When it comes to traveling around Taiwan these days, automobiles and scooters are decidedly unfashionable modes of transportation compared with greener options such as cycling and in-line skating.
Three lovers of the outdoors, however, have decided to take it to another level altogether, forsaking solid terrain in preference for a path less traveled: the ocean. They are now the first group to paddle around the island in handmade wooden kayaks.
On May 1, 2011, as part of a ROC centennial celebration, Lee Yuan-zhi, Zhang Zong-hui and Li Qing-rong set off from Bali wharf located just north of Taipei City, to begin their 1,100-kilometer voyage circumnavigating the island.
Though interrupted twice by heavy storms and bad weather, they concluded their trip 40 days after departure, returning home physically exhausted yet spiritually rejuvenated.
“It was truly a mind-blowing experience,” said a bearded Li Qing-rong. His favorite part of the trip was the east coast, where the oarsmen were blessed with an entirely new perspective on Taiwan’s famous bluffs.
“When we drove on narrow coastal roads, all we could ever do was to steal nervous glances of the beauty of the coastline, but on the sea we had the privilege of admiring it as we reclined leisurely on our boats.”
The million-dollar view demanded an equally extraordinary toil. “When we finally made it to the destination, my only thought was: I want to go home!” he said.
The charm of paddling at sea lies in its unpredictability, he added. Traveling by car means going on fixed paths, for paved roads are static and often straight. Moving on water, by contrast, can be unpredictable and even treacherous. “The ocean might be calm and peaceful at one moment, and then seconds later a big wave will strike without warning,” he said, stressing that the waves can be as tall as 5 meters.
Besides fun and excitement, the kayakers also broke many personal records. Typically they paddled seven hours a day at a leisurely pace, travelling about 20 kilometers before calling it a day. During the last few days of their trip, however, they rowed hard for up to 12 hours at a stretch, and would sometimes go 60 kilometers in a single day, a record for all of them.
At one point, off Mailiao Township in Yunlin County on the west coast, they had to paddle for two more hours after dark as there were no docks available in that area. “The security guards on the shore told us we could not stop there because it was private property,” said Lee Yuan-zhi, who is also director of the Taiwan Kayaking Promotion Association.
The coast the three had to row past belongs to the Formosa Plastics Group, which bought off the entire port area for its sixth naphtha cracker plant.
Besides confronting private property owners, the men also had many close encounters with Taiwan’s rich marine life. “Every now and then we saw fish, sea urchins and squids; we even met some white dolphins, at Waipu fishing port off the Taichung coast,” an excited Lee said.
The endangered Chinese white dolphin, or Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, which appears off Taiwan’s west coast, has a population of less than 70 around Taiwan.
At sea, paddlers are able to see the world from an entirely different angle, which yields a whole new experience. “On land, you can only travel where there are roads, but on the ocean we can go in whichever direction we feel like,” he said.
“And the best thing is, everyone can move forward freely at their own pace, because there is no traffic on the sea.”
Lee, who met his wife while paddling, has an unbounded enthusiasm for rowing. “The beauty of kayaking or canoeing is multifaceted: You can do it in a serene lake, or along a refreshing creek; you can venture out on the ocean for island-hopping trips or even cross-continental adventures,” he said.
It is also one of the most environmentally friendly ways of travelling. Unlike cycling or driving, both of which require road infrastructure, canoeing needs only simple equipment for launching and docking. “Docks are scattered throughout Taiwan, where creeks and rivers and surrounding ocean are all ours to enjoy.”
Out of love for the sport and the environment, Lee’s association is planning several activities to broaden the popular appeal of kayaking. One idea involves the sport with culture, so that kayakers traveling to a certain locale can also learn about its history and culture.
“Taipei’s Danshui River, for example, is rich in biodiversity and has a complex historical tradition; and it would be a shame if people just paddled through it and went home,” said Lee, who is organizing a four-day nature and culture expedition off the east coast in Hualien and Yilan in late August.
Participants in a boat making workshop put additional touches on a canoe at the National Taiwan Ocean University in Keelung. (Staff photo/Chen Mei-ling)
His group has also set up the Taiwan Fun 5M Amateur Vehicle Builders Association, which helped build the three wooden kayaks from scratch and regularly offers classes on how to make different types of boats.
Tseng Su-ming, an association member, was the trio’s manufacturing consultant. A sea vessel lover who has academic training in ancient Chinese literature, Tseng taught himself the art of boat making—both real ones and models. He has been commissioned by several museums, including the National Palace Museum and the National Museum of Natural Sciences, to reconstruct miniature warships for exhibition.
“Taiwanese are relatively squeamish when it comes to water activities such as paddling, rowing, yachting and surfing, even though the nation is surrounded by water,” Tseng said. “The association aims to change that.”
The “5M” in the association’s name refers to “5 meters.” Any water vessel exceeding that length is subject to strict safety regulations. Wishing to preserve their freedom to experiment, 5M members keep their boats to less than the cut off length.
In a handicraft classroom at National Taiwan Ocean University, students are putting the final touches on kayaks, canoes and sampans—all handmade under Tseng’s direction.
“I enjoy showing the uninitiated how easy and fun it can be making and steering one’s own boat,” he said. Tseng has been teaching boat making classes in community colleges in Taipei and Yilan for over a decade. “Most of the students come to the class filled with doubt about whether they can actually make real boats, but that doubt turns into immense pride once they see that the vessels they make do not sink.”
Huang Ling-hsiao, director of the 5M association, taught himself how to make kayaks and sailboats. He translated a book on sailboats from English to Chinese, all out of his passion for water vessels. “There simply aren’t many people who know about this activity, and we have to start everything from scratch,” he said.
So do the three who completed the round-island trip. The vessels took three months to make, each costing around NT$30,000 (US$1,040) for materials. “Though a readymade one would cost significantly less, the production is where all the fun lies,” said Zhang Tsung-hui, a canoe and kayak craft specialist.
Be it paddling enthusiasts or kayak makers, their common goal continues to be forging a friendly environment for water sports in and around Taiwan, and a more open heart to embrace the ocean. (HZW)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw