This episode takes us to Shulin District in southwestern New Taipei City, a place shaped by coal mining, railways, and Honglu wine.
Starting with century-old Shanjia Station and former mining sites, we follow the traces of coal transport, red yeast rice brewing, historic places of worship, and beloved local businesses to rediscover a city many people pass through without realizing how many stories it holds.

Our journey begins at Shanjia Station, a designated historic site in New Taipei City. We visit Shanjia Painted Alley, Railway Landscape Park, Dafeng Mine’s No. 1 and No. 2 pits, and Shihuikeng Arch Bridge. Through mine carts, coal hopper cars, and former coal transport routes, we look back on the years when mining and the railway drove Shanjia’s growth. We then continue to a centuries-old banyan tree, Shanjia Riverside Park, Taiping Bridge, Tandi Park, Shengji Pavilion, and Fenglin Coal Mine, piecing together Shulin’s natural landscape and cultural history.

Shulin is also known as the home of Honglu wine. At the privately operated Shulin Winery that carries on the brewing tradition today, we discover the century-old story of red yeast rice and Honglu wine. We then visit Shulin Ji’an Temple, the Shulin Memorial Cemetery of the Thirteen Anti-Japanese Martyrs, and New Taipei Weapons Park. From the wine industry and local faith to memories of resistance against Japan and retired military hardware, each stop reveals another side of Shulin.

Along the way, we try Qingdao Herbal Beef Noodles, No. 4 Dry Noodles, Zhongcheng Mitai Mu Shop, Dazhong Steakhouse, and Shulin Red Vermicelli. We also enjoy a cup of Shangge Boba Milk Tea and take home wife cakes from Jifa Bakery. This episode is about more than a list of places to visit. It explores how coal mining, railways, brewing, faith, and long-running local shops came together to shape the Shulin we see today.

What to eat:

Qingdao Herbal Beef Noodles (青島藥燉牛肉麵) / Herbal beef noodles and pork trotter vermicelli
No. 4 Dry Noodles (四號乾麵) / Signature chili-oil and century egg tossed noodles, rich and addictive
Zhongcheng Mitai Mu Shop (忠誠米苔目店) / Old-school handmade mitai mu shaved ice
Dazhong Steakhouse (大眾牛排) / A Shulin Night Market classic known for its torched cheese steak
Shulin Red Vermicelli (樹林紅麵線) / Our personal No. 1 hidden gem

What to drink:

Shangge Boba Milk Tea (上格珍珠奶茶) / A taste of childhood for many Shulin locals

What to buy:

Jifa Bakery (吉發餅店) / A traditional bakery founded in 1992, known for its signature wife cakes

Places to explore:

Shanjia Station (山佳車站) / A New Taipei City-designated historic site with a preserved Japanese-Western-style old station building
Shanjia Painted Alley & Railway Landscape Park (山佳彩繪巷・鐵道地景公園) / 3D murals, a retired shunting locomotive, and a coal hopper car
Dafeng Mine No. 1 Pit & No. 2 Pit, formerly Gaidankeng (大豐一號坑・大豐二號坑／蓋淡坑) / Major remains of Shanjia’s coal-mining history
Shihuikeng Arch Bridge (石灰坑拱橋) / Once a key route used to carry coal to Shanjia Station
Century-old banyan tree (百年大榕樹) / Reportedly more than 300 years old
Shanjia Riverside Park (山佳河濱公園) / Green space along the Dahan River, where lotus flowers and water lilies bloom
Taiping Bridge (太平橋) / Three donor steles from different periods record the area’s bridge-building history
Tandi Park, Shengji Pavilion & Fenglin Coal Mine (潭底公園・聖蹟亭・豐林礦坑) / Nature, the tradition of revering the written word, and memories of mining
Shulin Winery (樹林酒廠) / A privately operated winery continuing Shulin’s red yeast rice and Honglu wine traditions
New Taipei Weapons Park (新北武器公園) / Retired equipment from Taiwan’s army, navy, and air force, together with stories of national defense

Places of worship and remembrance:

Shulin Ji’an Temple (樹林濟安宮) / A local center of worship primarily dedicated to Baosheng Dadi
Shulin Memorial Cemetery of the Thirteen Anti-Japanese Martyrs (樹林抗日先烈十三公紀念墓園) / Commemorating those who died in the 1895 Yiwei resistance against Japan

🌍 English subtitles are available! Turn on CC to watch in English
🌸 日本語字幕があります！CCをオンにして、一緒に旅しましょう
🇰🇷 한국어 자막이 있습니다! CC를 켜고 함께 여행해요

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