Month: March 2018

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Zhongshan Presbyterian Church, Taipei 中山基督長老教會

Catherine Lee

It’s Holy Week and the sun is shining all week in Taipei, yippee! Today is Maundy Thursday, and appropriate for Maundy Thursday is a visit to Zhongshan Presbyterian Church (中山基督長老教會) in central Taipei (62, Linsen N. Rd 林森北路62號), where the small stained glass window above the altar is of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, while his disciples are fast asleep nearby. The window at the back of the church is of Jesus the Good Shepherd… This morning, very early, I cycled past this church on my way into Taipei.  The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the traffic … Continue reading Zhongshan Presbyterian Church, Taipei 中山基督長老教會

Advent Church, Taiwan1 Comment

R.I.P. Tan Mama 譚鄧承義姊妹追思聖餐禮拜 And what an amazing lady she was!

Catherine Lee

Today was Tan Mama’s funeral and funeral party.  It was held in Advent Church, the sun was shining, the cherry blossom was out and Tan Mama would have been smiling!  Just like in these photos of her taken a few years ago! Tan Mama’s funeral was moving, dignified and fitting, a service that included Holy Communion, in which we thanked God for Tan Mama’s life and commended her into God’s care and keeping.  Her ashes were in a box (actually a chocolate biscuit box!) at the front of the church for the service.  The church was full, family and friends … Continue reading R.I.P. Tan Mama 譚鄧承義姊妹追思聖餐禮拜 And what an amazing lady she was!

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THE place to see Cherry Blossoms 櫻花 @ Tianyuan Temple 天元宮, Tamsui, Taiwan!

Catherine Lee

Cherry Blossoms (sakura 櫻花 ying-hua) are out big-time.  Spring is finally here!  Currently flowering all over everywhere, but possibly the most famous place and most accessible for Taipei people is at Tianyuan Temple, just outside Tamsui.  Just happens to be not far from here, and there are huge traffic jams – ah, yes, we all love to see cherry blossom! Tianyuan Temple Cherry Blossom is all Yoshino Cherry (吉野櫻) and, hey, they are looking spectacular.   You must go – and soon! Tianyuan Temple is a Taoist Temple worshiping the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang Dadi 玉皇大帝), and the main attraction is … Continue reading THE place to see Cherry Blossoms 櫻花 @ Tianyuan Temple 天元宮, Tamsui, Taiwan!

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Now’s the Time! Cherry Blossom Season in Full Swing @ Sanzhi 三芝!

Catherine Lee

Yes, it’s peak time for the Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Season here in northern Taiwan, and Sanzhi is THE place to come!  It’s warm and sunny too – so get here quick!  Lots of people are here every day walking along the mountain roads or along the San-Sheng Trail 三生步道 by the river to enjoy all the variations of pink blooms on offer, and not just cherry blossom but also tons of flowering azaleas. The local government has planted 15,000 cherry blossom trees in recent years, and they are all in flower now.  In fact, the dark pink cherry blossom are nearly over, … Continue reading Now’s the Time! Cherry Blossom Season in Full Swing @ Sanzhi 三芝!

Taiwan Episcopal Church4 Comments

Praying for the World…

Catherine Lee

But where to start?!  It’s quite a task to take on ‘praying for the world’ ~ so on Saturday night at the St. James’ Church Youth Group in Taichung, we started with, well, where else to start, but, of course, Taiwan!  And we prayed around the Tropic of Cancer for all 16 officially-listed countries, one of which is Taiwan.  Interestingly, many of those countries are very arid and dry ~ the Tropic of Cancer actually passes right through the middle of the Sahara Desert.  And the highest mountain on the Tropic of Cancer is …… (drum roll here)… Yushan in … Continue reading Praying for the World…

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Happy Year of the Dog ~ Taiwan’s Lantern Festival 2018 @ Chiayi!

Catherine Lee

A major extravaganza is on down in Taiwan’s south central city of Chiayi.  If you get a chance, GO!   Every year, a different city or county is chosen to host Taiwan’s main lantern festival, and every year, thousands and thousands flock there from all over the country to attend.  Including me.  I love to go!  This year it is the turn of Chiayi.  And what an extravaganza it is! Last year, the Year of the Rooster, the main lantern festival was held in Yunlin.  The year before, the Year of the Monkey, it was held in Taoyuan.  Both of those … Continue reading Happy Year of the Dog ~ Taiwan’s Lantern Festival 2018 @ Chiayi!

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Taiwan’s Badlands @ Tianliao Moon World 田寮月世界, Kaohsiung

Catherine Lee

This place is really quite something!  And it’s quite something because this kind of scenery, called ‘badlands’, by definition shouldn’t really be here at all!  All the other badlands in the world occur in places where it’s dry.  Really dry.  So dry in fact that little or no vegetation can grow anyway.  Thus, ‘bad land’.  Usually found in arid or semi-arid climates, like the Badlands National Park in South Dakota, USA.  Taiwan is the only example in the whole world of badlands in a tropical climate.  And tropical climates are anything but dry. So we have the curious phenomenon of … Continue reading Taiwan’s Badlands @ Tianliao Moon World 田寮月世界, Kaohsiung