I’m trying to find older sites in relatively good repair to photograph…temples, houses, factories, or anything, really. I’m mainly interested in central Taiwan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung and the like. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Fuxing Train Station and the Glutinous Rice Bridge in Miaoli, have you tried there? Be ready for the crowd, however.
VERY cool, and fairly close to home 
. I haven’t shot much IN Miaoli (some around in the mountains). These days, I’m getting used to working the crowd in or sitting in one spot waiting for the brief seconds that the crowd actualy parts to shoot through it 
.
A couple of my ex-girlfriends would fit that description very nicely, but I’m afraid I’ve already lost touch with them.
Ther’s not much. Serious settlement here dates from the 19th century, and Tai/chung was laid out under the Japanese. Downtown Tai/chung next to the train station there’s a bunch of old Japanese buildings.
One thing you can do is go to some of the smaller communities and photograph the neighborhood temples, especially the older ones built under large trees. Again, in Tai/chung on the corner of Sungchu Rd and Changping Rd there is an old temple under a massive oak tree that’s really got great atmosphere. Sungchu Rd sort of splits and goes around it.
I’d be interested in seeing more suggestions.
[quote=“Vorkosigan”]Ther’s not much. Serious settlement here dates from the 19th century, and Tai/chung was laid out under the Japanese. Downtown Tai/chung next to the train station there’s a bunch of old Japanese buildings.
One thing you can do is go to some of the smaller communities and photograph the neighborhood temples, especially the older ones built under large trees. Again, in Tai/chung on the corner of Sungchu Rd and Changping Rd there is an old temple under a massive oak tree that’s really got great atmosphere. Sungchu Rd sort of splits and goes around it.
I’d be interested in seeing more suggestions.[/quote]
Hmmm, yeah, I’ve shot some of the small temples, but most of the ones I run across are of the poured concrete variety…found one that pre-dated concrete and was made of brick. I’ve run across a few intresting old houses, one that I need to shoot again with a model (to me, visually very interesting…built about 200 years ago, abandoned 50 years ago…the main support beam is hand carved). The reason for the model is that people who have seen those shots don’t find much to visually fix on…when it warms up (too cold for shooting models outside 
). The Japanese houses sound interesting, as does that old temple under the oak tree…I’ll have to wander down and check it out (can use Caves and being flat out of novels as a good excuse 
).
Skip Caves and go to eslite in Chung Yo department store - on San Min Rd, can’t miss it. Much better selection than Caves.
I’m a big temple fan but I like the more modern ones my self - I feel they sort of express the feeling of Taiwan for me. There’s a very incongrous small temple/shrine in the mall across from the train station in Taichung - it’s a ghost temple built to appease the spirits of people killed in accidents building the place. Very red, sort of eerie.
Lugang has a lot of nice places and older buildings. Don’t miss the underworld temple on the main road (although I’m not sure how people would react if you started snapping away). Also very eerie. Lots and lots of Japanese era buildings.
Shotiangong temple in Songguoling, Nantou County is very picturesque - the main temple was burnt out in a fire a few years ago, but the view (it overlooks the Changhua flood plain) and the crowds are fabulous. And perhaps the burnt out look will suit your sensibilities.
Changhua county in general has lots of abandoned factories, old buildings, Japanese era huts, and outlandishly decorated temples. Er Shui is very pretty, has some nice temples, and some unusual buildings.
Daniel, are you talking about the viaduct near Sanyi?
Beipu, in Xinzhu county has spent a lot of effort in the past couple of years to rebuild it’s old buildings (using traditional tools and materials). There’s also a lovely old temple there about two hundred years old.
Just outside Xinzhu City is Hukou Old Street, where the residents have tried to rebuild the street to look like it did 100 years ago.
taiwanheadlines.gov.tw/featu … 225f1.html
Below are all places around Fengyuan. I can’t verify what they look like as I haven’t got around to visiting them yet, but they sound intriguing.
"Chaihsing Villa, constructed in 1877, is an antique building in Taiwan. The villa is a traditional square walled compound, with all materials transported and construction masters invited from mainland China. Another feature of the villa is its full of carvings, ink paintings and calligraphic works. The front yard is also a traditional Chinese garden with ponds and bamboo trees.
Residence of Scholars
Also an antique, this residence is unique for having one protective dragon statue on each side of the bulding. Before entering into the front gate, there is a long, narrow alley to walk. And right in front of the gate lies a half-moon-shaped pond. It is as tremendous as the Lin Family Gardens at Wufeng and Panchiao. Above the main chamber hangs a board saying “Chung Shu Ke,” because its founder, Lin Chen-fang, had been appointed as such an official in the Ching Dynasty. The Lins was a typical literary family; the founder’s two sons were also recognized as scholars after passing the national exam.
The 130-year-old dignified Hsiaoyun Villa was built by Lu Ping-nan in 1866. It is believed that Lu became rich because he was the first one to find a silver mine at Fengyuan. The most admired treasure at Hsiaoyun Villa is the classical works stored at its study. A total of 21,334 volumes has made it the biggest private library in Taiwan. However, books decay with time, not to mention those being taken away by thieves. It has been reported that only half of the original collection remains."
These are in Western Taichung County
"Lady Lin’s Chaste Portal
The Memorial Chaste portal was built in honor of Lin, Chun-nian, a kid wife of Yi, Chang-lung who widowed at age of 12. She followed the moral at that time ane never remarried. Forty years elapsed, the local leaders petitioned Govemment to commend Lady Lin officially in 1833 and the approval in 1836 and completed the Portal on 1848(Daw Kuang28). Lady Lin Chun-nian passed away at age of 86 in 1863(Tung Chu2). In menory of the Lady Lin the local leaders carved a sculpture of her as a deity and enshrined at Cheng Lane Shrine as one of the three deities. The remaining Chaste Portal is a four pillars three two storied granite construction. Except the central opening can pass through the surroundings have set fences. The posts of fences have couplet carved on both sides is a special feature cannot be seen in the other similar Portal. On the top of the Tingtang a framed writing “An Imperial Decree” is hung to Identify the highest honor of the portal."
This one is near Chingshui. You can see the ridge as you drive down the highway.
“Tzeyun Ridge is one of the most famous temple in Taichung County. The 300-year-old shrine worships the Goddess of Mercy. Besides, it also situates a museum, as well as a stone tablet and a bell tower made in the Ching Dynasty.Besides attracting pilgrims, the temple constructed a cultural building in 1990 in order to affiliate religion with cultural, tourism and social education.”
Shoutian Temple, built in 1745, is in Ershui, and so Changhua not Nantou County. You can hike up to the temple from the Ershui train station in about an hour. There are two beautiful 2 meter dragon discs on the outside of the temple. The temple is supposed to be very sacred to the island’s Taoists, but as Bobdodda said, the inside was destroyed a few years ago by fire.
And yes Ershui is very beautiful. You can rent a bike there and tour the countryside on a specially made bike path. Lots of old villas in good shape to look at.
In Jiji, a few train stops down the line, there is Wuchang Temple. This temple collapsed during the 921 earthquake. It is very interesting to photograph. Also, the Jiji train station is interesting. It dates to the Japanese era but was rebuilt after the 921 earthquake.
You could always go to the Taiwan Folk Village, too. The buildings aren’t truly old but they are very authentic looking.
Mucha, I must assure you that Songguoling Town is indeed in Nantou County. As you drive up the road, (or hike up from Er Shui) the county line is about 2/3 of the way up the mountain.
Changhua City has some old buildings and such things as well.
Bobdabba wrote:
[quote]Mucha, I must assure you that Songguoling Town is indeed in Nantou County. As you drive up the road, (or hike up from Er Shui) the county line is about 2/3 of the way up the mountain.
[/quote]
I am assured. Now I’m off to kill myself to save face.
VERY cool, I think I’ll print this thread out and go hunting either this weekend or next, depending on weather
Yes, a very good thread, I’ve got a few places to go check out myself (thanks, Mucha, Vork). I’ve got to check out the Tzeyun Ridge temple.
Is that in Changhua? I’d like to go there. There’s a nice ‘Folk Park’ (Minsu Gongyuan) in Taichung city. Go up Beitvn Road (Taiwan no. 3 provincial highway) heading out of town then, shortly after the junction with Wenxin Road, turn left just before B & Q. Continue a few blocks along there and it’s on your right. It has a nice middle-class Southern Chinese style house of maybe 200 years ago, with authentic furniture and decorations inside. I don’t know whether the building is really old but it looks nice and there are some others next to it. Entrance is normally quite cheap. There’s a haphazard but interesting museum in the basement as well.
The Folk Museum in Lukang also has a nicely preserved and authentically furnished merchant’s house, as well as some well-organised and interesting museum exhibits. It’s a little pricey but worth going once at least.
[quote=“Vorkosigan”]…in Tai/chung on the corner of Sungchu Rd and Changping Rd there is an old temple under a massive oak tree that’s really got great atmosphere. Sungchu Rd sort of splits and goes around it.[/quote]I was thinking about that temple just the other day and wanting to visit it again. Very nice. There are a couple of good ones up that way.
[quote=“daniel_han”]Fuxing Train Station and the Glutinous Rice Bridge in Miaoli, have you tried there?[/quote]Those sound good, whereabouts are they?
Do you mean Longteng Broken Bridge? That’s quite picturesque and there are some big old (80s?) billboard advertisements beside it. Just up from there is Xinsheng station, a very nice little village with an old train station and some nice tea houses; much prettier than Sanyi woodcarving street which I find a little disappointing apart from a Japanese style tea house my friend took me to. Across the valley from the main street in Xinsheng, you can see a traditional three-sided farmhouse building. Next to that is a little shrine. The hill above the farmhouse is supposed to look like a turtle, with its flipper in a position to ‘claw away the wealth’ from the farm. The shrine is to protect against this.
Up the road from Sanyi is a temple called Jiuhuashan which is supposed to be good. I haven’t been there yet.
Back beyond Longteng broken bridge there’s quite a nice reservoir - Liyutan - which is good for a stroll.
[quote=“Mucha Man”]Below are all places around Fengyuan. I can’t verify what they look like as I haven’t got around to visiting them yet, but they sound intriguing.
"…Chaihsing Villa…
…Residence of Scholars…
…The 130-year-old dignified Hsiaoyun Villa…
These are in Western Taichung (Taizhong) County
Lady Lin’s Chaste Portal…
…This one is near Chingshui. You can see the ridge as you drive down the highway.
Tzeyun Ridge…[/quote]
Does anyone have any more directions to or details about the above places?
[quote=“Mucha Man”]…the Lin Family Gardens at Wufeng[/quote]I’ve been meaning to go there since I got my first tourist map of Taichung two years ago. Now you’ve reminded me.
Acearle, I had one more thought. There’s a cast concrete temple up on the hills between Dakeng and Taiping. It hasn’t been painted, and looks as if it was abandoned some time ago. It looks quite evocative.
In Dakeng itself is an abandoned and rusting amusement park.
Places such as those might be good for a few photos - I saw you had some interesting abandoned factory shots on your website.
The Taiwan Folk Village is not far from Changhua going south on Provincial Highway 1 (not the National Highway). Around the area is the Hu Shan Yen Temple, a 3rd level historical site built in 1737.
Yes, the Xingsheng train station is nice if a little overdeveloped with tea houses and the like now. There’s a 1km long tunnel just past the station which you can walk through. Bring a date, especially someone you’ve been meaning to grope in the dark.
Actually, for people who don’t know, the train line is closed in that area so you can walk for about 12 km on the tracks. Lots of fun.
Joe,why didn’t you like Sanyi? The street is not much to look at of course but I found endless pleasure in seeing the variety of carved objects. How can you be disappointed seeing 12-foot high carvings of strange gods?
[quote=“Mucha (Muzha) Man”]Joe,why didn’t you like Sanyi? The street is not much to look at of course but I found endless pleasure in seeing the variety of carved objects. How can you be disappointed seeing 12-foot high carvings of strange gods?[/quote]Maybe I’m being unfair to Sanyi. It had been hyped up to me before I went so I was expecting the street itself to be quite pretty. But you’re right, once you’re inside the shops there are some great woodcarvings and also some related products such as camphor oil. The carvings and statues themselves often smell very aromatic.
Yes! The “broken bridge” as mentioned before. Instead of cement glutinous rice and lime (Calcium Phosphate?) was used. According to the plaque anyways. During the big earthquake (in 96?) one pillar broke in half.
The place was serene until they built that parking lot now filled with concession stands (instead of parked cars).
Also, the old station house is built entirely without the use of nails. The entire railroad infrastructure was built by the Japanese to ship camphor out of MiaoLi.
Another spot you might find interesting is the old Taiwan Railway Administration building across from the North Gate in Taipei. Aside from Moriyama’s main building and courtyard structures, many of the original work sheds and dormitories from the early fifties also remain. For those interested in military history, near the back of the property there is a huge WWII anti-aircraft battery that was used to protect the train station from US bombers. Make sure you bring a torch if you want to have a look inside.