LucasRyan: Taiwan trip - 31 May 2007

Day 1 – 31 May 2007 (Vesak Day)
- set off from home at 11am, pick up ah ma at Yishun and heads off to Changi Airport
- flight to Taipei at 2.40pm by China Airline
- it was a pleasant flight as there is a individual TV and games
- we headed to the XiMenDing after we touched down

Day 2 – 01 Jun 2007
- watch the guards changing ceremony at the Martyr’s Shrine
330,000 men who sacrificed their lives to the revolution before the establishment of the Republic of China and who fell during the Sino-Japanese War and the China Civil War are worshipped here. Plates of these brave and loyal martyrs have been inserted into the four walls of the main building in testimony of their heroic deeds

- visit the National Palace Museum, world’s largest assemblage of the priceless Chinese art treasures, one which spsna Chinese’s nearly 5000 years history
see the 4 treasure, yu bai cai, pork stone, pearl grinder and wind shield.

- Taipei 101 building, one of the tallest buildings in the world, shops selling branded stuff

- Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

- take High Speed Railway (HSR) to TaiChung
- dinner at 5 Cent Drift Wood House

Day 3 – 02 Jun 2007
- Royal Jelly / Honey / Tea Leave commission shop at TaiChung

- Sun Moon Lake, the largest natural lake and the pearl of Central Taiwan. The Eastern part of the lake is round like the sun, while the western part is shaped like as crescent moon

-Wen Wu temple, enshrine and worship Confucius, Guan Gong and Yue Faye

- Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

- garden outside the village

- 1999 Sep 21 earthquake (921)

- hotel at ChiaYi

Day 4 – 03 Jun 2007
- wake up very early in the morning to set off to Alishan

- Alishan

- Fo Guang Shan temple is the centre of Buddhism in Southern Taiwan. The giant statues of Buddha can be seen from far off in the distance.

- Spring and Autumn Pavilion

- dinner at LiuHo night market KaoHsiung

Day 5 – 04 Jun 2007
- XiZiWan, old British ambassy

- KenTing National park, most southern tip of Taiwan, famous Maopitou

- Oluanpi, the Pacific Ocean and Taiwan Straits meet and the big lighthouse

- Master Bear Resort at TaiTong, a double storey chalet type of house, with 2 bedrooms on the 2nd floor and one bedroom on the ground floor, we light heavenly lantern with wishes on it after dinner

Day 6 – 05 Jun 2007
- SanSianTai

- BaSianTong

- HuaLien, Taroko Gorge, the gorge was formed by rushing river waters, which have cut straight through the marble and granite to create a beautiful narrow ravine with waterfalls and patches of mist clinging to the mountains, surrounded by subtropical forests

Day 7 – 06 Jun 2007
- back to Taipei, 4-5 hours travels time in the coach
- lunch at JiuFen, old fashioned way of life.

In the olden days, there were 9 household in the village, therefore they always buy 9 sets of groceries, that’s the how the name JiuFen( means 9 sets in Chinese) came about