Northeast Coast Taiwan Tour

Early morning of January 14, 2025, a Tuesday we were at the meet up point somewhere in the Ximending area of Taipei for the northeastern coast of Taiwan tour from Klook. 

It was a chilly day, perfect weather for two fifty year olds to hike, climb and walk miles without breaking into balls of sweat. :D

First stop was the Yehliu Geopark. Situated in the Wanli district, the park consists of a narrow cape, 1,700 meters long and 250 meters wide that projects in the sea in the northeastern Yehliu village. Its geology consists of the Daliao formation which took shape 10 million to 25 million years ago. The formation is primarily sandstone, which is rich in calcium. 

Each layer is different in composition of its sandstone and it was through the interaction of erosion by strong northeast monsoons and waves + the weathering of sun, wind and rain that brought about the diversified landscape. 

The most popular is the "Queen's head" and its smaller successor the "Cute Princess". There are also other formations which look like a dragon's head, a pineapple bun, fairy's shoe, heart shaped rock, ice cream rock, gorilla rock and a maling bird rock, among others.

Mushroom rocks

Gorilla Rock

The Queen's head, and the heart shaped rock

Cute Princess

Next stop is the Shifen old street where lanterns with wishes are released into the sky along the Pingxi railway line. It is a bit of a walk to reach the rail tracks, you pass through a street with traditional shops. Shifen was a former coal mining town with trains transporting coal from the mines in the region. This tradition of releasing lanterns into the sky started when miners working in the area sent messages to their families signifying they were safe. Mining in the area halted in the 1970s, but the tradition of sending wishes and dreams into the sky through colorful lanterns continued and is now a major tourist attraction in the area. By the way, the sky lanterns are eco friendly! Yes, trains still pass by even though when we were there, it was all quiet with nary a train in sight.

After releasing the lanterns, it is a 30 minute walk to get to the Shifen waterfalls. You walk through the Jingan suspension bridge (built in 1947 to originally transport coal) which was quite shaky, pass through stalls selling food and drinks (there are benches for dining) to set your eyes on the amazing waterfalls, known as the "Little Niagara of Taiwan". The area is quite clean with trash bins and restroom located in convenient spots.

Jingan suspension bridge

40 minutes away passing through zigzaging road up the mountains, the last stop of the tour is Juifen. Nestled in the lush mountains of northeastern Taiwan, this former gold mining town's main attractions are the narrow (and steep) winding alley ways, cobblestone streets lined with lanterns and flanked with traditional old tea houses. Most famous is the A Mei tea house which was made famous by the Japanese animated movie "Spirited Away".  There are also bustling stalls selling tea, biscuits and souvenir items. It tends to draw crowds so always be careful with your belongings. 

the famous A Mei teahouse

We had a great time, enjoying the scenic sights, the lovely mountain air even though it entailed walking, climbing up and down stairs, rushing through the attractions due to limited time. Truly recommend taking this tour!

Nan Lian Garden, Diamond Hill Kowloon HK

A short walk away from the Chi Lin Nunnery is a greenery gem in the midst of Hong Kong's urban hustle and bustle known as the Nan Lian garden. It covers an area of 35,000 sqm, commissioned in July 2003 and formally opened to the public in November 2006.

The design of the Nan Lian Garden was based on the Jiangshouju Garden in the Shanxi province of China during the Tang dynasty. The garden follows the rules of a traditional Chinese landscape gardening techniques. 

The Garden is in a half moon shape and situated south of the Lotus Pond of the Chi Lin Nunnery.

It is adorned with springs, hillocks, trees, flowers and plants, pavilions, winding paths and bridges.

The aim was to create in this limited space, a landscape garden with natural beautiful scenes in miniature.

There are more than 60 different species of plants in the garden, chosen under the principle of "suitable time and suitable place".

The Xiang Hai Xuan situated in the south of the Garden is a multi purpose exhibition venue. The corridors outside the hall form a typical Chinese rectangular courtyard.

During our visit, there was an exhibit of bonsai like trees and rare rock formations.

The Garden features all kinds of classical timber structures, such as various types of pavilions, terrances and bridges, a study as well as a shadow wall and stone lamps.

The Pavilion of Absolute Perfection is situated in the center of the Lotus Pond

The vermillion colored Zi-Wu bridges are erected at its northern and southern sides

An octagonal shaped timber structure

There are eight old pine trees around the pavilion.

The Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery houses scaled models of existing Tang, Liao and Jin dynasties timber structures and scaled models of bracket of Tang, Sung, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Brackets used to construct the timber structures without the use

of any nails.

 Miniature of the Taihe Hall, Imperial Palace Beijing China

Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha, Shanxi Province China
Built during the Liao Dynasty (AD 1056)

Main hall of the Chi Lin Nunnery (1997)

Nan Lian Garden is designed and built in an ancient Tang style to faciliate a one-way circular walk through the garden. It is open daily from 07:00 AM to 09:00 PM. Free entrance.

A lovely way to spend a cold February (8, 2025) Saturday. Soaking in nature, enjoying the scenery and breathing in clean, fresh air. =)

Chi Lin Nunnery, Diamond Hill Kowloon

When the 'ber' months roll in, I most especially miss our annual Yuletide season vacations in Hong Kong with my late parents. Much cherished memories of the good old days.

 

I returned to HK with my sister after being away for 6 long years. A lot happened in that span of 6 years. The pandemic. Mommy got sick with cancer and passed away in March 2021. I got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (Graves disease) April 2021. We lost Dad in June 2021 after he tragically fell down from a flight of stairs.  Menopause happened in July 2021. In March 2023, I had a radical hysterectomy. Lastly, I hate to finally admit it but my marriage was on the rocks.  

Grieving, dealing with a medical condition and everything in between  - it was a terrible period in my life. So January 03, 2025, I took a much welcome break and stayed with my sister in Hong Kong for about a month or so.  

Little did I know that it was going to get much worse but I would spare you all the nitty gritty details of my sob story. Suffice to say, spending cold wintry days in Hong Kong with the only family I had left, it somehow eased the blow of experiencing one of the most traumatic events in my entire life. 

I've been to all the ubiquitous attractions in Hong Kong, so I did more research to find new destinations to explore. The Chi Lin Nunnery and the adjacent Nan Liang Garden were on my bucket list of places to visit in Hong Kong for some time now.  =)

6 years of research later, a long MRT ride to alight at the Diamond Hill MRT station. Up the escalator, you get to the Plaza Hollywood Mall, a nearly 30 year old shopping mall. You walk a few minutes using google maps to guide you and you finally set foot at the Chi Lin Nunnery. 

A large Buddhist temple complex located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon. It was founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns. In 1998, it underwent massive renovation to preserve its historical and cultural legacy and was formally opened to the public in 2000.

The temple uses the traditional Tang Dynasty architecture. The structures are constructed with cypress wood, a highly durable and element-resistant wood found in Asia, Europe and North America. Currently, it is largest handmade wooden building in the world. It was constructed without the use of ANY nails. This type of Chinese architecture uses techniques special interlocking systems cut into the wood to hold them in place. 

The 33,000 square meters complex has 3 courtyards (the main, inner and open courtyard) 6 wooden halls, lotus ponds, a library, a school, a pagoda, bell tower and a drum tower. The main areas open to the public are the Lotus Pond Garden and the Hall of Celestial Kings which houses a gigantic golden Buddha guarded by four deities at each corner of the hall.  Many devotees come to worship so out of deference, we don't take pictures of them.

During our visit, there was a bonsai and fine stone exhibition. It added more charm to the already calm and serene surroundings. In 2018, a second renovation added some small spotlights and LED lighting on the ground, the roof and the stairs. It further enhanced the spiritual atmosphere of the huge complex which is open from 09:00 AM to 04:30 PM, daily.

A very well spent, cold February afternoon. Inspired and awed by such calm surroundings. A  fine contrast between tranquil nature and modernity with the skyscrapers of Kowloon looming in the distance. Best of all, it was FREE admission!