Monsters spotted? Come catch them in this super cute Monster Village!

Text & Photos by /miss kitB

I have to admit, at first I thought Monster Village was just a tourist spot playing up a Japanese theme. But after walking around, I found it pretty charming. I first heard about Monster Village while waiting for a bus to the airport at the city government bus terminal. I saw a bus with the sign “Beat Monsters in Xitou,” and I thought the attraction sounded hilarious. The last time I went to Shangqingjing in Taichung, I also saw a Taiwan Tourist Shuttle bus route to Monster Village at the Nantou Bus Station. So I’ve been curious about this place for a while, and finally got the chance to go this time!

→ That big red lantern at the entrance is the landmark!

→ As for Monster Village, there’s actually a rather amusing backstory, all starting with a sausage stall next to a hotel. For some reason, the sausage vendor made a statue of a Tengu monster head, which then somehow became extremely popular and even turned into a tourist attraction. More and more people came to take photos, and what was once an obscure village mysteriously became known as “Monster Village.” Even the hotel next to the sausage stall changed its name to Monster Hotel. But the sausage stall eventually closed due to lack of business. Anyway, since it had already become a monster-themed park, the hotel continued to develop in that direction and has done quite well.

→ No one remembers the hotel’s original name anymore~

→ Dongding Oolong tea has a strong tea flavor—highly recommended. Kuruma beer is also pretty good, though guys used to regular beer might find it too sweet.

→ The yellow one is Babao, the milk-tea colored one is Kuruma—they have parades and meet-and-greets every day.

→ Limited-edition monster beers released each year. Kuruma is the name of the monster protagonist of this theme park.

→ Everything here must be food-related!! It has to be!! They really go all out with it.

→ Ice cream in black and green—it really gives off strong monster vibes.

→ This is the legendary original monster created by that sausage stall—the Tengu statue has become a local landmark, and there’s now a fruit stand underneath it.

→ The souvenir shops in Monster Village are a playground for the staff’s endless creative mischief.

→ “Biting Cat” is actually a unique local plant (the sticky part on the bread), a plant that bites you when you’re out in the wild. It’s poisonous in its raw form but becomes a famous local snack after processing. You’ll have to queue up for this bread!

Aside from cartoon character parades, the theme park also features performances. The one above is the live-action version of Kuruma, the main character of Monster Village—so lively. This performance segment involves fortune-telling, with the host constantly calling out while the monster acts out physical comedy. There were plenty of onlookers.

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INFO
→ Xitou Songlinjie Monster Village
→ Address: No. 2-3, Xingchan Road, Neihu Village, Lugu Township, Nantou County
→ Phone: +886-049-2612376
→ Website:http://www.mingshan.com.tw

miss kitB
→ A core member of the Not-So-Serious Association, or a “multifunctional cross-media freelance creator.” Believes boredom is the mother of creativity and happiness is life’s greatest asset. Eats breakfast every day and travels the Earth daily.
→ Blog:http://kitx.mysinablog.com/index.php