Trip to Taiwan, December 7th 2008

Taiwan, December 7th through the 12th, 2008


I was here for business as usual. Taiwan is home to many semiconductor companies as well as new solar cell startups and business here has been growing very steadily over the past couple of years.

There are many intersting points to Taiwan. I will try to convey a couple of these in this post.



First, Taiwan and China have a difficult relationship. Taiwan was a part of mainland China up until the 50's and became a rebel entity when Chiang-Kian Shek left China with his followers and settled in Taiwan during the communist rebellion led by General (Chairman) Mao. So the Chinese claim that the Island of Taiwan is really theirs, just like Tibet. The Chinese used to rule Tibet during the Ming Dynasty and that was enough claim for them to invade Tibet and take ownership of the state during the 50's. They have been amassing military assets near the coast for years in order to retake Taiwan. Seeing Taiwan is a fledgling democracy being threatened by a communist country, the US has supported them with weapons and missles which is why they have never been attacked. That is why when you fly from China to Taiwan, you must fly over Hong Kong. Missles and the Chinese Airforce can cover that little gap in the water very quickly and it would give the Taiwanese defenses little time to determine whether it is an aircraft full of tourists or an all out attack.



The best way to get around Taiwan is the high speed train. This has killed business for hotels in some regions of Taiwan as well as all domestic flights. You can get from Taipei to Tainan in less than 1 1/2 hours for about 30 dollars.


American restaurants have made their way to Taiwan, but with a level of locallization. Here is a polluted pizza from Pizza Hut. Notice the white sauce drizzled on top? That is Mayonnaise mixed with pickle relish. The pizza would have been fine without that addition, but the 5 pizzas we ordered all had this enhancement. Yuck. This was actually a stuffed crust pizza. See the little sausages sticking out of the crust?


I didn't get a picture, but I saw Burger King, Mc Donalds, Outback Steakhouse and even a Cold Stone Creamery. I wonder how that was locallized.

I wish I had a story to go with this photo. I saw the sign and needed to capture a picture of this. I will leave it to your imagination on what it implies.

The biggest American influence in Taiwan is no longer American! There was a Seven Eleven on literally every every city I visited. But Seven Eleven is now owned by a Japanese entity.

Taipei Experience

Taipei is a wonderful city. It is a bit more spread out than Shanghai. There is one land mark skyscraper in Taipei that used to be the largest in the world. Here are a few pictures that I have of the building. Can you guess which one is the imitator?

You guessed it. This is Taipei 101, graham cracker style. This one was actually inside the building on the fourth floor. I learned that the higher you go the more expensive things get. All the shops on the fourth floor were prestigous stores like Cartier, Versace and Prada. On the first floor there was a swatch store and a seven eleven. We ate lunch on the fifth floor. It was a restaurant similar to PF Changs in quality with more authentic Chinese food. It was excellent. We also ate dinner on the 85th floor. We didn't realize it would be so expensive. Steve had to take out a second mortgage on his home in California to pay for the dinner. I think the food was better on the fifth floor. The view was spectacular though. If ever in Taipei and want the best view, go to the 85th floor and visit the restaurant "Diamond Tony's 85". Then go strait the the Mens room (sorry ladies). The urinals back up the the window and you can look straight down while managing your business.

Here are a couple of monuments in Taipei. The most visited site is the National Museum which we were not able to visit due to lack of time (I am here for work). We were able to visit some of these other places though during the evening which were pretty cool to look at.

This is Chiang Kai-Shek (CKS) Memorial. After WW2, China had some political unrest between the ruling party and the communist party. Well as we all know, the Communist party under General Mao won. The former ruling party led by Chiang Kai-Shek fled to Taipei and formed the Republic of China. They also took a huge amount of the Chinese national Treasures which are still hidden in the mountains of Taiwan and displayed in the National Museum. Which government philosphy was right? Well Taiwan is known as the biggest conductor producer in the world. They do not condone the DVD piracy and other trademark infringements as China does and citizens in Taiwan enjoy nearly every freedom we Americans enjoy. China on the other hand is not so free.

Here is the national threater. I dont know how often musicals such as Wicked and Les Mesirables plays here. Still a beautiful building.

Here is my wifes dream come true. A night market that is filled with really cheap goods. I said earlier that the Taiwanese do not condone trademark infringements. All of these cheap goods also have cheap local brands. The knock off Coach purses actually have a tag that says some other brand completey.

There is also the typical fair food that you would find in Minnesota. I found one vendor that carried everything on a stick (reminded me on Minnesota). Watch out for the stinky tofu though. It reminded me of a diaper in the sun for a couple of days and then pressed into a semi edible food that you eat off of a dare (I did not try it as I do not go for dares).

Tainan Taiwan

Tainan is the old capital in Southern Taiwan. Tainan has a history of being an old Dutch colony in the 1600's. The city used to contain a couple of old Dutch forts that have been redone in Chinese styles and then used by the Japanese in WW2.




The first building we visited was Chikan Tower. It is also referred to as Sea God temple (today). This used to be a Dutch fort but was taken by the Chinese army in the 1600's led by Koxinga (Chinese General that was revered in Taiwan). This building was left in disrepair and was reconstructed in the 1800's in a chinese style. Back in the day the Dutch were refered to as the "Red Haired Devils". I dont think they invited to many natives to tea back then.




Here is a statue depiciting the defeat of the Dutch. The war lasted 10 years and the Dutch soldiers were rewarded with their lives for fighting so bravely.



This is the Chinese god of literature. Shown here is the depiction of how dificult it is to properly write Chinese. You must hold the brush in one hand, the ink cup in the other while stepping on a squid and kicking the stars with the other foot. I tried this in my hotel room and nearly broke the coffee table. Chinese children learn martial arts and writing at the same time. This explains Bruce Lee and Jacky Chans abilty to fight and act...

The Dutch also had another fort by the beach. This fort was An Ping Fort and is located in the old part of the city.



We were here on the same day as all the little kids from the local school. each local school dresses in a diferent color to depict which group they are with. THis is the blue pants and white shirt group. There was also a blue pants and blue shirt group and a red and white shirt group. I was of course a local celebrity. Every kid had to show me there English skills by yelling "hello!" (or more like He-wo) when ever I passed. Well to all my Asian fans, Nie Hao!

Here is an original wall from the Dutch fort. Pop Quiz: If you were building a fort on an sland in the pacific that was near China, what would you make the wall out of? Answer: Sea Shells, sugar can syrup and sticky rice of course.

Here is a huge statue of Koxinga, the Chinese general that saved Taiwan from the evil red haired devil (the Dutch). He actually died 3 months after the dutch left of some natural cause (He was either sick or had he slipped off the squid while writing a letter to his mother). This statue was carved from a single rock in China and shipped here. Pretty impressive!

Here is Steve Kim and I eating a local dish on a bamboo table in stools that are way too short. I think the brown stuff was oysters, the white things in gravy where very slimy dumplings and the plate in front of me was shimp rolls. The green beverage was like a Sprikte with 3 times the sugar. Richard, our local Taiwanese friend was taking the picture for us. Thanks Richard for taking us to so many cool places!

Taipei Earthquake

Strong earthquake hits northern Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Officials say a 6.0 magnitude earthquake has struck northern Taiwan, rattling buildings, but causing no damage or casualties.
The Central Weather Bureau says the quake struck 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of the northeastern city of Ilan at 12:59 a.m. Monday.
Ilan is about 44 miles east of the capital of Taipei.
The CWS says this latest quake is not related to the 6.4 magnitude temblor that struck in the Pacific Ocean off of southern Taiwan on Sunday.
Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little damage. A 7.6-magnitude quake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people

This is a copy of the article in USA Today On Monday, December 8th, 2008. At the time I was in bed asleep on the 10th floor of the Howard Plaza Hotel in Taipei. I awoke to my bed shaking violently. I felt the whole room swaying from side to side. I couldn't tell how much the room was actually moving. The whole thing lasted for about 30 seconds and when it was over I surveyed the room to see what had fallen. The only thing out of place was an empty coke bottle that had fell off the dresser and rolled across the floor.

Shanghai

What do you get when you take alot of vacant land and even more money and a will to make something? You get Shanghai. You also get the worlds architects verging on a single area to make the most beautiful landscape that standsout against anything else in the world. In 1992, the east bank of the Huangpu river was completely empty. Look at it now.

Here is a traditional shopping district. The little shops on this street sell everything from fine jewelry to fake watches. Most of the shop owners would even bargain with you for a better price. I am not used to bargaining for goods and thought I got a good deal when I talked one merchant down from 900RMB to 800RMB for a set of jade statues. My counterpart then shown me the true art of negotiation by talking a merchant from 150RMB to 80RMB for a couple of scarves. Great negotiation!

One of the sites in Shanghai is the Yuyan Garden. This is an old garden where a wealthy land owner in 1559 built a garden for his father, a wealthy government official during the Ming Dynasty. He used rocks and water to make a beautiful garden where he could gather together with guests and drink tea and relax. Here are some pictures of the garden.

Here is a pond within the Yuyuan Garden. This was a visit in December. Imagine this in the spring!

This is another hungry Fu. I stared him down pretty good, but then he is stone so I think he won.

If the Fu wasn't tough enough of a guardian, this dragon circled a portion of the garden. I could only catch a shot of the head.

At night I was treated to dinner at M on the Bund, a fabulous French restaurant on the Huangpu River. Fabulous food, but even a better view.

This is the Oriental Pearl building. It is the TV Tower in Shanghai, but is a great example of the diverse architecture.

Nanjing

Nanjing is the old capital of China 600 years ago, during the Ming Dynasty. I visited it briefly and saw the old city gate and the Confucius temple. This is a beautiful city and I hope I can come again.

Here is the gate to the city. Nanjing used to have the largest wall. It was a model for the current capital, Beijing.

Here is me practicing my kung fu moves. I was taught by an excellent teacher...

The original Kung Fu Panda

The Fu (stone lions) are hungry.

This is the entrance to the Confucius temple in Nanjing.

Confucius Says...

While in Nanjing I went to visit the temple dedicated to the smartest Chinese man ever. Confucius lifed a long time ago (550BC) and was a Philosipher who promoted Poetry, Music, Human interaction (laws and politics) and respect for elders (parents). Confucius's given name was Qiu (sounds like Cho) and was a Chinese father figure for many (Chinese word for Father is Fu).

Here are pictures of his temple.

this is the entrance of the temple from inside the courtyard. You can imagine Confucius standing up there talking to his pupils. In fact, Confucius never lived here. This building is old, but not 2500 years old. This was constructed years later in his memory. In fact, this is not the only temple to Confucius. The oldest is in his home town of Qufu and is nearly 2500 years old. The walk way up to the first building is flanked by status of a few of his disciples. Each of these disciples focused on one of his doctrines and where known as great philosiphers themselves.



Here is a painting of Confucius. This is inside the main temple building. He is surrounded by musical instruments such as drums, bells and stringed instruments. Confucius believed in music as being very important for education.

Here are the bells. Different than you would think.

This is the big bell that the followers would ring to call classes to order.

This drum weighs 1000 kg (2200 lbs or one ton) and is made of bronze.

Trip to China

December 1st through the 7th, 2008

I visited The shanghai area for work this week and had the chance to spend the night in Shanghai, Suzhou, Yangzhou and Nanjing. This is my first time to China and I learned alot that I want to share with those who might read this blog.

First, here is a map of where I visited. Shanghai is a large city with nearly 16 million citizens. I flew into Shanghai (Pudong Airport) and noticed that the city disapeared under the blanket of yellow smog. Since arriving I have not seen the sun or any spot of blue sky. Asking my friends here they also confirmed that they never see blue skies in China. How sad? the air is very polluted and dificult to breath. It also stings the eyes. People know that Beijing is the most polluted city (air quality) on the planet. The rest of China is not much better. After a couple days of cold and a week to get used to the smog, I started to get used to the air.

Another thing I learned was that the Chinese drive very interesting vehicles. If it rolls, they will try to take it down the freeway. I have seen bikes, which I expected, but I also saw these vehicles as well.

Which wheel is most important? Definitely the one in front.

This is a true MPV (multi purpose vehicle). The front is in fact a rotor tiller and can be seperated so they can till their ground. When not preparing the fields, they can use it as a tractor or even a car.

Here is the motorized wheel barrow, or a dumptruck with the bed on the front.

Here is the most popular vehicle in China, the three wheeled bike. I should have took a picture of a fully loaded bike as they are the work horse of delivery vehicles here.

Besides driving, people here are very brave. Our Chinese friend said that this is why China has such a great military, because people are not afraid to die here. It is amazing how many times people will be running in front of cars while on the road. Either they are darting in front of traffic or they are riding their bikes the wrong direction along the freeway. I am glad that I was not driving while here are I believe I would have hit at least one pedestrian. I am not trained to drive while constantly honking the horn.
While on the road you see that their is a lot of Volkwagons. They were the first foreign car company to start building cars in China and hold the number one market share position. the number two spot? GM with the Buick brand. Way to go GM! Seeing the market potential in China was a great foresight. China will one day buy many more cars than the US.

The thing I was most afraid of was the food. Chinese have a different idea of cuisine. They can eat about anything. The traditional chinese meal is served in small dishes that are shared by everyone at the table. The nicer restaurants we ate at had a large lazy susan style rotating table to aid in the sharing of food. Everyone at the table will dig in to the many dishes with their chopsticks and try a bit of everything. All the plates are very small so you cant load up on the food all at once. When we would eat dinner with four people, we would have about 8 to 10 different dishes so there was alot of food to try. Here is a couple of pictures of unusual food that we had this week (I didn't try all of this of course. I am a chicken when it comes to scary food). I am disappointed to say that Fortune cookies are not really a chinese tradition. they actually come from China Town in San Francisco. The Chinese finish each meal off with fruit such as watermellon or cantelope.

This is me eating Sweat and Sour Pork (very similar to what we get back home)

I never really know what everything is called, but this fish was staring me down and I have a rule that I dont eat anything that looks back.

This isn't sausage (yet). This is fried intestine with some sauce. I wish I can say it was delicious, but I wasn't brave enough to try it.

It is amazing how many edible parts are on a duck. This is a picture of cooked duck feet. We also ordered duck tongue one lunch, but I didn't have my camera with me. I did try the duck stomach and found it to be very chewy. I wont try it again though.

Everywhere else in the world you find McDonalds on every corner. Not in China. here there is KFC's everywhere. I saw at least ten KFC's to every McDonalds. No, I didn't eat here.

This is a street in Yangzhou. It was lit up just like Las Vegas with flashing lights and bright buildings. I was overwhelmed with the lights until I got to Shanghai at night.

Even the boats on the Huangpu Rver are lit up as brite as possible.

The final thing I was amazed at was the toilets. I am the kind of guy that likes to think things through while using the toilets. I am guessing this commode is designed to speed things up a bit. This is taken at a customers office building. Thank goodness my hotel had a traditional western throne.