A Tale of Two Hemispheres

Taipei lives in a fishbowl; a valley surr- ounded by marauding mountain-scapes. This poses a difficult orientation dillema: to venture north on Yangmingshan's classic path or explore the dying adventurelands of Taipei's fading south? Each direction proffers unique snipits of Taipei lifestyle and stunning scenery, making, of course, either decision a good one. This entry into Taiwanablog will reveal some hidden and delightful scense from the Rose Compass Class Struggle- a presentation of both up and down.


With Yangminshan towering the northern edge of Taipei, it's easy to ignore the city's southern hemisphere- so let's begin with the low life. On a bright and warm winter morning, I took off for the last MRT stop on the green line in Xindian and paraded around until I found the trail head for Lion's Head mountain. It wasn't long before I was among the green and birds and the KTV. One of the quintessential idiosynchrasies of this country is that, regardless of which trail you embark on, you have a 98% chance (I've done the math) of finding either a KTV restaurant or a makeshift excercise platform complete with balance beams and hula hoops.


Lion's Head gives great views of the lower half of Taipei, from the Xindian Creek around to the Da'an section of Taipei. Lion's Head isn't very difficult to climb- the stairs are not plentiful but the views are. And with a good oscillation of ascending and descending, I think it's safe to put this hike at a beginner's level.


The real charm of Xindian, however, is not on the peaks of Lion's Head mountain. No, in reality, the true treasure is the cultural masterpiece of Pitan. A five minute walk through markets and street vendors, you arrive in no time at all. A few years ago, the historic landmark of this area- it's massive suspension bridge- was targeted for replacement. But due to local community involvement, the bridge was saved and finally repaired. Today, you can still walk over Xindian Creek from the bridge and admire the festivities below.


Already being early evening, I watched young lovers take walks on the river queue and families take out the swan peddle boats for a ride around the river. The scene was passive and enjoyable. A local musician played admirably and fortunately drowned out the sounds of the karaoke coming from the mountains. It was like a carnival that had the magic without the rides.

Speaking of no rides, Pitan used to be famous for another thing- an amusement park. A fatal accident on one of the rides promptly shut the operation down. Now all that remains are a few foundations and dilapidated buildings covered in faded Disney murals. Topped off with a large number of stray dogs roaming the area, the whole place had a somewhat eerie feel to it despite the bright sunny day.


Shaking off the glory days gone by, I proceeded down to Taiwans Airforce cemetary. The arrangement is peaceful and respectful, albiet a bit off with the tombs nothing but a massive outgrowth from the ground covered in bright blue. It was almost like a burial at sea if you ask me.



At the back of the the cemetary lies a massive staircase with an imposing place of wiship at the summit. Introduced by a soaring eagle, it is a fitting place of remeberence to those who fought in the skies.



Thus is Xindian. But for Taipei's ying, there is also it's yang. A Steven to it's Alec, if you will (or maybe that ought to be reversed, I am not sure). But alas, on the other side of this city lies the much more affluent quickly growing northern edge. Cutting between Yangmingshan and Neihu (Taipei's northern district) is a slim ridge of mountains that contains a relatively easy path from Shilin, home of Taipei's famous night Market, to Neihu, where I used to teach English.


The path is actually one of the easiest around Tapei as it is mostly flat along the top of the ridge. A few stairs at the beginning and end provide the only real challenge to this whole trek. But once atop this ridge, you are leisurely afforded some of the finest panoramic views and trek has to offer of Taipei.


Toward the end of the hike, you have to scrawl out onto a rocky ledge with wind blowing swiftly past you and nothing but other hikers joining for the show. The majority of these hikers are of course college students and old folks (old folks outnumber the college students about 3:1) trying to enjoy the same thing you are.


And what are they enjoying? Perhaps one of the most breathtaking images of the city that will, for as long as you live, never once leave you.


From your Dickens imitating, lequaciously escapading explorer of the Taipei woods, Michael.