My Kafkaesque life

Chishingtan 七星潭 , Hualien, Taiwan

2011-10-09T17:52:00.000+02:00

Hualien's Pacific wonderland

Chishingtan 七星潭 (literally Seven Stars Lake) is one of those places in Taiwan, where the views are purely magical. It's a bay, which is named after a lake, that used to be located nearby, but the Japanese filled it up and today the Hualien airport is found nearby. The Chishingtan is also known as 月牙灣 or Crescent Moon Bay. You can visit this part in northern Hualien City, a little bit out of the suburbs and very close to the Hualien Airport. This is one of the most beautiful scenic spots of Eastern Taiwan, if you're into photography, you'll be able to take some amazing photos there.

Check some of my photos of Chishingtang (August 2011):

Flowers and bushes embellish the flat lands.

The beautiful beach.

The beautiful beach, closer.

The clouds clashing with the mountains.

Beach goers.

[My HUALIEN page][My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Hualien Pine garden 松園別館

2011-10-09T17:00:00.001+02:00

Hualien's green lung

The Hualien Pine garden 松園別館 is one of the most popular spots in the city. It used to be a military base for the Japanese navy, that has occupied Taiwan in the first half of the 20th century. Today over 200 pines are planted, giving refuge to the exhausted visitor and offering a breathtaking view of the city below. There is a café and a souvenir shop for your convenience, as well as pathways and benches to stroll around or take a rest. It's definitely a lovely place to spend an hour and enjoy the ambiance of these old pines.

See some of my photos of the Hualien Pine garden (August 2011):

The Japanese army was based here.

A view from the side.

A small lotus pond nearby.

The view on central Hualien below.

[My HUALIEN page][My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Hualien Martyrs' Shrine (Karenkō shrine)

2011-10-09T07:44:00.001+02:00

Hualien's legendeary temple complex

Karenkō shrine used to be Hualien's famous Japanese shrine built on the same spot where today the Hualien Martyrs' Shrine is found. The original shrine was built in 1915 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. In the 1980s the KMT turned it into a neo-Chinese style temple complex honoring the nationalist soldiers, who fell for the home country during the World War II. Today's Martyrs' Shrine is one of the most prominent spots in Hualien City, offering a breathtaking view of the city and its surroundings (source).

The hallway.

The stairways.

The shrine.

A detail.

The view.

The big door.

[My HUALIEN post][My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Amazing Pacific views in Hualien

2011-09-04T19:12:00.001+02:00

These are some of my photos I took during my first time in Hualien City. It was dawn, my wife and I were close to the ocean and I couldn't stop taking these beautiful photos of the Pacific ocean covered by dark grey clouds during dawn. Enjoy!

[My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Eastern Taiwan's beautiful coast photos

2011-08-27T13:36:00.005+02:00

Breathtaking views of Taiwan's blue pacific ocean

The Green Island sitting on the blue ocean while waves hit on the shores below.

View Larger Map

Few minutes after the Longchang village, we've came across one of the most beautiful views we've ever seen in Taiwan. There is a small rest area very close to the Pacific ocean and when I saw the clear blue green image of the water, I asked my wife to stop for a while and have a look. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our Taitung tour. We took some of the most beautiful photos here - the colors were just amazing. I can't say much more, but for me this is one of the most beautiful scenic spots in Taiwan I have ever seen. Let my photos speak for themselves:

The resting area attracted these two girls with yellow rain coats. Luckily no rain spoiled our trip.

View on the Donghe harbor and a small peninsula.

It looked like the ocean was foaming.

The cloudy sky was blue and grey while the ocean was blue and green - simply amazing.

Beautiful sandy shores of Taitung County.

Kids playing on the beach. Next time I might join them.

The view in the distance with the Green Island on the horizon.

To continue our tour along Taitung's northern coast, click on the link below or see the map.

Longchang :Before [Taitung Tour 2011] Next: Donghe>>

[My TAITUNG TOUR MAP][My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Taitung County tour map

2011-08-27T06:59:00.009+02:00

Below is a map of my Taitung County tour 2011, which went along the coast and all the way up to Sanxiantai. We made several stops, which are here marked by letters from A to K (which makes it 57km apart). If you want to tour this part of Taiwan, please click on the links below and use this map to navigate through the area. All links will lead you to my posts about a certain spot.

A Taitung City - capital of Taitung County

B Fugang - small harbour, where people leave for Green Island

C Xiaoyeliou - curious rock formations

D Jialulan - concert venue with a beautiful view

E Dulan - a village

F Xinglong - a village

G Longchang - a village

H Eastern Taiwan's beautiful coast photos

I Donghe - smaller town, famous for baozi

J Duli - a village

K Chenggong - small town, biggest settlement in the area

L Sanxiantai - a beautiful island with an bridge with 8 arches

View Larger Map

[My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][Taitung County Tourist Map]

National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei

2011-08-13T11:06:00.003+02:00

Taiwan's best hospital

National Taiwan University Hospital 國立台灣大學醫學院附設醫院 in Taipei is Taiwan's most famous medical center. It's located in Zhongzheng district, the part of Taipei, which is full of buildings from the Japanese times. NTU hospital is one of them, at least the old wing (photo above). However, there is a new wing built after WWII and is now the main part of the hospital. However, if you go out at the NTU Hospital MRT Station Exit 2, you can see this old building from 1912. More about the hospital here>>

The ROC flag on the Japanese colonial building.

The new wing of the NTU Hospital.

[My TAIPEI overview][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Taipei in photos: Xinyi at night

2011-08-13T03:26:00.004+02:00

Taipei's modern center is a festival of lights

Xinyi business district is one Taipei's most interesting spots, because new modern buildings are popping up every year. I have to say I am very impressed by the quality of the architecture there and it's always a pleasure to walk around this exceptional place, which is unlike any other in whole of Taiwan. And to show, that this is not only the part of Taipei, where you can find the world famous Taipei 101 skyscraper, I have put together a collection of photos, that show some other beautiful buildings in the area. Enjoy:

This office building with the BENQ sign is one of the landmarks here.

The Bellavita shopping mall always reminds me of Europe, especially southern.

The Taiwan Petroleum Corporation building is always changing lights.

The Taipei City Hall Bus station. A new over 200m tall building is rising next to it.

I love the lighting on this building.

The famous promenade near Bellavita.

A SOGO shopping mall.

The impressive Walsin Tower and Taipei 101 hiding behind.

The Xinyi pedestrian area, something like a public square.

Taipei 101, taken on another day than on previous photos.

The International Trade Building and the World Trade Center in front.

There are so many other interesting buildings in the area and I hope I'll have the chance to take some great photos of them as well. If you want to know more about Xinyi, click here.

[My TAIPEI overview][All photos by MKL, 2011]

The Real Taiwan in photos: Chopsticks bag holder

2011-08-12T17:21:00.005+02:00

A typical tool in common Taiwanese restaurants

In Taiwan, when you visit a small corner restaurant, you will most likely find one of these things. They are metal chopsticks bags holders (免洗筷套夾 in Chinese). Because most of the breakfast shops commonly use disposable wooden chopsticks wrapped in plastic bags, this holder is very useful. However, there would be a better solution for this problem: Using non-disposable chopsticks, which means that the plastic bags and the metal holders would not be needed. However, that would deeply change this cultural particularity, which is so uniquely Taiwanese, that it would somehow be a sad thing.

Related: Taiwanese breakfast>>

Fengjia Night Market, Taichung

2011-08-07T08:48:00.005+02:00

Taiwan's biggest and possibly best night market

Fengjia Night Market 逢甲夜市 in Taichung City is probably the biggest and most crowded night market in Taiwan. When my wife and I visited it for the first time, we nearly got squashed to death, but the second time wasn't that better either. The problem is, that I have no time to visit the night market on a week day, when it's less crowded, because I'm living and working in Taipei. I've been there twice on very crowded Saturday evenings and all I can say is: It's overwhelming!

MY IMPRESSION: The market is huge! It's located near the Fengjia University and hence attracts a lot of young people. It's comparable with the Shida Night Market in Taipei, it's just twice or thrice as crowded. When it comes to the number of visitors, so far only Luodong Night Market comes close to this one. The amount of food and other shops is just amazingly high and I have nothing more to say than just: Visit and try to survive! If you go during the weekends, there's a good chance that you will get stuck in the crowd and not be able to move. It's possible that you will need to wait in line for 10 or 15 minutes just to try a popular snack. Is it fun? Well, not really to me, but if you can take all this - good for you. Just be warned: It can get incredibly crowded. Beyond what you can imagine. And even walking and eating can be tedious, because it's just so many people.

WHAT KIND OF FOOD IS COMMON: You can get anything you want - almost. I could not really go through the stalls, but there's nearly everything for everyone, not only food stalls, also many restaurants can be found in the area.

MUST-TRY FOOD AT FENGJIA NIGHT MARKET: I tried few snacks and I liked them all. Quality of food is very high and a popular stall is usually crowded, because the food is really good. I recommend everything! Everything you see and smell - try it! Of course, if you will be able to order and patient enough to wait.

Let me show you a video and some photos from Fengjia Night Market in June, 2011:

Crowds.

This is a video I made while walking through a popular street.

More crowds.

This part is usually where you can take a break - the road is wider.

This is a popular street with stalls on the left and boutiques on the right.

Young people, who live and study in Taichung love this night market a lot.

This is probably the biggest night market in the Republic of China. And in Taiwan.

There are several buses to this night market, but I recommend you to take a cab from the main station. It may cost more, but will be shorter, because a cabby can avoid the traffic jam, common for Taichung city. Check the related Google map here.

IN CONCLUSION: If you are brave enough to have a surreal night market experience, go to Fengjia on a Friday or Saturday evening and try to fight yourself through the enormous crowds and see, if you are able to try some delicious snacks. If you succeed and even have a great time, I will congratulate you and give you a medal of honor and deeply bow in front of you. If you ask me, this is probably the best night market in Taiwan, but it depends a lot on your personal preference. However one thing is certain: It's definitely the most crowded in all of Taiwan. I will still need to visit few more times to really understand and comprehend the whole area, because it's simply beyond what I've ever experienced anywhere else in Taiwan.

[FOOD in TAIWAN][My TAIWAN page][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

[My TAIWAN NIGHT MARKETS list][My MAP of Night Markets in Taipei]

Daan Forest Park, Taipei

2011-07-22T17:00:00.000+02:00

Taipei's green lung

The Daan Forest Park 大安森林公園 is one of the most beautiful parks in Taipei. It's located in Daan District, one of Taipei's richest areas. Especially the part close to the park has one of the highest rents and house prices. And nearby is the popular Yonkang Street, where you can enjoy great food and famous coffee shops can be found there as well. Opposite of the park is Taipei's famous Grand Mosque, which I recommend you to see, if you decide to visit this park.

The park itself is pretty small compared to the parks in bigger European cities, but for Taipei it's considered one of the biggest. It's very clean, very well maintained and full of very beautiful trees. The name "forest park" really makes sense, because parts of it are like a forest. In the northern part is a beautiful lake full of ducks, swans and other birds. Another famous species residing there are turtles. I really enjoyed walking around the park, observing people, animals, the nature... It's such a huge difference to the hustle and bustle of the rest of Taipei, that one would think you left the country and went somewhere far far away.

Enjoy some of my photos from Daan Forest Park:

This is a map near the entrance of the park.

Along Xinsheng South Road.

The hilly part of the park with a nice lawn.

An amphitheater, where people like to chillax.

The pond.

Ducks cleaning themselves.

An interesting fellow, he was observing me.

The turtles coming out. Invasion?

To visit the park, you can take the MRT to Daan Station and then walk eastwards for 10 minutes along Xinyi Road (see a map here).

[My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Chishan Confucious Temple, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2011-07-16T10:22:00.002+02:00

One of the most impressive temples in Taiwan

The Chishan Confucious Temple 旗山孔廟 (recently renamed to Kaohsiung City Confucious Temple) is a temple dedicated to Confucious. It is located in Chishan, a lovely small town 1 hour away from Kaohsiung City. The temple was built in 1984 in Song Dynasty style and is currently the largest Confucious temple in Taiwan (source). It was placed on the top of a hill, right above the town and if you go there, you can enjoy some of the best views in the area. But not only that, the structure is truly beautiful. The garden is neat and perfectly maintained and the courtyard is very big. It reminded me of the palaces I saw in Seoul in 2010. Truly an amazing piece of neo-classic Chinese architecture. Take a walk with me and discover this temple.

The stairs.

This is one of my favorite statues in the area. Makes me think about the meaning behind it.

A very beautiful paifang.

Slowly rising above Chishan.

And then we were up there and greeted by another paifang right in front of the temple.

Passing through the first walkway makes you feel like you're visiting a palace.

My wifey posing in the court yard.

A detail on the ceiling: A dragon.

The temple from the side.

A class room, where students are taught Confucian teachings.

Another detail of the temple.

The altar.

The ceiling.

The dragons, guardians of the temple.

The way back to reality.

Kaohsiung National Stadium

2011-07-12T18:42:00.006+02:00

Finest Japanese modern architecture

The Kaohsiung National Stadium (高雄國家體育場) is one of Taiwan's finest pieces of modern architecture. I was lucky to take few snapshots from afar during my last trip to the city. The photo above was taken from the World Games KMRT Station on a not very clear day. If you want to see better photos, go on Flickr and browse these photos. One day I plan to return with a better camera on a bright day and take few snapshots of this amazing structure. If you want to read more about the stadium, go to their homepage.

[My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][My KAOHSIUNG page][Photo by MKL, 2011]

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) video

2011-06-21T17:26:00.002+02:00

My music video of the year 2011

Katy Perry's Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) is for me the video of the year 2011. I think Katy is one of the best pop singers we have currently and I prefer her any time over Gaga. Her videos are funny and fun to listen to. Her songs are very melodic and easy to understand... and Gaga is something completely else. The T.G.I.F. video features several famous actors and musicians and I feel that especially Rebecca Black, who was so often mocked, surprised many people. She's funny and talented and I feel that soon they won't remember her from the song Friday, but from video appearances like this one and I'm sure many more will follow. Enjoy this awesome video, that will bring you back to the glorious 1980s!

Taipei Grand Mosque

2011-05-29T04:22:00.004+02:00

One of Taipei's architectural gems

Yesterday I was very lucky to visit the Taipei Grand Mosque 台北清真寺, the biggest mosque in Taiwan and one of Taipei's architectural gems. The fact, that it was built in 1960 and still looks so good is proof, that it was designed and built at the highest level possible. That's no wonder, since the architect behind this splendid structure is no other than Yang Cho Cheng 楊卓成, the man who designed one of Taiwan's most famous landmarks, such as the CKS Memorial Hall, National Theater and Concert Hall and the Grand Hotel. This mosque is truly worth a visit, it's just opposite the Daan Park. Use this map to find it and read more about it on the mosque's website. And very close by is a church, which proofs again, that Taiwan is one of countries with the highest religious tolerance in the world.

Compare: [Sultan Mosque, Singapore][TAIPEI's SIGHTS page][Photo by MKL, 2011]

Hakka bridge, Miaoli City

2011-05-22T14:05:00.004+02:00

A long and impressive suspension bridge

Hakka bridge 客屬大橋, a suspension bridge located south of Miaoli City is a remarkable piece of Taiwanese engineering and architecture. It's 1.2 km long and 16.5 m wide and was completed in 2006 (source). It connects Tonglou Township with Gongguan Township (see a map here). I took this photo from a Hakka park above the valley.

[My TAIWAN TRAVEL page][Photo by MKL, 2011]

Jinan Presbyterian Church, Taipei

2011-05-20T15:36:00.003+02:00

Taipei's most beautiful church

The Jinan Presbyterian Church 濟南基督長老教會 is according to me Taipei's most beautiful church and one of the most remarkable ones in whole of Taiwan. It was constructed in 1916 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. The church can be found in Zhongzheng, close to the NTU Hospital MRT Station. More info here (in Chinese).

[My TAIPEI SIGHTS post][Photo by MKL, 2011]

Central Taiwan tour map

2011-04-28T15:42:00.001+02:00

Below is a map of our Central Taiwan tour, which had the goal of seeing the famous Sun Moon Lake, but also exploring cities on the way such as Jiji, Shueili, Puli and Nantou. It ended with the visit of the Fengjia Night Market in Taichung. The first map marks the way from Taipei to Jiji via train, the second one marks the tour around Nantou county. Use these maps to navigate through the areas. Every link will lead you to my blog post about a certain spot.

A Taipei Main Station

B Jiji (with a stopover in Ershuei)

View Larger Map

A Jiji

B Shueili
C Sun Moon Lake
D Puli
E Caotun
F Zhongxing New Village

G Nantou City

H Fengjia Night Market Taichung

View Larger Map

[Introduction to my CENTRAL TAIWAN trip][My TAIWAN TRAVEL page]

Baoan Temple, Dalongdong, Taipei

2011-03-23T05:34:00.004+01:00

One of the most beautiful temples in Taipei

The Baoan Temple 保安宮 in Taipei (officially Dalongdong Baoan Temple 大龍峒保安宮) is a beautiful temple located in the northern part of Datong district called Dalongdong 大龍峒 (sometimes written as Dalungtung). It's dedicated to Chinese folk religions and it's origins date back to 1742, when the temple was smaller and made of wood. By 1760 it was extended and in 1804 the construction of the current meticulously adorned structure made of bricks, stones and concrete has begun. It was completed by 1830. Later it was renovated and extended several times, but the core of the temple's structure is over 180 years old (source and more about history here). The temple is simply beautiful, nothing could describe it better. There are so many details, so many small things that have deep meaning, it's just amazing (more about architecture here). This temple, in contrast to the very solemn Confucius temple nearby, is very vibrant and every time I've visited, there were aplenty of people praying and burning incense. If you want to experience how Taiwanese worship, go to this temple. It's definitely one of the must see temples in Taipei.

Let me show you some photos of the temple (March, 2011):

One of my best shots from the front side.

Detail from the roof.

People praying.

The backside of the temple.

Baoan Temple on a cloudy day.

[My DATONG overview][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Taipei Confucius Temple

2011-03-23T05:20:00.002+01:00

One of the most beautiful temples in Taipei

The Taipei Confucius Temple 臺北孔子廟 (sometimes simply 台北孔廟) is a famous temple in Taipei, located in the northern part of Datong district, commonly known as Dalongdong (or Talungtung). The similarly beautiful Baoan Temple is right nearby. Unlike the Buddhist and Taoist temples, which are colorfully adorned and full of people praying and burning incense, the Confucius temple is more solemn and quiet. Confucianism is not a religion, it's a philosophy, a way of life (read more). The original Taipei Confucian temple was built between 1879 and 1884 during the Qing dynasty and then destroyed by the Japanese in the late 1890s and completely torn down in 1907. It originally stood near the South Gate in today's Zhongzheng, the Japanese built a Girls' high school on the same spot. Some Taiwanese however had the idea to rebuild the temple and they started to raise funds. Construction begun in Dalongdong in 1925 and was completed in 1939 and the temple still stands there today (source and more history here).

For me this beautiful temple represents perfection in every way. It's truly a great piece of architecture. Walking around the area and observing all the fine details and immersing yourself in the beautiful garden makes you calm and focused. If you need to recharge your energy, go and visit this amazing structure. This temple also represents the power of Taiwanese people, the power of solidarity and the high regard for culture and its preservation. I am most certain, that you will be impressed by this temple.

Here are my photos from March 2011:

The courtyard.

Bonsai trees on the floor, pine trees on the right: Their scent is dominant.

A bell.

The altar inside the Taipei Confucius temple.

My best shot of the Confucius temple that day.

[My DATONG overview][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Sexiest woman of 2011: Lee Hyori

2011-03-22T05:16:00.004+01:00

Beautiful poster of the Korean diva

Lee Hyori on a poster sent to me by my Korean friend. She looks gorgeous, even with blonde hair. Amazing lips, incredible eyes: Lee Hyori is the sexiest woman alive in 2011. God bless her...

Yinshan Temple 鄞山寺, Danshui

2011-03-21T08:17:00.008+01:00

A beautiful old temple in Danshui

The Yinshan temple 鄞山寺 in Danshui is a very old and well preserved Buddhist temple (寺) dating back to the year 1822. That's nearly 200 years, which makes it one of the oldest in the area. According to the information board nearby, this is the only well preserved Buddhist temple in Taiwan, that worships Dīpankara Buddha. My girlfriend told me, that the whole area has a very good feng shui and the way the temple and the pond are laid out resembles a toad. For me, it was fascinating to see such a well preserved architecture from the Qing dynasty, because it's a very rare sight. This temple is truly a gem and it's very easy to find, even though it's not located in the old center (Only 10 min walk from the MRT station, see a map here).

These are some of my photos from March, 2011:

The front part.

The main inner yard.

Another small inner yard on the side.

The pond.

For more detailed photos, check this blogger's photo album.

[My DANSHUI overview][All photos by MKL, 2011]

The Real Taiwan in photos: Weddings

2011-03-20T12:05:00.003+01:00

A very typical image at Taiwanese wedding dinners

Taiwanese place a great importance on weddings and wedding dinners. It's the day where normal girls become princesses and proud fathers enjoy great honor in front of family, friends, relatives and business partners. Weddings are a mix of good food, good show, good image and a good script for a romantic novel. From performances to video slide shows and a full course dinner, Taiwanese weddings are perfection in every way. And that moment, when the bride and groom present themselves to the honored guests will be remembered as one of the most precious moments of their lives.

Related: Taiwanese wedding dinner>>

The Real Taiwan in photos: Night Markets

2011-03-19T11:28:00.002+01:00

A very typical image on Taiwan's night markets

Night Markets are the essence of Taiwan's night life. Be it young or old, rich or poor, every Taiwanese will love to return to one of his favorite stalls and eat his favorite dish. You'll see students, rich businessmen and retired soldiers eating their favorite bowl of noodles together. Night markets and food bring Taiwanese people together. The photo above was taken near National Taiwan Normal University, the night market nearby is very popular with young people.

The Real Taiwan in photos: Queueing

2011-03-18T03:44:00.006+01:00

This is a very typical image in Taipei's metro

I took this photo while leaving a Taipei MRT station. Taiwanese people always stand on the right side of the escalator, the left side is reserved for those who are in rush and need to pass by. I find this admirable and thoughtful and I gladly join the group dynamic. I only wish people were so mindful of others (let's say pedestrians), when they ride cars and scooters. That's a completely different image, though.

Related: Kaohsiung MRT>>

The Real Taiwan in photos: Scooters

2011-03-17T09:44:00.007+01:00

This is a very typical image on Taipei's roads

I took this photo at a big intersection somewhere in Datong 大同區, Taipei's western district. For many Taiwanese, the scooter is the most convenient way of transportation. That's why you'll see a lot of them on Taiwan's roads. Taiwan has probably the highest scooter density in the world (according to my assessment). If you ever come to Taiwan, this will most likely be the first thing you'll notice.

Related: Taiwan scooterland>>

Taishin Tower, Taipei

2011-03-16T12:16:00.004+01:00

One of Taipei's finest examples of modern architecture

The Taishin Tower, also known as Taishin International Bank Tower 台新金控大樓 is a new modern landmark in Taipei, located in the Daan district (see a map here). It's not one of the tallest structures in the city (only 123m tall with 25 floors), but it's certainly among the most remarkable ones. It was completed in 2005 and designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. It's located close to one of the biggest roundabouts in Taipei: The Renai Circle. This probably one of the most beautiful examples of modern Taiwanese architecture and certainly one of my favorite buildings in Taipei. I was really lucky to be in Daan on a very bright day.

Let me share some photos of the Taishin Tower with you (March 2011):

The closer you are to the building, the bigger it appears.

This is the edgy western part of the building.

The central part with the entrance is like a wave and it's designed to fit into the Jenai Circle.

The glass facade is marvelous.

The Taishin tower in it's full glory, seen from the northern part of the Jenai circle.

Old and new in harmony.

Read more about the tower's design on Colorcinetics.com.

[My TAIPEI page][My SKYSCRAPERS page][My BUILDINGS IN TAIWAN page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

Far Eastern Plaza, Taipei

2011-03-16T06:45:00.007+01:00

The first Taipei twin towers and the tallest hotel in the city

The Far Eastern Plaza 遠企中心, consisting of two identical towers, each 165m tall with 43 floors, is one of the most beautiful pieces of modern architecture in Taipei, located in Daan district. Although the towers were built in 1994 (source), they look as if they were built today. The simplistic design is striking. When you're right below them, you feel as if they're much taller than just 165 meters. I really wish they would've built in Xinyi, close to where Taipei 101 was built 10 years later. Today they're just too far from the central areas of Taipei (Longshan Temple - Zhongzheng - Zhongxiao Road - Xinyi) and hence there aren't so many people found in the area. The buildings are housing the famous Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel and a shopping mall in the lower part. The hotel is arguably one of the best in Taipei (read some opinions or check the hotel's homepage).

See my photos of the skyscrapers (from March 13th, 2011):

It was a great day to take photos, that's why I wanted to see these towers.

I like the mix of sharp and rectangular and oval.

The buildings are housing a luxury hotel.

This is Dunhua South Road, a huge avenue, that has a small park in the middle. Amazing.

Some details of the Far Eastern Plaza. It's definitely worth to visit, if you're an architecture buff.

To find the Far Eastern Plaza, take MRT to Liuzhangli and walk north 10 min (view larger map).

[My TAIPEI page][My SKYSCRAPERS page][My BUILDINGS IN TAIWAN page][Photos by MKL, 2011]

Gate of Taipei Twin Towers

2011-03-15T14:08:00.001+01:00

This is currently one of the biggest projects in Taipei

The Gate of Taipei will consist of two skyscrapers, the taller will be 320m, the shorter 240m. The structures were designed by the Japanese architect Fumiko Maki and will be located in Zhongzheng district, that spans over Taipei's old center, very close to the Taipei Main Station. Underneath the biggest tower, the future Taipei station of the Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT System is currently being built. The whole area will be redesigned and is meant to be another modern center of Taipei together with Xinyi. Another thing, that I truly applaud, is the fact, that the old Taipei North Gate will be liberated from those ugly overpasses, that are nearly strangling it like a snake around the throat. The whole area will also be much greener and full of other smaller new buildings. When the project's planned to be completed is still unsure. Let's hope it won't last too long.

The area marked in green will be revitalized.

Here you can find the source of all the information and photos>>

Map of Yilan City, Taiwan

2011-03-07T12:28:00.003+01:00

This is my map of Yilan City, Taiwan

The map marks the most famous parts of the city, from buildings to good places to eat. Hoover over the white bubbles and read the name. You can also zoom in and out with + - (left upper corner).

For more about Ilan, visit my overview post here.

Zushi Temple, Sanxia

2011-03-03T13:16:00.004+01:00

One of Taiwan's finest temples

Zushi Temple 祖師廟 (pronounced Tsǔshī miào) in Sanxia is probably one of the oldest and most beautiful temples in Taiwan. It's dedicated to the goddess Matsu. It reminds me of the Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, because of some similarities. They were both built in the 18th century by immigrants from Fujian and they were both destroyed and rebuilt several times. But aside from that, each of them bears a special place in northern Taiwan, one in Sanxia, the other one in Taipei. Zushi temple was built in 1769.

I visited the temple during my recent afternoon trip to Sanxia with my girlfriend. We walked around the area when the light was still ok (check the video above) and went inside when the sun already went down. My photos may not be the best, but they will give you a good idea, how magnificent the temple is. But photos and videos can't never replace the feeling, when you stand there in real and allow the breathtaking beauty to captivate you.

Check my photos of the Zushi temple in Sanxia:

This was taken while the light was still good.

At dawn the lights in the temple create a magical atmosphere.

A lot of people were coming to pray.

The wonderfully lit altar is the central part of the temple.

The upper part is beautiful as well.

Then we went up to the first floor and saw these details.

The view from above. I recommend you to take the effort and go up there yourself.

I will definitely revisit the temple in the future, hopefully at a more brighter part of the day. I guess summer would be a great time to do so. I generally recommend to visit Sanxia, because there are also many other beautiful temples found all over this cute little town.

[My TAIWAN page][My NEW TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2011]

My map of Taiwan island

2011-02-02T20:57:00.013+01:00

Part of my Taiwan resource

This is my English version of the map found on ROC's government website Taiwan Administrative Region Map (all rights reserved to them). I added the common romanized names of Taiwan's cities, towns and national parks. I hope this map will be useful to those who intend to visit Taiwan and look for the locations of certain popular destinations on the island. You can find the original map here.

Tian Tan Buddha, Hong Kong

2011-02-01T14:30:00.001+01:00

The Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛, pronounced in Mandarin as Tiāntán Dàfó, "tian tan" meaning "altar of heaven"), sometimes also called the Big Buddha, is one of Hong Kong's biggest tourist attractions. The 34m tall bronze statue of a sitting Buddha is located on the Lantau island (close to the airport) and was completed in 1993 (Info: Source). People usually take a ride on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (read my previous post about that) from Tung Chung. Right next to the statue they built a small village in old Chinese style, but of course it's just a replica. It's full of small souvenir shops and restaurants. And there are tourists everywhere. Within few minutes of walk, you arrive at the statue and you have to climb 268 steps to reach to the top. The size of the statue is simply overwhelming. It's simply huge and impressive, probably one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen. The size however is calming and reassuring. Although there are tons of tourists, you feel at peace, you forget everything around you. The statue has a huge aura, an aura that seemingly outshines all the tall surrounding mountains. It's purely magical. I can show you photos and describe the feelings, but luckily I can't recreate the atmosphere for you. You will have to go and visit the Big Buddha for yourself. Until then, enjoy some of my photos:

The Ngong Ping village.

It was close to Chinese new year, hence the red lanterns.

The Big Buddha as seen from the village.

Approaching the Big Buddha.

I love this photo of the sun finding its way through the trees.

And then I was close to the statue and took tons of photos.

The big palm.

Statues of devout followers donating offerings to the Buddha.

The nearby mountain as seen from close to the Buddha.

The Tian Tan Buddha from the side.

I love this photo.

The area near the Buddha.

The Buddha from another angle.

My Hong Kong 2009 tour - NEXT: Mongkok>>

[My HONG KONG page][My PR China page][All photos by MKL, 2009]

Two International Finance Centre

2011-02-01T11:58:00.007+01:00

Hong Kong's second tallest building in 2011

One International Finance Centre on the left.

The International Finance Centre (Chinese 國際金融中心, short ifc) consists of two skyscrapers, of which the first one is relatively small, "only 210m", the second one, known as Two International Finance Centre (國際金融中心二期, short 2ifc) is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Hong Kong and all of China. It's 417m tall and has 88 floors (8 is a lucky number for Chinese). Constructed between 1997 and 2003, it was the tallest building in Hong Kong upon completion and remained tallest until 2010, when the the taller International Commerce Centre in Kowloon was completed (Info source: 1IFC, 2IFC). There is a mall inside ifc and it's pretty good, but very fancy. I definitely recommend this building to see, it's close to the Hong Kong Central Pier and a walk away from the Hong Kong Central station. This building is definitely one of my favorite skyscrapers. I like the minimalistic design. It looks very aesthetic, blends in well with the water and the sky, which makes it less intrusive.

I love this shot and how the sun is reflected.

My best shot of the 2IFC tower.

The 1IFC tower on the right.

[My SKYSCRAPERS page][My HONG KONG page][All photos by MKL, 2009]

The population of Kaohsiung City

2011-01-29T21:37:00.011+01:00

And I mean the real population of Kaohsiung City

Kaohsiung City was recently merged with the former Kaohsiung county and formed a bigger municipality. It was divided into 38 districts and some of them are huge, but very scarcely populated, because they're located very far from the actual city (sometimes they're even in the mountains).

That of course is a bit confusing to me, because I'm interested in the actual population of Kaohsiung's urban area. I have nothing against the way these districts are governed, all I want to know is how many people live in Kaohsiung, the actual city. So I checked some maps and data (source) and found out that the following districts are part of Kaohsiung's urban area (from A-Z): Daliao, Dashe, Fengshan, Gushan, Lingya, Linyuan, Nanzi, Niaosong, Qiaotou, Qianjin, Qijin, Qianzhen, Renwu, Sanmin, Xiaogang, Xinxing, Yancheng and Zuoying. You can see them on the map on the left, they're marked as black. If you count together the population of these districts, you get this number:

2.209.362 inhabitants.

So according to my personal idea of how a city should be defined, Kaohsiung has a population of 2.2 milions and is therefore the second biggest city of Taiwan (after Taipei).

[My KAOHSIUNG page][Original map by Luuva]

Xinpu, Banqiao

2011-01-13T19:22:00.004+01:00

An interesting part of Banqiao

The Neo Sky Dome is located at center of Xinpu.

Xinpu 新埔 (sometimes as Sinpu or Hsinpu, correctly would be Shinpu) is a small part of northwestern Banqiao (板橋), a big city grown together with Taipei City, which is today a district in the newly founded New Taipei City (新北市). I know this area too well, because I used to stay here for 2 months in 2010. The area is small, but not so small. The core of the neighborhood is the Xinpu MRT Station (新埔站) which caters to this densely populated part of Banqiao and brings people to central Taipei within 20 minutes.

Although the area is pretty run down in some parts, Xinpu had a certain charm. There are however new high-rise buildings poping out in the area, of which are the 145m tall Taipei Sky Dome and the newly built 188m tall Neo Sky Dome, which is located right next to the MRT station. I was lucky to live near the Yumin Street Night Market, which was full of delicious Taiwanese foods. I have to say that some parts of Xinpu were not clean and around day and night markets, there were all kinds of smells not very pleasant to the nose. But the people were very friendly. I remember, how nice they were to me in the 7-11s and Family Marts, always greeting and thanking the customers. I used to have a convenience store right next to my apartment and an older lady and a young boy used to work there and both were trying to talk to me in their limited English and they were so happy when I replied, sometimes even with my limited Mandarin. I also had a favorite crepe stall and a favorite hamburger stall and they were always happy when I visited. In Xinpu it's not easy to meet a Caucasian person, so I was usually very obvious. People stared at me a lot in the beginning, but it became less after a while. I was bothered by it at first, but then I found a simple solution: I listened to music while walking and just focus on that, not on the people around me. It worked. Another thing about Xinpu is the heavy traffic. Sometimes it was hard for me to cross the road, because the scooters would just not stop passing by. Unlike in Slovenia, Taiwanese won't stop for you. You need to learn how to zigzag between the approaching scooters from left and right. It stressed me out the first two weeks, but then I was like a Taiwanese. I knew exactly when to start off, when to pause and wait and when to move again. Unlike Xinzhuang, where I stayed the first two weeks and I didn't like it so much, Xinpu became like a home to me in Taiwan. Living where common people live is a unique experience and I'm happy I could learn so much during my time there.

Let me share some photos of Xinpu. The streets you'll see are located between the Taipei Sky Dome and Neo Sky Dome (mostly along the Siwei road), but that's only one part of Xinpu, where I used to frequent. Nevertheless, I think it's a very interesting area, that shows the real Taiwan... or at least the real Northern Taiwan.

This is the street, where I lived. It wasn't as bad as it looks.

My street ended at the Siwei road.

That's how Taiwanese live here. These grills are common in Malaysia and Singapore, too.

The Siwei road was the main road in the area. It was full of betel nut vendors and restaurants.

A new condominium was built in the old traditional area.

A view on the 145.5m tall Taipei Sky Dome, an apartment building with 5 towers.

A side road full of scooters.

Even the smallest lane is used as a parking space for scooters: Taiwan is Scooterland.

I always walked here to the Xinpu MRT station and passed by a sex shop.

The 188m tall Neo Sky Dome is one of the tallest buildings in Banqiao.

A parking space for bicycles near the MRT station.

A hotel in Xinpu, which looked pretty good inside.

[My NEW TAIPEI page][My TAIPEI page][My BANQIAO post][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei

2011-01-06T19:09:00.007+01:00

Modern architecture with a traditional character

National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (國立中正紀念堂, pronounced Guólì Zhōngzhèng Jìniàntáng) is one of the landmark buildings in Taipei. It's a monumental hall, designed by the famous Taiwanese architect Yang Zhuocheng (楊卓成), who also designed the Grand Hotel and the nearby National Theater and National Concert Hall of the Republic of China. The construction of the massive 79m tall hall in traditional Chinese architecture begun in 1976 and was completed in 1980. It opened exactly five years after generalissimo and president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) has died. It's located at Taipei's biggest public square named Liberty square (自由廣場) in the Zhongzheng district.

The building is a combination of white and blue, which symbolizes freedom and equality. The octagonal roof is covered with glazed tiles in order to reflect the sunlight. The tip on the roof is gold and directed to the sky, symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth. Although the structure was build in a modern way, it wants to show the strength and the spirit of the Chinese culture (Info source).

If you ask me, what I think about the building, I'm not really sure. The architecture is of course stunning and a masterpiece. However, I'm not really a fan of such huge monuments to past leaders, especially if they weren't democrats. I have to say, though, there is a feeling of humility and respect, when you enter that 16m tall gate. The monumentality of the building is something that makes you feel small and portrays the Republic of China big and glorious. It's understandable, that the ROC, when it lost the war on the Mainland, had to recreate something colossal in order to show Beijing, that it continues to thrive and remains a glorious and powerful state. In the 1980s Taiwan was experiencing an economic boom that is comparable to the one China experiences now, but of course on a larger scale. Building landmark buildings was important for the small nation at that time. However, now every mid-sized Chinese city has a forest of skyscrapers and other monumental landmarks and Taiwan can't compete with that. All it can do is focus on preserving the beautiful nature and protecting the democracy, the freedoms, the traditions and historic sites found all over the beautiful island. Taiwan is small, but the power lies within people's hearts, not buildings. This memorial hall shall be a reminder of the past, a past that thought big, but wasn't always good to the people.

These are my best photos of Chiang Kai-shek's Memorial Hall:

89 stairs lead up to the entrance of the hall, marking the 89 years of Chiang Kai-shek's life.

The closer you come to the top, the bigger the building looks like.

The 19m tall main entrance, truly epic proportions.

The arch on top of the entrance is huge.

Former president Chiang Kai-shek, president of the Republic of China from 1948 to 1975.

A soldier has to stand here for 1 hour without moving.

The ceiling is epic. The sun on top is also found on the flag of the Republic of China.

[My TAIWAN page][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Hsinchu Station 新竹車站

2011-01-03T12:16:00.007+01:00

A beautiful station from the Japanese times

Hsinchu station (新竹車站) is one of the most interesting historic buildings in the city. The train station itself was built in 1893, but there was only a ticket booth. The current neo-Baroque building was constructed in 1913 (Info: Source) during the Japanese rule on Taiwan. It's a lovely, yet small station and really looks a bit like the Taichung Station. When we arrived in Hsinchu that day, it was already very crowded, but on the way back to Taipei, the station almost full of people. I think it's not big enough to cater a city of over 400.000 inhabitants, but I'm glad they didn't tear it down and build an ugly building like in the neighboring Taoyuan City.

These are some impressions of my Hsinchu station. That day was a bit grey, so they didn't come out so well:

Hsinchu Station at the tracks.

At the tracks again.

The mostly young people waiting to buy a ticket at the ticket vending machine.

The main waiting area is a small hall. The ceiling could look better.

Right outside the station, young Taiwanese waiting on the scooters.

My best shot of the Hsinchu Station. See Josh Fahler's HDR photo>>

It's was a bit hard for me to take a good photo of the station, for one there were a lot of people on scooters and cars, which I don't like, when I take pictures of buildings. But another thing hindering a good shot is the main road, that passes by very close to the station and I couldn't go far enough to take a good shot of the whole building. I guess I was also first time in the city and haven't explored all the good spots yet. Maybe next time I do a better job. Hope my images give you an impression of how it looks in and around the station.

[My HSINCHU page][My TAIWAN page][Photo by MKL, 2010]

Hsinchu City East Gate, Taiwan

2011-01-02T22:56:00.004+01:00

One of the most beautiful historic gates in Taiwan

This gate is part of my Gates of Taiwan list.

Hsinchu City East Gate (Chinese 新竹東門城, pronounced Xīnzhú Dōngménchéng) also known as Yingxi gate (Chinese 迎曦門, pronounced Yíngxīmén, literally Sunshine receiving gate) was completed in 1827, when the Qing Dynasty ruled over Taiwan. It's today the only remaining historic gate in Hsinchu (there used to be 8 gates in the 19th century, four were big, four small). In 1901/02 the Japanese destroyed all of the gates except the East gate, because they were redesigning the city, widening some roads. Besides the gates, Hsinchu used to have a wall and a moat surrounding the city (Info: Source 1, Source 2). Today only the moat remains, which can be seen in the gate's vicinity. The whole area is transformed to a park and it's a popular spot for young Taiwanese to hang out, go for a walk, feed the fish. Same goes for the East Gate and the area nearby, which is used as a public square, where concerts are commonly held. I was lucky to see one, when I visited the city for the first time.

See my photos (from May 2010):

Young people listening to a live concert near the Yinxi gate.

Another angle on the gate.

The famous blogger posing near the gate (joking about the famous part).

A view through the gate.

The Hsinchu East Gate from the side.

One of my best shots of the gate. It was a great spring day, I only wish the sky had been blue.

The historic moat. I've seen fish and turtles inside.

This is really one of my favorite historic gates in Taiwan. And the whole area with the old moat and the park along the way is really beautiful. I hope I can explore more of Hsinchu in the future. See also Josh Fahler's East Gate HDR photo>>

[My TAIWAN page][My HSINCHU posts][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Gates of Taiwan

2011-01-02T17:10:00.011+01:00

My list of Taiwan's historic and modern gates

This post aims to collect all photos of Taiwan's historic and modern gates together with paifangs (牌坊 or archway gates). You can participate by submitting your own photos to me. I would be happy, if you do, however if you decide to give me one of your photos, you thereby agree that I can watermark and adjust the photo the way I want. In return I will mention your name (or alias) and link to your blog or any other website you wish to. With that you pass the ownership of the photo to me and I reserve myself the right to use it for some of my other posts, if I choose to, but I won't use it for commercial purposes. This here is purely meant to show the beautiful gates of Taiwan to locals and foreigners. I want people to know more about the history and architecture of this beautiful country. If you chose to give me a photo, please contact me via Twitter under @NinoArt or send me an email at one_like_candy[at]yahoo.com. The final version of your photo will be 880px × 580px, so please send me a photo with a bigger size. Photos should be clear, taken during the day and need to show the whole gate or the main part from the front or back side. A blue sky would be nice, but it's not obligatory. I reserve the right to reject your photo, if I feel it's not good enough for my post. You can submit more photos, if you like.

The gates will be listed from the north to the south of Taiwan, basically from Keelung to Hengchun. I am the one that will decide which gate qualifies to be listed her, so please don't argue with me. If any of my information is wrong, please correct me in the comments below. This post will also have a Chinese version.

This is my list of Taiwan's historic and modern gates:

✰ Taipei City 台北市

Gate to the National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院大門. Completed in 1965. My article>>

Photo taken on 13th May, 2010 at 16:22, photographer: My Kafkaesque life.

Gate to the Grand Hotel 圓山大飯店大門. Completed in 1973. My article>>

Photo taken on 24th February, 2010 at 16:28, photographer: My Kafkaesque life.

Gate to the National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine 忠烈祠大門. Completed in 1969. My article>>

Photo taken on 18th July, 2010 at 16:38, photographer: Lily Chen.

Taipei Prefecture Capital North Gate 台北府城北門. Completed in 1884. My article>>

Photo taken on 18th July, 2010 at 17:51, photographer: Lily Chen.

Taipei Prefecture Capital East Gate 台北府城東門. Completed in 1879. My article>>

Photo taken on 24th February, 2010 at 15:41, photographer: My Kafkaesque life.

Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness 大中至正門. Completed in 1975. My article>>

Photo taken on 5th February, 2010 at 16:22, photographer: My Kafkaesque life.

✰ Hsinchu City 新竹市

Hsinchu City East Gate 新竹東門城. Completed in 1827. My post>>

Photo taken on 25th April, 2010 at 14:54, photographer: My Kafkaesque life.

✰ Kaohsiung City 高雄市

Old Fengshan City North Gate 鳳山縣舊城. Completed in 1826. My article>>

Photo taken on 9th May, 2010 at 13:46, photographer: My Kafkaesque life.

[My TAIPEI page][My TAIWAN page][All photographers credited]

Banqiao, Taiwan

2010-12-26T14:57:00.011+01:00

Taiwan's fifth biggest city

Banqiao (板橋, correct as Panchiao) is the biggest city district in Taiwan by population. Because of it's relatively small size and 554.000 inhabitants (2010) it's one of the most densely populated districts in the world. It used to be a city on its own, but since December 2010 it is the biggest and main district of New Taipei City 新北市, which is basically a conglomerate of many cities and suburbs surrounding Taipei. Before Banqiao was the seat of Taipei County. All these administrative changes aside, Banqiao is still somewhat of a city for me and I say that, because I lived there and visited all parts.

It may not be a beautiful one by all means, but it has a certain charm. People are very friendly and the food is very tasty. Most parts of Banqiao are occupied by the lower class, normal workers and small businessmen. Many parts are run down, but there are also many islands of very rich neighborhoods, where new high rise buildings are emerging out of nowhere. The closer Banqiao is to Taipei City, the cleaner are the neighborhoods, the bigger are the apartment buildings, the richer are the people. The southern and western parts are not as clean and well developed.

Banqiao is pretty safe, even though it's not as fancy as Taipei City. Therefore it's become very popular for people to move out of Taipei and settle here. There are 4 MRT stations in Banqiao, from north to south Jiangzicui, Xinpu, Banqiao, Fuzhong and Far Eastern Hospital. The biggest one is Banqiao station, that's also located in the heart of the city's new center. You also have the normal railway station there as well as the high speed railway station, which make it one of the most important stations in Northern Taiwan.

The modern name Banqiao 板橋 (Bǎnqiáo) originates from the much older version 枋橋 (Fāngqiáo), that was called Pangkio in the Taiwanese language in the 18th century (Mandarin was spoken on Taiwan in the 20th century), which simply meant "Wooden Bridge". Japanese then changed the first character 枋 to 板 and called the city Itabashi. Today there's a ward in Tokyo with the same name 板橋区 or Itabashi-ku. After 1945 the new characters were kept and pronounced according to Mandarin and the original 枋橋 (Pangkio) became 板橋 (Banqiao).

If you visit Banqiao today, don't expect too much in terms of history. There is however one historic gem from the Qing dynasty, namely the privately owned Lin Family Garden and Mansion, which is probably the best preserved historic garden and residence in Taiwan. There are also many temples in Banqiao as well as night markets with yummy food. Most other parts are residential, because most people work and go out in Taipei instead.

See my photos of the city and it's various parts. Click on the links for more of my posts:

1 Banqiao City Center

New high rise banks, office buildings and condominiums top Banqiao's center.

The New Taipei City Government building (新北市政府) is 140m tall and has 34 floors (completed 2002).

Another high rise building in the area. I'm not familiar with the name.

Traffic is big here. It's very close to the Banqiao station.

The view on another side of Banqiao.

2 Taipei Sky Dome

The five 145.5m tall towers of the residential Taipei Sky Dome.

The Taipei Sky Dome is close to the Xinpu MRT, but you need like 20min of walk.

3 Jiangzicui

Jiangzicui is the most modern and northern part of Banqiao, bordering on Taipei city.

4 Xinpu

Xinpu is an old area with many new buildings. I used to live here and I liked it.

5 Fuzhong

Fuzhong is an older area of Banqiao and has a certain charm. It's located south of the center.

I haven't yet visited the Lin Family Residence, but I took 1 photo through a hole in the wall.

6 Near Far Eastern Hospital

The Far Eastern Hospital is a huge hospital in the area, located in the south of Banqiao.

[My XINBEI page][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Taipei City Hall

2010-12-25T23:55:00.006+01:00

The seat of Taipei's government

Taipei City Hall (臺北市政府, literally Taipei City Government) is a dominant building in Xinyi district, located between Taipei 101 and President International Tower. It's the seat of the local government and administration. It looks like a huge palace, but it's very plain. It serves its purpose, but the architecture is very poor. When I saw the building, I felt »Oh, that's the city hall of Taipei? Whatever.« I didn't even notice it, since it's overshadowed by the beauty of the nearby Taipei 101. More about the building in the future.

Taipei City Hall in spring 2010.

[BUILDINGS in TAIWAN][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Taipei City Hall Bus Station

2010-12-25T22:12:00.007+01:00

One of the tallest buildings in Xinyi

The Taipei City Hall Station building is located close to Taipei 101.

The building from the side.

Another view on the tall structure.

The Taipei City Hall Bus Station (市府轉運站) is a recently built high-rise building in Taipei's modern center Xinyi. With 150m above the sea level and 31 floors it's almost as tall as the nearby 154m tall President International Tower. The lower floors house a big bus station and the MRT station with the same name, while the upper floors are reserved for a shopping mall and a hotel. Personally this building is not a great piece of modern architecture like the building next to it, but it somehow fits well into the area. Although it's quite tall, it's not so dominant like some other buildings in Xinyi. Maybe that's due to the lower part, which is unusually large. It is an interesting building, but not something I would advertise in a tourist brochure.

[BUILDINGS in TAIWAN][My SKYSCRAPERS page][My TAIPEI page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Taipei 101 supersized photos

2010-12-25T21:30:00.005+01:00

Because I know you love them huge

The majestic top of Taipei 101.

I took these photos on March 12, 2010 at 6.32 PM Taipei local time. I'm a huge fan of super tall skyscrapers with a great design. Taipei 101 is definitely one of my favorite skyscrapers ever. I hope you get an idea of how majestic the structure looks in real.

[My TAIPEI 101 post][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Taipei 101 Mall, Taiwan

2010-12-25T19:22:00.005+01:00

One of Taipei's most prestigious shopping malls

The Taipei 101 Mall is located inside the Taipei 101, Taipei's tallest structure. The mall inside is one of the poshest shopping malls in Taipei and all of Taiwan. Most of the 5 levels are occupied by luxury brands such as Dior, LV, Tommy Hilfiger, CK, Swarovski, Armani, Chanel and most of the top Swiss watch brands such as Rolex, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Omega, Cartier, Hublot and many many others. This mall is a paradise for rich people, but if you're a commoner, you can go to the 4th floor, there's a big book store. Or you go to B1, where you can find a supermarket and a big food court with affordable prices. The rest is probably good for window shopping. More info on the Taipei 101 Mall Homepage.

Let me share some impressions from the Taipei 101 Mall:

A side entrance of the mall.

The writing above the entrance.

A photo of the main hall with the escalators.

This mall was not so crowded. Many tourists from China are here as well.

The roof of the mall is transparent, you can see Taipei 101 through the glass.

And this is the Breitling shop. If one day I succeed in Taiwan, I'll get me a watch here.

Will add more photos next time.

[My TAIPEI 101 post][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

My Taipei 101 at night photos

2010-12-25T19:00:00.009+01:00

My best photos of Taipei's landmark building

These are my photos of Taipei 101 taken during the evening or night, basically when the lights are on. The newest photos are on top, the oldest are at the bottom. I will add more in the future, so please come back and check them out. See also my photos of Taipei 101 at day. I'd appreciate your comments. Thank you.

Taipei 101 on May 12, 2010.

Taipei 101 on May 12, 2010.

Taipei 101 on May 12, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 28, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 28, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 28, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 25, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 25, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 25, 2010.

Taipei 101 on March 25, 2010.

[My TAIPEI 101 post][My TAIPEI page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Love in Taipei, 2010

2010-12-24T22:02:00.006+01:00

We all need love to survive, not money

The above sculpture of Love is located near Taipei 101 in Xinyi, Taipei, Taiwan. It was designed by Robert Indiana, an American Pop Art artist. Those sculptures are found in some other cities around the world such as New York and Tokyo and they all look the same. The original dates back to 1975 (source). And since love brought me to Taipei, this sculpture holds a special meaning for me. I took this photo in the first week after coming to Taipei and my girlfriend and I had a wonderful time exploring the area. Great memories of being freshly in love. One day I hope we return here and I'll make her pose for me in a dazzling outfit.

Taipei Night Markets map

2010-12-22T21:31:00.006+01:00

An accurate map of all night markets in and around Taipei

This map plans to mark all night markets in and around Taipei, but also in northern Taiwan, because it includes cities like Keelung and Taoyuan. As I visit more and more night markets, I will update this map, so please be patient, as there are only few night markets currently marked. Please drag the map left and right to check cities west and east of Taipei. Zoom in to find a detailed location of a specific night market.

Danshui map

2010-12-22T19:31:00.004+01:00

This is my map of Danshui. Please click on the + and - to zoom in and zoom out. Also drag the map to the left, there are more parts marked. For more on Danshui, go to my main post. I have blogged about all the sights and parts found on the map here.

Check also: My Taiwan page>>

Aletheia University, Danshui

2010-12-19T00:40:00.006+01:00

The oldest institution of higher education in Taiwan

The Aletheia University (named like this since 1999) is the successor of the former Oxford college, that was founded in 1882 in Danshui and was at that time the first form of higher education in Taiwan. The college was founded by George Leslie Mackay, a Canadian presbyterian missionary, who lived and worked in Danshui in the late 19th century and became very known. He's probably the most known foreigner ever living in Taiwan. Besides the founding of this college (and later university), he helped to build many churches in the area as well as a hospital. He married a local (Han Chinese) woman and learned the Taiwanese language. He died in Danshui in 1901 and is still a very honored historic figure in the area and beyond. There's even a statue of him found in one of the public squares in central Danshui.

He helped to establish the college with donations from Canada. Most came from his native Oxford county and therefore he named the college after Oxford to honor the donors. In August 1999 the name was changed to Aletheia University ("aletheia" is Greek for "truth"). More about the history and other facts on the university's homepage.

My girlfriend and I went to see the interesting building and explore the whole area. The university is not far away from the famous Fort San Domingo and the Little white house, however, you need to go down and then go uphill again. The road up is pretty steep, but it's well worth to go on top and see the beautiful main building as well as the garden and some other high schools nearby.

This is what we saw that warm spring day:

A signboard with important years in the history of the university.

The main building from the side.

It looks like a majestic church on a hill.

The garden in front of the main building.

The main building again, surrounded by cherry trees.

A lovely pond in the garden.

Lotus blossoms.

We were lucky to see the sakura or cherry blossoms.

The cherry blossoms in full bloom. My girlfriend made this incredible shot.

This is another building in the area, looks like a mix of Chinese and Western architecture.

Tamkang highschool bell tower (this is not part of Aletheia University).

This is something typical for Taiwan. Couples love to pose and make photos.

And so I made my girlfriend pose, too. And I wanted to capture the Tamkang high school building behind her.

To walk around the university area is free of charge. I definitely recommend you to see these amazing buildings and gardens, because they're really beautiful. The best time to visit is spring.

My DANSHUI Tour - NEXT: Little white house>>

[DANSHUI overview][My TAIPEI page][My TAIWAN page][Info][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Little white house, Danshui

2010-12-18T22:48:00.007+01:00

Another historic gem in Danshui

The Little white house (小白宮) in Danshui is the former chief taxation officer's residence built during the Ching Dynasty in 1870. The colonial style architecture of the building attracts tourists and locals to visit. The building is surrounded by a nice garden which features a breathtaking view on the Danshui river. I heard the sunsets are beautiful here. In the late 20th century the building was deteriorating and the government almost tore it down, but the locals fought for the preservation of the building, which resulted in a protection and subsequent renovation in the late 1990s. Today it's one of the historic gems of Danshui, one that you can't miss, in case you're visiting. You have to pay 40TWD to enter (about 1 Euro).

See my photos of the Little white house:

The house is not so little.

Nice arcades.

A neat garden behind the building.

A lovely view of the Danshui river.

My DANSHUI Tour - NEXT: Ah Gei>>

[DANSHUI overview][My TAIPEI page][My TAIWAN page][Info][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Danshui Station

2010-12-18T21:43:00.008+01:00

The northernmost station of the Taipei MRT

Danshui MRT Station (淡水站) is part of the Taipei MRT Red Line. You'll need around 40min from the Taipei Main Station to arrive in Danshui. It opened on March 28th, 1997. This is what you see, when you exit the station:

A big public square and Taxis lined up.

The whole area looks clean.

This is behind the station, on the other side is Bali township.

Bridge over the river Danshui. You can see the northern part of Taipei city in the distance.

My DANSHUI Tour - NEXT: Old Street>>

[DANSHUI overview][My TAIPEI page][My TAIWAN page][Info][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Kenting Town, Kenting's fun street

2010-12-17T14:41:00.007+01:00

Taiwan's most southern night market

Kenting Town (墾丁大街), literally Kenting Street, sometimes also called Kenting Road or Kenting Avenue, is Taiwan's southernmost township or village and at the same time Taiwan's southernmost night market. It's located between Hengchun's South bay (恆春鎮南灣) and Eluanbi cape (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan island. I guess it can't get more south than this, huh?

So what is Kenting Town famous for? Although it's a little contradictory to have such a touristy small town inside a protected national park, the town serves as a tourist center, offering a vibrant night life with restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as providing hotels and various shops, that mostly sell souvenirs. The architecture is a mishmash of a typical Taiwanese small town with a flood of signboards in Chinese combined with some Western styled mini hotels and apartment houses, which give you the feeling that you're in a theme park. I guess to an average European the town would look a bit gaudy, but from a Taiwanese perspective, it has a certain charm. Since the town is visited by many local and foreign (mostly Western) tourists, it's no wonder, that it looks like a mixture of those two influences. And there are many restaurants with foreign food, such as Italian restaurants.

Another particularity in the town is a ladyboy show, similar to the ones seen in Thailand, however there's only few of them doing the show here. See some photos of the show here, here and here.

See some photos of Kenting Town (or Kenting street):

The main road is about 1km long and looks like an average road during the day.

A sample of the mixture of designs in Kenting Town.

The road is wide, cars park on the side.

However scooters are the most common mean of transportations here, especially for youngsters.

The sign jungle.

Kenting Town is very lively at night. Restaurants like this are full of people.

The whole road becomes like a promenade of a very long night market.

Except famous chains like McD, restaurants usually charge more than in other Taiwanese towns.

You also have hawkers, that are quite popular. But for me, I'd not recommend the food in Kenting Town.

Leaving Kenting Town, leaving the hustle and bustle in the very heart of the national park.

Kenting Town is good to supply you with some decent food, but don't expect too much. And the price is a little higher, so if you want to save, Kenting Town is not the right place for you. Of course there are 7 Elevens that will provide you with basic food, if you're really that thrifty. You surely can have a lot of fun here. So many young people stroll around every night, some looking for food, some just want to have some fun. The atmosphere is relaxed, it's normal to see girls in shorts or bikini and sandals walking around and guys wear very casual, too. The beaches are 5min away and it's hot, if not warm all year around. And from what I heard it's very easy to meet girls there, especially if you're foreign and speak Mandarin. After all, people come to Kenting to enjoy their holidays and possibly have a romance, maybe an adventure, that they can later share with their friends, when they're back home. So have fun, enjoy yourself in Kenting, but don't go drunk on a scooter.

[My KAOHSIUNG page][My TAIWAN page][Info: Kenting Wiki][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost tip

2010-12-16T17:10:00.003+01:00

The beautiful lighthouse at the end of the world

Eluanbi (鵝鑾鼻) is Taiwan's southernmost tip. The name "Eluan" (鵝鑾) originates from the word for "sail" in an aboriginal language, while the Chinese added "bi" (鼻), which means nose and refers to the shape of the cape (source). The word is sometimes spelled as Oluanpi or Ngoluanpi in English. The most famous part of the small cape is a historic lighthouse called Eluanbi light (鵝鑾鼻燈塔), built during the Qing dynasty in 1888. It's the only fortified and armed lighthouse in the world, it used to be protected with canons and a thick wall. Eluanbi cape is part of the Kenting National Park (墾丁國家公園). We went to the cape on our second day in Kenting, we rented a scooter at the South Bay and needed about 30min to reach there.

There's a big parking lot before you enter the park, because the area is a famous tourist destination and especially Mainland Chinese like to visit with buses. You have to pay admission fee (here is an overview of the prices and discounts), we paid 40NTD each (May 2010). Once you pay, you need to walk around by yourself, there are marked paths with maps. You walk through the jungle and visit various pavilions with nice views. Your tour starts and ends at the famous lighthouse.

These are the photos I made during the short visit of Eluanbi:

The parking lot upon the entrance.

The famous lighthouse. We didn't see it from close, we did that later, when we ended the tour.

The warning sign should be taken seriously. And we did so.

Those rocks used to be under the water many many years ago.

A path through the jungle in the Eluanbi park.

We went up to the big Sea pavilion, that has a breathtaking view.

The famous Kissing rocks and a fisherman on the other side.

The view from the Sea pavilion.

Another view from the Sea pavilion, this time on the Sand island.

The view on the Luzon strait.

I seldom saw the sea so deeply blue.

The skyline seems endless.

The sky and the sea are melting on the horizon.

The clear blue water along the fringing reef coastline.

We were headed to another pavilion.

This one is called the Guests pavilion and also has a nice view.

The same fisherman we saw through the kissing rocks.

We left the jungle and finally saw the famous Eluanbi lighthouse 鵝鑾鼻燈塔.

The lighthouse from another angle. You can see the wall and cannon holes.

The Eluanbi memorial of Taiwan's 8 magnificent sceneries and a crowd of Chinese tourists.

The famous Eluanbi lighthouse again. We had to say goodbye here.

Heading downwards and back to the entrance. It was an unforgettable tour.

Eluanbi is really one of most amazing spots of Taiwan. If you have the chance, go and visit it. You'll feel like you're at the end of the world. One thing is sure, you're definitely at the end of Taiwan. The views are magical and you can spend numerous romantic moments with your loved one, if you choose to travel as a couple.

[My KAOHSIUNG page][My TAIWAN page][Info: Kenting homepage][All photos by MKL, 2010]

My most beautiful photos of Kenting

2010-12-15T20:46:00.012+01:00

Taken during my trip in May 2010

Kenting National Park (墾丁國家公園) is probably one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating here, but one thing is sure, Kenting it's definitely one of the most beautiful national parks in Taiwan, formerly known as Ilha Formosa. It's located at the very southern part of the island, ending at the southern tip, where the ocean and the sky disappear in infinity. This park is truly one of Taiwan's natural gems.

My girlfriend and I decided to visit the park in May 2010. I've already written about our trip to Kenting in a very personal way. Here however I'm sharing some of my best high-definition photos. I will additionally write about the Eluanbi Park and Kenting town in separate posts. This is just what we saw between Hengchun's South bay (恆春鎮南灣), where we stayed and the Eluanbi Park (鵝鑾鼻公園), Taiwan's most southern park. See the map above for the most famous parts in the area. This is what we saw that day in Kenting:

South bay 南灣 (Nanwan) and the road to the south.

The beach in South bay 南灣 (Nanwan).

We see these tractors in Slovenia a lot, but mostly on the countryside, never on the beach. Ah, Taiwan.

The water and the pebbles in the South bay 南灣 (Nanwan).

South bay 南灣 (Nanwan) again.

Kenting town (墾丁大街), called Kenting street in Chinese. This is Taiwan's most southern village.

Colorful houses are common near the main road. They're apartments for tourists to rent.

The famous Sail rock 船帆石 (Chuanfanshi) was besieged with Western tourists.

A Taiwanese couple taking photos near the Sand island 砂島 (Shadao). Common in Taiwan.

Tourists from Mainland China. They like to climb everywhere and are always in groups.

The well protected Sand island 砂島 (Shadao) is breathtakingly beautiful.

Sand island 砂島 (Shadao) again. The emerald color is divine.

A trail in the Eluanbi park (鵝鑾鼻公園) goes between tropical trees and interesting rocks.

The famous Kissing rocks.

The view from the Sea pavilion.

This is the view in the direction of the Philippines.

The clear blue water along the fringing reef coastline.

The famous Eluanbi lighthouse (鵝鑾鼻燈塔).

The view from the lighthouse is breathtaking. And it was very hot that day, I'm sure you can feel it.

Kenting and the whole Hengchun peninsula is one of Taiwan's most beautiful parts. I'm sure I will return there for holidays, because it's really a place where I can relax, enjoy the beach, the sun and great food. But there's so much to explore, especially when it comes to nature. I hope I can see more of these natural wonders, go deeper in the area and especially spend more time there. We only stayed 2 days, I think for a great holiday you need at least one week. But time for holidays in Taiwan is scarce. But if there's a will, there's a way. I hope you enjoyed my photos.

[My KAOHSIUNG page][My TAIWAN page][Info: Kenting homepage][All photos by MKL, 2010]

City shopping mall, Maribor

2010-12-11T22:20:00.008+01:00

One of the first big shopping malls in Maribor

City is one of Maribor's first bigger shopping malls. When it opened in December 1997, it was the biggest and most modern shopping mall in Maribor, as well as in this part of Slovenia. It replaced Merkur, the biggest shopping mall in Maribor for decades, which slowly went bankrupt at the end of the 1990s. City however was only briefly the most popular mall in town. In 2000 a newer bigger mall opened on the other side of the river Drava. It was Europark, which is still no 1 in Maribor today. City slowly lost its magic, because big shopping centers emerged all over Maribor and people start to avoid the center for shopping. Europark for example has free parking, while city doesn't. That's one of the reasons, why people generally avoid City. Usually those who work or live in the area frequent there, while others choose to shop elsewhere.

Besides shops, there's are a supermarket, post office, various cafés and restaurants as well as offices in the building. One the first floor is Panda, a local restaurant chain, famous for simple lunches and snacks and a popular spot for those who work in the area. In 2002 another similar building was built nearby and named City 2, but it's mainly used for offices.

See some photos of City Maribor:

City (on the right, in the middle) seen from the Titova cesta (Tito road).

The main area when you enter the mall.

Cafés along the escalator.

The main alley is small. There are 3 floors.

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday: 8h-20h
Saturday's: 8h-15h

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Homepage][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Kolosej multiplex, Maribor

2010-12-11T21:45:00.003+01:00

Maribor's infamous black box

Kolosej is Maribor's first multiplex, opened in 2004. For 3 years it was the only cineplex in the city and that's why it attracted a lot of people. I remember how popular it was at first, because it doesn't only house 10 movie theaters, it also includes a night club, which was at that time the number one in Maribor, as well as bars, billiards, bowling and some shops. Then came 2007 and another multiplex was built a bit further from the old center called Planet TUŠ. Kolosej lost a lot of people, because it was smaller and had less things to offer. Soon after that the popular night club closed. The future for Kolosej doesn't look to bright. There are some plans to build a hotel and apartment building close to the building, in hope of reviving the whole area.

Kolosej was designed by the architect Janko J. Zadravec, who later complained that the building wasn't constructed completely according to his plans. I'm still not happy about that building being built at the current location near the river Drava. I feel it's totally out of place, because it doesn't connect with any other buildings in the area. The unusual thing is the facade, which is actually a fabric that covers the whole structure. That's probably a first in Slovenia. And I've never seen something like that abroad. Kolosej is probably the most controversial and outstanding piece of modern architecture in Maribor. I'm not saying the design is bad, I just think it doesn't belong in that area. It could be built elsewhere.

See some photos of Kolosej (from Aug 2010):

The main entrance to Kolosej Maribor. The front yard is small. I don't like the concrete paving.

The main entrance again.

A closeup on the fabric, which consists of some metal elements.

The inside is dark. A lift in the center, the theaters are on first floor.

Here you can buy candies and beverages.

My girlfriend playing pool with me. They have nice tables.

The western part of Kolosej with stairs leading down to the river banks of Drava. Opposite is Europark.

There's also a big underground garage in the building (650 parking spaces), but you have to pay for parking, unless you see a movie or play pool or bowling. In that case you have to ask for a free parking ticket at the counter.

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Europark shopping mall, Maribor

2010-12-10T14:57:00.002+01:00

Maribor's most famous shopping mall

Europark is so far Maribor's biggest and most popular shopping mall. It was opened on August 23, 2000. At that time it was one of the biggest shopping malls in Slovenia (and still is today). This year the mall celebrated its 10 years anniversary and it can show some pretty impressive numbers of a very successful decade of growth and profit. In the late 1990s, when the design of the Viennese architect Heinz H. Brunner was made public, many people criticized it, especially the so called local sheriff of Maribor's architects Bogdan Reicheberg, who said the building looks "massive and only serves the purpose of being noticed instead of focusing on the ambiance". He also said, that it should've been built 5km away from where it stands. Looks like some of our local architects think, if they've done some good projects in the 1980s, that they have own the city now. Luckily nobody listened to Reichenberg end of 1990s, because Europark is today one of the best examples of modern architecture in the city and one of the most popular parts of Maribor. That's partly, because it was built so close to the city center and the Tito bridge (Titov most). Now you can park your car in Europark for free and go to the old town by foot. If it's snowing or raining, you can do everything inside the huge mall: Shop, eat, go to post office or bank, meet friends... Europark enriched Maribor unlike any other shopping mall. Rarely Maribor succeeds to make something amazing and Europark is definitely something like that. It's built at the right spot and at the right time.

At the time of completion in 2000, Europark measured 28,000 sq meters, but in 2007 a new part was added and the building is now 40,000 sq meters large. A big part of it is a huge parking garage, which currently houses 2600 free parking spaces. There are 120 shops, bars and restaurants in the building giving jobs to around 1000 people. Maribor is probably one of the best shopping destinations in Slovenia and if you choose to come here, Europark should be your top spot for a shopping adventure as well as for exploring the city by foot. The old medieval center is within 10min of walk.

See some of my photos of Europark (take in August 2010):

The front side of Europark, that glass part on first floor is a restaurant.

One of the entrances of Europark near Titova road.

Inside Europark: Shops, shops and shops.

You can shop from afforadble to expensive brands.

Big Bang is a Slovenian store that sells cell phones, music CDs, computers, TVs, cameras...

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Maribor called Tako's.

This is the huge garage on the eastern part of the structure.

There's also a big supermarket inside the building called InterSpar, was also an investor of Europark, that's why they have such a prominent spot in the building.

Opening hours: Europark is open every day.

Monday - Friday: 9h-21h, bars until 22h
Saturday's: 8h-21h, bars until 22h
Sunday's: 9h-15h

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Homepage][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Židovski trg/Jewish square, Maribor

2010-12-10T10:44:00.001+01:00

The smallest square in the old Maribor

The Jewish synagogue in Maribor.

Židovski trg (pronounced "She·doughs·key terg") or Jewish square is the smallest square in Maribor located in the former Jewish ghetto (Židovska četrt). Jews came to Maribor from German lands and were successful bankers, millers and winegrowers. Due to a doctrine issued by the Pope Innocent III in 1215, Jews had to live in so called ghettos (special quarters) to be separated from the Christians. The ghetto in Maribor was located near the southeastern part of the wall, close to the river Drava. The area is almost completely intact today: You can see the Maribor Synagogue and the Jewish tower. Although Pope's doctrine tried to separate Jews and Christians, those rules weren't so strictly implemented in Maribor, a lot of times Jews were living in Christian areas and Christians in the Jewish ghetto. Jews were banned from serving a public office and they had to wear special identifying markings on their clothes. They also had to pay some extra taxes to the duke. On the other hand, they enjoyed a special protection: Killing a Jew was punished severer than killing a Christian. According to sources, in the year 1410 about 25% of the population was Jewish, which was the height of their presence in Maribor. Unfortunately they were expelled from from Maribor by a decree issued by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I in 1497, which marked the end of the Jewish life in Maribor. However, the influence is still felt today.

See some photos of the Jewish square:

The small Jewish square.

Another angle. Photos from November 2010.

The part between the synagogue and the Jewish tower.

If you visit Maribor's Jewish square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 The Jewish tower (Židovski stolp)

2 Maribor synagogue (Mariborska sinagoga)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Maistrov trg/Maister square, Maribor

2010-12-08T14:19:00.004+01:00

One of my favorite squares in Maribor

Prva Gimnazija Maribor, Maribor's first secondary school.

Trg Generala Maistra, sometimes also Maistrov Trg (pronounced "My·straw terg") or in English General Maister square is one of the squares in Maribor north o the old medieval center. It's located next to the Maribor castle and serves as the front yard of Maribor's first secondary school named Prva Gimnazija Maribor, which I had the honor to attend. Most of the area is occupied by a park. The square is named after Rudolf Maister, a famous Slovenian commander and general, a poet and political activist. He made sure, that Maribor and the surrounding countryside didn't become part of Austria in 1918. He organized the first Slovenian army and disarmed local German forces, that planned to take over control of Maribor (then Marburg an der Drau) and annex it to the First Austrian Republic. That's why Maister is deemed a hero for the people of Maribor and Slovenia, while for the Austrians, he remains a controversial historic figure. The square used to be named Leninov trg (Lenin square) in the past (1945-1992), but was renamed in honor to Rudolf Maister in 1993. A statue of the general was placed here in 1987. People like to put candles and wreaths in his honor here. Opposite of the statue a linden tree was planted on 26. June 1991, a day after Slovenia declared its independence from Yugoslavia.

See some photos from Maistrov trg:

The statue of General Rudolf Maiser Vojanov.

A plaque commemorating the day of Slovenian independence and the planting of the linden tree.

The northern part of the Maribor castle.

The newly built Maistrov dvor, office and apartment building, completed in 2010.

If you visit Maribor's Maister square, you will see these important buildings and sights:

1 Maribor castle (Mariborski grad)
2 Prva secondary school (Prva Gimnazija)

3 Maister manor (Maistrov dvor)

4 Statue of Maister (Spomenik Maistru)

5 Independence linden tree (Osamosvojitvena lipa)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Vojašniški trg/Barracks square, Maribor

2010-12-06T21:22:00.002+01:00

One of the less known historic squares in Maribor

Vojašniški trg (pronounced as "Voh·yash·neesh·key terg") or Barracks square is one of the 6 remaining medieval squares in Maribor, located at the southwestern part of the old town, close to the Round tower and the the former Franciscan monastery. The square is connected with the Vojašniška ulica or Barracks street on the east side and with the Vodnik square on the west side. The name comes from the barracks, that were put here during the reign of Joseph II in the late 18th century. He converted many monasteries into barracks. The square is still in a bad shape, even though the barracks are gone for a while already. However, things are gradually improving. A big part of the square was recently renovated, the area around the former Franciscan monastery called Minoriti. However, there's still a lot to renovate and reconstruct, before the square will look as new.

See some photos of the Barracks square/Vojašniški trg:

The wall on the left will be removed one day, it was build to give the barracks a backyard.

Mostly poor people live in the houses of this square.

Cars parked everywhere make the square unfriendly for pedestrians.

This area around Minoriti (which is today a puppet theater), is freshly renovated.

This is the worst part of the Barracks square, the nearly in ruins Žiče manor.

Once they renovate this part of the square, it will really be one of the most beautiful squares in Maribor, full of rich history and very interesting for foreign and local visitors. Maribor needs to rediscover these beautiful medieval spots, they are our historic treasures.

If you visit Maribor's Barracks square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Minoriti (Franciscan monastery)

2 Žiče manor (Žički dvor)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Trg revolucije/Revolution square, Maribor

2010-12-06T20:00:00.002+01:00

A big square on the right side of the river Drava

Trg Revolucije (pronounced as "Terg Ray·voh·loo·tsee·yeh") or Revolution square is one of the few squares on the "right side of Maribor", usually called Desni breg (Right riverbank of Drava). This square got its current form after 1913, when the Old bridge (Stari most) was completed. It connected the old medieval center of Maribor with the other side called Tabor, that was starting to grow and develop in the late 19th century with the arrival of the railways of the Austrian Südbahn (connecting Vienna with Trieste).

The square in 1930s, before the heavy traffic that we can see today. (Photo: Source)

The most significant building is the former Železnina (store selling tools).

The square has a nice view on Maribor's medieval center.

Unfortunately the square today lost its glory. Most buildings are run down and the central part is just a simple lawn. We could have a statue or a monument here, something significant. And the whole traffic should be redone, this beautiful square is one big confusing roundabout. With that said, I still think it's one of Maribor's most beautiful squares.

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][All photos by MKL, 2010, except the historic]

Vodnikov trg/Vodnik square, Maribor

2010-12-06T13:46:00.003+01:00

The square that houses Maribor's day market

Vodnikov trg (pronounced as "Vod·nee·kow terg") or Vodnik square is a big square in Maribor near the river Drava and close to the Round tower and outside the former southwestern part of the defense wall around the medieval core of the city. It's named After Valentin Vodnik (1758-1819), a Slovenian poet. Today the square is used as Maribor's main day market (Mariborska tržnica). The square went through a big change in the recent two years, the new day market was redesigned. A big underground garage was built under the multiple leveled structure that facilitates Maribor's main market. Many people were not happy with the design of the architects Rok Benda, Primož Hočevar and Mitja Zorc, because it doesn't fit well in the area. But not only that. It turned out that the modern (you could say extraterrestrial) design of the umbrellas, that were praised as revolutionary, didn't do the job well. Not only is the whole level wet, when it rains, the first snow destroyed some of them, which cost a lot. The garage is mostly unoccupied, the shops inside the structure are empty and less and less people are going to the market here, they rather go to big shopping malls, because it's more convenient. The day market today (in 2010) is barely making any profit. Basically money was thrown out the window and the bad and unpractical design destroyed the once vibrant area of Maribor's daily life. It's a shame.

See some photos of Vodnik square:

The famous Round or Judgement tower and parts of the medieval defense wall.

The main level of Maribor's day market with the freaky umbrellas. Photo from August 2010.

This is how the open market looked like in November on a busy day.

The Vodnik square from near the river Drava. You can see the entrance to the garage.

This square, that used to be on a small slope is today an ugly multileveled day market, that doesn't attract people and keeps losing money. I don't know what the architects were thinking and what was on mayor's mind, but this is definitely a shame. New things are not always good for an old city such as Maribor. Sometimes all it needs is a good renovation and few additions. But well, now we have to live with this. I still hope some improvements will be made and that the market will attract more people.

If you visit Maribor's Freedom square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Round tower (Sodni stolp)
2 Minoriti (Franciscan monastery)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Trg svobode/Freedom square, Maribor

2010-12-02T00:32:00.007+01:00

A big square in Maribor

Trg svobode (pronounced as "Terg svoh·boh·day") or Freedom square is a big square in Maribor, that dates to the 19th century. It's located outside of the medieval wall around the town, bordering on the Maribor castle with its bastion and and the former Graz gate, that doesn't exist anymore. Today the Freedom square and the Castle square are connected with the Scherbaum manor and the Maribor castle and the small passage through the two buildings. Freedom square today is a very popular part of Maribor, with a small day market, cafés and the famous Vinag wine cellar, one of the biggest wine cellars in the world, that are located inside town. The central part of the Freedom square is reserved to the World War II monument that people in Maribor call "Kojak". it was put there in 1975 and designed by the famous sculptor Slavko Tihec, who was a native of Maribor. The most dominant buildings on the square are the Maribor castle, the Vinag building and the Scherbaum manor, which is currently the City Loan Bank of Maribor (Mestna hranilnica). The square is commonly used for various celebrations and events such as the St. Martin's celebration every November 11th (because of Vinag nearby and because Maribor is a city of wine). In 1883 Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia and Apostolic King of Hungary, was officially received here. Some say this square is Maribor's living room.

See some photos of Trg svobode:

The famous WWII Monument from 1975, commonly known as "Kojak".

The Maribor castle from 1483.

A big wine barrel, showing the way to the famous Vinag wine cellar.

The entrance to the Vinag building.

The Vinag wine cellar is among those, that are located inside a town's center, one of the biggest wine cellars in the world. The origins date back to the mid 19th century, but the cellar was massively expanded in 1945, 1949 and 1953. The wine cellar is 20,000 square meters large with a space to store 5.5 million liters of wine. The corridors together are 3km long. In the archives wine cellar there is space to store 400.000 bottles, but currently they store around 250.000. The oldest wine bottle they store dates back to 1946. If you want to visit the wine cellar, you need to announce your visit in advance and negotiate a date with them (call 02 2208 119 or send an email to vinag@vinag.si)[Info: Vinag] Further read: Delo: Mariborsko podzemlje.

If you visit Maribor's Freedom square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Maribor castle (Mariborski grad)
2 World War II Memorial (Spomenik NOB)
3 Scherbaumhof (Scherbaumov dvorec)
4 Vinag wine cellar (Vinagova vinska klet)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info: Source][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Grajski trg/Castle square, Maribor

2010-12-01T00:22:00.002+01:00

One of the oldest squares in Maribor

Grajski trg (pronounced as "Grais·key terg") or Castle square (formerly Floriansplatz) is an old medieval square in Maribor, named after the Maribor town castle, which is partly located on the square. At the time, when Maribor was still surrounded by a defense wall, the square was located at the northeastern part of town close to the Graz gate (Graška vrata), that stood on the neighboring Freedom square (Trg svobode). The Castle square today is one of the most vibrant parts of Maribor's old center. You have a hotel, shops, restaurants and many cafés, where especially in summer, people of Maribor like to hang out. In the castle is the Regional Museum Maribor, while in the center of the square you can admire the St. Florian column, a monument dedicated to the patron saint of firefighters. It was placed here in the year 1700 after a devastating fire from a year before. It's a popular meeting point today.

Let me show you some photos from 2010:

Hotel Orel and some clothes shops, that opened in recent years.

The Castle square from north to south. The green building at the end is Naskov dvor.

The column of St. Florian from 1700 (photos from August 2010).

Castle square on a November morning. You can see many cafés already opening.

If you visit Maribor's Castle square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Maribor castle (Mariborski grad)
2 Column of St. Florian (Sv. Florijan)
3 Scherbaumhof (Scherbaumov dvorec)
4 Nasko manor (Naskov dvorec)

5 Hotel Orel

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info source: Sloveniainfo][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Parts of the old Maribor map

2010-11-28T20:50:00.011+01:00

A map for you to find Maribor's old treasures easier

Mouse-over the marks to get the name of the building as well as the year it was constructed. More on my MARIBOR page.

Ljubljana, Graz, Maribor, Klagenfurt, Udine... part 2

2010-11-20T18:05:00.003+01:00

Relating to my previous post, here's a comparison of the city centers, which doesn't only include the medieval remains, but also the modern buildings in the modern centers all around:

Ljubljana, bigger map

Graz, bigger map

Maribor, bigger map

Klagenfurt, bigger map

Udine, bigger map

Villach, bigger map

Kranj, bigger map

Celje, bigger map

Graz, Ljubljana, Maribor, Klagenfurt, Udine... part 1

2010-11-20T17:05:00.006+01:00

Comparing cities close to Maribor

Here is a comparison of some of the sub-alpine cities in the south eastern part of the Alps. I've compared the biggest cities in the region, such as Ljubljana, Graz, Maribor, Udine, Klagenfurt, Villach, Kranj and Celje. You can see that Graz is the biggest by size, but Ljubljana has a slightly bigger population. Ljubljana is also the most clustered of them all, while Klagenfurt and Udine are the most compact cities in the region. All of these cities have a very good chance to grow rapidly and become centers in the region. I think in the next years the biggest growth can be expected from Ljubljana and Graz, they may become important big cities in the whole region, maybe with a population close to 500.000 until 2050. I think Maribor and Klagenfurt may become a little bigger, too. Maybe hitting the 200.000 mark in 40 years, but as far as other cities go, I think they will remain the same size or grow close to 100.000. It all depends on the local and regional governments and future projects. We will see.

Let's compare:

Graz/Gradec (Austria), 260.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Ljubljana (Slovenia), 280.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Maribor (Slovenia), 120.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Klagenfurt/Celovec (Austria), 94.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Udine/Videm (Italy), 100.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Villach/Beljak (Austria), 60.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Kranj (Slovenia), 52.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Celje (Slovenia), 48.000 inhabitants, bigger map

Compare also: The city centers.

Slomškov trg/Slomšek square, Maribor

2010-11-19T16:10:00.004+01:00

One of the historically most important squares in Maribor

Slomškov trg (pronounced as "Slome·shkou terg") or Slomšek square is one of the biggest and oldest squares in Maribor. It's named after Anton Martin Slomšek, a Slovenian bishop from the 19th century, who brought the seat of the diocese to Maribor. He's seen as one of the most important Slovenians in the 19th century, before Slovenians had their own state. The oldest name for the square was Kirchplatz (German for "Church square"), which was named after Maribor's main and oldest church, today Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which is located at the center of the square. In 1859, when Maribor became the seat of the diocese, the square was renamed to Domplatz (German for "Cathedral square") or Stolni trg in Slovenian. From 1919, when Maribor became part of Slovenia (within Kingdom Yugoslavia), the square was renamed to Slomškov trg (the name it still holds today). Between 1941-1945 during the German occupation of Slovenia, the square was again called Domplatz again.

Besides the majestic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, you'll find many other important buildings on the square. One is the seat of the Post of Slovenia, the seat of the University of Maribor and the Slovenian National Theater Maribor. There's also a park with a fountain on the square, a light column from the 16th century and a statue of Slomšek. The square as it is today, dates back to 1891, when some buildings were removed. There used to be an old rectory here (as seen on the photo, Source: PAM, Fototeka, inv. 2491)

This building had its own yard, but today there's a small park with a fountain. There was another building close to the cathedral where the statue of Slomšek stands today (Info source: Sašo Radovanović, Mariborske ulice, Kapital, Maribor, 2005). When these were removed, the square became bigger and opener. In the next years the square is about to be redesigned again and to be reserved for pedestrians only. Currently there is a large parking area all around the cathedral.

See some of my photos of the Slomšek square:

The northern part of the square. These buildings belong to the diocese of Maribor.

The Stolnica, Maribor's cathedral.

Cars parked everywhere here. That's one of the things that needs to be changed here.

The University of Maribor building. The one in Ljubljana can be seen here.

The Post building. It's the central post office in Slovenia.

Statue of Anton Martin Slomšek, a Slovenian bishop, poet, author from 19th century.

The Slovenian National Theater building from the 19th century (the facade).

If you visit Maribor's Slomšek square, you will see these historically important buildings:

1 Maribor Cathedral (Stolnica)
2 University of Maribor (Rektorat Univerze Maribor)
3 Slovenian National Theater (Narodno gledališče Maribor)
4 Post of Slovenia building (Pošta Slovenije)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info source: Sašo Radovanović, Mariborske ulice, Kapital, Maribor, 2005]

[All photos by MKL, 2010, except the historic: Source: PAM, Fototeka, inv. 2491]

Rotovški trg/Town hall square, Maribor

2010-11-17T20:20:00.005+01:00

Maribor's smallest square

Rotovški trg (pronounced as "Raw·tow·shkee terg", meaning Town hall square) is the smallest square in Maribor. It's located at the back side of the Town hall (Rotovž) and connected with the Main square (Glavni trg) and Slomšek square (Slomškov trg) with small lanes. The oldest name of the square is Rathaushof (German for "Town hall yard") from 1780. In 1869 it was named as Mehlplatz (German for "Flour square"), because flour used to be traded on the square. The current name originates from 1876 from the German Rathausplatz, the Slovenian version is from 1919. Today the square is used for weddings and for the mayor's official receptions. There's also a library on the square (Mariborska knjižnica). The current design dates back to the 1960s, but there are plans to redesign it in 2011. We'll see what will happen.

The back side of the Town hall building and a passage to the Main square.

View on the northern part of the square. The paving is in a really bad state. Photo from November 2010.

A passage to the Slomšek square. Photo from August 2010.

This square is usually empty and not in the best condition, especially the paving. I hope they just fix that and the whole atmosphere will be much more pleasant.

Rotovški trg in 1973 was very lively. And the cars were so small back then.
(Photo from a book Maribor Mesto ob Dravi, Založba Obzorja, 1973, edited by Bruno Hartman)

[MAIN SQUARE][My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][Info source][All photos by MKL, 2010, except the last]

Glavni trg/Main square, Maribor

2010-11-12T22:26:00.017+01:00

Maribor's biggest square

Glavni trg (pronounced as "Glao·nee terg" meaning Main square) is the biggest square in Maribor. It was first mentioned in 1315 as Markt (Slovenian Trg, which meant Market square). It was renamed into Hauptplatz or Glavni trg in the 19th century, because it became the center of Maribor's daily life. The majority of people in Maribor at that time were Germans and Slovenian lands were under Austria's rule, hence the German name.

Glavni trg in the first and second half of the 20th century (my friend's postcard scans).

When Maribor became part of Slovenia (under Kingdom Yugoslavia) in 1918, the square was officially named Glavni trg. In 1913, the Old Bridge (Slovenian Stari most) was built over the river Drava and changed the southern part of the Main square (see changes of Glavni trg on totibastard.blog.siol). From 1941-1945 the Germans annexed Maribor to the Third Reich and renamed the square to Adolf-Hitler-Platz. After 1945, when Maribor was liberated by Yugoslav antifascist forces, the square was named Glavni trg again. And it holds the same name until today.

Let me show you few impressions from Glavni trg:

Impressive Ludwigshof house from 1905 and the Plague monument from 1743.

The Town hall of Maribor (Slovenian Mestna hiša or Rotovž, formerly Rathaus) from 1515.

Glavni trg went through many changes in history (like whole Maribor). But what happened after 1945? In 1981 an ugly building cut the square in half. While the western part has stayed more or less the same as centuries before, the Eastern part changed a lot and served as a bus station and parking space (sometimes both). A roundabout was built few years ago in the southern part of the square to make the traffic smoother. However there are plans to transform the whole square together with the old bridge into a pedestrian area. See some plans here and here (in Slovenian).

The Plague monument (Slovenian Kužno znamenje) in September 2007.

A view on the western side of the Main square in November 2010.

View on the eastern part of Glavni trg. On the right side is the impressive Theresienhof from 1913.

Truth is, the Main square today is empty. There are few cafés and shops, but too few to attract people. It's like a museum on the open. It's definitely worth to see it and snap some photos, but I'm not sure what would make people stick around a little longer. We'll see, how the new redesigned version of the square (supposedly finished by 2012) will look like and if it'll bring the people back. I'm skeptical.

A roundabout, placed here few years ago. Not really a good idea, if you ask me.

The east part of Glavni trg with the ugly multi purpose building from 1981. I'd gladly knock it down.

The Eastern Main square with the Pharmacy building on the right.

All the architectural blunders and faux pas aside, you have to see Maribor's Glavni trg, because you'll see these architectural gems:

1 Town hall building (Mestna hiša, Rotovž)
2 Plague monument (Kužno znamenje)
3 Theresienhof (Velika kavarna)

4 Ludwigshof (Ludvikov dvor)
5 Old pharmacy (Stara lekarna)

6 Pharmacy (Lekarna)

7 St. Aloysius church (Sv. Alojzij)

[My MARIBOR page][My SLOVENIA page][All photos by MKL, 2010, except the historic]

Related: [Rotovški trg] Info sources: [Slovenia Info, Kraji.eu, Siol.net]

Čeligijev stolp/Tscheligi tower, Maribor

2010-11-11T19:21:00.013+01:00

One of Maribor's famous towers

Čeligijev stolp or Čeligi tower (also Tscheligi tower) is the only remaining wall tower of the former northern part of the wall around Maribor. It was constructed between 1460 and 1465. The tower also known as Črni stolp (literally Black tower), Smodniški stolp (literally Gunpowder tower), Mučilni stolp (literally Torture tower) or Severni stolp (literally Northern tower), is named after Tscheligi, a family that had a brewery inside the tower in the late 18th century. Today the tower is empty and abandoned and stands amid a modern residential area, but there are plans to renovate it in 2011 and have a museum inside as well as a small hall below the tower.

Čeligi tower in November 2010.

Čeligi tower with the surrounding area will have to be soon cleaned up.

Tree growing on top of the tower.

Remains of the former wall around Maribor can be seen here.

Čeligi tower and the residential area nearby.

Another view on the tower from near the backyard of the theater.

[My SLOVENIA page][My MARIBOR page][All photos by MKL, 2010, except the historic]

Read also: [Maribor: City of towers][Info source: Večer]

Židovski stolp/Jewish tower, Maribor

2010-11-10T11:15:00.003+01:00

One of Maribor's famous towers

Židovski stolp or the Jewish tower is one of the four remaining wall towers of the medieval Maribor. It's located on the eastern part of Lent, very close to the Water tower, a famous landmark of Maribor. Both used to be connected by a parapet walk and the water gate stood between them. The tower was built in 1465 on the place of the former guard house. The whole area is called the Jewish quarter and Jews lived here from the 13th to the late 15th century, before they were expelled by a decree from the Austrian Emperor. The lower part of the tower is made of 1.5m thick stone walls, the upper part is made of bricks. Today the whole structure is home to the Maribor Fotoklub, which regularly holds photography exhibitions inside the tower.

The Jewish tower behind the Water tower, photo from August 2010.

Jewish tower as seen from the Jewish quarter near the synagogue (Nov 2010).

A closeup of the Jewish tower from May 2006. The upper part is made of bricks.

Jewish tower from below with the remains of the old wall, May 2006.

Jewish tower from below, taken in November 2010.

Jewish tower from the side, taken in August, 2010.

[My SLOVENIA page][My MARIBOR page][All photos by MKL, 2006-2010]

Read also: [Maribor: City of towers][Info source: Brochure]

Sodni stolp/Judgement tower, Maribor

2010-11-07T20:20:00.005+01:00

One of Maribor's famous towers

Photo from 25th August, 2010.

Sodni Stolp or the Judgement tower (also known as Okrogli stolp or Round tower) is one of the 4 remaining fortified towers of the old medieval wall around Maribor. There were more towers in the past. The current form is from the year 1830. The tower stood at the southwest end of the old Maribor, but today it's located within town, on the western part of Lent. This tower is one of Maribor's landmarks and shows how rich the whole history of this town was. Maribor could be called the town of towers. There were 9 of them in the past, today only 4 remain. The Judgement tower was originally built in 1310. It was much smaller than today and it did not have a roof in the shape of a cone. That was added in 1540, but it burned down a century later. After that fire, it was reconstructed in 17th and later 18th century, more floors and a roof were added. The name "sodni" which means in Slovenian "in connection with a court or a judge" comes from the legend, that people were persecuted in the tower, but that never happened (source). Other names for the tower are also Pristaniški stolp (meaning Harbour tower) or Samostanski stolp (meaning Monastery tower), due to a monastery in the vicinity. There are plans to revive the tower until 2012, the interior will be redesigned, floors will be designated for a gallery, a restaurant and a pharmacy.

Sodni stolp after the World War II (photo 1) and after 1967 (photo 2). You can see that a very famous old building named Mariborske Benetke (meaning Maribor's Venice), which was connected to the Judgement tower, doesn't stand there anymore. That's one of the sad parts of Maribor's post WWII history. The local communist government didn't care about this building in 1967, when a hydroelectric power plant was built near Maribor and a lot of buildings in Lent were destroyed, the most famous of them was Benetke. It's really a shame. I hope they would rebuilt it, but so far I haven't seen any plans for that.

Sodni stolp from November 4th, 2010.

Sodni stolp closeup, November 2010.

This tower is simple, but for me very beautiful.

You can see parts of the old wall connected to the Judgement tower. Photo from Augusz 2010.

View from Maribor's day market.

[My SLOVENIA page][My MARIBOR page][All photos by MKL, 2006-2010]
[See also: WATER TOWER][Info sources: Mariborčan, Maribor-Pohorje]
Read also: [Maribor: City of towers]

Vodni stolp/Water tower, Maribor

2010-11-06T13:10:00.011+01:00

One of Maribor's famous towers

Photo from 25th August, 2010.

Vodni stolp or the Water tower is one of the 4 remaining fortified towers of the old medieval wall around Maribor. There were more towers in the past. The current form dates back in the year 1555, before there was a smaller oval tower in the area. The Water tower stood at the southeast part of the old Maribor, but today it's located on the eastern part of Lent. It was connected with the Jewish tower by a wall with a famous gate named Vodna vrata (meaning Water gate) located right next to it. In 1967 the tower was almost removed due to the rise of the river Drava, because a hydroelectric power plant was built near Maribor. A lot of historic buildings were destroyed in that time and the local communist government didn't care about it. Luckily, there was a brave engineer named Jože Požauk, who was engaged in lifting the whole tower 2.6m higher. Although his idea wasn't popular, he eventually succeeded, but it took 7 months to make it. After that, the tower was empty for 20 years. In the late 1980s renovations begun and a wine shop found its new home in the tower. It's named Vinoteka Lent. You can taste exquisite wine from the region, sit outside and enjoy the views.

The Water tower in early 20th century. This photo is found near the tower today.

A photo of the Water tower taken in Spring, on May 18th 2006.

Another one from May 18th, 2006.

August 25th, 2010, taken from the other side of the river Drava.

Taken at dawn, August 25th, 2010.

The small harbor near the Water tower, August 2010.

Water tower closeup, the old stone facade.

This one is from November 4th, 2010. Taken from the Jewish quarter.

[My SLOVENIA page][My MARIBOR page][All photos by MKL, 2006-2010]
[See also: JUDGEMENT TOWER][Info source: Narodni Dom]

OUB Centre, Singapore

2010-10-29T11:28:00.004+02:00

One of Singapore's tallest skyscrapers

The OUB Centre together with the UOB Plaza One and the Republic Plaza, is one of the 3 tallest skyscrapers in Singapore. It's 280m tall, has 63 floors and it's mainly used as an office building. There is a shopping mall at the bottom named One Raffles Place. Another tower is being built near the current OUB Centre and will be completed in 2011 (here's a renderering). The whole building will subsequently be renamed as One Raffles Place. I think they're destroying the original building with this. A pity, since Singapore doesn't have a lot of notable and high quality buildings.

[Info][Skyscrapers page][My Singapore page][All photos by MKL, 2008]

Sultan Mosque/Masjid Sultan, Singapore

2010-10-27T12:21:00.003+02:00

Singapore's majestic mosque

The Sultan Mosque (Malay Masjid Sultan) was completed in 1928 and is today one of the biggest and most important mosques in Singapore. It's located in Kampong Glam, east of the central Singapore. The closest subway station to the mosque is BUgis MRT station (the mosque on the map).

The pedestrian area near the mosque is full of small shops with souvenirs.

[Info source][My Singapore page][All photos by MKL, 2008]

UOB Plaza, Singapore

2010-10-27T11:48:00.004+02:00

Currently one of the three tallest skyscrapers in Singapore

UOB Plaza Two and UOB Plaza One.

The UOB Plaza (United Overseas Bank Plaza or 大华银行大厦) is a complex of two high-rise buildings in Singapore. The UOB Plaza One is with its 280m one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city, the smaller UOB Plaza Two shares the post-modernist design of the first building, but only tops out at 162m. The UOB Plaza is one of the 3 skyscrapers in Singapore that are 280m tall: The other two are OUB Centre and Republic Plaza.

The UOB Plaza Two and One in December 2008.

The UOB Plaza in the concrete jungle of Singapore's downtown.

The UOB Plaza seen from the East. On the right are the High Courts.

Sir Stamford Raffles in front, UOB Plaza in the back. Photo from January 2005.

[Info][Skyscrapers page][My Singapore page][All photos by MKL, 2005/2008]

Lake Bohinj 2010, Slovenia

2010-10-24T13:11:00.003+02:00

One of Slovenia's most beautiful lakes

Lake Bohinj, along with Lake Bled, is one of Slovenia's most scenic parts. These photos were taken during our Slovenia trip 2010. It was a late afternoon in Bohinj (around 7pm), when we took these photos. The sun was setting on a warm August evening. Enjoy.

Lake Bohinj/Bohinjsko jezero.

A boat on the lake.

Duck.

Boats in sunset.

Sunset.

Reflection.

The sun.

[My Slovenia page][My Ljubljana page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

The Merlion in 2008, Singapore

2010-10-23T23:01:00.003+02:00

The Merlion as seen on December 17, 2008 in Singapore.

[My MERLION post][My Singapore page][Photo by MKL, 2008]

Siloso beach, Sentosa 2005, Singapore

2010-10-23T22:21:00.001+02:00

Singapore's famous island

Siloso beach is a beach on Sentosa island in Singapore. It was my favorite beach during my stay in 2005. I really enjoyed swimming here, although it was extremely hot and I could get sunburned very easily. Singapore lays near the equator and the tropical sun is merciless. The beach is very well preserved, but a lot has changed since my 2005 trip. Actually meanwhile the whole Sentosa island has been heavily modified. I've seen a big construction site during my 2008 trip and wasn't happy about it. Let me show you how Sentosa used to be before they started to build like crazy.

Siloso beach in January 2005:

I was all empty that day, because I went during the week.

Cool deck, where you can drink overly priced drinks.

Small islets along Siloso beach.

Palms.

The water was clear and seemed clean.

Sentosa is very close to the port of Singapore, one of the biggest ports in the world.

[My Singapore page][All photos by MKL, 2005]

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore

2010-10-23T15:59:00.002+02:00

Singapore's modern architecture

Boy, was I in shape in 2005.

The Esplanade - Theaters on the Bay is one of Singapore's landmark buildings. Actually, it's two buildings in a shape of a durian (or maybe eyes of a fly? Who will ever know). The two buildings are a concert hall and a theater (like Liberty square in Taipei), but there are also a library and a shopping mall. My ex girlfriend and I went atop of the Esplanade building to enjoy the view of Marina bay and Singapore's down town. It was really hot at that time, but I enjoyed the nice views. Enjoy them with me:

The durian on the right.

Hotels on the left.

Below is a small yard, pretty neat.

Swissôtel the Stamford raising above the Easplanade.

Parts of Singapore's down town.

One of my favorite buildings in Singapore: The Fullerton hotel.

[Skyscrapers page][My Singapore page][All photos by MKL, 2005]

Singapore's downtown skyline, 2005

2010-10-22T15:11:00.008+02:00

View on Singapore's skyline in January 2005

The tallest two buildings are UOB Centre and UOB Plaza One, both 280m tall.

I remember how impressed I was with Singapore's skyline, when I first saw it in January 2005. It looked like a concrete forest of high-rise buildings to me, the tallest among them topped at 280m. And since in Slovenia we don't have such downtowns, it was truly something new to me. This experience was life changing to me. In one day that I needed to arrive on the other side of the globe, I have entered into a world I have not known before. Never was I further from home than at that time, when I was in Singapore. It was also the biggest city I have ever seen until that time. I was young, barely 25 and of course fascinated by everything I saw and experienced in Singapore. Now, after seeing Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul, I'm somewhat harder to impress.

The skyline of Singapore today doesn't impress me anymore. I think they have spoiled it by building too many questionable buildings. I'd rather see they would've kept the downtown as it is and build a very tall skyscraper in the middle, maybe around 500m. Instead they're building tens of smaller buildings all around Marina bay (you can see that here). That will somehow make Singapore's skyline three times bigger. But will the quality of life increase? Will it benefit average Singaporeans? We will see. I understand that Singapore needs to have plans for further development, but I wonder how will the city look like in 100 years. Where can they expand? Will they start tearing down old skyscrapers and replace them? Only time will tell. Until then, let's enjoy Singapore's old skyline from January 2005:

Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles, a British colonialist, who founded Singapore.

He wanted Singapore to be an important harbor for the British empire in Southeast Asia (early 19th century). He is being worshiped in Singapore today, praised as the founder of the city. The names Stanford or Raffles are commonly used for buildings and streets in Singapore. The statue above is located in the downtown near the Singapore river.

Below the statue, in memory of Stamford Raffles.

Singapore's high-rise buildings in the downtown area.

This made me dizzy in 2005. But it wouldn't make me dizzy anymore after I've seen Hong Kong.

[Skyscrapers page][My Singapore page][All photos by MKL, 2005]

Parkview Square, Singapore

2010-10-22T14:08:00.005+02:00

One of the most expensive office buildings in the city

Parkview Square.

Parkview Square is an office high-rise building in Singapore. It was completed in 2002 in an Art deco style. It's located in Singapore's central district and stands out with its design and height (144m, 24 floors), because it's surrounded by parks and smaller buildings. I like this skyscraper, but I think it doesn't fit well in Singapore's architecture, it's too different, too unique. It looks massive from close, like a monumental palace, that could stay somewhere in Europe, rather than in Asia. It's definitely one of Singapore's most notable skyscrapers.

I took this photo in January 2005.

Golden crane, the symbol of Parkview Square.

[Singapore][My Skyscrapers page][Info source][All photos by MKL, 2005]

My best photos of Bled

2010-10-17T21:31:00.005+02:00

My best photos of my Bled 2010 trip

These are my best photos of the beautiful Alpine gem Bled, located in the northwestern part of Slovenia. All photos taken in August 2010 with a Pentax DSLR, some from around the lake, some from atop of Bled castle.

Blejski grad/Bled castle.

Blejsko jezero/Lake Bled.

A duck on the Lake Bled.

The famous kremna rezina, a cream cake.

Blejski otok/Bled island.

View on Bled town.

People swimming in lake Bled as seen from the castle.

Lake Bled with the island.

Blejski otok/Bled island.

A photographer.

[My Slovenia page][My Ljubljana page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Symbol of Kranj: Kranjski orel

2010-10-14T20:35:00.001+02:00

The eagle of Carniola

I took this photo in Kranj (Slovenia) in August 2010. It's the Eagle of Carniola (Kranjski orel) on top of the Old Fountain (Stari vodnjak) at the Main Square (Glavni trg). Read more about Kranj and the Duchy of Carniola.

[Photo by MKL, 2010]

Jessica Alba hot legs, GQ, 2010

2010-10-14T18:20:00.006+02:00

Jessica Alba looks top in 2010

I found these scans of Jessica Alba on Pop Champagne's blog and decided to post my favorite photo here. It's from the GQ Magazine, the photographer was Gavin Bond, the stylist Daniel Caudill.

Jessica Alba has played a role in my love life. You wonder how? Let me tell you. I was following what I thought was the real Jessica Alba on Twitter account and that person even followed me back in May 2009. My current girlfriend followed that account and started to follow me as well. It turned out that the whole thing was fake, the account was soon after suspended, but my current girlfriend kept following me. We became twiends, friends and lovers and the rest is history. So thank you @FakeJessicaAlba, hehe. Something good came out of that thing, although I was pretty disappointed at that time. Well, a year later, the real Jessica Alba started to tweet. You can follow her under @JessicaAlba.

Jessica Alba is not the classical beauty, she's not a princess, but she was always the hot girl next door. She's extremely sexy on the photo above, a wild look with high heels accentuating her long legs suits her most. It's amazing how good she looks after giving birth. Jessica Alba is really a great actress and an exceptional woman.

Hauptmanova hiša, Ljubljana

2010-10-11T11:48:00.001+02:00

Hauptman house

Hauptmanova hiša (or Hauptman's house) is a famous art nouveau building in Ljubljana, which was built after the devastating earthquake of 1895. It's located on the Prešeren square, one of Ljubljana's main town squares.

A detail of the Hauptman house.

[My Slovenia page][My Ljubljana page][All photos by MKL, 2010]

Park Si-hyun in bikini

2010-10-11T11:39:00.010+02:00

One of South Korea's hottest models

I already introduced Park Si-hyun (1984, South Korea) in one of my previous posts. Here I just want you to see her best set of photos so far: Park Si-hyun in bikini. Photos made and owned by the awesome Korean photographers Flying Jun and Yoo Dong-hoo in 2010. Check their websites and enjoy the photos and videos.

Jakopičevo sprehajališče, Tivoli, Ljubljana

2010-10-07T20:40:00.001+02:00

Park Tivoli, Ljubljana

Park Tivoli as seen from the Tivoli castle. The statue of the two dancers symbolize sexuality. This promenade is called Jakopičevo sprehajališče and it was arranged by Jože Plečnik, the most famous and important Slovenian architect. I took this photo in spring of 2005.

[My Slovenia page][My Ljubljana page][Photos by MKL, 2005]

Trip to Ljubljana, 2006

2010-10-07T19:46:00.001+02:00

A walk around the Slovenian capital

Stolnica, Ljubljana's cathedral.

It was a warm and partly cloudy May day in 2006, when I decided to go on a short trip with my (now ex) girlfriend to Ljubljana. We had a nice walk from north to south and enjoyed some beautiful impressions of the city. She really liked Ljubljana, which is interesting, since she wasn't from here. I guess Ljubljana is beautiful to many foreigners. And rightfully so, it's a marvelous city after all.

Enjoy some impressions of that day:

The Franciscan church on Prešeren sqaure.

Tromostovje or The Three Bridges.

Stolnica or the cathedral of Ljubljana.

The Kresija palace closeup.

Stolnica and the Ljubljana castle.

Walking along Ljubljanica.

The arcades made by Plečnik near Kresija palace.

Mestni trg or Town square.

Ljubljanica river again.

Kranjski deželni dvorec is today the seat of University of Ljubljana.

The City hall of Ljubljana.

[My Slovenia page][My Ljubljana page][All photos by MKL, 2006]