Jhongli: South Garden Hotels and Resorts

Friends of mine stayed at this resort over Chinese New Year and recommend it as family destination.  Rooms offered range from a spa room at 2,200NTD to a suite for 24,000NTD.  You get to use their gym, foosball, and airhockey sets.

To get an idea where it is (less than an hour from Taipei), check out their map online.  Their English site is comprehensive:  http://www.southgarden.com.tw/en/html/page-service04.htm

Taichung & Tainan: O-Well Motel

A friend of our family highly recommends this motel for families.  This is a link to the Taichung motel they stayed at.  They have three presidential suites.  Weekdays, list price is $4380 per night for the room.

http://www.o-wellmotel.com.tw/taizhong01/tz01_rooma.html
Map & directions: http://www.o-wellmotel.com.tw/taizhong01/tz01_transport.html

You get a huge room with king-size bed, living area, indoor jacuzzi, warm outdoor pool, free wireless internet, KTV facilities, TV, and free instant noodles! (Extra bed/sofa available.)

From the site, it does sound like a place to romance your loved one, but my friend raves about it as a place to relax with your family.  The kids can play outdoors while you watch them through the glass from the jacuzzi.



Here is the link to the Tainan motel: http://www.o-wellmotel.com.tw/tainan01/tn01_rooma.html
Map & directions: http://www.o-wellmotel.com.tw/tainan01/tn01_transport.html

National Center for Traditional Arts

I have never been here, so any comments are most welcome. From the map, it looks like a huge park, containing a temple, kiln, scholar's residence, art education theater, library, exhibit hall, and restaurants, all running along the Dong-Shan River.


On weekends starting at 10am, they have a number of activities for children. During Chinese New Year, they will be held daily.

Ilan County, Wu Jie Xiang, Ji Xin Tsun, Wu Han Road Sec 2, No. 201

Entry: 150/person, children under 110cm free, discounts for groups of 20 or more or residents of Ilan County.

Hours: Open daily

Tel: 03-9602121

Website: http://www.ncfta.gov.tw/

Upcoming Events

• 2010 Daily 11am-2pm: Family activity mixing traditional stories with modern storytelling methods. "The Magic of the Mountain" (my own translation, I think it's actually a volcano)

• Feb 14-21 Daily 9am-7pm - Children's Game Fair

• Feb 14-21 Daily 10:40am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm - Performances to welcome the New Year

• Feb 14-20 Daily 10am and 4pm - Acrobatic performances

• Feb 14-21 Daily 12 noon and 6pm - Chinese Opera

• Feb 27-28 Lantern-lighting activity (numbers limited)

• Feb 27-28 3pm - "Tang Yuan" eating together



*March 20&21 there will be National Thai Dance performances

*April through June is the 2nd Traditional Children's Art Festival

National Taiwan Cultural Park's Chinese New Year Events

Feb 15-21, 2010


Nantou Venue:

Address: 573 Jhon-Jheng Road, Cao-Tun Township, 542, Nantou

Tel: 049-2334141 Extn 319

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, national holidays, 9am-5pm

Handicraft Hall

1F - Art and Craft demonstrations by wellknown Taiwan artisans

3F - Children's Art Space: Hands-on space for children to experience an artistic lifestyle

4F - Handicraft Exhibit Area



Craft Exhibition Center

Exhibits change periodically



Information Center

1F - Shop and Restaurants

2F - Lecture Hall

3F - DIY Space

4F - 3D Theater



Events

Feb 21&28, 10:30-11:30: Interactive Story Time @ Handicraft Hall 3F

Feb 27&28: Performances @ outside stage

Every Saturday, 9am-5pm - Art Market @ front of Handicraft Hall



Website: http://www.ntcri.gov.tw/

Da Vinci the Genius (Feb 12-May 13, 2010)

This exhibit has been described as suitable for children on other sites, so I am adding it here.  The feature of the Taipei exhibit will be "The 25 Secrets of Mona Lisa".

Taipei Venue: CKS Memorial Hall Exhibit Halls 2 and 3
Dates: Feb 12-May 13, 2010
Times: 9am-6pm daily (only the day before Chinese New Year's Day closed.)
Tickets: 200 for adults, 350 per family, other concessions available

Kaohsiung Venue:  Kaohsiung Science and Arts Museum
Dates: May 29-Sep 12, 2010

Home site:
http://www.davincithegenius.com/index.php
Taiwan site:
http://davinci.ishow.gmg.tw/

2010 Homeschooling Fair (Sunday, Feb 7)

Taiwan Homeschool Advocates invites you to 2010 Taiwan International Homeschool Fair

Did you know homeschooling has been legal since 1997? The number of homeschoolers has grown from 4 in 1997 to 883 in 2009! Taipei plans to offer high school students the option to homeschool this year. Homeschooling is really taking off in Taiwan and you can not miss the biggest gathering of homeschoolers on Sunday, February 7 between 2 to 5 pm.

Homeschooling is a real alternative to both international and local schools especially for international families. Homeschooling is much more affordable than international schools. You don't need to subject your child to endless and mindless exam schedule found in the local schools. In fact, you can teach your child your home country's curriculum and still receive diploma from the public school you register with.

Homeschool families from Taipei, Hualien, Yilan, Xinchu and Tainan will display their works at the fair. International homeschool families from Poland, the UK, the USA and Russia will exhibit their teaching materials and students' projects. Class and activity organizers such as Fun Formosa, Encounters, YMCA Seeker Christian Academy and Waldorf School will present their programs as well.

There will be five seminars on the following topics:
• Parent Coach by Mujen Christian Homeschool Association (in Chinese)
• Sycamore Tree Program by YMCA Seeker Christian Academy (in English)
• Independent Educators by Autonomous Learning Association (in Chinese)
• International Homeschool Exchange Program by Encounters (in English)
• High School and Pre-School Program by Humanity and Differential Education Association (in Chinese)

The entrance is free. You can pre-register on this site:

http://2t.chen-wernik.net/

Date: February 7, 2010
Time: 2 pm. to 5 pm
Place: Bethany School
Address: No. 97, Ting Chou Road Section 3, Taipei (Gongguan area)
For more information on homeschooling in Taiwan, please visit Taiwan Homeschool Advocates at http://homeschool.tw/ or contact Tim Chen at us@homeschool.tw

Copied with permission.

JuMing Museum, Jin-Shan (closed Feb 1-13 2010)

We visited this museum recently, and the children spent 5  hours in a state of joyous rapture.  Go on  a fine day and enjoy the drive along the north-east coast and up the mountain to the museum space.  Entry is 220 per person over 110cm, with discounts for students and over-65's.  Currently, there is a deal - for 350 you get to choose a meal from one of the four restaurants.  (Their food is GREAT!)  Or buy a family year pass for $3,000 (Tax deductible).  Then roam the vast outdoor space, draw on the chalk-walk, run in the water-play area, write all over the kiddie restaurant walls, explore the activities in the children's art-house, and visit the several indoor studios.

At the time of writing (Jan 2010), there is an exhibit of life-size soldiers.  That is, there are several hundred sculptures, a lifesize jet and naval ship, jeep, and tank.

All exhibits have detailed information in Chinese and English, making the experience even more complete.

JuMing is a true artist and craftsman, famous for his impressive artistic sculptures.  In addition to his own works, JuMing showcases work of other artists.

There is a restaurant, teahouse and even a children's restuarant.

Full directions, entrance info and background of JuMing and the museum can be found at the official website: http://www.juming.org.tw/opencms/juming_en/visit/direction.jsp?ts=1263698067505&info1=4&info2=1