Walking through the villages surrounding Keelung all the way from Yehliu 野柳, Heping Island 和平島, and Badouzi 八斗子 to Longdong 龍洞 and Aodi 澳底, the golden braids of suntanned “stone flower vegetable” 石花菜 cover the empty street corners. Occasionally, there is a sign by the road advertising “stone flower jelly” 石花凍, sold by the enigmatic “sea women” 海女, whose “culture” … Read More
Not really often but sometimes, I still catch familiar sounds of our language or smell Vietnamese’s favorite food while wandering on Taiwan’s road. That is a very touching moment for me when traveling in another country. Being curious, I started looking more closely and that was the way an interesting story began. Promising land for Vietnamese women During the period … Read More
Formerly Taiwan’s public places, schools, parks, and government offices featured approximately 45,000 statues of the former president of the Republic of China (ROC), Chiang Kai-shek.[1] Although the removal of Chiang’s statues and symbols of oppression began in the late 1980s and 1990s, thousands of statues still stood in public spaces well into the 21st century. Since the start of Taiwan’s … Read More
Culture of Taiwan’s Traditional Markets | Characteristics of Taiwan’s Traditional Markets | Disappearing Traditional Markets | History of Taiwan’s Traditional Markets Compared its heydays, Huilong Market is finding it harder to attract passerby and a steady stream of patrons. The vendors instead rely on their regulars to sustain them. During Keelung For A Walk’s interview with Zhou, a butcher at … Read More
Keelung is one of the few places I’ve visited where I’ve spent days without seeing another tourist, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve loved staying here. Sometimes it can be hard to get off the beaten track and find somewhere truly authentic; yet Keelung is a place that I feel really offers that experience (as well as being very … Read More
There’s something so exciting about escaping the busy streets of a city and discovering a piece of forgotten and abandoned history. If you’re interested in urban exploration, the ruins of this Keelung’s abandoned mansion called the Khóo Tsú-song Old House (Qingyu Hall) are well worth a visit! Walking through the streets of Keelung, I had noticed a few eerie-looking old … Read More
How did I get to Keelung and heard about Pudu? Six months ago, I decided I wanted to travel to East Asia. I didn’t know where I wanted to go, but with a newly earned bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies and an interest in conducting research, I knew I wanted to immerse myself in a culture I had never experienced … Read More
Keelung City is a port city located in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It’s just about 30 minutes from the capital Taipei by bus, which is perfect for a day trip! The city was founded by the Spanish in 1626 and has been subject to various international influences since then. Major historical periods include the Spanish Empire, the Qing Dynasty, … Read More
The Keelung Night Parade takes place two weeks after the end of the Ghost Month. When the time comes, huge dancing figures take over the streets of Keelung. The entire city gets wrapped by the smoke from firecrackers and the smell of incense. The usual noise of the motorcycles is replaced by melodies from trumpets and drums. And people of … Read More
I recently had the privilege of joining a very special walking tour with Keelung For A Walk: The Ghost Festival Tour. Despite the fact that there are currently no English tours happening (and likely won’t be for some time as COVID-19 has meant such restrictive travel measures), I was able to accompany the group for a Chinese tour, of which … Read More