A Trip to Taiwan
By: Chika Hashimoto
Tags: Travel, Trip, Tourism, Taiwan, Food

In this bustling and noisy society, traveling may be a leisure and entertainment way that enables people to gain new experience while relaxing. The world we are living right now is full of great mixtures of various places, different people, and things. As people keep saying that a considerable part of growing up is to be able to experience new things, meet different people, and travel to different countries. Meanwhile, the other parts of the meaning of traveling mean that, through traveling, we can discover not only new ideas but also absorb new knowledge at the same time. It is crucial to know that traveling is an extraordinary experience that everyone should give it a try on. Through the trip, it introduces you to a brand-new world and presents you with an unforgettable memory that you will never forget. From all-time, my parents also encourage me to go outside the city and experience the world. They also told me that travel to a different place is definitely a brilliant way for me to learn more, instead of just studying all the time. Therefore, our family chose to go to Taiwan on my last vacation.

Taiwan is a country that took about two to three hours of flies from Japan to the city. Taiwan is a place that keeps most of its traditional culture and a state with nostalgic design and inspiration; it is a city that most people would like to go and visit. We plan to travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung as our destination of the journey. The atmosphere of Taiwan, which really surprised me that it is very different from the vide in Japan, and the weather there is super-hot at the same time as well. For our first destination, we planned to visit the most symbolic ancient culture of Taiwan. As people always say that, a better way to understand one’s culture is by visiting the local area rather than the tourist spot. If people want to have an in-depth grasp of the culture of the country, visiting a temple will always be a great choice where people can not only appreciate the country’s culture but also experience it as well. The temple here in Taiwan is pretty much like a living museum that gathers most of the art, history, and culture of this country. In Taiwan, make a formal visit to temples is a very symbolic activity for Taiwanese. Therefore, we chose to visit the famous temple in Taipei, Xing Tian Gong (行天宮). Xing Tian Temple was an ancient temple figure that was constructed in 1967. The temple is dedicated to Lord Guan (關羽), one of the most recognized figures in Chinese culture. Xing Tian Temple is considered one of the most important temples for people in Taiwan and also an essential place for the Taoists of Taipei (Josh Ellis Photography, 2016). The area was crowded that most people are praying for their health and education, hoping to get a better chance and luck. I was praying at the same time, whishing a bit of good luck for my school as well, what a great experience.

Taipei is the city that gathers different new places and a city that people can be able to enjoy new experiences. Later, for our trip, we chose to visit the historic Fort San Domingo (紅毛城). Fort San Domingo is a place located in Tamsui (Danshui), New Taipei City. It is one of my favorite spots throughout the trips. The fort is one of the few historical figures that located in Northern Taipei, and the unique point of this fort is that the fort is dealing with Taiwan’s Western Colonial history. The fort is one of the most critical left erection that records all of the meaningful and historical ancient accounts about Taiwan. During the visit, Jing Yun Jian, one of the administering of the fort, guided us and told us that Fort San Domingo is the most famous historical figure that symbolic the foreign involvement that happened in Taiwan. The fort is first built in 1629 by the Spanish, by aiding the Spanish to help rule the local Chinese and aboriginal populations in northern Taiwan. She also mentioned that the fort had been rebuilt by the Dutch after they successfully drove the Spanish in 1642. As we can see, after different colonists in power a country, the fort involved more and more spectacular with different cultural characteristics in it. At the end of the visit, I found myself to be so lucky that I got the chance to explore this construction. I am amazed by the erection of how inspiring the development can not only inherit the history of the country but also saving the past for this country. It contributes a lot to the country and means a lot to the people as well.

The journey was heading to the southern part of Taiwan, the city of Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung can be said as the second biggest city in Taiwan, compared to Taipei. After our arrival, I felt like the ambiance of Kaohsiung is so different then Taipei’s. In Kaohsiung, they get the widest street, and the longest river parks amount all of the city in Taiwan. We then visited the Pier-2 Art District, the cultural renewal, when the art meets the industry works. Pier-2 Art District is the well-liked museum of fine art in Kaohsiung, the space that more focused base on the concept of fashion, art, and lifestyle. It is also the space that allows different designers to present their individual works for people to take a look at it. Different galleries and cafes that line between the port, which creates a comfortable feeling towards the tourists; people can visit various artworks and also have a place to rest whenever they are tired. In most of the well-known touring spots in Kaohsiung, the government combines the innovation of history and modern art to attract more people to come and visit the city and admired the beauty of the town at the same time. I felt like it is an excellent idea that they get the ideas to collect the dozens of old warehouses and turn it into a welcoming spot for people to come and visit. The concepts of the Pier-2 Art District are somehow similar to the Red Brick Ware House in Yokohama, a place for people to relax and learn history at the same time.