Taiwan for Muslim travellers

On a trip to Kaohsiung a few days before the Meinong Earthquake shook southern Taiwan, I noticed a Muslim Prayer Room near the back entrance to Kaohsiung TRA Station. This facility is part of the government's efforts to attract tourists from Muslim countries. Another important aspect of the campaign is encouraging restaurants at major tourist attractions to obtain halal certifications. Unlike the prayer room recently established at Taipei Main Railway Station, the prayer room in Kaohsiung TRA Station is very near washrooms where Muslims can carry out their traditional pre-prayer ablutions.

Very few Taiwanese follow Islam (no more than 0.3% of the population) but the progress Taiwan has made in transforming itself into a Muslim-friendly destination has got some recognition in target markets, such as Malaysia. Still, having been to Sun Moon Lake, Alishan and Taroko Gorge in recent weeks, it seems many of the Muslim visitors to these places aren't tourists from afar, but citizens of Indonesia and other countries already working or studying in Taiwan.

Information for Muslim travelers heading to Taiwan can be found here.

Taiwan through the lens of Josh Ellis, Part 1

Josh Ellis, who grew up next to the ocean on Canada’s east coast, has been photographing Taiwan since 2005. He describes his website as a “showcase for what I do, but also a way of promoting Taiwan and helping educate people around the world about how amazing this country is.” This is Part I of an interview conducted by email in October and November 2015. 

Is it true you ended up studying Chinese by accident?

Yeah, when I got to university, I found I had to take a second-language credit in order to graduate. I decided to try my hand at Japanese. The class was full of young guys much more invested in learning the language than I was, so on the first day of class, when the dean asked some of us if we would be willing to consider taking another language to free up space, I decided to take Mandarin instead. That decision pretty much shaped what’s happened since. I graduated with dual degrees in International Development and Asian Studies; before graduation I did an internship which brought me to China to further develop my language skills in an immersion program at Peking University, and to work on a Canadian government sponsored development project.

Why did you move to Taiwan? 

After graduation, I spent a few months checking out the job market in Canada, but felt the itch to come back to Asia to improve my language skills and continue travelling. I saw an ad about teaching English in Taiwan, so decided to give it a try. I arrived in Taiwan in the summer of 2005, and I noticed almost right away that Taiwan was a lot different to China. I noticed how clean it was and how the people seemed to be quite similar to Canadians in terms of how they treated others. Some of these similarities are among the reasons I’ve stayed for over a decade. I love that I can be in a modern city with a population bigger than most Canadian cities, but still be so close to nature. Taiwan has spoiled me over these years and I have a hard time thinking what life would be like back home without all the conveniences of this beautiful country.

Were you already a keen photographer when you arrived?

I was always into photography when I was young but wasn’t really able to do anything serious about it. After arriving, like a lot of travellers I took pictures documenting everything I was doing, and all the things that were new to me, to show friends and family back home. After about a month of living here I decided to upgrade and buy my first DSLR. Since then, everything I’ve done has been somewhat photography-related. Photography has been a very important facet of my experiences here.

I hope that when people see photos I’ve shot and how I frame them, they’re able to learn something not only from the photo, but from the information I provide with them. It’s great to hear from Taiwanese friends that I’ve shot something they didn’t even know existed, or that they’d never really imagined it would look as cool as it does in one of my photos. I think when you’re a foreign photographer in any country you tend to look at things differently to the locals, and see what they might miss or think isn’t special.

Many photographers adore Taiwan’s temple culture. Are you one of them?

Absolutely. I’ve spent a lot of time exploring temples all over the nation and trying to learn as much about them as I can. I love taking shots which not only show off the beautiful architecture, but also the amazing details you find inside. 

Taiwan also offers a lot of opportunity for taking beautiful landscape shots. I’m often lugging heavy camera gear up some of Taiwan’s highest mountains and taking shots of the coastline, rivers and waterfalls. Taiwan may be a small country, but there are countless locations available to photographers to show off the beauty of the country. 

Apart from temples and natural landscape, what else appeals to you?

I’m also a big fan of street photography, which involves walking around and getting candid shots of people going about their everyday lives. I think not living Taipei means I have better opportunities to explore and take photos that tell the story of Taiwan’s people and their lives.  

I do a lot of research about the places I visit, and I’m still trying to gauge what my audience is most interested in. My posts about the Qingshui Cliffs [pictured above] and Mukumugi Gorge in Hualien generated quite a lot of buzz, but then so did my post about the controversial Pigs of God ritual; this might the only post where I criticize Taiwan. I posted a quick article about a local restaurant that I thought would be nostalgic for some of my ex-coworkers who’ve since left Taiwan; it ended up going viral with hundreds of thousands of hits since I posted it, something I never would have imagined. Earlier this year I did a project where I visited several of Taiwan’s biggest night markets to shoot street-photography-style portraits of the people working there and explain a bit about what they do. This project has been quite popular. I’ve finished the shooting and hope to have the last four posts, about Miaokou Night Market in Keelung, posted before the end of the year.

I think I’m a very organized person, so I’ve a long list of places I need to get to over a certain period of time. I recently hiked up to a peak that isn’t very well known, Yuanzui Mountain in Daxueshan National Forest Recreation Area. From the peak there’s an amazing 360-degree view of Taiwan’s mountains. The location is perfect for the kind of work I do, but unfortunately as I was nearing the peak the weather took a turn for the worse. Everything disappeared in a cloud of mist, which means I need to make another trip in the near future. Apart from mountains, I’ll be shooting some upcoming temple festivals, Taiwanese opera performances, and I’m hoping to get to Kinmen and Matsu in the near future.

Part 2 of the interview can be read here.

International Spotlight: South Taiwan

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau's International Spotlight program is designed to inspire and attract 'slow travellers', the kind of people who prefer to take their time, and who feel no compulsion to see each and every attraction. In addition to covering parts of the north and central part of the island, the program introduces the scenic, culinary and shopping highlights of Greater Tainan. 

Located just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Tainan is a relic-packed city which served as the island’s political and administrative center between the arrival of the Dutch East India Company in 1624 and 1885. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Taiwan was a neglected backwater of China’s Qing Empire. The weather is reliably dry and comfortably sunny between October and March. For anyone who likes to be outdoors, whether in an urban setting or deep in the countryside, Tainan and wintertime go together perfectly.

Tainan is already well known to tourists on account of its fabulous temples, fascinating fortresses and delicious street food. The pace of life here is far more relaxing than in Taipei; a great many visitors are happy to do little more than wander at random, on foot or with a hired bicycle. But, of course, those who explore with the assistance of a guide, or read up before setting out, will come away with a far better understanding of this ancient city and its many treasures.

The International Spotlight Southern Region has its own trilingual website where anyone considering a trip to the south can find theme routes and descriptions of historic neighbourhoods. One such zone lies around Zhongzheng Road and Haian Road. A must-see hereabouts is Shennong Street, perhaps Taiwan’s most traditional thoroughfare. As recently as the 19th century, before human land-reclamation efforts and natural sedimentation pushed the coastline further west, this part of the city was a stone’s throw from the ocean. A few of the old two-storey houses, built by merchants to serve as both homes and warehouses, have been turned into shops or bars.

Far more modern yet still of considerable historic interest are landmarks which date from Japan’s 1895-1945 occupation of Taiwan. What's now Tainan Meteorological Observatory is said to be the oldest Japanese-era official building surviving in Taiwan. Locals have nicknamed this 1898 structure 'the pepper pot' on account of its circular shape. Among the items displayed inside are old seismographs.

The Old Union Hall (also known as the Former Tainan Meeting Hall, pictured below) and the adjacent Wu’s Garden is a superb spot for a picnic. The former is a 1911 French-influenced structure that hosts occasional exhibitions. The latter dates from the 1820s and is named for Wu Shang-xin, a salt tycoon who owned this land and commissioned the garden’s creation.

Tainan folk are hardly exaggerating when they quip their city 'has a small shrine every three steps, and a major temple every five steps'. The Confucius Temple offers a sense of eternal tranquility, while the Martial Rites Temple (also known as the Official God of War Temple) is equally gorgeous. The former is dedicated to the sage now regarded as China’s greatest philosopher, while the latter honours Guan Gong, a general who lived and fought in China more than 1,800 years ago.

To the delight of those who have several days to explore Tainan, nanspot.tw goes well beyond the usual tourist haunts. There are directions to Xihua Tang, an ancient Buddhist house of worship, the Great South Gate, a holdover from when Tainan was encircled by a protective wall, and the Temple of the Lord of the North Pole.

The majority of Tainan’s attractions are within 20 minutes’ walk of the TRA Station, which itself is linked to the high-speed railway by frequent shuttle trains. However, visitors should make at least one trip outside the downtown, ideally to Anping. This is where the Dutch established their trading colony in the early 17th century, and the bastion they called Fort Zeelandia is now a captivating ruin. This part of the city abuts the ocean, so it is no surprise that oysters and shrimps feature in the dishes enjoyed by many visitors.

Riding a bicycle from the Confucius Temple to Fort Zeelandia takes around 20 minutes. An alternative form of transport is city bus no. 2, which stops at Tainan TRA Station, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and Confucius Temple en route to Anping. Having got that far, visitors may wish to explore the coast, parts of which have been incorporated into Taijiang National Park.

Synapticism: Fascinating blog posts about Taiwan

Synapticism isn't a blog specifically about Taiwan, but the photographer/DJ/digital nomad behind it (who goes by the name Alexander Synaptic) has spent much of the past two and a half years in Taiwan, and has explored the country in exceptional and fascinating depth. Rather than visit and write about popular tourist attractions like the National Palace Museum or Kenting National Park, he prefers to explore abandoned residential and commercial buildings, disused industrial sites and obscure but intriguing elements of urban life, such as the levees and flood-prevention barriers that surround Taipei.

Like me, he's found that few places are as atmospheric or photogenic as semi-collapsed sanheyuan (traditional three-sided courtyard houses). One of his most recent - and most beautifully illustrated - posts concerns a region not far from my home: The 'moonworld' badlands of Tainan and Kaohsiung.

The photo above is from a blog post about Yumei Hall in Changhua County.

Design*Sponge's guide to Taipei

A bang up-to-date and very comprehensive introduction to places to shop, eat, drink coffee and soak up culture, the Design*Sponge Taipei City Guide is recommended for people planning to spend a few days or more in Taiwan's capital. Among the 100-odd listings are sightseeing highlights like Bopiliao and Shifen, some of the city's museums, tea-houses, and the seafood market-restaurant complex called Aquatic Addiction Development, which I visited recently to research this article.  

The guide was compiled by Stephanie Hsu, aka The Thousandth Girl, on whose site you'll find other useful Taiwan-related articles.

An online guide to Taiwan's wetlands

Throughout the world, wetlands are regarded as sites of exceptional biodiversity. In addition to hosting large numbers of aquatic plants, insects and birds, they help the overall environment in various ways. Wetlands are able to remove certain contaminants from water; they also absorb excess water and so mitigate floods. There's some evidence they're absorbing more carbon dioxide as the planet gets warmer, yet some studies indicate they're now releasing more methane than before. This is worrying, because as a greenhouse-gas it's far more potent than CO2.

Over the past four centuries, several of Taiwan's inland wetlands have disappeared, drained so Han Chinese settlers could farm the land. Parts of major coastal wetlands have been converted into industrial zones. In the past few decades, however, the country's remaining wetlands have been recognised as a valuable ecological resource. They now enjoy some legal and social protection. According to this government website, Taiwan has two wetlands of international importance, fifty of national importance and another forty of regional importance. In total, these wetlands cover around 57,000 hectares of land, or more than 1.5% of Taiwan's land area.

The fact the English-language section of the website obviously isn't complete and seems not to have been updated for some time hopefully doesn't reflect official indifference to the fate and state of wetlands around the ROC; the Chinese-language section is much better. The words 'Ramsar Citizen' may confuse some readers: They refer to the Convention on Wetlands that was signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971; Taiwan isn't a contracting party to the convention, no doubt because of its diplomatic isolation.

Both of the ROC's internationally-significant wetlands are in Tainan City, and both lie within Taijiang National Park: The estuary of the Zengwen River (曾文溪) and Sicao (四草, spelled Sihcao on the website). Officially, the Zengwen drains 1,177km2 (around 3.2%of the land area of the main island of Taiwan) and is 138.5km long. Within Sicao are nature reserves plus relics of the region's now-defunct salt industry. Both attract great numbers of birds, especially during the south's long, comfortable October-to-April dry season. 

Several of the wetlands described on the website are off-limits to the public. One is Yuanyang Lake Wetland (鴛鴦湖濕地), located in mid-elevation mountains in the north. It's Chinese name translates as 'Mandarin Duck Lake' - owls, woodpeckers and other avians abound. A surprising number of the sites listed are manmade. Among the locations in this category is Guantian Wetland (官田濕地), also in Taiwan, which I wrote about back in 2006.

Wetlands Taiwan has lots of good photos and Chinese-language information on its website. The photo above comes from the Society of Wilderness page on Shuanglianpi (雙連埤) in Yilan County, accessed by the road to Fushan Botanical Garden.

Reasons to love Taipei

If you plan to spend a week or more in Taipei, and so have enough time to soak up the atmosphere of the city as opposed to rushing from one attraction to another, this article may be of interest. Some of the reasons listed apply to every part of Taiwan (health care is the same price wherever in the country you go), and some are actually truer outside Taipei than in the capital (the cost of living is much lower in the south than in the north, for instance). But overall it's an excellent summary of why a lot of Western and Asian tourists and expatriates adore Taipei. The accompanying images are superb, too.

The photo above shows the exterior of Taipei's Museum of Contemporary Art.

Shuanglong Waterfall

Taiwan's landscape is often reshaped as a result of floods and landslides triggered by summer typhoons. It used to be possible to drive very close to Shuanglong Waterfall (雙龍瀑布), visible in the distance, but now the only way to reach it is by crossing a long footbridge that's off limits to the general public. Of course, some people ignore the rules.

This photo and the following directions come from Taiwan's Waterfalls, a very useful English-language website which has excellent images and GPS coordinates of over seventy waterfalls around Taiwan.

Shuanglong Waterfall can be reached by taking Highway 21 from Shuili in Nantou County (水里鄉南投縣). "Follow Hightway 16 about 8km east to the small aboriginal village of Dili (地利). There will be two signs directing you to Shuanglong. Follow the signs across the valley and drive up to Shuanglong.  You can either park near the church if you want to go for a one-plus hour hike or drive a little further and turn left where there is mural of dancing men and a waterfall sign in Chinese. The easiest hike is to walk along the road but you can also start at the church and walk uphill following the irrigation canals [which are no more than 1m wide]. There are a few turns but just keep going along the canals and you will arrive at [the footbridge shown]."

The Roman Catholic Church in Dili runs an inexpensive campsite/hostel. From Dili, County Road 63 is a very scenic way to approach Sun Moon Lake via the indigenous community of Tannan (潭南).

ShowMeTaiwan.com

 
ShowMeTaiwan.com is a new website which aims to help backpackers and other tourists plan their trips around Taiwan and book accommodation. The founder, Charlie Taylor, is a friend of mine who also operates two popular hostels in Tainan. So far I've contributed two short articles to the website. Both are about attractions in Greater Tainan: Hutoushan in Yujing District; and Anshun Salt Field Ecology and Culture Village in Annan District.

The photo shows a road bridge near Baoan TRA Station in Tainan City's Rende District, near Ten Drum Culture Village and the soon-to-open Chi Mei Museum.

Things to do in Taiwan when it's raining

The summer is Taiwan's wet season. In Taipei, almost two thirds of each year's rain falls between May and September. In the south, the difference between the wet and dry seasons is even more pronounced. Tourists who visit during the hotter months may not be able to explore the mountains, as road closures due to landslides are common (see the photo accompanying this post for a typical Taiwan rockslide), and heat may drive them indoors. How best, then, can summertime visitors use their time?

Good answers include temples and museums. Taiwan has an incredible number of both, thanks to a lively religious culture and governments that have shown great willingness to invest in museums which entertain and educate. While gloomy conditions may frustrate photographers' efforts to capture the beauty of shrine roofs, there's so much art and detail inside major shrines - not to mention all sorts of human activity - that they're a top choice whatever the weather. If you stumble across a place of worship that's in the midst of renovation, do take a closer look, as the way in which wooden panels and beams are replaced and paintings retouched is fascinating. The photo here shows a renovation artist working in Tainan's Temple of the Navigation Superintendent.

Taiwan's best-known museums, including all five mentioned in this article, are government run. However, wealthy individuals and non-profit foundations are behind some worthwhile public collections, such as one in Dajia that'll appeal to those curious about the Mazu cult.

The Central Weather Bureau's bilingual website has clear and useful forecasts which are very useful when planning travel around Taiwan. The site also has reports of seismic activity and rainfall statistics - several places in Kaohsiung received more than 150mm of rain yesterday!

Taipei 543

Not purely a travel website, and not nearly as Taipei-centric as its name suggests (check out this photo-heavy article about the Penghu islands), Taipei 543 is a good resource for those planning a trip to Taiwan's capital. Many of the articles are sponsored but no less useful for it.

One recent piece describes five brunch spots in Taipei. Another, titled Top 5 Taiwanese Films of 2013, outlines three documentaries - including the must-see Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above - a romantic comedy, and a mainstream drama. 

Everyday but delicious Taiwanese dishes

This 2012 article from CNNGo describes 45 easy-to-find Taiwanese foods, all of which are delectable if done well, and gives suggestions where visitors can enjoy them. (Most are in Taipei). 

The Chinese script for each dish makes the article especially useful - no need to decipher Chinese-language menus or attempt to speak Mandarin - and people eager to try mainstream Taiwanese fare would do well to print out the article.

My favourites are nos. 6 and 14. No. 11 is often known by its Japanese name, tempura.

Food Culture in Taiwan has some useful background information about Taiwanese seafood, night market snacks and aboriginal cuisine.

Taiwanese cooking classes with Ivy Chen

Ivy Chen has been teaching Taiwanese cooking at the Community Services Center and at her home in Taipei since 1997. “I believe Taiwanese cuisine is worth promoting and learning because of its uniqueness and vibrant character. I know how to introduce and present Taiwanese cuisine, and I’m very experienced at combining local and global produce and food trends,” she told me recently.

Chen, a native of Tainan, says about 2,000 people have attended her classes so far. Class sizes vary from one person to up to 20. “They’re from every corner of the world. Europeans and Americans are the majority, but others have come from Africa, Tahiti, Syria and India. Many are Japanese, and recently some Filipina caregivers and maids have joined my classes, encouraged by their employers.”

I asked her which dishes her students are especially interested in learning how to cook. “It varies from country to country, and individual to individual. However, dumplings, Kung Pao chicken and cucumber salad are among the most popular.”

“Fish preparation, and cooking fish the Taiwanese way, is probably the most difficult thing for my Western students to learn,” she added.

If you’re interested in learning Taiwanese cooking, contact Ivy via email (ivychen999@gmail.com) or Facebook. Recipes and other information can be found at Ivy’s Kitchen.

Free wireless access for foreign tourists

Taiwan's Tourism Bureau has got together with local governments and telecoms companies to provide free wireless Internet access to foreign visitors. According to this report, all tourists need to do is to show their passport at a visitor information centre (there are dozens across the country, in airports, train stations and major tourist spots) and fill in a form. The report doesn't say if there's a cut-off date for the program. I would assume it'll last until the end of 2013 at the very least.

New Taiwan travel website

Life of Taiwan, a travel website I wrote text for, was launched earlier this month and today was the subject of a full-page feature article in Taipei Times, Taiwan's main English-language newspaper. The website, which is designed to meet the information needs of those who've never visited Taiwan, has more than 150 pages of information about the country's history, culture, religions, cuisines and tourist destinations.

Taipeiyum.com

Gourmands and gourmets will find Taipeiyum.com useful when planning where to eat in Taiwan's capital. With details of around 1,500 eating establishments, divided into categories like "vegetarian" or "bakeries" - and English-language reviews of many of them, it's probably the best dining site for visitors and expatriates after A Hungry Girl's Guide to Taipei.

B&B profiles on Tra News

Tra News is a trilingual (Chinese, English and Japanese) website on which you'll find some useful information if you're planning a trip around Taiwan and want to see what's happening. The short articles reflect Taiwanese rather than Western interests; there's a great deal about local delicacies and festivals which travelers who can't speak Chinese will find dull or bewildering. That said, the photos and details of numerous homestays (B&Bs) are useful when looking for somewhere to stay. Also, several establishments offer discount coupons through the website.

The letters "TRA" usually stand for Taiwan Railway Administration, which manages the island's conventional railroads. However, there seems to be no connection between this website and the railway agency - and there's no explanation on the site of what "Tra" stands for.

Industrial heritage in Taiwan

I find old industrial sites fascinating, and I'm lucky because Taiwan has dozens. In the past 20 years, as Taiwan's economy has shifted from one based on heavy industry and manufacturing to one that focuses on services and high technology, dozens of sugar refineries, mines and ordinary factories have been closed down. Several have been preserved and reopened as tourist attractions; they're especially popular with local school groups as they help youngsters understand how their grandparents earned a living in the 1960s and 1970s. A handful of still-operating, century-old facilities can also be visited. Even if the function of such places doesn't interest you, you'll likely enjoy the architecture.

One of the country's best-known sights of this kind is Taiwan Balloons Museum (who provided the photo here) in Taichung. A government-sponsored website, Tourism Factories of Taiwan, has short descriptions, addresses and opening hours for 53 sights.