Centered · Flats, Rats and Cats: A Little Urban Exploration in Tainan 11 Photowalking Through...

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Centeredon TAIPEI APR

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Vol. 18 | 07

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3www.communitycenter.org.tw APRIL 2018

COMMUNITYTAS 10

AROUND TAIWANFlats, Rats and Cats: A Little Urban Exploration in Tainan 11Photowalking Through Taipei's History 13

PROFILEThe Gentle Art of Quilling 16

ARTSInternational Ceramic Artists Flock to Yingge 18

CULTUREEunuchs of the Imperial Court 21

OUTLOOKConflict Revolution: NOW CAGE Your Conflict 22

FOOD & DRINKFalling in Love with your Toaster Oven 24The Fattest Chinese People We Know 25Dazhi Feng Yuan 27

TRAVELTo the Top of Taiwan (and back) in a Day 28Wannian Gorge 30

CSC From the Editors 5 Center Gallery 6April Activity Highlights 7Calla Lily Festival 8Book Clubs: April 8Kiddies Korner 9CSC Business Classified 31

CON T E N T SApril 2018 volume 18 issue 7

Centered on Taipei is a publication of the Community Services Center, 25, Lane 290, Zhongshan N. Rd., Sec. 6, Tianmu, Taipei, Taiwan Tel: 02-2836-8134fax: 02-2835-2530e-mail: [email protected]

Correspondence may be sent to the editor at [email protected]. Freelance writers, photographers and illustrators are welcome to contact the editor to discuss editorial and graphic assignments. Your talent will find a home with us!

Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner.

Community Services Center, TaipeiSuzan BabcockRichard SaundersNaomi [email protected]

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TIGER TOTS PRESCHOOL A LOVING PLACE FOR LEARNINGA LOVING PLACE FOR LEARNINGA LOVING PLACE FOR LEARNING

y North American Curriculumy Qualified Instructors y Low Student/Teacher Ratios

y Fun and Educational Daily Activitiesy Field Tripsy Fun After School Enrichment Classesy Mandarin Playgroups

y Gymnastics and Music Classy Engaging Outdoor Playgrounds

y Gardening

TYPA MAIN OFFICE: (02)2873-1815 www.typa.org.tw

PRE-K AND KINDERGARTEN (LOCATED INSIDE TAS)

TIGGER'S(PRE-2S), 2S AND 3S PLAYGROUPS (TIAN YU CAMPUS)

We’d love to introduce you to our diverse and incredibly special community of learners!Please call to arrange a visitation.

APRIL 2018 www.communitycenter.org.tw

Everyone needs to know why...We’ll help your whole family prepare for the big adventure.

Crown’s service offerings include:

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COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER

Adam McMillan

Grace Ting

I-wen Chan, Katherine Chang, Hui-shiang Chao, Jung Chin, Chiao-Feng Chung, Cerita Hsu, Carol Lee, Miranda Lin, Emilie Ma, Kuang-Shan Wan

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Monica ChengRosemary Susa

Undine Urbach John ImbrogulioAnne JacquetMorgan LoosliShan LeeGloria GwoLee Ming Yeh

Miyuki Boice, Daniel Chan, John Imbrogulio, Anna Loose, Leslie McFarlane, John McQuade, Gloria Peng, Emmy Shih

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The Community Services Center (CSC) is a non-profit foundation. CSC provides outreach and early intervention through counseling, cross-cultural education and life skills programs to meet the needs of the international community in Taipei. CSC offers the opportunity to learn, volunteer, teach and meet others. Check out our website www.communitycenter.org.tw and drop by The Center to chat with us about our programs. You can also email us at [email protected].

COT TEAM

WRITING AND PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS

Sue BabcockManasvi ChawdaDaniel CunninghamKenneth DicksonWendy EvansKaren FarleyNomita Kavra GuptaTrent JacksonJoan H. HungryinTaipeiJanina Myronova

New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics MuseumKamonchanok PanuwedLennie PepperJoseph ReillyRichard SaundersRosemary SusaTASGrace TingDoreen Wang

April is upon us again, and in Taipei that means the last of the cold snaps of winter should be over, and we can enjoy a month or two of spring-like weather before the build-up to the summer begins!

It’s a great time to head out exploring, and in a city as fascinating and varied as Taipei, it’s always wise to take a camera. In his article this month, Kenneth Dickson suggests three parts of the city especially worth exploring through the lens of a camera, and extends an invite to join his group, Photowalkers.

Further afield, Lennie Pepper does some urban exploration in historic Tainan, Taiwan’s old capital, and makes some unusual discoveries, and Daniel Cunningham meets up with two talented ceramics artists presently living and creating in Taiwan’s capital of ceramics, Yingge.

For those who like their explorations to challenge them physically as well as mentally, Taiwan’s highest peak, Jade Mountain beckons. The annual snow should have cleared from the peak as April arrives, making it a relatively easy ascent... unless attempted in one day, as Trent Jackson discovered when he (successfully) scaled the mountain on a tough single-day ascent.

The plum rains may start wetting the enthusiasm for outdoor exploration as the month draws to an end, but this month we have plenty of ideas for things to do indoors too. There’s the gentle (yet not very well-known) art of quilling, explained for us by enthusiastic (and expert) quiller, Manasvi Chawda, while Karen Farley gives us some tips on baking successfully in a toaster oven - a surprisingly effective substitute for the full-sized version in a city where ovens are still a relatively rare luxury.

So whatever the weather, we hope this issue of Centered on Taipei will give you some ideas on things to do both indoors and out. And don’t forget, you’re always welcome to come into the Center for a chat, a cup of coffee, or simply to say hello! We hope to see you soon.

Pick COT up at:Uptown: Community Services Center, No. 25, Lane 290, Sec. 6, Zhongshan North Rd.Sprout – No. 33, Sec. 7, Zhongshan North Rd.George Pai’s Beauty – No. 14, Tienmu East Rd.Downtown:Ooh Cha Cha – 207, Sec.2, Nanchang Rd.NakedFood – 22-1, Lane 160, Sec.1, Xingsheng South Rd.Samyama (Art) Co., Ltd. – 2F, No. 1, Lane 119, Sec.1, Daan Rd.

Please send email submissions, comments, and feedback to [email protected].

Sue and Richard

COVER IMAGE: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as Chinese hibiscus or rose or Hawaiian hibiscus, is a species of tropical hibiscus, a flowering plant in the Hibisceae tribe of the family Malvaceae, native to East Asia.by Kenneth Dickson

For more information, please go to our website at www.communitycenter.org.tw

Suzan BabcockEditor

[email protected]

KCGraphic Designergraphicdesigntaipei.

weebly.com

Richard SaundersCo-editor

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Zee DlaminiEditorial intern

Naomi KalyAdvertising Manager

[email protected]

Nomita Kavra Gupta Editorial intern

Sydney Ko Editorial intern

FROM THE

EDITORS


6 APRIL 2018 www.communitycenter.org.tw

CSC

A percentage of all proceeds of items sold at the Gallery will go to the Center. Please remember that by displaying your items or shopping at the Gallery, you will be helping the Center to continue to provide valuable services to the international community.

APRIL 2018 GALLERY

ADORNMENTS OF BLESSINGS FROM BALANCE HEALTH INTERNATIONALHandcrafted in the Holy Land, these unique religious items, crafted in Israel, are made of natural stone and wood. They are suitable as home decorations or as personal accessories.

SAHAR SHAIKH — AN EXQUISITE INDIAN COLLECTION OF JEWELRYSahar’s exquisite collection of fine Indian jewelry features pieces from the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat that are individually crafted. Special Kundan stonework, silver and stone pendants, earrings, bangles, bracelets and necklaces in turquoise, coral, pearl, amethyst, onyx, marcasite and garnet are perfect gifts for those seeking fine jewelry.

KP KITCHEN TAIWAN KP Kitchen Taiwan is spicing up Tianmu kitchens with our tasty range of North American-style DIY Spice Mixes. Make dinner planning easy with our authentic taco, chili, BBQ rub, pizza spices and more. Or if you are in the mood for baking, try our DIY baking mixes, including chocolate brownies, sugar cookies, muffins and pancakes. All mixes are freshly made in Taiwan and come with simple English/Chinese instructions. Follow us on KP Kitchen Taiwan on Facebook for more information.

CHEN CHAO PAO’S PAINTING COLLECTIONThe Community Services Center is pleased to exhibit paintings by the renowned art ist Chen Chao Pao. On loan from Faye Angevine’s Baiwin col lection, Chen is recognized for combining his ancient Chinese splash brush technique and Western painting skills. These techniques are a new form of expression and subject matter for ink and water paintings. His work is highly sought after at auctions worldwide.



CSC

Writer's Workshop: The Trouble with the Truth: How to Write Our Nonfiction Stories Wednesdays, April 18 and 25; May 2 and 9; 9:30 am – 11:30 am Instructor: Doreen Wang$2,400From “fake news” to reality television, we live in an age where the truth is, perhaps, more hotly contested than ever. What is truth, what is fiction, and what lies in between? How do those of us who want to tell our o w n t r u e s t o r i e s g l e a n lessons f rom th is t ime? This workshop will examine the problematic nature of telling the truth in creative nonfiction storytelling. Using the short personal essay as our primary medium, we will explore ways to faithfully and artfully recount our stories as honestly as we can, with the knowledge that truth is always blended with our memories, opinions, and perceptions. Students will receive exercises to spark new writing and generate new work. We will look at established and emerging authors (such as James Frey and Catherine Kapphahn), and take turns reading and constructively providing feedback for each other’s writing. The course aims t o s u p p o r t s t u d e n t s i n generating new writing, with the goal of completing one

short personal essay by the end of four weeks.

Taoyuan County: Daxi Old Street, Lake Cihu and the Garden of Generalissimos Thursday, April 19; 8:30 am – 3:30 pmGuide: Richard Saunders$1,400Daxi was once an important hub for trading indigo and tea, but is now best known for several very f ine old streets, and as the f inal resting place of former ROC President Chiang Kai-shek. We start this tour at Lake Cihu, where Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo lie in state in a pair of impressive mausoleums connected by a 1.8 km walkway. Next we will visit the unusual Garden of Generalissimos, a grassy park studded with several hundred busts and statues of the late CKS. This is a photo op not to be missed! We will finish with a stroll around historic Daxi town. Time permitting, there are little shops and small cafes where we can take a short break before returning to Taipei. Wear comfortable shoes; bring a packed lunch, and sun/rain protection as required.

Pakistani Cooking: Delicious Paratha Wraps and Rolls Friday, April 20; 10 am – 12 noonInstructor: Asma Ahmed$1,200Do you often find yourself wondering what to make fo r a s i m p l e, b u t t a s t y d inner? Jo in Asma for a Pakistani wrap and roll class using paratha bread, local scallion pancakes and pita, all easily available at the market. Learn to make three delicious fillings: chicken t ikka, chicken malai and spicy potato masala, served with mint yoghurt sauce, tamarind sauce, garlic dip and kachumber salad. So easy and so delicious!

Beyond Dihua Street: An Insider's Tour of the Dadaocheng Area Tuesday, April 24; 10 am – 1:30 pmGuide: Jennifer Tong$700Jo in Jenni fer, a l i fet ime resident of the Dadaocheng area of Taipei, for a fun insider's tour that takes you beyond the fabric market and usual Dihua Street area

stalls. We will begin at the neighborhood's bust l ing open-air market, then carry on with stops at some of the many fascinating local area shops. Sip tea at a little teashop; shop for lanterns, bamboo baskets, and baking supplies; explore a Chinese herb medicine store; and hunt for great gifts at some of the area's trendy new stores. There will be time for a short break at either a local rice noodle restaurant, or at one of the lovely little cafes (food is not included in the tour fee).

Very Vietnamese: Specialties from Hanoi Friday, April 27; 10 am – 12 noonInstructor: Khanh PhanJoin Khanh on a cooking t r ip to Hano i and learn how to prepare a delicious Vietnamese meal suitable for the warm weather. The main dish will be bun cha, a dish made internationally famous by Barack Obama a n d A nt h o ny B o u rd a i n, who both fell in love with it during visits to Hanoi. The main ingredients of bun cha are grilled pork and rice vermicelli noodles, which are served with a delicious broth and tasty fresh greens. Paired with our bun cha (and perfect for summer) wil l be fresh Vietnamese-style spring rolls with shrimp and pork. Ngon Qua!

APRIL ACTIVITY HIGAPRIL ACTIVITY HIGAPRIL HLIGHTS

RED ROOM APRIL EVENTS6th – DIY Pottery Workshop: Friday @ 5:00 PM Sake class; 8:00 PM Beer Stein 7th – Saturday @ 5:00 PM Beer Stein class; 8:00 PM Sake class8th – Sunday@ 4 PM Visual Dialogue15th – Sunday@5 PM Open Studio: What’s in a Name? Artists Workshop26th – Thursday@7 PM – Concert with Patricia Sands, Soprano and Richard Saunders, Piano

Address: TAF Library, 2/F #177, Sec. 1, Jianquo South Rd. Taipei – [email protected]

DEMOCRATS ABROAD TAIWAN PICNICApril 8, noonCome join us at Da An Park for a relaxed afternoon of socializing and eats. This event is a great opportunity to meet new friends, catch up with old ones, and get to know fellow Democrats.

MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONYMay 28, noonDemocrats Abroad Taiwan wil l be honoring American servicemen and women with a Memorial Day ceremony at Taipei Prison wall. There will be readings, music, and a lunch gathering to follow. F o r u p d a t e d i n fo r m a t i o n o n a l l DEMOCRATS ABROAD TAIWAN events, follow us on Facebook: @DATWN

OTHER EVENTS



ABOUTAccording to the Department of

Economic Development (DOED), Taipei City Government, the main attraction at the Calla Lily Festival will be concerts offered by participating calla lily farms.

In addition to exploring the Zhuzihu area on your own, DOED is working with the staff of Beitou Farmers’ Association to offer guided tours on weekends and holidays during the festival period. On tour days, there will be one tour in the morning and one in the afternoon. Participants will travel to various scenic attractions in Zhuzihu and elsewhere in Yangmingshan, enjoy flower-picking, great food, and other activities.

To ensure smooth traffic conditions, as usual the city government wil l implement traffic control on major roads and avenues in the vicinity on weekends and holidays.

For more information, please visit the event’s Chinese language website (www.callalily.com.tw) or call Beitou Farmers’ Association at (02) 2892-4185, ext. 540.

TRAVEL INFORMATIONPlease note: Buses 128 and 129 only

run during the Calla Lily Festival. Other services run year-round.1. MRT Beitou Station – Take route S9

or 129 to Zhuzihu.2. MRT Shipai Station – Take route S8 or

129 to Zhuzihu.

3. Taipei Railway Station(1)Take route 126 Flower Festival

Express to Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot and transfer to route 128, 129, S8, S9 or 131 to Zhuzihu.

(2)Take route 260 to Yangmingshan Terminal and walk to Yangming-shan Transfer Station to take route 128, 129, or 131 to Zhuzihu.

4. MRT Jiantan Station – Take any of the following buses to Yangmingshan Second Parking Lot: 109, 111, 126, and 127. Transfer to route 128, 129, S8, S9 or 131 to Zhuzihu.

5. Gongyuan Road (near Taipei Main Station) – Take bus 1717 to Zhuzihu.

CSC

COT April 2018 Morning Book Club Selection

COT April 2018 Evening Book Club Selection

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells will be the Morning Book Club’s April selection.For meeting dates, times & location, contact: [email protected]

Justice: What’s the Right Thing To Do? by Michael Sandel will be the Evening Book Club’s April selection. For further information about meeting times and locationscontact Lauren at: [email protected]

APRIL SPECIAL EVENT

The 2018 Calla Lily Festival in Zhuzihu, Yangmingshan (Until April 29th)



KIDDIES KORNER

TEXT: NOMITA KAVRA GUPTA

Here are some exciting new things to do this April with your

little ones.

WHAT WHY WHEN AND WHERE

WE’RE ALL SMURFS EXHIBITION

BITAN WATER FOUNTAIN SHOW

2018

INDIAN SPRING CARNIVAL 2018

WELCOME TO CUTE QIAOHU ISLAND SPECIAL EXHIBITION

Created by Belgian comic artist Peyo in 1958, the cartoon strip The Smurfs is about a colony of small blue human-like creatures living in mushroom-shaped houses.The exhibit features Peyo’s original artwork (debuting in Taipei), as well as a life-sized Smurf village, complete with mushroom houses and over seventy Smurfs on display. Kids can join the Smurf School, where their creative skills can be exercised with different interactive craft activities.

Bitan is a scenic area with a night market and a waterfront lined with restaurants.The New Taipei tourism authority has introduced a world-class water show here using high-pressure water jets that can reach up to thirty meters high, along with the newest advances in technical lighting and precision water nozzles.The shows run every thirty minutes, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm and feature music from a wide variety of both local and international artists.

India Taipei Association (ITA) is organizing the India Spring Carnival 2018. The event offers Indian cuisine, shopping, henna, tourism and yoga information, cultural exhibits by Indian associations, a photo area, and amazing stage performances by various Indian and Taiwanese performers.

Cute Tiger Island is a popular cartoon in Asia, and Huashan 1914 Creative Park is holding a large-scale exhibition of Qiao Tiger and his friends: Kiki, Miu Miao and Dole. The exhibition is divided into five sections that include interactive activities, puzzles and wonderful scenes of the Qiaohu Island.

Address: Chang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Halls 2 and 321, Zhongshan South Road, Zhongzheng DistrictMRT: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall station (green/red lines)Timeline: Until April 15Hours: 9 am – 6 pm (closed Tuesday) Fee: NT$280 (adults) NT$250 (children with Taiwanese ID over 3). Children under 3 or under 90cm are free.https://www.kham.com.tw/application/UTK02/UTK0201_.aspx?PRODUCT_ID=M03JNA0R&utm_source=FB_Smurf _VAN1102https://www.goodlifetaipei.com/smurfs-exhibition-at-cks-memorial-hall

Address: Bitan Scenic Area, XindianMRT: Xindian station (green line)Timeline: Until April 30Hours: 6 pm – 8:30 pmhttps://www.facebook.com/watershowtaiwan/https://www.goodlifetaipei.com/bitan-water-fountain-show/

Address: 1F Lobby, Taipei Main StationDate: Saturday, April 14Hours: 11:30 am – 5:30 pmhttps://www.facebook.com/ITATW

Address: Buildings C and D, Huashan 1914 Creative Park, 1, Bade RoadMRT: Zhongxiao Xinsheng (blue/orange lines)Timeline: Until April 8Hours: 10 am – 6 pm (last admission at 5:30 pm)Phone: (02) 6616-9938https://www.huashan1914.com/w/huashan1914/indexhttp://www.mediasphere.com.tw/show/show/Chiao-hu_exhibition_TWhttps://www.facebook.com/pg/Chiaohu.exhibition.TW/about/?ref=page_internal

Fun Activities for Kiddies



COMMUNITY | TAS

Dr. Jacob Soll: Lessons on Accounting & Accountability

Dr. Jacob Sol l, this year’s Joanna Nichols V is i t ing Scholar, left a lasting impact on the Ta ipei Amer ican

School community. During his time on campus, Dr. Soll taught more than thirty classes, spoke at upper school assembl ies, and gave two parent presentations.

Dr. Soll, Professor of History and A c co u nt i n g at t h e U n i ve rs i t y o f Southern California, received a B.A. from the University of Iowa, a Ph.D. from Magdalene College, Cambridge University, and a D.E.A. from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France. He has authored three books: Publishing "The Prince" (2005), The Information Master (2009), and The Reckoning (2014), which remains on the Taiwan bestseller list. He has a l so rece ived numerous awards, including the 2005 Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009, and, in 2011, the prestigious MacArthur “Genius” Grant. In addition to writing two new books, Dr. Soll works on public financial reform in Greece, Portugal, and the Eurozone where he has personally advised the prime minister of Greece and members of the finance ministry, as well as

executives of the European Commission. W h i l e a t TA S, D r. S o l l t a u g h t

European History, World History, Principles of Business, Economics, U.S. History, Philosophy, International Relations, and a new Historical Archival Research course at the Imper ia l Archives at Academia Sinica. Fifteen students in Grades 9-11 traveled with Dr. Soll to Academia Sinica to view historical documents; this special excursion provided a rare opportunity that opened the door for TAS students to conduct further research among over 300,000 written treasures from China.

In addit ion to interact ing with students, Dr. Soll engaged parents on two occasions. His parent tea discussion, inspired by his bestselling book The Reckoning and its implications for modern European financial markets, provided timely and thoughtful insight on historical sustainable commercial economies such as the Dutch Republic in the 17th Century, when there was trust in society and widespread accounting literacy. He discussed how this contrasts with modern Western culture where, “We don’t have cultural accountability; we have lost it. We need a new culture of accounting and accountabil ity using the tools of

analysis and critical thinking.” Dr. Soll also addressed parents as the keynote speaker at an evening presentation during upper school college counseling week. Building upon the ideals of Plato, with the belief that you get closer to goodness through study and learning for the sake of learning to better oneself, Dr. Soll discussed the history of Western universities and the mission of the modern university.

Dr. Soll described TAS students as “fantastic” and the culture at school as “incredibly dynamic.” He encouraged all students to pursue their passions and told them, “The thing you love to do will probably be what you are best at. Your time on earth is very, very short, and you need to enjoy what you’re doing.” He shared additional words of wisdom, “When in doubt, read a great book that challenges you.”

Dr. Soll’s stay at TAS represents the seventh installment of the Joanna Nichols Vis it ing Scholar program, which is the result of the continuing, extraordinary generosity and vision of former TAS parent Mr. Kenny Cheng. The program brings relevant, distinguished, and stimulating figures such as Dr. Soll to TAS each year to share singular insights and experiences with students.

TEXT & IMAGE : TAS



AROUND TAIWAN

TEXT & IMAGES : LENNIE PEPPER

Flats, Rats and Cats:A Little Urban Exploration in Tainan

The weather in Ta ipe i th i s winter, as everyone l iv ing there wi l l know, has been god-awful. As if the constant

humidity, incessant raindrops and genera l dampness weren’t qu i te enough of a nuisance, a painfully icy wind has been terrorizing the northern population, transforming our jaded tears into ice cubes. For this reason, it seemed like an inspired idea for me to catch a bus south for a few days. According to the weather reports, not only did Tainan have no rain, but I might even be lucky enough to catch some sun too. Plus Tainan rocks, and I fancied riding around on a bicycle for a few days. In the event the weather reports were bang on the money, so I had a pleasantly warm(er) break from Taipei for a few days.

It didn’t take much for me to spot a couple of clearly uninhabited blocks of houses while cycling along Dongning Road, one of the main routes to and from Tainan railway station. The first was a well-preserved stone bungalow with the classic, old-style turquoise doors and window frames that we know and love. A couple of dogs in the front garden saw me coming and decided to slink away with guilty faces, as though they’d already been told to leave several times. My attempts at finding an open door proved futile, although there didn’t seem to be much of interest inside after my nosey peek through the mosquito screens; just some plastic or glass cases on pedestals: the kind you’d see at an exhibition or museum. Maybe the nearby school is using it as a storage room.

Next I saw an intriguing narrow alleyway sandwiched between the school basketball courts and a row of old, dilapidated stone houses as I rolled past, but initially decided against going in because there were three people standing at the far end, chatting. Then I thought: what’s the harm in going down there and taking a few pictures over the wall? So I did. The three consisted of a young couple speaking to an older man in a fluorescent jacket. This I mistook for a hi-visibility vest, and therefore assumed that he would be involved in

the demolition and/or development of the site and could give some info on the place. As I propped up my bike, they all studied me curiously. I broke the ice with a quick ni-hao and a nod, which they all warmly returned in unison. I casually and innocently poked my head over the top of the walls, sneaking a peek at the ruins, and took a couple of quick shots on my phone. At this point I realized the conversation between the three had moved on to me, which I think continued for a few minutes as I wandered up and down the alley looking for decent photo angles. The younger man said hello again.

“Are you looking for something?”H e s e e m e d f l a t t e r e d a t m y

enthusiastic reply about the buildings, and when I said they are my favorite reason for coming to Tainan. The old man chimed in at this point, also speaking excellent English:

“Almost all abandoned now. But some people still live here, they don’t want to move.”

He explained that they were a block of dormitories that belonged to the nearby National Cheng Kung University. There are no plans to refurbish or even redevelop them, so these old places are being left to rot. However, even the empty houses aren’t strictly abandoned. A pounce of cats (yes, that’s the collective noun for them, apparently)



are the new owners of these neglected icons of the city, making full use of any available space. Crumbling wooden beam above? There’s a cat on it. Old sink clinging onto the wall for dear life? Cat in it. Rusty bucket on the floor? You get the idea. It’s normally a potential issue when exploring places like this that you might run into a pack of stray – and often territorial – dogs, but cats? It’s definitely a first in my book. After researching a little into the immediate area, pretty much all I could find out is that there is a lady that lives in one of these houses that runs some sort of cat adoption agency. That would explain the vast feline population, then. Anyway, I asked the old gent if it would be a problem to have a look around inside the buildings, to which he obligingly responded: “As long as you close the gates when you leave and watch out for the dangerous roof, it’s OK.”

Not much further down the road were a conspicuous row of terraced houses, five in total, all clearly empty and abandoned. Nothing particularly interesting to see there, except some

cool tiling and a continuation of the cat theme: loads and loads of bowls of water and cat food left inside the old buildings. One of them stank to high heaven before I’d even walked through the door, just as I noticed an XXL rat hunched over one of the bowls, thoroughly enjoying some poor kitty cat’s lunch. It looked at me in that cocksure fashion that scavenger animals do when you catch them eating something, as if to say “what, human?” I gave the door a quick rap and he scuttled off. After that I decided not to venture inside. Who knows how many are in there? And I doubt the smell will get any better as I go into the house. No thank you.

No more than a minute’s walk from Casa de la Rat are yet more rows of houses, three overall. At least two rows are completely empty, with one row sporadically occupied by a few residents. It seems that way, judging by the myriad of CCTV cameras and police-themed deterrent stickers on the front gates of some. Oh, and speaking of deterrents, the police station poised at the very end of the street seems to be a good one. It wasn’t too difficult to gain access to the clearly empty ones, but they had barely anything inside. Simply just walls and old toilets. After checking one row I assumed the other

would be the same so passed up the opportunity to have a look around. The most interesting thing about this row was that one of the end houses was clearly a rebuild, and a nice one too. Good condition, high ceilings inside, three bedrooms, parquet flooring, and multiple bathrooms. Some brooms and whatnot left in the kitchen suggested that someone was coming to clean up occasionally, but judging by the dust on the bedroom floors it hadn’t been for a while. I was surprised that no-one was living in such a nice, modern place. But then there’s a lot I don’t understand about Taiwan .

AROUND TAIWAN

Lennie Pepper is a 31-year-old from England, but has travelled around

Taiwan to such an extent during the past two years that locals now ask

him for advice. Currently on the run from Brexit, he has discovered that

photography and writing are the perfect remedy for a premature mid-

life crisis, and cost considerably less than a Porsche 911. His favorite

things to do are hiking, exploring abandoned buildings, riding motorbikes, and

obsessing over tea. Inarticulate ramblings on all things can be found on his blog

"Pepology" at lenpep.wordpress.com.



AROUND TAIWAN

Photowalking Through Taipei's HistoryPhotowalkers is a group of over seven hundred

photography enthusiasts in Taipei that gather

inspiration and photos while walking around Taipei

on guided “Photowalks.” Member Kenneth Dickson

describes three especially fruitful areas of the city for

photographing the city’s more historic aspects.

TEXT & IMAGES: KENNETH DICKSON

People don't do Photowalks for exercise, that's for sure! The average Photowalker's walking pace is only about a kilometer per hour. I was able to confirm this on several Photowalks with the use of Google Fit. Though we don't walk much, the point of

a Photowalk is to expand our experience of Taipei through a lens. In this article, we'll discover a few locations that are worth taking the time to photograph. Over several different trips, you can experience a little piece of Taipei in days gone by: from the Qing era, through the colonial period and the early Republican years, to the modern city.

TAIPEI BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Taipei Botanical Gardens ( ) are located in the middle of the old city, but on entering you're taken to an entirely different place, somewhere between a country park and a jungle. Founded in 1896 as a private garden, the Botanical Gardens opened to the public in 1921. It's one of the easiest tourist attractions in Taipei to visit with its generous opening hours and easy access by MRT.

You'll often see photographers here with long zoom lenses taking pictures of the herons, black bulbuls, and kingfishers. There are also several photographically interesting structures located in the garden: a newly reconstructed Japanese house & garden, the rear of the History Museum, the greenhouses, a traditional Qing dynasty administration building, and nine ponds.

Location: Taipei Botanical Gardens, 53 Nanhai Road.Getting There: take the MRT to Xiaonanmen Station. Leave via exit 3 or 4

and follow the signs up Boai Road for about six minutes.Open: 5:30 am to 10 pm (seven days a week, all year). Special

exhibits have different times, so please check.Entry: freeContact: (02) 2303-9978 http://tpbg.tfri.gov.tw/en/Introduction.phpPhotographic Attractions: the park offers a wide range of flowers throughout the year among its 1,500 species: in winter, it's azaleas; spring brings forth wisteria and orchids; for summer, the east Indian lotus and blackberry lily flower; while fall shows off Spanish bayonets and yellow oleanders.

Facebook: photowalkerstaiwanInstagram: photowalkers

Jo i n i n g Pho towalkers o n Facebo o k or Instagram will introduce you to over seven hundred members, many of whom share their work on either or both forums. Check out the upcoming Photowalks, too.

It doesn't matter what kind of camera or skill level you have. Just come! If you join one of our Photowalks, which usually last about two hours, the other members will be delighted to help you learn and get better photographs of Taipei. After all, that's why we're on the walk, too!



AROUND TAIWAN

NANJICHANG NEIGHBORHOOD & NIGHT MARKET

Nanjichang Neighborhood ( ), often overlooked by fast-paced Taipei, hit the headlines in 2017 when Taipei City Government announced plans to redevelop the former airport area. Delving a little into the Nanjichang's history, a US military map from 1945 indicated that during the Japanese colonial period the area was Itahashi Military Airport. There are no remnants left of the airport, but a modern community was built to house some of the KMT veterans and their dependents who had fled to Taiwan after the end of the Chinese Civil War.

There are still many alleys, old communities, markets, and faces that provide the urban photographer with opportunities to capture the character of Nanj ichang. So focus on photographing the character, history and liveliness of the area, before it's bulldozed in the name of progress.

At the moment, not much has been done, but panning around the area reveals the gradual encroachment of modern high-rises, middle-class gated communities, and widening boulevards. It's hard to believe that Nanjichang will not be redeveloped, erasing evidence of a tumultuous period in our shared history. Adding to the irony of the situation is that Nanjichang Community was itself a model high-rise community when it was constructed in 1964.

Once you're done, stop to have a meal or buy a drink in Nanjichang Night Market ( ), and get a feel for the life of the area! The market is smaller than you'd expect, but it's not just active at night; you'll find popular, delicious and affordable food sold throughout the day. There’s a definite slant

ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN HIKE

Located a short walk from the Xiangshan MRT station, you are welcomed to this hike by a narrow gate and STEPS! Yes, this walk quickly takes you up from street level to elevated views over Taipei’s Eastern District. Part of a series of hiking trails, beyond Elephant Mountain (

) the more adventurous can hike to Tiger Mountain and beyond, but as a photographer, you don't have to go the whole way!

This walk is easily the most challenging of the three physically. The steps are steep and uneven, so decent shoes are a requirement (no high-heels or dress shoes!) It also gets crowded on weekends and holidays, so find another time to venture up. There are multiple viewing platforms on the walk, but the first one is easily the most crowded. Keep going a little further, and you'll find even better views of Taipei 101 and the Eastern District.

Lastly, going in late afternoon is recommended, as sunset can offer spectacular views over Taipei. Avoid, if possible, the hottest and most humid part of the year to do the hike, (ie. July and August, except around sunset).

Location: Elephant Mounta in ( ), Eastern District.

Getting There: take the Red Line to Xiangshan station. Leave by Exit 2 and follow the signs, or

towards foods popular with the original residents of the area.

Of course, taking photographs in this area requires sensitivity: ask permission if you photograph a face or private property. If they are uncomfortable with you taking a photograph, apologize for disturbing them and walk away.

Location: Nanjichang Night Market, Lane 307, Zhonghua Road, Section 2

Getting There: take a bus (1, 242, 568, 624, and 907) along Heping West Road, Section 2. Get off near the southern entrance to the Botanical Gardens. Alternatively take the MRT to Xiaonanmen MRT station and walk through the Botanical Gardens to the south gate. Then walk eight minutes to the market (Google Maps will come in useful in finding the way). Enjoy getting lost!

Open: 5 am to midnight. Hours of stores and restaurants vary.

Photographic Attractions: alleys, market, food, street life.



Don’t Forget to Bring…Water to keep hydrated; sunscreen; umbrella; hat, and

decent walking shoes, especially if walking on slippery or muddy ground. Spend time looking more closely at specific areas. Bring extra memory cards and batteries, and prepare for rain, which can come without warning.

Kenneth Dickson bought a camera

many years ago to take photographs

of his travels around Taiwan. Fifteen

thousand photographs later , he

finally found Photowalkers in Taipei,

a group that encourages everyone to get out and take

photographs of Taiwan. You can visit his website at http://www.lookthroughthelens.com

walk in a straight line through Elephant Mountain Park. At the end of the park, turn left and follow the road for about five minutes. The steps will emerge after you pass a small temple on your left.

Open: all day, all yearEntry: free ht tps://www.travel .taipei/en/

attraction/details/564Photographic Attractions: spectacular views over the Eastern District of Taipei, Taipei 101 and Nangang areas. panoramas, HDRs and 101 backdrops are all easily done.



PROFILE

Wo r d s l i k e “ i n s p i r a t i o n ” , “learning”, “skills” and “opportunity”

fall in exact sequence when I think of my quilling journey. It is rightly said that you don’t know when you’ll use what you learned in your primary school days, but luckily it was not that far back for me.

I have always been intrigued by the designs we see in day-

to-day life, both traditional and contemporary. During my post-

Master’s time, I was doing personalized handkerchief embroidery and border work for my own use and to gift to loved ones. But after I got married, the game changed into a new format, with paper, finding new ways to express shapes and designs.

Quilling is the art of folding paper strips into various shapes and gluing them together to make beauti ful designs and scenes. The first time I came across quilling was when I saw my elder sister, Grishma, decorate envelopes with quilled pieces. They were truly beautiful, and inspiring. I got interested in the art of quilling then, but it wasn’t until I gifted a friend a quilling set that I simultaneously bought my own too. Quilling tools and strips are readily available in India, and are quite popular as well.

STARTING OUTInitially, quilling started out as a

hobby which I used to pursue after my day job. Learning to make basic shapes is fairly easy, but it does need practice to get neat results. I spoiled many paper strips and made some very funny looking designs before I made the first piece that was actually good. After I learned the basic shapes, I started making smaller pieces, flowers and leaves. I used to glue those on handmade envelopes and gift them to family and friends. I started to learn more about quilling in the process.

When I moved to Taiwan in 2016, I had no idea that qui l l ing would h e l p m e c o n n e c t w i t h s o m a n y wonderful and generous people here. A handmade item holds higher value among Taiwanese, and quilling is fairly uncommon here, at least among people where I live. I’ve come across very few

who even knew of the art of quilling, but there are connoisseurs of this paper art who really appreciate it, and share their own creations. Initially, I started by posting photos of my handmade quilled envelopes on various local onl ine forums. It piqued curiosity among locals and I met a couple of them, who saw and eventually purchased some of my work. My first ever sale was to a local university student, and it was an exhilarating experience!

AUSPICIOUS REDSlowly people started giving reviews

on style, design and color combinations, and spreading my work to friends or loved ones. Eventually, I came to know that red is considered an auspicious color here, and Taiwanese people prefer it over any other color. They also get attached to designs which are traditional, natural and inspired with meaning.

Meanwhile, I started making cards and my husband Jagat encouraged me to sell them at our local farmers market. It was a humbling and educational experience for me. I realized that it’s not easy to set up a stall and sell at market. It took a lot of patience and some much-needed encouragement from local vendors. I am not well versed in the local language, and everyone around has been more than helpful i n u n d e rsta n d i n g my n o n-ve r b a l communication. This is the time you see kindness, positive attitude and perseverance connecting hearts, and uplifting the community together. There have been days when I went home without a sale, but along the

TEXT & IMAGES: MANASVI CHAWDA

The Gentle Art of Quilling

Quilling is the art of folding

paper strips into various

shapes and gluing them

together into beautiful designs

and scenes. Manasvi explains

how she discovered, mastered

and how she continues to be

inspired from this less well-

known form of paper art.



PROFILE

way I became friends with so many wonderful individuals.

RECOGNITIONBy this time, the supply of quilling

strips that I had brought with me from India was almost finished. I started to visit nearby stationary stores in search of supplies and realized that quilling strips are not readily available in Taiwan. So, by early 2017, I learned how to start cutting my own strips by hand. It’s a tedious and time-consuming job, but there was no other way around it. Since then, I have been using hand-cut strips in all my projects, thus making my work completely handmade. I still visit stationary stores regularly, in hopes of finding quilling strips, but I very rarely come across any which suit my requirements. They are usually not the width that I use, or the color that I need.

During my stint at the local farmers market, I met and became friends with a lot of customers. People around started recognizing my work, and I got to make some very beautiful customized pieces on wood and glass surfaces. While doing this, I came to know that people preserve my cards by framing them and putting them up for display. To promote my work I prepared some handmade posters and put them up at a couple of food joints and local bakeries.

Dur ing this t ime (after a lot of pushing from my husband) I gathered up the courage to ask the owner of the Ivy Bakery, our favorite local bakery, if we could showcase or sell cards through his store, and he was encouraging and kind enough to allow me to keep a small box of handmade cards there. I was very excited and the response that I got was very encouraging. It’s been a couple of months now and his support has helped me to reach and connect with a lot of new customers. There have been times

when I saw people liking, appreciating and buying cards from the bakery, and I can’t help but feel a little proud that people choose to buy my cards to convey wishes and feelings to their loved ones.

QUILLING IN LOVEMeanwhile, things were looking up

in connection to featuring and selling cards online. I got in touch with a lot

of people through various forums, and their response was overwhelming, especial ly among Taiwan’s Indian community. A lot of them appreciated my work and I got to sell more cards during the year-end festive season of 2017. By now, my cards were not just sold in Tainan but in other cities of Taiwan as well.

I expanded my onl ine reach by creating my Facebook page under the name “Quilling in love,” and posting photos of my work there regularly. I get queries regarding quilling classes, and I am very excited to teach others how to fold and glue quilling strips to make their own designs. Over time, some of my designs have become very popular among buyers.

Quilling is an evolving art, and every day I see a lot of artists creating some very beautiful and astonishing pieces of work. The beauty of any quilled piece lies in its neatness and symmetry, and it takes time to reach that level, but with practice, one can achieve it. I hope to learn more and in turn teach others so that they can make their own works of art. Quilling is quite relaxing and satisfying while I work on a project. There are times when I know what I want, and then other times I can’t wait to find out what the end result will look like. The prospects with quilling are endless, and through it I hope to discover a lot more and connect with many great souls in Taiwan.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/quillinginlove/

Manasvi Chawda lives in

the beautiful and culturally

rich city of Tainan with her

husband. She enjoys nature

and draws inspiration from

it for her quilling designs.

THE CENTER NEEDS YOU!Do you have a skill or talent that you would like to share? Or have you found some great places around Taipei that you would like to take others to see? Then why not consider teaching a course or leading a tour for the Center in Fall/Winter 2018? If you are interested, or would like more information, please contact Rosemary at [email protected].



ARTS

TEXT: DAN CUNNINGHAM IMAGES: NEW TAIPEI CITY YINGGE CERAMICS MUSEUM, KAMONCHANOK PANUWED, JANINA MYRONOVA

International Ceramic Artists Flock to Yingge

In the past couple of months, I’ve developed an unhealthy obsession with ceramic art. It began when I discovered two

Instagram accounts: a Japanese artist called Yuta Segawa, who makes miniature porcelain vases, and a British artist called Kat Evans, who creates formless stoneware sculptures which look like they come from the world of H.R. Giger. Ceramic art possesses an allure that is not to be taken lightly.

Dur ing the Lunar New Year break, I took a leap of faith and headed to Yingge for a pottery class. While my first throw was not a great success, I did learn a lot from talking with the international art ists in res idence at Yingge Ceramics Academy. They have a small, red-brick studio at the back of the sculpture park in New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, which is open to visitors of the museum.

The artists in residence program at Y i n g ge C e ra m i c s A ca d e my began back in 2009. In total, the project has brought 77 ceramic artists to Yingge; each for a three-month res idency where they create artworks for the museum’s collection. The program facilitates cu l tura l exchange wi th in the Taiwanese ceramic art community, bringing international recognition to the museum and its academy.

I met with two of the current a r t i s t s i n r e s i d e n c e, J a n i n a Myro nova and Kam onchanok Panuwed, for a fireside chat about their pottery experiences in Taiwan.

Hi May, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Has this residency enabled you to work in a different way to how you worked before?

Yes, I have a brand called May&Clay, which is all about my smaller ceramic pieces. During this residency, I have been able to work in a more sculptural way, and on a larger scale. I have really enjoyed it and I dreamt to do this for a long time.

Where did you learn to make ceramics? I studied ceramic art at Kangen University, which is a two-hour flight from

Bangkok, in the northeast of Thailand. I graduated back in 2010. Now I live in Kangen and I am part of a consignment store in Bangkok. I often go to Bangkok for exhibitions and I keep in touch with everyone through the store.

What is the ceramic scene like in Bangkok?There are a lot of artists. Only three of my school mates continued to work in

ceramics after graduation, but I also have other friends in the Bangkok ceramic scene.

Spirited Away (to Taipei) — Kamonchanok Panuwed

Kamonchanok Panuwed (May) is artist in residence

at Yingge Ceramics Academy in the New Taipei City

Yingge Ceramics Museum. Until April, you can visit

the studio and see what she has created during her

past few months in Taiwan. You can also check out

May's work at her Facebook page: www.facebook.

com/MayandClayCeramicsStudio



ARTS

Pottery Dolls of Yingge — Janina Myronova

Janina Myronova is artist in residence at

Yingge Ceramics Academy in the New

Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum.

Until April, you can visit the studio and

see what she has created during her

past few months in Taiwan. You can

also check out Myronova's work at her

website: www.janinamyronova.com

Who are your idols and inspirations?Vipu Srivilasa, a Thai ceramic artist based in Australia. Also the Russian surrealist,

Sergei Isupov. I like animation by Studio Ghibli. I love all of [their] movies, especially Spirited Away. I have been to Jiufen [the village near Taipei which is said to be the inspiration for the movie’s setting] two times.

Is that why you came to Taiwan?Actually this is my fourth time in Taiwan. I am really interested in the nature, and

in Taiwanese people. So I started from here; this is my first time to be an artist in residence.

Can you tell us about your work in Taiwan?This collection is inspired by Taiwan’s nature, and by my surroundings. One of my

sculptures is about the wind, because this town [Yingge] is very windy. Another is about earthquakes. In Thailand we don’t have earthquakes. Yesterday there was a very strong one, and they happen a lot.

How does the ceramic scene in Taiwan compare to the ceramic scene in Thailand?

The techniques are the same, but our cultures and traditions make us different. Here [in Taiwan] the teapot is important and they make very nice teaware. I use a coiling technique, and I met a Taiwanese ceramic artist called Lu Shu-jen who uses a similar technique. She makes sculptures of her pet dogs at her mountainside studio near the sea.

Hi Janina, thank you for taking the time to talk with us. How did you get into ceramics?

My adventure with ceramics began in Ukraine. I was born in Donetsk, and I graduated from the department of Ceramic Art at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Lviv. I started [ceramics] when I was 15. Since 2002 until now, I have been making ceramics. Around six years ago I moved to Poland, where I studied for my second Master’s degree at the Polish Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw. Currently, I am studying for a PhD at the same academy in Poland.

AthletePorcelain, high-firing glaze, underglaze



ARTS

Why are you doing the residency at Yingge Ceramics Museum?

I to o k p a r t i n t h e 2016 Ta i wa n Ceramics Biennale, when I heard that I could apply for this residency. I couldn’t do it in 2016 because of my studies, but now I am more flexible so I can take part in different residences. I am starting with Taiwan, then in September I will go to Korea for three months, to the Clay Art Gimhae Museum. In October, I will come back to Yingge for the 2018 Congress of the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC). I have been a member

since 2017, and there will be a ceremony for new members. In the IAC, there is only one representative from Ukraine, and I am one of only four from Poland.

Has your residency in Taiwan been successful?Yes. Before, I always went to ceramics symposiums. I have participated in around

thirty different countries, such as Georgia, Egypt, Croatia, Lithuania, and Denmark. Now is my first time for a residency. Symposiums are usually for just two weeks. You come mostly to talk with other artists about your work, but in two weeks you cannot make any works. Here I can really focus on the project, and three months is enough time to understand culture, prove your quality, and meet artists from Taiwan. I feel very welcome here.

How do you make your sculptures?There are different ways to make ceramics, for example casting or making with

coils. I choose slab building because, for me, it is a quick technique and I enjoy the art of construction. It is a bit like making a cake. I prepare a big slab [of clay] and cut it into pieces of five or ten centimeters, and my sculptures grow from there. I think my forms are made for this technique. They are hollow [not solid] because I like them to be light, so I can carry them by myself.

Is all your work about the human figure?Yes, all my sculptures are figures of people, or sometimes animals, or the

relationship between people and animals, but now people are my main inspiration. For example, in the project I have been making during this residency, I concentrated on children. I studied the children here [in Taiwan], how they look, and what they wear. Sometimes I feel like they are very unusual, wearing a warm coat with just slippers on a rainy day. Also their hairstyles; I like when the girls cut a very straight fringe, and tie their hair into mini pig-tails. I tried to capture some of their special characteristics.

Don’t Miss Out

In October this year, Yingge Ceramics Museum plays host to the 2018 Congress of the International Acad-emy of Ceramics, during the museum’s annual Ceramics Biennale event. Along with public discussions and talks, there will be several exhibitions around Yingge, all centered on the congress’ theme “New Orientalia: Functionality, Spirituality, Diversity.” Find out more at the website: http://new-taipei-city2018.aic-iac.org/en/about/

Daniel Cunningham is

International Project

P R & M a r k e t i n g

M a n a g e r a t D D G

T a i p e i . H e i s t h e

International Media L iaison of the

2017 Golden Pin Design Award and the

Golden Pin Concept Design Award.

Ceramics for pocketPorcelain, high-firing glaze, underglaze

Anima / personal compositionGlass, porcelain, underglaze

PEEK-A-BOOPorcelain, high-firing glaze, underglaze

Figures-ContoursChamotte clay, low-firing glaze, underglaze



EUNUCHS IN CHINA The topic of China and eunuchs of the imperial court

continues to hold, for students of history, a curious fascination mingled with an expectation of mystery and drama. It wasn’t until the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) that eunuchs were employed by the imperial court. They were given close proximity to the emperor, his close advisors and the inner working of the imperial court because they were unable to have direct descendants that might become a threat to the throne. Therefore, they were considered “safe” for the ruling dynasty to employ.

However, like within any government setting, intrigue prevailed, along with political power struggles within the different eunuch divisions and the imperial court. The fall of the Qin dynasty (221 B.C. – 207 B.C.) for example is attributed to the infamous eunuch Zhao Gao. However, not all eunuchs were corrupt.

CHENG HO – FLEET COMMANDER, EXPLORER AND COURT DIPLOMAT

The great era of the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), began with the reign of Emperor Yung-lo in 1403. Through Emperor Yung-lo’s efforts, China’s international trade grew significantly. Trade expeditions were sent to Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and eastern Africa.

Given the many internal intrigues of the imperial court and his desire to push forward his plans for establishing China’s international trade affiliations, Emperor Yung-lo side-stepped the normal bureaucratic channels and placed a trusted court eunuch by the name of Cheng Ho (Zheng He, ), in charge of his trading fleets.

Before leaving on a South Seas imperial mission, Cheng Ho stocked his ship with gold, porcelain, silk and semi-precious stones to bestow upon those pledging loyalty to China. It was in this royal manner of royalty that he sailed into Java, where no one could recall ever seeing anyone from China before, let alone a representative from the imperial court.

CHENG HO’S JAVA ADVENTUREAs the days went by, the Javanese citizens came to Cheng

Ho with many questions and requests about life in China. One request was to help them forecast their future, since he was the emperor’s most trusted official.

Born within a devoted Muslim family, Cheng Ho was also a believer in the mystical events of the universe. As he began his divination rites, to answer the people’s questions, he found to his dismay and that of the islanders, the forthcoming year would to be one of famine and drought.

He hastily suggested that to ward off this impending disaster, they needed to make sacrifices to the evil spirits, pray, increase their labors and fast for thirty days. Then the evil spirits would be appeased.

With great determination and zeal, the people of Java began their preparations. Strict orders were issued that everyone must adhere to the regulations. However, three days passed and the islanders were plagued by severe

hunger pangs. A committee was quickly formed and dispatched to visit Cheng Ho. Upon their arrival, they were dumbfounded to find that he was not suffering from any ill-side effects from the fast.

Needless to say, this created some puzzlement. To quell rising suspicions of a hoax, it was decided that Cheng Ho’s movements needed to be observed. Spies were sent to the eunuch’s house. There they learned that their demi-god was merrily consuming much food. The people demanded an explanation. He listened to their charges and calmly responded. “Yes, I did ask you to fast for thirty days during the day, but I did not ask you to forgo food at night.” Rejoicing in this good news, they all returned home to fill their stomachs.

The following year was a prosperous one for the inhabitants of Java. The seeds that were brought by Cheng Ho from China had produced strange and wonderful vegetables. These yields exceeded previous harvests. To honor Cheng Ho the people established the “Starving Month” when meals were only taken after sundown. It is said that this occasion (which is very similar to Ramadan) is still observed in Java today.

STEALING FROM THE SYSTEM Another example of how the eunuchs intertwined

themselves into the imperial court is illustrated by the court’s system of ordering. The court’s procedure was that when orders for high quality goods such as porcelain were to be placed, specific instructions and a set of detailed drawings were needed to accompany each order. This system required that all special orders for porcelain had to be closely monitored, a job that fell under the supervision of the imperial court eunuchs.

One account relates how a court eunuch was caught for giving away and selling an entire imperial porcelain shipment that was under his supervision for personal gain. He saw “faults” in this particular shipment and authorized that the entire shipment be re-made. Meanwhile, he sold the “faulty” shipment on the black market. His theft was discovered and he was executed. Such intrigues among the eunuchs usurped the imperial powers, disrupted the imperial realm and threatened the imperial system. However, by the end of the Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912), the Chinese imperial system of government ended, along with the system of using eunuchs for government service.

CULTURE

Eunuchs of the Imperial CourtTEXT: SUE BABCOCK IMAGE: WEB

Suzan Babcock is a long-time resident of Taiwan.

During her stay here, she has managed four

successful careers in education, cross-cultural

relations and counseling, although being a

mother has been her favorite.



Co n f l i c t r e s o l u t i o n i s a common term that could b e d e f i n e d a s s e e k i n g a p e a c ef u l s o l u t i o n to

disagreements. When disagreements arise with a family member, lover, or close friend, finding a peaceful solution is often not on the forefront of our mind. Often during these moments we don't feel like being peaceful. Many of us just tend to become defensive and angry. It’s easy for our emotions to move in this direction because anger can make us feel strong and in control. Strong expressions of anger can make us feel like we’re “winning”. However, such strategies often result in “losing” by damaging our most important relationships. Reactively expressing anger is a trap many of us fall into. We need a revolution in our method of conflict resolution. Many of us need to change our approach to handling confl icts and disagreements with others.

First, let’s recognize that conflict is not a bad thing. In fact, innovation and growth often come as solutions to problems or conflicts. On the other hand, couples who don’t experience any conflict usually end up this way because their relationship is cold and distant. Many people are surprised to learn that divorce often results from what is left unspoken rather than what has been spoken. Often relationships that lack conflict also lack passion. Conflict can be a sign of energy in the relationship, rather than being a defect. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll look at ways to tame conflict so that its energy doesn’t get out of control.

Taming confl ict requires both a strategy for dealing with it as well as an easy way to remember our strategy when our emotions are inflamed.

Many of us instinctively respond to conflict in ways that damage our relationships. It’s as if we need to cage the conflict when it arises. Below are seven steps which, when applied, will help you to NOW CAGE conflict when it arises. To clarify, the purpose of caging the conflict is not to try to avoid it when it comes up. Rather, the goal of our responses should be to tame conflict and work with it so that it doesn’t rage out of control and devour the relationship. Framing our strategy as the acronym NOW CAGE can help us to respond rationally, even during moments of heated conflict. When the inevitable conflict arises, recalling this acronym can help us resolve conflict in a healthy way.

N: No Name-calling: Calling the other person names creates an atmosphere of anger, distrust, and defensiveness.

O: Deal with One issue at a Time. When we’re angry, we tend to bring up past issues that have upset us. Yet, becoming historically hysterical moves us farther away from the goal of trying to resolve the conflict of the moment. Bringing the past into the present conflict often keeps us from solving any of the named issues.

W: Don’t Walk Out. Sometimes a person tries to shut down the conflict by leaving. This can result in both parties harboring anger toward each other. Too often there is a mistaken notion that avoiding the conflict is going to keep from damaging the relationship. People often say, “Time heals all wounds” as a way to justify

avoiding conflict. Yet, in reality, feelings of anger and resentment can take root emotionally. When someone in the relationship tends to walk out during conflict, at some later point there will often be a mild disagreement that results in an extreme reaction. A growing amount of tension over small differences can lead to an ongoing strained and unpleasant relationship. Those who walk out may find that “Time wounds all heels.”

Although walking out and abruptly leaving conflict when it arises is not helpful, if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed and concerned that you might say or do something that you regret, it can help to take some time away from the other person. However, in taking a break, it helps to tell the other person that you need a “time out” to cool off and collect your thoughts. Decide ahead of time how many minutes or hours (not days) are needed before you’ll be ready to come together again to talk. Agree on a time when you’ll resume your conversation about the topic of conflict or disagreement.

C: Remain Calm: In spite of what might feel like a highly charged situation, try not to overreact. Even if the person you are dealing with seems out of control, being calm will help to de-escalate the situation. An ancient proverb says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make

Many of us instinctively respond to conflict in ways that damage our relationships. It’s as if we

the conflict when it arises. Below are seven steps which, when applied, will help you

OUTLOOK

TEXT: WENDY EVANS IMAGE: WEB

Conflict Revolution: NOW CAGE Your Conflict



OUTLOOK

tempers flare.” Being calm will also help the other person to hear and understand your viewpoint, instead of putting energy into being defensive against your assault. Before lashing out, try taking a deep breath and then saying, “Let me think about that for a minute.”

A : B e A s s e r t i v e N O T A g g r e s s i v e : A s w e d e f e n d ourselves, we too often end up using “you statements” that are accusatory and unhelpful to the relationship. We need to try using “I statements” in the middle of confl ict. At f irst glance, it seems silly that a simple change in pronoun could improve the outcome. However, this is a tried and true principle in psychological research. Whereas “you statements” communicate an accusatory tone, “ I s t a t e m e n t s ” d e m o n s t r a t e a willingness to take responsibility for your own perceptions and feelings about the situation. For example, you could say, “You are such a filthy pig!” vs. “I feel like too often I have to clean up after you.”

G: Don’t GENERALIZE: When our emotions are heightened, we communicate in a more reactionary way. We can observe an inverse relationship between our emotions and our cognition. The more intensely we feel our emotions, the less rational we are in our thinking. So, when we are angry, we may use words l ike “never” or “always” to describe our irritation. These generalizations are usually inaccurate, and they heighten the tension and add conflict to the relationship.

E : D o n ’ t E X A G G E R AT E : Some of us could win an Oscar for our performance during conf l ict. Unfortunately, these are times when we’re not performing lines in a film, but generating words and emotion that hurt someone who is special to us. Exaggerating or inventing a complaint prevents us from focusing on the core issues that need to be addressed. We need to make a conscious effort to make sure the words we are speaking are true and accurate.

Many expatriates find that amidst

the stress of living cross-culturally, they experience an increase in relational tensions. If you find yourself struggling with these or other concerns, please reach out for help from one of our caring professional counselors at the Community Services Center. As you seek to overcome the challenges before you, please connect with the services and activities offered at the Center. We hope that you will discover that the Community Services Center “strives to help you thrive.”

Wendy Evans i s a USA

Certified Counselor with

more than twenty years

of experience in working with people

struggling with various issues including

marr iage/re la t ionsh ip tens ions ,

depression, anxiety, parenting, weight

m a n age m e n t , e a t i n g d i s o rde r s ,

substance abuse, and cross cultural

adjustment.

A LINK TO EDUCATION FROM EAST TO WEST

Helping You Uncrack the World of Education

[email protected] or 02 2771-8129 ext. 2161

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FOOD & DRINK

A toaster oven is simply about making toast for some. For others it opens a whole new world of opportunities after

years living with the same conventional oven. Your connection with your toaster oven can be so much more than an occasional date or a cautious start to a new relationship.

Patrick and I started using a toaster oven during the early days of our time in Asia, and our own personal love story involves a toaster oven – I may have been smitten with Patrick’s oven before I fell for him. Eight years later, our many toaster ovens have been such faithful companions in all our kitchen adventures – from baking fresh bread to making a full Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd – we’ve even named them!

There’s almost nothing that a toaster oven with a controllable temperature d i a l c a n ’ t d o w i t h a f e w s m a l l adjustments to your technique. If you’re used to using a conventional-sized oven, or you want to use your toaster oven for more than just toast, you can get your relationship with your toaster oven off to a great start with these tips:1. Preheat your oven for at least ten minutes

Getting your toaster oven to the right temperature by preheating before

using it is essential for both cooking and baking. The close and direct heat of a pre-heating oven can burn your food, so waiting until it’s warmed up means that your meat will cook through without burning or drying out. Baking at the right temperature also ensures your baked goods rise as expected with the right texture when done.

Set the temperature called for in the recipe, and then give your oven at least ten minutes to reach the required temperature before you cook or bake.2. Test your oven’s actual temperature

Your oven’s temperature can vary by up to 20°C cooler or hotter than shown on the temperature dial, even with the same model of toaster oven. When you get a new toaster oven, check the actual temperature with an oven-safe thermometer. These are available for around NT$100 from most general merchandise stores in Taiwan.

Place the thermometer in the middle of the oven while it is preheating to the 200°C setting, and leave it for at least fifteen minutes. Once the thermometer dial stops increasing for a couple of minutes, it will have reached its actual temperature. If it’s reading higher or lower than 200°C then always adjust your temperature up or down when cooking/baking for best results.

Recheck the temperature every few months after the initial test, as it may change during your toaster oven’s lifetime.3. Turn the pan around about two thirds through the cooking/baking time

Due to their size, toaster ovens may have hot spots, where one part of the oven gets more heat than another. This uneven heat distribution, usually at the back of the oven, can result in one side of your pan being more cooked than the other. Look out for cakes that

brown on one side more than the other, or food that dries out or browns more on the hotter side of the oven.

Turn the pan around 180° about two-thirds of the way through the cooking or baking time for more even results. When baking it’s important not to do this too early, as it may affect the rising process, so wait until the baked goods appear to have risen fully before turning in the last 5-10 minutes of baking.4. Keep the oven door closed until you really need to open it

As tempting as it is to check on your food while it’s cooking or baking by opening the oven to get a good look at your culinary creations, resist this urge to check. Opening the door of a toaster oven can result in a significant drop in temperature within the oven, which means it will need time to reach the required temperature again, and could affect the outcome of your recipe.

Wait before opening the oven door to rotate the pan or to check your dish is done. If you really need to check beforehand, use the oven light (if yours has one) or a flashlight to visually check through the glass door.

Here’s to a long-lasting relationship with your toaster oven!

TEXT & IMAGES: KAREN FARLEY

Falling in Love with your Toaster Oven

Karen Farley is a lifetime baker

a n d c o o k w h o fo u n de d K P

Kitchen Taiwan two years ago to

share her experiences of cooking

and b ak ing in smal l As ian

kitchens. Karen can be contacted at

[email protected] thermometer

“Big Red” has been a faithful companion in our small Taiwanese home kitchen.

These tips were taken from KP Kitchen Taiwan’s blog. For more toaster oven-friendly recipes and tips in English and Chinese, check out: blog.kpkitchen.tw.


FOOD & DRINK

The Fattest Chinese People We Know

The story begins with ourselves: the Wang family – the people my sister and I believed to be the fattest Chinese people in the world. Of course, chunkier and chubbier Chinese exist, but it didn’t seem that

way, from what we had encountered during our childhood in 1990s suburban New Jersey, nor did it seem possible for other families to regard food with as much rapture and fervor as we did. Born into a clan of buxom ladies, of men with permanent balloons under their shirts, of adventurers who spontaneously crossed bridges to chase down cheesecake, our flesh and our food were a faithful source of contention, of punishment and pleasure, of shame and satisfaction. The history of the Wang family emerges from our foods and from our contradictions. This is what propelled this project – a family food anthology – into being and what set into motion the telling of the never-ending tale that binds. Several years ago, I began talking to my sister, my cousins, and other older relatives about all of us being storytellers and archivists for the food of our family. We started here because the Wang family is obsessed with food – the act of creating

and consuming it – in a way that other families aren’t. And because the Wang family (partly through its weapons of food-related seduction) has a way of getting under the skin, dominating your obligations and allegiances, and marking you a Wang through and through.

Neither the project we embarked on nor our intentions are something new. There are countless memoirs about food, family, and history. But I’m not interested in charting the avant-garde or the pioneering, but rather in putting my finger on what is necessary. Why the undercurrent of anxiety, urgency, and yearning pulsing through so many memoirs and cookbooks? Yes, individuals have taken to the page to honor their families and the foods they grew up with, as an act of love and reverence. But why are the memoir, the cookbook, and their combined form (cheekily termed the “foodoir”) consuming the attentions and creative energies of a large cross section of our contemporary world?

There is storytelling and there is documenting (and there was a time when this was one and the same – by telling and retelling, we systematically sustained a legacy). Writers do what we do to find out what we know, to make sense of our world, to preserve, to remember, to engage in the act of creation. But why food, why family, why history, why now? What are we afraid of losing?

I fear losing my grandmother – a tough, fiercely competitive bird of a woman stuffed with jealousy, prejudices, and immense untapped talent. Every year, she gets softer and smaller, and even as she screams at the T.V. set for the president of Taiwan to die, her bite has dulled – less knife and more tofu. My fear and longing have already anticipated her death, which is the loss of tastes and contact on the rough

TEXT: DOREEN WANG IMAGE: WEB


In the first part of a personal tribute to a favorite

subject, Doreen Wang talks about her love of the

culture, the history, and the rich personal memories

inspired by… food!



FOOD & DRINK

patches of my tongue, of a rhythm of life in which you woke to prep-cook-clean-prep-cook-clean-prep-cook-clean until the house was quiet and you were finally the last soul awake, of traditions that imbued each increment of time – between sun up and sun down between the barren, chilly days and the hot, torrential rains of another season – with meaning.

The resurgence in home cooking, organic foods, farmers markets, gardening, the foodoir, etc., seem to be inter-stitched within the larger subconscious of our times. Must something be on the trajectory of death for its renaissance to come around, for it to become fashionable again? Who isn’t afraid of death – the death of our past, our memories, ourselves? Food is our collective map of dying and regenerating, our time travel machine. Perhaps we are now on a journey in search of our antecedents, our origins, our forerunners, our roots in the earth. Our land is that which feeds, and when we disintegrate, that which we feed. We look to our ancestors and our sustenance from one and the same source.

Maybe this is why we cook (when fast food and take-out are so much less time-consuming and labor-intensive), why we bother (when food-making is no longer a vital skill). My cousin worries that he’s still not learning fast enough; his hands move rapidly – kneading, mincing, mixing – under my grandmother’s thinly veiled threats: “There won’t be a next year; after this, I’m done.” And so we put pen to paper, frantically jotting down recipes and tips, even though they held infinitely more power and mystery as flexible and whimsical secret files passed from mind to mind, to memory, to generation.

It’s not just Chinese people; most of the world’s inhabitants haven’t gone down in history craning their heads and fixing a roving eye on inscribed instructions as they toiled away in the kitchen or roasted over a fire. The history of the cookbook itself is something to consider. In Invention of the Modern Cookbook, author Sandra Sherman notes that almost from the beginning of time, cooking was an art “passed down through real-time demonstrations and hands-on apprenticeships.” Sherman traces the origins of the modern-day cookbook to the end of the English Restoration (1660), a time when creators of other “self-help” texts were also conflicted about “whether skills dependent on both art and manual dexterity can be imparted by a book.” Like the first writers of the recipe and the pioneering editors of the cookbook we know and love today, my family and I launched this project with a bittersweet awareness of the limitations of the written word. And yet, I write anyway, because the recipe can offer us much more than just a set of directions. The recipe is one point of origin to go forth questioning, exploring how the narratives, life lessons, inspirations, promises, and gateways to other eras and cultures can be unlocked, how the recipe can serve as a prism by which we glimpse and capture a piece of ourselves and a moment in which we existed.

Among other goals I’m uninterested in pursuing these days, I’m also forgoing the role of one and only native speaker. This has been my charge, my birthright as the English-speaking, American-grown, eldest daughter of my generation on both sides. But my English words, American contributions, and laoda superiority complex will always be one-sided, will never be enough. Rather, I hope my words are the first humble contributions to the family food anthology; they will only be the opening chords to a song. And we, the Wang family and beyond, will chime in when the time is right – divulging the fat, the marrow, the vim, and the vinegar of our food-filled lives, no matter how bitter the melons or pungent the fermenting beans in the basement. What defines this Wang family foodoir is its choir of voices, its intent for open-endedness, its acknowledgement that this project is unending (and its topic inexhaustible). Again, I confess that the telling may never be complete. Because like any good Chinese meal, there is no star, no main course or entrée, but rather a clamor of chopsticks swooping into an array of platters, colors, and textures. Our star is the interminable, round, rotating table.

Family of readers and eaters – thick, thin, around the globe, and of the other world – we invite you to the hearth of the story to reinvigorate dinner table conversations and bread-breaking with the fragrance of fire, the stink of honesty, and the power of the ordinary human touch.

Doreen Wang grew up in the United States

but for generations, her family has lived

in T ianmu, which is also where her

grandfather met and married her grandmother in early

1949. Doreen has received a Kundiman fellowship as well as

a Pushcart Prize nomination for her creative writing and will

be teaching a workshop on writing true stories at the Center

starting this April.



FOOD & DRINK

TEXT: JOAN H, HUNGRYINTAIPEI IMAGES: HUNGRYINTAIPEI

Joan c reated Hungr y in Taipei in

2005 when she moved to Taiwan from

California and couldn't find much

information online about restaurants in

English. She has since blogged about

over six hundred Taipei restaurants,

found places to fulfill her Mexican,

cupcake, BBQ and pho cravings. She

has explored Taipei's night markets,

shaved ice, dumplings and fine-dining

scene extensively. Hungry in Taipei has

been mentioned by BuzzFeed, CNN Travel, NY Post, Lonely Planet Taiwan, Taipei Times, Bizarre Foods and the

Culinary Institute of America. http://

hungryintaipei.blogspot.tw/

Dazhi Feng Yuan is a small shop in Dazhi, but with more than all the essentials for Taiwanese shaved ice. With

over twenty different chewy, colorful toppings from taro balls to grass jelly to boba and red adzuki beans, you could make any number of combinations. Feng yuan translates to the name for tapioca in Chinese, so that's why you see a big bowl of it on their sign, advertised for NT$30.

A bowl of shaved ice is NT$60 with a choice of four toppings. I especially like their pearl barley, so much so that I got double of it. I know Taiwanese shaved ice toppings can sound strange to people who are used to having their barley with beef soup or beans in chili, but think of how oatmeal (which is usually eaten sweet for breakfast) is now being used as a savory option. In Taiwan, mung beans, red beans, pearl barley, and oatmeal are all sweetened

and used for desserts. I've even seen creamed corn used as a topping on shaved ice (which still repulses me, but hey, corn ice cream is a thing in the US now, so we can't judge).

They a lso have d ouhua, or soy pudding, but I found the f lavor a little on the burnt side, which I know some soy milk places are known for. I personally prefer it unburnt. You can add three toppings to the douhua; they’re hidden underneath.

Dazhi Feng Yuan's ice isn't super fine, but with the creamy and chewy toppings and brown sugar syrup, it all works together.

F o r t h o s e w h o d o n ' t l i ke t h e traditional toppings, they have mango shaved ice, but it's seasonal (summer). I haven't tried it yet because I'm still working through different combos of the traditional toppings. My go-to combo is usually pearl barley, aiyu, boba and mochi balls, but on this day my friend wanted to try the big red beans and the taro balls.

They have about ten seats, i t's fairly clean and they let you use their bathroom. Haha! I had to note that because A LOT of little shops won't let you use their bathroom, even though you know they have one. Anyways, this no-frills shop has become a go-to for a quick snack when I'm in the Dazhi area. Cuz global warming. The shop is near Shih Chien University and the Dominican International School.

DAZHI FENG YUAN 35 Dazhi Street(02) 2703-5051( 35 )MRT: Five minutes’ walk from Dazhi station (brown line) Hours: 11 am – 9 pm

Dazhi Feng Yuan



TRAVEL

TEXT & IMAGES: TRENT JACKSON

To the Top of Taiwan (and back) in a Day

Last December, a friend and I completed a one-day hike up Mount Jade.

The day h ike i s not the e a s i e st way to c l i m b t h e ta l l e st mountain in Taiwan, but i t is the simplest way to make sure you get a permit for the popular climb, which often has over a hundred people on the waiting list, especially at weekends. Another option is having at least three foreigners in a team of four and applying for a midweek permit, for which a quota is put aside for foreign passport holders, but if you don’t have other foreign friends that are up for the climb, a day hike application may be the best route.

The mountain permit and park entry permit can both be applied for online. However, some special

requirements for the day hike are that you must have experience climbing mountains above 3,000 meters in the past five years. All you have to do is upload a picture of yourself on top of a mountain above 3,000 meters and tell them which mountain it was. Also, you must give the park your personal information such as name, age, and ID or passport number. As with the much more popular two-day hike, trekkers intending to do the day hike must also go through a lottery process, but there are a lot fewer people who apply for it, so getting a spot is easier.

A NIGHT CURFEW AND A NIGHT CLIMB

Once we got to our hostel in Nantou County, our hostess told us that the road to Jade Mountain was going to

With an altitude of 3,952

meters, Jade Mountain

is the highest mountain,

not only in Taiwan, but in

all northeast Asia. While

climbing it is usually a two-

day trek, to bypass the

intense competition for

permits required for this

trek, Trent and his friend

hiked to the top and back in

a day. Here’s his story.



close between 6:30 pm and 6:30 am for rockfall control. If we left then, we would get no sleep and arrive too early to hike the mountain (our permit was only valid for the 18th). If we left after 6:30 am the following morning, we would get there too late, because hikers that arrive later than 10 am at Paiyun Lodge (near the 9 kilometer mark) will not be allowed to press on to the main peak. This nightly road closing only started last year with the advent of the Labor Standards Act, because the road crews have less manpower to keep the roads open for longer at night.

So we set off for the trailhead that evening before the road closed, and started hiking at 1 am, full of energy, yet unable to see any of the scenery in the darkness that surrounded us. Before we knew it, the sun was already out. The first 9 km or so to Paiyun Lodge was mostly an easy and smooth climb. After that it got tougher.

During that final section, there was 550 meters of vertical ascent to climb over a short distance of 2.4 km, which means it was really steep in places.

At this point, the lack of oxygen was getting to me and I started to feel a bit sick. Our pace was very slow going up, and on the last 200 meters we rested at just about every switchback. It felt like the top of the mountain was laughing at us from afar.

Toward the end the route was almost vertical in places; we scrambled up the rock with as much agility as we could manage. This proved challenging as the higher we climbed, the stronger the

winds were. Even though we were tired and the

trail was steep, we paced ourselves and kept going – one step at a time, until we were finally on top of Taiwan!

SUCCESS!We could see a sea of clouds and

high mountain peaks in every direction. It was only from this perspective, 3,952 meters up, that we could really appreciate the full beauty of where we were – instead of the trail in front of us.

We took time for photos, as well as taking a rest before our descent. But the weather was perfect at the top and coming down, so we were lucky in that regard.

A LONG WALK HOMEThe most mentally draining part

for me was the walk back. This was probably because I didn’t recognize anything, as we had hiked up in the dark. I didn’t understand why it seemed so much longer than our hike in the early morning. I found myself almost hallucinating, and every half-kilometer seemed to last a lifetime.

I felt as though I had lost control of my body and was watching myself walk down the trail. This was partly due to lack of sleep and fatigue, but also because of my urge to get off the mountain as soon as possible.

However, as we stopped to rest, I had time to notice the beautiful ancient forest and mountain scenery surrounding me. About halfway down, I decided to not pay any more attention

to the distance markers, and instead be grateful for the experience and enjoy the marvelous surroundings, and the rare opportunity to go hiking in the highest mountains in Taiwan. After I made that decision, my hike was much more enjoyable.

The road down from Mount Jade to Xinyi Township was amazing. It is one of the highest roads in Taiwan, with amazing views of the surrounding mountains. However, there are often rock slides, and the speed limit is only 30-40 kph. Much of the road was under reconstruction at the time, and I felt that at any time a section of the road could slide off the mountain.

Climbing Mount Jade in one day turned out to be much harder than I thought it would be, and it definitely takes a much greater fitness level to climb it in one day than in two. As much as people like to play down how hard it is, the last climb, at over 3,000 meters, is a tough test for anyone.

The best part about this hike is the perspective the climb gave me. Sometimes we get so caught up in the task at hand, we forget to stop, take a step back and appreciate how far we’ve come. This isn’t just true for climbing, but also for every day of our lives.

TRAVEL

Trent Jackson has spent over

ten years studying Chinese,

four of which have been while

living in Taiwan. Currently he is

working at Grant Thornton, an

international accounting firm in Taipei.



TRAVEL

What’s Taiwan’s biggest tourist attraction? Some would say the National Palace Museum, others

maybe Taiwan 101, even though it’s long since ceased to be the world’s tallest building. In fact it’s generally considered not to be any of these, but Taroko Gorge instead. And while passing through its narrowest, most spectacular section, goggling up at the those incredible sheer walls of rock, it’s hard to disagree that this is the most incredible thing most visitors to Taiwan will ever see. Taiwan actually does gorges and canyons very well, wi th a few other magni f i cent (i f much less well-known) examples that bear comparison. Nantou County’s almost legendary Taiji Canyon springs immediately to mind, and some of the deep defiles cut by countless streams and r ivers in the remote centra l highlands are truly spectacular, yet have been barely explored by man.

H o w e v e r, s i z e i s n ’ t t h e o n l y consideration of course, and no place

in Taiwan fits the adage that small is beautiful better than Wannian Gorge (萬年峽谷) in central-southern Yunlin County. For several hundred meters a large mountain stream here has cut deeply into the rocky riverbed (exposing one of Taiwan’s finest fossil beds in the process) to create a small but stunning gorge through the solid rock. The stream plunges over a series

of little waterfalls and water slides and through deep pools before finally plummeting over the much bigger drop of Dragon Phoenix Waterfall at the end. Above the gorge, the stream can be traced up (keep left at junctions) to the foot of the tall Tongxin Waterfall.

G e t t i n g t o e i t h e r w a t e r f a l l unfortunately requires river tracing skill and experience, but for less ambitious visitors, Wannian Gorge (the name means “ten thousand years”, although it was probably created over a much longer period of time) is certainly fascinating and beautiful enough to warrant the slightly protracted journey out here!

Wannian Gorge TEXT & IMAGES: RICHARD SAUNDERS

RICHARD SAUNDERS EXPLORES TAIWAN'S LESS-TRODDEN PATHS

Richard Saunders is a trained classical musician and writer who has lived in Taipei since 1993. He has written several books (available at the Center and in bookshops around Taipei), including Yangmingshan: the Guide (a complete guide to the National Park on Taipei’s doorstep), Taipei Escapes I and 2, which together detail sixty day trips and hikes within easy reach of Taipei city, and The Islands of Taiwan, a guide to Taiwan’s offshore islands. His latest book, Taiwan 101: Essential Hikes, Sights and Experiences around Ilha Formosa, is out now.

Wannian Gorge is described in more detail in Taiwan 101 volume 2, on pages 149-50.


#14 Tienmu E. Road | Telephone 2871-1515 | [email protected]

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