The Camphor Forests of Dongyanshan and a pit-stop in Fusing

Or so I thought. On the way out, we noticed a small crowd gathered at a gash in the hillside. Coiled up in a small hole and ready to strike was an angry Taiwan Bamboo Pit Viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) ready to inject deadly venom into the first fool to try and pet it. Several people warned me in English that it was highly venomous and to stand back. Seeing that beautiful reptile made the whole trip.

On the way back down to Taoyuan, we stopped off at the mountain town of Fusing, where we devoured a scrumptious Atayal barbecue of wild boar, mushrooms and bamboo shoot soup —washed down with overflowing cups of local sweet rice wine.

Fusing (復興) is a good place to stock up on xiao-mi-jiu, as well as fresh high-mountain teas and herbal medicines. Such is the extent of dried mushrooms and other herbal products here that virtually any ailment known to mankind can likely be cured if you consult the right proprietor.

In fact, I found just sitting in the Atayal restaurant, sipping rice wine and dining on local cuisine, to be the best part of the day. The easy smiles and warm attitudes of these people reminded me of the Tibetans I met in Nepal earlier this year.

According to Canadian naturalist-explorer Wade Davis, all aboriginal races and high-mountain peoples throughout the world, from the Andes to the Himalayas and through Borneo and the Amazon, share cultural links from which much can be learned.

The Atayal, no doubt, are one of these great people, and any future excursions into the mountains of Taoyuan will conclude with a pit-stop for their fine cuisine and tasty rice wine.

How To Get There:

By car: Take Dasi (大溪) Interchange on National Hwy. 3 to Dasi and continue on to the Provincial Hwy # 7 to Fusing. Look for the sign to Township Hwy. 113: This will take you up to Dongyanshan National Forest Area.

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