Taitung in the News 台東的新聞 (North 北) 3

1. Changbin Township 長濱鄉

1a. A shuttle bus was donated to Nanxi Village in Changbin Township.  This village is over 5 kilometers from the coast, and most of its residents are elderly.  Many people in the village were having difficulty visiting local clinics and hospitals. 改善 "無車可用"  困境南溪部落獲贈交通車

1b. There will be a marathon in Changbin on May 3rd. 2026年長濱雙浪金剛馬拉松

2. Chenggong Municipality 成功鎮

2a. There was a 3.2 magnitude earthquake on the first of December. 凌晨2時48分台東成功規模3.2地震  最大震度1級

2b. This one made the national news.  There was an accident involving a crane at Chenggong Fishing Port.  The crane overturned while moving a heavy load over the water, causing the crane to overturn.  The crane operator was killed instantly, and another worker was seriously injured. 台東成功漁港大吊車翻覆起火  2工人1死1重傷

2c. The election for the office of Chenggong Municipality mayor will be a lively one.  The current mayor, seeking re-election after a failed recall initiative, will face a candidate who served in the same capacity before the present mayor assumed office.  Many think that the younger voters in the district will decide the election. 台東  成功鎮長選舉雙強碰  決勝青年票

3. Haiduan Township 海端鄉

3a. The present Haiduan Township mayor is nearing the end of his/her term, and it looks like the next township mayor election will also be a heated affair.  Much of this election will come down to differing ethnic backgrounds and religious affiliations as both front runners represent the KMT. 台東海端鄉長選舉  藍恐同黨操戈

4. Chrshang Township 池上鄉

4a. Around nine years ago many of the street signs in Central Chrshang were replaced with newer signs that used a more calligraphic font that tourists often misread.  These signs were recently replaced with more easily deciphered signage. 台東池上68面書法字體路牌將改回國字方體 (2)

4b. The Water Management Bureau has put 10 million NT into a project that will improve irrigation in Chrshang, and local legislators are trying to boost that number even higher.  The project will reinforce embankments along local canals. 台東池上圳每逢大雨即中斷農用供水  綠委爭取千萬經費改善

4c. Over 1,600 tons of branches have accumulated in the Chrshang landfill on the heels of recent typhoons.  Legislators representing the area are looking for funds to address the problem. 台東池上災後1600噸廢樹枝  環境部補助破碎再利用

5. Guanshan Municipality 關山鎮

5a. The Guanshan Precinct Office was recently renovated. 台東關山警分局空間大變身

5b. An aggrieved person spread incriminating flyers all over a road through Central Guanshan.  It took over an hour to clean these flyers up.  The message on the flyers was "So-and-so owes (me) money."  Police have already identified the vehicle (and likely the owner) responsible. 台東關山 "討價傳單" 撒滿街  1.5小時才清完  警鎖定涉案車輛

5c. It's too early to see the results, but the Guanshan Farmer's Association, working in conjunction with employees of the nearby "Rice School," recently planted a rice field in honor of the goddess Matsu.  Different varieties of rice were used to create a "mural effect" in the field, and many of those engaged in the planting are hoping that this effort brings blessings upon future harvests. 關山鎮農會 "種出媽祖" 祈求風調雨順  農作豐收

6. Donghe Township 東河鄉

6a. This article advertises "experiences" available to tourists in Taitung, two of which are in Donghe.  The Donghe DIY activities involve making jewelry, eating locally sourced food and guided tours.  There are many pictures in the article. 5款台東慢活體驗 ... (1)

6b. There was a magnitude 3.6 earthquake in Donghe today. 台東地牛翻身  凌晨3時30分東河規模3.6淺層地震  最大震度2級

7. Luye Township 鹿野鄉

7a. As in Chrshang, work will be done on river embankments and other irrigation infrastructure in Luye.  Local farmers have been urged to conserve water ahead of a month-long period in which irrigation water to three villages will be cut off. 台東鹿野水圳工程  3村落灌溉將斷水1個月

8. Yanping Township 延平鄉

8a. A Yanping temple with a presence online recently urged its adherents against both seeing a doctor and receiving vaccinations, their argument being that "Western medicine is terrible."  They are currently under investigation by the Taitung Health Bureau. 台東玄濟宮喊 "別看醫生 , 打疫苗"  衛生局今上門稽查

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Luanshan Village 鸞山村 (Taitung 台東)

Neighbors, Some Neighborly and Others Otherwise

Tainan in the News 台南的新聞 (South 南) 8

綠島漁樂線 Portside Fun on Green Island

1. The author of the article seems confused about local geography.  He/she describes Donghe as being at "the foot of Dawu Mountain," which is far from the case.

2. In areas trying to attract tourists this is something worth considering.  Hyperstylized signage can really put people off.

Luanshan Village 鸞山村 (Taitung 台東)

Luanshan Village is on Highway 197, not far from Taitung City. 鸞山村位於197公路，離台東市不遠。

This is the view east of Luanshan as you're coming from Liji.  That's the Beinan River in the center of the picture.  Behind it is the Meinong Terrace, and behind that is the Central Mountain Range.照片中間的河流是卑南溪，這是你從利吉過來時會看到的鸞山東邊的景色，卑南溪後方是美濃高台，再往後是中央山脈。

As you approach Luanshan from the east there's an old, unused spot for visitors to soak their feet in a local hot spring.  The red dragonflies around here are very cute. 當你從東邊來鸞山，會看到一個老舊荒廢的溫泉泡腳池，那裏有許多可愛的紅蜻蜓。

Still further up is this temple.  Most (all?) of the people living in Luanshan are members of the Bunun Tribe, so I assume this temple is more for people living closer to Liji. 再往上走看到的一座小廟。大部分的鸞山居民是布農族，所以我猜想這座小廟應該主要是為了利吉的居民建造的。

The view from the same spot.  There are a fair number of monkeys in this area. 在同一個地點的景色，那裏有許多的猴子。

A little further up the road is this waterfall.  Tour groups sometimes stop here. 不遠處還有一個瀑布，團客有時候在這裡停留。

Higher up. 更高處。

Even higher up.  If you're biking this stretch be careful. 再往高處走，如果你是騎腳踏車，這裡要非常小心。

Near the top you'll find this seasonal pond.  During the drier parts of the year it disappears altogether.  There's a monastery above the pond, but this monastery isn't that impressive.靠近山頂的小池塘，乾季時枯涸。上方也有一座小佛寺(堂)。

This gentleman guards one of the entrances to the village.這位勇士守護著村落的一個路口。

And this gentleman (?) is further down the road.  A wedding was on that day. 另外一個路口的勇士。當天有婚禮。

Hard to tell if this is a landslide or just land being cleared for cultivation. 不確定是土石流還是農作的需要才變成這樣。

County Highway 40 branches off from 197 further west.  Highway 40 goes DEEP into the mountains, eventually turning into County Highway 23. 從197公路分出去的縣公路40。公路40更深入山區，之後成為公路23。

The view from Highway 40 above the village. 村子上方的公路40。

That's the west face of Dulan Mountain in the background. 背景是都蘭山的西面。

An abandoned orchard. 沒有人照顧的果園。

That's Luye's "Highland" (Gaotai) in the middle distance, where the hot air balloon festival is held every year. 前方看到鹿野高台，也就是每年舉辦熱氣球季的地方。

Luanshan Lake is nearby.  Half of this lake is pretty, while the other half is the abode of angry dogs. 鸞山湖。一邊的湖很漂亮，另一邊的湖有許多凶猛的狗。

To the west of Luanshan is the Luye section of the Beinan River, which passes through on its way to Taitung City.鸞山的西面是鹿野段的卑南河，它流經許多地方去到台東市。

Mountains, so many mountains.  It's easy to get lost in them, but getting lost can be fun. 許許多多的山! 在山裡很容易迷失方向，但是迷路也是有趣的經驗。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

South District, Tainan City 台南市南區

綠島漁樂線 Portside Fun on Green Island

Fengbin Township, Hualien County 花蓮縣豐濱鄉

Field Trips In and Around Taitung

NOTE: Luanshan Village 村 isn't quite the same thing as Luanshan "Village" 部落 .  Luanshan "Village" 部落 is the residential area around the highest part of Highway 197, while the village 村 encompasses a much larger area.

Neighbors, Some Neighborly and Others Otherwise

I live on the seventh floor of an apartment building.  If I had to guess, I'd say there are 84 units in my apartment building, assuming that the first and second floors have the same number of units as floors three through seven.

There are many people in my building that I don't know and never will know.  Some of them live here so briefly that I don't even have time to see them, much less time get to know them.  I know more people in my half of the building of course, there being so few opportunities to interact with those on the other side of the building.

I know the people on my half of the seventh floor best of all.  This isn't to say that I speak with all them, or even know all of their names, but for those I don't know by name there's the building gossip to rely upon.

At the end of the hall there's the mentally disabled guy.  I believe he's older than myself.  He lives with a still older mother who takes care of him, and the two of them haven't been renting their apartment for very long.  The most exciting thing in the mentally disabled guy's life seems to be the arrival of the garbage truck each evening.  As he waits for the garbage truck he likes to yell at the building's security guard to "get ready," though what "getting ready" means no one can say with any certainty.

I see him pedaling his bike around town a lot, and sometimes he'll even wear his helmet outside when he's not bicycling.  He owns a pair of bright orange board shorts when he's at home "chilling," and when he goes out he wears a well-worn pair of jeans.  Occasionally I'll feel sorry for his mom.  He's exhausting to be around.

Between the mentally disabled guy and our apartment live a couple with a dog.  The female half of this couple works at the Social Services Building on Boai Road, across from the Athletic Stadium.  I'm not sure what her husband (boyfriend?) does for a living, though I suspect it's something outdoors.  Their dog is an extremely timid animal, and I often forget they have one.

On the other side of the elevator from us is a retired professor.  What he was a professor of I have no idea.  He's an extremely reserved person, but also exceedingly polite.  He's often away from home and has family in Taipei.

Next to the professor is "Weird Guy," an over 80 year old man who sometimes works on construction sites, sometimes serves as a taxi driver.  I've had many issues with Weird Guy over the years, but not as many as some other people in the building.  

My wife is known in the building as "the Weird Guy whisperer."  Whenever someone has a problem with Weird Guy they'll usually tell my wife first, and then she'll pass on their message to him.

I used to nurture a strong dislike for Weird Guy, but now I just feel sorry for him.  He's really not able to take care of himself, and it seems that no one else wants the job.  When he cooks it stinks up the entire floor, his apartment smells bad even when he's not cooking, and he's recently started wetting himself on the elevator ride down to the first floor.  At first we couldn't figure out why his garbage bags kept leaking in the elevator, and then we realized that he was using these leaks as a way of covering up the pee he'd left behind him.

At the other end of the hall, on the other side of Weird Guy, is my favorite neighbor.  I forget where she's working now, but she's a very kind person who's also been a good friend for many years.  On summer vacations past she's helped us watch our cats, and I definitely trust her more than any of my other neighbors.

With regard to the rest of my building I'm less informed of other people's doings, though a few neighbors stand out against the background of people I see in the elevator once and never again.  There's the lady who thinks she needs to "call the elevator up," (press up to go down), there's the building association manager, a devout Christian who uses her position in very gangster-y ways, and also the woman on the first floor, a very lonely person who's invested in the building gossip to an unhealthy degree.  I could share a lot of stories about these people, but sharing some of these stories would probably get me into trouble.

So many people, coming and going all the time.  Some of them we call friends, others we tolerate, and still others we don't have either the time or inclination to know.  In each apartment building a tiny universe of dramas and disappointments, each apartment building a part of towns or cities near and far.

Sometimes people say they're lonely, but how can we be lonely, surrounded as most of us are by so many other people?

Related Entries:

Field Trips In and Around Taitung

(Im)Permanence

Missed Rememberings

The Place I Can't Really Talk About