Dec. 7: Taipei International Flora Expo

We did something a little different today and visited the Taipei International Flora Expo. The expo opened in November and will continue through April. There are exhibits of flowers from all over the world.

The Flora Expo is big deal here. To say that people are excited to have an international expo in the city is an understatement. The government has been promoting the event heavily; even decorating entire MRT trains (the city’s subway system) to advertise the expo. The station closest to the expo was all decked out for the occasion.

I was surprised by the number of people at the expo. There were more people at the flora expo than at Cedar Point on opening day and the wait to get into some of the popular exhibits was even longer. To get a ticket to enter into building with various different Chinese medicine herbs at 12 pm you would have to wait until 7:30 pm to actually enter the building. We did not wait to see this one.

There were probably hundreds of school groups visiting the expo ranging from pre-school age to high school.  The younger kids were pretty cute but the older ones – not so much. They were mostly just in the way and annoying, but to be fair, this is true for American high schoolers as well.

Some of the exhibits that we did see were pretty cool.  My favorite was a traditional style Chinese home that was included into the expo. The home would have been for a wealthy family. The buildings were considerably opened to the outdoors surrounded by abundant ponds and gardens. The home would have been inhabited by a large extended family.

The expo is huge and very crowded so we didn’t get to see everything, only about half, but we may go back later to see the rest

Dec. 6: Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek Memorials

Yesterday, we visited two of the most important memorial’s regarding modern Taiwanese history: the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial and the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial.

First we stopped at the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial which is fairly close to Dandrich’s parent’s apartment. Sun Yat-Sen is revered in both Taiwan and China. He is often called the Father of Modern China. In 1912 Sun Yat-Sen established the Republic of China after ending centuries of dynasty rule.

The memorial has a distinctive yellow roof that can be recognized from blocks away. Walking through the main entrance one meets a large statue of Sun Yat-Sen. The memorial hall also holds exhibits on painting and calligraphy. Surrounding the hall are beautiful gardens full of additional sculptures of Sun Yat-Sen.

Chiang Kai-Shek helped the allied powers defeat Japan during World War II, who until that time occupied Taiwan. After Japan’s defeat Taiwan was returned to the Republic of China. At this time, Chiang Kai-Shek was the nationalist leader of the Republic of China after Sun Yat-Sen’s death in 1925. He fought against the encroaching Communist party in China. However, eventually in 1949 Mao Zedong declared the People’s Republic of China and Chiang Kai-Shek along with his army and many other nationalists fled to Taiwan. Chiang Kai-Shek vowed to one day recapture mainland China. This is the reason for the modern day strain between China and Taiwan.

The Chiang Kai-Shek memorial seems even more impressive than the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial. The memorial hall is much taller and sits atop a large series of steps. Sitting in front of the hall are two beautiful buildings; the National Theater and the National Concert Hall. Inside the memorial hall is a huge statue of Chiang Kai-Shek. Underneath the steps to the memorial is a very nice exhibit full of Chiang Kai-Shek memorabilia that traces the history of China and Taiwan during his life.

Last time I visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial the memorial hall was closed by Taiwan’s Green Party. The Green Party, whose base mostly consists of those living on the island before Chiang Kai-Shek and other Nationalists retreated here, does not revere Chiang Kai-Shek in the same manner as the rest of the Taiwanese. They view him more as a cruel dictator. Luckily, since 2007 they have opened the hall back up to visitors.

As a snack we ate an interesting dish. The base of the bowl was shaved ice covered with a brown sugar sauce covered with a jello made from grass. On top of the jello were sugared green peas, lotus seeds, and bubbles from bubble tea. This is especially popular in the humid summer months as a refreshing snack.

Columbus International Festival

Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. - Jawaharlal Nehru

I love going to festivals. Irish Festivals, Renaissance Festivals, Popcorn Festivals. Though not always true to their original cultural origins, I think they are often a great way to experience something different, but close to home. This past weekend in Columbus was the International Festival. According to the festival's website approximately 75 different cultures are represented.

Scandinavian Salmon Chowder

First, some things I didn't like. My main complaint is that the festival is not very large. The room the stands were held in is quite large and there were many left-over open spaces that could have been filled with additional booths. With an admission price of $7 for adults and $5 for students I expected more content. Similarly, the food choices consisted mainly of Chinese and Indian fare. It would have been interesting to see a wider variety of cultural cuisine. Finally, I feel like much of the food and products for sale were not completely genuine or authentic. Good booths presented a more educational look at the presented culture but some booths were merely trying to hawk fake cultural replicas and cheap jewelry. 

The Dessert Dancers preforming during the festival.

All that being said the International Festival isn't all bad. There is also a stage that has constant entertainment groups preforming. I really enjoyed watching these preformances while we ate. Furthermore, this is cultural diplomacy at its finest, helping diverse cultural groups learn to connect. Sure, not everything you see is authentic, but the displays still offer a glimpse into the said culture. For example, a booth selling Asian artifacts consisted of mostly imitation jade statues. Though not genuine, it still the cultural importance of jade in Asian communities. Ultimately, I think the purpose of the International Festival is to ignite curiosity of different places and cultures. 

A delicious apple turnover the Juergen's Bakery and Restaurant booth.

Overall, I think the Columbus International Festival is best suited for children or adults who have not traveled abroad before. My honest opinion is that if you have been outside of the United States before, you will be disappointed by the festival. Paying $7 just probably isn't worth it for you. Kids, however, can get a 'passport' and collect stamps at different country exhibits. I saw a broad range of kids at the festival, both younger children through teens who all seemed to be having an enjoyable time.