Taiwan Trip 2009

International Chinese Culinary Competition Reception

On Nov.24, 2009 the International Chinese Culinary Competition Reception was held at Han-Hsien International Hotel. More than 5 past contestants has attended the event to talk about their experience and also share their insight about their cooking skills. This reception is to encourage more chefs to participate in the competition also to learn from past contestants.

International Chinese Culinary Competition

The Asia Pacific preliminary: July 4th & 5th, 2009
The North America preliminary: September 20th, 2009

Experience the Competition

http://culinary.ntdtv.com/en

Watch master chefs from around the world compete for the gold. Sample traditional dishes from the 5 major cuisine styles. Try some of China’s most popular wines. Experience the sophistication of Chinese teas. Day passes available. Click here to order tickets.

September 20 -21, 2009

Tastings at the Competition

Sample the food that judges sample. Taste the food contestants create! Limited Connoisseur’s tasting passes available. Click here for details.

September 20 – 21, 2009

Banquet by Winning Chefs

Featuring favorite dishes by the Competition’s gold, silver, and bronze prize-winning chefs, feast on the best examples of traditional Chinese cuisine! Book a table or a single seat. Click here for details.

September 22, 2009

Former British Consulate

The former Ching means the Ching Dynasty while Taka is the ancient name of Kaohsiung.
The consulate was built in 1865 with more than a hundred years of history. It is now the most antique western building preserved in Taiwan, which is listed as the second-class historic spot. It was the western building designed by a British engineer and built by Chinese craftsmen, and it is the most meaningful ancient building of Chinese modern history with graceful and elegant proportion. Semicircle arches are rhythmically arranged in order with considerably rhyming. At the corner, the circle arch is smaller and the wall pillar is bigger, which has reinforced function in dynamics. It is the Baroque typed building of the Renaissance era. It emphasizes on the stylish regular pattern and its hollow pattern railings were built with excellent bricks. Harmonious sense of beauty is shown at every turn. Among the existing western style buildings in Taiwan, it provides an excellent example of technique and style and that possesses the value of historical architecture study and conservation value. The building brick and mortar used all continue using the traditional method of Fukien and Taiwan. Some parts are even filled with clay and soil, while wooden truss is built with complete western style. It is the building that has double function, administrative and residencial function, and its style also lies in between them. It is the portrayal illustration of modern Chinese and Western cultural communication, and also the first formal consulate built by foreigners in Taiwan. The occurrence of consulate opened up the development of western architecture for Taiwan in the future.

Posters of persecution of Falun Gong displayed near former British Consulate and help raise awareness of the persecution to Chinese tourists.

Kaohsiung Harbor

Posters of persecution of Falun Gong near Kaohsiung Harbor and also encourage Chinese tourists to withdraw and quit from CCP

The car that broadcasting the persecution of Falun Gong to Chinese tourists

Quit Chinese Communist Party service desk

Lotus Lake

This famous scenic area on the northern outskirts of Kaohsiung City is noted for its profusion of temples, with the Confucius Temple at its northern edge and, in the south, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the Spring and Autumn Pavilions. The lake is most beautiful in the late afternoon, when the setting sun is reflected in the water. Nearby are the ruins of the Fongshan County walls and gates, which have been designated a first-grade historic.

Posters of persecution of Falun Gong near Lotus Lake and also encourage Chinese tourists to withdraw and quit from CCP

Dream Mall

Nature, life and maritime culture converge at Dream Mall, Kaohsiung City's first international class shopping and leisure center. The new mall is situated in Kaohsiung Multifunctional Commerce and Trade Park adjacent to Chenggong Rd. and Jhonghua Rd. The east-west running Time Avenue lies to the north and Kaohsiung International Airport, Kaohsiung Harbor, Sun Yat-sen Expressway and MRT stations are located nearby, making the mall easy to reach. The front Blue Whale Hall rises seven floors, while the main mall building has nine aboveground floors plus two underground levels providing indoor parking for up to 3,561 cars and 2,016 scooters. An additional 605 cars, 636 scooters, and 21 buses can fit into the outside lot.

The shopping area of Dream Mall covers about 257,000 square meters of the total floor space of 400,000 square meters, accommodating nearly 600 major retail shops. Among them are five anchor businesses—Uni-Hankyu Department Store of Japan, Britain's Marks & Spencer Department Store, Japan's Hokkaido Ice & Snow Theme Park, Hello Kitty Ferris Wheel, Happy 100, and Cinemark Cinema—as well as 18 big box stores. The innovative mall design incorporates natural and maritime motifs based on the four major themes of water, flowers, nature, and the universe. In addition to shopping, visitors to Dream Mall combines leisure, recreation, art and culture, and dining functions to create a major new recreation landmark in the maritime capital of Kaohsiung.

Icons of the World Games 2009 displayed in front of Dream Mall

Store display inside Dream Mall

Hello Kitty Store inside Dream Mall

Lui Ho Night Market

You will not be considered to visit Kaohsiung if you miss out Liu Ho Night Market. As early as in 1950, more and more stalls came to stationed in Ta Kang Pu of Hsin Hsing District in Kaohsiung, finally forming the well-known "Ta Kang Pu Night Market". The night market is developed into large-scale, known as Liu Ho Night Market. The Night Market is not far away if you walk from Kaohsiung Railway Station along the Chung Shan Road straightforward, which takes only ten minutes more, and then turn right to Liu Ho Road. In daytime, the market is a straight road, and turns into prosperous market area in nighttime. There are 138 stalls in Liu Ho Night Market, most of them serve snacks and provide entertainment and games for recreation, the garments/apparels and groceries are rarely seen in the market. In particular, the dozens of steak houses boom around the market offering beef steak at reasonable price or family-size package meal. No matter what you like to have, a variety of delicious food, specialties, cold drinks, ices and seafood here are offered for your choice. Just remind you, don't miss the opportunity to taste the papaya milk and steamed salty shrimps in Kaohsiung.

Falun Gong practitioners put up posters near Lui Ho Night Market helping tourists from China understand the facts about the persecution of Falun Gong

Taiwan: Asia Sharing Conference

Held in Taichung (Photos)

By Li Huirong and Liu Wenxin