From childhood to adulthood, I rarely visited Yunlin, and my impression of this place is the crowds of worshippers at the Beigang Chaotian Temple during the Lunar New Year. The Beigang Tourist Bridge can accommodate hundreds of thousands of devotees on their pilgrimage during this festive season. Everywhere you go, you can find local specialty snacks and cakes. The famous candy “Xingang Ayi” is made from flour, malt sugar, and granulated sugar. The candy was also called “Rat Candy” due to its early production process, where it was manually shaped into rod-like pieces and cut, resembling a rat’s tail. Legend has it that manufacturers from Beigang received a commendation for this candy during the Japanese colonial period at the “Domestic Industrial Exhibition.” This exhibition was the colonial government that encourage domestic industries to export their products. I think that there is a question of why the sugar from Beigang is widely referred to as “Xingang Ayi.” The reason lies in the pronunciation in Japanese. Such candies were known as “Incense Candy” by the worshippers who bring them back to their hometown to share the blessing from Mazu. However, pronunciation, they became associated with “Xingang Ayi.”
Gukeng in Yunlin is well-known for its abundant coffee production, situated on the Tropic of Cancer. With abundant sunshine and rainfall, the coffee produced here has a distinct local flavor. A popular tourist attraction near Gukeng is the “Green Tunnel,” a shaded pathway created by intertwining trees. After a delightful stroll, visitors can enjoy a satisfying experience at the nearby “Bee Story Museum,” where they can treat themselves to ice cream or an iced brick coffee. Concluding the visit to Gukeng, one can head back to a coffee shop near Douliu Train Station and savor a cup of whiskey coffee, carrying a slightly tipsy, before boarding the train to conclude this Yunlin journey.