Showing posts with label ASIA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ASIA. Show all posts
The Old Hsinchu City East Gate


Yesterday, After so many months of making money, i finally got my restday. I also realized that i had a life to enjoy with. So without making any ado, i grabbed my bag and kick my ass off of my crib and spent the whole day at the city. Though the temperature is quite a bit annoying, i still find ways on how to enjoy my day. First, i visit my favorite bookstore, the Eslite, looking for a good book and also to grasp some cold temp for me to able to cope from the heat of the sun outside, which is freakingly irritating. After an hour or so, i look for a nice place to fill my angry stomach with a good food. I scout the city and took the underpass along the elliptical road, while walking, i saw a gallery of pictures of the Old City during its heyday and before/after the war. And in amazement, i pulled my ipad out of my bag and took a souvenir of it. Thanks to Hsinchu City Government for displaying this Old City photos to be able to remind its people how beautiful the city was way back when. 

The underpass of the Hsinchu City East Gate.(present day)

The East Gate still having a bridge during pre war era.

Established in 1733, the city used to be surrounded by bamboo groves. Hence, it was given the name "Chuchien," which means "bamboo wall." In 1826, members of the local gentry asked the authorities to erect a city wall made of brick and stone, and the request was granted. Construction started in 1827, and four gate towers were erected. As a result of city planning during the Japanese era, the wall and other gates were torn down in 1902, leaving only the East Gate. (http://dep-tourism-en.hccg.gov.tw/web/SG?pageID=24314)


A destructive part of the gate during war period.

A Taiwanese mesmerizing the beauty of the city while letting his goat to feed.

A Taiwanese carrying his produce using a bamboo pole on his shoulder. Bamboo poles are ways of transporting goods in most Asian countries during hat day. The area of this street is today ZhongShan Road. 

Soldiers unwinding... 

A typical convoy of a married couple while in front of the East Gate.

The almost top view of the entire city gate during its heyday.

The center of businesses and relaxation.

This photo might be during 80's where street performers are still in. 






THE SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL 2012 EXPERIENCE
Every 15th day of the Lunar year, Chinese people celebrates the Mid-Autumn or the Lantern Festival wherein a hundred colorful figures are lighted as a lanterns. But before that, a kicked off was celebrated via SKY LANTERN or the KONGMING lantern festival. In this festival, an airborne paper lanterns having a waxy flammable material inside were lighted and threw up in the air, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame inside stays alight, after which the lanterns sinks back to the ground. According to history sky lanterns are used as a signalling device or spy blimp in warfare during WWII. This is also called as a balloon munitions.

Moving on to the present time, this sky lanterns was modified and considered as one of the Chinese festivities. And it is celebrated before the Mid-Autumn or the most commonly known as Lantern Festival (note: Lantern Festival & Sky Lantern are different). In this sky lantern celebration, everyone can joined by making or buying paper lanterns in different colors. If in history, it is used as for warfare, now it is used to send messages & wishes to God and yes also as a signal device or for giving hope to find someone who is lost somewhere, just like in the movie "TANGLED". 

In Taiwan, this annual event was scheduled into 4 different days  starting from Jan26 followed on Jan 28, Feb 4 & the final highlight on the night of Feb 6 at Shi Fen, PingXi District, New Taipei City. 

This is a once-a-year event that you don't wanna missed and luckily last Feb. 6, I, together with my friends are so blessed to witness this wonderful & amazing Chinese/Taiwanese culture. We managed to endulged (endulged talaga ginamit! lol) this once in lifetime event by taking on-leave vacation, unnoticed. Hehehe.

Before we get into the place where the event is kicking off, we traveled almost two hours up north. From our place in Hukou Township we traveled by a local train, one & half hours to Taipei City. Then from Taipei City, we spent one more hour  also by train going to Rui Fang, then half an hour more from Rui Fang to Shi Fen Station, where the coal mining area is located, the place where the 1600 lanterns are to be released. 

Tunnel

View from the train
While inside the train I took a picture of a river

Ping Xi District River near the Mining area

A hanging bridge which I dont know the name.

After taking Off the train

Trying to make my best pose pero Waley pa rin. Lol.

Me at the railway where some of the lantern raiser buy their lanterns


Local Taiwanese posing & preparing their lanterns with written wishes to be released.

Early raiser as they watch their lanterns flew


The event's stage where some local artist will performed.

For the experience record, we bought a lantern for $NT150 then write our wishes , hopes & dreams this year.

Preparing for our Lantern's flight.

Our lantern as it flew up above.

Local Taiwan girl, while waiting her signal to release her lantern.

Red Lantern flying

More lantern's are flying until dusk.


And for the highlight, the 'Sabayang Pagpapalipad' ng mga Lighted lanterns.


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Asian nations to 'lead the world'???
When I opened my email account on hotmail.com, I saw this news from Agence France-Presse posted today (10/24/2009 10:29 AM GMT).


Asian nations look to 'lead the world'

"Asian leaders discussed plans at a major summit Saturday to "lead the world" by forming an EU-style community, while urging action from pariah states North Korea and Myanmar.

The premiers of regional giants China and India also sought to foster unity on the sidelines of the regional summit in Thailand after months of trading barbs over long-standing territorial issues.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's proposal for an East Asian community that could take a leading role in global efforts to recover from the economic crisis took centre stage on Saturday.

"It would be meaningful for us to have the aspiration that East Asia is going to lead the world and with the various countries with different regimes cooperating with each other towards that perspective," Hatoyama, who took office last month, told the Bangkok Post newspaper.

The community would involve the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with regional partners China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, Japanese officials have said."

What do you think guys? Are we ready for this? Can this be solved every nations problem?Can everyone be benefited or only one nation can gained from this unification?

For the rest of the story visit your account via www.hotmail.com & http://news.ph.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3664575


A DAY in a WORLD at WINDOWS on CHINA


The first time that I visit this place is way back July 2005. Me & my friend enjoy the summer here. Then after 4 years I came back here again with my co-workers just to enjoy the last kick of summer. I called this place, A WORLD in MINI's, means, a places around the world in miniature form. Here you can see the different location & spots all around the world. They have here, the Mini ASIA, EUROPE & AMERICA.

In Mini America, the statue of Liberty with its 100 tons of bronze, the world’s largest stone obelisk, the Washington Monument, the famous sculptural master piece, the Four Presidents on Mount Rushmore, and the temple to the Sun God , the Kukulkan Pyramid – these testify to the America’s short yet amazing history of development into its influential position today.
A Kababayan from Taal Batangas at
Mini White House

The Mini Statue of Liberty

Mini NASA

Mini White House

The Kulkulan Pyramid of Aztecs,
Yucatan, Mexico

Mini Temple of the Sun-God at Washington

Mini Mount Rushmore of America

In mini EUROPE, If you would like to experience the beauty of European buildings in one trip, this is the place to be! Visit the Greek Acropolis, the Roman Worms Cathedral, the Gothic St. Francis Cathedral and as well as St. Basil’s Cathedral which incorporates Byzantium influences, Gothic spires and Roman Arches.
St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia

A Cathedral in Modena, Italy

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy

One of the great Architecture in one church somewhere in Europe
(I did not get the info)

A young chinese pictured at Mini ST. PETER's

In Mini Asia you can see the different & beautiful spots all around ASIA. Be amazed by the one of seven wonder of the worlds list the GREAT WALL of CHINA & the TAJ MAHAL, some minaret & temples in west & east Asia such as, Todai-ji Temple in Japan.

One of GT operator at MINI GREAT WALL

Another GT operator on Todai-ji Temple in Japan,
the largest wooden building in the world

Me & my friends on Mini TAJ MAHAL

A minaret from IRAQ

So guys try this to add at your tourist destinations list, because in a day you can travel the world's famous attractions. The Eiffel tower, the Taipei 101, the Petronas towers are still on plan to construct.

Photo credits:
http://www.friendster.com (thanks to Salve Coronel, Annalyn Alilio & Guilmar Sara's account)

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