One of the interesting places to visit in Tainan is Chimei Museum. It is a private museum established in 1992 by Chimei Corporation. The museum is the first museum build in western style and exhibits mainly western arts, sculptures, and other artifacts. This is a good way to introduce western arts and cultures to the locals without having to go abroad. Besides artworks and sculptures, there is a collection of musical instruments, armors, and weapons of different period in time. It also has a collection of real fossils and specimens of various animals on permanent exhibition which is a good way to bring the animals to the people. As well as, a good way to show that there are not just other people sharing the earth with us but also various other animals sharing the earth with us. Picture taking is off limits inside the museum and reservation for entrance tickets must be made ahead of time.
Near by about 20 minutes drive is the Les Hotel Tainan. It is compact but well designed, that every space is well utilized and design for comfort. It has 5-star amenities plus a Jacuzzi bath in every room. Apparently, it is preferred for business conference and wedding parties. We saw a lot of couples having their wedding pictures taken there.
People’s Temple (大眾廟) is our next stop. This temple had been rebuilt many times since the occupation of the Dutch. But it had always been a holy site since the original aborigines, the Ping-pu tribe (平埔族西拉雅人) and it remained a holy site of all those years after the Chinese immigrated here and through the occupation of Dutch and Japanese til now. This temple was first built by the Chinese to commemorate the first Taiwanese Admiral of the Chinese Qing Dynasty and had been reconstructed in its original style many times later.
Next to the People’s Temple is the Sihcao Green Water Tunnel of Taijiang National Recreational National Park. Bamboo raft ride takes you into to the water tunnel of this wetland ecological system of rare plants, habitat for various fish, oysters, crabs, water fouls, birds, and insects as well as migratory
birds. Life jackets and bamboo hats were provided for the ride.
Taijiang National Park is protected natural wetland lagoon ecological resources. It is an inland sea with ever changing sand beaches. The Chiku Lagoon ecological tours take you out to the various waterways and to the mouths where it meets the ocean.
Fishing, crabbing, are controlled by licensing only. It is to ensure the ecosystem is maintained. A lot of bird watching goes on in the early morning and late afternoon. But during mid-day. We were lucky to see this crane. There are many species of Cranes on this major migratory route.
We came to the 3D village on our return trip.
And a stopover at the Crystal Slipper Chapel Park.
awesome retirement 