Beautiful Residences

Once a senior female guide,in her radio interview,said that the Taiwanese landscapes are actually as beautiful as those in other countries. She sighed to say what we lack in Taiwan are beautiful houses. All the buildings and bridges are constructed rather on a practical useage than on aesthetic purposes. She was right when she uttered those words. Almost every year, we tried to survive from the natural disasters like earthquake and floods brought by typhoons. The Taiwanese government and people have to spend lots of many repair the relentless damages, and therefore there is no extra money to beautify their homes. Sincerely I hope that Taiwan will have a quick economic promotion and fewer disasters so that we will have a better life. These pictures here are some of the hotels near Farm Chin-jing in Nan-tou County in central Taiwan.

Taiwanese Traditional Nan Bei Music & Theatre

Changhua County Museum of Traditional Nan Bei Music and Theatre is located at Changhua City. It aims at preserving and promoting the gradually disappearing traditional Taiwanese culture which is silently replaced by the emergence of modern music. Every year, it invites the noted teams of Nan-guang(南管 and Bei-guang( 北管) to gather at the temples or halls in Changhua to make competitive shows and try to remind the youth of the old recreational activities in the country long ago.

Taiwanese Folk Opera

I-lan Cultural Bureau,Taiwan, published a series of books with five CDs. It categorizes the Taiwanese folk opera into five elements,including,drama,crying tunes,new tunes,folk tunes and miscellaneous tunes. The CDs demonstrate the ways of singing each tune and serve as a useful approach to traditional Taiwanese opera which was one of the most important recreational pleasure for most Taiwanese elders during the past fifty years. The other element equally important for Taiwanese entertainment is (glove) puppet show. When I was a school boy, my grandma often took me to the theatre to see the opera,and so most of the tunes in the album are familiar to me.

Ghost month

In Taiwan, July, by Lunar calendar, is the month of ghosts. It is commonly believed that all the ghosts are set free from the hell and return to our world. As they are starved in the hell, people in the mudane world prepared numerous foods for them to eat and burn lots of paper money for them to spend. In Taiwan during this month, some businesses are delayed. People usually don't get married in this month, and so the photographer can't earn money from the newly wedded couple. The bakers complain of the scantiness of orders of wedding cake. The restaurant owners are worried that few couples come to their restaurants for the wedding party.Happily enough is that the ghost month is past, and everything is alive after a terrible halt.

Serenity of the temple台南關仔嶺

I like the serenity of the old temple,especially after the rain. Watching the raindrops coming down from the roof is an enjoyable experience in life. It is said that Japanese visit the shrines only on special days. The temples in Taiwan,nevertheless, are always open to the devoted followers. From dawn to dark,numerous people come before the gods and goddesses,whispering their prayers to ask for blessings from the heaven.

Reminiscent of the past

There are numerous stories about the enduring friendship between long-seperared friends. When I was studying in Tamkang University, I forturnately had the opportunity to know Mr.Wang Shiong (王祥 ) who was a major of history in the same college. Thirty years later,I almost have lost all my close friends with the only happy exception of Mr. Wang. Tainan,in southern Taiwan, is an old city preserving many ancient buildings and culture. That is why Mr. Wang and I decide to hold our annual gathering in Tainan. Old city,old friends, old foods compile to produce a sweet new feeling in the warm hearts.

Danny Boy 傷別離

Today the Irish ballad "Danny Boy" appears on one of the most famous newspapers in Taiwan. Some people think it is suitable only for the funeral because of the words like "dying" and "dead",while others insist that it is a song describing the sadness of losing one's beloved family or friends after long departure. Some of the lyrics go: And if you come

when all the flowers are dying

And I am dead,as dead I well may be

You'll come and find the place where I am lying

And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

Flora Festival at Changhua 彰化花博會

Tien-wei Township is noted for its flower planting, and it is known as the "Freeway Garden"(公路花園). Yet Changhua government annually holds flora festival at Shichou, a township just miles away from Tien-wei, which attracts many many visitors to see the fantastic display of flowers. The pics here can only presents a tiny portion of the gigantic party.

寶島四季攝影廣場 Formosan Photographic Square: Cross-Island Road 台灣中橫#links

www.wretch.cc/album/albertshaw

Cross-Island Road 台灣中橫

Although Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, yet it is a mountainous island. Most of the transportation network is located at the west side. To build a road across the island is extremely difficult. The Cross-Island Road (中橫) in central Taiwan, once very famous for the variety of fruits and the activities held by China Youth Corps, was terribly damaged. Here are some of the pics of the scenery along the road.

Books on Taiwanese Ballads研究台灣歌謠的書

There are many books studying the themes,tunes and origions of Taiwanese ballads or old songs. Here I post some of the books easily found at the bookstores. If you are concerned with the development of Taiwanese ballads, read them,please.

水里蛇窯 Pottery at Sui-li, Nantou

Pottery is quite an expensive activity. Few people can afford to play these tricks. Most kilns burning wood are replaced by electric or gas kilns. The pottery in Sue-li, Nantou County, remains famous because the owner insists on using wood to burn the works in the kiln which looks like a snake. On holidays or weekends, many visitors come here to learn pottery. It is a sight-seeing resort in central Taiwan.