Thanksgiving in Indiana

This is a picture of my family taken on Thanksgiving Day.

Sunday in Kaohsiung County

Jessica took me to Kaohsiung County for a wonderful day exploring where she grew up. Her mother and brother, Mark, joined us for a great afternoon. The day started at the local university and the Zihjhu Temple in Neimen township. "This temple is the center of the worship where important ceremonial activities are held on February 29 of the lunar calendar each year. Folk art performances that are usually hard to come by can be enjoyed here. The history of Zihjhu dates back to more than 300 years when Admiral Wu, Bi-Da of Cing Dynasty happened to pass by in 1742. The horizontal inscribed board in the temple was a gift from the Admiral who entered the premises to prostrate himself in worship. Grand memorial ceremonies are held in the Zihjhu every year on February 19, June 19 and September 19 of the lunar calendar. The ceremony commemorating the birth of the Buddha in February is the largest and most vibrant with numerous folk art performances”, said by the Bureau of Tourism and Traffic Kaohsiung County Government, The furnace is used to burn paper money (paper money made specifically for this event) which is sent to the ancestors to help them in their after-life.

Old Train at the Cishan Sugar Factory

The old train station was established in 1911. This train engine was used to carry sugar cane to the sugar refinery. The ostrich is on the grounds of the current refinery just for viewing.

Visiting the Meinong Hakka Culture Museum

At this museum dedicated to the aboriginal group called Hakka, visitors learn about the Hakka culture through history, architecture, agriculture, and handicrafts. The Hakka left mainland China (between the 1400s and 1500s) where they suffered persecution for centuries. Jessica's mother presented me with a beautiful fan made by the Hakka. The fan will decorate my office back at FC.

Jhong Jheng Lake in Kaohsiung County

This beautiful lake is the second largest in Meinong township. It was man-made for the purpose of irrigation in this rural area of the county.

The Kaohsiung County Confucius Temple

A walk in the park

This park was high above the city of Cishan and provided a wonderful view. It is next to the Confucius Temple.

Cishan Township tour continues

We saw many interesting architectural styles in Cishan Township. The church is Tudor style, the Chishan Seminary (picture 3 and 4) was built in the Gothic style with numerous arches, while the down town (picture 7) is Baroque.

Picture 6 Cishan Tianhou Temple built in 1816. It is the only Cing Dynasty temple left in Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to Matsu Lin Mo-niang with the Local Deity on the left side of the temple and the goddess of Fertility on the right.

You also see a Taiwanese home decorated with red flags which are for luck and prosperity, the old train station (blue building) which is being refurbished, and a well constructed by the Japanese which provided water for the citizens of Chishan.

Flowers seen along the way!!

From water lilies that are blue, white or pink to bottle brush plants or bougainvillea (plus an unknown), the flowers were gorgeous in Koahsiung county over the weekend.