The day I arrived in Taipei and stepped on Taiwans soil the first time, my friends and travel mates from an earlier journey, Lucy and Alex, picked me up and showed me around Shilin night market. A very friendly gesture and interesting evening to get introduced in some of Taiwanese culture and daily life. And got to taste some of Taiwanese favorite drinks: Bubble Tea!
My friend Lucy posted some footage of this evening on her YouTube-Channel 🙈https://www.youtube.com/@MamaLucy
Probably the most prominent landmark in the capital of Taiwan is the famous tower Taipei 101.
On my last day in Taiwan the weather was just perfect to get to the top of this tower and have a last view over this interesting city and beautiful country. Ending the day with a visit on one of the nightly street markets.
Modern Taiwan was founded by the former president and revolutionary leader Chiang Kai-Shek, after Chinese civil war in 1949. It is only understandable that the people wanted to dedicate a special memorial place to him. So, the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was build. This huge complex was build between 1976 and 1980.
People gathering to hundreds inside the gigantic hall to watch the hourly change of the guards of honor. It’s an impressive performance of the skilled guards. A great subject for photo- and videographers too, if you get a place in the front row though.
Nowadays the people enjoying the huge park with ponds and cherry trees. Especially a warm, sunny day like lucky me got here. Certainly there are many people taking selfies and group photos for memories. Amongst them was a young lady i got into talk with. Sofia took a few photos for her Instagram account ( https://www.instagram.com/sofiameeow/ ) and agreed for a quick, spontaneous photo session on this beautiful location.
Back in the streets of Taipei i was welcomed nicely by the team of a noodle restaurant. With this culinary and emotional uplift i went out for another stroll in a unknown street of this huge city.
Of course i came across a temple. Always impressing how people including a short visit to their place of faith while their out for shopping or eating. On the streets there’s always enough food to taste, street musicians to listen to and also historical buildings to set back in the old times.
One of the greater pleasure, i have to admit, is to sit on a street cafe and watching people. Some are in a hurry, whilst others enjoying a chat on the street, or just communicate non-verbal with their fashion „Not your baby“
Not far from Taipei is a hot spring area in the town of Beitou. It’s easy and fast reachable from Taipei by metro train. In a few steps, a green park invites for a stroll, or to play mahjong, or skating.
I found the public bathing places. There’s an open air one, but i decided to go to the more authentic bathing house. At entrance i got informed, that female and male visitors have separate zones and use to bath naked. I acknowledged and entered, after changing room, a room packed with men sitting in and around two pools. The temperature of the water was between 42-44°C, while the second pool had a thermometer showing constant 45.9°C. The hottest bath i ever had.
Back in Shilin, i went another time to the nearby night market, enjoying some food and the lively atmosphere.
Many years back i met a beautiful couple on travel. Somehow we stayed in touch, but i postponed my trip to Taiwan year for year. Meanwhile they got two wonderful kids. After my first days in Taiwan and the great experience of the Lantern Festival in Shifen, my friends invited me for dinner in a ‚hot pot‘-restaurant in Taoyuan. The food was delivered to the table by a robotic trolley and was really delicious. But there was more entertainment by a ‚changing mask‘- dancer, which was great amusement (but not only) for the kids. I’m so thankful for my friends, who gave me this great evening, i would rarely experienced on my own.
The next evening i was just strolling around my neighborhood in Taipei. Surprised of the lively street around it. The famous tower building Taipei 101 was mostly in clouds. That’s why i postponed the viewpoint up there. Just having a walk on the streets was amazingly interesting already.
The celebrations of Chinese New Year held over quite a time in Taiwan. One of the highlight is the famous Lantern festival in the Pingxi area outside of Taipei.
To get there was already an adventure, since the trains were already fully packed all day long. Once there, the crowd is blocking the ways, even the railways, of the tiny village. People are busy everywhere to buy lanterns and write on them their wishes for the New Year of The Dragon, taking pictures with it and let them fly towards the sky. Beside that, food and entertainment are important too. Food stalls along the way making good business today.
The main event takes place a few hundred meters out of the village. A big stage with dancers, singers and performers entertains the crowd. Big screens displays the show to the unlucky ones bogged in the mass outside of this place, means people like me. And then, in waves, dozens of lanterns get released towards sky, floating over the heads of the spectators, dragged away from the wind.
After the first bunch of released lanterns closing to the horizon, dimming their red lights into the dark night, i slowly make my way back too. There’s still much to see and watch while passing happy people bathing in their hope for a good year coming.
rene bauer photography 