Yingge
Yingge[dead link] (鶯歌區) is in New Taipei in Taiwan. Meaning "parrot song", the name of the town is derived from the parrot shaped rock outcropping slightly north of the town.
Pottery enthusiasts will love Yingge. The town lies roughly an hour south of Taipei by train, and is famous for its high concentration of potters. Some potteries offer lessons in basic pot making.
Plan to spend a full day in Yingge to get the full experience.
Get in
By train
Take a south bound train from Taipei Main Station, a journey of about 35 minutes. Trains run approx every 20 minutes (most are local trains). The high-speed rail line does not serve Yingge. Tickets can easily be purchased the day of travel from the automated machines at Taipei main station.
- 1 Yingge station (鶯歌車站), No. 68-1, Wenhua Road, ☏ +886 2 2679 2004.
By car
From Formosa Highway (Highway #3), take the exit to "ShanHsia/Yingge". Yingge is the other side of Shanying Bridge and the Ceramic Museum is located on the left.
Get around
Almost all attractions are located within a 10-minute walk of the train station. It is an easy walk, though there is also the option of a bus as the Taoyuan buses make a stop at the Yingge Ceramic Museum.
See
History & culture
- 1 Old Street (鶯歌陶瓷老街). Old Street is a continuous row of pottery and craft shops interspersed with tea houses and cafes. Prices on the ceramics vary widely (US$3 for a set of 5 dinner plates to US$30 a teacup) and is strongly dependent on whether they are for the fine arts or mass markets. When buying mass market ceramics, its advisable to check their surfaces for glazing imperfections.
- Wangyang House (汪洋居). An old, and not particularly well-maintained, house nearby the train station. The building was constructed in 1916.
- 2 Chengfa Residence (成發居), No. 235, Wenhua Road, ☏ +886 2 2670 0565. The remains of an old building built in 1921, during the Japanese colonial period. It is a popular spot to take photos.
Museums
- 3 Yingge Ceramics Museum (新北市立鶯歌陶瓷博物館), No. 200, Wenhua Road, ☏ +886 2 8677 2727. 09:30-1700 (Closed Mon). Ten minutes from Yingge Railway Station is the excellent Yingge Ceramics Museum. The Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of ceramics in Taiwan, which it does through very imaginative and beautiful displays. The museum has a good gift shop and cafe. Address: 200 Wen-hwa Road. Tel:8677 2727. Open: Tu-F 09:30-17:00, Sa-Su 09:30-18:00. The museum is closed on Mondays and national holidays. Admission is free.
Parks & nature
- 4 Yingge Rock (鶯歌石), Zhongzheng 1st Road, ☏ +886 917 117 087. Yingge Rock (Parrot rock) trail is a short trail (~20 minutes). The trail is located about 10 minutes away from train station by walking. The trail has three entrances. The main trail lifts up to the level of Yingge Stone, from which people can overlook the centre of Yingge area, Dahan creek and parts of Sansia.
- 5 Sanying Arts Village (三鶯藝術村), No. 300, Guanqian Road. 0930-1700. A park filled with different sculptures, covered walkways, and other forms of artwork.
Temples
- 6 Turtle Temple (鶯歌碧龍宮), ☏ +886 2 2679 5842. A temple at the foot of the Bilong mountain, it is named after the 'Green Turtle Stone' which is contained within the temple complex.
- 7 Hongde Temple (宏德宮), No. 1, Lane 303, Zhongzhengyi Road, ☏ +886 2 2679 4029. A temple to the Spring-Autumn Warring States period general Sun Bin.
- 8 Sanhu Temple (三湖宮), ☏ +886 2 2670 8299. A somewhat unusual temple in Taiwan dedicated to three Emperors which were worshipped to bring prosperity in the early days of Han Chinese migration to the island.
Do
- Experience the DIY (do it yourself) pottery making. Go to the Old Street and find some shops who offer the pottery making class/experience. Make and then design your own pottery. Most of them have the service of shipping the finished product. You can not get the finished product right away since it requires few days of drying and firings.
Buy
- Ceramics of all kind are available for sale. Tea pots, tea sets, dinner plates, bowls, pots for plants etc. Prices vary with quality.
Eat
- 1 Grandma's Sushi (阿婆壽司), No. 63, Zhongzheng 1st Road, ☏ +886 2 2670 9345. a famous sushi booth in the centre of Yingge. It is located in front of the OK Mart, 10 minutes away from train station on foot. Although it looks like just a small booth, there is a big basement seating area. Usually, people order to go, although some dine in the basement. A box of sushi costs NT$25. Other than sushi, they also have miso soup (NT$10), steamed egg (NT$10) and some other typical Taiwanese dishes.
Drink
Sleep
Go next
- The Yingge station is fairly straightforward. Trains heading back to Taipei all leave from the same platform (platform 2) and depart every 25 min or so.