Hengchun

Right: The City Wall in Hengchun

Hengchun, a small city in Taiwan's southernmost Ping Tung county until recently was only really notable for still having four intact city gates, a rarity in Taiwan. The town has gained new popularity however after the success of the movie Cape Number Seven which was filmed on location in Hengchun and surrounding townships. The film is to date Taiwan's biggest box office hit.

The city wall was built in the 1870s in response to a percieved threat of Japanese aggression against the Qing government in Taiwan.

Mudan Incident:

In 1871 Ryukyuan sailors shipwrecked off modern day Jiupeng on the southeastern coast of Ping Tung County were subsequently murdered by local Paiwan aborigines. The Qing government refused to compensate the Japanese and punish those responsible on the grounds that aboriginal lands in the east of Taiwan were outside their jurisdiction. The Japanese then took matters into their own hands with a punitive expedition in 1874 which became known as the "Mudan Incident". It was in response to this that the Qing government resolved to strengthen their defenses, hence the walled town of Hengchun.

Wikipedia - Taiwan Expedition of 1874
Japan Times - Taiwanese natives break Mudan Incident silence

Left: Chi Kung Waterfall, Ping Tung.

A short distance inland from Hengchun is an impressive set of falls. Chi Kung Waterfall (qigong pubu) consists of seven consecutive pools, cascading into each other, some of which are large enough to bathe in. There is some climbing involved but ropes are provided and most able bodied people shouldn't find it too taxing.

Directions: Turn inland from Hengchun along route #200. At the village of Yung Jing a road on your left leads up to the waterfall. It's not well signposted, you might need to ask directions. There was a betel-nut stand on the corner!

Another local attraction along route #200 is Chu Huo where natural gas ignites on the surface of the land.