviving tobacco barns scattered in Fenglin Township and these barns were used to cure the tobacco leaves to create a desirable odor. Since tobacco is a cash-crop the number of tobacco barns that a person owns in Hayashida tells a lot about the owner’s wealth. It was actually difficult to search for these barns. Some were already modified and others seem to be abandoned with barriers preventing visitors from getting near to them.
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Osaka-style tobacco house located along the intersection of Minyou Road and Darong 2nd Road |
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Parts of an Osaka-style tobacco house |
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another Osaka-style tobacco house |
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This one looks like a modified Osaka-style tobacca house. |
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another Osaka-style tobacco house |
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A dilapidated roof an Osaka-style tobacco house |
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The tobacco houses in this town are cultural relics of Fenglin Township (Hayashida during Taiwan's Japanese colonial period). |
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I suspect that this is a modified Hiroshima-style tobacco house with the square openingsn on its roof already covered. |
I found the first house in the corner of Minyou Road and Darong 2nd Road. It was a nice looking structure and perfect for taking photos. The two-story building was an example of an Osaka-style tobacco house. The high ceiling makes the tobacco curing better but its structure makes it vulnerable to strong winds whenever there is a typhoon. The Hiroshima-style tobacco houses were also constructed in Hayashida to solve the problems that the Osaka-style buildings have. It is a single floor house with square openings on the roof to act as the chimney. However, there is a problem with this kind of building. The tobacco leaves are treated in the barns using the method of fire curing so a Hiroshima-style building has its own disadvantage of being turned into ashes. If the fire is not controlled, the tobacco leaves can burn and reach the ceiling of the house.
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Unlike the two immigrants towns that I had already visited the town of Hayashida was more preserved. There were more houses which resemble the typical Japanese architecture while some lack the ceramic tiles on the roof. The town was also surrounded by rice fields and beautiful mountains. Fenglin is located in the East Rift Valley where the Taiwan's Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range meet creating a magnificent view for the villagers to enjoy.
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The old Japanese police station located along Fuxing Road |
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At the door of the old Japanese police station |
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The old house of a sensei in town of Hayashida |
Just like any Japanese town, the peace and order were maintained with the presence of a police force in the town. The policemen have their station built along Fuxing Road and I was able to find the old building. There was also a modern elementary school nearby and within a few meters was the old house of a sensei. Unfortunately, the teacher’s house was already dilapidated. Its poor condition disappointed me on how the town neglected the home of a teacher.
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Hayashida Shinto Temple |
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The staircase leading to the main shrine. |
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An ishi-doro or a stone lamp |
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“torii” gate and an ishi-doro |
A tour in a Japanese immigrant village would not be complete without a visit to the town's Shinto shrine. It was the Hayashida temple and standing near to its ruins were two reconstructed concrete torii gates and a set of giant stone lanterns. The main shrine was already destroyed and only the stairs serve as a reminder that a 'kami' was once worshiped here.
I was about to end my tour when it rained suddenly. I cycled very fast to reach Fenglin Station and I got hungry in the end. A lady offered a shaved-ice dessert in her restaurant and I was surprised that she made a big serving for only NTD 35. She even offered to try her pickled fruit for free. I regained my strength after eating that ice-cold meal so I was still able to visit the Principal’s Dream Factory before the 5:18 pm local train had arrived.
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Just like any typical Japanese house, visitors must remove their shoes in order to enter the Principal’s Dream Factory. |
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Principal’s Dream Factory |
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Fenglin Station |
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My bike and train tickets back to Hualien |
The displays inside the principal’s house were in Chinese but I got the message of the text based on the pictures. There were blueprints of the tobacco-style houses and even the other cultural attractions to in Fenglin Township. The cultural building was closed at 5:00 pm and I cycled back to the train station until I was stunned with the scenery. Behind the train station were the great mountains of Taiwan and I have never seen this kind of view on the island. It was a great ending for this episode of the “I've Been to Hualien” series.
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Luo-Mu Jie and the Puyuma Express at Hualien Station |
Visiting Eastern Taiwan again for another cycling adventure is a great idea. But which place will it be? The sugar town of Guangfu or the lumber town of Wanrong? My excitement for my travel adventures just got higher in the town of Hayashida. (To be continued...)
Sakura Series - Taiwan
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2025 Forecast
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Taipei 101 first flowers
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Tianyuan Palace backyard
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Taipei Flower Test Center
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Pingjing St. Lane 42
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Broadwood Park
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Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
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Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
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SYS kawazu sakura
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Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
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CKS Memorial Hall
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Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
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Hope River
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Dongfang Temple
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Tianyuan Palace
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Neicou Stream Trail
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Orange Garden Cafe
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Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
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Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
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Huashan Road
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Qianshan Park
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Zhongshan Hall Entrance
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Tenglong Sakura Farm
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Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
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Neihu Creek Trail
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Shulin Land Office
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Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
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Lung Yen Sakura Forest
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Yangming Park cherry stream
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Yangming Park fountain
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CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
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Wugu District Tianyi Road
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CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
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Loving Farm
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Yong Long Farm
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Zhongbaling Sakura Road
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Sun Link Sea
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Tai'an Police Station
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Cherry Hill Slope
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Hsinchu Park
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Taipei 101
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Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
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New Garden City
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Broadwood Park
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Tianyuan Palace backyard
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Pingjing St. Lane 42
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Alishan Ranger Station
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Alishan House
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Alishan Police Station
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Alishan Forest Railway
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Alishan Station
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Alishan Entrance
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Alishan Gou Hotel
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Alishan Magnolia Garden
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Wulai tour
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Wun Chang Elementary School
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Bishanyan
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Sanzhi Sansheng Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
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Nei Cuo Stream
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Orange Garden Cafe
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Sansheng Trail
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Tenglong Sakura Farm
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Yangming Park Cherry Stream
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Yangming Park Fountain
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Flower Test Center
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Broadwood Park
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New Garden City
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Yinghua Park
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Pingjing St. Lane 42
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Yangmingshan Visitor Center
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Taipei 101
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Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
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Kamonyama Park
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Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
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Shinko Park
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Minato-mirai 21 area
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Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
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Onda River
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Tenryuji
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Byodoin
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Kiyomizudera
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Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
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Hōryū-ji Temple
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Nara Park attractions
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Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
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Sumida River
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Tsuruma Park
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Gion
Maple Series
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Taipei Aowanda
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Shimen Dam
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Alishan
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Aowanda
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Shanlinxi
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Taoyuan Valley Garden
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Fushoushan Farm
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Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
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Always in my heart
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MRT birdman
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Valentine's Day
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Tulips Festival
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2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
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City of Azaleas
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Linji Huguo Temple
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Nanjichang Night Market
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Gudetama Chef restaurant
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Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
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Shilin hollyhocks
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Ningxia Night Market
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Ximending graffiti
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Discovery Center of Taipei
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Chunghwa Postal Museum
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Double-Decker Bus
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Shilin Cold Balls
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Jingimoo
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GomanMango
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mud volcanic ice
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Fire and Ice Dumpling
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Opium Fen-Yuan
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Ichiran Ramen
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Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
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hydrangea flowers
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National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
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Taipei on a budget
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Japanese buildings
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Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
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Presidential Office Building
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Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
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CKS and SYS Hall
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City tour
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Beitou ramen
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MRT Monopoly Game
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Winter city tour
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Zhicheng Park
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Shilin Plum Blossom
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Art museums
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Shopping in Taipei
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Summer desserts
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Qingtiangang
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Qixingshan hiking
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2015 Calla lily
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2016 Calla lily
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Beitou tour
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Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
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NTU
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Confucius Temple
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2015 Dadaocheng Festival
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Puppet Museum
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Fantasy Ice World
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2016 Bread Show
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Strawberry picking
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2015 Rose Garden
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Modern Toilet
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Shilin Night Market
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NASA Exhibit
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Raohe Night Market
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Longshan Temple
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2013 Taipei Zoo
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Maokong Gondola
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Lupin flowers
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Taipei 101 day visit
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Taipei 101 night visit
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Tiger Mountain
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Din Tai Fung
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Taipei Story House
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2014 Flower Show
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Chrysanthemum Show
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Miramar Ferris wheel
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Miniatures Museum
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Archery
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1600 Pandas
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Wulaoguo hot pot
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Upside Down House
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2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
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Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
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Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking
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Meteor Garden school
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Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
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Shifen Waterfall
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2017 Sand Sculpture
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Dragon Caves
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New Taipei tour
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2016 Kite Festival
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Pingxi Crags
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Bitou Cape
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2016 Sand Sculpture
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2015 Christmasland
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Juming - Jinshan
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Houtong - Pingxi
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Sandiaoling Waterfall
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Jiufen foodtrip
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Guanyinshan hike
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Yehliu Ocean World
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2014 Kite Festival
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Pingxi Rail tour
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Jinguashi tour
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Vigor Kobo Pineapple
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British Consulate
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Yehliu Geopark
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2014 Sand Sculpture
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Paragliding
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2014 Christmasland
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2014 Pingxi Lantern
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firefly watching
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Yingge Ceramics Street
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Jiufen tour
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