ITCHY FEET TRAVELS

Chishang, Taiwan

Aug 7, 2026

Aboard a comfortable express train I head out of the urban sprawl of Taipei, taking the scenic route. The train tracks avoid the central massif of Taiwan and skirt the island. Heading east, the hilly terrain is shrouded in a mantle of green dotted here and there with towns and villages. The orange roofs of temples pose prettily in their green frames.

As we reach the north-eastern tip, we head south and the deep blue of the ocean sparkles to the left. The hazy outline of Turtle Island floats in the distance. We seem to be zipping by on the beach.

Sometimes we hug the coast and sometimes veer inland with a blur of rice fields going past. It seems odd to see buildings marooned like islands in a field of rice. We cross rivers but barring a couple, most of the beds are bone dry. I learned later that the rice fields are irrigated from water collected in reservoirs during the rainy season.

Barely four hours and I arrive in Chishang. The Fuyuan village at the northern edge of town is tiny, barely three blocks. Its popularity among domestic tourists has given it a quaintly kitsch look, complete with golf cart rentals. But among the goods on sale at the hardware stores, are the iconic conical woven palm hats used by the farmers. These are not souvenirs. Yet.

It is a picturesque village with jade green fields stretching in every direction. Renting a bicycle and wandering the roads ranks high among those who visit and who can blame them? It is certainly pretty.

I do my own share of wandering and asking about Ilisin, the Amis harvest festival but information seems to be in short supply. Walking past a building one day, I see a painting of Amis tribe. Better, yet, I hear music coming from within. A group of seniors are dancing, led by a young woman. They are practicing for the festival to be held in a couple of days.

In fact, there are a couple of separate venues hosting their own events in neighboring villages. Yes! Thrilled, I go back to the guesthouse, walking on air. I can’t wait to see this!