A World Bamboo Landmark:

Caoling in Gukeng Township is Yunlin County’s highest village, between 1,600 and 1,750 meters above sea level. In earlier times Caoling was celebrated for its waterfalls, streams and valleys, and for the fantastic shapes of its rocks, but due to its remote location, visitors were mostly hikers who came to ascend Mt. Shibi and Jiananyun Peak. The Jiji Earthquake of 1999 led to road closures here, and the number of tourists plummeted. Since then, Caoling’s Shibi has benefited from the government’s reconstruction efforts, successfully promoting its vast groves of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) as a local attraction.

photo by Lô Bōo-him, courtesy of D.Z. Architects & Associates

A new site for forest therapy

“As long as hikers continue to visit, there’s scope for development.” Twenty years ago, in response to the government’s “One Town, One Product” policy, which encourages every township to promote at least one local specialty product, bamboo artist Guo Shoufa and members of the Shibi Community Association applied to create a public footpath with pavilions and an arched bridge, using Shibi’s moso bamboo as the main building material. This site provides a link, to the north, with the historic Muma Trail, which was used to transport timber, as well as with Yunling Hill at the intersection of the counties of Yunlin, Chiayi, and Nantou, where visitors can admire sunrises and sunsets. Shibi has since become a popular destination for hikers.

The idea of forests as places of wellbeing and therapy began to gain traction in Germany, Japan, and Korea a long time ago, and has in recent years evolved into a global trend. Shibi’s expansive bamboo groves offer an ideal site for developing forest therapy in Yunlin County.

In 2022 the Yunlin County Government finished restoring the last section of County Road 149A, which provides access to Caoling. To the south of the pavilions, a bamboo plantation of 100 hectares was designated as Shibi Bamboo Recreational Forest Park. Designed by D.Z. Architects & Associates, the Forest Union, and forest therapist Paul Lin, the park incorporates the concept of forest therapy and offers space for therapeutic activities. Together, the bamboo groves and natural woodlands to the south and north of the pavilions constitute a hub for forest therapy, occupying 156 hectares.

The Stillness Seats mark the first stop along the therapeutic route in Shibi’s Bamboo Recreational Forest Park. The site helps tourists benefit from the pristine serenity of the bamboo groves. (courtesy of D.Z. Architects & Associates)

Shibi’s Five Yuan and Two Jiao pavilions are built of moso bamboo. Embraced by bamboo groves, this place provides a welcome respite from the heat of the lowlands.

A rival of Kyoto’s Sagano Bamboo Forest

From the Taiwan High-Speed Rail station in Yunlin’s Huwei Township, we set out by car via the county seat, Douliu, and Zhushan in Nantou, before crossing back into Yunlin’s Gukeng Township. Taking County Road 149, we climb the switchbacks, passing rural hamlets and villages, and head into the heart of magnificent mountains and valleys, reaching Shibi within two hours.

Leaving an open valley behind us, we enter a road flanked by bamboo groves on both sides. The luxuriant scenery rivals the Sagano Bamboo Forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto. We park at the cluster of pavilions named Five Yuan and Two Jiao—an allusion to the either round (yuan) or angular (jiao) shapes of their roofs. This place marks the main entrance to the therapeutic zones, and many hikers linger here to bask in the serenity of the mountains. “The pavilions were originally designed to shelter hikers from rain, but I’m glad they’ve turned out to be so popular among tourists,” says Guo Shoufa, beaming with pleasure.

Why are there so many bamboo plants in Shibi? Guo, now aged 76, recalls an anecdote he heard from his father. After the ROC government relocated to Taiwan in 1949, vast swathes of woodland were felled. Three local brothers came up with the idea of cultivating bamboo as a cash crop: its edible shoots could be sold, and its stems could be used as a building material or made into utensils. Other farmers followed suit, and eventually Shibi became thickly planted with bamboo.

The Yunlin County Government has created the first forest therapy hub in Taiwan that features bamboo groves.

These seats surrounded by Japanese cedars have specially designed reclining backs, helping visitors relax both body and soul.

Shibi’s charm

Shibi produces moso bamboo shoots even in the depths of winter. Guo tells us that local bamboo farmers don’t need pesticides or fertilizers. The soil here is clean, and it’s a joy to walk barefoot among the groves. “If you sit here in the early mornings and watch the sun rise, you’ll notice that sometimes the sea of clouds just sits there in the valley without moving for as much as an hour. But when the wind rises, those clouds will disperse into mists, curling upwards like curtains. And we know that the weather is about to change.”

Guo goes on to describe Shibi’s charm in different seasons. In spring, as the soil becomes warmer, the plants acquire the energy to extend their roots and spread their foliage. With the arrival of sweet vernal rain, their shoots emerge from the ground in the midst of lush greenery. In summer, the intense heat of the sun lures out an earthy fragrance from the soil in the groves. When the world quiets down in autumn and winter, leaves fall, providing sustenance for the plants. The landscape here changes subtly across the year.

Peter Kan, head of D.Z. Architects & Associates, has helped usher in a new era of modern bamboo architecture in Taiwan.

Communing with the groves

Bamboo Recreational Forest Park, to the south of Five Yuan and Two Jiao, is divided into two therapeutic zones that cater to different types of visitors: one for the general public, the other a Silent Area. We can embark on self-guided therapeutic tours here at our leisure by scanning the park’s QR code on Line.

“Considering the contours of the terrain, the bamboo-­built environmental art structures, which are positioned on a ridgeline, must be able to withstand strong winds. They are in dialogue with the mountaintop environment. Travelers immerse themselves in this context. They can either sit or lie down here, enjoying the natural landscape in front of them in different postures,” says Peter Kan of D.Z. Architects & Associates.

Close to the main entrance, in the zone designed for the general public, we find the Stillness Seats. This spot represents a transition from the hustle and bustle of the outside world to the tranquility of our inner selves. To construct this bower, Hill Yeh of Protoplain Architects used the thick stems of moso bamboo for its curved beams, intersected with closely arranged rows of thinner makino bamboo stems. A small amount of concrete was used to lay the circular base. Sheltered by the bamboo structure here is a crescent-shaped row of stone seats. Reclining on the seats, we catch a glimpse of the sky and the interplay of light and shadows across the bamboo groves. Nature beckons irresistibly.

In the afternoon, this place breathes peacefulness. The forest therapist strikes a singing bowl, whose deep reverberations help us relax. We hear the sound of contented snoring coming from tourists who are here to experience the therapeutic benefits of the groves.

The paths are carpeted with bamboo leaves, soft and springy underfoot. The fallen leaves rustle as we walk on them, as if urging us to slow down.

Located amid Japanese cedars, the Whisper Lounge is a crescent-shaped structure on which several people can sit or lie down. “In the mountains, tourists either walk, or sit down to rest. They rarely get to lie down. We hope that these seats, with their reclining backs, will enable people to do so,” Kan says.

The double-spiraled Labyrinth is an ideal venue for walking meditation. (courtesy of Yunlin County Government)

Bamboo landmarks

At the end of the Muma Trail is the Breeze Platform, located in the Silent Area of the park. This lofty spot affords sublime views of Jiananyun Peak and of Yushan, Taiwan’s highest mountain.

Nearby is the Labyrinth, a place for walking meditation. Its double-spiral configuration is marked out by stone blocks embedded in the soil. Winding in opposite directions, the paths leading into and out of the heart of the Labyrinth do not overlap. The shape looks simple, but it makes perfect geometric sense. Here, we’re able to gather our thoughts by slowly treading the paths. It is also a congenial venue for group therapy.

The Echo Dome is situated at the very heart of the park at one end of the ridgeline. The designers used moso bamboo to construct the three layers of the dome’s curved shell, which, though spanning 18 meters, is able to resist the strong winds at this exposed spot. The dome’s internal surface has the appearance of woven fabric. The outer surface is covered with copper plates; with time, the bright color will acquire a patina of dark brown and grayish green hues in harmony with the surrounding landscape.

“Thin-shell structures are often made of concrete and steel, but rarely of bamboo. Members of the World Bamboo Organization who visited here were really impressed by it,” Kan says. Furthermore, the Dome, shaped like a singing bowl, lends itself to a rich acoustic experience, with the bamboo and copper plates serving to make sounds more mellow. During a therapeutic gong bath session, gongs are placed close to the shell or in the middle of the empty area under the Dome. Their sounds bounce off the surfaces and reverberate across the space, creating a sumptuous diversity of effects.

The Courtyard Restroom next to the Echo Dome is a public toilet. Its walls comprise stacks of locally sourced Japanese cedar logs. Each compartment is like a courtyard, complete in itself and half covered by the roof. Viewed from above, the structure resembles a conical bamboo hat. Visitors answering the call of nature can enjoy looking at the bamboo groves and observing the sky at the same time.

Kan explains that he wanted to create a restroom that helps users perceive the beautiful landscape of the mountains. “This is precisely what ‘a sense of relief’ is about. Your bodily experience will tell you: ‘Yes, I’m feeling better!’”

The half-exposed structure of the Courtyard Restroom enables visitors to experience the environment while answering the call of nature. (photo by Lô Bōo-him, courtesy of D.Z. Architects & Associates)

The strengths of bamboo

The greatest feat accomplished by Bamboo Recreational Forest Park is that it has turned to good advantage the apparently inconvenient traits of bamboo. Every bamboo plant is different, not only in the size of its stem but also in the shape of its top and bottom; hence the different degrees of curvature. As a building material, bamboo isn’t as amenable as timber. Nevertheless, Kan tells us that its shortcomings become actual strengths in the case of curved structures. Through heating, shaping, and tying, bamboo can be made into arches. The bamboo architecture in the park aims to fully exploit these qualities of bamboo.

Forest therapist Paul Lin observes that the green of the bamboo groves, far from being tediously uniform, has many subtly different shades, which accounts for the rich chromotherapeutic potential of the park. Moso bamboo is of the running (as opposed to clumping) type, with rhizomes spreading horizontally. We feel the spongy softness of the ground when walking among the bamboo. That gentle springiness is itself very therapeutic. What is most special about this place is the soughing music of the wind in the groves. The rustling tunes vary with the intensity of the wind, soothing the soul.

In spring 2024, 200 members of the World Bamboo Organization from nearly 30 countries convened in Shibi’s therapeutic zones. In the midst of the moso bamboo groves and bamboo environmental art, they were regaled with a bamboo-­based culinary feast including creative foods prepared with local bamboo shoots and served in diverse bamboo tableware. The success of the event led to Yunlin County being designated as a World Bamboo Landmark.

Tenaciously rooted in rugged terrains, bamboo braves the elements with dogged determination. Why not take a stroll in Shibi’s therapeutic bamboo groves, and let all your worries be washed away by the rippling seas of green?

photo by Lô Bōo-him, courtesy of D.Z. Architects & Associates