Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
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Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by Nielsio Thu May 21, 2009 12:26 am
Photos and description of my trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong last November/December.
The pictures below are resized by Picasa and compressed. To view originals (up to 1200px wide) go here. Use either the '+' sign to magnify or use 'Slideshow' view (easiest).
Taiwan
1. View outside of my friend's apartment in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. He lives on the 12th (IIRC) floor, has a nice size apartment with a spaceous livingroom, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and two small balconies, and pays around 275 euros/month. The building also has private security, and he speaks with one of the guards daily to learn Chinese.
2. Lots of bikes. Common mode of transporation. The city has an excellent metro system.
3. Typical streetview. Midsized apartment complexes with small business at ground floor and street vendors in front of it.
4. Park, with library on the left.
5. Taipei 101. World't tallest completed skyscraper.
6. Inside Taipei 101, a few floors up. Luxury shops, etc.
7. View from the top of Taipei 101. This is behind glasses, we couldn't go to the outside view because it was closed. So the air isn't as dirty as it might appear, as the glass was rather dirty. You can see the highway going through the city.
8. Taipei is very squared in it's layout.
9. Notice anything odd? The Swastika was actually based on a Buddhist symbol, which Hitler inverted. But we asked some shop lady about it, who was selling Nazi flags, and she knew it was from the Nazis/Hitler. I guess these people don't know the history very well, similar to people in the West walking around with Che Guevara t-shirts and bags, even though the guy was a totalitarian and a murderer.
10. Subway picture. It's not always this busy, often it's not, but during rush hour it certainly is.
11. The particular foodshop is famous in the whole country. People are lining up for it all day. It has vanilla filling or meat (IIRC). After I shot this he pointed at the no-pictures signs. Whoops.
12. A common passtime for high school kids is to do group dancing. There are a couple of places where they do it. This is in a subway station that has a lot of space for it. They get together and practise their moves with their mp3 players on the ground. I didn't really get a good picture of them dancing but you get the idea.
13. People going into the trainstation (on the right).
14.
15. This is a shopping district.
16. Nightmarket. Lots of them in Taipei.
17. It's often a family business. The small business people are the nicest and most relaxed.
18. Good citizens create a happy atmosphere on the Taipei Metro.
. Taiwan is quite traditional in the way people act. You won't see any public affection or people making a ruckus.
19. High speed train we took to the south of the island.
20
21. South of the island is quite touristy in the summer. I was there in December. Temperature was very moderate then.
22
23. These guys were in national service and weren't allowed a camera, so they asked us to take one of them and email it. They seemed like a nice group.
24
25. The library from the earlier park picture. Lots of high school kids in there all the time. They have to learn endless amounts of mindless facts, and the schoolsystem is really devastating for them.
26. Two minutes before I took this picture this guy next to me was sleeping. Very standard for these kids to sleep some, study some, rinse, repeat.
27. Outside of the library. Older people doing some movements/exercises. You see that a bunch in suitable places. On the backside of the library there was usually a group of eight persons with an instructor guy teaching them ballroom dancing. Without music!
28. Same shopping district as earlier. Open till late everyday. No oppressive business hours regulations like here in Europe.
29. Computer center.
30. Taken from the top of my friend's apartment building.
31
32. You can see the park and library.
33. Building in honor of the 'founder' of the country. I believe the guy was the emperor of China and fled because of Mao's revolution. China is viewed by the Taiwanese Chinese as an oppresive country.
34.
35. Luxury street. The shops on the ground floor are expensive chains and such.
36
37
38. This picture belongs to the earlier dancing group as it's in the underground mall section. Again, kids doing their thing in very pleasant an non-disturbing way.
39
40. Inside the computer center. The stores are generally per brand. Seems like a geek's parasides but still I couldn't find the particular higher end stuff I was looking for. But I searched for and just like in Europe you can just buy that stuff online.
41.
42. People with bikes have a mouth cap very often. Some have special designs but others have plain white.
43.
44. Street on the right, small business on the left, sidewalk inbetween that is generally owned by the small business.
45
46
47. They drink ice coffee, ice tea and also a milky drink with bits of gooey bits in it that you chew on (the straws are very wide so it can go through). I didn't like that.
48
49. Typical street vendor. Delicious fresh juice. A little pricey though. Street food is generally very cheap (but good tasting and healthy).
50
51
52. 7-Eleven's are everywhere. They have a deal with a certain bank (they all have an ATM machine inside, that I would recommend using) and also with the government (people pay for some service there, I forget what).
53. Street vendors use electricity for their light and tools from the adjacent building. They also pay those owners a fee, not as rent but so that they don't call the city to get them removed. That's just how it works there.
54
55
56
57
58
59
59b. Books we came across in an upscale bookstore.
The pictures below are resized by Picasa and compressed. To view originals (up to 1200px wide) go here. Use either the '+' sign to magnify or use 'Slideshow' view (easiest).
Taiwan
1. View outside of my friend's apartment in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. He lives on the 12th (IIRC) floor, has a nice size apartment with a spaceous livingroom, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and two small balconies, and pays around 275 euros/month. The building also has private security, and he speaks with one of the guards daily to learn Chinese.
2. Lots of bikes. Common mode of transporation. The city has an excellent metro system.
3. Typical streetview. Midsized apartment complexes with small business at ground floor and street vendors in front of it.
4. Park, with library on the left.
5. Taipei 101. World't tallest completed skyscraper.
6. Inside Taipei 101, a few floors up. Luxury shops, etc.
7. View from the top of Taipei 101. This is behind glasses, we couldn't go to the outside view because it was closed. So the air isn't as dirty as it might appear, as the glass was rather dirty. You can see the highway going through the city.
8. Taipei is very squared in it's layout.
9. Notice anything odd? The Swastika was actually based on a Buddhist symbol, which Hitler inverted. But we asked some shop lady about it, who was selling Nazi flags, and she knew it was from the Nazis/Hitler. I guess these people don't know the history very well, similar to people in the West walking around with Che Guevara t-shirts and bags, even though the guy was a totalitarian and a murderer.
10. Subway picture. It's not always this busy, often it's not, but during rush hour it certainly is.
11. The particular foodshop is famous in the whole country. People are lining up for it all day. It has vanilla filling or meat (IIRC). After I shot this he pointed at the no-pictures signs. Whoops.
12. A common passtime for high school kids is to do group dancing. There are a couple of places where they do it. This is in a subway station that has a lot of space for it. They get together and practise their moves with their mp3 players on the ground. I didn't really get a good picture of them dancing but you get the idea.
13. People going into the trainstation (on the right).
14.
15. This is a shopping district.
16. Nightmarket. Lots of them in Taipei.
17. It's often a family business. The small business people are the nicest and most relaxed.
18. Good citizens create a happy atmosphere on the Taipei Metro.
. Taiwan is quite traditional in the way people act. You won't see any public affection or people making a ruckus.19. High speed train we took to the south of the island.
20
21. South of the island is quite touristy in the summer. I was there in December. Temperature was very moderate then.
22
23. These guys were in national service and weren't allowed a camera, so they asked us to take one of them and email it. They seemed like a nice group.
24
25. The library from the earlier park picture. Lots of high school kids in there all the time. They have to learn endless amounts of mindless facts, and the schoolsystem is really devastating for them.
26. Two minutes before I took this picture this guy next to me was sleeping. Very standard for these kids to sleep some, study some, rinse, repeat.
27. Outside of the library. Older people doing some movements/exercises. You see that a bunch in suitable places. On the backside of the library there was usually a group of eight persons with an instructor guy teaching them ballroom dancing. Without music!
28. Same shopping district as earlier. Open till late everyday. No oppressive business hours regulations like here in Europe.
29. Computer center.
30. Taken from the top of my friend's apartment building.
31
32. You can see the park and library.
33. Building in honor of the 'founder' of the country. I believe the guy was the emperor of China and fled because of Mao's revolution. China is viewed by the Taiwanese Chinese as an oppresive country.
34.
35. Luxury street. The shops on the ground floor are expensive chains and such.
36
37
38. This picture belongs to the earlier dancing group as it's in the underground mall section. Again, kids doing their thing in very pleasant an non-disturbing way.
39
40. Inside the computer center. The stores are generally per brand. Seems like a geek's parasides but still I couldn't find the particular higher end stuff I was looking for. But I searched for and just like in Europe you can just buy that stuff online.
41.
42. People with bikes have a mouth cap very often. Some have special designs but others have plain white.
43.
44. Street on the right, small business on the left, sidewalk inbetween that is generally owned by the small business.
45
46
47. They drink ice coffee, ice tea and also a milky drink with bits of gooey bits in it that you chew on (the straws are very wide so it can go through). I didn't like that.
48
49. Typical street vendor. Delicious fresh juice. A little pricey though. Street food is generally very cheap (but good tasting and healthy).
50
51
52. 7-Eleven's are everywhere. They have a deal with a certain bank (they all have an ATM machine inside, that I would recommend using) and also with the government (people pay for some service there, I forget what).
53. Street vendors use electricity for their light and tools from the adjacent building. They also pay those owners a fee, not as rent but so that they don't call the city to get them removed. That's just how it works there.
54
55
56
57
58
59
59b. Books we came across in an upscale bookstore.
Last edited by Nielsio on Mon Aug 17, 2009 8:28 pm; edited 2 times in total
Nielsio- Admin
- Posts : 89
Join date : 2009-02-19
Location : No-man's land -
Re: Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by Nielsio Fri May 22, 2009 10:24 pm
Hong Kong
60. Now we're in Hong Kong where I went for a few days and stayed at a 150eur/day Hotel to get a good taste of an ecomonically free and thriving country/city.
61. I didn't mention this before but Taiwan is really off the route for Western tourists and you will generally not see any Westerners on the street whatsoever. And people notice you and you're special, particularly if you're 6ft4 and Dutch like me. Also, people essentially do not speak English in Taiwan. Even the school kids who have to learn a lot of English don't learn to actually speak it. Hong Kong is like another world that way. Everybody can speak English and being a Westerner is mundane.
62. High rising shopping malls. Typical in Hong Kong.
63. Christmas sale of ladies bags, and all the girl going nuts over it. Hong Kong is more glitter and glamour and I didn't really like it.
64. Street market.
65. Fish market was at the end with a lot of live fish.
66. Same spot but looking up. High rise apartment complexes. Typical in Hong Kong.
67
68. The big blue glass building is the same as before. The shopping mall goes up to the 14th floor roughly, then upwards from there it's expensive offices, and one restaurent high up.
69. As I said, Taipei is very squared and flat, so easy to navigate. Hong Kong is a whole different story, roads going over, under, crazy bends. It's easy to see how this system came about very differently throughout the years. Took me a little while to figure out how to get certain places on foot/public transport. Metro system is very similar to Taipei btw; except for the layout. In Taipei it's like a star, in Hong Kong it's arching.
70. They use bamboo during construction.
71. High rise and very thin sometimes (notice on the left).
72. Massive apartment complexes. (bamboo on the left again)
73
74. This is the harbor on the West side. Lots of economic activity.
75
76
77
78
79. Temple somewhere in the city, that was very touristy. I didn't really like it. The people didn't seem to get the mythology they were dealing with. They tend to pray to Buddhist imagery, which doesn't make any sense. The Buddha is not a god.
80. Packed subway at the end of the afternoon as I was traveling to the very east side.
81. Small business. Import/export/local sale of special fish (for restaurants). I randomly came across this place in the harbor. Very friendly guy.
82. The view 10 meters outside of the last picture. The left are apartment complexes. This is not the famous picture point of Hong Kong. This is.
83. Che Guevara and Mao pictures. Totalitarianism is cool.
84. In this picture you can spot a kindergarten, a French restaurant, an international travel agency, a snack bar and another restaurant.
85. Now we are on Hong Kong island. Richer and also contains the financial district.
86
87. The view from Victoria Peak, which is reached with the Peak tram. You see the West harbor, as seen on previous pictures.
88
89
90
91
92. Back from the peak and now walking through the financial district.
93
94
95. It has a weird feeling to it because it's the banks that have the most expensive and most modern buildings, while they also contain a bunch of hot air via central banking schemes.
96
97. Lippo Group/Bank Lippo is Indonesian.
98
99
100
101
102
103. They're playing a Chinese chess variant, that we also saw in Taiwan.
104. People waiting in line to enter Louis Vuitton. They don't allow more than X people in at a time. It's Christmas time though. On the right you see a cop writing a ticket.
105. Chi Lin nunnery. Rebuilt in 1990 following traditional Chinese architecture.
106. It was a bit over the top nice, with a lot of gardeners and also some security people. Not really like a Thai monastery for example.
107. It looked really neat though.
108. This is the most inner part.
109. Photographs of the statues wasn't allowed but I managed this from a distance. You can see the nuns polishing fruit and stacking it. There were notes on either side of the statues explaining the meaning of the symbology. The statues were really impressive and worked as they were supposed to. But then you are reminded that it's twisted because the notes also say that so and so is the god of fortune (and you see people bowing to it and asking for good fortune), and on the left of these statues was a room that said 'prayer room'. I thought buddhists meditated, not pray..
110. Lotus flowers. Traditional in Buddhism.
111. It was a very nice place to spend my last afternoon there before I went to eat something and went back on the plane to Taiwan.
112. Shuttle train that takes you from the city to the airport, which lies on a seperate island West of Hong Kong.
60. Now we're in Hong Kong where I went for a few days and stayed at a 150eur/day Hotel to get a good taste of an ecomonically free and thriving country/city.
61. I didn't mention this before but Taiwan is really off the route for Western tourists and you will generally not see any Westerners on the street whatsoever. And people notice you and you're special, particularly if you're 6ft4 and Dutch like me. Also, people essentially do not speak English in Taiwan. Even the school kids who have to learn a lot of English don't learn to actually speak it. Hong Kong is like another world that way. Everybody can speak English and being a Westerner is mundane.
62. High rising shopping malls. Typical in Hong Kong.
63. Christmas sale of ladies bags, and all the girl going nuts over it. Hong Kong is more glitter and glamour and I didn't really like it.
64. Street market.
65. Fish market was at the end with a lot of live fish.
66. Same spot but looking up. High rise apartment complexes. Typical in Hong Kong.
67
68. The big blue glass building is the same as before. The shopping mall goes up to the 14th floor roughly, then upwards from there it's expensive offices, and one restaurent high up.
69. As I said, Taipei is very squared and flat, so easy to navigate. Hong Kong is a whole different story, roads going over, under, crazy bends. It's easy to see how this system came about very differently throughout the years. Took me a little while to figure out how to get certain places on foot/public transport. Metro system is very similar to Taipei btw; except for the layout. In Taipei it's like a star, in Hong Kong it's arching.
70. They use bamboo during construction.
71. High rise and very thin sometimes (notice on the left).
72. Massive apartment complexes. (bamboo on the left again)
73
74. This is the harbor on the West side. Lots of economic activity.
75
76
77
78
79. Temple somewhere in the city, that was very touristy. I didn't really like it. The people didn't seem to get the mythology they were dealing with. They tend to pray to Buddhist imagery, which doesn't make any sense. The Buddha is not a god.
80. Packed subway at the end of the afternoon as I was traveling to the very east side.
81. Small business. Import/export/local sale of special fish (for restaurants). I randomly came across this place in the harbor. Very friendly guy.
82. The view 10 meters outside of the last picture. The left are apartment complexes. This is not the famous picture point of Hong Kong. This is.
83. Che Guevara and Mao pictures. Totalitarianism is cool.
84. In this picture you can spot a kindergarten, a French restaurant, an international travel agency, a snack bar and another restaurant.
85. Now we are on Hong Kong island. Richer and also contains the financial district.
86
87. The view from Victoria Peak, which is reached with the Peak tram. You see the West harbor, as seen on previous pictures.
88
89
90
91
92. Back from the peak and now walking through the financial district.
93
94
95. It has a weird feeling to it because it's the banks that have the most expensive and most modern buildings, while they also contain a bunch of hot air via central banking schemes.
96
97. Lippo Group/Bank Lippo is Indonesian.
98
99
100
101
102
103. They're playing a Chinese chess variant, that we also saw in Taiwan.
104. People waiting in line to enter Louis Vuitton. They don't allow more than X people in at a time. It's Christmas time though. On the right you see a cop writing a ticket.
105. Chi Lin nunnery. Rebuilt in 1990 following traditional Chinese architecture.
106. It was a bit over the top nice, with a lot of gardeners and also some security people. Not really like a Thai monastery for example.
107. It looked really neat though.
108. This is the most inner part.
109. Photographs of the statues wasn't allowed but I managed this from a distance. You can see the nuns polishing fruit and stacking it. There were notes on either side of the statues explaining the meaning of the symbology. The statues were really impressive and worked as they were supposed to. But then you are reminded that it's twisted because the notes also say that so and so is the god of fortune (and you see people bowing to it and asking for good fortune), and on the left of these statues was a room that said 'prayer room'. I thought buddhists meditated, not pray..
110. Lotus flowers. Traditional in Buddhism.
111. It was a very nice place to spend my last afternoon there before I went to eat something and went back on the plane to Taiwan.
112. Shuttle train that takes you from the city to the airport, which lies on a seperate island West of Hong Kong.
Nielsio- Admin
- Posts : 89
Join date : 2009-02-19
Location : No-man's land -
Re: Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by cowbot Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:36 pm
Thanks for the photojournal! I loved the observations - the little weird things that make cultures different. Some photographic talent there... too..
cowbot- Posts : 2
Join date : 2009-08-15
Re: Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by Hikikomori Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:11 pm
Nice pictures. The drink with the chewy stuff and big straw is called Boba.
Hikikomori- Posts : 11
Join date : 2009-12-01
Location : Los Angeles
Re: Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by Nielsio Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:08 am
Thanks Hikikomori,
Where you are from?
Where you are from?
Nielsio- Admin
- Posts : 89
Join date : 2009-02-19
Location : No-man's land -
Re: Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by Hikikomori Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:48 am
Nielsio wrote:Thanks Hikikomori,
Where you are from?
Los Angeles, it's an alright place I guess, lots of bad, lots of good.
Hikikomori- Posts : 11
Join date : 2009-12-01
Location : Los Angeles
Re: Taiwan, Hong Kong trip report
by greves1 Mon Mar 08, 2010 6:43 pm
It was really nice to look through those pictures again, it made me remember a lot of nice things. Hope you visit again soon!
greves1- Posts : 1
Join date : 2010-01-31
Location : Taipei, Taiwan
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