Changhua – Chiayi – Penghu : Untold Disappointment Wrapped in an Unforgettable Memories (Day 2)

There is nothing special outside the window. Looking through a small opening between the curtains, I just curious about today’s weather. In this little but cozy hostel of Chiayi, I start wondering what kind of memories will the next 2 days of Penghu journey give to me. The whole Formosa island almost ready to welcome summer, however I still feel much more comfortable surrounded by the morning air of this middle part of Taiwan. Clear sky yet friendly sunshine, warm air yet not as humid as Taipei, I sincerely hope that Penghu’s weather will be as friendly as Chiayi this morning.

            

It’s 7 am and I’m amazed with how silent is this little alley still. Leaving the hostel’s door and walk along the alley to the main road, the city’s busy atmosphere start to emerge. I suddenly remember about a little disappointment I feel during a little walk last night. Chiayi seems to share a similar city atmosphere with Changhua where traditional mixed with modernity, walking along Changhua’s street during the day and stroll along Chiayi’s street during the night makes me regret the fact that I don’t have much time to stay in both places. I also realize that this little time will soon passes when I slowly approach Chiayi Train Station, where I will meet fellow friends here to continue our journey to Penghu.

            

This is just the third time I met both of them, the chubby one who fully occupies taxi’s front seat beside the driver is the one that I most familiar with, while the one that sit on my left seems nice yet silent, I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t like to talk much or because he immediately sleep right after get inside the taxi. I can’t focus my mind during around 50 minutes’ trip from Chiayi Train Station to Budai Port where we will take a ferry to Penghu. That chubby friend and our female taxi driver start to endlessly talk in a mixed language of Chinese and Taiwanese Hokkien which take a lot of effort for me to fully understand. Give up trying to follow their conversation, I try to focus my eyes to the scenery outside, but most of the time all I can see is a deserted field surrounds us, nothing could help to eliminate my worries. I worry about how well I could get along with six new friends, whom I will meet four of them later at Budai Port, at once. I also worry whether our mission will be accomplished within the next 2 days or not, which will also decide whether all the money spent is a waste or not. However, it seems that my first worry disappears once we reach Budai Port, pay NTD 800 for taxi fare, and meet the other friends. They seem to be very friendly and easy to get along with. After all, we’re all here for one same purpose. 

Chiayi’s Budai Port

After collect our one-way trip ticket which cost NTD 900 and waiting for our ship’s departure time, I cast a glance at all of my new friends here and try to figure out why this group of people, just like me, is very enthusiastically plan this trip in a hope to be able to meet one person, even if just for a moment. The chubby man with whom I share taxi has been this person’s fan for 17 years. The fact that he immediately welcomes me, who share the same interest with him, to join this group even if previously we’re just online friends shows how big his support towards this person is. The nice yet silent man has been this person’s fan for 16 years before finally realize that his mother is this person’s schoolmate at junior high. A piece of old photo from this person’s junior high school yearbook complete with autograph has become one of his treasures until now. There is a mother and her daughter who both join this group and sometimes let me wonder how her husband (or father) feels. There is also one mother who said that her daughter could never understand why she joins this group, yet I can tell how happy and excited she is just from her face expression. After all, she is a fan who watches one exactly same movie for more than 15 times to show her support for this person as the movie’s producer, director, and actor. The last one is a young woman who once told me that his voice is very charming. Unfortunately at this point, my short daydreaming must stops when everyone starts to walk towards departure gate. Our ferry to Penghu ready to sail!

View of Taiwan Strait from Ferry’s Window

I start the ferry trip with amazement when I realize that a mother who watches one same movie for more than 15 times turns out to has another simple yet amazing way to show her support. She brings a piece of white cloth, a thread, a needle, a scissor, and some styrofoam balls with her. Look at my curious expression, she asks whether I know what she brings all those things for. Find out that I have no idea of what the answer should be, she start explains that she will make 8 sunny dolls, one for each of us, and we will give all of them to that person who we hope will meet at Penghu as a sign of support. By bring these sunny dolls, we all hope that Penghu’s weather, which mostly rainy during that week, will turn sunny and no longer delay movie shooting progress. Unfortunately, after listening to her explanation, I have no choice but to try to close my eyes for the rest of 1.5 hours trip since I feel a severe seasick! 

Our Ferry Approach Magong Port

Magong Port

Our driver, also as our tour guide, is a thin and tall man with cheerful face and spontaneous expression. I remember that moment before I move to Taiwan, when I’m still trying to figure out Taiwan people’s character and how should I socialize with them without creates any cultural problem. I found out that most of the people feel that Taiwanese seldom use a direct way to express their meaning towards each other. When I finally arrive at Taiwan, my first impression of Taiwanese is that they are very friendly and extremely polite, therefore I believe it is true that in order to avoid offending others, they will mostly prefer to use indirect way to express meaning. Looking back at our tour guide, I remind myself that I will no longer immediately believe any theory about certain people before I have an opportunity to directly interact with them. He is very spontaneous and immediately doesn’t hesitate to throw some rather sensitive jokes once we get inside his van. After all, it’s definitely true that there will always various kinds of people no matter where we are.

After enjoying our first simple lunch at Penghu, we immediately rush to our very first yet important destination, the filming location which at that day takes a set at a place called Chikan Wharf of Baisha Township. At Chikan Wharf, we meet fellow friends from Hongkong group that already arrive at the location a day before us. It’s 2 pm and they told us that we may need to wait until around 3 pm when the movie crews take a short break to be able to meet that one man that we’re looking for. Once one of my friend excitedly show our sunny dolls to them, I look around and feel satisfied since these sunny dolls proven powerful to drive away the rainy weather that haunted Penghu for the whole week. 

A Sunny Day at Chikan Wharf

Chikan Wharf’s Beach

Taiwan Strait’s View from Chikan Wharf

At around 3 pm, that man finally come out from a small beach house which specially built for filming purpose and walk toward us. His skin is darker than the last time I saw him yet that pleasant smile still remain unchanged. Wearing casual outfit of brown shorts and white singlet, his face slightly hidden behind the shadow created by his brown cowboy hat. While busy taking our sunny dolls present one by one, he said that he really appreciates our support but doesn’t want us to stay there all day under Penghu’s fierce sun just to wait for him. Continue with his sincere voice, he softly told us to take our time here to travel around so that he doesn’t need to worry about us and able to focus on his job. Seeing him in person and listening to his voice, just like when every time it happens, let me stunned and just stand still there without doing anything. It seems that while I’m frozen there, all of my friends already give their sunny dolls to him. Looking at the sunny dolls at my hand, this friendly man smile and take the initiative to said, “It’s for me, right?” This simple question, asked by a man who set unbreakable Asia’s music album sales record by selling 26 million copies for just one album, is what makes the whole journey valuable and definitely unforgettable!

            

Don’t want to add more pressures to the filming process, we have no other choice but to leave the beautiful view of Chikan Wharf. It’s around 4.30 pm when we decide to visit the famous Penghu Trans-Ocean Bridge, a bridge that link Baisha Island and Xiyu Island, before go to the Pescadores Hotel, the only Penghu’s five star hotel where our movie star stay, to check-in and get some rest. At night, we enjoy some fresh seafood dish and pay a visit to Xiying Rainbow Bridge to close our perfect day at Penghu!

Penghu Trans-Ocean Bridge

The View at Penghu Trans-Ocean Bridge

Pescadores Hotel

Yindi’an Best Price Fresh Seafood Restaurant

Xiying Rainbow Bridge

Changhua – Chiayi – Penghu : Untold Disappointment Wrapped in an Unforgettable Memories (Day 1)

It’s been a while since first time I got the news that my Taiwanese singer idol will stay in Penghu on May for a new movie shooting until I decide to join a 2 days Penghu tour with fellow friends who share the same interest with me. I, my husband, and six other friends will go out on a trip that we usually call a ‘star-chasing’ journey. My excitement highly rises until it eliminates my worries about the high amount of money that we should spend during the trip. Even though I still carry a backpack along the way, but I book a five star hotel, rent a van together with a driver that we mostly treat as a tour guide, and order food without first looking at the price. My little attempt to save some money by taking a regular train instead of THSR (Taiwan High-Speed Rail) train from Taipei to Chiayi has completely fail. We will meet at Chiayi Train Station at 8 am and there is no way for regular train to reach Chiayi from Taipei at such early time. Therefore, I need to leave a day before and spend a night in Chiayi which means more budget will spent on Chiayi’s hostel. With a spirit of making this trip full of new experiences, I decide not to waste money without doing anything and make my first stop at Changhua, a historical Bamboo Town, before finally arrive at Chiayi.

Train Ticket to Changhua on My Cheap Backpack

Welcome to Changhua

Changhua plays an important role in Taiwan history due to its function as a base for the Han (one of Chinese ethnic group) when they invaded Taiwan and defend from Taiwanese aborigines. To serve this function, a fortress built out of bamboo was made, therefore this place also known as Bamboo Town. Since I will arrive at around 3.30 pm and still need to continue the journey to Chiayi on that day, my plan is just to take a quick trip to Changhua’s most famous landmark, Baguashan Giant Buddha Scenic Area. I never imagine that this quick trip turns out to be such an up and down, a moment of excitement followed with a little adrenaline rush, a sadness followed with a new hope, and a happiness followed with unpredictable surprise.

To reach Baguashan Giant Buddha Scenic Area from Changhua Train Station is as simple as taking No 6933 or 6912 bus from Changhua Bus Station, only 5 minutes walk distance from Changhua Train Station. The key to make this short trip simple is to pay attention to the direction of the bus, be sure to take the bus toward Lugang Station and not to the opposite direction, like I did! Maybe arrive at Changhua, a hometown of my favorite singer to whom this journey dedicated to, has make me too excited and unable to pay attention. Maybe the May hot weather has cause my mind unclear and long for a quick relief provided by bus’ air conditioner. I don’t know which factor, or maybe simply just the combination of both factors, that encourages me to get on that wrong bus.

Looking around from the bus’ window, I could feel an atmosphere of a city with a long history. Various modern and new branded shops mixed with a lot of old and traditional food stalls in both sides of a small yet busy street. It’s not exaggerating to say that some food stalls here have a history of more than 50 years and still survive due to its delicious and unique taste. Two of them that are very famous now are Beimenkou Meatball, which I will not try no matter how delicious it is since I can’t eat pork, and Dawang Papaya Milk, which unfortunately I need to pass too since I don’t have enough time. Both of them can be easily reach by foot from Changhua Train Station.

While enjoying the bus air conditioner, I also enjoy the slow pace of this city. People walk slowly, the bus seems like in a slow motion scene when it passes red light one after another, and each red light seems like take forever before it turns green! It doesn’t take a long time before I loose my patience, look at my watch, and start cursing the slow motion scene around me. Four bus stations already passed and I still didn’t see my destination station name appears on the display screen inside the bus. It’s already 4.30 pm when I realize that something is not right and decide to get off the bus.

           

I cross the street in a rush to find a bus toward the opposite direction. Standing still for around 15 minutes, there is no single bus passing by. I’m still surrounded by a slow motion scene, a big street with only small number of cars or motorcycles passing by, a never ending red light which I’m sure guilty of holding the bus that I need to take in faraway place, and no taxi! Actually it’s not literally means no taxi, but since I find no bus and decide to take any transportation mode available include taxi, three or four vacant taxis pass by in front of my face without intention to stop no matter how hard I waive my hand try to stop them. It’s 5 pm when I almost start to cry thinking that my stop to Changhua is just a waste of time. While seriously consider to go back to train station to catch the train to Chiayi, a taxi stop and take us to Baguashan.

Gate to Baguashan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

Pathway to Giant Buddha Statue

Various God Statues along Pathway to Giant Buddha Statue

Giant Buddha Statue

Lion Statue in front of Giant Buddha

Giant Buddha Temple behind the Giant Buddha Statue

Giant Buddha Temple

Dragon Carving in front of the Temple

Elephant Statue in front of the Temple

Baguashan Garden

A Little Fish Pond inside Baguashan Garden

Bagua Pagoda

Baguashan Giant Buddha Scenic Area is definitely worth a visit. A fascinate Great Buddha Statue, a beautiful Great Buddha Temple, and a pair of Bagua Pagoda build in a beautiful area of Baguashan successfully clear my sadness and replace it with happiness. Even though I only have around 45 minutes to tour around the scenic area, I feel extremely satisfied, especially because I successfully complete my mission to take a picture that imitate artist’s pose.

Source of Picture in the Left: weibo.com/richiefirework

At around 6 pm, I start to walk to Changhua Train Station to catch a train to Chiayi that will depart within the next half hour. Yes, I walk, not take any bus or taxi, and it actually just needs less than 30 minutes! So, to revise my previous statement, the simplest way to reach Baguashan Giant Buddha Scenic Area from Changhua Train Station is not by taking No 6933 or 6912 bus from Changhua Bus Station, but simply just walk for around 30 minutes. Not only it will save time to wait for the bus and never ending red light, but we may also find something interesting along the way, like Taiwan’s oldest Confucius Temple.

Taiwan’s Oldest Confucius Temple

We arrive at Chiayi at night and directly go to the hostel nearby, only around 15 minutes walk distance from Chiayi Train Station. The hostel owners are husband and wife who are very friendly in welcoming and giving us useful recommendations on what to do during our short stay in Chiayi. Follow their recommendations, we decided to spend the night in Chiayi by visiting Guanguang Night Market in Wenhua Street and satisfy our appetite with Spraying Water Chicken Rice and Bean Curd Ice before take a rest and prepare for the real Penghu journey. 

Train Ticket to Chiayi

Wenhua Street Intersection nearby the Spraying Water Chicken Rice

Stroll along Guanguang Night Market in Chiayi

Bitan Scenic Area : A Little Surprise from an Ordinary Daily Trip

Unlike other famous tourist spot which I visit on purpose, my first encounter with Bitan is merely a fortunate accident. When I take the red line (Tamsui-Xindian) MRT during my planned trip to Wulai, I found out that there is also one beautiful scenic spot called Bitan just in front of MRT Xindian Station. One week after Wulai’s trip, my curiosity bring me back to Xindian, this time to take a walk around Bitan Scenic Area.

            

The greenish color of Xindian River’s clear water and green hills along one side of the river create a natural beauty with an eye soothing effect. Besides take a walk or ride a bicycle along the riverside, we can also do some water activity like fishing, canoeing, pedal boat riding, or even swimming. Would like to visit some cultural spots or do some hiking around the area? There are numerous temples and hiking trails nearby which could easily find by follow any available sign directions. Enjoy the light reflection in the river water during a romantic dinner will perfectly close our one day trip in Bitan.

            

Although leisure activities offered by Bitan Scenic Area are not much different compared to other riverside parks, but the beautiful nature scenery in this area will definitely give you a deep impression. Feels like there is not much to talk about Bitan? Just let the pictures talk then!

National Chiang Kai-Sek Memorial Hall: History, Architecture, Art, Leisure

Chiang Kai-Sek (1887-1975) was a Chinese political and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (Taiwan) between 1928 and 1975. National Chiang Kai-Sek Memorial Hall, located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, is a monument that built in his memory and now become one of the famous landmarks and tourist attractions in Taiwan. This tourist attraction can be directly reached by MRT to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station. In here you can understand more about one piece of Taiwan history through various museums inside the memorial hall and feel the serious and respectful atmosphere during the guard changing ceremony that take place every hour.

Bronze Statue of Chiang Kai-Shek

Guard Changing Ceremony

The inspiration source of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall design comes from four famous architectural building in the world, Lincoln Memorial Hall in United States, Taj Mahal in India, Temple of Heaven in China, and Pyramid in Egypt. The number of stairs in front of the monument is 89, the same number as Chiang Kai-Shek’s age when he passed away. The main hall in 4^th floor, where the bronze statue of Chiang Kai-Shek located, has a special design of ceiling with a national flag symbol of white sun with twelve rays depicted on it. The top of monument’s hexagonal roof creates a shape of Chinese character 人 which means human and the whole picture of rooftop in a high sky symbolizes the unity of human and God. 

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

National Flag Symbol in the Ceiling

Visit this monument will not only let us gain more knowledge about history and architecture, but also feel the beauty of art through various art exhibitions held in the monument gallery or in the National Theater and National Concert Hall. Step outside from the memorial hall, we will find a Freedom Square with various group of people each busy doing their activities there, such as students practicing street dance, charity foundation’s members promoting their charity activities, and a group of parents with their kids or couples busy feeding a flock of pigeon. In both side of the memorial hall, we can also find a beautiful park where we can just sit down or walk along to enjoy the view of a little fish pond with a white classic bridge, play with some cute cats, take pictures of sparrows flying around above the green grass, or feel happy by witnessing a little kid’s cutest smile while chasing and playing around with pigeons. It’s a place that will offer us knowledge of history, architecture, and art at the same time in one single leisure journey.

National Theater & National Concert Hall

A Flock of Pigeon in front of Freedom Square

CKS Memorial Hall Park

Xiangshan: Recall the First Impression of Taiwan from Different Point of View

One of the questions that I frequently ask to fellow foreigners during my stay in Taiwan is, “How do you think about Taiwan?” Some of them have stayed long enough to be able to describe various things that impress them about Taiwan. However, one answer that impresses me most comes from my new classmate who I just met about 4 months ago. He has stayed in Taiwan for more than 3 years, yet just like most of the foreigners or tourists who just arrive in the island, he still mentions Taipei 101 as an icon of Taiwan from which he got a deep first impression which result to long term relationship between him and the island. Taipei 101, the second tallest skyscraper in the world, has been the tallest skyscraper in the world from 2004 to 2010 before finally surpassed by Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It’s located in the Taipei city center and perfectly represents modernity in a busy metropolis, yet its surrounding, just like the most part of Taiwan’s big cities, offer us much more relaxed life pace compared to other Asian metropolis. My friend finally falls in love with Taiwan at the first sight.

Taipei 101 Day View from Xiangshan

Taipei 101 Night View from Xiangshan

However, not many will expect that in this metropolis city center, behind the world’s second tallest skyscraper, there is actually a place called Xiangshan where we can recall the first impression of Taiwan from different point of view. This time we will not look up to view the majesty of a skyscraper, but we will look down to enjoy Taipei 101 night view from mountain heights. 

Going to Xiangshan is as easy as take the red line (Beitou-Xiangshan) MRT to Xiangshan station. Get out from MRT Xiangshan station and we will immediately find Zhongqiang Park. Follow the sign direction toward Xiangshan and walk for around 10 minutes through the park pathways will bring us directly to Xiangshan hiking trail. Xiangshan hiking trail consist of stairs, stone road, fresh air, and very suitable for a whole family hiking trip. The best time to start our hiking trip is in the evening. It will only take around 30 minutes to reach top of Xiangshan hiking trail and find a best spot to enjoy splendid night view of Taipei 101. 

Zhongqiang Park Pathway

Xiangshan Hiking Trail

Climb Jiuwu Peak for more challenging adventure

For them who are craving for more challenging adventure, they can continue their hiking journey to Jiuwu Peak through a lot of steeper stairs. Although it definitely requires more effort and energy to climb Jiuwu Peak, but you will be rewarded not only with more excellent night view, but also quieter atmosphere in which you might also lucky enough to find some people doing meditation here. Share a romantic night view with our loved ones or enjoy a silent moment and doing some meditation to refresh our mind, the choice is yours!