Tearing around Taiwan

[OZDUCK]

As if we hadn't eaten enough for breakfast we headed off to lunch at the Dina Tai Fung Restaurant This was another restaurant that normally requires queuing but again we arrived at a quite time. There are branches of this restaurant chain around the word including in eight in Australia.

全球門市・Worldwide Locations・海外店舗・글로벌 지점│鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung

1958年創立於台灣的鼎泰豐，從原本的巷口小吃店發展成全球餐飲品牌，在躋身世界美食舞台之際，始終不忘「食材要天然、擀麵要手工、內餡要實在」的堅持。一份執著與堅持，讓鼎泰豐的小籠包舉世聞名，於全球各國陸續展店，征服世界味蕾。Din Tai Fung was founded in Taiwan in 1958, and has grown from a mom-and-pop restaurant into an internationally recognized brand. Throughout our journey onto the global culinary stage...

www.dintaifung.com.tw

They liked to make a show of their kitchen.



There were plenty of kitchen staff and they were working flat out





The food itself was excellent

 

[OZDUCK]

Off we went to the neighbourhood of Taipei 101. Nearby is the Agora Garden building which is nicknamed the "Godzilla' building as at the right angles there is a definite resemblance to the notorious kaiju. The building is a very complex build being "modelled after a DNA strand in the form of a double helix rotating 90 degrees from top to bottom, with each floor rotating 4.5 degrees from the previous."

Tao Zhu Yin Yuan - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Godzilla with Taipei 101 in the background





We then went up Taipei 101. The weather was not the best but this was our only chance to visit it.



The Tuned Mass Damper - designed to reduce sway during hurricanes and earthquakes

 

[OZDUCK]

After the 101 we had to visit a nearby Department Store as to my bemusement/amusement one of our party, who is not young, had an urgent need to buy some Pokémon merchandise there. Apparently much cheaper and a better range than in Australia.





While we were wandering around the store my grandson became the centre of attention forsome shoppers. This became a normal event during this trip. The Taiwanese seem fascinated by his appearance. He is Taiwanese on his mothers side and Scottish, Irish, English, Dutch, German, French, Portuguese, Australian, Sri Lankan and Indian on his fathers side. Whenever we were wandering around with him people continually wanted to take his photo and talk. (The dog in a pusher was a normal sight in Taiwan)



When he was first taken Taiwan last year as 6 month old his mother went to buy some nappies in a babywear shop and was asked if he could appear in an advertisement because he intrigued the store owner.

 

[rbjhan]

Din Tai Fung in Taipei I found to be much better than the ones here (Melbourne at least!)...

 

[jukebox333]

The Taiwanese curiosity over western babies and children is indeed a big thing.

I worked there for two years helping build the high speed railway, and one of the first phrases we were compelled to learn was (phonetically) boo-yao-pong, which was an approximation of "I don't want you to touch" as loads of locals felt it was okay to walk up and touch our 1yr old's nose whilst he was being pushed around the city in a stroller.

Later, we too were approached by a talent scout, and he spent the next 12 months being paid to do clothing photoshoots on the weekend, which was weird but fun.

What surprised me was he had light brown hair and deep brown eyes, whilst his brother looked almost scandanavian - blonde hair and blue eyes - but he was the one they wanted as a model.

 

[OZDUCK]

The next day we visited the National Palace Museum. This has the most amazing collection of beautiful objects, especially ceramics/porcelains, that I have probably ever seen in my life. The majority of these items were 'relocated' from the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City in Beijing during the final stages of the Chinese Civil War as the forces of Chiang Kai-shek faced defeat. I doubt that anyone could assess the monetary value of the various collections. But some some of them are simply amazingly beautiful. This was one of the times being in a group was a bit of a problem. We only had about 90 minutes there when if we were on our own it would have been a full day visit. This museum is a definite 'must see'.

國立故宮博物院-National Palace Museum

國立故宮博物院-National Palace Museum

www.npm.gov.tw

This is just a small selection of what is on display.

 

[OZDUCK]

Some more

 

[OZDUCK]

We then left Taipei to stay a night at Jiufen - not far from Keelung Port. This was our first experience of the very windy roads in the hillier parts of Taiwan.

On the way there we made a couple of stopovers. Firstly we went to the Shifen Waterfall



Trains being close to people was common in this area.






There was a fair bit of tourist infrastructure set up around the falls. Including the usual excellent toilet facilities.









This woman was scrambling around on these rocks in what was apparently a restricted area. She got a right bollocking over a loudspeaker by a park official

 

[OZDUCK]

Then we made a stop at Shifen Old Street. This place is famous for the releasing of hot air lanterns. If I remember correctly it is the only place in Taiwan where it is still legal to do so. The government pays for people to search the surrounding hills to remove the remains of the lanterns. The whole area is too moist for fires to be a danger.



I have never seen a sign so comprehensively ignored. Including by us.



Releasing lanterns.





There were dozens of lanterns in the sky



We decided to take part. You pay for a lantern and then paint on wishes and thoughts.



My daughter in law displaying her calligraphy skills.



The release of our lantern. We all contributed some message - some, me, less neatly than others.

As I mentioned before trains and people are in close proximity in this area. It is a slow line between villages.

 

[OZDUCK]

There were a ton of teenagers on graduation outings



Ice-cream with peanut and coriander - very refreshing. The wrapping is similar to that used for popiah in Malaysia. Around $2.50 for a small one.

 

[OZDUCK]

Our first night out of Taipei was spent at Jiufen Old Street a famous spot normally done as a day trip from Taipei.

Jiufen Old Street: A 2024 Guide to this Classic Taipei Day Trip - Spiritual Travels

A detailed guide to Jiufen, New Taipei City, including things to do, what to eat, where to stay, and whether it was truly the inspiration for Spirited Away.

www.nickkembel.com

Due to narrow streets and little parking we had to walk up from below this temple.



My knees didn't enjoy the steps. The next day I ignored the steps and went back the long way via the road.



The entrance to the market street is just to the right of the 7/11. Our room in the B&B was on the top floor above it just below the water tanks.



The &B entrance - day and night. You stepped straight out into the market street.





Our room on the 4th floor - no lift.



Views from the room at various times of day.







A temple view also from our room.

 

[OZDUCK]

The market street at night.





My knees didn't want to go down this side street



My wife did.





I walked to the end and looked down.



The same spot in daylight

 

[OZDUCK]

There was a sort of 'set' breakfast the next morning.



But there was also rice and a red bean soup.



Across the road was a place selling handed painted ceramic ocarinas. We decided to annoy our daughter and bought one each for her children. They are both learning the recorder.

The market area during the day







You had to keep an eye out for traffic





There are steps everywhere

 

[Flyfrequently]

Those good ole knees are still doing the stairs up and down at your hotel @OZDUCK !

 

[OZDUCK]

The view on the way back to our van



The downhill drive

 

[rbjhan]

The National Palace Museum was amazing!
There were free guided tours in English and Chinese several times a day.
I joined a tour once and the lady was an expert on ceramics, she talked us through the various collections in great details, highly recommend!

 

[OZDUCK]

We went back to Taipei for one night before we headed south.

On the way there we went via the Yangmingshan National Park - "The national park is known for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles, venomous snakes, and hiking trails, including Taiwan's tallest dormant volcano, Qixing (Seven Star) Mountain rising to 1,120 m (3,675 ft)." I seem to have lost most of the photos I took in this park. Of course they were the most scenic and artistic photos ever taken. My wife did take a few.

陽明山國家公園全球資訊網-中文網

First off we went to see a fumarole. It was pretty unspectacular compared to most of what we saw in Rotorua.







This sign amused me. However to be fair Taiwan has really made a great effort to provide English language signs all around the country. They may have the odd mistake in grammar but they always provided good basic information. Australia could learn a lot from them.

We then soaked our feet in a hot spring. We spoke to a young French woman who was also soaking her feet. There are free full immersion bathhouses at the same spot and her friend was using them. However they were 'naked only' - separate men and women's huts but this woman didn't like the idea.





It is a very scenic area





There are numerous hiking trails here. This group is waiting for a small bus that runs through the park.

 

[OZDUCK]

This particular spot is apparently a favourite spot to take photos just before your wedding.


So my son and his soon to be bride played along.



You can see a motorbike in the background of the above photo. This was also part of a photoshoot



When we came back this way a little later there were more photos being taken. There was howling wind so the women would have been pretty cold.

 

[rbjhan]

I think the bathhouses in Taiwan are mostly Japanese style, so yeah naked only.

 

[OZDUCK]

We then drove downhill to the Tamsui waterfront district of New Taipei City. It is at the mouth of the Tamsui River that runs through Taipei and is about 25 km from the centre of Taipei.

The roads in the hilly parts of Taiwan can often be very windy and narrow once you get off the freeways. But they are usually in very good condition with almost no potholes and the like.

The large squat tower in the distance is part of a cemetery - Behai fu Zuo. According to our guide the government is discouraging the old style sprawling hillside cemeteries with family tombs and encouraging the placing of ashes in such structures.



There was a very attractive riverside walk and park that was really buzzing on a sunny afternoon. And as usual there was very little rubbish around.





The wind was pretty gusty and the ferry jetty was closed.



A pavement marker



Instead of using the jetty the ferries were nosing into a ramp under power and dropping their bow ramp so passengers could board that way.





While we were wandering along we shared a "Turkish Ice-cream" which is apparently a big thing in Taipei. To be honest I didn't particularly like it as it tasted like it contained excessive thickening and seemed 'gluggy'. Looking it up it seems that - "Two qualities distinguish Turkish ice cream: hard texture and resistance to melting, brought about by inclusion of the thickening agents salep, a flour made from the root of the early purple orchid, and mastic, a resin that imparts chewiness." Most certainly not a favourite of mine.

We did enjoy some whole small fried white fish from this stall.