Last Week in Taiwan (through day 35)

My last week in Taiwan came so fast! After the teacher exchange program was over, I got the chance to spend the final week at my aunt and uncles home in Taipei and visit with my family - aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course, my mom. 



Ximending

On the first day of the final week, my mom and I went to a district of Taipei called Ximending. It is an area known for fashion and youth culture in Taipei. Ximending has sometimes been referred to as the "Harajuku of Taiwan" (Harajuku is an area in Tokyo). The name "Ximending" comes from the words "Ximen" (meaning West Gate "ding" (meaning neighborhood in Japanese). The West gate was built during the Qing dynasty, in 1882. China, who lost the first Sino-Japanese war in 1894 to Japan, had to cede Taiwan to Japan in 1895 and thus, 50 years of Japanese rule over Taiwan began.  

Ximending has a host of restaraunts, street food, stores, pubs, and theaters. It is extremely crowded, especially on weekends. At night, the area is a festival of lights with billboards shining from above.

Ximending is also known for a theater district - movie theaters line the streets. My mom used to go here when she was a teenager as well, she used to come here to watch American films that were subtitled in Chinese. It was one of her favorite things to do.  So, we decided to watch a movie ourselves - we saw Dark Night Rises on the opening day.



Ximending at Night





Maokang Gondolas

On this day we traveled to Maokong - an area high in the mountains, known for it's plentiful tea plantations. We took the gondola ride to Maokong and experienced some amazing views of the mountains and city in the background.

Riding the gondola up to Maokong

View of Taipei below from inside the gondola

We had lunch and then stopped at a teahouse to have a tea tasting with a teagrower.  She taught us all about tea growing in Taiwan and the proper way to make and drink tea.

My mom and I at a teahouse in Maokong

Day with the family: Yilan County, plentiful seafood, a drive up the coast, and a stop in Keelung

Today was spent with a lot of my family on my mom's side: my aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins. We traveled on a tour bus to Yilan county to have some fresh seafood, beautiful views, and time together. For my mom and I, it was nice to spend an entire day with so many people we haven't seen in many many years.

Family tour bus traveling south to Yilan County

We stopped at a park to take some pictures (my mom and I)



with my aunts and first and second cousins



L to R: my uncle, my aunt, my mom, me, and two of my cousins

My mom with her brother and sister-in-law

My uncles and aunt and mom

We stopped to eat some fresh seafood - crab, oysters, fish, clams, and squid...plus, the views from the restaurant were fantastic! 

View from the restaurant - you can see Turtle Island in the background

 

We took a drive up the east coast en route back to Taipei. We stopped at Keelung - this stop was special for my mom because this is the city that she was born in and spent much of her youth in.  Keelung is an important port-city in Taiwan, situated on the Keelung River. You can see the many boats docked in the pictures below.

Port city of Keelung

My mom posing with Keelung city in the background

In Keelung, we stopped at Zhongzheng Park, where a Buddhist temple is located.  In front of the temple on the mountain top, a tall white statue of Guanyin overlooks the Keelung Harbor below. This statue is the tallest depiction of Guanyin in all of Asia.  Guanyin is a Buddhist bodhisattva. These enlightened beings could have entered nirvana, but chose instead to remain in the world bringing enlightenment to others. Guanyin is associated with mercy and she protects seafarers from drowning.  Guanyin is one of the most popular Buddhist bodhisattvas in Taiwan.

Guanyin statue in Zhongzheng Park in Keelung

Taipei 101 Observation Deck at Night

One thing that is definitely on a top to-do list of Taiwan is to visit Taipei 101 at night. I went during the day, but the views from night are that much more spectacular. Although I had visited 101 previously with Jacki and Kelly, my mom had not been there yet, so it was nice to experience it with her. Each night of the week, Taipei 101 is lit up in a different color of the spectrum.

   

Previous post about Taipei 101 can be seen here: http://www.jackiekuntz.blogspot.com/2012/07/day-22-taipei-101-and-shida-night-market.html



Taipei 101 lit up at night

We also had the chance to walk up to the outdoor observatory on the 91st floor.  When I was there before, this was not open due to high winds.  I was so glad it was open the second time I went!

View from Taipei 101 from the outdoor observatory

Hike to Elephant Mountain

My mom and I took a hike up to Elephant Mountain.  Elephant Mountain is probably the most famous of the Four Beast Mountains of Taipei.  The reason for this is because you can experience the best views of the city and Taipei 101 from the top.  We chose to go to Elephant Mountain on a scorching hot day and reached the top around high noon (soaked and exhausted) - the views were stunning and totally worth it!

Hiking up to the top of Elephant Mountain  - you have to climb many steps

Entrance of Elephant Mountain

View from the top - I was so tired I could barely lift myself up this rock

Stunning view of Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain



Although she's tired, she managed to look happy for this photo!



That night, we were so tired from our hike that we treated ourselves to some famous Taiwanese dessert - the Mango Shaved Ice Avalance. Shaved ice is done in many parts of the world - but really, the Taiwanese truly know how to make it special.  To get our shaved ice, we went to one of the more popular establishments, known as Yongkang 15.  Here, we found the line long, as people waited for this tasty treat. 

The mangoes in Taiwan are the very best - the sweetest and most melt in your mouth mangoes I have ever had. They take a large block of frozen milk and mount it on a machine that grinds and shaves it into very VERY fine ice shavings.  They then cover the ice shavings with piles of fresh mangoes, drenched in fresh mango syrup, and finally sweetened condensed milk is poured over top. To top it off, they also put a ball of mango ice cream to finish it off! This dessert was the perfect ending to an exhausting day!



Mango Avalanche



National Palace Museum: special exhibit - “Royal Style: Qing Dynasty and Western Court Jewelry”

I journeyed back to the National Palace Museum for the third and final time to see a few more things I hadn't had the chance to see on my prior visits.  As I said in previous posts, the Palace Museum houses the largest collection of Chinese artifacts in the world, so it's impossible to see everything in just one visit.

On this visit, I had the chance to see a special exhibit that was featuring jewelry from the Qing Dynasty in China. The exhibit featured court jewelry from the East and West and aims to tell the story of the two regions and the interaction between them at the end of the 19th century. It really made history come alive!

Two of the major pieces that were on display is a summer court hat used for imperial concubines in the Qing Dynasty, decorated with seven Oriental Pearl-embellished phoenixes and a 1928 diamond necklace that features the seventh-largest diamond in the world. It was so amazing to see some of the court jewelry worn by China's emperors, famous concubines, and the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi.

Final Night and trip back to VA:

On my last night in Taiwan, my mom and I had dinner with her brother and his wife and her sister.  My uncle and his wife cooked a spectacular dinner full of fresh shashimi, crab, and clams and the best pumpkin rice soup I have ever tasted. Yum.

My trip back to VA was almost 21 hours long, with stops in Tokyo and San Francisco. Luckily, Kelly was also on my flight back.  It was nice to have a partner to weave through the multiple security checkpoints at the airports - we ended up having to cut over 100 people in line at customs in San Francisco in order to make our connecting flight to Dulles.

Final Thoughts:

My first blog has officially come to an end. I made it back safely to my home in Centreville, Virginia and although I think fondly of my memories of Taiwan, it is good to be home. 

My trip to Taiwan was truly an adventure and journey. I wouldn't trade the experiences I had for anything in the world. I experienced history, culture, education, and family in 5 amazing weeks. I'll never forget the people I met and those I experienced this trip with - Jacki, Kelly, and Jim were four wonderful FCPS colleagues I got to know well and spend a large part of this trip with. I am so thankful for Jacki and Kelly, especially - we became very close and supported each other the entire way! They were truly the best travel pals I could ask for. My host families and the Taiwanese teachers and students I met were so gracious, kind, and I learned so much from them.

And one of the most memorable parts of the trip was experiencing Taiwan with my mom and family.  I do hope that I get a chance to visit them once again not too long into the future.

This was a teaching opportunity that I will never forget - absolutely life-changing! Good-bye Taiwan, I'll miss you!

The End.

Thanks for reading my blog :)



My mom and I outside the National Palace Museum





Day 25: Din Tai Fung, Mtg with Ministry of Education & Good-bye Dinner

Wow - today was the final day of our teacher exchange program. I can't believe it was time to say good-bye to everyone.  Jacki will be travelling on to China and Korea, Kelly will be going to Cambodia with her sister, and Jim is headed back to Virginia. I'll be staying in Taiwan one more week with my family.

We started our day with a fantastic lunch at Din Tai Fung. This place is iconic! The New York Times has consistently rated it as one of the top 10 best restaurants in the world.  It is famous for it's dumplings, so we ordered up a variety to share one last time.  

Dumplings are the best



Group shot outside of Din Tai Fung with the dumpling mascot

At the end of the day it was really time to say good-bye at the Farewell Dinner. We met with the Ministry of Education to debrief our trip and share our thoughts and then it was time for dinner. 

Farewell Dinner

The New Taipei Education Department presented us with the nicest gift - a gold engraved mug from the famous Yingge Ceramics District - it even had my name on it.

With the head of the New Taipei Ministry of Education

The beautiful mug given to us as gifts

Group shot with Fairfax County teachers and Taiwanese teachers at the Ministry of Education

At the dinner we had the chance to see some of the teachers from a few of the schools we visited early on during our trip.  It was nice to catch up, but sadly we had to turn around and say good-bye.

With the principals from some schools we visited in New Taipei City



When I first started this adventure, I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was an amazing opportunity to visit my family and participate in a invaluable teacher exchange program.  But I have come away from this with so much more than I could have ever expected - I have learned so much from my FCPS colleagues and the Taiwanese teachers. I have visited many historical sites, learned all about the Taiwanese educational system, and had the chance to work with and help Taiwanese students. I've made great friends and put myself out there in a way that will forever impact my outlook on education and history.

I can't believe the exchange is already over - time flys when you're having fun! Everyone was so gracious and hospitable - it was hard to say good-bye.

I have one more week left in Taiwan - I plan to visit more with my family and see a few more sites. I'll keep this updated through my last week here and then it's back to VA. I miss you Nemo!

Day 24 Sun-Yat Sen Memorial

Today, I visited another historical landmark of Taiwan - the Sun Yat Sen Memorial.  This memorial honors Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who was responsible for ending China's dynasty system. In 1912, with the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Sun established the Republic of China.  He is also regarded as the "National Father" in both China and Taiwan.  A massive bronze statue (similar to Chiang Kai Shek's) is inside.

Statue of Sun Yat Sen

Changing of the Guard

We took a stroll through the inside of the memorial and I looked at some of Sun's hand written documents that outline the democratic principles behind his ideology. Sun is such an immortalizing figure in Chinese history, it was great to experience so much history here.

Sun Yat Sen Memorial in the background



Day 23: Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, Confucius & Boa’an Temples, Su Ho Paper Museum and Dinner with my family

Today we visited the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. The Memorial Hall was built to commemorate the Nationalist leader and longtime president of the Republic of China. The building is white marble and is surrounded by several gardens and the National Concert Hall and Theater where world-famous performers come here to perform and play.  Although Chiang's aura is now somewhat fading in today's Taiwan, the building's massive size and beautiful architecture still amazes. 

The changing of the guard

The great bronze statue of Chiang Kai Shek inside is as ostentatious as the outside building.

Bronze statue of Chiang Kai Shek

Inside the memorial, we stopped at the museum that displays the history of the Kuomintang (KMT), much of Chiang's offical writings and decrees, and some of his clothing and furniture.  It also displayed some correspondence between Chiang and Sun Yat Sen - it was interesting to see and track Chiang's historical rise to power and the struggles he endured against both Mao and the Japanese.

After the CKS Memorial, it was on to the Confucius Temple - yay Confucius! I am a big Confucius fan :) Confucius is considered to be the greatest of all educators and scholars in Chinese history.  On our way to the temple, we found these cute little guys - they are the "three wise monkeys" representing the proverbial phrase "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".

See no evil

Speak no evil

Hear no evil

The Confucius Temple was as beautiful and ornate as the other temples we have visited - but this one holds a special place because one of the temple's biggest days of the year is Confucius' birthday on September 28th, which is also celebrated as Teacher's Day in Taiwan.  This is a big day with events beginning at 6 AM - Confucius' spirit is remembered with parades and feasts. Wendy tells me it is a big deal in the schools too, in which students always bring their teachers gifts :)

The Inner Wall of Supreme Knowledge

Confucianism is still alive and well in Taiwan - students visit the temple before big exams to pray and ask that they pass all their tests.  Furthermore, Confucianism is instilled in the culture - respect, education, and filial piety are cornerstones of Taiwanese culture.  



Confucius Temple

We walked across the street to Boa'an Temple, which is 200 years old and features many dragon carvings.

And then it was on to the Paper Museum - what a busy day! I learned all about the history, materials, and process of making paper. We also had a chance to partake in a paper-making class and make our own paper. It was a fun experience.

Learning how to make paper

Making my own paper

Almond Ice

On our way back from the museum, we stopped for one of the best desserts I have ever had - and even better yet, it was almond flavored. I love almond flavored anything! This is a Taiwanese specialty. It looks like a big pile of mashed potatoes with butter! 

Our day ended with a feast at Shanghai Story Restaurant. Jacki and Kelly joined me and my family for a spectacular evening of some of the best Taiwanese food I've had yet. I also had the chance to see some of my uncles (my mom's brothers), I have not seen in 25 years! My big aunt (my mom's sister) and cousins were there too.  The picture below is with some of my cousins and my aunt and uncle.

Dinner with my family