Kenting in Any Weather
Michella Jade Weng, Host:
Hello everyone. Welcome
to Time for Taiwan. My
name is Michella Jade
Weng. In the summer, Kenting
is known for its surfing
and water sports. And
altough it's on the Hengchun
Peninsula in the southernmost
part of Taiwan, it's actually
pretty accessible. You
can take the high speed
rail to Zuoying, then
get on the Taiwan Tourist
Shuttle and you're there.
That's where we're headed
now.
Locals
and tourists take
this bus to get to
Kenting, which also
stops at Dapeng Bay
on the way.
Kenting
is surfing paradise
for many people. Most
come in the summer,
and many even come
in the winter.
Hear
that sound? That's
Hengchun folk music.
If you get rained
out or need a break
from all the sunshine,
this museum for local
music can be quite
interesting, especially
if you are not afraid
to embarrass yourself
with a lesson on this
two-stringed fretted
lute.
Michella
Jade Weng, Host:
I can't sing and play
at the same time!
Chen
Li-ping, Hengchun
Folksong Expert:
When I think of you.
These two are for
the last word.
I
better keep my day
job and let the professional
handle this...
There
are eight melodies
in Hengchun folk music,
sung to lyrics that
have been handed down
through the ages or
made up on the spot.
Michella
Jade Weng, Host
So that's Hengchun
folk music. Next let's
see how local delicacy
salted duck eggs are
made.
Jheng
Siou-huei, Duck Farmer:
Look at this. These
are salt granules.
Several
weeks later when enough
salt and minerals
have passed through
the shell, it's officially
"salted"
and ready to eat.
The most common way
to prepare them is
by steaming or boiling
for eating with congee.
Here, you can make
your own salted eggs,
bring them home and
patiently wait until
they're ready to eat.
If
you can't wait that
long, you can easily
find a local restaurant
that incorporates
these eggs into its
dishes, like fried
rice.
Another
specialty here is
the pork knuckle chock
full of collagen and
infused with locally
produced tea. Also
there's a seafood
hot pot in a milk-based
broth that tastes
surprisingly good.
This
trip really has been
full of surprises,
starting from how
easy it is to get
to Kenting and all
the things one can
do even in rainy weather.
