“It feels like we’re in Japan!” Experience Japanese culture at the Hualien General’s Mansion Yukata Festival

▲ The Hualien General’s Mansion Yukata Festival kicks off tomorrow (Nov. 2), with yukata try-on available on-site. (Photo / Fromthe official Facebook page of the General’s Mansion Environmental Education Center)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The “General’s Mansion Yukata Festival,” jointly organized by the Hualien City Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Hualien Minsheng Community Development Association, will take place this weekend over two days (Nov. 2 and Nov. 3) at the county-designated historic site “General’s Mansion” by Meixi River. The event venue will not only offer yukata for visitors to try on, but also allow them to enjoy the Japanese experience of eating nagashi somen, making attendees feel as if they are in Japan.

The Hualien General’s Mansion was once the residence of high-ranking Japanese military officers during the Japanese colonial period, later used to house veterans and their families, and remains a cherished childhood memory for many elders. The “General’s Mansion Yukata Festival” will not only provide 16 sets of yukata for visitors to borrow, but the organizers have also arranged activities such as trying nagashi somen, making takoyaki (octopus balls) by hand, and DIY Japanese lantern crafting. The goal is to promote this historic building with Japanese colonial-era roots through the event. However, each session is limited to 30 participants and requires on-site registration.

The organizers especially recommend the “nagashi somen” activity. During the Japanese colonial period, eating flowing noodles was also a custom in Hualien. A bamboo pole is cut in half, water is flowed through it, and noodles are placed inside. The noodles then slide down the bamboo along the stream, and participants simply wait on either side of the bamboo to catch and lift the noodles, dip them in sauce, and eat. However, it is important to note that those at the front must not take all the noodles—some must be left for those waiting behind.

% Enjoy the nostalgic vibe of the past (Photo / From Wikipedia)