On our way to Yazhu! You can easily spot its signage along the road
We are finally here! :) Yazhu was originally built by a Chinese doctor as his retirement home. He decided to turn it into a minsu so that more people can come and take a respite away from their busy urban lives.
What a cute dwarf!
A spacious dining area where you can hang out in between meal times greeted us. Coffee and tea is provided 24/7. Did I mention the most important of it all – there’s wifi! :)
The 3-storey building houses 10 rooms of various sizes which can accommodate up to 6 pax in a room.
A simple breakfast, but I have to say this was one of the BEST food I have tasted in a minsu. The ingredients were freshly prepared and so tasty! I can still remember the taste of the crunchy bun and juicy filling… One of us had a vegetarian meal, and she was all praises for it as well.
What a cute cup holder! You can feel the effort put in by the minsu owners to make their guests feel comfortable from the little touches prevalent throughout the house.
Say hello to Cai da-jie 蔡大姐 the minsu owner :) She is so friendly and down-to-earth we felt like living in a real home. Her husband, who is in the real estate business, is also the one who built most of the minsu in Cingjing area, so we can be sure no effort was spared to built Yazhu.
We loved the hand-made rabbits ‘playing’ nearby :) These rabbits were made by Cai Da-jie’s friend; I thought they added a fairytale touch to the place, like Alice in Wonderland.
Off to view our ‘nests’ for the night! Super spacious I must say…this room is particularly popular with honeymooners
Oooo…there’s a balcony :)
What a wonderful view! Having a leisurely tea here must be such a luxury.
What a big dressing area!
Looks like I will have a great snooze in this place ;)
A Japanese-inspired room
It’s not often a toilet can surprise me, but this one did – there’s a Japanese bathtub!
Water comes from the nearby hot spring, and the minsu provides onsen salts for an awesome soak. This must be the next best thing from going to Japan! Wondering what’s the kawaii yellow ducky? It’s a thermometer for you to measure the water temperature :)
Snacks and drinks when you get hungry at night
The minsu provides transport (from Sun Moon Lake and even Taipei) and sight-seeing services if you need. The van can take up to 6 pax plus luggage. Enquire with the minsu when you book.
Exploring the surroundings…ribbit
The minsu is surrounded by much greenery and life just slows down to a relaxed pace.
I noticed a lot of butterflies frolicking around, happy!
The Xitou Nature Education Area 溪頭森林遊樂區 is located in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. It has abundant natural resources and ecosystems, including a bamboo forest, divine trees, ginkgo forest, mountain trails, tea farms, and fireflies. Come during the month of April when it is the Lugu firefly season 鹿谷鄉螢火蟲季 and witness this magical scene. In fact, you can see the fireflies at a grass area just in front of the minsu, no need to look for them!
Idyllic stroll amongst nature
What a glorious morning stroll :)
There are some interesting professions around the area, just like this traditional floral signboard maker. I was pretty intrigued.
When it was time for us to leave, Cai Da-jie gave us a part of the minsu to remember by – a pair of rabbits! :) Dottie and Peaches are now happily living in my home, and I look forward to bringing them back to visit Yazhu during firefly season :)
By Bus
You can take a bus from Taichung Gancheng Station 台中干城車站, Taichung train station台中火車站, Taichung HSR台中高鐵站, Zhu Shan Bus Station 竹山車站and Sun Moon Lake Shuishe Tourist Centre 日月潭水社遊客中心 towards Nantou, Xitou line 溪頭線.
By Car
1. 高速公路國道三號(中二高)→下竹山交流道(244K)→右轉接台3線往竹山方向→於台3線230.5K處左轉接投151甲線→接151線往鹿谷→過內湖國小後約1.7公里即抵達雅筑小站(151縣道14.9公里處)。
2. 台21線往水里方向→於水里接台16線,往集集、名間方向→於名間接台3線,往竹山方向→於台3線230.5K處左轉接投151甲線→接151線往鹿谷→過內湖國小後約1.7公里即抵達雅筑小站(151縣道14.9公里處)。
A little post by a fun-loving spunky gal in love with the quirky, the artsy and anything which inspires new creations.
Read about her adventures on: spunktitud3.wordpress.com
4 thoughts on “Taiwan – Shito Yazhu 雅筑小站: A Home Away from Home in Xitou”
Absolutely fascinating! I’d never heard of the Taiwanese “minsu” before I read your blog entry. Beautiful location. Great photos, too. Does the owner make those cute rabbits? All the best!
Hello Wayne! Glad to know I have a reader all the way in Canada :) Minsu is similar to Bed & Breakfast, I prefer them to hotels as they have more character and you get to experience more of local culture. Try it the next time you go travelling! The owner’s friend made those cute rabbits. Be nice to the owner when you visit, and she may just give you one as a present ;)
Hi, I would like to visit sun moon lake and monster village as well how many night do you suggest that I should stay in yazhui?
Tina (Norfolk island, Australia )
Hi Tina, it depends on what you wish to do..if it is just straight-forward sightseeing, the shortest would be 2 days (1 day for Sun Moon Lake, 0.5days for Monster Village). You can also hike the mountains and appreciate the nature around, which would take much longer.
3 November 2014 at 11:30 AM
Absolutely fascinating! I’d never heard of the Taiwanese “minsu” before I read your blog entry. Beautiful location. Great photos, too. Does the owner make those cute rabbits? All the best!
Wayne (Toronto, Canada)
4 November 2014 at 2:38 PM
Hello Wayne! Glad to know I have a reader all the way in Canada :) Minsu is similar to Bed & Breakfast, I prefer them to hotels as they have more character and you get to experience more of local culture. Try it the next time you go travelling! The owner’s friend made those cute rabbits. Be nice to the owner when you visit, and she may just give you one as a present ;)
28 October 2015 at 8:40 AM
Hi, I would like to visit sun moon lake and monster village as well how many night do you suggest that I should stay in yazhui?
Tina (Norfolk island, Australia )
28 October 2015 at 8:59 AM
Hi Tina, it depends on what you wish to do..if it is just straight-forward sightseeing, the shortest would be 2 days (1 day for Sun Moon Lake, 0.5days for Monster Village). You can also hike the mountains and appreciate the nature around, which would take much longer.