2024年3月18日 星期一

Kaohsiung vs. Pingtung vs. Taitung vs. Pingtung vs. Kaohsiung


Kaohsiung: that slightly hotter, slightly less dense, slightly less crowded, slightly less historic cousin to Taipei.  Or maybe it's closer kin to Tainan.  It's hard to say.

The center of Kaohsiung is the Kaohsiung Port.  From the earliest times the fishermen came to those shores to dry their fish and dry their salt in the sun.  Later still the Japanese began digging up all the scenery that people have forgotten, and after that the factories came, each a satellite suspended from that busy, busy port at the southern end of an island which may or may not be a province of China.

I must have first visited Kaohsiung in the late 90s.  I probably came on the train or I was driven down from Tainan.  I remember thinking that the buildings were much larger there.  Back then I could never find the center of Kaohsiung because we were always skirting around the port area, always avoiding the worst snarls of traffic.

So many years later and now I might finally understand Kaohsiung.  I know how to go from A to B in that city.  I know how to go to C, D, E and F as well.  Were I not east, in the mountains, I could get around it well enough without a car or a scooter, which is not the same as saying that it's easy to get around it without a car or a scooter.  The light rail forms a loop east of the port, and near the center of that loop the MRT forms a cross through everything famous, but some parts of Kaohsiung are still remote, still remnants of that time before everything from Luzhu to Linyuan was called a city.

Pingtung: that even hotter, even less dense, even less crowded, even less historic suburb of Kaohsiung.  ...because that's what it is now: a suburb of Kaohsiung.  There was a time when this was not so, but that time is long behind us.

Pingtung County has no center, just smaller and smaller towns radiating outward from Pingtung City.  And even Pingtung City is little more than the largest of these towns.  Fun things to do in Pingtung City at night?  That would be a very, very short discussion.

Despite its relative dearth of history (or at least historical sites) Pingtung is getting older and older all the time.  When all is said and done, what is there for younger people to do in Pingtung?  More often than not they escape to Kaohsiung or other cities as soon as they're able, leaving the towns of Pingtung to tottering relatives they barely speak to anymore.  These relatives, distanced by both time and opportunity, remember better days, festival days, when everyone dined together and the sound of firecrackers rumbled from the streets, but those days are now fewer and farther between.

Once upon a time I was a less cynical, less informed sort of waiguoren who never really knew where he was or what he was doing (and with whom).  Back then I drove a borrowed car from Kaohsiung to Kenting, at the southern end of Pingtung, not even knowing what a "Pingtung" or a "Kenting" were.  It is a happy memory, though to this day I'm not entirely sure how I made it there and back.

In the four years I've lived in Pingtung I suppose I know the county as well as I'm ever going to.  I can tell you the fastest route from here to there and there to here.  I can tell you places worth going to and restaurants worth visiting.  Most of that going to and coming from will involve a car, because traveling by scooter from places like Donggang to Wanluan is very, very exhausting.  And who needs the sunstroke?  The choking dust?  The aggravation?

Taitung, also known as The Place Behind the Mountain, is on the other side of the mountains from Pingtung.  It has perfect weather, great transportation, no crowds (unless you want crowds), and no history to get in the way of your vacation.  Or so the travel literature would have you believe.

The center of Taitung County is Taitung City, and that can be a good thing if you're getting off the train, if you've just rented a scooter, and if you're on the road, bound for some holiday destination.  I marvel at how carelessly tourists attempt to ride scooters to the other end of Taitung County.  For them I suppose the journey is the destination, while I'm off on the sidelines wondering at how many kilometers they have yet to go.  They'd be complaining about that sun, now high in the sky, if they were in Kaohsiung, but in Taitung everything's alright, all is well, no worries.  "Pass me a beer, my friend, and let me make some bad decisions."

I can remember a Taitung very different from the Taitung that now is.  Back then everything there was quiet and uneventful.  Back then Taitung was nothing so much as FAR.  Around the year 2000 we walked around a train station that no longer exists, through unused land next to the train tracks.  Back then there were oxen downtown, and the most meaningful place you could go was the nearby bus station.

I can't tell you how Taitung has changed because I'm not all that convinced that it has.  Certain things yes -- but the whole, barely-known collection of towns that comprise it -- I'm not so sure.  It's definitely easier to get around Taitung now, it's definitely more vulnerable to the grasping hands which seek to monetize it, but I sometimes have the feeling that Taitung will be the death of their enterprises -- it's only a matter of when and how.

I may return to it yet, I haven't decided.  It might not be up to me.  Don't ask me today, maybe I'll know tomorrow.

Just rest assured that I remember all of those people, places and things between Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung.  I carry them with me always.  I didn't leave them because they didn't matter; in many cases I left them because they did matter, or because I didn't matter, or both.  I often feel opposed to the person I have been in those places, while at other times I can feel that former me stretching out his arms to embrace me as a friend.  Most of my roads seem to end up running back around in a circle.

There was a moment, now nearly four years previous, when I put my family of cats into a red Nissan and crossed over the mountains between Taitung and Pingtung.  I was there, and I was there, and I was there.  I learned to teach other children, I learned to shop in different places, and I learned how the world looks from the other side of the mountains.  I made friends, yes, and hopefully I'll carry these friends forward into the future.

There may yet be a moment, perhaps next year, when I put my family of cats into that same red Nissan and drive upward into Kaohsiung.  I'll be there, and I'll be there, and I'll be there.  I'll learn to teach other children, I'll learn to shop in different places, and I'll learn how the world looks from a small apartment north of Kaohsiung Port.  I'll make friends, yes, and hopefully I'll carry those friends forward, ever forward, into the future.

Unless, as often happens, my road leads in the opposite direction.  Does it matter?  Won't life continue on, in much the same fashion, regardless of the choices I make and the roads I travel?

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2024年3月15日 星期五

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (South 南) 4


There are 37 Districts in Tainan City.  These districts are divided into North Tainan and South Tainan, or those "north of the [Dzengwen] river" and those "south of the [Dzengwen] river."  The districts of North Tainan are further grouped into the Xinying Area, the Beimen Area and the Dzengwen Area.  The districts of South Tainan are further grouped into the Fucheng Area, the Xinfeng Area and the Xinhua Area. 台南市分為37個區 , 這37個地區分成曾文溪北部的北台南跟曾文溪南部的南台南 。 北台南又分為新營地區 、北門地區跟曾文地區 ; 南台南又分為府城地區 、 新豐地區跟新化地區 。


1. 安南區 Annan District

1a. Flood control work will be undertaken in Annan starting this month.  The work includes drainage (detention) ponds and improved drainage ditches.  The project should conclude in September. 安南區怡中市地重劃工程進行 ...

1b. There was a fire at a house in Annan.  An occupant of the house was later taken to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. 台南市凌晨驚傳民宅失火  一婦人吸入濃煙送醫


2. 中西區 West Central District

2a. Work at a construction site was halted after a construction crane triggered a road collapse.  Such accidents are a big problem in Tainan, where infrastructure projects and private real estate ventures are completed in the presence of aging roads and old buildings. 台南市中西區五妃街及西門路口道路塌陷 ...


3. 安平區 Anping District

3a. A private foundation hosted a meal at the Huapingli Activity Center for those in need. 普力關協新春餐會宴請安平弱勢

3b. This article, complete with pictures, discusses some of the breakfast foods available in Anping.  Salty milkfish rice porridge?  For breakfast? 安平區必吃早餐推應 : 超豐盛虱目魚鹹粥...


4. 南區 South District

4a. Several community activities were held in South District as part of Tainan City's yearly "Lohas Kunxi Bay" event.  The centerpiece of this event was a dinner featuring local delicacies held at Wanhuang Temple. 台南推 "樂活鯤喜灣"  遊程美食  南區大餐一桌只要3800元


5. 北區 North District

5a. This article discusses Tainan's Dzongye Old Street, which is near the Tainan Transfer Station in North District.  There's a lot of history in that area. 台南轉運站前身是兵工廠 ?  走進北區總爺古街 , 感受手工煎餅 , 海味魚麵的單純美好與人情

5b. This article, complete with pictures, introduces the Xiaobei Tourist Night Market.  According to the article parking in the area is very convenient. 台南小北觀光夜市 : 品嘗美食 , 血拚購物 , 交通便利又好停車


6. 安定區 Anding District

6a. A longstanding dispute between two brothers over the distribution of family property led to charges of coercion, attempted murder and other crimes. 台南兄弟爭家產起糾紛  弟不忿動手反被兄開車撞又圍毆


7. 東區 East District

7a. A car struck a lamp post for unexplained reasons.  The driver tested negative for alcohol and no one was seriously injured. 台南轎車自撞路燈基座  4人輕重傷送醫


8. 善化區 Shanhua District

8a. Civil servants in Shanhua and surrounding districts recently attended a political integrity/anti-corruption seminar. 南市善化區公所與南檢及市府政風處辦理廉政教育順練  內化公務員廉潔意識


9. 新市區 Xinshr District

9a. No recent news out of Xinshr.


10. 永康區 Yongkang District

10a. There was a fire in a lottery ticket shop.  Two men were trapped inside the building, but were later rescued by firefighters and sent to the hospital for treatment.  The cause of the fire is suspected to be faulty wiring. 台南永康彩券行火警  2男驚險脫困送醫治療

10b. There are plans to build a ring road through the outskirts of metropolitan Tainan.  A section of this road will pass through Yongkang.  The city government recently made some changes to the construction plans for this road, but it should proceed as scheduled. 台南北外環道路新建工程有進長  永康區都市計畫變更案過關


11. 仁德區 Rende District

11a. The sewer system in Rende is being renovated.  The project should be completed next year. 台南市仁德區污水下水道系統第二期工程 ...

11b. Work on sewer and water pipes caused the rupture of a natural gas pipeline in the same area.  The road was closed immediately as a result. 台南仁德天然氣管線遭挖斷  封路灑水待修復


12. 歸仁區 Gueiren District

12a. The Dongmen Art Museum, a privately owned institution, was recently moved to an old warehouse formerly used by the Gueirun District Farmer's Association. 東門美術館喬遷歸仁農會舊倉庫


13. 關廟區 Guanmiao District

13a. A memorial service for deceased, unmarried soldiers was conducted at Shouren Cemetery. 退輔會台南關廟區壽人墓園單身亡故榮民安厝晉塔  追思緬懷  莊嚴肅穆


14. 新化區 Xinhua District

14a. There was a fire in a house on Zhungshan Road.  台南新化區中山路平房火警  明火竄出消防全力搶救


15. 龍崎區 Longqi District

15a. The Tainan City Government has put a stop a plan to develop the area around the Niupu Landfill.  It was (re)classified as a geological park and nature reserve several years ago, but many have issues with the development plan as it now stands.  Proponents of the plan are still hopeful that the project will move forward, and they recently set up a booth at Social University to explain the plan to the public. 台南龍崎牛埔地質公園  啟動


16. 左鎮區 Zuojhen District

16a. No recent news out of Zuojhen.


17. 山上區 Shanshang District

17a. An aluminum ring shot out of a piece of factory equipment, killing one worker instantly and injuring another in Shanshang.  The factory involved makes wheel frames and other auto parts.  The accident is being investigated. 台南市山上區工廠驚傳工安意外  鋁圈噴出猛砸員工致1死1傷


18. 玉井區 Yujing District

18a. Many types of flowers are in bloom both in and around Shuangxiu Gardens in Yujing.  Those interested can enter the park for free. 玉井錫葉藤美麗花海紫爆  超級睛


19. 楠西區 Nanxi District

19a. A teacher from Far Eastern University of Science and Technology recently visited Nanxi to teach farmers there how to use  and repair drones in connection with local agriculture.  These drones can be used to spray fruit trees. 楠西青農用植保機  遠科大教撇步


20. 南化區 Nanhua District

20a. The flowers are also blooming in Nanhua District.  Many tourists visit the area to view the musk trees in and around Beiping Community. 春遊小旅行  南化賞花趣

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2024年3月5日 星期二

Mituo District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市彌陀區


Mituo District is north of Dzeguan and west of Gangshan.  Like Dzeguan it's a very small, very rural district centered around a fishing port. 彌陀區位於梓官的北部和岡山的西部 。  它跟梓官一樣是偏遠的漁業區。

Mituo's name is interesting.  "Mituo" is actually another name for the Buddha, though many think that "mituo" was derived from an aboriginal word meaning "bamboo." 彌陀的名字很特別 。  "彌陀" 是的一個名字 ,  有人認為 "彌陀" 這個名稱從馬卡道語的 "竹子" 來的 。

According the the last census, 18,253 people live in Mituo. 上次的人口統計顯示彌陀的人口是18,253人 。


"The Aegean (Aiqin) Seashore Seaview Vacation Farm" (yes, quite a mouthful) is at the southern end of the district, not far from Dzeguan.  It has a coffee shop and a campground.  Be warned there's an entrance fee of 100 NT per person. 離梓官很近的愛情海岸海景度假農場彌陀的南端 。  那裡有咖啡廳和露營區 ,每人100元的門票可以抵消費。


This the view up the coast from the campground.  There's a "sandy beach" north of here, but it's not especially scenic. 露營區的海景 。  北邊的沙灘不算是風景景點。


Still further north up the coast, on the other side of the fishing port.  This area reminded me of the Seagull Park in Jiadong Township, Pingtung County. 更往北邊的海岸, 漁港的另外一邊 。  這個部分讓我想到屏東縣佳冬鄉海鷗公園 。


The Mituo Fishing Port is relatively small. 彌陀漁港不大 。


On the other side of the fishing port the Mituo Fishing Association operates a store which sells frozen fish, fish crackers and other processed foods. 在漁港另外一邊有間漁會開的店 , 這家店賣冷凍魚產和魚餅乾類的東西 。


This park is next to the store. 商店旁邊有小公園 。


On the other side of the park there's a walkway enclosing a beach.  This was the first day of the lunar new year, so of course it was too cold to even think about swimming. 公園另外一邊有條海岸光廊 。  那一天天氣很冷,所以沒人戲水 。


I parked our car at Nanliao Nansheng Temple, not far away from the port.  The local temples were very busy. 我在附近的南寮南聖宮停車 ,  那一天是初一 , 所以廟宇比較熱鬧 。


Aside from Mituo Fishing Port the only other attraction in Mituo is the Tardyhill Nature Park, not far from Highway 17.  This stand is near the park entrance. 除了彌陀漁港之外 ,另外一個彌陀有名的景點是靠近台17線漯底山自然公園 。  這個攤子在入口附近。


Like many such hilltop parks in Taiwan, this park used to be a military base.  The scenery near the bottom of the hill doesn't look like much, but some of the views from the top are good. 跟臺灣很多山坡上的公園一樣 , 這裡以前是軍事基地 。  山下的風景不怎麼樣 , 可是在山坡上能看到的風景不錯 。


I didn't venture into any of the tunnels while I was there.  I don't know if any of them are still open or if they've all been blocked up. 我沒有嘗試走進去那裏的隧道。, 我不知道隧道是不是還可以進去或是被封了 。


The view looking west, toward the Mituo Fishing Port.  There's a tiny "badland" or "moon world" below this viewpoint to the left. 往西邊的彌陀漁港看,   這下面有小小的惡地。


It is often the case that the army grabs the best real estate.  The sunsets from here would be nice. 軍事基地通常位在最好的賞景地點, 在這裡看夕陽會很棒 。


I would've walked down to the "moon world" part but yeah, stairs.  I'll probably visit Tianliao in the near future, so I didn't see the need.  Even so, for those new to this kind of place it would be a walk worth taking. 我雖然想走下去看下面的 "月世界" ,可是樓梯太多了, 而且我這個學期還要去田寮 , 所以決定不去了 。  沒有去過惡地的人會很喜歡吧 !


Another look west.  Mituo is a funny little place, and I wouldn't mind visiting again in the future. 再看西邊一次 ,  彌陀是個很可愛的地區 , 我以後找時間再來 !

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NOTE: The count thus far: I've done 9 districts out of 38 in Kaohsiung, and 5 districts out of 37 in Tainan.  This semester I'll be doing 3 more districts in Kaohsiung and 2 more in Tainan, bringing me to 12 out of 38 and 7 out of 37, respectively.  

I'm still not sure if I'll bother with north Tainan.  I'll have to see where I'm living next year.  If I'm living in Kaohsiung I could definitely get into that, if I move back to Taitung I might start doing more entries for the east coast.