November 30, 2002

- Pick up at 07:30 am

- Lungshan Temple

Lungshan (literally “Dragon Mountain”) Temple is dedicated to Kuanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. It was built in 1738 by Fukienese immigrants as a branch of the original Lungshan Temple in Fukien Province and took five years to complete. Due to natural and man-made disasters, the temple has been repaired and renovated on numerous occasions. It faces south, with halls to the front and back and a central hall surrounded by protective dragons. The two bronze dragon pillars in the front hall, the four dragon pillars in the central hall, and the wooden carvings are all exquisitely crafted. The well and shrine in the front hall are particularly outstanding. The temple columns, inscriptions, and plaques are also worth a look.

http://www.dot.taipei.gov.tw/old/travel/english/spot/kind1/kind1.html

- Presidential Office Building

Looking onto Kaitakelan Boulevard, the Presidential Office Building is an important symbol for the people of Taiwan. The five-story structure is constructed in European Renaissance style and has a double-courtyard plan. The redbrick and gray-stucco facade and well-maintained front gardens give it a dignified, classical appearance. State ceremonies are held in front of the building on New Year's Day and National Day.

http://www.president.gov.tw

- Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center

Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center, established in 1957, is a nonprofit social purpose organization dedicated to the development and promotion of the handicraft industry in Taiwan. The Chinese Handicraft Mart, an operating unit of Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center, provides a one-stop shopping place. It is the largest in its kind in Taiwan offering more than 20,000 items of art furniture, jewelry, home furnishings, and general gift items, and services of money exchange, packing and shipping.

http://www.handicraft.org.tw

- National Palace Museum

The National Palace Museum is located on the outskirts of Taipei at the base of Yangming Mountain in the Shihlin District. A magnificent sight, it is built in the traditional Chinese palace style, with white walls and green-tiled roofs. The interior has been renovated to modern standards. The main building, with its five exhibition halls, resembles a plum blossom in shape and houses the world's largest and most precious collection of Chinese art, some 700,000 pieces in all. Among the national treasures stored here are famous paintings, ceramics, bronzes, jades, sculptures, brocade screens, embroidery, and historical relics. All were originally part of the Palace Museum in Peking and the Central Museum in Nanking.

http://www.npm.gov.tw

- Lin An-Tai Historical Estate

The Lin An-tai Historic Estate was torn down in 1978 to make room for the expansion of Tunhua Road and rebuilt in 1984 at Riverside Park. While not extravagant, the estate is generously proportioned, with clear division of the main and subsidiary buildings. Both the materials and craftsmanship are of the highest quality. The careful attention of the builders is most apparent in the stone wall foundations, brickwork, and window patterning. The green stone door lintel, carved door columns, window designs are also exquisitely done, making the estate one of the most graceful and historically important residences in Taipei.

http://www.dot.taipei.gov.tw/old/travel/english/spot/kind5/kind5.html

        - Lunch

- Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan National Park is the closest of Taiwan's four national parks to Taipei. Established in 1985, it covers an area of 11,456 hectares and stretches from Kuangtsui Mountain and Wuchih Mountain in the east to Hunglu Mountain and Mientien Mountain in the west. In the north, it extends to Chutzu Mountain and Earth God Ridge, and in the south to Shamao Mountain. Elevation ranges from 200 to 1,200 meters. The park is a favorite of flower lovers during the cherry blossom season. The beautiful natural surroundings also offer a perfect place to relax outdoors and get away from the city for a while.

http://www.dot.taipei.gov.tw/old/travel/english/spot/kind8/kind8.html

- Spa Thermal Resort

Peitou is Taipei's most famous hot spring area. The springs were first discovered in 1895, making the area a popular place for Japanese soldiers to rest and convalesce during the occupation period. Businesses and tourist areas sprang up in the area to cater to bathers, turning this once agricultural region into a thriving commercial district known as Old Peitou. New Peitou developed later, and is today a center of tourist hotels and restaurants.

※TAICAMS participants may bring swimsuits for the hot spring baths.

※People with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, wounds or who are pregnant should avoid the use of hot spring.

http://www.dot.taipei.gov.tw/old/travel/english/spot/kind7/kind7.html

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