The "Best Pacific Coast Biking Tours" have been developed as part of the Taiwan Cycling Festival by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau's East Coast National Scenic Area Administration (ECNSAA). The purpose is to promote cycling and cultural tourism in a sustainable manner to the beautiful, natural coastal areas of Hualien and Taitung counties.

        Cycling in Taiwan in general has grown in popularity as a sport and recreational activity. This is especially obvious along Provincial Highway 11 which hugs the coastline between Hualien and Taitung cities. Taiwan's East Coast is home to more than 50 communities of the indigenous Amis tribe. Thus, the ECNSAA saw an opportunity to combine cycling with indigenous culture to create sustainable economic opportunities for community residents.

        On October 17-18, 2015, such a cycling tour was set to be led by Cheryl Robbins, a licensed Taiwan tour guide and founder of Tribe-Asia. However, as the composition of the tour group tended toward families with small children, it was decided to transform the itinerary into a non-cycling, family-oriented one.

        Taiwan is well suited to travel for families with children, as it is safe and convenient. This is especially true in eastern Taiwan with its wide open spaces where children can run around and freely give into their curiosity to explore nature and culture.

        On Day 1, the group, from central and northern Taiwan, arrived at the train station in Hualien City at about noon. Their first stop was the Liquan Fishery which produces health food products from clam extract. After a meal of clams, fish, shrimp and other seafood, the children were excited by an adjacent pond where families can collect clams together.

     The next stop was the Cidaw Hunters School in the indigenous Amis community of Shuilian, along the coast of Hualien County, about 40 minutes south of Hualien City. After a brief introduction to the Amis culture, including its matrilineal society and well-preserved traditional knowledge of plant use, it was time to create a headband woven from locally collected leaves. Following that, the members of the group joined hands and learned some of the steps to a dance of the annual harvest festival. The children enjoyed the open "classroom" space, climbing onto traditional bamboo cannons before joining the dance circle. All of the parents agreed that they would like to send their children back to this hunters' school for summer camp, as that would allow them the opportunity to learn more about Taiwan's natural and cultural diversity.

    The group then continued southward, crossing into Taitung County, and arriving at Baxian Cave in Changbin Township. This is a popular tourist attraction for several reasons. A trail leads past several brightly decorated cave temples. From this trail are vast views of the Pacific Ocean. This is also the site where stone tools and other artifacts from the Changbin Culture have been found. This is a prehistoric culture that has been estimated to date back some 15,000 to 50,000 years, making it one of the oldest human settlements on Taiwan.

        As the light began to fade, the group headed slightly northward back into Hualien County to the Jingpu Community. This Amis community is located at the estuary of the Xiuguluan River, where it meets up with the Pacific Ocean. This is also the terminus for white water rafting tours, which start some 23 kilometers upstream in Ruisui County. A local guide took the group onto the beach and explained the geography of the community, as well as its geology, including the many types of stones found in the sand. At the end of this tour it was time for dinner at the adjacent Atomo Arifowang Canglah Restaurant. The name refers to traditional pottery, spring and lily in the Amis language. The owner is from the Amis tribe and is an award winning chef. His restaurant has no menu, instead relying on the freshly obtained ingredients of the day including fish, seaweed, shellfish and wild greens. This night we were treated to a barbecue and Amis stone hot pot dinner. Traditionally when out working in the fields, the Amis would heat up stones and then place them in water in a container made from naturally obtained materials. The heat released from the stones boiled the water allowing fish, vegetables and shrimp to be cooked thoroughly.

        Day 2 started with a tour of the Pisirian Community next to the Sanxiantai rock outcrop and scenic area. This is an Amis fixed net fishing community which has been working in recent years to develop its tourism including the renovation of its cultural center, the development of cultural performances, learning of art forms such as driftwood sculpture and the renovation of neglected buildings to create artisan workshops and guesthouses. The name of this community refers to its former industry of goat herding. Thus, all around the community can be seen murals and driftwood sculptures of goats. After a tour of the community, it was the group's turn to paint a miniature wood goat to take home as a souvenir. Parents and children collaborated to create unique works of art, helping to strengthen the family bond. This was followed by a visit to the East Coast National Scenic Area Administration Visitor Center which has recently been renovated to include a number of interactive exhibits and games about the ecology and tourism opportunities of the area, providing lots of family fun. Next to the visitor center is the picturesque Amis community of Duli, which is working to revive its culture. This community has recently won an award for the dishes cooked in its restaurant. The group sampled these dishes at an outdoor picnic, after which certificates of completion were handed out and everyone had the chance to share their feelings about the trip. Then, it was time to head back to the cultural center of the Pisirian Community for an Amis singing, dancing and percussion performance. During the finale, the audience was invited to join the performers in a dance circle that started inside the center and eventually wove its way outside. The group then boarded the bus back to the Hualien train station, tired but also inspired by all that they had seen and learned.

        For more information about the Best Pacific Coast Biking Tours, go online to http://www.u-design.url.tw/2014bike/ or email to ysl11251125@gmail.com