Taiwan: a useless Island

[Hermit Scott]

I went to Taiwan on business for a week. My wife and I have committed to taking a sample of sand from every island we visit. But I didn't here because I couldn't sail anywhere. I looked all over for a sailboat and could not find one. We went to the largest fresh water body of water in the mountains, Sun Moon lake. Beautiful as it was, not one sailboat. Why? Was all I could ask. How could an island nation be completely void of wind driven vessels? Anyway the people are fantastic. There wasn't one scratch of grafitti on the whole island! Everyone is very quiet and respectful. No loud blaring music. I could spend some time there. There is an island 20 miles off the west coast, they say is the Hawaaii of Taiwan, but not in the winter. Maybe they sail there? We didn't go because it wasn't the season, so our translator said.
I spent the bulk of my time in Nantou, a manufaturing city in the central region, one day in the mountains and one day in Taipai. The city Taipai was very clean and very modern. But cities really aren't my thing. I like natural wonders and scenery much more.
Next time I will see the east coast and Alishan (sp?), a mountain forest with a train running through it.
If you end up there, I highly recommend Sun Moon lake and all the awsome temples that are built around it. I have attached a photo that no one has been able to take for a while due to an earth quake that damaged this tall pagoda. I rock climb so I was able to scale the building and climb in to a higher floor and then ascend the stairs. Cih-en pagoda is the name of the tower. By the way, it was more damaged than it looked from the outside. Inside about 5 floors up it looked like the building was twisted and sheared where it sat. It also leans a little also. The picture shows the view from the top which I believe to be the higest point at Sun Moon Lake.

 

[nightowle]

good question. I lived there (taipei) and have been aboard power yachts but never a sail boat. Interesting that there are lots of junks in Hong Kong, but you won't see them in Taiwan. Sailing is just not their thing, is my presumption. Even though Taiwanese have been good at building sail boats for the overseas market.

 

[shemandr]

Useless or not it seems like an interesting place that I would like to visit. But, we don't get around the globe too much - like not at all.

 

[zeehag]

they build sailboats there---but none to be seen??
wow........there are at least 3 different boatyards there---prolly more-----

 

[walt]

I work for Taiwan company, was there last week and am in Shanghai now. Sun Moon lake is a beautiful place but it seems like most places there - you just go to look and do not "participate". I think there may be some superstition about water also, not sure. You can take a boat tour at Sun Moon lake (attached picture) but I also pretty much saw no private boats.

We've gone on tours in China and seen just wonderful nice big lakes and no boats on them. I don't know the exact reason why no private use of the lakes but an expat who lives there said it was left over from the days where the gov was worried about people trying to leave China so outlawed private boats on the coast. I guess to make things fair, they extended the rule also to lakes. Don't know for sure. We went to Beijing one winter and I saw some of the best ice boating conditions ever (attached picture is a lake at the summer palace).. but its not legal to do such thing. Nice place to visit but glad I live in the US!!

 

[Hermit Scott]

Taiwan has only been free for 10 years! So, I can see the left over attitude about personal watercraft still persisting.
It is illegal to swim in Sun Moon lake, except once a year for an annual swim across the lake day. I would not doubt that superstition is the cause. My hotel had no 4th floor. It went from 3 to 5. My translator said that the number 4 is synonomous with death. Houses with 4 floors will often have their ancestor worship shrines on the 4th floor.
Whatever the case, they can afford boats, they just choose not to for now.

 

[Liam]

No such thing as a useless island as the sole pupose of any island is to keep things out of the water, (like plants and trees and rocks and things).
You may have no use for the island, but then again the island probably has little use for you.

 

[RichBone]

The absence of recreational boating could be attributed to the fact that they don't have a history of one and didn't have a heck of a lot of leisure time. In a area of the world with dense populations, locally unavailable materials, a proportionally small middle class and very little if any disposable income the only boating you're likely to find is working boating- fishing, frieght, ferrying etc.

Rich