The Taipei Lunar New Year Festival at Dihua Street

One of the main entrances to the Taipei Lunar New Year Festival on Dihua Street

Dihua Street runs through Dadaocheng, a section of Taipei dense with visible history. According to a government tourist website:

In late 1880s, Dadaocheng started to prosper in light of the opening of Tamsui Harbor. It has since become the keystone of economic and cultural development. In Dadaocheng, you will see extravagant Baroque architecture, traditional Hokkien bungalows and brilliant red-brick western houses. Historical buildings, traditional folklore center, tea houses, fabric stores, Chinese pharmacy and local eateries alike are rich in history. A new everyday-aesthetics derives in the vintage neighborhoods of Dadaocheng where century-old stores meet with contemporary innovation.

And at the moment, there's another reason to visit Dihua Street. It is one of the locations for this year's Taipei Lunar New Year Festival:

The Dihua New Year's Goods shopping street will be in place from February 1st to 14th, featuring hundreds of stands selling classic or trendy items. There will be 15 food trucks at Yongle Plaza during the period as well. On weekends, chefs are invited to demonstrate how they prepare New Year's dishes, and visitors can also pour their emotions and creativity into making red envelopes and New Year’s banners. Vintage style clothing and cute dog costumes are also available for people to take fun photos with, sitting in front of an AR technology backdrop. This year's festival has been expanded to Ningxia Night market, Taipei Station Wholesale Market, Rongbin Shopping District and Taipei City Mall, immersing visitors from all places in the lively, colorful Chinese New Year experience in Taipei.

When I visited Dihua Street last Thursday afternoon, what most caught my attention early on were the very dense crowds, all the more striking considering it was a cold overcast weekday afternoon and rain had been forecasted.

This made me wonder what it would be like on a weekend day with good weather.

In comparison to past Lunar New Year Fairs in Hong Kong I've attended, there appeared to be more of an emphasis on the traditional items people commonly buy for celebrating the Lunar New Year, making it more distinct from a regular night market, common in Taiwan. In that spirit, some of the sellers wore traditional clothing.

I didn't see anybody wearing a dog costume, though, fitting for the upcoming Year of the Dog. But I see someone wearing a Cheshire Cat outfit.

As usual for the Lunar New Year, candy was a common item for sale and a great number of varieties were available.

I tried one of the chocolate coins, something familiar from my own childhood, and I'll just say after the first taste I had no desire to finish it. The cheap Italian chocolates, many with liquor fillings, sold at the same stand were significantly better.

I also took advantage of the the many food vendors there.

Sure, black cuttlefish sausages aren't specifically a Lunar New Year treat, but I don't come across them often (the one place which comes to mind is a long metro ride away in Tamsui, though I assume there are closer options). And how can you ignore somebody waving a giant cuttlefish sausage?

As it started to get darker around 5 p.m. the crowds thinned slightly and it was easier to explore the various stands.

But things seemed to pick up later on, though still not as busy as the afternoon.

There's much more to see (and eat) than what I have shared here. So if you can, head on over to Dihua Street before the festival ends on February 14. It's an opportunity to immerse yourself in a bit of history while enjoying the Lunar New Year festivities. You won't be alone.

Rain and Monochromatic Adidas Themes in Taipei

Many people lined up with their umbrellas today at the Taipei Xinyi VieShow Square to have their photo taken. The large crowd for the outdoor promotion, even on a cold rainy afternoon, suggests Adidas got something right.

John Travolta and Christian Slater Still Looking On: A Broken Broken Arrow Poster in Taipei

Portion of a Broken Arrow (1996) movie poster displayed on Section 2, Dihua Street

Globes Without Nine Dashes: Taiwan's Claims in the South China Sea

Dash-less globes for sale in Taipei

At a shopping center in Taipei today I noticed some world globes for sale. A closer looked revealed they didn't include some dashes I used to seeing in mainland China, whether on globes or maps of restaurant locations. These dashes, commonly referred to as the Nine-Dash Line, have been used by both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) to indicate their claims in the South China Sea. The exact nature of the claims represented by the dashes hasn't always been clear. The globes inspired me to learn a bit more about the ROC side of things in this complex issue.

So below are a links to a few relevant pieces with different perspectives along with excerpts. Of note, after the first two pieces were published the ruling in the South China Sea Arbitration was issued in July 2016. The next two pieces capture some of its ramifications.


1. "Where Does Taiwan Stand on the South China Sea?" (May 2016) by Jiye Kim

The ROC seems to have slightly adjusted the gravity of its claim. Recently, the ROC’s claim has focused more on the islands, their surrounding waters and continental shelf, rather than the whole body of water in the U-shaped line. The ROC ‘suspended its claim to the entire waters’ within the line in December 2005, while still advocating its ownership of land features within the line.

2. "Has Taiwan Implicitly Clarified the U-Shaped Line?" (May 2016) by Chi-Ting Tsai

The illustration of the U-shaped line on an official map, “The First ROC Territorial Baseline and Territorial and Contiguous Zone Lines,” also constrains Taipei’s legal options. There is a brief footnote on the map noting, “All of the islands and rocks of the Spratly Islands within the traditional U-shaped line are ROC territory.” The map therefore suggests Taiwan claims only territorial sovereignty over the islands and rocks within the U-shaped line, not historical rights or sovereignty over the waters within the line. If Taiwan’s government regarded historical rights and waters as an indispensable interest within the U-shaped line, there would be no reason to exclude mention of them from the map. This does not necessarily prevent Taiwan from taking action to claim historical rights and waters in the future, but it does provide ammunition against Taipei were it to do so.

3. "Taiwan Can’t Negotiate, Likely to Observe Rules on South China Sea" (May, 2017) by Ralph Jennings

Taiwan lost a chance to make a global impression by stepping away from its nine-dash line claim, said Euan Graham, international security director with the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney.

“There was an opportunity there I think for Taiwan to get ahead of China in a way by maintaining its claim on the basis of features, but separating itself from the nine-dash line,” Graham said. “That would have been interesting, how China would have responded to that.”

4. "Taiwan’s Unique Opportunity to Help Resolve the South China Sea Maritime Territorial Dispute" (November, 2017) by Christopher Yung

Two of the larger remaining grand strategic options appear to be quite risky. A threat to renounce Taiwan’s traditional claim based on historic rights would plunge Taiwan into a deep and sustained row with Beijing. If the purpose of the renunciation is to create greater negotiating leverage with the PRC, then the risk might be worth taking. A move toward greater cooperation with Beijing on issues related to the South China Sea poses the risk that Taiwan is snared by Beijing’s “United Front” tactics, but if the result is a PRC promise to agree to a Taiwan proposal to convene an international conference to help bridge the Chinese position with that of international law, thereby elevating Taipei’s international status, then this too might be worth the risk.

From Above and From Below: Lanterns at the Shilin Shennong Temple in Taipei

A Language School Wants to "Make Taiwan Great Again": Cheers for Donald Trump in Taipei

During my travels the past couple of years I have seen images of Donald Trump in a variety of settings, such as at a newsstand in Taiyuan, on the wall of a noodle restaurant in Hong Kong, and at a stall selling paper cut portraits in Shanghai. The past few weeks it was an advertisement on a building in Taipei that most caught my attention.

The "Make Taiwan Great Again" slogan which accompanies the image of Trump on the advertisement for Cheers International Education Group is a clear play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. While the use of English in advertisements isn't uncommon in Taipei, it is especially fitting given the focus of Cheers: foreign language training.

The Cheers page on Facebook features the same slogan and image of Trump:

Trump is depicted making a sign with his right hand, as best as I can tell not one which has been captured in an unaltered photo of him. Since the thumb is extended it isn't a standard horns sign, though perhaps a horns sign was intended. The hand sign does match the American Sign Language sign for the acronym "ILY" — standing for "I love you". But there's a twist here. The palm should face towards the object of the love. So the hand sign in this case could be interpreted as "I love myself".

Whatever the advertisement's designer had in mind, that a language school in Taipei would use Trump's message and image in this way raises questions about how he is perceived here. I am not aware of any scientific polling results on the matter, but both positive and negative opinions about Trump could be found in Taiwan when he was elected. Anecdotally and more recently, I have come across a mix of opinions as well. For example, when Trump came up in a conversation with a Taiwanese friend who strongly dislikes him, she commented that a surprising-to-her number of people in Taiwan view him positively as President of the U.S. due to his business background. And a local political activist I met mentioned that some Taiwanese hope Taiwan's next president will be like Trump for the same reason.

So while The Trump Organization could see the advertisement as impinging on their brand, Donald Trump may first see it as indicating some of his appeal abroad. A bigger test, however, may be whether a Taiwanese politician ever prominently features Trump in a positive fashion as part of a political advertising campaign. Barack Obama can already claim that achievement.

Promoting Life, Liberty, & Samples in Taiwan

American soft power Kiehl's style:

At the Sogo Taipei Zhongxiao department store

Sitting on a Metro Train in Taipei

Liam Neeson on a Taipei Metro train. Always has a seat. Never manspreads.

McDonald's Brings Out the Prosperity Burger in Taiwan

Last night in Taipei I had local food on my mind and had no plans to eat at a McDonald's. But as I passed by one of their restaurants something caught my eye. It couldn't be.

It was.

The glorious Prosperity Burger, a special offering from McDonald's for the Lunar New Year holiday, was beckoning. Curiously, the burger is unavailable in mainland China, where McDonald's typically offers other holiday food items that change from year to year, such as the Year of Luck Burger (not at all my thing) or shrimp burgers (meh). I knew I'd be soon departing Taiwan in the near future and wasn't sure I'd be in any of the other areas that typically offers the Prosperity Burger, such as Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, or Indonesia, before the holiday ends.

So I changed plans and went inside the McDonald's to examine the options.

Last year in Macau I personally found that adding a hash brown "didn't do much for the burger except add intense caloric mass while diluting the taste of the Prosperity Sauce", so I avoided those options this time. That left a choice of either beef or chicken. I ordered the beef version, and very quickly I had a Prosperity Burger box in front of me.

Even better, as promised there was a Prosperity Burger inside.

So black-peppery good.

If you've never had one, you're not just missing out on a delightful fast food holiday treat, you're also missing out on ensuring you aren't salt-deprived for the day.

According to the McDonald's Taiwan website, the beef Prosperity Burger has 1320 mg of sodium. In comparison, the website indicates a Big Mac has 880 mg of sodium. Notably, the McDonald's U.S. website indicates a Big Mac has 950 mg. Perhaps this difference is due to Americans preferring more salt. Or perhaps this is due to Taiwan having a lower daily value for sodium (less than 2000 mg) than the US (less than 2400 mg). Whatever the case, the Prosperity Burger will have you well on your way to blasting through your sodium ceiling. You're really set if you layer on a hash brown or add a side of fries.

Regarding fries, I didn't bother getting any since curly fries, which have been part of the McDonald's Lunar New Year menu in other areas, weren't available. I suppose there is both good and bad in that.

And if you're still not convinced to try a Prosperity Burger, perhaps this McDonald's Taiwan promotional video, which emphasizes the hash brown option, will do the trick:

Anyway, I'm glad I was lucky enough to enjoy a Prosperity Burger this year. And I managed to still include a Taiwanese treat last night, though I had to head down a nearby alley. The small bowl of noodles with large intestines, not available at McDonald's even during holidays, was great as well. I don't want to know how much sodium they included though.

Leaping Cat Bridge: A Black Feline Braves the Heights in Taiwan

Cropped photo of a daring cat

Today after crossing a bridge connecting Taipei City and New Taipei City, a black cat caused me to pause before I went down a stairway — the only way to reach ground level from this section of the bridge.

Needless to say, the cat also saw me. After a couple of photos, I began to slowly descend the stairs. I figured either the cat would allow me to greet it / pass by or it would head down the stairs in front of me.

Of course, the cat did something else. It jumped onto the concrete wall bordering the stair landing. I froze, fearing the cat would try to reach a supporting structure of the bridge requiring a leap at a perilous height.

Of course, the cat leaped nonetheless. It didn't give itself much of a margin but still landed safely on the other side and settled down.

Quite relieved not to have witnessed a catastrophe (pun not intended), wanting to keep things that way, and not seeing anything I could do to help at the moment, I made my way down the rest of the stairs.

Later as I stood across the street from the stairs, I heard a young voice from above exclaim "Māomī!" — "Kitty!" in Mandarin Chinese. When I looked up I saw a boy standing at the top of the stairs who was soon joined by numerous other school children. It wasn't clear what the children would do, but at least the cat was in a safe location, relatively speaking.

Or so I thought.

In fact, the cat had already returned to the stairway. And before any of the children went down the stairs, it made the same leap to the bridge again.

Expecting another return to the stairway, I waited as the cat remained out of view. After about seven minutes of nobody using the stairs, the cat came into view and prepared itself.

Then, it leaped.

That's a photo worth cropping.

The End.

Ok, not the end. I'm pleased to report the cat made it safely back to the stairs. Here's another cropped photo with a bit of proof:

And now some speculation . . .

The cat appeared to been have been ear tipped, suggesting it is a stray. Given what I have seen elsewhere in Taipei, where stray cats aren't uncommon, I wouldn't be surprised if somebody is feeding the cat regularly at the stairway landing around the time of day I arrived. Perhaps they first encountered the cat there and a ritual began. If so, the downside to this act of kindness is that as the cat waits for the person (food) to arrive it avoids other people by repeatedly making a dangerous leap.

The cat apparently feels confident enough in its abilities. But as an online video search easily indicates, cats aren't perfect. And at some point as the cat ages, it won't be able to leap as well. Will the cat know to retire from its bridge adventures before then? That would be quite a height for a cat, no matter how many lives it has, to fall, and the ground far below is unforgiving concrete.

One potential downside to sharing this story is that people who can figure out the exact location may be inspired to engage in some leaping-kitty tourism and approach the cat on the stair landing hoping to see a jump up close. So please, refrain. This will only add to the number of times the cat is tempted to take a substantial risk.

To be clear, I don't know whether or not the cat is a regular on these stairs — hopefully not. But if you or somebody you know are cat-experienced and interested in further exploring the situation with the aim to help if need be, feel free to contact me (see the sidebar of the website; go here if currently viewing the mobile version). I can help you pin down the exact location and also share the time of day when I saw the cat. Assuming it could require multiple regular visits, I'm not able to undertake the deed, especially since I expect to be departing Taipei soon.

If more high leaps are in store, though, may they all be good ones. Whatever the future holds for the cat, I might feel more confident in the answer if I later see another cat at such heights and think to myself "You're not really going to jump there, are you?"

Models, Dogs, and Lobster: The Breeze Center in Taipei Welcomes Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year

A Valentine's Day promotion at the Qsquare shopping mall in Taipei left me wondering if the Lunar New Year, another potential holiday for a promotion, falling close to Valentine's Day this year influenced the decision to start the promotion nearly a month before February 14. Yesterday I saw that the Breeze Center, a luxury shopping mall in Taipei, had also began a Valentine's Day promotion on January 18. But it marked the start of their Lunar New Year promotions as well.

A series of banners with "Happy Chinese New Year & Valentine's Day" were easy to spot

Although the holidays are mentioned together, the text size on the banners highlights the Lunar New Year holiday more. And at one entrance, while the Lunar New Year theme was clear, including that it will be Year of the Dog, there was nothing specifically indicating Valentine's Day.

On Breeze's website for all of its shopping centers in Taipei portions of four images are currently featured, one appearing at a time and all with holiday promotions. One, like the banners at the mall, mentions both holidays.

Another only mentions Valentine's Day.

And another only mentions the Lunar New Year.

All of the previous banners include female models. One other, which only mentions the Lunar New Year, does not. It has a cooked lobster instead.

The promotions are a sign of how Breeze is handling the proximity of the holidays. Perhaps they will convince some people there is nothing like new shoes for celebrating Valentine's Day and lobster for the starting of the Year of the Dog — all purchased at Breeze, of course.

Getting a Head Start on Showing Love: A Valentine's Month Sale at Qsquare in Taipei

Yesterday, January 18, I didn't expect to be thinking about Valentine's Day, which isn't until February 14. However, sale signs at the Qsquare shopping mall in Taipei changed that.

The mall's website now prominently features its Valentine's Day themed winter sale as well.

I don't know whether it is typical for Qsquare to start a Valentine's Day promotion nearly four weeks before the holiday. Qsquare may have chosen the timing because another holiday with sales potential — the Lunar New Year — falls on February 16 this year. However, I have seen similarly early starts to holiday sales elsewhere. So I wouldn't be shocked if Valentine's Day signs would now be up even if the Lunar New Year fell on a later date.

In any case, the Chinese message on the banner indicates the sale will be an opportunity for couples to show evidence of their love. It doesn't mention that depending on your significant other it may or may not be beneficial to mention you bought their gift on sale.