Close to Nature, Closer to the Culture

Now back to the past, as old-fashioned walls and gateways come in sight, we have arrived at the center of Hengchun town.

As the best-preserved in the country, these city walls have been registered as a national historical monument.

The 13-meter tall walls enveloping the city extend 2.5 kilometers and were built over five years during the Qing Dynasty to repel invasions from neighboring Aborigines and foreign troops.

Built without cement or a single nail, Chen told me that the stones were joined together firmly with lime, glutinous rice and sugar. The technique sounds like a recipe for a students' art project, yet it held together solidly for decades.

Although the wall's not fully intact, it's remarkable to see how sections have been preserved after so many years, in spite of having encountered many typhoons, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

In celebration of the walls' 100th anniversary, reconstruction took place about 20 years ago, giving the original sections a more wholesome image.

There are four gateways facing east, south, north, and supposedly west – the western gate is the only one not angled right, apparently for feng shui reasons, Chen pointed out.

Each gateway has built-in watchtowers, gun emplacements, and a surrounding moat that has now dried up.

The eternal burning flame

One of Hengchun's treasures, an ecological wonder known as Chuhuo, is located just five minutes away from the East Gate. Chuhuo, literally “release fire” in Chinese, identifies Hengchun's eternally burning flame.

Chuhuo's entrance is identifiable with its spacious parking lot next to a staircase that leads to the natural marvel.

Visible flames emerging from the ground at Chuhuo are fueled by natural gas emitted through the area's cracked mudstone, like the nature's ever-burning lighter.

The sight is fascinating, but it is especially startling in the evenings, when the colors of the flames become vibrant, attracting hordes of people.

Once in a while visitors can find Chuhuo-baked potatoes for sale in the area. But they don't taste special because of the flames so don't feel obligated to try one.

The flames burn throughout the year, but the best time to witness nature's show is during dry seasons like spring and winter; otherwise, the rain can sometimes fill up cracks in the mudstone and conceal the burning flames.

1|2|3|Next Page>>

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email