Every town has its own distinct charm, be it interesting architecture, unique culture or distinct food. But not the town of Dalin in Chiayi. At least, that’s the harsh outcome of a 1994 government survey, in which tourism authorities concluded that the town didn’t have any special characteristics. The report didn’t sit well with a local resident, Chiang Ming-ho, who set out on a mission to find what makes Dalin unique. And he certainly has found something. From abandoned adult theaters and traditional apothecaries, to guest houses with alarms for cheating husbands, there is more to Dalin than meets the eye. In recent years more and more neighbors have joined him to bring the town out of obscurity and put it on the map. Our Sunday special report.

Drenched in sweat, Chiang Ming-ho stands guard at the entrance of Dalin Train Station, waiting for a group of travelers.

Every month, he promotes his tour on social media, inviting users to take a trip to the town. The visit is totally free and there’s no need to register beforehand. Just gather at the meeting point in the station and the tour is on.

He takes his group to an old guest house, which had a system in place to deal with wives chasing after their cheating husbands.

What would usually just be a 10-minutes walk becomes a three-hour historical tour with Chiang’s interesting stories. As long as one person shows up, the tour goes ahead, rain or shine, like it has for the past 15 years.

Chiang Ming-ho
Dalin tour guide
After two or three hours walking around, people are tired, thirsty and hungry. So what happens then? They spend money locally. My goal is to get people to come here and get them to fall love with the place.

Chiang loves his hometown. As an elementary school teacher, he gets weekends off. But instead of resting at home, he goes to Dalin to lead his tours. His passion project started after reading an article on the newspaper.

Chiang Ming-ho
Dalin tour guide
Back in 1994, there was an article with the headline: “Dalin left out of One Town One Product scheme.” That year, the government determined that our town didn’t have any distinguishing features or products. That made us think. How can there not be anything? So we turned to our unique history and stories to find something.

Chiang started poring over books and documents about his town, and discovered that Dalin had once been a prosperous place. From the Qing Dynasty, several military camps were established in the area, which served as a key transport hub between the north and south of the island. During the Japanese colonial period, a sugar refinery was opened, creating many job opportunities.

Chiang Ming-ho
Dalin tour guide
At its peak, Dalin had a population of more than 60,000. There were a lot of newcomers from other places, so the entertainment industry thrived. The sector was profitable, so matters like promoting local specialties were overlooked.

In its heyday, Dalin had five theaters, and the streets were packed with bustling karaoke bars, pubs and tea houses day and night. As times changed and the military bases relocated, people started moving away and businesses started to close one after the other. The town was left with less than 30,000 residents. Chiang knew he wanted to tap into Dalin’s golden age to draw visitors, but he needed a focal point.

Chiang Ming-ho
Dalin tour guide
Theaters form part of all our shared memories, so I decided to use theaters as the main theme. I noticed there were many places that were renovating their theaters, so we hopped on the bandwagon.

This is the Wanguo Theater, which had lain in ruin for almost 20 years. It first opened in 1968, screening films and hosting performances and Taiwanese opera shows. In its later years, it became an adult movie theater. After closing in 1989, the venue say abandoned until 2012. Chiang contacted the owner and got permission and funds from the government to restore the historic building. Once construction was done, he sought out television and film producers to shoot at the venue.

Chiang Ming-ho
Dalin tour guide
As you can see, it’s a beautiful set. Early on, FTV shot a series titled “Abulal.” They wanted to shoot here in Dalin, and they spent NT$4.5 million to create the set, which created more opportunities for us.

Chiang pays for the utilities and takes care of maintenance. On top of that he also offers free tours of the interior. In the past he’s held erotic shows and wrestling matches to revive the theaters past as an adult entertainment venue. His efforts have put unassuming Dalin on the map.

Chiang Ming-ho
Dalin tour guid
I wrote to Tom Cruise, and Lady Gaga. And even Yua Mikami and Yui Hatano. I reached out to them, and invited them to come. I also let them know about the histo
#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan