Shifen in Taiwan to many people is known to be a happy town. They usually refer it to Happiness, 十分幸福. Shifen Old Street is the only old street which has trains passing through everyday. The street is located right next to the tracks but there are no fences in between. Rail safety in Shifen is so particularly interesting, as in everyone is allowed to walk across the rails freely and the main street of Shifen is essentially the railway line. Shifen Train Station is the one has the dual tracks which allow trains to intersect in Taiwan. Presumably, children in Shifen grow up with trains pulling in and out past the front of their homes every day and rail safety (or perhaps more accurately stopping playing on the rails when the train is coming) is a fundamental part of living to reach high school. The houses at Shifen Old Street are built adjacent to the rails. Just imagine when the residents sit in front of their houses to chat, it's not the birdsongs that they'll get to hear but rather the train rumbling sound. 台湾平溪线的各站当中, 十分是我喜欢的车站之一. 这里是个车站与老街连成一气的景点, 虽然没有百年红砖建築, 也没有知名的建築风格加持, 但十分老街与铁道相依相偎的特点, 总是吸引着许多铁道迷在此流连忘返, 全台唯一火车, 铁轨打从您门前过的景况, 更是让居民与铁道有着密不可分的连结, 成为怀旧的铁道迷必定朝圣的圣地, 全台独一无二, 而老街上的天灯工艺品店, 一直是这里的招牌, 搭配近年话题不断的客家花布, 影像明信片等, 也为复古的十分老街注入新的活力与热情. 走在小镇的铁道旁, 画面充满了民国五, 六十年代的怀旧气氛. 来到这里请您放慢脚步, 短短十分钟的路程, 绝对足够花费数小时在此漫步, 不论是拍照留念, 铁道寻宝或是买个天灯施放祈愿, 都是遊赏十分老街的热门玩法. 十分车站是一个地区人潮往来最为频繁的聚落中心, 伴过着时代的风华, 居民们在这食衣住行了半个世纪之久. 十分站则是平溪线最大的车站, 车站广阔, 铁轨交错, 可以让上下行的火车在此会车. 十分车站诚心欢迎着遊客们的到访, 预备热闹这座山里的小镇. 十分车站内的 "十分幸福" 是专卖祈愿的竹筒, 客人可於竹筒上写上愿望, 然后掛于店内. Many Taiwan’s top tourist spots have these convenient postal services for people to mail back memorable cards and notes. Another tradition at Shifen is to write on a bamboo stick and tie it up at the train station. Some people wrote their names, some wrote their wishes and some wrote wishes for others. They are all over the old street though. The bamboo sticks really looked cool. 紧邻着十分车站, 是十分老街, 民宅紧邻着铁道两侧兴建, 当居民坐在门前话家常时, 伴随着来的不是鸟语花香而是隆隆的火车声. 十分老街和一般观光区的老街既成印象不同, 一般而言老街观光很多都贩卖在地 "吃" 的小吃, 很市集的感觉. 十分老街并非主打这样的特色, 而是整个十分老街和火车铁轨成一体, 连成绵长, 长条的铁道和街景. 十分老街的两旁的房子间隔出奇的窄, 台湾很少有老街是用这样的型态呈现, 很特殊的老街样貌. Functional railway tracks run between the old street. The train honks proudly and security will chase everyone out of the tracks. Most tourists would then whipped out their cameras and start flashing at the train as if they have seen some superstars. 老街一个特别的地方, 就是火车铁轨直接从狭窄的街道中央穿过, 两边的建築物都离铁轨只有几公尺, 又铁轨的两旁也没有护栏. 当火车从老街中央穿过时, 就见到当地居民若无其事, 遊客倒是纷纷从铁轨上跳开, 拿出相机拼命拍照, 这种景象也是台湾少见. 一天的班次不多, 车速也不快, 平常遊客都在铁轨上玩耍, 火车来了就闪开让它过去, 不到 30 秒火车过了, 大家又走在铁轨上了. 由此可知火车铁轨和两旁店家之间, 几乎是没有距离的, 火车速度也不快, 在路旁乘凉的老先生还可以跟车上乘客打招呼呢. 不过平常时都是第二张的普通火车头在跑, 有特殊活动的日子才会有蒸汽老火车头出场. 老街上的布坊, 斗笠店, 杂货店, 面摊及小吃店, 还有贩售纪念品, 天灯的商店, 甚至蔬果菜摊皆毗邻而居. 虽然是观光胜地, 但老街处处流徜着乡下人家的纯樸与悠闲, 居民坐在门前乘风纳凉, 吃东西聊天, 一切都是那样的随意自在. There are fabric stores, bamboo hat shops, grocery stores, noodle bars, as well as the souvenirs stores, sky lanterns shops or even the fruits and vegetables vendors are next to each other. Although this is a tourist place, the old street still has the rural relaxing feeling. 老街的老房子多已翻成水泥楼房, 但商店仍多是传统的店. 走在老街上, 可以感受到那种浓郁的旧时岁月气氛. 老街二旁几乎都是天灯店家, 门口衣架上掛满天灯, 每种天灯有不同代表意涵. 这里的天灯都像掛衣服一样, 比较方便遊客在上面写下祝福, 祈求的话语. 我也是第一次看到这样可爱又聪明的提字方式. 十分天灯, 十分有趣. Shifen is also famous for its traditional sky lanterns, which wishes are written on it and sent into the high heavens. The best time to launch the sky lanterns is at dusk or during the sky lantern festival, but you can see people sending their wishes as early as in the morning. 来到十分老街, 我最爱看着路边一排排的架子上掛着一颗颗写满愿望的天灯, 等到愿望写好了, 遊客脸上掛着笑容, 开始合力把天灯撑开, 等到升上去的刹那, 就看到遊客高兴地笑着, 脸上洋溢著幸福的微笑, 那种充满希望的感觉让人看了都跟着幸福起来. 就算再不舍得想要愿望成真, 想要看见美丽的画面就得放手. 当手一松开, 天灯在十分老街的老屋前划徐徐上升, 我呆呆地站在火轨道上目送着天灯华丽升空. 看着它越来越小直到它在我的视线范围消失才舍得把目光移开. 听说每逢元宵节, 十分老街会出现百灯起飞的璀璨画面, 好多好多天灯载着人们的愿望齐齐升空. 衷心期待有那么一天我也有份参与这样的画面. 十分老街并不像一般的老街以旧年代的建築物来吸引遊客目光, 而是以全台独一无二的火车门前过的街道奇景而闻名. 老街狭窄的街道, 火车就从两排房子的中间通过. 坐在老街的榕树下面摊吃面, 有机会可以看到火车就从身旁几公尺外缓缓而过的景象. 街道与铁轨相邻, 却没有高高的护栏或栅栏相隔, 行人与铁轨, 火车可以如此亲近. 安全上不应该跨越铁轨, 不过十分老街特殊的居家环境与铁轨密不可分, 横跨铁轨也是生活的一部份. 很多事情不该用想当然来看在地的居住方式, 或许这是我外地人无法心神领会的吧. 如此接近铁轨, 也是第一次. 放天灯俨然已成为十分老街里的一项重要活动, 当时代不断地进步, 科技日新月异, 往往越容易忽略并侵蚀那些旧有完好的文化本质, 而人心总会被老事物触及而有所感动, 这就是借物寄情, 也是老事物感动人的价值. 在热闹的老街上, 看过天灯, 拍些照片, 也自拍了过后, 在路轨另一边路子回头走, 几十步便走到在十分火车站下车时看见的一座吊桥. 它的名字是静安桥. 一路走过去, 桥一直在摇动着. 看过对面也不短, 看下望也甚深. 对面是一条车路, 还有一带十分宁静的村屋. 静安吊桥原为台车运煤之用, 矿场结束经营后, 经过政府重新整修而成为居民往来的人行吊桥. The famous Jingan Suspension Bridge is located behind the Shifen train station. Jingan Suspension Bridge was originally used for transporting coal in Shifen. The Taiwan government renovated it to become a pedestrian bridge after the coal operation ended decades ago and the bridge is now a popular attraction. 在桥上看十分站景色. Here is the scenery standing from the suspension bridge. 这条老街虽没有百年红砖建筑, 也没有日治时期的精湛建筑工法加持, 但铁道与民宅只距离不到两, 叁公尺这个特点, 却仍旧能吸引大批铁道迷到此朝圣. 虽然整条路走完不用十分钟, 却值得你花两小时以上在这边闲晃, 寻宝. 无论亲自做个天灯灯罩, 或买个天灯来施放许愿, 照张相, 画个水彩画都相当惬意. 总之走一遭十分小镇, 除了随遊十分老街, 随放十分天灯外, 也可寻回记忆中的十分怀旧, 带回心灵满满的十分幸福.
能在老街上写生还真写意, 唉, 我就那样悠哉闲哉地在台湾十分老街度过了十分开心, 怀旧的一天. Shifen is a simple town that is rich in culture and history. The sky lanterns, old streets and Shifen's railway form a delightful scene. It's the only place left in Taiwan where this occurs and when the old steam engines are brought out once a month to ride the Pingxi rail line, the scene in Shifen will tug at your nostalgic heart no matter where you come from. Journey Back To Taiwan 不虚此行的台湾之旅 (9) - To be continued......
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