Cultural Tour in Western Taiwan
It is our family routine that we go to Changhua and Pingtung twice a year in order to visit our grandparents. Compared with most of my pals whose parents’ hometowns are situated at Taipei, I am supposed to have delightful vacations on the journey to the Southern Taiwan because there are so many characteristic counties we can stop by. However, since my family lacks a sense of execution, the travel plan often turns out to be a mirage with the excuse of either time limit or foul weather. Moreover, once my father says he is unfamiliar with the route, we know the plan is encountering cul-de-sac. Therefore, we used to head to our grandparents’ houses directly, stay there for a couple of days, and then turn back home. This summer vacation, we made a leap with a thorough plan beforehand and a portable GPS Car Navigation System for guidance. It’s not until we finished this cultural tour did we realize Taiwan is such a wonderland, possessing miscellaneous features that satisfy both natives and foreigners’ needs.
Our first spot was NTMOFA (National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts) at
the Taichung City. We arrived at our destination by noon, having lunch at a
restaurant nearby which was popular among the Internet and recommended by my
brother. The place is located beside a park whose designer is also the owner of
the restaurant. No sooner had I stepped inside and took a glance at the
interior arrangement then I felt a sense of leisure and coziness due to the decoration
of wooden materials and the sufficient daylight casted through the windows. We
were seated by a bookshelf with miscellaneous books laid orderly like a parade
greeting us. While I was indulged in the homelike atmosphere, the menu diverted
my attention. There were three specialties on the menu―bibimbap, shirataki
noodles and Japanese set meals. Bibimbap is a Korean word for “mixed rice”, which
is served as a stone bowl of rice topped with vegetables, raw egg and sliced
meat. The restaurant elaborately added five elements of ancient Chinese cosmology―metal,
wood, water, fire, and earth―to the dish in the form of five colors of
vegetables, bringing customers not only visual satisfaction but also a wholesome
diet. As for the shirataki noodles which are made of konjac, it is rich in fiber
but contains low calorie, so it corresponds to modern women’s diet standard that
prefers light food. After savoring the main dishes, we sipped at the osmanthus
tea and nibbled at pineapple jelly, taking shelter from the scorching afternoon
in the summertime and relishing the transience of idleness.
Feeling full of vigor after the meal, we walked to the NTMOFA, a three-story
building decorated with gravel and French windows. Since the museum gives free
admission to all the visitors, we took our time roaming around all the exhibit floors.
There were especially two sections leaving a great impression on me. The first
one was an international exhibition called “Plate ∙ Print―Japanese Printmaking
in Focus”, displaying different phases of engravings in Japanese art history. From
the traditional works to modern ones, I was fascinated by the exquisite strokes
like the leaf veins and feathers carved on the woodblock or metal plate and then
printed on the paper. The systematical lines and precise details gave me an
illusion that I was watching a photograph. Another feature of Japanese
engravings is the presentation of shadow. Both abstract and realistic prints
used the technique of chiaroscuro to show the spaciousness. For example, in
Katsurako HIGANO’s “Balance Traning-1”, there are four birds shoring up things
on their heads. Were it not for the shadows, we might mistakenly think they are
on the same surface. In fact, based on the large shadow behind the biggest bird,
we can assume that it is set in the front. However, there must be an
explanation why it was arranged differently from others. Taking a closer look
on the things they are bearing, I found this bird is the cream of the crop
among others. While others hold a flag, a dumbbell, and three rocks, it perches
on a rock with one leg and grabs an acorn with the other leg. What’s more, it
sustains two gigantic flowers which are twice as big as its body. Since it is proficient
in the balance skill, it not only stands at the spotlight but boasts of bright
colors.
The second exhibition was “DREAM|MERSION―Cyclorama Digital Art Creation Series from the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT)”. We passed through a black curtain and then sat on the ground, watching miscellaneous images revolving around us like kaleidoscope, including the vibrating music notes, the blooming flowers, the well-known artists’ portraits, etc. The dazzling vision and the surrounding sound altogether created an amazing effect that was far from watching movies in the theaters. There was also an unexpected encounter at the NTMOFA. At the video gallery, I spotted the poster of Professor Chin-keui-yu Hsieh’s documentary which had made a splash on our campus lately. Although professor Hsieh had retired since our freshman year, his reputation had been widely known and I am curious about his teaching style. Unfortunately, there was another video showing on that day, so I didn’t have the chance to introduce him to my family. Still, I was glad to see that so many people can get to know this legendary mentor in our college through the film.
We reached Tainan at dusk, witnessing faint sunlight shone breathtakingly on the hundred-year historic sites at the city as if seeing old yellowish pictures flashing through our eyes. We took a stroll around the exterior of Confucius’ Temple and set out hunting for the local snacks. There is a bazaar just across the Confucius’ Temple where each store is twice bigger than Taipei’s; some are handicraft shops while others are cafés and snack shops. Each store flies its own colors that made me want to linger for a while. A bamboo carrying pole placed in front of a tofu pudding shop even reminded my mom of her childhood memory because that was how people peddled tofu pudding on the street in the past. We were immersing ourselves in the nostalgic atmosphere with mouths full of delicacies, including 2-dollar Kantoni, steamed taro cake and white gourd tea. After the appetizers, we felt like ready for dinner. This time, it was my turn to recommend a Japanese restaurant that is known for its jumbo-size meal and low price. Unlike the wooden structure and tatami in ordinary Japanese restaurants, this restaurant is more like Taiwanese local diners which are unadorned and narrow. Despite the humble appearance, the restaurant still gains high popularity via the Internet as we saw people had already been queuing up to wait for the vacant seats. However, as the proverb goes, “the more expectation, the more disappointment”, we found the jumbo-size meal only refers to the staple food like fried chicken or fried pork. What’s worse, one of the side dishes which were French fries even had gone cold. And much to our disappointment, the price was not that reasonable compared with the price of commodities in Tainan. From this experience, we learned that “taste differs from person to person”, so is the credibility of the Internet. Although it is a handy access for us to spread and receive news via computer, we still have to take everything said online with a grain of salt.
As far as I’m concerned, Taiwan is characterized by the diversity of local culture. Our cultural trip this time was aimed to provoke our sense organs, from visual art to tasteful snacks. Due to the ultimate stop at Pingtung in order to meet my grandma, our time was running tight. Therefore, we only chose two representative counties at Central Taiwan and Southern Taiwan, which was Taichung and Tainan. While little places did we visit, they still left profound impression on me, especially Tainan. I am fond of the living environment at this ancient city where historical heritage is soundly reserved. In addition, miscellaneous Taiwanese cuisines are visible hither and thither on the streets that I will never be fed up. Last but not least, the living pace in Tainan is much slower than the hustle and bustle of Taipei. Therefore, after taking this trip, I am seriously contemplating moving to Tainan in the future.





1樓
1樓搶頭香
Hi this is Carrie :) I'm from Taichung City, my parents come from
Chunghua and Doliu. Because of that I had a lot of chances to visit
that part of Taiwan.
Although my hometown is Taichung City, I hardly visit the NTMOFA.
Thank you for your photos!
This summer I also travel each part of Taiwan, Yilan, Hualien,
Taitong, Greenisland. . . But I haven't gone Tainan during my summer
vacation. especially when I study in Taipei, i feel the average of
price in the Southern TW is cheaper than the Northern. The
atmosphere, the pace of life is also different. It's rather slower.
Well, thank you again for sharing your trip and the beautiful photos.
Looking forward to the next sharing of experience!
Carrie
2樓
2樓頸推
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(貝兼- 金戈) 看這裡...
http://www.jinn-yang.com
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