豐原慢活行 / A Slow-Paced Trip to Fengyuan

位於台中北部的豐原，是一個充滿人情味的小鎮，擁有豐富的歷史與文化，我本來沒有想要去看看的，只是朋友剛好也在附近，而聽說那邊的老街很多美食，於是，就搭上火車，往豐原出發，我不是很常搭火車，還好人不多，可以有座位坐，我就搭著區間火車，享受著少有的悠閒時光，期待著等下的旅程。

好像人們到豐原，一定會到熱鬧的廟東夜市，夜市緊鄰慈濟宮，廟建於西元1777年，俗稱豐原媽祖廟，是豐原最早的廟宇，大白天就有眾多信徒燒香拜拜，宮內許多木雕、石雕都出自名匠之手，很有歷史價值，信徒拜完了，大多會選擇到旁邊的夜市用餐，廟宇與夜市是魚跟水、水跟魚的關係，難怪叫廟東夜市。

豐原的舊名是「葫蘆墩」，曾是台灣3大木材集散地之一，受惠於豐富的天然資源，這裡的木藝、漆藝、餅藝蠻發達的，而在夜市上的中正路串聯了一些知名或在地糕餅舖，而有著糕餅街的美稱，很多老店看起來不起眼，像是位於廟東夜市附近的義華餅舖，它的招牌是鹹蛋糕，看起來普通，不覺得會有多好吃，但它的內餡有筍子、香菇、蝦米等，吃起來口感非常的綿密，越吃越好吃，而百年歷史的雪花齋餅行，它的雪花餅在日據時代，獲得過糕餅比賽的大獎，是豐原最代表性的糕餅。

而為了到葫蘆墩公園看看，我頂著大太陽，走了快三十分鐘，走到滿身大汗，我應該騎腳踏車代步的，葫蘆墩公園曾經是花卉博覽會期間的展區之一，所以，想必自然景觀應該很豐富，根據介紹，它佔地大約18公頃，非常大，園內有園藝、花卉及優質生態溪流等造景，但太陽太大，逛了一會兒，拍拍照後，我就想回去豐原市區了，這時候，我就特別懷念夜市賣的冷飲及剉冰。

Fengyuan, located in the northern part of Taichung, is a small town rich in history and culture, known for its friendly atmosphere. I originally didn’t plan to visit, but since a friend happened to be nearby and I’d heard about the delicious food on the old street, I decided to hop on a train and head to Fengyuan. I don’t take the train very often, but luckily it wasn’t crowded, and I found a seat. So, I rode the local train, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, looking forward to the upcoming trip.

It seems like anyone who visits Fengyuan always makes a stop at the bustling Miaodong Night Market, which is right next to Ciji Temple. The temple, built in 1777, is often called Fengyuan Mazu Temple and is the oldest temple in the area. Even during the day, there are many worshippers burning incense and praying. Inside the temple, many of the wood and stone carvings were made by master craftsmen and have great historical value. After worshipping, most people head to the adjacent night market for a bite to eat. The temple and the night market are like fish and water, closely connected, which is why the market name means "The night market to the east of the temple".

Fengyuan’s old name is "Huludun", and it was once one of Taiwan’s three major timber distribution centers, benefiting from the rich natural resources in the area. Because of this, woodworking, lacquerware, and pastry-making became quite developed here. Zhongzheng Road, where the night market is located, is lined with famous and local pastry shops, earning it the nickname "Pastry Street". Many of the old shops may not look impressive, like the Yi Hua Bakery near Miaodong Night Market. Its specialty is savory cake, which doesn’t look particularly delicious at first glance, but the filling, made with bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and dried shrimp, is incredibly soft and gets tastier with each bite. There’s also Xue Hua Zhai, a century-old bakery whose snowflake cake won awards during the Japanese colonial era, making it one of Fengyuan’s most iconic pastries.

To visit Huludun Park, I braved the scorching sun and walked for over thirty minutes, sweating profusely. I should have rented a bike! Huludun Park was one of the exhibition areas during the Flower Expo, so I expected the landscape to be rich with natural beauty. According to the guide, the park covers around 18 hectares, with various gardens, flowers, and a scenic eco-friendly stream. However, the sun was just too intense, so after a short stroll and some photos, I decided to head back to the city. At that point, I started craving the cold drinks and shaved ice sold at the night market.

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