Every corner of Taichung City

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
This is where I meet Kurt, May, Poconz, Dettya and Rizki.
"Ninja", "like ka", "bi zui", "zhen de jia de" they say the most daily.
Wherever we go, always like a family.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Lin, Jeff and the temple aunties.
Lin gives us orders and Jeff gives us money.
The aunties serve us food and we feel so happy.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Johnson, Janet and Jia Yi are our temple buddies.
Sticking the coins and eating the piggies.
Sun Moon Lake trip is our most precious memory.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
THU, Keiko and Nancy.
We chat we laugh whenever we meet.
We jump high to get closer to our dreams.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Kevin Temple or Kevin Tunghai comes whenever we need.
Soon, getting around in Taichung becomes easy.
No problem taking bus, train or BRT.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
I wanna thank AIESEC for giving me this opportunity.
Especially Ann yheen, Daryl, Josh and Wendy.
Without them, without the current me.

I'm gonna miss every corner of Taichung city.
Because I don't know when will I visit here again as I'm busy.
I love the people, food and hospitality.
When I come again, the first stop will be Yuanbao Temple in Taichung city.

Traditional live music on Chinese new year 2015

On Chinese new year 2015,Yuan Bao Temple  prepared the traditional band for 2 days to show during Chinese new year. 

Qing Shen Ritual

The Qing Shen Ritual is for inviting the Gods' spirit back to their statues.

Chinese New Year

   Before Chinese New Year, I and my friend had a dinner with the owner of Yuan Bao Temple in restaurant because one day before Chinese New Year it's too hard to looking for restaurant. Many restaurant in Taiwan would be close because they have to celebrate with their family like having dinner together. On 19 February, it was a precious day for Taiwanese people because there's a Chinese New Year in Taiwan. So, everybody would come to the temple to celebrate this day and it would make crowded at Yuan Bao Temple but before people come to here I have to help temple's staff such as sweeping the floors, cleaning table and many more. In here, Yuan Bao Temple served like group musical special for Chinese New Year and free food for everbody who would come to here. Otherwise, I and other EP (exchange participant) sold our souvenir from our country to every prayer in here and then we had to say Gong Xi Fat Cai and happy New Year to them. They're purpose in here is like to thanks to the god for healthy and wealthy. And i asked to my friend about "do you celebrate new year eve too?" He said Chinese people just celebrated Chinese New Year not another new year. And it made me like I had to proud of my country's culture too.

    Chinese New Year is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. The first day of the New Year falls between January 21 and February 20.

    Chinese New Year is centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honour deities as well as ancestors. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, and also in Chinatowns elsewhere. Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had influence on the lunar New Year celebrations of its geographic neighbours.

Chinese New Year 2015

The Spring Festival has a history of more than 4,000 years. This Festival, widely known as Chinese New Year in the West, is the most important traditional festival, and most important celebration for families in Taiwan. It is an official public holiday, during which most Taiwanese have 6 days off work. 

This year, is the year of the “Goat”, begins on Thursday the 19^th of February, and end on the 5^th of March.Taiwanese will be off work from the 18th of February (New Year's Eve). All of the families gather together to have a special dinner. It is called reunion dinner. They believe it to be the most important meal of the year. Big families – families of several generations sit around round tables and enjoy the food and time together. Most families always cook the foods in their house, but some families go to have dinner in the restaurant. I also joined going to dinner with one family who is working in the Yuan Bao Temple. This family, they cooked the meal in their house. They prepared many special recipes such as Soy-Braised Pork Leg, Alaska Crab soup and Abalone shell, etc. I really enjoyed those foods. Moreover, one guy who is the member of that family made one kind of alcohol for everyone. The taste is spicy and bitter. This is the first time I tried that kind of taste. For me, it is very special. That day, I am very full and grateful.

0n 19^th February, it was very crowded in Yuan Bao Temple, because during the Chinese New Year people go to the temple. They believed that it is blessed, and will lead to a smooth coming year. Thus, this day the temple prepares special activities not only for praying to the gods for good fortune, and also other activities for people. The activities are such as giving the red envelopes, showing lion dance and traditional drumming, hanging lanterns, selling amulets, showing traditional live music, etc.

For the giving the red envelopes activity, one high positioned person in the Temple came to give them to the people in the morning. People went to the temple and lined up very early. Moreover in the evening, The Mayor of Taichung state came to Yuan Bao Temple to give red envelopes also. Many people lined up to get the red envelopes and took a picture with him. People are really delighted to see him.

For hanging lanterns, the temple had many colorful lanterns hung around. That temple is different from others accounting for the lanterns are not only the normal red lanterns, and also have the colorful lanterns they got from a student painting competition.  And my lantern that I painted when I just reached here few days was hung in the same place with the champion.

For showing traditional live music,the temple prepared the traditional band for 2 days to show in the temple. Although all of musician is elder ,they really good at playing.They used Taiwanese folk musical instruments such as Fiddle, Fulte,Chinese Cymbaloc.They dressed up the red Chinese style shirt. The music that they shown is about celebrating.This activity added color to the temple very much.

Special Sunday in Yuan Bao Temple

This was the best Sunday because it had special activities happened on Yuan Bao Temple. They were 2 activities at the same time. Moreover, both activities were free, so no wonder that why this day the temple was very lively.

The first one is medical diagnosis by China Medical University (CMU) and the second one is calligraphy on the red paper by masters.

 

The first activity is medical diagnosis for the people who would like to check up their health by volunteer doctor from Chinese medicine, China Medical University. There were many people join in this activity because Chinese medical is well-known in Taiwan. Some volunteers are trainee who going to be the doctor in the next 2-3 years. So, when the doctor explained about the problem that patients faced, the trainee studied at the same time, or we can call on the job training. I think that is mutual benefit for both trainees and people. I really like this activity. I also joined for checkup my health. Something surprised me is the doctor can directly diagnose the disease by touch patient’s wrist just around 5-8 minutes. When doctor touched, he or she has to concentrate on taking the patient’s pulse. I think the doctor have to practice for a long times. After checking up and diagnosing, everyone got some herbal powder medicines depending on their problems. The pharmacist prepared the medicine for a while by weighing the herbal followed by the doctor’s prescription. And then the people went to get the medicine and learn how to use it. 

 

Second activity is calligraphy in the red paper with the gold color for hang on Chinese New year. Masters wrote down on that paper that the sentence or words are followed the people wanted. Those are all the good meaning such as brings the good fortune, for health, happiness, and peacefulness etc. The master is really expert in this kind of thing. They made the font very beautiful and fast. When the people got the paper, they will hang it in their house because they believe that the word which the master wrote down will bring the good fortune to them in the next years.

Once,I thought that the tradition Chinese letter is very hard to study and it is useless. But now, I realize that the traditional Chinese font is very splendid and worth, so should to preserve for the next generations.   

Accounting to this temple has many good activities beside normally worship the god, Yuan Bao temple is as in the heart of local and broad people. That why this temples remain in many centuries and forever.

Introduction of Yuan Bao Temple in Taichung

Here is Yuan Bao Temple (Yuan Bao Gong). If you just see outside the temple, you may think that it looks small. But, if you come inside, you will realize that Yuan Bao Temple is very huge and have many exciting ,amazing things waiting for you.

Okay,Let's "Come and see Yuan Bao Gong" 

Yuan Bao Gong is a temple that was established in 1791.It is located on the three-way intersection of  Daya Road ,Jinhwa North Road and  Meichuan west Road in Taichung,Taiwan. At the gate of the temple, there are 2 old trees which have more than 200 year, standing beside the main gate. It is very huge. The gate itself has an intricate design on the top.Inside the small tradition courtyard is a wrought iron ghost money furnace.The entrance to temple itself has more traditional multicolored wood carvings.Inside the temple,it has 5 floors.We can come here and worship.There are God Yu-Huan ,god Don-Hua, goddess Jin-Mu,god San-Kuan ,god of Agriculture, god Siyuan-Tien ,god Wu-Dou ,god dou-Mu and god Tai-shuei. 

Opposite the temple has a little garden. It is in-charged  by Lai Cuo Bu Cultural Association. Lai Cuo Bu is a place named after the incident which the Lai (surname) family produced sugar cane in Taichung and sold in China. The money that they earned was used to develop Lai Cuo Bu and Yuan Bao Temple is a religious center of the place. This is why most of the residents staying near Yuan Bao Temple have the surname of Lai. In the garden, we can come to enjoy this wonderful place because the garden has lots of trees and flowers such as Sakura, Rose, Marigold etc. Those flora and fauna are actually managed by the association itself. Furthermore,there are some fitness facilities for public use to work out and build their body. It is so shady, natural and beautiful for the people to relax.

Some history and guidance for the temple

Yesterday all of the AIESEC EP's (along with Kevin) did an informative tour of the temple and some of the surrounding area with a travel official from the government. It turns out there is two other small temples in the perimeter, and that the Yuan Bao temple grounds extend further than previously thought.

During the tour we learned about the first underground tunnel dug in Taichung (at the intersection of Section 1, Zhongqing Rd. and Jianxing Rd.), built many years ago to allow children to cross a busy street and get to school. There is now a lot of police surveillance in the area due to a large amount of homeless people attempting to live there.

We also learned about the Lai family, the founders of this temple who grew sugar cane in Taiwan, and after selling it in China it allowed them to earn enough profit to build the temple. There are many employees and volunteers at the temple with the surname Lai, but most aren’t actually related to the founding family. But, it turns out Kevin is actually a descendant of the family that built the temple!

Across from the temple there is a long walkway surrounded on both sides by flowers and workout machines. Interestingly enough, under the walkway, there is an underground river (which I really wanted to see, but there is no way to access it). The tour guide and her husband also take care of most of the garden along the walkway; there are many types of flowers and trees and the government doesn’t mind the couple taking care of them.

But, I think the most interesting thing I had learned all day was how the people pray in the temple. I am around the temple most of the day almost every day and see all the attendees praying, but I never understood why or even noticed a pattern in the people praying. I will communicate my understanding so far in the following paragraph.

In front of the Gods keep in each section of the temple there is a large, metal censer (used to store ash burned from incense). Each censer has three legs, is large and round, and has two protruding designs on the side (from what I have seen it has usually been a dragon). For all censers you only pray between the three legs; never aligned with them (as it is considered an insult to the Gods). To pray, you must think or mutter what you ask of the God whilst holding the incense at eyebrow level; this shows respect to the god. After you finish praying you either bow or bend three times, to show you want something. Lastly, you place one or multiple incense in the censer, and depending on your ideals you may place a larger incense in the censer of the God you appeal more to.

In the very front Yuan Bao temple there is a large censer. This censer is dedicated to the sky God, and to pay respects at the censer you must face the sky, not the temple. The tour guide said you often see people praying but face the temple instead of the sky, and this is incorrect (but they aren’t aware of the proper way to pray). Apparently, one of the AIESEC EP’s responsibilities is to inform people, but I have trouble believing they would listen to me… Haha, but you never know. As I am extremely curious about the people that visit the temple, I will update the blog with new information once I find out more.

THE EXPERIENCE OF TAIWANESE CULTURE

Taiwan for me is an enthralling experience. I get the opportunity to explore the rich Taiwanese culture and see some of the oldest temple in Taiwan. One of them is Yuanbao Temple. Yuan Bao temple mainly worships Baosheng Dadi, the god of medicine and health, built in 1791. During his lifetime, Baosheng Emperor (Dadi) was known to have done medical miracles.

My love for travel have open my mind to many experiences, for someone majoring in Law Science I never think I’ll find culture and history compelling but am glad to say, that have change because of this particular experience. One's culture is an amalgamation of so many different elements like history, art, cuisine, language and many other tangible and non-tangible aspects. Studying a single culture in-depth requires immense effort and time to fathom the core values and fundamentals

In Taiwan, I have the opportunity to make lots of new friends, from many countries from all over the world. Each one of them teach me something about life, about culture and about people. And then I begin to understand if the different cultures of the world are the essence of various human civilizations, which we have come to acknowledge on a global level and revere as part of each nation's core beliefs and traditions. And we need to respect and appreciate it.

Taiwan teach me many things. I learn how respectful people can be, and also how delicious food can be. Everything is new and different for me. From the remarkable “Old Temple”, tradition, good people, night market, milk bubble tea, stinky tofu, and the list goes on and on. There’s a lot of good things and experience inTaiwan, Taiwan give me the point of view of a totally different culture from mine. I become more open mainded and my perspective to see things have change because of this. Changing is the thing that I always prefer to be with, it is not only helping me in enhancing flexibility skill to adapt with changing of life, but also it pushes me so that trying my best to archive what I want. As a girl coming from Indonesian  Culture, I have never dream about join the tample run project before and gaining a completely new different experience like this, but now I’m glad to be part of it. I never  think I’ll really love this place so much.

Fa Hui religious ceremony

Today is the last day of the “Fa Hui” religious ritual. “Fa Hui” is about thanking god for blessing them healthy and wealthy all the past year, while people go to donate some food for the deceased who don’t have relative by the priest do some action with his hand. After they are already done the ceremony, the priest will throw some coins and some foods such as desserts, fruit, and candy to the crowd who would like to keep it for good fortune and eat it.

In the ceremony they separate 2 parts to do different things. The first part is the stage inside the temple. They decorate the stage by textile, food, and many kinds of food. This stage is set for warship the 4 gods. The second part, they set up the tent opposite the temple. In the tent, they lay the many staffs such as dry food, incense, and triangle flag for respecting the deceased because they believed that when they do the ceremony, the deceased can get it.

Therefore, the temple is quite lively. There are plenty of people to worship the gods. Everyone must be prepared to make many kinds of food; most of all is vegetarian, use of the ritual at approximately morning until noon, in order to do good deeds in the afternoon.

It also is preparing vegetarian food given away to the people as well. There were also volunteers to do yesterday to serve dessert called “Tang Yuan” for people at the event. The special thing in this temple is Tang Yuan dessert is very well-known, because they are tasty and homemade.

My curiosity grew when I saw the face of the statue covered with a piece of red cloth before the ceremony started. According to the elderly, we only remove the cloth when the ceremony starts with glowing incense. Once the cloth is removed, the spirit of the statue which manages the ying’s world will possess that statue.

My purpose

I feel as if though I have stumbled upon a hidden gem nestled in the center of an up and coming city. The people are so friendly, the environment so beautiful, and the food delicious (although I could do without stinky tofu). I followed my instincts after several virtual AIESEC interviews, and my instincts have pulled through. I will really enjoy my next few months here.

The temple always needs help; whether its doing physical tasks such as sorting lanterns for New Years or taping coins to handouts for an upcoming ceremony, helping to create food such as the traditional dish Tanguan (see May's post), or social media such as this blog or our Instagram they always seem to need more volunteers. I am very glad to help them and reciprocate the kindness they have shown myself or the other interns on a daily basis, but maybe not in a way they expect me to. I like to be different, and I think I have come up with several ways to stand out.

In Taipei it is extremely easy to find someone who speaks English, likely because it is a larger city with more tourists and international business. But in Taichung one of the largest obstacles I face daily, if not hourly, is the language barrier. I often resort to smiling and nodding, or pointing and hoping I get what I want. In Yuan Bao temple it is no different; thank goodness we have Jennifer and Poconz here to translate for us or else this internship would have all been a guessing game. Although I don’t speak the native tongue I have quickly come to realize one of my strongest and most unique assets I could contribute to this team; my native English. Strong communication skills (i.e. native English) are a must when giving short but powerful messages over social media.

My ultimate goal in this internship is to create a larger outreach to English speakers in order for Yuan Bao temple to become more welcoming to foreigners like myself. I wish to make it easier and more welcoming for English speakers to experience this temple, whether it is for an hour or a whole day.

I can do this through three different ways: Instagram, translation videos and temple introduction videos, and the blog. Instagram can be a powerful way to convey a message, because pictures along with brief but thorough explanations can be very powerful and remain with someone for quite some time. I wish to use videos because a short, but concise and thorough video can explain a lot in an interesting and artistic way. Lastly, a blog is a very good way to convey my thoughts, and should someone seeking a similar experience to myself wish to see what I was thinking they could see my thoughts quite easily.

I hope these methods of communication are effective, we shall see come two months!

The temple run project in Taichung

VISIT TAIWAN

THE TEMPLE RUN PROJECT IN TAICHUNG

It’s such a pleasure to visit Taiwan. I am lucky to have the chance to experience Taiwanese culture and meet a lot of good people. Taiwan is a wonderful country with lots of variety in nature, lifestyle and food. The latter seems to be one of the most important things in the Taiwanese culture apart from religion, which was sometimes a real challenge to me with respect to the amount of food they eat. But anyway, the food was always good and I am very impressed with how many different kinds of food they eat, how exotic rice can look, and how amazingly full of taste their fruits are.

My GCDP (Global Comunity Developement Program) from AIESEC Tunghai University took me to Yuan Bao Temple in Taichung, Taiwan, where I participated in “The Temple Run” project. Temples are one of the most historical and cultural centres in Taiwan. The project is based in Yuan Bao Temple, and consisted of me and another five interns. They’re coming from different parts of the world; Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Canada, and they all add a lot to the diversity of the team. In this project we are making a video about the temple or about all the special temple activities, telling the story of this holy place to let more and more people realize this culture and respect it.

Regarding Yuan Bao Temple history, Baosheng Emperor is the master god in Yuan Bao temple. Baosheng Emperor came from China. Yuan Bao temple is an extremely historic temple in Taiwan. There is a variety of traditional activities here. For example, every year they light fireworks to celebrate the God of birth. “Pilgrimage Procession” will be held two times a year. There are many believers in this sacred place.

Today the temple has some ceremonies about thanking God. The ceremony, which is held at Yuan Bao Temple is one of the most interesting religious ceremonies I’ve ever seen. I was very impressed by what I saw. At the the ceremony people put their palms together and bowed (some knelt) in front of the table to show respect and ask for blessings.

Since there was a lot of people that came to the ceremony, they cooked a lot of delicious vegetarian dishes and everyone ate it for free. I found this interesting because all of the foods they made were vegetarian foods. They do that because it such a compassionate choice for animals and also a plant-based vegetarian diet is healthier and can prevent disease.

I’m so glad I joined The Temple Run project in Yuan Bao Temple, because through this project I have the opportunity to learn about Taiwanese culture and have some cross cultural understanding, which was one of the points I had already talked about under the cultural experience portion. Just to build on that, this GCDP experience has widened my perspectives about the world and that we are just one small person in a big world full of diverse people and cultures. We shouldn’t be imposing our culture and perspectives on another societies but rather, learn to be tolerant about those differences and celebrate the diversity.