Xincheng day trip bookshops mochi making and the Pacific

I’ve been to Xincheng and Xiulin many times. You might expect the surprises to wear thin; in Xincheng, the opposite happens. Each visit brings a new little shop on a corner, or a name dropped by a local that makes me write down another “next time”. For a Xincheng day trip, these everyday places give me as much reason to pause as the views.

For years I’ve wondered where all this life comes from. Getting to know 文偉 of 練習曲, I began to see part of the answer. He started by supporting children through a baseball team, then turned to reading, old houses and community spaces. One person’s efforts drew more and more of the street’s everyday lives together.

On this Mountain Mist Route, I want to set out from Xincheng Station and give a day to the foothills of Taroko. The mountains and sea are vast. I’ll begin with a slow wander through town, and see where I want to stay a little longer.

From Xincheng Station A lending library and a bowl of tofu pudding

Booking an electric-assist bicycle from 練習曲 is a lovely way to begin in Xincheng. Rentals currently require weekday reservations; public holidays and weekends are temporarily unavailable, and bicycles must be returned to the same station. Confirm the day's arrangements before you leave.

The manager put it well: “Xincheng and Xiulin are just the right size! You can ride a bit, stop a bit, ride a bit, stop a bit. It’s a much more relaxed way to explore.”

I love that he said “ride a bit, stop a bit” twice. Ha-ha!

A relaxed trip needs room to pause. The old street’s lanes are narrow: park up and walk, and you won’t miss a wooden window or a passing hello.

At 練習曲書店, a local lending library, the books are for borrowing, not buying. Think of this stop as time to read, rather than a shopping stop. Donated from all over, they keep moving from reader to reader. It’s easy to sit by the window with a book and think only of how peaceful it is. But learn how 文偉 went from playing baseball with children to reading and learning alongside them, and you begin to see the people behind the shelves.

豆花兒, a tofu-pudding shop, continues that link between school and home. The old wooden house still has school desks and chairs, but you can sit down to a bowl of tofu pudding with no homework in sight. It also offers older children and parents opportunities to work and learn. With work close by, parents have more time to spend with their children.

The bookstore and tofu-pudding shop are only a short walk apart, but behind them are children with someone to spend time with after school, and parents able to work close to home.

With a few friends, I’d let the readers linger over a few more pages at 練習曲, while anyone feeling peckish could settle in at 豆花兒. We don’t all have to do the same thing to feel happily together.

Xincheng Old Street New life in familiar buildings

From the bookstore towards the old street, signs, covered walkways and houses stand side by side. Look up and the mountains appear behind the roofs. So close, those mountains. So quiet, the mind.

At Xincheng Catholic Church, pause in front of the torii gate. Why does the sign say “Catholic Church”? You don’t see that every day! Keep going: there are more surprises inside.

This was once the site of Xincheng Shrine, where the Japanese authorities commemorated Japanese military and police personnel killed in the Xincheng Incident. After the war, the Catholic Church gradually built its church and service spaces here, preserving some remains of the shrine. The torii gate, guardian lion-dogs, stone lanterns and later boat-shaped church each have their own origins within the same courtyard. Yet they sit in remarkable harmony, reminding me of Harmony Street in Melaka.

With that in mind, I walk on, and the old street gains a few more pages of history to read slowly.

Old spaces finding new life!

The local-goods shop 山海百貨 has given the former Taipower office a new look, filling it with Hualien produce, food, crafts and selected local goods. When choosing gifts, I often ask one more question: "Who made this?"

Once you know who made something and where it came from, the goods on the shelves connect with the mountains, sea and villages you’ve just passed. You can always buy them on the way back. Let the bag get heavy later; it’s easier on a bicycle.

Mochi-making and local produce Meet the makers behind a gift

At the mochi workshop 叩叩麻橘, a souvenir becomes a story you can take part in. Making it is part of getting to know the town, not simply choosing something to take home.
In an old Japanese-style dormitory, watch the teacher demonstrate, then knead, fill and seal your own mochi. Your hands will soon tell you whether it is round and springy enough. The founder, 文儀, wants to introduce travellers to the Xincheng she grew up in through mochi-making, linking the workshop with her “Walking Mochi” old-street tour. Book ahead to confirm what’s included and how long to allow; this is not a stop to squeeze between hurried visits.

Opposite 佳興冰果室, the local-produce shop 來新城小農舖 follows another path from crops to gifts. Peanuts, sweet potatoes and pickled mustard greens introduce the area’s produce; the sweet potatoes also become crisp biscuits and other snacks to take home. The shop is bright and spotless, its produce displayed like fine goods. That, to me, is a way of honouring the land.

At 叩叩, you feel the warmth of making something with your hands. At the farmers’ shop, a packet of snacks leads you back to the people who grew the ingredients. Visit both and buying a gift becomes a way of getting to know a place.

Xincheng Seawall Leave time for the Pacific

Follow Bo'ai Road to Xincheng Seawall. Beyond the shops and homes are the embankment and the Pacific Ocean.
Here, the sea’s nourishment is always close at hand. The seawall’s newly colourful seats echo distant Qixingtan. Turn back towards the town you’ve just walked through. Between these great mountains and the ocean, people are working, caring for children, making snacks and finding new uses for old spaces. Xincheng is full of life.

If you have time, Manbo Beach is another option. A green tunnel through the trees opens onto a pebble beach and the sea: a paradise for stacking stones. There’s no need to hurry to both the seawall and Manbo. Choose one according to the weather, access and your bicycle return time, then give yourself a proper pause on the shore.

If you’d rather look at old photographs of gold-seekers, daydream by a café window or hear Mr Wu at 魯冰食堂 talk about his fresh start, save the Old Street Route for next time.

This trip's album also includes a walking map, photographs along the way and a 120-second video. Take a look, then choose the places where you really want to stop.
See both routes and local tours here:
https://shanhai-newshow.netlify.app/travel
The "Mountain-and-Sea Treasure Hunt" runs until October 31. Guests at participating accommodations can receive a package of special offers; confirm participating properties and how to collect it when booking.

As I write, I realise that the places I want to return to have people’s names attached. I want to see what 文偉 has been busy with, and ask whether the shops have new snacks or new stories.

Where would you like to go next time you visit Xincheng? Tell me in the comments!

#ShanhaiNewshow #HualienLocalFinds #HualienSpecialtyGifts
#MountainAndSeaTreasureHunt #AutumnInNorthernHualien #XinxiuShoppingDistrictAssociation
#Hualien #Xincheng #Taroko #BusTravel #XinxiuElectricAssistBicycleStation #練習曲