Many Taiwanese people practice Confucianism, Daoism or Buddhism and/or some combination of the 3 religions. We saw people in the temples daily, and especially around the Chinese New Year. The temple nearest to us we were told would have many students coming to it to ask for good results for their upcoming exams. Often there are offerings of food and gifts sitting outside the temples.
Just a short walk up the street from us we found this beautiful “Jingfu” temple
View from inside looking towards street
Religious figures in altar area
We took the subway across the city to an area called Wenshan District, near the Taipei zoo, where there were three temples up in the hills. We hiked up many steps to see some lovely views and be able to visit the temples. Some photos from Chih Nan Temple and Zhangshan Temples below.
Looking back towards Taipei from Zhangshan Temple
Entrance
Temple gate
View from Zhangshan Temple towards Taipei 101 tower. Can you see it in the distance?
Wenshan area stone warrior statue
Stone carved horse and rider outside temple
Stone carved Buddha and pond
Another day we took some time to look around Taipei 101 where each New Year’s Eve the fireworks are on display. We took a tour inside as well.
The Taipei 101 “tuned mass damper” inside is an amazing feat of engineering used to help stabilize the building against strong winds. It moves with the same frequency as the building, but out of phase. So it dramatically reduces the swaying of the building in high winds. Most tall buildings have these, but hide them away. I suppose they don’t want people to know that there is a 700 ton block of steel sitting at the top of the building! The damper below is made up of welded 5 inch thick solid steel plates. The sphere is 18 feet (5.5m) in diameter.
North of us in the Shillin District there was a lovely park area, this was a favorite route to get a little exercise. We also spent a day at the National Museum of Taiwan, shown below.
Having trouble sleeping? Can’t find a comfortable pillow? Sleep like a baby (or at least on a baby) with this amazing pillow.
Ivory ball within a ball within a ball within a ball… Can’t figure out how they managed to carve out at least 3 inner, movable spheres.
One of my days was spent with my friend Ann Lo, whom I met through a professional group called SongWorks Educators Association. I got to meet several of the staff as well as observe how this particular school celebrated the Chinese New Year. The teachers had planned a wonderful play, acted out the characters in costume, sang songs of the New Year, baked typical Taiwanese foods, and played games with the students. It was a delightful day for me to observe this cultural celebration with so many happy children and wonderful teachers. Thank you Ann and Wen!
Taiwanese
Playing games with Wen
Wen, Ann, Tim and Deb having a coffee after a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. The restaurant owners seemed tickled to have such exotic people as guests! Afterwards we walked through the street market, and they explained several foods we didn’t know.
Wen giving me a ride back to the subway after school. She and Ann are such good teachers.
Finally, I will end with some random photos of Taiwan and some things that were a first for us.
Anyone for a motorcycle wash? This is how you do it…drive in, EXIT your vehicle, put in coins, and wait for the automatic wash to finish. Smile.
Anyone for a parking garage? We did take a few minutes to try and figure out how they get their cars out of this elevator. It’s like one of those plastic number puzzles with one open space. Cars need to be lifted, and shuttled sideways to an open alley, until the desired car can be lowered for use.
Anyone for a caterpillar? This is from the Expo park north of us.
Scene from the Taipei zoo. This young tree sloth seemed to be trying to make a break for it. While there we also had a chance to see giant pandas and many other exotic animals. Including such special species as North American deer, raccoons, and Bison.
Also at the zoo, this thing that looks like a plastic child’s toy. It was nearly a meter across, and vivid red. Turns out it is a rafflesia flower, native to Malaysia and Indonesia. It’s a parasitic flower plant, and uses the bright colors and odor to attract insects to help it pollinate.
And, closer to “home”, this member of Hell’s Kitties thinks he’s tougher than you.
Cats like the black seats of motorbikes, and can often be seen napping on motorbikes in the sun.
Well, that’s going to wrap it up for Taipei. Stay tuned for Thailand, but we won’t be able to post until we get back in the states, so check back in around a month.
