Saturday, July 08, 2006
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July 5: Keelung-Taipei
Yesterday filled us with sights and sounds and smells, all of them a rich combination of the very old and the very new. Keelung, a port city, displays all of the energy, crowding, and bustle of most port cities.
Off we went on an organized excursion to Taipei (prounounced Tay-bay in Chinese), slightly less than an hour from Keelung. We began the trip with a visit to Taipei 101, the world's tallest building (cost: $1.7 billion). From the observation tower one gets a dizzying view of the whole city, crammed with modern constructions, temples, traffic and lovely parks.
Taipei city, while "old" in general terms, is really a creation of the 1970s, when a building boom brought it fully into the late twentieth century. One sees Starbucks, McDonalds, Chiles, and other symbols of western globalization. The mall at Taipei 101 could be on Columbus Circle or in Westchester, full of stores like Bulgari, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. I saw a stunning purple jade necklace for a mere $50,000.
From there we visited the Chaing Kai Shek Memorial, an in-your-face statement of the US's support of anti-communist China (it was a "gift" from the US government, who supported CKS against Mao. On to dinner at a Mongolian Barbecue, followed by a visit to the tri-religion Wan Wa Long Shen Temple, a moving cultural experience where people from three faiths --Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism-- came to worship. Intense aromas of incense and fresh food (offerings), beautiful music, much movement as people prayed. The students in the world religion class were particularly impresssed, since they had been studying these very religions in class. The building itself is dazzling, and it's not even one of the most beautiful of the Taiwanese temples, according to the guide books.
The infamous night market --with Snake Alley, where several students "enjoyed" fresh snake blood drinks (the snake is killed and drained before your eyes) -- is a collection of tourist junk and authentic shops, crowded with Taiwanese, full of the hustle-bustle of this city. In this picture you can see the cobra and the glasses of blood in the background; it's a revolting spectacle, of course.
July 5: Keelung-Taipei
Yesterday filled us with sights and sounds and smells, all of them a rich combination of the very old and the very new. Keelung, a port city, displays all of the energy, crowding, and bustle of most port cities.
Off we went on an organized excursion to Taipei (prounounced Tay-bay in Chinese), slightly less than an hour from Keelung. We began the trip with a visit to Taipei 101, the world's tallest building (cost: $1.7 billion). From the observation tower one gets a dizzying view of the whole city, crammed with modern constructions, temples, traffic and lovely parks.
Taipei city, while "old" in general terms, is really a creation of the 1970s, when a building boom brought it fully into the late twentieth century. One sees Starbucks, McDonalds, Chiles, and other symbols of western globalization. The mall at Taipei 101 could be on Columbus Circle or in Westchester, full of stores like Bulgari, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, etc. I saw a stunning purple jade necklace for a mere $50,000.
From there we visited the Chaing Kai Shek Memorial, an in-your-face statement of the US's support of anti-communist China (it was a "gift" from the US government, who supported CKS against Mao. On to dinner at a Mongolian Barbecue, followed by a visit to the tri-religion Wan Wa Long Shen Temple, a moving cultural experience where people from three faiths --Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism-- came to worship. Intense aromas of incense and fresh food (offerings), beautiful music, much movement as people prayed. The students in the world religion class were particularly impresssed, since they had been studying these very religions in class. The building itself is dazzling, and it's not even one of the most beautiful of the Taiwanese temples, according to the guide books.
The infamous night market --with Snake Alley, where several students "enjoyed" fresh snake blood drinks (the snake is killed and drained before your eyes) -- is a collection of tourist junk and authentic shops, crowded with Taiwanese, full of the hustle-bustle of this city. In this picture you can see the cobra and the glasses of blood in the background; it's a revolting spectacle, of course.
# posted by Admiral David @ 4:01 AM 
