Taiwan's Lotus City Refreshes City Dwellers

Lotus City in Taiwan is highly valued as a place where tourists can experience a lifestyle that is refreshing 1 down to the subtlest details.

Su Yi has more.

 Lotus City in Taiwan is a place known for its slow rippling 2 of everyday life. Many find the city's charm lies in its proximity 3 to the vast Pacific Ocean and lively night life. Others find it in the small, cozy 4 cafes and elegant bookstores frequented by artists and writers.

Wang Yuping moved to Lotus City from Taipei nine years ago.

Wang's story is captivating to many who are both physically 5 and mentally exhausted 6 and wanting to chart their new life with a vision that adapts not only to nature but also to the natural state of being.

Wang quit her job at the famous magazines "Chinese Voice" and "Quality" to come to Lotus City.

"Lotus City is the place where I feel fully 7 alive again, and that's something I never had in Taipei. The last days I was with 'Quality' magazine, I remember I was working overtime 8 many days in a row. Sometimes I stayed up until 3 a.m. I remember one night when I was walking down Renai Lane, I felt the whole world was against me and I just couldn't hold myself together anymore."

In this small city which often strikes guests with its European taste for literature and literary gatherings 9, Wang found her vision realized and her spiritual wandering settled in a small coffee shop called The Stone and a low budget travel magazine called 'Orip' which provides handy tips and guide maps for tourists.

"Since I moved to Lotus City, everything seems to exist in a different world. Here a year has four seasons, and each day sees different weather. And there are typhoons, which I often have not seen because I was condemned 10 to a basement room year in and year out. Many people don't feel the way I feel about Lotus City. They say it takes much time to do everything here. But I respond by saying that that's what life is, taking your time to do what you want to do. It's something we all did when we were very young."

Yuping says the best part about living in Lotus City is associating with the locals.

Lotus City has many different ethnic 11 groups, and they each offer a new and completely refreshing lifestyle. It is great to visit the Bunongs and Bulugoes in winter, when they can take you along for a hunting trip. It is just as wonderful to go with the Armis for a fishing tour in summer.

On those summer evenings, it is such a treat to eat the freshest handpicked seafood 12 by the seaside. In the warmer seasons, one can always ride a bicycle along local community lanes to discover the smallest wonders, like a hand-painted scarf to buy for a good friend or family.

"People are a completely new experience in Lotus City. Here traffic is not very convenient and that has done great good for the preservation 13 of the local communities. The villages here still retain their original flavor. The Kejia mums are very traditional housewives, and they still make handicrafts, not for selling, but for their own daily use. This has helped greatly to maintain the city's cultural heritage. So, it's fair to say that it was only after I moved to Lotus City that I started seeing and feeling that a culture's richness could be so tangible 14 and easy to experience."

In addition to the many wonderful experiences associated with people, the natural endowment of Lotus City was just as unforgettable with its many delights and breathtaking views.

The seawater here is so pure and clean that in good times one can project a sea view miles into the Pacific Ocean standing 15 on the mountain top overlooking Lotus City.

Because of this, the Yuanxiongyuelai Hotel has attracted many film directors to film the sea view here as it offers a good romantic set in nature's wonderful beauty. Many young people also come here to see their idols 16 close-up.

 

But more dazzling than the film idols is the night view when the city sleeps under almost translucent 17 artificial starlight. It is perfect for young couples who roam down the roads and stand by the bridges to take in a romantic night's deliciously graceful 18 offers.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.