2015 Taiwan Summer Trip 06: Long Journey to Taitung, Night Travel at Green Island

Our next destination was Green Island. We came to Tainan Train Station early in the morning to take a 3 hours and 11 mins train to Taitung.

Tainan Train Station at 5:56 am

Train route from Tainan to Taitung, which traveled across the southern Taiwan. Green Island is opposite of Taitung.

After passes through Fangshan Station, which is the most southern station at west coast of Taiwan, the train will pass through Central Mountain Range. Tunnels and forests are everywhere along the railway and its surroundings are devoid of people. The next station is Guzhuang Station, the most southern station at east coast of Taiwan. View of Pacific Ocean at right and mountain ranges with paddy fields at left could be seen after this station.

2015 Taiwan Summer Trip 05: Fort Zeelandia and Anping Kaitai Tianhou Temple, Witness of Early Taiwan

We came to Anbei Road, then walked to Fort Zeelandia (or Anping Fort) from Gubao Street. Since vehicles are prohibited during weekend and Public Holidays at Gubao Street, so it becomes a walking street where stalls are set up along roadside. Taiwanese street food could be found here as well as various Koza (or old times in Hokkien) games, including catching small fishes, throwing small balls to get presents like toys, shooting balloons with toy gun, etc. This street is quite different from the common walking street that just selling food and souvenirs.

There is a junction if heading south along Gubao Street. Turning right from here and walking for a short distance, you will see the entrance of Fort Zeelandia. Its opposite is Anping Kaitai Tianhou Temple, the oldest Mazu-belief temple in Taiwan. (Kaitai Tianhou lit. means Empress of Heaven who blessed the early development of Taiwan) 

Gubao Street

Guancaiban (lit. Coffin Lid), a type of Taiwanese variant of bread bowl filled with corn soup. The one at right is its original look, while the one at left is its interior after lidded up the upper crust

The video that shows how Guancaiban was made:

2015 Taiwan Summer Trip 04: Sihcao Dajhong Temple, Temple of Zhenhai Generalissimo the First God of Taiwan

Our accommodation at Tainan was Dorm 1828, a youth hostel near Sheng-Li Campus of NCKU. It is a small but well-equipped hostel.

Layout of Triple Room

My brother's dormitory, 1st Sheng-Li Dormitory could be seen from the balcony

View from balcony

2015 Taiwan Summer Trip 03: National Cheng Kung University, Campus of Nature and Arts

6 June 2015 is the day that National Cheng Kung Univeristy (NCKU) held its Commencement. We visited the campus with my brother during that morning.

Museum of NCKU

NCKU was originally established under Japanese occupation in 1931 as Tainan Technical College. In 1944, its Japanese name was changed while the English name remained. After WWII, the school was renamed as Taiwan Provincial Tainan Junior College of Technology in 1946. It was upgraded to Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University in 1956 and then a national university as NCKU in 1971. The Museum of NCKU was one of the campus building of Tainan Technical College under Japanese occupation.

2015 Taiwan Summer Trip 02: Fo Guang Shan, Monastery of Humanistic Buddhism

We took Tze-Chiang Limited Express from Tainan Station to Jiuqutang Station. Our plan was taking bus from the bus stop opposite Jiuqutang Station to Fo Guang Shan, but it was so hot outside, so we decided to take taxi instead. 

Tze-Chiang Limited Express

Fo Guang Shan is located at Dashu District, Kaohsiung County. Pineapple and Lychee are the main local fruits of Dashu District. It was the Festival of Pineapple and Lychee during the time we went. Banners of the festival could be seen around the area and orchards of these two fruits spread across roadside.

Pineapple, covered with hats, planted at roadside

Fo Guang Shan (FGS) is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. It is founded by venerable master Hsing Yun in 1967. Currently, FGS monastery is comprised of its temple and newly established Buddha Memorial Center. We visited the latter one.

Fo Guang Shan viewed from Provincial Highway, the standing Buddha statue is at the south side of the temple

The north side of Fo Guang Shan Temple

2015 Taiwan Summer Trip 01: Arrived at Tainan

This is my second trip to Taiwan since last year. My brother had his graduation in this June, so my parents and I went to Taiwan again and had fun there.

We reached at Taoyuan Internatonal Airport early in the morning, then took UBUS (shuttle bus) to THSR Taoyuan Station, where we took High Speed Rail (HSR) to Tainan. Tainan is the city that my brother's university, National Cheng Kung Univeristy (NCKU) located at.

Incoming HSR

This is my second times taking HSR and experiencing its speedy operation. It took only 1.5 hours to reach Tainan, where located about 300 km away from Taoyuan. Although its ticket is about double of train ticket, it is still worthy because we save more than 2 hours on travelling.

My brother had waited at the THSR Tainan Station. Since the station is not in the city area, we had to take local train from Shalun Station, which is just next to THSR Tainan Station, to Tainan Train Station.

The totem on the floor outside Shalun Station

2015 Japan Cherry Blossom Trip 24: Returning Home, Our First Experience of Business Class

Day 6: April 7 (Tue), Returning Home

We took Limited Express Train to Kansai Airport early in the morning. The next 2 hours in airport was just queuing. The long queue almost made us miss the flight, we entered the cabin just 2 minutes before taking off.

Today we will have our first experience of Business Class. Firstly, let me explain why we were so "rich" to take Business Class. Actually, we bought Economy Class initially, but Malaysia Airlines offered us to bid for Business Class, so we bid for SGD 200 each person for the flight bound from Osaka to Kuala Lumpur. We did not expect that we could take Business Class because the bid that we placed was actually low. However, we were so lucky at last. Haha!

Invitation card to Asuka Lounge. We were unable to go due to long queue.

The plane that we took, A330-300