tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73797134772663048632024-02-19T16:32:36.977-08:00Steven CrookUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger352125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-29540158302631839292017-11-08T18:20:00.000-08:002017-11-08T18:20:03.217-08:00A Beginner’s Guide to Taiwanese Opera (Les Isles)<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">No interpreter is needed to enjoy Taiwan’s <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2015/07/taiwans-mountain-paradise-for-nature.html" target="_blank">gorgeous mountain scenery</a>, and the island’s culinary delights excite the palate even if you can’t speak a word of Mandarin. Getting to grips with Taiwanese opera is far trickier, however — and not just because it’s performed entirely in the local language known as <i>Minnanhua</i> or Taiwanese.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Like the better-known Beijing form, much of the movement in Taiwanese opera is symbolic, rather than realistic. The audience is expected to understand that a performer wringing his hands is expressing anxiety, for instance, and that hands clasped behind one’s back indicates<br />bravery. Operas are performed to the accompaniment of traditional instruments, such as three-stringed banjos, four-stringed lutes, and bamboo flutes. Gongs and drums punctuate dialog and provide cacophonous backing for the sessions of acrobatics that represent combat.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In 21st-century Taiwan, Beijing opera is confined to a handful of high-brow venues. By contrast, Taiwanese opera can be found in temple forecourts and small-town parking lots. Those who travel around Taiwan may well stumble across a Taiwanese opera in full swing, part of the celebrations for a <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/travel-tips/taiwans-gods/p,608183822" target="_blank">deity’s</a> birthday.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Shrine performances are often low-budget affairs...</span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Les Isles is the relaunched inflight magazine of UNI Air. The complete article (which is pretty short</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 新細明體; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span></i>) can be read online <a href="https://www.uniair.com.tw/uniweb/openpage/Uni_201711/files/assets/basic-html/index.html#47" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-78694317308562239132017-10-29T01:25:00.002-07:002017-10-29T01:28:18.660-07:00The Neiwan Branch Line: Riding Back in Time by Train (Travel in Taiwan)<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The
first time I experienced the Neiwan Branch Railway was on another assignment
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Travel in Taiwan</i>, nearly twenty
years ago. I thereafter rode the train to Neiwan once more, but that was long
before the line’s closure, renovation and reopening in late 2011. So when the
magazine asked me if I’d like to go back, my eagerness to see if the area had
changed spurred immediate acceptance.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Even
better, the editor wanted me to write something about downtown Hsinchu (</span><a href="http://www.hcccb.gov.tw/english/04museum/1mus_a01.asp?cate_id=55"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ZH-CN" style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none;">新竹</span></b></a><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">), one of my favorite Taiwanese cities. Hsinchu is usually thought of
as a citadel of high-tech industry, which it is. But it also has some of the
island’s finest traditional architecture, as well as a catalog of tasty local
delicacies every bit as good as <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2015/01/eating-your-way-through-tainans-former.html" target="_blank">Tainan’s</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On
a glorious sunny day, with an unusual spring in my step, I walked from Hsinchu
High-Speed Railway Station to the adjacent Liujia Station, which is operated by
Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA). The construction of Liujia Station and
3.1km of new tracks was a key reason for overhauling the Neiwan Line. Commuters
can now get from the HSR stop to the heart of Hsinchu in just 19 minutes.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Before
boarding the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dian-che</i> (<span lang="ZH-CN" style="margin: 0px;">電車</span>, “electric car”) to Hsinchu, I bought a one-day,
jump-on/jump-off ticket valid for both the Neiwan and Liujia lines. These
passes (which cost NT$95 for adults, NT$50 for kids and senior citizens) can
also be purchased at Hsinchu TRA Station and some other stations, including
Taipei. S</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ightseers
heading straight to Neiwan should get off at the next station, Zhuzhong (<span lang="ZH-CN" style="margin: 0px;">竹中</span>), and make sure they wait on the right platform. If you’re
heading into the city from Liujia, as I was, there’s never any need to change
trains.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Assuming
you’ve come from Taipei (no more than 35 minutes by HSR) or Taichung (even
quicker), and the Neiwan Branch Line is your main objective, you’ll probably
not want to spend more than a couple of hours in the city. Fortunately, a bunch
of interesting sights are within 15 minutes walk of the TRA station. </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I
made a beeline for the <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/monuments-buildings/du-cheng-huang-temple/p,608186394" target="_blank">City God Temple</a> (aka Du Chenghuang Temple, <span lang="ZH-CN" style="margin: 0px;">都城隍廟</span>). The obvious route to this perpetually bustling place
of worship takes you right past <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/monuments-buildings/yingxi-old-east-gate/p,608184909" target="_blank">Yingxi Old East Gate</a> (<span lang="ZH-CN" style="margin: 0px;">迎曦東門城</span>).
The gate is all that remains of the protective wall that once surrounded
Hsinchu...</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The complete article is in the November-December issue of Travel in Taiwan.</i></span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><i></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-810206945855867052017-09-29T15:13:00.002-07:002017-09-29T16:41:17.983-07:00Blogging for the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This year I've been traveling frequently to the eastern counties of Hualien and Taitung to write about places and attractions chosen by the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area Administration. Perhaps my favorite has been the <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2017/04/the-yuli-fuli-bikeway.html" target="_blank">bicycle trail between Yuli and Fuli</a>, but <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2017/07/biking-through-bucoli-ruisui.html" target="_blank">Ruisui</a> (the first time I rode an electric scooter) was also fun, and I'm always happy to write about <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2017/05/the-japanese-imprint-in-east-taiwan.html" target="_blank">Japan's architectural legacy in Taiwan</a>. All of these articles, and several more about the East Rift Valley, are on my <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bradt Taiwan blog</a>.</span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-61209160348538889092017-09-24T22:42:00.000-07:002017-09-24T22:46:32.362-07:00The Laksa Origin Debate, Borneo Edition (Roads and Kingdoms)<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had done a bit of research about Sarawak <i>laksa</i> before
arriving. Not that I was any the wiser. Depending on who you believe,
the most authentic pastes have 20, 30, 36 or even more components, among
them garlic and lemongrass, as well as various spices.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s often said the first laksa vendor in Sarawak—a Malaysian state
on the northwest coast of Borneo—was a Cantonese man who moved to
Kuching from Indonesia at the end of World War II. He gave or sold his
recipe to a Cantonese lady, who may or may not have passed it to a Mr.
Tan who, in the 1960s, made a fortune selling factory-made “Swallow”
brand laksa paste. None of these creation myths mention <a href="http://www.star2.com/food/food-news/2017/08/28/malaysia-laksa-varieties/" target="_blank">the other forms of laksa eaten in Malaysia</a> and Indonesia.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Mr. Tan’s product—and those of the imitators which soon appeared (one
called itself “Eagle,” another “Parrot”)—made preparing laksa at home a
great deal quicker and less laborious. Inevitably, it was a huge hit
among Sarawakians living far from their home state.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had done less research about politics. But it seems many in Sarawak are <a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/pressure-mounts-on-federal-govt-as-sarawak-calls-for-greater-aut-8049992" target="_blank">unhappy</a> with their place in the Malaysian federation...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The published version of this article is quite a bit shorter than the piece I sent in. In the original I made some references to Taiwan, comparing its so-far frustrated efforts to ensure its autonomy/independence, to Sarawakian discontent with the political status quo in Malaysia. To read the complete published article, go <a href="http://roadsandkingdoms.com/breakfast/laksa-origin-debate-borneo-edition/" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-8613621471441066202017-08-08T19:35:00.001-07:002017-08-08T19:47:45.121-07:00Branching out by train (En Voyage)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDl3XxBTpBYsWOCJUJfn0Sg-JqygPcX_C6U0ovuB1_rnuvPHnpG1WebTmeu5Pof5yfMGgn8lt0pLHGJ5Y1pF7BUJKro4tAMWNqnRYnoatgmQOEEnJElZHygK4kj_jqCrQFFCUX0WjXpA/s1600/ShifenLanterns11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDl3XxBTpBYsWOCJUJfn0Sg-JqygPcX_C6U0ovuB1_rnuvPHnpG1WebTmeu5Pof5yfMGgn8lt0pLHGJ5Y1pF7BUJKro4tAMWNqnRYnoatgmQOEEnJElZHygK4kj_jqCrQFFCUX0WjXpA/s400/ShifenLanterns11.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once you know a spine of lofty mountains runs almost the entire length of Taiwan, the island’s rail map makes complete sense. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The busiest stretch of railroad runs from the northern port city of Keelung, through Taipei and then southward to the cities of Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Near Keelung, another line goes east en route for Hualien and Taitung. The rail system didn’t go all the way around the island until 1991, when the completion of 36 tunnels and 158 bridges in the space of 98km finally made it possible to ride a train from the southwest to <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2017/07/taitung-by-train-travel-in-taiwan.html" target="_blank">the southeast</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Look more closely at a rail map of Taiwan, and you’ll notice that, while no railroads go across the middle of the island, a handful of branch lines do penetrate the interior. The best known of these is the narrow-gauge Alishan Forest Railway, which climbs from 30m above sea level in Chiayi City to an altitude of 2,216m. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taiwan’s other branch railways share the same gauge (1,067mm or 3 ft 6 in) and rolling stock as the main line. Instead of linking major urban areas, they provide access to more bucolic corners of Taiwan. Rather than carry commuters on weekdays, they shuttle sightseers from one quaint little town to another.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Business or family commitments keep many foreign visitors close to Taipei, so we’ll start in the north. From downtown Taipei, it’s possible to get to <a href="https://guidetotaipei.com/visit/ruifang-%E7%91%9E%E8%8A%B3" target="_blank">Ruifang</a> – where the fun really starts – in around 45 minutes. There, travelers can buy a day-pass for the <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2013/10/sky-lanterns-in-shifen.html" target="_blank">Pingxi Line</a> and begin to explore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This 12.9km-long spur was built so the area’s seams of coal could be more easily exploited. Mining dominated the local economy between 1918 and the 1980s. Since then, trains have transported tourists eager to view rugged landscapes, visit the impressive waterfall at Shifen, or launch sky lanterns at Pingxi (where I took the photo here). Painting your wishes on the side of a lantern (a wire frame covered with paper, and propelled upwards by the heat of the wick burning inside) then watching it float into the distance is very much the done thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you’re the kind of person who’d rather not retrace his steps, take a bus from Shifen or Pingxi to Muzha near Taipei Zoo, then the metro back to your hotel. But if you still have a few hours of daylight, think about returning to Ruifang and jumping on a train to the end of the <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2014/01/shenao-branch-railway-reopens-to.html" target="_blank">Shenao Line</a>...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>To read the complete article, get a copy of the August issue of En Voyage, EVA Air's inflight magazine.</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-88204293716447307882017-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:002017-07-20T21:42:18.099-07:00Exploring Taiwan by Bus (Taiwan Business Topics)<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Taiwan has more than 41,400 kilometers of freeways, expressways, highways, and urban and local roads. Despite the popularity of cars (ownership reached 322 vehicles per 1,000 people in 2014) and especially motorcycles (676 per 1,000 residents), much of Taiwan is served by regular public buses. For visitors and expatriates who find local driving styles unnerving, or who lack confidence when it comes to navigation, the bus network offers dozens of interesting options.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On commuter routes in Greater Taipei, buses do get crowded. Elsewhere, the chances you can snag a window seat to better enjoy the views are usually excellent. Each year, more and more buses display their destination in English as well as Chinese. All buses are air-conditioned; the prohibition on eating and drinking while aboard city buses in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and some other places does not apply on long-distance services. However, on some routes – notably the 6506 and 6739 – the vehicles are too small to have onboard restrooms. The 6506 also has the most expensive fare of the routes described in this article – NT$564 if you stay on from beginning to end.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is possible to travel by bus from within 700 meters of Fugui Cape, Taiwan’s northernmost point, to 1 kilometer or so from the monument that marks the island’s southernmost point, near <a href="http://elinchow.blogspot.com/2015/09/trip-to-taiwan-kenting-eluanbi-park.html" target="_blank">Eluanbi Lighthouse</a> in Kenting National Park. With a bit of luck, the trip can be done in under nine hours with just three transfers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">North-south travel is a cinch, but those who hope to take a bus between Taiwan’s western plains and the east coast have very few options. On the western side of the Northern Cross-Island Highway (Highway 7), buses only go as far as Lower Baling. Each day, there are three services from Daxi, one from Taoyuan, and one from Zhongli. On the eastern side, Yilan-Lishan buses (two services per day in either direction) stop at Baitao Bridge, the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 7甲. The distance between Baling (<a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2017/07/herping-and-other-nocturnal-adventures.html" target="_blank">a popular place for "herping"</a>) and Baitao Bridge is just over 39 kilometers, so walking from one to the other is hardly feasible, even though the scenery is excellent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Until 1999’s 9-21 earthquake, buses plied the length of the Central Cross-Island Highway, from downtown Taichung to Lishan and through Taroko Gorge, terminating in Hualien City. The road has since been reopened – but only to private vehicles driven by residents of Lishan, and they are allowed to use it only at certain times each day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before Typhoon Morakot wrecked the road in the summer of 2009, a daily bus carried hikers from Tainan to Tianchi on the Southern Cross-Island Highway. From there, some walked or hitchhiked the 25 kilometers to the aboriginal community of Lidao, where they either stayed the night or boarded a bus to Taitung City.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite these natural disasters, visitors who have no interest in driving a rental car or hiring a car and driver can still enjoy Taiwan’s glorious alpine scenery. Parts of Yangmingshan, Shei-Pa, Taroko, and Yushan national parks can be reached by bus, as can Taiwan’s most famous high-altitude resort, Alishan...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The complete article is online, <a href="https://topics.amcham.com.tw/2017/07/exploring-taiwan-bus/" target="_blank">right here</a>.</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-65578916122726796182017-07-17T19:49:00.001-07:002017-07-17T19:54:15.614-07:00Taitung by Train (Travel in Taiwan)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb2M8RmNuJ7DIisDjEoOp8F6FoIRNIYsP3BhA2s5-TGDbmKEdedMIbvZGTx2F-rHkVgDmd_xT86LInsb1mLmw_3AsRVwwvrtm7fMo6kXFRv9cgItAy7UBJPhJ83k_aWMkYPozna-jsf0/s1600/TaitungChishang6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb2M8RmNuJ7DIisDjEoOp8F6FoIRNIYsP3BhA2s5-TGDbmKEdedMIbvZGTx2F-rHkVgDmd_xT86LInsb1mLmw_3AsRVwwvrtm7fMo6kXFRv9cgItAy7UBJPhJ83k_aWMkYPozna-jsf0/s400/TaitungChishang6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sheltered from the busy, populous parts of Taiwan by massive mountain ranges, Taitung County is a charming rural part of the island where life is slower, the fields seem greener, the air fresher. This is a region where you want to slow down, rewind, take a deep breath, and regain your energy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2014/04/east-rift-valley.html" target="_blank">East Rift Valley</a> is one of Taiwan’s most important geographical features. Squeezed between the island’s mighty Central Mountain Range and the lower, yet still impressive, Coastal Mountain Range, the valley is also known as the Longitudinal Valley, or – because it sprawls across parts of Hualien and Taitung counties – the Huatung Valley. It’s around 150km long, but in places the hills on either side are no more than 4km apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three rivers drain the valley. The Hualien River flows northward into the Pacific below the city of Hualien. To the south the Xiuguluan, Taiwan’s No. 1 whitewater-rafting venue, cuts eastward through the coastal mountains. The southward-flowing Beinan emerges from the Central Mountain Range and flows into the ocean on the north side of Taitung City. Thanks to plentiful water, agriculture thrives throughout this thinly-populated region and a great deal of rice is grown.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because the only railroad between Hualien and Taitung is in the East Rift Valley (there’s no coastal line), the valley’s main attractions are accessible even to those who’ve no wish to rent a car or a motorcycle or take local buses. Careful planning is advisable, however, because Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) services are not so frequent here as in the crowded western half of Taiwan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The TRA’s bilingual <a href="http://www.railway.gov.tw/" target="_blank">website</a> is a good place to start. You can not only ascertain departure and journey times, destinations, and fare prices, but also pull up a complete list of trains stopping at a particular station.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y0MOQwXQO0i3AKJ4yYhhgn4AO3wn-A_sQ4MP7j_bck9d6fanZVdsjBS0zmtd37JWlL1A0a9jyjh1pOUxDpl8OqLMR_5YjmdJOKHcAkQbahyphenhyphenrHhwxNwhm2nxkqA9Dwb6X5yHECwxpRTQ/s1600/TaitungChishangDapoPond1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="1000" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y0MOQwXQO0i3AKJ4yYhhgn4AO3wn-A_sQ4MP7j_bck9d6fanZVdsjBS0zmtd37JWlL1A0a9jyjh1pOUxDpl8OqLMR_5YjmdJOKHcAkQbahyphenhyphenrHhwxNwhm2nxkqA9Dwb6X5yHECwxpRTQ/s400/TaitungChishangDapoPond1.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A willingness to ride a bicycle will greatly expand your horizons – and there’s often no need to hire a set of wheels, because many hotels and B&Bs loan bikes to their guests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">In this article, we’ll look at attractions around six stations in the southern part of the East Rift Valley and further down to Taitung City and beyond, starting at Chishang, the most northerly station in Taitung County, and ending with Zhiben, which faces the Pacific Ocean. Zipping back and forth by train won’t cost you much; a one-way ticket between Chishang and Zhiben is never more than NT$122. Oftentimes it’s necessary to change trains in Taitung City, however, which is between 39 and 75 minutes from Chishang, and about 12 minutes from Zhiben.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since the Japanese colonial period, the township of <a href="https://guidetotaipei.com/visit/taitung-chishang-dapochi-pond-%E5%8F%B0%E6%9D%B1%E6%B1%A0%E4%B8%8A%E5%A4%A7%E5%9D%A1%E6%B1%A0" target="_blank">Chishang</a> [where both of these photos were taken] has been renowned for the quality of its <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2017/02/less-rice-on-taiwanese-tables.html" target="_blank">rice</a>. If you stumble off the train feeling famished, within minutes you can be enjoying a meal including the flavorful local rice at Chishang Riceball Museum...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To read the complete article, get a copy of the July/August issue of Travel in Taiwan, or go to <a href="https://taiwaneverything.cc/2017/06/27/taitung-train/" target="_blank">this webpage</a>.</span></i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-33018637753125795052017-07-12T17:53:00.002-07:002017-07-12T18:20:15.336-07:00Herping and other Nocturnal Adventures in Taiwan’s Forests (Taiwan Business Topics)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OecJbQ9jC-ievEPaCZMrW30N4iMYgMguroLViu-V_4FuFB_-P5Bm69VvuVhhlyUTfQW4YAy-CmnjRqc8uGa9KD4cqO-bIH_VOB7V4RZtMqR9I1zep57CpQh-L3lWXkclzlYRka4PTDI/s1600/DH+Handling+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="626" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OecJbQ9jC-ievEPaCZMrW30N4iMYgMguroLViu-V_4FuFB_-P5Bm69VvuVhhlyUTfQW4YAy-CmnjRqc8uGa9KD4cqO-bIH_VOB7V4RZtMqR9I1zep57CpQh-L3lWXkclzlYRka4PTDI/s400/DH+Handling+1.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When the temperature rises and rain falls, the life forms that inhabit Taiwan’s forests become more active. Some expatriates might loathe Taiwan’s sultry summers, but for snake aficionados Bill Murphy, Hans Breuer, and <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2016/09/a-nocturnal-nature-ramble.html" target="_blank">Dane Harris</a> [pictured right, handling a snake], the season has definite advantages. All three spent many years in Taiwan before they began to appreciate the size and diversity of the island’s serpentine population.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I’ve been interested in wildlife my whole life, ever since my grandmother used to explain the flora and fauna during hikes,” says Wisconsin-born Bill Murphy. “For the first decade I was in Taiwan, I’d occasionally see a snake, but I wasn’t particularly interested in them to the exclusion of other wildlife. Taiwan is an area of unusually fecund biodiversity. In the hills, I’ve come across <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1qFHuxlC4Q" target="_blank">flying squirrels</a>, ferret badgers, pangolins, giant moths, glass lizards, rhinoceros beetles, barking deer, and Swinhoe’s pheasants.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One day, Murphy was walking his dog, Ulysses, on Tiger Head Mountain in Taoyuan, the city where he has lived for most of the past quarter century. “I came across a large snake eating a toad. I had a video camera with me and recorded the incident,” recalls Murphy. He posted the video on a discussion website, where it caught the attention of Hans Breuer, a German then living near Sanzhi in New Taipei City.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Hans asked me if I wanted to go out ‘herping’ with him some time. I’d never even heard the term before! He explained what it meant, and soon enough I joined him for a hike on a local hill, and then later we went road-cruising at night,” says Murphy. “A whole new world opened up for me!”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF52l900ux5eRbqoGqyzqTNAySZZgo2kjKKZ5J0vncuJXO3gKI1UXzhJ_w6PNKL6Nb0YQM6p5m1TKHt5lbT2P5Hxm8o9FwqkRiJmNHNDvIO7_RKTrVz3XP-8HSfsBp8BPUUVBnhHJtgU/s1600/TAO+Night+Hike+Taipei+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF52l900ux5eRbqoGqyzqTNAySZZgo2kjKKZ5J0vncuJXO3gKI1UXzhJ_w6PNKL6Nb0YQM6p5m1TKHt5lbT2P5Hxm8o9FwqkRiJmNHNDvIO7_RKTrVz3XP-8HSfsBp8BPUUVBnhHJtgU/s400/TAO+Night+Hike+Taipei+2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike Murphy, Breuer was fascinated by snakes as a youngster. But, readily admitting to being the type of person who has “obsessions, not hobbies,” he says that his interest fell by the wayside when he discovered blues guitar at the age of 15.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The businessman, who first arrived in Taiwan in 1989, traces his adult mania for snakes to a revelatory experience a decade ago. “From 2000, I got into carnivorous pitcher plants. At one point, I had about 300 of them in my greenhouse. Then, in 2007, I went to Kuching [in Sarawak, Malaysia] to attend a pitcher-plant conference. While there, we went out to the jungle to see the plants in a natural setting.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Breuer had never before seen pitcher plants in their natural habitat. “Seeing something in the wild, rather than a zoo or a greenhouse, is massively different,” he says. He got rid of his pitcher-plant collection and took up nature photography. Soon afterward, a professional herpetologist belonging to the same photography club invited Breuer to go out and look for snakes. His enthusiasm for serpents was immediately rekindled, and between 2007 and 2011, when he relocated to Kuching on a semi-permanent basis, Breuer went out herping up to five nights each week, often with his sons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The best months for herping are May to late October, and not just because the temperatures are higher. Rain brings out insects, insects bring out frogs, and frogs bring out snakes. According to Breuer, damp ditches are especially good places to search for snakes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Inside <a href="http://np.cpami.gov.tw/english/files/15-1000-1109,c119-2.php" target="_blank">Yangmingshan National Park</a>, Breuer was once confronted by a park ranger. “I managed to convince him I wasn’t catching snakes so I could sell them to collectors in Europe,” he remembers. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On several occasions, he came across Taiwanese people catching snakes for profit. Breuer points out that when such people are asked about the size of snakes they have seen, the answer usually comes in terms of girth, not length, “because they see the snakes as food.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The reaction of Taiwanese hikers to snakes sometimes dismays Breuer. “I remember one family who saw me photographing a snake. The mother screamed, and the father started looking around for a stick he could use against the snake. The teenage boy looked terrified, but his young sister showed curiosity rather than fear,” he says. After several such experiences, and seeing the strongly negative attitudes toward snakes in rural Sanzhi, he decided he should try to educate the next generation. By the time many Taiwanese reach their teens, he says, they have been “brainwashed” into fearing snakes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pitching his presentation as a safety lecture, he reached out to scores of schools and spoke to about 12,000 students before leaving for Malaysia. In a 90-minute program, he explained the role of snakes in forest ecosystems, then brought out a couple of non-venomous snakes which the youngsters were allowed to handle. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“There’s no margin for error with potentially venomous snakes,” he stresses...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>To read the complete article, go <a href="https://topics.amcham.com.tw/2017/07/herping-nocturnal-adventures-taiwans-forests/" target="_blank">here</a>. The photos above are courtesy of Dane Harris, Ryan Hevern and Hans Breuer. Murphy and Breuer's website <a href="http://snakesoftaiwan.com/" target="_blank">Snakes of Taiwan</a> is recommended.</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-82192857053330184392017-06-25T20:22:00.001-07:002017-06-25T20:22:53.680-07:00Quoted in Taipei Times<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Friend and noted explorer/blogger <a href="http://www.taiwanoffthebeatentrack.com/" target="_blank">Richard Saunders</a> asked me for my thoughts on Taiwan's wild hot springs, and the way they're often disfigured by hotels which pipe out the water for their own guests, or by visitors who 'modify' the work of Mother Nature. His article appeared in today's Taipei Times and <a href="http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2017/06/26/2003673304/1" target="_blank">can be read online here</a>. </i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-66623269709446133382017-06-12T00:24:00.000-07:002017-06-12T00:24:35.738-07:00KH Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELi1jGLMpwpvvx0r3YfO8k8yIT5nInn58VsPG4UAlqwUCBxkgTqLvv_f6dzgdvvTMOlufCCfy95BltzqhswiZWBvU677klnCQWEbpN8hPhk7vEFALMaEpdOgUcwDJx2_aAua0n9jKRsA/s1600/SCBlogKHHStyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1253" data-original-width="1600" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELi1jGLMpwpvvx0r3YfO8k8yIT5nInn58VsPG4UAlqwUCBxkgTqLvv_f6dzgdvvTMOlufCCfy95BltzqhswiZWBvU677klnCQWEbpN8hPhk7vEFALMaEpdOgUcwDJx2_aAua0n9jKRsA/s640/SCBlogKHHStyle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">KH Style is the recently redesigned and relaunched bimonthly newsletter published by Kaohsiung City Government. For this issue, I edited articles on a vintage clothing store, a <a href="http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=10&post=20896" target="_blank">wetland popular with birdwatchers</a> and a secondhand bookstore. </span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-19071341879895637492017-05-15T02:23:00.003-07:002017-05-15T16:29:11.598-07:00The Island, the Harbor and the Bay (En Voyage)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Three very different places, each defined by water. Fisheries have made Donggang the busy town it is today. Dapeng Bay, one of Taiwan’s largest lagoons, is in fact saltier than the adjacent ocean. And 15km of brine separates Xiao Liuqiu, a 6.8km2 island inhabited by 12,400 people, from “mainland” Taiwan. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All three are within striking distance of Kaohsiung, and very popular with day-trippers. But this trinity could easily fill a weekend, especially if you have an interest in ecology and a hankering for fresh seafood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Southwestern Taiwan is easy to get to, and easy to get around. The southern terminus of Freeway 3 is less than 1km east of Dapeng Bay, and frequent buses link Donggang with central Kaohsiung. Ferries from Donggang make the 30-minute crossing to Xiaoliuqiu several times a day, and once on the island it’s possible to rent a 50-cc scooter or electric bike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For self-driving visitors, the bay makes a logical first stop. Half an hour for a leisurely circuit of the lagoon is probably enough, unless it’s dusk - an especially delightful time of day to be here - or one of your party is a birdwatcher. The six artificial wetlands which fringe the bay are avian magnets, especially during the winter. Fish farms left fallow draw Mallards, Black-crowned night herons and Black-winged stilts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2011/05/sailing-and-vacationing-at-dapeng-bay.html" target="_blank">Dapeng Bay</a> has emerged as one of Taiwan’s foremost watersports venues, and large yachts can access the lagoon and its marina thanks to Taiwan’s only folding vehicular bridge. If this sail-shaped, cable-stayed structure isn’t the bay’s most photographed feature, that badge surely goes to “oyster shell island” - the result of oyster farmers dumping unwanted shells at the same spot, year after year. Like an artificial reef, this </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">accumulation attracts and shelters fish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And why the remarkable salinity? For most of the year, evaporation exceeds freshwater inflows. Also, because salt is heavier than water, it tends to sink and linger, rather than wash out through the bay's narrow mouth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visitors more interested in eating sea creatures than seeing them swim should head to Guangfu Road in downtown Donggang. Gourmets applaud the town’s <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2011/06/three-culinary-treasures-travel-in.html" target="_blank">“three culinary treasures”</a> - bluefin tuna, sakura shrimp, and escolar roe. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The availability of the first, which makes for divine sashimi, peaks in early summer. The second is usually served shallow fried and lightly seasoned on white rice. At its best, the third is truly symphonic. Eaten thinly sliced and cold, the roe abounds in subtle, almost cheese-like, tastes and textures.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5pMhn4_VlDQKWNavReVlvn2i3eqjSoesesakbzm2nyBP0APGLh5iZxXDGv00x38m0vMmafEqgfDJMA8g40U7rftAgHRbB2-wDoPytPqKRSnEfWSl1Uw_cHuC9ZX9wPY8df4tMmkiYI4/s1600/Xiaoliuqiu4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5pMhn4_VlDQKWNavReVlvn2i3eqjSoesesakbzm2nyBP0APGLh5iZxXDGv00x38m0vMmafEqgfDJMA8g40U7rftAgHRbB2-wDoPytPqKRSnEfWSl1Uw_cHuC9ZX9wPY8df4tMmkiYI4/s400/Xiaoliuqiu4.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The <a href="http://theworldisnotthatbig.com/2015/10/29/wang-ye-boat-burning-donggang-taiwan/" target="_blank">King Boat Festival</a> is Donggang’s triennial media moment. The next edition of Taiwan’s most famous and spectacular ritual boat-burning is scheduled for October 2018. Expect dignified rites at several locations before a rough-and-tumble rush down to the beach where the climactic conflagration takes place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Travelers to Xiao Liuqiu board the ferry near Donggang’s Huaqiao Market, around which there are several seafood eateries, and disembark at Baisha’s little harbor. From there, it makes sense to move in an anti-clockwise direction, stopping first at the photogenic geological anomaly called “The Vase.” You’ll likely be tempted to wade out toward it, but do so only if you’ve something on your feet - shards of coral litter this and most of the island’s other beaches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As you work your way along Xiao Liuqiu’s north coast, and then around its southern end, explore every cave and trail you come across. Most attractions are free; one admission ticket covers them all. Place names like Mountain Pig Ditch and Black Ghost Cave obviously weren’t contrived to attract tourists, but each spot offers a good view, and sometimes also an intriguing backstory. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The fewer the people, the better your chances of seeing crabs scuttle across the path. Look out to sea, especially late in the afternoon, as that’s when green loggerhead turtles come closest to the shore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Xiao Liuqiu’s oldest building overlooks Sanfu Fishing Harbor. The gorgeously delipidated Tai Mansion, which isn’t open to the public, dates from the 1820s. Formerly home to one of the island’s most prominent families, it’s said by some that when the harbor’s breakwater was built, the location’s fengshui was irrevocably disturbed, causing the family to scatter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Continuing southwest, one comes to Geban Bay, also known as Venice Beach. This sublime cove appeals to both romantics and scientists. The former come for the sunset, the latter to marvel at <a href="http://ocean.si.edu/slideshow/foraminifera" target="_blank">foraminifera</a>, five-pointed star-shaped shells of organisms less than 1mm across. (The local authorities forbid the collection foraminifera, other shells, pebbles or sand as souvenirs.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many sightseers treat Xiao Liuqiu as a full-bodied day excursion, but there’s a lot to be said for staying overnight. The most compelling reason is the chance to join an after-dark ecotour of the intertidal zone and see some of the hundreds of marine species recorded in the shallow waters. A knowledgeable guide will show you curiosities such as rock-boring urchins, ink-squirting sea hares, sea cucumbers, starfish, and bioluminescent plankton. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alternatively, bring your snorkel and roll out your beach blanket at any spot that looks inviting and safe. Just remember that the entire island is made of coral, which can be very sharp when it breaks, and that you shouldn’t touch any sea creatures. They won’t enjoy it, and if it’s a rock-boring urchin, neither will you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Congestion and over-development have never blighted Xiao Liuqiu, and its tourism industry has always been driven by grassroots entrepreneurs. Overnighting on this gem of an islet is one of Taiwan’s finest slow-travel experiences.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This article appears in the print-only inflight magazine of EVA Air, May 2017 edition. The top picture was taken in Donggang's Donglong Temple, the house of worship which organizes the King Boat Festival. The lower picture shows Tai Mansion on Xiao Liuqiu.</span></i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-53193056761261777512017-05-09T20:24:00.000-07:002017-05-09T20:24:00.032-07:00The speed of government<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgskS0BfJPsmMenCzO823uCPn6f8JNgrGbDgDBvwqAliuTKXqOGNamkWtau2Db3MNGpVP2Yy0u8J4eRjIshSjoqCPa3WXi0HKe7gU2mol1fO8rbIN5frKeOzroV0M2SyKGAMUrjVo7Fc/s1600/P_20170510_103545.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/AVvXsEgSgskS0BfJPsmMenCzO823uCPn6f8JNgrGbDgDBvwqAliuTKXqOGNamkWtau2Db3MNGpVP2Yy0u8J4eRjIshSjoqCPa3WXi0HKe7gU2mol1fO8rbIN5frKeOzroV0M2SyKGAMUrjVo7Fc/s400/P_20170510_103545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in 2014, I noted that <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2014/03/bilingual-living-environment-commission.html" target="_blank">my letter of appointment</a> to Kaohsiung City Government's Bilingual Living Environment Commission arrived in March, long after the appointment took effect. I've only just received the equivalent notification for 2017 (shown on the right). The letter is dated April 27, but again tells me my term as a commissioner runs from January 1, 2017 to December 31 (in 2018, as it happens - this time it's a two-year appointment). But it doesn't matter: The commission's mission is almost complete, and Kaohsiung can be proud of its provision of bilingual information. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My other work for the city government is copy-editing for the Information Department. This is almost always interesting, as it brings to my attention <a href="http://khh.travel/Article.aspx?a=6884&l=2&stype=1058&sitem=4112" target="_blank">interesting places</a> which otherwise might never cross my radar. </span></i></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-35447524317964786162017-04-18T18:57:00.001-07:002017-04-18T19:02:17.936-07:00Taking it easy in Taichung (En Voyage)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpYtogDKA6UujD2-2MwtcnjzARw-f3lJmICNroWZsmxQrfjmmIlwxalcSZtNEIST4fs7iNd-ZN34u7HDlZIDvqUqa6yNyCjyjX13N3FD2PH8n8d36YxhaUpBPINYSiK9bME4ClAIHBOs/s1600/TaichungPrefectureHall1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpYtogDKA6UujD2-2MwtcnjzARw-f3lJmICNroWZsmxQrfjmmIlwxalcSZtNEIST4fs7iNd-ZN34u7HDlZIDvqUqa6yNyCjyjX13N3FD2PH8n8d36YxhaUpBPINYSiK9bME4ClAIHBOs/s640/TaichungPrefectureHall1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quiz time: Which city is Taiwan’s second biggest? Most people would nominate the maritime metropolis of Kaohsiung, and by some criteria that’s a logical answer. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, Taichung not only already has more inhabitants than Taipei (2.77 million versus the capital’s 2.69 million), but is also expected to overtake Kaohsiung in terms of population within a few years. It’s time, perhaps, to stop thinking of central Taiwan’s economic and cultural powerhouse as the island’s “third city.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taichung has lots of people, and there’s a lot going on, but it also has plenty of space. Amid its 2,215 square kilometers, visitors can find dozens of spots where kicking back is the done thing. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">For the artistically-inclined, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is a must-see. Except for special exhibitions, admission is free, and the third floor features works by Chen Cheng-po, Li Mei-shu, Richard Lin and other important Taiwanese artists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From the museum, a 15-minute walk along Linsen Road brings you to Natural Ways Six Arts Cultural Center. The two buildings here formed part of a prison between 1937 and 1992 - yet they’re utterly gorgeous, and possibly the region’s finest relics of the 1895-1945 Japanese colonial period. The current name of this edifice honors the six disciplines Confucius regarded as essential to a good education.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taichung’s other major exhibition space is quite different, and an especially good place to take children. In addition to geo-science and biology, you’ll learn about herbal medicine and Taiwan’s Austronesian indigenous minority. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Make sure you’ve enough time for the adjacent <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/parks/taichung-botanical-gardens/p,608189810" target="_blank">botanical garden</a>, the highlight of which is a soaring conservatory. The interior recreates a tropical rainforest ecosystem, complete with a waterfall and gurgling creek. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taichung City Government stitched together a number of green spaces to create the 3.6km-long Calligraphy Greenway, a broad strip of trees, grass and public art that links the two aforementioned museums. In the streets nearby, you’ll find many of Taichung’s best restaurants and most inviting coffee shops.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because many Taiwanese are busy working or studying during the daytime, and few hope to acquire a suntan, you’ll see far more people in the city’s parklands after dusk than when the sun is shining. Public spaces bustle as late as ten o’clock in the evening, delighting visitors eager to make the absolute most of each day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyone who goes to <a href="http://razzelberry.blogspot.tw/2009/04/fengle-sculpture-park-taichung-taiwan.html" target="_blank">Fengle Sculpture Park</a> expecting museum-style classicism is in for a shock...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To read the whole article, get a copy of the April issue of EVA Air's inflight magazine. The photo (which I took) shows Taichung Prefecture Hall.</span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-52249922093930356682017-03-22T20:37:00.001-07:002017-03-26T16:37:56.717-07:00Speeding Ahead (Taiwan Review) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmGXpaAQpLX-keSjCV_nI2mfK843-gT3zXNP_colecf0J1yzKdz_0aUVNHiBc_wOBXJRoA4sMkthMey7jTC3BeMHIIyoq5yBPDCQD-vVkeBFh9e5bUHRMPuknsX2czeu6PhShtLbtVgw/s1600/980624%25E9%25AB%2598%25E9%2590%25B5%25E6%2583%2585%25E5%25A2%2583%25E5%25BD%25B1%25E5%2583%258F13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmGXpaAQpLX-keSjCV_nI2mfK843-gT3zXNP_colecf0J1yzKdz_0aUVNHiBc_wOBXJRoA4sMkthMey7jTC3BeMHIIyoq5yBPDCQD-vVkeBFh9e5bUHRMPuknsX2czeu6PhShtLbtVgw/s400/980624%25E9%25AB%2598%25E9%2590%25B5%25E6%2583%2585%25E5%25A2%2583%25E5%25BD%25B1%25E5%2583%258F13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When services launched January 5, 2007, the high-speed rail revolutionized travel between the north and south of Taiwan. Running at up to 300 kph, the bullet trains shortened the journey time between Taipei and Kaohsiung cities from roughly five hours to less than two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As it enters its second decade of operations, the 350-km line can claim a host of achievements. The system has been expanded since its launch, now servicing 12 stations in northern Taiwan and along the heavily populated west of the country. Ridership increased from 30.58 million in 2008 to more than 50 million in 2015 and again in 2016. In December last year, it carried its 400 millionth passenger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The high-speed rail is also noted for its service quality and reliability. Over the past decade, the system has maintained punctuality records in excess of 99 percent, while operator Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) said that annual passenger surveys indicate satisfaction rates for equipment, <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2013/09/bullet-train-fares-going-up-but-buses.html" target="_blank">ticketing</a> and station facilities of above 90 percent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, the company in January launched the Taiwan High Speed Rail Museum in the northern city of Taoyuan. Featuring 19 themed exhibitions, a driver’s cab simulator and interactive displays, the museum draws the curtain back on the line’s design and construction as well as its contributions to the development of the nation’s economy, tourism industry and transportation network.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Premier Lin Chuan said at the museum’s opening ceremony that the system is an outstanding example of public-private sector collaboration. “The success of the high-speed rail underscores the flexibility and management expertise of Taiwan companies, as well as the government’s commitment to supporting projects bolstering the nation’s industrial prowess.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to THSRC, it is the only company without railway construction or operational experience to have built a high-speed rail line, completing the world’s largest build-operate-transfer (BOT) project in six years while effectively controlling costs. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the bullet trains are based on those used in Japan’s Shinkansen high-speed rail network, THSRC employed dozens of foreign technicians and drivers in its early days. The company said it is working toward autonomy and localization of materials in terms of operations and maintenance, explaining that its goal is to fully master the technology and help raise the level of Taiwan’s railway industry. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When passenger services began in 2007, the company’s workforce was around 3,100. This figure has since grown to more than 4,300 due to factors such as increasing passenger volumes and the opening of additional stations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時), a professor at the Graduate Institute of Technology, Innovation and Intellectual Property Management at National Chengchi University in Taipei who served as minister of transportation and communications from 2013 to 2015, said that the system has delivered significant benefits since its launch. In particular, he noted that it has helped promote economic and social decentralization, encouraging more people to move to the northern cities of Taoyuan and Hsinchu as well as central Taiwan’s Taichung City. “It has also reduced traffic congestion, and thus pollution, in the western corridor,” Yeh added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to data presented at the <a href="https://gsppi.berkeley.edu/programs/highspeedrail/docs/HSR%20in%20Asia_%20TW%20Experience.pdf" target="_blank">High-Speed Rail and Sustainability Symposium at the University of California, Berkeley</a>, in November 2012, between the line’s launch and 2011, the</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> percentage of intercity journeys along the western corridor conducted using private cars decreased from 78 percent to 70 percent. In the same period, air travel fell from 3 percent of all journeys to a negligible amount. With regard to energy consumption per passenger-kilometer, the system uses a fraction less than the conventional trains operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration, barely one-third of that of buses, less than a quarter of that of cars, and an eighth of that of airplanes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Initially spanning eight stations, the system has added four additional stops in the last two years. New stations opened in <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2017/03/chugging-along-coast-travel-in-taiwan.html" target="_blank">Miaoli</a>, Changhua and <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/museums/yunlin-hand-puppet-museum/p,608186009" target="_blank">Yunlin</a> counties at the end of 2015...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>The entire article can be read online, <a href="http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=8&post=111819" target="_blank">here</a>. Both photos here were taken at Hsinchu HSR Station, and are courtesy of </i></span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.thsrc.com.tw/" target="_blank">Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp</a>.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-48992274767299663362017-03-13T16:37:00.003-07:002017-04-18T19:03:48.934-07:00Chugging along the coast (Travel in Taiwan)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taiwan is an island, but it’s easy to ignore the sea which surrounds it. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many visitors fly into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and head first for Taipei. After taking a look at Sun Moon Lake, Alishan and Tainan, they may not glimpse the ocean until they reach <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/monuments-buildings/former-british-consular-residence/p,608183791" target="_blank">Kaohsiung's Former British Consular Residence</a>. A good number make sure their itinerary includes Kenting National Park and/or Taiwan’s gorgeous east coast, but it takes a special effort to see any of the west coast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It can be done, however. And thanks to Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA), there’s no need to rent a car. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For over 100 years, the TRA has provided essential and inexpensive transportation throughout the island. The <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2013/09/bullet-train-fares-going-up-but-buses.html" target="_blank">high-speed railway (HSR)</a>, launched in 2007, now handles a lot of north-south traffic, but tourists often use TRA services to get to places like Keelung and Hualien. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not all of the TRA expresses which zip north to south follow the same route. Just outside Zhunan in Miaoli County - an hour and a half down-island from Taipei - the main line bifurcates. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One set of tracks takes a more direct southward route, through the booming metropolis of Taichung. Another less-traveled railroad follows Miaoli County’s coastline, and it’s to this area I was sent recently by </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Travel in Taiwan</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xpFtSmPWiwlRvmpoDxNc4mc9nnNTsHT6X4-1OR_pHDsvaJdrtgPdwSPAhUhaQkTGiqroJN1o0TeuW2O3MD6XVvtQnr2-haT4bfHzea_T44z6R7B7alMksBehXkilWXKJQTVneywsmnI/s1600/Tongxiao+Hutoushan+Martyrs+Shrine+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xpFtSmPWiwlRvmpoDxNc4mc9nnNTsHT6X4-1OR_pHDsvaJdrtgPdwSPAhUhaQkTGiqroJN1o0TeuW2O3MD6XVvtQnr2-haT4bfHzea_T44z6R7B7alMksBehXkilWXKJQTVneywsmnI/s640/Tongxiao+Hutoushan+Martyrs+Shrine+1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whether you tour coastal Miaoli from north to south or the other way around may depend on what you have planned for the end of the day. Getting from Zhunan to Miaoli HSR Station (from where it’s 43 minutes to Taipei, and a mere 17 minutes to Taichung) is a cinch, thanks to regular TRA services to Fengfu (travel time: 10 minutes), the stop adjacent to the bullet-train station. But in this article we’re going south to north, because we like to begin with a full stomach. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yuanli (35 to 48 minutes from Zhunan, NT$61 to 85 one way) is an excellent place to enjoy the morning markets which are still a key feature in urban areas. Less than 100m from Yuanli’s railway station, a block bordered by Weigong Road, Tianxia Road and Datong Road is crammed full of vendors. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some sell vegetables, others sell fabrics. The range of hot and cold snacks is enticing. One especially popular option is the glutinous, pork-filled disks at Jinguang Meatballs (open daily 8 am to 9:30 pm).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the days of yore, <a href="http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=20,29,29,35,45&post=26408" target="_blank">triangle-rush weaving</a> underpinned Yuanli’s economy. The industry is celebrated at Triangle Rush Weaving Exhibition Hall, 5.5km southeast of the station. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One stop and six minutes north of Yuanli lies Tongxiao. Stopping here is recommended, as both fresh-air freaks and history buffs can indulge their passions in Hutoushan Park. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This isn’t the only place in Taiwan literally called “tiger’s head mountain.” There are others in Taoyuan, Nantou and Tainan - surprising when you consider that the sabre-toothed tigers which once roamed Taiwan were extinct long before humans settled the island. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At Tongxiao’s Hutoushan, the reward/exertion ratio is very much in your favor. The top is just 700m from the railway station, and even if the weather isn’t absolutely clear, you’ll be able to see up and down the coast, and inland across foothills as far as the majestic peaks of Shei-Pa National Park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, you’ll see the remains of a Shinto shrine (pictured above) built in 1937 by the Japanese authorities then ruling Taiwan. After World War II it was preserved, but rededicated to heroes of the Nationalist Republic of China (ROC), the government which reclaimed Taiwan in 1945. Despite earthquake damage and modifications which reflect postwar political correctness (among them a Chinese Nationalist “white sun” emblem on the roof), it retains considerable elegance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A little further up, what was once a military lookout post is now shaded by an immense concrete lotus. In Buddhism, the lotus flower is a symbol of purity, so this is perhaps an attempt to counter the site’s military atmosphere with peaceful sentiments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the very top of hill, <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2016/12/the-recycled-monument-on-hutoushan.html" target="_blank">there’s a monument</a> which since 1945 has celebrated Taiwan’s return to the Chinese fold, but which was originally erected by the Japanese to mark a crucial moment in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Getting to the next railway station takes just five minutes, but as the gap between services on this stretch of railroad often exceeds an hour, do carry with you a list of train times. These can be found on TRA’s <a href="http://www.railway.gov.tw/" target="_blank">bilingual website</a>...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To read the full article, <a href="https://issuu.com/travelintaiwan/docs/travel_in_taiwan_2017.3-4" target="_blank">go here</a> and scroll forward to page 57 of the electronic version of Travel in Taiwan's March-April issue.</span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-38666363466453607762017-02-18T18:17:00.003-08:002017-02-18T18:21:12.741-08:00The Evolution of Wuling Farm (En Voyage)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">People head to Wuling Farm to enjoy nature at its very best, but much of what makes this high-altitude retreat so alluring is the result of carefully thought-out human intervention. The f</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">arm occupies a valley deep in Taiwan’s mountainous interior. No part is lower than 1,740m above sea level, and from it hikers set off for the summit of Snow Mountain, which at 3,886m is the second-highest point on the island. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some of the scenes which greet visitors in 2017 are quite different to those of a generation or two ago. Just as the palisade from which Wall Street gets its name eventually disappeared, agriculture is no longer one of Wuling Farm’s main reasons for being. But before explaining why that change has occurred, we should outline the farm’s history. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Members of the Atayal tribe, one of Taiwan’s indigenous Austronesian ethnic groups, hunted and gathered here for centuries. The outside world finally arrived in the early 1960s when the valley was identified by the government as a place where some of the many thousands of servicemen who’d followed Chiang Kai-shek from mainland China in 1949 could be resettled. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These soldier-pioneers cultivated cabbages and built stone cottages. Several of the latter still stand, and it’s possible to arrange an overnight stay in one. Accommodation details and other useful information can be found on the farm’s <a href="http://www2.wuling-farm.com.tw/" target="_blank">bilingual website</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgsfqiMzNOnpUJd9e8EfkQLUKS99dZ_47wQlqhiJdIw3WqSYr_thpGk0JlxFRhqPym9pa2UR7FV19L4IBPCvOLS8MsmUmkIJ99AV22eIgVuHC3OKBJ0uhy6hgJo5RCnwEL6v0KdUVYwA/s1600/QijiawanCreek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgsfqiMzNOnpUJd9e8EfkQLUKS99dZ_47wQlqhiJdIw3WqSYr_thpGk0JlxFRhqPym9pa2UR7FV19L4IBPCvOLS8MsmUmkIJ99AV22eIgVuHC3OKBJ0uhy6hgJo5RCnwEL6v0KdUVYwA/s640/QijiawanCreek.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Around this time, the valley gained its current name. Wuling is the name of a place mentioned in <i>Peach Blossom Spring</i>, a prose work by <a href="http://www.hermitary.com/articles/tao_chien.html" target="_blank">Tao Yuanming</a>, a poet who died almost 1,600 years ago. This classic of Chinese literature concerns a man who loses his way, follows a stream, and comes across a sublime grove of peach trees. Continuing onward, he discovers an idyllic yet secluded community. Receiving a warm welcome, he stays for several days. When he eventually returns home, he tells the local magistrate what he found, but despite the sending out of numerous search parties, no one is able to relocate the utopia. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taiwan’s Wuling, by contrast, is very easy to find. Motorists can approach via Hehuanshan (this stretch of road is the highest on the island, ascending to an altitude of 3,275m) or from Yilan in the northeast. Driving to the farm from Taipei takes just over three hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Soon after the farm was set up, the managers realized good profits could be made growing fruits which can’t thrive in Taiwan’s sultry lowlands. Apple, pear and - fulfilling a prophecy implied by the valley’s new name - peach orchards were established. Red and green maples were added to the landscape, as were Chinese cork oaks and sweetgums. Together with native Formosan Alders and walnuts, these trees offer fall visitors an astonishing range of yellows, oranges and reds. Those who arrive around the end of winter are treated to gorgeous displays of cherry and plum blossoms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s still possible to buy locally grown fruit at Wuling Farm, but since 2003 many of the orchards have been replaced with stands of native trees. Shei-Pa National Park, which oversees the valley as well as pristine highlands to the north, south and west, is particularly keen to preserve species like the Taiwan red pine, the Taiwan Hemlock and the Taiwan Douglas fir. Where fruits (and tea) are still grown, pesticides and artificial fertilizers are no longer used. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many of these changes have been made for the sake of a fish, and 2017 marks the centenary of its discovery by scientists. A hundred years ago, while visiting a police station in the area, an assistant to Japanese scientist Oshima Masamitsu was told that fish somewhat similar to trout could be found in several high-altitude streams in this part of Taiwan. With the help of some Atayal – who called the species <i>bunban</i> or<i> kulubang</i> – the assistant obtained a salted tail of one fish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After further research, in 1919 Oshima published a description of the fish scientists now call <i>Oncorhynchus formosanus</i>. The second part of the name, you’ll likely guess, derives from Formosa, the name by which Taiwan was known in the Western world between the 16th century and the mid-20th century. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In terms of appearance and habits, Oncorhynchus formosanus isn’t exceptional. They seldom live more than four years, and few are longer than 40 cm. The mere fact they’re endemic - meaning they’re found nowhere else on Earth - isn’t really that special. Of Taiwan’s 220 freshwater fish species, 36 are unique to the island. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What’s commonly called the <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2013/08/balancing-on-brink-taiwan-review.html" target="_blank">Formosan landlocked salmon</a> isn’t just rare, but also the world’s southernmost salmon species, and the one surviving at the highest altitude. For these reasons, both scientists and the Taiwanese public regard it as extraordinarily precious. Its status as a national icon was cemented in 2002 when it appeared on Taiwan’s new 2,000-dollar bills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What makes this type of salmon landlocked isn’t a lack of access to the sea, as you might assume, but rather the species’ intolerance of warm water. Its eggs cannot hatch if the water’s temperature goes much above 12 degrees Celsius, and mature fish begin to suffer from fungi and bacteria when temperatures top 17 degrees Celsius. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Official efforts to bolster the Formosan landlocked salmon date from the 1980s, by which time the population in the wild had fallen below 300. Formerly abundant in six tributaries of the Upper Dajia River, which drains into the Taiwan Strait 67 km west of Wuling Farm, the salmon now thrives only in Qijiawan Creek (pictured here). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This stream, 15.3 km long and never more than 12m wide, is one of the valley’s scenic focal points. Whether you pause at the road bridge near the entrance to the farm, or the crossing which leads to <a href="http://taiwanswaterfalls.com/waterfall-guide/taichung-waterfalls/taoshan-waterfall/" target="_blank">Taoshan Waterfall</a> (three hours’ walking will get you there and back), you’ll likely find this waterway so attractive you’ll loathe to tear yourself away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The weirs which once punctuated the Qijiawan are gradually disappearing. One was destroyed by a typhoon, but five others were removed by the national park after scientists concluded they were made the stream run slower (and thus warmer), and impeded the salmons’ breeding. Thanks to these and other measures, the wild salmon population has recovered to over 3,000. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Live, artificially hatched salmon are on display in the <a href="https://www.spnp.gov.tw/v2/Article.aspx?a=YdZWoH4hhwU%3D&lang=1" target="_blank">Taiwan Salmon Eco Center</a> (which has more than one English name, and is closed on Mondays), as are Taiwan shovel-jaw carp, another species which makes its home in the creek.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few salmon and carp fall victim to the valley’s Tawny fish owls. This bird, Taiwan’s largest owl, isn’t seen nearly as often as the local population of Taiwan partridges, Brown dippers, and Plumbeous redstarts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just as the valley has rare fish and unusual birds, it also boasts a stunning range of flowers. More than 270 species have been recorded, and March is said to be when the farm’s wildflowers are at their best. This coincides with the fruit-tree blossoms. Those who come a little later in the year will be treated to exuberant rhododendrons, while after late July golden needle flowers (also known as day lilies) are a highlight. There are no bad times to visit Wuling Farm - only bad times to forget your camera!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because En Voyage is currently a print-only publication, I've posted the entire article.</span></i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-53668398895375092542017-02-17T17:18:00.001-08:002017-02-17T17:25:28.747-08:00Tainan, original Taiwan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ34deC7ne5f-I7ckaAeaC5f1n1SoiEbByowD3aTXIo5lsL2-klzAWsKrjp4r63LNG2GY3na-jbRd-yPgD9LUr6RLkyBkS9SQoe68BgzCfdAag2Ddr8U8pyTPDHEVtdxqDxmRhOH9-cqg/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ34deC7ne5f-I7ckaAeaC5f1n1SoiEbByowD3aTXIo5lsL2-klzAWsKrjp4r63LNG2GY3na-jbRd-yPgD9LUr6RLkyBkS9SQoe68BgzCfdAag2Ddr8U8pyTPDHEVtdxqDxmRhOH9-cqg/s400/cover.jpg" width="283" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This
is the cover of an eight-page booklet recently published by <a href="http://www.twtainan.net/en-us" target="_blank">Tainan City Government's Tourism Bureau</a>, for which I wrote the text (just a
few hundred words) late last year. The tricky part was
conveying so much information (for instance, that Tainan's history
includes Austronesian, <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/monuments-buildings/fort-zeelandia/p,608184847" target="_blank">Dutch</a>, Qing and Japanese episodes) in so few
words. I enjoy this kind of challenge, and have written quite a few
tourism-related advertisements in recent years. It's quite different
to writing <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2016/11/bussing-through-taiwans-bucolic-east.html" target="_blank">advertorials</a>, as the latter are very like feature
articles, except you're required - to quote the song - to "accentuate
the positive, eliminate the negative... latch on to the affirmative." </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-50319495406506169902017-02-05T20:10:00.002-08:002017-02-05T20:13:42.552-08:00Hubs of Collaboration (Taiwan Review)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The number of people in Taiwan who work remotely for major employers is minuscule compared to the US or the UK, but the country does have a growing cohort of freelancers and <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2015/09/nomads-of-digital-age-taiwan-review.html" target="_blank">self-employed specialists</a> who see no reason to rent or equip a conventional office. Many of the latter work from home, but some take advantage of a type of establishment that did not exist before the internet age: the co-working space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unlike in conventional offices, those who toil in co-working spaces seldom share employers or even similar goals. They also have very different reasons for paying the membership fees that entitle them to sit there all day—and maybe all night—making the most of the ultrafast Wi-Fi.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj6OjWr3Dt0pv_D4aDiYEPTf-_Tu8HKYCcSJ7ugdDVf8YqD71iJzIrOX_0Nt1j0GPRjDlkFdq0DqVm3ZoZCmVcn83MX1LqBFSttODFROA-3f2RXLSxPkXzNpjZW9RUHdbxkb3aKbnx58/s1600/IMG_2926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj6OjWr3Dt0pv_D4aDiYEPTf-_Tu8HKYCcSJ7ugdDVf8YqD71iJzIrOX_0Nt1j0GPRjDlkFdq0DqVm3ZoZCmVcn83MX1LqBFSttODFROA-3f2RXLSxPkXzNpjZW9RUHdbxkb3aKbnx58/s640/IMG_2926.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some do it because they find the atmosphere motivational. “Seeing other people working hard helps me concentrate on what I need to do,” said Marvin Kuo, a software coder and regular at Tsohuespace in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City. “If I stayed at home, I’d waste half the day watching movies.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Freelancers whose home environment is conducive to productivity are sometimes attracted to co-working spaces because they want to clearly separate their work from their free time. Still others hope to network with people whose skills complement their own. This kind of cross-pollination is one of the goals of <a href="https://www.sdcoworking.com/" target="_blank">SD Coworking Plaza</a> in Taipei City.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The facility currently has 10 regular users, and three or four others who come occasionally. “We’ve financial specialists, bloggers, programmers, a manga artist, startup owners and e-traders,” said Tsai Yi-ting, one of the three co-owners. “We aim to increase the variety of our co-workers to make cooperation and creativity among members more likely.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SD Coworking Plaza is accessible to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It also offers ergonomic work chairs, unlimited coffee and tea, a microwave and oven, as well as lockers and an en suite room that members can rent when they need to stay overnight. “We’ve invested around NT$2 million [US$62,895], but we feel it’s worth it when our members say, ‘This is the kind of place we dreamed about for so long,’” Tsai said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like their counterparts at SD, the founders of <a href="https://www.techinasia.com/10-great-coworking-spaces-taiwan" target="_blank">Happen</a> in central Taiwan’s Taichung City [where the photo above was taken] wanted to create a platform that could encourage collaboration. “Happen is a space where people can exchange ideas and professional skills,” explained Sandra Chan, project manager at the establishment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Founded in November 2013, the co-working space occupies the first and second floors of a 70-year-old house in the heart of the municipality. “As well as gadgets like a printer and scanner, we have a shared kitchen so people can prepare their own drinks and snacks, a tatami area where they can take a nap, and shower facilities,” Chan said. Tatami is a type of Japanese-style straw mat. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to Chan, satisfying the legal and licensing requirements for co-working spaces was not difficult. “We’re treated the same way as rented offices, coffee shops and event venues. We’ve passed the fire safety inspection, and we have insurance.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Afternoons are when Happen is busiest, but it is possible to buy a “workaholic” membership, which allows access 24/7. Conventional members are restricted to Happen’s regular hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. “We’ve had 82 co-worker members since we opened,” the project manager said. “Most of them are doing design or engineering work, or programming or online marketing.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recently, Happen has been collaborating with the Taichung City Government to assist startups. “We’ve expanded our business model to include projects that focus on local culture, and to incubate startups,” Chan said. “We’ve incubated 25 teams over the last two years. Most of them are businesses focused on local culture, or social innovators.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In Kaohsiung, the local government has played a more direct role in the establishment of co-working facilities, overseeing the transformation of an abandoned public retail market into a base for entrepreneurship and innovation called <a href="http://www.dakuo.co/" target="_blank">Digital Art Kaohsiung United Office (DAKUO)</a>...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>This article appeared in the January-February issue of Taiwan Review, which is now a bimonthly rather than monthly publication. The whole piece can be read online <a href="http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?post=109437&unit=8,32" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-86972821124803284022017-01-18T02:50:00.001-08:002017-03-26T16:39:19.439-07:00Fungus Among Us – The History of Mushrooms in Taiwan (Taiwan Business Topics)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We eat too much of what is bad for us, experts say, and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables. But one positive trend is visible in some parts of the world: People are eating more mushrooms than they did a generation or two ago. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That is good news from a nutrition perspective because many types of mushroom contain vitamins (especially B1, B2, B3, and B6) as well as iron, selenium, and other minerals. They are rich in antioxidants that can survive cooking, and there is some evidence mushrooms have cancer-fighting properties.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Global mushroom cultivation grew tenfold between 1981 and 2002. Since the mid-1960s, annual per capita mushroom consumption in the United States has risen from 0.7 lbs to 3.7 lbs. In recent years, fresh mushrooms account for three quarters of this total. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Precise data on mushroom consumption in Taiwan is hard to find, but anecdotal evidence points to a steady increase. Edible fungi find their way into hot pots, stir fries, and soups, as well as the <a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2014/07/22/food/defying-old-habits-taiwanese-faux-meat/" target="_blank">“mock meats” eaten in vegetarian restaurants</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3u05jVqp_ysJTwRydqwbvl0i57uVcSzrRx0SBaA5GQRO6sd8Gjv018zPjjJ3CnLON7Vw3pFjT8uVTWuT5obq5bAYYiY-CrD9DVMMd6GSdmAsKQ7uyh-oW-u1_RmYjzo3SmtsYVrtxk8/s1600/mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv3u05jVqp_ysJTwRydqwbvl0i57uVcSzrRx0SBaA5GQRO6sd8Gjv018zPjjJ3CnLON7Vw3pFjT8uVTWuT5obq5bAYYiY-CrD9DVMMd6GSdmAsKQ7uyh-oW-u1_RmYjzo3SmtsYVrtxk8/s400/mushrooms.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In Taiwan, the systematic cultivation of fungi dates back over a hundred years, with many of the original techniques introduced by the Japanese during the 1895-1945 colonial period. However, the industry did not properly take off until the late 1950s, after domestic shortages prompted the U.S.-ROC Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR) to expand local mushroom production.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Early trials were conducted in mountainous areas such as <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2015/08/enjoying-taroko-gorges-fabled-beauty.html" target="_blank">Xibao (915 meters above sea level, and now within Taroko National Park)</a>, but very soon farmers in the west-central region came to dominate production. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to a report prepared for the Federal Reserve’s Division of International Finance, the American economic aid program (USAID) provided US$82,574 to help develop sanitary harvesting and canning practices, as well as for the construction of processing facilities. The return on this investment was fantastic. “Taiwan first began to export canned and bottled mushrooms on a regular commercial basis in 1960,” states the report. “By 1963, Taiwan had become the world’s foremost exporter of mushrooms…supplying one-third of the total amount of mushrooms imported by all countries.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">About 80% of the canned mushrooms sold in the United States in 1963-64 were from Taiwan. Annual exports of canned mushrooms peaked in 1978 at US$120 million, before Chinese and South Korean growers ate into Taiwan’s share of the global market.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In 2013, the Council of Agriculture’s <a href="http://www.tari.gov.tw/english/" target="_blank">Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute</a> (TARI) estimated that the industry’s annual sales had reached US$295 million. In recent years, fungus farmers have been shipping around 140,000 metric tons of produce annually to domestic and overseas buyers. Relatively few farms now concentrate on the species that kick-started the boom – the humble Agaricus bisporus, also known variously as the common white mushroom, button mushroom, or champignon mushroom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Frank Tai and his cousin Chu Rui-Jong are second-generation mushroom farmers in Taichung City’s Wufeng District. Both men grew up helping their parents cultivate button mushrooms, which Taiwanese often call “Western mushrooms” (<i>yang gu</i>, 洋菇).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Wufeng has the right conditions for successful mushroom farming,” says Chu. “Northern Taiwan is too humid and the south is too warm, but the Taichung area is ideal.” Local weather patterns no longer matter much, however, as both men’s operations are now more like food factories than traditional farms. Growing the mushrooms indoors enables them to fully control temperature and other factors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Their families, and hundreds of others, have benefited from the presence in Wufeng of TARI’s Edible and Medicinal Mushroom Laboratory. Among the laboratory’s many contributions are introducing the king oyster mushroom (<i>xing bao gu</i>, 杏鲍菇) – currently one of Chu’s principal crops – to Taiwan from France and devising ways in which this unusually sensitive fungus can be protected from micro-organisms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tai, who was born in 1970, graduated from Soochow University’s Department of Microbiology, choosing this major knowing he would eventually manage the Tai Mushroom Farm, currently Taiwan’s number-one producer of enoki mushrooms (<i>jin zhen gu</i>, 金针菇). He also grows shiitake (<i>xiang gu</i>, 香菇) and shimeji (<i>liu song gu</i>, 柳松菇) mushrooms. Until it was overtaken by growers in China, the Tai Mushroom Farm was regarded as Asia’s largest in terms of output...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is the second of our articles in the Wine & Dine 2017 special issue. To read all of it, <a href="http://topics.amcham.com.tw/2017/01/fungus-among-us-history-mushrooms-taiwan/" target="_blank">go here</a>. To see the first (on guabao), follow <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2017/01/getting-handle-on-taiwanese-hamburger.html" target="_blank">this link</a>. I took the photo at <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2016/09/wufeng-story-house.html" target="_blank">Wufeng Story House</a>, near Frank Tai and Chu Rui-Jong's mushroom farms.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-73777217946799363342017-01-10T05:59:00.000-08:002017-01-10T06:06:52.121-08:00Getting a Handle on the Taiwanese Hamburger (Taiwan Business Topics)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxts_n9XGzEbY6OxcVLFX77dhq_GfcIz1O7ik6ygyHoDWxa6cNcr4_CiNaJI9BACpqKX6aFRjHBlB3QHRdaUVRbeU9Pmsdc0B1m8hq4EaWW2RGD25YmtHPZoF9AR1NtuxZkAhJB_uTtQ/s1600/TOPICS+Olympia+GuaBao+KB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxts_n9XGzEbY6OxcVLFX77dhq_GfcIz1O7ik6ygyHoDWxa6cNcr4_CiNaJI9BACpqKX6aFRjHBlB3QHRdaUVRbeU9Pmsdc0B1m8hq4EaWW2RGD25YmtHPZoF9AR1NtuxZkAhJB_uTtQ/s640/TOPICS+Olympia+GuaBao+KB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Compared to the cult-like veneration of beef noodles, hot pot, and stinky tofu in Taiwan, the <i>guabao</i> is an underappreciated snack. What English-speakers often call “the Taiwanese hamburger” is available in every town and city, but certainly not on every street, nor even in many night markets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because of their shape, these hearty delights often appear in <i>weiya</i> banquets, traditional end-of-the-year feasts at which Taiwanese bosses treat their employees. According to some, a generously proportioned guabao bears an auspicious resemblance to a purse overflowing with money. The way in which the bun envelops the pork has also inspired a nickname which some vendors have embraced: <i>hu yao zhu</i> (pronounced <i>ho ka ti</i> in Holo, “tiger bites pig”).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some foodies steer clear of guabao because they think neither of the main ingredients – pork belly and steamed bread – is especially healthful. The meat, while exceptionally tender and juicy, is heavily marbled with fat. To people who believe <a href="http://www.self.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-whole-grain-and-whole-wheat" target="_blank">whole-wheat bread is better for you</a> than loaves made of bleached flour, the shiny whiteness of the wrap suggests it offers nothing but carbohydrates. Those who abstain may be right, yet over the past six or seven years <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11585474/John-Whaite-Baos-buns-have-foodies-queuing-round-the-block.html" target="_blank">the popularity of guabao in the Western world</a> has leapfrogged that of other Taiwanese dishes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And truly Taiwanese it seems to be, too. There is a theory, though not a widely held one, that a meat-filled, steamed cut bun called <i>roujia mo</i> (literally “meat pressed into a small loaf”) popular in the mainland Chinese province of Shaanxi made its way to Fujian and eventually to Taiwan. Fujianese cuisine does have something called <i>khong bah pau</i> (Holo pronunciation; <i>kong rou bao</i> in Mandarin), but nothing is added to the meat and bun but celtuce (also known as Chinese lettuce).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taiwanese guabao, by contrast, almost always incorporate fresh cilantro, pickled mustard greens, and a dusting of crushed peanut. “These three components extend the dimensions and depth of the dish tremendously, making it so much more interesting,” gush Singaporean bloggers <a href="https://travelling-foodies.com/" target="_blank">TravellingFoodies</a>. “The regular [<i>khong bah pau</i>] taste rather plain and run-of-the-mill in comparison.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just as it is hard to image an American-style hamburger without lettuce, tomato, onion, and perhaps a pickle, many Taiwanese assert that if a guabao is to be considered authentic, peanut powder is an essential element.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Guabao is similar to the Mexican dish carnitas soft taco in that the protein in both is slow-cooked pork. However, whereas carnitas is pulled apart by hand or shredded, most guabao feature a single slab of deliciously soft meat about the size of a deck of playing cards. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Taiwanese usually call this </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">kong rou</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (</span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">khong bah</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> in Holo). Beyond Taiwan and Fujian, common names for pork cooked this way include </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">hongshao rou</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (“braised pork”) or </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">dongpo rou</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (featured in many cookery books as “</span><a href="http://www.eatingchina.com/recipes/dongpo-pork.htm" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;" target="_blank">Dongpo pork</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">”). A few vendors advertise their guabao with the Holo term for uncooked pork belly (</span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">sa chan bah</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">; in Mandarin this cut is known as </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">wuhua rou</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">). </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not just any chunk of pork belly will do. The meat should not be too lean, to ensure it does not become dry and fibrous after braising. The meat is cooked in a thick gravy that typically includes soy sauce, rice wine, and often sugar...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is an extract from the first of what I expect to be several articles co-written with Katy Hui-wen Hung (who also provided the photo above), with whom I'm working on a major food related project. The entire article can be read online <a href="http://topics.amcham.com.tw/2017/01/getting-handle-taiwanese-hamburger-guabao/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></i><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-70992655185411922002016-12-21T03:33:00.000-08:002016-12-21T03:51:30.786-08:00Taiwan’s Export Processing Zones: Forward-looking at 50 (Taiwan Business Topics)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Free trade zones of one kind or another have been around since at least the 1930s, but when the Taiwan government created an export-processing zone (EPZ) in Kaohsiung in December 1966 – half a century ago this month – it was still a very bold move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Two major psychological barriers and a number of minor problems had to be overcome before the idea evolved into an actual program,” the late <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/02/business/li-kwoh-ting-91-of-taiwan-dies-led-effort-to-transform-economy.html" target="_blank">K. T. Li</a>, the technocrat given much credit for Taiwan’s economic transformation, wrote in his 1988 book The Evolution of Policy Behind Taiwan’s Development Success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first obstacle was that “resentment of the extraterritoriality (freedom from local jurisdiction) enjoyed by foreigners in prewar China created opposition to both free trade zones and EPZs,” said Li. “Although it is true that the zones allowed investors to operate under a different set of rules than those outside – which was the whole point – they were nonetheless [Taiwan’s] rules.” The second barrier was the fear of exploitation – “the sale of relatively cheap Taiwanese labor for the enrichment of foreign investors,” as Li put it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6V9AZiNo1RDLlM_-5XXh1iNKIHls9fn9rhyqmYzJ2puOg0iCcmi-El6RQKKaVm6C-EUqaSCx6TlMPGn2cW0mfg7j-__7VG5qnn5Iw8O1-1xAhWsiJJGaHipO3xWpRlbKNrbT9oKK4OoQ/s1600/TOPICS+ASE+Green+Bldg+Rooftop+Garden+Courtesy+ASE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6V9AZiNo1RDLlM_-5XXh1iNKIHls9fn9rhyqmYzJ2puOg0iCcmi-El6RQKKaVm6C-EUqaSCx6TlMPGn2cW0mfg7j-__7VG5qnn5Iw8O1-1xAhWsiJJGaHipO3xWpRlbKNrbT9oKK4OoQ/s640/TOPICS+ASE+Green+Bldg+Rooftop+Garden+Courtesy+ASE.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was also a concern that companies inside the EPZ would have an unfair advantage over exporters operating outside the zone. But as Li pointed out, enterprises that invested in the EPZ had already established their export markets, so they posed little threat. “Indeed, during the early years they helped promote Taiwan as a supplier of light consumer goods and not merely as a source of agricultural products,” Li explained. “In fact, after visiting factories located in the EPZs, foreign buyers would necessarily come to Taipei to examine products produced by firms outside the EPZs. In this way, new business connections were established. Consequently, I have always regarded the EPZs as showcases for our industries.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The EPZ was created just as Taiwan was beginning its export-driven economic takeoff, and it became a source of national pride. Among early investors in the zone were companies that helped established the foundations of Taiwan’s information, consumer electronics, optics and TFT-LCD industries, including Philips Electronic Building Elements Industries (now known as NXP Semiconductors Taiwan Ltd.), Hitachi, and Canon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">According to an August 1972 report, of the 161 factories in Kaohsiung’s EPZ, 37 were electronics manufacturers, 23 made textiles, 21 produced handicrafts, and 14 were garment manufacturers. Only the first of these sectors is still important. Nowadays, the EPZs’ most important tenants are semiconductor testers-and-packagers and LCD companies. Electronics production no longer means TVs and radios, but flat-panel displays for mobile phones and components for <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2016/03/rooftop-power-plants-part-1-taiwan.html" target="_blank">photovoltaic arrays</a>. Intangible goods like apps, as well as animation and cloud-computing services, are coming out of the zones’ software parks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the years, EPZ tenants have became important customers for Taiwanese companies outside the zones. Back in 1967, a mere 2.1% of the inputs shipped into Kaohsiung’s original export-processing zone were of local origin. By 1973 that figure had risen to 17%, and in the 1980s it reached 33%. Last year domestic inputs equaled 48% of the zones’ total export value, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Export Processing Zone Administration (EPZA).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today several hundred export-processing zones operate around the world, and many of those set up in the 1970s and 1980s were directly inspired by Kaohsiung’s success. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">The original site, a 68.3-hectare plot next to the city’s harbor, filled up so quickly with factories that within five years new zones had been designated in what are now Taichung City’s Tanzi District and in <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/travel-tips/taiwans-history-sugar/p,608189623" target="_blank">former sugarcane fields</a> in Kaohsiung’s Nanzi District.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Between late 1967 and 1976, total employment in the zones grew 13-fold. Since then, the number of workers has fluctuated, but the current tally of 81,045 (12.4% of whom are foreign nationals) is the highest it has been in this century. The most recent nadir was in 2009, when employment came to 58,002. In addition, the workforce is far better educated than ever before, with recent data showing that 7.5% of zone employees hold graduate degrees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First-mover advantage was one reason for the EPZs’ initial popularity with investors. In a 1992 issue of <i>Asian Survey</i>, Canada-based academics Jing-dong Yuan and Lorraine Eden wrote: “EPZs in Taiwan and South Korea were established in the late 1960s when the first wave of global industrial restructuring was taking place. A new international division of labor was created as multinational enterprises in labor-intensive, non-complex, light industries began to move offshore to reduce production costs… There were few other countries with EPZs, so they faced little direct competition.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As Yuan and Eden explained: “Both countries had already achieved a measure of economic growth by the late 1950s so that labor-intensive industries were relatively well developed, making it possible for zone enterprises to establish linkages with domestic producers.” Japanese colonial rule was a recent memory in both countries, making them “natural sites for Japanese FDI.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Half the NT$138.2 billion total foreign investment in Taiwan’s EPZs between their creation and October 2016 came from Japan, according to EPZA data. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Although the zones’ contribution as a proportion of the island’s exports has declined since 1974, when they stood at just over 9%, the 2014 figure of 4.7% was the highest for some years. Cumulatively, exports from EPZ tenant enterprises have earned Taiwan around US$76 billion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The EPZA now supervises seven EPZs, a logistics park, and two software parks. In all, they cover 530.3 hectares. The number of tenant companies now totals 602, up from 568 at the end of 2013. Manufacturing tenants pay a service charge of 0.08% to 0.22% of turnover (to reward success, the rate is regressive).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Both software parks have made notable progress. Total sales volume of the <a href="http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=221087&ctNode=445" target="_blank">Kaohsiung Software Park</a> approached NT$15 billion in 2015, 30% higher than in 2014, and 100% of the land (but not all of the office space) in the Taichung Software Park has been rented out. </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">In the past, the zones offered a very different business environment compared with the rest of Taiwan. The infrastructure was better and the paperwork less onerous, but until 1986 the tenant manufacturers were required to export everything they produced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The science parks in Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan nowadays enjoy a higher profile than the EPZs, but the former undoubtedly benefited from Taiwan’s experience with the latter. "The statute for the establishment and administration of the science parks, as well as the systems of one-stop services and factory-building land, are all copied from the export-processing zones," says EPZA Director-General Huang Wen-Guu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even though the rest of the island has caught up in terms of simplified procedures and efficient transportation links, the EPZA still strives to accommodate every qualified investor. "The main challenge is that we lack space," says Huang. "We need to expand, or figure out how to relocate older buildings to make space..."</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To read the whole article online, follow <a href="http://topics.amcham.com.tw/2016/12/taiwans-export-processing-zones-forward-looking-50/" target="_blank">this link</a>. To see the article I wrote about Taiwan's EPZs half a decade ago, go <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2011/01/taiwans-export-processing-zones.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The photo is courtesy of, and shows a new factory belonging, </span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, one of the zones' key tenants</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-46078246658036899632016-12-19T23:29:00.000-08:002016-12-19T23:41:49.536-08:00New life for Taichung's old buildings (Compass)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_k72IbNNaNefNinhKFf_fccjcBWoLkg7YQP1HBgIYtCBzuLUcv4PFo17q3DY7fXuRMZp5rJ6SCPRIj0Mg19HCtiRxg5Hr4zUtHKDHWATsfSk0MxG7c6s-__nvXU6aJKyA7lPBAuhbFg/s1600/RepB+CCIP+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_k72IbNNaNefNinhKFf_fccjcBWoLkg7YQP1HBgIYtCBzuLUcv4PFo17q3DY7fXuRMZp5rJ6SCPRIj0Mg19HCtiRxg5Hr4zUtHKDHWATsfSk0MxG7c6s-__nvXU6aJKyA7lPBAuhbFg/s640/RepB+CCIP+3.jpg" width="446" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve long been captivated by architecture, concerned about the environment, and fascinated by Taiwan’s past. These interests converge neatly at dozens of locations where the authorities or private landowners have decided to preserve old buildings, and adapt them for modern uses. Thanks to surging interest in local history, sites becoming available as <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2011/01/sweet-reflections-unity.html" target="_blank">old industries wither</a>, and Taiwan’s booming tourism industry, several such projects have been completed in recent years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These repurposed buildings add diversity and beauty to the cityscape. At the same time, the environmental argument is compelling. Professor Lin Hsien-te, one of Taiwan’s leading practitioners of <a href="http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=145829&ctNode=427" target="_blank">sustainable architecture</a>, points out that many buildings on the island are knocked down before they’re 30 years old. This obviously represents a massive waste of resources. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The great majority of new buildings in Taiwan are reinforced concrete (RC). Not only does cement have a huge carbon footprint, but on average each square meter of floor area for an RC structure generates 1.8kg of dust and 0.14m3 of solid waste during construction, and then another 1.23m3 of solid waste when the building is demolished. Even the most thorough of renovations, therefore, has a smaller environmental impact than destroying a building and starting again from scratch. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In Taichung, one of the first repurposing projects transformed a row of warehouses immediately behind the old railway station. What’s now called <a href="http://stock20.boch.gov.tw/" target="_blank">Stock 20</a> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">was built around 1917; since 2000, they’ve been made available to artists for exhibitions and performances. Air-conditioning and modern bathrooms were added, and if you look up while inside you’ll notice a lot of work has been done to make the roof safe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How much you’ll enjoy Stock 20 depends a lot on whether the current events appeal to you. If industrial heritage rather than art floats your boat, walk five minutes southwest to <a href="http://tccip.boch.gov.tw/" target="_blank">Taichung Cultural and Creative Industries Park</a>. It’s quite easy to spend an hour or so looking at and inside the buildings which dot this 5.6-hectare former winery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since 2011, the complex has served to nurture startups in various fields such as broadcasting, design, and digital content. A couple of sizable new structures have been added to the site, but the original infrastructure - including 50,000-liter tanks in which rice wine was fermented - remains in place. Bilingual information boards explain how the architect took into account both Taiwan’s hot, humid climate and the frequency of earthquakes. Even if none of this interests you, you’re sure to enjoy wandering around in search of photo ops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Aficionados of Japanese-style architecture should head next to the <a href="http://sixarts.org.tw/" target="_blank">Natural Ways Six Arts Cultural Center</a>, a landmark so gorgeous it’s hard to believe it was once part of a prison. The main attraction here is the <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2013/11/an-old-dojo-in-taichung.html" target="_blank">dojo</a> where, before and during World War II, prison staff practiced martial arts such as kendo. The building now hosts classes and lectures on a variety of subjects; its current name alludes to the six disciplines Confucius regarded as essential to a good education.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANPoyfKHchBg_tUNqm7taFfYzNT6i0OSHBfyI1pLrAimdPuD4oJ_SiQQo5DwoB7WpgEO_PrS1Imz_Qx14ZCoTKpzRlqEbxc3IDzYTOWLW-G0DsaFxf0yuh7t8CURafp8VfOXplU7HSds/s1600/RepB+SixArts+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANPoyfKHchBg_tUNqm7taFfYzNT6i0OSHBfyI1pLrAimdPuD4oJ_SiQQo5DwoB7WpgEO_PrS1Imz_Qx14ZCoTKpzRlqEbxc3IDzYTOWLW-G0DsaFxf0yuh7t8CURafp8VfOXplU7HSds/s400/RepB+SixArts+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While here, it’s worth taking a quick look at the old dormitory buildings a stone’s throw to the south. Several dates from around World War I, and only a few are still occupied. One of the uninhabited bungalows is being torn apart by an immense banyan tree. If preserved, it could easily be turned into a smaller version of <a href="http://synapticism.com/anping-tree-house/" target="_blank">Tainan’s Anping Tree House</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a different part of the city, not far from National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the Calligraphy Greenway, is Shen Ji New Village. The buildings here aren’t especially old, but they’re very typical of the housing provided for government employees and their families between the 1950s and early 1970s. Each has two floors, and there are two housing units per building. Unlike more modern homes, there are no balconies, and no external shelves to hold air-conditioners...</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wrote this article at the same time as <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2016/10/taiwans-old-buildings-get-new-lease-on.html" target="_blank">this piece about repurposed buildings throughout Taiwan</a>. To read the entire article, pick up the December issue of Compass (a very useful bilingual city guide for Greater Taichung), or visit the <a href="http://www.taiwanfun.com/" target="_blank">publisher's website</a>. I took the top photo at </span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>Taichung Cultural and Creative Industries Park</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">; it also appears on the cover of Compass. The lower photo was taken at Natural Ways Six Arts Cultural Center.</span></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-47681888356245756832016-11-22T01:10:00.000-08:002016-11-22T02:52:21.982-08:00Bussing Through Taiwan's Bucolic East (Taiwan Business Topics)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSwIxzagkZoMeZedrGrvrCJbMMqtyzgWSZyFvW-Iv6K5Uyf5cVSj79PrNPivUwj3o6T52F3DMTTpOFD1j_FOKpKN07Ib-UCPZl0y_7lSCDAQKOdgsTAZo0eKwk3U2dX9i9_bbBwBsPv4/s1600/abomus.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/AVvXsEjuSwIxzagkZoMeZedrGrvrCJbMMqtyzgWSZyFvW-Iv6K5Uyf5cVSj79PrNPivUwj3o6T52F3DMTTpOFD1j_FOKpKN07Ib-UCPZl0y_7lSCDAQKOdgsTAZo0eKwk3U2dX9i9_bbBwBsPv4/s400/abomus.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After World War II, Taiwan’s western lowlands saw rapid economic and social development. Cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung multiplied in size, and factories producing “Made in Taiwan” goods proliferated. Families which had farmed for generations exchanged village existence for the excitement, convenience and opportunities of urban living. On the roads, cars and motorcycles replaced ox carts and bicycles. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But in the east, it was a very different story. Isolated from the majority of their compatriots by the strikingly rugged Central Mountain Range, Hualien and Taitung lagged far behind. Not until the north, central and southern cross-island highways were completed, and rail links constructed, could residents of either county reach a major city in less than a day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Getting to the east still takes time, but it is worth every minute spent on a train or an airplane. The scenery is fantastically varied and largely unspoiled. Hualien and Taitung account for more than a fifth of Taiwan’s land area, yet have just 2.4 percent of the country’s total population of 23.3 million. Unlike the western portion of the island, citizens of Hoklo (Fujianese) descent are not the majority. There are a great many Hakka families. In the late 1940s, thousands of newcomers arrived from mainland China. But what gives the east its special atmosphere, fascinating festivals and <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2014/12/taiwans-aboriginal-food-en-voyage.html" target="_blank">unique cuisines</a> are the nine Austronesian tribes [represented by this young musician pictured top left, playing the nose flute] who have called this region home since time immemorial.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks to road improvements, driving a rental car from the west to the east is no longer such a daunting prospect. Whether one takes Highway 9 from the southwest to Taitung, or the Suhua Highway from Yilan towards Taroko Gorge and Hualien, the mountain, forest and ocean views along the way are very rewarding. That said, many tourists are happy to outsource the stress of driving and navigating, especially now that express trains from Taipei can reach Hualien in just two hours, and Taitung in three and a half. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So long as you book your train or plane tickets <a href="http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/07/17/2003595318" target="_blank">well in advance</a>, getting to the east is straightforward. But once there, exploring is a bit trickier. As in other parts of Taiwan, local public transportation is set up for the benefit of commuters, not excursionists. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ever sensitive to the needs of visitors, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has over the past decade refined a network of specialized bus services called the <a href="http://www.taiwantourbus.com.tw/" target="_blank">Taiwan Tour Bus</a>. Working with several licensed tour companies, the Tour Bus system provides access to many places which, for tourists who do not speak Chinese and do not wish to drive themselves, would be difficult or impossible to reach. Each bus is accompanied by a guide who introduces attractions along the way (in English, Japanese or Chinese), answers questions, and ensures no one gets left behind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The geological-hydrological marvel known to English speakers as Taroko Gorge is the east’s no. 1 attraction. An astonishing combination of solid rock and rushing water, the 19 km-long gorge and the surrounding national park draw hikers and ecotourists as well as mainstream sightseers. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">An easy way to see the best of the gorge is to join the one-day Taroko Gorge tour (NT$1,600 per person if an English-speaking guide is needed). Pick up is from Hualien City, and among the dramatic spots introduced are the stunning oceanside Qingshui Cliffs, Changchun Shrine, plus the short but intensely beautiful Yanzikou (Swallow Grotto) Trail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Those unable to devote more than a day to the east may want to sign up for a daylong Taroko tour departing from Taipei. These are more expensive (NT$5,200 for adults, NT$4,200 for children up to the age of 12) but save time with a morning flight from the capital’s Songshan Airport. The return journey is via the scenic railroad through Yilan and along the northeast coast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also departing from Hualien is the East Rift Valley one-day tour. Sandwiched between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range [seen in the lower photo], the valley is said to grow Taiwan’s best rice. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the past century, this lovely area has seen two industries based on its natural advantages emerge, then decline. At the first stop, <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2014/06/the-valley-at-heart-of-taiwans-untamed.html" target="_blank">Lintian Mountain Forestry Center (Lintianshan)</a>, tourists will learn how millions of trees were removed from Taiwan’s mountains until logging was completely halted in the early 1990s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After a look inside Fuyuan National Forest Recreation Area, renowned for its fabulous butterfly population, the tour calls in at Hualien Sugar Factory. The landmark refinery buildings still dominate the small town of Guangfu, but most of the surrounding sugarcane plantations have been afforested. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">No English-speaking guide is available on this tour, but an English audio guide is provided at no extra charge. The price (NT$988 per adult, NT$900 per child) is the same on weekdays and weekends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Visitors interested in farming and food production, and those <a href="https://alongwayback.com/2013/04/23/taitung-taiwan-wherein-nearly-everything-goes-wrong-or-how-i-learned-to-never-stop-worrying-and-love-itineraries/" target="_blank">basing themselves in Taitung City</a> rather than Hualien, should consider the Taitung Yuli-Changbin Highway one-day tour (adults NT$1,400, children NT$1,200; no English-language guide available). In addition to stops at a tea farm and an area now synonymous with <a href="http://www.guidegecko.com/taiwan/travel-tips/taiwans-history-rice/p,608184582" target="_blank">organic rice</a>, this adventure roams from the hilly interior to the rugged coast. One halt is at a place known as Water Running Uphill. The toponym aptly describes a beguiling optical illusion which draws tourists by the busload. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is also a one-day Taitung City tour (NT$1,300 per adult, NT$1,100 per child; no foreign-language guide available) focusing on cultural and ecological attractions within and around this city of 106,000 people. For part of the tour, visitors swap their bus seats for bicycles, exploring Taitung Seaside Park and its <a href="http://bradttaiwan.blogspot.tw/2016/02/public-art-on-east-coast.html" target="_blank">public art</a> installations on two wheels. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The tour also includes a look at one of Taiwan’s most important archaeological sites, Beinan Cultural Park. Named for the Beinan people who inhabited this part of Taiwan from approximately 5,300 years ago until perhaps 2,300 ago, the park is where archaeologists unearthed 1,523 slate coffins, plus skeletons and priceless jade items such as knives and arrowheads. One of the original excavations has been preserved and is open to the public.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyone planning to visit the eastern part of the country should peruse the websites of the <a href="http://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw/" target="_blank">East Coast National Scenic Area</a> and the <a href="http://www.erv-nsa.gov.tw/" target="_blank">East Rift Valley National Scenic Area</a>; both are especially useful for details of upcoming events such as festivals in indigenous communities.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Since the beginning of the year, I've been writing advertorials like this for Taiwan Business Topics, promoting Taiwan Tour Bus services. This is a slightly modified and shortened version of the advertorial that appeared in the magazine's November issue, and also <a href="http://topics.amcham.com.tw/2016/11/bussing-taiwans-bucolic-east/" target="_blank">on the website</a> of the publisher, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei.</span></i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-67394945282763643482016-10-16T20:23:00.002-07:002016-10-16T20:23:48.474-07:00Shared on The News Lens<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sadly for folks like myself, <a href="https://international.thenewslens.com/" target="_blank">The News Lens International</a> doesn’t seem interested in commissioning original work from freelancers (although I did one <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2015/10/tony-coolidge-taiwanese-aboriginal.html" target="_blank">profile piece</a> for them soon after they launched), but at least so far they’re making a good job of selecting and sharing items published elsewhere. A lot of the articles and blog entries they’ve posted deserve a wider audience, and it’s gratifying to see features I wrote for both <a href="https://international.thenewslens.com/article/47750" target="_blank">Taiwan Business Topics</a> and <a href="https://international.thenewslens.com/article/51210" target="_blank">Life of Taiwan</a> appear on their site. </i></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379713477266304863.post-14758004499177749572016-10-11T01:48:00.000-07:002016-10-11T01:50:38.687-07:00Writing about Taipei and Kaohsiung for Scoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvf-fkz6Myiu6yTZd6O1zO_yx3q0zC_hyphenhyphen6XF7ldUx6APoG2MTl70gnZp2jrhoQnx8ScqBGqaCo5G1SkK_PzS76j6QloR3dUCaBO6TyuNeZesLKGFz_xI6vf9QnQmznbCxkZo1nXA_ff9g/s1600/LookingToQihouLighthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvf-fkz6Myiu6yTZd6O1zO_yx3q0zC_hyphenhyphen6XF7ldUx6APoG2MTl70gnZp2jrhoQnx8ScqBGqaCo5G1SkK_PzS76j6QloR3dUCaBO6TyuNeZesLKGFz_xI6vf9QnQmznbCxkZo1nXA_ff9g/s400/LookingToQihouLighthouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For the October/November issue of Scoot, the inflight magazine of the Singapore-based airline with the same name, I wrote two short columns on what to do, see and eat in the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>For the capital, among the tips I give are to visit the </i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nmh.gov.tw/" target="_blank">National Museum of History</a> if you want to see some ancient Chinese artefacts without having to fight your way through the crowds which often pack the better-known National Palace Museum; and to enjoy cocktails at <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2015/06/mixed-messages-indulge.html" target="_blank">Alchemy</a>. </i><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The two highlights I chose for Kaohsiung are <a href="http://crooksteven.blogspot.tw/2012/05/on-trail-of-purple-crow-travel-in.html" target="_blank">Maolin's spectacular butterfly migration</a>, and Gangshan's wintertime signature dish, <a href="http://kcginfo.kcg.gov.tw/Publish_Content.aspx?n=A22859B204186560&sms=6A6B57F5FE966020&s=B079565EECDD8520&chapt=6421&sort=1" target="_blank">mutton hot pot</a>.</i><br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The October/November issue, as well as previous issues, can be read online <a href="http://www.ink-live.com/emagazines/scoot-magazine" target="_blank">here</a>. The photo here is one of mine and shows the old harbor mouth and <a href="http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2014/05/qihou-lighthouse-360-panoramo-kaohsiung-3d-city-tour.html" target="_blank">Qihou Lighthouse</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1