Read, read, read, check out this article! Called Asia’s deadly secret, betel nut is particularly popular in Taiwan, where it’s served up streetside by scantily clad “betel nut beauties.” Source: Taiwan tries to kick deadly addiction to betel nuts – CNN.com Continue reading Taiwan tries to kick deadly addiction to betel nuts – CNN.com
Interesting article with facts and figures about Opium in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era…. Source: The View from Taiwan: Paper on Parade: The Demand for Opium in Colonial Taiwan, 1914-42 Continue reading The View from Taiwan: Paper on Parade: The Demand for Opium in Colonial Taiwan, 1914-42
A traditional art that is kept very much alive in Taiwan by lots of mobile glove puppet shows that travel around the country putting on shows outside temples, mainly these days for benefit of the deities in the temples. This one I came across yesterday outside a small Taoist Temple in Sanzhi had loud speakers relaying the story and 2 puppet masters – but I was the other only person there…. The language of the puppet shows is Taiwanese and the stories are long, complicated and fast-moving… so I left them to it and continued on my way! Continue reading Taiwan’s Glove Puppet Shows 布袋戲
In Freedom Plaza in front of C.K.S. Memorial today, the military were rehearsing ready for Armed Forces Day on Saturday September 3. So the last thing I expected to see up by the Memorial itself was possibly the world’s largest Doraemon made out of pinwheels or small windmills, thousands of ’em, all blowing in the breeze! And sponsored by JCB Credit Card Co. It’s really quite amazing! Continue reading Ah, Taipei ~ City of Surprises!
!!!!!!!!! Garbage trucks on Saturday inadvertently disrupted a performance by the New Japan Philharmonic World Dream Orchestra in the National Taiwan University Sports Center when they started loudly playing prerecorded tunes that signal waste collection, sparking outrage from classical music fans attending the event. Source: Garbage trucks disrupt classical concert – Taipei Times Continue reading Garbage trucks disrupt classical concert – Taipei Times
It’s all happening in Taiwan lol! Thousands-strong crowd races through streets in surreal but unauthenticated clip Source: Pokémon Go May Have Just Shown Us What the End of the World Looks Like | TIME Continue reading Pokémon Go May Have Just Shown Us What the End of the World Looks Like | TIME
Interesting article…. Beneath Taiwan’s modern façade are beliefs that stretch back for millennia. For insight into how people really think, you need to know about folk religion. Source: The Way of the Gods – Folk Religion in Taiwan – Taiwan Business TOPICS Continue reading The Way of the Gods – Folk Religion in Taiwan – Taiwan Business TOPICS
This is definitely my new favourite thing to do in the Greater Taipei area! Must-go, must-see, must-ride on that train! Just look at the kind of view you’ll have! Two weeks ago, the day after Typhoon Nepartak, in a mix of drizzle, rain, torrential rain, and overcast skies, with my 2 lovely visitors from the UK and 4 of our wonderful students, I spent the day on the Pingxi Line, and it was fun! It was cool after the typhoon, but dull and overcast. On that day we spent all our time at Shifen 十分, and then went to Jiufen 九份. But … Continue reading From Taipei by train along the Pingxi Line 平溪線!
Yep, we’ve done a whole circuit of Taiwan this past week ~ ‘n what a beautiful country! Nicky and Harriet, my 2 lovely visitors from one of my CMS Link Churches, St. John’s, Neville’s Cross, Durham, UK, had already been here a week, based in Taipei, and so this was the chance for them to see a little of this beautiful island ~ Ilha Formosa (‘Beautiful Isle’, the name given by Portuguese sailors), otherwise known as….. Taiwan! Last Monday, July 11, when we set off, southern Taiwan was still reeling from Typhoon Nepartak which had wreaked havoc a few days … Continue reading Round-Taiwan Tour with Nicky and Harriet ~ YES!
Catherine Lee 