March2010
Our trip around the island of Taiwan, seeing lots of family and lots of sights

Fo Guang Shan monastery
Fo Guang Shan (Chinese: 佛光山, literally: "Buddha's Light Mountain") is an international Chinese Buddhist new religious movement based in Taiwan. The headquarters of Fo Guang Shan, located in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The organization is also one of the largest charity organizations in Taiwan. The order also calls itself the International Buddhist Progress Society.
National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium
The National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium is an aquarium located on the southern coast of Taiwan near Kenting (northwest of Kenting National Park) in Checheng Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan.
Kenting National Park
Kenting National Park is a national park located in the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng, and Manzhou Townships. Established on January 1, 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest and southernmost national park, covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island. Administered by the Executive Yuan's Ministry of the Interior, this national park is well known for its tropical climate and sunshine, scenic mountain and beach, the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March, and has long been one of the most favorite resort places in Taiwan.
Sanxiantai
Sanxiantai is an area containing a beach and several islands located on the coast of Chenggong Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The beach stretches for ten kilometers in length. It is situated at the 112-kilometer mark. A popular tourist attraction for its rocky coastal views, the area is well known for its long footbridge that connects the coast to the largest island.
Taroko National Park
Taroko National Park (Chinese: 太魯閣國家公園) is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park. The park spans Taichung Municipality, Nantou County, and Hualien County.
The park was originally established as the Tsugitaka-Taroko National Park by the Governor-General of Taiwan on 12 December 1937 when Taiwan was part of the Empire of Japan. After the Empire of Japan's defeat in World War II, the Republic of China assumed control of Taiwan. The ROC government subsequently abolished the park on 15 August 1945. It was not until 28 November 1986 that the park was reestablished.
Yehliu
Yeliu is a cape in the town of Wanli, New Taipei, Taiwan. The cape, known by geologists as the Yeliu Promontory, forms part of the Daliao Miocene Formation. It stretches approximately 1,700 metres into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea. A distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface. These shapes can be viewed at the Yehliu Geopark operated by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area administration. A number of rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes. The best known is the "Queen's Head", an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli. Other formations include the "Fairy Shoe," the "Beehive," the "Ginger Rocks" and the "Sea Candles."
Yangmingshan National Park
The Yangmingshan National Park is one of the eight national parks in Taiwan, located between Taipei City and New Taipei City. The districts that house parts of the park grounds include Taipei's Beitou and Shilin Districts; and New Taipei's Wanli, Jinshan and Sanzhi Districts. During the Japanese occupation era of Taiwan, it was known as Datun National Park. The National Park is famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles, venomous snakes and hiking trails, including Taiwan's tallest inactive volcano, Seven Star Mountain.
Taipei 101
Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world. Taipei 101 was designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture. The construction was finished in 2004. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Republic of China (ROC). The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square. The structure is framed on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall.
Taipei Zoo
Cihu Mausoleum
Cihu Mausoleum, officially known as the Mausoleum of Late President Lord Chiang is the temporary resting place of President Chiang Kai-shek. It is located in Daxi Township, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, he was not buried in the traditional Chinese fashion but entombed in a black marble sarcophagus since he expressed the wish to be eventually buried in his native Fenghua in Zhejiang province once the Kuomintang (KMT) recovered mainland China from the Communists.
Chung Tai Chan Monastery
Chung Tai Chan Monastery is a Buddhist monastery located in Puli Township, Nantou, Taiwan. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Nantou County.
The Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Center
Sitou forest recreation area