Touring Taipei

Visiting Taiwan, you say?  Not particularly interested in birds / birding / standing next to a 400-year-old Buddhist temple, looking in the opposite direction with binoculars trained at some distant bird-like silhouette on the horizon?  Gasp!  Doth my ears deceive me?

For readers without birds on the brain (literally and figuratively), I’ve compiled a short list of must-see attractions in Taipei City, geared toward those with only a few days to spare.  These are just the sites that Melanie and I actually visited; there are so many more things to see and do in Taipei City, so get out there and explore!

#1: The National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院)

How to get there: The National Palace Museum is located in the Shilin district of Taipei City.  There are several ways to get there.  You can take the Tamsui Line (Red Line) of the MRT and get off at Shilin Station, then take a Red 30 bus to the Museum.  Other buses that will get you close the Museum are 255, 304, 815, and Minibus 18 and 19.  Alternately you can take the Wenhu Line (Brown Line) to Dazhi Station and take a Brown 13 bus to the Museum.  Lastly, getting off the Wenhu Line at Jiannan Road Station and taking a Brown 20 bus will also take you to the Museum.

MRT Map to the National Palace Museum.  Each station mentioned above is circled in red.

Why go there: Besides the amazing grounds and architecture, the National Palace Museum is a national museum of the Republic of China, and houses some 700,000 artifacts covering nearly 8,000 years of Chinese history.  The Museum was originally established in Beijing.  During the Chinese Civil War, it was relocated to Taipei.  Only about 22% of the artifacts from the Beijing Museum were transported to Taiwan, but these represent some of the finest pieces in the collection.  Photography is prohibited within the Museum, so you will have to see the collection for yourself.  Numerous artifacts, ranging from rare book collections to Imperial items to works of art, are on display at the National Palace Museum.

The main entrance to the National Palace Museum.

Overlooking the grounds of the Museum.

Be sure to grab a bite to eat at the Sanxitang Teahouse on the fourth floor.

Adjacent to the National Palace Museum is the Zhishan Garden.  Tranquil koi ponds and quiet winding paths weave their way across the Garden.  Large koi are kept in the ponds, and several covered pagodas offer shade and relaxation.  There is also enough habitat to attract wildlife, including black-crowned night-herons, Malayan night-herons, black drongos, Taiwan barbets, and even crested serpent-eagles riding the thermals over the surrounding mountainside (I found three of these birds soaring overhead during my visit).  The Museum also keeps a pair of black swans and other domestic waterfowl on site.

The Zhishan Garden, adjacent to the National Palace Museum.

Juvenile Malayan Night-heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) at the Zhishan Garden

Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax) at the Zhishan Garden

__________________________________________________________

#2: Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)

How to get there: The Shilin Night Market is easily accessible via the MRT Tamsui Line (Red Line); get off at the Shilin Station and you’re there.

Why go there: The Shilin Night Market is the most popular of Taipei City’s “night markets.”  A shopper’s paradise with a carnival atmosphere, the night market tempts the senses and tries one’s patience with exotic, robust tastes and aromas combined with seriously backed-up foot traffic.  Regardless of what you’re looking for, this night market has it.  Foods from around the world can be purchased conveniently and cheaply from countless street vendors.  If you stop nowhere else, be sure to hit up the Hot Star Large Fried Chicken stand.  The stand is easy to find, just look for the long line of people waiting patiently with the same look on their faces that a hungry dog gives to a three-legged cat.

The Hot Star Large Fried Chicken Stand…there’s always a line up here, and for good reason!

Fried chicken not your thing?  Try any of the other street vendors.

__________________________________________________________

# 3: The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (国立中正纪念堂)

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, with gardens in the foreground.

How to get there: The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is accessed via the MRT Tamsui Line (Red Line).  Simply get off at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station; this is also a transfer station for the Xiaonanmen Branch Line.

A map of the Taipei MRT.  The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station is circled in red.

Why go there: No trip to Taipei City would be complete without a visit to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.  Built in memory of the late President Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975), the Memorial Hall is a popular tourist attraction in Taipei City.  The main Hall houses a statue of the late President, and the lower levels of the Hall are home to a museum portraying the President’s life and military and political history.  Many unique and rare artifacts, such as the President’s car, reading glasses, and military service medals, are on display in the museum levels.

The Main Gate at the CKS Memorial Hall.  The inscription on the gate names this place “Liberty Square.”

The National Concert Hall at the CKS Memorial.

The imposing facade of the CKS Memorial Hall.  There are 87 stairs to reach the main hall, one for each year of the President’s life.

Inside the Main Hall at the CKS Memorial.  Members of the Honor Guard are on-site at all times; on the hour there is a changing of the guards which attracts many visitors.

The Memorial Hall is just one part of an expansive square, which serves as a popular public meeting place and the location of the National Theater and National Concert Hall.  Twin gardens adorn either side of the square, and there is an impressive gateway at the main entrance to the square.  These small oases in the concrete jungle of Taipei City also attract a wide variety of wildlife.  The koi ponds are host to many fish and turtles, and Eurasian moorhens breed here.  In the late summer you can see and feed the small chicks as they swim around the pond.

One of the koi ponds at the CKS Memorial Hall.

A view of one of the garden plots at the CKS Memorial Hall.  The National Concert Hall is in the background.

All manner of bird life can be found in and around the gardens.  Including the moorhens, black-crowned night-herons and Malayan night-herons can be found at the ponds and throughout the gardens.  Common and Javan mynas are plentiful, as are spotted doves and red collared-doves.  On my visit to the CKS Memorial Hall, I found several light-vented bulbuls and Japanese white-eyes, black-collared starlings, and black drongos.  You may also find grey treepies and oriental magpie-robins.  Head over there at dusk to watch the sky fill up with Pacific and barn swallows, and maybe even the occasional bat.

Red Collared-dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis) at the CKS Memorial Hall

Juvenile Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus) at the CKS Memorial Hall koi pond.

Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus harterti) at the CKS Memorial Hall

Juvenile Oriental Magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis prosthopellus) at the CKS Memorial Hall

__________________________________________________________

Taiwan: Lifer Mania Part II

After striking pay dirt at the Taipei Botanical Garden, bagging eight lifers in just a few hours, we decided to switch tracks for a little while and experience the more cultural side of Taipei.  Melanie had looked into some of the local temples, and the Xingtian Temple (行天宮) was one of her top picks.

Taipei MRT Map.  Xingtian Temple Station is circled in red.

Xingtian Temple does not have a long history, unlike some of the other temples in Taipei, but it is one of the city’s busiest temples.  It was built in 1967 in honor of Guangong (162-219 CE), a famous general who was deified and worshiped as the god of war and the patron of knights and those who follow a righteous code.  This temple is also significant to people in business, as Guangong was said to be very adept in finances.

Melanie poses in front of the entrance gate at the Xingtian Temple.  Meanwhile, Taipei traffic continues unabated.

The main entrance to the Xingtian Temple.  It may not show well in this photo, but the detail in the carvings adorning the rooftops is simply astonishing.

Inside the Xingtian Temple, supplicants present daily offerings to the deities of the Temple.  The central structure here houses one of the Buddha images in the temple.

At this point we had been birding and sightseeing for half of the day.  Melanie was getting a little tired, so she decided to head back to the hotel and catch up on some reading.  I pressed on and went to the Hua Jiang Wild Duck Nature Park (永續公共工程).  This planned park is nestled along the Tamsui River, and is a short walk from the Longshan Temple MRT station.  From the Longshan Temple station, follow Xiyuan Road, Section 1, north towards Guilin Road.  Make a left onto Guilin, and follow it to the expressway; Hua Jiang is on the other side of the expressway, just take the underpass entrance.

There is a well-traveled bicycle path along the Tamsui River, and this constitutes the main walkway through Hua Jiang.  The park itself offers great views of the river, and has enough diverse habitats to make the birding interesting.  Upon arriving, I was greeted by at least twenty cattle egrets foraging on the lawns.  By this time of year most of the egrets had lost their orange color, so they were a little trickier to identify than usual.  There were also a plethora of mynas, including common mynas and Javan mynas.  Two spotted doves were picking through the grasses.  I decided to head north for awhile, following the river in the hopes of spotting some interesting herons or perhaps some shorebirds.  The water was low in places, revealing mudflats, and hidden in the vegetation I found three Eurasian moorhens and an adult white-breasted waterhen.  A single common sandpiper and common greenshank were the only shorebirds around.  There were also a few black-crowned night-herons, little egrets, and a common kingfisher to the north of the Park.

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis tristis).  These were very numerous at Hua Jiang.

Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus)

A juvenile Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis coromandus)

A juvenile Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax)

Heading south into the heart of Hua Jiang led me past an expansive mudflat area.  In the reeds I found three plain prinias flitting about.  Several groups of shorebirds were out on the flats, including the resident little ringed plovers, a few more common sandpipers, and two migrant black-bellied plovers near the waterline.  The most impressive species, however, were the half dozen or so sacred ibises.  A Saharan species, the sacred ibis was introduced to Taiwan, and there are now an estimated 300 ibises throughout the country.

Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus aethiopicus).  Although an introduced species to Taiwan, it is nonetheless an incredibly impressive bird.

Picking through the masses of mynas on the lawn, I was able to locate three crested mynas hiding in a large tree.  Black-collared starlings called from the trees and tall electrical towers nearby.  Every step along the bicycle path flushed countless Eurasian tree sparrows, and one flock contained a few Indian silverbills.  These small finches are common cage birds, and resemble tiny sparrows with large bills capable of cracking seeds.

Indian Silverbill (Eudice malabarica)

Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus formosanus).  Lacking its crest, the long bill and reddish eye differentiate this bird from the similar Javan myna.

Black-collared Starling (Gracupica nigricollis)

A juvenile Red Collared-dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica humilis) foraging with the common mynas.

A juvenile Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis formosana)

For such a small park, Hua Jiang Wild Duck Nature Park packs the proverbial punch when it comes to delivering on a variety of bird species.  The sun was getting low in the sky, and my feet had decided that enough was enough.  Just before calling it quits, I spotted a yellowish heron flying low over the reeds.  I got the binoculars on it in time to ID the bird as a yellow bittern!  No sooner had it appeared than it dropped into the reeds and vanished.

 I returned to the entrance to Hua Jiang, satisfied at having bagged another eight lifers.  I wouldn’t get another chance to visit Hua Jiang before leaving Taiwan, but it had definitely been worth the trip out.  Our first full day in Taiwan came to a restful and relaxing close.
______________________________________________________________________

Day List: 34
Lifers of the Day (8): Sacred Ibis, Indian Silverbill, Common Myna, Plain Prinia, Black-collared Starling, Spotted Dove, Crested Myna, Yellow Bittern
Taiwan List (to date): 34
Life List: 520

Taiwan: Lifer Mania Part I

The sun rose on our first morning in Taiwan.  It was going to be a hot and humid day, with a chance of thunderstorms later in the afternoon.  Having already added two new birds to my list, just by travelling from the airport to our hotel, I was anxious to get out and find some more birds.

The top of my list for birding sites in Taipei was the Taipei Botanical Garden (台北植物園), where my research told me Malayan night-heron was a slam dunk.  The Garden is located just a 5 minute walk from the Xiaonanmen subway station.  There is no entry fee, and the Garden is conveniently open from 4am to 10pm.  It’s as if they’re specifically targeting birders with that early morning opening.  Upon reaching street level at the Xiaonanmen station, I pointed out two Javan mynas to Melanie.  This species, like many of the mynas, was introduced to Taiwan and managed to sustain a population within in the country.

The entrance to the Taipei Botanical Garden.

We had no sooner walked through the gate then I found my target bird.  Just to the right, in a closed off portion of the garden, stood a Malayan night-heron!  If only all lifers were this easy.  The Malayan night-heron prefers dark, damp forests over marshes and wetlands.  All of the Malayan night-herons I would see during my time in Taiwan were foraging on the ground, away from water, picking through leaf litter or grass clippings.  These night-herons also seemed unusually acclimatized to humans, and you could walk up to them very close without flushing them.

Malayan Night-heron (Gorsachius melanolophus)

A little ways from the entrance was an intersection of trails.  I stopped here for a moment to take some notes, and in so doing spotted a Taiwan barbet, black bulbul, and several light-vented bulbuls flitting around in the trees.  It was a literal buffet of lifers: almost every hint of movement in the vegetation revealed another species I had never seen before.

This path seems like a good choice.

The intersection had three branches, each of which would meander through the Garden and eventually take me back to where I started.  In times like these, I find it’s always a safe bet to go up the middle.  This path took us towards the Bu-Zheng-Shi-Si Yamen (臺灣布政使司衙門), the Office of Provincial Administration Commission.  Originally built in 1887, when Taiwan was declared a Chinese province, the Yamen (“Imperial bureau”) housed the administrative functions of the regulatory authority Bu-Zheng-Shi-Si.  The Yamen was later dismantled and parts of the structure were rebuilt at different sites, including the Botanical Garden.

Bu-Zheng-Shi-Si Yamen

I really liked this flower by the entrance.

The long hallway entrance of the Bu-Zheng-Shi-Si Yamen.  Every inch of the structure was ornately decorated.

A small stream flowed through the Garden, and near the Yamen there was a small footbridge overlooking the water.  A tall bush grew close to the bridge, and it was dripping with birds.  The vast majority were Japanese white-eyes, but several light-vented bulbuls were also foraging there, as well as a single black bulbul which had completely molted its head feathers.  A short distance downstream I noticed an oriental magpie-robin sunning itself on a huge palm leaf.

Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus simplex).  This was by far one of the most numerous bird at the Botanical Garden.

“Taiwan” Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis formosae)

A male Oriental Magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis prosthopellus)

A “Taiwan” Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus nigerrimus), looking ridiculous without its head feathers.

Nearby was a large greenhouse, which housed the Garden’s more predatory plants.  Although the greenhouse was locked, through the windows we could see scores of pitcher plants, likely several different species, covering the whole of the interior.  Many visitors were lining up near one window, which had several large pitchers growing right against the glass.  The greenhouse also had several flower beds nearby, and a small pond with lilypads.  Eurasian tree sparrows and light-vented bulbuls were feeding around this area, and I also was able to photograph several dragonflies near the pond, including a crimson dropwing and a crimson-tailed marsh hawk.

The Greenhouse.  It was closed, but through the windows we could see that the interior was covered with pitcher plants.

A male Crimson Dropwing (Trithemis aurora)

A male Crimson-tailed Marsh Hawk (Orthetrum pruinosum)

We continued on through the Garden.  I was looking for one of the Garden’s star features, the Lotus Pond.  We eventually stumbled onto it – the pond was entirely covered in lotus plants.  Only a few blossoms were in bloom (it was mid-August after all), but the leafy parts of the plants dominated the pond, and the area looked more like an overgrown field than a tranquil pond.  A little egret and two Eurasian moorhens were making good use of the cover provided by the lotus plants.  A common kingfisher briefly buzzed by the area, quickly disappearing into some heavier vegetation around the edges.  On one side of the Lotus Pond there is a small pavilion with benches, so we decided to take a break there and have a quick snack.

The Lotus Pond at the Taipei Botanical Garden.

A nominate Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus).  Click this photo to see a video of this bird preening.

Our reluctant hero never misses a photo op…well, almost never.

Sunlight filters through the trees behind a pagoda at the Lotus Pond.

As we approached, we noticed several photographers camped out in the corner of the pavilion, all of them looking at a large tree nearby.  I couldn’t see anything in the branches, so I went over to see what was so interesting.  It turned out to be a Taiwan barbet nest, and as I watched, an adult barbet emerged from the cavity, flew off, and was followed by a juvenile barbet that stuck its head out of the hole, intermittently calling to the adult for food.

A juvenile Taiwan Barbet (Megalaima nuchalis).  This species is endemic to Taiwan.

As we all took turns getting photos, I noticed three juvenile white-breasted waterhens foraging near the edge of the pond.  The waterhens resembled skinny chickens with long necks.  Watching these birds move and run around, it’s easy to see how birds evolved from dinosaurs.  Take away the wings and add some forelimbs, and you’ve got a small dinosaur instead of a rail.  A group of six grey treepies also put in an appearance, scattering the Eurasian tree sparrows that were foraging in the area.

One of three juvenile nominate White-breasted Waterhens (Amaurornis phoenicurus phoenicurus)

Grey Treepie (Dendrocitta formosae formosae)

Common Flangetail (Ictinogomphus decoratus melaenops)

Having spent the whole morning touring the Garden, it was time to check out some other sites nearby.  Whether you’re in Taipei for a few days, or you only have a few hours to spend, the Taipei Botanical Garden is a must-see location.  No birding trip to Taipei is complete without a stop here.

After a short break for lunch, it was on to the Xingtian Temple (行天宮) and Hua Jiang Wild Duck Nature Park.
______________________________________________________________________

Day List: 13
Lifers of the Day (8): Javan Myna, Malayan Night-heron, Taiwan Barbet, Black Bulbul, Light-vented Bulbul, Oriental Magpie-robin, Grey Treepie, White-breasted Waterhen
Taiwan List (to date): 15
Life List: 512

Destination: Taiwan

At long last, summer vacation had arrived.  I completed my two weeks of English camps, and was granted almost two weeks of vacation time.  Melanie and I had originally planned to go to Thailand for our summer vacation, but budgeting concerns and truly tragic flight schedules axed that idea.  Our next choice was Taiwan: it’s much closer to South Korea, there is only a one hour time difference, and there are plenty of short, non-stop, and affordable, flights available.

We left Gwangju on August 8 and bused to Incheon International Airport in Seoul.  Our flight left early on the morning of the 9th, but Melanie’s English camp ran until 1:30pm on the 8th, so we opted to stay the night and leave in the morning.  Neither of us had ever been to Taiwan before, and like a couple of school kids we excitedly waited for our plane to depart.

Somewhere on that board was our flight to Taiwan…

There is something a little odd about the exterior design concept of the Incheon International Airport.  Koreans love to play golf, but really?

This is the first Subway I’ve found in all of Korea.  There is no better way to start your morning off right than with a 6-inch turkey sub with chipotle sauce (it’s called “southwest sauce” here).

Our flight finally began, and the trip itself was uneventful.  Being only exposed to North American airlines, there is a lot of be said about how foreign airlines remember how air travel used to be.  The meals are amazing (for airplane food), even economy class has leg room, and the staff are just happier to be there than the North American equivalent.  If you’ve never flown outside of North America, I highly recommend it.

We arrived at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport, and after clearing customs (they actually stamped my passport!) and getting our bags, we hopped on a shuttle bus to take us to our hotel.  The ride was longer than I expected, and it’s entirely possible that the “shuttle bus” was actually just a regular city bus that followed a set route from the airport to the Datong district.  I’ve never been on a shuttle from an airport that picked people up at various places along the way.

On the ride to our hotel, I caught glimpses of red collared-doves and a besra along the highway.  These quick views counted as my first two lifers of the trip.  Did you honestly think I wouldn’t be hyper-vigilant once I set foot in Taipei?  Lifers could be anywhere, and I was on a mission.

In a round-about fashion we arrived at our destination, the Dong Wu Hotel in the Datong district of Taipei.  The hotel came highly recommended for quality service at reasonable prices, and its location 5 minutes from the Daqiaotou MRT station was ideal to quick travel around Taipei without having a vehicle.

Although it didn’t look like much from the outside (Datong is an older neighborhood), I was impressed with the service and facilities at the hotel.  All of the staff spoke excellent English, and were always ready to greet you, even in passing.  The rooms were what you’d expect from a decent hotel, and the free breakfast every morning included a combination of Chinese and Western options.  There is also a Family Mart next door to the hotel; think 711.

The Dong Wu Hotel at night.  I still don’t know why I didn’t get a shot of it during the day.

We spent most of the first day of our trip unpacking and unwinding.  We both had researched places and attractions we wanted to see during our trip, so for dinner we headed over to the Ximending Night Market (西門町).  The night market can be accessed from Exit 6 of the Ximen Station.

Taipei Metro map.  Ximen Station is circled in red.

One thing to say about the Taipei Metro system – it’s amazing!  Every station is clean and climate controlled.  The prices are insanely cheap: $500 NTD, or $16.50 USD, lasted me the full length of our trip, where we used the MRT every day we were in Taipei.  The trains arrive on time, and for the most part, although sometimes the trains can be very crowded, people are extremely polite and we were never bumped or pushed.  There is only one thing to know about the MRT – do not eat, drink, or even chew gum, anywhere in the stations.  Not a bottle of water or bagel.  Doing so lands you a fine between $1,500 and $7,500 NTD ($50 to $250 USD).  I’ve come to realize that Asia really has its act together when it comes to public transportation, at least Taiwan and South Korea do.

When we got to Ximending, we were a little overwhelmed.  Large crowds of Asians has long since ceased to amaze us, but we had gotten used to signs being written in hangeul, Korea’s alphabet, so that even though we usually don’t know what it’s saying, we can still read the words and maybe get lucky and have it being phonetic English written out in Korean.  But in Taipei, Mandarin is the official language, and the Chinese writing system is a whole new ball game.  So, back to picture menus it is.

Luckily for us we stumbled onto Sam’s Noodles Hong Kong, a pho style noodle house in Ximending.  The menu was bilingual, and the staff spoke relatively good English.  But the food was amazing.  I used to love going out for pho when I lived in Ottawa, and I’ve found a few good places in Korea as well.  Plenty of food, and the bill came to only $280 NTD ($9.34 USD).

One of the specials at Sam’s Noodles Hong Kong.  All that food for only $4.33 USD.

Ham and beef with noodles in a medium-spicy broth.  Add in hints of cumin and curry…hungry yet?

After dinner we walked around Ximending for a while longer, taking in the atmosphere of the place.  It’s a sign of the approaching autumn (and the lower latitudes) that it was getting dark at 6:30pm, so we returned to the hotel and watched some Chinese TV before calling it a day.

The adventure was just beginning…
_____________________________________________

Day List: 2
Lifers of the Day (2): Red Collared-dove, Besra
Taiwan List: 2
Life List: 504