Cultural and Leisure Activities in New Century
When the government announced in January 1998 that there would be two days off every other weekend, the new century of leisure activities for the general public was unfolded. At a time when leisure activities have become an essential means to relieve stress for the general public, this Council is dedicated to creating a sound and healthy cultural environment in order to allow the general public to enjoy knowledgeable and sensational vacations.

In an effort to provide sufficient cultural and leisure information and to assist the general public to take part in cultural learning and benefit from cultural activities, this Council is now promoting "Cultural Tours for the 2-day Weekend" and preparing a guide manual for cultural activities. The cultural centers of the hsiens/cities across Taiwan will handle related projects.

This book contains the cultural characteristics and folklore of all regions in Taiwan furnished by the cultural centers together with in-depth description of practical travel information and the rich cultural of Taiwan for the general public's choice of leisure activities. We also hope that we can make the cultural arts become a part of people's life by integrating culture and leisure activities, thereby upgrading our people's quality of life and creating a better society in the turn of century.

Introduction
Pursuant to Article 3 of the "Cultural Asset Preservation Law", the term "Cultural Assets" includes ancient objects, historic sites, ancient arts, folklore, and related cultural objects, as well as natural and cultural scenarios. As stated in the "Manual for survey of artistic resources" published by the Council for Cultural Affairs, "artistic resources" includes living and temple culture, food & beverage traditions, settlement architecture, cultural establishment, anthropological sites, music, drama, folklore, sports, dances, fine arts and handicrafts, traditional literature, and aboriginal culture.

This manual contains highlights for visitors and is designed in accordance with the preceding
classification.In a subjective sense, Taoyuan Hsien is a major cultural area in Taiwan with the following features:
(1) Diversified cultural background: the population in Taoyuan Hsien is fairly divided into
Fukienese, Hakka, and military dependents. There are quit a few aborigines (especially from the Tai-ya Tribe and Ping-pu Tribe) in Taoyuan Hsien as well. As an industrial district in northern Taiwan, Taoyuan Hsien is home to a number of foreigners. As such, Taoyuan Hsien possesses a unique culture based on its multi-cultural background.

(2) Profound ecological environment: Taoyuan Hsien possesses diversified landforms including mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, coast, and ocean. The immigrants made use of their knowledge to cope with the varied climate and geographic environments; and thus created the unique spiritual and materialistic cultures of Taoyuan Hsien.

(3) Long history: in the early days aborigines hunted wild animals and farmed dry
farmlands, and Han people farmed rice fields. Now factories and schools are located everywhere in Taoyuan Hsien.

During the long history of development, a number of incidents took place due to the control of resources and political, and ideological differences between Han people and Ping-pu tribesmen, Han people and Tai-ya tribesmen, Fukien immigrants and Hakka immigrants, and between Han people and Japanese. All incidents are etched in history. These unique characteristics gave birth to the versatile and rich cultural heritage of Taoyuan Hsien. The discovery, summarization, and management of cultural assets require a long period of time before tangible achievements become visible. As such, this manual contains well-known information only. There is a large quantity of valuable information yet to be discovered. We urge all people of all walks of life in Taoyuan Hsien to work with us hand in hand in order to our cultural heritage known to us all.

This manual is made possible with the contributions of cultural experts and their knowledge
regarding cultural assets of Taoyuan Hsien. It helps the citizens of Taoyuan and the general public to understand the cultural assets of Taoyuan Hsien, and thereby cherish what we jointly possess at this moment. For this purpose, this manual is written in an easy-to-read, condensed, and lively manner together with advanced fine art editing to allow readers to easily understand Taoyuan's culture. Readers may obtain additional information by the following methods:
(1) purchasing cultural assets-related books at bookstores, (2) checking reference materials at cultural centers or libraries (3) attending seminars or speeches regarding cultural assets, (4) inquiring with experts and scholars affiliated with agencies and associations concerning cultural assets, and (5) inquiring with the sponsor and owner of cultural activities.

This manual consists of two categories - general description and all Shiang/cities/towns. The
general description contains the information of Taoyuan Hsien and the information belonging to more than two Shiang/cities/towns. The table of content includes natural scenery, ancient remains and historic buildings, and aborigines in chronological order. All items are written in a different manner due to diversified backgrounds.
The item of ancient remains and historic buildings contains the following information:
(1) location and area, (2) construction years, (3) transportation, (4) concerns for visitors, (5) main articles (description of geographical and historical background, description of objects, summarization of characteristics, problems at current stages, as well as the current status of use), and (6) author.

Important concerns for visitors attending cultural activities:
(1) Time: most activities are held during
regular hours. Visitors are advised to inquire about the schedule beforehand. Secondly, some ancient remains and historic buildings are now in use. Visitors are asked not to disturb residents or users and to respect their privacy.

(2) Property rights:
certain cultural resources are possessed by individuals or corporations. Visitors are advised to obtain the owner's approval before visitation.

(3) Accessories:
prepare cameras, video cameras, water containers, and note books before visits. If you intend to hike on the ancient paths, check your physical conditions first. Do not go there unprepared.

(4) Manner:
maintain good manners during your visit. Do not scream. Do not take photos unless you obtain permission in advance. Do not bring your pets unless you are allowed to do so. Do not litter. Do not eat when you walk. Listen to the guide's explanation closely. Do not pick up any objects. Do not break any objects. Do not write or carve on the walls or trees. Do not pick flowers. Do not park your cars in undesignated areas.

The visitors can be either recreational or study visitors. Study visitors are advised to prepare
notebooks and cameras in advance to record activities together with time, location, participants, and significance of activities, then organize all details into books at a later stage. Visits at certain locations, such as temples, visitors may record the text of tablets, history of temple, gods, and temple calendar in their notebooks. Visitors will benefit from such recordings.