3rd - 4th Dec 2023
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| General Chiang Kai-shek First a little background to Taiwan. The main island (and there are many small outlying ones) is about 250 miles long north to south, and about 90 miles wide east to west across the centre. The west coastal area is quite flat but there are rugged heavily forested mountains running the length of the spine. It lies about 100 miles off the south-east Chinese coast seperated from China by the Taiwan Strait. In early days it was inhabited by many local tribes, and they are, apparently, still around today. It was Portuguese explorers who, when they 'discovered' the island in the mid-16th century, christened it 'Ilha Formosa' which translated as 'Beautiful Island'. This name, Formosa, caught on in Western culture but it was only officially renamed 'The Republic of Formosa' for six months at the end of the 19th century during the Japanese occupation. It has a complicated and confused history having at one stage been colonised by the Spanish and Dutch (it is in a great trading location) and occupied at various periods by the Chinese and Japanese. After the Japs were kicked out at the end of WW2 the Chinese moved in. Following the defeat in 1949 of the Republic of China's forces, led by General Chiang Kai-shek, by Mao's Communist forces in the Chinese civil war, Chiang Kai-shek (lets call him CKS to save time and ink) moved with his remaining army to Taiwan and set up his Khomintang (KMT) Party Government there and took charge of the place as a somewhat autocratic dictator. Now, lefty-liberals demonise CKS (as does my Lonely Planet guide book!) as a murderous tirant. Yes, he was somewhat 'robust' in dealing with any opposition and there was indeed a brutal put-down of a local rebellion to his rule on 28th February 1949. This date is 'remembered' and will be referred to later. However, for 26 years he ruled Taiwan until his death in 1975. On the plus side, he is credited with resisting Communism and laying the grounds for Taiwan to become one of the four Asian 'Tiger' economies in the 60s/70s (along with South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong): The Taiwan Miracle as it is known. Thanks to this, and him, Taiwan has become an economic and industrial (especially in the technological field) powerhouse with amazing growth which continues to this day. No small achievement for a country a third the size of England! As such CKS is still much respected and admired in the country, even today (unless you are a lefty-liberal!). Taiwan is still not recognised by many nations and International organisations as a Sovereign State (sopping up to China) and is permanently under threat of invasion by China who consider the place their property (viz Hong Kong). The present day population of Taiwan is 23,923,296, and the President is a lady called Tsai Ing-wen. Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is a vibrant city at the northern end of the country. It has a population of 2.5 million and with a Greater Metropolitan Area population of a further 5 million. It is all very 'high-tech', well manicured and sparkly clean. I have only been here for a few days but have found the people remarkably cheerful, charming and incredibly helpful, expecially to a semi-doddery foreign tourist like me. If you look a bit baffled someone will inevitably come up and ask if they can help. I am most impressed. It also feels very safe. I suspect that casual theft and anti-social behaviour just don't occur (I hope I'm not proved wrong). The only problem areas that I have so far discovered are a). There are no, or few, street signs (I have a street map which is therefore almost useless). b). The Main Station, which is a hub for my, and all, transport (rail and Metro), is a vast building, or interconnected buildings, and a nightmare maze of brightly lit long interlinking passageways on at least 4 levels with escalators going off in all directions and a myriad of confusing signs. It is the most disorienting environment I have ever experienced. It is also very busy and everybody else seems to know where they are going! On one occasion it took me 45 minutes just to find my way out to the open air, let alone finding the correct platforms. Indeed all the Metro stations are somewhat difficult to navigate for the 'novice'. Having said that, the actual trains, when you eventually find them, are clean, quiet, run frequently and like clockwork with good (English) electronic displays of when they will arrive and which stations you are approaching etc. c). When walking the streets (normally lost in my case because I am too mean to pay a roaming charge to access the Google Maps navigation system when not Wifi connected) you can be held for ages at all pedestrian road crossings. The city roads are often wide and very busy. You can be standing for at least 3 minutes for the illuminated little red man to turn green. Jumping the lights would be unthinkable. d). In the central area (where I am currently based) it is difficult to find a decent bar! They do not have streetside bars or pubs as we in UK know them and most do not open until at least 6.00 pm. OK, I have now found a few and one of those is open 24hrs with charming staff! Other outlying areas have many good watering holes....  Left: A Christmas decoration in one of the 'halls' in the Main Station. I thought coming here, it being of a predominantly Buddhist or Taoist 'religion', that Christmas would be downplayed. How wrong I was. Every shop, bar and café is festooned with Christmas decorations, holly and twinkly lights, the bar and café staff wear Santa Claus hats or reindeer horns and loud 'festive' music as per 'We Wiss You a Melly Clissmass" or 'JIngabells' and 'Three Horse Open Sleighs' etc. etc. blares out from loudspeakers. Bah Humbug indeed! Talking of helpful locals, I was lost finding the way to a building (the main Post Office). I asked a young lady standing nearby for help. She spoke good English and said she would take me there, which she did. In conversation she mentioned that she had studied Neuro-Psychology (whatever that is) at a University in England and was only too happy to help. Maybe she thought I would be an interesting 'project'. On another occasion when completely lost (again) in the Main Station I was forced to speak to a young chap standing nearby carrying a large parcel. He offered to take me to the platform and did so, which required quite a long walk and up and down various escalators. We got to the relevant ticket machine and he insisted, against all my loud objections, on paying my fare (50p). He too spoke good English and told me he was an engineer who had studied Engineering at University College London. He was then on his phone (he told me) telling his girlfriend that he would be right back to meet her where he was when I accosted him! I don't think I could ever expect that sort of help in UK! (maybe I look much more doddery and helpless than I thought). I have received unsolicited helpful and totally gratis advice on other occasions since; it appears within their nature to enjoy giving it.  Right: More 'festive' decorations in the lobby of my first hotel. Snowman? I doubt they have ever seen snow here...but it's all part of the game. In fact the first 'cheapo' hotel I booked into 'on spec' for two nights (west of the centre on the main Nanjing road) was a bit of a disappointment. The staff were charming but the room was very pokey and they only had WiFi connection in the lobby area with very limited power points and seating, which was surprising in this city where internet coverage is normally as universal and essential as air is to breath. I have hardly seen a local who is not holding and using his mobile phone everywhere. They are permanently 'plugged in'. Not only that but this lobby was, for some reason, and not encountered anywhere else since, infested by mosquitos which bit ravenously. It was most uncomfortable and irritating. I have subsequently found an even cheaper lodging which is excellent in all respects with all 'mod-cons'. There are hundreds to choose from. That will do for now, and I am behind with reporting on what I have actually seen and done. There is a lot to see and do in this city which is a bit time consuming and I get lazy about writing this twaddle. To be continued.......  |
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