Taiwan 2012: National Center for Traditional Arts (Yilan)

Yilan is an amazingly quiet place to relax in. I know people usually rush through their itinerary and do counties like these in a day without an overnight, but I've always been of the opinion that one should fully soak in the place before moving on. We're not in a rat race, ya know. Hehe.

Anyway, this post is gonna be on the National Center for Traditional Arts. Yes, the name sounds boring but really...it's good for at least a few hours' entertainment after your invigorating adventure through the Dongshan River Water Park. It's a boat ride away from the park, so you gotta hop onto a small boat and putter your way there. For those who get seasick easily at even the sight of a boat, you can ride your way there but it MIGHT be a tad far for the physically unfit. =x

But no worries, the boat moves almost immediately after all the passengers have boarded and it's a mere 10 minute trip so it shouldn't be a big problem. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. =)

All aboard!

Tickets for to and fro~ 100NT in total

Windy view from the boat

You can see the Wen-Chang Temple from the river~!

Now, as the name suggests, it's a center for traditional arts. This means that you'll get to see all sorts of cultural and artsy stuff like mini concerts, opera performances, local eats, historical monuments, art exhibitions etc. You can also get to eat stuff like bingtanghulu that are really fruits (like baby tomatoes) caked in honey and huge packets of preserved fruits like plums. There are also shops that sell retro toys like snakes and ladders and other masak masak (Malay word for toys, I think) like these. They will definitely make unique souvenirs for those digital-crazed kid nieces and nephews you have back home. LOL.

Food stalls that will ensure you won't go hungry!

The venue is quite popular with both locals and tourists!

Sheltered seats for the weary and a serene view of the pond,
sometimes you can even enjoy a mini concert while you
rest! =3

Gorgeous, isn't it? 

Entire streets of arts and craft

For those who enjoy collecting BJDs (Ball-jointed dolls), you'll be happy to know that there is one particular shop that sells and exhibits beautiful lifelike puppets that have their very own drama serial! See below for video:

Whoever makes these puppets are just really pro

They look really lifelike, right?!

There are no ugly puppets...really. =x

Each puppet character play a significant part
in the show to represent an ideal or idea. Neat,
huh? Like caricature. =3

Before I visited this shop, I never knew that puppets could make such impressive drama serials the likes of Jing Yong! LOL. If I remember correctly, you can also buy one of the puppets home to add to your collection although the price is quite hefty. Heh.

There is also a soap shop where you'll gain better understanding on how the modern soap originated and its evolution to today's version. For those who want to make their own soap or buy special soaps for unique skin conditions, you can choose from a wide variety of sweet-smelling soaps that are made from natural ingredients and herbs. =)

Sweet smelling soaps you can try out before buying

Soap curving of a turtle!

The good old days of bathing in a tub

Curious about the evolution of soap? Hop on upstairs in the shop
to find out more!

Traditional opera costumes for the ladies, I think
this is a wedding gown for female characters.

This is the garb of a scholarly (and often poor)
man in opera performances

Fabric postcards! You can make little fabric
animals from the fabric on the postcard front

The weather was a bit hot, but it does look like a swell place
for exhibitions. 

A gorgeous view from the other side of the river

Great place for a stroll...in the evening. =x

There is even a temple where you can visit or pray for excellent school results. Wen-Chang Temple was built to honour the Taoist God of Wisdom, Literature, Books and Writing. Taiwan Culture Portal has this to say about him.

"He started out as a mortal by the name of Zhang Ya Zi, a Zhou Dynasty sage who could predict the future and perform great transformations. He is also a God of Education and Learning, who helps students and blesses schools. It is said that it is easy to get on his good side: all you need to do is love books."

Well, then I will definitely be one of his favourites since I love reading and writing. Hohohoho. =3

For those who are unfamiliar with temple traditions (like me), there are also arrows to direct you into the temple through the right door for good luck. Apparently, the right door symbolises a dragon while the left one a tiger. So you basically enter the temple on the right and exit on the left. The temple also features five other gods. And if you want to see how people in the olden days live, you can hop on over to Scholar Huang's Residence; a well-kept place that has been there for 120 years! It was built using the san-ho-yuan pattern, otherwise known as the three winged pattern that symbolises a father sitting in the middle and embracing/protecting his family with his outstretched arms.

Entrance to the temple

My somewhat feeble attempt at taking an
artistic shot of the temple's interior

Scholar Huang's house! 

A place to honour the ancestors and the gods

Display of items that had been used in the past

As I walked through the place, a little girl was
leading her family through the house and
explaining the story behind each item. Quite
entertaining. LOL.

You can't really see it but there is a machine
blowing bubble shooting bubbles into the sky.

A final look as I leave on a boat

Hungry? No worries, for there is a food court on site where there is a large variety of food available. You can nom on burgers, soup noodles and even Japanese food if I remember correctly. Should you want to spend more than a day in the arts cultural center, you can also stay at the Forte Dong-Shan Villa that is situated right next door. Check out its reviews and photos on the TripAdvisor website.

This place is definitely a must-see for people who love traditional architecture and/or arts & crafts. It MIGHT not be Disneyland but I thoroughly enjoyed myself that afternoon. =)

I even got to wear a traditional opera costume for a souvenir picture! Hehe. Oh and before I forget, here's a map of the place. Have fun!