Taichung Folklore Park

Well, I did indeed have another holiday today after Super Typhoon Jangmi spent a good two days walloping most of Taiwan.  Sunday was the day of insane winds; signs were flying around the streets, scooters were knocked over, noodle stands were tossed about like ragdolls, and a dangerously sharp lightening rod was ripped down from the roof of my building.  Monday, today, was the day of rain; a torrential rain fell through most of the day, and is only now subsiding at 11:30pm.

Knowing that a typhoon was on the way and that I had a probable three day weekend on my hands, Nok and I took the opportunity on Saturday to head to the Taichung Folklore Park.  My main reason for going was as part of an assignment for one of my online classes – a study of popular culture.  We spent a couple of hours wandering around the park, which included a handful of old temples, an ancient, traditional home made of pounded earth, a giant “salted vegetable” bucket, and a fairly extensive museum filled with actual artifacts gathered from all over Taiwan, showing a much older way of life.  The goal was to find a museum that was the equivalent of the Maine State Museum and I think it was success; even down to the wax people enacting scenes of a long-forgotten way of life.

The giant salted vegetable bucket. It was taller than me.

The old house made from pounded earth.

Inside the house of pounded earth.

An old tree outside the house of pounded earth.

A collision of old and new: an ancient temple sits nestled between modern apartment buildings.

One of many corridors in the museum, each lined with dozens of unique artifacts from traditional Taiwanese life.

Another room filled with artifacts. Each room had two wooden tables with an old fashioned board game on top.

Many families stopped to play the games provided on each table throughout the museum. Some tables had what appeared to be Mahjong, while others had this game which looked similar to Othello.

Puppets. Puppet shows are an elaborate tradition in Taiwan, and even today they can be seen at temples across the country.

The various tools of the traditional opium fiend.

"Spiked Stick." Early Taiwanese weapon makers certainly understood the value of appearances. Absolutely frightening!

One's weapon collection wouldn't be complete without the old "spiked ball" to go with the spiked stick

Elaborately painted panels next to a full size aboriginal canoe. Unfortunately, my photos of the canoe didn't come out very well since I was unable to use a flash.

A wooden replica of the aboriginal boat.

Wax statues displaying the workings at an old fashioned palm reading.

Out of the museum and onto the temple. This was the main shrine in one of the temples.

The park also included a nicely groomed fish pond, which had some real monsters inside.

Once home, we brought Scroggins to the roof in time to see a spectacular, typhoon induced sunset.