The Hidden Settlement on the Mountain Slope｜垂直向度的聚落

I

這是一個垂直向度的聚落，一個我本來沒有計畫好，來了一次之後卻會一直來的地方。自從有了去海邊喝咖啡的習慣，就時常忘了解決午餐的問題，也很少特地研究新的地點。這一天我決定往山上走，看看會有什麼意外的驚喜。順著蜿蜒的山路往上開車，像走進了一個異國仙境，映入眼簾的是一個與世隔絕的小鎮，叫做祈堂老街。這裡沒有觀光景點的喧囂與過度開發，乾淨地保留了歷史的輪廓、日式建築的純粹，以及生活在這裡的人為了日常居住留下來的細節與生命力。

This is a vertical settlement, a place I never planned to visit, but once I did, I kept coming back. Ever since I got into the habit of having coffee by the sea, I often forgot to grab lunch and rarely looked up new spots. On this day, I decided to drive up into the mountains to see what surprises I might find. Driving up the winding mountain road felt like entering another world. What appeared before my eyes was a secluded town called Qitang Old Street. Free from tourist noise and overdevelopment, it cleanly preserves historical lines, pure Japanese architecture, and the lively traces left by people living their everyday lives here.

II

走在垂直的石階上，我找到了好吃的雞湯麵、好喝的咖啡，還有很有特色的剉冰。這裡的店家數量很少，但每一間都非常實在，讓人能享受地吃一頓飯。路上遇到了一隻正在午休的貓（真正的貓）。放眼望去是一座接著一座的山丘，每一間木造老屋都像童話裡定格的畫面。開車向下行駛時，山丘與山丘的交界處會突然露出一整片蔚藍的海洋。那種山海交疊的視覺落差，讓人覺得時間好像在這裡徹底停住了，一切都非常慵懶放鬆。

Walking along the vertical stone steps, I found delicious chicken soup noodles, great coffee, and very unique shaved ice. There are very few shops here, but every single one is genuine, letting you truly enjoy a peaceful meal. Along the way, I met a cat taking an afternoon nap (a real cat). Looking out, rolling green hills stretch one after another, and each old wooden house looks like a scene straight out of a storybook. Driving back down, the bright blue ocean suddenly opens up between the mountain gaps. That visual shift between mountains and sea makes time feel completely still, bringing a deeply relaxed, lazy comfort.