Taiwan Travel I

Taiwan Travel

Location of Taiwan

Taiwan is located 120 km off the southeast coast of Mainland China. It is 394 km long and 144 km wide with an area of 35,980 sq. km. Comparatively, Taiwan’s area is about 300 times smaller than that of Mainland China. It has the shape of a sweet potato. Two thirds of the island is mountainous and the highest peak is Yu Shan or Jade Mountain(3,952 metres).

Natural Disasters

Earthquakes: As Taiwan is on the Pacific Ring of Fire it often experiences earthquakes. The last powerful and deadly earthquake of 7.3 on the Richter’s scale occured 10 years ago (21 September 1999). It destroyed over 44,000 dwellings and buildings, and caused 132 landslides resulting in over 2,400 deaths in Central Taiwan. Besides earthquakes, it also experiences another kind of natural disaster, i.e. floods and mudslides, caused by strong winds (typhoons) which bring large amount of rainfall from the Pacific Ocean. They usually occur between May and November every year.

Morakot: The last powerful typhoon, Morakot, struck Southern Taiwan on 8 August 2009 and killed several hundreds of people. It brought a record-breaking rainfall of 2,900 mm in three days causing massive floods and mudslides in many mountainous areas in southern Taiwan. The floods damaged roads and a railway, washed away several houses into the sea, toppled over a large hotel into a raging river and rose to the 2nd. floors of some buildings. The mudslides buried a few villages, e.g. Shiao Lin in Kaohsiung County where many villagers were buried alive.

History

Taiwan is ruled by the Nationalist Government (Kuomintang Government). In the beginning, the Nationalist Party under Dr. Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911 in the Mainland China. Then the party resisted the Japanese aggression for 8 years from 1937 until 1945 in the Mainland China when Japan lost the World War II. Later, in 1949, the Nationalist Government under President Chiang Kai-shek was overthrown by the Communist Party under Mao Zedong. Consequently, the Nationalist Party was forced to move out of the Mainland China to Taiwan together with two million loyal people. Since the party left the Mainland China in 1949, it still clings on to the hope that one day it will rule the mainland again.

Population

The island is now populated by 23 million people. Comparatively, its population is over 60 times smaller than that of the Mainland China. 95% of the Taiwanese are Hans, 2% aborigines and the rest are other races. The common religions in Taiwan are Buddhism(35%), Taoism(33%), I-Kuan Tao(3.5%), Protestantism(2.6%), and Roman Catholicism(1.3%).

Tourist Destination

Taiwan is a beautiful island that offers lots and lots of scenic and cultural attractions. Its physical landscape of mountains, steep valleys, high cliffs, roaring streams, tranquil lakes, islets, and stunning coasts; its diverse vegetation from the tropical rainforests to alpine trees; its mixed culture of the native and Mainland Chinese; and its food of different regional culinary traditions of the Mainland China and the aborigines are some of the attractions that, undoubtedly, make it a famous tourist destination.

Day 1 : Saturday, 22 August 2009

Journey to Taiwan

On 22 August 2009, my wife and I joined a group of 49 Malaysians at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for a seven-day vacation in Taiwan. Together with them and a tour leader, Kim Loh, we boarded a China Airlines plane and left the airport at 2.30 p.m. for Taiwan. After three hours of smooth flight, we landed safely at Taoyuan International Airport in north-western Taiwan. On arrival at the airport, our group was split into two: Group A(27 persons) and Group B(24 persons). Group A was led by a Taiwanese tour guide, Mr. Leong, whereas Group B was led by Miss Tracy Tu. My wife and I belonged to the latter group. Coming out of  the airport, we boarded their respective buses, Bus A and Bus B. Then we were on our way to Taipei City.

Taipei City, the Capital of Taiwan

Taipei City was made the Taiwan’s capital by the Nationalist Party since 1949, when it was ousted by the Communist Party from the Mainland China. Taipei is the largest city in Taiwan. Located in the north of the island, it is a vibrant city with a population of 2.6 millions. It is now the economic, financial, commercial and cultural centre of the island

On arrival at the city at 9.30 p.m. we went straight to a Taiwan’s famous night food court, the Shilin Night Market, to fill our empty stomachs.

 

Shilin Night Market, Taipei City

Shilin Night Market is located in between Wenlin Road, Tatung Road and Anping Road in Taipei City. When we entered the market, we could smell the food in the air. It was crowded with both locals and tourists. There were many small stalls selling all kinds of mouthwatering local food, such as the stinking bean curd (or stinking “tofu“), squid soap, oyster omelette, fried chicken fillet, Chinese medicinal pork rib stew, large sausages, etc.

While walking in the market looking for tasty food, my wife and I noticed a stinking smell in the air. We looked at each other and said together, instantly, “It is from the stinking ‘tofu’, a fermented bean curd!” We went to the stall to try it. After eating it, I told my wife that I would never try it again. But, surprisingly, she told me that she loved eating it. Besides the stinking food, we ordered and savoured squid soup and fried oyster omelette which were more palatable to me.

 

Later, we left the market for a five-star hotel known as Sunworld Dynasty Hotel at 100, Dun Hua North Road in Taipei. Entering our hotel room, we were delighted to see two king-sized beds, one for my wife and the other for myself. We  slept soundly throughout that night.

Day 2 : Sunday, 23 August 2009

In the morning, we began our tour in Taipei . The first place we went to was the Martyr’s Shrine.

The Martyr’s Shrine, Taipei City

The Martyr’s Shrine is located along Bei-an Road in the northern part of the Taipei City. This is a solemn place sacred to the 330,000 fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives in the civil wars (1911-1949) and the wars against the Japanese aggression and occupation(1937-1945) in the Mainland China. The grand building for worshipping the heroes looks like one of the imperial buildings in the Forbidden City in Beijing (Tai-he Imperial Palace).

Every year, in spring and autumn, the Taiwan’s president together with his civil and military officials pay their respect at the shrine

Tourists waiting for the Martyr’s Shrine to be opened

from 1911 when the Nationalist Party overthrew the Qing Dynasty till 1949 when the Nationalist Party lost the Mainland China to the Communist Party. The battles include the following: “The 1911 Revolution”, “The Final Attack on Canton(1911)”, “Seizure of Hui-Chou(1925)”, “Battle of Ting-Szu-Chiao(1926)”, “Battle of Lung-tan(1927)”, “Suppression of Mutiny in Fukien Province(1934)”, “The Battle of Shanghai(1937)”, “The Eight-Year War of Resistance Against Japan(1937-1945)”, ‘The Battle of Changsha-Hengyang(1944)”, “The Suppression of the Chinese Communists Revolution” and “The Battle of Kuningtou on Kinmen(1949)”. So many battles that were fought in the Mainland China in such a short period(1911-1949) show that she was always in turmoil causing heavy casualties.

When we arrived at the shrine, we saw a lot of tourists waiting for the shrine to be opened. At 9 a.m. sharp, the gates of the shrine were opened and all of us entered and watched the changing of the guards who were military police. After the solemn ceremony which lasted for a brief moment, we toured the shrine. While we were in the shrine compound, we heard thousands of beetles hiding in tall trees outside the shrine making loud, sharp shrieking noises. I guessed they were welcoming the guests.

After the tour of the shrine, I noticed a lot of tourists taking turns to take photos with two guards standing motionless at the entrance. I managed to take one with one of them. He did not respond when I thanked him.

Then we left the shrine for the Chiang Kai-shek’s Shilin Residence.

Chiang Kai-shek’s Shilin Residence, Taipei

The  residence of  the former President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, is sited at 60, Fulin Road, Taipei. In 1950, he moved in with his wife, Song Mei-ling, after his defeat in the Mainland China. The two-storey residence or Main Hall was built in the middle of a large garden. When we visited the garden, the residence was under renovation, but we managed to see some of the following attractions in the garden:

a.   Ciyun Pavilion which was built by President Chiang Kai-shek in 1963 in memory of his mother

b.   Victory Chapel, a small, simple Western style building, where President Chiang, his family and friends who were  Christians prayed. (It was given such a name to commemorate the transfer of the capital of the Republic of China from Chongqing to Nanjing after World War II)

c.    Rose Garden where Madame Chiang liked to stroll and relax

d.   Chinese Garden which was built to commemorate President Chiang’s 80th. birthday

e.    Western Garden of stone-paved walkways, fountains and symmetrical landscaped flowers and trees

f.     an amphitheatre built in 1998 for musical and cultural performances

g.    Orchid Pavilion built in an ancient Chinese architectural style for orchid exhibitions

h.    Horticulture Exhibition Hall built in 1984 for plant exhibitions

i.     Eco-Garden for nature study

 

President Chiang Kai-shek passed away on 4 April 1975 at the age of 88 years at his residence (Main Hall) and his wife died in 2003 at the age of 105 years in New York, U.S.A. In 1996, the Mayor of Taipei (Chen Shui-bian) opened the residence to the public except the Main Hall. In 2005, the Taiwan government designated the place as a historical site.

On arrival at the residence, the first thing that attracted us was an antique black sedan car kept in a garage. It was a Cadillac manufactured in 1988 with an engine capacity of 5031 c.c. and weight of 3.4 tons. It was used by Madame Chiang Kai-shek (Song Mei-ling). Then we walked around the garden that befits a king and queen.

The next place we visited was the world’s tallest building, Taipei 101, located in the centre of Taipei City.

Taipei 101, Taipei City

 

Located in the centre of the busy central business district in Xinyi District, the tallest building in the world, Taipei 101, is standing majestically at a height of 508 metres above the ground and consists of 101 storeys. It is the most prominent and iconic landmark in Taipei City.

Completed within 5 years at an astronomical cost of US$1.76 billions, it was opened to the public on 31 December 2004. Attached to this tall, slim tower of a mix of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese architectural styles is a multi-storey building that houses hundreds of retail stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions.

Observatory: When we arrived at Taipei 101, we took a lift to the fifth floor where we took another lift. The latter climbed at a very high speed. In 37 seconds, we passed 84 floors and climbed a vertical height of 382 metres to reach the 89th. floor! That 89th. floor is an indoor or enclosed observatory with large glass windows all round it. Stepping out of the lift, we walked round the observatory and were awestruck by the breathtaking view of the Taipei City.

 

Feeling not satisfied, we walked up two flights of  stairs to the 91st. floor which is an outdoor observatory (open-air floor). It was an exhilarating experience to see the spectacular views of the whole city. We could feel the gusts of wind blowing past us. The tall metal-fence surrounding the observatory played symphonies when strong wind kept blowing through it.

The top of the tower is stabilized by a 660 metric ton tuned mass damper suspended from the 92nd. floor to the 88th. floor against movements caused by strong winds.

(The next tallest building in the world will be Burj Dubai which will be 141 storeys and 818 metres high. It is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and will be opened in December 2009)

Later, we left Taipei 101 and travelled to the south-west of Taipei for over an hour to visit the Taiwan’s most famous theme park, LeoFu Theme Park.

LeoFu Theme Park, Hsinchu County

Located in Guanxi Township in Hsinchu County, it is the most famous theme park in Taiwan. It was opened 30 years ago.

There are four areas in this theme park. They are:

 

1.  “African Safari” -an area where there are herbivores, carnivores, bird shows, “Sahara Twist” (a train ride), horse, camel and pony rides, etc.

2.   “Wild West” - stage shows, photo spots and thrill rides like “Screaming Condor”, “Little Rattler” and “Big Canyon Rapids”

3. “South Pacific” -thrill rides like “Pagoda’s Revenge”, and “ Mighty Mountain Flume Adventure”.

4. “Arabian Kingdom” - “Ring of Fire”, “Flying Horse Ride”, “Sultan’s Adventure”

As we entered the park in the afternoon, we were amazed to see lots of young people. We were told that the Taiwan’s schools were closed for holidays and many students like to spend their time in the park. Besides, it was a Sunday and parents brought along their children too.

 

There were many kinds of rides there ranging from slow ones to the extreme adrenalin-pumping ones. The extreme rides are quite popular among the youngsters, such as “Screaming Condor” (a spiral roller-coaster), “Pagoda Revenge” ( a sudden 17-floor  drop), “Desert Storm” (an independent rotating roller-coaster), “Captain Cook’s Swinging Ship” (that oscillates to a height of 6 floors), “Big Canyon Rapids” (a rapids-ride), and a few more. The most extreme and exciting ride is the “Screaming Condor”. It is a roller-coaster consisting of 14 cars for 28 riders. It moves along a semi-circular and spiral track of 192 metres long at a maximum speed of  104 km per hour. The highest height it reaches is 56 metres and one third of its length is perpendicular to the ground. This ride is not for the faint hearted people.

 

Although there were countless rides in the theme park, all of them attract long queues. As my wife and I were put off by the long queues we went round watching people enjoying them. Towards the evening when the crowd was getting smaller, we managed to go for two things that attracted less people then: a slow train ride and a 3-D show which was about Sindbad on a flying carpet trying to save a beautiful princess.

Having spent about two hours at the theme park, we continued our journey to a hotel in the south known as Ataya Hot Spring Hotel which is near Nantou City.

Atayal Hot Spring Hotel, Nantou County

 As Taiwan is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire (or Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt) where countless earthquakes and volcanic eruptions take place in the Pacific Ocean Basin, it is a home to many hot springs. There are two main kinds of hot springs in Taiwan, viz. the sulfur hot springs and sodium carbonate hot springs.

Although the sulfur hot springs stink, they are claimed to do wonders for arthritis and some skin diseases. The clear and odourless sodium carbonate hot springs are claimed to relieve gastrointestinal disorders.

When we reached the Atayal Hotel bus parking area, we took a shuttle train with tyred wheels to the hotel located on a hill. The hotel, built in a European baroque style, commands a scenic panoramic view of the lush tropical rainforests on the mountains and the valleys. After checking in at the hotel, we walked a short distance from the hotel to a few pools of hot spring water which had a mild smell of sulfur. We soaked ourselves for a few minutes in the water of 40 degree Celcius and felt rejuvenated.

On the following morning, we left the hotel and headed straight for Checheng in the mountainous area in the south-east of Atayal Hotel.

( Continued on  Taiwan Travel II )

Chiangmai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel (Part I)

Chiang Mai Travel

Thailand (Free Land) is dubbed “The Land of 65 Million Smiles”. It is well-known for its many tourist spots. And Chiang Mai is one of them.

Location  of Chiang Mai     Chiang Mai is in North Thailand and is about 750 km north of Bangkok. It is over 310

metres above sea-level and located in a large flat Slain surrounded by dense monsoon forest-covered mountains in the east , north and west. A river, Ping River, flows from north to south through the plain to join the Thailand’s longest river, Menam Chao Phraya.

Climate  It has a Tropical Monsoon climate with the temperature ranges from 13 to 28 degrees C between mid-November and January and 17 to 36 degrees C between February and mid-November. The raining season starts from June to mid-November.

Population    It is the second largest city in Thailand with a population of about 250,000. Most of the inhabitants are Thais and majority of them embrace Buddhism.

Hill-Tribes     Chiang Mai also has several small hill-tribes living in the rural areas, such as the Karen (Kariang, Yang), Akha (Ekaw), Lisu (Lisaw), Lahu (Mussur), Yao (Mien) and Hmong (Meo). These hill-tribes are steeped in traditions and cultures. They live on subsistence agriculture like planting paddy, maize, fruits and vegetables.

In spite of the rapid growth in the last 10 over years Chiang Mai is still a charming and quaint city. It is dubbed “The Rose of the North” and North Thailand is known as “The Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields”.

Tourism  Chiang Mai is well linked to Bangkok by road, rail and air. Tourism is now a fast growing industry in Chiang Mai. Its charm, beauty, tranquility and rich culture attract hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year. Besides, the people are kind, friendly and hospitable. Tourism is an important industry to the local people as it provides them lots of jobs in hotels, transport, restaurants, cottage industries and recreational and entertainment activities.

History  According to the Siamese history, Chiang Mai  was established by King Mengrai in 1296. Later, in 1558, it

was captured by a Burmese king, King Bayinnaung of Pegu,. Since then it was ruled by the Burmese for about a quarter century. Then in 1799 it was recaptured by a Siamese prince, Prince Kawila.

The present King of Thailand is King Bhumibol. He was born on 5th. Dec 1927 and acceded to the throne on 9th. June 1946. He is fondly loved and respected by his subjects because of his compassion, warmth and commitment to his country’s progress. He is the world’s longest reigning, living monarch.  

New and Old City  The city is divided into two parts by the Ping River. To the west of the river is the old part of the city whereas to the east the modern one. The former offers more interesting tourist attractions.

In the old part of the city there is a rectangular moat (1.8 km x 2 km) which surrounds a wall made of bricks and earth. The wall was built to protect the

royal city during the reign of King Mengrai. This part of the city is more than 700 years old.

Buddhist Temples  Buddhist temples can be seen all over the city and also in the outskirts. It claims to have more than 300 temples which the Thais called them wats. A large number of them are restored and used for religious purposes. Saffron-robed monks are a common sight in the city.

Most of these temples have common features. They have a consecrated ceremonial hall which houses a large Buddha figure and other artifacts. The walls of the hall are beautifully decorated with murals depicting scenes of Buddha’s life. Near the hall is a monks’ living quarter and a general purpose

hall. Besides, a temple has a tall tower (chedi or stupa) which is either in the shape of a bell or stepped style (prasat style). Some temples have a school in their compound.

Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama who lived in North India in the 6th. Century B.C. (Before Christ). The religion spread to Thailand via the Khmer Empire and the Silk Route from China.

Temples play an important role in the ritual and social life of the Thais. It is a normal practice for every Thai male to take up monkhood at least once in his lifetime.

My wife, our big son and I wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds of Chiang

Mai very much. So, on 4 July 2006, we joined three of our friends from our hometown and flew together on a low budget plane, Air Asia, from Kuala Lumpur straight to Chiang Mai. The journey took less than three hours.
 
The Travel Itinerary   The following is the itinerary of our unforgettable Chiang Mai experience:  

       Day 1       Travel to Chiang Mai City 
                       Cottage Industries I 
                       Cottage Industries II 
      Day 2        Travel to Chiang Rai  
                       Hill-Tribes of Northern Thailand I 
                       Hill-Tribes of Northern Thailand II 

                       The Golden Triangle 
                       Mae Sai (BorderTown) 
      Day 3        Maesa Elephant Camp 
                       Mae Ram Orchid Farm 
                       Mae Sa Snake Farm 
                       The Monkey Centre 
                       Wat Phratat Doi Suthep 
                       Chiang Mai Arts & Cultural Centre (Museum) 
                       Chiang Mai Night Bazaar 
       Day 4       Warorot Market 
                       Departure to Malaysia    

Day 1 Tuesday 4 July 2006    Travel to Chiang Mai City 

Upon arrival at the Chiang Mai airport before noon, we took a ‘minibus’ to the downtown. In the city we saw large pictures of the Thai king, King Bhumibol, and Thai flags flying everywhere. The whole nation was celebrating the 60th. anniversary of their king’s accession to the throne.

Lai-Thai Guest House    We checked in at a hotel known as Lai-Thai Guest House which we had booked earlier through Internet. It is at 111/4-5, Kotchasarn Road, Chiang Mai 50100 (www.laithai.com). It is a  three-storey semi-wooden building that is in a U-shape and has a clean swimming pool in the centre. The building is built in Siamese architechural style.

‘Tuk-Tuks’    After lunch, six of us hailed two ‘tuk-tuks’ to bring us to see

some famous cottage industries located along Chiang Mai-Sankampaeng Road. Our two friendly ‘tuk-tuk’ drivers introduced themselves as Yau and Pantip.

A ‘tuk-tuk’ is a small three-wheeled vehicle which runs on petrol and can carry three passengers at the back. The only problem with this type of vehicle is that its roof is too low.

Chiang Mai Cottage Industries  

Our ‘tuk-tuks’ we hired brought us to the Chiang Mai-Sankampaeng Road to visit some cottage industries. This road is also known as “Handicrafts Highway” as there are countless cottage industries of handicrafts on both sides of the road such as silverware, copperware, lacquerware, woodcarving, parasol making, leather goods and many more.

Silver Factory   The first industry we visited was P-Collection Factory which makes all kinds of silverware. In the factory, artisans can be seen busy making silver articles like jewellery and figurines.

Jewellery Factory  International Fine Creation Co. Ltd. was the next factory

we went to. It makes and sells jewellery with precious stones which are beautifully cut, like sapphire (pink, blue), emerald (green). topaz (orange), opal (mixed green and blue), garnet (red), diamond, ruby, amethyst and many more. 
 

Leather Factory   S.K. Leather Co. Ltd. produces goods made of skins of snakes, crocodiles, deer and cows such as bags, handbags, belts, shoes, wallets and clothes. It exports most of its goods. 
  
Lacquerware Factory   Then we went to another factory known as

Lantong Factory Ltd. where lacquerware is made. Here wooden objects are sculptured, painted and finally lacquered so that they look shinny. At that factory, I watched a worker painstakingly gluing small pieces of egg shell on to a seven-sided black board and then pressed them into smaller pieces giving the board an artistic pattern. That was an interesting and unusual piece of art.

Parasol Factory   Sankampaeng Umbrella & Handicraft Industry produces silk, cotton and paper umbrellas of different sizes. The umbrellas are beautifully painted by talented local artists. They usually paint flowers and elephants on the umbrellas.

Woodcarving Factory  Chiang Mai Sudaluck produces teak and

rosewood furniture with beautiful carvings. Besides, its skilful and artistic workers are able to produce 3-dimensional pictures of Siamese villages on rosewood and wooden sculptures. Carving a 150 cm x 50 cm three-dimensional picture of a village usually takes an expert-carver two months to complete. 

Carpet Factory  Heritage International Ltd. sells beautifully designed carpets for use and carpets with semi-precious stones sown on them for wall decoration. Besides, it imports bronze antiques from India for sale.

Jade Factory  Siam Gifts House of Jade was the last factory we visited. It

sells a variety of products using jades of all kinds of colours, like jewellery, figurines and large and small objects.

Day 2 : Wednesday 5 July 2006    Travel to Chiang Rai 

Our Coach Driver and Guide     At about 7 a.m. a coach we had hired earlier came to our hotel. The coach driver introduced himself as Mr. Nom and the tour guide, a young fresh university Thai graduate, as Mr. Hacks. As we had not taken our breakfast, our kind driver brought us to a popular roadside noodle-stall not far from the hotel. We sat tha tables on the five-

foot way and soon we were served with hot Siamese noodle soup. After the delicious meal, we began our long journey to the north to Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai   On the way, we passed through a scenic mountainous region. When we reached Chiang Rai we stopped at a market known as Bandu Municipality Market, Fresh local vegetables and fruits were bountiful there. We bought big, juicy and sweet lychees, durians, rambutans and cut pineapples. Besides, we bought some local snacks to munch while travelling in the coach.

A Baby Elephant   At the market we were surprised to see a baby elephant. It was following its owner who was selling some snacks. Kind

vegetable and fruit sellers who found the animal so cute and lovable gave it some of their produce. Foreign tourists and I asked the friendly owner for permission to take a photograph with the tame elephant. We were amused when it curtsied.

Union of Hill-Tribe Villages   Then we moved on again. The next stop was a well-known place, Union of Hill-Tribe Villages, which is 12 km from Chiang Rai. At this place one will see five types of hill-tribes in their traditional costumes, namely Akha, Yao, Mussur, Palong and Karen. They stay at their mini-villages which are at different spots but near to each other. They are there during tourists’ visiting hours only as the place is just a showcase of Thailand’s different hill-tribes.

Hill-Tribes in Northern Thailand      In the olden days, the hill-tribes

migrated from southern China to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Now, there are six major hill-tribes in Northern Thailand belonging to the Thai national minorities, namely Karen (Kariang, Yang), Akha (Ekaw), Lisu (Lisaw), Lahu (Mussur), Yao (Mien) and Hmong (Meo). 

These hill-tribes are steeped in traditional cultures and live on subsistence farming. They use simple tools like hoes to cultivate hill paddy and plant cash crops, such as maize, fruits and vegetables on a small-scale. They also raise domestic animals like fowl, goat and buffalos.

Most of these tribes live in poverty. Their wooden houses are small and the roofs are made of dry large leaves or fronds of palm trees. They have bare necessities inside their houses.

Each tribe has its own distinctive culture, religion, language, art and traditional costumes.

The hill-tribes believe in territorial spirits for forests and fields, tutelary spirits for houses and towns, and ancestral spirits.

These tribes are good at making handicrafts. They sell them in Chiang Mai and other towns to earn extra income.

Union of Hill-Tribe Villages   Located 12 km from Chiang Rai, the Union of Hill-Tribe Villages is a showcase of five hill-tribes, namely Akha, Yao, Mussur, Palong and Karen. 

Before we entered the villages, a man at the main entrance asked us to look at a dirty, old map and told us the route we had to take to visit the five hill-tribes. As it had rained earlier the ground was wet, soft and slippery. So, he

asked us to take along a long stick each.

Akha Village  The first village we came across was the Akha village where we were greeted by a few young and old ladies in their traditional clothes. They were sitting on raised bamboo platforms in front of their houses. They were wearing black headgears covered with silver coins. We felt frustrated as we could not converse with them in their language or Thai. All we could do was to smile, say “Hello” and wave our hands to mean “Goodbye”. Then we walked to a larger house where a group of Akha ladies entertained us with their simple traditional musical instruments.

Yao Village   The next village we visited was the Yao’s. The Yao

ladies looked well-dressed in their traditional costumes. They wore black turban-like headgears. When they saw us, they greeted us with a big smile. We were surprised that two of them could talk to us in Chinese. After a short conversation with them, we had a good look at their handmade purses. jewellery, trinkets, etc.

Palong Village  Then we visited the Palong hill-tribe. We noticed the Palong people were wearing simple black clothing and some ladies were wearing simple coloured head-scarves. They entertained us with a lively traditional dance. Their children joined them too.

Karen Village   The last hill-tribe we visited was the well-known Karen. We were fascinated and amazed to see only female children and women

wearing shiny brass coils round their necks. They were very friendly and loved to take photos with us. 
Female Karens are the only people in the world having very long necks. They start wearing coils round their necks when they are a few years old. As they grow older more turnings are added to their coils. Some say they wear the coils to prevent tigers from biting their necks and others think they wear them for beauty hoping to get a life-long partner easily.

I left the Karen hill-tribe with a big question in my, i.e. ”How do they eat, drink, bathe, sleep and get up from their beds with the heavy metallic coils round their necks?”.  A large neck coil may weigh about 5 kilograms!

After visiting the hill-tribes, we went to a place where we sprayed water on the soles of our shoes to get rid of the mud which we had collected while walking in the hill-tribe villages. Soon we left the place and continued our journey to the well-known Golden Triangle in the north.

The Golden Triangle    The Golden Triangle was actually a notorious region for the harmful opium trade. It covered a large area of 350, 000 sq. km. including the northern parts of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, and eastern part of Myanmar. As the governments of the four countries knew that drug addiction would ruin their people’s lives and cripple their economies, they constantly cracked down on drug barons and encouraged their people especially the hill-tribes to plant cash crops instead of opium poppies. Now, they have successfully eradicated poppy-growing

in many parts of their countries. They are always on the look out for illegal planting of the poppies, especially in the jungle areas.

Now the Golden Triangle is a small area around the confluence where River Mekong (or Mae Khong- 4,184 km long) and River Ruak meet. These two rivers form the common border for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. The Golden Triangle is now a popular tourist attraction that reminds visitors of the past busy and lucrative opium trade there.

Sop Ruak    A small old Thai town known as Sop Ruak exists in the Golden

Triangle and is 9 km north of Chiang Saen. It is located by the Mekong River. Small restaurants, souvenir shops and other types of shops line the roads of the town.

On arrival at the Golden Triangle we noticed that the place has a  picturesque view of the two wide rivers, the lush green forest-covered mountains in the distance, the quaint Sop Ruak town and the old and new temples.

An Open Air Temple   There is a beautiful open air temple at the confluence where a huge golden statue of Buddha sits cross-legged on its large altar. It is about 8 metres high. At the back of this statue is a smaller white statue of a

Chinese version of Buddha, “Tuah Peh Kong”. In front of the golden Buddha are three smaller golden statues of Buddha and a large statue of a black elephant carrying Buddha’s relics.  Further down the Mekong River bank are six golden columns with beautiful and intricate Siamese designs which I think are monuments to the great Siamese kings. On the Myanmar river bank in the distance are some red-roofed buildings which are known as Paradise Resort. It has a casino to attract foreign tourists.

It is a frustration for a foreign tourist not to know the names of the temples, the structures and the statues at the confluence as all the writings there are in Thai. I hope the Thai government will translate them especially in English for foreigners.

Wat Phrathat Pukhao  On top of a small hill near the confluence is a small, old

and simple temple which is over 1000 years old. It is known as Wat Phrathat Pukhao. To go up to the temple, I walked up a flight of 104 steps alone. These steps are lined with two long Siamese legendary grey dragons each with five heads. Each head has a long crooked horn projecting from its forehead.

When I reached the top, I realized I was the only person around. Fearlessly, I looked around and walked to the doorstep of the temple. I looked inside and saw a large statue of Buddha looking down at me. After taking a few photos at the temple, I walked to a vantage point nearby. From that point I could see a scenic panoramic view of Sop Ruak town, the wide Mekong River and the

lush green mountains in Laos. Then I went down the hill to join my tour group.

Hall of Opium Museum    Owing to time constraint, we did not visit a museum at the Golden Triangle. It is known as Hall of Opium where one can gain an insight into the history of opium trade there and harmful effects of opium. The museum provides photographs, films and videos about opium and other types of dangerous drugs from other countries. It should be a worthwhile visit there if one has some time to spare.

Our next destination was a Thai border town known as Mae Sai which is 28 km by road from the Golden Triangle.

Mae Sai (A Border Town)    Mae Sai is the northern-most town in North

Thailand. It is a small town near the Myanmar border. It has a large arcade where lots of stalls are selling a myriad of things ranging from accessories and clothes to watches and electronic goods. Near the place is a brightly and heavily-decorated temple which houses a large statue of Buddha. Besides, it has colourful murals inside depicting the Buddha’s life. 
 
Mae Sai has an immigration checkpoint at the border between Thailand and Myanmar. To cross over the border to a small town known as Tha Kwee Lek in Myanmar, one may pay 300 Thai baht to a Thai motorcyclist who will bring one

over there. One may extend one’s Thai visa when one comes back to Mae Sai from Tha Kwee Lek.

At about 4 p.m. I saw many Myanmar vendors pushing their carts with unsold goods to the the immigration checkpoint. They were going back to their country after a day’s business at Mae Sai Town.

Chiang Rai Hot Spring     After spending an hour at Mae Sai, we headed back to Chiang Mai City. On the way, we stopped at Chiang Rai to see natural hot spring water in three wells. The steam coming out of the wells has a little bit of sulfur smell. As the temperature of the water is 90 degrees C, local

people immerse bags of sweet-potatoes and corns in the hot water for half a day to get them cooked. Then they take them out and either sell or bring them home to feed their families.  
 
One can buy some eggs from lady-vendors near a well, borrow their bags for the eggs and slowly lower them into the well using strings attached to the bags. If one waits for a few minutes, one will get to eat the hard-boiled eggs.  
 
Many stalls selling souvenirs, jewelleries, accessories, handicrafts, clothes, etc. are found near the wells.

Dinner at Anusarn Market   At 9 p.m. we finally reached Chiang Mai. We had late dinner at Anusarn Market where there are many open-air restaurants. After dinner we visited a few stalls along Chan Klan Road. An hour later we went back to our hotel.

[To continue reading this travelogue please go to "Chiangmai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel (Part II)"]

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