A Day in Town: Zaoqiao, Shitan, Nanzhuang, Touwu (Miaoli County)

I just completed my eighth trip under "A Day in Town," my multi-year backpacking plan of spending a day in approximately 350 townships in my country. My destination this time was Miaoli County, the subnational division of Taiwan bordering Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City to the north, Taichung City to the east and south, and the Taiwan Strait to the west. There are 18 townships in Miaoli County, and I visited four of them during the trip: Zaoqiao, Shitan, Nanzhuang, and Touwu, which collectively formed the northeastern part of the county.

I spent my first day in Zaoqiao Township, whose name literally means "build a bridge" because it was situated between its two prosperous counterparts—Zhunan Township in the north and Miaoli City (under Miaoli County, equal status with a township) in the south—with Zhonggang River running through that travelers from both ends could not cross without a bridge, hence the name. I first took a train to Zaoqiao and started exploring the township on foot. Zaoqiao administers 9 villages, and during my day there I visited 4 of them. 

As soon as I exited Zaoqiao Train Station, I was amazed by its history and maintenance. I read the description board erected at the exit gate and learned that the station was first built in 1903 and was among the earliest stations built in the railway system that was first introduced in Taiwan in 1893. The train station was reconstructed in 1935, and became the first concrete-built train station in Taiwan. It attracted countless visitors, including various members of the the Japanese imperial family (then Taiwan was under Japanese rule). To date, the structure built in 1935 still stands and is a testament to its prosperous growth in the last century.

I strolled eastward and arrived at Daxi Village. With a population of over 3600, Daxi is the most populous village not just in Zaoqiao Township, but also in the entire Miaoli County, thanks to its historically strong commerce, particularly in pottery and tea manufacturing. As I was immersed in the neighborhood, I stumbled upon an old hiking trail named "Jiantan Old Trail" and was amused because it shares the same name with Jiantan village of Shilin District (which has the same administrative status as a township), Taipei City. The latter is also known for its hiking trail that can be accessed easily by MRT.

I spent my second day in Shitan Township. Surrounded by seven townships, Shitan lies at the heart of Miaoli County. With a population of just under 5000, Shitan is the least populous township in Miaoli County, administering seven villages that span the township from north to south. There was no bus service from my hostel, located in Nanzhuang, to Shitan, so I decided to ride a Youbike there instead. On my day there, I biked through four of the seven villages of Shitan Township.

While I share what I experienced, I do not recommend that readers follow my example. Riding a Youbike in the hilly terrain of Shitan is not a pleasant experience. I used to train for the triathlons and had to bike a lot, so I got used to it and can still manage it now, years after my triathlon racing days. Still, riding a Youbike is very different from riding a road bike or a tri bike when going uphill—hilly courses that can be comfortably managed with the latter are often extremely challenging with the former. This photo was taken at Xianshan, 698 meters above sea level, the highest point of my bike route to Shitan. The uphill ride was hard but it gave me a sense of achievement, too.

After Xianshan, I rode downhill to Xindian, the most developed village where the township administration is located. I explored its neighborhood and stumbled upon Xiyi Tunnel, an important infrastructure project in Miaoli County completed in 2006. Before the opening of the tunnel, which is about 900 meters long and stands at 330 meters above sea level, travelers had to climb over the mountains as high as 700 meters, or took a long detour around the mountains, to reach Miaoli City. Standing here, I could picture the hardship and inconvenience the residents of Shitan Township used to endure before the tunnel was built.

On the third day, I stayed in Nanzhuang, a township located in the northeastern part of Miaoli County and is the second largest township after Taian Township. Nanzhuang is arguably the best known tourist destination of Miaoli County, and is included in Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area in central Taiwan which spans Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung City, Changhua County, and Nantou County. The area is composed of three non-contiguous scenic areas which are all named after mountains, hence the name—Baguashan, Shitoushan, and Lishan.

There are nine villages in Nanzhuang, and I was able to visit all of them during this trip, thanks to the location of my hostel, which was in Nanzhuang, too.  It rained heavily on the third day, so I had to stay at the hostel in the morning. In the afternoon, it stopped raining so I rode a Youbike to explore some "new heights" in Tongho, an expansive mountainous village and the gateway to Jiali Mountain, 2200 meters above sea level. This photo was taken at Shenxiangu, a primitive and beautiful riverbed site with magnificent views, situated at 750 meters above sea level—the elevation was so steep that I had to jump off and walk my bike up. Interestingly, I learned about this place from Seb, my roommate who I first met at the hostel, so out of curiosity I decided to see it for myself. It's so beautiful that the uphill bike ride was all worth it.

Leaving Shenxiangu, I continued going uphill, and finally reached Luchan, the traditional habitat of the Atayal, a major indigenous group in Taiwan. Luchan literally means "deer-hunt land", reflecting its past related to hunting for deer skin, an iconic, precious commodity that Taiwan—also known historically as Formosa—was once known for. This photo was taken at over 900 meters above sea level, with mist visible even under the sun.

On the fourth day, I visited Touwu Township, which borders Shitan to the east, Zaoqiao to the north, and Miaoli City to the west. The name Touwu literally means "first houses", referring to the first houses built by Han Chinese settlers on the narrow plain area alongside Houlong River, the largest in Miaoli County along with the Zhonggang River, whicg gave Zaoqiao its name. 98% of the residents of Touwu Township are of Hakka origin, the dominant ethnic group in Miaoli County. There are eight villages in Touwu Township, and I visited three of them during my day there.

I began by taking a bus to Toufen Township. From there, I transferred to another bus and got off at Jinshuei Village, Zaoqiao Township. From there, I explored on foot southward, and reached Mingde Village, Touwu Township. Mingde was known for its eponymous reservoir, Mingde Reservoir, as captured in this photo. What makes this image even more special for me is the sign with white letters on a green background, an advertisement for a renowned hotel located next to the reservoir that I once stayed at during a company team building event. 15 years had passed since I last stayed there, and seeing it prompted my sense of nostalgia.

As my trip came to an end in Touwu Township, I stumbled upon the Holy House of Loleto, which modeled after Basilica della Santa Casa in Loleto, Italy. I strolled into the house, and instantly felt a sense of serenity and peace of mind. I am not religious really, but after days of hiking and biking around townships in Miaoli in the past few days, I was like a pilgrim, ending my journey at this holy place to express my gratitude for a blessed, safe journey I had just completed.

The hostel I stayed at was located in Nanjiang Village, only a five-minute walk from the downtown Nanzhuang. During my stay I shared the room with Seb, a backpacker from Belgium who is 30 years younger than me, yet his backpacking "footprint", starting from 2017, already covered 20 countries and counting. Besides, Seb is a blogger and a podcaster, among the many hats he wears, and shares his adventures periodically in various languages, including Chinese. I was amazed by Seb's rich life experiences acquired through extensive and immersive traveling, and was inspired by the personal value and philosophy he shared. Sadly we forgot to take a selfie, and for that reason we must meet again later, in Taipei or elsewhere.