Air Quality in Pingtung 屏東的空氣品質

To begin, air quality in Taiwan is measured according to the Air Quality Index (AQI).  The AQI measures for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and other particulates (PM10 and PM2.5). 台灣空氣品質的測量是用空氣品質指標 (AQI).  空氣品質指標測量的內容是二氧化硫, 二氧化氮, 二氧化碳, 臭氧還有PM10跟PM2.5.

An AQI of 0-50 is seen as "good," 51-100 is "moderate," 101-150 is "unhealthy for sensitive groups," 151-200 is "unhealthy" and 201-250 is "very unhealthy."  When the AQI reading approaches 300, governments start telling people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise outdoors. 0-50AQI算 "優," 51-100算 "良," 101-150算 "輕度污染," 151-200算 "中度污染," 201-250算 "重度污染."  AQI超過300的時候, 政府會叫民眾留在家裡不要在戶外運動.

With the above stated, let's look at air quality in Pingtung.  In Pingtung there are air monitoring stations in Hengchun, Fangliao, Pingtung City and Xiaoliuqiu.  The air monitor in Linyuan District, Kaohsiung City is right across the river from Xinyuan Township in Pingtung, so I'll use Linyuan's reading for Xinyuan.* 話說回來, 我們來看屏東的空氣品質.  屏東縣的環境監測站在恆春, 枋寮, 屏東市跟小琉球.  高雄市林園區的監測站很靠近屏東縣新園鄉, 所以林園的空氣品質也可以表示新園的.

I'm using the readings for March 17, 2021 in this entry.  The prevailing wind was hitting the island from the east, and there was a small convection cell off the west coast, blowing the air northward.  On this day the worst air in Taiwan was in Changhua County, which approached 150 on the AQI.  The worst area in the world was north China, where a dust storm was occurring.  The air quality there was over 1000. 下列是三月十七日的空氣品質指數.  風向從東到西.  本島西部也有個對流室把西部的風吹往北邊.  這一天本島最差的空氣在彰化.  那邊的空氣品質快到150AQI.  世界上空氣最差的地方就是中國大陸的北部.  因為塵暴的關係, 那邊的空氣品質超過1000AQI.

Hengchun 恆春

7 am - 33

12 noon - 31

7 pm - 31

Hengchun always has the best air in Pingtung.  There are no factories, farming is limited, it gets the east and west winds, and the population is low.  The air isn't as good as what you'd find in Taitung, which is shielded from the west coast's air pollution by the Central Mountain Range, but it's still very good. 恆春的空氣品質都是屏東最好的.  恆春沒有工廠, 農業發展有限, 也能受到東向和西向的風吹拂, 人口也少.  那邊的空氣品質雖然不是跟受到中央山脈阻隔西部空氣汙染的台東一樣好, 可是還是很不錯的.

Fangliao 枋寮

7 am - 71

12 noon - 82

7 pm - 93

Fangliao and Pingtung City often switch places in terms of air quality.  Sometimes one is better, sometimes the other.  The Pingnan Industrial Area is in Fangliao, and the area is more heavily farmed.  Fangliao is also cut off from the east wind by the mountains, and it's a lot closer to the industrial areas in south Kaohsiung. 枋寮跟屏東市的空氣品質時常好壞互相輪流.  有時候枋寮比較好, 有時候屏東市比較好.  屏南工業區在枋寮, 這裡農業也發達,  也有中央山脈擋住了它東面的風.  枋寮離高雄南部的工業區也近多了.

Pingtung City 屏東市

7 am - 74

12 noon - 64

7 pm - 49

People in Pingtung City often complain about the quality of the air they breathe, but it's often not that bad.  A lot of their air quality depends on wind direction.  Pingtung City of course has its own industrial centers, but these don't seem to be as big a factor as winds blowing in from other places. 屏東市的居民常說那邊的空氣品質很差, 可是有時候還好.  空氣品質的好壞主要要看風向.  雖然屏東市有自己的工業區, 但工業區的影響好像不及風是從那些地方吹過來重要.

Xiaoliuqiu 小琉球

7 am - 97

12 noon - 109

7 pm - 115

It may surprise some people, but yes, the air around Xiaoliuqiu is often the worst in the county.  Why?  Because it's not far from the industrial areas in Kaohsiung, where two coal-burning power plants are located.  If the wind is blowing north the air there is good, but when it's blowing south or it's relatively stagnant the air is bad. 有的人應該不敢相信, 有時候小琉球的空氣品質是屏東縣最差的.  為什麼?  因為小琉球很靠近高雄兩個燃煤電廠跟工業區.  如果風往北吹, 空氣品質不錯, 如果往南吹或沒風, 那邊的空氣品質會很糟.

Xinyuan 新園

7 am - 89

12 noon - 105

7 pm - 66

The air quality in Xiaoliuqiu and Xinyuan is usually similar.  On March 17 the air in Xinyuan was better, on another day it might be worse. 小琉球跟新園的空氣品質通常差不多.  三月十七日的時候新園的空氣品質比較好, 可能改天小琉球的空氣比較差.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 2

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 2

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 2

No Man is an Island, and Some Islands aren't Big Enough for the Two of Us

*Kaohsiung 高雄 also has air monitors in Daliao 大寮, near Wandan 萬丹, and in Meinong 美濃, near Kaoshu 高樹.  Daliao seemed too close to both Xinyuan and Pingtung City to be worth including, and since Meinong is quite big I wasn't sure how valid it was for Kaoshu.

NOTE 1: "PM" = "Particulate Matter."  Don't feel bad if you missed that.  It took me a while too.  The 10 and 2.5 refer to the diameter of the particles in micrometers.  This chart shows commonly encountered particulate matter and the relative diameters of each type.  Generally speaking, the smaller the particulate matter the more dangerous it is.

NOTE 2: Air pollution maps that assign one color to an entire county are meaningless.  This is especially true of Pingtung County, which stretches very far from north to south.  On even the most polluted days the air quality almost invariably turns "good" once you hit central Fangshan 枋山.

Roaming Around Nanzhou 南州一日遊

Nanzhou Township is north of Linbian and west of Xinpi.  Most people know the name of the township from the freeway interchange near there. 南州鄉位於林邊鄉以北 , 新埤鄉以西.  很多人因為附近的交流道而認識 "南州" 這個地方的名字.

The only famous (?) thing in Nanzhou is the old sugar refinery.  This sugar refinery isn't far from the freeway interchange and Nanzhou Train Station. 南州有名(?)的景點只有糖廠.  糖廠離交流道和南州車站很近.

According to the last census, there are 10,342 people living in Nanzhou.  Most of these people live near the Nanzhou Train Station. 上次的人口統計顯示南州的人口有10,342人.  大多數的人口居住在南州車站附近.

This is looking east from the Nanzhou Athletic Park.  The Jung Shan Freeway is in the background. 從南州運動公園往西邊看.  背景中的是中山高速公路.

There are still a lot of old advertisements like this on the sides of buildings in Nanzhou. 南州很多棟建築物還留有這種廣告.

This is "downtown" Nanzhou.  I pass through here on my way to Nanzhou Junior High School every three weeks. 這是南州市區.  我每三個禮拜去南州國中時會經過這裡.

Most people there seem to prefer buying breakfast from roadside stalls like this one. 當地人好像比較喜歡在路邊的小攤子買早餐.

These semi-horrifying children are to be found at Nanzhou Elementary School.  These aren't even the scariest statues there. 這兩位恐怖的小朋友在南州國小.  這兩位還是不算最恐怖的.

The Nanzhou Train Station.  If you're taking the slow train through the area, it's the stop between Zhenan and Kanding. 南州車站.  坐區間車的時候, 南州在鎮安和崁頂中間.

This is inside the Nanzhou Sugar Refinery.  Sugar was once big business in Taiwan, and places like this are evidence of that once mighty industry.  Even compared to other sugar refineries, this place is not that interesting. 南州糖廠裡面.  以前臺灣的糖業很發達; 這些糖廠都是當時糖業興盛的證據.  跟其他的糖廠比, 南州糖廠不是很有趣. (1)

There are some night market-style games for kids inside... 這部分有點像夜市.

...and also some artifacts from the train line which used to transport sugar in and out of the refinery.  These trains were also valued as forms of public transport. 還有當時糖廠留下來運送貨物的設備.  這種小火車以前也當公共交通工具.

They'd just finished pruning the trees before I got there.  You can see the pruned trees in one of the pictures above. 我到之前他們修剪完的樹枝.  修剪後的樹在上面的照片可以看到.

The Pingtung County Government is vigorously promoting coffee beans and cocoa beans throughout the county.  There are areas like this one in other townships. 屏東縣政府積極地推廣可可豆跟咖啡豆.  其他鄉鎮也有這種園區.

The fruit of local cocoa trees. 當地的可可果.

Aside from a few locals singing KTV there wasn't much going on here. 這裡只有幾個人唱卡拉ok, 不是很熱鬧...

But the walkway above does lead to this thing, which I thought was cool.  I'm guessing the Japanese Colonial Government left it behind? 可是上一張照片的人行道連接到這個東西.  我覺得很酷.  是日本人留下來的吧.

This is the other side of it.  There were no signs nearby, and I don't know how long it would take a tree to grow that big. 這個東西的另外一邊.  附近沒有介紹牌; 我也不知道這種樹長那麼大需要多久的時間.

Beyond "downtown" Nanzhou most of the township looks like this.  Rice, mangoes, betel nut, wax apples, bananas and certainly a few other local crops. 南州市區之外的南州都像這張照片.  稻米, 芒果, 檳榔, 蓮霧, 香蕉和其他的農作物.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 3

Restaurants in Fangliao 枋寮的餐廳

Roaming Around Linbian 林邊一日遊

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 2

1. Here's a list, in Chinese, with pictures of various facilities used for refining, transporting or packaging sugar.  I've visited quite a few of these places, and in my opinion the most interesting is the Ciaotou Sugar Refinery in Kaohsiung.

Crossed Wires

Whatever happened to Catherine?  So much drama in such a short time.  I can only hope she's happy now.  She's probably married.  She probably has kids.

But 1999 was a different story.  In 1999 she was a very different sort of girl.  She wasn't as wild as some of course, but she was certainly flirting with danger.

I was in a club in Taichung, two weeks off the plane from Seattle.  I was well on my way to drunk.  At some point I looked over and saw her standing there in her white satin dress, her friend Vivian nearby.

As you might expect, we wound up talking.  Phone numbers were exchanged, and we slowly got to know one another.  I honestly can't remember if I slept with her that night.  It's possible.  I'd had a lot to drink.

And after?  She called me or I called her, and then I suppose we were dating.  I don't remember many of our dates.  I have a fairly clear memory of following her around the Chungyo Department Store near the Taichung Train Station, and I remember meeting her at night markets, but the rest is rather vague.

What I remember best - or is it worst? - about her are the late night phone calls.  I'd be sitting or lying down in my apartment after a day of kindergarten, probably listening to one of Bowie's Berlin albums, and the phone would ring.

I always knew how the conversation would go.  She'd ask me what I was doing, to which I'd reply "Nothing."  She'd tell me about her day at the school where she worked.  She'd tell me that she loved me.  She'd ask if I loved her.  I'd day "Yes," meaning love in the most general sense possible.

Then it was time to talk about her parents, and how they'd never accept a foreigner as her boyfriend - maybe even as her husband - I was never entirely sure.  She'd go on about this for a while, and usually the phone call would end with her crying into the phone and wishing me a good night.

Just imagine weeks of this behavior, and you can imagine how ready I was to break up with her after a month's time.  I was 25, I was new to Taiwan, there were women everywhere, and I really wasn't in love with her, no matter how diplomatic I tried to be on the phone.  Did I feel sorry for her?  Yes, but feeling sorry for someone isn't the same as loving them.

I broke up with her just before a Halloween party two coworkers and I had in our shared apartment.  I can remember feeling very good about the decision.  I was surrounded by friends and full of liquor, and all seemed right with the world.  I played Sound and Vision way too loud on our shared CD player.  I started to notice how much more attractive one of the girls at the party was in comparison to Catherine, and this girl and I struck up an easy conversation.

As you might expect, Catherine showed up not long after.  No one had invited her, even though her best friend was in attendance.  She went straight into my room and began sulking.  When I opened the door and saw her tear-stained face, I quickly retreated back to the living room.  I'd already broken up with her.  I didn't see any point in reliving it.

The door to my room remained closed until she emerged screaming.  "Fuck you!" she shouted, "You don't love me!  You never loved me!"

Everyone else in the room fell silent as I escorted her to the door.  "I don't want to talk about this." I said, "You need to go."

I closed the apartment door behind her.  I felt bad about it of course, but there was nothing else I could do.  We really had said everything there was to say to one another.  She loved me, I tried - and failed - to love her back, her parents didn't want her dating a foreigner, and that was it.  

A few minutes later someone arriving late to the party said that she'd been drunk, and that she'd fallen down the stairs.  I went downstairs to look but couldn't find her.  A few minutes after that she tried to force her way back into the apartment, and by her second or third attempt other people at the party were helping me escort her out.

After Catherine had given up, the attractive girl I'd been talking to earlier told me that I'd handled myself well.  I can only hope I did.  The two of us wound up in my room after that party, where we continued to talk for a long time.  A few months after that she was my wife, and I suppose that I have Catherine to thank for that.

In Catherine's defense she was very young.  She'd just graduated from college, and it never seemed like she'd dated anyone seriously before.  Perhaps the issue of love had never come up, and she didn't know how to handle those feelings in the context of her parents' disapproval.  We all get our hearts broken at least once, and maybe I was her first.

Anyway, it was a long time ago.  I'm sure she's much happier now.  At least I hope so.  I like to imagine her sitting next to her Taiwanese husband in a car, with their children chattering away in the back seat.

In this daydream they're on their way to her parents' house, where her husband will be received by her very traditional parents with open arms.

Related Entries:

Entry #204

No Man is and Island, and Some Islands aren't Big Enough for the Two of Us

Nonsense and Insensibility

A Report 報告

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 3

The Chinese text below was taken from "Taiwanese Place Name Stories" 台灣地名故事, published by Windmill Ltd. 三暉圖書發行有限公司 in 2012.  The Chinese text was written by 張青史, and the English was written/translated by me.

This will be the last entry from this book.

為什麼稱作  "鵝鑾鼻 ?"

Why is it Called "Uluanbi?"

鵝鑾鼻位於中央山脈尾部台地的最南端, 隔巴士海峽與菲律賓遙遙相望, "鵝鑾" 是排灣族語 "帆" 的譯音, 因為附近的香蕉灣有一塊大石頭像極了船帆; 加上該地的地形有如鵝的突鼻, 所以稱為 "鵝鑾鼻."  Uluanbi is located at the end of the Central Mountain Range, at Taiwan's southernmost point.  It's on the Bashi Channel, looking south toward the Philippines.  "Uluan" is taken from the Paiwan word for "sail."  In nearby Banana Bay there's a big rock which looks very much like a sailboat.  Add to this the fact that the land in that area is shaped like a goose's beak [or "bi" in Chinese] and you get "Uluanbi."*

鵝鑾鼻最著名的是有怪石, 巨礁及洞穴, 而園內豐富的動植物也是特色之一, 每年的九月, 紅尾伯勞鳥群飛過境, 場面壯觀, 常吸引大批愛鳥人士前來欣賞.  而最重要的是它有一座燈塔, 為什麼要建燈塔呢? The most famous things in Uluanbi are the strange rocks, the giant reefs, the caves, and its rich biodiversity.  During September of each year flocks of red-tailed shrike migrate through the area, creating an impressive scene which draws many birdwatchers.  Yet despite all of this the most important thing in Uluanbi is the lighthouse.  Why build a lighthouse there?

清朝同治六年 (公元1867年), 一艘美國商船羅發號 (Rover) 在屏東外海的七星岩觸礁, 船長和船員上岸後, 被原住民殺害.  當時, 美國就建議清庭在鵝鑾鼻設置燈塔.  由於當時該處仍然在原住民的空制下, 所以遲遲沒有興建. During the sixth year of the reign of the Ching Emperor (1867 on the Western calendar), the American merchant ship Rover got stuck on the reefs near Chixingyan, off the coast of Pingtung.  After the captain and crew reached shore they were slaughtered by the local tribe.  At the same time, the American government was petitioning the Ching Court to build a lighthouse in the same area, but because it was under aboriginal control they were reluctant to start the project. **

直到光緒元年 (公元1875年), 沈葆楨來臺以後, 才派王得祿率五百名士兵, 保護工人進行興建工程.  到了光緒九年 (公元1883年), 耗資二十餘萬兩興建的白色鐵製燈塔終於完成. It wasn't until the first year of Emperor Guang Xu's reign (1875 on the Western calendar), after Shen Bao-jen arrived in Taiwan, that Wang De-lu took 500 soldiers [south] as a means of protecting those involved in the construction of the lighthouse.  During the ninth year of Emperor Guang Xu's reign (1883 on the Western calendar) the white, iron-wrought lighthouse was finally completed at a cost of more than 200,000 taels. ***

為了防止原住民的侵擾與破壞, 燈塔的建築非常特殊, 採堡壘的形式構築, 以堡基為砲台, 圍牆上設有槍眼, 四周挖掘很深的濠溝, 並且派士兵駐守, 成為世界上獨一無二的武裝燈塔.  In order to prevent the intrusion of and destruction by the local tribes, the lighthouse was built in a very special way.  It was built like a military base, with gun emplacements, gun holes around the outer walls, and with a moat around it.  Soldiers were stationed there, and it became the world's first fortified lighthouse.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 2

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 2

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 1

恆春漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do in Hengchun

*This explanation makes more sense in Chinese.  The first character in "Uluanbi" is the Chinese word for goose.

**They never want to say which tribe committed this atrocity.  It's fairly certain that it was a branch of the Paiwan Tribe, though an offshoot of the Amis is also possible.

***They left out a whole lot of history here.  Between The Rover Incident and the building of the lighthouse, the Americans launched a punitive expedition against the local tribes and a peace was brokered between the the Americans and the tribes.

Note: Some of the people, places and events in this entry were previously discussed in the 恆春漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do in Hengchun and the 臺灣開發故事 (南部地區) Stories of the Opening of Taiwan (Southern Area) 1 entries.

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (South 南) 2

There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County.  It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry.  This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市.  每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告.  這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.

1. Linbian Township 林邊鄉

1a.  A fight disrupted a temple procession in Shuili Village.  Police were called in, but those involved had already fled the scene.  5 people were later apprehended after police consulted surveillance cameras. 林邊鄉廟會鬥毆  警帶回5茲事者送辦

1b. I believe this was mentioned here before, but here's another article about the bike trail which stretches from Wanluan to Donggang.  The pictures in this article are better. 糖鐵自行車道串臉6鄉鎮  從萬金玩到東港林邊

1c. Senior citizens over the age of 78 are required to undergo a cognitive test and change to a different type of driver's license.  The local branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles is helping them do this. 屏東監理站將辦3場高齡換照服務  呼籲長者盡早辦理

2. Jiadong Township 佳冬鄉

2a. A fire erupted at a KTV late at night.  This KTV was located very close to a gas station.  As you can imagine, the proximity of the fire to the gas station scared the hell out of people living nearby. 屏東佳冬KTV暗夜起火  近加油站嚇壞當地居民

2b. The "living museum," a makeshift structure used for religious purposes in the Jiadong area by Hakka residents, was recently recognized as a cultural artifact by the government. 佳冬客庄  "活的博物館"  拜新丁將登錄文化資產 (1)

2c. The inevitable result of a shrinking population: Pingtung County will close two elementary schools next school year, and students from these schools will be sent to other schools nearby.  One of the schools to be closed, Daxin Elementary School, is in Jiadong. 屏東啟動裁併校  2國小辦公廳會 (2)

3. Fangliao Township 枋寮鄉

3a. Plans are afoot to install solar panels in and around Xinkai Village, but locals are protesting.  Some cite the recent discovery of Japanese fortifications in the area, and the need to preserve these fortifications as part of Taiwan's cultural heritage.  Others worry that the government's green energy plan is damaging the environment.  The plans are currently under review. 枋寮光電場惹議  陳椒華現勘石頭營 (3)

3b. Traffic on the first day of the recent 2-28 weekend was, as you'd expect, a mess.  Local police do their best to channel the flow of traffic, but with that many cars going in the same direction you can only do so much. 二二八連假首日屏東現車潮  啟動調撥車道因應

3c. After China recently banned the import of pineapples from Taiwan, some grew worried that locally grown wax apples might be next.  The Fangliao Farmers Association has told farmers not to worry - there's still a high domestic demand for the fruit. 誤傳銷中遭卡  枋寮農會 : 蓮霧量減質精  內銷為主 (4)

4. Chun Rh Township 春日鄉

4a. The news about the solar panel development in Xinkai can also be applied to Chun Rh.  The development is right between the two townships.  The picture in the linked article highlights the kind of environmental destruction accompanying many of these developments. 屏東二戰遺跡遭光電工程破壞  民眾訴求  "石頭營"  文資應完整保存

5. Fangshan Township 枋山鄉

5a. Police in Keelung recently confirmed the identity of a woman who died in Fangshan 15 years ago.  In 1995, at the time her corpse was discovered, identification was difficult and DNA testing methods weren't as advanced as they are now. 15年前枋山無名屍案  警重啟調查助死者落葉歸根

6. Shrdze Township 獅子鄉

6a. A surveillance camera was installed just outside the tunnel between Taitung County and Tsaopu Village on Highway 9.  This camera will be used to check for speeding vehicles. 屏東縣區間測速再 + 1  正是測速照相前3名

6b. Many public schools in rural areas like Shrdze are having trouble finding teachers. 偏鄉缺師  曾9次招募才找到

7. Checheng Township 車城鄉

7a. Checheng was recently designated a "Recreational Agriculture Area" by the Pingtung County Government.  This designation relates to the promotion of tourism in the area, and reflects both the crops grown there and the Sichongxi Hot Springs. 車城鄉四重溪休閒農業區公告劃定  屏東第3個

7b. There was an exhibition of lanterns and other local art at Checheng's Sichongxi Park during the 2-28 holiday. 錯過要等下回 !  恆春半島2人氣展倒數中

8. Mudan Township 牡丹鄉

8a. The new Amazing Pingtung magazine, published once every two months, has attracted a lot of attention.  Mudan is now publishing its own glossy periodical, with articles in both Chinese and the Paiwan language. 不讓屏縣刊 Amazing 獨領風騷  牡丹鄉刊也美如時尚刊物

8b. Xu Qiang-sheng, an officer who grew up in Mudan, recently became the first aboriginal chief detective in Liugui District, Kaohsiung City. 高市首位原民偵查隊長  許強生 : 以打擊犯罪為天職

8c. Silin Village in Mudan was recently granted permission to operate a tour bus to a local viewpoint. "恆春半島最佳瞭望台"  牡丹四林村開放遊覽車有譜 (5)

9. Manjhou Township 滿洲鄉

9a. A storybook with audio recording introducing local folk songs was recently published and given to students in Manjhou. 滿州民謠發行有聲書繪本  "朵朵的禮物"  好看又好聽

10. Hengchun Municipality 恆春鎮

10a. Following a time-honored tradition, someone scrawled graffiti on Hengchun's Old City walls.  The mayor of that municipality was, as you'd expect, outraged. 百年古城遭惡意噴漆塗鴉  恆春鎮長怒轟 : 抓到關5年

10b. Several water districts in and around Hengchun went without water recently.  The water utility had to turn off the water while work was being done on a local bridge. 恆春半島4區域23日停水  影響上萬戶

10c. Four guys from Taichung drove down to Kenting.  While they were driving to Kenting an argument broke out in the car, which lead to one of the men beating another passenger with a stick. 4台中男開心駕車遊墾丁  1人飆國罵遭同車3人拖下痛毆

11. Liuqiu Township 琉球鄉

11a. A woman riding a scooter on Xiaoliuqiu crossed paths with a snake and fell off her scooter.  The fire department was called in to deal with the snake. 小琉球女騎士壓到蛇摔倒  警消在機車內抓到牠

11b. The dates for the "Welcoming the King/Prince" festivals in Liuqiu, Nanjhou and Donggang have been announced.  The dates are October 8-14 for Xiaoliuqiu, October 24-31 for Donggang, and November 17-22 in Nanjhou. 小琉球迎王平安祭日期出爐  10月8日至14日 (6)

11c. A new, air-conditioned, all-you-can-eat buffet opened up on Xiaoliuqiu.  They offer smokeless barbecue.  小琉球燒肉王  元老級燒肉店  全島唯一室內冷氣無煙燒烤吃到飽

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Restaurants in Fangliao 枋寮的餐廳

Roaming Around Linbian 林邊一日遊

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 2

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (Central 中) 2

1. Never heard of this before.  I'll have to go check it out.  The article goes on to state that these structures are build in front of Lords of the Three Mountains 三山國王 temples around Lantern Festival.

2. The picture above the link is Daxin Elementary.  I think that's all of the students.  When the number of students in a (non-aboriginal) school approaches 50 they are ripe for closure.  The other school mentioned in the article, Dacheng Elementary in Xinpi, has a Foreign English Teacher.  I work with her every Thursday.

3. The Japanese fortifications were discussed in the last news entry for this area.  I live in Xinkai Village, so of course I have an opinion on this proposed solar panel development.  I think the force driving most of these developments is greed, and I wouldn't trust any of these solar panel companies to either protect local ecosystems or preserve anyone's cultural heritage.  Green power is great, but the government needs to pursue this policy in a more systematic fashion.  As it is there's little oversight, and local efforts to install solar panels throughout the county are best described as haphazard.

4. My landlord grows them.  I've been eating wax apples for weeks now.

5. I got lost in that area not long ago.  It's very scenic.

6. The festival in Donggang is famous all over Taiwan.  It's the one involving the wooden boat.

Restaurants in Fangliao 枋寮的餐廳

Below are a few notable restaurants in the area. 下列是這附近比較有名的餐廳.

1. A-Da Seafood Restaurant 阿達漁港餐廳

This is without a doubt the most famous restaurant in Fangliao.  I see tourists walking over there on a daily basis.  Is it good?  Yes, but it's not cheap and the portions are small.  Don't bother going unless you're with a lot of people. 這家餐廳一定是枋寮最有名的.  我每天都看到觀光客往那裡去.  好吃嗎?  好吃, 可是價錢很高, 量不多.  如果你不是一群人來就不建議去阿達.

2. Ruan Jia (Our Family) 阮家茶坊天空餐廳

Definitely the best view of any restaurant in Fangliao.  It's on the sixth floor of a building near the port, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Xiaoliuqiu.  I've had most of the food on their menu, and it's all good.  The best time to go there is around sunset. 有枋寮最美的風景的餐廳.  它位於漁港附近的大樓的六樓.  晴天的時候你可以從這裡看到小琉球.  他們的餐點我大部分都吃過了, 都好吃.  日落的時候是去餐廳最好的時間點.

3. Kasuga's Kitchen 春日廚房

This one's actually not in Fangliao, but rather in nearby Chunrh Township.  I'm pretty sure "Kasuga" means "Chunrh" in the local language. 這家餐廳不在枋寮, 而是在隔壁的春日鄉.  Kasuga就是排灣族語的 "春日."

I haven't eaten there in a while, but I remember it being good.  They offer a fusion of Italian, Chinese and aboriginal cuisine, and the restaurant itself is very cute. 我有一陣子沒去那裡, 可是我記得食物好吃.  他們的料理是義大利, 中國和原住民料理融合在一起的.  餐廳也蓋的很可愛.

4. A Dong Hot Pot 阿東火鍋

Is their hot pot awesome?  No, but it's right on Highway 1 and it's a fun place to eat.  Go there on a Friday or Saturday evening and you'll see what I mean. 他們的火鍋超好吃嗎?  沒有, 可是它在台1線上, 也是個有趣的吃飯的地方.  你星期五或星期六的晚上去那邊吃飯就知道了, 在那邊吃飯很熱鬧.

5. Grade 6 Class 5 六年五班關東煮

This one's right near the train station.  Their menu is a mix of fried rice, noodles and many other dishes: the Taiwanese equivalent of comfort food.  I eat there often. 這家在枋寮車站附近.  他們菜單上有炒飯, 麵和小吃店常見的菜色.  我常常在那邊吃飯.

6. Pi Coconut 椰們海景餐廳

Fangliao's fanciest restaurant.  Maybe too fancy?  Whatever the case, bring money.  They offer a mix of Western and Chinese food, and none of this food is cheap.  I like their steak and pork knuckle, but the meals themselves are often a bewildering array of food items. 枋寮最高級的餐廳.  有可能對枋寮來說太高級.  不管是高級或是太高級, 來這裡一定要花點錢.  他們的中, 西料理不便宜.  我喜歡他們的牛排跟豬腳, 但他們的套餐就是太多不相干的東西放在一起.

7. Newer Restaurants Near the Train Station 火車站附近的新餐廳

There's a stir fry restaurant, Ye or "Night" that I like across from the train station.  It might be my favorite restaurant in Fangliao.  Just down from that is the Japanese barbecue place pictured above.  It's super popular, and the food is good, but the service is very slow. 火車站對面有夜快炒餐廳.  它應該是我在枋寮最喜歡的餐廳. 上面照片中的日式碳烤在夜附近.  這家餐廳很受歡迎, 料理也不錯, 可是服務很慢.

8. Local Chain Restaurants 當地的分店餐廳

Fangliao has a Bafang Dumpling Restaurant.  There's also a 6" Plates Brunch and a La Morning.  No McDonald's, no Pizza Hut, no Domino's, no KFC and no Mos Burger.  For more big chain restaurants you have to go to Chaojhou, about twenty minutes north, and even Chaojhou doesn't have a Mos Burger. 枋寮有一家八方雲集, 也有一家6吋盤早午餐跟一家La Morning.  枋寮沒有麥當勞, 沒有比勝客, 沒有達美樂, 沒有肯德基, 也沒有摩斯漢堡.  如果你要找那種連鎖餐廳, 要去枋寮北邊的潮州.  連潮州也沒有摩斯漢堡.

There's a food truck selling burgers in front of the Fangliao Post Office on Friday nights.  Or at least there used to be.  Westerners desperate for pizza might also try the "Pizza and Coffee" restaurant on Highway 1.  Just be warned that the pizzas are small and the flavors are geared more towards Taiwanese taste buds.  枋寮郵局前面, 之前星期五晚上有食物餐車賣漢堡.  現在應該還在.  很想吃披薩的外國人可以去台1線上的木鋤造樸, 可是那邊的披薩比較小, 口味也比較適合台灣人.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

No Man is an Island, and Some Islands aren't Big Enough for the Two of Us

A Report 報告

琉球漁樂線 Fishy Things to Do on Xiaoliuqiu

Smells

NOTE 1: I wrote a huge, detailed, well-researched entry on air pollution in Pingtung for this week.  But you know what happened?  The website hosting this blog suffered a brief implosion.  Oh well.  I guess talking about food is more fun?

NOTE 2: A-Da, Ruan Jia, Grade 6 Class 5, Pi Coconut, Ye, the Japanese barbecue place and the three chain restaurants are all within walking distance of both the Fangliao Train Station and the bus station where tourists often switch over to the train line.