Yawen Lakeside Healing Forest (雅聞湖濱療癒森林) - Tourism Factory Outlet @ Tainan in Taiwan

Tourism factories are not uncommon in most countries but sometimes, it's really the locals that really know, and thanks to our friend in Taiwan, we drove southwards along Provincial Highway 1, back to Tainan City for a place known as Rose Garden. 

I was looking forward to a massive garden filled with roses but the one noticeable landmark was the building that looked more like the headquarter of a company. 

More like the buildings have overshadowed the gardens. The actual name for this place was "Yawen Lakeside Healing Forest" but I guess Rose Garden is much easier to remember. 

Here's the entrance we entered from. According to our friend, this rose garden was opened not too long ago by a cosmetic company known for using natural ingredients, and their free-for-all-gardens are popular with the locals. 

Looking forward to blooming roses although the season wasn't peak yet. According to Google AI Overview, "peak blooming periods are in spring (March to April) and late autumn (November)".

Modeled after "St Michael's Mount", this was like a journey into a mini world, where famous attractions are massively scaled down for visitors who are not likely to travel halfway around the globe. 

While it was a cloudless day during winter, the sun was relentless, and I actually felt a bit too warm for comfort! And coming from tropical Singapore, we would definitely enjoy a cooler climate, especially when it was supposedly winter in Taiwan! 

Now, let's check out the roses. 

May not look much and sparsely placed but there were many species on display. Ignorant me only know roses as roses, with different colors and come in big, medium and small.

Species of the flowers were clearly indicated on a staked placard; Miyako from Japan, Sakuragasumi from Japan again,  Fun Jwan Lo from China, Julia Child from America.

Bees could also be seen hovering around the roses. As with most humans, I couldn't resist not taking a sniff; and the nice yet intense aroma of rose was just so therapeutic. 

Some rose species could be larger than my hand! 

So glaring hot was the sun that despite me wanting to explore as much as I wanted, the temperature severely tapered my motivation! It also didn't escape me as well that we have quite a few things to do later; like visiting a haunted house and a long drive to Taichung! 

Like a secret English garden cut off from the world.

If not for the heat, I bet locals would purposely drive to Yawen Lakeside Healing Forest in the morning, bring along a vacuum flask full of coffee, and just chill at this garden. Simple pleasures of life. 

Circular holes that looked out to the beautiful roses bushes at the back. Needless to say, this was extremely popular amongst visitors, resulting in vines not being able to grow at one section! 

Sand pit for kids. As a child, I love playing with sand, but as an adult now, it's a torment to get the sands off from your clothes, your body, your hair, and pockets! Kids love, parents suffer! 

I wouldn't be surprised if some rich parents decide to reserve this area for a wedding reception for their kids; the place is huge and the atmosphere would have been a lot more magical at night.

The theme for the rose garden was more European style and it's a necessity to have water fountains to complement the look and feel! 

"Thatched" English cottages. Only thing lacking was staff decked out in English attire from the medieval ages and dancing to traditional music. Nevertheless, it's e queue that caught my attention.

A takeaway cafe! 

Given the heat, ice cream sounded very appealing. Buy NT$100 from the factory outlet retail store and get your ice cream at 50% off. Original for strawberry was NT$100 and you can get it for just NT$50!

Stingy Singaporeans couldn't stand wasting such a great deal. So we obediently went to the retail store (sharing shortly), secured the receipt and got a few strawberry soft served at half price!  

Seriously worth the deal; the cone tasted good, the strawberry was strong and non icy, with a sour sweetness that would have elicited compliments from my mom.

Factory outlet retail store offered products like shower foam,, soaps, gels, perfumes, diffusers, masks, serums from the Arwin Biochem brands. Trust me, ladies will spend hours here!

Buy NT$3000 and get free gifts. 

At this time, I was worried about my luggage. 

This plantation next to the factory wouldn't have generated much interest but if you are lucky, you may encounter the trains that run across a track in the middle; that felt exactly like a scene from a studio ghibli anime film! 

By the way, the crops planted were corns! 

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Address

No 12-66, Houbi District,

Tainan City, Taiwan

Map

As above.

Floor Plan

As above.

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)

Ye House Milkfish (葉家虱目魚) @ Taichung City in Taiwan

The typical me controls my food intake even when I am overseas even though I might still indulge a bit more. I was all prepared to have a filling meal at Hanxi Night Market in Taichung City but the above stall near Tea Way Hotel stopped me in my tracks; 葉家虱目魚.

Three Chinese characters (虱目魚) were the key reasons as they refer to milkfish; easily one of my favorite foods in Taiwan. A search on Google Maps revealed a pretty good review at 4.3 and without much hesitation; I was already in search for an empty table.

Order list indicating soup, noodle, rice, porridge and appetizer options but I am focused. Nothing too heavy on the tummy; milkfish stomach soup will, and shall do. 

A visually simple dish without much fanfare; the first thing I did was to take a sip of the soup. Frankly quite bland and seemed more like water with salt and ginger. 

Milkfish never fails to impress me with its thick fatty layer of collagen and delicious, fresh tasting meat! I am so glad I insisted on paying this stall a visit!

You know what's better? This concoction of dark soya sauce with wasabi. Mix them well and then dip a piece of milkfish into it. I kid you not; there's this sashimi feel. 

Cleaned up the meat.

Almost opted for seconds.

As I left, I walked past their preparation area for braised pork rice, and darn do they look mouthwatering! I was kicking myself for not ordering it, together with the milkfish soup! 

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Address

No. 106, Chenggong Rd, 

Central District, Taichung City, 

Taiwan 

Map

As above.

Pricing

Milkfish Stomach Soup - NT$110

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)