My Grand Tour -- Why I decide to travel around Taiwan on foot?

 " Walking animates and enlivens my spirits."  

Book IV, Confessions by Jean Jacques Rousseau

I towed a trolley behind me.

(The backpack was too heavy to carry, so I bought the trolley.)

         This summer vacation I made a Grand Tour -- to travel around Taiwan on foot. 

         I was informed of my Advanced Subjects Test (a kind of college entrance exam) scores on July 18. Surprisingly, my scores were incredibly high enough to let me enter any department in the college of science, engineering, or EECS in National Taiwan University. I have long been interested in physics and astronomy since I was in junior high school; as a result, I chose the department of physics, NTU as my first choice, and submitted the list of choices on July 24. Preparing for the college entrance exams really took the students a lot of efforts and persistence. Most of students have no extra time to engage in leisure activities, only to sit in front of piles of reference books all day long. The life was tedious at that time, and the most pleasant pastime was daydreaming. I imagined that, after taking the exam, I would do something different, something challenging, and something that I've never experienced before; then, I came up with the plan for walking around the island.

Taking a photo with a family who was driving on South-Link Highway (Provincial Highway 9).

         In Taiwan, highways and railways are both built coastally because mountains made up most of the island's central area. They form two main circles of transportation, providing multiple options for people to travelling around the island. One can travel by train, by bus, by car, by motorcycle, or by bicycle. In recent years, cycling has become a fad and fashion for those who intend to have a colorful vacation. However, seldom of them try to travel on foot. It's probably because of time duration. Small though Taiwan is, it takes up to 40 days on average to finish the journey if you'd like to walk all the way around the island. This challenge requires lots of patience and determination, and maybe some audacity and good luck. Since I had gone through the process of taking college entrance exams, which is quite similar to that of walking around the island -- both are long and seem endless -- I thought it would not be a problem to embark on the challenge.

Taking a selfie on a bicycle path leading to Huwei Township, Yunlin County.

         Besides, I'd heard of a concept called Grand Tour, which was an European custom during the Renaissance. Young men from the nobility set out on journey to France or Italy, in search of art, culture and the roots of Western civilization. The tour could last from several months to several years, and were often taken as a sort of “coming-of-age” rite of passage. I'd also read several books such as "Marcher, une philosophie" by Frédéric Gros, and was deeply fascinated by such trekking full of spiritual and philosophical meaning. Therefore, Taiwan, my homeland, a familiar place where I've long been unfamiliar with, became my first place to explore. I decided to trek no matter on the plains or among the mountains, in the fields or through the forests. I decided to silently observe the crowd in the cities and reflect on how modernity affect our life. I decided to learn local customs, adopt local lifestyles, and even take part in local lives. Finally, I decided to enjoy an independent trip without any interference, that is, only I could decide where to stay, where to rest, where to go.

Provincial Highway 30 in Yuli Township, Hualien County.

         For these reasons, I embarked on the tour on July 25, with three sets of clothes, two books, and a big backpack. Although there were some twists and turns on the way, I finished my Grand Tour on Sept 1, walking for more than 780 km. 

A selfie taken at the southeast seashore in Taitung.