Kending: Greed and misjudgment
Kending is the result of misguided economic and tourism policies, as well as misjudgments by private businesses. Let’s go back to the year 2001: Kending was a dream vacation for my young nieces. My wife and I took them there — it was their first trip without their parents. Even back then, Kending was rather […]
Lakeside Hotel 湖濱大飯店
The Lakeside Hotel, located near the Shimen Reservoir, belonged to a hotel group of the same name. There is little information available about this hotel. According to online sources, it ceased operations in 2001 after suffering financial losses since 1998. The hotel is of interest to us for two main reasons: the rise of ghost […]
Pain
edit: 2025/9/7 The 2015 New Taipei water park fire (Formosa Fun Coast Park) was probably the most tragic incident in recent Taiwanese history, because many university students died or were horribly injured. The site is still partially preserved. They still call it the Hellfire of Bali to this day. This place used to be a […]
Lost Places – Lost Dream
I was on my way to Lugu (Rd. 151) when I caught a glimpse of a temple through the trees. I turned in—and there it was: a hidden beauty. I returned with the kids, and we entered quite officially through the main gate. We met some of the local residents and asked around. The lady […]
Shimen Sesame Grand Hotel (芝麻大酒店)
The Shimen Sesame Grand Hotel is a hotel located in the scenic area of Shimen Reservoir in Longtan District, Taoyuan. It began operations in 1976 and was the first example of a real estate investment trust (REIT) in Taiwan. Once flourishing, the hotel fell into decline due to the downturn in tourism at Shimen Reservoir, […]
Research in Indigenous Areas
dangerous places (get lost, hornets, dogs, snakes) This article—perhaps best described as semi-scholarly due to its lack of excessive footnotes and artificial language—deals with research on indigenous peoples. It is based on years of reading, several of my academic papers, and above all, practical experience. I will continue to update it regularly. The fundamental problem […]
Caesar Plastics Industrial Corp.
Such abandoned companies sometimes offer us more insight into Taiwanese habits than it might seem—especially when we do a bit of research. Here we see a traditional company that apparently also cared about its employees. At the same time, it is an example of the kind of “cold bankruptcy” common in Taiwan—operations simply cease without […]
Decaying Hsinpu
Hsinpu lies on the border between Taoyuan and Hsinchu, near Yangmei. It is a Hakka area that has seen better days. Abandoned Church In 2024, I saw this church for the first time. It’s already quite overgrown, which is probably why it’s always overlooked. It likely had numerous outbuildings, which are now slowly being reclaimed […]
Military Dependents’ Village Cultural Park
In Qingshui stands a well-preserved Military Dependents’ Village Cultural Park (清水眷村文化園區), surrounded by rice fields, with buildings that can be entered (beware of collapse and snake hazards!). (Glorious times – were gone) (The structures are still clearly recognizable, but the gnawing tooth of time is not very patient.) Its history dates back to 1938, serving […]
The Battle to Survive
Renzhiguan is one of the most beautiful spots along Provincial Highway 14, between Puli and Hehuan Mountain. To reach Wushe, travelers must first pass through Renzhiguan, a well-known natural stronghold and strategic pass since ancient times. Located between the Daguang and Ren’ai Bridges, this section of the route follows the Meixi River. As the river […]