鹿港 Lukang

上星期趁天氣好，到了臺中市以西約35公里的鹿港一日遊。結果發覺這真是一個不太明智的決定，因為當天實在太熱，我整個爆汗！
Last week I took advantage of the hot summer weather and went on a day trip to Lukang, about 35km west of Taichung city. It turned out to be a not so wise decision as I was literally sweating all over under the heat.

鹿港的名字很可愛，有傳以前鹿港附近有很多鹿因而得名。臺灣幾個世紀的發展從南到北，一府二鹿三艋舺中的二鹿就是鹿港（一府是台南安平區，三艋舺是台北萬華區 ）。它在18世紀清代及荷蘭統治時，是台灣中部的主要對外港口，所以有很多有特色及悠長歷史的建築物。
Lukang translates to Deer Port, and rumour has it that there used to be a lot of deer in the area hence the name. Lukang used to be the main trading port in central Taiwan during the Dutch colony and Ching Dynasty period around the 18th century and is rich with heritage and architecture.

著名的鹿港老街是遊客必到的地標。舖上紅磚的街道兩旁有很多老宅，保留著以前的瓦片屋頂及木門，門旁還貼上傳統對聯，非常老宅。有一些房子已改建成為售賣紀念品或手工藝的店鋪，但有不少還是民居住宅。所以到這裡遊覽一定要記得尊重別人的家喔!
Its famous historical district where most first timers go includes a network of streets lined with quaint old houses.  These houses are all well preserved with their tiled rooftop and wooden double doors.  A lot of them have the traditional Chinese writings by the doors, which are sayings to bring good luck.   Some houses have been converted to shops and cafe, whilst many are still inhabited by the local residents, so if you ever visit, please be respectful to people’s homes.

烈日當空下，我看見街上一位阿姨，以為她在賣雪糕。原來那是古早味叭噗，用麥芽糖及天然生果製造。以前叭噗是放在三輪腳踏車上街賣的，攤販會響起車上的小喇叭，叭噗叭噗聲來吸引客人，因此得名。冰凍的叭噗質感非常純滑，跟平時用牛奶做的雪糕很相似。￡0.26/10塊臺幣一小球，非常適合在夏天消暑解渴。
It was really hot that day, perfect for ice cream.  A woman was selling traditional hand made ice cream called pa pu which is made using maltose and natural fruit.  Pa pu is so called as the stall owners used to sell them on a tricycle, honking as they rode around the streets.  The sound of the honk pa pu, pa pu gave its name to the product.   The texture of pa pu is very smooth, with a tint of chewiness from the maltose, and not overly sweet.   At NTD10 / £0.26 per scoop it was a great way to cool down.

鹿港另外一個著名景點是摸乳巷。這條小巷子很窄，只足夠一個人行走，如果有人迎面而來，擦身而過時就很難避免有身體接觸，所以被人稱為摸乳巷！
Another famous landmark is Mo-Lu Lang which translates to touch breast alley! This is a very narrow alley, just wide enough for one person to past through, so if two people were to walk from opposite ends it would be quite difficult to avoid touching one another!

在台灣遊覽，必然會碰上各類廟宇，而鹿港最有名的是龍山寺。它在1786年建造，是台灣清代建築的多座廟宇中，保存得最好的其中一座。龍山寺的木雕刻很著名，尤其進入院前的戲台頂部的八卦藻井，更被譽為在台首屈一指的作品。
No day out in Taiwan would be complete without visiting a temple, and one of Lukang’s most well known is called Lunshan Temple. Built in 1786 it is famous for its beautiful wood carvings, and is regarded as one of Taiwan’s most well preserved temple from the Ching Dynasty. Its most impressive piece of carving is the ceiling of the old performance stage in front of the temple. This is a 16 sided multiple level piece of work based on ancient old Chinese philosophy and said to be the best of its kind in Taiwan.

離開龍山寺後，我在街上突然聞到一陣陣很香的蒸包子味，從馬路的另一邊飄過來。蒸包糕點是其中一樣我最喜歡的食物，所以馬上去看過究竟。店舖外有一層一層很大的蒸籠在蒸包子，竹籠味夾著包子香味令人唾涎三尺，我馬上買一個新鮮包子品嘗，還多加一大包外帶。
After leaving Lungshan temple, I suddenly smelt the aroma of steamed buns. It was from the shop across the road and with steam buns being one of my favourite food, I had to take a look. The aroma was from these massive trays of buns which were being steamed outside the shop. The smell of the bamboo steamer and the buns itself was a great way to attract customers, me included. I bought a fresh one to eat immediately, and another big bag to take home.

我很喜歡鹿港，喜歡它那種懷舊的感覺，舊而不殘。每處地方都保養得很好，絕對沒有覺得破舊或衰落。房子外面從招牌到門窗，到陽臺整棟建築都很有特色，讓我愛上鹿港這個地方。找天一定會重遊此地，但必定要在清涼的一天出發。
The thing I really liked about Lukang is that although it is old, it is very well preserved and you don’t feel like it is run down or depressed at all. From the exterior, to the signs, to the windows and balcony, all the buildings have bags full of character, making this place an absolute little gem. Definitely worth another trip back, maybe when it’s not so hot.

via Photo Challenge: Heritage