2014-2-7 17:58

Journalist Wen-hsi Chang/reported in Changhua

    There is no need to go far to Alishan to appreciate oriental cherry and it is also unnecessary to go to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village with crowded people! The double cherry in Baiguo Mt. Chushui Lane in Yuanlin Township of Changhua is blooming, and the peach blossoms spread the winding mountainous road, together with the simple and unsophisticated dwellings along the road, walking in the cherry path, you will appreciate a unique flavor. Here is a private scenic spot for the tourists to appreciate cherry. ”
 

    Chun-ming Hsiao, the secretary-general of Chushui Community Development Association said that more than 10 years ago, the local residents began to plant cherry in the Chushui Community, later, they planted more and more cherries, and the flowers were also more and more beautiful. Totally there are more than 100 double cherries and Prunus campanulata along the Chushui Lane at present, but they are not widely known by people. On the contrary, because of the advantageous condition, without the artificial disturbance, the blooming cherries provide quite a quiet environment with the occasional tourists.

    Chun-ming Hsiao said those who want to appreciate cherry should grasp the opportunity. However, the cherry is beside the road, without special height, so he appealed the people to cherish the flowers and do not pick up flowers and branches at will, so that there are beautiful flowers for appreciation every year. The students who spend the winter vacation for photo taking here say that they hear Chushui Lane is very beautiful during the cherry blooming period, so they come here according to the clue, and find it is really like the legend, without noise, and there is also surprise in each corner. Rows of cherry flowers make people intoxicated.

Those who want to go to Chushui Lane for flower appreciation can directly arrive by water via Yuanlin Township. After arriving at Baiguo Mt. Scenic Area, turn left to Chushui Lane, walk straight along the road, and then walk forward for a few section after passing Minghu National Primary School, you will see a group of glooming cherries on your right hand, with an extension of 100-200m.

    “Baiguo Mt. Hiking Trail” is located on the slope of Baiguo Mt., being the junction of Changhua County and Nantou County and also called “Sibaikan Trail”, with a full length of about 3km, there are totally 439 stone steps in Sibaikan Trail, and there is also Liangbaikan Trail, Sanbaikan Trail. Walking upward along the three hiking trails, you will arrive at the main ridge, with a very broad horizon, where you can overlook the mountainous sceneries nearby and the busy Yuanlin urban area. It is the best hiking place for the local people, not only with fresh air, but both sides of the tree-shading trail are full of carambola, longan, litchi and red sterculia nobilis trees. Because of different fruit trees blooming on both sides of the path in the whole year, with the change of season, the tourists will have a feeling of being surrounding by the strong fruit flavor of different fruit trees when walking here.

    There are not only many hiking trails and recreation pavilions in Baiguo Mt., but also many sports facilities like side horse, horizontal bar and hula hoop, and also badminton court, viewing deck and charged teahouse… it is really a good place for recreation and scenery enjoying.

 

    Have you enjoyed Chinese chestnut? In the early period of material shortage, the black-shell fruits were the delicious taste of childhood memory. Pitifully, the young generation seldom hears about this, let alone tasting! Yuanlin Township is a rare area with planting of Chinese chestnut, and you can see the farmers busy with fruit picking in Baiguo Mt..

 

    The Chinese chestnut fructified around the double seventh of the lunar year has the alias of “phoenix eye nut” and “seven-sister fruit”. The planting area of Chinese chestnut trees in Yuanlin Township is more than 20ha, and the Chinese chestnut can be said to be the limited specialty in Yuanlin. Now it is the harvest period, the fruit with shell is about NTD 60 per 0.5kg, and that without shell is about NTD 100 per 0.5kg

 

    The cracked Chinese chestnuts are like eyes, they are also called phoenix eye nuts. Its taste is similar to chestnut.(Photographed by Ying-zhe Sun.)

 

    Town Mayor Chin-ken Chang of Yuanlin Township points out that the Chinese chestnut has the function of moistening lung for arresting cough. After it is cooked and peeled, the yellow nut is like the egg yellow, with taste similar to chestnut or water chestnut, some also say that its taste is between the taste of taro and sweet potato. He said, “Taiwan is in shortage of materials in the early period, the Chinese chestnut was the best snack, but pitifully, the young generation seldom eats it, perhaps they even have not heard about it.”

    The local Village Chief Shih-lin Chiu of Chushui Neighborhood said, the Chinese chestnut is called “Pinpeng” in pronunciation in Taiwan language. Before being washed cleanly, it is put into the boiled water to cook for 20-30 minutes, the traditional eating method is to stick syrup or soy, and it can also applied in cuisine, for example, packing in traditional Chinese rice-pudding, Chinese chestnut porridge or stewed Chinese chestnut chicken, or fried with bean curd. The new eating method is to cook it, and then cool it to make Chinese chestnut smoothie.

Chinese Chestnut

◎Scientific name: Sterculia nobilis

◎Alias: Phoenix eye nut, seven-sister fruit, Pinpo fruit

◎Morphological characteristics: evergreen deciduous tree, with large and thick leaves, elegant gesture, and it can be taken as the border tree or shadow tree, its spire is fuchsia, and it is red after the maturation of fruit, the fruit and fruit shell are black brown, and nut yellow. 

◎Ecological characteristics: it is originally produced in Guangdong, China and Malaysia, the blooming period is from May to June, and maturation period is from July to August, its fruit is eatable, and has the alias of phoenix eye nut because of its appearance.

 

Source: Yuanlin Township Office Agricultural Course

The beautiful scenery and favor of Baiguo Mt. can be described with the words “fruits, fragrant flowers, sweet mountain spring, delicious preserved fruit and beautiful scenery”. There is beautiful scenery, dense trees in the area, tidy and clean, and there is open hiking trail and more than 10 sports facilities, and also the children recreation area that the children like most.

 

Climbing the mountain to enjoy beautiful scenery, with endless people from morning to dark

 

Climbing the top “Five-floor tower” of Baiguo Mt., you can overlook the whole Yuanlin Township and enjoy the gentle cool breeze. Arriving at Liangbaikan Trail, Sanbaikan Trail, and Sibaikan Trail, along Chushui Lane, climbing to Wolong Slope and the viewing deck, you will see endless people climbing the mountain from morning to evening.

 

Delicious preserved fruit, fragrant and sweet carambola

Because of abundance of fruits, there is a reputation of “Yuanlin salty, sour and sweet”, various preserved fruits make people covet, which are the best gifts and can be bought in Yuanshui Road. In addition, there are also many “carambola sightseeing orchard” nearby, suitable for the whole family to enjoy the fruit pickup during vacation. Carambola is juicy and sweet. After fully enjoying the beautiful scenery, you might as well have a taste in the orchard.

  

Have a full view of Yuanlin scenery in Guang Tian Temple

In the grand “Guang Tian Temple”, you can have a full of scenery of Yuanlin Township and the panoramic view of the sunset scenery. Along the way, there are many local chicken towns, with various characteristics. When touring here, you might as well enjoy the local chicken banquet.