Trip Advisor: Day 7

921 Earthquake Memorial Park

Rating: 5/5

This was a very solemn place. There are collapsed building from a major earthquake in Taiwan preserved and kept as they were.  We could see the collateral damage done by the earthquake and see for ourselves how serious earthquakes can be.  There were also numerous information boards placed around the area giving information in various languages about how buildings are affected by earthquakes, why certain things collapse in a certain way, myths and legends surrounding earthquakes and natural disasters, and so on.  There was also a small earthquake force simulator for visitors to experience being in a earthquake.  Besides that, there was aN earthquake theatre showcasing the events of the 921 earthquake. The tour guide was informative and clear in her explanation, making it easier to understand.

Collapsed school building

Destroyed classroom with informative panel

Exhibit on myths and folklore regarding natural disasters

Trip Advisor: Day 4

On day 3, we went to visit the pineapple tart factory.


Pineapple Tart Factory
Rating: 5/5

The experience there was a rather enjoyable and interesting one. We got to make our own pineapple tart and could bring it home in a beautiful packaging after baking. We also visited the pineapple farm located at the top of the building. Through the exhibits displayed along the way up, we also learnt interesting facts about pineapples. I would definitely recommend this place as it was both fun and educational.

The tart factory

Pineapple tart making session

Trip Advisor: Day 5

On day 5, we went to places that our sister school, sacred hearts high school had planned for us to visit. The places included a towel factory and a puppet museum.

Shing-Long Towel Factory
Rating: 4/5

The place was air conditioned thus making it comfortable. There were many cute folded towel designs that appealed greatly to our generation. The experience there was enriching, with there being a do-it- yourself session giving us an insight as to how much care and work is put into the folding of just one towel. The interior of the "factory" was composed with vivid colours, making it welcoming and inviting.

Some of the souvenirs being sold

Posing with the towels we folded

Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum

Rating: 3/5 

Much of the place was not air conditioned. Then, it happened to be very warm, making it uncomfortable for people there to concentrate. However, there was a snack stall that served ice cream. The room where the puppets were showcased was also air conditioned. These two factors, combined with the interesting things we learnt made up for it. 

Room where puppets were showcased

Puppet master in action

Trip Advisor: Day 3

On Day 3, we went to many places of interest too, but mainly learnt about Koxinga (鄭成功) and how he freed Taiwan from Japan.

Anping Fort
Rating: 3.5/5

There wasn't a guide for us so our 程导 explained instead. Overall, the place is very fun and interesting because there was a lot of ancient artifacts. There were some artillery cannons left from the Qing dynasty as well as from more modern times. There was also a tower which tourists can climb. The view of the facility from there is quite good.  Other places of interest around the area can be seen from there too. There was a lot of history behind it so we recommend this place.

Anping Old Street
Rating: 4/5

The old street was rather narrow and there were shops on both sides of the streets. It had a vintage feeling and was a little crowded. The stalls there sells food, toys and souvenirs. This place gives a peek at a typical taiwanese's life as a street seller. This place is recommended for it's strong Taiwanese culture.

Eternal Golden Castle
Rating: 3/5

Interestingly enough, this "castle" is actually a fort. Due to the trees planted, there was adequate shade for everyone to keep cool. The arch built at the entrance tells how even traditional methods of building can produce such grand and still standing architecture. The place was also well maintained even though it was decades old.

The arch

A cannon inside the fort

Tainan Confucius Temple
Rating: 4/5

This temple was used as a school. At the entrance, there was an area where one could pen down their wishes and put it up in the hope of it coming true. This was an interesting notion that one doesn't usually come across. This place also gave us an insight into the traditional way of study that took place in the past.

Chihkan Tower
Rating: 4/5

There was no guide for this place, but it was pretty self-explanatory. One of the more significant artifact was a board full of papers of different shapes and sizes - they were certificates/identifications of students who have taken exams and pinned it up. This shows the culture of Taiwanese when they take their examinations. Thus we recommend the visiting the Chihkan tower.

Trip Advisor: Day 2

On day 2, we went to visit several places of interests. We learnt about part of the history of Taiwan and also the culture of people in Tainan, who are mostly Hakka.

Meinong Hakka Museum

Rating: 4/5

This was a very educational place. We learnt more about the Hakka culture. There were many exhibits. They even kept cigarettes and opium from the past, and built structures to show how opium were dried. This was helpful with our understanding as we were able to see it instead of just reading about it. The guide was knowledgeable. There was clear explanation, but it was too deep and hard for us to understand. The plentiful information and numerous artefacts displayed helped us learn a lot. However, we felt that the museum was a tad too dark, which made it look gloomy and uninviting.

The structure built to show how opium was dried.

Meinong Folk Village

Rating: 4.5/5

This place was well maintained with there being adequate shade. It was cool there even though it was in the noon. There were many shops selling things from food to souvenirs, including the famous traditional oil paper umbrella (油紙傘). It was also the only place that sold 擂茶, Taiwanese thunder tea. It was different from what we have here in Singapore, being a drink instead of a soup. This gave me a deep insight into the differences between the two different cultures. 

Meinong Folk Village

Traditional Hakka food

Former British Consulate

Rating: 3/5

Former British Consulate Building

The former British consulate was located on a hill. Tourists had to climb a steep flight of stairs to get there which made it a place not ideal for elderly or the disabled to visit. The guide was late but he had a sense of humour, which made us more interested in what he was saying, though we did not have time to tour the whole area.

Kaohsiung Museum of History

Rating: 

The Kaohsiung Museum of History

Fortunately for us, we had a guide. This aided us in the deeper understanding of the antiques and posters in the museum. However, there is always flaw in everything. The guide kept going off topic which also made it a little confusing for us, but overall, it was quite understandable. There were a lot of pictures and texts where the guide went in depth. There was also a scales model of the [inserts building name bc I forgot] which was really interesting.

Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum 
Rating: 4.5/5

There were even more exhibits that were not found in the Meinong Hakka culture museum. The guide there was clear in her explanations and very knowledgeable. She was able to answer most of our questions clearly.

Videos projected on the walls to helped us understand easier as we could see the celebrations and customs for ourselves instead of just reading. We could visualise and learn better. 

A kids section with games and activities to help us understand the Hakka traditions.  There was also activities that taught us about the Hakka traditional food. I think this is good because fun learning can interest and engage the younger generation better rather than only text.  This way, they would be willing to learn about the Hakka culture and also remember better. These activities would leave a deeper impact than words.

The sign of the Kaohsiung Hakka cultural museum

The 夜合花, which the Hakka chose to represent themselves with. The flower is "humble" as it only blooms at night, not showing off its beauty in broad daylight.

Liuhe Night Market
Rating: 4/5 

The night market was situated on a blocked off road. There were stalls situated on both sides of the road separated by a barricade with the frequent dustbin for us to dispose of our trash. The atmosphere was one most of us never experienced before. To our disappointment, though there were many stalls, most sold the same things, namely,  fermented tofu, fried foods, fruit juices and seafood. 

The Liuhe Night Market

Feedback: Hotels

During this 7 days in Taiwan, we had the chance to stay in two hotels. Here is what we think about the hotels.

十鼓文化村 Ten Drums Cultural Village 

Rating: 5/5

The Ten Drums Cultural Village is a unique hotel with rich history. Many of the furniture is made with wood and the design is simple. 

It used to be a sugar factory. Now, it specializes in drums and many drums can be found there. There are practice rooms for drummers and there are also special performances at certain timings. There are even short classes to teach us how to play the drums. When the weather is slightly hotter, there would be mosquitoes in the hotel.

Above is a sign next to the entrance of the lobby.

太信大飯店 Tai-shinu hotel 

Rating: 2/5

The Tai-shinu hotel is located near the train station and convenient stores, making staying there very convenient.

This hotel was not as good as we expected it to be. The light sensor was not always working, and wifi was good in some rooms but horrible in others. For some of the rooms, there is no peephole in the doors. However, gyms can be found on the seventh floor of the hotel. The design and doorbell of the rooms are different on every floor, such as Japanese style and Western style. Also, the hotel was kept quite clean.