Tainan Travel: Baihe Lotus Festival

We are visiting Baihe District in Tainan, which is well known for its lotus farms. Baihe produces two-thirds of all lotus seeds in Taiwan. Every year, from June to September, the Lotus Festival is held here to promote the tourism industry. The town offers activities such as lotus picking, lotus tea ceremonies, painting, lotus-based meals, and ice creams. The only other place that organizes a Lotus Festival is Taoyuan, which is the second-largest producer of lotus in the country.

Lotus plants have their roots planted in the soil of rivers or ponds, while their leaves either float on the water or grow much higher above it. The flowers, which rise several centimeters above the leaves, are easy to spot. Lotus plants can typically grow up to 150 cm in height and 3 meters in width. The leaves can be as wide as 60 cm, while the flowers are about 20 cm in size.

You can also see water lily ponds around Baihe, as well as giant water lilies. These flowers originally come from the Amazon region. The floating leaves of the giant water lilies are strong enough for kids to sit on. For a fee of about 50 NTD, you can take pictures while sitting on these giant leaves.

Lotus has a very long history, dating back approximately 3000 years, of being cultivated for its edible seeds. The seeds can remain viable for many years. The oldest lotus plant was grown from a 1300-year-old seed found in China. The distribution of this plant ranges from central and northern India through northern Indochina and East Asia. Due to human translocation, these species can now be found in various parts of the world.

In Buddhism, the lotus represents purity of the body, speech, and mind. According to legend, Gautama Buddha was born with the ability to make lotus flowers bloom wherever he stepped. In Christianity, the St. Thomas Cross features a lotus at the base of the cross. In literature, the lotus symbolizes beauty, elegance, perfection, and grace.

Uses of different parts of the lotus

Lotus flowers can be used to brew lotus tea, which relieves heat-related illnesses and helps to stop bleeding. The lotus roots and center are helpful in stopping bleeding and strengthening the liver. The center can also calm the mind, increase sperm count, lower blood pressure, and treat heat-related illnesses. Lotus seeds are rich in starch, protein, and multiple vitamins. They have a sweet, tart, and mild taste. Eating lotus seeds can help with heart, kidney, stomach, and intestinal problems. They can also strengthen muscles and bones. Lotus seeds are processed into mooncakes, noodles, and various food products such as paste, fermented milk, rice wine, and ice creams. Lotus seed tea is also available. Lotus leaves can be used to make rice wraps. The dried leaves are beneficial for a healthier spleen and increased energy, while fresh leaves help relieve excess body heat. Lotus root is rich in vitamin C, B1, B2, protein, amino acids, sugar, and more. It is best for cooling the body and relieving bruises. It can be used as a vegetable or ground and processed into powder for brewing. Cooked lotus root is great for strengthening the stomach and reproductive organs. Lotus knots are rich in tannin, which helps to contract blood vessels. Lotus beard helps increase sperm count and stops bleeding. It can be eaten raw or stir-fried. Lotus stem helps adjust and smooth the life force (chi), relieves chest congestion, and aids in breast growth for women. The fruit stem helps keep the fetus healthy and stops diarrhea.

Lotus seed ice creams

Giant water lily

Address:

732台南市白河區三民路465號白河蓮花公園

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Tainan Travel: Visiting Anping ~ Mazu Temple and Anping Old Settlement Park

It's our second time visiting Anping. Two years ago, we visited the five most popular places that can be visited with a single ticket. This time, I wanted to see some places we missed before. We visited Sio House (Salt Museum), Oyster Shell Kiln, Temple, Old Street, forts and castle and some smaller ancient buildings. Some places are free to visit, while others have an entrance fee of 50 NTD. Anping is one of my favorite places to visit, as it is full of history and street food can be found everywhere. In March 2012, Anping was named one of the Top 10 Small Tourist Towns by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan. The older place name, Tayouan, comes from a nearby Taiwanese aboriginal tribe and was given by the Dutch and Portuguese. Han immigrants later renamed the area "Anping" after the Anping Bridge in Fujian. Soon after Qing rule was established in 1683, the name "Taiwan" (臺灣) was officially used to refer to the entire island with the establishment of Taiwan Prefecture.

Tainan Grand Mazu Temple (臺南祀典大天后 大媽祖廟)

Tainan Grand Mazu Temple (臺南祀典大天后 大媽祖廟) is one of the four largest temples in Anping. According to Qing dynasty records, the temple was originally called "Tianfei Palace" and was located at the ferry in Anping Town (now Shimen Elementary School). During the Japanese rule, it was demolished and sold for some time. The temple was rebuilt in 1962 on the site of the Shui Shimen Gate in the Qing Dynasty. The original Tianfei Palace site monument is located outside the fence on the north side of Shimen Elementary School.

The exact founding date of the Tianhou Palace in Anping is not mentioned in the Chronicles of the Qing Dynasty, but the earliest record of its opening is found in the "Fujian Tongzhi" from 1686. It was explicitly stated as being built in 1668 in 1933. Scholars have debated whether Ming Zheng had a popular belief in Mazu, with some supporting the construction during the Ming Zheng period and others questioning it.

In the early days of the Qing Dynasty, Anping was prosperous as an important port, and the Tianhou Palace also enjoyed a flourishing incense. However, with the development of ports in other regions and the gradual decline of Anping Port, the prosperity of the Tianhou Palace was also affected.

According to records from Anping literati Lin Yong's interview with Lao Lao, when the Japanese entered Anping in 1895, there were still Qing soldiers in the Tianhou Palace. However, the palace was later besieged by the Japanese, and only one soldier managed to escape. The Japanese army then dug a pit behind the temple and buried the 56 soldiers who were killed. Subsequently, there were reports of frequent occurrences of injustice near the Tianhou Palace, which led to the gradual abandonment of the temple.

During the early days of Japanese rule, the Anping Tianhou Palace served as an official residence. It was managed by the Japanese Army Operations Department and used by the military police. When the military police withdrew, the Anping Post and Telecommunications Sub-branch was established in 1896. In 1900, the Tianhou Palace served as the classroom of Anping Public School (the predecessor of Shimen Elementary School). The temple was demolished in 1918.

After the Second World War, the local people expressed their desire to rebuild the Tianhou Palace, and it was reconstructed in 1962 with permission granted by the Tainan Municipal Government on the former site of the Shimen Yamen of Anping Castle. The temple continued to expand and was completed around 1975. However, a fire broke out in 1990, although the three statues of Mazu survived.

The main building of the temple is a reinforced concrete and soil structure constructed in 1962, with its main entrance facing northwest. The Sanchuan Hall has a double-eaved roof covered with green glazed tiles, and a pair of stone lions are placed in front of the temple and at the entrance. The Tianhou Palace worships the Heavenly Mother along with the gods of Yanping County, the King of the Five Narcissus, the King of the Four Sea Dragons, Dou Yuanjun, Taisui Xingjun, Wenchang Emperor, and General Shi. The main hall enshrines three soft-body statues of Mazu, each about four feet high, with their hair styled in the Meizhou tradition and holding three-inch golden lotuses. They have a peaceful appearance, and their forefoot follows the style of the Song Dynasty, making them quite precious.

See also: Luerhmen Mazu Temple

See also: Sio House Salt Museum

Anping Old Settlement Historical Park (安平舊聚落歷史公園)

Anping Old Settlement Historical Park (安平舊聚落歷史公園) has become an important symbol representing Anping. To further preserve and promote the settlement culture, a sculpture called "Master (dressing)" by master sculptor Chen Zhengxiong is installed in the park. The sculpture is inspired by the artist's nostalgia for his parents and aims to convey the peace and warmth of parental love to others. The Anping Old Settlement Historical Park integrates local culture, environment, art, and an interesting garden setting.

Address:

1. Grand Mazu Temple: 700台南市中西區永福路二段227巷18號臺南祀典大天后 大媽祖廟
2. Anping Old Settlement Historical Park: 708台南市安平區古堡街32號安平舊聚落歷史公園

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Tainan Travel: Visiting Anping ~ Fort Zeelandia and Eternal Golden Castle

It's our second time to be in Anping. 2 years ago we visited 5 most popular places which you can buy ticket in one time to visit. This time I wanted to see some placed we missed before. We visited Sio House (Salt Museum), Oyster Shell Kiln, Temple, Old Street, forts and castle and some smaller ancient buildings. Some places are free of charge to visit, for others the entrance fee is 50NTD. Anping is one of my favourite places to visit, full of history and street food everywhere. In March 2012, Anping was named one of the Top 10 Small Tourist Towns by Tourism Bureau of Taiwan. The older place name of Tayouan derives from nearby Taiwanese aboriginal tribe and was written by the Dutch and Portuguese variously. Han immigrants renamed the area "Anping" after the Anping Bridge in Fujian. Soon after Qing rule was established in 1683, the name "Taiwan" (臺灣) was officially used to refer to the whole island with the establishment of Taiwan Prefecture. 

Anping Old Fort - Fort Zeelandia (安平古堡)

The Dutch occupied Anping in 1624 and built the defensive fortress. The entire project was completed in 1634. Due to the lack of masonry and building materials, it was first built with sand and wood and called Fort Zeelandia. 

In 1662, Zheng Chenggong took the Dutch city and renamed it Anping Town. He changed the inner city to the inner government. Also the name Formosa was changed to Taiwan in 1683. Fort Zeelandia was an international business center during 17th century when Europeans sailed to Asia to develop trades. 

In the era of the Qing Dynasty, due to the lost importance of Taijiang River, the Qing dynasty destroyed the walls in 1823. It was rebuilt after the Japanese occupation, and after the World War II, it was called "Anping Castle". At present, the real remains of the Dutch period are only the brick walls in front of the old castle in the south of the city.

See also: Oyster Shell Kiln Museum

Zeelandia City Museum (熱蘭遮城博物館)

The Rembrandt Museum is located in Anping Fort. It was originally built in 1882 by the Anping Taxation Office. In 1897 dormitories were built and it was renamed to Tax Club and the Tainan Historical Museum during Japanese occupation. After World War II, the building was used as an office of Anping District. Later, when Qiu Yonghan donated his collection to the Tainan Municipal Government, the Government facilitated the establishment of the "Tainan City Yonghan Folk Art Museum" in 1979. When the "Anping Port National Historical Scenic Area" project was promoted in 2003, there was a discussion on the dismantling or relocation of the building. It  was later decided to be preserved and changed to Museum, which opened in 2009. There are four exhibition halls. 

See also: Anping Old Street

Anping Small Fort (安平小砲台)

Anping Small Fort was built in 1840, which in 1985 was declared a country monument. It was one of 17 fortifications prepared for Opium War by YaoYang.

Originally the fort was built of bamboo rafts and sacks of sand, later changed to stone fort. In 1874 second turret was built. Due to higher water level of Taijiang River, the turret moved away from coastline and the fort lost its defense function. During Japanese era the fort became abandoned. In 1949 Chinese army built bunker here.

The Anping Small Fort was renovated in 1994 by Tainan Municipal Government. 

Eternal Golden Castle (二鯤鯓砲臺(億載金城))

In 1874 the Japanese army invaded the area of ​​Pingtung County. After the Qing Dynasty knew that the Japanese army invaded Taiwan, the commander of the Fujian Provincial Shipping Administration - Shen Yu, came to handle the matter as an imperial person. During this time, Shen Hao planned and carried out many things in Taiwan, and the construction of the Second Fort was one of them.

At that time, Shen Hao hired the French engineer M. Berthault and Lu Fu Design Fort, which were originally working at the Mawei Shipyard. The project started in September 1874 and was completed in August 1876. After this, the Second Fortress played its role in defending foreign enemies against the enemy in the Sino-French War in 1895.

During the Japanese occupation period, the fortress wasn't maintain. During the Japanese-Russian War, the Japanese government sold some of the cannons of the Golden Castle to compensate for the economic losses caused by the war. In addition, due to the advancement of weapons and changes in military theories, the billion-dollar gold plaque lost its war value. However, the Japanese later listed it as a tourist attraction in Fucheng, and then renovated it, and changed the wooden bridge that had entered the fort to a reinforced concrete bridge decorated with stone.

After World War II, due to the fact that the Eternal Golden Castle was located in the outskirts of the country, there were illegal residents who entered the building and the situation became even worse. It was not until 1975 that it happened to be the 100th anniversary of its completion. The Tainan Municipal Government built a large-scale project and copied the cannons and small artillery, which roughly restored the past style. In 1999 it was repaired again and then reopened.  In addition, during the last renovation, some of the remains buried under the ground were dug up and protected by glass covers for people to visit.

In the past the castle can be only entered by wooden bridge that can be risen and lowered by East gate. The doorway was 21 meter long and the center was vast atrium for military with military houses and ammunition stores. The castle was mainly build with soil and bricks. There is also a most around the fort.

Navy Destroyer Deyang Ship Park (安平定情碼頭德陽艦園區)

Deyang Ship is located in Anping Port nearby Eternal Golden Castle. It was originally the US Gearing destroyer. It was officially named at the US Naval Shipyard on July 31, 1945, number DD-  837 (DD: Destroyer's code name), who participated in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, showed excellent battles in the Vietnam War and won the Battle Star.

On 1977, after 32 years of service, it was handed over to China at the US Naval Base in Meibao, Florida. It was named "Deyang", number DD-925, and implemented the Strait Detective.

In 1994, the ship parked in the Kaohsiung Port Military Region, served for 28 years, and served as 19 captains. In 1998, the country officially anchored at Anping Port and became the first resort in the country to re-use the decommissioned warships. In 2011 the battleship officially opened its doors to the public, allowing visitors who came to visit to experience the warships in close quarters and have the triple meaning of combining sightseeing, national defense education and understanding of the ocean.

The ship retains the weapon system of the main force of the Taiwan Strait in the past, the open cockpit, a glimpse of the warship sea. You can see professional equipment for sailing, the complete preserved captain’s room is the living of the central fortress. There is also helicopter deck and parking garage.

Address:

1. Anping Old Fort - Fort Zeelandia : 708台南市安平區國勝路82號安平古堡
2. Anping Fort Museum: 708台南市安平區國勝路82號熱蘭遮城博物館
3. Anping Small Fort: 708台南市安平區安平小砲台
4. Eternal Golden Castle: 708台南市安平區光州路3號二鯤鯓砲臺
5. Navy Destroyer Deyang Ship Park: 708台南市安平區安億路115號安平定情碼頭德陽艦園區

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