Hakka Tour

The traditional Hakka town of Beipu in Hsinchu is always buzzing, especially on weekends when it truly comes alive. This spot is a major hit with travelers because it's surrounded by stunning mountains and breathtaking landscapes, while also boasting a rich Hakka cultural heritage. I love strolling along the quiet stone steps, exploring the bustling old streets lined with historic sites, and chilling at a tea house filled with the fragrance of flowers, all while experiencing Beipu's unique pounded tea culture. But Beipu's charms go beyond its picturesque alleys. This town dazzles with natural attractions such as the enchanting water curtain waterfall and the unique One-Line Sky Trail. With culture and nature blending so seamlessly, I can't wait to share the enchantment with you!

Beipu Old Street begins at the heart of Beipu's religious scene, Citian Temple. With a history spanning nearly two hundred years, this temple was one of the very first built by the early Han settlers who cultivated these lands. For Beipu locals, this temple has been seamlessly woven into the fabric of their lives. Citian Temple marks the start of the old street, with a lively buzz of vendors and shops extending from its doors. These long-standing mom-and-pop shops, untouched by the influence of chain stores, offer Hakka traditional delicacies like dried persimmon, mochi, flat rice noodles, and caozaiguo (glutinous rice cakes flavored with herbs), alongside tantalizing Hakka cuisine. As you wander along, you'll notice something interesting - every few steps reveal another historic gem. In just two hundred meters, you'll encounter seven such sites, making this one of the most densely concentrated areas for heritage landmarks in all of Taiwan. Among them stands Citian Temple, while others await your discovery, detailed below.

Originally built for military defense, Beipu's architecture was concentrated to allow fortification against enemies, with narrow, winding alleys for ease of movement. These alleys, blissfully free from car traffic and commercial bustle, retain traces of history and years gone by. You can embark on your exploration of these charming lanes from behind Citian Temple. Many of the historic buildings have been restored to enhance their vintage charm. Whenever I wander through Beipu, I relish in the authenticity of these alleys, immersing myself in the traditional Hakka way of life.

Many of Beipu's historic sites are closely linked to the Chiang family. Tianshui Tang, the Chiang Family Temple, and Chiang A-Hsin Mansion are all located on the same street. The Chiang family is one of the prominent families in Hsinchu, pioneering development around Beipu since the Qing Dynasty. Over the centuries, they have weathered many storms, profoundly influencing the economy and education of Hsinchu. This mansion is perhaps their grandest legacy. If you've watched the Taiwanese drama Gold Leaf produced by Public Television Service, you might find this place familiar. Set in the 1950s, Gold Leaf narrates the rise and fall of Beipu tea. As the drama was adapted from the true story of Chiang A-Hsin, nicknamed the "Tea Tiger", many scenes were authentically recreated within this mansion.

For Gold Leaf fans, I highly recommend booking a guided tour to explore the interior and learn about the design backstories while delving into that fascinating era. The tour wraps up with a touching documentary about Chiang’s descendants filming inside the house. In an era where tea was more valuable than gold, the tea trade, once booming before World War II, suddenly collapsed. Unable to withstand the tide of change, Chiang A-Hsin went bankrupt and had to mortgage and sell his beloved mansion. After half a century, the descendants of the Chiang family rallied to buy it back - reclaiming their grandfather's legacy and unfulfilled dreams, restoring family pride.

Constructed in 1922, the century-old Zhongshu Hall recently revealed its renovated facade to the public. It was built by the son of Tseng Xue Xi, the first scholar to pass the imperial examination in Beipu during the late Qing Dynasty. This building blends Chinese and Western architectural styles, featuring an eye-catching, beautiful Baroque-style memorial arch beside the entrance. Inside, the classic courtyard residence layout remains, with exquisite craftsmanship evident in every detail of the walls, roof ridges, and beams - a representative literati residence of that era.

Pounded tea is particularly famous in Beipu, and almost every visitor to Beipu will have a cup, which is why tea houses are so proliferated in Beipu. Pounded tea was originally served by Hakka people to honor their guests. The main ingredients include tea leaves, sesame seeds, peanuts, and other nuts, all finely ground into powder and brewed with hot water. It's richly aromatic, refreshingly tasty, super thirst-quenching, and great for digestion and health too. Drinking pounded tea was once a daily routine, usually every morning at ten and every afternoon at three. Most avid pounded tea drinkers tend to live long lives. From a nutritional perspective, green tea, when ground, is rich in vitamin C, while nuts such as peanuts and sesame seeds are highly nutritious and easily absorbed after grinding. It's a healthy and nutritious beverage. If you're not in a hurry, I highly recommend visiting a tea house to experience pounded tea culture. From grinding to oil extraction, it's a time-consuming and laborious process, but witnessing the effort behind preparing this beverage is truly worthwhile.

The aroma of authentic Hakka cuisine wafts through the air along Beipu Old Street, enticing visitors to indulge in its savory delights. Among them, Qing Qing Restaurant, helmed by a group of young entrepreneurs returning to their roots, has captured foodies’ attention. It has garnered widespread acclaim for its Hakka delicacies in the Beipu area. Not only does it offer a welcoming dining ambiance, but it also uses locally sourced organic produce, including vegetables, fruits, barn-laid eggs from small farms, and organically grown aromatic rice to craft an array of classic and delicious Hakka traditional dishes.

Surrounded by mountains, Beipu offers tons of hiking trails to explore - among which the Monkey Cave Trail is particularly renowned. Along the way, you'll be enveloped in lush, pristine forests with refreshing, tranquil vibes. But what makes this trail extra special is the breathtaking narrow passage known as the One-Line Sky, a long corridor wedged between two towering cliffs barely wide enough for one person at a time. Cloaked in emerald moss, the cliffs exude an ancient allure, while the distant vista of verdant foliage evokes a sense of wonder and awe, reminding us of nature's timeless majesty!