Page 100 - 芒花拾穗_十年全記錄

風飛芒舞（第五屆草嶺古道芒花季） 2006

2006/When the Silver Grass Flies in the Wind
As usual, the fifth Silver Grass Season Festival was opened in November, when the mountain and
valley of the northeast coast was covered with swaying white, silver grass. This year “mountain
bandits” characters were created for the first time, aiming to increase excitement and amusement
for hiking on the trails. During the festival, ‘mountain bandits’ were scattered along the trail to
provide interesting stops for hiking visitors. The mountain bandits, going and coming like ghosts,
would hinder visitors and ask questions. If visitors could answer correctly, the reward was some
unexpected surprise or gift. However if the answer was wrong, visitors would be asked to play games
with the mountain bandits and hopefully win back their freedom. Visitors could sometimes also win
▲遊客與奉茶工作人員開心合影。 ▲多元的攤位販賣區。
intricate souvenirs. The origin of mountain bandits along the trail can be traced back to the Qing
芒花 Dynasty when the trail served as a main route for merchants to commute and trade. Sometimes the
merchants would encounter mountain bandits. Only those with wisdom and courage could find their The Legend of the Silver Grass
‧ 拾穗
way. This spirit was what the administration hoped to maintain. That is why during the festival the
historic theme ‘mountain bandits’ was brought back to life. The ‘bandits’ were acted by staff wearing
disguises! This year, aside from the regular activities from previous years, was the first time the
100 administration cooperated with bloggers who wrote articles on the topic of the Caoling Historical 101
山海間的古道記憶
Trail. Through the Internet, the festival soon became a hit and attracted nearly two thousand visitors
for the first weekend. It even created a new chic trend of hiking and walking on the green grass or
historic stone trails.

─ 草嶺古道尋幽行

十年精彩全紀錄 Memories Beyond the Mountains and the Sea: Past, Present, and the Future of the Caoling Historical Trails