For this year’s outing Vivienne and her team had chosen to visit the famous Nanyuan Retreat in Xingpu Township, which forms the essential core and heart of TheOne Land of Retreat & Wellness..
Arriving there in drizzling rain our group was welcomed in a beautiful wooden hall with an elaborate carved interior with a hot cup of fragrant Persimmon tea and a Hakka cake with mushroom filling and delicious peppery taste. After a short introduction our guide took us off onto the premises.
We were surprised to learn that this beautiful garden with all its beautiful buildings is only 30 years old. For me they seemed to blend into the natural landscape as if they had always been there. But indeed it was in 1985 that Mr. Wang Tiwu, the founder of United Daily News had these gardens designed by Prof. Han Pao-teh, in a combination of Hakka, Fujian and Chinese style to mirror in his private garden the history and tradition of his own family in Taiwan.
In spite of our guide telling us we were being lucky, because rain would make the garden even more picturesque by adding rain curtains along the walkways and enhancing the colors of the green green grass and the red red roof tiles, we felt it wise taking the shuttle to the retreat’s restaurant to escape the now down pouring rain.
Sitting down, reading the menu we found to be offered a Seasonal Lunch Menu with the Chef resume the style of the gardens. Using only local ingredients the kitchen of Nanyuan Retreat seems to have specialized on a Modern Fusion Cuisine, creating a unique blend of traditional Hakka, Chinese and Fujian taste with Modernity.
To complete this tour through ‘paradise on earth’, as our guide had initially put it, Manager Ma Fusheng kindly took us on a tour to visit hotel rooms and the hotel gardens. Their most beautiful rooms are again with a touch of Asian style, well designed to let you breathe the beauty of the site.
When returning to our bus so many of us were craving a cup of coffee, so we could not wait to reach the second destination of our excursion: White Wood Baking Factory. Time having passed so quickly, we unfortunately only could pay a quick peek through the glass windows to witness the production of what seemed to be a heaven full of cakes and bakes. We were told that baking is done by no less than 126 persons working up to 24 hours a day if orders come in accordingly. Being late afternoon all the dough was done and baked and now only remained to be decorated. I was utterly surprised to see that in such big a factory the chain production did not really differ much from artisan bakeries with just one master chef. So much was done by hand and to which perfection every single of the cakes was decorated put us all in awe and stunning.
With our cup of coffee in our hands we finally climbed the bus. Having gained many new impressions of this beautiful island and amazing discoveries made. A warm embrace and our hearts go out to Vivienne and her team to make this joyful day with such dear friends possible and happen.
By Kathrin Kroning
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