Shuangdong Betel Nut Beauty Highway

The social phenomenon of betel nut beauties (檳榔西施) originated along the Shuangdong section of Zhongtan Highway (中潭公路) in eastern Caotun, Nantou, in 1976. Three sisters from the Xie family (謝家三姐妹) returned home to help their mother sell betel nuts and business boomed. Other stalls also put their daughters to work and soon an arms race took place, which each trying to outdo the others with the most attractive young women. At one point there were allegedly over 100 betel nut stalls along this stretch of highway, and as time wore on, less and less clothing was worn by the beauties as they competed for the attention of passing motorists. With the opening of National Highway 6 in 1998 this stretch of highway was bypassed and most of the betel nut closed down, one after another.