Xiluo and Douliu: A Red Bridge, Soy Sauce Street and Japanese-Era Houses — A Two-Day Stamp Route in Yunlin
Yunlin · 8 places The Xiluo Bridge and the soy sauce street, then Douliu's Baroque old street and Japanese-era houses, and a day at Janfusun.
Some places you remember by smell.
On Yanping Old Street in Xiluo, it's the salty scent of black-bean soy sauce. On Yunzhong Street in Douliu, it's the wood of old Japanese-style houses. At Janfusun, it's the rush of wind in your ears as the roller coaster drops.
This route starts at a red bridge. Eight places and eight stamps show you another side of Yunlin in two days.
The route at a glance
| Place | Category | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Xiluo Bridge | Landmark | Xiluo |
| Xiluo Yanping Old Street | Historic site | Xiluo |
| Xiluo Fuxing Temple | Temple | Xiluo |
| Wuan Chuang Soy Sauce Tourism Factory | Factory tour | Xiluo |
| Douliu Taiping Old Street | Historic site | Douliu |
| Yunzhong Street Settlement | Historic site | Douliu |
| National Yunlin University of Science and Technology | Campus | Douliu |
| Janfusun Fancyworld | Theme park | Gukeng |
Xiluo Bridge: a red line across the Zhuoshui River
The Xiluo Bridge opened in 1953. Its red steel truss stretches 1,939 meters across the Zhuoshui River, linking Yunlin and Changhua.
Stand at the end of the bridge and the red frames march on until they disappear into the distance. It's hard not to take a photo. Your first stamp starts here.
Xiluo Yanping Old Street: the street that smells of soy sauce
Yanping Road is lined with Japanese-era Baroque shophouses, each gable more elaborately carved than the last. Xiluo's old soy sauce makers cluster here too, and under the arcades you can catch the faint, salty smell of black-bean soy sauce.
Walk slowly and look up. No two facades are the same, and spotting the differences is the best part of the street.
Xiluo Fuxing Temple: the Taiping Mazu watching over the street
Fuxing Temple stands on Yanping Old Street, and its "Taiping Mazu" is the spiritual center of Xiluo. Life on the street revolves around the temple, and its forecourt is the best place to watch local daily life.
Stop in on your way along the street and collect another stamp.
Wuan Chuang Soy Sauce Tourism Factory: century-old brewing jars
Founded in 1909, Wuan Chuang is one of Xiluo's oldest soy sauce brands. At its tourism factory at the head of Yanping Old Street, you can see the jars used to brew black-bean soy sauce lined up row after row. This is where the soy sauce slowly takes its time.
Take a bottle home, and the next time you cook with it, you'll think of Xiluo.
Douliu Taiping Old Street: 600 meters of Baroque
On day two, head to Douliu. Taiping Old Street runs for about 600 meters and keeps more than 80 Japanese-era shophouses, forming one long Baroque streetscape.
Before Lunar New Year, the street hosts a lantern festival and is especially lovely at night. On an ordinary day, walk from one end to the other and decide which building is your favorite.
Yunzhong Street Settlement: police dorms turned creative quarter
The Yunzhong Street Settlement is a group of police dormitories from 1937, restored as a creative quarter. Small shops and exhibitions fill the Japanese-style wooden houses, and old trees break the sunlight into patches across the yards.
Find a shop, sit down with a drink and do nothing for a while. It's the best stop on the route for that.
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology: lawns and late-night snacks
YunTech's campus has wide lawns where students stroll and lie around chatting in the late afternoon. Just outside, the YunTech night market is where Douliu's students go for late-night food.
Collect a stamp on the lawn, then follow the students to the night market to get a taste of everyday life in Douliu's college town.
Janfusun Fancyworld: the last stamp, with a scream
The final stop is up on the hills of Gukeng. Janfusun Fancyworld is a long-running theme park known for its roller coasters and Ferris wheel. Gukeng is also a well-known coffee-growing area, so stop for a cup on the way out.
Check in between the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel for your eighth stamp and the route is complete.
A two-day plan
Day 1: Xiluo
- Visit the Xiluo Bridge in the morning
- Walk Yanping Old Street at lunchtime and stop at Fuxing Temple
- Visit the Wuan Chuang Soy Sauce Tourism Factory in the afternoon
Day 2: Douliu and Gukeng
- Walk Douliu Taiping Old Street and the Yunzhong Street Settlement in the morning
- Stroll around YunTech at lunchtime
- Spend the afternoon at Janfusun Fancyworld
To make the most of Janfusun, give it a day of its own and eat at the YunTech night market the night before.
Before you go
- Opening hours, closing days and ticket prices can change, so check each place's official website before you set off.
- YunTech is a working university. Follow the campus visitor rules and don't disturb classes.
- Getting between Xiluo and Douliu, and from Douliu to Janfusun, takes transfers, so driving or riding a scooter is easier.
Collecting this route with ExploreStamp
Open ExploreStamp, find "Xiluo Bridge, Soy Sauce and Douliu Old Street" among the themed routes and tap "Check in" at each place you reach. The app confirms you're within range, adds the place's stamp to your stamp book and records the date of your first visit. Collect all eight, and a bridge, two old streets and a roller coaster ride will all live in your stamp book.
See the other routes under Explore.