2025年4月13日 星期日

Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City 高雄市左營區


Zuoying is north of Gushan and south of Nandze.  Like both Gushan and Nandze Zuoying is on the Taiwan Strait, though the military facilities in Zuoying prevent access to the ocean from this district. 左營位於鼓山的北部 、 楠梓的南部 。  左營鼓山楠梓都緊鄰臺灣海峽,  只是左營的海岸屬於軍事基地,不讓民眾隨意進去的 。

"Zuoying" literally translated means "Left Barracks," "Left Battalion" or even "Left Army (Encampment)."  There are differing accounts of how Zuoying earned this name.  It has been a strategic point for centuries, and troops have been stationed there since at least the Qing Dynasty. 左營的地名由來有多個不同的故事 , 但是它用於軍事基地的歷史可以追溯到清領時期

According to the last census, 197,906 people live in Zuoying. 上次的人口統計表示 , 左營的人口是197,906人 。


Just across the road from Gushan District is the Marine Corps. History Museum.  It's a SUPER detailed museum explaining the history of Taiwan's Marine Corps.  Some of the historical artifacts inside are interesting, but it's a really deep dive. 與鼓山區有一路之隔的海軍陸戰隊隊史館 。  這棟隊史館很仔細地介紹了陸戰隊的歷史 ,  有的展覽很有趣 , 介紹的歷史事蹟源遠流長。


North of there is the Zuoying Military District Story Hall.  It's a very overlooked place, and worth visiting if you're interested in the history of Zuoying and/or Taiwan's military history in general.  The building doesn't look like much from the outside, and it can be a bit hard to locate, but I highly recommend it. 陸戰隊史館北邊有左營軍區故事館 。  我覺得很可惜的是很多遊客沒注意到有這個景點 , 建議對左營區歷史或軍隊歷史有興趣的人來這裡參觀。 雖然故事館的外表不好看 , 也很難找 , 可是裡面的展覽很有趣 。


Nearby is the Taiwan Military Village Culture Park.  Of the three places near the military base discussed here, the Culture Park is probably the least interesting.  Many of the medals, flags and maps displayed here can also be found in the Military District Story Hall, so unless you're REALLY interested in local military history I'd give this place a miss. 再見捌捌陸 -- 臺灣眷村文化園區在附近 。  以三個軍區景點來說 , 這裡大概是最無聊的 。  這裡展覽的好幾個勳章、旗幟跟地圖在其他兩所博物館也有 。  我建議對軍隊比較沒有興趣的遊客不用來 。


To the east of the military base and at the north end of Zuoying is the Kaohsiung National Athletic Stadium.  I ran my first marathon here, many years ago.  It's an interesting piece of architecture and there's an extensive park around it. 高雄國家體育場位於軍區的東部 、 左營的北部 。  我好幾年前在這裡參加了我第一場的馬拉松。  它的建築很特別 , 體育場外面的公園也很大 。


Further east is Banping Mountain, also at the north end of the district.  The MRT passes through this mountain via a tunnel between the World Games and Zuoying stops.  Here's a story about Banping Mountain in case you're interested. 往更東邊是左營北部的半屏山 。  捷運列車經由隧道穿過半屏山連接起世運站左營。  這裡有一個關於半屏山的故事 。


This is from the viewpoint atop Banping Mountain.  That's the World Games MRT station in the center of the picture, and the Oil Refinery Elementary School stop off to the right.  Zuoying is to the left, and Nandze is to the right. 這是在半屏山上的景觀台 。  世運捷運站在中間 , 油廠國小捷運站在右邊 。  左邊那一半是左營區 , 右邊那一半是楠梓區

The Banping Mountain Trail is a much easier hike than the Chai Mountain Trail in Gushan.  It's a steadier ascent with less stairs. 半屏山登山步道比鼓山區柴山步道好走 ,  沒有那麼多的樓梯。


Lotus Lake is in the center of Zuoying.  In my opinion this place is slightly overrated, but it's still a good place for a walk or a bike ride if the weather's not too hot.  Local photographers labor over Lotus Lake, often making it look like something a step removed from heaven, but in my experience the reality can be quite different. 蓮池左營區的中部 。  我覺得這個景點沒有很多網站講的那麼好玩 ,  天氣涼的時候可以來散步或騎單車 。  有的攝影師很努力地把這個景點拍的像天堂 , 我去過好幾次 , 我覺得還好 。

In the distance here is Turtle Mountain, and not far from there is Zuoying's Old City. 遠處有龜山 , 離龜山不遠的是左營舊城 。


Many tourists, both foreign and domestic, visit Lotus Lake for the temples along its shores.  I will agree that these temples are cool, but on holiday weekends they're so crowded that they're not worth visiting. 許多國際和國內的遊客會來蓮池參觀池岸的廟宇 ,  我也覺得這些廟宇很酷 , 可是大節日和連假的時候遊客太多 , 不值得來這裡人擠人 。


These are the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas.  I'm guessing that everyone in Kaohsiung has visited these things at least once.  In the background is Banping Mountain. 這是龍虎塔 。  高雄市的居民都去過了吧 !  背景是半屏山


The (Xin) Zuoying Train Station, HSR station and MRT station are north of Lotus Lake.  Again that's Banping Mountain in the background. (新) 左營車站 、 高鐵站 和 捷運站都位於蓮池的北部 。  半屏山又當背景 。

This picture was taken from the train station, on the side opposite the entrance to the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store.  The Banping Mountain south trailhead is to the left, behind the white buildings and north up Highway 17. 這是在火車站 、 新光三越入口的另外一邊拍的 。  半屏山的登山口在左邊 ( 白色建築後方的台17線的地區) 。


The train line runs to Gangshan and other places further north.  Zuoying is a major transit point in north Kaohsiung, and just about everyone in south Taiwan has been through here at one time or another. 這個鐵道可以往北到岡山 , 更往北邊到其他的地方 。  左營高雄市的重要交通樞紐 , 來過臺灣南部的人都會經過這裡 。


Further south, on the other side of Lotus Lake, is Zuoying's Old City.  There's some background on this place here.  The local government has put a lot of effort into restoring it, adding a system of trails and walkways between the Old City and nearby Turtle Mountain.  You can also find another of the old city gates within a traffic circle further south. 往南,蓮池的另外一邊是左營舊城 。  這個景點的歷史在這裡 。  市府花了很多資源整修這裡 ,在蓮池龜山中間新增了許多步道 。 你也可以看到馬路中的圓環的更南邊也有另一座城門 。


The Guomao Community (sometimes called "Little Kowloon") is just south of the Old City.  There's not much here for tourists, but the scale of the buildings is worth admiring. 果貿社區 (有時被叫小九龍) 位於舊城南部 。  這個景點沒有那麼好玩 , 可是建築本身真是又大又特別 。


The most popular thing in Zuoying is probably the Hanshin Department Store near the MRT Athletic Stadium stop.  I don't love this place, but I do seem to end up here a lot. 左營最受歡迎的景點大概是漢神巨蛋購物廣場 。  這裡靠近巨蛋捷運站 ,  雖然我不是很喜歡這個地方,可是我還蠻常來的。


The famous Ruifeng Night Market is also nearby.  It doesn't look like much in the daytime, does it? 很有名的瑞豐夜市在附近 。  白天的時候不怎麼樣 , 對不對 ?

I feel compelled to say that the Ruifeng Night Market is my least favorite night market in all of Kaohsiung.  It's hot, it's crowded, and there's not much variety when it comes to food.  Walking through it can be extremely unpleasant on weekends. 我也想說瑞豐不是我在高雄最喜歡的夜市 。  瑞豐很擠、很熱, 料理也沒有那麼多選擇 ,  我覺得週末的時候走進裡面很不舒服 。


If you're looking to eat out in a similar setting I'd recommend the Longhua Market instead.  It's a good place to go if you're not sure what you want to eat. 如果想在類似的地方吃飯 , 我建議你去龍華市場 。  龍華市場的食物種類選擇也很多 。

I should add, by the way, that if you're looking for a night on the town in Kaohsiung and you don't want to go to the Pier 1 Arts Center Zuoying is probably your best bet.  There are a lot of good bars and restaurants in the district, and a surprising array of international foods. 我覺得在高雄想晚上出門玩的讀者不一定要去駁二左營也有許多餐廳 、 酒吧和國際美食 。

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2025年4月2日 星期三

Christmas Before Tomb-Sweeping


Maybe it's the upcoming Qingming Festival; maybe it's some other reason.  Whatever the cause, I find myself thinking about Christmas a lot.

I'm not referring here to the holiday, but rather a cat we used to own.  This cat named Christmas passed away last summer, just after we moved back to Taitung City from Pingtung.

Christmas was named Christmas because we found her on Christmas Day.  We were driving through the southern half of Taitung City, not far from Taitung's industrial area, and as we were driving a white kitten ran out onto the road, stopped, and looked up at us in our car from the pavement.

One of us picked this kitten up off the road.  It might have been me, I can't remember.  We took her home with us and named her Christmas soon after.

Weirdly enough, she wasn't the only cat we discovered on Christmas Day.  We found another kitten on the same holiday a few years later, and we named this cat Christmas Junior -- but he didn't live very long.  I think he lasted about a year and then died from one of the many mysterious illnesses that stray cats seem to come down with.  He'll come up in conversations now and then, but we never grew that attached to him.

The original Christmas was a different story.  She lived with us in our apartment near Baosang Junior High for many, many years, and I have to say that she was the most good-natured cat we've ever owned.  She watched our daughters grow up and go off to school, she saw other cats come and go, and she lived with us in several different locations. 

Sure, she would go into "attack mode" sometimes, deciding for whatever reason that all the other cats in the apartment must suffer her wrath, but she could also be a sweet kitty, showering us with affection every time we returned home.

After both our daughters moved to Kaohsiung, we moved to Fangliao (in Pingtung) for two years, and of course Christmas came with us.  We moved her (and ourselves) into a rental house in Xinkai Village, about twenty minutes away from Central Fangliao by scooter.  It was an adjustment for her in the beginning, but she got used to the new house quickly enough.

She preferred the living room to all other rooms of the house.  She never ventured beyond the front door.  I tested her commitment to an indoor lifestyle on several occasions, leaving the front door open for long periods of time, and she never so much as stepped beyond the threshold.  She seemed completely content with her walled existence, however tempting the birds and insects alighting on our front porch might have been.

After two years in Fangliao it was time to move on, so in 2022 I took a job at Hengchun Junior High and Hengchun Elementary School.  I held this job until June of last year.  After I got hired we rented another house in Sigou Village, a tiny settlement west of Central Hengchun.  In most respects Sigou wasn't that different from Xinkai in Fangliao, even though the scenery was much better.

By this point Christmas was getting old.  She was still a very happy cat, but she walked with more difficulty and disliked having to go up stairs.  She also slept a lot more, and didn't eat as much.  I was still greeted by her peculiar meow when I got home every day, but she moved a lot slower.

She was for the most part fine until we moved back to our old apartment in Taitung City last summer.  That was when her health took a definite turn for the worse.  It became more and more difficult for her to get around, and at a certain point she stopped eating altogether.  At first we thought she was having trouble with her teeth, but then, one day, she gave us that look that said, "It's time," and we knew she wouldn't be with us much longer.

A subsequent trip to the vet only confirmed what we were already feeling.  Of course the vet offered us expensive options that would ostensibly keep Christmas in our presence for a little while longer, but none of these options were guaranteed, and all of them meant an unpleasant experience for our old and ailing cat.

After a short discussion we decided it was time to let Christmas go, and asked the vet to make it happen.  Once the vet had administered the injection we stayed with her in a back room where they keep the animals, my wife petting her through the open cage door and crying as our beloved Christmas faded away before our eyes.  I suppose that part of me wanted to cry as well, but I haven't been able to do that yet.

Christmas was with us for so many years.  Is it then fair to dismiss her as a pet?  I think that she was instead a member of our family, a member who added joy to our lives and made the hard times more tolerable.  Christmas loved us all very much, of this I am certain, and we loved her very much in return, of this I am also certain.

Christmas, if you're "out there" somewhere just know that we love you.  If you're not "out there" somewhere maybe it doesn't matter, because I'm still carrying you around in my thoughts.  I remember what a good kitty you were, and I'm still so glad that we found you on that tiny road, so many years past, when my daughters were still very small.

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2025年3月29日 星期六

Taitung in the News 台東的新聞 (South 南) 2



1. Beinan Township 卑南鄉

1a. The "2025 East Wave Festival," a concert featuring several nationally recognized musical acts, will be held on May 17 and 18 on Shanyuan Beach.  Could be fun, but parking in that area will be a nightmare. 鳳小岳首登 "2025東浪嘉年華"  愛慢活必吃池上便當

1b. There was a magnitude 4 earthquake in Beinan. 台東卑南地震規模4  最大震度4級



2a. This article suggests itineraries for visiting Taitung City and surrounding areas, using the Sheraton as its point of departure.  There are plenty of pictures in the article. 台東市三天兩夜這樣玩 !  看山 , 看海 , 喝咖啡 , 海線 , 山線景點一次滿足 !

2b. The earthquake in Beinan was also recorded in Taitung City, though within the city limits it only registered at 3 on the Richter Scale. 台東地區18:50發生有感地震 !  花蓮縣 , 台東縣預估震度3級 (1)

2c. A new cake/snack store has opened in one of the old Japanese dormitories near Baosang Road. 魚刺人雞蛋糕進駐台東 -- 寶桑町屋  13款中這2款在地風味必吃



3a. This article briefly introduces the beach park east of Central Taimali.  Many tourists visit this park on New Year's Day to witness "the first rays of the new year."  This park has also hosted its own hot air balloon activity, though not as consistently as the main venue in Luye. 台灣觀光100亮點  台東5大景點入選 !  結合熱氣球及最美星空音樂會展現觀光魅力

3b. An "all-ages health lecture event" was held at the Taihe Village activity center.  AI posture analyses, fitness workshops, health consultations, massage and aromatherapy were all included in this activity. 114年台東縣太麻里鄉全齡好放鬆  健康講座活動

3c. A driver lost control of her vehicle on a road near Jinzhen Mountain and plunged into a gully.  She was bruised but otherwise uninjured. 太麻里金針山產業道路交通事故  駕駛倒車失控滑落邊坡



4a. Construction of a new bridge over the Taimali River near the Jinfeng hot spring was begun recently.  This project should be finished next year. 台東金峰鄉3億新橋開工 !  串聯3大景點 , 預計2026年完工 (2)



5a. Chunghwa Telecom recently completed work on a computing facility in Dawu.  This facility will connect a computer system in Taiwan to a submarine telecommunications network which will, upon completion, connect Taiwan's telecommunications infrastructure to Guam, and from there to the west coast of the United States.  Recent worries over the PLA's development of undersea cable cutting technology have accelerated the planning and implementation of this submarine telecommunications network. 增通訊韌性  TPU海纜系統  台東大武登陸

5b. Temperatures in Dawu and Daren townships reached a high of 36 Celsius last week.  It was unseasonably warm. 今年首發高溫燈號 !  4縣市上看36度  氣象署 : 注意焚風



6a. No recent news out of Daren.



7a. The Green Island Township Office recently purchased two new boats which will facilitate improved transportation, shipping and garbage removal between Green Island and Taiwan's main island. One of these boats will begin operating between Green Island and Fugang Port in Taitung City on the 28th of this month. 台東離島海運量能提升  公船太武輪和新客輪加入



8a. Two tourists fishing off the coast of Orchid Island fell into the sea and disappeared.  Emergency response personnel undertook a search which was ultimately postponed due to adverse weather conditions and the difficulty of conducting a search at night.  At the time of writing the body of one fisherman has been recovered, though the whereabouts of the second remains a mystery. 蘭嶼雙獅岩2釣客落海  深夜搜尋暫無結果

8b. Flying fish season has begun on Orchid Island, and the coast guard will be using drones to enforce fishing regulations.  The catching of this important fish has a special cultural significance for the local Yami tribespeople. 蘭嶼飛魚季登場  海巡巡防艇和無人機展開護魚

8c. Dong Chang-hua, running unaffiliated, was recently by-elected to the position of Taitung County councilmember representing Orchid Island.  He is replacing Huang Bi-mei, who was dismissed from office after the previous election was investigated and fraud was discovered. 蘭嶼鄉議員補選  無黨籍董昌華374票當選

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The Old Donghe Bridge 舊東河橋 (Taitung 台東)
Kaohsiung in the News 高雄的新聞 (East 東) 7

1. Beinan Township kind of "wraps around" the north end of Taitung City, from the stretch of ocean around Shanyuan to the Zhiben Hot Spring Area.  The high magnitude recorded in Beinan was probably sent from an area closer to Zhiben, in the mountains.

2. This is assuming, of course, that no typhoons disrupt the project between now and 2026.  This area is very prone to flooding.

2025年3月23日 星期日

The Old Donghe Bridge 舊東河橋 (Taitung 台東)



A: Let's just park here.  I don't like parking down at the end of the road.  Too hard to turn around. 我們在這裡停車好了 , 我不想停在這條路的終點 , 因為在那裏迴轉很麻煩 。

J: The weather's nice today. 今天的天氣不錯 。


A: Man, so many trees washed up down there.  Must have been the typhoon. 那麼多樹木被沖到這邊 , 颱風的影響吧 !

J: --and then she said she was too busy.  I don't know what to do. 然後她說自己太忙了 , 我不知道該怎麼辦 。


A: Should we walk down?  We're here. 我們要走下去嗎 ?  我們在這裡了 ...

J: Let's go. 走吧 !


A: --I don't feel like the monkeys here are so bad.  Just grumpy. ... 我覺得這裡的猴子還好 , 沒有那麼兇 。

J: I keep trying to message her.  She always says she's busy.  Now the people on the other side of the building don't have water, too. 我一直傳訊息給她 , 她一直說很忙 ,  現在大樓的另外一邊的住戶也沒有水 。


A: All I know is there's no excuse for it.  Where are we having lunch? 她都找藉口了 。  我們午餐要吃什麼 ?

J: We can have lunch at home. 我們要在家吃午餐 。


A: What's at home? 家裡有什麼菜 ?

J: We've got sausage. 有香腸 。


A: OK. 好 。

J: What do you think I should do? 你認為我該怎麼做?


A: I think you'll probably have to be the next zhuwei. 我覺得妳應該當下一任主委 。

J: But I really don't want to. 可是我不想做 。


A: I know, but what else can you do? 我知道 ,但是有其他方法嗎 ?

J: I like this part, it's nice. 我喜歡這個部分 , 風景不錯 。


A: Yeah. 沒錯 。

J: Are we walking all the way to the ocean? 我們要走到海邊嗎 ?


A: It's not far, just down there. 不遠 , 馬上到了 。

J: So many water buffaloes!  I didn't know they were down here. 那麼多隻水牛 !  我之前沒有注意到牠們在這裡 。


A: It was a good movie.  I'd probably watch the sequel. 那部影片不錯 , 我應該會去看續集。

J: You watch it with your daughter, I've had enough. 你跟你的女兒一起看好了 , 我不想看。


A: Naw, I don't know that guy. 不 , 我不認識他 。

J: Carrefour should be open though. 家樂福應該已經開了吧 !


A: Never seen anyone fish down here. 我沒看過有人來這裡釣魚 。

J: What would they fish for? 他們會釣什麼魚 ?


A: No, I don't think so. 不 , 我不這麼認為 。

J: There's also that other place by the Seashore Park. 海濱公園附近還有那家餐廳 。


A: The dumpling place?  Or the other one. 餃子館嗎 ?  還是另外那家 ?

J: The other one.  Let's go back to the car.  It's getting cold. 另外那家 。  我們回去好嗎 ?  變冷了 。

A: OK. 好 

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2025年3月18日 星期二

Hualien in the News 花蓮的新聞 (North 北) 2




1. Xioulin Township 秀林鄉

1a. Yet another earthquake in Xioulin.  It happens.  This one was around 4.0 on the Richter Scale. 花蓮秀林鄉規模4地震  最大震度花蓮縣4級

1b. Hualien's Environmental Protection Bureau teamed up with the Asia Concrete Company to donate used computers and other office equipment to Jingmei Elementary School.  One of the goals of this donation was the promotion of environmentally sustainable practices and resource recycling. 公私攜手推動資源永續  循環物品捐贈校園

1c. A campground in Hualien became the first legal campsite in the county after regulations on such facilities were eased.  Many campgrounds in Taiwan are, on some level at least, operated illegally due to restrictions on land use in rural areas. 花蓮秀林首座合法露營場  3/19獲頒證照



2a. A woman riding a scooter collided with a tractor.  She later died at the hospital from her injuries. 花蓮新城鄉機車碰撞曳引車  女騎士送醫不治

2b. A man shot his father in the leg with a hunting rifle following an argument.  The wound caused excessive bleeding, but the father's life was never in danger, and he was quickly taken to the hospital.  The son was later arrested. 被罵沒擔當 !  花蓮男獵槍轟爸  "子彈實穿" 血流滿地急送醫



3a. Drains are being cleaned and fumigated as part of an effort to minimize mosquito-born diseases such as dengue fever.  With the weather warming local mosquito populations have been on the rise. 防範病媒蚊疫情擴散 !  花蓮市44里清溝消毒作業啟動

3b. The Hualien City Government was recently recognized by the (national) Council of Aboriginal Peoples for its work building housing and other infrastructure in aboriginal areas. 花蓮市公所再獲榮耀肯定  原民會公共工程考核成續優良

3c. A scrap lumber yard caught fire, and by the time the fire was finally extinguished around 300 square meters of wood had been incinerated.  Some of the wood at this site consisted of a very valuable type of cyprus. 花蓮廢棄木材行晚間突起火  燃燒面積300坪 ...  珍貴檜木付之一炬



4a. Residents of Beichang Village voted to split their village in two.  The new village thus created will be called "Jichang Village," though the title won't be official until July.  Household registrations and other relevant documents will be changed to reflect residents' new addresses. 花蓮吉安北昌村分村  "吉昌村" 將於7月核定通過

4b. The Ji-an Township Office will be implementing both scheduled and fixed-point garbage collection. 吉安公所垃圾定時定點服務升級

4c. Local trees are blooming in Ji-an, and the township office has organized several tourist activities to help visitors enjoy the flowers. 吉安鄉四月雪桐花漫舞  遊淑貞邀遊共賞



5a. A women's "fun sports" activity and anti-drug community meeting was held in Shoufeng.  Educating the public on the dangers of online fraud was another goal of this activity. 壽豐鄉婦女趣味闖關運動會暨反毒宣導  徐榛蔚出席與婦女姐妹同樂

5b. A promotional event for the local shallot crop and related agricultural products was hosted by the Shoufeng Township Farmer's Association. 花蓮農產加工研發再天生力軍  壽豐鄉農會開發 "花蓮鯛魚酥火蔥口味"



6a. A car driving south on Highway 9 through Fenglin struck something (or was struck by something) and broke into two pieces.  The reasons for this accident are unknown, as are the number of people injured or killed.  The incident is of course still under investigation. 台9線重大車禍 !  南下239.9K鳳林段 "轎車斷成兩半"  傷亡不明

6b. An elderly man drove his scooter into a drainage ditch.  Once officers arrived at the scene they found him able to sit up for a time, but he died at the hospital soon after. 騎電動二輪車摔落田邊水溝 !  花蓮6旬翁一度自行坐起  送醫仍不治
 
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