Longqi District, Tainan City 台南市龍崎區遊記

As you drive north on the Formosa Freeway (#3), Longqi District is just north of Kaohsiung City, over the county line in Tainan.  It's really close to Moon World. 當你在福爾摩沙高速公路上開往高雄市的時候 ，龍崎區就在 台南市靠近高雄市北部邊界的地方，  那裡很靠近月世界 。

It rained the entire time we were there.  This limited where I could go and what kind of pictures I could take.  I visited the two major tourist sites in the district, and I drove down the length of the main road, but large parts of the area are still a mystery to me. 我們去龍崎的時候都在下雨 ， 也因為這樣，限制了我可以去和拍照的地方 。 我去了當地最有名的兩個景點 ， 也開車走過主要的公路 ，但是這一區對我來說，還有很多地方仍是個謎。

According to the last census, there are 3,668 people living in Longqi. 上次的人口統計顯示 ，龍崎的人口數是3,668人 .

Huxing Mountain Park was our first stop.  This is the view from the parking lot. 我們的第一站是虎形山公園 。  這是停車場對面的風景 。

There are two suspension bridges in the park, and a trail loops around it. 這個公園有兩座吊橋 ，還有一條環形步道 。

This is looking north from the highest part of the trail.  That's Xinhua District in the distance. 從步道高點往北邊看， 遠處看到的是新化區 .

Across the street from the park is Longqi's old street.  There's not much for tourists here, but there are a few things for sale inside both this building and the Longqi District Farmer's Association Bamboo Charcoal Story Hall nearby. 公園對面有龍崎老街 。  這附近的觀光產業很少 ， 可是這棟建築跟附近的龍崎區農會竹炭故事館裡有賣些東西 。

Longqi is in the mountains and the soil isn't good for farming.  Bamboo grows pretty well though, and as a result bamboo products have played an important role in the local economy. 龍崎在山區 ，地形及土壤不太適合農業 。 倒是竹子到處都有 ， 所以竹製品在這地區扮演比較重要的經濟角色 。

Some of the local products for sale in the Qiju Agricultural Market are pictured above. 這些竹製品在崎聚農創市集販售。

Be warned that there's not much to eat in this area.  Those looking to combine a trip to Longqi with lunch or dinner will probably have to visit nearby Guanmiao District for food. 這個地區的餐廳不多 ， 建議來龍崎的遊客去附近的關廟區吃飯 。

At the other end of the district is the Nioupu Mudstone Soil and Water Conservation Educational Park.  It's really close to Kaohsiung City. 牛埔泥岩水土保持教學園區在龍崎區的另外一邊，  它很靠近高雄市 。

As the name implies, people used to water their cattle in this place.  The hillsides erode easily, and as a result the local geography is constantly changing. 從地名就知道 ， 以前這個地方是養牛的 。  這裡的山坡容易發生土石流 ， 所以它的地形持續的改變。

While walking around I noticed thousands of tiny frogs.  Their jumping back and forth across the trail made it look like the trail was moving, and I had to be very careful where I stepped. 我在這裡散步的時候看到成千上萬隻小青蛙 ，  那麼多青蛙在步道上跳來跳去 ，看起來很像步道在動，  所以我走路非常小心 。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市鹽埕區遊記

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 1

Hengchun Municipality, Pingtung County 屏東縣恆春鎮遊記

Tainan in the News  台南的新聞 (North 北 ) 1

NOTE: I wasn't sure how much of two place names above to translate into English.  虎形 (Huxing) translates into "tiger shaped."  The mountain looked to locals like a crouching tiger from a distance.  牛埔 (Nioupu) is just a place for putting cows.

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 7

The Chinese text below was taken from "Taiwanese Place Name Stories" 台灣地名故事, published by Windmill 三暉圖書發行有限公司 in 2021.  The Chinese text was written by Windmill and the English text was written by me.

少了一半的山 --- 半屏山

The Mountain Missing Half of Itself --- Banping Mountain

在高雄市左營區有一座很奇特的山 , 因為山脊的一邊像被人用刀子削過一樣的平坦 , 所以大家稱它為半屏山 . In Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, there's a very strange mountain.  Because it looks like someone someone chopped the top off of it everyone calls it Banping Mountain. (1)

為什麼會這樣呢 ?  Why is it so?

據說清朝初年 , 許多福建人到高雄的屏山附近開墾 .  由於土地肥沃 , 農作物收成好 , 在人們口耳相傳下 , 移民越來越多 , 逐漸形成一個大村落 . It's said that during the early part of the Qing Dynasty many people from Fujian Province [in China] settled around Ping Mountain.  The land was fertile, and being a farmer there was very profitable.  As word of this situation spread far and wide, more settlers moved into the area and a big village began to form.

有一位神仙想試驗人類的品性 , 於是喬裝成一位賣湯圓的老人 , 到村落裡叫賣湯圓 .  他穿著一件普通的衣服 , 挑著一擔熱騰騰的湯圓 , 大聲喊著 : "又大又好吃的湯圓 !" There was an immortal that wanted to test the worth of people, so he disguised himself as an old man selling soup balls.  He went to the village dressed in ordinary clothes, carrying his load of soup balls and crying: "Big, yummy soup balls!" (2)

有人看到了 , 問 : "老人家 , 你的湯圓怎麼賣 ?" Someone saw him and asked: "Old person, how much for your soup balls?"

老人回答 : "一粒一文錢 , 二粒兩文錢 , 吃三粒不用錢 !  大家快來買哦 !" The old person answered: "One soup ball for a single coin, two soup balls for two coins, and eat three soup balls for free!  Everybody come over and buy some!"

那人聽了不禁懷疑的問 : "老人家 , 你有沒有說錯 , 天底下哪有這種事 ?" A person who heard this asked in disbelief: "Old person, haven't you misspoken?  It's impossible!"

老人不假思索的回答 : "沒錯啊 !  歡迎來試吃 !" The old person answered without missing a beat: "Not at all!  Everyone's welcome to come and try them!"

那人覺得不可思議 , 對身旁的朋友說 : "哪有人這樣賣湯圓的 ?  這簡直是做虧本生意嘛 !" The person couldn't believe it, and said to a friend who was standing next to him: "Who sells soup balls like this?  This man will go out of business soon!"

朋友也說 : "是啊 !  如果不是存心騙人 , 就是湯圓很難吃 . " His friend said: "Yes!  If it's not some kind of trick, the soup balls must taste terrible."

來來往往的人聽到吃三顆湯圓不用錢 , 都不太相信 .  最後 , 有一個人想試一試 , 走到湯圓攤前 , 說 : "老人家 , 請給我三粒湯圓 . "  The people passing by heard about the three free soup balls and couldn't believe it.  After a time one of them wanted to see for himself.  He walked to the soup ball stand and said, "Old person, please give me three soup balls."

老人二話不說 , 舀起三粒湯圓給那個人吃 . The old man said nothing in return.  He scooped up three soup balls and gave them to the man.

那個人津津有味的吃完後 , 說 : "老人家 , 您煮的湯圓很好吃 , 請問要多少錢 ?" After the man ravenously ate up the soup balls he said: "Old person, the soup balls you've cooked are delicious.  How much do I owe you?"

老人搖搖手說 : "我不是說過了嗎 ?  吃三粒湯圓不用錢 ." The old man waved his hands and said: "Didn't I say so already?  Three soup balls are free!"

聽他這麼說 , 圍觀的人紛紛起了貪小便宜的念頭 , 都來向老人買三粒湯圓 , 隊伍排得很長 .  老人絲毫沒有不耐煩的表情 , 反而樂得哈哈大笑 .  有些貪心的人吃完一碗 , 又重新排隊 , 如此不斷繼續吃著不要錢的湯圓 , 直到實在吃不下了 , 才心滿意足的離開 . Hearing him say this, the people around him, excited by the prospect of cheap food, all converged on the old man so that they could buy his food, forming a long line.  The old man seemed delighted with this development, and instead of looking downcast he laughed heartily.  Some greedy people reentered the line after finishing a bowl, eating the free soup balls until they were full.  Then, fully content, they left the scene.

一連數天都是這樣 , 正當大家吃湯圓吃得不亦樂乎時 , 突然有人指著屏山說 : "你們看 , 屏山好像塌了一個缺口 ." It continued on this way for several days, and while everyone was having a great time eating soup balls somone suddenly pointed to Ping Mountain and said: "Look, part of Ping Mountain seems to have collapsed."

村民們循聲望去 , 笑著說 : "哪有缺口 ?  你一定是眼花了 , 沒有人去開採 , 山怎麼會有缺口呢 ?  我們還是吃免費的湯圓吧 !" The villagers surveyed the scene and said laughingly: "What's different about it?  Your eyes are bad.  Nobody's been digging there, so how can part of the mountain be missing?  Just enjoy the free soup balls!"

如此過了整整半年 , 村民每天都來吃免費的湯圓 , 有的人家甚至都不再煮飯 , 燒菜了 , 每天只等賣湯圓的老人到來 , 飽餐一頓 .  It went on like this for half a year.  The villagers came to eat the free soup balls every day.  Some people stopped cooking altogether, and instead waited each day for the old man to arrive, eating their fill afterward.

有一天 , 村民發現屏山的缺口愈來愈大 , 一邊的泥土竟然全都不見了 , 成了一片峭壁 , 像被人用刀子削過一般 . One day a villager discovered that Ping Mountain was getting smaller and smaller, and that the soil on one side was gone completely, creating a cliff, as if the mountain had been cut with a knife.

有人好奇的問 : "怎麼會這樣呢 ?" A person curiously asked: "How can this be?"

張大叔說 : "也許是官府派人挖去鋪路了 ." Uncle Zhang said: "The government probably ordered people to dig a road there."

李大嬸說 : "大概是不久前地牛翻身 , 把屏山震塌了一半 .  反正和我們沒有關係 , 何必管它呢 ?" Auntie Li said: "It was probably not long ago that a giant ox turned over on its side and crushed half of the mountain.  Anyway it has nothing to do with us, so why bother with it?" (3)

雖然村民議論紛紛 , 卻沒有人認真去探究這件事 . Although all the villagers discussed this matter, nobody investigated further.

有一天 , 來了一位年輕人 , 開口對老人說 : "老人家 , 我要買一粒湯圓 ." One day a young person appeared, and he said to the old man : "Old person, I want to buy one soup ball."

村民非常好奇 , 不約而同的想 : "天底下竟然有這樣的傻瓜 , 不用錢的湯圓不吃 , 偏要拿錢買 ." The villagers were very curious.  The prevailing thought was: "Are there really people fool enough to pass over free soup balls?  People who pay for them instead?"

老人卻眼睛一亮 , 問 : "年輕人 , 你為什麼不和其他人一樣 , 只要吃三粒湯圓就可以免費啊 ?" The old man's eyes glittered as he asked: "Young man, why are you doing it differently from the other people?  Why not just order three soup balls and get them for free?"

年輕人回答 : "我知道啊 !  可是我覺得你這把年紀了 , 大老遠挑個重擔來這裡做生意 , 我們總不能老是讓您做虧本生意 , 所以我決定要用錢買湯圓 ." The young man replied: "I know!  But I think that you're very old to come so far to do business here, and we always take advantage of you.  For this reason I've decided to pay for my soup balls."

老人聽完這番話 , 高興的說 : "年輕人 , 我終於找到有良心的人了 , 其實我是一位神仙 , 喬裝成賣湯圓的老人是為了測試人心 .  現在我終於找到一個善良的人 , 如果你願意做我的徒弟 , 我會把所有的仙術都教給你 ." Upon hearing this the old man happily said: "Young man, I've finally found someone with a good heart.  In truth I'm an immortal, and I have disguised myself as an old man selling soup balls to test the hearts of men.  Now I've finally discovered a good person.  If you're willing to be my apprentice, I'll teach you all the magic I know."

年輕人聽了很高興 , 不過 , 他說 : "老神仙 , 我很願意追隨您 , 但是必須先徵求父母親同意 ." The young man was very happy to hear this, but he asked: "Old immortal, I am very ready to follow you, but first my parents must consent."

從這番談話裡 , 神仙更加確定自己沒有看錯人 ; 這位年輕人不僅心地善良 , 正直 , 又很孝順父母 , 確實是他收為徒弟的不二人選 .  於是神仙陪年輕人回家 , 徵求年輕人的父母同意後 , 帶著年輕人準備返回仙界 . From this conversation the immortal grew even more certain that he was not mistaken, and that this young man was kind, morally upright, and that he maintained a filial attitude toward his parents.  The young man was ideally suited to becoming the immortal's apprentice.  The immortal then accompanied the young man to his home, and after securing his parents' permission both he and the young man began preparations to return to the world of the spirits.

經過街上時 , 神仙對那些貪小便宜的人說 : "回頭看看後面那座屏山 , 是不是被削去了大半 , 那些不見的土石 , 就是在大家肚子裡的湯圓 .  這是給你們這些愛佔便宜的人一點教訓 ." As he crossed the road the immortal said to the greedy people: "Look at Ping Mountain behind you.  Half of it is gone!  The missing soil and rocks are in everyone's stomach.  They were in the soup balls you all ate.  Let this be a lesson to those who thought they could get something for nothing."

聽到老神仙的話 , 那些人的肚子都莫名其妙的痛了起來 , 使勁的想把肚裡的湯圓吐出來 .  而老神仙帶著新收的徒弟 , 離開凡間 , 回仙界去了 . As they heard the immortal's words the people's stomachs began to ache without warning, and they were seized with an urge to vomit up the soup balls they had eaten.  The immortal then summoned his apprentice and returned to the world of the spirits.

從此 , 村民就把屏山改稱為半屏山 , 而且告誡子孫 ; 做人要誠實 , 千萬不要貪小便宜 , 否則 , 神仙會給壞心腸的人吃泥土做成的湯圓 . From then on the villagers called it Banping Mountain, not Ping Mountain.  They warned their descendants to be honest, and to not be greedy for cheap things.  Otherwise an immortal will give them soup balls made of soil.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市鹽埕區遊記

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 6

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 1

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 5

1. The "ban" in "Banping" means "half."  The "ping" means "screen."

2. 湯圓 = "soup balls?"  "Glutinous rice balls?"  "Dumplings?"  Translations vary.  They're the sweet balls you eat around Winter Solstice.  The sesame filled ones are my favorite.

3. This "great ox" (地牛) is a Taiwanese folk spirit thought to be the cause of earthquakes.

Taiwan 101: Both Kinds of KTV

"Special KTVs."  What are these "special KTVs," exactly?

Special KTVs are KTVs where women (i.e. "girls") come to sing songs with you and your (assumably) male friends.  When many Taiwanese guys hit the town (in the absence of their wives and girlfriends of course) they'll often wind up in one of these special KTVs, and what happens next is often determined by how much money they're willing to spend there.

What's the procedure for patronizing one of these special KTVs?  If you're a foreign person with limited Chinese, don't worry, it's not complicated.  You walk in with your friends, you use hand gestures to indicate that you want to sing songs, and thereafter you'll be directed to a room.  

Sometimes, very rarely, the owners of such KTVs will be wary of having foreigners as customers.  Such owners will either wave you off, or lie and say the place is full - but this doesn't happen often.  The owners of most establishments will be glad to take your money, and they won't be shy about asking for it when your night out inevitably comes to an end.

After talking to the person at the front desk you'll be shown into a room, you'll type your songs into a karaoke machine, and that'll be that.  Later on scantily clad women will show up.  They'll sit VERY close to you, and as they do they'll make various requests, all of which will end up costing you even more money.

BUT WAIT, when you entered the KTV, did you ask how much it cost to use one of the rooms?  Did you ask if there were any other fees involved?  Did someone in your party already order a lot of beer and food, innocently assuming that it was reasonably priced?  If you're not clear on anything from the word "go" get ready, it's going to be an expensive night.  Foreigners who speak less Chinese are often blindsided by this facet of local KTVs, but again don't worry, you can still find out the cost of things with very limited Mandarin.

When it comes to special KTVs you'll need to watch yourself.  You'll need to watch your friends, too.  If you didn't walk in there with thousands bursting out of your wallet someone's probably going to have to make a trip to the nearest cash machine.  Don't think about running out of there, either.  Those people will find you.

But what about the women?  What do they do in those places?  Will they take of their clothes?  Will they have sex with you and all your friends?  That, my friend, again depends on how much money you're willing to spend, and also which KTV you're visiting.  I've heard of women offering "manual stimulation," and I've also heard of women going "downtown."  Many women working at these kinds of places will refuse to do these things either onsite or anywhere else, but I've heard of them happening.

To emphasize, I've only heard of these things, mind you.  I've never gone out on the weekend, and I've never touched alcohol.  I spend most nights studying the Bible.  I've only heard about these things, and after hearing about them I always urge my friends to make things right with the LORD afterward.

And if you believe all that, I have a great crypto opportunity I'd like to discuss with you.

Now that I've described what some KTVs offer, some of those reading this are probably fantasizing about really, really hot girls doing unspeakable things in small rooms.  But keep in mind that most KTVs are dark for multiple reasons.  So-and-so might look really hot after five Taiwan beers, but in the light of day?  As with all of us, the years begin to show, and your pornographic fantasy of the previous night probably also has kids, probably nurtures an understandable skepticism regarding men, and probably has other issues that one doesn't get a chance to see during a night out on the town.

They are people, in other words, not just "girls."   They're in the KTV to do a job.  Whatever you do, don't fall in love with them.  You'll be sorry if you do.  I'm not trying to imply that they're not worthy of love - of course they are - but meeting them in that place, in that situation, is a setup for failure.

And maybe, just maybe, instead of going to one of these "special" KTVs, you could save a lot of money and go to a regular one instead.  A place that, you know, isn't trying to rob of you a month's pay for a sexual experience that you'll regret soon after.  Go to Party World or Holiday, and invite a bunch of people.  You'll be happier in the long run if you do.

Just don't expect  to Party World or Holiday to have your favorite English song.  "Country Roads?"  No problem.  Any English song from the past five years?  Probably not.

Related Entries:

Taiwan 101: Chain Restaurants

Taiwan 101: The Superstores

"The Foreigners in the Mountains" 山上的外國人

Industrial Areas in South Taiwan

Conversation Between My House Cats Concerning Where We'll Be Living Next Year

AUTHOR'S NOTE: What happened to Stripey and Muffin?  I'm sorry to say that Stripey and Muffin went up to heaven, where they're now relaxing on beautiful, sunny hillsides full of tall grass and delicious bugs to eat.  We miss you, Stripey and Muffin.  Have a good time up there with our other dead cats.

JOJO: I heard the humans talking the other day.  The bigger human says we're going to move next year.

CHRISTMAS: Where to? 

JOJO: The smaller human said "Tainan," "Kaohsiung," "Hualien," "Pingtung" and "Taitung."  I know "Taitung," because I'm a Taitung kitty, and I think "Pingtung" is where we are now.  I don't know about the other three places.

MILKY: Yes, Pingtung is here.  I'm a Pingtung kitty, so I know Pingtung.

MANGO: Me too, I'm also a Pingtung kitty.  Is Taitung the place they took us to on Chinese New Year?  The smaller place, higher up?

CHRISTMAS: Yes, that's Taitung.  Jojo and I lived there a long time.  Also Smokey, who lives upstairs, but I f%$king hate Smokey.

JOJO: Me too.  Smokey sucks.

MILKY: Yes, let's all scratch Smokey later.

CHRISTMAS: But what about next year?  Where will we live?  Did the humans decide on a place?

JOJO: No, not yet.  The bigger human said he's waiting on something called the "MOE" and a "縣府," whatever that is.  The smaller human said she wants to live in Kaohsiung, so they can be near the even smaller humans.

MILKY: I don't know about this Kaohsiung place.  Do they have a lot of vets there?

MANGO: I hate vets more than Smokey.

CHRISTMAS: I think Kaohsiung has more humans than Pingtung, so probably more vets.  I hate it already.

MILKY: I don't mind going back to that Taitung place.  The deck there is so nice and high.  I can look down at all the humans and see what they're doing.  It's really interesting.

JOJO: Then maybe you'd like Kaohsiung.  More people means more apartment buildings.  In Kaohsiung there's probably an apartment building that's even taller than the one in Taitung.

MANGO and MILKY: Cool!

CHRISTMAS; But what about these "Tainan" and "Hualien" places?  Does anyone know about those?

JOJO: No idea.

MANGO and MILKY: Nope.

CHRISTMAS: ...and by the way, speaking of the humans, where are they?  I sure do wish they'd feed me again.

JOJO: Me too.

MANGO: Me three.

MILKY: Me most of all.

JOJO: I hope wherever we move to next year they'll feed us more often.  Should we try to get into the upstairs bedroom now?  Should we scratch Smokey?

MANGO: I'm down.

MILKY: Hell yes.

CHRISTMAS: Why not?

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Driving, a Saturday in May

Dino, But Not Going Anywhere

Roads More or Less Traveled

Low Points of My Teaching Career (So Far)

Pingtung in the News 屏東的新聞 (North 北) 7

There are 29 townships, 3 municipalities and one city in Pingtung County.  It's exhausting to include news from every township, municipality and Pingtung City every time, so what I'll do instead is include news items from eleven different townships or municipalities in each entry.  This way I should be able to work my way through Pingtung County every three entries. 屏東縣包含了29個鄉, 3個鎮還有屏東市.  每次討論所有鄉鎮的新聞太累了, 所以我會每次討論11個鄉鎮的報告.  這樣子我每三篇新聞文章就會涵蓋到全縣內鄉鎮的新聞.

1. Ligang Township 里港鄉

1a. As you might expect, a whole lotta COVID.  Ligang, like countless other places, set a record for the number of COVID cases in a single day.  Individual classes have been forced into quarantine, and entire schools have suspended operations.  Ligang is no exception.  At the time of writing about 34% of students have been vaccinated, with many parents either refusing vaccination for their children or waiting for another brand of vaccine. 屏東 + 460  學童接踵率34%  確診足跡里港靈糧堂 , 菜市場 (1)

1b. With county elections coming up the post of Ligang Township Chief (mayor) is up for grabs.  The DPP is worried that Xu Guo-ming, presently serving as Ligang Township Chief will either run as an independent or change party affiliation. 2022誰要來做老大  屏東縣鄉長  綠旗失靈  資深黨員政掛無黨籍參選

2. Gaoshu Township 高樹鄉

2a. The Gaoshu Township Office hosted a promotional event advertising Gaoshu's "three treasures": dates, pineapples and taro.  This promotional event was held in the newly constructed Xinfeng Water Park. 高樹鄉鳳梨芋頭節登場  推廣美味農特產品

2b. The Pingtung AI Agri Hub (a vocational school focusing on agriculture) is becoming a minor tourist attraction after a recent remodeling.  Whoever posted the pictures in this article forgot to either resize them or provide an adequately high resolution, but just the same you can use them to get a feel for their "Smart Agricultural Experience." 高樹新亮點 !  智慧農業學校  閒置校舍空間活化打造南區青聚點

2c. This article introduces agricultural products grown or manufactured at Baleloong Farm in Kaohshu Township.  Their biggest crop seems to be leechee. 來自屏東水源保護區鮮採玉荷包 , 同場加映私藏玉荷包荔枝蜜

3. Sandimen Township 三地門鄉

3a. No recent news out of Sandimen.

4. Wutai Township 霧台鄉

4a. Not really news, but this article advertises tourist spots in Wutai.  There are lots of pictures. 霧台風景區 , 魯凱族的岩版藝術巷 , 悠閑中體驗原鄉之美

5. Jiouru Township 九如鄉

5a. Residents of Jiouru will receive a 1000 NT economic stimulus payment near the end of the month.  Depressingly enough, some residents are already planning on using this 1000 NT to buy COVID tests. 屏東九如鄉  每人一千振興金

5b. Does it feel good to be a gangster?  An attempted shooting in Donggang may be connected to cars ramming into shopfronts in both Donggang and Jiouru.  Police are still investigating the matter. 屏東槍繫引爆兩派火拚 ?  九如東港傳瘋狂倒車衝撞

5c. A dispute between Pingtung City and Jiouru has been resolved, and as a result a new pagoda for the storing of mortal remains will be built in Jiouru. 法令鬆綁  屏東市歸園納骨塔將新建3館

6. Yanpu Township 鹽埔鄉

6a. A road near the Daren Technology University has been improved, and flooding on that route shouldn't be a problem in the future. 屏東武洛溪大仁支線二期已完工  解決鹽埔大仁科大路口遇雨淹水問題

7. Pingtung City 屏東市

7a. A construction project in Pingtung City is offering a "free" one night's stay in Kenting for those buying a house. 不追喊3字頭 !  屏東市預售案反推 "2字頭親民價" 買房再送墾丁旅住宿 (2)

7b. The Pingtung (City) Representative Council asked those managing/operating traditional markets to lower the rent.  Vendors at such markets have been hit hard by COVID. 疫情影響生意  屏東市擬減免公有市場攤商租金3個月

7c. The old "Pingtung County Governor's Residence," built in 1920, was renovated recently but remains closed to the public.  Finding uses for the building has proven to be a challenge. 屏東百年歷史建築  整修完成後利用率卻偏低

8. Chang Jr Township 長治鄉

8a. Some idiot headed north on the Formosa Freeway between Pingtung City and Chang Jr decided to pull his car over, place his child on the guard rail several meters above the ground, and pose for a selfie with his child. 驚 !  黑衣男抱童置於屏東國道護欄超嚇人

9. Linluo Township 麟洛鄉

9a. No recent news out of Linluo.

10. Jhutian Township 竹田鄉

10a. A man driving a car in Jhutian lost control of his vehicle, striking two scooters and then a house. 屏東竹田自小客連環撞3人送醫 , 現場一片狼藉

10b. Villagers in Meilun Village have been adorning their walls with humorous pictures of the "Old Master."  This art project has been going on for several years. 竹田鄉在增老夫子壁畫繪出鄉情 (3)

11. Neipu Township 內埔鄉

11a. A man driving a scooter through Neipu lost control of his vehicle and landed in a drainage ditch.  It was raining heavily at the time, the man drowned in the ditch, and his body was swept some distance from the scene. 屏東騎士疑不熟路況摔進 "大排" ! 整個人秒被沖走...無生命跡象

11b. Government officials, worried over the lack of flood retention walls on the banks of the Donggang River as it passes through Neipu and Wanluan townships, held a meeting to discuss improving flood control infrastructure in that area. 東港溪內埔段長逾4公里沒護岸  爭取施作設親水公園

Related Entries 相關的文章:

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 6

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 1

Tainan in the News  台南的新聞 (North 北 ) 1

Industrial Areas in South Taiwan

1. The number in the headline (460) is of course out of date.  Last I checked Ligang was up to 695 cases.

2. This is an increasingly popular tactic in the local real estate market, wherein a company pretends to give you something you actually paid for.  There was another article about another construction project in Tainan "giving" people an electric car with the purchase of a new home.  This article is from the Apple Daily, and it amounts to little more than an advertisement.

3. "The Old Master" comic book has been around for a while.  There are some pictures of it here.  The original artist died, and the man painting the walls in Meilun took over from him.  This comic book is beloved by many Taiwanese people.  If any (older) Americans are reading this, it's a lot like the slapstick comics seen in Mad Magazine long ago.

NOTE: For every city/township there were also articles about the number of local COVID cases and the recent heavy rains.

Driving, a Saturday in May

It's early in the morning, and the wind is blowing from the north.  It picks up sand from the river valleys as it moves south down the western agricultural plain, and the dust in the air obscures my view of the the mountains beyond the village.

Apart from the sound of the wind the village is quiet.  An old dog sleeps soundly on the road in front of our house.  A funeral tent has been set up on the empty lot across the way.  Last night the people occupying the funeral tent filled the night with the sound of chanting, but they've since either gone to bed or departed altogether.  Nothing stirs, no one besides myself is outside, and the absence of the old man that once lived in the house next door broods over everything.

My wife and I get in the car, the sound of our movements breaking the silence.  It's a good day to be away from this place.  The mood here is heavy.

"If I see you again, I will call you my friend..."

Down the road from the village we turn right onto the Mountainside Highway.  To either side is land owned by the Taisugar Corporation, some of it rented to farmers growing pineapples, and some of it home to trees planted there long ago.  As I glance left and right I can see workers in the trees, clearing brush.

I'm complaining about the weather.  I was hoping for a sunny day.  I'm planning on going swimming tomorrow.

We turn right onto Highway 1.  It's a long, wide stretch of road between rapidly emptying villages and indifferently grown crops.  To the south I can see the Pingnan Industrial Area, a group of buildings from which worrying smoke pours into the sky.

"Waaaaaaaaayyyy down inside...."

I turn right onto the freeway ramp.  Someone is building a gas station on the left side of the entrance, and to the right of the entrance is a patch of red beans stretching all the way to Chaozhou.

My wife talks about a seminar she attended last Wednesday.  Something about aboriginal culture.  Everyone there was so bored, she says.  A red Tiida identical to our own cuts us off as we approach the ramp.

In the distance I see fields bisected by betel nut trees, betel nut trees crowded between narrow roads, and narrow roads coursing back and forth between Nanzhou and Laiyi.

"I have always, always grown my own before, oh schools are stray-ay-ange..."

Zhutian passes by below.  If I raise my eyes a bit I can glimpse the mountains to the east, hidden behind drifts of dust.  Ahead the freeway stretches onward to the mountainous parts of Kaohsiung.  I'm going about 90, slowing down for the exit to the expressway.

We're going to have lunch with our daughters at 11.  Reservations have already been made.  We're going to a Malaysian restaurant near the Aodzedi MRT station.  As the car curves around a flyover I think of a trip to Malaysia we took long ago.  My wife, pregnant with our first daughter, was balancing herself on a speedboat on our way back from an island.  Looking down into that water was like looking into an aquarium.  Thousands upon thousands of fish.

I can see the factories and apartment buildings of Kaohsiung on the horizon, but we aren't there yet.  We still have a bit further to go before we cross the Gaoping River and enter into the city.

"It's too late... it's too late... it's too late..."

We follow the expressway to the Jungshan Freeway.  We reach a point very high up, and from this point I can see the city spreading out in every direction, teeming with activity  The traffic grows thicker here, and I remind myself to keep my eyes on the road.  More cars cut me off from the left.  A few other cars pass illegally on the right.  I'd be angry at the other drivers, but I know what it's like to drive in Kaohsiung.  In Kaohsiung you must choose: either follow some of the traffic rules all of the time, or follow all of the traffic rules some of the time.

The choice, in other words, is not yours to make.

I hear my younger daughter's voice through my wife's phone.  She's leaving her school.  She's on the way to take the bus to the nearest MRT station, and from there she'll ride the MRT to Aodzedi, where the restaurant is.  I know that when I see her she'll be wearing that Metallica T-shirt.  Every time I see that T-shirt I have to smile.

To merge onto the Jongjeng Road exit is always a little dangerous.  A truck barrels by on my left, driving unconscionably fast.  A silver SUV on my right won't let me in, and as a result I have to wait behind a black Toyota until it's almost too late to change lanes.  I sneak into a small opening between the silver SUV and a city bus.  I guide the car down to the overpass, glad the drive is almost over.

Ahead of me another ramp leads back to the freeway.  To my left is the overpass, and to my right is the wide road into Fengshan District, one of the least interesting parts of Taiwan.  Why do I sometimes have the feeling that I'll be living in Fengshan one day?

"Easy as A-B-C, 1-2-3, A-B-C baby you and me girl..."

The tricky part is getting over into the far right lane after turning left under the overpass.  Today I manage to do it, deftly swinging into the desired lane just before the light changes on the opposite side.  

Downtown Kaohsiung stretches into the distance.  I turn right just after the yellowing Martial Arts Stadium, gratefully gliding into the parking lot behind it.  I've had enough driving for a while.  It's only been an hour, but in my mind I'm adding this hour to a total number of hours extending back to the previous weekend.

The gate to the parking lot lifts up and I find a space next to the stadium.  I'm looking forward to stretching my legs on the walk to the MRT station, I'm looking forward to Malaysian food, and I'm looking forward to seeing my daughters again.

As I step out of the car I hear the roar of the city around me: scooters, cars, people talking, road construction, the underground hum of the MRT, and even the sound of a convenience store's automatic doors opening, somewhere out of view.  So many people, moving here and there, only ever coming to rest temporarily.  The city is alive and I'm glad to be in it.  I'm happy to be part of the commotion.

Related Entries 相關的文章:

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 6

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 1

Dino, But Not Going Anywhere

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 5

Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市鹽埕區遊記

I also explored Ciaotou District a while back.  Provided I'm still living in the same area next year, I plan on delving deeper into Tainan and Kaohsiung then. 我很久以前也 "遊覽過" 橋頭區 。 如果我下學年還在南部的話 ， 就會寫更多關於高雄和台南的文章 。

Yancheng District is on the Love River, not far from the 85 Skytower.  Many people visit Yancheng during Lantern Festival, and its Pier 1 Arts Center is very popular with tourists. 鹽埕區在愛河上 ， 位於85大樓附近 。很多人在元宵節期間來到鹽埕區觀光 ，駁二藝術特區也吸引了很多人 。

Yancheng was once a center of local salt production.  The "yan" in Yancheng means salt (鹽), and the "cheng" (埕) is taken from the Taiwanese word for "courtyard" or "plaza" (庭), which sounds like the character 埕 in Mandarin. 鹽埕區曾經是當地鹽業的中心。 

According to the last census, 22,692 people live in Yancheng. 鹽埕區上次的人口統計的人口數是22,692人 。

I walked from the Yenchengpu MRT stop to the Pier 1 Arts Center.  This is the pedestrian bridge leading to Holo Park, a newer shopping area on the pier. 我從鹽埕埔捷運站走到駁二藝術特區 ，  這座行人通行的橋通往碼頭上的Holo Park廣場 。

From the other side of Dayi Park there's a good view of the city skyline.  That's the 85 Skytower on the far right. 在大義公園可以看到城市的天際線，  最右邊的大樓是85大樓。

The Kaohsiung Music Center is next to Dayi Park.  It's an ambitious piece of architecture. 高雄流行音樂中心在大義公園旁邊 ，  是個很現代化的建築物 。

The view from the pedestrian bridge.  You can see Shou Mountain the background, where the zoo is located. 人行橋上的風景 。 背景中有壽山 ，動物園在那邊 。

The view from the pier.  That's Qijin District across the water. 碼頭的風景 ，  另外一邊是旗津區 。

It's a very Instagram-worthy spot.  Visiting this place on the weekend means dodging around a lot of people posing for pictures. 這裡常在IG上出現 ， 周末的時候到處都有人拍照  。

Further west, near the southwest corner of the district, you'll find the Hamaxing Railway Culture Park. 往西邊一點 ， 在這一區的西南部你會看到哈瑪星鐵道文化園區 .

The Circular Light Rail (LRT) passes through this area.  From here the tracks follow the western edge of Yancheng. 輕軌經過這個地區 ， 順著鹽埕區的區界 。

Most of the buildings around here are very old, but the Kaohsiung City Government is working on making them more aesthetically pleasing. 這附近的建築大多很舊了 ， 但是高雄市府努力的讓他們更有看頭。

This alley is near the northwest corner of the district, not far from the Love River. 這個小巷子在這一區的西北部 ， 靠近愛河 。

There's a nice trail along the river that passes by this temple. 愛河岸邊有一條很好的人行道經過這所廟 。

After the temple you'll pass by the Kaohsiung City History Museum, housed in a building dating back to the Japanese Colonial Administration.  I've been inside it, but on this particular day it was closed. 過了那所廟，你會經過高雄市立歷史博物館 。 這棟建築是日治時候蓋的 。  我進去過， 只是這一天是博物館的休館日。

View from the Love River.  That's Qianjin District on the other side. 愛河的風景 。  愛河的另外一邊: 前金區 。

I'd never seen this place before.  Is it still open?  I hope so. 我以前沒見過這家啤酒屋 ，  還在營業嗎 ?  我希望是。

A closer look at the Kaohsiung Music Center. 近看流行音樂中心 。

Near the center of the district.  All in all it seems like a good area to live in.  It's close to everything, and there's plenty to do there. 靠近鹽埕區中心。我覺得住在這裡應該不錯 ， 應有盡有 ， 而且有很多好玩的地方 。

Related Entries 相關的文章:

Taiwan 101: Chain Restaurants

Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 1

Hengchun Municipality, Pingtung County 屏東縣恆春鎮遊記

台灣地名故事 Taiwanese Place Name Stories 5