The area was once a bustling hub for the island's tea exporting business, and visitors can still explore temples with intricate roofs and the historic shopping district of Dihua Street, where vendors now sell dried fruits, nuts and other delicacies.
After a half hour of cigarette-sharing and photo-snapping, the commander led us back down the trail to a roofed, open-walled meeting area with a table where he bade us sit and brought us tea.