3200 TAIWAN - National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine in Taipei

The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, resting on the slopes of the Chingshan Mountain and overseeing the Keelung River, is located right next to the Grand Hotel in Taipei, and is dedicated to the war dead of the Republic of China. Built in 1969, it recalls the architecture of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City. The structure houses the spirit tablets of about 390,000 persons killed, among other engagements, during the Xinhai Revolution, Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, and the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crises.

3163 TAIWAN - Dadaocheng Wharf in Taipei

3163 Dadaocheng Wharf in Taipei at sunset

Located in Twatutia, Datong district, on the banks of the Tamsui River, near the No. 5 Water Gate, Dadaocheng was originally settled by Pingpu people that migrated there after a fierce fight with settlers in Mengjia (current day Wanhua District) from Tongan in Fujian Province. Over the years, it developed with shops and homes rising up along the river. After Tamsui Port opened, Dadaocheng became the main entrepot in Taipei under the administration of Liu Ming-chuan.

1392, 2995 TAIWAN - Yehliu

2995 Yehliu Cape

Posted on 03.01.2015, 23.03.2017
Located in the town of Wanli, New Taipei, Yehliu is a cape which stretches approximately 1,700m into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea. Known by geologists as theYehliu Promontory, it  forms part of the Daliao Miocene Formation. The rock landscape is one of most famous wonders in the world. The costal line is stretching in a direction vertical to the layer and the structure line; besides, the influences caused by wave attack, rock weathering, earth movement and crustal movement all contribute to the formation of such a rare and stunning geological landscape.

1392 Yehliu Geopark - Queen's Head

 

A distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface. A number of rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes. The best known is the Queen's Head, an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli. Other formations include the Fairy Shoe, the Beehive, the Ginger Rocks, and the Sea Candles. The geopark can be divided into three areas: one which contains mushroom rock and ginger rock, another which is similar to the first one, but the mushroom rock and the ginger rock are fewer, and the last one, which is the wave-cut platform located on the other side of Yehliu.

2633 TAIWAN - An 1950's shop

Unlike the mainland China, which in 1949 became People's Republic of China, taking the road of communism, Taiwan, the Republic of China's refuge, has kept the pro-American orientation. Initially, the United States expected that Taiwan would fall to the Communists, but in 1950 the conflict between North Korea and South Korea caused it to change its attitude, and began an aid program. The products displayed in this  store from 1950's illustrate complete the American influence.

2348 TAIWAN - Locomotive CK124

The first Taiwanese railway was buit during the Qing Era, between 1887 and 1893, but only after two years, Taiwan was ceded to the Empire of Japan. Completely rebuilt and substantially expanded under Japanese colonial government (1895-1945), the Taiwan's railway network inharited the Japanese influence, present even today. Of course that the rolling stock was also mostly Japanese. During the heyday of steam locomotives, more than 200 units coursed Taiwan's plains and mountains.

2163 TAIWAN - Pingxi Line in Shifen

The Pingxi Line is a 13km long, single-track narrow-gauge railway branch line, one of three remaining open from the Japanese era. It was completed in July 1921 and originally was aimed to the transport of coal. In nowadays it runs through Ruifang and Pingxi District in New Taipei City, and is used only in touristic purposes. The towns along the line were all once thriving mining towns, all feature “old streets” selling tourist paraphernalia and old Japanese buildings.

2147 TAIWAN - Jiufen

Jiufen (also spelled Jioufen or Chiufen; literally: "nine portions") is a mountain area in the Ruifang District of  New Taipei City near Keelung. During the first years of the Qing Dynasty, the isolated village housed nine families, thus the village would request "nine portions" every time shipments arrived from town. In 1890, workmen discovered flakes of gold while constructing the new Taipeh-Kelung railway, and in 1893 a rich placer district was discovered in the hills of Kau-hun.

2089 TAIWAN - Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek,  leader of the Republic of China between 1928 and 1975. The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square, being framed on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall. It is white, with four sides, and the roof is blue and octagonal (eight is a number traditionally associated in Asia with abundance and good fortune).

2019 TAIWAN - A street with stores in Tainan

Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of history as the capital of Taiwan under Koxinga and later Qing dynasty rule, is also the one of the larger metropolitan areas in Taiwan. Therefore it has many department stores, shopping malls and prestigious boutiques. It is famous for its night markets, that operate in urban or suburban areas, and are similar to those in areas inhabited by ethnic Han.

1860 TAIWAN - Alishan Forest Railway

The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86km network of 762mm narrow gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County. Originally constructed by the Japanese Colonial Government in 1912 to facilitate the logging of cypress and Taiwania wood, is itself a tourist attraction with unique Z-shaped switchbacks, 50 tunnels, and over 77 wooden bridges. In the 1980s, 10 Hitachi-built diesel-hydraulic locomotives were delivered and replaced the railcars and the steam engines. The railway line was severely damaged by rains associated with 2009's Typhoon Morakot and, as of 2014, services are only running between Chiayi and Fenchihu.

1551 TAIWAN - Puyuma Express

The Puyuma Express is an express train service of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) which began commercial operations on 6 February 2013 during the Chinese New Year. As the mountains of Taiwan are a barrier to coast-to-coast transportation, vehicular travel is vulnerable to traffic and crowding. The high speed (max 150km/h) and capacity of this express, belonging to the Tzu-Chiang Limited Express class, helps to alleviate this problem. Imported in 2012, since 2013 they have been running between Hualien and Taipei, on the curvy Yilan Line at the existing narrow gauge tracks. It uses the tilting electrical multiple unit series TEMU2000 built by Nippon Sharyo. The TRA purchased a total of 136 Puyuma cars. In the postcard is a delivery of a Puyuma Express train, in 2012 or 2013.

1539 TAIWAN - Tainan Confucian Temple

The Tainan Confucius Temple, also called the Scholarly Temple, was built in 1665, when the warlord Cheng Ching, son of Koxinga, approved of the proposal by Chief of General Staff Chen Yung-hua to construct the Temple on the right side and the National Academy. On the east side stood Ming-Lun Hall, built as a place for instructors to offer lectures and cultivate intellectuals. On the west side was the sanctuary called Ta-Cheng Hall (Hall of Great Achievement), housing the mortuary tablet of Confucius, as well as those of his distinguished disciples.

1362, 1363 TAIWAN - Taipei 101

Icon of modern Taiwan, Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, was officially classified as the world's tallest building in 2004 (509m), and remained such until the opening of Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the skyscraper, designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture, was awarded the LEED Platinum certification, the highest award according the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media. Architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition (for example, the repeated segments simultaneously recall the rhythms of an Asian pagoda), it comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground.

Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors common in its area of the Asia-Pacific. The façade system of glass and aluminum panels installed into an inclined moment-resisting lattices contributes to overall lateral rigidity by tying back to the mega-columns with one-story high trusses at every eighth floor. This façade system is able to withstand up to 95mm of seismic lateral displacements without damage. Taipei 101's own roof and façade recycled water system meets 20-30% of the building's water needs. It claimed the official records for the fastest ascending elevator speed, designed to be 1,010 m/min.

0935 TAIWAN - Dome of Light in Kaohsiung City

Situated in Kaohsiung City, at the metro transfer station for the Red Line and Orange Line (Formosa Boulevard Station), the Dome of Light was created by renowned Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata, and is the world's largest public art installation made from individual pieces of colored glass. It has 30m in diameter and covers an area of 660 square metres, being made up of 4,500 glass panels. The dome tells the story of human life in four chronologically arranged themes: Water: The Womb of Life; Earth: Prosperity and Growth; Light: The Creative Spirit; and Fire: Destruction and Rebirth, with an overall message of love and tolerance.

0854 TAIWAN - Dragon and Tiger Pagodas

Located at Lotus Lake, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas is a temple built in 1976, representative of traditional Kaohsiung culture. The seven storey tower has yellow walls, red pillars and orange tiles. The dragon's throat is the entrance and the lion's mouth is the exit. Entering a dragon's throat and coming out a lion's mouth symbolizes turning bad luck to good fortune. There are paintings inside the temple depicting Ksitigarbha. In the Tiger Tower, there are paintings of twelve Magi and the Jade Emperor's thirty palaces as well as paintings of Confucius. The towers have a double spiral staircase, one each for ascending and descending visitors.

0720 TAIWAN - Ba Jia Jiang (Eight Generals)

To any religious event in Taiwan are present groups of young men with painted faces who wear elaborate costumes, a familiar sight to locals, even if no one really knows how they evolved or where they came from. They are members of the Ba Jia Jiang (Eight Generals) troupes, which have the role to keep evil spirits away by chasing them down and dealing with them. They carry elaborate fans with protection spells written on them, and the smiles aren't permitted. It seems that this tradition dates over 100 years and is closely associated with Wu Fu Da Di, the God of Plague Expulsion, but, as in any folk culture, there are many different tales describing their origins. Like Chinese Opera performers, the Ba Jia Jiang can be distinguished by their face paint, the different patterns serving to denote who they are. According to different heritages, the troupe can had four, six, eight, ten, twelve or thirteen members. The more complete group is with a number of thirteen Gods, who have different responsibilities.

0716 TAIWAN - A Seediq pair from Nantou playing the jaw harp

The Seediq (Sediq, Seejiq) are an aboriginal people who live primarily in Nantou County and Hualien County, and were officially recognised as Taiwan's 14th indigenous group in 2008. Seediq and Taiya share cultural similarities, in particular the importance of face tattoos and the “chucao” tradition of headhunting. They are also closely related to the Truku (Atayal), both tribes having the same origin and culture, but separated early on due to different lifestyles.

0676 TAIWAN - Atayal women dancing

"Once upon a time, a stone named Pinspkan cracked apart and in it were three people. However, for an undisclosed reason, one of them decided to return back into the stone. Then there were two. The remaining one man and one woman then lived together for a very long time and they loved each other very much. Unfortunately, the man was too shy and would not approach the girl and tell her how he felt.The woman then came up with an idea because she could not bear to see how the man was too shy to confess to her. She firstly left her home and found some coal and with it, she blackened her face with it so she could pose as a different girl. After several days, she crept back into their home and the man mistook her for another girl and they lived happily ever after. Not long after, the couple bore children, fulfilling their mission of procreating the next generation."

0663 TAIWAN - Amis young women dancing at the Adult Ceremony

The Amis are the largest ethnic group among the fourteen officially recognized peoples of Taiwanese aborigines, and they identify themselves as Pangcah, which means "human being", "people with the same ethnicity", or "people of the same descent". Even though their communities have been moved many times due to interaction with other ethnic groups and geographical factors, can be considered that their traditional territory include the narrow valley between the Central Mountains and the Coastal Mountains, the Pacific coastal plain eastern to the Coastal Mountains, and the Hengchun Peninsula, so they are considered to be "Plain Aborigines".

0464 TAIWAN - Here is Taiwan

Usually I write much or very much about the postcard that I share with you. This time I don't have much to say, especially because I talked about Taiwan when I presented a map of the island of Formosa from 1856. I would only add that I believe it will not be long until People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) will give up their reciprocal territorial claims, become obsolete, and they will see each of his way.