Works by famous writer displayed at cafe near scenic cycling trail

Works by famous writer displayed at cafe near scenic cycling trail

2023-11-16

Along the coast at the border of Yilan and New Taipei lies the southern entrance of the Old Caoling Tunnel. With its beautiful views of the ocean and nearby Turtle Island, the site is iconic for visitors to Yilan, and has served as the inspiration for songs and poetry. No longer used by trains, the tunnel is now part of a cycling trail, and is a favorite for cycling enthusiasts. Visitors to the area love stopping at the park that surrounds the tunnel’s southern entrance to rest and take in the views. Now, a cafe at the park is holding an exhibition of works by famous writer Huang Chun-ming, giving visitors one more reason to stop by.

A drone captures lush green trees and cyan blue waters so clear you can see the rocks on the seafloor. Further ahead, the camera pulls back and more of the forest and coastline come into view, forming a beautiful portrait of nature.

This is the coastal park in Yilan County’s Shihcheng, where beautiful vistas form the backdrop for passing trains. It’s a place where new and old live in harmony.

Tourist
The park here wasn’t this nice before. It’s very beautiful now that they’ve renovated it. It’s worth a visit!

Tourist
Not bad, very clean. The design and all that is pretty good, and you get a very good field of view.

The park is located at the southern entrance to the Old Caoling Tunnel, and is the site of the first railway station when entering Yilan from the north. After a new railway line was built alongside the Old Caoling Tunnel, the tunnel was converted into a cycling path, and a park and rest area were built around the tunnel entrance. Yilan’s park authority has now built a cafe here.

Ma Hui-ta
Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area
This site is an important attraction for cycling tours in the area of neighboring Fulong. So, we took the abandoned building that was here and built this cafe. Although there were restrictions in terms of what we could do with it, we created an environment that everyone would like.

On the first floor of the cafe, a collection of paintings and works of poetry by nationally renowned writer Huang Chun-ming adorn the walls.

Tourist
It makes you feel like you are in paradise. He is the writer and poet who I admire the most.

Huang Chun-ming
Writer
This poem titled Turtle Island tells the story of Yilan locals who move elsewhere to make a living. When they return to Yilan and see Turtle Island, they feel like they are already home, even if their home is still far off elsewhere in the county.

Artists perform a rendition of popular folk song “Diu Diu Dang Ah”, which was inspired by the Old Caoling Tunnel. In days past, those arriving on a train from Fulong would emerge from the tunnel to a majestic view of the Pacific Ocean and Turtle Island. Although the tunnel is no longer used by trains, for visitors to Yilan from the north, this beautiful vista is still the first thing they see.

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