It’s a little Chinese but not solidly Chinese. The people here identify as Taiwanese, not Chinese, but most speak Mandarin, look like other Chinese people, and eat Chinese food. But to be a bit more factual, their culture reflects a mixture of traditions and tastes left by a handful of European countries as they attempted to conquer this part of the world, and other influences imparted during occupations of this island by China, Korea, and Japan. Although people have lived here on this island for about 5,000 years, Taiwan, originally named Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island) by Portuguese sailors in the 1500’s, only became its own country after World War II. Taiwan is a very young country, indeed, and yes, today China claims the island as part of its territory, but most Taiwanese people are strongly resistant to Chinese rule. Today, Taiwan remains independent and is successful job at remaining a voting, democratic country.
Stan and I have not been here long, but we’ve already learned how to get around here. It’s easy. Taiwan has a super-modern, expansive public transportation system. A metro station is just across the wide street from our apartment. We each bought a 30-day pass that allows us to take unlimited trips on the metro, subway, and buses. Wow, we can go almost anywhere with this little magic card!
Stan and I enjoy having wine in the evening — surprise, surprise. Just 3 stops from our apartment is Costco – hot dogs and wine! Woo-hoo, we are in business. Costco here is exactly like Costco in any place in the USA, except you won’t see many blue-eyed people there.
Early in our stay here, and once we were settled in, we felt adventurous and did a bike tour of Taiwan. Now, we have not ridden bikes in a few years, but we found Taipei to be a good place to take it up again. The city is quite flat, and our guide took us through back alleys and helped us maneuver big boulevards. It was exhilarating! Starting at the serene and peaceful Peace Park, we saw temples, the Presidential Palace (built by the Japanese during their reign here), had a traditional Taiwanese breakfast, spent a while at the Chang Kai-shek Memorial, and even had a bite of Pig Blood Cake, which tasted quite a lot better than it sounds.
Speaking of Chiang Kai-Shek, in elementary school, we were taught that he was heroic, a leader of the revolution against Communist infiltration. The truth is, he was a dictator who resisted the Communist way of life and government, but also wanted to maintain his control of the country. When he was defeated in the Chinese Civil War, he fled to Taiwan and continued to lead the Republic of China government there. To consolidate his power and suppress political dissent, he instilled martial law in this tiny country for 37 years. Let that soak in for a moment, martial law for 37 years. All this we learned in a walking tour . . not much walking but we heard a load of history in this tour.
Fisherman’s Wharf was just another metro ride away. It sounded so appealing; we thought, maybe we could see some beautiful boats and have some seafood, but it was a bit disappointing. Pre-COVID, this was a lively place. With a multitude of restaurants and venues, and the gorgeous Love Bridge to cross on foot, busloads of tourists came, ate, and spent money. A number of factors contributed to its decline, but today, it merely caters to fishing boats unloading their catch for transport to the nearest market. The many vacant store and restaurant locations validate its current failure as a tourist hot spot.st destination now. Nearby the new dazzling Danjing Bridge, about one kilometer long over the Tamsui River, and a new super highway is being constructed. Designed to be a landmark, perhaps its completion will be the spark Taipei’s Fisherman’s Wharf needs to regain its popularity.
Thanks to Stan, we visited the Taiwan 101 building on another day. I never heard of it, but here in this minuscule country, until 2010, the 101 was the world’s tallest building. It is still really, really tall. You almost must lie on your back on the sidewalk to see the entire thing, from the ground floor to the very top. While it has lost the title of the world’s tallest building, this skyscraper, designed much like an enormous pagoda, is an astounding sight to see. Anyone can ride the world’s fastest elevator to the 89th floor, but I think when Tessa arrives, we will go to the highest level, Floor 101, for an open-air, unobstructed view of the city. Our tickets say that we must be 75 years old or younger to go there. Phooey, we are going to try to slip in.
Looks like a great time there. I would have needed three wheel bike.😆