tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192350262024-03-19T00:53:31.305+08:00Hanjié's BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-68605171100299356952014-09-05T22:33:00.003+08:002014-09-12T18:23:27.043+08:00MatsuInstead of trying to make a perfect itinerary for Matsu, it is better to just go and be flexible. I did my homework and made a five-day schedule that would allow me to explore all of the Matsu islands seamlessly. I had all B&B and transportation reserved but I ended up trying to find a way to go to Matsu for two days and then worrying about not being able to come to Taiwan for work on time.<br />
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The tropical storm Hagibis developed on the day before my trip. It was hundreds of kilometers away from Matsu and by the time it was supposed to reach China it would be gone and I would be in the islands enjoying the holiday. Nevertheless, I got on a high speed rail heading to Taipei and waited anxiously for the sailing announcement of Taima ferry made daily at 11:00AM. A cancellation message was sent to my phone telling me that due to bad weather conditions, the Taima ferry was cancelled. I turned on my iPhone and searched for any flight available for Matsu. Luckily, I found 2 flights available in the afternoon of the next day. I tried to book the earlier fight by filling out information on the tiny screen and pushed the next button on the webpage and it returned "lost internet connection" as the train was traveling at a speed of 300km/hour. I tried to call Uni-air directly to book the ticket and I lost the signal while listening to the machine recording as the train was passing through tunnels. By the time I finally got through, the earlier flight had been sold out and I had to settle for the last flight which departed from Taipei at 17:30. The next day I headed to the airport early and soon I found out that the flight to Nangan might be cancelled due to the bad weather. The staff told me that they might fly us to Beigan instead if the fog cleared out. So I waited patiently, then I heard an announcement calling passengers to Beigan to check-in at the counter. I was happy to know that I might be able to fly to Beigan after all, even though my accommodation reservation was in Nangan. Thirty minutes later another announcement was broadcast:" due to the bad weather, the flight to Nangan was cancelled, passengers to Nangan please report to the airline counter. " Out of desperation, I checked the Taima ferry website and found that the ferry was scheduled to sail at 22:50. I ran out of the airport and got on MRTs then transferred to a train to Keelung. By the time I got there, the room was filled with passengers and soldiers and I got the number 714 for purchasing the tickets! It was around 22:00 when I got the last ticket, first class, and set sail to the rugged open sea. After a night of being tossed up and down, left and right, the ferry finally made it to Dongyin island at 06:00.<br />
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I rented a motorcycle and started my adventure in Dongyin. The first challenge was steep mountain roads and to figure out if the sceneries were located in a military restriction area or not. Unlike Kinmen where most sceneries that are opened to the public are soldier free, in Matsu especially in Dongyin island, quite a few tourist attractions are still guarded by soldiers. Most of the time the soldiers would ask the purpose of your approach even before you see them and direct you to the destinations but there are always times when you don't know if you should march into barracks garrisoning by armed soldiers. By accident, I got clearance to a restricted area by filling out personal information and the view was picturesque. To me, the Dongyin island is like a military fortress and the civilians villages are gifts granted by the authority. Oddly enough, most of the military areas are foreigner restricted but the population of foreign domestic servants in Dongyin are so much higher than I expected. I saw no locals but the servants taking out their garbage when hearing the music of a garbage truck approaching. When night fell, I sat on the porch with a warm cup of tea, watching the fish boats in the harbor, listening to the occasional village broadcast that has been extinct in Taiwan for maybe 30 years, these were the true beauties of Dongyin island.<br />
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I was stuck in Dongyin for two days because of the <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.tw/2014/06/matsu-transportation.html" target="_blank">no sailing on Tuesday schedule of the Taima ferry</a>. The 2 and a half hour ride from Dongyin to Nangan was much smoother than it was from Keelung to Dongyin. To keep my deposit for the B&B reservation in Beigan, I took the very next boat from Nangan to Beigan and had the host to pick me up at the Beigan harbor. The B&B that I was staying in is a well preserved eastern Fujian style building made of wood and stones, located in Qinbi village. The Qinbi village has the best preserved eastern Fujian style buildings in all of Matsu and the renovated houses are B&B and cafe shops, a village of tourists and the weird part is that there is no restaurant in Qinbi village. The price for food in Matsu in general is much higher than in Tainan; the higher price for poultry, pork or beef is understandable, it is a remote islands after all, but seafood also, really?<br />
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All flight were cancelled before noon on the next day, my last day in Matsu. I took a boat back to Nangan and crossed my fingers hoping that my flight at 16:30 would be ok. Meanwhile, I took the chance to explore the island soon to be the first casino in Taiwan. One particular spot that I enjoyed the most was the <a href="http://www.furen.com.tw/" target="_blank">Furen Cafe</a>. Located at the north-west corner of Nangan island, the cafe house is also a B&B. Dutch drip coffee is highly recommended. Back to the airport, I was relieved knowing that my flight was on schedule, especially because the waiting list had more than 1,000 names on it. Three out of five islands were visited on this trip and no sign of blue tear (blue tide) was observed, this was my trip to Matsu.<br />
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More information:<br />
The official <a href="http://www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/" target="_blank">Matsu national scenic area website</a> has all kinds of information needed for a trip to Matsu in Chinese, English and Japanese.<br />
Motocycle rental in Matsu island is about NT$ 500/day, including a full tank of gasoline.<br />
Highly recommended restaurant in Beigan: <a href="https://plus.google.com/118133827035436654006/about?gl=tw&hl=en" target="_blank">Longhe eastern fujian restaurant</a> (龍和閩東風味館), reasonable price and taste good.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GdrPSO27ePo" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com131tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-89214551103552921142014-06-27T13:22:00.002+08:002014-06-27T13:37:25.920+08:00Matsu transportation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPncNkIrkji1J0UxulNbbHydUkZ71wdg7HOocnmVFqUfwk6vMasicr3U_Q18enzNeeQm-AQhPpGNrIDXdhZHDl4u9FWuUCQz_OQ_IxbMOm56r7RgpvYl4ATmdzNud04yAPhIQW/s1600/DSC_1984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPncNkIrkji1J0UxulNbbHydUkZ71wdg7HOocnmVFqUfwk6vMasicr3U_Q18enzNeeQm-AQhPpGNrIDXdhZHDl4u9FWuUCQz_OQ_IxbMOm56r7RgpvYl4ATmdzNud04yAPhIQW/s1600/DSC_1984.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
Planing a trip to Matsu was a lot more difficult than I would have imaged. There are 11 round-trip flight services operated by <a href="http://www.uniair.com.tw/">Uni-Air</a> as well as the Taima ferry operated by <a href="http://www.shinhwa.com.tw/">Shinhwa Navigation Corp.</a> that transports passengers between Taiwan and Matsu on a daily basis. It’s difficult to imagine that transportation could be an issue when planing a trip to Matsu.<br />
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Matsu is an archipelago of 36 islands and islets, among these islands, only Nangan (the main island of Matsu), Beigan, Dongyin, Xiju and Dongju islands are opened to tourists. There is no problem to hop around the islands by boat once you are in Matsu, except for Dongyin island. The only way to go to Dongyin island is by Taima ferry, of course you might consider to take a helicopter, and the schedule of Taima ferry during November to April could be a problem for travelers who wish to stay in Dongyin for just one day. On odd dates, the ferry embarks from keelung harbor and en route to Nangan then Dongyin and back to Keelung. On even dates, the ferry takes a different route to Dongyin first, then Nangan and back to Keelung. The ferry sets sail once a day at 22:50 from Keelung harbor and doesn’t operate on Tuesdays. It is very important to pay attention to the schedule to save traveling time if Dongyin is one of your destinations. Given the schedule, if you are smart enough to avoid to take the ferry on Monday then here are some scenarios:<br />
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<ol>
<li> Take the ferry on odd dates:
arrive in Dongyin at noon, and leave on the next day at 06:00 (only half day for the trip and have to sleep over for 1 night) or take the ferry in 2 and a half days later at 06:00 ( sleep over: 3 nights). </li>
<li>Take the ferry on even dates:
arrive in Dongyin at 06:00 and leave the island 2 days later at 06:00 (sleep over: 2 nights) </li>
</ol>
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There is no way to pull off a full day trip only in Dongyin during November to April. However, during May to October, the schedule changes to odd dates, the ferry goes to Dongyin first, then Nangan and back to Dongyin and finally back to Keelung; the even dates remain unchanged. This schedule makes a trip to Dongyin island much more flexible.<br />
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Taima Ferry ticketing service:<br />
<ol>
<li>Make a reservation: Passengers can reserve tickets up to 7 days in advance by <a href="https://order.shinhwa.com.tw/Web/Order.aspx">internet</a> (00:00-16:00 daily; ) or by phone (08:30-17:00, 886-2-24246868 for Keelung office; 10:00-17:00, 886-836-26655 for Nangan office; and 14:00-17:00, 886-836-77555 for Beigan office). Be aware, unless you have a Taiwanese ID number, the internet booking system won't accept ARC ID or passport numbers. You can ask the host of your B&B to book the tickets for you when you are on the islands.</li>
<li>Purchase ticket and checkin: The Keelung office opens for number drawing at 17:30. With a reservation or not, passengers must take a number and follow the call for purchasing the tickets. With a reservation, take the number from the smaller number machine; take the number from a bigger number machine if you didn't make a reservation. Between 20:00-21:30, the staff start selling tickets to those who made reservations. For those who didn't make reservations they can start purchasing tickets at 21:30. The boarding starts at 21:30. </li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>*All schedules depend on weather conditions, and may change accordingly. In case of inclement weather, sailing announcements made daily at 11:00AM. Check the website for schedule chances (<a href="http://www.shinhwa.com.tw/">http://www.shinhwa.com.tw</a>).</i></blockquote>
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Except for Taima ferry, boats that commute between Nangan and Juguang (Dongju and Xiju) also change routes on a monthly basis. In principle, the boat will dock at Xiju first in odd months then Dongju in even months. Checking with the operator to confirm the schedule is advised.<br />
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Other information:<br />
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The <a href="http://www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/">Matsu National Scenic Area website</a> has a detailed <a href="http://www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/User/Flight-Info.aspx?oid=0&a=471&l=2">transportation information</a>. Also, <a href="http://www.matsu-nsa.gov.tw/Backpacker/Article.aspx?a=383">this interactive animated map</a> (Chinese only) shows transportation between Taiwan and Matsu (left button on the top), between Matsu islands (middle button on the top) and the bus routes on Beigan (top) and Nangan (bottom) (right button on the top).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-11612051243678256522014-03-24T20:57:00.000+08:002014-06-27T18:26:27.607+08:00Xiangshan Cycling RouteCycling used to serve one purpose and one purpose only: a means of transportation, especially for students in the early days in Taiwan. Nowadays, cycling is becoming the most popular sport/activity for leisure. While lots of cities in Taiwan are working on building a cycling friendly city by planning bike routes and relevant infrastructures for cyclists, the road 21甲 in Nantou County had been chosen as <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/play/10-best-cycling-routes-world-902676">one of the 10 breathtaking cycling routes in the world on CNN</a> by Tim Cheung in 2012. One can circumnavigate the largest lake, Sun Moon Lake, in Taiwan and enjoy the nature and turquoise water in a half day ride. The route also connects 4 temples, 4 piers, 8 stunning walking trails, 1 Thao aboriginal village and the Toushe basin where the ground bounces like a water bed.<br />
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There are 2 cycling routes built along the lake, Xiangshan cycling route (Xiangshan tourist information center to Sheishr, 3km) and Moon lake cycling route (Syuanguang temple to Moon lake, 4km), to separate the cyclists from cars and buses and one Toushe cycling route (1km) leads to the smallest reservoir in Taiwan at the Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area. Xiangshan cycling route is probably the most beautiful and the easiest access route for cycling around Sun Moon Lake. The only bicycle rental in Xiangshan is the Xiangshan bike rental and recreation plaza, which is on the other side of the road. The price for renting a regular bile is NT$100/hour.<br />
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Bird's eye view of the cycling route from the Xiangshan tourist information center</div>
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Man made sandy beach and little park </div>
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Bridge over the turquoise water</div>
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Pavilion</div>
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Land mark of Sun Moon Lake</div>
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Overflow control (sky well)<br />
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Bike trail over the lake </div>
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and into the lush</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-44448672037201960962014-03-19T23:07:00.000+08:002014-06-27T18:26:49.381+08:00Yushan starry concertThe Yushan Starry Concert has been held for the 5th time this year at the Luona Elementary School in Xinyi village of Nantou county. The demography of Luona village is mostly composed of the Bunun tribe, that is well known for their homorhythmic chords and fanfare melodies. As most of the villagers would never have the chance to step into the National Theater and Concert Hall in their lifetime to enjoy a high quality music, the principle of Luona elementary school, Peter Ma, started an ambitious project in 2010. Instead of bringing villagers to the National Theater and Concert Hall, why not bring the concert to the tribe so that all the villagers can enjoy the music at ease? Hence the highest altitude music concert in Taiwan.<br />
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I participated in the concert last year and was impressed by the high quality of the performances and the fact that all staff of the organization were volunteers, some of them even flew back to Taiwan from America to put out such a wonderful show. Last year the theme was focused on tribal music, this year a variety of musical styles elevated the performance once again. The Dong Guang choir brought the famous homorhythmic chords of transitional <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwd6RO-YH00&list=UUOmY5rle9QyYSEIH_6CH6UQ">Pasibutbut</a>, an eight part harmonic signing. The crystal clear sound of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/voxnativausa">Vox Nativa chorus</a>, the local native children's choir directed by school Principal Peter Ma, gave me goose bumps. The group '<a href="http://blog.perfectmatch.tw/">Perfect Match</a>' brought a Taiwan style broadway show to the stage. There was also an amazing piano performance from a blind pianist, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smA_72SE2Oc">Huang Yu Shiang (黃裕翔)</a>, who also starred in an autobiographical movie "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E3xIArRYis">Touch of the Light (逆光飛翔)</a>" in 2012. There was also a performance from the '<a href="http://www.kcc.org.tw/">Guang Ching Chorus</a>' a group of disabled singer. And finally a wonderful performance by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc96uI5tTVI">Bolivian group Anka Phaway</a> 'the Eagles', all for free under the starry night at the foothills of Jade mountain. <br />
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This concert is held every spring (around March), for more information visit the website: <a href="http://voxnativa.org/">http://voxnativa.org</a><br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F5991913797529140497%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-7797263440543285942013-11-30T14:28:00.000+08:002013-11-30T14:30:06.879+08:00Shanghai<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks to the increasing number of cross-strait direct flights, Shanghai is only 2 hours away from Taipei, at a reasonable price. With its "free Taiwan High Speed Rail round-trip ticket package" offer, China Eastern Air was the cheapest airline I could find, and with no surprise, the price reflected on their online booking system and customer service. I saw a value joint-way package on their website which offered Taoyuan/Shanghai round-trip tickets plus 25% off round-trip tickets for Taiwan High Speed Rail plus free round-trip tickets for high speed trains departing from Shanghai to various cities in China. I couldn’t get the details from their website so I called to inquire and I got the answer: “contact any travel agency”. I went to the liontravel and no one knew what the deal was about and they had to call a senior manager to find out. The travel agent first told me that in order to get the value joint-way package the airfare had to be at lease R class and the departure of high speed train had to be on the same day of my flights, then he showed me the price: airplane tickets: NT$14000 which I could get it online for NT$9000 (Z class), and the so called “free” high speed train would cost me NT$1000 to Suzhou (one-way) and the price was only CNY$ 39.5 (less than NT$200). I thanked him for the effort and tried to book the tickets online. After filling out the information needed I clicked the submit bottom and it returned an error message with no indication of which step the error occurred. I called the customer service and told them the problem, a moment later, she told me that she had tried it and confirmed the booking website worked with IE browser but not with google chrome. I told her that I had tried firefox, safari, opera and IE, none of the browsers worked for me. I asked if they could book the flight for me but they refused and gave me a solution, “contact any travel agency”.<br />
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My first night's hotel in Shanghai was the Manhattan Bund Business Hotel, 5 min walking distance from the Bund, and I loved and hated the location at the same time. The hotel’s entrance is on the Dianchi road, the road I would think twice before walking in after the nightfall. Before I got in the hotel a man walked toward me and solicited; after checking in the room, I was tailed by a different man on my way to the Bund; a third man came to me on my way back to the hotel, offering me a list of girls from different provinces of China for a memorable night in Shanghai. No matter how I expressed firmly that I was not interested, he just wouldn’t give up. Finally, he slowed down his pace and giving up on me, I let my guard down and broke into a smile on my face, somehow that almost undetectable smile worked like a charm, the guy speeded up again and the other guys started approaching. I fled back to my hotel and locked myself in for the rest of the night.<br />
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Shanghai has a vast metro network that makes it easy to move around the city most of the time but taking the metro was a challenge for me. No mater where my position was in a line, I always ended up the last one to get on the train. In fact, there was no queue whenever a train approached. People fought to get in the train before passengers could get off and the fight didn’t stop until any tiny sitting space was taken. One day, on a train, I saw an old lady with a handful of bags who had spotted a seat when she got on, while she was unloading her bags on the floor in front of the seat, two teenagers rushed in and seized the seat and almost knocked over the old lady in the process. I witnessed the whole thing taking place in less than 5 seconds and no commotion was raised; no one gave a damn about it; the teens sat happily playing with their phones as if nothing had happened and even the old lady seemed to get used to this situation and was OK with it. Despite the massive transportation coverage, I found it’s weird sometimes, the way they plan the transportation network, especially in the Bund and new Pudong area. Bund and the new Pudong area are separated by the Huangpu river and connected by subways, ferries and tunnels. Subway and ferry need detours to the stations making the bund tourist sightseeing tunnel the easiest and the fastest way to go from one side to another, but that costs CNY$50/70, one-way/round-trip! I guess it is as Fili put it: “a perfect example for pulling off quirky tourist trap”.<br />
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East Nanjing road is one of many shopping streets in Shanghai, I am not a shopping aficionado but as people say “you haven’t seen shanghai if you don’t visit the East Nanjing road”, so I went and tried to cultivate some senses for shopping. It’s a pedestrian boulevard with department stores, outlets and exotic restaurants in the modern tall buildings on both sides. The crowd made the 28 meter wide boulevard feel like a byway, I could barely walk when groups of talented locals spread out in dance formation as their routine exercise which somehow attracted quiet a bit audience. Walking down the street I had the craving for ice cream, I went into a MacDonald's located in the basement and ordered an ice cream. The staff said something to me but I couldn’t catch her for the first time because of the accent, so she repeated it with additional bunches of other sentences. All I heard was the ice cream half price, I felt embarrassed and had to bear with the look as if I was a retarded and asked her to speak slowly. This time I understood what she was saying: went up to the first floor to get ice cream, and the second ice cream was half price. I didn’t notice there was a shop on the first floor on my way down, I went upstairs skeptically and there it was, a tiny window in the corner sold only ice cream. I went to the booth and before I made my order the staff repeated their promotion slogan “ice cream, half price for the second ice cream”, I ordered an ice cream and she replied: “we have no ice cream”.<br />
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The cultivation of the daylily in Taiwan is mostly concentrated in eastern regions, Hualien and Taitung counties. There are two famous daylily mountains in Hualien county; the Chike mountain (赤科山) in Yuli township and the Liushidan mountain (六十石山) in Fuli township. Chike mountain is named after the Chike trees (Mori oak, Quercus morii) planted by the japanese during the japanese colonial era. There are 3 versions of how Liushidan mountain got its name and the authenticity of the tales aren’t identifiable. The first tale, the most popular one, tells the story of the farmers who were impressed by the great productivity of grains (60 dan/hectare; 1dan=100 liter) and named it Liushidan mountain (60 dan mountain). The second tale is the opposite of the first one, at the beginning of cultivation, the farmers only harvested 60 dan of crops in the whole mountain in one season and the 3rd tale is that there are 60 big rocks in the mountain. <br />
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In the Liushidan mountain valley, an Amei tribe called Talampo is the first cultivation recorded in this area. The tribe also called this place "The land that is never touched by the Sun" and they are known as the "Dark Tribe" because the area is surrounded by tall mountains with no electricity supply until recently. During the japanese colonial era, the japanese cut down camphor trees in the mountains to make camphor and railway ties. After most of the trees were cut, a local man transformed it into a farm and grew military related crops. After world war II, a general named Chang Xiechung requested for the right to cultivate the land as a retirement plan for his soldiers and named it Fuxin farm. The farm closed down in 8-9 years as the soldiers became too old to work in the field. In 1959, a catastrophic flood , August 7th flood, devastated several counties in western Taiwan, the refugees, especially from Yunlin county, settled down in this area and grew rice for living. Daylily has better tolerance to drought and requires little care, making it an even better crop to grow in the rocky mountains and soon after, the daylily plantations were thriving in Hualien and Taitung. The dazzling color attracts tourists from all over Taiwan every year in August and September, and the Hualien government made deals with local farmers, instead of harvesting the flowers, up to 70 hectares of daylily plantations were reserved for tourism purposes in Hualien in 2013 alone.<br />
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I called almost every B&B in Liushidan mountain to book a room two months before my trip, and only one of them had a vacancy on Friday night. I took it and made my 3-day itinerary using the itinerary optimizer in the <a href="http://tour.taitung.gov.tw/en-us/Home/Index">Taitung tourism website</a> (<a href="http://tour.taitung.gov.tw/en-us/DiscoverTaitung/TravelTips/App">app available for free download</a>). Two weeks before the trip, two typhoons invaded Taiwan, Trami first then followed by Kong-Rey. The typhoon warning for Kong-Rey was lifted on August 29th, one day before my trip. Despite the pouring rain in west-south Taiwan, I got on the train and headed to Taitung as scheduled. It was fortunate that it was rainless in eastern Taiwan on the first day of my trip, until the night fell. The next morning, while I was trying to find my way to a pavilion in the rainy and foggy mountain, I got a phone call from my sister who was supposed to follow my footsteps to the Liushidan mountain telling me that a train derailed because of a landslide, she was stuck in Fangliao train station waiting for further instructions. Later on, she was sent back to Tainan on the same train and the South Link railway was closed. Given the fact that the rain in Taidong wasn’t so heavy and it was on and off from time to time, I didn’t give it too much though and kept enjoying being lost in the fog and then amazed by the picturesque scenery when the fog faded away.<br />
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Back in Taitung City, the news about the South Link network was broadcast on every news channel and it wasn’t expected to be able to resume operation within 3 days. I went to Taitung train station to confirm my train and found a poster stating that the backup system was implemented: shuttle buses to traffic passengers from/ to Dawu and Fangliao stations to bypass the landslide section. I was told to take my train as scheduled, but I got to the station earlier and found chaos in the lobby. A few South Link trains were canceled; a few trains were delayed for at least two hours and the staff was broadcasting of how to get a refund or take other trains and the worst, LED displays in the station were malfunctioning. Luckily my train wasn't canceled, with the help of staff I got on the train with a group of Tzechi volunteers whose train was canceled. We all knew that we were going to take shuttle buses from Dawu to Fangliao but no one knew if there was a train waiting for us or we should just take whatever train available in Fangliao station. After 90 mins on the windy mountain road, I almost tasted my lunch for the second time, I boarded a new train and returned safely.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=205268651195809732756.0004e62b94f1e4025d864&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=23.220603,121.309447&spn=0.013804,0.021458&z=15&output=embed" width="530"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=205268651195809732756.0004e62b94f1e4025d864&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=m&ll=23.220603,121.309447&spn=0.013804,0.021458&z=15&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Liushidan Mountain B&B</a> in a larger map</small>
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Day 1<br />
Train No. 301 Departing from Tainan at 06:23; arriving Taitung at 09:33<br />
Rent a car at 10:00 <br />
Provincial Highway 9 to Liushidan mountain<br />
Stopping by Chulu Ranch, Wuling Green Tunnel, Mr. Brown Avenue, Dapo Pond<br />
Accommodation: one of the B&Bs in Liushidan mountain<br />
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Day 2<br />
Provincial Highway 30 connects Provincial Highway 9 and 11<br />
Drive down to Taitung via Provincial Highway 11<br />
Stoping by Nanrenshi, Shihyusan, Sansiantai, Donghe Bridge Scenic Area, Water Flowing Upwards, Taitung Railway Art Village, Water fountain show at National Museum of Prehistory at 20:00<br />
Accommodation: yeshotel<br />
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Day 3<br />
Siaoyeliou for sunrise, Biking in Taitung Forest Park and Paposogan (Seashore Park) <br />
Train No. 754 departing from Taitung at 16:00; arriving Tainan at 20:08Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-78264200339342778552013-05-27T20:08:00.000+08:002013-12-10T17:58:53.767+08:00Prepaid card with 3G internet service in TaiwanModern technology changes the living styles of people in so many ways including tourism. I used to buy a lonely planet, print out local map and the metro/bus map before a trip and now I just take a smartphone with me. I can find points of interest and directions to it on google map; I can search events near me on the days I am staying and rearrange my itinerary if the weather forecast isn’t in favor of my original plan; I can even translate German into English so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. However, as powerful as a smartphone can be, it is crippled without a 3G internet support as most people wouldn’t pay for the outrageous international data roaming fee when traveling abroad. Even though, you can probably get free wifi access in your hotel and coffee shops, it falls short on the go. I list the 3 best known telecommunication service companies in Taiwan and guides to how to apply for a prepaid card with 3G internet service.<br />
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First, due to the government regulation, you need to provide passport and a secondary ID in order to apply for a prepaid card in Taiwan. The secondary ID could be a Visa, Tourist Visa, international student card, entry permit issued by Taiwan National Immigration Agency or an official photo ID of the applicant such as Social Security Card, Identity Card, or Driver's License, etc.<br />
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The second step is to select a company to purchase a prepaid card from. Now the question is of which company you should pick. The 3 best known telecommunication companies in Taiwan are Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and Far Eastone. Let’s take a look of the signal reception: Chunghwa telecom was the only company that provided telecommunication service before 1996 in Taiwan, it has the best infrastructure built around the islands, as a result it has the best reception in rural areas or islands in Taiwan. The signal reception in cities among the 3 companies have no difference. You can compare the signal reception on this website: <a href="http://freqgis.ncc.gov.tw/pub_new/PublicMap.aspx">http://freqgis.ncc.gov.tw/pub_new/PublicMap.aspx</a><br />
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Except for the quality of signal reception, phone rate is another important factor of choosing a phone company. I listed 3G airtime rates and internet plans of 3 companies below:<br />
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3G airtime rates</div>
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3G wireless internet plans</div>
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Packages </div>
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You can choose a package that fits your itinerary based on the information above. Among the 3 telecoms, Taiwan Mobile is the only one that doesn't provide 3G internet only (no calls) service. Basically, apply to all 3 telephone companies, you have to deposit some money to a 3G prepaid card for airtime and if you need 3G internet service, you can subscribe to an unlimited data usage plan and deduct the money from your deposit, directly. You can use your remaining credits for airtime as long as your prepaid card is within
the valid period. However, there is an expiry date for prepaid cards which is 180
days from the date of last recharge. To recharge your prepaid card, you can go to any convenience store (Including 7-11, Hi-Life, OK Mart, and Family Mart) or the telecom offices in Taiwan.</div>
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So how to subscribe? Have your IDs ready, fill up the form, deposit some money and that's it. Chunghwa Telecom is the only one that offers online reservation and detailed information regarding the products and terms of use, in English: <a href="https://123.cht.com.tw/webecss/PrePaidCard/Introenus.aspx">https://123.cht.com.tw/webecss/PrePaidCard/Introenus.aspx</a>. One thing to keep in mind if you make the reservation online, is that you have to pick up your prepaid card at the Chunghwa Telecom kiosks in the airports listed in the website and their opening hours are usually 08:00-21:00 daily. The best place of purchasing a prepaid card is the international airports as some packages are only sold exclusively there and the staff are familiar with various secondary IDs provided by foreign travelers which might be rejected in a local office. So, if your arrival time permits, stop by the counters of the 3 companies and subscribe your prepaid card. Or you can go to any service office in Taiwan to do so.<br />
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Service location:<br />
Chunghwa Telecom: <a href="http://www.cht.com.tw/portal/en/Location">http://www.cht.com.tw/portal/en/Location</a><br />
Taiwan Mobile: <a href="http://english.taiwanmobile.com/english/customer/serviceLocations.html">http://english.taiwanmobile.com/english/customer/serviceLocations.html</a><br />
Far Eastone (Chinese only): <a href="http://www.fetnet.net/cs/Satellite/eCare/ShopCenter">http://www.fetnet.net/cs/Satellite/eCare/ShopCenter</a><br />
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PS: <b>iTaiwan Government Indoor Public Area Free WiFi Access</b> is available to foreign visitors:
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
you can present your passport or entry permit (for Mainland China residents) at a Travel Service Center located at any major airports, train stations or mass rapid transit (MRT) stations in Taiwan and give the service personnel your e-mail address. After the service personnel applies for an account number for you, you can use the account number to access the Internet at any major indoor public area in Taiwan free of charge.</blockquote>
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Or you can simply go to the <b>Taipei-free public Wi-Fi</b> (TPE free wifi) website and register an account with your native mobile phone number. The TPE free wifi account can be used to log onto iTaiwan service. Have fun!<br />
<a href="https://www.tpe-free.tw/tpe/tpe_step1_en.aspx">https://www.tpe-free.tw/tpe/tpe_step1_en.aspx </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com124tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-34060560430546662162013-02-19T22:23:00.001+08:002013-06-04T11:43:17.050+08:00On the route 21Namasia, the name resonates in my ears, it might sound meaningless to outsiders but the exotic phonetics of the name intrigues me. Located in the mountainous area of Kaohsiung, Namasia district is part of the Yushan range (the jade mountain) with two rivers, Cishan or Nanzihsian river and Laonong river, running through. The demographics of the area is mostly Bunun, with Tsou and Paiwan as substantial minorities. The bureaucratic old name "Sanmin", taken from Sun Yat-Sen's "Three Principle of People", was re-placed with Namasia in 2008, as it is the name of the Nanzihsian river in the Tsou language, meaning "better and better" in Bunun.<br />
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My first visit to Namasia was following <a href="http://richmatheson.photoshelter.com/">Rich</a>'s lead, participating in one of the Bunun tribal festivals, <a href="http://www.chinapost.com.tw/travel/detail.asp?onNews=&GRP=g&id=87120">Malatangia: Coming of Age</a>, in 2012. I was amazed by the majestic scenery when driving on the temporary roads and bridges. The devastating typhoon Morakot in 2009 brought rainfall that equaled the annual amount in 3 days and destroyed the major access road, route 21, and mountains in the area. The most heart breaking news was that the whole Hsiaolin village, 169
households, was engulfed by a landslide, causing 398 lives lost. Driving along the river bank on these temporary roads and bridges that were built on fallen rock debris, with the crumbling mountains in sight, the impression could humble the most proud man by the presence of mother nature.<br />
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I visited Rich in Namasia during the 2013 lunar new year's holiday, the route 21 was partially fixed and survivors from Hsiaolin village were translocated to a newly built modern community. A memorial park was built at the original site of Hsiaolin village, where all 169 households were labeled in miniature. It all seems like a bright future awaits, sad still but hopeful. The road in between the memorial park and Namasia is still a mess, it's even worse than I remember from my last visit. Apparently a rage water washed away these temporary bridges and foundations. Hopefully they will repair the roads so other people can enjoy the rugged beauty of its nature.<br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F5846614709134614817%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="513" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="513"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-11150776650405023412013-02-17T16:28:00.001+08:002013-06-04T11:43:28.634+08:00Mt. Zion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The word Zion makes people think of the Bible, Jerusalem, novels, or maybe movies like the "Matrix". In the mountainous area of the Hsiaolin District in Kaohsiung, a mountain was crowned "Holy Mt. Zion", and for believers, the mountain there is as sacred as Jerusalem or even more. "Holy Mt. Zion" engraved on a colossal rock, cherub statues watch over the visitors at the entrance, well maintained infrastructures and the stupendous scenery, Mt. Zion stands out from its neighbors: the crumbling mountains and roads that were destroyed by the devastating typhoon Morakot in 2009. I didn't know what to expect in the Mt. Zion, but the last thing I expected was the hatred that ruled/rooted in this Eden. Posters, TV, and preaching were all about the evil nature of the Kuomintang Party (KMT) and how the prophet and his followers were persecuted in the past. I had the feeling that I was walking into a Falundafa's protest venue. To get to know the history better I went to their museum and talked to a guide. Here is the brief of their story.<br />
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Elijah Hong, the prophet as they claimed to be, came to this mountain known originally as Shuanglianku<span style="background-color: white; color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: -webkit-left;"> </span>in 1963 and started to practice a living style as a farmer and worshiped Jesus Christ. In 1980, the KMT plundered the land and ousted the people as this land was chosen as the graveyard for the president, Jingguo Jiang. In the following 7 years, they camped on the river side at the feet of the mountain trying to fight KMT under the martial law and finally they won the battle and returned to Zion. They rebuilt their homestead and started organic agricultue transforming Zion into Eden.<br />
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I sympathize with what happened to them 30 years ago and I admire their courage and perseverance but what I can't understand is that in the name of God these people can't let go of the past and allow hatred to overshadow the central idea of what the prophet was told, turning the Holy Mt. Zion into an outpost against the KMT. During my brief stay, all I saw and heard was how they focused on demonizing the KMT instead of preaching their beliefs regardless of the time that has moved forward more than 3 decades. The past can not be forgotten but could be forgiven, in the name of God, I hope they find their inner peace.<br />
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cherub statues </center>
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City of David </center>
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Holy temple </center>
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Tree house </center>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-73408886983517074732012-11-19T19:03:00.000+08:002013-06-04T11:43:49.030+08:00Kenting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kenting is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Taiwan. I still remember the sore on my butt from sitting too long on a motorcycle from riding to the beaches years ago. It was the time when spring scream was just a few amateur bands improvising on one stage and I could pay NT$200 for a beer and a spot in a tent to crash overnight. I used to love the atmosphere of freedom and relaxation of white sandy beaches, blue ocean and sky; Kenting emitted this exotic illusion that lured me back every year. Like every tourist hot spot, Kenting became unbearably crowded on weekends and throughout the summer vacation, so I changed my visit to dreadful winter time when the sky is usually gray and the water too cold to jump in. The inspirational spring scream became the biggest music festival in southern Taiwan, and it was up to me to improvise, to be able to find a way in and find a place to stay overnight. I'd forgotten how beautiful this place could be until my latest trip to Kenting in early October. The weather was great: the sunlight was sparkling on the white coral sand, compromising the cobalt blue sky and ocean. The wind wasn’t too strong to stand still, just enough to attract surfers. The temperature wasn’t melting hot as it was in summer nor too cold to get in the water and best of all was that the summer crowd was fading away so I could enjoy the beaches and streets at my leisure.<br />
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I was planning to get up early and go to Jialeshuei for sunrise but the drizzle at night and my cozy room kept me in bed until the noise from a construction site nearby woke me up. Looking out from my balcony, the stunning blue sky and ocean made every penny I paid for the room worth it. Jialeshuei is famous for its various weird shaped rocks that were eroded by the sea. It puzzles me that administrations of these kinds of tourist attractions in Taiwan try so hard to visualize the rocks with some animals or even genital and preach to the tourists. I could correlate some of the rocks with the animals they said but sometimes I would have to pretend that I got the pictures so they would move on.
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White sand beaches are jewels of Kenting, the sky and ocean wouldn’t be as blue if it wasn’t for the white sand. Except for naturists, everyone could probably find a beach that fits and spend a half day there. Nanwan (south bay beach) has the most water activities provided in the area; shiaowan (small bay) has a beach bar operated by the Caesar park hotel, providing luxurious indulgence; baisha bay (white sandy shore) is the top choice for campers, and Jialeshuei, supposedly, is good for surfing as it was the venue of the 2012 international surfing contest and I never knew there is a sandy beach in Jialeshuei until this trip. I spent a beautiful afternoon at Nanwan seeing people playing football, jumping in the water and enjoying it so much that it made me actually join in even though I can’t swim.<br />
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More info:<br />
<a href="http://www.ktnp.gov.tw/eng/">Kenting National Park</a>: the official kenting national park website<br />
<a href="http://uukt.idv.tw/">UU Kenting</a>: probably the most useful website for Kenting, Chinese only<br />
If you have more time in Kenting, sign up <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.tw/2011/11/night-in-aquarium.html">a night in the aquarium</a>, highly recommended.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-35737892300751412152012-06-18T23:48:00.001+08:002014-06-27T18:27:17.100+08:00Wang Yeh Boat Burning Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The custom of Wang Yeh boat worshiping, is one of the most unique folk beliefs in southern China and Taiwan. It's a ritual for expelling plagues and death. Given the high humidity and temperatures, southern China used to be the epicenter of diseases and was regarded as a plague rampant region. Due to underdeveloped medical knowledge, people didn't know the cause or how to treat patients; fear toward unknown epidemics was then left for the spiritual realm to deal with by worship. After worshiping the spirits that spread plagues, the spirits were invited on board a boat made out of paper and sent out to sea which symbolizes sending the plague and evil away to bring health and peace back to the local residents. The wind and sea currents drifted the boats of 'evil' circulating around
southern China, Taiwan and Penghu. Anywhere one of these boats might drift into , residents would have to pick up the boat and 'treat' the evil spirits before building a boat and sending them on their way. <br />
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Over time, with the improvement of sanitary conditions, the progress of medication and the development of civilization, plagues were no
longer rampant in the area and the spirits of plagues were transformed into deities of plague, also known as Wang Yeh, who inspect the good and evil of people and punished the bad by spreading pestilence. These inspections are known as 'inspections on behalf of heaven' (代天巡狩 daitian xunshou)<i></i> and the meaning of building a boat was changed from expelling plague and death to sending the deities back to heaven from their inspections on behalf of heaven, hopefully taking disease and calamity with them. The practice was evolved from "sending the boat to an open sea and drift it away" to "set fire to the boat and rise with ashes to heaven".<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="298" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8uLNXc0628M" width="530"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-15149738734860769402012-05-21T22:29:00.000+08:002013-06-04T11:44:21.924+08:00SitgesAt first I wasn't sure about the trip to Sitges even though it was highly recommended by the locals I had met in Barcelona. On my way to <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2012/05/sant-jordi-and-montblanc.html">Montblanc</a> as the train was passing by Sitges, my interest for the town was aroused by the surrounding rocky mountains and the shimmering Baleanic sea. I bought the ticket and jumped on a train at Passeig de Gràcia, following the instructions of the lady who sold me the ticket. Soon, I was panicking as I realized that the destination of the train was St. Vincenç de Calders. I got off the train at the next station, Barcelona Sants, and looked for a platform that showed Sitges but I couldn't find any. The next train to St. Vincenç de Calders arrived, I asked an old lady boarding the train whether the train stopped at Sitges and she nodded bewilderingly so I got on the train skeptically. Thirty minutes later the train stopped at Sitges.<br />
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It was a sunny day, a perfect day out for beach activities but the water was too cold and that helped to keep people away from the gorgeous beaches and created a perfect bio-distance for me: not too crowded yet you could still see people sun bathing, surfing, playing volleyball, playing guitar, practicing macaco and sailing. The mild heat in the air radiating from the sun contrasted with the freezing cold from the sea, it was an interesting oxymoronic sensation. Sitges has no famous architecture like Sagrada Familia nor museums like Picasso or Milo in <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2012/05/barcelona.html">Barcelona</a> but the atmosphere of the town was cozy and relaxing. The houses gave me deja vu feelings; whitewashed walls, blue windows and shimmering water in the distance at the foot of the hilly town, I wondered, does this mediterranean style truly have magic soothing power or have we just been brain washed by the images of Greece?<br />
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Useful website:<br />
<a href="http://www.sitges-tourist-guide.com/">http://www.sitges-tourist-guide.com/</a><br />
Everything you need to know about Sitges<br />
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<a href="http://www.monbus.cat/?lang=en/">http://www.monbus.cat/?lang=en/ </a><br />
Buses every 30 minutes from Sitges to the BCN airport terminal 1 for 5.60 Euro (3.6+2tax)<br />
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it takes about 25 minutes from Sitges to the airport. </div>
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<a href="http://sitgestur.cat/turismo_barcelona/index.php">http://sitgestur.cat/turismo_barcelona/index.php</a></div>
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Official tourism info website (no English)</div>
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F5737389627383125169%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-86126414825867120932012-05-17T21:13:00.001+08:002013-06-04T11:44:35.232+08:00Sant Jordi and Montblanc<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saint George's day (<i>La Diada de Sant Jordi</i>), also known as the day of the rose (<i>El dia de la Rosa</i>) or the day of the book (<i>El dia del Llibre)</i>, is Catalunya valentine's day (El dia de los enamorados, the day of lovers) held on April 23rd. Legend has it that there was a dragon destroying crops and killing stocks and people in Montblanc. The villagers came out with a solution to get the temporary peace by sacrificing a girl everyday to the dragon. One day, the princess was sent to the sacrificial altar as scheduled and a knight, Sant Jordi, rescued her and slaughtered the dragon. The blood of the dragon became red roses and Sant Jordi presented the rose to the princess and they lived happily ever after. Sant Jordi was recognized as a patron saint in Catalunya and his death was memorized by the tradition that men give their lovers a red rose on his death anniversary. The romantic story passed on for centuries and April 23rd is the valentine's day celebrated in Catalunya instead of February 14th. April 23rd is also marked as the world book and copyright day by UNESCO in 1995, given the fact that it is <span class="st">William Shakespeare's death </span>anniversary. A rose to the woman, a book to the man, streets filled with rose and book stalls on April 23rd (especially on La Rambla), and men give a red rose along with a wheat-ear (symbol of fertility) to their lovers and women give their men a book for return. You can feel the influence of Sant Jordi everywhere in Catalunya; Sant Jordi's cross on the flag of Barcelona, the badge of Barcelona football team, the sculpture on the <span class="st">facet of Palau de la Música Catalana and even on the roof of </span>Casa Batllo, Gaudi depicted the story of Sant Jordi slaughtering the dragon.<br />
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Sant Jordi day is one of the most important holidays celebrated in Catalunya. On this day, Ayuntamiento de Barcelona<span class="st"> and Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya on Placa Sant Jaume in Barcelona are opened to the public. One hundred kilometers away, a medieval festival is held in Montblanc where the legend of Sant Jordi took place. </span><a href="http://www.setmanamedieval.org/">Setmana Medieval de Montblanc </a> is a festival that devotes
an entire week to celebrate a variety of events centered on life in
medieval Catalunya and the figure of Sant Jordi. The whole town put on medieval costumes, they organized various events such as medieval market where you can see blacksmith forging swords in traditional way, medieval fight, open air performances, medieval parade, Catalan courts and the representation of the legend of Sant Jordi. You can even join the party representing some of the characters like noble, clergy, servant... if you can participate in the whole event and their rehearsals.<br />
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There are 5 trains going to Montblanc from Barcelona everyday, the journey takes about 2 hours. Schedule refers to: <a href="http://www.renfe.com/">http://www.renfe.com/</a> <br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F5737381500831827265%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-48850289309240574192012-05-16T23:10:00.001+08:002013-06-04T11:45:34.047+08:00BarcelonaI had seen Antonio Gaudi´s architecture; tasted tapas, paella and churros
& chocolate; listened to Xavier Coll´s espanya guitar in <span class="fO">Santa Maria de Pi</span>; smelled the fragrance of roses on Sant Jordi day and orange blossoms at Hospital de Sant Pau; touched
the freezing cold water in <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2012/05/sitges.html">Sitges</a>. With all 5 senses contented, I found myself falling in love with Catalunya so I started listening to <span class="st"><i>Pablo Alborán</i></span>'s CD, following Spain related blogs, trying to replicate the taste of paella..., to slow down the feeling slipping away.<br />
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Before the trip, I heard my friends commenting on my trip with a tone of envy and jealousy: you must see Gaudi's architecture! I answered: 'of course, that's the highlight of Barcelona', but the truth was I thought Gaudi was a place or a style of architecture. My first Gaudi experience was Sagrada Familia, the one building that he spent most of his life working on as an architect and is still under construction after his death. "It can't be a basilica!" that was the first impression I had for Sagrada Familia, despite the fact that its exterior looks like one. The doors are not traditional wooden/bronze doors; they are more like doors you would see in some kind of contemporary art museum, emblazoned with 3 D bronze words with a few key words gilded. The interior is as solemn as all cathedrals, however, the bright ambient lighting and avant-garde sculptures distinct Sagrada Familia from other basilicas. Blazing colors cascade on pillars and the floor through stained glass, imagining the pillars as tree trunks branching out and up to the flowers on the ceiling, Gaudi transfigured a building into a forest that changes colors as the sun moves. "The straight line belongs to Man; the curved line belongs to God", given this idea of Gaudi, I wonder why the building dedicated to the Saint family feels less "curvy" than his other works like <span class="st"><i>Casa Batlló</i></span> and <span class="st"><i>Casa Milà (La Pedrera</i></span>). One thing for sure is that you will never find a basilica like Sagrada Familia anywhere else.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Vicens" title="Casa Vicens">Casa Vicens</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Familia" title="Sagrada Familia">Sagrada Familia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_G%C3%BCell" title="Park Güell">Parc Güell</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_G%C3%BCell" title="Palau Güell">Palau Güell</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Calvet" title="Casa Calvet">Casa Calvet</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Mil%C3%A0" title="Casa Milà">Casa Milà</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Batll%C3%B3" title="Casa Batlló">Casa Batlló</a> are highlights of Gaudi's design in Barcelona. Casa Calvet is now a restaurant and Gaudi's first building, Case Vicens, is closed and entrusted to <a href="http://www.casavicens.es/">Altadicion</a> for sale now. Except for Gaudi's architecture, Barcelona has much more to offer. The <span class="st">Palau de la Música Catalana</span> hosts various concerts on a daily basis; Picasso and Milo museums exhibit the most complete collection of the two famous impressionists. The labyrinthine Gothic quarter is a great place to get lost while admiring <span class="st">Moorish architecture and various art performances in the streets. If you are visiting the Gothic quarter in Barcelona on April 23rd, </span><span class="st">Sant Jordi's day, do not miss </span>Ayuntamiento de Barcelona<span class="st"> and Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya </span><span class="st">located on the opposite side of Placa Sant Jaume </span><span class="st">that are only open to the public once a year. </span><span class="st">A visit to </span>Anella Olímpica<span class="st"> on Montjuic</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.5089967509582551" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span class="st">makes the decision of selecting Montjuic as the venue of 1992 Summer Olympic seem like a perfect choice. Standing </span> in front of the Estadi Olímpic and looking down on the city below, I guess that's the scenario they portrayed about Greek Gods standing on Mount Olympus watching over mortals. There are 4 main beach areas spanning 4.2 km filled with people jogging, cycling, sun bathing, with restaurants and even a casino. <br />
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I stumbled across an open air concert held in the plaza next to the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art on Sant Jordi's day. The stage was set and the host walked back and forth communicating with the crowds in the venue. Half hour passed, there was no sign indicating the concert would start any sooner, I asked a guy, Émile, who sat next to me what the event was about and that was my lucky day. Émile not only spoke English fluently but he also spoke Catalan! He kindly explained to me the conflict between Spain and Catalunya and the campaign was to defend Catalan culture. I took the video of balloons arranged in Catalan and released with wishes attached in the air.<br />
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Barcelona four days Itinerary<br />
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Day1<br />
09:00 Sagrada Familia (2-3 hours)<br />
Walk to Hospital de Sant Pau via Avenida Gaudi (10-15 min)<br />
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12:00 Hospital de Sant Pau Guided tour (1-2 hours)<br />
Sant Pau-Dos de Maig station take L5 direction Cornella centre get off at Diagonal<br />
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14:00 Casa Mila (1-1.5 hour)<br />
Walk down Passeig de Gracia<br />
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16:00 Fundació Antoni Tàpies (30 min)<br />
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16:30 Casa Batllo (2 hours)<br />
Passeig de Gracia station take L4 direction La Pau, get off at Barceloneta<br />
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19:00 Barceloneta beach and Port Vell<br />
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Day2<br />
09:00 Placa de Catalunya walk down Portal de l'Angel turn right on Carrer de Santa Anna and visit Esglesia Santa Ana<br />
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0930 Gothic Quarter (3-5 hour)<br />
Visit :Arxiu Historic de La Ciutat -> Cathedral of Santa Eulalia -> Museu Frederic Marès -> Palace de Rei -> Palca Sant Jaume -> <u><i>Ayuntamiento de Barcelona<span class="st"> </span>->
Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya</i></u> -> Carrer del Bisbe -> Lunch at Bilbao Berria (Tapas pay by the sticks ranged from 1-3 EUR; add : 3 Placa Nova Barcelona, tel : 34933170124) -> Placa de Sant Felip Neri ->
Placa de Sant Josep Oriol -> Placa Reial<br />
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15:30 La Rambla (1-2 hour)<br />
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17:00 Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona - CCCB (1 hour)<br />
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18:00 MACBA (1 hour)<br />
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Day3<br />
09:00 Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria (1 hour)<br />
Walk down La Rambla<br />
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10:00 Palau Guell (1.5 hour)<br />
Walk to Paral.Lel station take Funicular de Montjuic Direction Parc de Montjuic get off at Parc de Montjui<br />
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12:30 Anella Olímpica (1 hour)<br />
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13:30 Fundation Joan Miro (1.5 hour)<br />
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15:00 Botanical Garden of Barcelona (1 hour)<br />
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16:00 Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (1.5 hour)<br />
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17:30 Poble Espanyol (1.5 hour)<br />
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19:00 Mies van der Rohe Pavilion Barcelona<br />
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Magic Fountain (Check musical display <a href="http://www.bcn.cat/parcsijardins/fonts/EN/magica.html">schedules</a> )<br />
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Day4<br />
08:00 Passeig de Gracia take bus No. 24 to Carretera Carmel (Davant Parc Guell) (30 min)<br />
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08:30 Park Guell
Gaudi + Casa Meseo Gaudi (2.5 hour)<br />
Walk to Lesseps take L3 direction Zona Universitaria get off at Palau Reial walk to Monasterio de Pedralbes<br />
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12:00 Monasterio de Pedralbes (1 hour) <br />
Take bue No. 22 to Placa de Catalunya, walk to <span class="st">Palau de la Música Catalana</span> <br />
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<span class="st">14:00 Palau de la Música Catalana</span> (1 hour)<br />
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15:30 Museu Picasso (1.5 hour)<br />
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17:00 Carre de Montcada -> Santa Maria del Mar -> Born -> Ribera<br />
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18:00 Parc de la Ciutadella<br />
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19:00 Arco de Triunfo<br />
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Useful websites:<br />
Tourist Information: <br />
<a href="http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/">http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/</a><br />
The official organization of tourist promotion of Barcelona; portal for purchasing Barcelona card, articket, concert tickets and more with discount prices. <br />
<a href="http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/services/barcelona-tourist-office.html"><span class="st"><i>http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/services/barcelona-tourist-office.html</i></span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.barcelonayellow.com/"><span class="st"><i>http://www.barcelonayellow.com/</i></span></a><br />
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<span class="st"><i>Public Transportation in Barcelona </i></span><br />
<span class="st"><i><a href="http://www.tmb.cat/en/home">http://www.tmb.cat/en/home </a></i></span><br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F5737208588849616593%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-44517702684155245572012-03-23T18:31:00.000+08:002013-06-04T11:45:45.011+08:00Nepal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The impulse of visiting Nepal was aroused by a friend of mine years ago, yet whenever I made up my mind to pay a visit, something always got in the way and I ended up somewhere else. Changing the destination of a trip at the last minute seems to be a pattern. I planned a trip to islands in the Philippine for my last Xmas holiday but I ended up spending my Xmas eve in the Himalayas instead. Conquering Mount Everest wasn’t one of my many ambitions so I took time and visited three medieval Newar Kingdoms: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, then to Nagarkot that is famous for a stunning view of snow capped mountains and finally the tourist hot spot, Pokhara. <br />
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I was wondering why December is a low season for tourism in Nepal; I mean it doesn’t matter when you visit the Himalayas, it is always frozen in the snow given the altitude. It became crystal clear to me when I experienced over 10 hours of power outage on a daily basis during my trip. Apparently the water that is used to generate power freezes in the winter, along with fast modernization in the cities and politics makes power restrictions necessary. I heard so many complaints from the shops in Thamel, the center of tourism, unless you have a generator, no one is going to spend money on handicrafts like Thankas when they can't see the beautiful details.<br />
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Before leaving Taiwan, I read <a href="http://taan.org.np/newsdetail/us-cancels-travel-warning-for-nepal"> news</a> about the safety of traveling in Nepal: "In recognition of improved
conditions in Nepal, the US Department of State has canceled the travel warning
that was most recently issued on January 12". The second day of my journey, I encountered <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2728505.ece?page=all">a general strike that crippled normal life in Nepal</a>. I had to walk across the city as the only cars that moved was the ambulance and truck loaded with armed soldiers. My lunch was an energy bar that I brought from Taiwan as the only store that opened was a pharmacy. Despite the fact that all streets were garrisoned by armed soldiers, the strike was largely peaceful as claimed by the party. Teenagers played football in the streets that are usually filled with traffic. Who would think that a general strike in Nepal would be a perfect day to explore the city?<br />
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I stayed in a hotel in Boudha, located in one of the alleyways that lead to the biggest stupa in the world. At dawn, chanting from nearby monasteries woke me up, I walked to the stupa and joined in the flow of pilgrims who were circling. Under the all seeing eyes, the path was partly clouded by smoke from burning mixed herbs and mist in the morning lights, I circled the stupa once, twice and the third time...I was mesmerized in the atmosphere and kept circling compulsively. Eventually, the pungent scent of burning herbs wafting in the air broke the charm, I pulled myself out from the Zen and back to the reality. Pashupatinath Temple is another religion legend in Kathmandu. I was puzzled by the fact that I paid for the entrance fee yet wasn't allowed to get in to the temple that is listed in UNESCO world heritage list just because I am not a believer of Hinduism. I guess the live cremation next to the Bagmati river is the reason that Pashupatinath still attracts so many non-Hindu tourists. Sitting high up on the platform, overlooking the ritual on the other side of the river bank, it's like watching a soundless movie, it gets you thinking about the meaning of life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRrE03oJi9WaFmZzr8dSqw3QSe8tLCkpIh8INsg7Ln1ZAUBfkBSKFfl_BOgTf-qNmKW0I8aslfoEl5RxqCKg3wG3xdvrtaPUHOI7gUOz1RFxhYJgCbyMLzPy3fgA2Yp6-V3T5/s1600/IMG_0684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRrE03oJi9WaFmZzr8dSqw3QSe8tLCkpIh8INsg7Ln1ZAUBfkBSKFfl_BOgTf-qNmKW0I8aslfoEl5RxqCKg3wG3xdvrtaPUHOI7gUOz1RFxhYJgCbyMLzPy3fgA2Yp6-V3T5/s400/IMG_0684.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Driving in Nepal was something, I had the feeling that Nepalis do not drive with their eyes but with their ears. Taxi, minibuses even buses can drive in an alleyway filled with pedestrians, dogs, cows and piles of garbage, safely and efficiently, simply by honking! Public transportation in Nepal was crazy and it worked well under the seamlessly cooperation of ticket collector and driver. The ticket collector climbs up and down in the overloaded bus to get the money and signals the driver to drive or stop. I sat on the roof of a local bus from Bhaktapur to Nagarkot and the bus broke down about 1km after departure! <br />
<br />
I was warmed about the harassment from beggars and street vendors in Nepal but I found it wasn't so annoying, at least for most of the time. Most of the people would go away if you smiled and said no. I had a good laugh with two brothers who tried to sell me a sarangi in Pokhara, at the end I didn't buy the sarangi but we sang the most popular song Resham Firiri and drew attention of the crowd.<br />
<br />
More information:<br />
<a href="http://dest.travelocity.com/DestGuides/1,1840,NETCENTER%7C2894%7C%7C%7C0079010008%7CF,00.html">Walking tours in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur</a> <br />
<a href="http://rex-files.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Kathmandu-busmap.jpg">Patan and Kathmandu Bus/minibus route map </a><br />
<br />
<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F5692609589587936849%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-47102382723439164952011-11-03T00:53:00.000+08:002013-06-04T11:46:00.784+08:00Night in an aquarium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis4KTi7kgcoJ9A7IzaQPDglY08Cd6gBPg3O-pt_7PUoDH6RMu3sXvvQ6bpozKODW1aVwySlGMRgm7VbOPD8bPB5QPHan2V1wWBrjvnyNxMnL6FnAV1i3LTd7tC6oaIpuC0O0i/s1600/DSC_5829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis4KTi7kgcoJ9A7IzaQPDglY08Cd6gBPg3O-pt_7PUoDH6RMu3sXvvQ6bpozKODW1aVwySlGMRgm7VbOPD8bPB5QPHan2V1wWBrjvnyNxMnL6FnAV1i3LTd7tC6oaIpuC0O0i/s400/DSC_5829.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.nmmba.gov.tw/english/index.aspx">National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium</a> is the biggest aquarium in Taiwan and it’s located in Checheng, Pingtung County just about 20 km from the famous southern Taiwan water recreation area of Kenting. There are 3 themed exhibit areas: Waters of Taiwan; Coral Kingdom Pavilion and World Waters Pavilion. Opened to the public all year round, the aquarium closes daily at 17:00/18:00. <br />
<br />
Now you can stay overnight in the aquarium, sleeping with fishes, penguins or seals. <a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/c_p1.php">The night in the NMMBA</a> is organized and operated by Hi-Scene World Enterprise Co, LTD. It’s a unique experience that allows you to see the aquarium from a different perspective after hours.Giving you a unique opportunity to view the workings of the aquarium from behind the scenes, you get to experience and tour areas that are not usually open to the public as well as having the chance to experience the sea life in their nocturnal stage. As well, you get to choose what areas you would like to sleep in, next to sharks or jellyfish perhaps fall asleep watching the stingrays.<br />
<br />
The aquarium lighting system is synchronized with the natural environment so if you expect to fall asleep with fish swimming around you maybe disappointed. Except for this, I highly recommend to sleep over at the aquarium and experience the wonder yourself.<br />
<br />
Reservation and Payment: reservations must made 3 days in advance<br />
<ol>
<li>Online: go to the website: <a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/d_p2.php"> http://www.aquarium.com.tw/d_p2.php</a> (IE only!)</li>
<li>Fax: Call +886-8-8825678 to check the availability, then fill out the reservation form (<a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/sign_up_word_2011.doc">Download here</a>) and fax it with the postal remittance to +886-8-8825061. (postal remittance account number: 42079414, Name: 海景世界企業 股份有限公司) </li>
</ol>
<br />
Cost: Year 2012<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-diagonal-down: .5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span lang="EN-US">Cost</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Region</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">6 years older (include)</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">3-6 years old</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Younger than 3 years old</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/run360_4.swf"><span lang="EN-US">Waters of Taiwan</span></a></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$1,980</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">990</span></div>
</td>
<td rowspan="6" style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">Free
of charge</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 24.0pt; text-indent: -24.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/run360_5.swf">Polar sea</a></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">1,980</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">990</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/run360_6.swf">The sea otter of aquariun</a></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">1,980</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">990</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/run360_3.swf"><span lang="EN-US">*Wale pool</span></a></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">1,980</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">990</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/run360_2.swf">*Sunken ship adventure</a></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">1,980</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">990</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.aquarium.com.tw/run360_1.swf"><span lang="EN-US">Underwater tunnel</span></a></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.5pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">2,380</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: color= white; border-left: none; border-right: color= white; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 104.55pt;" valign="top" width="139"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">NT$</span><span lang="EN-US">990</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td colspan="4" style="border-top: none; border: color= white; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 418.1pt;" valign="top" width="557"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">* Sunken ship adventure and Wale
pool regions are opened for registration only by FAX</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Birth certificates are needed for children younger than 6 years old </span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Detail schedule:<br />
<br />
Day 1 <br />
15:00-15:30 Registration<br />
15:30-15:50 Deposit luggage<br />
15:50-16:10 Introduction of the aquarium and schedule<br />
16:10-17:10 Exhibition halls guided tour<br />
17:10-18:00 Eco-tour of the tidal flat<br />
18:00-19:00 Dinner<br />
19:00-22:00 Visit back stage of the Pacific water square<br />
Feeding jelly fish<br />
Night tour of the Coral Kingdom Pavilion<br />
Handy craft making <br />
Shower<br />
Snack<br />
22:20~ Sleeping time<br />
<br />
Day 2<br />
07:00 ~ Wake up call<br />
07:30-09:00 Breakfast<br />
09:00-09:30 Feeding show at the Pacific Water Square<br />
09:30-09:50 Souvenir & Receipt <br />
09:50-11:00 Free tour<br />
11:00~ Goodbye <br />
<br />
<div style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: page; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-frame-width: 467.25pt; mso-element-left: 120.6pt; mso-element-top: 27.05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0" style="width: 635px;" vspace="0"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 9.0pt; padding-right: 9.0pt; padding-top: 0cm;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.7pt;">
<span style="font-family: 標楷體;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.7pt;">
<span style="font-family: 標楷體;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fhanjie.wu%2Falbumid%2F5656317188547893745%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-6182043406598347352011-10-04T19:48:00.002+08:002013-06-04T11:45:18.580+08:00KinmenKinmen or Jinmen is a small achipelago of several islands located 210km west of Taiwan; the closest distance to Chinese territory, Jiaoyu, is only 1.8km. The Han Chinese immigration started as early as the Jin Dynasty (317) when 6 families fled from a war in mainland China. The first administrative machinery was setup during the Tang Dynasty (803) when Chen Yuan was assigned as the administrator to supervise horse raising in this wasteland with 12 families. In the Ming Dynasty (1387), the formal name of the island, Wuzhou, was changed to Jinmen, the golden gate, as a fortress was setup to guard the east-south coastline of Fujian. The islands were used as a base for military training by Koxinga in the mid 16th century and it was one of the front-lines of civil war R.O.C against China after WWII. The islands were a military reserved for 21 years, and it was returned to the civilian government in the mid-1990s, after which travel to and from it was allowed. Given its geo-location and history, Kinmen developed a unique fusion culture that is reflected in the architecture, scenery, dinning and life style. <br />
<br />
At first glance, I was amazed by the well preserved traditional southern Fujian building style houses in each village that is rarely found in Taiwan today. I walked into the village and spent time looking around, the western extended windows, angel sculptures on walls, baroque style architecture with stone lions in front, etc that is like looking at a giant Xmas tree being decorated with glinted balls and a bagua on the top, weird but somehow in harmony. And the fusion of Chinese and western styles was not an influence by outsiders but the residents who went to south asia for business and brought back money and the local culture. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQquaiAeYY8e4ml53ZxVJxbehKZZkql3wl2MkMAT2BUaANwy8Esws_B6mxmViTZ5g-nKV61IfoAgZYJ0ls2ck4_cHnj29unLAu6TX1zDyv1E7K1o63xq4NSanpRFNdVn7voOs/s1600/DSC_5469+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQquaiAeYY8e4ml53ZxVJxbehKZZkql3wl2MkMAT2BUaANwy8Esws_B6mxmViTZ5g-nKV61IfoAgZYJ0ls2ck4_cHnj29unLAu6TX1zDyv1E7K1o63xq4NSanpRFNdVn7voOs/s400/DSC_5469+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
During the war, there were about 100,000 soldiers who called Kinmen home, nowadays only about 5000 soldiers remain, garrisoning the islands. The once battlefields are now taking off their guard and transforming into a unique national park that is filled with a military atmosphere. Kinmen has the highest road density in the county built under military control; veering off the main concrete roads to unpaved trails that were trampled out by soldiers, I found fortresses hidden in the forest and a lot of them were deserted leaving bunkers standing still, watching over the sea. Beach is a delightful alternative while traveling in Kinmen, even though water activities seem to be still restricted. It's rare to see a person on any beach. The enormous tidal flat extends hundreds of meters from the shore to the open sea; it's a million dollar view all for yourself. Layers of spike sticks lay along the beach add contrast to the tranquility, the once anti landing fortification becomes a great oyster farm, It's the specialty only seen in Kinmen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgg8vWC9vanzHcwKXjcYOY2g0Vdwu7J1xv0U5FxccaeM6GQF_JI7zWfBfFVGShxgEYr_f3ea9fa_dY5GLwukFADIssDcvtZDnGws0BtEPKZ-g3g0s9OF9VqGuBAvCE9jmWMT1/s1600/DSC_5322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgg8vWC9vanzHcwKXjcYOY2g0Vdwu7J1xv0U5FxccaeM6GQF_JI7zWfBfFVGShxgEYr_f3ea9fa_dY5GLwukFADIssDcvtZDnGws0BtEPKZ-g3g0s9OF9VqGuBAvCE9jmWMT1/s400/DSC_5322.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The people’s liberation army forces began an intense artillery bombardment against Kinmen on August 23rd, 1958. A half million artillery shells were fired in 44 days, the event is known as the 823 Artillery Bombardment. The bombardment actually lasted for 21 years as China kept firing artillery every other day till a diplomatic relationship between China and the US was established in 1979. The event not only made steel knives one of the famous souvenirs in Kinmen as they are made from the endless supply of bomb steel fired by China, but also created the massive underground tunnel network on the island. The A-shaped waterways of Zhaishan tunnel is probably the most visited in Kinmen. The tunnel was closed and abandoned in 1986 due to lack of manpower and money to save the tunnels from accumulated sand. The Kinmen national park headquarters took over from military in 1997 and opened it to the public. The depth of water in the tunnel could be very deceitful when the granite reflection is mirrored on the still water, creating an illusion. An annual music festival is held in the tunnel that softens the harshness of the place.<br />
<br />
Getting around:<br />
There is a car rental service in the airport. <a href="http://www.web66.com.tw/ch/61/CW4/Blog/4677.html">GuanCheng car rental</a> tel: 0933278713 , opening hours: 07:30-19:30. Price: motorcycle: NT$400/day; car: 1cc for NT$1/day. There bus information can be found here:<a href="http://ebus.kinmen.gov.tw/KinmenE/index.html"> http://ebus.kinmen.gov.tw/KinmenE/index.html</a><br />
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Accommodation:<br />
The Kinmen national park headquarters singed a contract with the owners of traditional southern Fujian building style houses in the villages. In the contract, the owners give rights to the organization to use the properties for 30 years and in return the houses will be renovated and returned to the owners when the contract is expired. The renovated houses will be listed in a public bidding and the winning tenderer can operate the houses as a museum, restaurant, bar or B&B, based on the bidders' presenting proposals. It's a shame not to stay in one of these houses overnight. The list of B&B can be found at <a href="http://guesthouse.kmnp.gov.tw/">http://guesthouse.kmnp.gov.tw/</a> (Chinese only). My recommendations: <a href="http://www.pianopiano.com.tw/">Piano Piano</a>, in Zhushan village, tel:082-372866; 0988-182-832; <a href="http://www.visit-kinmen.com/">Visit Kinmen Guest House</a> in ShanHau, tel: 082-352058. If you prefer to check in a hotel, <a href="http://www.haifu.com.tw/">Haifu</a> is my recommendation.<br />
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Eating <br />
Eating in Kinmen could be a problem for backpackers who are traveling alone. A lot of restaurants are still used to serving dishes in large proportions because they became used to serving large groups of soldiers. For example, you have to order at least 30 pan-fried dumplings in Chengkong dumpling. There is no nightlife in Kinmen, the only pub is the White Lion that is owned by a wonderful Irish couple. In fact, it is the only place I know of that serves home made french fries with vinegar.<br />
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Note:<br />
As some of the beaches are currently being cleared of mines, especially in Lieyu, do not wander off into areas that have barbed wire and "Danger Mine" signs. I spoke to one of the people working on mine sweeping, a nice guy from Mozambique, who said they should be finished clearing the area in about 2 years.<br />
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View <a href="http://g.co/maps/xcucw" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Kinmen</a> in a larger mapUnknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-69262197020770348082011-09-09T21:43:00.000+08:002015-07-13T16:06:31.515+08:00Taijiang National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IQkqf4wRxkQU4CKJ0wN8uCZQ6kjvPm9d-NmHSDwg9Qs69wR0OVajtfj8c7t04LYKSVPazcuPL-_ju7fqVPYGCLrPQw4AcUVPHCre4RlFxALhZuBlJ3pkNdMucfB-EuXfs1A7/s1600/DSC_4897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IQkqf4wRxkQU4CKJ0wN8uCZQ6kjvPm9d-NmHSDwg9Qs69wR0OVajtfj8c7t04LYKSVPazcuPL-_ju7fqVPYGCLrPQw4AcUVPHCre4RlFxALhZuBlJ3pkNdMucfB-EuXfs1A7/s640/DSC_4897.JPG" width="500" /></a></div>
<blockquote>
<i>In 2001 the local government proposed that Sicao Wildlife Refuge be turned into a national park. Following years of campaigning, communication and research, the National Park Planning Committee approved the 「Taijiang National Park Plan」 draft that included part of Cigu Township in a national park in its 83rd meeting on June 29, 2009. The area was approved as Taiwan’s eighth national park by the Executive Yuan on September 28 and the formal announcement made on October 15. The national park headquarter was opened on December 12 the same year, signaling that the park had begun operating.</i><br />
<i><br />The park has a total area of 39,310 hectares. Land area includes public land from Tainan City’s Yanshui River to the Zengwen River, Tainan black-faced spoonbill Reserve and Cigu Lagoon, covering 4095. The main focuses of planning are protecting wetlands bio-diversity, and relics from the settlement of the area and the salt industry. The sea area portion of the park encompasses the coastal waters to a depth of 20 meters. The area is about 5 kilometers wide and about 54 kilometers long from the Yanshuei River to the south end of Tungchi Island. It was the main water route for early Han Chinese settlers crossing from Tungchi Island to Luerhmen. The sea area makes up an area of 34,405 hectares.</i></blockquote>
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Was it because the <a href="http://www.tjnp.gov.tw/">Taijiang National Park</a> was the only national park in Taiwan that was proposed and campaigned by the local government instead of the central government or was it because of its vast coverage that diminished the highlights in the park? I traveled hundreds of kilometers to the east of Taiwan for Taroko National Park yet the idea of paying a visit to the national park that is right in my backyard has never occurred to me. Actually, that is not exactly correct; I visited the Sichao green tunnel and the black-faced spoonbill preservation area years ago before the national park plan was even heard, but somehow the beauty of the scenery didn’t imprint on my mind. <br />
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A video, <a href="http://youtu.be/ncU6_jG4P7Q">Time for Taiwan—My Beautiful Island</a>, produced by Michael Fimognari was broadcast worldwide this year that had caught my attention. The green tunnel in Sichao looks so peaceful in the video so I took a day off and visited the tunnel trying to figure out how did I ever overlook such a beauty. The tranquility of cruising in the green tunnel formed by mangroves was lost in the tour guide’s noise amplified through the loudspeaker then I realized the tranquility in the video was a result of reduction: the loss of audio stimulation intensifies the visual impact. Then I saw the beauty and the value of the Taijiang National Park:<br />
“<i>the main focuses of planning are protecting wetlands bio-diversity, and relics from the settlement of the area and the salt industry</i>”.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s3OgF2smhz0" width="550"></iframe></center>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://photos.gstatic.com/media/slideshow.swf" width="550" height="400" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F115151879432328742001%2Falbumid%2F6167679446910632561%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-78486352611091323512011-07-26T20:35:00.000+08:002011-07-26T20:35:43.813+08:00The seven linksI am nominated by <a href="http://liefintaiwan.wordpress.com/">Lief in Taiwan</a> for <a href="http://www.tripbase.com/blog/my-7-links-the-rules/">the 7 links project</a>. The goal of the project is to "unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again". I've lost track of how many posts that I had published and what the posts were about. The nomination gives me a chance to look back at what I had published via the 7 categories and here are my seven:<br />
<br />
1. The most beautiful: <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2010/05/old-buildings-new-spirits.html">Old Buildings New Spirits</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5VLb1G87dNzxFelFDRLVHKygjdd3KSURD7MyqBPHZZ2EK_ycUVkd16wnEHH_3ANVRztLLh1uG09AAWiw3Mst4tSzhFIgolAFCHKmDCpOeT1zzixWhXPeOp1OB14tH29-_KRw/s1600/Narrow+door6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5VLb1G87dNzxFelFDRLVHKygjdd3KSURD7MyqBPHZZ2EK_ycUVkd16wnEHH_3ANVRztLLh1uG09AAWiw3Mst4tSzhFIgolAFCHKmDCpOeT1zzixWhXPeOp1OB14tH29-_KRw/s400/Narrow+door6.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><br />
Someone once said "everything new is beautiful". In the blog '<i>old buildings new spirits</i>', I attempted to capture the beauty that still resides in some old and discarded places when they are given a renewed purpose in use. The effect captured a resonance in time and meaning that I found quite beautiful, inspiring and enjoyable.<br />
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2. The most popular: <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2009/10/black-card-photography-part-i.html">Black Card Photography I</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Zuh7E2x_imZuMREJHgygsNAc637KWleeeFVo11M3BbG854OFJDCilIRvSB1ACZ6_5AAvpPOwOc84PMnJ6bdTxXZq9LP6yFfyhnAQoainCY2JkGkddglTEHXQhsgUdfL8k02/s1600/DSC_4688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3Zuh7E2x_imZuMREJHgygsNAc637KWleeeFVo11M3BbG854OFJDCilIRvSB1ACZ6_5AAvpPOwOc84PMnJ6bdTxXZq9LP6yFfyhnAQoainCY2JkGkddglTEHXQhsgUdfL8k02/s400/DSC_4688.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Of all my blog posts, this one is far and away the most popular in terms of 'hits' and 'citations'. Much to my surprise it found its niche audience, specifically for people who are interested in this photo technique.<br />
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3. The most controversial:<a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2006/05/traditional-chinese-and-simplified.html">Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese</a><br />
The never ending story of what kind of Chinese is best to use and how a founding member of the UN lost its position. This post was so controversial that it was blocked in China at that time. <br />
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4. The most helpful: <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2010/01/nikon-picture-control.html">Nikon picture control</a><br />
This blog allows Nikon DSLR camera owners to design their own picture controls in a step by step guide that was most helpful to interested users.<br />
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5. A post whose success surprised me: <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2010/09/south-tainan-station.html">South Tainan Station</a><br />
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This has been on my top ten list for a long time and I still can't figure out why? Color me surprised! Who knew that a post about an old train station would have so many people jumping on board.<br />
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6. A post that didn't get the attention it deserved: <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2009/03/human-flesh-search-invasion.html">Human flesh search invasion</a><br />
Electronic lynchings are all the rage says Mr. Murdoch, yet for some reason this post didn't get much attention. Maybe next time I should include anonymous. <br />
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7. The post that I am most proud of: <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2010/08/plitvice-lakes-national-park.html">Plitvice Lakes National Park</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sG8QnGaGTAl7huXNg35iL1N1bqqSMQBhSvhxnc8hcF4pCfkkDjXkTTzHUGkMgmT76cWt9RLWbNX-iRV_9Zz0DKDM5ZkqxXwNc3niZFA4GgxF_udXfWzB3kMswfZ1eujIRftC/s1600/DSC_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sG8QnGaGTAl7huXNg35iL1N1bqqSMQBhSvhxnc8hcF4pCfkkDjXkTTzHUGkMgmT76cWt9RLWbNX-iRV_9Zz0DKDM5ZkqxXwNc3niZFA4GgxF_udXfWzB3kMswfZ1eujIRftC/s400/DSC_2749.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I have to credit the natural beauty of this area for making it my choice. The stunning beauty found in this part of Croatia makes me want to return time and again. <br />
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My nominations:<br />
1. <a href="http://www.filination.com/blog/">Fili's world</a><br />
Full of great travel links, Fili has a passion and it shows in his blog. <br />
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2. <a href="http://travelinghawk.blogspot.com/">Traveling Hawk</a><br />
Many wonderful experiences but you have to translate it from Romanian<br />
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3. <a href="http://onpinestreet.com/">On pine street</a><br />
Creative writing blog that can help you with writing<br />
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4. <a href="http://tainancity.wordpress.com/">Tainan City Guide</a><br />
Some place you can find information about Tainan<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.craigfergusonimages.com/">Craig Ferguson Images</a><br />
Wonderful pics and tips <br />
<b> </b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-46392392710070434712011-06-16T05:09:00.002+08:002011-06-16T08:15:18.077+08:00Blame it on the Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo429U_FHo4LV6Ytq3vk8hteGNgmhUlc4uNKjEeGFZwpy7mh6Kni_J057xs9GKxJimFk6nauAabU2VuQJhTtVMT9IxQ3e997GhWvZCjRHAy-g5QQflipIkOnfuyb0RJfz1I7Fj/s1600/Merged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo429U_FHo4LV6Ytq3vk8hteGNgmhUlc4uNKjEeGFZwpy7mh6Kni_J057xs9GKxJimFk6nauAabU2VuQJhTtVMT9IxQ3e997GhWvZCjRHAy-g5QQflipIkOnfuyb0RJfz1I7Fj/s400/Merged.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I had a dream about the eclipse this morning: at the moment when the full eclipse took place, the blood red moon turned into a bright glowing orb in the sky emitting rainbow colors like a Sun. I took a video camera and filmed this unusual phenomenon then I blogged about it with the words "vampires would shed tears of joy as the day-walker is released from its intangible dream, it only takes a full lunar eclipse once in a blue moon" as my last sentences.<br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fhanjie.wu%2Falbumid%2F5618555482042497121%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="450" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-18246608102127109152011-04-27T00:12:00.001+08:002014-06-27T18:27:48.316+08:00Sun Moon Lake Scenic AreaSun Moon Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Taiwan. The <a href="http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/English/">Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area Administration hosts a website</a> containing the most informative resources about the area you can find online. However, I am turned off by the swarms of Chinese tourists, aggressive boat ticket sellers soliciting everyone in the parking area, and invincible tourist guides who would stop the traffic in the middle of a road in order to get a short cut to restaurants for their groups regardless the traffic laws. Nevertheless, the beauty of Sun Moon Lake keeps me going back on a yearly basis.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYCDHOnabtVCMaLnNlHlSKtiMLWhpr5s-HLiyiqTQ9gvhzyUcu5HYzlSCnN5G6RL4-afpzMMtW-wvanEDCP6I2fp9PiI8iBptkKRqxSKvMJrSplthAbqmt8Olx2eSw3JUXkDc/s1600/Picture+252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYCDHOnabtVCMaLnNlHlSKtiMLWhpr5s-HLiyiqTQ9gvhzyUcu5HYzlSCnN5G6RL4-afpzMMtW-wvanEDCP6I2fp9PiI8iBptkKRqxSKvMJrSplthAbqmt8Olx2eSw3JUXkDc/s400/Picture+252.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
The magic power of Sun Moon Lake is best felt at dawn, before it is surrounded by tourists. The lake is protected by the surrounding hills. At dawn, before the sun has risen, the still water and hills shrouded in mists cast a charm of tranquility that is like being projected into a masterpiece of Chinese brush painting where time stand still. The mesmerizing spell is broken by the rays of the sun that disperse mists among the hills and unveil the golden hue of swift mists on the surface of the lake. From a distance, the wake of a rowing boat disturbs the reflections on the mirror-like lake, turning the fairytale land into reality. <br />
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You can find all the information you need for a trip to Sun Moon Lake on the website mentioned above. Most of the tourist groups skip the trails that<span class="dct-tt"> are the quintessence</span> of the area. Here is my version of a 2 day itinerary.<br />
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Day 1: Toushe Basin --><span id="lblHalfPage"><a href="http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/03000567.aspx"> Syuanguang Temple</a></span> --> <span id="lblHalfPage"><a href="http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/03000568.aspx">Ci En Pagoda</a> --> </span><span id="lblHalfPage"><a href="http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/03000569.aspx">Syuentzang Temple</a> --> </span><span id="lblHalfPage"><a href="http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/03000809.aspx">Ita Thao</a></span> (lunch and feel the crowds)--> Ita Thao Lakeside trail --> <span id="lblContent">Shueiwatou Nature Trail --></span><span id="lblContent"> Dajhuhu Nature Trail--> </span> <span id="lblHalfPage"><a href="http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/03000573.aspx">Wenwu Temple</a></span> --> Maolan Mountain firefly sighting (only during mid April to mid May)--> Shueishe pier (accommodation, book a room with a lakeside view in advance)<br />
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Day 2: Shueishe pier sun rise --> Shueishe lake side trail --> Hanbi trail --> Paper Dome --> Make by Iron<br />
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Recommended <span id="lblSteps">Nearby Scenic Attractions</span><br />
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Toushe Basin is located at the west-south tip of the Sun Moon Lake and its peat soil makes it glint like a star next to the bright lights of Sun Moon Lake. Peat soil in the lake area is formed of decomposed vegetation. It is mostly organic, with a small proportion of mud, and rich in humic acid with a pH value of about 3.6. The peat in Toushe Basin is about 60 meters deep and covers an area about 175 hectares. The ground of Toushe Basin bounces like a water bed, as a result all man made artifacts are built at the edge of the basin. It is an unique experience walking on it. Follow the signs for Red Wood B&B (紅木農莊; GPS: 23.83103, 120.90389) on HuanHu road and you will find the bouncing earth that I filmed below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIAAuqHZabPlC23PAAmoVE-fU0fCKdhCEl9uWMaRSwTAotarXjwIbcCIhwP0oXjQ6A8TpRLkZwqUmBtXRow1HUi4lwUtoHgsr4oY0i7e8LN3Bw3sJjixZK-7HdQdE7P6rqfhG/s1600/DSC_4243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBIAAuqHZabPlC23PAAmoVE-fU0fCKdhCEl9uWMaRSwTAotarXjwIbcCIhwP0oXjQ6A8TpRLkZwqUmBtXRow1HUi4lwUtoHgsr4oY0i7e8LN3Bw3sJjixZK-7HdQdE7P6rqfhG/s400/DSC_4243.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
The great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe/Japan on Jan. 17th 1995 destroyed more than 200,000 buildings including the Takatori Church. To build a temporary home for the community meeting house, architect Shigeru Ban raised funds and recruited 160 volunteers, most of them were college students, to build the house that is made of paper. The project started in July and was completed on September 17th, 1995. Inspired by Bernini's churches, 58 paper pillars (5m in length, 33cm in diameter, 15 mm in thickness) were arranged in an oval-shape that were sheltered in a rectangular fiberglass form.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.homeland.org.tw/homeland/index.php">New Home Land Foundation </a>(an organization that's dedicated to post 9-21 earthquake community reconstruction ) heard that the paper church that had served not only as a temporary meeting house but also a spiritual asylum for the community was about to be torn-down and relocation to rebuild the Takatori church when participating in the 10th anniversary memorial ceremony of the great Hanshin earthquake. The chairman proposed to relocate the paper church to Nantou/Taiwan where the epicenter of the 9-21 earthquake was in 1999. The proposal was accepted and the paper church was shipped to Taiwan in July, 2005. The paper church reassembling was completed and opened to the public on September 21st, 2008 in Tao-Mi Eco-village, Puli township.<br />
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Entrance fee: NT$100, exchangable voucher<br />
Opening hours: Sun-Fri: 09:00-20:00; Sat and National holidays: 09:00-21:00<br />
Address: No. 52-12, Taomi lane, Taomi village, Puli township, Nantou county (GPS: 23.94143, 120.92703)<br />
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Make By Iron (金剛基地) is the base of Autobots in Taiwan. Inspired by the movie Transformers, Mr. Liang gave up his job as a gardener and built a Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and some transformers out from the car parts for his son. The base was opened for public on Jan. 23rd, 2011, with an entrance fee NT$30 which can deduct expenses in the base. (Address: 200, Chungshan rd sec. 4th, Puli township, Nantou County; Opening hours: 10:00-17:30; Tue. off)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-90032983988589202722011-04-11T23:41:00.002+08:002011-06-09T23:50:25.334+08:00Photo-trioI got this weekend free so I drove around Tainan and visited a few places that I always wanted to go but had never been. This is my photo-trio.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_Td7YE627sXH0-u_utu8znAmqw5REXwOfLcUuWDwZqc514f3GBcl8J7s1GDiLcX0kHbCzO6GuEtOe5lHx3JgiylmOXMaLXoj5GP3gZHCDo29WmNxONz66cxgSyb7g4NT1TzT/s1600/DSC_3980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_Td7YE627sXH0-u_utu8znAmqw5REXwOfLcUuWDwZqc514f3GBcl8J7s1GDiLcX0kHbCzO6GuEtOe5lHx3JgiylmOXMaLXoj5GP3gZHCDo29WmNxONz66cxgSyb7g4NT1TzT/s400/DSC_3980.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Cigu Salt Mountain is the monument that stands for the glory of salt making of old times. Under the promotion of tourism, Cigu salt fields usually overshadow the other salt fields in Tainan, but when it comes to the best quality of salt made in Taiwan, Beimen salt stands out unanimously. Jing Zai Jiao tile paved salt field (井仔腳瓦盤鹽田) was the first salt farm in Beimen District, Tainan, to use a tile base for drying the seawater.The saltworks started operation in 1818 and the area for salt drying in Beimen county was as big as 360 hectares in 1980. However, <span class="HeadLineNewsContent1"> the high cost of manpower for making salt in Taiwan is becoming unaffordable and the Beiman salt fields were shut down in 2000. Jing Zai Jiao tile paved salt field is the only salt field kept for tourism purposes and the salt crystals glint in the sunset making it a great spot for photography. </span><br />
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<blockquote><i>Built during the 23rd year of the reign of Jiacing in the Cing dynasty (A.D. 1818), the Jingzaijiao Tiled Salt Fields were formerly known as Laidong Salt Fields.The site was originally a barren desert. Lying on the sandy beach is a small sand dune, where underground water gushes out from low-lying ground forming a well-like structure. The name, Jiingzaijiao, was essentially derived from this particular landscape formation. To prevent salt crystals from attaching to the soil, salt miners at Pottery Dish Salt Field manually laid out broken debris of pottery onto the crystallizing ponds of salt fields. This approach resulted in purer and clearer salt being mined. Under the sunshine, the Pottery Salt Pan displays a resplendent, mosaic like pattern. These features make it a unique cultural landscape of the homeland of salt. Today, it has become an excellent site for tourists to experience salt drying.</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.swcoast-nsa.gov.tw:2480/en/02_tour/scenery_view.aspx?sn=155">http://www.swcoast-nsa.gov.tw:2480/en/02_tour/scenery_view.aspx?sn=155</a></i> </blockquote><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYCDMGAo8rKKr66anX-Yq6UDjpV_je5xC2lnX9zLfZX1Y0AJN3P5nCzevlz8vsnzRv7dCxmFbDx9JMVL5WvZP0ZDIbh8gJUfFjjgATwn9ZVgMlBSDIrgB602PdZJ1Om34000x/s1600/DSC_4609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYCDMGAo8rKKr66anX-Yq6UDjpV_je5xC2lnX9zLfZX1Y0AJN3P5nCzevlz8vsnzRv7dCxmFbDx9JMVL5WvZP0ZDIbh8gJUfFjjgATwn9ZVgMlBSDIrgB602PdZJ1Om34000x/s400/DSC_4609.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Oyster farm is the most common <span class="dct-tt">scene in Cigu but the z-shaped oyster stands with the sun setting in a perfect location makes this spot a popular site for sunset <a href="http://hanjies.blogspot.com/2009/10/black-card-photography-part-i.html">black card photography</a>. It's not an easy location to find, I drove back and forth about one hour, asked a few fishermen and still couldn't find it. It wasn't until I cross referenced with internet information and the google map with iphone to locate this spot. If you are interested, check on the map below for details.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdtuHNG2MqRAaqYkKADO9XABlIHYwupjh4vsqIRItIFBV-3H5IBh7a3zOs5vehTU2zRq_o_JweNLej_Rsd9BNoSl_HioQhRFkfIXWlYqXAUJ8PrTg0fGkMFdu-EsnebjDBNjJ/s1600/DSC_4059_stitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdtuHNG2MqRAaqYkKADO9XABlIHYwupjh4vsqIRItIFBV-3H5IBh7a3zOs5vehTU2zRq_o_JweNLej_Rsd9BNoSl_HioQhRFkfIXWlYqXAUJ8PrTg0fGkMFdu-EsnebjDBNjJ/s640/DSC_4059_stitch.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>Tainan Science Park public art space features the "yellow ribbon" at a cost of NT$300 million, (US$10 million) it's worth taking a look at just because of the price.<br />
* lights up sometime after 19:00. <br />
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View <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/WzrQ" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Photo-trio</a> in a larger mapUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-91597890002014840782011-03-07T22:11:00.000+08:002012-05-16T16:02:37.175+08:00E-Da WorldLocated in Da Shu District, Kaohsiung City,<a href="http://www.edaworld.com.tw/"> E-Da world </a>is a community that incorporates recreation, education, estate development and health care. E-United group, in cooperation with Eliter Corp, spent 25 years planing and constructing and invested more than 50 billion to build a community that has 2 hotels (<a href="http://www.cp-edaworld.com/">Crowne Plaza</a> and <a href="http://www.edaskylark.com.tw/">E-Da Skylark Hotel</a>), the biggest outlet shopping mall in Taiwan, the first Greek themed amusement park, E-Shu University and international high school, Eliter Estate (Earl's District) and its own public transportation. E-Da World was test operated on June 19th, 2010 and the grand opening was on December 18th, 2010.<br />
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I visited E-Da world during the new year holidays and checked in to the Crowne Plaza. Off the freeway No.1, the width of roads to E-Da world started from 3 lanes each direction down to a 1 lane winding mountain road, with the new year crowds I was amazed that I didn't get stuck in traffic. After parking, I gave up on checking into my room because of the crowds in the Crowne Plaza lobby and headed to <a href="http://www.edamall.com.tw/Default.aspx">the outlet mall</a> (Mon-Fri: 11:00-22:00; weekend/holidays: 10:00-22:00). The 19 thousand meter square outlet mall is divided into 3 sections. Section A, 7 floors and a ferris wheel on the roof (NT$200; free ride if you have a ticket to the amusement park), sells designers collections, interior decor and housewares. Section B, 2 floors, has a Fontana di Trevi replica and painted dome that attracts most of the attention in the mall. The roof of section B is an open-air market and restaurants where live performances take place every night. Section C, 6 floors, is where all the fun starts. Rock climbing, ice skating, baseball, basketball and a movie theater. This section is also the ticketing and entrance of the amusement park.<br />
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<a href="http://www.edathemepark.com.tw/web/main.aspx">E-Da theme park</a> (NT$899, Mon-Thu 09:30-17:30; Fri-Sun 09:30-19:30; NT$ 650 after 14:00(Mon-Thu),15:00 (Fri-Sun); tickets sold before 17:30) is the first Greece themed amusement park in Taiwan, the park is built according to the Acropolis, Santorini Mountain City and Trojan Castle styles. Acropolis has an extravagant opera theatre that can accommodate 1800 guests. Santorini mountain city creates an illusion of being actually in Greece. The giant wooden horse in front of the Trojan Castle recreates the scene of the famous story that has been told for thousands of years. In the castle, flying over Taiwan simulates hangliding over scenaries of Taiwan. There are 47 recreation facilities in the park including an U shaped roller coaster, a spin that goes up to 55 meters above ground and a roller coaster goes into water, etc. This is the place where you can have fun untill you throw up. <br />
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I went back to the Crowne Plaza Hotel and was suprised by the crowds in the lobby waiting to check in at 18:00. I've never seen anything like this: guests in every counter of the reception were complaining about the sluggish checkin procedure; a woman was screaming at the manager, it was so loud that everyone in the lobby could hear her and a group were taken into the manager room as they were banging on the table; people who waited in lines were total strangers but acted as they were the best <span class="dct-tt">comrades</span> and were planing a riot. I waited an hour and finally it was my turn. After checking my reservation and ID the receptionist told me that my room was not ready yet and suggested that I should have dinner first and come back later! I asked the receptionist to send my key to me at the Italian restaurant in the hotel, 30 mins later, my key was sent to my table and my room was upgraded.<br />
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Despite the incident of checking-in, the hotel amenities of Crowne Plaza were fabulous. Water fountain show right next to the restaurants, sauna, swining pool, gym and espresso café machine in the room..., it was a great acommodation. <br />
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Transportation: shuttle buses commute between Taiwan High Speed Rail Zuoying station and E-Da World (NT$37; 06:20-23:00, <a href="http://www.edabus.com.tw/Information_Timetable.htm">timetable in details</a>),<br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fhanjie.wu%2Falbumid%2F5580965090608946865%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-49525057326258486942011-03-06T01:07:00.000+08:002011-03-06T01:07:41.757+08:002011 Taiwan International Orchid Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQL4YQVxFiIez2dqThnDp3H5f_I_rZy4h4agDQMQ0FjAtjBQHs0FZaeMQLM1lqSCeSnGXx7A7YCA55tOH2QsKL3uZDdAd5T9UJyatjVraWzjdQOdNHGKxkt_NBmG9TWSWk4kh/s1600/DSC_3687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQL4YQVxFiIez2dqThnDp3H5f_I_rZy4h4agDQMQ0FjAtjBQHs0FZaeMQLM1lqSCeSnGXx7A7YCA55tOH2QsKL3uZDdAd5T9UJyatjVraWzjdQOdNHGKxkt_NBmG9TWSWk4kh/s400/DSC_3687.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>The 2011 Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS) is now taking place at the Taiwan Orchid Plantation in the Huobi District of Tainan City. I bought a pre-ordered ticket from 7-11 ibon (NT$90; the full price for an adult is NT$150) and drove about 50km from Tainan city to the venue. I was affraid that I'd be traped in the traffic and would end up seeing nothing but tourists at the exhibition but to my surprise, the traffic was smooth and the venue was well organized: cars were directed to drive in from one direction and out from the other; parking lots were set far away from the exhibition and lots of shuttle buses were taking visitors back and forth seamlessly. I got to take some amazing photos of even more amazing orchids.<br />
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Magnificent landscaping made from all kinds of orchids can be found right at the entrance of the gallery that also exhibits the wining orchids to welcome visitors. this gallery is the highllight of the orchid show. The well designed exhibition and tour routes allow an enjoyable tour despite the crowds. The grand champion of this year is Prince Edward of York, a Paohiopedilum.<br />
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The show will continue from March 5 to the 14th at the Taiwan Orchid Plantation (325, Wushulin, Wushu Village, Houbi Dist, Tainan) from 09:00-18:00.<br />
Info: <a href="http://www.tios.com.tw/">www.tios.com.tw</a><br />
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<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fhanjie.wu%2Falbumid%2F5580607221758295473%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="530" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19235026.post-33554021786996842752011-02-16T22:15:00.000+08:002011-02-16T22:15:36.873+08:00Sio business dormitory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tl6af-R7o1E5I-5pJbJ9Xhewti5SOrE7zU2xetaPw8k0tOaHdu5FRD8tmjbARH7XRzLBGLRXu4tLB7vuuk6xGEc_75que-xDHkggHfD7nrZ0bOosNSBnPbGflovKAP_Ur7VX/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tl6af-R7o1E5I-5pJbJ9Xhewti5SOrE7zU2xetaPw8k0tOaHdu5FRD8tmjbARH7XRzLBGLRXu4tLB7vuuk6xGEc_75que-xDHkggHfD7nrZ0bOosNSBnPbGflovKAP_Ur7VX/s400/DSC_0008.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
In 1899, the salt monopoly policy was implemented by Japanese Government in Taiwan and the Taiwan Monopoly Bureau was founded in 1901. In 1919, Taiwan Salt Manufacture Co. was founded for manufacturing salt exclusively in Taiwan and in 1922, the Anping office, one of the 4 salt factories in Tainan, was set up and a building complex including a salt making laboratory ,vacuum distillation factories, warehouses and a dormitory was built. The complex was used as a experimental salt factory and salt re-distributing office during Japanese colonial period and the vacuum distillated salt was the great achivement. The vacumn distillation factory was destroyed in WW II and the building was used as a dormitory by Taiwan Salt Co. Inc. retirees. The Ministry of Economic Affairs took back the building and recognized the deserted dormitory as a city grade historical site in 2003. A renovation project was started in 2008 and completed in February 2010. The building is now operating by Hwang Sun Enterprise Co. Ltd. under the BOT contract, called Sio Business Dormitory (Xi You Chu Zhang Suo, 夕遊出張所, as sio is the Japanese pronounciation for salt and Chu Zhang Suo is a business dormitory)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2edz3zEdyM2e6wFnsOwP-_K_Fa73LYd2LD7N20EemNuNKtvMOvGXohpJEMIL3PNhiChRJ_wlaRtGt98kPlwtfjWuH0TNZfnAZ-9y0loyhEeH1MHkOWQamQqgPP8PHREIfHdV/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2edz3zEdyM2e6wFnsOwP-_K_Fa73LYd2LD7N20EemNuNKtvMOvGXohpJEMIL3PNhiChRJ_wlaRtGt98kPlwtfjWuH0TNZfnAZ-9y0loyhEeH1MHkOWQamQqgPP8PHREIfHdV/s400/DSC_0030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The architecture is a combination of Japanese and western styles. The 2 wooden buildings are connected with a roofed corridor in a formation of L shape. The roof of the entrance was built in<span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span><span class="title1" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/%7Ejaanus/deta/h/hankirizumazukuri.htm">hankirizuma-zukuri</a> </i>style; extending from the main building, a style of western balcony. The windows are counterpoised, you can easily stop the windows in any position. In the building, looking up, timbers were </span></span>arranged in a crisscross pattern, <span class="title1" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.aisf.or.jp/%7Ejaanus/deta/y/yanekouzou.htm">a traditional Japanese roofing style</a>; one room is elevated and covered with tatamis emitting a dense Japanese atmosphere.</span></span><br />
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Given the history of the building, Sio business dormitory exhibits lots of salt sculptures in the room like the 12 Chinese Zodiac and Jadeite Cabbage with Insects.<br />
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366 different colored salt (one for Feb. 29th) is displayed in the lobby, you can find your birthday salt and a card explaining your characteristics.<br />
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Boiled egg is coated with white salt and shaped like a steam bun (NT$30).<br />
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Address: 196, Gubao St, Anping rd, Anping district, Tainan<br />
Tel: 06-3911088<br />
Opening hours: weekdays: 11:00-19:00; weekend: 10:00-20:00, Monday off.<br />
Entrance is freeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1