Shan Ban Ciao’s cuisine

I love trying new foods and I discovered new and exciting flavor during my internship at Shan Ban Ciao.

Cooking can be an expensive business, and the more valuable when it comes with a legend. Like a fabulous cuisine of Hakka, a traditional food, oily, savory, and salty in Sanyi, Miaoli Area.

ritten by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

Besides, Sanyi also has a variety kind of the local food which is very attractive as well. Sanyi’s local foods are dressing up with basic ingredients that can easily find in the local area. There is the market in Sanyi with many local vegetables, meats, and products.

Shan Ban Ciao’s cuisine was very impressed me with simply foods which I had never heard before. I found that some vegetables can easily find in their farm and they cook it.

Here is one of my favorite, 龍鬚菜, a kind of fern I thought when I saw at it the first time. They roughly boil it and sprinkle with dried fish (Japanese style) and mayonnaise. The taste is a little sweet and delicious!

Also, they have many kinds of fried vegetables, stews, curry soups which are very simple, but decidedly delicious. It may be so simply dish for somebody, but for me it’s very exotic. May be it is special and unique because it comes from the resources in their local and cannot be easily found from other places.

If you are looking for trying new dishes or some local foods, I highly recommend you to try the local food sin Sanyi and you may love it as same as me.

The countryside lifestyle in Shan Ban Ciao

Written by Nannakorn Santita, Edited by TLAA

I had 2 weeks to stay in Shan Ban Ciao, Sanyi for my internship program during this summer. What is Shan Ban Ciao?

Shan Ban Ciao is a kind of Face Painting Cultural Museum which offers the tourists to experience about culture and art. The tourists can paint the wood mask provided by San Ban Ciao and after finish the tourists can take their work home. The work time is everyday starting from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and the tourists pay only 50 NTD for their visiting. Besides, Shan Ban Ciao also provides the accommodation for the tourists who have more times and want some place to relax and stay there.

What I did in Shan Ban Ciao was everyday wake up early and prepared materials of painting in the morning, taking care of tourist when they asking for something. In one day, there are many tourists visit Shan Ban Ciao. Most of them are family with their children. I really enjoy learning Chinese and spending time over there. It is not really convenient that much, but what I have learned from this place is about the simply life.

One of many things that I love the most about staying in Shan Ban Ciao is the simply life there. The farmers, their family, or even co-workers are so kind. Every day, we gathered for eating and helped each other to do the works done. The warm welcome from them really impressed me.

This is a good chance to experience real local people in Taiwan. It would be the easy option to choose these destinations with a kid-friendly food and encourage your children to try different things. So, how do you choose your vacation destination?

Lemongrass, special plant in Shan Ban Ciao

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
 Edited by TLAA

Do you know Lemon grass?

Lemon grass has long been used in natural insect repellents and sometimes called mosquito grass. It is a clumping grass that grows quickly. It contains citronella and gives off a strong citrus odor that is offensive to mosquitoes. There are two kind of Lemon grass as I learn from there, the first can use in cooking as an herb recipe and second is for insect repellents especially mosquitoes.

During my volunteering, I found that kind of plant grows around Shan Ban Ciao. Actually, I know Lemon glass, but different kind of what I saw at Shan Ban Ciao. Lemon grass in my home country, Thailand uses this plant as a recipe’s ingredient or herb and also different smell.

Because of the locations, mountains, canals, and forests everyone knows it is such a good resources of mosquitoes.

During volunteering, everyday my friends and I will cut the Lemon grass leafs to put into our bed room to protect the mosquitoes, just have to crush it until smelling and you know it is really work!

Besides, Shan Ban Ciao also has the products from Lemon grass for selling. What I can notice from Taiwan is very support the locally made and marketed products of their local products. Taiwan can improve the local products' quality and marketing which seems provides both a local and national. Like I can see form Sanyi for example wood crafts, souvenirs from wood, and others.

This is one of what I learn from this volunteering, totally impressed and I absolutely glad to be there.

Sanyi, the provincial of highway

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

If you want to travel, and one of the things you consider is whether your destination will have the scenery of nature, simply of local people’s life. I am talking about the “Tales of a Small Town”, a movie made in 1979 which taking a place in Sanyi related to the story about loving between a young wood sculptor and a mute girl the place that I had a volunteering.

During volunteering, I had a chance to go out to paint and ride a motorbike along the way to somewhere. I found that I do love the amazing scenery of mountain and nature there. My friends and I together paint fences on the sideway to make them more beautiful.

 What I impressed on that day is when people saw us they came; greeting us and more over they gave us waters and helped us. People are very kind to each other that are what I experienced from countryside lifestyle; not only nice atmosphere, but also people are so nice.

Cycling is very suitable for traveling around Sanyi due to the highway lay down the mountain line which very interesting. Not only for cycling for traveling, but also a good opportunity to exercise and follow the concept of energy conservation. Also, there many places that the tourists can drop in or enter during on the travelling way. For example Tung Flower Bike trail, Fruit farms, fishing port even Leisure Agricultural farm and others attractive places.

Do you get ready to take your whole family to cycling?

The Classic Wood Sculpture Town

                                                                                                       Written by Nannakorn Santita, Edited by TLAA

What is the first impression when I visited Sanyi? My first impression when I arrived at Sanyi was there are many shop selling wood stuff. 8 of 10 sculpture shop shows the wood craft thought the clear glass windows and doors along the streets. Actually Sanyi is well known as internationally that the place annually will be held International Woodcarving Art Festival which is one of Taiwan's most important cultural events and highlighting works of masters from around the world.

Sanyi’s wood sculpture originated from 1989, as using dead wood decorated and the unique technique and skill have been taught generation by generation and rapid development as a wood sculpture of Sanyi. Furthermore, thay also have Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum provided for people who are interested.

The main materials of Shan Ban Ciao’s souvenirs, the place that I had volunteering also made from wood for example the key rings, wood mask for painting, comb, flame of picture, hairpins and some others souvenirs. Moreover, the tables, desks, chairs, and other furniture and decorations were made by wood. I think products which made from wood are really kind with natural much more than plastic or something made by chemical. Especially, this is simply becomes very unique nowadays.

Sanyi is the town of tourists’ attraction which shows the set in a modern building, the museum features an exhibition on the history of woodcarving as well as a vast collection of sculptures. Besides, visitors can enjoy the nature scenery of Sanyi and you will know why wood became important in this area.

A Day at The Railway’s Old Mountain Line

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

I had a chance to visit Shengsing Old Train Station on a holiday during my internship. The farmer was so kind and he took us there. This Old Train Station is located at the highest point of the western railway trunk line above the sea level in Miaoli city. It was entirely built from wood in the Japanese style from the Japanese occupational period, but nowadays it can still be seen.

 This Railway’s Old Mountain Line was completed in 1908 which considered as a grand construction in a very long time. There is the magnificent scenery of mountains and forests, enriched of cultural tribes with long history.

On April 16, 1999, the Miaoli County Government designated Chengxing (Shengxing) Station to offer visitors as a county-level historic site and developed this track as a local industry.

At this unoccupied train station, I found a small town; tiny wooden building where tickets used to be sold, old-style shops and restaurants perched on the mountainside, and tunnel that you can walk through. I took around 2-3 hours to take a walk around there.

Besides, I really impress with a little postcard and souvenir shops over there. They sell souvenirs, local fruits like strawberry farm, foods, and some herbs that I had never known before.

To visit Shengxing station is not really taking a long time, but should have a private car. You can make a pin as the drop in places during your journey and you will see this place is worthwhile for a visit.

Volunteering

Written by Nannakorn Santita,
Edited by TLAA

I am one of many people who want to experience my own life as much as I can, and volunteering is the way that I selected to. Volunteering is one of the best ways to contribute community to do something that you are passionate about, and I am interested in farming and ecological, so volunteering at the farm is the right thing for me.

Shan Ban Ciao isthe place that I went to be a volunteer for 2 weeks. Shan Ban Ciao is a kind of Face painting Cultural museum which is not really about farming, but very inspired me in the different way. It is surrounded by mountains, farmland of local people, contribution canal and forests. The tourist can visit the museum, painting mask even take a look around Shan Ban Ciao. 

There are 3-4 little houses provided for the guests who want to stay.

My duties over there were preparing, cleaning materials for the tourists who joining the activities that we provided, welcoming, taking care of tourists. There was some holiday that we can went out to others place with new friends like a local market, sightseeing around the town even going out to eat something together.

Not only I got interact with many people, but also learn about how do they live their life in each day, what makes them live their life like that, making new friends and improve some Chinese.

It is so fun and rewarding experience. If you are looking for the best ways to volunteer, find something that fits your interested in, what are you favorite places to volunteer at?  I hope you will find useful and then start your volunteering!