Area map
We travel to Taichung late Saturday night 4/8 with Alice and Dewei and spend the night in Chunfang's nursery school, where she teaches mandarin, English and Paiwan. Sunday morning we join her planned outting to Wangxiang. Wangxiang 望鄉 is a Bunun village located in Xinyi 信義 township of central Nantou 南投 county above Heshi 和社 at the confluence of the Chenyoulan 陳有蘭係 and the Heshi 和社溪 rivers.
We arrive in the village of Jiumei 久美 and walk to Wangxiang. At an elevation of 1000m, Wangxiang or Kalibu is the only village that provides a view of Alishan. In addition to grape orchards and fields of young tomatoes and peppers, we notice plum trees fruiting. In Wangxiang, our guide is the village chief and pastor, Yohani Issikakafute, former chair of the Indigenous People's Committee and currently national policy advisor.
After a tour and lunch with villagers we travel to Dongpu 東埔, the jumping off point for expeditions to Alishan. Aside from agriculture, Wangxiang village trains mountain guides. The natural hot springs above the hot spring resport of Dongpu are administered by the tribespeople of Dongpu village. From Dongpu we hike up to Rainbow Falls.
Chunfang and Tammy
On 4/12 we travel to Wulai 烏來 township in southern Taipei 台北 county to shoot footage for educational material. We interview the new magistrate of Wulai township and visit one of the weaving workshops.
