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Teresa Teng is the most popular singer among Chinese people around the world. You can find her song being played on the streets of Melaka, Toronto, Bangkok, any Chinese cities. People say “Wherever there are Chinese people, there are Teresa Teng’s songs”

The Moon Represents My Heart by Teresa Teng:

Teresa Teng was buried in a mountainside tomb at Jin Bao Shan, a cemetery in Jinshan, Taipei County, Taiwan. In order to get there, I need to get to Jinshan township first by bus.

Two bus companies run routes from Taipei City to Jinshan: King Bus (via Keelung) and Royal Bus (via Yang Ming Shan Mountain). I went with King Bus which has a stop at Lianhe (United) Newspaper bus stop near City Hall metro station.

You can get off at Jinshan Post Office where Ci Hu Temple, the largest temple in Jinshan, is just a stone’s throw away. Ci Hu temple’s main deity is Golden Face Mazu.

Ci Hu Temple is also the south end of Jin Bao Li Old Street. There are many shops along the street. Jinshan is famous for sweet potatoes. So I ate a lot there.

When you reach the north end of Jin Bao Li Old Street, turn left to a major intersection of Zhong Zheng Road and Zhong Shan Road. Walk to the other side of Zhong Shan Road and that’s where I waited for the free shuttle bus(van actually) to Juming Museum up in the mountain of Jin Bao Shan.

Free Shuttle to Juming Museum:

Juming Museum:

I then walked uphill from Juming Museum parking lot to Teresa Teng Memorial Park following road signs. It took me approximately 15 minutes to reach the cemetery (including time to take photos).
View on the road to the park:

There were several large tourist groups from mainland China as well as several Taiwanese families went to visit Teresa Teng’s tomb during my time of visit. Some people offered flowers, many people played the giant “piano” at the park. I think she’s not lonely there.

The park and a great view of Jinshan and the north coast of Taiwan. Jin Bao Shan cemetery itself is very pretty too. This is a great location.

Jiufen is a small mountain town in Taipei Country(New Taipei City), Taiwan. When gold was discovered in the area in 1893, gold rush hastened the once quiet village’s development into a town. Jiufen quickly went into decline due to the gold mining activities declined after 1957. The mine was shut off in 1971 and Jiufen was forgotten.

Since 1990s, Jioufen experienced a tourist boom that has shaped the town as a tourist attraction thank to the movie A City of Sadness and a Japanese anime movie Spirited Away. Now Jiufen has become one of the top tourist attractions among Japanese tourists.

Get In

By Train

Take a train to Ruifang Train Station, Hop on one of the buses to Jiufen in front of the train station.

By Bus

Take a bus from near Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station in Taipei City to Jiufen

Get Around

There are two major streets that are full of stores, restaurants and attractions.

Ji Shan Jie

Stores and restaurants.

Shu Qi Lu

Tea shops.

Fun

Sheng Ping Xi Yuan:
This deserted place tops many people’s must-see list because it is the first movie theatre in Taiwan.

Ghost Mask Museum:
If you are bold enough, you can pay 50 TWD($30 for students) to get into the dark room. (Photo-taken allowed)

Hiking:
There are two hiking routes you can take and both are quite challenging.

Retro Deco:
There is a retro-style museum allow tourists to take photos on Shu Qi Lu near A Gan Yi Yu-Yuan.

Temples

Fu Shan Gong

Fu Shan Gong is the most famous temple in Jiufen because it has a long history and some interesting stories.

When the village boomed into a town, people wanted to rebuilt the original small temple for the Tu Di Gong god. But Tu Di Gong didn’t agree and rejected their requests three times. So people built a new temple surrounding the old one which became a temple inside a temple.

When locals rebuilt the temple, they didn’t even forget to offer Tu Di Gong pretty girls – nude girls.

Food

Lai A Po Yu-Yuan (Taro Sweets):

A Gan Yi Yu-Yuan (Taro Sweets):

Meat Dumpling(Rou Yuan, Ba Wan):
Pork inside, sticky rice(mochi) outside

Unbeatable Sausage:
1 for 35 TWD, 3 for 100 TWD

Gold Miner’s Bento lunch, 60 TWD:

Yangmingshan is a national park in northern Taiwan just north of Taipei City. The annual Yangmingshan Flower Season is the largest of its kind in Taiwan. From middle February to late March, the colorful blossoms of Feihan cherries (Prunus Campanulata), Azaleas, apricot flowers are all around at this time.

This year’s flower season starts on Feb 27 and run until March 23. More than 2,000 cherry trees and about 80,000 azalea plants will blossom during the festival.

During the festival, a photo exhibition featuring Yangmingshan’s scenery will be held at Yangmingshan National Park’s Guangfu Building. There will also be martial arts and lion dance performances, concerts, puppet shows and Chinese painting.

Trails:

The Yangmingshan National Park trail system is mainly located within the park and it stretches through Dingshan, Shihtiling, east peak, the main peak of Chixingshan, the main peak, south peak and west peak of Datunshan, Miantianshan and Xiangtianshan among others. Datunshan is the No. 2 volcano area in China after Changbai Mountain in northeast China. Enriched by Andesite, its conic or hell-shaped volcano body, crater and volcano lakes provide a unique geological terrain in the area. Hot springs and eruptions are main found in the Jinshan Fault between Beitou and Jinshan. In the area, strong steam jets are common in the large and small oil pits, Maca and Dahuangzui.

In the area, there are as many as 1,200 plant species, some with odd types of capillary structures. The fauna and flora species total 18 mammals, 110 birds, 21 amphibians, over 40 reptiles and some 160 butterflies.

Maps are abundant in the park

Trail

Yangming Park

Yangming Park is the main site to host Yangmingshan Flower Season festival. Once you get off the bus, just follow the crowds and you will get to the park in half an hour or so.

A waterfall on the road to Yangming Park

2010 Yangmingshan Flower Season

Flower Clock

Yangming Park

Line up here and wait for a bus back to Taipei

Zhongshan Building

Zhongshan Building is part of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall complex. The building is placed on the reverse of the 100 New Taiwan Dollar bill. The building serves as a location for hosting ceremonies by the President of the Republic of China for state visits and conferences and was off limits to the general public until 2005.

In 1965, with a view to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s centennial birthday and to revive traditional Chinese culture, the government of the Republic of China appointed architect Ms. Xiu Zelan to design the Zhongshan Building. Thousands of military veterans finished this construction within 13 months. Zhongshan Building once served as an exclusive convention site for the defunct National Assembly of the Republic of China, and an eminent locale for the state head’s receiving distinguished foreign guests or hosting state banquets. Up to present, the hall still preserves many important scenes that witnessed constitutional development and historical events in the Republic of China. The government has designated the Zhongshan Building as a historical monument.

Paifang in front of the building

Zhongshan Building

Front door

Ground floor lobby

Meeting Room on the ground floor

Grand Hall

Dining Hall on the third floor

Reception Hall on the second floor