LGVISION: Taiwan Trip Day 2

I stay in this building, level 22..haha

The MRT station just opposite the building.

Inside MRT station

There have many shop inside the station.

Arrive Longshan Temple Station.

A long q to buy the chicken rice

Market near Longshan Temple.

Ha, this is the real 猪头....my blog tak halal la.....lol

Well known Longshan Temple (龍山寺) in Taipei.

It was built in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers. The temple has been destroyed either in full or in part on numerous earthquakes and fires.

During World War II, on 31 May 1945 it was hit by American bombers during the Raid on Taipei, who claimed the Japanese were hiding armaments inside. The main building and the left corridor were damaged and many precious artifacts and artworks were lost in the ensuing fire.

Taipei residents have nevertheless consistently rebuilt and renovated it, and did so again after the end of the Second World War a few months later. Longshan is seen as an emblematic example of Taiwanese classical architecture, with southern Chinese influences commonly seen in older buildings.

Like most temples in Taiwan, the Temple worships a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such as Matsu.

Ximen Station is located between the Zhongzheng District and Wanhua District in Taipei City, Taiwan. It is a major transfer station on the Nangang Line, Banqiao Line, Xindian Line, and Songshan Line.

Ximending is a neighborhood in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. The historical spelling of this area was Hsimenting, which is based on the Wade-Giles romanization of Mandarin Chinese. The use of the character 町 (chō) is unusual in a Chinese context; It is part of a ward in the Japanese municipality system.

Ximending in Taiwan usually refers to Ximending in Wanhua District, Taipei City. This area is in the northeastern part of Wanhua District in Taipei City and it is also the most important consumer district in the Western District of Taipei. The well-known Ximending Pedestrian Area was the first pedestrian area built in Taipei and is the largest in Taiwan. Ximending generally refers to the area surrounded by Zhonghua Road, Kangding Road, Hankou Street, and Chengdu Road.

Ximending attracts an average of over 3 million shoppers per month. It has been called the "Harajuku" of Taipei. The local bookstores sell Japanese magazines, books, CD albums, and clothing, making it a haven for the "Harizu", or Japanese culture adorers. Individual vendors gather in the streets as well as the large business buildings, such as Wannien Department Store and Shizilin Square in the early days, and Wanguo Department Store and Eslite 116 in the later period.

Due to the density of young people, Ximending is comparable to Shilin Market and the Eastern District to be areas with the highest crime rates. In addition, Ximending is well-known for student prostitution.

Duck noodle restaurant at Ximen. just at the conner of the street (find yourself)

Have a try of this duck meat....

and of course the noodle

at the opposide side, there have history building, name "The Red House"西門紅樓. Its about 1-min walking distance after taking the Bannan Line (blue) MRT-Ximen Station No. 1 Exit

The Red House 西門紅樓, a Western-style red-brick octagonal structure in Taipei's Ximen space built in 1908, is Taiwan's first public market and the most well preserved class III historical site. Designed by Kondo Juro, a western-styled architect in the prefectural civil engineering office at the time, the market entrance, incorporating both octagonal and cruciform shapes, was paralleled by no other in the east and west. The market entrance also took on the ‘eight trigrams (bgaua) design considered boldly creative then. Octagon Building, Cruciform Building, and the adjacent South-North Square are now collectively known as ‘The Red House.’

Today the main floor houses the comfortable Paperwindmill Cafe and an exhibition area and gift shop given over to Taiwan's cultural goods. The ambience of the first story is heightened by historical memorabilia of the Red Theater as well as of Taiwan's movie-making industry. The second level is an attractive 200-seat venue devoted to traditional folk performances, particularly puppetry and children's theater. The impressive recessed ceiling is held up by hefty timber support beams original to the building. During weekends, booths selling creative handmade products gather around Red House. On Sundays afternoons, Sunday Teahouse is held, when classical movies or traditional plays are presented, and tea is served by attendants liveried in 1950s.

The Red Theater

OK, this is the next station i stop, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂

The National Concert Hall covers 40,950 square feet of space. Behind the stage is a huge Flentrop organ custom made in Holland to accommodate the proportions of this auditorium and to produce the best sound possible. There is one large area for audiences to sit as well as two levels of box seats. A capacity crowd of 2,070 people can gather here.

The Recital Hall in the basement of the National Concert Hall is small, but its sound quality is the best in the whole complex due to the fact that hardly any noise from outside can reach it. A maximum of 363 people can be seated here.

The National Concert Hall opens daily from 12noon to 9pm.

Ceremonial gateway at the entrance to the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park is opened in 1987, containing not only the memorial but also the National Concert Hall and the National Theater. The park covers a space of 24 hectares, with a wide open plaza. It is surrounded by a long white wall topped with small blue tiled roof forming a long hallway which wraps around the park. Outside the wall is a sidewalk.

The architecture of the memorial itself is modeled after the pyramid-like top of Tiantan in Peking. Its massive blue-tiled roof is capped with a golden peak on top, producing a majestic appearance. Inside the memorial, a ground-level library displays photos and mementos of the late president's life. The plaza in front of the memorial is often used for large scale shows, fairs, public activities and folk performances. International groups also frequently perform here.

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is located in Taipei City's Chungshan South Road. Visitors can take the Danshui-Xindian (Tamshui-Hsintien) Line or the Beitou-Nanshi Jiao (Peitou-Nanshih Chiao) Line of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network, and get off at the CKS Memorial Hall Station.

The stage of the National Theater has two pits in the foreground for orchestras of up to 30-40 musicians. It is extremely well suited for musical shows, opera, ballet and modern dance. The first floor consists of a large area for the audience to be seated, and there are box seats available on the first, second and third floors. Altogether a capacity crowd of 1,522 people can gather here to enjoy concerts.

At the reception desk on the first floor, programs of the day's shows can be purchased. Also, by signing your name here, you can wait at the theater entrances and exits to observe the actors come on and off the stage. Tour guide services are also provided here, and there is a restaurant and gift shop for visitors as well.

On the third floor of the National Theater is the Experimental Theater which opened in 1988. In addition to large scale productions, smaller acting groups often put on productions here, and it may also be used for lectures or acting workshops. There is no formal stage as such -- the areas where the play is put on and the audience sits may be adjusted according to the tastes of each group. Because of this members of the audience can often sit wherever they want in the theater as there are no formal seats either.

The National Theater opens daily from 12noon to 8pm.

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正先生), former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of the Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness. The structure is framed on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall. The entire plaza is located within sight of the Presidential Office Building.

The main vault of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall contains a statue of President Chiang Kai-shek.

Beitou 北投區, is the next station. Its a northern district of Tapei famous for its hot springs.

Beitou Hot Springs Museum: Built during the Japanese occupation, this beautiful Euro-Japanese style building was once the main public bath in Beitou. It has been lovingly restored and was re-opened in its current form in 1998. Through the twelve rooms, the story of Beitou's romantic years of steam and mystery are revealed in interesting displays. The museum is located in Qinshui Park.

Danshui station 淡水. Looking for bus to Danshui Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭).

Finally, arrive Danshui Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭).

Danshui Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭) is located further downstream from the town itself and offers a boardwalk, chic coffee shops, a slightly pricey seafood restaurant, and is a departure point for tourist boats traveling along Taiwan's scenic northeast coast. The "Lover's Bridge", a single slanted tower cable stay pedestrian bridge, that is modeled after a sailing ship's mast and rigging, spans the harbor. The bridge's illumination changes color at night, making this area a favorite with local couples and romantics, and is also a popular site for shooting Taiwanese drama serials. Outdoor concerts are sometimes held in the amphitheater.

The Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

The Shilin Night Market 士林夜市 is a night market in the Shilin District of Taipei City, Taiwan, often considered to be the largest and most famous night market in the city. Like most night markets in Taiwan, the local businesses and vendors begin opening around 4 p.m. As students begin returning home from school, crowds reach their peak between 8 and 11 p.m. Businesses continue operating well past midnight and close around 1 to 2 a.m.

This 1 good....just infront of the temple. Taste good with the chilies...must try

Lots of ppl waiting for this BBQ chicken, look nice.

and i have try 1 of this, and is not as good as the looking....dont try!

The most famous "Haoda" jumbo fried chicken in shihlin, have try one of this, but dont expect as goos as what others ppl said. and i wonder why so many ppl was Q there and buy that chicken shxx! or maybe this is a trend!? My mum fried chicken even better than this!