Taiwan Day 365 was the last day of my Year 1 in Taiwan. It represents the intersection of my past and future as I celebrate my One Year Anniversary in Taiwan. I landed in Taoyuan International Airport in Sept. 1, 2013 and Luo-Mu Jie was born! And that was Taiwan Day 1. Fast forward and it was Taiwan Day 365. Time really flies fast but there are places in Taiwan that seemed to be forgotten by time. I went to these places to see for myself if time indeed abandoned these places and how it happened.
The time frozen places can be reached by the Pingxi (平溪) Branch Railway. I boarded a train from Nangang Station which went to Ruifang Station and then I transferred to a train going to the Pingxi District of New Taipei City. The Pingxi Branch Railway starts to separate from the Yilan Railway Line at the Sandiaoling Station. The railroad tracks followed the Keelung River and I have observed the profound scenery of valleys and gorges from the glass windows of the train.
The Pingxi Branch Railway was made to transport coal until the industry was shut down and the railway line was transformed into a tourist destination. I first headed to Jingtong (菁桐) Station which is the terminal station of the Pingxi Line. There are very few tourists in these places so there was less competition taking photos. I have fun taking pictures especially the one where I sat on the concrete platform with the colorful Pingxi train beside me. I looked like a kid trapped in time wearing a Taiwanese flag shirt by just looking at the photo. I strolled in the Old Street and the Jingtong Railway Story House reminded me of how life is simple in Jingtong.
After Jingtong, I boarded the train after one hour and went to Pingxi Station. I wandered around the Old Street and I noticed the elevated railroad tracks which gives a nostalgic feeling to the visitors. The place is very different in Taipei where life is fast-paced and modern. Pingxi is known for sky lanterns and I saw many lanterns flying above in the air. The sky lanterns were used as signaling devices during the Qing Dynasty to remind the women, elderly and children that it is safe to return to their homes as the bandits in the town were already gone. Today, sky lanterns are still released into the sky but with written wishes of those people hopeful that they will be fulfilled.
After Pingxi, I went to Shifen (十分) and when I arrived there I was surprised by the scenery formed by the mountains, the town and the railway station. Wow! The Shifen Old Street sandwiched the railway track and when the trains were not around people were busy with their sky lanterns. I was so hungry at that time so I went to a restaurant to eat noodles. A grandma asked for my order and I was her only customer at that time. While I was having my meal she had chitchat with her neighbors as if she has nothing to do in life. Life here in Shifen is also simple and free of worries.
I also went to a store where I bought a wooden postcard bearing the Aug. 31 date. This will become part of my “Taiwan collections” and it will always remind me of my adventure in Taiwan Day 365. My travel would not be complete if I didn’t release a sky lantern. I ordered one from a shop for NTD 150 and I chose a red color. I wrote my wishes on the four sides of the red lantern. I then released my lantern into the sky after writing my wishes. I hope that God would hear the words that my heart wants to shout.
Jingtong, Pingxi and Shifen. They are classic towns in modern times. Visiting them will always give you a thick atmosphere of nostalgia. They are really the towns that time forgot.
THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2024 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
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