Yeliu Geopark, Taipeh

This is a scenic area along the coast north of Taipeh.  It is also a very popular tourist spot.

As we entered the small coastal town, we saw many shops selling live crustaceans, fish, prawns, etc.

 Before entering the geopark, it is the norm for tourists to have a seafood lunch.

The food that we were served was fresh and tasty and the portions were big.

After a hearty lunch we made our way to the geopark. There were three main areas which were well spread out. As time did not permit us to visit all the areas, we confined ourselves to the closest one.
There were interesting rock formations that resembled mushrooms.

Signboards provided information about the plants in the area as well, although we did not actually see them as we were unable to explore more than the nearest area.

Besides it was a very hot and humid day.  After such a heavy lunch, no one felt up to walking in the heat.

Jui Fen, A Quaint Village Beyond Taipeh

Jui Fen is a tourist “must see” village high up on a mountain slope with narrow shopping streets that sell local handicraft and food.

As we left the city what we saw from the bus was an eye opener. There were more open spaces and the buildings were old.

Big buses could not negotiate the bends that go up the mountain so everyone had to queue for the smaller buses that ply up and down, taking visitors to Jui Fen.

While queuing up, there were road side toilets where one could relieve oneself if necessity arose.

Passenger safety obviously was not paramount as our group of 18 were herded into a bus that was already full so we had to stand all the way for twenty minutes or more, swinging precariously as the bus rounded the bends going up the mountain. Quite unlike the smaller buses that took us up the mountain in Zhangjiajie in Mainland China.

Throngs of people were everywhere and our guide told us where to meet at a prefixed time. Then off we went to explore.

The little shops were full of surprises. The main language spoken was Mandarin although the local Hokkien was also widely used.

One interesting discovery was the ice cream placed on a base of fresh pounded peanuts wrapped in a round thin pastry skin.

Giant white bitter gourd was also on display and there were herbal drinks concocted from ginger, black sugar plus almond and longan.

Taiwanese snacks were ubiquitous and the fishball soup was recommended.

It was a very interesting visit and one couldn’t get lost as there is only one way in and one had to come out the same way, although there were short side streets leading to people’s homes.

Taipeh 101

This is the tallest building in Taiwan and it is a must for any tourist visiting Taipeh.

It is a beautiful building and crowds of people are everywhere. We saw members of an organization staging a street protest.

Everyone was busy taking photographs of Taipeh 101, to take home with them a momento of this tall structure.

We went into the basement where there was a famous restaurant called Din Dai Fung which is famous for its siew lung pow ( small dumplings with different soup-based filling). The queues were very long and one had to wait for up to one and a half hours if one did not have a prior booking.  The chefs were kept busy producing the dumplings.
 
True to its reputation, the dumplings we tasted were  very delicious, very different from those we had in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The upper floors of the building housed brand name boutiques and the décor was very impressive.

 Ii was definitely a different type of shopping experience from the street markets of Taipeh.  Only the well-heeled can afford to shop here.

Taipeh Highlights – Study Tour Pt II

The following day saw us visiting two other places, the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Center Taipeh and the Taiwan headquarters of Visiber, a Malaysian jewellery company which has been listed on the Taiwan stock Exchange.

The Malaysian Taiwan Friendship and Trade Center is quite a large organization.  Its size indicates the importance of its function.  We were briefed on its role in maintaining the cordial symbiotic relationship between Malaysia and Taiwan in view of the fact that Malaysia does not have diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.

This Center focusses on four areas, namely, Socio-politics, Trade, Investment and Tourism. More than ten thousand Malaysian students are currently studying in Taiwan.  The Taiwan government also provides for the costs of medical treatment each year for ten Malaysian children with congenital heart disease at the Taiwan Medical University Hospital.   Malaysia is Taiwan’s eighth largest trading partner with 16.63 billion Ringgit in trade while Taiwan has invested 11.6 billion Ringgit in Malaysia.  Since the year 2000, there have been 900 participants in the MM2H  ( Malaysia My Second Home ) program.  There is also a healthy flow of tourists from Taiwan to Malaysia and vice versa.

Visiber has expanded globally beyond Malaysia and South East Asia to include the Middle East as well. Its beautifully crafted jewellery featuring designs based on numerology, not only emanate a touch of elegance but also bring positive thinking energy to the wearer.  We learned how numbers impact our lives and what we can do to improve our well-being. Our character numbers have great bearing on our personalities and we were each given an analysis of our personal numbers. Numerology is a science that stimulates great interest and combined with the manufacturing of exquisite jewellery  Visiber’s  is a niche that is rapidly capturing the market.

Highlights of Taipeh – Study Tour Pt I

This time it was just a short trip to Taipeh. I went with a women’s organization known as SWEPA or Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals Association on a social study trip.

On our schedule were official visits to four places to learn more about their set up and roles in relation to Malaysia.

The Vanung University in Taoyuan area was our first stop. It comprises four colleges, namely, the College of Engineering and Electronic Information, College of Management, College of Tourism and Hospitality and the College of Design.  Many Malaysians of Chinese ethnicity are given scholarships annually to further their education at this university. We met a large group of young Malaysian students who had been given this opportunity. This university has received the highest MOE teaching excellence award in the Greater Taoyuan area.

I also presented some of my books to the Dean of the College of Tourism and Hospitality, Dr. Rong-Tsu Wang

We visited the different departments in the College of Tourism and Hospitality and saw first hand the emphasis they placed on practical training. Excellent facilities such as the set up of an actual airlines office and the interior of an airplane cabin ensured that the students would be well-trained and hence highly marketable upon graduation. 

Another instance was the replica of a hotel, complete with a reception foyer, furnished ensuite bedrooms and suites so that hotel management students would be well-qualified to seek careers in the hotel industry.

The second place of interest was the century-old Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry. It is a huge place and school children led by their teachers were seen paying a visit to this bakery. Taiwan has very advanced technology in food manufacturing and the detailed attention paid to the packaging of their products is part of their branding. We also learned that their bakery uses high tech processes to recycle the water they used. Sampling the innumerable varieties of delectable biscuits, pastries and nougat enhanced our experience and we needed no persuasion to bring home boxes of what took our fancy.