Our bus was running on the freeway, half past six in the evening but the sky was still clear with yellow clouds floating aimlessly just above the forested peaks bordering the highways. I’ve lost count of the numbers of tunnels we’ve passed through. Taiwanese government had obviously invested heavily on road networks and transportation infrastructure even in rural areas.
Albert, our tour guide, suddenly stole my attention away from the verdant view from my window.
“The song you’re hearing was sung by the Ami Tribe. They perform this song during harvesting season,” he said in his unmistakably Chinese accent.
It was fascinating that the song was the same exact chant in Enigma’s “Return to the Innocent.” I didn’t know it was an aboriginal Taiwanese original. A quick search on Google said the tribe actually sued the band for copyright infringement — just one of the things we didn’t know about our little neighbor.
Back to the view outside the window, the sky gradually hinted nighttime but the green mountains were still visible, and with the song playing in the background you could feel yourself like you’re in an Enya music video. A few minutes more and we’re back in Taipei.
In Taiwan, it’s easy to calculate travel time. When someone said you would get to your destination in five minutes, you’ll get there in five minutes or even less. Thanks to its efficient mass transport system, traffic congestion is hardly visible even on its capital’s busiest artery.
On our first morning in Taipei, Albert told us we needed to meet at the hotel lobby at 7:30. We had to get to Taipei High Speed Rail Station (THSR) before 8:30 because the bullet train would leave at 8:31.
When we got to the train platform, I checked the clock, the train arrived at 8:28 and in less than three minutes we we’re on our way to Kaoshiung, a one-and-a-half-hour bullet train ride that would take more than five hours by car.
A local once told me that domestic flights started to become unpopular choice to travel since THSR started operation in 2007. Taiwanese also began traveling more often from one city to another than ever before.
“It’s easy to reserve seats, you can do it at any 24-hour convenient store,” the local said.
But, Taiwan is not just all about speed and massive structures. They also consider their infrastructure’s aesthetic value. Take the Kaohsiung MRT Formosa Boulevard Station for instance. The city’s mass transit is known for its “Dome of Light”, the largest glasswork of its kind. The enormous centerpiece of the three-level subway was designed by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata and was named one of the most beautiful subway stations in the world. Its entrance alone is already visually striking resembling a pair of hands clasped in prayer.
While the country’s capital is popular for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, bustling night markets, and the impressive Taipei 101, Kaohsiung on the other hand, which is home to 2.7 Taiwanese, is a fascinating mishmash of the old and the new, of Buddhism, magnificent temples, and fascinating street art.
The port city is famous for its warehouse complex located near the harbor called Pier-2 Art Center where visitors can marvel at street installations and old warehouses converted into museum and art centers.
(To be continued next week.)