By the vertiginous standards of Taiwan’s interior, Guanyin Mountain (觀音山) which straddles Kaohsiung’s Dashe (大社) and Renwu (仁武) districts is a micro-mountain. Judged purely on its height, it wouldn’t deserve a paragraph.
The summit is just 177m above sea level, making it one of the shortest of xiaobaiyue (小百岳, “Taiwan’s Little Hundred Mountains”). But in terms of how far you can see from the top, and for how little exertion, Guanyin Mountain is entitled to some kind of accolade.
The day had begun with a rush-hour motorcycle ride through bleak industrial neighborhoods. My mood improved as soon as I
Returning to Hukou Old Street (湖口老街) in Hsinchu County for the first time in a decade and a half, I searched my brain for recollections of the former movie theater and came up with nothing.
Now a Hakka-themed restaurant called Hukou Style (湖口風情, 155 Hukou Old Street), it’s the tiniest standalone theater I’ve ever seen. The footprint of this building, which is less than 4m in height, isn’t much bigger than that of a typical townhouse.
The two little windows through which tickets were sold would be a strong clue as to its original function, even if they weren’t labeled
To the consternation of its biological father China the young nation of Taiwan seems to prefer its step-dad, Japan.
When the latter was forced out, a semi-modernized iteration of the former returned. And just as some people thrive as adults, despite an unstable childhood, Taiwan has become a democratic success. Unfortunately, the island’s biological father behaves like a parent who is no use, yet who continues to meddle.
A combination of rose-tinted retrospection and growing mutual respect has given many Taiwanese a highly positive attitude toward Japan. Physical reminders of the 1895-1945 period of Japanese rule are treasured,