The president's Hometown, Kuantien

With the election of hometown boy Chen Shui-bian as president in 2000, the Tainan County township of Kuantien has risen to prominence. Located in central Tainan County at the foot of Mount Wushan on the western end of the Alishan Range, Kuantien largely comprises fertile plains irrigated by the waters of the Wushantou Reservoir, and produces an abundance of agricultural products including rice, sugar cane, oranges and water caltrops. A classic example of a traditional farming community, Kuantien is Taiwan's top producer of water caltrops, with which its name has long been synonymous. Now, Kuantien's Hsichuang Village, where President Chen Shui-bian was born and raised, has begun to lure waves of local tourists.

Visitors to Kuantien's Water Caltrop Festival can not only gorge themselves on water caltrops, but also gather the caltrops themselves from rowing boats.

Kuantien is easily accessible via Provincial Highway 1, Lungtien Railway Station or the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, making travel to and from the town hassle-free. Local tourist attractions include Wushantou Reservoir, the National Tainan Institute for the Arts, artifacts from the prehistoric Black Pottery Culture, the Lungtien Distillery, and the wildlife preserve for the endangered pheasant-tailed jacana. But the most indelible image of a visit is the sight of people rafting through the water caltrop ponds in Tungchuang and Hsichuang villages.

Hsichuang Village in Kuantien Rural Township has become one of southern Taiwan's major tourist attractions since Chen Shui-bian, who hails from here, became president. Getting a photo taken with the life-sized cutout of President Chen outside his old home is a must for many visitors to Kuantien.

Kuantien produces an average of 4,000 tons of water caltrops annually, with a total area of more than 500 hectares under cultivation. It is Taiwan's largest producer of water caltrops. Harvesting begins in July and continues through fall, peaking around September and October. Water caltrops are broadly divided into two types: deep- and shallow-water varieties. Deep-water varieties are lighter in color and sweeter in taste, while the shells of shallow-water varieties have a dark color that can stain the hands.

Dappled by the shadows of areca palms in the glow of the setting sun, the water caltrop fields of Kuantien appear even more charming.

In recent years the Kuantien Farmers Association has held an annual Kuantien Water Caltrop Festival, usually in October, with activities including explanations of the ecology of the water caltrop, caltrop picking, caltrop peeling competitions and caltrop-shell whistle making. The festival is aimed at giving the public a deeper understanding of the life of a water caltrop farmer and the ecology of the plant. Visitors also have a chance to purchase a variety of caltrop products, including water caltrop wine, cake and jellies, and they can try an elaborate 12-course banquet of dishes centered around the water caltrop. Those interested can contact the association at (06) 579-1221.
 

Hsichuang: Chen Family Ancestral Home, Hui An Temple

The release of excess water from Wushantou Reservoir makes for an impressive sight.

Wushantou Reservoir and the Chianan Channel that flows from it have played a significant historical role in the development of the surrounding region. Prior to the reservoir's construction, the Chianan Plain was an uncultivated wilderness with few farmers. In 1920, engineers from the Japanese colonial government began the planning and construction of the Wushantou Reservoir and the damming of the Kuantien River, a project that would take ten years and eventually entail expenditures equivalent to half of the colonial government's annual tax revenues. The completed Wushantou Reservoir, also known as Coral Lake, irrigated nearly 150,000 hectares of land, thereafter permitting the cultivation of three rice crops annually on the Chianan Plain. 

Following completion of the reservoir, rising water levels flooded the banks of the Kuantien River. Viewed from above, the river can still be seen meandering through the waters of the reservoir like a reef of blue coral, hence its other moniker. The dam features a unique earthquake-resistant structure and is the only one of its kind in the world. A verdant 1.27 km in length, it's an excellent spot for a springtime walk through the lush growth of flowers and trees. The maximum capacity of Wushantou's sluice gates is 1,500 cubic meters of water per second. At maximum flow, a rainbow is created. The spectacular views from the nearby suspension bridge have earned it the name "Rainbow Bridge." 

Wushantou Reservoir Scenic Area  68-2, Chianan Village, Kuantien Rural Township, Tainan County  Tel: (06) 698-2103  Admission: Adult NT$150, child NT$80  Hours: 06:00-18:00

Coral Lake Chienchiao Hotel

Coral Lake Chienchiao Hotel is located inside the Wushantou Reservoir Scenic Area and offers excellent vistas of the lake and surrounding countryside in a natural, secluded setting. Moonlight views of the lake, to a symphony of crickets and frogs, can bring you closer to nature. The Chienchiao's unique menu focuses on fish taken from the lake and local produce from the surrounding mountains and countryside. 
Guests staying the night may opt to check out one of the hotel's guided hiking or bicycle tours, which include introductions to the plant life and bird habitats of the lake and surrounding region, and to top scenic spots.

Lungtien Distillery's Yusan Erkuotou and Chinghsiang sorghum liquors have an excellent reputation, and its sideline products such as kaoliang ice lollies and rice cakes steeped in Lung Feng medicinal liquor are also very popular.

Lungtien Distillery now mostly produces kaoliang liquor, but that wasn't always the case. It began as an alcohol refinery. In 1982, the company expanded, changed its name and became a noted producer of Yusan Erkuotou and Chinghsiang (labelled "Aroma Kao Liang" varieties of the fiery liquor kaoliang, distilled from sorghum. Lungtien is also known for producing a variety of tonic liquors made by steeping ingredients such as deer antler or bonnet bellflower root in kaoliang to create tonics such as Lung Feng (Dragon-Phoenix) liquor, made with over ten different herbs. Lungtien's visitor center offers an introduction to distilling. Local products flavored with Lung Feng liquor (such as popsicles and luwei), Yushan sausages made with kaoliang, and eggs hard-boiled in Shaoxing rice wine, are also available.
 

Lungtien Distillery  No. 335, Chunghua Rd. Sec. 1, Lungpen Vil lage, Kuantien Rural Township, Tainan County  Tel: (06) 579-1311 Hours: 8:30-17:20

Tsoumalai Farm

Tsoumalai Farm has 40 hectares of fine grassland. At the farm's annual Pasture Grass Festival, refreshing grass-stem snacks and scarecrow contests quickly dispel the fatigue of city life.

Tsoumalai Farm is located in Tanei Rural Township, close to Provincial Highways 1, 3, 20 and 84, and is promoted by the Tainan County Farmers Association as the central location for tourist farm activities in the county. Travelers setting off from the farm can reach a number of Taiwan's top scenic attractions within a 20-km radius, including the Southern Cross-Island Highway, Yushan National Park, Wushantou Reservoir Scenic Area, Tsengwen Reservoir and Hutoupei. The farm also offers relaxing accommodations. 

Tsoumalai has 40 hectares of specially cultivated pastureland, thick with lush grass imported from New Zealand. The farm has recently begun holding the biannual Tsoumalai Pasture Grass Festival in May and December. 

Tsoumalai Farm  61 Chiliwa, Erhhsi Village, Tanei Ru ral Town ship, Tainan County  Tel: (06) 576-0121  www.farm.com.tw  Tachung Restaurant: (06) 576-0226  Tsaoyuan Restaurant: (06) 576-0260  Tainan County agro-tourism website: www.agtour.org.tw

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