Category Archives: PLACES OF INTEREST

Melbourne Airport (Australia)

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Melbourne Airport

Our gateway for our week long visit to Melbourne was to be Melbourne Airport (IATA: MEL, ICAO: YMML), colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport.  After an 8-hour, non-stop flight from NAIA Terminal 3, it was almost midnight when our Cebu Pacific Airbus A321 plane landed in this airport’s Terminal 2 (one of the airports four terminals) which handles all international, and limited domestic, flights out of Melbourne Airport.

Cheska, Grace, Bryan and Jandy

The terminal has 20 gates with aero bridges. On arrival, we streamed on to the first floor to connect with the current first floor arrivals deck. Departures take place on the lower deck (similar to the A380 boarding lounges currently in use at Gates 9 and 11).  All gates, including 18 and 20, are now handling passengers.

Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Emirates all operate airline lounges in this terminal. The terminal contains works by noted Australian Indigenous artists including Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri and Gloria Petyarre.

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this international airport:

  • It is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne
  • Melbourne is the second busiest airport in Australia for passenger movements, behind Sydney and ahead of Brisbane.
  • It opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport (which was officially designated an international airport in 1950).
  • Melbourne Airport is the main international airport of the four airports serving the Melbourne metropolitan area, the other international airport being Avalon Airport.
  • The airport comprises four terminals: one international terminal, two domestic terminals and one budget domestic terminal.
  • The airport has its own suburb and postcode—Melbourne Airport, Victoria (postcode 3045).
  • In 2016-17, Melbourne Airport recorded around 25 million domestic passenger movements and around 10 million international passenger movements. In that year there were 239,466 aircraft movements in total.
  • The Melbourne–Sydney air route is the third most-traveled passenger air route in the world.
  • The airport features direct flights to 33 domestic destinations and to destinations in the Pacific, Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
  • Melbourne Airport is the number one arrival/departure point for the airports of four of Australia’s eight other capital cities.
  • Melbourne serves as a major hub for Qantas and Virgin Australia, while Jetstar Airways and Tigerair Australia utilize the airport as home base.
  • Domestically, Melbourne serves as headquarters for Australian airExpress and Toll Priority and handles more domestic freight than any other airport in the nation.
  • Melbourne Airport, originally called Melbourne International Airport, is commonly referred to as Tullamarine or simply as Tulla to distinguish the airport from the other three Melbourne airports: Avalon, Essendon and Moorabbin.
  • Tullamarine is a name derived from the indigenous name Tullamareena.
  • Melbourne Airport is categorized as a Leased Commonwealth Airport.
  • The airport was the first in Australia to be capable of handling the A380.
  • It the first airport in Australia to receive, in 2004, an ISO 14001 accreditation, the world’s best practice standard.
  • The Melbourne FIR center controls 6% of the world’s airspace (Victoria, Tasmania, southern New South Wales, most of South Australia, the southern half of Western Australia and airspace over the Indian and Southern Ocean).
  • The airport is the home of the Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne approach facilities, which provide control services to aircraft arriving and departing at those airports.
  • The airport is curfew-free and operates 24 hours a day (although, between 2 AM and 4 AM, freight aircraft are more prevalent than passenger flights).

Jandy and the author

Here’s the historical timeline of the airport:

  • In February 1958, the search for a replacement for Essendon commenced when a panel was appointed to assess Melbourne’s civil aviation needs.
  • In 1959, the Commonwealth Government acquired 5,300 ha. (13,000 acres) of grassland in then-rural Tullamarine.
  • In May 1959 it was announced that a new airport would be built at Tullamarine
  • On November 27, 1962, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced a five-year plan to provide Melbourne with a A$45 million “jetport” by 1967.
  • In November 1964, the first sod at Tullamarine was turned. In line with the five-year plan, the runways at Essendon were expanded to handle larger aircraft
  • In October 1964, Ansett Australia launched the Boeing 727 there, the first jet aircraft used for domestic air travel in Australia.
  • On July 1, 1970, Prime Minister John Gorton opened Melbourne Airport to international operations ending Essendon’s near two decade run as Melbourne’s international airport. Essendon still was home to domestic flights for one year.  On opening, Melbourne Airport consisted of three connected terminals: International in the centre, with Ansett to the South and Trans Australia Airlines to the North. The design capacity of the airport was eight Boeing 707s at a rate of 500 passengers per hour.
  • On June 26, 1971, Essendon’s airport operations was transferred to Melbourne Airport with the first arrival of a Boeing 747 occurring later that year. In the first year of operations, Melbourne handled six international airlines and 155,275 international passengers.
  • In 1973, minor expansion works was completed allowing Boeing 747s to serve the airport.
  • By the late 1980s, peak passenger flows at the airport had reached 900 per hour, causing major congestion.
  • In 1988, the Australian Government formed the Federal Airports Corporation(FAC), placing Melbourne Airport under the operational control of the new corporation along with 21 other airports around the nation.
  • In 1989, expansion of the Ansett domestic terminal was approved
  • In 1991, the expansion was completed with the addition of a second pier for use by smaller regional airlines.
  • In 1991, work on an upgrade of the international terminal commenced.
  • In 1992, Terminal 1 passed to Qantas when it acquired Trans Australia Airlines.
  • In late 1993, the ‘SkyPlaza’ retail complex was completed on a site flanking the main international departure gates.
  • In April 1994, the Australian Government announced that all airports operated by FAC would be privatized in several phases.Melbourne Airport was included in the first phase, being acquired by the newly formed Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Limited for $1.3 billion.
  • Between 1995 and August 1997, the multi-storey carpark outside the terminal was completed at a cost of $49 million, providing 3,100 parking spaces, the majority undercover. This initially four-level structure replaced the previous open air car park outside the terminal.
  • On June 30, 1997, the transfer was completed on a 50-year long-term lease, with the option for a further 49 years.
  • In 1995, the new three-level satellite concourse was opened at the end of the existing concourse. Diamond shaped and measuring 80 m. (260 ft.) on each side, the additional 10 aerobridges provided by the expansion doubled the international passenger handing capacity at Melbourne Airport.
  • In October 1997, improvements on the original Terminal 1 commenced.
  • In January 1999, work commenced on the six-storey, 276-room Hilton Hotel (now Park Royal) above the car park
  • In late 1999, improvements on the Qantas domestic terminal (Terminal 1), featuring a second pier, stands for 9 additional aircraft, an extended access roadway and the expansion of the terminal, was completed at a cost of $50 million.
  • In mid-2000, the Hilton Hotel was completed at a cost of $55 million.
  • In December 2000, the Domestic Express Terminal (the first passenger terminal facility to be built at Melbourne Airport since 1971), located to the south of the main terminal building and built at a cost of $9 million, was opened.
  • In 2004, revenue from retail operations at Melbourne Airport broke the $100 million mark for the first time this being a 100% increase in revenue since the first year of privatization.
  • In 2004, the expansion of car parks continued with a $40 million project commenced, doubling the size of the short term carpark with the addition of 2,500 spaces over six levels, along with 1,200 new spaces added to the 5,000 already available in the long term car park.
  • In 2005, the airport undertook construction works to prepare the airport for the arrival of the double-decker Airbus A380. The main work was the widening of the main north–south runway by 15 m. (49 ft.)
  • In May 2005, over a 29-day period, the improvements were completed. It included the construction of dual air bridges (Gates 9 and 11) with the ability to board both decks simultaneously to reduce turnaround times, the extension of the international terminal building by 20 m. (66 ft.) to include new penthouse airline lounges, and the construction of an additional baggage carousel in the arrivals hall.
  • On June 5, 2008, it was announced that the airport would install a Category III landing system (the first of its kind in Australia), allowing planes to land in low visibility conditions, such as fog.
  • In July 2005, the current terminal numbering system was introduced. Previously, they were known as Qantas Domestic, International and South (formerly Ansett Domestic).
  • On November 14, 2005, the A380 made its first test flight into the airport.
  • In March 2006, the airport undertook a 5,000 sq. m. (54,000 sq. ft.) expansion of Terminal 2, and the construction of an additional level of airline lounges above the terminal.
  • In June 2007, a A$5 million refit for Terminal 4 began along the lines of the budget terminal model at Singapore Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
  • In 2008, a further 25,000 sq. m. (270,000 sq. ft.) expansion of Terminal 2 commenced, costing $330 million.
  • On November 23, 2007, Tiger Airways Australia operated its first domestic flight at Terminal 4.
  • On May 15, 2008, the A380 made its first passenger flight into the airport when a Singapore Airlines Sydney-bound flight was diverted from Sydney Airport because of fog.
  • Beginning in October 2008, Qantas became the first airline to operate the A380 from the airport, flying nonstop to Los Angeles International Airport twice a week. This was the inaugural route for the Qantas A380.
  • On March 2010, the new, $10 million Category III landing system was commissioned.
  • In 2011, the expansion of Terminal 2, adding 5 additional aero bridges on a new passenger concourse, and a new 5,000 sq. m. (54,000 sq. ft.) outbound passenger security and customs processing zone, was completed.
  • In March 2012, airport officials broke ground for the expansion of Terminal 4 facilities to accommodate Tiger Airways Australia and Jetstar Airways flights
  • On August 18, 2015, the new Terminal 4 was opened.
  • In November 2015, Jetstar moved into Terminal 4.

Melbourne Airport’s terminals have 53 domestic and 15 international gates plus five dedicated freighter parking positions (which host 21 dedicated freighter operations a week) on the Southern Freighter Apron.  This airport is located 23 kms. (14 mi.) northwest of the city centre, adjacent to the suburb of Tullamarine, and is accessible via the Tullamarine Freeway.

Terminal 1, hosting domestic and regional services for Qantas Group airlines, Qantas and QantasLink (which is located to the northern end of the building), has a Qantas Club, Business Class and a chairman’s lounge; a wide range of shops and food outlets (situated at the end of the terminal near the entrance into Terminal 2); 16 parking bays served by aero bridges (12 are served by single aero bridges whilst four are served by double aero bridges); and five non-aero bridge gates (used by QantasLink).Departures are located on the first floor, while arrivals are located on the ground floor.

Terminal 3 opened with the airport as the Ansett Australia terminal, is now owned by Melbourne Airport. Terminal 3 is home to Virgin Australia (three gates are dedicated to it) and has eleven parking bays served by single aero bridges and eight parking bays not equipped with aero bridges.

 

Terminal 4, originally called the Domestic Express or South Terminal, was originally constructed for Virgin Blue (formerly Virgin Australia, it eventually moved into Terminal 3 following the demise of Ansett) and Impulse Airlines. It is dedicated to budget airlines and is the first facility of its kind at a conventional airport in Australia.

Due to the basic facilities, lack of jet bridges, and fewer amenities and retail outlets compared to a conventional terminal, lower landing and airport handling fees are charged to airlines. Unlike in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, however, this terminal is located next to the main terminal building. The new, 35,000 sq. m. (380,000 sq. ft.) Terminal 4, currently used by Tigerair Australia, Regional Express Airlines, Jetstar (now has triple the number of gates it had at Terminal 1) and Airnorth, is and linked “under one roof” with Terminal 3.

This airport has won national and state tourism awards namely:

  • In 1997 and 1998, the International Air Transport Association ranked Melbourne among the top five airports in the world.
  • In 2002 and 2004, respectively, Singapore Airlines presented the airport with the Service Partner Award and Premier Business Partner Award.
  • In 2003, Melbourne received the IATA’s Eagle Award for service and two National Tourism Awards for tourism services.
  • In 2006, the airport won the Australian Construction Achievement Award for the runway widening project (dubbed “the most outstanding example of construction excellence for 2006”).
  • In 2012, Parkroyal Melbourne Airport was awarded by Skytrax for the best airport hotel in Australia/the Pacific. According to Skytrax World’s Top 100 Airports List, Melbourne Airport has improved from ranked 43rd in 2012 to 27th in 2018.

Melbourne Airport has two intersecting runways: one 3,657 m (11,998 ft) north–south and one 2,286 m (7,500 ft) east–west. In addition to the onsite control tower, the airport is home to Melbourne Center, an air traffic control facility that is responsible for the separation of aircraft in Australia’s busiest flight information region (FIR), Melbourne FIR.

One freeway off ramp runs directly into the airport grounds, and a second to the south serves freight transport, taxis, buses and airport staff. It also has five car parks, all of which operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As of 2019, there is no railway connection between the airport and the city.

Melbourne Airport is served by four hotels – the six-storey, 280-room Parkroyal Hotel (originally a Hilton but  relaunched as the Parkroyal on April 4, 2011), located 100 m. (330 ft.) from Terminal 2 atop the multi-level carpark; Holiday Inn, located 400 m. (1,300 ft.) from the terminal precinct; Ibis Budget, located 600 m. (2,000 ft.) from the terminals; and Mantra Tullamarine, located 2 kms. (1.2 mi.) from the terminal precinct.

Melbourne Airport: Victoria 3045, Australia. Tel: +61 3 9297 1600. Website: www.melbourneairport.com.au.

Nung Chan Monastery (Taipei, Taiwan)

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Nung Chan Monastery

After our one-hour tour of Beitou Thermal Valley, we again boarded our tourist bus for the short 3.7-km. (10 min.) drive to Nung Chan Monastery.  Dropping off at Lane 65, Vincent Chen, our Eagle Tours guides, accompanied us as we walked, for 10 mins., to the entrance of the monastery.  Though it stopped raining, the skies were still overcast when we arrived.

Check out “Beitou Thermal Valley”

Touring the monastery grounds

The Nung Chan Monastery (meaning ‘Farming Ch’an‘), formally founded in 1975, is situated on 10,000 sq. m. (2.5 acres) of land acquired in the end of the 1960s by Master Dong Chu, a scholar monk and disciple of renowned Chinese Buddhist Master Taixu.

The Original Farmhouse

Located at the vast Guandu Plain, facing the Keelung River and leaning against the Datun Mountain, near Taipei, it is part of the umbrella organization called Dharma Drum Mountain. The monastery offers meditation instruction in English and holds regular meditation meetings.

Main Buddha Hall

Since 1975, to accommodate the growing number of devotees and monks living there, there have been various expansions and renovations on the site. The new, simple, tastefully designed main buildings, designed by Taiwanese Architect Kris Yao Ren-Xi of Artech Architects, were designed and constructed from 2010 – 2012 in a manner befitting a monastery.

The massive interior wooden wall with the Heart Sutra, in Chinese characters

The monastery has two walls, of different lengths, which provide the monastery an appropriate buffer against the bustling city. Circling around the walls, our view opened up towards a serene courtyard with an 80 m. long lotus pond as its main focus. On the left is the two- storey, 330 sq. m. (3,600 sq. ft.) farmhouse, started in 1971 by Master Dong Chu and completed in 1975.

The jade statue of the Buddha sitting in the lotus posture on the Sumeru throne

The simple, serene and solid Main Buddha Hall, in the middle, features an upper wooden box with a transparent lower half, giving the impression that it is suspended in the air. Inside is a white jade statue of the Buddha, sitting in the lotus posture on the Sumeru throne. There was a service ongoing when we arrived, so we weren’t allowed to enter the hall.

The ongoing service within the spartan interior

Carved into the massive interior wooden wall, on the west side, is the famous “Heart Sutra,” in Chinese characters, which presents the Scriptures in hollow form.

The front colonnade

The sunshine shines through the carved-out scriptures on the other side, filling the interior space with reflections. The hall is linked, via double height corridors, to the meditation hall, dining hall, and monk’s living quarters.

The Water Moon Pool

The large Water-Moon Pool, with its smaller lotus pond, is located in front of the Main Buddha Hall.  The pond is flanked by a main circulation route and a covered corridor.  A focal feature of the center’s landscape, the pool reflects Main Buddha Hall and Corridor, the clouds and the sky like a mirror when still, helping the overall aesthetic elements and providing a nice background for photographs.

The L-shaped building

The façade of an L-shaped building, on the right, is inscribed with over 5,000 characters of the Diamond Sutra, an important sutra of the Chan School.

The Diamond Sutra facade

The Way to Compassion, originally the main entrance of Nung Chan Monastery, was built in 1982 by Master Sheng Yen to demarcate the Monastery grounds. The Chan Hall has a sitting statue of Shakyamuni Buddha.

The Connection Corridor, extending along the Water-Moon Pool to the Main Buddha Hall and Chan Hall, demarcates space while permitting light to enter.

Its two walls of exposed concrete form a serene space.   It was already starting to rain when we departed the monastery grounds to return to our bus.

The author

Nung Chan Monastery: No. 89, Lane 65, Daye Rd., Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel:  886-2-2893-3161.  E-mail: jktie@ddm.org.tw.   Website:  www.ncm.ddm.org.tw.

Eagle Tours: +886-910-130-180 (Mr. Vincent Chen) and +886-932-013-880 (Ms. Joyce Chen).

How to Get There: 

Take bus #218, #266 or #302 to the Da-Ye-Lu-Yi Stop, and then walk straight down Lane 65 for about 10 minutes.  Via MRT, take the Danshui Line to Qiyan Station, turn left and walk down Sanhe Street until you reach Daye Road, turn left, pass the Volkswagen service center, and walk until you hit Lane 65. By car, take Daye Road and park at the Monastery’s parking lot.

Beitou Thermal Valley (Taipei, Taiwan)

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The steaming, jade-colored waters of Beitou Thermal Valley

It was raining heavily when we departed Yangming Park for the short 6.6-km. (15 min.) drive to Beitou Thermal Valley, a valley located on the foothill of Yangmingshan National Park.

Hotels, resorts and inns on a hillside within the valley

It is one of the sources of acidic sulfur hot spring in the area and, historically, was considered as one of the eight attractions and one the “12 great sights of Taiwan” during the Period of Japanese Occupation.

Stalls selling street food and souvenir items

Xinbeitou Village occupies a lush valley that is home to 1200 species of plants, 110 species of birds and 160 varieties of butterflies.

Check out “Yangmingshan National Park“

Guide Map

The park is a good place to relax or go for a stroll. The rain stopped when we arrived at the resort area.

Souvenir Shop/Cafe

Walking along a boardwalk, past a souvenir shop (with a café inside selling hot and cold drinks), we could already feel the temperature rise (having the highest temperatures of any in the Datunshan volcano group, the highest temperature of the springs here ranges from 80-100℃).

We also noticed an eerie sulfuric steam rising from the surface of the bubbling, green-tinted pond which blankets the Thermal Valley year-round. Playing around in the breeze, the steam gave the valley a surreal sulfuric atmosphere and a frightening quality, which has given rise to nicknames such as “Ghost Lake” and “Hell Valley.”

In the past, visitors were once allowed to soak their feet at certain points as well as boil eggs in the hot springs.  Both practices have since been prohibited, not only to protect the water quality but also to keep tourists from falling in and boiling themselves.

A small waterfall

Located beside Beitou Hot Spring Park, the spring water here is high in the radioactive element Radium which, in the past, underwent a corrosive reaction with andesite  rocks on the river bed about 150 meters downstream, creating layers of rare, cream and white diamond-shaped crystals called hokutolite (named after Hokuto, the Japanese name for Beitou), also known as Anglesobarite or Beitou rocks, the only mineral in the world to be named after a region of Taiwan. They can only naturally be found in only two places: Beitou and Tamagawa (Akita Prefecture, Japan).

A glass-encased hokutolite rock sample

To ensure the protection of these natural rarities, the “Beitou Rock Conservation Area” has been established in recent years. Thus, visitors to the Thermal Valley not only get to experience “hell,” but also gain insight into some rare radioactive rocks. Its mineral water also contains Plaster, Alunite, Jarosite, Realgar and  Sulfur and its pH value is between 1.4~1.6.   As sodium carbonate tend to be highly acidic and corrosive, the springs have also been called the “Green sulfur springs” and “Sulfur heads.”

The author at Beitou Thermal Valley

Today, the main source of the “white sulfur” hot spring water used in Beitou hot spring establishments is the Liuhuanggu and Longfenggu thermal valleys located further uphill in Yangmingshan National Park.

Beauty Age Hotel

Beitou Thermal Valley: Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 5 PM.

How to Get There: The only metro-accessible hot spring in Taiwan, a two-station line connects Xinbeitou, Taipei City’s only hot spring village, to Beitou station on the Danshui line. From Taipei’s Main Station, go north on the Red Line, to Beitou. Once there, change to the Pink Line by going downstairs and back up again on the other side of the platform and take it one stop to Xinbeitou (New Beitou).

 

Yangmingshan National Park (Taipei, Taiwan)

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Yangming Park

From Dihua Street, we again boarded our bus for the short 12-km. (25-min.) drive to Yangming Park, one of the first stops that visitors often make while exploring Yangmingshan National Park.  According to Vincent Chen, our Eagle Tour guide, the park is the place to observe Formosan cherry blossoms (Prunus campanulata), the native cherry trees of Taiwan.

They usually flower in late February through middle of March, earlier than the sakura of Tokyo owing to the fact that Taiwan enjoys a subtropical climate (the rule of nature is that cherry trees flower earlier at hotter places).

Yangming Park Map

The 1.07 sq. km. park contains a Chinese-style garden with elegant buildings, pavilions kiosks, streams, fountains and ponds for visitors to relax and enjoy the cooler climate. Aside from cherry blossoms, some unique flora within and around the park include azaleas, camellias, peach blossoms, thorn apples and plum blossoms, all changing with the seasons (they bloom from December through April and this time period is known as the Flower Festival).

Yangmingshan National Park, next to Shamao Mountain and Qixing Mountain with Datun Mountain on the right and Guanyin Mountain in front, is the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs. Called Caoshan (Grass Mountain) during Japanese occupation of Taiwan (because it was covered with grass and seldom visited), after World War II, the KMT government renamed the mountain Yangmingshan and built a park here designed in traditional Chinese style.

Today, the magnificent mountainous scenery, natural beauty and comfortable weather have made Yangmingshan National Park a perfect summer resort and has won it the reputation as an urban forest and Taipei’s garden.

 

Near the western entrance to the park is a large, 13-m. (22 ft.) diameter clock, a large garden artwork made with flowers built around a timepiece provided by Swiss luxury watch maker Rado. Started in 1965, it was formally opened to the public in 1969.  Water runs around the flower clock and music is played every hour.

Flower Clock.  In the background is Chihsingshan, the highest mountain of the Tatun Volcano Group

Opposite the clock is a statue of the late president Chiang Kai-Shek.  On both sides of the statue are cypress trees planted by president Chiang himself. Right in the center of the park is the Xinhai Guangfu Building, at the northern edge of the park behind the Dragon Zone and cherry blossom gardens.

Xinhai Guangfu Building

Completed in 1971 in Northern Chinese palace style of architecture, it commemorates the Xinhai Revolution. In addition, there is a statue of Wang Yangming, the famous Chinese scholar in the 17th century.

President Chiang Kai Shek Statue

Yangmingshan National Park: Jhuzihhu Rd., Beitou District,Yangmingshan,Taipei City 11292, Taiwan.  Tel: 886-2-2861-3601.

Eagle Tours: +886-910-130-180 (Mr. Vincent Chen) and +886-932-013-880 (Ms. Joyce Chen).

How to Get There:

  • Take the THSR or train to Taipei Station, continue by Royal Bus (bound for Jinshan) to the Yangmingshan National Park Administration.
  • Take the MRT to Jiantan Station, continue by Bus Red-5 to Yangmingshan stop. Then take Bus No. 108 to Tourist Center stop.
  • Take the THSR or train to Taipei Station, continue by Bus No. 260 to Yangmingshan stop. Then take Bus No. 108 to Tourist Center stop.

There are some buses that start from an earlier bus stop. Once you alight at Yangmingshan bus terminal, look for the bus 125 with the “Flower Clock” sign. It is roughly 10 minutes bus ride, NT15 one way.

Xia-Hai City God Temple (Taipei, Taiwan)

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Xia-hai City God Temple

The lively and well-loved Taipei Xia-Hai City God Temple, a temple built in 1859 to house the statue of Xia Hai Cheng Huang, the City God God which was brought over from Xia Cheng, Tong An County, Fujian province, China.  The losers in the Wanhua feud took this as they fled upstream.  Still maintained by a single family to the present day, the temple’s construction and development is closely connected to the history of local residents who migrated from Tong’an County, Fujian.  In 1985, the Ministry of the Interior designated the site as a Historical Monument.

Despite currently having a 160 year old history in its current location, it is not the oldest temple in Taipei (the Mengjia Longshan Temple is older).  However, unlike the other “older” temples which have had to be completely rebuilt on a few occasions, this one is still the same one you would have seen in 1859 when it was first built, although it has undergone a few renovations over the years.

Each and every day, this temple, one of the busiest places of worship in the city, is constantly jam-packed, both inside and outside, by thousands of people who pray for peace, love and happiness. Tourists, on the other hand, visit to learn more about the city and its history from people who work and volunteer in the temple.  They speak a number of languages (Mandarin, English, and Japanese) and are well-versed in explaining its history and, more importantly, how to properly pray and show respect to the City God.

Learning about this place is quite a lot easier than almost all of the other larger temples in the city because the temple provides reading materials to guests free of charge. The temple’s website also has a step-by-step guide on how to pray to the deities.

Worshipers lighting incense sticks at a censer outside

Little has changed since those days. The temple, close to the Dadao Theater and the Yongle Market in the section of Dihua Street, is a terrific spot to witness folk-worship rituals as well as admire some gorgeous pieces of traditional arts and crafts.

Check out “Dihua Street and Dadaocheng Walking Tour“

Built in the traditional Minnan (southern Chinese) architectural style which can be seen in its curved lines and emphasis on ornamentation, the temple’s decoration includes pottery figures, murals, paintings, mosaic-like cut-and-paste porcelain (jiǎnnián), and Koji ceramics.

The temple houses over six hundred deities, introduced in clear English signs, in its 152 sq. m. (46 ping) of area, resulting in the highest statue density in Taiwan. Some of the temple’s outstanding decorative pieces, aside from the City God, include the Matchmaker (said to have brought together thousands of couples)

The City God’s wife, known as a Chinese Cupid enshrined in 1971, is the recipient of devotees’ pleas concerning affairs of the heart. There are free sweet herbal teas at the temple lobby and recently engaged or married couples usually leave some cookies here.

In the main hall, just before the altar, are clay sculptures showing a man on an elephant holding a pike and chime and another showing a man riding a lion while holding a flag and ball

On the 14th day of the fifth lunar month, the City God’s birthday, features a procession, stretching over a kilometer, of teams from dozens of temples around Taipei send here to entertain the City God in festivities that last five days and gets going around 2 to 3 PM. The performances include lion dances, god dances and martial arts displays.

Taipei Xia-Hai City God Temple: No. 61, Section 1, Dihua Street, Dadaocheng, Datong District,  Taipei, Taiwan.  Tel: +886 2 2558 0346. E-mail: Ing.tai.wu@gmail.com.  Open daily, 6 AM – 9 PM.  Admission is free.

How to Get There: Bus: No. 9, 12, 250, 274, 304 or 9 to Yanping; 811 or R33 to Dihua St.; 206, 250, 255, 274, 304, 518, 539, 639, 641, 669 or 704 to Nanjing W. Rd. Via MRT: from Shuanglian Station, take the Red 33 bus to Dihua Street.

Maokong Gondola (Taipei, Taiwan)

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Maokong Gondola

On our last full day in Taiwan, right after breakfast, we all checked out of our hotel and loaded all our luggage into our tour bus.  We still had a full day of touring ahead of us and first on our itinerary was a ride on the Maokong Gondola, a gondola lift transportation system (the first in Taiwan) that operates between Taipei Zoo and Maokong.

Taipei Zoo Station

Mr. Vincent Chen, our Eagle Tours guide, informed us during the trip that, after two days of bad weather, the gondola was open for the day. And the weather did improved as we traveled the 19 kms. to Maokong and the sun was already up when we arrived at the Taipei Zoo Station.

Waiting in line for our car to arrive….

This 4.3-km. (2.7-mi.) line has 6 stations – 4 passenger stations (Taipei Zoo, Taipei Zoo South,  Zhinan Temple and Maokong) and 2 angle stations to allow for direction changes along the route. It rises a total of 275 m.  in height between the start and end stations at Taipei Zoo Station and Maokong Station.

Started on November 10, 2005, it was opened on July 4, 2007.  The facilities of the gondola were contracted to the French company Poma. The line now has 147 cabins and 47 support towers.

Our car arrives…..

Since March 30, 2010, 30 of its cabins (5 persons per cabin), operating with a service interval of 3 mins., have been retrofitted with 48 mm. thick, triple layered, reinforced glass bottoms, each weighing 213 kgs. and each cabin modification costing NT$200,000. It allows passengers to look down at the view beneath their feet.

The author boards his car…..

These Crystal cabins, also called “Eyes of Maokong Gondola,” provide more viewing angles and opportunities.  They have their own waiting queue and a computer managed ticketing system that instructs passengers to enter the queue at a specified time. Currently, the price for taking a crystal cabin is the same as that of regular cabins.

L-R: the author, son Jandy, Melissa Ablan and Bhaby Paycana

Our group was to travel only up to Zhinan Temple Station as alighting at the Maokong Station terminus would entail a long queue on the return (it being a Sunday, crowds were expected). We were hoping to ride one these Crystal Cabins but wasn’t so lucky as a regular cabin  (there’s probably like 1 crystal car for every 8-9 regular cars) was assigned to Jandy, Melissa, Bhaby and me.

The Zhinan River Valley. Seen at left is Taipei 101 Building

The ride was pretty long (10-15 mins.) but it was leisurely and scenic all the way,with views of  the city skyline (including the iconic Taipei 101 Building) and the lush Zhinan River valley.

View of Taipei’s skyline

Too bad we didn’t make it up to Maokong where we could have visited various attractions and activities related to tea (tea-tasting; see how tea is being grown and picked at plantations in the Zhanghu and Watsuo area; admiring handmade teapots at the Chang Nai-miao Memorial Tea Museum; and learning about the different types of tea and how it is preserved, brewed and distributed at the Tea Promotion Center) as well as visiting Tianen and San Xuan temples. Still, the gondola ride was as much an attraction as a mode of transport. .

The Philippines travel agents tour group at Taipei Zoo Station

Maokong Gondola: Wenshan, Taipei, Taiwan.  For safety reasons, the gondola service is contingent upon the weather situation.  However, it is generally open from 8:30 AM to 9 PM (10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays). The Taipei Zoo South station closes at 4 PM.  For more information and current status of the gondola, check out the official website.

Fares (based on the number of stations traveled) are NT$70 (1 Station), NT$100 (2 Stations) and NT$120 (3 Stations).  Persons with disability and seniors aged over 65 pay NT$15 (1 Station), NT$20 (2 Stations) and NT$25 (3 Stations).

Fares can be paid by either purchasing the tickets at the stations or using EasyCard or stored-value card. Each adult ticket can bring 2 children (under 6 years of age) for free. Easycards are given a 20% discount on weekdays, and also receive a NT$20 discount when also used for zoo entry.

Discounts are available for group travelling. Groups of 10 or above will receive 20% off their ticket price while groups of 40 or above will receive 30% off. Tourists can also purchase the Maokong Gondola version of the one-day Taipei Pass for unlimited rides on Taipei buses and MRTs, and up to 3 gondola rides in one day. This special one-day TaipeiPass costs NT$350.

How to Get There: By bus, Take the Brown Line (1) to the terminus station, Taipei Zoo (動物園) then transfer to the Maokong Gondola.  By MRT, Bus S10 operates between MRT Taipei Zoo and the peak at Maokong, with a stop at National Chengchi University (國立政治大學).

Fushan Temple (Jiufen, Taipei, Taiwan)

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Fushan Temple

While walking up the main road during my joint exploration of Jiufen with Joyce Ventura, we reached the top of the hill  where the road split. I  decided to try the right (the left road, I learned later, goes to Jinguashi) and, after a nearly 1 km. hike, we espied the gaudy Fushan Temple.

The temple’s gray and deep, dark green facade

The 200-year-old Fushan Temple in Jiufen is one of several temples (the others are at Shuinandong and Jinguashi) that worship Tudigong (The God of Neighborhood or the Earth God, one of the least important gods in the Taoist religion). During the Japanese Colonial Era, Jiufen’s Fushan Temple was the biggest Tudigong Temple in Taiwan.

Check out “Jiufen Old Street“

The temple’s brightly colored  interior

At the time of the gold rush, residents and mine workers prayed in this temple for safety and good fortune as they go in search of gold. Even today, locals believe that the gods here still guard them with things other than gold.

The main altar

An interesting blend of Japanese, Chinese and European decorative motifs, this “temple within a temple” initially just worshiped Tudigong but, in 1935, Weng, Shan-Ying (the director of the Jiufen department of Taiyang Mining Company) initiated the renovation of this temple, building 2 halls beside the temple so that people can also worship Avalokiteshvara and the Goddess of Child-giving.

An intricately carved column

At the exterior are two old stone lamps while the interior sports a beautiful arched post-and-beam structure (made without nails and rarely seen in Taiwan), intricately carved stone pillars, and panels, including one over the main altar with several nude Western-style angels. Its stone sculptures were made with local sandstone.

An equally intricately carved panel

At the temple atrium is a wishing well. The temple is surrounded by a Japanese style garden.Visitors and photographers can enjoy the cherry blossoms in March and April.

Fushan Temple: 1 Lunding Road (on the east side of 102 County Road and Lunding Road intersection), Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224. Open daily, 6 AM – 6 PM.

Eagle Tours: +886-910-130-180 (Mr. Vincent Chen) and +886-932-013-880 (Ms. Joyce Chen). 

How to Get There:  There is a bus station here and bus service between RuiFang and Fushan Temple.

National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels (Manila)

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National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels

The century-old National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels, also known as San Miguel Church or Malacañang Church (as it adjoins the Malacañang Palace complex, the official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines), is located on the former site of La Fábrica de Cerveza de San Miguel (now San Miguel Brewery).

The church’s Neo-Classical facade

This Catholic church of the Latin Rite is dedicated to the seven archangels who fought against the Lucifer, the fallen angel who rebelled against God – Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, Saint Uriel, Saint Selatiel, Saint Jhudiel, and Saint Barachiel.

An archangel is supposedly assigned to a person depending on the day he is born – St. Gabriel for Monday, St. Raphael for Tuesday, St. Uriel for Wednesday, St. Sealtiel for Thursday, St. Jhudiel for Friday, St. Barachiel for Saturday and St. Michael for Sunday.

Historical plaque

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this church:

  • It is the only shrine in the whole world dedicated to the aforementioned seven archangels
  • As it almost next door to the most important address in the country, a number of presidents have heard Mass at the shrine – Carlos P. García, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (usually accompanied by her husband Mike Arroyo) and Fidel V. Ramos (who is not even Catholic but Protestant). Then-Ilocos Norte Representative (and later President) Ferdinand E. Marcos also married then-beauty queen Imelda Romuáldez in the shrine (at that time a pro-cathedral) on May 1, 1954. Their wedding, tagged as the “Wedding of the Year,” followed almost two weeks of courtship.  President Ramon Magsaysay stood as Principal Sponsor.
  • Unlike most Catholic churches in the country that are usually overflowing with parishioners on Sundays, the prominent location of this church seems not to entice parishioners to hear Mass here. St. Michael only has about 1,500 parishioners, some of whom are descended from old-rich families (who were the benefactors of the church) in San Miguel District (most of these families, however, left this district during Marcos’ time).  One reason churchgoers might be staying away is the abundance of checkpoints all over the Malacañang Complex.
  • It only holds three Masses on Sundays – two in the morning and only one in the evening.
  • The national shrine is also, notably, the only Catholic church in the country where priests (instead of bishops) are canonically permitted to administer the sacrament of Confirmation twice a week (on Thursdays and Sundays).
  • A few blocks away is the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases
  • Among those buried in San Miguel are Don Enrique M. Barreto (founder of San Miguel Brewery) and Don Domingo Roxas (patriarch of the Zóbel-de Ayala-Roxas-Soriano clans). Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes, the Archdiocese of Manila’s first Filipino ordinary (served from 1949 to 1952), was initially buried in the shrine before his remains were transferred to the crypt of Manila Cathedral.

The church has a Neo-Classical façade with a semicircular arched main entrance and windows, a rose window at the second level and flanking, symmetrical bell towers with melon-shaped domes topped by turrets.

The church’s interior

Here is the historical timeline of the church:

  • In 1637, San Miguel Church was first built in stone by the Jesuits, along the left bank of the Pasig river (where the Tabacalera,  Mirador Hotel and the old PCSO office are now located) in Paco, Manila (formerly known as Dilao).
  • During the 1645 Luzon earthquake, the church was damaged.
  • In 1779, a provisional church, along the north bank of the Pasig River, was started by Fr. Malo de Molina.
  • In 1783, it was transferred to its present site and placed under the jurisdiction of the Quiapo Parish.
  • In 1835, the first church on this site was built by Franciscan Fr. Esteban Mena
  • In 1852, after an earthquake, Fr. Francisco Febres repaired the church and rebuilt the destroyed bell tower.
  • During the July 19, 1880 earthquake, the church was destroyed.
  • In 1886, the church and its bell towers were repaired by Fr. Emilio Gago.
  • In 1913, the church was rebuilt by Fr. Hipolito Arce (parish priest from 1900 – 1940), through the generous assistance of Doña Margarita Róxas de Ayala, on its present site and inaugurated on September 29, 1913.
  • From 1946 till December 8, 1958, following the city’s destruction in World War II, the church was designated as the pro-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila by Monsigñor Michael O’Doherty while Manila Cathedral was being rebuilt.
  • On February 22, 1986, the church was elevated to the rank of National Shrine by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), with Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of the Archdiocese of Cebu and Papal Nuncio Bruno Torgigliani in attendance.  The CBCP made the decision via de jure, citing the church’s rich history.

Its main altar, built with fine wood and stately marble and designed by Fr. Ramon Dodero, an Opus Dei priest, in 1985, is a replica of the old altar built in 1800.  It has a statue of St. Michael crushing the enemy, in the center, with the other six archangels flanking him.

In front of the church is the beautiful 12-ft. high bronze statue of St. Michael in his traditional pose, triumphantly looming over a dragon (Satan). Done by renowned Filipino sculptor Florante “Boy” Caedo, it was blessed in September 29, 1984 by Papal Nuncio Bruno Torpigliani with His Eminence Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, D.D. and Col. Antonio Cabangon Chuas as unveilers.

Bronze statue of St. Michael the Archangel

National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels: 1000 Jose Laurel St. cor. General Solano St., San Miguel district, Manila, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 735-1611 and 734-1271.  Fax: (632) 736-1105.

Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy (Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte)

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Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy

We still had extra time for some sightseeing prior to our Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila so, on our drive to Dipolog Airport from Sindangan, we made a short stopover at the Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy.  Before we drove up the hill, we already espied the Statue of the Virgin Mary along the highway.

Entering the chapel

The interior of the chapel

Stairs lead to the foot of the Statue of the Virgin Mary, located on another mountain below the Divine Mercy Shrine, while another flight of stairs lead directly to the Divine Mercy Shrine.  An arch along the highway marked the entrance to the shrine. The shrine, administered by Rev. Fr. Danilo Alpuerto, was declared as one of the pilgrim spot for the 2015-2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy.

Statue of the Virgin Mary

The shrine has a whitewashed chapel with the words “Jesus I Trust in You,” “Jesus Misalig Ako Kanimo” (Cebuano translation) and “Jesu Ufam Tobie” (Polish translation) painted into the upper façade. To the left of the chapel is a tower with a square base and octagonal upper storeys with a cross on top of the pointed roof.

The tower on the chapel’s left

Inside the chapel are walls of clear glass panels, which afford a scenic view of the ocean, while above them are stained glass windows. On the flanks of the chapel are outdoor shrines, with boxes for petitions or prayers, dedicated to the Divine Mercy and Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, Polish nun who inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of “Secretary of Divine Mercy.” There is also a statue of the St. Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary on a boat.

Outdoor shrine dedicated to Sister Faustina Kowalska

Outdoor shrine dedicated to the Divine Mercy

A flight of stairs lead to the chapel’s roof deck with railings where the huge statue of the Divine Mercy is located.

Statue of the Divine Mercy

The deck has a panoramic view of the expanse of mountains at the rear and the verdant lowlands and blue ocean in front.

Panoramic view of the verdant lowlands and ocean

There’s also a “Healing Walk,” leading down from the shrine, where you are required to observe silence and remove your footwear to enter.  A sign quotes Exodus 3:5 – “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

The Healing Walk

Along the way are rows of statues of 30+ saints and the Gethsemane Garden with its statue of a kneeling Jesus Christ.

Alcove with statues of saints

Also within the shrine is a candle gallery, the shrine office, a souvenir shop and public toilets. 

Statue of a kneeling Jesus Christ at the Gethsemane Garden

Diocesan Divine Mercy Shrine: Siari Hills, Brgy. Siari, Regional Highway Dipolog – Sindangan, Bayan ng Sindangan, 7112 Zamboanga del Norte. Admission is free.  There is a dress code in the shrine.  No wearing of short pants (as well as long pants for females) and sleeveless shirts or blouses.

How to Get There: Buses and vans going to Ipil and Zamboanga City from Dipolog, and vice versa, pass by the Regional Highway. Under the shrine’s entrance arch are habal-habal drivers who charge P20-50 for a one way trip to the Shrine.

Dapitan City Plaza (Zamboanga del Norte)

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Dapitan City Plaza

In front of the Church of St. James the Greater is the  Dapitan City Plaza (“Liwasan ng Dapitan”), also known as the City Square.  During his exile, Dr. Jose Rizal beautified and developed this plaza.  With the assistance of Spanish Politico-Military Governor of Dapitan, Gov. Ricardo Carnicero, he made the plaza comparable to the ones he saw in Europe.

Check out “Church of St. James the Greater”

With an estimated land area of 1 hectare, the plaza was laid out in the traditional rectilinear Spanish colonial manner. The plaza was already in existence when Dr. Jose P. Rizal arrived in on July 17, 1892.

With the P500 one of his patients paid him, Rizal equipped the town with lighting system, as part of Carnicero’s project, using coconut oil lamps hung on trees and cut tree trunks placed around the plaza. Rizal also beautified Dapitan by planting white santans, red gumamelas and acacia trees.

Relief Map of Mindanao

With the help of Francisco Paula de Sanchez, his teacher in Ateneo de Manila (he studied here from 1872-77), he also made a huge relief map of Mindanao (based on the map done by French Jesuit Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde in 1752) out of earth, stones and grass during his first two months in Dapitan. Located in the southeast part of the plaza, he intended it to be a teaching aid for geography and history lessons. On June 20, 2005, the Relief Map was declared by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure.

The Jose Rizal Monument (center). On the left is the kiosk

Before Dr. Jose P. Rizal became the country’s National Hero, a kiosk was located in the center of the plaza. Later, the kiosk was moved to the northwest side to give way to the monument in honor of Rizal. The two cannons, formerly placed on top of Ilihan Hill, can now be found in the north of the plaza. Except for its elevated border (constructed in 1996), the City Plaza has maintained its original design.

Dr. Jose Rizal Monument

The plaque at the Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s monument has snippets from one of his letters written in Spanish in 1893. It states: “Yo estoy dispuesto a hacer todo lo que pueda en obsequio de este pueblo. No tengo inconveniente ninguno en quedarme para siempre en este distrito” (“I’m willing to do everything I can for the sake of the people. I have no problem to stay forever in this district”).

Casa Real Historical Plaque

Near the plaza is a plaque marking the site of the Casa Real where Dr. Jose P. Rizal stayed with Governor Ricardo Carnicero, from his arrival until he moved to Rizal Shrine at barangay Talisay in March 1893.

Check out “Rizal Park and Shrine”

Pablo Page Ancestral House

Around the plaza are a number of old structures and ancestral houses, all part of t he Dapitan Heritage Zone or Dapitan Historic Center. Most are in dire need of major repair.

Office of the Sangguniang Panglungsod

They include the Antera Adaza Bajamunde residence (Justice Florentino Saguin St.), the Philippine Coconut Authority Office, the Public Services Division of Dapitan, the Office of the Senior Citizens Association and the Office of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

Office of the Senior Citizens Association

Philippine Coconut Authority Office

The Antera Adaza Bajamunde Residence, more popularly known as the Pablo Page Ancestral House, was built in 1919.

Public Services Division of Dapitan

Dapitan City Tourism Office: Josephine Bracken St., Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.  Mobile numbers:(0977) 803-1497 (Globe) and (0908) 884-1650 (Smart).