Bonus Taiwan
If you thought the island-state was just an extension of everything one tends to associate with China, think again
- Published: 3/06/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Horizons
While China hogs the spotlight, there's seldom any mention of Taiwan, its neighbour across the straits with whom the world's emerging superpower has much in common, if not the system of governance.
The western side of the Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung city is dotted with an arresting cluster of landmarks. Among them are the brightly-painted Dragon and Tiger pagodas, floating structures built in 1974 and linked to the shore by a zigzag nine-cornered bridge. Many visitors enter the pagodas through the dragon’s mouth and exit out the tiger because, according to Chinese belief, it turns bad omen into good fortune.
The contrast couldn't be more glaring: Taiwan is a tiny spit of land southeast of the Chinese mainland, whereas China is the third largest country in the world. The two countries also sit on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
This much I knew, though, not much else. Thus, when the time came to go there I tried to make myself familiar with the country and its people.
Unfortunately, the information that came my way held out little promise since most of what I read about the country, and its capital Taipei, was replete with mention of a highly urbanised society, ubiquitous skyscrapers, clusters of factories, an industrialised economy and high-speed transportation. And with that in mind I didn't expect much from the trip.
Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Taiwan turned out to be everything I had feared, but it was also much more than in the literature I had read.
Soon after landing in Taipei, I found myself in a downtown area so busy that I had to elbow my way through the crowd, before being ushered to a table for my first dinner in the city, a delightful experience indeed, followed by the predictable hustle and bustle, an endless maze of streets with pedestrians clogging the sidewalks lined with stalls and vendors serving up a dazzling selection of freshly prepared delicacies, the air thick with their aroma, titillating the taste buds.
After a day and night well spent in the capital, I took the speed train to Kaohsiung on the southern tip of Taiwan, a ride lasting just an hour, before hitting Tainan the following day. After a couple of nights enjoying the cosy ambience of the southern towns I travelled north and immersed myself in the urban culture and lifestyle so characteristic of Taichung.
Next stop was Taipei County which is home to the vintage charms of Jinguashi and Jiufen, small yet adorable destinations nestled on a mountain hemmed by the sea, before bidding farewell to the island-state.
By the time I left Taiwan I was fully in awe of the island and its diverse range of attractions.
Prominent among them were modern architecture and lifestyle dominated by cutting-edge technology, natural beauty, hospitality of the people, cultural legacy, an affinity for arts rooted in history that stretches far back across the straits to mainland China, and last but not least a culinary culture matched only by its vibrant night life.
The aesthetic sophistication of Kaohsiung city is also evident underground. The single massive piece of stained glass pane installed on the ceiling of the Formosa Boulevard Station is known as the Dome of Light, designed by the fabled Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata. This masterpiece is said to be the single largest public artwork of glass.
Located in the city of Taichung, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1988. After severe damage from an earthquake in 1999, it underwent a major refurbishment before reopening in July 2004 with a brand new look and layout. The result is an enormous series of galleries displaying a diverse range of contemporary Taiwanese and international pieces of visual art, from ancient Chinese brush painting to modern sculpture dispersed over a vast exhibition area of 15,601 square metres.
Not far from Taichung’s Tunghai University is the serene neighbourhood of Art Street. This locale is popular for its eclectic mix of cute and cosy shops, cafes and restaurants which line both sides of a hilly road. One of them is the Chun Shui Tang Cultural Tea House, the celebrated tea shop that claims to be the originator of bubble tea, a sweetly flavoured beverage with tapioca pearls,
The Discovery Center of Taipei at the City Hall is a great place to peel back the layers of the capital’s history. The museum’s brilliant exhibits summarise the evolution of the city’s politics, trade, culture, art, technology and ecology. Through a combination of innovative and interactive display using audio-visual materials, models, images and film footage, visitors are provided with thought-provoking insights into events and elements that shaped Taipei’s development, supported with references to its past, present and future.
The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in the heart of Taipei is an iconic monument erected in memory of the republic’s founding father and former president. Flanked by the National Theatre and Concert Hall, the colossal white structure boasts octagonal blue tiled roof. Two sets of precipitous stairs, each with 89 steps representing his age at the time of his demise, lead to the spacious main hall which houses a huge bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek in traditional Chinese costume. The luminous golden emblem decorating the vault symbolises the Kuomintang.
The ground level of the memorial hall functions as a museum. It chronicles the life of Taiwan’s great leader and major milestones in the country’s history via an array of photographs and mementos from his personal collection. What seen here is a painting depicting a young Chiang Kai-shek (left) with his mentor Dr Sun Yat Sen at the Canton Railway Station on July 6, 1923, when they were on their way to Shaokuan.
The only one of its kind, the open-air Juming Museum in Jinshan mountain features sculptures inspired by Ju Ming, one of the country’s internationally acclaimed artists. Ju’s artistic vision and innovative approach are conveyed with grace and poise and, as seen here, they fuse well with their surroundings— in the embrace of lush forest and towering peaks—underscoring the symmetry as well as harmony between man and nature. The figures—small and large and some larger than life—are cast from diverse materials ranging from stainless steel, bronze and wood to plaster, styrofoam and foam rubber, giving the artist the freedom to depict human spirit or emotion in all its manifestations. The museum is segmented into zones with varying themes such as sports, taichi, living world, science, arts and so forth.
Situated in the midst of mountains with terrific view of the coastline are Jiufen and Jinguashi in Rueifang township, Taipei County, both endowed with rich historical, cultural and natural heritage. Jinguashi is an ecological park today, in fact an ecological museum of sorts, where until late 1960s flourished as a gold mine. Opening to the public in 2004, the park encapsulates a history high on gold, even if Jinguashi and its current residents have long been stripped of its glitter.
The park’s Museum of Gold traces the history from the time gold was discovered in Jinguashi until it became a booming industry. On show is the process of extracting and refining the precious metal during the old days, as well as the equipment used and related information, with the highlight being a world-record 220kg gold ingot. Next to the museum building is the Benshan Fifth Tunnel that sheds light on the harsh conditions underground in which the miners had to labour. In its vicinity is the Environmental Education Building which offers an insight into Jinguashi’s geology and ecology. Also on view is a traditional wooden Japanese residence reassembled from an original structure that was torn down, and a chalet built for the visit of former Japanese emperor Hirohito who at that time was still the crown prince. Both edifices are among a few surviving examples of the strong influence Japan once wielded in Taiwan.
Jiufen is a vintage town not far from Jinguashi. Starting as a modest community of only nine households, in those days whenever a trade ship arrived there an order would go out to its captain for nine pieces of the same object, which is how the town got its name. ‘Jiufen’ means nine samples in Chinese. The town remained remote and isolated until late 19th century when gold was discovered leading to an influx of prospectors that peaked during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. By the 1960s, the gold rush gone, the town had slipped from memory, only to return to the spotlight in 1989, riding the wave of popularity triggered by the award-winning movie ‘A City of Sadness’ which was shot there. Jiufen’s picturesque maze of winding pathways dotted with small shops and stalls on either side peddling multifarious mouth-watering traditional foods, handicrafts and souvenirs compliments its golden past. Also along the way are spellbinding lookout points, nostalgic Chinese-style eateries and cafes with red lanterns hanging from every nook and cranny, making it an ideal retreat from the buzz of modern city life.
About the author
- Writer: Patsinee Kranlert
- Position: Reporter
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