22 March 2017
The museum cheap electric fans paid for
A day trip to the enormous Chimei museum
Yesterday I went to the main tourist place around here. I am a tourist.
So to keep the trend going, today I went to the two other highly rated tourist trap areas of Tainan as rated by numerous websites that have zero original content and just steal from each other with outdated information.
Luckily, both locations were great.
First up, the Chimei museum. This place was awesome.
This museum is privately owned by the Chimei corporation, primarily its founder, Mr Shi Wen-Long. You may know Chimei corporation if you ever bought a cheap fan or toaster oven from a store that does not issue receipts and also has an illegal fireworks section out the back.
Turns out they are the worlds biggest producer of ABS Plastics, and now they made a museum.
The area, and building were truly impressive, not just because it exists in an industrial field in Taiwan impressive, but it would be impressive wherever it was.
The entry fee, $4 Australian. I dont think they are making money on this venture. The website said you need to book in advance because its too popular, then there was a note that foreign passport holders can get a limited number of same day tickets at the door.
Luckily, its one local train stop away from Tainan, so the risk of being turned away was worth it.
Once inside, and its definitely, absolutely, NO PHOTOS. There are Chimei corp guards in every area holding signs, at all times. And to make sure that you dont ignore them, they love to engage you in conversation about Chimei corporation and their heroic leader.
That didnt matter, the content of the musuem is fantastic. I have been to most of the Japanese samurai museums, but the collection of swords, armour and everything else here was another level entirely.
They then had every type of gun throughout the ages, including gun swords, imaging a full broad sword with a double barrel pistol in the handle. You fire your two shots then use the sword.
In addition to the whole history of weapons, it apparently has the worlds greatest collection of rare violins. There are lots of other instruments to, and these awesome TV screens showing people playing them, in 3D, some kind of new 3D that does not need glasses.
Then there is a huge collection of taxidermied rare animals, over 2000 birds, rare clocks, and painting and sculpture. Some of the sculptures are fakes, they explain how they were made, and they also had some examples of original paintings with the copy hung next to it, which was very interesting.
Museums can be boring, but I enjoyed this place more than the Louvre.
I then headed back into town and wandered around along the old street I found last night, and ended up at the confusing confucius temple. I presume the word is in honor of the man.
The temple was nice enough, quite plain compared to the regular Taiwanese style, but I dont know what the religion entails. Do you sit around speaking in riddles before handing over your money?
Whilst I was here, what must have been the entire Taiwanese air force went over, at least 50 fighter jets, plus the refuelling plane, and some of the new Airbus things that look like an enormous Hercules which are troop transports. It was very exciting and kind of strange to be standing in the grounds of the Confuscius temple taking photos of fighter jets.
To get to the Chimei museum, you go to Bao'an station. Which was painless and cheap. The museum is about 600m from the station, it is so huge you cant possibly miss it.
I passed the local swamp.
Not sure if I am still in Taiwan.
There was hardly anyone around when I arrived, that would change, but heres a school group arriving nice and early. I believe school kids get in free.
Then at least 50 tour buses arrived. If you book online you have to select a timeslot. Since I have a foreign passport, no need.
It did become busy inside, but generally you could just go to wherever the school groups werent, they were all doing guided audio tours.
This is the actual front of the building, which is a huge structure, with even larger manicured grounds. There were lots of wedding photos being taken in the grounds, including one woman wearing angel wings made from white balloons.
All the white was blinding, and tough work for my poor long suffering camera.
I made it to the entrance before the tour groups. Despite carrying my passport with me today as the website suggested I need to, they did not ask for it.
Some time later, I had finished looking at everything, including some things twice, and headed to the cafe, where I risked taking a photo. My cake and coffee was delicious, and cheap. Cheaper than it would be at Starbucks or Donutes.
They must have over ordered on the cardboard santa claus cream ornament.
If you are really lazy, you can catch an old fashioned electric buggy back to the station.
The station was quite nice, there is no convenience store in this town, but there are vending machines in the enormous museum car park for water / ion replacement salt drinks. It was damn hot again today!
Now I am back in town and looking for the old street I found last night. I am still quite far from the street, but here is the old street restaurant. It was expensive and looked crap.
Todays busy market street. Death by scooter is a real possibility here.
I found the old street. The buildings genuinely appear old and possibly Japanese.
There are a lot of cat cafes, but they dont open until 3pm, which is strange. Most things in this street dont open until 3pm.
A bit more view.
I was also too early for the hello kitty cafe.
Tainan is a surveillance paradise. Every intersection has cameras like this. One for each lane. I dont know what they are looking at.
This is the future home of the Tainan fine arts museum. It is huge. I dont know what it will eventually look like, but examining the shape of the steel framework, I think it will be ye olde Chinese style.
A small old man in a security guard uniform chased me away.
Now I am at the Confucius temple, and I am being attacked by turtles. There are probably a hundred of them in this green turtle pond.
This mini turtle is king of the turtles, overseeing his fellow turtles.
OK, one more turtle photo.
The previously mentioned, Confucius temple. It was a little confusing to me as there is no buddha.
Instead of praying to buddha, you pull the same move in front of a Confuscius riddle.
Fighter jets. So many fighter jets.
The grounds of the temple area are very nice.
You can also spend time appreciating some confusing Confuscius bonsai.
All that museum and temple excitement and a lack of lunch despite the addition of a morning tea meant I needed an afternoon snack. A balanced snack of fruit, fruit in jelly, and green tea in chocolate.