Echoes of the Atayal--Wulai

For people all over Taiwan, Wulai has long been synonymous with its waterfall and cable car.

As you approach Wulai along the winding road from Hsintien, you begin to notice that the roadside barriers are decorated with a mosaic of geometric patterns in black, white and red, resembling the textile designs of the Atayal people. For visitors seeking the tranquillity of the mountains and forests, this is the sign that Wulai is not far ahead.

Aborigine-brewed millet liquor and yam liquor--cheap and tasty.

Wulai covers more land area than any other township in Taipei County and is the only entirely mountainous one, with terrain rising to elevations of over 1,000 meters. The road into Wulai follows Nanshih Creek, which cuts a snaking passage through the steep hills, past cliffs and over waterfalls. In Wulai itself, tourists can board the Wulai Cable Car, the highest of its kind in Taiwan, for a ride over the 80-meter vertical drop of Wulai Falls, a sacred site formerly venerated by the Atayal. 

Beginning in the 19th century, Chinese and then Japanese arrived to exploit the area's abundant forestry resources, including its camphor trees. Logging continued right up until the 1970s, when Wulai became a listed scenic area. The noisy logging train from that era has now been renovated and turned into a tourist ride. 

After generations of rule by Chinese and Japanese, the Atayal have lost much of their ritual culture, and their traditional community has broken up. It's far from easy to find examples of authentic Aboriginal handicrafts on the streets of Wulai today, and items such as deer-horn necklaces and bags or bracelets of Atayal fabric can only be found at the Ko-nu-ssu store beside the town's Lansheng Bridge. But at the Atayal Delicacies store, at the start of Wulai Street, you can enjoy treats such as bamboo-tube rice-hand-prepared by old Atayal ladies--along with patties of taro rice and pumpkin rice wrapped in pinstripe ginger leaves. Perhaps the most outstanding dish is the chicken broth with green papaya, stewed with magau pepper, which exudes a light scent of lemon and ginger. For those willing to sample something unusual, there are also "dama noodles."Despite the name it's not actually a noodle dish, but rather a raw meat preparation devised by Atayal hunters. As an old Atayal lady explains, hunters often spent months in the hills, and in order to keep the game from rotting before they returned to the tribe, they learned to pack the flesh in millet to ferment. 

Twenty or 30 years ago Wulai began to flourish because of attractions such as its Aboriginal culture, its waterfalls and its cable car, but then its popularity waned. Recently, however, the advent of the two-day weekend and the public's growing interest in leisure activities, and especially the current fad for hydrotherapy, have given Wulai a new lease on life. Hot spring establishments and hotels are now springing up throughout the town. 

Several centuries ago, when the Atayal arrived here at the confluence of the Nanshih and Tungho Creeks, they found steam and water emerging through clefts in the rock and exclaimed: "Kirofu-Ulai!--meaning "hot and poisonous." Thus Wulai got its name, and so began the area's history as a hot springs retreat. 


Chu-Lung Resort

The tea-drinking area at Chu-Lung Resort is decorated with items from the owner's personal collection. This Aboriginal canoe is the most eye-catching item.

With its cold, misty climate, Wulai is one of the main areas for cultivation of Northern Taiwan's pouchong tea. Approaching Wulai from Hsintien you pass the well-known tea center called Wenshan Estate. Just after that you'll spot a traditional-looking building with a fence of ox-cart wheels. This is the Chu-Lung Resort.

Established 20 years ago, the Chu-Lung Resort was Wulai's first dedicated hot springs hotel. The men's pool faces an uninhabited hillside and the Yenti Reservoir, while the women's pool is located on the side of the ravine. It features hot, medium and cold baths, with water massage sections and baths scented with tea, lemon and other fragrances. The partially open-air design of the pools allows bathers to enjoy the view and the fresh air. It is easy to lose your sense of time here, forgetting about the world outside.

Wulai owes much of its natural charm to the lovely Nanshih Creek.

Seventeen years ago, owner Chang Ming-yi introduced Taiwan's first menu of tea-cooked dishes, including oolong smoked chicken, pouchong freshwater prawns, pekoe venison, lungching prawn rolls and tea pastries. Chu-Lung resort is thus a place to enjoy Wulai's twin charms of hot springs and tea culture. 

85 Yenti, Chungchi Village, Wulai, Taipei County  Tel: (02) 2661-6333  Open 08:30-01:00  How to get there: Take the Wulai bus as far as Yenti. By car, take the Taipei-Ilan Highway out of Hsintien then turn onto the Hsintien-Wulai Highway. Chu-Lung Resort is about 1 km before Wulai proper.  Charges: NT$200-480, overnight from NT$3,200.

 

International Hot Springs 

The main pool at the International Hot Springs, set amid a landscaped garden, is the place to enjoy a Chinese-style hot spring environment.

Located on Wulai Street, the International Hot Springs was formerly a hotel that had been in business for over 30 years. It was re opened last year after full refurbishment. 
Entering the lobby you are greeted by a panoramic vista of hills and water through the building's full-length windows. Directly across the creek is Wulai's main source of hot spring waters, ensuring that International Hot Springs has an ample supply of 100% pure spring water. 

The spacious men's and women's bathing areas feature slate-tiled hot spring pools, set amid a charmingly designed Chinese garden. Bathers can treat their necks and shoulders to a soothing massage under the stream of water flowing from the rockery, or sit in the thatched pavilion among the cherry and maple trees, admiring the view of hills. It's a truly Chinese bathing experience, in contrast to the Japanese style favored at many other hot spring establishments. 

In addition to its hot spring facilities the resort also offers a healthy set dinner: trout baked with green tea, noodles in tea-seed oil, Chinese yam broth with lotus seeds, and parboiled mountain celery. It's a tasty selection, low in salt, oil and calories. 

22 Wulai St., Wulai, Taipei County  Tel: (02) 2661-6351  Open 08:00-01:00  How to get there: A five-minute walk from the Wulai bus terminus. By car, follow the road from Hsintien to Wulai and park in the Wulai Scenic Area lot.  Charges: NT$380 adults, NT$190 children.

Wulai Outdoor Hot Springs 

The best way to get a flavor of the original hot spring experience in Wulai is to bathe for free at the open-air hot spring on the bank of Nanshih Creek. Rocks from the creek are used to regulate the amount of icy mountain water that is allowed to mix with the hot spring water that bubbles onto the creek's stony beach, creating a form of natural temperature control for the pools. 

To reach the outdoor hot springs, cross the Lansheng Bridge and turn right. There, you'll come to three pools made from a combination of boulders and cement, and kept at different temperatures. You'll also see experienced visitors wading into the spring-warmed creek on the end of ropes to enjoy the feeling of total immersion in nature. 
Visitors should note that the changing facilities are rudimentary, and the railing alongside the wooden walkway is broken. Caution is advised.

How to get there: A ten-minute walk from Wulai bus terminus.

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