Tainan Confucius Temple / 台南孔庙

We got to make a wish to the gods at the entrance like many other visitors did, we wrote our hopes and dreams on pieces of paper and then hang them on a board along with all the other wishes made by many other visitors, I think it is nice of them to provide a place for us to do so, it was interesting. However they did not have a guide there since the temple was not too big and there were many detailed information displays which we could read from, this allowed for more freedom as we walked around the temple, discovering things about it by ourself at our own speed. I really liked all the displays as they were all genuine and authentic from the old temple and I'm amazed by how well preserved they were. There's a large variety of things displayed, from pieces of the old temple to the musical instruments which were once used there, there are also many information next to them telling us about the  different aspects of history of the temple. However, I think they should include more information regarding the intricate design of the temple and the deep meaning behind it because it is something I'm curious about and I feel that it would help us understand more about the temple's history.

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Chihkan Tower / 赤坎楼

 The Chihkan Tower is special as it is a museum incorporated into a temple, not only do many people go there to pray for good luck, it also showcases historic information. However, the information displays were rather dull and dusty thus not very attention grabbing. The structure of the Chihkan Tower is authentic, preserved from the past, this makes the place more interesting but since no reconstruction were to be made, the place was very small like in the past, hence it was rather cram inside. The guide there did not really use the displays for his presentation thus there was not much visual aids, but we still got to see the interesting displays preserved from the past when we were given time to roam around the place. I think the surroundings around the Chihkan Tower was definitely more well kept than the inside, the outside was a beautiful garden with statues and it gave a much more refreshing and appealing feeling as compared to the inside which was somewhat dull.

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Eternal Golden Castle

This castle was built to defend Taiwan against the Japanese. The castle consisted of many large plains and many cannons of different variety. I learnt more about the history of Taiwan, especially during the Japanese invasion and the military tactics and weapons used at that point in time. The tour guide was informative and the weaponry was well preserved. The castle also had very pretty surroundings. 

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Pineapple Tart Factory

The hands on pineapple tart making was interesting and enjoyable as we would not get a chance to experience it in Singapore. However, we feel that we would be able to learn and gain more if we have start from scratch and understand more about how they are made. Also, we got to see farming techniques but it would be better if we go into the farm instead of viewing it from the wall.

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921 Earthquake Educational Park / 921 地震教育园区

Not only do they have numerous photos and pictures, they also perfectly preserved some of the phenomena related to the earthquake, such as collapsed school structures and raised river beds. They were screening a 3D animated short clip presenting the happenings of the earthquake to help us truly understand the impact of the 921 earthquake in a victims point of view. The museum also had many attractive and fun hands-on displays like an earthquake simulator, however we feel the tour could have been made longer because we didn't get to try out the displays and only rushed through the place. I think if we had the time to slowly walk through the museum, it would have been a lot more educational; while we were there, we saw another class of students from a Taiwanese school in the museum as well, they had more time to appreciate the museum and I think they had gained a lot more insight to the earthquake. From this, I think this museum truly lived up to its name as being educational. Everything presented there was very appealing to the eye, with its neat and efficient organization  of displays and planning of routes and its technological hands-on displays, it really grabbed our attention and created a pleasing environment where we can and would like to learn more about the catastrophic event.

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Tai Shinu Hotel / 太信大饭店

The rooms were rather musty and dull and hence it seemed old and dirty. Some rooms were also much smaller and narrower than others thus some people did not feel comfortable in their rooms. The hotel really should change out their furnitures in the room since their cupboards and bedside tables were not in best condition and some of their kettles were spoilt too. Also there seemed to problems with the electricity in many rooms as the lights and air conditioning would just turn off by themselves until the hotel staffs, who were somewhat efficient, came to fix it. They had more varieties of food for breakfast but it was the same lot everyday. 

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Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum

We learnt more in depth about the Hakka Culture as we were shown the different festivals there. The display was interesting, with a few hands activities  on to attract more people, especially the children. However, the topic was dry and the guide could have made more use of the disply items to make the delivery better.

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Kaohsiung Museum of History

The guide gave a good presentation that was informative and interesting. He managed to get our attention and engage us by telling the history of the event in different perspective. He also input his personal feelings about the 228 ,an important historical event that happened in Taiwan. However, he focused too much on the 228 incident and didn't elaborate on other history matters. Overall, the tour was enriching and it made us more interested in the topic.

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Meinong Folk Village

Rich culture and folk lifestyle could be experienced where many traditional Hakka items and food are sold. It was a great new experience for all of us as we got to taste the traditional Hakka 擂茶. We get to understand more about the Hakka culture after the visit as we were exposed to a great variety of Hakka items like the oil paper umbrella.

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十鼓文化村 Tendrum Culture Village-Clatou

The room was very cozy and comfortable. It was well taken care of and had a nice atmosphere, as if we were living in a village, with a wooden interior having wooden floors, wooden furniture... wooden everything! The breakfast in the hotel had a wide variety of food such as chicken nuggets, bread, noodles and Taiwan's specialty, milk tea! The hotel also had the basic amenities we needed and clean facilities. It was definitely a unique experience staying in a village-like hotel. 

We also had a very interesting experience at the village. We learnt how to play the drums and learnt more about the history of the culture village. This culture village was built near an old railway near old factories. There was also a train carriage that the culture village preserved. It felt as if we were walking through the past, with old factories that were partially destroyed during the war when the Japanese invaded Taiwan. We also went to see the ten drums, with each drum symbolizing different things like good fortune, peace and much more. The tour guide was very informative, explaining to us the significance of every single object during the mini tour. 

We also got to see an extremely exciting performance. It consisted of the playing of drums and other musical instruments, bringing drumming to a whole new level with the use of a cudgel. It was not surprising that this group of performers have won a Grammy award and got to perform at the Summer Olympics in Sydney. It was most certainly an exciting experience, all in one village! 

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iicake

iicake sells cute and creative towel ornaments wrapped by hand. It is amazing how the ordinary towel, within 5 minutes, can turn into an animal, flower or even dumpling! This is especially popular among tourists as it serves as a special souvenir. iicake even organizes DIY towel wrapping session for enthusiastic customers like us. After a tough time, I finally managed to wrap my own towel dog! This really made me look up to the workers, who have to wrap about 2000 towel ornaments a day. The wrapping requires skills and most importantly, experience. I am really amazed at the workers' speed. I recommend tourists to visit iicake because of its good quality towels and interesting way of wrapping them. A box of three towel ornaments costs approximately NT$290 (S$12), which is a rather reasonable price. This peculiar store uses an innovative way of attracting tourists and it definitely got me!

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Liuhe Night Market

"You will not be considered to visit Kaohsiung if you miss out Liuhe Night Market." With eager hearts, we visited Liuhe Night Market hoping to seek for a new experience, fun and a wide variety of local snacks. To our disappointment, the night market wasn't all that impressive. It was rather small and mainly consisted of seafood and fried food. After doing some research, I realized that Liuhe Night Market is actually full of 'hidden gems'. When scanning through the night market, one would never know many stalls actually sell delicious food! The reason being that the place is rather dirty and greasy, and also displays many large seafoods such as octopus. This is very unsightly and even disgusting to some thus giving tourists a negative impression. But putting aside all of that, quite a number of food stalls actually do sell delicacies. One that I strongly recommend is the famous papaya milk. At a higher-than-average price of NT$50, it still has many customers because the papaya milk is simply tasty! Even the president cannot resist to patronize this stall! All in all, the night market was mediocre as I didn't get to 'discover' most of the best foods. I suggest that one do some research beforehand so that they know what to look out for in the night market.

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Papaya milk: Simply awesome!

Huashan Elementary School

We were warmly welcomed by a choir of adorable violinists! I was very impressed by the group of talented students in which the school had produced. Learning the violin is already a difficult task, not to say learning it at such a young age. Still, the group of kindergarteners managed to put up a splendid performance for us. I felt very touched by their sincerity and effort in hosting. Afterwards, we were led into an exhibition hall where many art pieces were displayed. Each student was in charge of an artwork and would present about it in front of us. I was particularly amazed by a little boy who very confidently and fluently explained to us about the art piece he was taking charge of. He showed exemplary presentation skills, with frequent eye contact, confidence and appropriate volume. I think that even we as secondary school students ought to learn from him. This visit to Huashan Elementary School made me learn many things. Not only about the various artworks, but also about presentation and leadership. For the kindergarteners to have such talents and leadership quality, I must say the teachers have done a wonderful job in teaching them. I believe that this school would continue to nurture and produce more young talents who would grow up to be very successful people!

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Anping Old Street

The City Of Snacks! It is the fifth-largest city and Taiwan's oldest, with quaint streets retaining the flavor of the past and lined with stalls selling an excellent array of delectable goodies. A lot of delicacies and renowned street food can be found in the Anping Old Street. My favourite is the coffin toast I ate at 安平贵记. It may have a morbid name, but this unique delicacy is possibly the best bread you'll ever sink your teeth into. Coffin toast is made up of a thick chunk of bread which had been deep fried, with a hole cut out in the shape of a coffin. In the bread is filled with hot chicken chunks, seafood, vegetables and cream. Crisp on the outside and warm in the inside. Pure delight. Near the entrance to the ruins of Anping Fort lies a stretch of eateries that boasts a history of at least 50 years. One can find snacks like deep fried shrimp and oyster rolls, oyster mee sua, danzaimian and minced pork sauce. Prices are low at about NT$50 (about S$2.15). There lane also sells souvenirs and dried snacks such as nougats, preserved fruits and shrimp crackers. Last but not least, oysters sold here are much cheaper. One can get eight fresh, succulent ones for only around NT$100 to NT$150, a third of the price we'd have to pay in Singapore! Anping Old Street sells many local delicacies and one should definitely make a trip there try them!

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Oysters!

A small part of the street

Some yummy local delicacies 

British Consulate

No sweet without sweat. The flight of steps may seem torturous but the scenery at the peak of the hill is breathtaking! There are also a few food stalls at the top and the ice cream that was selling like hot cakes was especially appealing to the hot and panting tourists. A stick of refreshing ice cream to kick start the visit to the British consulate! The admission fee costs NT$30. Among the existing western style buildings in Taiwan, it provides an excellent example of technique and style and that possesses the value of historical architecture study and conservation value. The building brick and mortar used all continue using the traditional method of Fujian and Taiwan. Some parts are even filled with clay and soil, while wooden truss is built with complete western style. It is the portrayal illustration of modern Chinese and Western cultural communication, and also the first formal consulate built by foreigners in Taiwan. One should definitely go there during the evening to see and enjoy the sunset of Sichuan(Bay) and harbor view of Kaohsiung. The view is spectacular and this place is surely worth a visit to!

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Wonderful view from the top of the British Consulate