Close to Nature, Closer to the Culture

Sung Tze-lai, a respected Chinese writer, composed a poem in 1981 dedicated to the place's beauty, entitled “If You Should Come to Hengchun.” He writes:

If you should come to Hengchun

Make sure to see it in the rain

Or watch the sailboats as they float along the water

If you should come to Hengchun

Make sure to see the sunset

When the clouds over the water look like fine red powder

If you should come to Hengchun

Make sure to see it in good weather

When the fog covering the mountains looks like a bridal veil

Actually anytime is a good time to come to Hengchun

Singing its praises makes your heart feel light

No one appreciates the Hengchun area better than Jack Wu, general manager of the grand Caesar Park Hotel in Kenting. Having lived in the area for several years, Wu said the beaches of Kenting have often masked other splendors of Hengchun, creating an illusion that summertime is the only suitable time to visit. In fact, “there is something for everyone in the Hengchun area, with cultural, historical and ecological wonders, all year long,” Wu highlighted.

Before entering Hengchun, let's start our trip by exploring the nature surrounding in Checheng township – bordering Hengchun's northern area – to see the respected Fuan Temple.

Fuan Temple

A 15-minute drive from the hot spring area is Taiwan's largest temple devoted to the God of Land, or Earth God, – Checheng's Fuan Temple.

Built more than 300 years ago during the Guangsyu reign, the impressive temple is gold and red, splendidly decorated with intricate stone carvings. Two Chinese stone lions welcome me outside the temple, adding gravity to the scene.

The Earth God's formal Chinese name is “Fudezhengshen,” meaning the Earth God of Wealth and Merit. The God's close relationship to people is reflected by his common name Tu Di Gong – “gong” is a reference to a grandfather figure. Often found in small shrines or under main altars, he is traditionally worshiped before the burial of a loved one, to give thanks for receiving the dead as they return to the land.

Caesar Park Hotel's tour guide Chen Jing-shan pointed out a special feature of the temple when we were there: the golden censer, designed to whisk stacks of the paper offering “money” straight into the furnace using wind from the chimney and surrounding windows, appearing as if little invisible fairies are collecting them.

Reminiscing the vibrant, romantic sunset view outside my Caesar Park Hotel room, it's unbelievable how such different beauties can be experienced within the same region.

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