Well, I have found something odd, that the more work I have in weekdays, the more fun I want to have in weekends. Probably it is just because I am stuck in the office from Monday to Friday, staring at the computer. I thought I would prefer staying home, but not, actually.
Anyway, I had a one-day-trip to Beiguan Tidal Park, Yilan, with my friend in New Year vacation. We took a two-hour-train to Guishan Station (which was quite a small and remote station that we were the only two passengers got off! By the way, the toilet was kind of scary because there were so many bugs and mosquitos inside. I got at least ten mosquito bites!) We walked along an industrial road from the station where we already could see the isolated Turtle Island in the middle of the sea.
After ten minutes walking……we finally arrived!
Hundred years ago, when Taiwan was under the reign of Qing Dynasty, Beiguan, which means “North Gateway”, was a major passage into Yilan due to precipitous mountains and tremendous rocks. In 1819, frontier pass at Beiguan was permitted by Emperor Jiaqing and thus Qing troops garrisoned and guarded City Gmalan (ancient name for Yilan nowadays).
This ancient cannon was dug out in Toucheng and moved to Beiguan Tidal Park. The meaning of the characters on it is "Casted in the winter of _____ for Gamalan Camp. Weigh 600 hu (7 pounds and 11 ounces) each."
The paths of Beiguan Tidal Park were built based on its own rock terrains which winded among those tremendous rocks. It was like hide and seek! We could not really tell where we were and where we were going since we were “in” the rocks! But we could always glance at the sea immediately when we turned at the next corner.
Thread into Sky
As we climbed higher, the wind got stronger (actually it was a windy day, not so cold, but cold enough to have a running nose and I just could not do anything with it!)
It was kind of cool when we stood at the top of the cuesta, looking afar─nothing but the sky, the sea, Turtle Island, and the waves coming and going and coming again. The waves came, separated apart from each other by the rocks, and splashed! With white sprays! It was kind of romantic to think, that those waves were the waves from hundred years ago, of that time that there might be someone looking afar as well.
There was a saying:
The mountains, this key that clutches
The waves, which the sound splashes
Our small trip ended with people jostling in the train (not from the small and remote train station but the one at another hot spot……). We fell asleep on our way back home. Fortunately I did not miss my stop.
Looking down at the railway.
•Beiguan Tidal Park
http://www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw/user/Article.aspx?Lang=2&SNo=03000091
留言列表
