Daxue Park, Downtown Taipei - Grassy Area to Play

Wandering around the alleys and lanes of Da An area, I came across this quaint park. At first, I thought it was just a community garden, but I discovered the park has a lovely grassy area that would be make a great spot for a children's birthday party. It is sheltered by trees, accompanied by a garden, and also features a historic waterway that has been restored.

Situated right next to Xinhai Road, there was roadside parking right by the park entrance. There is a more traditional kind of playground closer to the road. Walk down the lane about 100 metres to enter this other section.

The more traditional park right on the sidewalk.

Just down the lane, to the left of the first park.

What's behind these trees?...

A nice grassy space with a wooden walkway and seating.

Trit trot, trit trot on my bridge!

There is a large area of plants being cared for; vegetables and flowers.

This drain was first laid in 1735! It was used for horticulture for 250 years before going out of operation in 1984. Now, it is home to carp and turtles.

This turtle was enjoying some sun until I disturbed it.

I think this would have been a great park for us to use when the children were younger as a birthday party spot. Unfortunately, I didn't see any toilet facilities, which would make it less convenient than say Daan Park, but it is still quite lovely.

Park information in Chinese here.
Google map here.
Address: Daxue Park, 溫州街46巷 Wen-Chou Street, Lane 46
Public transport: Taipower Building Station Exit 5 捷運路線:搭松山新店線至台電大樓捷運站5號出口，
Buses: 208區、236區、251區、530、671、673、棕BR11、棕BR12、棕BR22、綠GR11、綠GR13至溫州街口 to Wen-Chou Street Intersection

Hill Walk, Muzha to Jingmei or Jingmei to Muzha

If you have energetic children in need of a quick energy burn, consider this walk that goes from Yongjian Elementary School on Muzha Road to Jingmei, giving some fantastic views and quaint, very local pit stops along the way. There are lots of stairs and a couple of spots where you would watch your child carefully, because the banks are steep and there is no fence. But overall it is the kind of walk we would take our children on. My son walked half-way and back when he was about four years old. The walk takes about an hour from end to end.

I started my walk on the Yongjian Elementary School side, so my photos show the paths from that direction. You can take a bus to the Yongjian Elementary School Bus Stop. Buses 253, 294, 647, 660, 666, 671, 915, 933 BR12, BR22 and BR6 all stop here. Chinese: 永建國小

This is the entrance to the Muzha end of the walk.

The elementary school next to the walk.

Head up the steps.

There are sections that are flat and sections that have stairs. Sometimes, there are paths that go off the main track, but to get to Jingmei, just head up the top of the hill and then down the other side. You will be rewarded with some great views on the way.

The walk down from the peak is really lovely. Depending on the time of day, you will see different kinds of people. I did the walk for the photos at 7am, so there were groups doing stretches and hula hooping.

On the Jingmei end, you will come to a temple that has steps down to the road. You come out at 

Address: 116台北市文山區景興路293號

The Jingmei Market, Uniqlo, Jingmei MRT Station are all within walking distance.

Jingmei White Terror Memorial Park

Situated in Xindian, this park is on my must-visit list. It is free, it is accessible, it introduces history in a quiet, thoughtful way, and it is big and inviting for families to visit without feeling they are encroaching on anyone's "museum" experience. Their English website is informative and easy to follow, so I will put the link here. There are many videos in English introducing different prisoner experiences on the website.

Let's start with the seven thousand name blocks just inside the memorial park. My daughter and I were taking photos of these name blocks when a middle-aged woman and two elderly people, a man and a woman, arrived, and began studying the blocks. After some minutes, I heard the middle-aged woman call, "Mom, mom! Here he is! Here is dad!" The woman and the man rushed in their slow, elderly way to stand beside the woman and stare at the block with what I assume is their husband and father's name on it. This was my and my daughter's introduction to the Jingmei White Terror Memorial Park and the loss Taiwan's White Terror period - the longest in history - brought for so many Taiwanese.

The park itself is a peaceful space. For some, it will be a place for contemplation, but young children can also be free to run around and enjoy the large outdoor area. This is the original site where political prisoners were held, tried, and imprisoned. Walk through the interrogation rooms, see the furniture guards sat in when they interviewed suspects and touch the walls I imagine prisoners leaned against when they were almost out of energy to withstand their sorrows. 

There are audio tour sets available in several languages, and there is also a children's version. I was surprised that my daughter got so engaged with the narration. I could sense that it moved her to hear the stories and interviews through the earset.

The memorial park could have been a depressing space, but there is a balance between sadness and hope, as well as hands-on, lighthearted activity. Here, my daughter is riding a bike that was in a Taiwanese movie from the White Terror period. When she pumped the pedals, the hat lit up.

There are stamps placed around the buildings, so children can enjoy collecting them. Be sure to prepare a piece of card or a notebook to collect them in. These stamps are a part of Taiwan museum culture, so you can collect them from all around the island!

Taiwan has come such a long way with bilingual information since I started this blog! It's great to see, but maybe my notes are redundant... 

This is the canteen where the prisoners ate. Prisoners had jobs such as doing laundry 

There are intriguing photo opportunities, where you can line up the images of prisoners and transpose them onto the large concrete tubs or wooden tables where they would have worked, washing and ironing clothes to earn their food. There is also a VR experience but that is currently closed due to concerns of sharing equipment during CoVid-19.

Take some snacks and enjoy them in the pagoda. There were several birds flying around while we were there, too. Again, even if your children are too young or sensitive to want to learn about the history, they can still enjoy the space and take in whatever is within their scope to manage. 

One building is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Convention of Rights of the Child. In this exhibit, you can learn more about the rights of the child in Taiwan. There are stories illustrating the ways children were denied their human rights during the period of White Terror and they were not exempt from punishment under the regime. There are hands-on activities for children and the exhibit is a hopeful one.

Tip: Purchase the chidren's book: Ode to Azalea Mountain. On the back cover is a QR code you can scan to hear the audio including the song.

Visitor information:

Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park

• Address : No.131, Fusing Rd. Xindian Dist., New Taipei City 23150, Taiwan (R.O.C)
• TEL:+886-2-22182438
• Park Hours: Tue thru Sun, 9:00am to 17:00pm
• Admission : Free
• Link to map, buses, Chinese address here.

Dahu Park Swimming Pool - Mixed Feelings, Mixed Review

A couple of months ago, there was much buzz in the expat community about the newly-renovated Dahu Park swimming pool. Situated a very short walk from Dahu MRT Station, with a 50-meter outdoor pool right next to the beautiful park grounds, it was going to be a haven for us with children who love the water.

We visited it a few times in June.  The first couple of times, I was pretty impressed.  The outdoor pool is nice and open. There is an indoor pool and spa area.  The toddler's pool is quite nicely done.  The shower and toilet facilities are also nice and new.  So, what happened to make me change my mind and, with sadness, report that it is not that awesome?

• Showers:

Twice, the women's shower room has been flooded.  That means, we were all walking through ankle-deep water, with empty soap packs floating on top.

• Toilets:

They smell. Bad.  So bad that my daughter refuses to go in to them.

• Spa:

Last week, one of our friend's daughter pointed out the layer of skin scum floating on top of the spa pool. It was clearly visible.

• Slippery Floors:

I guess it's the result of the sheer number of visitors to the pool, but at the same time, I don't understand why the pool has to have a constant layer of water over the walking areas around it.  It's a bit gross, and more importantly, dangerous because the tiles are so slippery.

• Kiddie Pool:

It is now full of plastic ducks.  If a child falls under the ducks, nobody will be see her.  The ducks are also getting moldy.  Last year I finally got the plastic balls out of our local pool.  Don't people understand the dangers of not being able to see the bottom of a kiddie pool?

• Outdoor Pool:

OK, this one is a bit of a whine and probably not too consequential. The newly-set-up sun shelter is ugly and not really well thought out.  The beautiful view has been spoiled by the construction.  The sun shelter seems to be going the wrong way. If it was set from the building out, you could also cover the walkway and not the entire pool all day when the shade was in use.

The sheer number of people using the pool may be part of the challenge for this pool.  I hope they find a way to solve some of these problems, especially as summer starts.  Extra cleaning times and a study of the drainage issue might be a place to start.

The cafe on the second floor is very nice, I have to say.  The service and food both exceeded my expectations.  We took a group of children to the restaurant, and most could find something on the menu that they liked.  They do not cater for allergies, and the dishes are mostly creamier-style "Italian" food. It is good and fresh.  You also have a great view of the MRT, park, and pool.

In summary, it's not a bad place to go with your kids.  Just check out the pool's cleanliness, and keep an eye on your children when they are out of the pool.

Dahu Park Pool:

• Take the MRT to MRT Dahu Park Station. The park is a short walk from Exit 2.
  Public buses: Take the following buses to Dahu Park bus stop – 247, 247 Express, 247 Shuttle, 284, 287, 287 Express, 287 Night, 617, 620, 630, 677, 681, 683, BR10, BR19, R2, and R31.

Opening Hours:
Pool: 5:30am-10pm
Gym: 7am-10pm

Sporting Goods Store - Decathlon 迪卡儂 (Taichung, Taipei, Tainan, Pingtung)

After reading FB friends' online raves about the new "Decathlon" Sports Store in Neihu (Taipei), I had to find an excuse to go and check it out.  The sudden chlorine-induced collapse of the family's entire swimwear collection seemed like the perfect reason to drive over to the store and take a look.  I was not disappointed. I think it is the first time we have ever walked into a store together and spent less than 30 minutes finding the "perfect" suits for all of us at prices we can swallow.  But, it is not all about swimming; there are products for many sports and outdoor activities, all in one well-organised store.

Decathlon was founded in France in 1976.  At the end of 2013, Decathlon had 674 stores in 19 countries.  They have actually been in Taichung since 2012, but it's the new store in Neihu that is making news in the parenting circles I hang out in.  Three more stores are planned to open in Taiwan this year, so keep your eyes and ears open in your city.

Back to the swimwear.  It is usually difficult for me to find a swimsuit I like in Taiwan.  This trip, I had difficulty choosing the ONE I would bring home.  My son, daughter, and I bought a suit each, and the total was just NTD1,100. There is a lot of sun protection gear for babies through to adults, too.  We also found a child's snorkel set (mask in 3 sizes), very cheap swimwear bags, flip-flops, a very nice kite... we are set for summer!

Take a look at the online selection of women's swimsuits. The site is in Chinese, but you can flick through the menu at the top to get an idea of the range of sporting goods they have.

From the homepage images, you can also get excited about the selection of goods.  To me, the quality is similar to a department store back home - fair price and fair quality; not the general night-market risky quality I am used to seeing for the price. 

According to the sales staff (and the online information), the selection in Neihu is relatively limited, so if you have something in particular you want, you can call first to check they have it.  They will bring it in for you then you can pick it up.  And if you don't see your size, ask the staff and they can find it for you. - When I heard this, I had visions of a day-trip to the Taichung store. It must be amazing!

Click on this link to see the addresses of the stores around Taiwan, with maps.
Three stores are open 9am-10pm daily. Pingtung's opens at 10am.

Neihu:
11494 台北市 內湖區新湖一路128巷36號 (大潤發內湖1店正後方)
電話： (02) 2795-6700
No. 36, Lane 128,  Shi-Hu 1st Road, Neihu 114 (behind RT-Mart 1) - street parking

Taichung:
台中南屯店: 台灣40854 台中市 南屯區大墩南路379號 (Costco旁)
電話： (04) 2471-9666
No. 379, Dadun South Rd, Nantun District Taichung City, 408 (next to Costco) - 200 parking spaces, 70 bicycle parking spaces

Tainan:
台南西門店: 台灣70450 台南市 北區臨安路二段310號2樓 (大潤發二樓)
電話： (06) 2211-980
2F, No. 310, Lin'an Rd Section 2, North District, Tainan City, 704 (RT Mart's 2F)

Pingtung:
屏東店
台灣90065 屏東市 勝利里自由路550號 (屏東市政府對面)
電話： (08) 884-9688
No. 550, Ziyou Rd, Pingtung City Pingtung County, 900 (opposite Pingtong City Hall)

Shimen Coastal Area - More Than a Kite Beach

Way back in the early days of this blog, I wrote about the annual kite festival at Shimen Kite Park.  Since that writeup, I have gone out to the beach several times, mostly to walk my dog and give my kids a bit of a run in fresh air.  On a trip out there alone (with the dog) a few days ago I explored the area a bit more than I had in the past, and discovered it was a little treasure trove of places to run and play, even on these cooler winter days.

First, we have to deal with the ugly truth.  A LOT of trash gets washed up onto this Kite Park beach, and is left there during the winter months.  This first picture is taken from the Kite Park entrance side of the beach.  I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this for children or dogs at the moment. Unfortunately, this is the first landing for most visitors, as it is easily accessible from the carpark right off the main coast road.

This is a picture of the "Polystyrene Garden" - for some reason, there is a lot of polystyrene "growing" out of the vegetation that reaches from the car park to the beach.  It looks like leftovers from containers used to hold raw fish.

This time round, I decided to venture to the other side of the township that is by the Kite Park beach.  I drove out of the carpark, and took a hard right, driving over the little bridge and through the street, then took a right toward the beach. There is a signpost showing the way to the Cape Park.  I turned left and followed the street up the hill. I was delighted to discover three car parks, clean toilets, and a number of wonderful stone and wooden picnic tables and chairs scattered around the grounds, under these amazing "windswept trees".  These areas hold the promise of a cool escape from hot summer days.  This area is known as "Fugui Cape Park".

The paths are mostly wheelchair-friendly.  This gun emplacement is right next to the path.  

 The area is well-signposted.

The steps go up to the lookout.

The view is spectacular.  You can head back down to the activity area and enter the brick maze, or run around the open space. It was almost silent when I went there.

 This "Laomei" Green Reef was formed by "wave-cut volcanic lava". The best time to see this is at low tide in April and May.  It is the only place in Taiwan that you can see this kind of landscape.

Besides this off-road area, there are several attractions close by.  The government website is well-written, and clearly shows the positions of the respective landmarks in the area.  I did not make it to the lighthouse this time, but plan on taking the children out there when we have opportunity.  The lighthouse is the northern-most one in Taiwan, and very accessible.

Fuji Fishing Harbor is located right on the way out of Fugui Cape Park.  It is the large white building down at the edge of the water.  You can buy seafood to take home, or have a meal at one of the many local seafood restaurants.  If you go on a weekday, you can get away with not paying for parking in the car park.

Here's a night view of Fuji Fishing Harbor, taken in August 2013:

Overall, Shimen district's attractions and natural areas should appeal to families.  Definitely not as popular with tourists as Baishawan or Sanzhi, it could provide some coastal air and a space for the kids and the dogs to let off steam, year-round.

How to get there:

MRT/Bus:
1. MRT: Take the Danshui (Danshuei) Line to Hongshulin Station and catch the shuttle bus
2. Danshuei Bus: Danshuei → Jinshan (Laomei Village, Shihmen → Walk about 150 meters)

Car:
1. Taipei → Chongcing North Road Interchange → Provincial Hwy 2B (Dadu Hwy) → Danshuei → Provincial Hwy 2 → Shihmen → Laomei Village (intersection of Laomei Street and Danshuei-Jinshan Highway (Provincial Hwy 2)
2. Taipei → Yangmingshan National Park → Yangmingshan-Jinshan Highway (Provincial Hwy 2A) → Jinshan → Yeliou → Shihmen → Laomei Village (intersection of Laomei Street and Danshuei-Jinshan Highway (Provincial Hwy 2)
3. Sanchong → Wugu Interchange → Guandu Bridge → Jhuwei → Denghuei Blvd. → Provincial Hwy 2 → Shihmen → Laomei Village (intersection of Laomei Street and Danshuei-Jinshan Highway (Provincial Hwy 2)
4. Sun Yat-sen Freeway → North Coastal Highway Interchange → Provincial Hwy 2 → Shihmen → Laomei Village (intersection of Laomei Street and Danshuei-Jinshan Highway (Provincial Hwy 2)
5. Second Northern Freeway) → Sijhih → Keelung-Wanli Interchange → Wanli → Jinshan → Shihmen → Laomei Village (intersection of Laomei Street and Danshuei-Jinshan Highway (Provincial Hwy 2)


Google Map: http://theme.northguan-nsa.gov.tw/gmap/gmap.aspx?Lang=2&SNo=04002740&nearBy=view