Day 4: Taipei (Mengjia Longshan Temple @Bangka)

02 December 2013 - (short post)

"Mengjia Longshan Temple" is Taipei's oldest temple.

Also known as 艋舺龍山寺, the temple was built in Taipei in 1738 by settlers from China.

It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers.

Here are a few snaps of the temple, and prayers.

My friend and I stayed at the temple for a good few hours. 

It was very calming and peaceful.

Once we were done chilling and praying, we started to explore the streets of "Bangka". 

Bangka is a well known area for its cultural resources and old town stories.

It is very different from home, but I love it.

I only managed to get one picture, but I will admit tho, one picture was enough. 

I was completely in awe with the streets, 

and the community there, 

a heartwarming memory I will never forget ( ^_^).

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xox

(p.s: unless disclaimed, all pictures were taken by me on iphone 4s, apologies for any blurriness)

Day 3: Taipei (101 & CKS Memorial Hall)

01 December 2013 - 

Todays adventure is to "Taipei 101" and the "CKS Memorial Hall"

Taipei 101(臺北101)is one of Taiwan's iconic skyscraper. 

With a beautiful view from the observatory decks.

To get there you could take the metro there, but it is not connected directly by the metro, or you could take a FREE shuttle bus via Taipei City Hall Station.

I like to take street pictures... especially in Asia because I find it unique and very intriguing. 

Often comparing it back home (AUS).

When you arrive to "Taipei 101" you may wish to wonder around, because it is linked to a giant mall and great food court.

The observatory has 101 levels, hence its name, there is an admission fee to enter the top. 

It is best to book a restaurant which they have located on the 85th-86th floor, i think. 

May wish to research on that again. 

You can get a view and a meal, but in this case you just pay for the meal :) You can thank me later.

Map of the building HERE

My friend and I decided to go to Starbucks, you will need to make a call at the service desk so that they can issue you a visitor pass or permit. I recommend not going during the weekends, because there will be a long waiting line. We had to come back the following day to get in. 

The trouble was worth it tho.

Starbucks is not located up the very top, but the view was still great.

Here are some snaps while I enjoy my frappuccino...

( ^_^)/

We sat for a long time taking in the view, later taking the metro to CKS Memorial Hall (Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall) 

I forgot to mention earlier that this (picture below) is a token pass to the metro, you choose your destination, and depending where you go, you will pay for each journey, according to the distance apparently. Prices can range from 15-60TWN. 

If you are planing to stay for more than 4-5 days, I suggest you buy a metro card and top it up with some money. This will also save you time from standing at the machine for a token. You must keep the token with you so that you can insert it at the exit gates.

As i may have mentioned earlier, the places you go in Taipei is very convenient. 

The monumental building is located at the exit of the station, in Zhong Zheng District.

We managed to arrive in time, in time before the sun began to set.

Information about CKS Memorial Hall: 

In April, 1975, the entire nation mourned the passing of President Chiang Kai-shek. In June, in response to suggestions from all sectors, the funeral committee members decided to build the CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei, in order to commemorate the memory of the great leader.

Here are a few snaps before it got dark...

Beautiful.. isn't it?

You also have to visit the main doors, where you will see a large grand bronze statue of Chiang Kai Shek. 

But these doors do not open 24/7, 

they have a specific trading hour. 

I think they closed at 10pm, we were lucky to get a glimpse.

The statue is shown smiling, 

seated and wearing traditional Chinese dress. 

Inscribed on the wall above and behind the seated figure are the Chinese characters for Ethics, Democracy, and Science. 

Inscriptions on the side walls read: "The purpose of life is to improve the general life of humanity and The meaning of life is to create and sustain subsequent lives in the universe."

I really enjoyed going to the CKS Hall, perhaps going at night had a much magical feel.

(also it is less crowded and more peaceful)

We sat at the steps from the grand doors, just chillin' and chatting the night away. 

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xox

(p.s: unless disclaimed, all pictures were taken by me on iphone 4s, apologies for any blurriness)

Day 2: Taipei (National Palace Museum)

30 Nov 2013 - 

The following morning of our arrival in Taipei my friend and I decided to visit the "National Palace Museum" 

From our hostel, you could easily walk to the metro train station, it takes about 10 minutes in walking distance. 

The day was pretty good, sunny blue skies; it was only the evening you had to worry about, thats when it started to get chillier.

Here are a few snaps on my way to the metro. 

(It was actually a good day, but my iphone decided to stay in that filter.)

Nearly there...

... and the train comes frequently, 

so you don't need to wait for long. 

Also the National Palace Museum is in the Shilin District, which was only one stop away from where we were, very convenient and easy to get to.

When we arrived, we got a few bites along the way.

Since we had a late night the day before, we did not leave the place till afternoon. Had a really good sleep.

Hungry, we tried out some of the stalls near by the station of our destination, there was also another bus ride to the National Palace Museum, so we though a good quick brunch would help us get through the day. 

I recommend trying out...

LIN CHINESE PIZZA

They will beat the daylight out of the pastry and then fill it with mouthwatering fillings, restoring life.

... hallelujah ... 

It has a crisp chewy texture, and you can see them make it in front of you.

"Oh.. soo good!!!"

Another thing I recommend you trying out is the...

CHINESE BURRITO 

Actually I am not sure what it is called, 

it just looks like a burrito :D

But its soo good and soo cheap, 

you had to go back for seconds.

I had the beef filling. 

There are also other flavours and filings such as redbean, leek and cabbage...etc

After we stuffed ourselves with food, we got a bus directly to the National Palace Museum. 

Which is also very convenient, because it was just down the street to where we were eating, everything in Taipei was just great, location wise, you cannot get lost.

The bus journey took about 10-15 minutes and costed 15WTD.

There will be a few stops along the way, but don't worry, this place is not hard to miss. Trust me.

When we arrived, like any tourist attraction, the place was populated with many foreign tourist.

"Time to work off some of that food...dem steps"

There's something grand about this museum.

Especially when you take a moment to enjoy the view at the entrance gates.

Now, no touristy trip is complete without taking a picture in front of a random monument.

PEACE ( ^_^)

The National Palace Museum is one of the world's largest collection of priceless Chinese art treasures, one which spans China's nearly 5,000-year history. 

Most of the museum's 620,000 art objects were part of the Chinese imperial collection, which began over 1,000 years ago in the early Song dynasty.

To enter you will need to pay for an admission ticket.

This will cost you 160NTD.

Sadly, I was not able to take any pictures in the museum.

I really enjoyed the place tho, and i saw plenty of art works and collections, which was my original intention. 

We spent a good half day there just wondering around. 

There are also english (and other language) groups you could join  on the museum tour.

But if you would like more information about the National Palace Museum you can visit HERE

Address: 221 Chih-shan Rd., Sec. 2; Shih-lin, Taipei 11143, Taiwan

 (Shihlin District)

Here's a final shot of the view before i sign off. 

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xox

(p.s: unless disclaimed, all pictures were taken by me on iphone 4s, apologies for any blurriness)