Leader Village Taroko

***Leader Village Taroko Launches an Exclusive Promotional Offer   2011-01-20 09:37:00     Leanne Chien

By TraNews Reporter Liu, Li-Wen

HUALIEN, TAIWAN (TraNews) – Tucked away deep in a secluded area in Taroko of Hualien, Leader Village Taroko is an aboriginal-inspired recreation area. This place is famous for its well-preserved indigenous culture, offering tourists the opportunity to experience the charm of aboriginal lifestyle. “Bruwan” in the Taroko language means “echo.”

Under the lead of the village head, Leader Village Taroko has successfully transformed into a renowned destination from a humble village. The village features a variety of aboriginal-style cabins. Visitors to Leader Village Taroko will also be able to see a series of splendid aboriginal dance performances presented by the tribal kids.

While staying at Leader Village Taroko, visitors can fully relax and de-stress and immerse in a serene, peaceful ambience. In order to encourage more tourists taking Suhua Highway to Hualien, Leader Village Taroko has launched a NT$500 off discount. This preferential offer is not valid in conjunction with any other promotions, and it is valid until the end of February, 2011.

@@Chris participated in the Taroko Gorge half marathon this year and it was the perfect excuse to make a family trip to Taroko again this year. We were joined by 3 other families whose daddy ran the half marathon too. This time round, we stayed at Taroko Village (山月邨) at Bulowan (部落灣) recommended by a friend. Marvelous scenery, great weather, good food, and wonderful travel companions. No one wanted to leave the village although we had plans and even rented 2 cars to visit other places of interest in Hualien. After spending a good whole 3 days at the village, we still could not get enough of it. Maybe we should all persuade the daddies to run the full marathon next year?!  By：Singgal

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!.DwZ_sOQFQRnroPWJCGN3TXj/article?mid=436

@@In spite of being a small island, Taiwan also has some the most magnificent scenes in the world.

Taroko is one of those fatacstic places to visit. If you have a chance to visit Taiwan and you are eager to feel the beauty of Taiwan, Taroko is the first place in your list.

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!KmQv_l.VERtGwIKZQSyTX32OhA--/article?mid=1635

@@

Leader Village Taroko hides on terrace of Buluowan in Taroko National Park. Leaning South on Tar-Shan, closing North to Li-Wu stream, locating highly on double-decked river terrace. Leader Village Taroko enjoys the beautiful landscapes and warbling in the mountains. In placid Leader Village Taroko, the beauty of gorge, valley and mountains will stun everyone. Surrounded by the mountains, Leader Village Taroko is like a serene paradise. Combing the features of natural beauty in Taroko National Park and human culture of indigenous residence.  (http://www.taiwanhotel.com.tw/hotel.php?serialno=23)

@@

Near Buluowan ( "echo" in the Taroko language), the Taroko people have established a comfortable lodge, the Leader Hotel Taroko, which provides accommodation in wooden huts that are spread around a grassy courtyard.

The huts are convenient and include en suite bathrooms and broadband internet (not that you will want to be reminded of your email in a place like this). The main building has an excellent restaurant, souvenir shop and space for aboriginal performers.

 dinner menu features such local delicacies as betel-nut soup with pork, wild boar, mountain chicken with ginger, sticky rice cooked in bamboo tubes and greens in sesame oil with mashed wild potato, washed down with homemade millet wine.

Just as I'm hoping there's a tailor on the premises who can do quick alterations to let my pants out, we take a night walk along the Buluowan Trail. "Watch out for big monkeys!" says our Taroko guide. "This place is home to the Formosan macaque."

Sadly, there are no monkeys to be seen, but we do spot giant snails, which I'm told occasionally feature on local menus.

Back at the huts, Buluowan cultural performers demonstrate an astonishing range of talents, from dancing and drumming to jew's-harp playing and vocal skills.

It is rare to hear such resonant singing as that displayed by Taiwan's Golden Melody Award winner, Yijidadao. His voice starts off as a low drone, like that of a didgeridoo, then rises in a crescendo to a mournful, glass-shattering wail.(http://www.smh.com.au/news/south-east-asia/gorging-on-beauty/2007/08/06/1186252604755.html?page=fullpage)

Message Board (Extracted from Chinese version)

  Translated and edited by Ming-chen Niu  

Author: Mr. Ju

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Leader Village Taroko was an absolutely wonderful place for enjoying some peace and quiet. It also refreshed my soul although I had to drive seven hours to get there including traveling across mountains!

I have developed a particular passion for Hualien since I began visiting there for business trips. Staying at the Leader Village Taroko has made me fascinated by Hualien even more. I admire the unique taste of the host of the village, displayed in his way of redesigning the village and tourist attractions. I was impressed not only by the Taroko dance performance put on by the girls of the village, but also the chief’s performance telling the story of the heroic deeds of Taroko (whose father built the Central Cross-Island Highway). My family and I felt so at home at the village.

I miss all the staff at Village Taroko already and I will definitely come back sometime to visit you as an old friend. I will never forget the hospitality and those sweet memories we had of Leader Village Taroko in the winter of 2006.

Indeed, thank you, Leader Village Taroko. MALUSU..MALUKU (‘How are you?’ in Taroko language)

Author: Edwin

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Thanks to my wife for finding the website of Leader Village Taroko. We tried to book a room on the website; unfortunately, it was fully booked. Nevertheless, we decided to visit anyway and see if there was any chance of getting a room on that day. I have to say that traveling all the way from Hsinchu to Hualien is a long trip, but it was all worth it when we got a room at the reception counter as one reserved room had luckily become available!

I like traveling abroad and taking trips in my SUV around Taiwan. Having stayed both in luxury hotels and cheap hostels, I have to say that I never enjoyed such hospitality and felt so contented as I did at Leader Village Taroko.

Leader Village Taroko is absolutely one of the best holiday villages in Taiwan. Apart from being located within Taroko National Park, the best thing about Leader Village Taroko is the originality and dedication of the village host.

His ambition and hardworking nature has deeply touched my heart, and therefore I admire him. Moreover, I wish to thank all the staff at Leader Village Taroko, for building such a sweet and special memory. I am sincerely and eternally grateful.

Author: Jo

It has been a long time for me not to have traveled in Taiwan. I thought I would not take trips in Taiwan any more after traveling in Europe. I had a feeling that the scenery in Taiwan is not beautiful enough and it is always too crowded and noisy in tourist areas. Surprisingly, I found Leader Village Taroko to be such a wonderland and decided to stay another night while I checked-in.

Staying at the log cabin built alongside the mountains and enjoying the amazing scenery made me feel like living in a wonderland. Leader Village Taroko is absolutely a great place if you just want to sit back and rest.

Walking along the footpath nearby … leaving all the worries behind, Leader Village Taroko allows you to enjoy nature and refresh your mind.

I wish to thank all the staff at Leader Village Taroko for their great service. Please do keep up with this passion and hospitality although Leader Village Taroko is not very well-known at the moment. I will definitely highly recommend Leader Village Taroko to my friends and visit you again soon. All the best!

Author: Elly

Sunday, February 03, 2008

I just visited Leader Village Taroko and I enjoyed my stay there, including the scenery, events, and hospitality. The evening party deeply touched my heart.

My friends and I study architecture and urban design. We have been discussing who has devoted all the efforts to design Leader Village Taroko; therefore, we searched on the Internet and found Dr. Cheng’s article. Surprisingly, the village host is Dr. Cheng’s younger brother. Leader Village Taroko is such a great place. I will highly recommend to my friends. It’s a shame I don’t have a blog; otherwise, it would be so easy to recommend to friends worldwide as long as people type in the keywords for searching traveling in Hualien.

Author: Mr. Guan

I got the information about Leader Village Taroko through the Taichung International Travel Fair this April. At that time, I was going to take a trip to Hualien and was planning to spend one night at Taroko. I was considering either staying at Grand Formosa Taroko or Leader Village Taroko. I had no idea about what exactly the Buluowan area is like, and it was a rainy day when I arrived. All in all, these had made me feel sad. However, as soon as I saw the amazingly beautiful scenery behind the lobby, there was only one thing I want to say: ‘This is the best place in Taiwan.’

I was also impressed by the evening party in which the village host was holding the party, the waitress was singing, and other male staff were playing Taroko instruments. All the staff seemed like a lovely big family.

The next morning, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the village host was helping other staff cleaning the toilets and mopping the lobby floor. Leading by Mr. Cheng, the village host, I strongly believe Leader Village Taroko will become one of the most popular holiday villages in Taiwan. I will definitely come back and visit Leader Village Taroko again.

Author: Fan

Sunday, February 26, 2006

I have two naughty boys who have lots of ideas. One is fifth-grade, the other is at the second year of junior high school. They both spend most of their time studying either at school or at the cram school. I’m glad that my boys are well-behaved and they know what they suppose to do. So, I do allow them to play computer games or play a little baseball in the living room at times, despite the ball hits me once in a blue moon.

One day I found Leader Village Taroko through the Internet and felt it can be a wonderful place for enjoying some peace and quietness. After having a read of some more information about Leader Village Taroko, it attracted me by its beautiful scenery, and also quite a few touching events.

I originally thought the boys would not want to go there; amazingly, I was wrong. The boys felt excited while we all sat in front of the computer and looked at Leader Village Taroko’s website and imagined they can have so much fun playing baseball on the lawn there.

There are two must-read books. One is he himself, and the other is the nature. I think I can enjoy the reading of both at Leader Village Taroko.

Author: Anonymous

Monday, February 27, 2006

Leader Village Taroko is a great place for families with children. They can have fun playing on the lawn in front of the wooden cottages and also enjoy looking at the surrounding mountains and gorgeous scenery.

You may tell your children that they may join the evening ecology tour seeing the flying squirrels, listening to the speaking of the owls with the song sang by the treefrogs simultaneously. In summertime, they can observe the process of molting (shedding of the skin) of the cicada. All the above had been sacrificed throughout urbanization therefore can not be seen in the textbooks, but luckily our children are able to see these natural phenomena at Leader Village Taroko in Hualien.

No wonder sometimes people say urbanization has made people miss the beauty of the nature badly.

Moreover, the evening party held at Leader Village Taroko was great! This can be a good and special experience for your children. First of all, they get better understanding of and respect the indigenous culture. Second, your children will be surprised about that while they play computer games in their leisure time, these indigenous children who are at their age or even younger are so poor that they have to do the part-time job of dance performance to pay for their tuition.

Hopefully, our children can learn to cherish their present life.

Author: Mai

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

I enjoyed my visit at Leader Village Taroko in April, including the shuttle bus ride from the train station to the village, and the evening ecology tour. Sincerely, everything there was perfect. I have made up my mind to visit Leader Village Taroko when I read its information on the magazine. I am so glad and contented now that I have been there. All our fellow buddies felt so excited when we enjoyed the clouds and mists in the surrounding mountains. Although it drizzled a bit, the scenery was amazing! I will come back and visit some time soon definitely.

Author: Zheng Yao Juan

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Dear friends: I took a three-day trip to Hualien and visited Leader Village Taroko. I couldn’t believe that the scenery I saw at Leader Village Taroko was as beautiful and amazing as they were on the website pictures. I took photographs of my continuous impressive and joyful moments at Leader Village Taroko. Having looking at the photos taken from the village, I hope I can share the moment of peace and quietness while I was surrounded by the clouds and mists with all of you, appreciating the magnificent combination of local culture and the great nature. I’m so glad having successfully made the trip to the heaven-like Leader Village Taroko located 400 meters above the sea amongst the forests and high mountains while leaving my worries behind.

Author: Tsai

Friday, July 01, 2005

I originally thought Leader Village Taroko would be similar to other holiday villages which simply represent indigenous culture. However, I was totally amazed and deeply impressed at my first sight of Leader Village Taroko. I could not stop being tempted to run on the grassland among the log cabins and I could not believe my eyes how beautiful it was. I felt I was so indulged being there enjoying the gorgeous scenery. The log cabin which I stayed in was right in the middle of the mountains, giving me sufficient space to view the clouds and mists, and of course the magnificent mountains. Instead of going to any other places in the next day, I felt like I just want to stay at Leader Village Taroko forever, appreciating the beautiful sky, grass, mountains, and take some photos. I even felt happy every time I breathed there. Leader Village Taroko would never let you feel it’s too commercialized. I travel abroad every year and have been to a lot of places. But I have to say Leader Village Taroko is the only place I can enjoy some peace and quiet and refresh my soul. Simply sitting in front of the log cabin can be such a great joy!

Author: A22

Monday, June 27, 2005

The trip to Leader Village Taroko was great! Not only the beautiful scenery but the food was amazing. Dinner in particular impressed me. After a long-day tour and feeling starved, it was good to be back in Leader Village Taroko and have dinner. The buffet was great and met our expectation, In the middle of eating what we got from the salad bar, the main course came: Formosan Wild Boar come across Eiffel Tower. It looked massive and tasted great. I was quite full already, but I still finished the main course. It was scrumptious!

I highly recommend Leader Village Taroko in Hualien. Save some time to sit at the front balcony and have some tea or read a book in the peace and quietness. It feels great! I would like to thank Shrek and Ying for taking us to Leader Village Taroko. I am sincerely and eternally grateful.

Author: Anonymous

Having seen the message from A22, I can’t agree more. Leader Village Taroko is worth a visit. Indeed! As A22 said, save some time to sit at the front balcony and have some tea or read a book in the peace and quietness, you will feel like living in a wonderland. I did enjoy the coffee and tea a lot. Moreover, the evening party was lovely and fun to participate. I wish to thank all the staff at Leader Village Taroko. I am sincerely grateful!

Author: A12

Sunday, June 26, 2005

As soon as I stepped into the front gate of Leader Village Taroko, I fell in love with this unique wonderland. The scenery was amazing and so much ecologic sight can be observed there. I can still remember I saw frogs while took a stroll nearby.

Author: Amy

Friday, July 22, 2005

I wouldn’t even feel like taking photos because pictures couldn’t express how moved I was. In early July, I took a trip to Leader Village Taroko with two friends. Unlike my friends, I did not want to go anywhere but stayed at the village and had some rest. I felt so contented by relaxing at the log cabin facing magnificent mountains and needed not to think of anything. What’s more, all the indigenous staff there touched my heart. They were simple, unsophisticated and so easy to get along. My friends were joking that maybe we should quit our jobs and become a staff at Leader Village Taroko. But, we realized we will not be qualified after the evening party where all the staff have to not only be aborige but master of both the pen and the sword. I thought I would be a volunteer if I could get to enjoy the scenery and fresh air as a reward. I wish to especially thank the village host for patiently introducing Taroko to us. And, thank you for displaying all these sculptures around the village. My friend loves the Formosan Wild Boar one a lot! I wish this traditional and indigenous culture can be inherited and widely known. But not to over publicize and its originality should be well protected. I wish to thank the village host and all the good friends at Leader Village Taroko. I can never forget your sincerity and attentive service. I will definitely come back and visit again soon.

Author: Anonymous

Friday, April 15, 2005

Is it true that Leader Village Taroko is as pretty as it’s been said? Can we see any flying squirrel there? And can we ride on a Formosan Wild Boar? If all the above are true, I will definitely have a visit!

Author: Anonymous

Saturday, April 16, 2005

I can’t believe there is one place in the world that can so great - Leader Village Taroko. The people I met there was so nice. In fact, everything there was great! I’m a man with no regrets. How lucky am I!

Author: Y-Ju

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

I’ve been to Leader Village Taroko four times. The scenery in front of the log cabin looked different each time which amazed me. Even birds migrated from time to time, not to mention the various and evident scenery changes among four seasons. It’s a shame I haven’t witnessed the incredibly beautiful autumn scenery at Leader Village Taroko as the picture on Apple Daily Paper despite I’ve been there four times. I think I will definitely make some time to visit Leader Village Taroko in autumn.

Author: Ru

Sunday, October 02, 2005

I’m sure that every visitor would be attracted and deeply touched once they have been here and met the village host. Thank you for your sincerity and hospitality, and for building such a sweet and special memory for all of us. Though there must be a lot of people mentioned how much they admire you. I still would like to say, ‘I admire you!’

Author: Tin Tin

Thursday, July 14, 2005

To refresh my mind, I took a trip and visited Leader Village Taroko by myself. I was hoping I could get a new job, take care of may-may, and shoulder my responsibility after this trip. Staying at Leader Village Taroko and enjoying its peaceful and gorgeous scenery had got me recharged and happier. I thought I would leave Leader Village Taroko without any worries and hesitation after the trip. However, unexpectedly I didn’t feel like leaving the village at all. My heart was deeply enchanted by this amazingly great village. I miss the fresh bamboo smell, fresh air, and the crystal-clear Sgadan. I also miss all the staff at Leader Village Taroko, including the humble and humorous village host, namely Ming-Gang, the tough manager with tender mind, Fu-Yi who taught me diving, Shi-Hua who guided me the direction at Sgadan, Qiang who promised to make plum juice, sweetheart Xiang-Yi and Shu-Ping, Zhi-Ming who would be my company when he saw me having meals alone, humble Ya-Li, and Zong-Yan who gave me the ride to the airport. Thank you for your hospitality, great service and made me feel home. Now I am back to the city and miss you so much. Your friendliness and big smiles have become my support for my daily hard work. Thank you for treating me as an old friend. I am sincerely and eternally grateful.

Author: Cocoyo

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Having heard so much about the great scenery at Leader Village Taroko and how its unique peace and quiet has attracted a number of return tourists, I doubted whether the natural scenery at Leader Village Taroko can be so special. This week, I visited Leader Village Taroko myself and it was great there. I felt I was in the centre of the mountains, clouds and mists as the 32 log cabins were located at the hillside. Thus, geographically the log cabins were surrounded by continuous mountains. You can enjoy watching the clouds and mists topped the mountain peaks by simply sitting in front of your cabin. Moreover, the fresh air, the indigenous log cabin and its traditional wooden decoration can drive away your tension from big cities. You need to do nothing but enjoy the beautiful nature. Arrange some time and have a visit at Leader Village Taroko, you will be amazed!

Author: Pei

Sunday, October 02, 2005

I enjoyed watching the sparkling stars in the peace and quietness at Leader Village Taroko. Lying on the parking place after enjoying the evening party where indigenous singing was performed, and waiting for the village host shut the lights. Suddenly, you would see the stars in the sky sparkled. Luckily, you would see a meteor. Although I just stayed one night at Leader Village Taroko, that night had deeply impressed me. Here, I highly recommend Leader Village Taroko to those who love to watch stars. By the way, may I just query if I can reserve a room for the next Chinese New Year holiday or on Spring Break?

Author: Supermama

Monday, September 19, 2005

It seems quite a lot of people have found Leader Village Taroko very attractive. I start to worry whether there will be any room available later on. My friends and I took a ten-day trip to Hualien and Taitung in the end of August. We stayed at a few different places, but the one we enjoyed the most is Leader Village Taroko in Hualien. Leader Village Taroko is absolutely a wonderland! But what makes it really special is all the staff there. I wish to thank to the village host for broadening our horizons to see the indigenous culture and its dignity. You have made the right decision and on a very positive track. We are deeply touched by your motivation and hardworking. And we hope your dream can come true. Here is some recommendation from us.

1. Placing some comfy chairs at the lobby can be a good idea, so the visitors can have some rest after their long journey.

2. I would never have the chance to know the Taroko history and its culture without your introduction. Maybe placing some Taroko indigenous pictures or arranging a brief guide tour can help to introduce Taroko to more people.

3. Your special and local flavor meal was great, but it was a bit expensive. Maybe you can provide some better-deal meal choices. Thus, visitors can have more choices for having meals at Leader Village Taroko and avoid driving all the way to Hualien city centre to eat.

4. You may consider placing some coin operated washing machine somewhere. I know many hotels do not provide this service, but quite a number of customers have this need. For example, we had been traveling for five days by the time we arrived at Leader Village Taroko and had accumulated piles of laundry to do. Thank you for letting us borrow your staff’s washing machine. I just thought it would be really nice if you had some coin operated washing machine.

I guess I’m being too wordy here. I just feel Leader Village Taroko is such a great place that everyone who loves nature should have a visit sometime. I wish you all the best! Send you my big support from Taichung.

Author: Chen Ru-Xin　

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

The following is an article copied from a blog located on Xuite.net whose owner is nicknamed Drifting Paper Airplane.

Sitting under great mountains, the speechless Leader Village Taroko quietly imprints the impression of “flawless with delicacy”.

All the log cabins built in a circle surrounded by the continuous mountains at Buluowan are decorated by the cloud and mists on top of the big grassland in the middle of the village.

The sun light will not wake you up in the very early morning as of the shading by the surrounding giant mountains. Thus, you may sleep till seven o’clock in summer time and eight o’clock in winter time.

Built on a 3.5 hectare land, Leader Village Taroko have 16 log cabins and 32 rooms, including 24 double rooms and 8 family rooms, meaning each room has plenty of space. The room was basically Japanese style, clean and tidy. There is a platform linked with a few cabins where families with children are free to enjoy their time on it.

The log cabin is basically divided into three main parts: the bedroom, the front balcony and the big grassland in front of the cabin. You can feel smooth transitions while you walk through these parts.

You can lie on your pillows and enjoy the beautiful scenery outside the window. Or you may sit at the front balcony and appreciate the rising cloud and mists. There are wooden chairs available at each balcony and gorgeous plants.

The village is particularly romantic in the drizzling day. The service at Leader Village Taroko matches any five-star hotel. In the meantime, the originality of Taroko culture can be seen everywhere at Leader Village Taroko. You may see some Taroko wooden sculptures in either your room or the lobby. Almost all the staff are indigenous people. Leader Village Taroko has helped a number of Taroko indigenous people by providing work opportunities. Several nurses, sculpturers and plumbers have come back to their hometown Buluowan and become one of the staff of Leader Village Taroko. You can also see a variety of cultural and historical Taroko artifacts such as the traditional headbands and wooden sculptures.

Author: Y-Qiong

Sunday, July 31, 2005

I’ve just been to Leader Village Taroko once and it was a rainy day. To be honest, I was feeling a bit sad because of the drizzle and I was not feeling like going anywhere. I spent most of the time sitting at the front balcony of the log cabin and watching the scenery. Surprisingly, Leader Village Taroko looked pretty and romantic in the drizzling day. I was enchanted by watching the cloud and mist moving in the surrounding mountains and little birds flying in the sky. After I got back from my trip, I started to look at this message board and wondered if there is anyone else whom I can share my feelings with. The drizzling day at Leader Village Taroko was amazing and unbelievably gorgeous. I have started to save money and arrange time for the next visit to Leader Village Taroko. I wish it can be another drizzling day.

Author: Yong and his friends

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

I have to say that the log cabins at Leader Village Taroko are terrific. The first winter typhoon last year hit Taiwan, accumulating 1300 mm precipitation at Leader Village Taroko which broke the record. At the time, the water supply and electricity at Leader Village Taroko was cut, but all the log cabins survived without damage! This time, the terrifying Haitang Typhoon hit Hualien and Leader Village Taroko had asked its visitors to leave earlier to avoid any risk of loss from the typhoon. Now Haitang Typhoon has left without leaving any damage to the cabins. Luckily, there wasn’t any mudslide accompanied by the typhoon. I’ve heard when the winter typhoon hit last time and brought heavy rain, the surrounding mountains looked like waterfalls which Niagara Falls can’t compare. I wonder if you could allow me to stay one night when typhoon hits. This is a special request for people like me who loves mountain climbing and adventures, and would like to experience the typhoon night at the village.

Author: Front

Monday, May 21, 2007

I just went to Leader Village Taroko last weekend and had a great time there as a villager. Although it was our fifth time been there, we enjoyed our time there even more! I wish I could stay another night at the village when we left on Sunday while I asked my mom when can we come back and visit again. My mom said we will definitely visit again! I’m so looking forward to it. Leader Village Taroko is such a great place for relaxing and holidays. You don’t even need to go abroad. Have a great time at Leader Village Taroko in Hualien!

Author: Little Mantou

I just got back from Leader Village Taroko. I feel I have left my heart there. I enjoyed the scenery so much that I can now still smell the log cabins. Sitting in the beautiful nature and thinking of nothing is a great pleasure for urban people like me who lives a busy and tensed life. Moreover, the food there was great. I can tell each dish was delicate and specially designed and prepared by the chef. I wish to thank the village head and all the staff for your great service. I am sincerely and eternally grateful.

Author: Nochi

I was deeply touched by the chef’s outstanding vocal performance. Especially when he sang his tribal ballad, I couldn’t help but imaging the Taroko ancestors shuttling within the forests, and how their singing echoed with the trees. That voice was embodied in the surrounding nature. Go ahead, our chef! Keep up with your singing, the touching and unique singing. I also wish to thank the village host for having the gifted chef at Leader Village Taroko as one of the staff. He is definitely someone special.

Author: Liu and Mr. Hu

Friday, April 27, 2007

Leader Village Taroko is a great place for practicing Buddhism. We not only enjoyed the beautiful mountains but appreciated the smell of nature. Even every breath was valuable. All these worth a lot more than the accommodation fee.

Author: Kelly

Thanks to an e-mail for giving me the opportunity to visit Leader Village Taroko. It is such a unique place where the village host’s delicate design can be seen everywhere in the village. At the evening party, you will be impressed by the indigenous dance performance led by the village host. It was very interesting.

It’s a pity that we didn’t get to see the stars at night because of the rain. However, having a chat in the comfy lobby bare feet made me feel home. I wish I can visit Leader Village Taroko again soon in a sunny day.

Author: Hong Jun Nan

Thursday, August 23, 2007

My stay at Leader Village Taroko was like tasting a glass of nice wine. The flavor would linger in my mouth for a very long time which can not be expected. I visited Buluowan last week. It was drizzling by the time we arrived at the Leader Village Taroko. Carrying my heavy luggage and holding the knife-shaped room key to our log cabin, I was about to complain. After I put everything away and as soon as I walked out of our cabin, I was impressed by the romantic cloud, mist and grassland in front of my eyes in the dusk. Suddenly, all my complaints were driven away and I felt so excited. In the evening, we enjoyed the indigenous dance performances of those angle-like kids and appreciated the singing of the priest with his bright voice. And of course the village host who was so funny that I don’t know how to say. After the evening party, I had a good night sleep with sweet dreams in that peaceful and quiet village. In the next morning, I spent some time sitting at the front balcony as the village host suggested. In my vision was a perfectly beautiful picture where dogs teasing each other on the grassland in front of the log cabins surrounded by stretching mountains and mists. I told my wife on our way back home that I must come back and visit again.

Author: Anonymous

Saturday, August 26, 2006

We arrived at Leader Village Taroko on August 22. We are a group of Taipei citizens who always live big city lives. It was raining by the time we arrived at the village, but we couldn’t be bothered by the rain; however, we were all amazed when we saw the surrounding mountains and magnificent scenery. After dinner, we were invited to an evening party. We were thinking about either going to karaoke (if we could find any) or watching TV after dinner. But, we ended up with attending the evening party out of curiosity. Surprisingly, we were deeply touched by the village host’s introduction and briefing on the history of Taroko. We felt the village host acted like the father of the whole village, and we were moved how he treated his staff as his own children with lots of love. We also felt so contented with the warmth of this village and had forgotten the rain outside the windows.

Dear village host, could you please tell the children at the village that we envy their opportunity of being bathed in such an energetic and vigorous traditional culture. Please tell them that they should be proud of themselves standing on the stage in the traditional costume. It’s a pity we only stayed one night, but we will definitely come back and visit soon. I wish to thank you for building such a sweet and special memory for us. And I’m looking forward to hearing your beautiful singing again.

Author: Amy

Luckily, I found Leader Village Taroko on my way to Wuling Farm. The village was gorgeous and amazing so we decided to stay one night immediately. I was also touched by the evening party where the pure indigenous dance performance was so impressive. On top of that, the village host who is the owner of Leader Village Taroko can be the only owner among the tourist business in the world willing to spend time and patiently chat with visitors. Although he is not a local, he gets along perfectly with all the indigenous staff. His easy-going and positive attitude is not only admirable but makes me feel home. I’m glad I’ve been to Leader Village Taroko. It’s such a lovely place.

Author: Sea shore traveler

Sunday, April 09, 2006

The ecological tour at night impressed me a lot. Leader Village Taroko is such a great place broadening my horizons. I felt I was standing at the edge of cities and listening to the natural message at that time. Yi Li Ma Shao said the money they earned from the dance performance is to pay for their tuition fee. And they wish to thank the village host for giving them this opportunity to perform which has helped more children in their tribe to go to school. They are sincerely and eternally grateful. I used to think the situation in Taiwan was complicated. But, I’m so glad to see there are people out there striving for their dreams making Taiwan a better place. Both the ecological tour at night and the indigenous dance performance have broadened my vision to my hometown Taiwan.

Author: Yang Wen Le　

Leader Village Taroko is a four-star holiday village. With its great service, it is definitely better than five-star hotels therefore it is a place I highly recommend to visit. The magnificent scenery and the great service with hospitality have made us feel like visiting again. Leader Village Taroko is so nice that I like to recommend to all my friends. I also like to send my best wishes to the village.

Author: River

Dear village host,

We had just visited Leader Village Taroko last Saturday, 12^th August. We were a group of editors in a publishing house. I never thought Leader Village Taroko could be such a gorgeous place. I had been to Badagang with friends before and heard there used to be a suspension bridge, namely Mountain under the moon bridge, at Buluowan. Crossing the bridge and reaching the other side of Badagang, the most beautiful scenery in Taroko National Park can be seen. I was deeply touched by the village host’s story. We would like to come back and visit again in September. We are all looking forward to it. Furthermore, the home-made plum juice at the village was tasty. We also miss the little Formosan wild boar at the front door. That was so cute.

Author: Anonymous

Thursday, October 12, 2006

MA LU SU (‘How are you?’ in Taroko language) I am from Tainan and arrived at the secret garden, Leader Village Taroko, on Sunday. As I expected, this place was amazing and great!

At 4pm, I was standing in the middle of the grassland and looking up into the sky. I felt like I was staying at a wonderland where surrounded by continuous mountains.

I attended the evening party after the dinner. I was impressed by the indigenous dance performance and their traditional culture. Their singing performance was incredible as well. I can still feel their beautiful melody meanders in my head.

Moreover, the village host was so friendly and easy to get along with. He made jokes while he was hosting the evening party. Meanwhile, the dancing kids were adorable. All these scenes had lightened my passion toward indigenous culture again.

At midnight, I was sitting at the front balcony of our log cabin and starring at the glittering in the opposite mountains. The host said that glittering was from the torches of Taroko men who were hunting. Surrounding me, there were sounds from cicadas and owls around the village.

At 5am, I was playing with my Labrador Retriever on the big grassland and saw him happily dashing around. The morning mist and cloud topped the mountain peaks had brought a mysterious and romantic atmosphere to the village.

Unlike other holiday villages, Leader Village Taroko is not commercialized at all. I felt home there. Leader Village Taroko is definitely worth a visit. More importantly, the village preserves the originality of Taroko culture. Those who love to appreciate indigenous culture and the nature must have a visit there. Dear village host and all the staff there, I am looking forward to seeing you all again at the village.

Author: Fen

At the evening party while the host shut all the lights, all I would see in the dark was the glittering stars which amazed those urban citizens including me. I felt I could reach the star in the peaceful and quiet village.

Now I am back to the big city Taipei where I am so busy with both my job and housework. I would close my eyes and imagine I were lying on the grassland of Leader Village Taroko surrounded by mountains and smell the nature under the glittering stars. I can never forget the summer in 2006 when I was at the wonderland closest to reach the stars.

Author: Dada’s Dad

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

I finally made the trip to visit Leader Village Taroko again after I got married for two years. And now I’m a father with an eight-month old son, namely Dada.

Thanks to my wife, the village host and all the staff for my birthday surprise. And of course, I wish to thank all the other visitors who were at my birthday surprise at that time. I was deeply touched and a little embarrassed in front of so many people. My wife said I blushed at that time. I was also surprised that the village host and one of the brave staff can still remember me from last year.

I think Leader Village Taroko is a great place not only because of its beautiful scenery but because it is not commercialized. I felt home at the village. I also admire the village host’s ideas of operation. Although traveling from Pingdong to Leader Village Taroko in Hualien is a bit far, indeed it is worth it. I recommend you to have a chat with the village host if you make a trip to Leader Village Taroko. I believe you will also be impressed by the chat. I also wish to thank the brave man for giving me such a special birthday present. I really like your rock painting. Thank you so much!

I also would like to mention that I thought I could drive to Jiayi on the 30^th to see the Taroko brave guy, but I hesitated to ask concerning I might delay the schedule. I guess it’s a bit too late to say this by now. My point is: Is the guy all right? Has he recovered?

Author: Dada’s Dad

Thursday, October 30, 2008

For the past three years, I always visited Leader Village Taroko around this time. It’s a pity that I can’t be there now due to the responsibility of watching the construction site as a manager. But I am looking forward to visiting Leader Village Taroko again very soon.

Author: Apple from Taoyuan　

Monday, September 29, 2008

Dear village host and all the staff,

We are from Taoyuan. We visited Leader Village Taroko with the Humble House Travel Agency on 20^th September. It’s been a week, but all the sweet memories still lingers in our head. We wish we could stay longer at the village. We miss the gorgeous scenery, the echo of our shout among surrounding mountains, the friendly staff and the inspiring village host. We promise we will come back and visit soon!

Author: DALE

Tuesday, October 30 2007

What an unforgettable evening at Buluowan on 27^th October. I miss the hospitality at the village and those adorable children. The evening party was exciting, and I like the rice wine song in particular. It was funny and romantic. The melody still lingers in my head although I’ve been back to Taipei for two days.

I wish I could leave everything in Taipei behind and become a villager at Leader Village Taroko someday. I love you guys so much.

Author: Someone who has let his heart at the village

Saturday, September 29 2007

Dear village host,

I visited your village from 22nd to 24th September. I was a two-day villager under your control. I couldn’t be bothered by the patchy rain, and I enjoyed every moment while I was at the village. I wish to thank all the Taroko staff for building such sweet memories for 14 of us. We are sincerely and eternally grateful!

Author: Yang Qing Chen　

Thursday, April 13, 2006

I study urban design. I visited Leader Village Taroko on 8^th April and was very impressed. This trip has broaden my horizons and inspired my interest to the Taroko culture. I admire the village host’s hardworking. I also respect whatever he has done for both protecting the Taroko and assisting their improvement. I hope the village host can keep on his hard work and I am looking forward to seeing the bright future in Hualien.

Author: Lily

Friday, February 18, 2005

When it comes to traveling in Taiwan, we always try to avoid typhoon and earthquake. Luckily, there wasn’t too much damage at Leader Village Taroko when the last winter typhoon hit and the accumulated precipitation at Buluowan broke the record as 1300 mm. Thus, we can imagine it would be very exciting to sit in the lobby and watch the terrifying typhoon if possible.

Author: Peggy

Sunday, June 05, 2005

I would like to visit Leader Village Taroko again despite the 7 hour driving. It was gorgeous there and I felt home. I hope that I can spend my next few birthdays at Leader Village Taroko. Will I get any discount if so? Hehe!

Author: Maggie

Monday, May 30, 2005

It was romantic at Leader Village Taroko in the drizzling day. I miss the magnificent scenery in Hualien and the hospitality at Leader Village Taroko. Hope I can go back and visit soon.