Yingge
Yingge (鶯歌區) is a district in New Taipei in Taiwan. The district is famous for its ceramics industry, and its Old Street lined with pottery shops and galleries of all kinds.
Understand
[edit]
The name of the town means "parrot song", for the parrot shaped rock outcropping slightly north of the town.
The ceramics industry here goes back over 200 years. While historically focused on factories for brickmaking and other large-scale utilitarian products, in recent decades the town has developed a thriving artisan scene. The town rebuilt its Old Street to serve as a market for local craftspeople.
Ceramics enthusiasts will love Yingge, with its museum, galleries, and hands-on pottery studios. There's enough to stay busy for a full day.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]From Taipei Main Station TRA, most southbound trains stop in Yingge. The journey takes about 30-35 minutes. Trains run about every 10-20 minutes (most are local trains). Tickets can easily be purchased the day of travel from the automated ticket machines.
- 1 Yingge station (鶯歌車站), No. 68-1, Wenhua Rd, ☏ +886 2 2679 2004.
By car
[edit]Formosa Highway (Highway #3) runs through the south edge of the district. Take the exit to "ShanHsia/Yingge", and cross the Shanying Bridge.
Get around
[edit]
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
[edit]Ceramics
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- 1 Yingge Ceramics Museum (新北市立鶯歌陶瓷博物館), No. 200, Wenhua Rd (Ten minute walk from Yingge Railway Station), ☏ +886 2 8677 2727. 09:30-17:00, Sa-Su 09:30-18:00. Closed 1st Monday of month and national holidays. Museum dedicated to preserving the history of ceramics in Taiwan, through imaginative and beautiful displays. The downstairs exhibit explains the fundamentals of ceramics, the various materials, categories, glazes, and production methods. The upstairs includes history exhibits, and galleries for rotating contemporary artistic exhibits. All exhibits have English signage, and an English web-based audio guide is available. Outside, the Ceramics Park allows for an easy stroll past large sculptures and artist-in-residence studios. The museum has a good gift shop and cafe. NT$80.
- 2 Ceramics Old Street (鶯歌陶瓷老街). A continuous row of nearly 100 pottery and craft shops, interspersed with tea houses and cafes.
- 3 Sanying Arts Village (三鶯藝術村), No. 300, Guanqian Rd. 0930-1700. A park filled with different sculptures, covered walkways, and other forms of artwork.
History & culture
[edit]- Wangyang House (汪洋居). An old, and not particularly well-maintained, house nearby the train station. The building was constructed in 1916.
- 4 Chengfa Residence (成發居), No. 235, Wenhua Rd, ☏ +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.
Temples
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- 5 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.
- 6 Hongde Temple (宏德宮), No. 1, Lane 303, Zhongzhengyi Rd, ☏ +886 2 2679 4029. A temple to the Spring-Autumn Warring States period general Sun Bin.
- 7 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
[edit]- Make your own pottery. 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 will ship the finished product, since it takes a few days to dry and fire the clay.
- 1 Yingge Rock (鶯歌石), Zhongzheng 1st Rd (About 10 minutes walk from train station), ☏ +886 917 117 087. A short trail (~20 minutes) leads to Yingge Rock (Parrot Rock), the town's namesake. 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.
Buy
[edit]Ceramics of all kinds are available for sale along Old Street – tea pots, tea sets, plates, bowls, planting pots, decorative vases, fountains, art... If you can find it anywhere in Taiwan, you can find it here.
Prices vary widely, from mass-market dinnerware for NT$100 a set, to fine teaware for NT$8000 per piece. Much of it is locally produced, though much of it is imported too.
When buying mass-market ceramics, check their surfaces for glazing imperfections.
Eat
[edit]There are only a couple of restaurants on Old Street. Better options exist just across the bridges to the north.
- 1 Grandma's Sushi (阿婆壽司), No. 63, Zhongzheng 1st Rd, ☏ +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
[edit]Tea
[edit]What use is a fancy ceramic teapot, without some tea to brew with it? On Old Street, the line between pottery gallery and tea store can get blurry, as the more teaware-focused shops will also have a collection of tea available for sample.