Hello All!
Another new yaear in Taipei and another New Year’s Night watching the Fireworks of the Taipei 101.
I won’t say many words this year and I’ll rather let you enjoy the pictures I have taken from the roof of a building not so far from the Taipei 101 (for those who know it’s the highest buildin in the world, see Taipei 101, top building of the world!)
Hello all,
A quick article on the typhoon (called Sinlaku) which is passing over Taiwan right now.
This morning, after passing from Japan, Sinlaku over Taiwan. Since it’s moving slow it was expected to stay in the island for few days, but apparentely is already moving towards the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang.
Taoyuan International Airport has stopped it’s flights and the railway’s services are interrupted all over the island. Schools has been closed since yesterday evening.
Even if the typhoon is moving out from Taiwan the island will be under the rain for the next days, probably till tuesday.
Tomorrow is the Mid Autumn Festiva (Moon Festival) and traditionally Taiwanese people are used to enjoy an outdoor barbequeue, but this time seems like we have to give it up for this year!
Here is a short video I filmed this afternoon.
A meaningful image which gives an idea of the spirit of Taiwan: tradition and modernity in their most radical and contradictory meaning. Taiwan is deeply divided by such a kind of antithesis: technology and religion, science and popular believes, wild nature and property speculation, frenetic rhythm of modern life and traditional family.
Here is a Buddhist monk next to a young pretty girl in a sexy outfit, as many others in the Taipei metro system and Taipei city. The monk is talking on a cell phone ..
Here is another representative image: the wild nature of Hongshulin mangrove and skyscrapers behind.
Other contraddctions: managers in formal suite, responsible for international and respectful companies in front of their buildings busy burning money and incense for the Gods … What kind of offers? They are often supermarket products (chips bags, biscuits, drinks in plastic bottles!). Even the traditional fake paper money, used as an offer for the dead people, have been recentely replaced by “credit cards”; apparently the reason is that credit cards (just paper without any value .. in our world), having a big “value” in one single sheet, are less polluting compared to the traditional bunch of money!
May be just because my point of view is still stranger to this world I am attonished at these kinds of contrast .. may be this is the general orientation of our era, may be the “west” is not so different and it is also full of these contraddictions in between what is left from our tradition and the modern world.
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Mangroves (generally) are trees and shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics. Actually I had no idea about what a “mangrovia” is before coming to Hongshulin.
Yet another world record (as a consolation for the bad and unlucky performances of Taiwan at the Olympics Games): in Taipei still survives the biggest Kandelia mangrove of the world, covering 76.41 hectares of protected area. This kind of forest (mangrove) is located in Hongshulin (the word “Hongshulin” literally means “red forest”, the Chinese word Hongshulin means just “mangrove”). The wonder of this place is the life inside of it and the swarming tiny creatures which protected by this natural habitat: crabs, insects, fishes (very small or big), mollusks, reptiles and mysterious mimetic creatures. These animals, in millions, are the perfect food for herons, seagulls and generally speaking for a big variety of birds which populate the mangrove, making Hongshulin one of the best place for bird watching in Taiwan.
Along the river where the mangrove grows there’s a bicycle track starting in Guandu and ending in Danshui.
Hongshulin MRT station hosts the “Mangrove Forest Exhibition Hall”, where you can collect some interesting information about Hongshulin and its hidden word.
But something really amazing about Hongshulin is that thi micro-ecosystem is located just in front of a ultra-modern residential area full of buildings and skyscrapers. The contrast is shocking (at least for an European as I am), a busy road divides an “Amazonian” habitat from a modern reality which express itself with cement, heights and chromatisms of glasses. I don’t know how a “sustainable development” morality may think of it but I can say I love very much this place in both its sides.
Take the northbound red line (Danshui line). Get off of the train in Hongshulin, just before the last stop. Exit 1, turn left and keep walking, just 10 meters further on you will see an underground passage (and a signpost indicating the way for “The Mangrove Ecosystem in Taiwan”), the underground passage will lead you under the metro. Walk in the wooden bridge which will lead you safely through the mangrove.
Hello all,
My apologies my long absence!
Since when I came back from Italy I have been really busy! But now I am finally back to taiwan-talk.com.
I apologize especially with those who posted comments without receiving any answer from me …
However: 2 new posts are on their way to be published and, waiting for them, I’d like to introduce you my new blog about “colours”, an “experimental” website, here is link: www.coloursblog.com
In coulorsblog.com you will find pictures of Taiwan and much more: it is indeed my creative Picture Gallery where I have uploaded most of the pictures taken in the last few years in Europe and Asia … coloursblog.com gallery is on this link: coloursblog.com gallery.
Beside pictures you will find “patterns” and “colours” … difficult to explain: have a look by yourself. I am waiting for you in coloursblog.com!
See you soon!
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