TAIWAN

TAIWAN-KAOHSIUNG-TAINAN

Joyfully, I received an invitation to cover an assignment themed “Taiwan International Orchid Show 2009”, held at Kaohsiung.

This is my first time to Taiwan, and the second time is in January 2018.

Without hesitation, I agreed to accept the invitation from Ipoh Orchid Society (IOS), for a 6D5N stay in Kaohsiung/Tainan, Taiwan.

The reason for this trip was to participate in the Orchid Show, by bringing along Malaysian orchids to showcase it in Taiwan. Besides, the orchid show would be a good start to promote Malaysian orchids to the world.

BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE

On Day 1 – 2 - we were busy helping the IOS organisor to put up a landscape attached with Malaysian orchids, created for the orchid show.

We as participants were also invited for a Welcome Banquet Dinner on March 5 followed with the Opening Ceremony on March 6 at the exhibition site.

MALAYSIA LANDSCAPE

Taiwan Orchid Industry – the country is acclaimed as the best producer of orchids in the world. Gifted with rich biological resources, the country is reputed as the Kingdom of Orchids. Taiwan occupies a pivotal position in the world of orchids, accounting 70% of the total value of Taiwan's horticultural exports around the world.

The Phalaenopsis orchid has a highly competitive edge in terms of tissue culture, seeding propagation, breeding, environmental control in green houses.

The orchid show itself had attracted 200,000 visitors which included 3000 foreign floral buyers.

IOS MEMBERS SHOWCASING MALAYSIA LANDSCAPE

On Day 3 – we participated in the Nursery Tour, where we have a 'greet & meet' session with the nurseries owners and exchange views on agricultural products. There is a welcoming fruit tasting session for tourists and a chance to taste the many fruits in Taiwan. Kaohsiung is named “An extensive land of bounty”, which covers the Central Mountain Ranges, Jade Mountain and Mt Ali.  

NURSERY TOUR

 

On Day 4 – we booked a van to take us for a one-day detour accompanied by a tour guide Christ, who guided us to the popular tourist destination in Tainan City.

Tainan City existed in the 17^th century, is located in center southwest of Taiwan. It is the oldest city in Taiwan. I fall in love with Tainan as there is something 'historical' about this city. 

CHIHKAN TOWER

Firstly, we stopped over at the Chihkan Tower (the former Fort Provintia) is the landmark of Tainan and its most famous historic site. In 1653 the Dutch built Fort Provintia in this area, and the Chinese named it Tower of Savages or Tower of Re-haired Barbarians, and finally Chihkan Tower is its official name today.

Crammed with various kinds of steles, stone horses, weight lifting rocks, stone weights and nine stone tortoises carrying royal stele carved in both Chinese and Manchurian, the courtyard looks more like an outdoor museum.

ANPING OLD FORT

REMAINS OF RUINS LEFT BEHIND BY DUTCH

Next, we journeyed to the Anping Old Fort was built in the early 17^th century, when the European seafarers came to Asia to trade and develop colonial outposts. In 1624, the Dutch occupied Anping and took 10 years to build a fort named Fort Zeelandia. After 1661, Koxinga drived out Dutch and lived here, it was then named Fort Monarch, Anping Castle and Taiwan castle. The Japanese rebuilt it and named it Anping Old Fort. The only Dutch remains are the ruins of a semicircular bulwark and a section of the outer fort's brick wall, the root of an old banyan tree on the wall remains as a witness to the fort's history.

ANPING TREE HOUSE

Nearby, we made a visit to the Anping Tree House which is now covered with aerial roots and branches of banyan trees wrapped around the building, combined with soil, red brick and partial concrete wall it creates a 'wonderful sight', which I adorned. The building was originally the warehouse of Tait & Co and later it operated as an office during the Japanese Occupation of the Japan Salt Company. After World War II, the salt industry declines, and this area was abandoned.

OLD PORT

FOREIGN MERCHANT HOUSE

A walk across the tree house, one can view the Foreign Merchant House built in 1867, by British traders established the Tait & Co merchant house in Anping, to handle tea exports, and the firm's insurance and banking businesses. This is the only remaining merchant house of British traders in Anping, which is now used as the Taiwan Development Historical sculpture Exhibition Hall.

CONFUCIOUS TEMPLE MAIN HALL

Day 5 – our adventurous spirit advanced us to take a cab to the Confucious Temple (1665) built by Chen Yong Hua in an effort to revive scholastic and attract learned scholars, here. It is educational to take a walk around the temple's vicinity, take photographs with the Confucious Statue, Manners Entrance, Pagoda, Shrine of Confucious Ancestors and Worship Tables, among others.

CONFUCIOUS STATUE

Another 'must see' is the Ma Chui Temple – dedicated to worshiping the Seafarer Gods and Taoist deity, which is popular among tourists, daily.

MA CHUI TEMPLE

Day 6      –        DEPARTURE

MARCH 3 – 8, 2009

POSING WITH HOTEL STAFF