Noting that the festival helps promote Chiba to Taiwanese residents and visitors, an official said, “We’d like to highlight the fact that Chiba has much more to offer beyond Narita airport and Tokyo Disneyland.”
Queen’s Head to Glow This Summer
A similar illumination festival is slated to be held this summer in Yehliu, a 1,700-meter-long cape in New Taipei, less than an hour’s drive from Taipei.
The Yehliu Geopark showcases an array of unique rock formations, each shaped like items such as mushrooms, a sandal and a “melon pan”, a Japanese bread.
As is so often the case, nature is constantly changing, and the Queen’s Head is no exception. The “neck” of the park’s highlight, which got its name for its resemblance to a queen’s bust, is growing thinner each year due to erosion. The troubled queen already has a successor for when her head eventually topples over, in the form of the Cute Princess.
For now, the queen’s fate will be set aside as she takes center stage at the light show, scheduled to be held between June 28 and July 13. A special event for tourists on package tours provided by Japanese travel agencies will be held the night before the festival’s opening, the organizers said.
“Although the Yehliu Geopark is a popular tourist spot famous for its unique landscape, it remains relatively unknown among Japanese visitors,” an official at the Taiwan Visitors Association Tokyo Office said. “There are many locations with breathtaking scenery and nature in Taiwan that Japanese tourists have yet to explore,” she added.
Pointing to the park’s geographical proximity to Taipei, the official said, “Through the coming event, we hope that more Japanese tourists discover this spot, where they can swing by and appreciate the beauty of Taiwan’s nature.”
Enchanting Old Streets
Speaking of “breathtaking scenery and nature,” the entrancing old streets of Shifen, once a coal mining community, and Jiufen, previously a gold mining community, are prominent tourist destinations less than an hour’s drive from Taipei.
On one particular cloudy February afternoon, the old street of Shifen, which runs alongside a railway track, was packed with people releasing into the sky lanterns with their wishes written in brush and ink. A glance at the lanterns floating off to the smoldering sky revealed that wealth and health were high up on their wish lists.
Jiufen has become one of the main faces of Taiwan’s tourism.
Despite its strong popularity, sometimes bordering on overcrowding, the village retains its charm. Mist rolling over the mountains at dusk blends seamlessly with the glow of red lanterns along the old street, creating an ethereal atmosphere.
Tea houses tucked away on the mountainside also give the place a nostalgic allure straight out of an old movie, with some travel agencies likening the setting to the world of Studio Ghibli’s 2001 blockbuster anime “Spirited Away.”
Untrodden Tourist Spots
According to the Taiwanese tourism administration, the number of foreign visitors to the island in 2024 totaled some 7.86 million. By nationality, Japanese visitors topped the list, accounting for around 16.8 per cent.
Taipei, known for numerous morning and night markets overflowing with local delicacies, also offers eye-opening experiences, such as tours of underground escape tunnels built for former Taiwanese President Chiang Kai-shek beneath the historic Grand Hotel, which once hosted foreign dignitaries.
Many locations within a train or car ride away from the hustle and bustle of the major city are still relatively unexplored by Japanese tourists.
A simple 90-minute journey on the Taiwan Railway from Taipei takes visitors to Yilan, which hosts Jiaoxi Hot Springs and the National Center for Traditional Arts.
Yilan is also home to Kavalan Distillery, celebrated for its internationally acclaimed whiskies, including Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky and Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength.
Perhaps another place to stop by is an indoor shrimp fishing pool, a common sight across Taiwan. A favorite pastime among locals, shrimp fishing may seem “simple,” as an employee at one fishing facility in the suburbs of Yilan described it. According to him, a quick tug on the fishing rod when the bobber dips should be enough to catch a shrimp. However, the process may not be so straightforward for beginners.
Whether it is sampling street food, unwinding in “onsen” hot springs, experiencing a dazzling festival of lights, savoring fine whiskies, fishing for shrimps, or indulging in whatever else tickles your fancy, Taiwan seems to have it all.
By Shoko Miyake
staff writer for Jiji Press.
AloJapan.com