Three “surprises” in traveling in Taiwan

Photo courtesy/Li Wenping

▲Taiwan—The author’s eyes became green again after seeing the “gold” of California.

Editor's note
The author of this article, Li Wenping, is a Chinese scholar and writer who has lived in the United States for many years, and is also the executive editor of the "Kingdom of God" magazine. The author traveled to Taiwan for the first time and shared in depth what he saw during the trip.

In October 2017, I had the opportunity to go to Taiwan for ten days. I felt like I was in a hurry, from landing in the air to taking off. It was really a "surprising" glimpse of Taiwan - surprised, surprised, and also amazing. Shocked.

psychological background

I must first mention that before I "airborne" to Taiwan, I first "landed" from the Western United States to the Eastern United States and traveled through thirteen cities in New England in three days. They constituted my main spiritual impression before entering Taiwan. A first look at Taiwan’s cultural and psychological background.

During those days, the little red car I rented, like a little beetle, shuttled through the intimately intertwined veins of the East Coast Highway, large and small water bodies, and crisscrossing greenery. You could see Christian churches with crosses everywhere. The church members’ cemeteries are often integrated with the church, and death seems to be a part of life; while life already knows the meaning of death—just changing stops on the road to eternal life. Therefore, the cemetery does not feel gloomy, and the hope represented by the cross quietly exudes the breath of peace.

Death is an insurmountable end for mankind. Its face is so cold and terrifying. It was not until the resurrection of Christ that its poisonous sting fell off the hearts of those who believe in Him. The cross suppresses the underworld and brings peace to the cemetery.

How to face death can be said to be a reagent of a person's spiritual state. There are big differences between China and the United States. Among the American cemeteries I visited, there were both old and new, large and small. Larger ones, such as the "Sacramento Historic City Cemetery" in the capital of California and the "Mount Auburn Cemetery" in Massachusetts, can represent the Western and Eastern United States. They are both garden-style cemeteries. The former is famous for its roses, from which one can trace the history of California and the appearance of all living things; the latter is the first of the "suburban cemeteries" in the United States, integrating a botanical garden and a wildlife sanctuary, becoming a destination for birdwatchers. It’s a resort and some people hold weddings here. Its office building is also a community cultural activity center, which can hold meetings, hold activities, rehearse plays and concerts, etc.

Both cemeteries are like small villages, with many streets, each with street signs and names. If you walk, for example, to complete Mount Auburn Cemetery, you need to walk ten miles (16.1 kilometers). On the whole, compared with the East and West, the East seems to have more humility and restraint because of its longing for God, and the heroic spirit of people is also framed in a larger rule; the West seems to have more territory expansion, The courage to exercise freedom seems to place more emphasis on people's deeds.

When I was on the East Coast, I also visited Quincy, the birthplace of John Adams, the second president of the United States, and John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States. In this "City of Presidents", there is the "United First Parish Church", which evolved from the original Puritan church to the later Unitarian church. It is unknown what the specific beliefs of the two presidents are. My daughter and I sat where the president once sat, imagining how the head of a country gained their inner strength in the whirlwind of the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China. We also paid homage to the simple sarcophagi of the two presidential couples covered with flags at the bottom of the church. The tour guide was kind, knowledgeable, and proud. He didn't seem to realize that it was a coffin. He actively and enthusiastically asked us to take photos with the sarcophagus. I think it would be more respectful to take photos of the sarcophagus alone. Opposite the church is the church's ancient cemetery, where the coffins of the two presidential couples rested before being moved under the church. It is surrounded by tall buildings in the city and is a quiet place in the bustle. The cast-iron arch of the cemetery has golden hollow words written on it: "THIS MORTAL SHALL PUT ON IMMORTALITY" (THIS MORTAL SHALL PUT ON IMMORTALITY).

▲The church is adjacent to the cemetery, and the hope represented by the cross quietly exudes the breath of peace.

Surprise—the color of Taiwan

After returning to California from the East United States, I quickly flew to Taipei. Except for the rainy winters and the springs extended by winter rains, California is dry. Some people joke that it is worthy of being the Golden State, because it is really "gold" everywhere - yellow grass covers the rolling mountains and hills, and trees with deep roots often Just embellishment. However, Taiwan's forest coverage area is large, about 60.71%, which is twice the world's average forest coverage (30%), and the climate is humid. After the plane landed, there were green mountains and green trees everywhere, which made my eyes, accustomed to seeing "gold", green again after my trip to the East United States. It was very comfortable.

Soon, I discovered that what I saw was not just green. Among the green bushes, there were often dots of color, or several dots of color, or even colors all over the mountain. This color, mainly red and yellow, is for temples or pavilions, among which temples are the most prosperous. When people walk on the street, they will suddenly see a temple with carved beams and paintings embedded in the mainly gray and blue residential and commercial buildings. It feels like they are neighbors, zero distance away. And if the mountains are full of colors, then what you see is the Yin Mansion - the tomb of the deceased. This is completely different from the cemetery that I remember as a child, which was just a lot of graves, and the stone monument cemetery I saw in the United States. It is consistent with the liveliness of Chinese funerals. On the contrary, the buildings where living people live are simple and simple. Fortunately, life itself is the most outstanding thing.

There are so many temples, and I feel like I can’t really understand Taiwan without knowing it, so I visited two of them one after another. The first one is the Nanzhi Palace - the core of the Nanzhi Palace District, one of the one hundred religious and cultural areas in Taiwan. I have to admit, this is quite shocking to me, who grew up in an atheistic environment and was later surrounded by Christianity. People can worship Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and other gods in many ways. For example, you can spend NT$200 to buy a thin red-tassel golden sign with pre-printed blessings, such as longevity, luck, career, etc., write your name on it, and hang it on a branch, forming a spectacle of a thousand red trees. It is said that this way of seeking blessings comes from Japan.

But this is just a small amount of money to let your wishes sway in the wind, rain and scorching sun. If you are willing to spend tens of thousands of Taiwan dollars, you can stay in the temple for a year, occupy an inch or two on a special screen or pillar in the temple, and become a part of the splendor, which is called "lighting." In medium-sized temples, there are tens of thousands of such lamps every year, and the full-time staff in the temple can reach one hundred and dozens. They said that it doesn’t matter if the person lighting a lamp to pray for blessings is in a different place. As long as they provide their birth date and horoscope, they can intercede.

I also walked into a temple in a busy city—Longshan Temple, which is listed on the MRT map alongside the Forbidden City and other Taipei attractions. It's right after exiting the MRT station, and it's packed with people inside and out. In the corridor across the street from it, older men play chess in groups, or sit alone, and some have wandering eyes and uneasy thoughts. On this side of the street, people clasped their hands or held incense, stood or knelt down to worship inside and outside the temple. It was bustling with people. There were young families bringing their children and urging them to pray. There were two tall European women taking pictures here. When taking pictures, you wear a huge mask, push a doll in a stroller, and walk with your arms around your waist; there is an artificial "Qingxin Waterfall" flowing outside the temple gate; the doors, windows, and pillars of the temple are decorated with long and short couplets; All guests can get a piece of incense for free; there is also a sign-explaining office, which is divided into different windows - the solver is confused and anxious, and the sign-solver is confident, complacent, ambitious, and a little arrogant; the various Buddha statues in the temple are brightly colored, with carved beams and paintings. Niao Na is blackened by the non-stop fireworks...

When I went back, I saw a huge advertisement hanging at the entrance of the MRT station, claiming that this was the largest "six-star fortune telling street" in Taiwan. As expected, the underground shopping mall was almost entirely filled with fortune telling, massage and fortune telling shops, and there were hanging signs hanging above the aisles. Paper statues like the Dragon King. After walking up and down in this way, I felt that the couplets and other texts in the temple exuded literary talent, which may be one of the reasons why it has penetrated deeply into the Chinese psychology. But the air here makes people think of what red dust is.

However, in Yongshan Temple where people are worshiping, lighting incense and rolling lotteries, there are more than 20 Christians from South Korea preaching the gospel, hoping to spread the peace in Christ to these people who seek blessings. Feeling moved and guilty, I knelt down to help with the conversation. In the hot weather, everyone is sweating profusely. I wonder if the sowing effect is achieved. Ask God for mercy, as Redeemer, as the Author and Finisher of faith, He alone knows everything.

Later I met someone and asked me: "Why does KRC want to hold a cultural camp in Taiwan?" I thought about the green mountains and green waters and the temples that can be seen everywhere in the houses, I thought about the few Christian churches I had seen, and I thought about those figures who were hesitating and asking questions. , thinking that I once had the opportunity to walk into a sister's home, and there was an altar for worship in front of me, because she is the first and only Christian in this family, I thought: a cross that can bring peace to the cemetery , really should appear in more places in Taiwan and bring more peace and hope to this land. There are indeed many Christian cultural institutions in Taiwan, but compared to the temples everywhere and the worship that is deeply rooted in life customs and cultural psychology, there is still only one KRC camp, very few.

1. The European woman in the scene is wearing a mask and pushing a doll. What story do they want to tell?
2. The lamps lit in Longshan Temple. 3. Many of the thin red-tasseled golden sticks hung by faithful men and women on the branches have lost their color in the rain and sun.

Surprise—Taiwan’s expression

When traveling, there are often surprises during unplanned periods, and surprises are often in inconspicuous and unpopular places. Therefore, I am not in a hurry to go to so-called resorts. When I have time, I like to be spontaneous and take things as they come.

I am very grateful. EVA Air first gave me a pleasant surprise with its small thoughtfulness for economy class passengers—free access to eye masks, dental kits, hand sanitizer, facial freshening spray, feminine products, etc.; With Taipei’s convenient MRT (subway) system and the fact that there are sometimes people who know how to play and eat as guides, surprises – whether it’s a chance encounter or a special trip – are all possible.

So I tasted Taiwan’s famous and unknown snacks, and I felt that Taipei’s life was so rich! People who like to eat can eat wherever they go. I am a person who likes to eat. As a result of eating like this, I feel that the famous food may not taste as good as the name, and the unknown food may not taste as good as the name. This is exactly the same as the feeling of meeting famous people and unknown people.

▲On the suspension bridge in Wulai outlined by lights at night, the author and his companions lay on it, blowing the night breeze and watching the stars.

Of course, there are scenic spots that are recognized by the public and that I personally like, which is an unexpected surprise. For example, Yangmingshan’s grace and personality in the wind and rain, Wulai’s suspension bridge and old streets outlined by lights at night, and of course the hot springs. One night, I was lying in the middle of the unmanned suspension bridge with my sisters, blowing the night breeze and watching the stars. While we were enjoying ourselves, a couple came onto the bridge. We thought we should get up, but they were startled and we passed by each other. He pursed his lips and smiled secretly. What a comic scene. What did they think they saw when they were frightened?

Another example is Tamsui. Outside the MRT station is a landscape like an ink painting in the drizzle. Inside the station, large short poems or verses can be seen everywhere. They made the coffee I drank at the Red House on the top of the mountain particularly fragrant; an old foreign store next to the MRT station The warehouse area has been transformed into a cultural area, and a calligraphy exhibition is being held inside. Almost every painting is excellent. There are so many masters. Even the guest sign-in is written with a brush, which makes me dare not show my shame. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall also has four exhibition halls at the same time. It is not the story of Chiang Kai-shek, but the artist's calligraphy and painting. It is open to the public for free. There is also a floating projection and interactive technology exhibition on the top floor. You can touch the poems printed on the wall with your hands. , this poem will appear again in the blank space, which is very interesting. This arrangement is a surprise for me, and I feel very good about it!

There is also the New Taipei City Main Library, which is very modern. The reading rooms facing the windows are simple and elegant. They can be described as "pleasant" reading rooms, especially to my liking. The New Beitou Library is built entirely according to natural energy-saving principles. Low-key but full of connotation; you can occasionally see a small bookshelf shared by folk books at the train station - everyone contributes books freely and reads them freely. After reading, they can put them in any other shared bookshelf. This discovery made me very happy.

I also like the hiking trails in Elephant Mountain and Fuzhou Mountain Park, which have stone staircases winding up. They offer a panoramic view of Taipei city including 101, the tallest building in Taipei. The humane and encouraging signboards on Elephant Mountain Road, such as the Taiwanese friends I have met, Just as warm. I accidentally discovered the Dahu Park at the foot of the Egret Mountain, which also made me stay for a long time. I carefully looked at the egret works on display on the park grass. People from primary school students to college students participated in the painting. It was colorful and provided with creative insights. For example, the name of a heron is called "Noah's Ark Seeing Hope." The authors are two primary school students. They said: "After the great flood, God made a covenant with the world with a rainbow to start a new world again. The environment may be challenging, but as long as If you are willing to dream, you will see hope.”

1. In the interactive exhibition in the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, touch the screen with your hand to display the verses you touch on the wall. (Photography: Ruan Xuanmei)
2. A corner of the reading room of the New Taipei City Main Library, overlooking the city view outside the window.
3. Taiwan is full of green mountains and green trees. The picture shows the huge leaves in Fuyang Ecological Park, which is a paradise for giant snails. 4. The humane and encouraging road signs on Xiangshan Road are as warm as Taiwanese friends.

During the day, after the red light, motorcycles whizzed by in groups at the intersection, and the hula-la-la was very spectacular; while walking, it suddenly started raining, and in an instant, umbrellas magically floated in front of my eyes. , colorful floating in the rain, very beautiful. In the evening, on the wide walkway outside the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, there are old people playing chess and young people practicing street dancing to the music with strong rhythm. And in public places such as shops, streets, and MRT stations, we often see people wearing masks. They are consciously and considerate to avoid spreading germs to others...

I love seeing these situations, they make up the expression of Taiwan. Among the various old streets and various food and drinks, these also provide me with another kind of "snacks".

While traveling around Taipei, I suffered from road fever many times, and I met kind-hearted people almost every time. Once I met an elder who comforted me and said that it was not my fault that I took the wrong bus. He also listed the names of five or six leaders and said that it was all their fault because they did not design the route and signs well. Another time I met someone, as the English proverb says, you should "go extra miles" when doing good deeds. The reason why I went to climb the Fuzhou Mountain Park Trail was entirely because I asked for directions in Fuyang Ecological Park, and the result was: Angel Guide, she asked me not to visit the ecological park alone (there are few people), and enthusiastically introduced the adjacent Fuzhou Park. I couldn’t refuse her repeated invitations, so I decided to climb the mountain with her at the last minute, and we all looked at the lush valley together. Its voice. It's really strange and very happy for two adults who have never met before to play together like this.

However, I also encountered some purely commercial activities, such as taking a taxi. Twice, the driver deliberately drove forward after arriving at the destination, causing the fare to jump before stopping. I had to pay an extra five yuan before driving back in heavy rain. Take a walk. I don’t have much money, so I guess it’s because of bullying. The buses in Taipei are not as clearly marked as the MRT, so in my riding experience, I encountered kind-hearted people who came to the bus stop to help me stop, and some impatient drivers who complained that I didn’t know whether to pay on the bus or off (this is not uniform). Reproach: "Didn't you see that the people in front of you pay first (and last)?" It can be seen that when you first arrive in a place, it is not enough to be diligent verbally, but you also need to keep an eye on all directions.

But this does not affect my love for Taiwan.

▲Oliver, the general manager of the KRC camp, is introducing the willing, capable and talented volunteers.

Amazing—Taiwan’s Strange People

When traveling around mountains and rivers, I am often amazed by the handiwork of the Creator, but His legend is not limited to mountains and rivers, but also to the people in this world. This is also the reason why I especially like to meet strange women and strange men, because I like the legend stories about them - not just self-legends, but the legends of the masters of life that include their own efforts. It is like watching difficult sports actions to achieve beautiful results. When it's done, it's a wow factor for athletes and coaches.

But these strange people are not necessarily celebrities, although there are celebrities. There are actually many mountains under the ocean, and some of the places we call "islands" are actually the tops of some mountains. Their altitude seems to be very low, but from the base of the mountain to the top of the mountain it is actually very high. If the mountains on land are celebrities, then these islands and the seamounts that have not yet emerged from the water are just ordinary people.

Some strange people are like people on seamounts and small islands. If you can look at them from their starting point, or from the bottom of the valley where they were struck by fate, their stories are amazing. And you don't actually need to know many details. As long as you know how to look at people not only by "elevation", but also by "depth of the sea", you can see the legend. This is similar to flower viewing. Peonies and roses are the most famous flowers, but the vitality of the wildflowers blooming in Death Valley may touch and amaze you more than the famous flowers. Because what you see is a legend.

So strictly speaking, I didn’t just see strange people in Taiwan, but I saw strange people again in Taiwan. For example, this time when I went to the KRC Cultural Practice Camp in Boston, I happened to be roommates with a sister who works full-time in the United States and is also a full-time missionary in Germany. I had the opportunity to hear her story in detail, which was really touching and wonderful. Strange! How is it possible for one person to do two completely different things full-time in two places? It turns out that "where there is determination, there is a method." She wanted to serve as a missionary, and God opened a way for her. Her boss allowed her to do whatever she wanted after she finished her full-time financial work in New York. She completed her work efficiently and then went to Germany to serve as a missionary 24/7. The vitality all over his body makes me admire him. She said she wanted to be a missionary because Teacher Gao Lili once asked her to help deliver meals to the KRC camp. After delivering the meals, she heard a sharing about missions. After listening to the call, she took action... I can only sigh at what God has done—asking for help can also become a bridge between people and their calling? It seems that when doing holy work, don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Perhaps God’s will will be revealed to others through you. God is so eclectic in his work.

▲In the 2017 KRC camp, there were leaders who were generous, considerate, and wise in their words, as well as teachers and students who were compassionate and demonstrated their faith with their lives.

This time I went to Taiwan, it was the first time for me, alone, with a dark eye, and an unfamiliar place. However, God gave me grace one after another, and many wonderful moments of life were presented before my eyes. For example, when it comes to housing, I can rent a convenient and comfortable vacant house in Taipei for free. The owner of the house has benefited me with her consistent joyful and generous life for the Lord. I feel humbled by this and deeply admire the Lord’s deeds.

When traveling in Taiwan, even though I am a novice, I always have "tour guides", "photographers", "foodies" and "caring companions" who are full of information and wisdom. Each of them has his own life story. I am fortunate enough to know more about some people who, despite going through hardships, have emerged from the dead because of the Lord. They have both upward pursuits and downward steadiness. The way their lives blossom makes me endlessly appreciate them; some I have only glimpsed one or two, but The scenery from a window is already quite moving, and just a glance at the bonsai already shows the gardener's ingenuity.

This time at the KRC cultural camp in Taiwan, there were leaders who were generous and considerate, and spoke with wisdom, there were volunteers who were willing to give, capable, and had their own unique skills, and there were also compassionate, on-the-job missionaries, and... The teachers and students of Life Interpretation Faith all let me see what God has done in their lives, and I couldn't help but be amazed by both the "athletes" and the "coaches".

The Bible says: "But in humility of mind, each of you consider others better than yourself." (Philippians 2:3) Confucius said, "When three people walk together, there will be one who is my teacher." I don't think there is any need to "be intentional", even if these brothers and sisters The twosome also made me naturally humble. There was a legend of God in their lives, which brightened my eyes like clouds and made me respect and benefit from them. “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom God has sent.” (John 6:28) Their words, actions, and life trajectories tell the legend of God, and they also inspire me to be kind in words and deeds, and to live in peace. It’s time to be worthy of God and be kind to the people in your life’s orbit.

Note: Data from Taiwan Environmental Information Center in April 2016.

Li Wenping: Traveler—a journey of body, mind and spirit. The journey is also the purpose.