#Taipei Sweet Potato

[atlasandacamera]

Taro Sweet Potato Teahouse, reached by an old mining tunnel in Jiufen, Taiwan

[voxyldy]

07.02.2024

[INFO]

To commemorate the release of V’s “TYPE 1” photobook, <ARTSPACE: TYPE 1> , a special exhibition, centered around those moments of complete relaxation that form the main theme of V’s “TYPE 1” photobook, will visit ARMY in a series of locations from July to August.

<ARTSPACE: TYPE 1>, taking place in various cities and venues around the world, will feature a variety of zones. This will include exhibition and experience zones, where you can see the artist’s relaxed moments up close

TYPE 1 IS COMING

TYPE 1 BY V

#TYPE_1

Source: Tae Guide / WeVerse

(They never come to Atlanta 😭)

[thenotsosecretdiaryofbiyu]

2024年7月14日—Free Day

Today was a free day, so I did what any sane Biyu would do and walked over 30k steps today. I started my day off trying to step on over to Poya, but then stumbled across a small temple and park along the way! At the temple, there was a man praying, and just outside in the park out front was some really chonky pigeons. I swear the birds are cuter in Taiwan, I don’t know why lol

I got to Poya, realized I MASSIVELY overspent at the Cosmed I went to on Saturday night after checking the prices, and then I left (I was too sad to buy anything LOL). Actually, a slight culture shock happened to me on Saturday in Cosmed when I went shopping for makeup to get ready (for a place that was TOTALLY not a club in Taipei). I had trouble finding anything similar to what I usually use in the states (kind of dramatic and dark colors), and then I realized it’s because the beauty standard here focuses more on a “natural” look. My friend who lives here in Taiwan confirmed it too, and that women here tend to try as hard as possible to look like they���re NOT wearing makeup, even when they’re wearing a full face of it. I left the store with some subtler pinks and rose-shades and a brown mascara (I wanted black, but the packaging for the brand I was looking at was in Japanese and I just assumed it would be black because that’s usually what most people I know in the States use. But alas, I popped that baby open and it was anything BUT black smh). At first I was super disappointed, but after trying it all on, I really liked the look, and it honestly might be a new thing for me!

Anyways, after escaping the Poya without making a single purchase, I decided to purposely get lost. I wandered into the closest MRT station around and I went walking through the underground mall there, just window shopping and looking at all the pretty trinkets the vendors were selling until I hit a bookstore! I bought the sixth volume of my favorite series (Tian Guan Ci Fu/The Heaven Official’s Blessing) in Mandarin, it would’ve been the first volume but they were all out 😭. After that, I decided to get myself in-lost and meet up with Riley to go to the jade market, the flower market, and the artists market! The super cool thing about these three markets was that they were located underneath a big highway! I always love it when space is used efficiently and this was a super cool example of the best kind of space-utilization! Unfortunately, I didn’t pack enough snacks and started getting über hungry, until a sweet potato stand magically appeared and saved my life.

My friend Yuting and I had plans to hang out for dinner and dessert at 7, so I made my way over by the MRT, and got horribly and utterly lost but NOT on purpose 😭

I ended up getting there thankfully, just twenty minutes later than we had planned (thankfully she wasn’t mad ❤️).

When we finally met up, we went out to eat at this cool skewer place where they coat the skewers in a type of brown sugar before grilling! It was by far the tastiest thing I’ve eaten in Taiwan so far and definitely one of my top new favorite restaurants in general! We also went to some stationery stores and I got some NON-knockoff cute paper accessories 🤣

I almost bought the whole store, but thankfully I remembered I should probs save some money to eat tomorrow, so I put all but the $13 of merchandise I left with back lol.

I finished the night by trying some super tasty 豆腐花 ice dessert and then getting home to shower!

I would write more, but I’m exhausted and so I’m gonna sleep LOL

[jacksulkes]

July 14 - Free Day 1

After clubbing late last night, I slept in this morning and then went to lunch. I ate at a ramen place and ordered ramen with black garlic and squid ink. As always, the egg was my favorite part. After lunch, we met up at Taipei Arena, which has roller skating, ice skating, small restaurants, and some other things. We went ice skating. I used to be terrible at ice skating, but this time I started getting the hang of it. Then, we headed over to the jade market because it is only on weekends. I walked all the way through the market and back. All of the green jade was so beautiful. Across the street of the jade market, there was another market for plants and art. We stopped by that one too, and they had elegant bonsai trees. Later on, we went hiking up Mount Elephant. Apparently, it looks like an elephant from above. We heard the peak is a great spot to see Taipei 101 and the city, and it absolutely was. The hike almost entirely consisted of going up a long staircase to the top. It was a very tiring but short hike. The view was well worth it. Right after the hike, we went straight to perhaps the biggest and most famous night market in Taiwan, Raohe Night Market. Right outside the market, I saw a gorgeous ornate temple first, and then we walked in. I first waited in a long line at the front of the market for Michelin Star meat buns. Then, I grabbed some amazing barbecue grilled squid. At this point, I was already getting full, but I had to try some tanghulu. Tanghulu is candied fruit. The coating is colored and clear, like a melted jolly rancher. I got the orange tanghulu which was delicious. After that, my friend got some of Taiwan’s famous stinky tofu. I tried some of his. Finally, I got just some watermelon juice. I saw lots of good foods that I wanted to get, but decided to wait until next time. Next time, I want to try the Taiwanese fried chicken, mango shaved ice, oyster omelet, pork stew, durian, or pigs blood cake. I also saw chicken feet and squid balls, which I may try another time. In addition, I saw many stands with sweet potato balls, which I did try before in Ximen night market. I would love to get those again there too next time.

[onejamtart]

OJT EATS | You Sushi

If you've been reading these weekly posts for a while, you'll know that at least in our opinion, Japanese food in Taiwan is excellent! A great example of this is one of my favourite restaurants in Taipei, You Sushi.

In particular, the lunch menu is exceptionally good value and is what I go for pretty much at least once each time I am back in Taipei. The lunch set always starts with a small starter. This time we got a little mini shabu shabu thing with some pork, carrots and potatos in a bit of broth. It was super aromatic and the vegetables were super tender; really good!

Then it was onto the first bit of the set: a mini chirashi bowl. This had bits of salmon, egg, ikura and tuna all on a bed of sushi rice. There was probably about as much topping as there was rice and it was all so fresh; absolutely delicious!

Then it was onto the nigiri. First up was a seared salmon nigiri. It was brushed with soy and had a sprinkle of sesame on top. This was one of the best nigiris I've had in a long time. The fish melted in my mouth and the sushi rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned!

We love a good piece of eel and this was exactly that. The eel itself wasn't as marinated as much as unagi but the sweet soy sauce that was drizzled over it really added a lot of flavour. Just another excellent piece of nigiri.

Then it's onto possibly my favourite nigiri of them all, the halibut fin. This cut is served slightly seared and comes with a touch of fish roe on top. It is incredibly aromatic and then literally melts in your mouth. It's so good and if you ever see this on a sushi menu; all I can say is make sure you order it!

The meal finishes with a piece of egg, with the name of the restaurant seared into the top. This thing was juicy, a little sweet and a great end to the meal.

This whole lunch set including 3 nigiri, that mini chirashi, the starter and a bowl of miso soup all came up to less than £15, an absolute bargain in my book! The food is absolutely delicious, incredibly great quality and for the price they charge, just incredible value.

You Sushi, No. 7, Lane 7, Lishui St, Da’an District, Taipei City

Cheers, JL

[fuckyeahilike]

Urban farmers and activists struggle to keep farming spaces within the cities 

Around the world, urban farming spaces are becoming increasingly common. For some, it is a way to supplement food production for city dwellers. For others, it is simply about the therapeutic effects of farming and the reduction of stress. However, despite the benefits, there are also many challenges, such as land ownership and the busy nature of city life that leaves little time for recreational pursuits. Join us today as we hear from those pushing for urban farming spaces in Taiwan, and the obstacles they encounter.

Surrounding this lush green rapeseed garden, is Taipei’s affluent Tianmu District. With a bustling department store off to the right, the garden produces quite the contrast.

A hen clucks loudly, drowning out the sounds of people nearby. As if responding to the people, the hen breaks the barrier between city and farmland. 

Chang Chia-hao

Volunteer farmer

We also have to work. So, throughout the week, it’s basically just the people who live nearby who will come here and do this farming. If we’re busy with work, then on Saturday and Sunday we’ll all come together here as a group and work on it. 

Sharing the harvest is a source of joy for these part-time farmers, but their urban farm is also a source of frustration at times.

Tou Hui-hsia

Volunteer farmer

Lots of people pass through here to look around, and there people who come here at night when they’re out for a walk. Naturally, when they see the beautiful okra plants, the beautiful eggplants, the vibrant red hot peppers, they inevitably want to pick a little to take with them. We put up signs, which we hope will encourage people not to do this. However, even if we catch people picking the crops, we can’t report them to the police, we can only try to persuade them not to do so. 

However, this unfortunate setback is not enough to destroy the passion these volunteers have for farming. 

Tou Hui-hsia

Volunteer farmer

It’s like what I told my sons. I grow okra and sweet potato leaves today, so that they can eat them.

Sharing the harvest with family members makes farming more fun, and what is harvested is more than just produce. 

According to data from the United Nations, as of 2020 the percentage of the world’s population living in cities was 56%. By 2050, that number is projected to grow to 68%. Some countries have already begun promoting urban farming programs. 

Liu Che-wei

Activist

Take Seoul, for example. Overall it’s a very similar city to Taipei geographically — both are within basins. Over in South Korea, there are lots of urban areas in the basin. In November 2011, the government there passed the Act on Development and Support of Urban Agriculture. This act is really special. It not only promotes agriculture, but also everyday farming, community farming, and so on.

Urban farming can be a great pastime, and in some countries the practice has even contributed to food self-sufficiency for urban residents.

Chang Sheng-lin

National Taiwan University

Cuba over the past 30 or 40 years was impacted by the Cold War, and it was prohibited from importing oil, and prohibited from having all manner of exchanges with Western countries. Therefore, urban farming there is extremely developed. Organic farming there is also quite developed. So, when people say that urban farming and organic farming can’t support a society, well, Cuba is an example that refutes that. 

However, relying on urban farming for society’s survival is something still far out of reach for Taiwan – especially given Taiwan’s limited land and large population. 

Liu Che-wei

Activist

Lots of public sector space, public land, can’t be converted to different long-term use. What can be done now, is to open up rooftops for communities to use for farming. We can open up these underutilized spaces for adoption by community organizations, so they can be converted into public farming spaces. 

In terms of using public spaces for community farming, Fujian Borough in Taipei’s Songshan District provides a very good example. 

This farm was established in 2015. Three years earlier, in 2012, this plot of land belonged to the Ministry of National Defense. Locals fought to gain use of the land, so that they could set up this farm, and bring some well-needed greenery to the borough. However, 10 years on, it is no more. 

Lin Kun-hsin

Fujian Borough warden

This space here is about 500 ping, arranged in a perfectly square plot. It’s very suitable for building a social-housing complex, so we got caught up in such plans. The farm was here for about 10 years, and made everyone very happy, so of course the borough residents are very upset about this. We have protested, but we came up against regulations, because this plot belongs to the defense ministry.

[irismfrost]

July 31 - Shoyoen, Library, Liouhe Night Market

I am sore- mostly the muscles around my hips and ankles. I thought my calves and thighs would be hurting the most, but I guess all my practice taking the stairs instead of the escalators at the Taipei metro had been silently preparing me.

Yesterday I had some good pizza (again) for dinner at this place called Pizza Rock. It's crazy how many people in my group don't like olives on their pizza, but there are a few real ones here too. The one I got had green and black olives, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes - it was great. This is one of the first places that made it easy to split the check because we all ordered separately at the beginning.

It's the last day of July! It's crazy to think that we're already over halfway done with the program. We started the day off with some class time and I finished an assignment that's due tomorrow so I felt good about that. I had some coffee from the OK Mart next door and as good as the coffee was, it did not sit well with me. Maybe I need to stop drinking caffeine or maybe it's because there was probably a lot of milk in the coffee. I'm not lactose intolerant but since I've started consuming less of it, it hurts my stomach when I have too much. I wanted to continue some more class stuff while we had 2.5 hours to break for lunch, but I ended up doing practically nothing.

We watched the Harbor Bridge swing open today at 3pm.

Our first stop was Shoyoen, or Happy Excursion Garden. It was a cool building built in the Japanese colonial era known for its synthesis of Japanese and Western elements. It had a little cafe and gift shop downstairs and you had to take your shoes off when you went upstairs - there are many historical sites here where they require you to take your shoes off.

Next, we went to the Kaohsiung Main Public Library. It has 8 floors plus a basement level and a rooftop (with a skyway). The second and third floors were actually the same floor. The hole in the middle was cool and the view from the top was awesome. The building is supposed to be a green building and was meant to revitalize the area. There were a lot of kids in the library and it was cool to see so many of them reading - I don't think many kids go to the library in the US. I couldn't read anything except on the 5th floor foreign language section. There, I found a few vegetarian recipes that I might use when I get home.

Our last stop was the Liouhe Night Market. I got some cooked sweet potatoes with some sort of glaze - they were pretty good and I was pretty hungry. I caught up with the rest of the group at a banana pancake stand. I got one with chocolate sauce and even though I don't really like bananas, it was still pretty good. After I felt satisfied with my dinner, it was time for me to head home. The metro station was pretty awesome and had some cool ceiling lights and a colorful mural type of thing in the center. I have been feeling worse and worse all day so it was past time for me to go back to the hotel.

Reflection

Shoyoen was inhabited by Japanese religious leader and advisor at Taiwan Governor- General Office, Otani Kozui. He was also the brother in law to the Emperor Taisho of Japan. The building was designed with a unique architectural style with Japanese and Western elements such as wooded terraces and porous spaces while also incorporating columns and arches (made out of wooden materials). The bottom floor was also fitted with an air raid shelter - this was built during WWII and located near the Armed Forces General Hospital, a potential target for US air raids. The surrounding area was also fitted with air raid shelters and in total could accommodate up to 240 people. The entire building had very thoughtful design - everything seemed to have a place and was compact. I thought it was interesting that there was a downstairs dining room, upstairs entrance and waiting room, upstairs dining room, and upstairs lobby. They all seemed to serve different types of people and slightly different purposes. The majority of the structure was made for receiving guests.

The maintenance of Japanese culture here is impressive. There are many who romanticize Japanese rule. Our amazing tour guide, Peter, shared a personal story about when he was a kid. When he went to school, Taiwan was a single party state under the rule of Chiang and anti-Japanese history was taught in schools. He would come home to his grandparents and say something along the lines of "grandma, I am so sorry that you were treated so horribly under Japanese rule". Grandma tells Peter that this isn't true and that Japanese were okay rulers. Peter is being told one fact by school and another by his grandma. There are many older people who dislike(d) Chiang and post Japanese rulers because they didn't do a better job and spread propaganda about the Japanese. During Japanese rule, the literacy rate in Taiwan rose from 3.7% to 90%. It was also hard for many people like Peter's grandma to accept new rulers when they didn't speak the language. They already had to learn Japanese and now they can't understand the language of the new rulers. It makes sense as to why so much Japanese culture is well preserved here in Taiwan.

[consideratecarlee]

Fall 2023 Vacation - Day 1 and Day 2

Stayed up until past midnight last night to get some work done. Then did about 1.4 hours of work this morning.

The shuttle van came on time and we got to the airport 3 hours before the flight (I only live about 20-30 mins away). The security screening wasn't bad - just 16 minutes - but I'm not sure I like the new-ish Automated Screening Lanes (ASL). In theory, you can move through screening more quickly, but 1) I couldn't move my bin(s) forward because other bins from people behind me kept pushing past and 2) my bins were interspersed between other people's bins. I imagine this last point would make it easier for things to just "disappear" (a la former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-Je's cellphone).

For my trip in the Spring, we were scheduled to depart at 4:20pm and arrive at 9:15pm, but ended up departing late and landed around 9:49pm. This flight was scheduled for 4:30pm, with a landing time of 9:25pm. I was a little worried about this (whether we'd catch the Taoyuan MRT, whose last trip is at 11-ish) - fortunately, we departed on time AND even landed 15 minutes early!

We got through the Immigration line quickly - only 10 minutes, since a staffer directed us to a line for ROC nationals (even though we technically no longer have ROC passports).

Hopped on the Taoyuan MRT - costs $150NT (about $5 USD) to get to Taipei Main Station. We just took the first train that arrived, which was the commuter train (more stops) and it took us about 53 minutes.

Slight drizzle when we emerged at Taipei Main Station. It's so humid!

Dinner on flight to TPE:

Entree: Beef, broccoli, carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes. (The other option was chicken and rice).

Sides: Carrot cake, quinoa salad, dinner roll (saved this), Kit Kat, bottled water (saved this) and ginger ale.

Breakfast on flight to TPE:

Entree: Frittata, chicken sausage, hashbrown, and broccoli. (I think the other option was possibly rice noodles (vermicelli)?).

Sides: Strawberry yogurt (the silver lid), fruit (apple, cantaloupe, grapes), croissant (saved this), and coffee.

The “Taiwan the Lucky Land” booth is just outside the terminal - we didn’t win any prizes. (By the way, do they realize that the banner on the website says “Taiwan the Luck Land”?)

[tofufactorynightschool]

安居乐业; Getting Settled

I'm finally here!

But freeze frame, and rewind about 24 hours, getting on my first flight, to San Francisco, at 6AM. During the layover, I met about 5 people from the program, who were all super friendly (and who might all be way better than me at Chinese...so probably won't be seeing much of them in class at least). And I realized that my place, with just under a 20 minute walk to campus, was one of the closer options. It's in the Da'an district (hence the name of this post).

Then came the 13, maybe 14 hour flight. Agony. At one point my legs got so stiff I thought something was medically wrong with them.

During the combined flights, I finished four films (as well as quite a few episodes of a sappy J-Drama). Brief reviews are as below:

Funny Girl (1968) - What it says on the tin: Barbra sure is a funny girl! (And what a voice.) I was surprised by the complexity of the second half, and of the ending -- her performance of "My Man" was gorgeous, and am I totally missing the point or stating the obvious to say that I enjoyed how the "man" in the song could be either Mr. Arnstein or the stage?

Hidden Letters (2022) - I started this documentary with my family but we didn't finish. The subject-- 女书, a script created by and for women in Hunan--is fascinating but I wish that the documentary had focused a little more (or at all) on its actual history, or the specifics of the writing system. The ending song was really nice; I'll have to look for it some time.

Kamikaze Girls (2004) - The sleeper hit and the star of the show; it actually rocked. Hyper-stylization done right! The main characters were very femme/butch. A good line: "It's not wrong to feel good; that's what Rococo taught me."

Death Becomes Her (1992) - Following with the campy theme; great makeup, kooky effects. Yes, it's not revolutionizing gender roles; yes, the social commentary is sledgehammer-subtle; and yes, it's pitting women against each other -- but it's so fun! (Said with a mildly facetious tone

The meals were pretty decent: 1) dinner (butter chicken on a bed of rice with a roll and butter, some kind of grain-vinegar salad, and a chocolate pretzel crumb cake from Milk), 2) "light snack" (small turkey sandwich roll), and 3) breakfast (scrambled eggs with potato hash and chicken sausage, a packaged croissant and butter, and fruit). Nothing was gastronomically spectacular, but I wasn't let down, either.

Still, it's hard to conceive of how long being on the plane for 14+ hours is, and how much it sucks; it's been a long time since I was on a flight that long. I was in the same row as someone else in the program, but a middle-aged man was in the seat between us. I slept a bit, but atrociously. At one point I got so bored (even with all the movies available), I pulled up the digital map on the plane screen and just toggled around Taiwan, studying the cities. I even took out some paper and drew Taiwan and the 11 cities it showed. I still remember them, working counter clockwise from the top: Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Nantou, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taitung, Hualian, & Yilan. Round and around, up and down, side to side I went, pinching at the map.

When we landed, though, I found that someone had sent a video of the apartment to our LINE groupchat--and it looked amazing! The wait to get the keys and everything was a little long, but I met one of my housemates there, Lillian, and we took the taxi over together; she seems super sweet (should I refer to people by name? or is that too revealing? Maybe I'll edit these posts later.) The whole time we talked about how excited we were for the summer. When we arrived, the apartment was just as good as it had looked (also very close to some cute shops, cafes, and a 7/11), and we met another housemate who had been locked out: Fin.

Fin might be one of the coolest girls I've ever met. We first saw her sitting perched on her moped, wearing a white mesh longsleeve under a lime green gingham tank top with a paneled denim skirt, about knee length. She offered us mangos and pudding, and then to play a song for us on her robin's-egg-blue electric guitar, which we eagerly accepted. She strummed and sang Lana Del Rey's "Happiness is a butterfly;" she has a beautiful voice, smooth and light. Lillian and I sang along a little but mainly enjoyed. Then Fin shared some cool Taiwanese indie music that she liked with us; she offered to take us to a concert some time (which I will happily take her up on). Another housemate, Amber, came in; Amber studies, performs, and choreographs contemporary circus (thus also putting her in the running for one of the coolest girls I've ever met). Amber joined in the concert talk and mentioned a free outdoor show happening next week! I hope we can all go. Fin and I talked about Mitski and she played one of her songs on guitar. It was a lovely, shimmering kind of introduction to the whole place.

There are quite a few more housemates but more on the morrow, because I have to get up bright and early for orientation! I'm settled in my room, which is in the 'basement' (very spacious--so far I like it). Already I can tell my Chinese is in a dire state. Hopefully I'm ready; I guess it's (almost) time to find out. More later!

安居乐业 (ān jū lè yè) - to live and work in peace

[wheresanne]

10 Things to do in Jiufen Old Street: A Day Trip from Taipei

Jiufen Old Street (九份老街) in Taipei

An hour bus ride outside of Tawan’s capital city, this famous village shows a glimpse of northern Taiwan and Taiwanese life outside of the city. Beautiful tea houses, alleys full of food, interesting gift shops, hundreds and hundreds of red lanterns, you could experience how the Jiufen Old Street is always packed with visitors and locals.

About Jiufen Old Street (九份老街)

Jiufen is a small village in the mountains and next to the water, located an hour's drive from Taipei. Rumor has it that Jiufen is actually the village inspired in the “Spirited Away” Hayao Miyazaki movie (2001). True or not, the village does look similar to it! 

How to get to Jiufen from Taipei

Since Jiufen Old Street is a popular tourist place, you can use a public shuttle bus or by taxi or even signing up with a tour.  Remember to always use Google Maps for navigating in Taiwan!

By Train and Bus 

Take the MRT blue line to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station Exit 1, then take bus #1062 to Jiufen Old Street Station. Check the bus 1062 timetable here. 

Use Google Maps for navigating in Taiwan!

(Bus 1062 goes directly from Taipei’s Zhongsxiao Fuxing MTR all the way to the entrance of Jiufen Old Street. If you are taking the train, please note that the station is Ruifang.)

Or you could take a taxi.

How to go back to Taipei (from Jiufen Old Street)

You can take the Keelung bus 1062 back to Taipei for about a 1hr15min ride. The bus stops in front of Zhong Xiao Fuxing MRT or just take the bus to Rui Fang Station. 

Things to do in Jiufen Old Street

1.) See the water and Keelung Mountain

When you first arrive at the “Jiufen Old Street” destination, the bus or taxi will likely be on a sharp-cornered hill. You will need to walk up the hill, where you’ll see many other visitors and locals with market stands or gift shops. 

That is the green Keelung Mountain, the huge orange-roofed Hà Hải Thành Hoàng Miếu Temple, and as you walk up the hill, you can see the Shen’ao Elephant-Trunk-shaped peninsula out in the sea.

2.) Walk through Jiufen Old Street “Dark Alley” Markets and Gift Shops

As mentioned above, when you first arrive, you will have to walk up a hill lined with markets. The alleys will be jam-packed with people (or it was during the Chinese New Year when I went!) since it is the main thing to see in Jiufen. Walking through the food and gift shops in the “Dark Alley” is how to get to the famous Jiufen Teahouse!    

3.) See the famous Lantern Tea House

After you walk through the alley of markets, you’ll find the famous Jiufen Tea house! 

4.) Drink Tea, Coffee, or Eat Snacks in a Tea House

From the tea house windows or balcony (on Shuqi Road) of the tea house, you can enjoy the tall views of Keelung Mountain, the sea, or Jiufen village. A-Mei Teahouse is pictured above. I heard that you have to make a reservation online since it is one of the most famous tea houses. I just went to another tea house on this road.

5.)  Look at All the Masks and Other Interesting Shops!

6.) See the Taipei Sweet Potato & Mining Tunnels

7.) Buy some gifts or snacks in the shops! 

While I was walking through the alley and gift shops, I saw a variety of bags, magnets, key chains, pens, wooden-carved Taiwanese souvenirs, everything Taiwanese you could ever imagine. Since I didn’t have much room in my backpack for souvenirs, I only bought the Taiwanese pineapple cakes.  

Jiufen Old Street can be explored in two or three hours, here are a few other destinations you can visit nearby Jiufen! Personally, I did not visit these places below, but I wish to visit them in the future:

 8.) Send Your Wishes in Lanterns to the Skies in Pingxi

Probably crowded all the time, locals and tourists can stand on the village train tracks to release their sky lanterns, filled with their wishes. Pingxi is mainly popular for the sky lantern festival, where you can see hundreds of lanterns lit in the sky; and it’s becoming more eco-friendly or eco-conscious. (Sources: Taiwan News 2018 and Taiwan-Scene 2019)

9.) Find the Shen’ao Elephant Trunk Rock in Keelung City

I didn’t visit Keelung, yet, but I wish to find the Shen’ao Elephant Trunk Rock, and go into the small city to see the Shiqiuling Pingan Temple, Shiqiuling Fort, Fo Guang Shan Ji Le Temple, Maritime Plaza, and Wangyougu. (Source: Google Maps)

10.) Shifen Waterfall

I didn’t visit Shifen Waterfall, yet, but I wish to see the waterfalls and green scenery here!  (Source: Google Maps)

Want more Taiwan? You can read my full “15 Things to do in Taipei, Taiwan”  post or see more Taiwan photography #Taiwan on my site.

If you have any questions or recommendations, please contact me or leave a comment below! Thanks for reading! 

[illustrateeat]

Sweet Puptatoes

[thistransient]

I really like sweet potato balls >_> They remind me of the glutinous rice donuts from Paris Baguette in Korea, strangely enough, so I'm not sure what part of them is actually made from sweet potato, tbh.

[waugh-bao]

Taiwan: Day 3

[carleencl]

Carleen Goes to Taiwan: Day 3 (Yehliu Geopark + Jiufen Old Street + Shifen Sky Lantern + Shu Shin Bou Wagashi Museum + Shilin Night Market)

Third part of my travel blog in Taiwan, as stated in my title, will be the trio: Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen Old Street, and Shifen Sky Lantern. With the activity package we bought was an additional activity which was the Pineapple Cake Making in Shu Shin Bou Wagashi Museum. As the day ended, we spent the night at the Shilin Night Market.

The activity package we bought was from Klook and costs PHP 1,056. The package included transportation from the meet-up place to the different itineraries, entrance fees, sky lantern fee, and a tour guide.

You may read more to find out my experience and more details about this trip!

-----

DAY 3 MAY 25, 2019

First on our itinerary was the Yehliu Geopark.

YEHLIU GEOPARK

Yehliu Geopark is known for its geological formations. Some of the popular formations are the Queen’s Head and Princess’ Head. Our tour guide mentioned that the neck of the Queen’s Head might break in about 2 years time since the neck part is getting thinner, thus, it is difficult to support the weight of the head.

Here’s what the Yehliu Geopark looks like seeing from the top.

The Yehliu Geopark was a good place to visit. Unfortunately, we had a limited time in exploring the place since we were part of a tour. When I visit Taiwan next time, I’ll definitely make sure to drop by Yehliu again to spend more time and see the other formations.

JIUFEN OLD STREET

Next one on our itinerary was the famous Jiufen Old Street. It is known for its busy streets with food stalls and a view of nature. If I remember it correctly, Jiufen Old Street is also known for the Japanese anime, Spirited Away, which the location was based in it.

Before entering the busy street, our tour guide let us passed by in another street to see the beautiful view of the mountain and sea, and to let us know the other side of Jiufen Old Street.

Seeing the view was truly amazing!

Here’s the street we passed through opposite of the Jiufen Old Street.

The end of the street we passed through was an entry going to the Jiufen Old Street.

Beside the stairs going to Jiufen Old Street is the Shengping Theater. The theater was built at the year 1934 and was used for Opera performances.

It was lunchtime and we had limited time so we looked for the nearest place we can eat at. Upon climbing up the stairs, we found a small restaurants that was good enough for us.

We ordered 4 Minced Pork Rice at NT$50 (PHP85) each and one order of Xiao Long Bao at NT$80 (PHP136). It was quite affordable since we just paid NT$70 (PHP119) each.

The restaurant’s ambiance was good and airconditioned. Food was very delicious that if given a chance, I would definitely order another one!

The street was actually a very long walk! Side by side, there were food stalls and “pasalubongs” to buy. It was crowded with people on the day we went there. However, our tour guide said it was actually a few in population compared during holidays and Sundays.

Again, due to limited time, we weren’t able to go up the tea house to actually see it. So here’s another place to go back to when I’m in Taiwan again.

SHIFEN OLD STREET

The old street at Shifen is known as the lantern street. Before, the lanterns were used as signals during the war and now tourists go here to fly their very own lantern. The lanterns, just like the candles, are color coded with each color comes a meaning or for what you are wishing for.

1 lantern is good for 4 people. Our lantern was included in the Klook package and red was given to us. You can change the color of the lantern, be it another solid color or a multiple colors with an additional fee. If I remembered it correctly, the prices for 1 colored lantern is at NT$150 (PHP255) and the multiple colored lantern is at NT$200 (PHP340).

For our lantern, red means health and peace.

To those, who are wondering if it’s made with plastic, it is not. The lanterns are all made in bamboo papers that will land in an area in Taiwan where it often rains.

Here’s a picture of me along the railway with the best milk tea I’ve ever tasted! 😂

Again, BEST. MILK. TEA. EVER. 😍

The milk tea stall is just along the railway.

SHU SHIN BOU WAGASHI MUSEUM (PINEAPPLE CAKE MAKING)

The ingredients and materials for the pineapple cake making.

To see a preview of the making of a pineapple cake, you may check my vlog at the end of my post!

It was a good experience to be able to make some pineapple cake. It might a simple one but it was an experience to remember.

After making the cakes, we were directed to their shop for us to try their products and if we would want to buy some. Personally, their pineapple cakes tastes amazing and the almond seaweed crackers!

After the Klook tour, we decided to go to Shilin Night Market - our 3rd night of trying the night markets in Taiwan.

SHILIN NIGHT MARKET

Shilin Night Market is one of the biggest and popular night markets in Taiwan.

To go to Shilin Night Market, we took the MRT from Taipei Main Station.

1. Take Tamsui-Xinyi Line/Red Line (to Beitou/to Tamsui) 2. Alight at Jiantan Station EXIT 1

The entrance to the night market is diagonally across to the left of MRT Jiantan Station Exit 1. Again, alight at Jiantan Station and NOT at Shilin Station.

Photos below are some of the food we bought in Shilin Night Market.

Sweet Potato Cheese Balls (NT$80/PHP136)

Burned Eight Claw Octopus (NT$100/PHP170)

Tteokbokki (NT$80/PHP136)

The sweet potato was good to try but not my favorite within the food we tried at Shilin Night Market. Burned Eight Claw Octopus was delicious and tastes like Takoyaki. Even though we were in Taiwan, we bought a Korean food - Tteokbokki. The Tteokbokki was delicious too. Also, not in the photo was a long Shoestring Fries in eaweed flavor that costs NT$70 (PHP119).

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To see more of our Yehliu, Jiufen, & Shifen tour + our Shilin Night Market experience, you may watch my vlog below:

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Below was our itinerary and expenses. Hope this will help you to be able to plan your travels to Taiwan.

ITINERARY

DAY 3: May 25, 2019 (Saturday) 06:00 am - Wake Up 07:00 am - Breakffast 08:20 am - MRT Ximen Station to Taipei  Main Station 08:30 am - Arrive at MRT Taipei Main Station 08:50 am - Meet up at Taipei Station (East Gate No.3) 08:55 am - Depart from Taipei Station 10:00 am - Yehliu Geopark 12:00 nn - Jiufen Old Street 03:00 pm - Shifen Sky Lanterns 04:30 pm - Shu Shin Bou Wagashi Museum 06:00 pm - Arrive at Taipei Station 06:30 pm - MRT Taipei Station to Jiantan Station  (Shilin Night Market) 06:45 pm - Arrive at Jiantan Station (Shilin Night Market) 08:30 pm - MRT Jiantan Station to Ximen Station 09:00 pm - Back to hotel

EXPENSES

Breakfast (We ate the food left bought from last night’s night market)

2 pc. 7/11 Sushi - NT$20/ea (PHP 68 for 2 pc.)

Klook Activity - PHP 1,056; The Klook activity we bought has the following inclusions:

Yehliu Geopark entrance

Shifen lantern

Pineapple Cake Making

English speaking tour guide

Insurance

Transportation from Taipei Main Station to the activities and back to the Taipei Main Station

MRT Ximen to Taipei Main Station - NT$16 (PHP 27.20)

Lunch (For 4: NT$70/PHP119 each)

Minced Pork Rice at NT$50 (PHP85)

Xiao Long Bao at NT$80 (PHP136)

Milk Tea - NT$60 (PHP102)

MRT Taipei Station to Jiantan Station - NT$16 (PHP 27.20)

Shilin Night Market (For 2: PHP280.5)

Sweet Potato Cheese Balls (NT$80/PHP136)

Burned Eight Claw Octopus (NT$100/PHP170)

Tteokbokki (NT$80/PHP136)

Seaweed fries (NT$70/PHP119)

MRT Taipei Main Station to Ximen Station - NT$16 (PHP 27.20)

Total: PHP 1,707.1

*We didn’t buy any bottled water since there was a daily complimentary bottled water from our hotel and free unlimited coffee/water/tea/juice in the reception floor of our hotel.

*Conversion of NT$ to PHP are rounded and used NT$ 1 = PHP 1.7

[jacksulkes]

July 12 - Taipei 101

Today in Taipei, we went to Taipei 101, which used to be the tallest building in the world, but is now just the tallest building in Taiwan. We went to the top on this super fast elevator. At the top we could see all of Taipei and more. We also saw a huge ball in the center of the top of the building that is designed to dampen movement in the building. I bought something from the gift shop. After that, we went our separate ways. I and some of the others went to a dim sum restaurant. It was very good. Later on, I went with a few friends to Ximen night market. First, we watched an impressive street performer with a diabolo (Chinese yoyo). We saw lots of really cool foods and commodities. I tried a fried sweet potato ball and then I ate pork xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) for dinner. We finished the night at a local bar.

Peter told us two surprising things about Taipei 101. First, he said that Taipei 101 was opened in 2004. That means it is as old as I am, or rather as young. I had thought it was way older because it seemed to be a staple of Taipei culture. Then Peter said that it used to be the tallest building in the world. This surprised me because of all the places in the world to have the tallest building, it used to be the small island nation of Taiwan. Peter also told us about the dampener, the big metal ball. I only fully understood how big it was once I actually saw it in real life. I couldn’t believe that it is 660 metric tons. He also told us that it was meant to resemble bamboo with its segments. Peter said the elevator used to hold the Guinness World Record for being the fastest. I really enjoyed experiencing that right after he told us. I was more impressed and excited when I visited Taipei 101 with Peter’s facts in my mind.

In the reading, I found many fascinating facts as well that enhanced my experience visiting Taipei 101. It said that Taipei 101 costed $1.64 billion to make, which is more than Sears Tower. I didn’t know this before, but the reading also says eight is a lucky number in China and Taiwan, so they made 8 sections of 8 floors each. I also found a fascinating history fact in the reading that the plans for the building had to be checked after 9/11 happened. All of this information also made Taipei 101 an even more fun place to visit.

[eataku]

Lay’s Taiwan recently teamed up with Dazzling Café to launch a line of potato chips based on the Taiwanese sweets shop’s most popular desserts. For a limited time only, you could walk into 7-11s around the country and find bags of Toffee, Honey Toast and Macchiato-flavored chips. They were quite in demand and proved to be hard to find, so I was only able to get my hands on “Macchiato” on my last trip.

I knew going in that this was not a flavor for me. I’m not a big fan and mixing sweet and salty to begin with. It’s like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters as far as I’m concerned.

And my instincts proved correct... I ate one chip, grimaced, and put the bag down.

Has anyone tried the other Dazzling Café flavors?