Hsinchu City God Temple, or Chenghuang Temple, dates back to the Kingdom of Tungming and was built in the middle of the old bamboo-walled city of Zhuqian. Currently, it is the religious center of the city and also has its own night market. It is one of the most impressive historical sites in Hsinchu and is worth a visit for anyone in the area.

Background:
After the settlement of the area by Han Chinese farmers in about 1711 during the Kingdom of Tungming, what was then known as Zhuqianshe became the most important economic area in northern Taiwan. By 1723, a walled city was built here out of bamboo, because brick walls were forbidden for fear of a revolt against the Qing authorities. The name Zhuqiancheng (竹塹城) literally means bamboo moat city. The bamboo-walled city had four gates and its perimeter was about 1.4 KM long. In 1806, the city was upgraded with earthen walls. In 1748, the Chenghuang City God temple was completed, being built in the center of the city.

The temple was refurbished and restored in 1792, 1799, and 1924. 
In 1891, the Guangxu Emporer visited Taiwan and held a prayer meeting here. He left a plaque that still stands today which reads "Golden Gate Protection (金門保障)," which is meant that the temple would provide protection to the entire island of Taiwan. The temple also features six different halls. Parades and activities are held regularly at the temple. 
There is also a night market that surrounds the temple known as the Chenghuang Temple Night Market (新竹市城隍廟夜市).

Hours:
24/7, but I recommend visiting at night when the night market is open. 

Price:
Free

How to get there:
The temple is within walking distance of Hsinchu TRA station.

Map:
Please see below:

In Taiwan, funerals and death rituals are very different that funerals in the west. Taiwan's funeral rites are influenced by Buddhism, Taoism, ancestor worship, and folk religion. In this blog, we will explore the different funeral rituals and rites, and let you know what you can expect at a Taiwanese funeral.

Foreword: Please note this blog and FAQ section are written from the perspective of a long-term American expat married to a Taiwanese spouse. Part of the facts for this blog have been taken from personal experience attending multiple funerals in Taiwan, and also from research such as Chinese anthropology classes and other research.

Baguanshan is perhaps the most famous religious site in Changhua, and has the best views of the city and the surrounding area. It is also known for its large buddha statue and viewing platform. There are also hiking trails and historical sights nearby. It is definitely worth a visit on your next trip to Changhua.

Background:
Baguashan can literally be called "Eight Trigram Mountain" because Bagua means eight triangles placed together, which is said to ward off evil in Buddhism and Daoism. The mountain was named as a key battleground during the  Lin Shuangwen Rebellion, in which a clan of Hakka people rebelled and was crushed by the Qing Dynasty. 
Later during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, the mountain was used as a military base. During the ROC era, local resident Lin Qingyao built a temple here and a giant Buddha in 1956. A veteran's memorial martyr's shrine was also built by the ROC on the mountain.
The mountain itself is only 97 meters above sea level but still provides great views because it is surrounded by flat land. The mountain is slowly rising and in millions of years will create a mountain chain. 

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By car/scooter: Take provincial highway 1 to the foot of the mountain, then turn up. There is limited parking on the side of the road and two paid parking lots which can get full on weekends.
By Train: The mountain is within ten minutes' walking distance from Changhua TRA station.
​
Map:
See below:

Tianxiang Recreation Area features the widest and most flat terraces within Taroko Gorge. Here you can find Xiangde Temple, Tianfeng Pagoda, Pudu Suspension Bridge, and Silks Place Taroko, which are all surrounded by amazing high canyons and beautiful deep river ravines. It is a must see spot inside Taroko Gorge. 

Background:
Taroko National Park is well known for its  marble cliffs and canyons, and is also known as "The Marble Gorge." Millions of years ago, the rock we see today was sediment at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but oceanic and tectonic pressure turned it into limestone, and later into marble. Later the Eurasian plate was uplifted where Taiwan is today, and a gorge was cut out of the limestone thanks to the Liwu River. 

Taroko means "human being," from the Truku tribal language. Originally the Tupido Tribe settled in the area of what is now Tianxiang Taiti mesa. They built the Tupido Tribe Trail which was only 30 cm wide, and resided there until they were massacred by the Japanese in 1914. In 1917, the Japanese expanded the original trail made by the Tupido Tribe to 1.5 M and forced aboriginal tribesmen to carry goods along the trail to the east coast. This is now the Zhuilu Old Trail. Currently only 3km of the trail is open to the public. The Japanese created a national park in the Area in 1937, which was disestablished by the ROC in 1945, and then reenstated in as a national park in 1986.

Tianxiang lies 455 meters above seas level, and lies at the convergence of the Dasha River and the Tazijili River, forming the Liwu River. 
Xiangde Temple was built in 1966 shortly after the central cross island highway was finished. It is a Buddhist monetary, and the area was chosen for it's quiet beauty. 

How to get there:
By Car: From Taipei, Take National Highway 5 to Yilan and then drive on the Suhua Highway 9 to Hualien. A few miles before Hualien City, the gorge will be on your right. Tianxiang is 18 KM in.
By Train: Take the train to Hualien station, and from there you can rent a scooter or car, or take a tour bus to the gorge, and then get off at Tianxiang.
​For more travel information see here.

Hours: 24/7

Flying a Drone? 
​Apply for a drone permit here.

Price: Free! 

​Map: Please see below:

Fo Guang Shan (aka Buddah Light Mountain, Buddah's Light Mountain, or Buddha Memorial Center) is a Buddhist sect based in Dashu District of Kaohsiung. The headquarters in Dashu feature the largest Buddhist monastery in the country along with a 8 pagodas, a large pyramid, huge sitting buddha statue, and Buddha museum. The massive complex can fill a tourists itinerary for more than a day, and is TripAdvisor's top ten tourist landmarks in Taiwan.

Background:
The Fo Guang Shan religion was established by Hsing Yun in 1967, begning with the development of the monastery in Dashu. The religion is focused on Humanistic Buddhism, with an emphasis on technology.
Fo Guang Shan has since grown to be one of the largest charitable organizations in Taiwan. Currently it has established medical programs, several colleges, one university, and has presence in 173 countries.
The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum started construction in 2008 and was completed in 2011. 
One of the most precious artifacts in the museum is the tooth of Sakyamuni Buddha. The grounds feature eight pagodas, hundreds of statues, 4 different museums, an auditorium, Jade and Golden Buddha Statues, and 48 underground palaces (time capsules).

How to get there:
From Kaohsiung, take provincial highway 29 north to Dashu, and it will be right in front of the National Highway 3 bridge. You can also travel there via public buses.
 
Price:
Free

Hours:
9 AM to 8 PM

Map:
Please see below:

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a bustling city with vibrant street life, delicious food, amazing temples, and the grand palace. Here in this blog I will take you on our four day three night journey to Bangkok.

Before the Pandemic began, I had planned a trip to Thailand for the summer of 2020. Obviously that didn't happen, and to console myself here is a blog detailing our trip to Bangkok and Ayutthaya. 

Background:
Bangkok is the most populous city in Thailand with over 10 million residents, and is also the nation's capitol. During the Ayutthaya Kingdom, it was merely a small trading post. In the late 1700s, it was named the capital of Siam (as Thonburi and Rattanakosin). The city has been the center of modernization in the country, and the heart of the government, which is ruled by constitution but also includes monarchy and has undergone numerous military coups. Currently, democratic rights are being contested by young people who feel they do not have a voice in the government.
Ayutthaya Historical Park is an old capital of Thailand (Ayutthaya Kingdom), and was the capital of Thailand for the longest period of time from around 1351 to 1767 when it was destroyed by the Burmese, ending the empire. 

Here is a map of Bangkok Below:

The Chung Tai Shan Monastery in Puli, Nantou County (aka Chung Tai Chan Buddhist Temple) is a large monastery, built by the same architect that built the Taipei 101. The building features a full size wooden pagoda inside the main tower, as well as a Buddhism museum. It is the tallest Buddhist Monastery in the world. 

​Background:
​The Chungtai Shan Buddhist Temple is a large complex built as the headquarters for the Chung Tai Shan Buddhist Monastic Order.
The Monastic Order was founded in 1987 by Master Wei Chueh. Now the order has branches all over the world.
The monastery itself was completed in 2001, and is 136 meters tall. The cheif architect behind the building was Chu-Yuan Lee, the same architect that built the Taipei 101. It is the tallest Buddhist Monastery in the world, and the second largest in Taiwan behind Foguangshan.

Hours:
8 AM to 5:00 PM every day

Price:
​Free

How to get there:
Car/Scooter: Take County Road 78 out of Puli (Shoucheng Raod) and continue north until you see the large monastery. It is hard to miss. There is free parking near the monastery.
Bus: Take an intercity bus from Taichung to Puli Bus Station. From there, take Nantou Bus 6651C to Chung Tai Monestary Station.
​
Map:
Please see below:

The Huangdidian Trail (aka Huangdi Temple Trail) is a magnificent mountain hike in Shiding District of New Taipei. The trail features ladder climbs, rope climbs, and rock climbs with the aid of ropes, and the top has a vertical drop on either side. There are also great views of Taipei and the surrounding area. 

Background:
The rock formations that form the Huangdidian hike formed as sediment under the ocean millions of years ago, and was later uplifted thanks to the collision of the Eurasian and Phillipine plates. The rocks are mainly sedimentary and are part of the same formation that forms the special rock formations on the northern coast around Keelung, and the waterfalls in Pingxi.
Huangdidian gets its name from the Tianwang Temple below (天王廟) which is also known as the Huangdi Temple (皇帝殿). The Huangdidian trail climbs up Huangdidian Mountain, which has three peaks, the highest of which is 593 meters above sea level. 
Recently rope railings were installed at the top of the mountain to improve safety. Even so, the hike is still really scary.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Length:
4.5 KM, 300 meters of elevation gain
About three hours total

Difficulty:
Moderate, there are some rope climbs and ladder climbs up sheer rock face, and sheer drop-off on either side with little protection from falls in some places. Also the trail can be quite steep in some places.

How to get there:
By Bus:Take Bus 912 from Taipei City Hall, then switch buses at Wanfu Bridge. Take Bus 666 to Huangdi Temple station, and the trail head is about a 15 minute walk up the hill. 
By Car/Scooter: Take highway 106 past Shiding Old Street, then turn left on a small road Marked "Huangdidian." There is a temple with a bunch of yellow lanterns in front of it.

Map:
​Please see below:

Nangan is the largest Island in the Matsu Archipelago. Besides being the main transportation hub to the other islands in Matsu, it also has traditional stone house villages, military  museums, a giant statue of Mazu, a variety of local food, and much more to explore.

Background:
Thousands of years ago, stone aged peoples once inhabited the Matsu Islands, including Beigan Island itself. These stone aged people later disappeared. 
The Matsu islands were inhabited again around the Song Dynasty (990 - 1200 AD) by Chinese Fisherman, the descendants of whom still inhabit the islands today. 
Because the Goddess Mazu's corpse washed ashore on this island, Nangan is also known as Matsu Island. 
During the Chinese Civil War, Matsu was used as a military  outpost for the retreating ROC. During the years that followed, it withheld shelling and threats of invasion from China, helping to keep Taiwan free of communist control.
In 1992 after cross straight relations had warmed up, martial law was lifted on the islands and tourists were allowed to visit.
In  the year 2000, a ferry link with Fuzhou started to provide constant China Mainland visitors to the island, as part of the three links with China. 
​In 2003, the Nangan airport was completed, which made Nangan the true transportation hub of Matsu. 
Nangan has a population of 4,000 people, and is the largest island in Matsu in terms of population and geographical size. 

How to get there:
By Boat: There are daily ferries from Keelung Harbor that usually take an overnight trip to Nangan, passing through Dongyin Island. 
There are boats from Beigan Baisha Harbor (北竿白沙港) to Nangan Fu'Ao Harbor (南竿福奧港) every hour from 7 AM to 5 PM. 
By Plane: There are flights to and from Taipei Songshan Airport three times a day via Uni Air.

Price:
By Boat:
500-2000 NT per person (one way from Keelung)
160 NT per person (one way from Beigan)
By Plane:
​About 2000 NT (one way from Taipei)

How to get around the island:
Nangan is a large, hilly island and it would be very hard to get around on foot or bicycle. We recommend one of the following
By Scooter: We recommend riding a scooter as your #1 choice. It's fast, convenient, and there isn't much traffic on the island. A scooter will cost about 500 NT per day to rent.
When braking on hills, use both brakes, otherwise you could lose traction on one tire and skid. Don't stop or park on a slope. Also, some hills that are too steep are closed off for scooters.
By Car/Taxi: You can rent a car or hire a taxi for 200O NT per day.
By Bus: There is a bus that goes around the island, but wait times can be 30 minutes or more. 

When to go:
We recommend going between April and June when the "blue tear" phosphorescent microbes in the water will be the most visible at night. Also, winters can be cold and windy and summers very hot, and there could also be typhoons in the summer and fall. 

Map:
Please see below: