By
MALUM NALU
I'm one of
the staunchest critics of buai pekpek
(betelnut thrash) and littering in Port Moresby (often disparaged as the
filthiest city in the world) and Papua
New Guinea, so going to Taiwan, was like
going to heaven.
On Thursday, November 21, 2012, I took an evening stroll through the
well-kept park next to the Monarch Plaza Hotel in Taoyuang City, one of the
satellites of capital, Taipei, wondering when we in PNG will look after our
parks and playgrounds like this!
 |
| Taoyuang sidewalk |
Clean, pretty flowers and plants, mums pushing
babies on prams, couples walking their dogs, children and parents playing
happily in the playground.
 |
| Taoyuang park |
We only dream about this in PNG, and yet, it doesn't
cost anything…only common sense and a sense of self-respect!
I thought about the filthy and pathetic excuse of a
playground at Hohola where my kids play.
When will we in PNG ever stop spitting buai pekpek, littering everywhere
without a care in the world, and to take tender loving care of our recreational
facilities?
Taipei maintains an extensive system of parks, green
spaces, and nature preserves, despite being a hi-tech, highly-populated city.
 |
| Efficient garbage system |
Parks and forestry areas of note in and around the
city include Yangmingshan National Park, Taipei Zoo and Da-an Forest Park.
Yangmingshan National Park (located 10 km north of
the central city) is famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, and sulfur deposits.
It is the
home of famous writer Lin Yutang, the summer residence of Chiang Kai-shek,
residences of foreign diplomats, the Chinese Culture University, the meeting
place of the now defunct National Assembly of the Republic of China, and the
Kuomintang Party Archives.
The Taipei
Zoo was founded in 1914 and covers an area of 165 hectares for animal
sanctuary.
Of course, you ain't seen Taipei until you've been
on the Taipei 101!
And that's exactly what I did on the evening of
Saturday, November 10, 2012.
 |
| On the 89th floor of Taipei 101 |
This, in fact, was my third time on the Taipei 101,
haven got up twice during my previous two visits to Taiwan in 2007, however,
this visit was more comprehensive.
Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World
Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei,
Taiwan.
 |
| At the entrance to Taipei 101 |
The building
ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the
Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.
In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum
certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building
in the world.
 |
| Taipei 101 reaches for the sky |
Taipei 101 was designed by CY Lee & partners and
constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture.
The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan
ever since its opening, and received the 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award.
 |
| Port Moresby's name can be found on the Taipei 101 |
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.
Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5
floors underground.
The building was architecturally created as a symbol
of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition.
Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates
traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments.
 |
| Roast duck on the streets of Taipei |
The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and
earthquakes.
 |
| Falung Gong practisioners at the National Palace Museum |
A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower
houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs.
Taipei 101 is owned by the Taipei Financial Center
Corporation (TFCC) and managed by the International division of Urban Retail
Properties Corporation based in Chicago.
 |
| A Taipei sidestreet |
The name originally planned for the building, Taipei
World Financial Center, until 2003, was derived from the name of the owner.
Taipei City is the capital of Republic of China, a
state commonly known as Taiwan.
 |
| Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall |
During my visit, apart from the culinary delights of
the gourmet’s paradise of Taipei, I was introduced to Taiwanese culture and
history, tried the high speed train, and visited many places including the
National Palace Museum, soared the lofty heights of the Taipei 101, the
Discovery Centre of Taipei, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei’s most-famous
night market of Shilin, Taipei Confucius Tempe, Taiwan’s hi-tech “Silicon
Valley” at Hsinchu City, and many others.
 |
| At Tshilin Night Market |
Situated at
the northern tip of the island of Taiwan, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River;
it is about 25km southwest of Keelung, a port city on the Pacific Ocean.
 |
| Pounding tea leaves and other ingredients for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony at Hsinchu City |
It lies in
the two relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers, which join
to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border.
The city
proper (Taipei City) is home to an estimated 2,618,772 people.
 |
| Fried frog legs for lunch...not bad! |
Taipei, New
Taipei, and Keelung together form the Taipei metropolitan area with a
population of 6,900,273.
However, they
are administered under different local governing bodies.
 |
| Good food everywhere in Taipei |
"Taipei" sometimes refers to the
whole metropolitan area, while "Taipei City" refers to the city
proper.
Taipei City proper is surrounded on all sides by New
Taipei.
 |
| Gross fruit galore in Taipei |
Taipei is the political, economic, and cultural
centre of Taiwan.
The National Palace Museum which has one of the
largest collections of Chinese artifacts and artworks in the world is located
in Taipei.
 |
| Visitrs to the National Palace Museum |
Considered to be a global city, Taipei is part of a
major industrial area.
Railways, high speed rail, highways, airports, and
bus lines connect Taipei with all parts of the island.
 |
| Catching the hi-speed train to Hsinchu City |
The city is served by two airports – Taipei Songshan
and Taiwan Taoyuan.
Taipei was founded in the early 18th century and
became an important center for overseas trade in the 19th century.
The Qing
Dynasty in China made Taipei the provincial capital of Taiwan in 1886.
 |
| Hi-tech infrastructure of Taipei |
When the
Japanese acquired Taiwan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War, they retained
Taipei as the capital of the island, and also advanced extensive urban planning
in Taipei.
The Republic
of China took over the island in 1945 following Japanese surrender.
 |
| Beautiful river scene in Taipei |
 |
| One of the first Taiwanese settlements at Hsinchu |
After losing Mainland China to the Chinese Communist
Party in the Chinese Civil War, the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) resettled the ROC
government to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of the
Republic of China in December 1949.
 |
| Checking out fresh fruit at a Taipei street stall |
No comments:
Post a Comment