National Cheng Kung University- Sept 9, 2008

National Cheng Kung University is the #2 university in Taiwan and is the alma mater and the place where my parents met, so it was interesting to see and imagine my parents young. Apparently it's changed quite a lot though in the last almost 40 years.

Tainan, Taiwan- Sept 9, 2008

Tainan, "City in South Taiwan," is the old capital and only a short 1h40m bullet train ride from Taipei, much shorter than the 10h train ride that my parents used to have to take to return to school after holidays. It is also a cultural epicenter of Taiwan as it houses many old temples and gates.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall- Sept 7, 2008

We decided to get some ice cream with a view today and ended up by a idealic pond in the middle of downtown Taipei. Ends us we were also right by the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall which celebrates its namesake, a physician educated in the US who is thought to be the father of modern China for his role in overthrowing the Chin Dynasty.

Sun Moon Lake- Sept 5, 2008

Sun Moon Lake was also a favorite retreat for the ruling party in guomingdong Taiwan and is a close drive from Shitou so we stopped by to enjoy the view. It's a cold lake and no swimming is allowed except for once a year in the swim-across-the-lake festival in September. I definitely don't think I could make it across though it would be refreshing.

Shitou- Sept 4, 2008

Shitou is a mountain retreat, peaceful and beaucolic. It's also where my parents went on their honeymoon so for that reason alone, I wanted to see it. We stayed at Le Midi Hotel, probably the nicest I've ever stayed at and owned by one of cousin's closest friends. Our room itself had a balcony view of the mountains and even a sitting room.

Yeliu and Danshui- Sept 3, 2008

Yeliu is a geopark with oddly-shaped rock formations created by a limestone cape constantly eroded by the sea. It's located in the north point of Taiwan and surrounded by fishing villages with delicious fresh fish in which we definitely indulged. After lunch, we stopped by the boardwalk fo Denshui which is the fresh water river mouth to the Taipei Straight.

The Grand Hotel and Longshan Temple- Sept 2, 2008

The Grand Hotel was originally built by Mrs. Chen Kai-Shek and remains as one of the most plush hotels and landmarks in Taipei sitting atop a hill overlooking the city. After browsing the hotel grounds, we headed to Longshan Temple, the most celebrated temple in the city dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. It is a temple open to all faiths from buddhism to Christianity reflecting Taiwan's open-minded culture.

Shin Ling Night Market- Sept 1, 2008

The Night Market is an explosion of things to buy and delicious foods to eat. I don't even know what they're all called, but yummy. Of course, there were the good 'ol standbys like bubble tea as well.

The National Palace Museum- Sept 1, 2008

90% of China's cultural heritage including artwork ranging from paintings to pottery is displayed in Taiwan's most famous museum. When Chiang Kai-Chek fled China, he took with him quite a loot. All the art was painstakingly detailed including solid ivory balls with 17 balls carved within each other and sharing a common center. Even the desserts here are quite delicate and beautiful in their detail.

Taipei 101- World's Tallest Building- Aug 31, 2008

Taipei 101 is the world's tallest building...for now and has the world's fastest elevator. It's amazing how the engineered this bamboo-shaped structure, especially in the face of frequent earthquakes here in seismic Taiwan. I guess that's what the giant damper baby is for.