Cheung Chau 長洲島

This week end, because our initial boat trip plan has been cancelled, we decided to go to Cheung Chau instead, so that we could still enjoy sun, beach and seafood !
Cheung Chau (Chinese: 長洲, literally "Long Island") is a small island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape.

Going There
We took the First Ferry to go from Central pier to Cheung Chau. The ferries run approximately every 30 minutes. The trip is about 20 kilometers. There are two types of ferries : the fast ferry and the ordinary ferry. They both leave every half hour alternatively. The fast ferry takes about 30 minutes to arrive Cheung Chau and cost about 25HKD. The ordinary ferry takes about 45 minutes and cost about 12HKD. Besides the difference of time and price, the fast ferry's seats are better and the boats are air conditioned. The ordinary ferries have bench-like seats and have windows with no aircon. Even we went during summer time, the trip back by ordinary ferry was not that disagreeable.

You can visit the link below for more information about the timetable and fare applicable to Central pier to Cheung Chau trip.
http://www.nwff.com.hk/eng/fare_table/central-cheung_chau/

Cheung Chau Town
The island is not that big, the surface area is of 2.45 km². From the ferry terminal you can walk to the beach in 10 minutes, you have restaurants and shops along the bay, supermarkets and souvenir shops a little bit more inside the island.
Due to inaccessibility to cars and other vehicles, most residents use bicycles for personal transportation, and a number of bicycle rental shops near the ferry pier rent bicycles to tourists.

Cheung Chau Beach
The beach is located straight ahead from the ferry terminal, at the other side of the island. It is actually just going through one street for about 10 minutes and you are already there ! The street is nice, you have some restaurants, some supermarkets, some local shops and closer to the beach there are all these beach wear/beach balloons/beach umbrellas, etc.. to buy or rent. There are also common showers and changing rooms, as well as lockers if you do not want to leave your belonging unattended on the sand when you play on the water. The lockers are 50HKD until 7pm, the official end of the beach services time, like lifeguard, lockers, shops, etc... Of course you can still stay on the beach as long as you want and go to the water, but there won't be any lifeguard anymore.

The beach is quite long, so you won't feel too crowded or close to other groups of people. The swimming area is also quite big, although limited by some nets all around it, for safety reasons. There are 3 jumping areas at about 100 meters from the beach, depending on the tide. The water is not that clean, mostly because of seaweed, brown kind that stick to the body ... But i haven't seen any garbage in it, so that is good already !

Restaurants
There are a lot of restaurants on Cheung Chau, especially seafood restaurants. The most famous one is located right on the right side of the ferry terminal (when you go out from it). You can see many tables outside the restaurant and all the aquariums with your fishes waiting for you to choose them. The food is good quality, the price is a little bit more expensive than other seafood restaurants located elsewhere on the island, but still worth it. The seafood menu is changing according to the seasons.
Apart from seafood restaurants, there are a lot of other varieties, there is a Japanese restaurant, an Italian restaurant, an Indian restaurant, Irish pubs ... There are also desert shops, small tea time lovely places and of course all the small stands with lots and lots of snack ! Yummy !

Sleeping
You can book a room in Cheung Chau if you wish to stay overnight and admire the sunrise on the beach. On the left side of the ferry terminal (still when you go out from it), there are lots of "real estate agencies" renting their apartment, hotel rooms. I also saw a Bed & Breakfast on the main street leading to the beach. It seems very nice and even rented bikes to their tenants for a ride in the city.

Below is the website for the B&B in Cheung Chau.
http://www.bbcheungchau.com.hk/v2/Blank.html

Overall if you want to spend a nice quiet day away from the rush of Hong Kong, or if you want to spend a family day at the beach, or if you want to treat yourself with a nice seafood meal, you can find all this on Cheung Chau !

For more information about Cheung Chau, please visit the site below:
http://www.cheungchauhk.com/

Taipei Metro - 台北捷運公司

The Taipei Metro, more commonly known as the MRT or formally as the Taipei Rapid Transit System, is a rapid transit system serving metropolitan Taipei in Taiwan. The system is built and operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) and consists of 89 stations and 101.9 km of revenue track. The system carried an average of over 1.6 million passengers per day in December 2010. The Taipei Metro is Taiwan's first metro system. Since it first began operations in 1996, the system has been effective in relieving some of Taipei's traffic congestion problems.

Routes
Most rail lines running radially outward from central Taipei. The MRT system operates from 6 am to midnight daily, with extended services during special events (such as New Year festivities). Trains operate at intervals of 1.5 to 15 minutes depending on the line and time of day. Smoking is forbidden in the entire metro system, while eating, drinking, chewing gum, and betel nuts are forbidden within the yellow line of each station. Automated station announcements are recorded in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and English.

5 main lines :
1- brown = 12 stations from Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center to Zhongshan Junior High School and 12 stations from Zhongshan Junior High School to Taipei Zoo
2- red = 20 stations from Danshui to CKS Memorial Hall and 1 station from Beitou to Xinbeitou
3- orange = 4 stations from Nanshijiao to Guting and 12 stations from Zhongxiao Xinsheng to Luzhou
4- green = 12 station from Ximen to Xindian and 1 station from Qizhang to Xiaobitan
5- blue = 22 stations from Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center to Yongning

Fare and Ticketing
RFIDIC Tokens and EasyCard smart cards are used to collect fares for day-to-day use, with the exception of group tickets and bicycle access tickets (which use paper tickets).
Fares range from 20 to NT$65 with most locations accessible for around NT$20–30. Beginning April 1, 2011, senior citizens and physically challenged individuals will be entitled to a 50% discount on fares. The fare for the first 5 km on a one-way ticket is NT$20, and each additional 3 km costs an extra NT$5, up to NT$65. A 20% discount is taken with use of an EasyCard.

There are 5 types of tickets as described below :
1- IC Tokens: These single-use tokens can be bought from ticket vending machines in each station. They are valid only on the day of purchase and replaced the existing magnetic cards in 2007.
2- One-Day Pass: This card allows for unlimited Taipei Metro travel. They are valid from the first use until the end of service on the same day (not including the Maokong Gondola). Value cannot be added and it costs NT$200 (inclusive of a NT$50 deposit). The deposit can be collected if the card is returned within three days of the first use.
3- Group Ticket: These are available for groups of 10 or more (at a 20% discount) or groups of 40 or more (at a 30% discount). These cannot be refunded once issued and require passengers to enter through the "Group Ticket Entrance/Exit".
4- Single Journey Ticket for Cyclists: At a cost of NT$80, this allows for one person to bring a bicycle into the system (at select stations). It is only issued/valid at certain times, and no funds can be given once issued. In 2008, 102,279 bicycles were taken on the Taipei Metro.
5- EasyCard: Issued by the EasyCard Corporation, these cards are stored value cards for contactless electronic payment. They are available as Adult, Student, Concessionaire, and TaipeiPass varieties.

Art
Important stations such as transfer stations, terminal stations, and stations with heavy passenger flow were chosen for the installation of public art. The artworks included murals, children's mosaic collages, sculptures, hung forms, spatial art, interactive art, and window displays. The selection methods included open competitions, invitational competitions, direct assignments, and cooperation with children.

Practical Information
Opening hours : 6.00 ~ 24.00
Website : http://www.trtc.com.tw/MP_122031.html

Kaohsiung MRT - 高雄大眾捷運系統

The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit System (KMRT; 高雄大眾捷運系統) is a rapid transit system covering metropolitan Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Construction of the KMRT started in October 2001. The Red Line and the Orange Line opened on March 9 and September 14, 2008, respectively.

Routes
There are 2 lines at the moment, but it is planned to have 9 more lines for a total of 11 KMRT lines. The Kaohsiung MRT is expected to be extended further into parts of the city formerly of Kaohsiung County, as well as Pingtung County.

Fares and Ticketing
There are 11 types of MRT cards, as described below:
1- single journey ticket : valid for a single ride on the day of the purchase on KRTC
2- usual : sold at NT$200 each (including NT$100 card price and NT$100 stored value), card price is non-refundable
3- student : sold at NT$200 each (including NT$100 card price and NT$100 stored value), card price is non-refundable
4- one-day pass : sold at NT$200 each ( including NT$70 deposit); valid on the day of the purchase; deposit will be refunded in 7 days while no deliberately damage is found on the card; unlimited for KRTC rides
5- two-day pass : sold at NT$230; valid for 2 days counting from the date of purchase; unlimited for KRTC rides
6- one-day traveler card : sold at NT$200; valid on the day once it is activated in KRTC or Kaohsiung City Bus/Ferry; unlimited for KRTC rides, Kaohsiung City Bus and Ferry
7- group ticket : for 10 passengers and above for single ride on KRTC
8- cyclist ticket : sold at NT$100 each; for passenger with non-folding bike for single ride on KRTC during specific period; valid on the day of the purchase
9- substitute ticket : sold under some special circumstances to substitute for Single Journey Ticket; valid in 7 days after issue
10- 100-day pass : sold at NT$3,600; valid for 100 days counting from the date of purchase; unlimited for KRTC rides
11- Kaohsiung happiness card : sold at NT$1,250; valid for 30 days counting from the date of purchase; unlimited for KRTC rides and Kaohsiung City Bus

Art

Kaohsiung Central Park Station and Formosa Boulevard Station feature artworks integrated into the design of the station by international artists.

Practical Information
Opening hours : Mon-Sun 5.00 ~ 23.00
website : http://www.krtco.com.tw/en/e-index.aspx

Taiwan New Dollar

The New Taiwan dollar (新臺幣) (currency code : TWD and common abbreviation : NT$), or simply Taiwan dollar, is the official currency of the Taiwan Area of the Republic of China (ROC) since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar. Originally issued by the Bank of Taiwan, it has been issued by the Central Bank of the Republic of China since 2000.

History
The New Taiwan dollar was first issued by the Bank of Taiwan on June 15, 1949, to replace the Old Taiwan dollar at a 40,000-to-1 ratio. The first goal of the New Taiwan dollar was to end the hyperinflation that had plagued Taiwan and Mainland China due to the Chinese civil war fought in mainland China.
Even though the Taiwan dollar was the de facto currency of Taiwan, for years the old Chinese Nationalist yuan was still the official national currency of the Republic of China. According to the "Regulation of exchange rate between New Taiwan Dollars and the fiat currency in the ROC laws" ("現行法規所定貨幣單位折算新臺幣條例"), the exchange rate is fixed at 3 TWD per 1 silver yuan and has never been changed despite decades of inflation. Despite the silver yuan being the primary legal tender currency, it was impossible to buy, sell, or use it, so it effectively did not exist to the public.
In July 2000, the New Taiwan dollar became the official currency of the ROC and is no longer secondary to the silver yuan. At the same time, the Central Bank of China began issuing New Taiwan dollar banknotes directly and the old notes issued by the Bank of Taiwan were taken out of circulation.

Coins
Frequently used : $1, $5, $10, $50
Rarely used : $20

- $1 : Obverse = Chiang Kai-shek, "中華民國XX年"
Reverse = value
- $5 : Obverse = Chiang Kai-shek, "中華民國XX年"
Reverse = value
- $10 : Obverse = Chiang Kai-shek, "中華民國XX年"
Reverse = value
- $50 : Obverse = Sun Yat-sen, "中華民國XX年"
Reverse = latent images of both Chinese and Arabic numerals for 50

Banknotes
Frequently used : $100, $500, $1000
Rarely used : $200, $2000

- $100 : Obverse = Sun Yat-sen, "The Chapter of Great Harmony" by Confucius
Reverse = Chung-Shan Building
Watermark = Mei flower and numeral 100
- $500 : Obverse = Youth baseball
Reverse = Formosan Sika Deer and Dabajian Mountain
Watermark = Bamboo and numeral 500
- $1000 : Obverse = Elementary Education
Reverse = Mikado Pheasant and Jade Mountain
Watermark = Chrysanthemum and numeral 1000

Taiwan plug

Taiwan plug are of 2 kinds : one is with 2 long-shaped holes side by side, with a round hole on top of it, the second one is 2 long-shaped hole side by side.

Voltage : 110 Volt
Frequenty : 50 Herz

New Yuang Ming Palace 圓明新園

On a quiet Saturday, why not go to the New Yuanming Palace in Zhuhai. It is close to big cities like Macau, Hong Kong and Zhuhai and still offers quite a big change of scenery. This park will surely take you to another era of China's history !

History

Located at the foot of the Lanpu Dashilin mountain, covering an area of 1.4 square kilometers, the New Yuanming Palace (opened to the public in 1997) is a reproduction of the imperial Yuanming Palace in Beijing, one of the favorite gardens of the late emperors of the Qing dynasty. It was burnt down and completely destroyed by British and French troops in 1860. The New Yuanming Palace was built as a reminder of the glory and the bitter history of ancient China and has been set up as a patriotism education site. It also constantly hosts many large or small performances presenting the ups and downs of the last dynasty of China

The Park

The park is enlivened by performers dressed up as soldiers and court ladies. In the evening, there is always a great show at a big outdoor theatre behind the Lama Temple which can hold as many as 5,000 people. The show is made up of several episodes including an Accession to the Throne, Concubine Picking and Burning down of the Palace. There is also a nice restaurant in the park where you can find some “imperial Qing food”. 

The New Yuanming Palace in Zhuhai recovered numerous scenic spots in their old construction style combined with modern features, including the complex of royal palaces, Fuhai Lake, Royal Food Street and shops in different types. Carriages, small trains, electric cars and electric boats are provided. A series of performances, such as “Emperor Ascending the Throne”, “Emperor's Wedding Ceremony in Qing Dynasty”, begin at 10:30 every morning at various scenic spots in the Palace. At 19:15 in the evening, the dancing drama “Oriental Pearl” is put on the stage at the Central Performance Square.

Fares and Ticketing

From October 17 2012, visitors to the New Yuan Ming Palace in Zhuhai will be able to visit the park for free! In the past, visitors had to pay RMB 130 to enter.

The park is open from 9am to 6pm. Visitors are required to present their ID cards or Passports to get their free tickets. In light of the park's accommodation capacity, there will only be 15,000 people allowed to enter the park each day. According to a report by Guangzhou Daily, performances held in the park will still charge audiences.

Walking around the theme park can take you about 2 hours and English-speaking guide can be hired at the gate.  

Going There

1. Take the bus No. 1, 13, 20, 25, 30, 40, 60, 99, 201 at the urban city to the park directly.

2. Take the shuttle tour bus at the Guangzhou Jinhan Bus Station to the park directly.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival 包山節

Cheung Chau Bun Festival (包山節) or Cheung Chau Da Jiu Festival (長洲太平清醮) is a traditional Chinese festival held annually on the island of Cheung Chau in Hong Kong.

Definition
It is meaning the "Purest Sacrifice celebrated for Great Peace".
Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday. The festival formally begins on the 6th of the fourth lunar month and lasts for six days, whereas the highlight of the festival falls on the 8th.

Parade
The focus of the festival is the parade which has long been the key tourists' attraction. The spotlight of the parade is 'the float procession,' along which children aged between five and eight are carried shoulder high through narrow streets. Each child represents a household figure in Chinese history, romantic story, or mythology, and each is meticulously made up and dressed for his/her part. But the most striking thing is the way in which these small actors, posed above the heads of the crowd, appear to be performing impossible teats of balance, all under perfect control and apparently in complete comfort.

Buns
On the last main night of the festival - late on the day of the parade - there used to be a scramble for the buns on the three main towers. This was evidently a rough and ready affair. In 1977, Joyce Savidge wrote: "At exactly midnight, a gong sounds and all the young men who have taken part in the festival rush forward and begin to climb the 60-foot towers. Some climb up inside the tower and burst through at the top – for it's the crowning bun and the banner on the top that will bring the best good fortune throughout the year. Without any thought for safety, the young men swarm all over the towers like bees over a honeycomb, collecting buns as fast as they can and stuffing them into pockets, baskets and sacks. It's usually all over within 10 minutes, leaving three sorry-looking frames of bamboo, tattered paper and rough string."

Given the bun towers are made of bamboo, and around 60 feet high, this would seem a dangerous practice. And in 1978, one of the towers collapsed during the race, resulting in over 100 people being injured - and the government banning the bun scramble. Bun Festival organisers have asked the government to allow the bun scramble to restart. But officials remained cautious - and instead opted to start a new scramble, up a specially built bun tower with a metal framework. Just 12 people were allowed to compete in the first race, in 2005, which was won by 23-year-old local fireman and bodybuilder, Kwok Ka-keung. All had to use safety harnesses.

Legends
One story of the origin of the festival is that in the 18th Century the island of Cheung Chau was devastated by a plague and infiltrated by until local fishermen brought an image of the god Pak Tai to the island. Paraded through the village lanes, the deity drove away evil spirits. Villagers also disguised themselves as different deities and walked around the island to drive away the evil spirits.