Brian Q. Webb
Today, October 10 2011, marks 100 years since the Wuchang uprising that sparked the end of the Qing Dynasty and the Imperial Era in China and the beginning of the Republic of China government. It has since survived World War II and the Maoist revolution to create the autonomous state of Taiwan and evolve there into the only example of Chinese self-governance in the totality of Chinese history.
Not bad for the first century.
Almost directly across from the National Taiwan Museum entrance at 228 Peace Memorial Park is the Land Bank old building. Now, I know what you’re thinking:
“A bank. How exciting.”
It is. First off, it’s a great example of colonial-era architecture of which there are not many. More importantly, there is a large exhibition hall inside…
Like Dasi Old Street in Taoyuan, Minquan Old Street in Sanxia was born in the early part of the 20th century. Like Daxi, it came out of being strategically located on a commercially-trafficked river. Unlike Dasi, as roads and rails replaced the rivers used to transport goods and reduced the commercial importance of such market hubs, Minquan Old Street didn’t really re-invent itself in any manner. It’s buildings and shops still appear as they would have decades ago in the time of our grand-and-great-grandparents.
One thing that I’ve discovered about Taiwan, especially outside of Taipei, is that people want you to know how they make things. Be it a food stall in a local night market, a piano factory in Taoyuan, or a bakery in the Sanxia district of New Taipei City (formerly Sanxia city).
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Wait, what? Kawai….Taiwan? My Kawai upright piano clearly states Made in Japan! Well, it was. Sort of. We’ll get to that briefly at the end of this article. First, we need [...]
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