Changhua Travel: Great Buddha sculpture of Baguashan

The due day is coming up soon (in 2 weeks). My mother-in-law is becoming more and more annoying, trying to convince me to stay home only... But my husband and I enjoy going out anywhere. Well, staying under one roof is pretty tough...

This time we came to Changhua to see the Baguashan Buddha. From Baguashan, you can also get a view of Changhua City. Parking there is free, and you can also find some food stalls around, usually selling sausages and eggs, even ostrich eggs.

Baguashan Buddha (八卦山大佛)

The Great Buddha is built on a hill 74 meters above sea level. The Gautama Buddha sits on a 4-meter-tall lotus seat, and the overall height is 24 meters. This statue used to be one of the biggest in Asia upon its completion in 1961. The sculpture is separated into 6 floors that visitors can climb. Inside, you will see many sculptures telling the story of Buddha.

The Great Buddha Temple behind the statue was built in 1972 and is made in the style of an ornate palace. It combines Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian beliefs, which is very rare. The first floor is dedicated to the greatest sage and teacher, Confucius. On the second floor, the Taoist God of War, Guan Yu, takes his place. Buddhism sits on the third floor with its primary deity, Gautama Buddha.

You can also try to lift Guan Yu's weapon, which weighs 64 kg.

On both sides of the temple, 9-floor pagodas were built, which serve as columbaria.

Baguashan was used for military purposes for a long time. The biggest battle in Taiwan's history also took place here. The battle was fought in 1895 but ended with a Japanese victory. Taiwan fought with only 5,000 men, many of whom were new recruits from Changhua, while the Japanese army had 15,000 soldiers.

Originally, a pavilion was built here, but it became destroyed during the war. During the Jiaqing Period, the pavilion was renovated, and a village was built here. In 1914, the Japanese completely destroyed the village, leaving only one wall standing.

See also: Changhua Shell Temple

Address:

500彰化縣彰化市溫泉路31號八卦山大佛寺

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Changhua & Yunlin Travel: ChenWen Academy and Wenwu Temple

ChenWen Academy (南天修文院懿德分院)

Today we went to Xiluo to visit some family. Nearby their place is an old temple - Chen Wen Academy. I have seen this building a few times but never really cared to check more information about this place. The building has a really long history, but it's not a popular place to visit.

The academies were built in 1797 as Wen Chang Temples to worship five emperors of learning during Qing Dynasty rule in Taiwan. The scale of the academy isn't large, but scholars often meet here to learn about poetry.

During the Qing Dynasty, there were four famous schools in the Yunlin District: Lungmes School, Kweiwen School, Shuwen School, and Chen Wen School.

Chen Wen School is the only one left, well-preserved and maintained.

Next to the academy, you can also see Nantian Xiuwenyuan Jude Branch. It's a temple dedicated to Confucius and Mencius.

It's not a typical temple; inside, you can find tables and chairs instead of Gods.

Check out never post about Chenwen Academy

Wenwu Temple (鹿港文武廟)

Another old religious place to visit is the Wenwu Temple in Changhua. This place is 3-in-1; you can see the Wenchuan (Wenkai) Academy, Wenchuang Shrine, and the Martial Temple.

Lukang is the oldest city in Changhua and used to be an important seaport in the 18th century. During that time, it was the second largest city in Taiwan.

Lukang is named one of the 10 small tourist towns in Taiwan.

In Lukang, you can find many old temples like Longshan Temple and Matzu Temple. The city has over 200 temples dedicated to a variety of deities.

In this town, two terms originated: ekang (下港) and tengkang (頂港), which refer to the south and north of Taiwan. The exact meaning is "below the harbor" and "above the harbor."

The Wenwu Temple is a building consisting of the Wenkai Academy on the left, Wenyu Temple in the center, and Wu Temple on the right, which were built at different times. The Wenyu Temple and Wu Temple were built in 1812. The Wenkai Academy was established in 1824. This place is a mix of a literature and martial arts temple.

The Wu Temple is dedicated to Guansheng Dijun. This temple doesn't have Door God paintings on the door, which is different from the official style of temples.

The Wenchang Shrine is the place where Lukang's literati gathered together and formed Ba She. It was the first association to study poetry. The Shrine is dedicated to the God of Scholarship - Wenchang, the Creator of Chinese characters - Cang Jie, and the God of Literature - Kuixin.

During the Japanese occupation, the Wenwu Temple served as a military camp and was once used as a classroom for Lukang Public School. In 1914, twenty-five people donated money for the renovation of this temple. In 1975, some buildings were destroyed by fire. After 10 years, the building was rebuilt but different from the past.

In front of the building, you can also see Dianchi Lake.

See also: Changhua Railway Roundhouse

See also: Mazu Glass Temple

 

 

Address:

1. ChenWen Academy:  648雲林縣西螺鎮興農西路8號南天修文院懿德分院
2. Wenchang Shrine and Martial Temple: 505彰化縣鹿港鎮青雲路2號鹿港文武廟

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Taiwanese street food: 酥 (su), 糕 (gao), 餅 (bing) (part II)

Cakes in Taiwan belong to three different categories: 酥 (su), 糕 (gao), and 餅 (bing).

Su (酥) is a pastry made with shortening and tends to crumble.

Gao (糕) starts with batter and is then steamed or baked.

Bing (餅) is a general name for wheat-flour-based food with a flat or disc-like shape. Many of them are similar to Indian roti, French crepes, and Mexican tortillas, but they can also resemble Western-style cakes and cookies. Bings can be sweet or savory.

See also: Taiwanese street food (part I)

1. Cōng dà bǐng (蔥大餅)

This pancake is made of dough with scallions, garlic, cheese, or brown sugar and baked, not fried. The flavor is very light and a little dry.

     

2. Cōng zhuā bǐng (蔥抓餅)

Cōng zhuā bǐng (fluffy scallion pancake) is one of the most famous pancakes in Taiwan. It's made with dough that is formed into a log, flattened, brushed with seasoned roux, and rolled. Later, the dough is pulled out and stretched, which forms layers, and it is then pan-fried.

 

3. Cōng yóubǐng (蔥油餅) 

This scallion oil pancake is made of dough with minced scallions. Cong you bing is pan-fried, which gives it a crispy and chewy texture. The pancakes are coated with egg on one side. You can also see variations with garlic chives called 韭菜餅 (Jiǔcài bǐng).

  

4. Dàn bǐng (蛋餅)

Dan bing is made of water, flour, and cornstarch and pan-fried. It is served with a fried egg and other fillings like corn, tuna, cheese, etc., rolled and sliced.

5. Gua Bao (刈包)

Gua Bao (meat sandwich) originates from China, specifically Shaanxi Province, and dates back to the Qing Dynasty (about 200 years ago). The meat, usually pork, is stewed for hours in a soup containing over 20 spices and seasonings. The bread is made from dough with yeast, baked, or fried.

  

6. Pepper bun - Hújiāo bǐng (胡椒餅)

Hu jiao bing is a type of baked bun that originates from China. It is one of the popular Taiwanese street foods. The dough is made of flour, water, and yeast, and the filling usually consists of pork meat marinated with pepper, soy sauce, and sugar.

Outside the bun, it is crunchy, and the meat inside is really juicy with a little spicy feeling from the pepper.

Pepper buns are baked in traditional cylindrical, high-heat clay ovens. Charcoal is put on the bottom of the oven to heat it. The buns are stacked on the walls from bottom to top. After baking, the buns are scraped off and taken out using a colander.

7. Xiàn bǐng (餡餅)

Xiàn bǐng (meat pies) are small fried breads made of dough with fillings like spring onion, leek, red beans, or pork meat.

8. Báobǐng (薄餅) 

Popiah (bao bing) is a soft, paper-like crepe or pancake made from wheat flour. Popiah can be used for both sweet or savory dishes. One popular dessert in Taiwan using this wrap is Ice cream and peanut roll. Other popular dishes are Beijing Duck or spring rolls, which can be fried or non-fried.

9. Tóu bǐng (頭餅)

Tóu bǐng is a kind of pancake with different fillings like peanut, chocolate, strawberry, or meat. It is fried on one side and folded.

10. Chinese meat pies (肉餅, Ròu bǐng) 

These cakes have a round shape and a sweet filling made from taro, sweet potatoes, and green tea mochi.

11. Sponge cake (古早味蛋糕, Gǔ zǎo wèi dàngāo)

You can find sponge cakes filled with cheese or meat floss, as well as various sweet flavors.

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Taiwanese street food: 酥 (su), 糕 (gao), 餅 (bing) (part I)

Cakes in Taiwan belong to three different categories: 酥 (su), 糕 (gao), and 餅 (bing).

Su (酥) is a pastry made with shortening and tends to crumble.

Gao (糕) starts with batter and is then steamed or baked.

Bing (餅) is a general name for wheat-flour-based food with a flat or disc-like shape. Many of them are similar to Indian roti, French crepes, and Mexican tortillas, but they can also resemble Western-style cakes and cookies. Bings can be sweet or savory.

See also: Taiwanese street food (part II)

1. Pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥, fengli su)

Pineapple cakes are definitely one of my favorite desserts in Taiwan. They are made from pastry dough including flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, and filled with pineapple jam. Sometimes pineapples are mixed with winter melon.

During the Japanese era, pineapples became the mainstay of Taiwan's economy. The Japanese imported many varieties of pineapples and established numerous processing plants.

In the 1930s, Taiwan became the third-largest exporter of these fruits in the world.

Pineapple cakes have a history of at least a century in Taiwan as ceremonial food. When production shifted towards domestic sales and the use of fresh pineapples, bakeries started to incorporate the fruit into pastries. Pineapple cakes became one of the top-selling souvenirs in Taiwan.

These cakes are often given as engagement gifts from the groom to the bride's family. In Hokkien language, pineapple (ong lai) sounds similar to the phrase "prosperity has come," which symbolizes the hope that many children will be born into the family.

2. Chinese New Year cakes / Non (年糕 / 甜糕, Niángāo)

Eating those cakes during the New Year is considered good luck. They are made of glutinous rice that is pounded into a paste, molded into shape, or cooked again. Nian gao can also be pan-fried before eating.

See also: How to make Nian Gao

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/owENfJCoVuZ4V3k98

3. Prosperity cakes (發糕 , Fāgāo) 

Usually eaten during Chinese New Year, fa gao is made of rice flour, yeast, and sugar, and then steamed. During steaming, the top of the cake splits into four segments.

4. Nionya cake (娘惹糕, Niáng rě gāo)

These cakes are made of glutinous rice flour or tapioca flour, with various ingredients added such as mung bean puree, red bean puree, peanut powder, coconut milk, coconut sugar, and more. These cakes can be prepared through methods like steaming, frying, or roasting, and they can be enjoyed in both sweet or savory variations.

5. Champion Rice Cake (狀元糕, Zhuàng yuán gāo)

Made of steamed glutinous rice flour, these cakes are usually filled with sesame or peanuts.

6. Red bean cakes (紅豆餅, Hóngdòu bǐng)

Red bean cakes are made of batter cooked in a special pan. These pancakes can be filled with butter, chocolate, red beans, peanuts, sesame, and more. They are very fluffy and make a delightful dessert. They are typically made in a round shape and are sometimes referred to as wheel cakes.

7. Moon cakes (月餅, Yuèbǐng)

Moon cakes are traditional cakes enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During this time, people exchange these cakes as gifts in beautiful boxes. Moon cakes are round in shape and decorated with Chinese characters. Typically, they are about 10 cm in diameter and 3-4 cm thick. Traditionally, moon cakes have sweet and dense fillings, such as lotus seed paste with egg yolk, sweet bean paste, or five nuts paste.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/ofsj8P9bc2FsDKbz9

8. Sun cakes (太陽餅, Tàiyáng bǐng)

Originating from Taichung, sun cakes have a flaky crust and are typically filled with condensed malt sugar. They are round in shape.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/N521ZomZzEf39NDZ9

9. Sweetheart cakes (老婆餅, Lǎopó bǐng)

These cakes have a thin, flaky pastry crust and are filled with watermelon, almond paste, sesame, and spiced with five spice powder.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/JyrYJW128CtKZDtP8

10. Wedding cakes (囍餅, Xǐ bǐng)

Wedding cakes are round cakes with a diameter of 20cm. They can be stuffed with sesame, red beans, green beans, white sugar, and more. The cakes are decorated with a double happiness pattern and sesame seeds. Traditionally, these cakes are given from the man's family to the woman's home before the wedding.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/pYyvNsBVdUADYZp58

11. White malt cake (白色麥芽餅, Báisè mài yá bǐng) 

This cake features processed maltose and is combined with coriander and peanut powder to make a cookie-like treat.

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