Today I want to tell you about my trip to Taipeh last weekend. This time I can especially address those among you who prefer to look at pictures and like to skip text, since I got a few nice shots to share with you!
My trip was an amazing experience, thanks to a good friend and her family who hosted me, showed me around the city and literally even gave me a ride to what might have been the rim of the world, haha. But more about that later.
I have so many impressions to share that I think I am going to split this into two, or maybe even three posts, so wait for more.
The following pictures are all taken in urban Taipeh and, though distances between the places sometimes are considerable, moving from one to the next is unbelievably fast and easy by Taipeh Metro. Station exits are mostly in the immediate proximity of the sights and the stations themselves are often named after the attractions nearby. Signs are without exception in both Chinese and English (sometimes also Japanese and Korean) and very comprehensive.
First, I would like to introduce to you: Dr. Sun Yat-sen, also known as Father of the Nation, founder of the Republic of China, in his seat at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall dedicated to his remembrance.
His view on the beautiful city of Taipeh:
The next location we visited is Longshan Temple, place of worship of the most important gods and goddesses in Taipeh. What I find the most baffling about this ancient place is its seemingly perfect integration into the surrounding modern metropolis. Although, as usual everywhere in Taiwan, the inside of the temple is lively and loud and its existence in the heart of the city undeniable, as the following picture indicates, I still felt like entering a whole different, much more relaxed world when crossing the threshold. Mind your step when walking in, do not put your feet on the threshold itself - it is considered an offense to the gods! And this holds true for all traditional buildings and homes with elevated sill stones.
Here you can burn incense and, after sending your prayers to the heavens proffer the half-burned cones to the gods. You can further purchase one of the several charms, soak it in incense smoke and thus have it become a blessed charm. Or you can pick up two halfs of a talisman, both shaped like halfed cashew nuts, one side being flat and the other rounded, hold them in your folded hands while phrasing a positive-negative question in your head and finally throwing both halfs to the ground. If they land on different sides, the answer to your question is "yes", otherwise it is "no".
But beware not to walk by in front of people that are facing the temple or the sky with folded hands. You will interrupt their connection to the gods and violate their prayers!
The impressing final of our trip for Saturday finally was our walk to Taipeh 101 at nightfall and going up to the observatory deck to look down on the night life in Taipeh.
After its completion in 2004, Taipeh 101 for six years was the world's tallest building with a height of roughly 508 metres until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. The 101 floors, exceeding the number 100 as a symbol of perfection by one and thus indicating the advent of a new age of perfection, are just one example of the many symbolic meanings this building incarnates.
Although not the tallest building anymore, the Taipeh 101 still hosts one record-holding facility: Its elevators accelerate rocket-like up to a speed of 1010 metres per minute (approximately 60 km/h). An awesome display of what is achievable by today's technology. My ears did not like it that much, though. Haha
My expectations were high and grew into the endless as the elevator was speeding towards the observatory. The view that welcomed us, however, once we reached the top was so incredible and totally overwhelmed me. My feelings when I gazed into the night and over the brightly illuminated Taipeh plain girded by dark mountains ponding the clouds hovering in the air like cotton balls, so I just give you another picture.
So far for today, wait for the next part that will follow tomorrow, this time including more impressing photos, interesting stories and...
wait for it...
kitties!!! :-)
Niklas
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