We wandered up and down the main street. Many of the shops have a huge range of pieces from small "touristy" things to huge, ornate tables and desks that require cranes and other machinery to move. All of the wood is beautiful and much (I think) is local, though some articles now talk about importing of Chinese wood sculpture. There are a couple of interesting articles here and here on the town. We bought a couple of small items. I would like to know more about one of the gods depicted in many of the sculptures. He is variously hidden and in full view, often in a powerful stance. We took pictures so we could ask more about him. We bumped into one shop owner, Michael, who had obviously lived and studied in the US. His English was great and he explained many of the wood types to us.
We also knew there was a restaurant in the area called the Crescent Phoenix which is part of a group of five restaurants. We have eaten at two in Taichung (Santorini's and Jardin Giverny) and had great meals. The view from Crescent Phoenix was beautiful and the food delicious (though I would pass on the aloe appetizer myself). There is a good review of the place in Compass magazine, one of the great publications for expats in Taiwan.
All in all, a very relaxing and fun day. We would like to go back and visit another little area nearby with an historic train station.
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