Content 04 Special 04
Feature
The Curtain Never Goes Down on Top-Flight Troupes — Taipei, Always“In Play”!
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The 2010 Taipei Children's Arts Festival — A World of Art in the“Children's Garden of Happiness”
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A Mid-Summer Artistic Tide of the Passions — The 2010 Taipei Arts Festival
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Art Unrestrained — The 2010 Taipei Fringe Festival
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Expo 2010 Shanghai
Taipei Culture Week — a Gift of Many Arts
Taipei int'l
Flora Expo Feature
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Behind the Scenes at the Flora Expo Pavilions — Fine Arts Park Area and Yuanshan Park Area
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Celebrity's House — The Grace and Talent of Teresa Teng on Stage Again
What's
New in Taipei
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The Grand Green — The City's First “URS” Gem
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The Heart of Shuiyuan — An Artsy New Face for an Old Market
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The Seat of the Qing Dynasty Government — Reopened for New Business
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Taipei's First Public - Access Shophouse — URS 127 Design Gallery
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Chance Encounters with Fine
Foods
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Taipei's Refreshing Fruits of Summer
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A Grand Presentation of the Pineapple and the Flower — The Taipei Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival
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2010 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition — A Delicious Cavalcade of Taipei's Best Eating
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Local
Life
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The Chinese Festival of Ghosts — Zhongyuan Festival
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Seventh Eve — The Chinese Valentine's Day
Taipei
Health and Recreation Tours
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Taipei's Blue Highway Tours — Heading into Summer by Heading into River Breezes
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A Ramble through Zhongshan District — URS21 Creative Streetscape
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46 “The Force of Jazz”— 2010 Taipei International Jazz Season
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Smile Gongguan — 2010 Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival
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The Speed of Surfing for Landlubbers — Let's Go Skateboarding!
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Journal of Taipei Personalities 52
Explorations and Observations of the Artist — Stan Lai Takes a Slow Walk through Taipei
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Taipei in the Eyes of Foreign Friends
A Cavalcade of
Arts and Culture
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Legends of Heroes — The Heritage of the Three Kingdoms Era
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A Summer of Insanity for Fantasy Anime
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Tibet — Treasures from the Roof of the World
Handy Portable
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Information
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July-August Arts Exhibition Calendar
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Airport Transportation, Taipei Tourist Centers, Maps, and Other Practical Information
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Special Feature
The Curtain Never Goes Down on Top-Flight Troupes
Taipei, Always“In Play”!
I
n the immortal words of Shakespeare,“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”Around the world, in different tongues and from
different cultural perspectives, stage players continue to explore human desires and life's meaning, delving into the individual's drive to find one's shadow and create a noise during one's fleeting mortal existence. In Taipei around 260 home-grown
troupes stage over a hundred theatrical performances each year. These range from groups laden with the hues and tones of traditional Taiwanese culture, such as Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group and Golden Bough Theatre, to groups such as Performance Workshop where modern play is the artistic centerpiece, to popularizers of the musical play All Music Theatre Company and Sunrise Musical Theatre. Innovative all-new works take the stage each season, giving lovers of the theatre all the choice needed to tickle their every fancy.
Native Culture Make the Leap Overseas In former times, a favorite diversion for farmer folks after the busy season in rural areas was Taiwanese opera presentations in front of local temple entrances. The stories were—and today still are—of filial piety and righteousness, delivered in loud and powerful fashion by sonorous voices of great complexity delivering stunning vocal turns. The sounds are an integral part of the Taiwan native's memory. The Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group (明華園戲劇總團) has been thrilling local audiences for over 80 years, serving as torch-bearer of tradition while at the same time incorporating elements of Beijing opera, utilizing classical Chinese nanguan and beiguan music (南北管), borrowing from modern theatre, and bringing in elements from film production and black light theater and using special effects that
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have characters flying through the air. With all this on offer, it is little wonder that the troupe is perhaps Taiwan's most renowned for traditional dramatic theatre, and little wonder again that it is often invited overseas to perform. This year it will be staging its work Cao Guo-jiu of the Eight Immortals (八仙傳奇系列之曹國舅) at the National Theater from Oct. 1 to 3. Another troupe with roots running deep in the good Taiwan earth is Golden Bough Theatre (金枝演社), expert at translating the deep well of earthy Taiwan folk culture. It is devoted to expressing grassroots flavors in what is called o-pei-la (胡撇仔), a play on the word“opera”in Taiwanese, which incorporates new dramatic theatre, song and dance, Western music, and other elements with traditional Taiwanese opera. In July, during the Taipei Children's Arts Festival (臺北兒童藝術節), it will reprise its classic work Midsummer Night's Dream (仲夏夜之夢). Then in mid-September it will unveil its new creation, Grand National March (大國民進行曲), a work with a true Taiwan heart, a song-and-dance musical drama brimming with“salt of the local earth” flavor.
A Microcosm of Society, Modern Theatre that Captivates the Heart Performance Workshop (表演工作坊), whose work is known at home and abroad in far-flung lands, this year caused a great stir with its The Village (寶島一村), a depiction of life in Taiwan's military dependents' villages. The play tells the stories of three generations, a touching laughter-and-tears melodrama featuring a mix of accents reflecting Taiwan's great social mix and the families' struggles to maintain identity in swift-changing times. The troupe will present its newest creation from July 16 to 25, Happiness Lessons (快樂不用學), a look at life's little trials and tribulations that will have you laughing out loud while you are at the same time moved. Using Performance Workshop as example, Newsweek magazine has proclaimed that Taiwan's artists are staging the boldest Chinese art in Asia. The All U People Theatre (全民大劇團) is cut from the same mold, with an emphasis on modern drama. Formed just last year, the new hand is nevertheless raising
1. Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group has created a fusion of traditional and modern theatrical technique. 2. Golden Bough Theatre excels at what is called Taiwan's o-pei-la theatre; here it performs Happiness (浮浪貢開花). 3. Performance Workshop entertains with its creation Happiness Lessons.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Special Feature eyebrows with strong box-office results. In Television
goers' attention with his powerful performance in K24,
Station in Chaos (瘋狂電視台), the stage is made up
staged by the renowned group Tainan Jen Theatre (台
to look like a production studio, and the troupe plays
南人劇團), a presence on the stage ever since. From I
with the viewer's suspension of disbelief by using
Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change! to The Last Five
actual cameras for live broadcasts, jumping the gulf
Years, the troupe has been bedazzling audiences with
between audience and performers. Biting satire is used
the sounds of pop, rock'n' roll, jazz, and Latin, bringing
to question the fine line between order and disorder
forth a combination of musical and theatrical sensation
in contemporary society—an unusual but insightful
Taiwan has never seen before.
channel for better understanding of Taiwan's world. Encore performances are being staged from Aug. 19 to 22.
All Music Theatre Company (音樂時代劇場) creates works with a heavy emphasis on Taiwan music and themes. Its newest offering is The Impossible Times
Taipei Also Has Its Broadway, Dazzling Musicals Taking the Stage
– Taiwan Musical Trilogy (渭水春風), one of the most anticipated presentation at the prestigious 2010 Taipei Arts Festival (2010臺北藝術節). The play's format is an
Yes, in Taipei you can also take in some great
intricate weaving of song, dance, and narration,
musicals—and all in English too! Sunrise Musical
depicting the life and times of Taiwan hero and
Theatre (曙光劇團) continually introduces“off-
revolutionary Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水), who was a
Broadway”musicals, with well-known American director
key figure in the development of a Taiwan ethnic
Dan Chumley giving theatrical guidance, acclaimed
consciousness during the Japanese colonial period
Broadway dancer Jun leading dance training, and
(1895-1945). The work will be premiered from Sept. 10 to
American director Brook Hall having been invited
12.
to Taiwan to lend his expertise to the production of the musical drama Smokey Joe's Café (慾望咖啡館). All players in the troupe excel at song, dance, and
A Troupe Like No Other – Exploring New Visual Realms
acting, providing a type of fast-paced multi-faceted entertainment not well known on the island. Artistic
A group that devotedly strives to popularize modernity
director Ke Xing (可星) once shared the stage belting
in puppetry is strikingly named The Puppet and Its
out tunes with pop diva A-mei (張惠妹), and the head
Double Theater (無獨有偶), which will have the curtain
of the troupe, Gao Cheng-xian (高丞賢), shot to theatre-
rise on its new work The Cutter of Happiness (剪紙人)
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on Sept. 9. Humans and puppets interact, in a performance that is poetic yet filled with tension as the search for wellbeing and happiness is explored. The troupe 4 Chairs Theatre (四把椅子), made up of students from the graduating class in the Dept. of Drama at National Taiwan University of Arts (臺灣藝術大學戲劇系), will be presenting Waiting for What!？ (等待窩窩頭之團團 圓圓越獄風雲), exploring the absurdities and manias of the denizen of the modern city. Both of these theatrical gems will be formally rolled out during the Taipei Arts Festival (臺北藝術節), and will have accompanying English captioning throughout. Yes indeed, you'll find that Taipei is always“in play,” with something new, something different hitting the stage most every day. Treat yourself to a tour of the senses!
Troupe
Title
Performance Workshop
Happiness Lessons 《快樂不用學》
(表演工作坊) 4 Chairs Theatre (四把椅子)
All U People Theatre (全民大劇團)
Waiting for What!？ 《等待窩窩頭之團團圓圓越獄風雲》 Television Station in Chaos 《 瘋狂電視台 》
All Music Theatre Company (音樂時代劇場)
The Impossible Times – Taiwan Musical Trilogy
4. Sunrise Musical Theatre's players each excel at both singing and dancing, here performing Baby Song. 5. All Music Theatre Company and its Taiwan-theme The Impossible Times – Taiwan Musical Trilogy. 6. Puppet and Its Double Theater uses interaction between humans and puppets, here staging its The Cutter of Happiness.
Time 7/16 ~ 7/25
8/12 ~ 8/15
8/19 ~ 8/22
The Cutter of Happiness
(無獨有偶工作室劇團)
《剪紙人》
Golden Bough Theatre
Grand National March 《大國民進行曲》
(金枝演社) Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group
Cao Guo-jiu of the Eight Immortals
(明華園戲劇總團)
《八仙傳奇系列之曹國舅 》
National Theater
Website www.pwshop.com
國家戲劇院
Nanhai Gallery 南海藝廊 Novel Hall 新舞臺
www.wretch.cc/blog/ at4am
www.wretch.cc/blog/ allupeople www.allmusic-mag.net
9/10 ~ 9/12
《臺灣音樂劇三部曲─渭水春風》
The Puppet and Its Double Theater
Venue
9/9 ~ 9/12
9/17 ~ 9/19
10/1 ~ 10/3
National Theater 國家戲劇院
Nanhai Gallery
www.o-puppet.com.tw
南海藝廊
National Theater 國家戲劇院
National Theater
www.goldenbough.com. tw
http://www.twopera.com
國家戲劇院
Ticket Websites ERA Ticket: www.ticket.com.tw National Theater/Concert Hall: www.artsticket.com.tw/CKSCC2005/Home/Home00/index.aspx
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Special Feature
A World of Art in the“Children’ s Garden of Happiness”
T
he worlds of floral beauty and the arts are about to
the natural surroundings and nurturing a sense of caring.
come together in happy collision, spinning a web
The folks from The Puppet & Its Double Theater (無獨有
of happiness and childlike imagination. This will be the
偶工作室劇團), will also teach kids how to express, stage,
eleventh year for the Taipei Children's Arts Festival,
and perform the special stories that lay deep within their
which will serve as a splendid segue into the Taipei
hearts.
International Flora Exposition this year. The children's festival will run from July 8 to August 7, and the theme this year will be natural ecology. A“Children's Garden of Happiness”is being created that will also be a very happy place for everyone well beyond their days of youth. A cavalcade of kids' favorite performances will be staged, such as glove-puppet theater and shadow puppet theater, all of which will have“Caring for the Natural World”as their theme. Free shows will be given in all neighbourhood communities in Taipei City. Eco-literature writer Ling Fo's (凌拂) easy-to-understand writings on the plant world and a kid-friendly film festival will give all who come a fun-focused glimpse into the mysteries of nature. The“Children's Cloth Art Creative Workshop”(兒童玩布 創意坊) will lead kids in creating their own unique cloth-art creations using flowers and plants on Yangmingshan, enhancing their understanding of
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Discover Taipei
Each year some of the premier children's theatre troupes from around the world are invited to the Children's Arts Festival. This year's crème de la crème are Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio from Italy, and Títeres de María Parrato and Aracaladanza from Spain. The Children's Arts Festival and Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio are to come together in the creation of a cooperative artwork entitled Buchettino (拇指小英雄), in which the theatre seating is transfor med into beds and special sound ef fects are used to create a forest-like ambiance. While snuggled up under their quilts, kids will follow little Buchettino in learning how to face difficulties and turn peril into safety while watching a true“bedtime”story. In Ping—The Bird Who Couldn't Fly (小企鵝想要 飛), Títeres de María Parrato uses clowns, masks, puppets, and music/visual
effects to tell the story of a determined and imaginative little penguin who discovers his true self while working diligently to discover the secret of flight. In the dance work Tiny Paradises (小天堂), Aracaladanza uses newsprint, black garbage bags, and other everyday items to create a magical world of childlike fancy in which little puppet people could dance, and pink bigbeaked birds walk around on ballons. Local theatrical talent will also be well represented. A major festival highlight will be the premiere stage productions of the top three winners in the“2009 Children's Theatre Writing Competition”(2009兒童戲劇 創作徵選), Ten Lessons of Angels (米奇的十堂課), The Big Secret (奧陀曼山傳奇), and the innovative Taiwanese opera The Miser (喔喔，錢奴才). This summer, why not make time to come to a special garden where the inner child that resides within you can run free for awhile in a magical world of youthful joy and innocence？You'll be happy you did.
Information 2010 Taipei Children's Arts festival 2010第11屆臺北兒童藝術節 Time: 7/8 to 8/7 Tel: (02) 2528-9580, ext. 197 Venues: Paid-admission performances at Zhongshan Hall (中山堂), Taipei City Govt. Family Theater (臺北市政 府親子劇場), Taipei Cultural Center Metropolitan Hall (城 市舞台), and Performing Arts School 36 (表演36坊) Free performances- 82 community events (Taipei City's 12 administrative districts); 22 days of children's film showings (Puppetry Art Center of Taipei; 臺北偶戲 館); 12 workshops (Grass Mountain Artist Village; 草山國 際藝術村and Dongmen Elementary School; 東門國小). Website: www.taipeicaf.org
1. Títeres de María Parrato from Spain is staging—The Bird Who Couldn't Fly. 2. Tiny Paradises by Aracaladanza, also from Spain, is composed of eleven dance sequences. 3. The Puppet & Its Double Theater teaches kids how to stage and perform stories from their own hearts. 4. Toy Theater Workshop (立體故事工作坊) synthesizes body language, games, and puppetry to display the world of children's imagination.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Special Feature
A Mid-Summer Artistic Tide of the Passions—
The 2010 Taipei Arts Festival A
rtists are forever fascinated with the delicacy and
other happenings. Great virtuosity will everywhere be on
complexity of emotions in human relationships. In
brilliant display.
recognition of this, the 2010 Taipei Arts Festival (2010臺 北藝術節) has“Artistic Tide of the Passions”(藝漾情迷) as its theme. Nine superb stage works by heavyweight artists
and prominent theatrical talents have been selected from America, Europe, and Asia to be presented as a grand package of artistic vision that will run from August 3 to September 12. The program will have it all—theatre, music, and installation art exhibits, along with a satisfying line-up of lectures, film viewings, and
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Discover Taipei
The number of high-calibre theatrical works being brought in from across the seas is impressive. Spearheading the parade of world-class talent is Hey Girl!, in which a range of materials from different media are used to create strikingly different visual images of young women. In Stifters Dinge, German avant-garde theatre director and composer Heiner Goebbels offers a play with no actors and no story, in a grand work of philosophical contemplation. Industrial mechanisms are used in a work of“installation theater”that is a space and time travel experience recombining“ci vilized”and“primitive”culture, with a breathtaking
1. Italian director Romeo Castellucci's Hey Girl! will open the festival this year. 2. Waiting for What!？ is a sold-out comedy about pandas on a prison-break from the zoo. 3. Michael Jackson combines the best of Michael Jackson hits with notable events from the 80s. 4. Robert Lepage's Lipsynch is masterful in storytelling that does not fade in the lasting 8.5 hours. 5. Mint, Rosemary, and the Flower with No Name. 6. Timeless Love—Concert of Dichterliebe and Nanguan. 7. Hey Girl! creates striking images with diverse materials.
the symbolism he embodied. The Impossible Times – Taiwan Musical Trilogy is an elaborate work by All Music Theatre Company (音樂時代劇場) dedicated to tragic Taiwan hero and revolutionary Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水), whose life has become the stuff of legend. An uplifting epic with deftly interwoven song and dance, the lyrical music depicting Chiang's life and love in a turbulent age is centered on the dulcet tones of Yin Cheng-yang's (殷 正洋) celebrated voice. The play Mint, Rosemary, and the Flower with No Name (薄荷、迷迭香和不知名的花) is the first ever to make the jump from the young Taipei Fringe Festival to the Taipei Arts Festival stage. And at Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914創意文化園區), in the installation-art exhibit Installation – IO PENSO artist Romeo Castellucci begins with the Io penso theory of German philosopher sonic landscape and provocative visual frenzy. In his
Immanuel Kant to contemplate the future of nature and
marathon epic Lipsynch, which stretches 8.5 hours,
man“if people stop thinking.”
international theatre master Robert Lepage ingeniously utilizes light, sound, stage props, and moving scenery to
The annual Taipei Arts Festival, staged by the Taipei
move across space and time in an exploration of the
City Government has become a key event in the
chapters of nine interconnected lives.
summer cultural calendar. We contemplate the purity and passion of the human character as seen through
Stage productions innovatively combining theatre
the eyes of the artist. The program this year has nine
with music are also being featured front and center. In
works staged one after the other at different venues,
Timeless Love—Concert of Dichterliebe and Nanguan,
and though each is distinctive in style, each addresses
four great talents have come together to create
in zealous and colour ful fashion the complicated
something novel: Chien Wen-pin (簡文彬), a Europe-
and mysterious emotional forces that drive us all. A
based music director and piano master, German tenor
fascination with human nature is the very core of the
Tilman Lichdi, theatrical director Y.C. Wei (魏瑛娟), and
arts; the actors and characters await you for a summer
renowned nanguan (南管) music impresario Wang Xin-
date, an“Artistic Tide of the Passions”(藝漾情迷) to
xin (王心心). A tribute to Shumann for his 200th birthday,
show you what they know!
the eloquence of Western and Chinese classical music is combined with the romance of stage drama. On the anniversary of pop icon Michael Jackson's death, the Shakespeare's Wild Sisters Group (莎士比亞的妹妹們的劇
Information
團) has decided to stage a revised tribute version of its
2010 Taipei Arts Festival 2010臺北藝術節
2005 classic production Michael Jackson, representing
Time: 8/3 to 9/12
our memories of Jackson and interpreting the popular
Tel: (02) 2528-9580, ext. 191~199
culture of the 1980s via the materials he created and
Website: www.taipeifestival.org
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Special Feature
Art Unrestrained
W
hen performing artists are not on a premium theatrical venue in which to display their talents, passion takes
flight and creativity soars. The seeds of creative ingenuity have been planted in Taipei, and are gaily sprouting, in every corner. The Taipei Fringe Festival, celebrating its third anniversary this year, is calling one and all to come participate. You are welcome to express yourself in every and any which way with open mind and free-ranging spirit, and with critics and selection committees given no role to play. On the card this year will be 75 performing groups giving up to 264 performances in 22 art spaces, many highly unusual—art galleries, hair salons, cafes, even old dormitories—all transformed into performances stages. The festival has its primary focus on non-mainstream, smallaudience, new-style theatre, and this year has received a great many inquiries from per formance groups based in America, Europe, and throughout Asia. Among those who will be in town to perform will be“Fringe Mime and Movement Laboratory”(藝 穗默劇實驗室) from Hong Kong,“Little Red Theatre Troupe”(小紅 劇團) from Singapore, and“Rain Man Drama Society”(雨人劇社) from Shanghai. On the other hand, many seasoned troupes have decided to attend this year's festival and to present retrospective works; these include“Comma Theatre Company”(逗點創意劇團), celebrating its tenth anniversary,“Shadow of Belly Dance”(昕 舞影舞集), celebrating its fifth, and“Rifat and Yubon”(魚蹦興業), renowned for its comedic repertoire. On this stage without boundaries for creative vision, even the names of groups stepping into the spotlight exhibit boldness. This year there's“Sea Turtles Special Forces Team”(海龜特攻隊),“Big Bird Is a Mink”(大鳥是一種貂), and“Why Don't You Eat Carrots？”(為什麼你不吃紅蘿蔔). There's also a number of newconcept troupes that marry different forms of performance arts, such as“Meimen Martial Arts Workshop”(梅門功
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藝坊), which fuses magic with martial arts. Many works
themselves in the stimulating embrace of this city's
that have received great acclaim at the Taipei Fringe
pulsing arts scene.
Festival then go on to a bigger, more mainstream stage, the Taipei Arts Festival (臺北藝術節), and become known to a much wider audience.
The opening ceremonies for the 2010 Taipei Fringe Festival will be at the Bopiliao Historic Block (剝皮寮歷史 街區) on August 8th, headlined by a thumping parade
In recent years, fringe festivals have emerged as key
and a long line-up of live performances. You should
draws in global city marketing. In addition to regular
also make sure to head over to the Fringe Center at
folks, more and more event producers and curators
Bopiliao for some stimulating talk with some of the
are making time to attend such inspiring creative
dedicated workers from the world of the arts that you'll
happenings such as the fringe festivals in Edinburgh,
see performing.
Scotland and in Avignon, France. In Taipei, a wonderfully eclectic mix of venues are undergoing metamorphosis, to emerge as highly interactive cultural-performance stages where the audience is intimately close to the artists—Guling St. Avant-Garde Theatre (牯嶺街小劇 場), Taipei Cinema Park Building D (電影主題公園D棟), Nanhai Gallery (南海藝廊), Paris Night Club (夜巴黎大舞 廳), Café Mezone (米倉咖啡), and the Fruit Wine Hall in Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山創意文化園區果酒禮堂) chief among them. You'll be warmly welcomed at one and all as you join many others of like mind wrapping
Information 2010 Taipei Fringe Festival 第3屆臺北藝穗節 Time: 8/28 to 9/12 Tel: (02) 2528-9580, ext. 197 Website: www.taipeifringe.org
1. Lucy in the Sky, by 331 Theatre. 2-3. The Fringe Festival's colorful opening cavalcade of performances and parade.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Pavilion Expo 2010 Shanghai
Taipei Culture Week— a Gift of Many Arts T
he Taipei Pavilion at the Expo 2010 Shanghai
典藏品特展—臺灣行旅) at the Shanghai Art Museum.
was for mally unveiled for the world to see on
Fifty works by artists of different generations were
May 1. In June saw another highlight, the staging
selected, their visions showing off the fecund
of Taipei Culture Week (臺北文化週). The Taipei City
and widely varying Taiwan landscapes. Among
Government organized a magnificent force of seven
the sites depicted that were familiar and much
large performance troupes and over 1,000 performers,
admired on both sides of the Taiwan Strait were
which stormed the Shanghai stage. The order of the
Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), Alishan (阿里山), and
day was a stirring regimen of artistic performances
Cape Eluanbi (鵝鸞鼻). The Dragon Boat Festival
and a visual arts exhibition, culture forum, mini-expo
happened to fall on June 16, and on that evening
on the cultural-creative industry, Taipei Day, and
the Taiwan performance troupe Ming Hwa Yuan
outdoor Flora Expo performances. These unfolded in
Arts and Cultural Group (明華園戲劇總團) staged
myriad locations, including Shanghai's major theatres,
its Taiwanese opera The Legend of the White
Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Art Museum, a grand
Snake (超炫白蛇傳) at Shanghai Hongkou Football
showing of all Taiwan has to offer in the artistic realm,
Stadium. The audience was thrilled by actors
bestriding all from the best in traditional arts to the best
magically rising from the earth, levitating and flying
in contemporary. It was a rousing success, the name of
through the air, and leaping over buildings ten
our city on countless lips.
stories high, and even the fantastical“Flooding of
Taipei Culture Week was kicked off with a bang with the opening of the“Touring Taiwan: Highlights from the Taipei Fine Arts Museum Collection”(臺北市立美術館
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Jinshan Temple”(水漫金山寺) was enacted, with a giant simulated inundation of water from high in the air and fire engines from the Shanghai fire dept. on hand to join in the visual carnival.
A Pas de Deux of Tradition and Modernity – Taipei Culture Show Also during Culture Week, the GuoGuang Opera Company (國光劇團) presented its Beijing Opera The Golden Cangue (金鎖記), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by famed Shanghai writer Eileen Chang (張愛玲). This is modern Beijing Opera, in which traditional singing, chanting, and other techniques are used to interpret the emotions and thought processes of the modern individual, exploring the themes of social and cultural upheaval and the emptiness and angst of modern urban life. The troupe toured mainland China last year with this work, receiving an enthusiastic reception, but purposely waited until Culture Week to stage the work in Shanghai, reserving the main destination of their travels until last. Another renowned Taiwan troupe, U Theatre (優人神鼓), had previously been to Shanghai to perform, but because of budget constraints was not able to allow the local audience to become as familiar with them as desired. This time round, as part of the Culture Week the troupe performed at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center (上海東方藝術中心), choosing to present an iconic work from its repertoire celebrated internationally, Sound of the Ocean (聽海之心). The work is an eclectic s yn t h e s i s o f t h e a t re , d r u m m u s i c , m a r t i a l a r t s , a n d meditation, providing a feast for the senses and nourishment for the spirit. The Ping-Fong Acting Troupe (屏風表演班) decided to bring to the Shanghai stage a work from its oeuvre that caused a tremendous buzz twenty years ago, Can Three Make It Part I (三人行不行I). This classic comedy takes the perspective of the typical“Taipei man,”presenting a series of stand-alone vignettes connected by captions that string together a loose structure in which the social alienation, absurdities, and chaos of modern urban living are tackled. Contemporary Legend Theater (當代傳奇劇場) has graced the stages of Shanghai on many occasions, but for this
1. Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group takes its The Legend of the White Snake, part of the Dragon Boat Festival tradition, to the Shanghai stage. 2. U Theatre's modus operandi is exuberant expenditure of energy and passion, brought to the local audience here with Sound of the Ocean. 3. GuoGuang Opera Company presents its modern Beijing opera The Golden Cangue to Shanghai theatre-goers.
occasion chose a unique work fusing Beijing Opera with the contemporary theatre arts, The Kingdom of Desire (慾望城國). This was the first time this production was staged in the city. An adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the plot features many scenes of drama and martial art that stir the soul, presented with gorgeous and flamboyant costumes and set design. The Taipei Culture Week program was both colourful and comprehensive, deftly showing off the splendid diversity of Taipei's cultural attractions, leaving powerful and lasting impressions.
Information Taipei Pavilion Expo 2010 Shanghai 2010年上海世界博覽會臺北館 Time: 5/1 to 10/31 Location: Expo in downtown Shanghai, both sides of Huangpu River; riverside area between Nanpu Bridge and Lupu Bridge; Taipei Pavilion at Puxi Site, Urban Best Practices Area B4-3 Website: www.taipei2010.org
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Taipei Int'l Flora Expo Feature
Behind the Scenes at the Flora Expo Pavilions
Fine Arts Park Area and Yuanshan Park Area 16
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T
he 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition is nigh, set
to enter your life in November. The sprawling expo site
will span four areas-Fine Arts Park, Yuanshan Park, Dajia Riverside Park, and Xinsheng Park. There will be 14 halls and pavilions, among which six are brand-new facilities built specifically for the expo. These are the Expo Hall, Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers, Pavilion of New Fashion, Pavilion of Future, Pavilion of Life, and Pavilion of Dreams. These are to be showcases for the city's culture, arts, care for the environment, and achievements in advanced technology. All the facilities exhibit an eco-friendly spirit, and are aesthetic attractions in themselves.
Fine Arts Park Area – Oasis of Nature, Plant Life, and Culture The Fine Arts Park Area (美術公園區) is where each country participating in the Flora Expo puts on a horticultural display, and where competitions are held. In this area are two structures newly built for the event, the Expo Hall (舞蝶館) and Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers (風味 館). There are four exhibition buildings in the area, these two along with the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (美術館) and Taipei Story House (故事館), housing 35 individual display zones. The Expo Hall is the key site for the Expo's opening and closing ceremonies, and can seat up to 1,200 people. The exterior has been deliberately designed to look like a chrysalis, and a contrast of light and dark hollow board sheeting has been used on the roof. An open concept has been adopted, with the beautiful aesthetics of the interior visible from outside, the natural
1-2. For Expo Hall bamboo has been used in a module design, giving it an unique appearance. 3. Shaped like the Chinese character for“well” (井), from the Taipei Fine Arts Museum are fine views of the Keelung River, Yuanshan, and the Flora Expo facilities in the Fine Arts Park. 4. Taipei Story House takes visitors back to the “secret garden”world created by a rich local merchant in the early 20th century.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Int'l Flora Expo Feature ventilation a special eco-friendly feature. The Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers has also been constructed with an open-structure design. Bamboo curtain walls divide the interior and exterior, creating an appealing configuration of seven large hexagon-shaped areas that resemble six harmoniously interlocked morning glories. The unique appearance is certain to make the building a Taipei landmark. Inside the floor space is expansive, measuring 21,350 sq. ft., ample room for the housing of the flagship Flora Expo gift shop, which will carry over 1,000 types of souvenir items, for flower art exhibits, and for the conducting of teaching workshops.
Existing Architecture Prettied Up in Fresh Bloom for Flora Expo Duty For the duration of the Flora Expo the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (臺北市立美術館) will be staging shows with themes tied in to the event. It has also extended invitations, domestically and internationally, to workers in the art trade, artists, and students in related programs to participate in lectures, seminars, competitions, and other activities. First on show will be the work of the well-known Chinese-American visual artist Walasse Ting (丁雄泉), whose ebullient abstracts of nude women, flowers, and other subjects are alive with bold and expressive colors. Located next to the museum is Taipei Story House (臺 北故事館), an attractive Tudor-style heritage building with a 90-year history that has been called a“fairytale cream house.”In harmony with the themes of the Flora Expo, the site has undergone almost a full year of renovations that have resulted in the seamless integration of the heritage site and surrounding gardens, architecture and art. Meticulous research has been done in the selection of the flower-theme furnishings and the floriculture arts employed so as to accurately reflect the life of a Taiwan gentleman in the early 20th century and the aesthetics of his upscale home. Visitors will be enthralled with their glimpse into the“secret gardens”that were created, in this recreation of a slice of Taipei life from a century ago.
Yuanshan Park Area – Historic Architecture Doing Modern Duty Within the Yuanshan Park Area (圓山公園區) is the famed Yuanshan Site (圓山遺址), location of important
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archaeological digs revealing Taiwan's prehistoric
The Pavilion of Culture is the for mer World
culture. Because of this, all horticulture and building
of Yesterday, featuring the architecture of the
carried out in the area is approached with extreme
south Fujian and east Guangdong areas from
care. There are five Flora Expo exhibit facilities in
whence the forefathers of the Taiwanese came.
the park: Expo Dome (爭豔館), Pavilion of New
Three exhibits,“Floral Feast”(花神宴),“Destiny of
Fashion (流行館), Celebrity's House (名人館), Pavilion
Rebirth”(再生緣), and“Floral Dreams”(花夢), will
of Culture (文化館), and Expo Theater (真相館). The
celebrate the charms of Taiwan's old-time folk arts.
latter three are renovated buildings from the Taipei
The pavilion is charmingly called“Artistic Feast
Children's Recreation Center (臺北市立兒童育樂中
of the Pear Garden”(梨園藝宴), a reference to
心), given new life in keeping with the Flora Expo's
a group called the Pear Garden from the Tang
3R advocacy – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Dynasty that was the first operatic troupe in China's
The Expo Theater has what was the World of Tomorrow facility at the Children's Recreation Center in revamped format, the only 3D theater at the sprawling Flora Expo site. The film shown on the giant IMAX screen will have Face the Reality of the Earth (面對臺灣的真相) as focus, with virtualreality simulations of typhoons, earthquakes, landslides, and other natural disasters, addressing
history. Installation of“Zhulin (Bamboo Forest) Battle Array”(竹林藝陣) will be staged, depicting the self-defense martial-arts organization of Taiwan's villages in pioneer days, a rollicking show of opera, music, dance, battle formations, acrobatics, and martial arts. It is to be a true feast of the senses, magnificently delivered on 684 occasions by the troupe of highly skilled performance artists.
the various for ms of environmental risks that the local population confronts and exploring possible solutions. The production team includes well-known Hollywood talent in special effects, including Richard Kidd, director of visual effects for Transformers and Spider-Man 3, and Karen Goulekas, visual effects supervisor for The Day After Tomorrow. Their team creation will leave you spellbound.
5. The Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers has the appearance of six harmoniously interlocked morning glories. 6. The Pavilion of New Fashion has been constructed using a great number of recycled PET bottles made into brick, giving a coruscating crystalline look to the exterior walls. 7. Celebrity's House has been done in Japanese courtyard complex style, with bricks and tiles specially imported to ensure the look of old Japan. 8. The Pavilion of Culture, which uses“Artistic Feast of the Pear Garden”as theme, is the only Flora Expo facility dedicated solely to folk-art traditions.
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Taipei Int'l Flora Expo Feature
C
elebrity's House was the office building for the
screen wall entitled“Traveling with the Diva”(與君
former Children's Recreation Center, now sporting
同遊). In the Hall of Talent and Grace, in additions
a sleek, spanking-new look. The theme here is the life
to artifacts from Teng's life, there is a special photo
and art of songstress Teresa Teng (鄧麗君), known and
area with a small stage set up where fans can
celebrated round the world. Teresa burst onto the
take the stage with their beloved idol and have a
public stage at just 15 with her hit tune“When Will You
memento shot taken. There's even a fun“Cover
Return”(何日君再來), bringing great acclaim and instant
Star”(封面人物) area where you can have a digital
fame. Known in Japan as“Taiwan's songstress”(臺灣
photo of yourself appearing as a hot cover girl or
歌姬), as the“soldier's sweetheart”in Taiwan because
cover boy. Finally, in the“Star Garden”section
of her frequent concerts for servicemen, and in
you can take in audio-visual shows and teaching
mainland China as“Little Teng”because she shared
activities.
the same surname as leader Teng Xiaoping, it is said that“Wherever there are Chinese people, the songs of Teresa Teng can be heard.”Teng's music transcends all limits of time, boundary, and language—she is the pride of the Chinese community worldwide. The interior is divided into the“Language of
The layout of the Celebrity's House has been done in the Japanese courtyard complex style, with bricks and tiles specially imported from Japan to ensure the look of the old days. Much time was spent in work on the interior restoration as well, with timber for the beams specially sourced from
Flowers Hall”(花語廳),“Hall of Talent and Grace”
Taiwan's eastern forests, the grain of the China fir
(風華廳), and“Star Garden”(星苑). In the first, you
trees chosen closely matching each other. Only
can revel in the soothing, dulcet tones of Teresa
certified master craftsmen were per mitted to
Teng's sweet voice, and the painted flowers on
oversee the restoration work on the heritage site,
the walls burst into bloom as you move along—
and 50 Taiwan cherry tree saplings have been
you even smell their perfume. Her story is revealed
planted around the site as permanent reminders of
to you with audio-visual presentations at a touch-
the city's staging of the Flora Expo.
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Expo Dome and Pavilion of New Fashion – Gardeners Take the Gloves Off in Competition The Expo Dome and Pavilion of New Fashion
花海), a rainbow landscape being set up in the grandstands. Below this swaying ocean will be a medical station, post office, lost and found center, and other service facilities.
are newly-built dedicated facilities. The dome
The Pavilion of New Fashion has the shape of
has come into being at the center of Zhongshan
an ark, constructed using 1.7 million recycled
Soccer Stadium (中山足球場), to be used as
PET bottles made into brick. The space is given a
a competition arena for inter national floral
natural, cool air with a bottom section that has a
competitions. It will host seven competitions and
floating design and a 27-meter-high water-curtain
nine theme exhibits, with a change of program
exterior wall. LED lights have been embedded
content every ten days on average. There will be a
in the PET-bottle bricks, making the building
domestic Taiwan floriculture contest, one for all of
coruscate like a diamond after sunset. On the
Asia, an intercontinental version—even a“world”
second level the Butterfly Ecology Exhibit is to take
challenge. An extra-special highlight will be an
up nearly 3560 sq. ft., with unique Taiwan breeds
exhibit by Japan's oldest school of ikebana or art of
from the Asia Cement Butterfly Park (亞泥蝴蝶園) in
flower arrangement, Ikenobo.
Hualien County freely dancing about all around
Perhaps the competition on which the eyes of most members of the international floriculture community will be trained will be the International Indoor Floriculture Competition (國際室內花卉競賽), the Olympics of the art. The greatest master hands from around the globe will gather to engage in
you. At the Eco Ark Lab (方舟實驗室) you can watch a documentary film explaining the planning, groundbreaking, construction, and operation of the complex. Visitors can also get to work with PET materials to make hanging lamps, sofas, and other eco-friendly items.
hand to hand—make that green thumb to green thumb—combat, their work judged on beauty and originality. Also being staged is the 2011 Taiwan International Orchid Show (2011臺灣國際
Information
extremely rare. This is one of the world's three
2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition 2010臺北國際花卉博覽會
major orchid exhibitions. An extra flourish of beauty
Time: 2010/11/06-2011/4/25
is being brought to Zhongshan Soccer Stadium
Tel: 1999, dial (02) 2720-8889 if outside Taipei City
with the“Seven Waves Sea of Flowers”(七道
Website: www.2010taipeiexpo.tw
蘭展), with nearly 1,000 varieties on display, many
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What's New in Taipei
What's New in Taipei
The Grand Green – The City's First“URS”Gem
T
o bring new life to old neighborhoods and make use
of idle land, this year Taipei City Government's Urban
Redevelopment Office (臺北市都市更新處) has launched the Urban Regeneration Station (URS) (都市再生前進基地) initiative, the office providing land site and local citizens donating their cultural-creative skills to bring a new look to old streetscapes. The first URS project, The Grand Green (華山大草原), was opened up to visitors on June 19. Assigned the series number URS27, The Grand Green site was used as a freight transfer depot in the past. Today you are greeted with a much happier tableau, three different complementary vistas created by young Taiwan new age artists Ren Da-xian (任大賢), Wu Geng-zhen (吳 耿禎), and Wu Can-zhen (吳燦政), who have brought their iconoclastic aesthetic vision to the arrangement of grassland areas and architectural features. They have done such things as use the perimeter fence as a canvas, displaying memories of arrivals and departures on railway platforms, with red butterflies emerging and flying into the Taipei sky from the old depot building, and collecting sounds from the city along the old railroad tracks, the map composed by these sounds takes in all the beautiful reverberations of the city. This grassy meadow-like space, laden with history, has had a whole new type of energy brought to it by these artists, who have transformed a brown site to a green site exploding with colors.
Information 1. Artist Wu Geng-zhen has colorful paper butterflies emerging from the old depot building. 2. Ren Da-xian makes the perimeter fence his canvas, painting arrivals and departures on railway platforms, and Wu can-zhen has made musical notes from wood pieces, accompanied by the“music”of trains rolling down tracks.
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The Grand Green 華山大草原 Add: 27, Linsen N. Rd. (林森北路27號) Hours: Public land, open to visitors at all times Website: www.urs-taipei.tw
What's New in Taipei
The Heart of Shuiyuan – An Artsy New Face for an Old Market
T
he venerable Shuiyuan Market (水源市場), located in
the Gongguan commercial district, is approaching
its 60th birthday. Recently, the market has undergone quite a change, in place of the old and shabby walls
are 177 different color hues, with blue predominant, arranged in geometric patterns to create a grand work of public art. The work, which has been christened“The Heart of Shuiyuan”(水源之心), is based on the 3D work Polymorph by Israeli experimental artist Yaacov Agam, who specializes in optical and kinetic art. This novel marriage of architecture and art can be admired from three angles—from the front and the two sides—bringing three entirely different perspectives. From one a rainbow gradually forms over the sea. From another sparkles of light skip over waves striped in blues and whites. And from another you see the refraction of light on the surface of a shimmering, sparkling sea. These symbolize the grand and multifarious cultural mix that defines Taipei's personality, and at the same time are a nod to the origin of the name“Shuiyuan,”(水源; lit. water source) a seemingly endless supply of water. The artist has also brought the concept of “time” into the mix, creating a dynamic aesthetic that is able to interact with the viewer—as you move to different positions, the images seem to seamlessly move and transform, changing along with your perspective.
Information Shuiyuan Market 水源市場 Add: 92, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd. （羅斯福路4段92號） Tel: (02) 2365-0797 Hours: 07:00~20:00, closed alternate Mondays
1. At Shuiyuan Market the artwork can be viewed from three angles in a kinetic synthesis of the sea and nature in lyrical movement. 2. The façade sparkles with colorful images that are refracted, symbolizing the city's rich and colorful culture.
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What's New in Taipei
What's New in Taipei
The Seat of the Qing Dynasty Government Reopened for New Business
P
lunked down in the Taipei Botanical Garden is the
complex). What remains is the main hall and parts of the
Qing Dynasty Taiwan Provincial Administration Hall (布
two wings of the yamen, in good condition, a rare and
政使司文物館), the only yamen (衙門), or official imperial
precious example of the south Fujian architectural style.
govt. office, left in Taiwan. Taiwan was established as a
After more than two years of renovation work and the
province of China in 1885, and among other functions,
addition of illustrated information boards, multimedia
this served as the treasury handling money matters,
facilities, and scale models, the building was opened to
military pay, etc.—the Qing government in miniature. It
the public in May. The roof features a single ridge with
also served as the residential quarters for central govt.
the classic south China swallowtail design. The overall
officials on inspection visits to Taiwan. After serving
architectural look is simple and solemn. Inside you can
the Qing, the structure has also been a witness to the
peruse displays that give you a whirlwind tour of Taiwan's
Japanese and Republican eras.
past, on themes such as“History and Architectural
This building was, in fact, the centerpiece of a large complex housing the provincial government's administrative machinery. Nothing else survives today (it is estimated it represents just 1/32 of the original
Features”(歷史沿革與建築特色),“Renovation of the Heritage Site”(文物館古蹟修護), and“An Archaeological Exploration of Taipei Botanical Garden”(植物園遺址考古 探勘).
Information The Museum Bu-Cheng-Shih-Sz Yamen (Qing Dynasty Taiwan Provincial Administration Hall) 布政使司文物館 Add: 53 Nanhai Rd. (inside Botanical Garden) (南海路53號，植物園內) Tel: (02) 2303-9978, ext. 1420 Hours: Tue~Sun 09:00~16:30, free entry
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1. At the Qing Dynasty Taiwan Provincial Administration Hall, the main hall and wing sections remain in good condition, rare and precious architectural models. 2. Illustrated information boards and multimedia facilities provide valuable background on the site's history. 3. Theme displays inside bring visitors invaluable insight on Taiwan's historical progression.
What's New in Taipei
Taipei's First Public-Access Shophouse
URS 127 Design Gallery
T
aipei's Dihua Street (迪化街) is known for its dense
opened up for public visit. The project took seven years
concentration of old-style shophouses selling regional
and cost NT$20 million, returning all interior furnishings
goods, Chinese medicines, and fabrics. It was the
and the exterior façade to their original appearance.
first market street to emerge in the Dadaocheng (大
Among other traditional architectural features, you
稻埕) neighborhood. A shophouse is very long and
can inspect the exposed timber beams of the roof,
narrow. Goods arriving would be brought in through the
traditional well-like courtyard in the middle of the
back, and sold at the shop in the front. The buildings
building, which was used to separate the business area
are lined up in rows in tight formation, their narrow
from the residential quarters of the owner-family. As part
facades quite uniform. Today 77 of the original buildings
of the renovation project, access from Dihua St. through
remain, priceless historical relics all, and comprehensive
to Minle St. (民樂街) in behind has also been provided,
renovations have just recently been completed at the
and the opening made available to local residents for
shophouse located at No. 127, Sec. 1, Dihua Street (迪化
use as a public space for displays, exhibits, and other
街1段127號), which is now open to the public.
activities.
This site has been christened the URS127 Design Gallery (URS127公店), the first shophouse in the city
1. Both the interior and exterior of the buildings still have their original historical appearance. 2. The businesses along Dihua Street are housed in classic shophouse buildings. 3. The well-like courtyard in the middle of a shophouse separated the business area from the owner-family's residential quarters. 4. The neo-Baroque facades are adorned with threedimensional reliefs and flower decorations.
Information URS127 Design Gallery URS127公店 Add: 127, Sec. 1, Dihua St. (迪化街1段127號) Hours: Tue~Sun 10:00~17:00 (closed Mondays and national holidays) Website: tku127.blogspot.com
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Chance Encounters with Fine Foods
T
aipei is often referred to as the“Kingdom
of Fruits”(水果王國), and though the variety
of fresh fruits from the field is abundant any time of the year, in the summer, market tables groan with the refreshing selections. Here’s just a sample of the juicy things you can try, watermelon, pineapple, lychee, mango, wax apple, banana, etc. You get the picture. They’re great on their own and even more appetizing in salads and confectionaries. More and more city restaurants are finding new ways to use them in their recipes to meet the demand for healthier food for modern consumers. Here’s a little report on some of the newfangled fruity creations you’ll find out there.
Grapes Meet Classic Dishes The fare at Yi Yuan Pekinese Restaurant (頤園) is, yes,“Pekinese.”In the summer, a rainbow of juicy in-season fruits is used in the “Pekinese Healthy Banquet”(蔬活京趣養生饡) set meal, with wax apple, mango, banana, tomato, grape, and aromatic coconut matched with sea cucumber, mambo fish, and other seafood items to create eight fruit-enhanced courses from appetizers to entrées to side dishes. Among these is the“Stewed Grape with Chicken”(精燉葡香雞). Peeled red grapes, grape wine, shark’s fin, and range-chicken thigh meat is slow-simmered, the taste of the grapes slowly absorbed into the meats and soup. This is one of the restaurant’s most popular soup dishes. In another dish,“Chinese Spinach Fish Balls”(碧綠覓菜魚球), a paste of cuttlefish and shrimp is mixed with mango paste to form a ball, then wrapped with anchovies and steamed. This is complemented with rice tofu in two colors, created by using squid ink and carrot juice. The final touch is to spread on top a paste made by slow-cooking mango. The contrast of savory and sweet in this creation is a joyful taste adventure. In the desserts department is what is called the“Marvelous Banana Roll”(奇 妙香蕉捲), with a crispy tofu skin wrapping
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With“Mango Prawn Ball”(芒果蝦球), firm and meaty whole prawns are first fried until crispy, then a thick sauce made by sauteeing Irwin mango paste and prawns is spread atop. Another selection,“fish with fruit and vinegar,”starts with a small yellow croaker fried until crisp, followed with the spreading of a thick sauce made by bringing together pineapple, sugarcane, kiwi, and Asian pear and simmering the group for eight hours. This is then embellished with cubes of kiwi and wax apple laid atop. The fruits suffuse the small yellow croaker, bringing the meat an unusually supple taste that is light and, yes, fruity without being sweet. For the“Beef Tenderloin with Honey Peach”(水蜜桃牛柳), slices of honey peach are sautéed with strips of US filet mignon, with honey-peach juices, asparagus, and yellow pepper also introduced. 1-2. The“Chinese Spinach Fish Balls”and“Marvelous Banana Roll”are summertime inventions of Yi Yuan Pekinese Restaurant master chef Yang De-xing (楊德興).
This invites a hint of sweetness and a lingering peach flavoring to the beef, the juices of the meat in turn bringing a savory strain to the peach slices.
3. The“Stewed Grape with Chicken”is a summertime soup especially popular with the ladies.
banana, raisins, peanut powder, and other light-hearted ingredients. A bite through the crumbly shell releases a parade of fragrances and textures. There’s also an intriguing appetizer of wax apple, bitter melon, and goose liver, followed by an entrée of scallops, croaker tripe, sea cucumber, and shrimp stir-fried with tomato, mango, and loofah, the sweeter ingredients suffusing the riches of the sea to create a subtle seafood and fruit pas de deux.
Pleasant Summer Surprise – Mango Dancing on Shrimp The key word in Sichuanese food is“spicy-hot,” with the most representative dishes mapo doufu (麻 婆豆腐) and gongbao jiding (宮保雞丁) or“Gong Bao chicken”The flavors are strong and aggressive, the dishes most appropriate for wintertime eating. To recreate the popular impression of Sichuanese food as hot and heavy, the Ambassador Hotel Taipei’s Szechuan Court (川菜廳) has arranged a summer-time marriage of in-season fruits, seafood, and beef in dishes that are light and refreshing with a comparatively quiet delicacy.
4. The“Beef Tenderloin with Honey Peach”has flavor and texture unexpected from a peach-based dish. 5. “Fish with Fruit and Vinegar”has a wide-ranging medley of fruit vinegars and fruit-pulp cubes. 6. A“Mango Prawn Ball”features a whole prawn covered with a thick mango-paste sauce.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Chance Encounters with Fine Foods
When Figs Meet Goose Liver – A Love Story When fruits meet goose liver, crab meat, and hasma, will something wonderful happen？At San Want Hotel’s (神 旺大飯店) French All Day Dining (伯品廊), French delicacies reign supreme. The head chef specially recommends the “Sauté Goose Liver with Fig and Balsamico Sauce”(無 花果鵝肝), prepared by first letting a Taiwan greenhousecultivated fig with honey and pomelo juice stand overnight, then placing it in the oven until the various individual flavors have fully migrated. This is then joined with dry-fried fattened goose liver, followed with the spreading atop of a rose-petal sauce and a sauce prepared by simmering duck cream with pomelo juice. The end result is goose liver that presents a light and fruity bouquet of subtlety and complexity. Another San Want restaurant, Chao Ping Ji (潮品集餐廳), specializes in Chaozhou cuisine. For its“Steamed Tomato with Crab Meat and Golden Needle Mushroom” (白雪影 金盅) Taiwan beef tomato is first blanched to peel the skin. A cavity is then created in the tomato and filled with crab meat, salted egg yolk, and golden needle mushroom. This is steamed, then finished by ladling on a soup stock derived by simmering Jinhua ham (金華火腿), pork leg, pork ribs, and hen that is then thickened with hasma. In summertime, the restaurant also offers sweet and refreshing limited-quantity treats such as mango pudding and mango sago dessert (similar to tapioca), adding just the right touch of bright and sprightly culinary fun to your meal and your day. 7.“Sauté Goose Liver with Fig and Balsamico Sauce”presents a light and fruity bouquet of subtlety and complexity. 8. The San Want Hotel restaurant Chao Ping Ji is an elegant dining space. 9.“Steamed Tomato with Crab Meat and Goldem Needle Mushroom”is a dish brimming with the colorful beauties of summer.
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JJ Restaurant's Fruit Hotpot – Full Marks for Healthiness Most eat hotpot in wintertime to dispel the chills, but JJ Restaurant has come up with a cool summertime fruit hotpot. The fragrant stock is made either by simmering tomato with apple or pineapple with apple. Female customers
Information The Westin Taipei, Yi Yuan Pekinese Restaurant 六福皇宮 頤園 Add: 133, Sec. 3, Nanjing E. Rd. (南京東路3段133號) Tel: (02) 8770-6565
have become especially enamored with this sweet idea.
Ambassador Hotel Taipei, Szechuan Court 國賓大飯店 川菜廳
The other base ingredients in the two types of fruit
Add: 63, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. (中山北路2段63號)
stock are chicken bone, celery, carrot, pineapple, onion,
Tel: (02) 2551-1111
and apple. Specially featured in the“Apple and Tomato
San Want Hotel Taipei 神旺大飯店
Hotpot”(蘋果番茄鍋) are Italian seasoning and paste made
Add: 172, Sec. 4, Zhongxiao E. Rd.
from peeled tomatoes, no other flavorings or seasoning
(忠孝東路4段172號)
added, keeping the stock simple and honest in the classic
Tel: (02) 2772-2121
Italian manner. In the“Apple and Pineapple Hotpot”(蘋果
JJ Restaurant JJ義式餐坊
鳳梨鍋), the essential difference is elimination of the tomato paste and substitution of pineapple, giving rise to a sweeter
Add: 4, Lane 107, Sec. 1, Fuxing S. Rd. (復興南路1段107巷4號)
and lighter bouquet. Also recommended is the“Noodles
Tel: (02) 8771-0568
with Smoked Salmon and Apple”(燻鮭魚蘋果麵), which has a thick sauce created by stir-heating cubes of apple, onion, black olive, capers, and cream sauce, the final result spread over spaghetti and topped with slices of smoked salmon. Taste, texture, and aroma all contain the very essence of summer freshness.
10.“Apple and Tomato Hotpot”has a distinctly Italian personality. 11.“Noodles with Smoked Salmon and Apple”has taste, texture, and aroma that perfectly define summer freshness. 12. Female patrons have taken a special liking for the tomato and fruit hotpot at JJ Restaurant.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Chance Encounters with Fine Foods
The Taipei Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival T
he fame of Taipei's delicious pineapple cakes has
outer shell of the pineapple cake resembles the crumbly
spread far beyond the island's shores. Many who
shortbread we know in the West. Inside is a Chinese-style
travel to the island make people back home happy by
pineapple paste that is lightly sweetened. The
picking up a gift box filled with these delicate treats with
combination is delectable, and something Westerners
their sweet and gooey centers. They have become an
find familiar and most palatable. In recent years, the
iconic present, and on opening day of the Shanghai
already popular cakes have exploded in popularity,
Expo (May 1), the Taipei City Government handed out
and it seems every bakery in town has its own variants. A
free pineapple cake gift boxes to the first 50 visitors to
common complement to the pineapple paste is winter
the Taipei Pavilion. In earlier days, the pineapple cake was much larger, and was one of six traditional ceremonial gifts that were presented as part of the engagement ritual in Taiwan. In Taiwanese, the pronunciation for“pineapple”is the same as two Chinese characters that translate literally as“productivity comes”(旺來); the cakes were thus loaded with symbolism. It was only later that clever bakers transformed the treat to the convenient bite-sized squares so familiar and so loved today. The
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melon paste, and some bakers have added salted egg yolk to make a sister pastry called the phoenix cake (鳳凰酥). Recently the in thing among local bakers is to come up with new innards made with other fruits. How does a Hami melon cake sound? Maybe a plum cake? Pickled plum cake? There’s also choices specially tailored to the health-conscious, with flavors such as multi-grain, pine nut, egg yolk, and chestnut or shells to which oats have been added. If you can think of a flavor, it probably already exists.
The Flavor of Flowers at the 2010 Taipei Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival
Information
The Taipei Bakery Association (臺北市糕餅公會) stages the annual Taipei Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival (臺北鳳梨酥文化節) to further promote the popularity of the cakes and to raise quality standards among bakers ever higher. This will be the fifth year that the event has been held, and will feature competitions for both traditional and innovative cakes. In addition, rules have been set in place for the“Standard Pineapple Cake,”setting parameters for sellers in taste, preparation, and external appearance—to make the grade as a Taipei City gift and souvenir item. It has been found that the festival has been effective in raising the craftsmanship and
2010 Taipei Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival Time: 8/19~8/20 Venue: Shen Bao-zhen Hall, Taipei City Hall(臺北市政府市政大樓沈葆禎廳) Tel: (02) 2882-5741 Festival Website: www.fonglisu.tw
Where to buy pineapple cakes in Taipei ?
Traditional Cakes
product standards each year. Winners are awarded with a“quality
◆
guaranteed”cachet that carries great weight with consumers.
Isaac Bakery 毅盛歐式烘焙 (2009 gold medal for traditional-style cakes)
This year’s big competition will happen on August 19 and 20, and will be coordinated with the 2010 Taipei International Flora
Product Name: Old-Fashioned Pineapple Cakes
Exposition, using Taiwan’s flowers as ingredients—a much yummier
Tel: (02) 2821-8128
idea than you might think! Entries will be judged on appearance,
Shi Jia Dessert 世家名點坊 (highest score for flavor in 2009)
texture, taste, and creativity. Moreover, Vigor Kobo, which is loved by visitors, makes“Blossoming Pineapple Cake”to match up with the Flora Expo. Each box of pineapple cake features four kinds of flower flavours. The“Blossoming Pineapple Cake”will definitely become the“yummiest”souvenir from the Flora Expo. At the site you’ll also be much amused by the“Pineapple Cake Flora Expo
Product Name: Traditional Pineapple Cakes Tel: (02) 2592-9636 Baking Plaza 法蘭司 (highest rating for texture in 2009) Product Name: Traditional Pineapple Cakes Tel: (02) 2517-1593
Innovative Cakes
Painted Train”(鳳梨酥花博彩繪列車), a miniature train loaded down
◆
with pineapple cakes created by competitors in past festivals. The
Florida Bakery 福利麵包 (2009 gold medal for innovative cakes)
train will huff and puff through the“Pineapple Cake Flora Expo Pavilion”(鳳梨酥花博館), where you’ll be delighted by the full-scale model of the Flora Expo site—made entirely of pineapple cakes.
Product Name: Flaxseed-Fig Pineapple Cakes Tel: (02) 2594-6923 Taiwan Formosa Local Specialty Shop 臺灣寶島名產館 (highest rating for taste in 2009) Product Name: Whole Grain Cranberry Pineapple Cakes Tel: (02) 2518-0223 Man Fu Tang 滿福堂 (highest rating for innovation in 2009) Product Name: Whole Wheat Healthy Pineapple Cakes Tel: (02) 3322-3301 Precious Bakery 御珍果 (highest rating for texture in 2009)
1. 2. 3. 4.
Man Fu Tang has Whole Wheat Healthy Pineapple Cakes. Shi Jia Dessert offers Traditional Pineapple Cakes. Flaxseed-Fig Pineapple Cakes, from Florida Bakery. From Taiwan Formosa Local Specialty Shop come Whole Grain Cranberry Pineapple Cakes. 5. Isaac Bakery has Old-Fashioned Pineapple Cakes. 6. Blossoming Pineapple Cake by Vigor Kobo. 7. The Taipei Pineapple Cake Cultural Festival has helped make the pineapple cake a national sweet-treat icon.
Product Name: Medlar and Pumpkin Seed Pineapple Cakes Tel: (02) 2504-0258 ◆
Flora Expo Pineapple Cake
Vigor Kobo 維格餅家 Product Name: Blossoming Pineapple Cake Tel: (02) 2599-7533
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Chance Encounters with Fine Foods
2010 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition A Delicious Cavalcade of Taipei’ s Best Eating
T
his year's edition of the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition (臺灣美食展) is set
to burst out from kitchen to table on August 27. As always the public,
whether gourmet or gourmand, will have great fun exploring all the specialty food and drink treats from the country's myriad micro-regions. The organizers are also seeking to spark the creation of new international-style culinary delicacies by bringing Taiwan master chefs and chefs from faraway lands with different food traditions together for live cooking jamborees; the interchange and invention is sure to be delicious entertainment for the crowds. And to bring in this autumn's 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo with some advance sizzle, there will be a special zone featuring Flora Expo themes plus zones for Taipei night-market treats, Maokong (貓空) teas and tea cuisine, Taipei souvenir items, and on other themes.
What the Tourist Loves Most – Night-Market Goodies and Nifty Souvenirs Surveys and anecdotal evidences say the same thing—anyone who travels to Taiwan goes away with indelible memories of delectable food experiences. The city's endless parade of traditional snack treats is renowned, and to help the tourist get a good idea of what the possibilities are at local night markets, where these markets are, how to navigate to and through them, and what the beloved local“snacking culture”means, this year's exhibition will feature the most representative treats from the seven most iconic night markets. Represented at this exotic bazaar of food stalls will be the“big sausage”(大香 腸) and“small bun wrapped in large bun”(大餅包小餅) from Shilin Night Market; luwei (滷味) or soy-stewed meat and Taiwan-style crepes from Shida Night Market;“four tonics soup”(四神湯) from Ningxia Night Market;“small sausage in large sausage”(大腸包小腸) and“Lan Family Guabao”(藍家割包) from Gongguan Night Market, guabao being braised pork stuffed in sliced buns; danzai or“shoulder pole”noodles (擔仔麵) and squid geng (魷 魚羹) from Huaxi St. Night Market, geng being a thickened soup; medicinal stewed pork ribs (藥燉排骨) and pepper cakes (胡椒餅) from Raohe St. Night Market; and oyster omelets (蚵仔煎) and pig's-blood cakes (豬血糕) from Linjiang St. Night Market. In the souvenirs section, the most representative Taipei souvenir food items and most popular brands will be introduced, among them pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥), Wenshan Baozhong tea (文山包種茶), xiaolongbao (小籠包;
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a type of steamed dumpling with minced pork), and luwei. All will be packaged and on display, taste-test samples will be given out, and thorough detail on each product's background and on the shops of origin will be provided.
The Flora Expo, Tea Tasting – Trying New Things on Food Street The special Flora Expo section will be replete with images, models, background information, and other appetizers to get lovers of pretty floricultural things ready for the big event. There will be a limited-quantity advance sale of preferential tickets and souvenir items, and you'll also get to see the lively Flora Expo mascots putting on live entertainment that will leave you chuckling. Lucky visitors will also have the chance to have their picture taken with these colorful new celebrities. Over in the section promoting the teas and tea cuisine of the Maokong area, you'll be able to meander through displays on the local brews, items related to the tea ceremony, a collection of valuable teapots, and a range of tea-snack opportunities. Talented chefs will also be on hand showing you how to use tea in various forms as an ingredient in tea cuisine. Tea, you'll learn, has magical powers not only in liquid form. Each day there will be 8 shows put on by master foodcraftsmen from local night markets, showing visitors step
1. The pig's-blood cakes from Linjiang St. Night Market are sprinkled with peanut powder and a delicious thick sauce. 2. The“big sausages”at Shilin Night Market are filling and packed with flavor. 3. The oyster omelet is one of the star attractions at Taipei's night markets. 4-5. All locals know that medicinal stewed pork ribs and pepper cakes are Raohe St. Night Market specialties. 6. The five Flora Expo mascot designs represent the lily, sunflower, butterfly orchid, hydrangea, and tulip. 7. The souvenirs section has such iconic Taiwan gift items as pineapple cakes, Wenshan Baozhong tea, and xiaolongbao.
by step how authentic xiaochi (小吃) or“small eats”— traditional snacks—are made. They'll even dish out samples of their treasures, in limited quantity. And if your sample leaves you instantly addicted and craving more, the answer is at hand, Food Street (食尚街), where an unlimited supply of delicacies from Taiwan and faraway lands will await.
Information 2010 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition 2010年臺灣美食展 Venue: Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1; 5, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd.(世貿中心1館; 信義路5段5號) Time: 8/27 to 8/30 09:30~17:30 Tickets: NT$250 adult, NT$150 preferential (children under 120 cm, seniors 65 and older) Tel: (02) 2561-7508 Website: www.tcff.com.tw (Chinese)
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Local Life
The Chinese Festival of Ghosts—Zhongyuan Festival I
n the Chinese lunar calendar, the 15th day of the
laden with such offerings as cooked dishes, cakes,
7th month marks the traditional Zhongyuan Festival
and pastries. A single incense stick will be inserted
(中元節), which most folk simply call the Ghost Festival
into each offering. The public rites, which are also
(鬼節). On this day the Gates of Hell are wide open and
called the Zhongyuan Ceremony (中元祭), are
ghosts arrive en masse in the mortal world, a time where
carried out at local temples, generally staged by
many decide it is best not to go outside, thus avoiding
clans of specified surnames that have long lived in
“bumping into a ghost”(撞鬼). In Taiwan Ghost Month
a neighborhood.
(鬼月) runs through the entire seventh lunar month, the Gates of Hell open the entire time, with many traditional taboos in force, among them: don't get married, buy a house, renovate, go on a trip, have an operation. Under no circumstances do you go swimming or stand close enough to water that you can stumble and fall in, for“water ghosts”(水鬼) lurk beneath, looking for substitute bodies so they may return to the mortal world.
Ghost Festival – Caring for Lonely Ghosts
In an effort to centralize the burning of ceremonial spirit money and reduce the amount of pollution caused, the city's Dept. of Civil Affairs, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, and Dept. of Environmental Protection cooperate in the staging of consolidated Zhongyuan Pudu (中元普渡) activities at Huiji Temple (惠濟宮) in the Zhishanyan (芝山巖) neighborhood. From 2:30 pm in the afternoon on the first day of the seventh month to the same time on the first day of the eighth month, hundred-year-old Pudu rites are faithfully carried out here. The detailed Pudu regimen includes ceremonial
According to tradition, the Gates of Hell are
“opening of the tomb gates,”decoration of water
swung open on the first day of the seventh lunar
lanterns, sacrificial offerings, and“closing of the tomb
month, ghosts visit the mortal world in number on
gates.”
the fifteenth day, and the gates swung shut again on the last day. When the gates are opened, what are called“lonely ghosts”(孤鬼) come to visit the mortal world; these are ghosts that do not have family carrying out rites for them, so members of the public will carry out what are called Pudu (普 渡) rites to give them succor. Those carrying out private rites will place tables outside their doors
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The rites carried out at Taipei's Longshan Temple (龍山 寺) are heavy in tradition. Before Pudu is celebrated, a lantern pole well over ten meters tall is erected before the temple and a traditional decorated lantern hung upon it. This serves as a beacon for lonely ghosts moving about, which are often given the more peaceful name “good brothers”(好兄弟). There is also a water lantern
rite to attract water ghosts. In many places a gupeng
Grand rites are also staged in celebration
(孤棚) is also put up, a high canopy under which donors
of the Zhongyuan Festival over at Guandu
compete to lay out the best feast foods for the otherworldly
Temple (關渡宮), north Taiwan's oldest temple
visitors. The banquet includes the traditional“five types of
dedicated to Mazu (媽袓), the Goddess of the
meat”—pork, chicken, duck, fish, and internal organ
Sea. The Pudu is nigh, and all those interested
such as pork liver or tripe—symbolizing all the animals
in learning about and seeing live Taiwan's age-
of the world. Also on the ghostly banquet table are
old folk traditions associated with the“universal
steamed rice, rice-based dishes, and other goodies.
ferrying”have a key site close at hand.
Pudu literally means“universal ferrying,”and in one saying after the rites have been carried out and the sins of the ghosts expiated—the ghosts“ferried”to salvation—mortal folk in the crowd are invited, often at the sound of a gong, to take what foods they like. This is called qianggu (搶孤), and those lucky enough to get their hands on some of the goodies will be blessed
1. During the Zhongyuan Festival public and private Pudu sacrificial rites are carried out in countless locations. 2. A key Buddhist activity during the Zhongyuan Festival is the Ullambana Ceremony. 3. The release of water lanterns invites lonely water ghosts to come ashore for sacrificial offerings. 4. The Pudu activities are suffused with the spirit of reverence for ancestors and of community fraternity.
with good fortune in the year to come.
Universal Ferrying for the Hungry Ghosts – A Manifestation of Love The wonderfully ornate Dalongdong Bao'an Temple (大龍峒保安宮) has an especially well-attended Ullambana Ceremony each year. In the morning, there is a“Water Repentance Service”(水懺法會儀式), with chanting of scripture and an enlightening talk from a Buddhist master that cleanses and purifies the soul of onlookers and instils an emotional calmness and tranquility. In the afternoon comes the“Feeding of the Hungry Ghosts”(瑜珈焰口), with a grand feast laid out and the ghosts consuming the“essence”of the foods. During the rites, a papier-mache likeness of the Pudu Gong (普渡公; Master Who Helps the Crossing) is
Information Longshan Temple (龍山寺) Add: 211, Guangzhou St. (廣州街211號) Tel: (02)2302-5162 Website: www.lungshan.org.tw
Huiji Temple (惠濟宮) Add: 26, Lane 326, Sec. 2, Zhicheng Rd. (至誠路2段326巷26號) Tel: (02) 2831-5656
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple (大龍峒保安宮) Add: 61, Hami St. (哈密街61號) Tel: (02)2595-1676 Website: www.baoan.org.tw
Guandu Temple (關渡宮) Add: 360, Zhixing Rd. (知行路360號)
set up, then cremated at ceremony's end to symbolize
Tel: (02) 2858-1281
its consummation. The folk-art traditions followed in
Website: www.kuantu.org.twe: www.lungshan.org.tw
the creation of the icon have been handed down for countless generations.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Local Life
Seventh Eve – The Chinese Valentine’s Day I
n West, Valentine's Day falls on the 14th day of the second month, February. But in Chinese culture, the big date
is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, and is customarily called Qi Xi or “Seventh Eve”(七夕), also translated simply as“Chinese Valentine's Day” and falls on the August 16 this year. According to ancient lore, long ago a mortal cowherd fell in love with an immortal maiden up in heaven known as the“weaver girl.”Their love, however, was forbidden, and ever since they have only been able to see each other once a year, when the“Weaver Girl Star”(織女星), known as Vega in the West, and the“Cowherd Star”(牽牛星), Altair, are high in the summer sky and look upon each other. Look up at the night sky on this day and you will feel the two bright twinkling lights seem to head toward each other. Look close by and you'll espy a cluster of paler stars, said to be a great flock of magpies who show pity on the star-crossed young husband and wife and form a temporary bridge to allow them to be together. On this day, drizzle is a common event and is said to be the tears of the lovers. The tradition lives on in Taiwan, and many activities are organized focusing on sweethearts on Qi Xi. Many couples head to what are colloquially called Lovers' Temples , asking the gods to bless and protect their happiness. Situated on a slope fronting massive Battleship Rock (軍 艦岩), the temple is formally known as Zhaomingjing Temple (照明淨寺) or Zhaoming Temple (照明寺). Though enshrined within is the Four-Faced Thousand Hand Guanyin (四面千 手觀音), the Goddess of Mercy, who protects devotees' health, marriage, wisdom and wealth, the temple also once displayed waxen statues of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl as well as Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wen-jun (司 馬相如與卓文君), another couple famous in Chinese lore for having eloped. Hence the popular name Lovers' Temple. Beside is the Wishing Pond (許願池), in which you'll see six large earthen bowls, each representing a different wish—
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romantic love, health, wealth, and so on. Beside
effectiveness. You'll see devotees standing before him,
the pond is the Wishing Pavilion (許願亭), on which
silently communicating key personal info: date of birth
you'll see inscribed characters declaring:“True
and horoscope details, name, address, and the type
Love No One Can See; False Love Heaven Will
of person they'd like to meet. They ask the Old Man if
Know”(真情無人見，假情有天知). Sweethearts hang
they can take a red thread from his sleeve, then throw
up wooden tablets with their wishes here, or write
divining blocks. If the two blocks come up with one
them on slips of paper that are then placed inside
rounded and one flat side up—three times in a row—
a Wishing Box (許願箱) beside the Guanyin icon.
you have shengjiao (聖筊) or a
On Dihua St. (迪化街) is the renowned XiaHai ChengHuang Temple (霞海城隍廟), which is home to an icon of the Chinese Cupid, the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), known to be particularly proficient. The old fellow leans on his cane, and holds a marriage registry in his hand. Singles come
“divine answer,”meaning “yes.”Carry the thread with you person and chances are high that your true love will appear.
here to ask the old one to bring true love to them, and each year about 6,000 couples on average come to give him cakes and other goodies in thanks for bringing them together. But the Old Man Under the Moon is not the only heavenly personage working on mortal relationships here; women come to ask the City God's wife to keep their husbands on the straight and narrow. The City God, just like an old-time mandarin official, is in charge of the administrative district around a temple, and everyone knows his wife has his ear. Ladies ask for pairs of Happiness Shoes (幸福鞋) for peace and contentment on the home front . Over at the Longshan Temple (龍山寺) in Wanhua District, always busy and with great clouds of incense smoke wafting about, you'll find what is popularly called the“'Rear Hall' Old Man Under the Moon”(後
1. At Zhaomingjing Temple's Wishing Pavilion, sweethearts hang wooden tablets with their wishes for love to find them. 2. The Old Man Under the Moon at XiaHai ChengHuang Temple is very effective, attracting many young singles to ask his help finding true love. 3. Spend a romantic Seventh Eve with your sweetheart. 4. Married women will ask for Happiness Shoes from the City God's wife, requesting her help in ensuring bliss and harmony on the home front. 5. At Zhaomingjing Temple those seeking a happy match can also light votive lamps. 6. Devotees also come to Longshan Temple's Old Man Under the Moon, throwing divining blocks and taking a red thread that may bring love.
殿月下老人). This fellow is also famed for a high rate of
Information Zhaomingjing Temple 照明淨寺 Add: 51, 53 Chongyang 7th Rd.(崇仰七路51、53號) Tel: (02)2894-1362 Hours: 08:00~17:00
Xiahai Chenghuang Temple 霞海城隍廟 Add: 61, Sec. 1, Dihua St. (迪化街1段61號) Tel: (02) 2558-0346 Hours: 06:16~19:47 Website: tpecitygod.org
Longshan Temple 龍山寺 Add: 211 Guangzhou St. (廣州街211號) Tel: (02) 2302-5162 Hours: 06:00~22:20 Website: www.lungshan.org.tw
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours
Taipei’s Blue Highway Tours Heading into Summer by Heading into River Breezes
L
ike the Seine is to Paris, and the Thames is to
between the city and surrounding Taipei County, giving
London, the Danshui and Keelung rivers are of equal
travelers a decidedly different and breezy, unobstructed
importance to Taipei. In the days of sail, the Danshui was
view of the local scenery.
the lifeline to the world for Dadaocheng (大稻埕), the key river port, with trading crafts bringing the region’s specialty products to the globe’s four corners. The Keelung, a key Danshui River tributary, was an important highway for the carrying of tea leaves and paddy rice from the hinterland. Before the establishment of a land grid, these were the key commercial arteries. As the web of roads slowly took shape, the two rivers slowly lost their practical function. As has happened with the emergence of many international cities, their main duty has become the satisfaction of an aesthetic function. To make the fullest possible use of these rivers’ beauty and to add another attractive leisure function the city govt. works with private boating companies to run two“Blue Highway”(藍色公路) cruises, which run
The Danshui River Blue Highway Tour Yongle Market area (breakfast) →Walking tour of Dihua St. →Dadaocheng Wharf→Embarkation on Danshui Blue Highway tour→Guandu Nature Park→Danshui Old Street (dinner)→Taipei return via MRT With an early start in the old Taipei neighbourhood of Dadaocheng, the first thing to do is get a good breakfast. And that should be at“Minle Swordfish Rice Noodles”(民樂旗魚米粉), beside Yongle Market (永樂市 場), where the hearty signature dish is in fact served as a soup. For those unaccustomed to a breakfast quite so exotic, Western fare is also available beside Yongle Market at APPLE 203, which serves up a fusion of the delicate sophistication brought to the Japanese breakfast with the abundance of the Western approach.
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Seems contradictory, but a visit will prove it’s true, and
for wildlife, and many bird-lovers make special trips from
the selection is also copious. After your repast, head
overseas each year. Just less an hour from the core of
out along Dihua St.（迪化街）to admire the heritage
a pulsating metropolis and you’ll find yourself lost in the
Baroque facades of the old shophouses and to linger in
wonders of nature. Also, take special note that until
the imperial-days mix of Chinese medicine shops, tea
Sept. 26 you can also enjoy the beauties that come with
shops, and traditional dried-food shops. Back at the
the popular Guandu International Outdoor Sculpture
Yongle Market, the scores of fabric outlets specialize in
Festival (關渡國際自然裝置藝術季).
traditional Taiwan floral patterns. After soaking up the heady old-time ambiance, it’s time to head over to the nearby Dadaocheng Wharf to launch our Blue Highway excursion.
After touring the wetlands, a fast trip further down the river to Danshui Old Street from Guandu Wharf is recommended. Here you’ll find a smorgasbord of shops presenting old-style snacking treats. There’s a-gei (阿
As soon as you can see the wharf, you’ll also see a
給) or deep-fried tofu stuffed with crystal noodles, fried
magnificent junk at the site. This is a scale model of the
shrimp rolls, fried quail eggs, iron (preserved) eggs (鐵
hardy merchant vessels that sailed the open seas to and
蛋), plum soup, and a whole lot of other little Taiwan
from this bustling river port in days of yore. Try to imagine
treasures you’ve likely never heard of before. On
the days when such crafts swarmed to this spot like bees
Zhongzheng Rd. (中正路) is“Danshui Tasty Fish Balls”(淡
returning to a hive. The Danshui Blue Highway Route
水可口魚丸), which specializes in baozi (包子) and fish
plies the same river course that the goods-hauling junks
ball soup. They’ve been in business half a century,
did when headed out to blue waters and points in China
growing up with countless Danshui denizens. After taking
and elsewhere in Asia, today pulling up in Taipei County
a whirlwind tour of Danshui’s traditional food treats for
at two locations, the wharf at Danshui Old Street and at
supper, take the MRT back into the city from the handy
Fisherman’s Wharf (漁人碼頭), on the way dropping in at
nearby station.
the Guandu Wharf and Guandu Nature Park (關渡自然 公園), site of Taipei’s richest wetlands. The service runs at regular times on weekends. When taking the ferry into Guandu, you’ll go by a timber bridge and a scene of quaint beauty before reaching a spic-and-span wharf bracketed by green hills. Rent a bike at one of the rental shops here and head off into the wetlands for some intimacy with the natural world. There are three main foci at the park, managed by the Wild Bird Society of Taipei (臺北市野鳥 學會)—waterfowl, wetlands, and insect life—with trained guides giving tours according to theme. Located at the junction of the Keelung and Danshui rivers, the wetlands here are listed internationally as an important habitat
1. The junk at Dadaocheng is a model of the type of craft used in the commercial trade in imperial days. 2. Ferry is a good way to take in some of the enticing scenery of the rivers. 3-4. You can bring your bicycle on the touring yacht, then pedal along the riverbank after disembarking on a leisurely tour of nature's bounty at Guandu Nature Park. 5. Minle Swordfish Rice Noodles, beside Yongle Market, and the agei and baozi treats found along Danshui Old Street.
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours
The Keelung River Blue Highway Tour Dajia Wharf→Dazhi Bridge→Dazhi Riverside→ Miramar Entertainment Park→Neihu Technology Park→Return For this easygoing meander up and then back down the lazy Keelung River, travelers embark at Dajia Wharf (大 佳碼頭) by Dajia Riverside Park (大佳河濱公園). Because of construction work in the area now going on for the upcoming Taipei International Flora Exposition in the autumn, outings are currently charter excursions only. On one memorable occasion, the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei booked a yacht and had a floating party for 80 people—putting that much more flair into the lives of some of the foreign residents of Taipei. The expanses along this river section are very wide and the scenery quite compelling, the tableaux worlds apart daytime and night-time. Along the route you get close-up views of such well-known sights as the resplendent Grand Hotel (圓山 飯店) and the Fountain of Hope (希望噴泉) in Dajia Riverside Park, you get thrilling encounters with planes shooting up from Taipei Songshan Airport with the sky-scraping Taipei 101 tower in behind, and you see the giant ferris wheel atop Miramar Entertainment Park (美麗華) slowly turning high in the air. The night-time outings are especially fun, for the city sparkles and glistens with lights and life, and a sense of adventure and romance seems to float along the fresh river breezes. As another complement to the Flora Expo, the Dajia and Meiti (美堤) wharves will be joined by the Xikou Wharf (錫口碼 頭) at the mouth of Raohe St. (饒河街) in October, connecting up the Flora Expo zones with Raohe St. and the commercial district surrounding Miramar Entertainment Park in the Dazhi
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Discover Taipei
Blue Highway Tour Information River
Route (Wharves visited)
Dadaocheng - Guandu (schedule depends on tides, phone for confirmation)
淡水河 Danshui
Guandu－Danshui Old Street
Schedule
Ticket Prices
Holidays: 10:00
Adult ticket NT$150
12:00
Preferential ticket NT$120
14:00
Danshui Old Street— Fisherman's Wharf
Holidays: 10:00-22:00 (one outing each 10-15 mins)
基隆河 Keelung
Charter and tour services
Website:
Preferential ticket NT$55 Taipei Cruise Company 台北航運公司
Adult ticket NT$50
Tel: (02) 2805-9022
Preferential ticket NT$25
Telephone in advance for charter service ◆ 8-person minimum for river tours, NT$180 per person ◆
Dajia (temporary wharf under Dazhi Bridge) — Meiti
Tel: (02) 2558-5519
Adult ticket NT$110
Weekdays: 10:00-21:00 (one outing each 20-30 mins)
UU Boat 好樂好股份有限公司
www.uuboat.com.tw
16:00 Holidays: 10:30~18:30 (one outing each hour)
Operator
Sea Sky 海天遊艇事業公司 Tel: (02) 2928-4665 Website:
www.seasky.com.tw
district. During the Flora Expo, the two sides of the river will be festooned with light-sculpture art, brilliant fluorescent paintings, digital water curtains, and installation art on bridges, bringing
Information
sleek new yachts all dressed up in Flora Expo colors will take to
Minle Swordfish Rice Noodles 民樂旗魚米粉
these waters, add a rainbow of hues to the sweet blues of the
Add: 3, Minle St. (民樂街3號)
Blue Highway.
Hours: 06:00-12:00
a dazzling new look to the Taipei of the night. In October, eight
The waters of the Keelung River are quite calm, and a river
APPLE 203
outing provides great looks at a sizeable number of important
Add: Room 1208, 21, Sec. 1, Dihua St. (迪化街1段21號1208室)
Taipei sights from a unique angle. Even though the regular
Hours: 05:30-14:00
schedule has been put temporarily on hold for the Flora Expo,
Guandu Nature Park 關渡自然公園
do not forget this option for an unusual way to travel the city in
Tel: (02) 2858-7417
style down the road.
Add: 55, Guandu Rd. (關渡路55號)
6. A trip along the Keelung River after embarking at Dajia Wharf gives you the sparkling lights of the bright Taipei night. 7. The Dajia Wharf embarkation point for Blue Highway tours adjoins Dajia Riverside Park. 8. The expansive green carpet of Dajia Riverside Park draws many city denizens for recreational fun.
Hours: Weekdays 09:00-17:30, weekends/holidays 09:00-18:30 (closed Mon) Tickets: NT$50 adults, preferential tickets NT$30 Website: www.gd-park.org.tw
Discover Taipei
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours
A Ramble through Zhongshan District
URS21 Creative Streetscape Z
hongshan North Road is an upscale stretch of tree-lined
avenue lined with wedding salons, hair salons, brand
outlets, restaurants, heritage sites, and other examples of cultural-creativity ingenuity. It is a place of pretty tableaux very popular with foreign tourists. At the corner of Zhongshan N. Rd. and Minsheng E. Rd. you will find a very special place, the URS21“Zhongshan Distribution Site”(URS21中山配銷處). Originally this was the site of a distribution warehouse for the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau (菸酒公賣局), but this year the City’s Urban Redevelopment Office decided on the location as a forward base in its urban-regeneration blueprint. Plans are to formally open it to the public in November. However, to the end of July something else entirely is in the works—15 shops in the vicinity have dressed up their display windows or facades in a coordinated beautification campaign that has brought great dash and splash. The URS21 Zhongshan Distribution Site is serving as the hub for the beauty contest, with URS21 asking all the shops and other spaces in the district to participate in a campaign of creativity to remake the streetscape as a grand fine-arts gallery. Shop windows and open spaces have been magically transformed, emerging as attractive works of art, the big show meant as a showcase of the city’s boundless creative energies. Maps and booklets have been prepared, and in each location where an art installation has been created, you’ll find explanatory text and signage posted. The surprises and smile-inducing visual teases you’ll come across roll by in a steady stream as you roll along. The installation art at the Zhongshan Distribution Site has been crafted by Yan Chung-hsien (顏忠賢), an instructor at Shih Chien University’s Dept. of Architecture and a respected international artist. He has depicted his vision of the future for the Distribution Site on walls, ceiling, and floor using paint and
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Discover Taipei
ink, christening his vision with the name“Bad Maze”(壞迷宮). Yan has also taken his art and created a two-dimensional rendition on the construction walls outside the site, making the walls artworks themselves and giving passersby a glimpse of what awaits within when the Zhongshan Distribution Site before its formal opening later in the year. Among the other sites that have been refashioned to show off the area’s creative prowess is The One (The One 中山概念 店), where bamboo and orchids have been used to create wind chimes hug across the façade, seeking to create a dialog between new ideas and old-style values. Booday (磨菇), a specialist in designer T-shirts, uses the“cosmopolitan girls”seen all around the Zhongshan Distribution Site as creative inspiration, utilizing photographs and installation works to record the special ambiance of this district. At Lovely Taiwan (台灣好, 店), which sells original Taiwan arts, crafts, and curios, transparencies and other
1. At Lovely Taiwan, transparencies and other plastic materials have been used to bring a fresh and dynamic look to the display-window area. 2. At The One, bamboo and orchids have been used to create attractive urban wind chimes. 3. Lovely Taiwan's façade melds wonder fully with the creative flair of the surrounding local streetscape. 4-5. Both Yellow Ted Hair Salon and in circle hair design have given free rein to expression of their visions for the Zhongshan area. 6. The work of interactive installation art at the 0416X1024 entrance has“home and family”as theme. 7. The wall enclosing the URS21 Zhongshan Distribution Site has been painted to make the enclosure itself a work of art. 8. Claire Wedding Salon has used black plastic to create a constellation of 18 stars. 9-10. Glass and plastic have been used at the SPOT-Taipei Film House heritage site in an alluring array of lamp installations.
Discover Taipei
43
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours plastic materials are used to create a large tree in the
Lights using glass and plastic design have been used to
shop window, signifying the absorption of the rich source
bring a new face to SPOT-Taipei Film House (臺北光點),
of cultured cultivation in the area, from which grows
bringing a new feel to the night-time aura of this popular
an endless supply of lush and colorful new foliage, or
heritage site. Artists have also been allowed into Claire
ideas. Businesses such as PPaper Shop, PPaper Café,
Wedding Salon (辛辛克萊婚紗店), Yellow Ted Hair Salon
Garden City (田園城市), ARMU Design Group (澤木設
(Yellow Ted造型美髮5D店), and in circle hair design, and
計), and 0416X1024, whose business is creative work,
allowed to let their visions for Zhongshan run free.
have all wielded their powers of imagination to show off Zhongshan’s rich and diverse creative energies.
The URS21 Zhongshan Distribution Site may still be in the midst of its greening and beautification process,
Another group of sites selected for artistic remolding
not yet open for visit, but the full force of this city’s spirit
are shops considered especially representative of the
of cultural-creative exuberance is on full display at the
authentic Zhongshan spirit and character, which artists
area shops and corps of creative-industry studios and
with special connections to the area have been invited
workshops. When the new cultural hub does come on-
to transform. You Xi Xi Coffee Shop (優西西餐廳) has
line in November watch out, for the one-two punch
been in place 37 years, and the owners have allowed
of hub site and surrounding sites is sure to thrill and
the shop’s interior to become a space for installation art.
bedazzle boundary-defying culture vultures in Taipei.
Information Creative Streetscape Tour Route:
4. Garden City Art Space 田園城市藝文空間
URS21 Zhongshan Distribution Site →You Xi Xi Coffee Shop →Claire Wedding Salon →Garden City Art Space →ARMU Design Group office (Grand Formosa Regent Taipei plaza)→The One→PPaper Shop →Spot Cinema→PPaper Café →0416X1024→in circle hair design →Quotes cafe→Lovely Taiwan →Booday→Yellow Ted Hair Salon →MRT Zhongshan Station
Add: 6, Lane 72, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. / (02) 2531-9081 中山北路2段72巷6號
Locations of 15 Remodeled Sites 1. Zhongshan Distribution Site 中山配銷處 Add: 21, Sec. 1, Minsheng E. Rd. 民生東路1段21號 2. You Xi Xi Coffee Shop 優西西餐廳 Add: 9, Sec. 1, Minsheng E. Rd. 民生東路1段9號 Tel: (02) 2511-2362 3. Claire Wedding Salon 辛辛克萊結婚概念店 Add: 81-2, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段81-2號 Tel: (02) 2522-2707
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Discover Taipei
5. ARMU Design Group office 澤木設計有限公司 Add: 3F, 10, Lane 39, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段39巷10號3樓 Tel: (02) 2542-1220
10. 0416x1024 Add: 18, Lane 20, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段20巷18號 Tel: (02) 2521-4867 11. in circle hair design Add: 1F, 36, Lane 36, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段36巷36號1樓 Tel: (02) 2523-8660
6. The One 中山概念店 Add: 30, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段30號 Tel: (02) 2536-2130
12. Quotes Café 引號咖啡館 Add: 36, Lane 42, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段42巷36號 Tel: (02) 2541-5983
7. PPaper Shop Add: B1, 2, Lane 26, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段26巷2號B1 Tel: (02) 2569-1779
13. Lovely Taiwan 台灣好,店 Add: 18-2, Lane 25, Nanjing W. Rd. 南京西路25巷18-2號 Tel: (02) 2558-2616
8. SPOT-Taipei Film House 臺北之家 光點電影院 Add: 18, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段18號 Tel: 02) 2511-7786 9. PPaper Café Add: 2F, 1-1, Lane 20, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd. 中山北路2段20巷1之1號2樓 Tel: (02) 2521-2608
14. Booday 蘑菇 Add: 18-1, Lane 25, Nanjing W. Rd. 南京西路25巷18-1號 Tel: (02) 2552-5552, ext. 11 15. Yellow Ted Hair Salon Yellow Ted造型美髮5D店 Add: 4, Lane 25, Nanjing W. Rd. 南京西路25巷4號 Tel: (02) 2558-0717
Minzu W. Rd.
g Expre
gsh an N . Rd.
Xinshen
Sec. 3, Zh on
ssway
Sec. 3, Chengde Rd.
Tatung University
Qingguang Market
Minquan W. Rd.
MRT Minquan West Road Station
Zhongshan Public Assembly
E Taipei EY
. Rd. eng W
Minsh
Minsheng E. Rd.
Grand Formosa Regent Taipei
shan
ong
2, Zh
MRT Shuanglian Station
Mackay Memorial Hospital
Sec.
Sec. 2, Chengde Rd.
Shuanglian Market
Jinzhou St.
.
N. Rd
Tsai Jui-yueh Dance Institute
Taipei Zhongshan Sports Center SPOT-Taipei Film House
MRT Zhongshan Station
Nanjing W. Rd.
Hotel Royal Taipei
1. Zhongshan Distribution Site 2. You Xi Xi Coffee Shop 3. Claire Wedding Salon 4. Garden City Art Space 5. ARMU Design Group 6. The One 7. PPaper Shop 8. SPOT-Taipei Film House 9. PPaper Café 10. 0416x1024 11. in circle hair design 12. Quotes Café 13. Lovely Taiwan 14. Booday 15. Yellow Ted Hair Salon
Sec. 1, Nanjing E. Rd.
Discover Taipei
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours
The Force of Jazz 2010 Taipei
International Jazz Season S
ax, trumpet, drums, bass, and guitar in lazy, carefree,
being continued, with two jazz concerts
free-ranging harmony. Players and audience sway-
and jazz carnivals staged at 228 Park (二二八
ing in the gentle summer night-time breeze. These are
公園)—all for free. In addition to shows by local
the ingredients of the annual Taipei International Jazz
cutting-edge groups, a group of eleven talented jazz
Festival, set to hit the stage in 2010 from July 2 to 24. I n c o m p l e m e n t t o t h e u p c o m i n g 2 0 1 0 Ta i p e i International Flora Exposition, this year’s theme for the jazz festival is“The Force of Jazz”(水花似Jam爵士臺北). The“Jazz in the Park”(爵士樂就在公園裡) concept is
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Discover Taipei
artists have been specially invited to Taiwan by two famed local jazz artists, violinist Hsieh Chi-pin (謝啟彬) and pianist Chang Kai-ya (張凱雅). The group will gather outdoors under the twinkling Taipei night sky for some rousing musical adventures.
Among this group of wonderful talents will be two superb saxophonists, Italy’s Rosario Giuliani and John Ruocco, a globe-trekking impresario who is a master hand at classical, modern, and jazz music. Then there’s Mimi Verderame, an unmatched artist of drums, guitar
Information 2010 Taipei International Jazz Season 2010 臺北國際爵士音樂節
music. On bass, partner with the drums for the setting of
Websites: www.taipeijazz.com/2010TIJS (Taipei International Jazz Education and Promotion Association) Websites: www.culture.gov.tw (Dept. of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Govt.)
musical rhythm and cadence, is one of the greatest of
Jazz Carnivals 爵士樂嘉年華
Belgium’s bass players, Bart De Nolf. This will be a musical
Performance Times: 7/23, 7/24 17:30~18:30 Venue: 228 Park (free) Add: 3, Ketagalan Blvd. (凱達格蘭大道3號) Transportation: For public bus, take No. 15, 18, 22, 220, 247, 257, 276, 287, 621, 640, Chongqing Rd. line to 228 Park stop. For MRT, take Danshui Line to NTU Hospital Station.
and composition. Another on drums is Roger Biwandu, who has achieved command of seemingly all musical genres, among them jazz, funk, fusion, and world
exchange of jazz minds nonpareil in the annals of jazz in Asia, featuring ingenious cross-ethnic composition and free-wheeling improvisation. Only here, in Taipei, can you see it and can you hear it. Many of the scheduled artists are coming to play in Taiwan for the first time. Tutu Puaone is a vocalist from South Africa and David Smith is a Canadian trumpeter. They are being awaited with great anticipation. Master jazz guitarist Joachim Schoenecker, known for his sublime technique and fluent, flowing play, will be on hand, as will that passionate maestro on the Latin piano, Peter van Marle. Be sure to get out on July 23 and 24 in the evening
International Jazz Masters Rendezvous 國際爵士名家星空音樂會 Time: 7/23, 7/24 19:00~21:00 Venue: Open-air stage at 228 Park (free) (228公園露天音樂台) Performers: Top-flight musical talent from the US, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Netherlands, and Taiwan.
for the International Jazz Masters Rendezvous (國際爵士 名家星空音樂會) in 228 Park, two nights of melodious joy under starry skies. In the late afternoons on these days, as a warm-up to the masters’ taking the stage later, there’s the Jazz Carnival (爵士樂嘉年華), where interaction with the crowd will be a key theme. The entire park will be flowing with the free-spirited and free-flowing creativity of street jazz. The annual International Jazz Masters Rendezvous is always an immensely popular showcase, with what seems the whole town turning out to listen. The atmosphere in the great outdoors is electric, with a real sense of warm excitement wafting about in the cool night air. This is one of the highlights of Asia’s jazz scene, for players and for listeners. If you don’t love jazz already, take this session in and you will.
1. Saxophonist John Ruocco. 2. South African songstress Tutu Puaone, on her first visit to Taiwan. 3. Bart De Nolf, Belgium's king of bass guitarists. 4. Holland's famed Latin-style pianist, Peter Van Marle. 5. Jazz greats from around the world will come to gather under starry Taipei skies. 6. The International Jazz Masters Rendezvous is one of the key city musical events on the Asian scene.
Discover Taipei
47
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours
Smile Gongguan
2010 Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival I
n the sizzling heat of the summer, all minds—young and
whopping 340,000 came, proof indeed that this is one
old—turn to water play. For folks in Taipei, this need not
of Taipei’s“hottest”events of the year. This year the
entail a rush to the sea or to riverside, for much closer
theme is“Smile Gongguan – Pure Beauty”(smile公館
to the city’s center is the Taipei Water Park (自來水園
正美麗), and in addition to the always popular“Water”
區). Situated in Gongguan (公館), this cool urban oasis is
and“Amusement”activities there will also be a new
packed with water slides, umbrella cascades, and other
focus on using water-theme arts to promote Gongguan
refreshing facilities, a place drenched with frolic and fun.
riverside leisure. The spotlight will be on performing
Better yet, each year in July, the Taipei Water Dept. (臺
arts and trendy lifestyle, fusing the green concepts of
北自來水事業處) stages the Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival
water conservation, healthy water play, and energy
at the park, a fact it seems most every kid in the city is
conservation, giving one and all a good look at a new
aware of and helpfully reminds parents of repeatedly as
vision for balanced living in the riverside Gongguan
the summer heat builds.
neighborhood.
A Water Festival with Something for Everyone
The festival will run nine weeks, ending August 29, and there will be something extra-special going on each and every day, daytime and night-time. In July
This year will be the seventh for the festival, and with
and August respectively there will be a big outdoor
each round people in the tens of thousands come to
stage performance and a Chinese Valentine’s Day
the park for the family-centered laughs. Last year a
concert, and in the afternoon of every Saturday and
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Discover Taipei
1-2. Kids wait in eager anticipation for each year's Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival, held at the height of summer at Taipei Water Park. 3. At night soak in the colorful beauty of the water fountain at the Drinking Water Museum. 4. Head off on a meandering bike excursion along the riverside bike-path Siyuan Waterside Corridor (思源親水廊道), enjoying verdant parkland and fine views.
Sunday there will be amazing magic shows, rollicking
recreation area in Xindian (新店), where gentle breezes
clown shows, thundering song and dance shows, and
caress, waterfowl dance about entertaining you, and
other good-time amusements. Most beloved by all the
the emerald-green views of placid waters, bluffs, and
little visitors, however, will surely be the electric go-karts,
mountain backdrop still the soul. Or head off for the
outdoor water-mist projection, and an outdoor theater
eco-trails of Mt. Xiaoguanyin (小觀音山) to commune
under the stars. As you can see, whether you’re little
with the precious treasures Mother Nature has brought
in size or little at heart, there’s something for everyone
into our world.
during these fun days of summer.
The Taipei Water Park Experience – History, Culture, Recreation
The Gongguan smile is truly a vision of beauty that’s pure. Will you be adding your smile to the joy at the Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival this summer ?
While you’re in the Taipei Water Park, be sure to visit some of the other nifty facilities such as the Aqua Friendly Experiencing Area (親水體驗區) and the Drinking Water Museum (自來水博物館); at the latter you can learn about the origins of this heritage architecture, about the
Information
history of Taipei’s water sources, and about the local
2010 Taipei Aqua Friendly Festival 2010臺北親水節
culture. Then you can hop on a bike and head off on a
Time: 7/3-8/29 09:00-20:00 (closed Mon)
meandering bike excursion along the riverside bike-path network, heading west and then northwest as far as
Venue: Taipei Water Park, 1 Siyuan St. (自來水園區, 思源街1號)
the Guandu (關渡) wetlands and the oceanside port of
Tel: (02) 8369-5104
Danshui (淡水). Or head east to the Bitan (碧潭) riverbank
Website: www.twd.gov.tw
Discover Taipei
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Taipei Health and Recreation Tours
for g in rf u S f o d e e p S The Landlubbers
T
he fashionably outfitted skateboarders steps atop
Added to the mix today are also ultra-
his skateboard and goes sliding and gliding up and
cool skateboard graphics and baggy
down the large U-shaped half-pipe. When his speed is
street outfits. Punk, hip-hop, and other
up, he goes hurtling into the air above one edge, and
rock music are also major influence,
with a deft movement grabs his board with one hand
and must be played at top
and launches himself into a thrilling spin mid-air. When
volume. Skateboarders even have
he comes back down to Earth and lands safely again,
their own lingo. The special fusion
the
of street, sports, and pop culture adds
crowd
roars with appreciation, then quickly goes silent again as they await the next gravitydefying acrobatic feats. This is skateboarding, which always gets the rushing
blood
in both the
athlete and onlookers. Skateboarding
culture, celebrated with the annual international Go Skateboarding Day, usually held on June 21. Taipei City has its own loyal corps of skateboarding aficionados and lovers of other extreme sports. In 2000, the Taipei City Govt. launched the country’s first international-standard extreme sports facility at Zhongshan Soccer Stadium (中山足球場). In the following year, the Chinese Taipei Extreme Sports Association (中華民國
began shooting up in popularity
極限運動協會) was established. Although at the moment
in the 1960s, catching on around
the extreme sports park is closed because of the needs
the world. Following steady
of this year’s Taipei International Flora Exposition, there
advances in skateboard design, as
will be a trial run for the“Taipei Extreme Sports Training
the increase in flexibility, durability, and
Center”(臺北市極限運動訓練中心) in August, making a
turning ability enabled ever more difficult
more comprehensive array of first-rate facilities dedicat-
maneuvers such as bounces, flips, and
ed for the local skateboarding army.
reverses with greater speed.
The Rise of an Extreme Sport
50
up to the one and only skateboarding
The new facility will have a park, half-pipe area, and main building of 6,048 sq. ft. Inside will be dormitory facilities for athletes and coaches, and weight-
Today skateboarding is an international
training facilities with a wide variety of equipment. The
phenomenon with global-scale competitions.
secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Extreme Sports
The sport now features dedicated skate
Association, Jiang Zhi-ming (姜志明), says that“All three
park, the half-pipe, and other special
rail networks—MRT, High Speed Rail, and the regular
facilities. The result is incredible speed
rail system—converge at MRT Nangang Station, with
and power, and taking BMX and roller
the new training center right beside it. When the time
skates to extreme-sport status.
comes, we invite skateboard devotees from around
Discover Taipei
the country to come check out all the specialized facilities. When we are officially up and running in September, we’ll expand into popularizing the sport with classes, inviting groups of students from elementary schools to come try their hand at this fashionable sport.”
Information Chinese Taipei Extreme Sports Association 中華民國極限運動協會 Add: 1, Yumen St. (玉門街 1 號) Tel: (02) 2594-4204
Skateboarding Tips For your safety, wear shoes with flat soles and a good grip, and always wear a helmet and knee/elbow protectors.
Start off by taking lessons from a qualified instructor, who can teach proper safety techniques for mounts, falls, etc.
Website: www.tw-xgame.org
Taipei Extreme Sports Training Center 臺北市極限運動訓練中心 Location: Between exits 1 and 2 at MRT Nangang Station on the Bannan Line. (捷運板南線南港站1、2號出口中間)
Do not attempt acrobatics beyond the range of your strength and endurance.
1. With the adoption of skateboarding by the young crowd, an eclectic skateboarding culture has emerged. 2. Speed and technique are both prime ingredients in all extreme sports. 3. The new Taipei Extreme Sports Training Center has a comprehensive line-up of facilities that allow athletes to give full expression to their talents.
Discover Taipei
51
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Journal of Taipei Personalities
Explorations and Observations
of the Artist —
Stan Lai Takes a Slow Walk through Taipei H
e's moved from a life in the United States to a life in Taiwan, therefore he is keen on observations of migration and
identity. In his staged works, he explores the joys and sorrows of human existence, also delving into the themes
of fate and Zen-inspired spiritual openness and inner calm. He is Stan Lai (賴聲川), famed director of Taipei's equally famed Performance Workshop Theatre (表演工作坊).
“I love walking around Taipei. There's creative inspiration in all sorts of places.”“What do I find most beautiful about Taipei? The people.”With a knowing eye from his own experience, Stan Lai recommends foreign visitors first get to know this city by visiting the sights and scenes of“early Taipei.”Go to Dongmen Market (東門市場) and Nanmen Market (南門市場) for a taste of the authentic local lifestyle and to get a feel for the special happy and friendly spirit of the people. Head to bustling Yongkang Street for a bowl of delicious beef-and-tendon noodles at famous Old Zhang Beef Noodle Shop (老張牛肉麵), complemented with a side dish of the crispy sweet-and-sour version of kimchi. Or head to Old Deng's Dan-Dan Noodles (老鄧擔擔麵) on
now got Taiwan's culture as a main ingredient!”he enthuses. Last year, Lai served as the artistic director for the Taipei Deaflympics. One day he took his troupe to Yongkang St. for beef noodles after a performance, and at the end found the owner refused to accept any money. The reason was not Lai's fame, but rather“that the owner had seen the opening ceremony and been touched by how we had promoted beef noodles, mango shaved ice, and other signature Taiwan treats. Business had picked up immediately, and he wanted to show his thanks.”This amity and openheartedness, he says, is what makes Taipei such an endearing place for outsiders to visit.
Lianyun St. for a steaming bowl of hot and sour dry
Of course, a jaunt up to Yangmingshan (陽明山) or
noodles, accompanied by a chewy serving of steamed
Beitou (北投) for a soothing hot-spring soak is another
pig intestines. Another fine option is Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐),
must on any Taipei visit. In the past, a favorite and
renowned throughout East Asia, for a round of aromatic
oft-used itinerary was to head up with a close group
xiaolongbao (小籠包), a type of juicy soup dumpling,
of friends to venerable International Hotel (國際大旅
and hearty selections of other Taipei-style wheat-based
館), opened in 1952, for a hotpot feast in a Japanese-
foods. Lai has traveled through mainland China, visiting
style room, reviving body and soul with a soak in
both Sichuan and Shanghai, and finds Taipei's versions of
Yangmingshan's renowned white-sulfur springs. Another
these traditional staples are just as good. The knowledge
favorite way to get his creative juices flowing is to take
and skills of the old masters from mainland China who
a slow walk to the café at The Island (二條通一號) in
came here have been well absorbed, he says, and
Zhongshan District, where you can soak up the aroma
even enhanced with special Taiwan twists.“They've
of good coffee while enjoying the surroundings of old
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Discover Taipei
Stan Lai ＊Artistic Director of Performance Workshop ＊Ph.D. in Dramatic Art from U.C. Berkeley ＊Inducted into the Chinese Theatre Hall of Fame in 2007, Lai has been called“the brightest star in Taiwan theatre”by Japan's NHK television ＊The New York Times has said that“Lai's most famous work Secret Love In Peach Blossom Land may be the most popular contemporary play in China.”
Japanese-style architecture hidden down side lanes. For theatre-loving folks, he specially recommends a visit to the resplendent National Theater (國家劇院) or the cultured Guling St. Avant-Garde Theatre (牯嶺街小劇場), where“any play selected is guaranteed to please!” Lai and his Per for mance Workshop fellows are constantly touring Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, and based on all he's seen, he feels that Taiwan is today the center of theatrical creativity in the Chinese cultural universe. In Taiwan, the spirit of originality is esteemed and encouraged, the range of theatre troups is varied, and non-mainstream avant-garde experimental works are given access to major stages and received enthusiastically by theatre-goers. In just two short years, the troupe performed The Village (寶 島一村) on more than 80 occasions in Taiwan, and in early 2011, the play will be taken across the seas for presentation to audiences on the west coast of the USA. There's perhaps no better way to get to know the four corners and the four seasons of this city of intrigue, no better way to get, to know the story of the landscape and of the people's hearts, than to follow in the footsteps of Stan Lai, on whom the curtain of life's pleasant little discoveries never sets.
1. Performance Workshop has thrilled audiences around the region with its acclaimed The Village. 2. Beef noodles is a must-try treat for foreign visitors when in Taipei. 3. A saunter through Taipei's streets brings you intimacy with the friendliness of local folk and the beauty of the heritage architecture.
Discover Taipei
53
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Journal of Taipei Personalities
Taipei in the Eyes of Foreign Friends Thomas Miller finds, seeing a movie or attending a theatre or dance per formance is always a pleasant experience, for ticket prices are reasonable, facilities are first-rate, and selection is highly diverse. Outside of his school studies and artistic pursuits, one of his favorite things to do is spend time at the Beitou branch of the Taipei Public Library or the Xinyi branch of Eslite Bookstore reading and browsing. Another is to head to Yongkang St. to enjoy Taiwan's teas at one of the teahouses or to explore the island's cuisine.
Valentin Lechat
Place of Origin: Boston, USA Vocation: Student Reason in Taipei: Chinese and film studies Time in Taipei: 8 months
A
trip to Taiwan three years ago to attend a friend's
wedding planted the idea of his Taipei adventure in
Thomas. A graduate of the film department at New York University, in addition to his pursuit of Chinese-language studies, he harbors dreams of launching a career here in film direction. A big admirer of Taiwan directorial talent such as Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) and Tsai Ming-liang (蔡 明亮), one of his favorite works is Hou's Three Times (最 好的時光), praising the depth and strength of its artistry. Another film that has left a deep impression is Pinoy Sunday (台北星期天); on the day he saw it the Malaysian director, Ho Wi-ding (何蔚廷), was present, and after the screening he took the time to talk with the audience, an experience Thomas treasures. Thomas well remembers attending a performance
Place of Origin: Southeast of France Vocation: Instructor, National Taiwan College of Pe r fo r m i n g A r t s, N ew M od e r n Circus Troupe / Street Performer Reason in Taipei: Promotion of modern circus/ vaudeville arts Time in Taipei: 4 years Valentin began his study of the vaudeville arts at just 11 years old, going on to study under famed vaudeville-
of the dance drama Song of Pensive Beholding (觀) by
arts performer Jerome Thomas of France and joining
Lin Lee-chen's (林麗珍) Legend Lin Dance Theatre at
the renowned Cirque Lili, traveling all over Europe to
the National Theater in Taipei. There was no dialog, yet
perform. Five years ago he decided to spend time
great expressiveness and communication. In Taiwan, he
traveling Asia, looking for troupes or artists to cooperate
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Discover Taipei
Brook Hall Place of Origin: New Mexico, USA Vocation: Theatre and dance director Reason in Taipei: Work Time in Taipei: 9 years
At the tender young age of 14, Brook was already a professional actor and a song-and-dance entertainer. Over the years he has performed in about 20 hit New York, regional, and national musicals, including West Side Story, Singin' in the Rain, Phantom of the Opera, Peter Pan, and Fiddler on the Roof, and has also choreographed or directed a number of others. Nine years ago, a close friend came to Taiwan to perform in a Kaohsiung arts festival, and strongly encouraged Brook to come check out the local arts scene. Little could he know then that two years later he would decide to move here to study Chinese and pursue his professional career. with. He spent short spells in Mongolia, Korea, Japan, and other places, finally ending up in Taipei and working with the Taipei Crossover Dance Company (台北越界舞 團) in Asunder II—The Curse of Faust (支離破碎2—浮士德之 咒). He also performed in Riverbed Theatre Company's (河床劇團) Electric X!. Along the way another very important thing happened—he met his wife, a flamenco dancer and Taiwan native. As one can see, the island has been quite good to him, and he has decided to stay on awhile.
“Many per for mance arti s ts i n Tai wan l i ke to try themselves in musical play,”says Brook,“but exceedingly few have relative experiences.”As one who has appeared in Broadway musicals that have toured the globe, he hopes he can play a role in helping them learn more about this art form. In helping and guiding local troupes, he has had more and more opportunity to join them on tours to Hong Kong, Europe, Russia, and elsewhere to perform, getting to know local artists much better and, in a virtuous circle, having
He likes how Taiwan gives its performance artists
more impact on generating creative inspiration. This is a
space to create and experiment, meaning for himself
dynamic that does not exist in Broadway circles, he says,
specifically that he can pursue his own dreams with
and“This is the reason I choose to stay in Taiwan.”
vigor. Though each and every day seems a busy one for Valentin—his teaching, working with troupes and joining other activities, studying qigong (氣功)—the moment a window pops open, he and his wife rush off to Wulai (烏來) or Beitou (北投) for some rejuvenating hot-springs soaking, or to Maokong (貓空) or Pinglin (坪 林) for a session of spirit-invigorating tea drinking. He also very much enjoys Taiwan's food, especially spicy
Taiwan is bursting with talented creative types, he says. He well remembers the first time he heard David Tao (陶吉吉) bringing R&B and jazz rhythms to traditional folk songs, and the great thrill he felt seeing the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre 2 (雲門舞集2) troupe working with overseas dancers in an exciting East/West fusion of dance arts. Brook admires the local theatrical community, and holds up a number of locally created
hotpot (麻辣鍋); whenever the weather turns a bit cool
musicals as solid representatives of“native-soil”vitality—
his mind turns inexorably toward this warming meal.
April Rain (四月望雨), a wholly Taiwan-created work,
Bouts of homesickness rarely if ever come, says Valentin,
as well as the inventive adaptations of Western stage
for most of his friends come from the local world of the
musicals by troupes such as Dafeng Musical Theater (大
performing arts, forming unusually intimate bonds and
風劇團), Godot Theatre Company (果陀劇場), and VM
lending each other encouragement and support, and
Theatre Company (耀演).
he looks upon them as a second family.
Discover Taipei
55
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
A Cavalcade of Arts and Culture
Legends of Heroes – The Heritage of the Three Kingdoms Era
L
ong ago toward the end of China's Eastern Han Dynasty (25AD~220AD), the eunuchs
had attained power over the land and
disasters and war had become the order of the day. Three great men took advantage of this turbulence and weakness to force their way to positions of power using military prowess—Liu Bei (劉備), who led in the west, Cao Cao (曹操), who seized the central plains, and Sun Quan (孫權), who controlled the lands of the eastern Yangtze River. Three kingdoms, three contenders, all of roughly equal strength, gave rise to the heroic legends of the Three Kingdoms period (220AD~280AD). It was a time of great and valiant generals and cunning tacticians, of Machiavellian trickery and treachery, and of heroic characters defined by loyalty, mercy, and bravery. Situations changed at breakneck pace, just like the plots of movies and digital games today—and in fact the material used in countless modern-day films and games. In 2008, the“Great Romance of the Three Kingdoms”exhibition at the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum attracted over one million people, a record in Japan for a show featuring Chinese relics. Taiwan's National Museum of History has spent three years preparing the exhibition“Legends of Heroes – The Heritage of the Three Kingdoms Era”(英雄再起－大三國 特展 ), and expectations are that interest will be just as strong for this grand spectacle. This exhibition spans 11 provinces and 32 museums in mainland China, with 146 priceless relics chosen from the vast treasure of historical gems. Among these, over 60 of the historical relics have exquisite craftsmanship of the first order. The works are also demonstrations of life in China from many angles during the Three Kingdoms period (三國時期)culture, politics, military rule, economics and everyday life, spirituality, and arts among them. The treasures include 1. The hanging scroll Portrait of Zhang Fei is from the collection of Ming Dynasty paintings at the Palace Museum in Beijing. 2. Pottery Figure Husking Rice (陶舂米俑), depicting rural life at the end of the Eastern Han period. 3. Bronze Seated Statue of Guan Yu, a life-sized work, captures the spirit of chivalry and heroism. 4. The Bronze Horse Honor Guard (銅車馬儀仗隊), most mobile of the cavalry of the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms period.
bronze ware, relief brick sculptures, paintings and calligraphy, seals, ceramics, lacquer ware, gold vessels, copper ware, woodcarvings, and modern crafts. The oldest is from the Eastern Han dynasty, the youngest from the Republican period, a span of nearly 2,000 years. Among the works is“Landscape of Chibi”(赤壁圖) by Qiu Ying (仇英), one of the Four Great Masters of the Ming (明朝四大家)— the four greatest painters of that dynastic period. With exquisite brushwork, he depicts the great Song Dynasty writer Su Dong-po (蘇東坡) in a boat drifting by the famed Chibi (赤壁; Red Cliffs) on the Yangtze River. In“Bronze Seated Statue of Guan Yu”(關羽銅
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Discover Taipei
adding a grandiose, larger-than-life aesthetic of chivalry to the show's ambiance. The story of the Three Kingdoms has provided endless fascination for countless people generation after generation. Politicians look to it for political guidance. Military strategists look to it for tactics. The figures of the period capture the imagination of both the great man and the common man: Cao Cao is famed for his utterance“Better I betray the people than let the people betray me”(寧可我 負天下人,莫讓天下人負我), Kong Ming (孔明) for his shrewdness and wisdom, Liu Bei, Guan Yu (關羽), and Zhang Fei (張飛) for their famous Oath of the Peach Garden (桃園三結義).“Legends of Heroes – The Heritage of the Three Kingdoms Era”will take you back to walk among them.
Information 座像), we see the spirit of bravery and heroism in a work as tall as a man. The fine workmanship in“Bronze Money Tree with Green-glazed Pottery Base”(綠釉陶座銅搖 錢樹), and the appealing appearance of“Painted Pottery Squatting Storyteller with Drum”(彩繪陶說 唱俑), are two priceless works rarely seen outside their collections.“Silver-Thread Jade Suit with Jade Pillow”(銀縷玉衣) is a work generating especially great excitement, the burial attire of Cao Song (曹 嵩), father of Cao Cao. Woven with 2,464 thin jade tablets of varying sizes and thread of real silver, the extravagance on display was a clear departure from Cao Cao's edict to observe more humble and
Legends of Heroes – The Heritage of the Three Kingdoms Era Time: Until 09/05 Venue: National Museum of History ; 49 Nanhai Rd. (國立歷史博物館 ; 南海路49號)
Time: 10:00-18:00 (open year-round) Tel: (02) 6606-0168 Transportation: For MRT, go to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station and take Exit 1 or 2; walk toward intersection of Nanhai Rd., then walk along Nanhai Rd. approx. 10 minutes. For bus, take No. 0 West, 1, 204 to Jianguo High School stop; take No. 0 South, 5, 10, 38, 227, 241, 235, 244, 295, and Zhongzheng line to Nanchang Road stop; take buses on Roosevelt Rd. to Nanmen Market stop.
Website: www.mediasphere.com.tw/3k/
frugal funeral rites. A special highlight at this show is the marriage of the latest in 3D technology, bringing together holographic projection and augmented reality with striking effect in the coordinated presentation of artworks and explanatory themes. You are transported across space and time to visit works in virtual-reality recreations of the original contexts they would have been found in. Another stimulating special feature is the use of costumes and props used in the movie Red Cliff (赤壁) by acclaimed production and costume designer Tim Yip (葉錦添), who won an Oscar for best art direction for his work on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in evoking the heroic code of the Three Kingdoms period and
Discover Taipei
57
發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
A Cavalcade of Arts and Culture
A
s the heat of the summer bears down on all living
This year a series of interactive games in keeping
things, what in the world might stimulate the
with a“Fantasy Anime”(奇幻動漫) theme are being
local otaku crowd to come out of doors? "Otaku" is a
concocted—“Gods and Ghosts Hide and Seek”(神
Japanese term for people with obsessive indoor interests
鬼捉迷藏),“Comic Exhibition – So Good”(漫博好精
such as anime, manga, and video games. There is, quite
彩),“Comic Fans Club”(漫迷後援會),“Quiz Master
possibly, just one answer—their beloved annual Comic
Competition”(問答盟主賽), and others of like character.
Exhibition (漫畫博覽會). All the key regional producers
A regular event that has been a huge hit in the past is
in the industry are on hand with their best stuff—from
the“Karaoke Anime King”(卡拉動漫王) competition,
Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and
where Cosplay contestants belt out favorite anime
points further flung. Lovers of the art form come in the
theme songs, even getting the crowds involved in the
hundreds of thousands to sate their cravings.
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Discover Taipei
action. The surprises during this feast of showmanship seem to get bigger every year. In addition to the always rich treasure-house of books and audio-visual products displayed, the peripheral merchandise has a collector's edition type of creativity that can engender a frenzy of buying. The celebrity
Information 2010 Comic Exhibition 2010漫畫博覽會 Time: 7/28 to 8/2 Hours: 10:00-18:00
autograph sessions also create excitement among
Venue: Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1; 5, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd.(世貿一館;信義路5段5號)
anime lovers; the big names announced so far for this
Tel: (02) 2517-6963
year are the great Japanese manga artist Suekane
Transportation: Take the MRT to Taipei City Hall Station then walk approx. 10 minutes to Sec. 5 of Xinyi Rd. For public bus, take No. 20, 226, 284, 611, 650, and buses on Xinyi line to Taipei World Trade Center stop
Kumiko, and iconic voice actors Kakihara Tetsuya and Namikawa Daisuke. This year the show's organizers are inviting 20 or more of the hottest local and international anime artists, voice artists, and writers to come together for what can be called a marathon-style get-together with fans, with a sizzling array of surrounding activities to add even more color and pop. It's a big Party with a capital“P”for fans—and aren't you one? Like Doraemon, Japan's Super Sentai, known as Power Rangers in the West, have taken the world by storm, and from July 16 to 18 Taiwan will see its first ever performances at the Taipei International Convention Center in what is being called SPECIAL LIVE in Taiwan (戰 隊系列). The series featuring this animated task force has been broadcast in Japan for over 30 years, the team of youthful heroes studying ancient“beast fist”martial arts and fighting for goodness and justice. Over the years the costumes, character styling, and production techniques
Tickets: Now till 7/27 make purchases at tickets.books. com.tw and Family Mart convenience stores; during exhibition ticket sales at site start at 09:30 Website: www.ccpa.org.tw
SPECIAL LIVE in Taiwan 戰隊系列 Time: 7/16 to 7/18 Add: Taipei International Convention Center ;1, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd. (臺北國際會議中心;信義路5段1號) Tel: (02) 2550-8979 Website: www.supersentai.com.tw 1. In the Karaoke Anime King competition the Cosplay get-ups turn heads. 2. Japanese manga artist Takada Akemi (far right) at an autograph session. 3. Each year great numbers of anime devotees make pilgrimages to the Comic Exhibition. 4. All the costumes and props of Japan's Super Sentai have been flown in from Japan for dazzling shows.
have become ever more sophisticated—but the one thing that never changes is the passion in their souls for fighting the good fight. The youthful performers to hit the stage in Taipei have flown in all the realdeal accouter ments of the fighting force from Japan—notably the skin-tight outfits of red, blue, and yellow and the futuristic weaponry— and will be giving dazzling shows stuffed with high-tech special effects that you won't soon forget.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
A Cavalcade of Arts and Culture
Tibet -
Treasures from the Roof of the World
T
ibet, the“Roof of the World,”is seen by
The 130 priceless pieces assembled for this
many as the last sacred place on Earth.
rarest of displays are from the highest palace
The unfaltering religious belief of its people
in the world, the Potala Palace, from the
and their tradition of the living Buddha
Norbulingka Palace, the traditional summer
reincarnation make Tibetan Buddhism
abode of the Dalai Lama, and from museums
mysterious yet alluring to outsiders.
in Tibet , Palcho Monastery, Sakya Monastery,
Tibetan relics always give the impression of
Mindroling Monastery, and other key repositories
possessing deep holiness, and their secrets will at least in part be revealed in the compelling exhibition“Tibet – Treasures from the Roof of the World,”three years in the making, to grace Taipei's National Palace Museum starting in July.
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Discover Taipei
of the Tibetan cultural heritage. The exhibition is focused primarily on Buddhist statuary and thangka paintings from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The works of art include the Kalachakra Gilt Bronze (時輪金剛像), an
Esoteric Buddhism representation of the Mandkesvara
Any time spent at the National Palace Museum
or female and male entwined Buddha in a state of
is always time well spent. This is particularly so for this
nirvana, the Kadam Stupa, a stupa taller than a person
exhibition, quite possibly the best opportunity you shall
at 185 centimeters, a Kapala, which is a ritual cup or
ever have to gain some understanding of life on the
bowl made from the skull of an eminent monk, a Silver
Tibetan plateau and the wisdom of the Zang or Tibetan
Tightbone Trumpet (包銀脛骨號), and other gems, from
people. This most sacred of places has been brought
religious ritual objects to the Tibetan Medical Code to
a little bit closer to us, but only for a fleeting moment.
treasures presented to the Qing court by various Dalai
Where shall you be?
Lamas and Panchen Lamas. To bring this grand collection together, the exhibition's curator team made visits to numerous key locations— Lhasa, Shigatse, Chengde, Beijing, Qinghai, and many
Information
other places. From the countless precious objects
Tibet – Treasures from the Roof of the World 聖地西藏 – 最接近天空的寶藏
reviewed, the very best and most representative are
Time: 7/1 to 9/19
being brought to Taipei for display. And even among even the director of the National Palace Museum,
Venue: Exhibition Area II, Library Building, National Palace Museum(國立故宮博物院圖書文獻大樓 特展室)
Chou Kung-shin (周功鑫), says her breath is taken away
Add: 221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd. (至善路2段221號)
these, 36 works are so exquisite and rarely seen that
looking upon them even though she has staged many
Tel: (02) 2881-2021
exhibitions on Tibet in the past. The head of the Tibet
Hours: Daily 09:00-17:00 (open year-round)
Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Bureau (西藏文
Website: tb.ishow.gmg.tw
物局宣保處), Kalsang Dondrub, is even more thrilled,
Transportation: At MRT Danshui Line Shilin Station, transfer to bus No. 255, 304, Red 30, Small bus 18, Small Bus 19
proclaiming that a visit to this exhibition is like taking a trip to the Roof of the World Itself. Perhaps the piece that has drawn the most attention in the exhibition is the fabulous“Sahastrabhuja Avalokiteshvara”from the Norbulingka collection, a gilt bronze work that stands 77 cm tall and has 11 faces
1. The Dakini statue (空行母立像) symbolizes wisdom and strength. 2. The Tibet exhibition has brought together 130 of the rarest of treasures. 3. The Kalachakra Gilt Bronze (時輪金剛像) symbolizes wisom and mercy.
of the bodhisattva. A thousand arms are extended outward, and at the center of the palm of each hand is an eye. The religious instrument held in each hand is different from all others. This work of remarkably delicate craftsmanship is considered one of the finest works of the Qing Dynasty period.
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發．現．臺．北 DISCOVER TAIPEI
Handy Portable Information
07/08
2010
July-August Arts Exhibition Calendar
National Palace Museum
National Theater & Concert Hall
Tel: (02) 2881-2021 Add: 221, Sec. 2, Zhishan Rd. (至善路2段221號) Website: www.npm.gov.tw
Tel：(02) 3393-9888 Add：21-1, Zhongshan S. Rd. (中山南路21-1號) Website：www.ntch.edu.tw
Time: Permanent Exhibit Rituals Cast in Brilliance–Chinese Bronzes Through the Ages
From now on to 2010/07/25 Taipei International Choral Festival
From now on to 2011/08/01 An Assorted Tapestry of Lustrous Beauty: Export Porcelains from the Museum Collection
From 2010/08/28 to 2011/08/29 2010 4th International Ballet Star Gala in Taipei
Taipei Fine Arts Museum
Summer Jazz 2010
Tel：(02) 2595-7656 Add：181, Sec. 3, Zhongshan N. Rd. (中山北路3段181號) Website：www.tfam.museum
From now on to 2010/08/08 Humanity in Ambiguities: Permanent Collection of TFAM From now on to 2010/08/15 Jean-Paul Gaultier/Regine Chopinot – Le Défilé-Gallery From now on to 2010/08/15 Mobility, Sound, and Form Sound, Image Installation organized by GRAME, Centre National de Création Musicale
Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei (MOCA Taipei) Tel：(02) 2552-3721 Add：39, Chang'an W. Rd. (長安西路39號) Website：www.mocataipei.org.tw
From 2010/08/27 to 2011/09/10
National Taiwan Museum Tel: (02) 2382-2699 Add: 2, Xiangyang Rd., inside 228 Peace Memorial Park (襄陽路2號) Website: www.ntm.gov.tw
From now on to 2010/10/17 Explore the Kingdom of Camphor: Special Exhibition of Taiwan Camphor Industry
National Taiwan Science Education Center Tel: (02) 6610-1234 Add: 189 Shishang Road (士商路189號) Website: www.ntsec.gov.tw
From now on to 2010/07/23 CSI: The Experience
From now on to 2010/07/18 Tripolar - 3 Positions in German Video Art
Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts
From now on to 2010/07/25 Back to Love
Tel: (02) 2896-1000 Add: 1, Xueyuan Rd. (學園路1號)
From now on to 2010/08/08 Summer Holiday - A Solo Exhibition by Tim Yip
From now on to 2010/08/08
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Discover Taipei
Website: kdmofa.tnua.edu.tw
Post-Adolescence