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Thanks to the presence of National Taiwan University (臺灣大學), Gongguan (公館) has become a haven for youth in southern Taipei. The area is steeped in the air of academia, and is also a key city transportation hub. All needs are satisfied here – cultural, artistic, business, recreational, and more. In the Gongguan riverside area a number of key tourist attractions are linked, most notably Treasure Hill Artist Village (寶藏巖國際藝術村), Taipei Water Park (自來水園區), Gongguan Night Market (公館夜市), and Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park (臺北市客家文化主題公園). In August the city government will formally open YouBike bike-rental stations at the MRT Gongguan and Taipower Building stations, to tie in with the riverside bike-path network. Breezy summer outings on two wheels are just about the perfect way to explore the many pleasures of the Gongguan riverside area and its environs, letting you experience Taipei's personality from a wholly new perspective.

Route : YouBike rental station (rent bike) → Liu Family Fried Steamed Buns (breakfast) → Treasure Hill, Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park (bike touring) → Thai Guo Xiao Guan (lunch) → Taipei Water Park (water fun) → Drop Coffee House or Tai-Yi Milk King (rest) → National Taiwan University (sightseeing) → Tequila Sunrise (dinner) → Pipe Live Music (live vocal performance) → YouBike rental station (return bike)

A Cultural Journey along the Riverside Bike Path

The YouBike rental station is right outside Exit No. 2 at MRT Gongguan Station. The rental process is easy; you can use a credit card or your mobile phone for the transaction. Time to head out on a green, eco-friendly day out!

Liu Family Fried Steamed Buns (劉家水煎包), on Dingzhou Road (汀州路), opens at 5 am daily. In business for 30 years, the baozi (包子) or stuffed buns here are freshly-made and steamed. Fresh and tasty, these baozi are the perfect breakfast pick-me-up for the day ahead.

Next, go to the end of Dingzhou Road and to Treasure Hill (寶藏巖), wrapped around the slopes of a hill. A heritage settlement, this is now the creative base for numerous artists in Taipei. Park the bike at the entrance and enter on foot into a small community steeped in history. Treasure Hill Artist Village is home to 14 artist workshops, and visitors can enjoy the public graffiti art and other artworks hidden around every corner. Around turn after turn, it seems, is a surprise both pleasant and unexpected. Treasure Hill has become a must-see attraction for visitors to Taipei.

After taking time to enjoy Treasure Hill, take your bike to the nearby riverside and link up with the city's riverside bike-path network, enjoying the cooling breezes and the landscaped riverside. The Taipei bike-path system encircles the city, and jumping on it at Gongguan, by the Xindian River (新店溪), the beauty of the whole city is just a pedal away.

After taking your bike over the cross-dike platform, take in the Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park. The park is on the former site of the Taipei Children's Museum of Transportation and Communication (兒童交通博物館). After undergoing a city-sponsored transformation, the green 4-hectare grounds today feature a traditional Hakka tobacco shed, water wheel, a ''respect written characters'' pavilion (敬字亭), farm-village experience area, and more. The Hakka are a key ethnic group in Taiwan, famous for their hard work ethic. Even today they hold on to their distinctive character and colorful traditions. The park offers overseas travelers an invaluable insight into the local heritage and cultural landscape. It features a cultural center and a music and theater center, with performances staged on an irregular schedule. There's also a Hakka food court, where you can savor a wide range of Hakka culinary specialties. Try the hand-made Hakka-style salty stuffed soup dumplings, short rice noodles (米苔目), and flat rice noodles (板條), and don't forget to try a few of the distinctive snack treats. Whichever you choose, your taste adventure will be a unique one.

Taipei Water Park – A Cool Eden on a Hot Summer Day

For lunch, take advantage of Gongguan's reputation for fine international cuisine. The owner of Thai Guo Xiao Guan (泰國小館), which has been around for 38 years, is from Thailand. She boasts authentic Thai flavors, and in the restaurant window she displays the many edibles she specially imports from her homeland, giving her eatery the feel of a small grocery shop. The most popular choices here are the green curry chicken, hot and sour shrimp soup, cool shredded green papaya salad, and the Thai-style ice treats; each a great summer appetizer.

In the afternoon, head to nearby Taipei Water Park, a favorite local spot for summertime water fun. In the grounds is the Museum of Drinking Water (自來水博物館), housed in a Historical Relic of the Third Rank. The building is an intriguing work of Baroque-style architecture, and inside is a screening room and detailed explanation on the history of what was originally a waterworks. Elsewhere in the park, in the Water Country Park (水鄉庭園) and Aqua Friendly Experiencing Area (親水體驗區) are water slides, umbrella falls, and other places to frolic in the water. The park's annual Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival (臺北親水節) is happening in July and August, with an overflowing program of interactive games, live music, stage performances, and other colorful excitement on tap (see our related article on page 38).

As dusk falls, it's time for a drink break. Ride over to Drop Coffee House (滴咖啡) or Tai-Yi Milk King (臺一牛奶大王) on Xinsheng South Road (新生南路) across from National Taiwan University. In a former university dormitory, the coffee house has become a popular local hangout. Timber and large-pane windows dominate the decor, creating a comfortable ambiance in which to savor ice-drip coffee. Tai-Yi Milk King, in business more than 50 years, is a beloved source of sweet treats among students. Dig into a bowl of eight-treasure ice (八寶冰) or red-bean and condensed-milk ice and feel the sizzling summer heat slip away.

A Palm-Tree Oasis and a Little Night Music

Next, head into the National Taiwan University campus. Meander along the Royal Palm Boulevard (椰林大道) at what is Taiwan's most prestigious institution of higher learning, stopping for a moment along the way to look at the spiritual symbol of the university on its official emblem – the Fu Bell (傅鐘).

For dinner, a prime choice is Tequila Sunrise (佬墨日出) on Xinsheng South Road, which has served top-rate Mexican food for 20 years. Decorated like a traditional Mexican country home, some of the most popular authentic Mexican dishes served are the burritos, beef taco salad, and botana platter (samplers of quesadillas, nachos, flautitas, and more).

As night settles in, ride over to Pipe Live Music (水管音樂), located in a renovated pumping station flowing with history. This is a venue for live bands, with an unfixed schedule of indie groups performing in different genres. Groups such as Captain Peanut (花生隊長), Pisco, and Birdman (日京江羽人) will hit the stage in July, bringing you everything from indie to pop in a grand display of musical diversity.

After a relaxed session swaying to the rhythms of the band of the day, your bike adventure has come to an end. Before heading home though, remember to return your bike to the YouBike station you originally got it from.

【Discover Taipei 2012年07月號】