Rules of the Road

Driving in Taiwan was different in many ways from what we were accustomed to in the States.  There were differences with the local laws, of course, but there were also some differences in traditional customs and courtesies on the streets and roads.

To make the transition to a new driving environment a bit easier, the U.S. Taiwan Defense Command and the Military Assistance Advisory Group co-published a guide to driving in Taiwan.  Scott in Taipei recently came into possession of the 1958 version of the guide and has been kind enough to share it with us.  I was especially fascinated by the rates for pedicabs (which were no longer in use when I arrived in Taipei) and the taxi rates.  I believe that the $NT to $US conversion rate was probably the same 40-to-1 ratio in 1958 as when I was there during 1973-74.  I didn't own a car while in Taipei so I often took taxis to wherever I needed to go.

As always, you can click on any of these images to view a larger version.  I'll be converting this document to a single PDF file for downloading in case anyone is interested in having a copy.  When it's ready, it will be posted in the column to your right, in the same area as other PDF files that I've previously made available.

Walking Around Taipei

I mentioned in my last post that Kent (Taipei Air Station) is thinking about coordinating another visit to Taiwan for Taiwan veterans during November 2011.

I just discovered that he has also made a series of short videos as he walked around Taipei earlier this month.  He explores parts of town that were familiar to many of us from back in the day. The videos are on YouTube and can be found at THIS LINK.

Enjoy.

Returning to Taiwan

I recently learned that my good friend Kent (Taipei Air Station website and blog owner), is considering another group excursion to Taiwan, probably during November 2011.  It will be an opportunity for former military types who served there over the years to once again experience the sights and sounds of Taipei and other locations.  He helped assemble a similar trip last year and this one promises to cover a lot more territory.

If you think you might be interested, contact Kent directly at:  taipeiairstation@yahoo.com.

For more details, here's the link to the trip announcement.

Modern Taiwan Tourism Video

This is somewhat off-topic, but I thought it was a very nicely produced video promoting travel to Taiwan and thought I'd share it with you.





Is everyone ready to book the next flight? Maybe you can check out the Flora Expo at the old compounds while you're there.

American GIs Return to Club 63

Okay, so it's not really the Club 63. That place, where many of us spent much of our off duty time, closed its doors in 1979. But the building is still there and today it's The American Club in China.

Kent and several other Taiwan vets returned to Taipei for a visit a few weeks ago and were able to spend a little time at the club. John Quinn sent me these photos of the happy group and some of the food that they enjoyed while there.

I should point out that The American Club is an exclusive (and very expensive, I'm told) private club that does not allow visitors unless they are escorted by a club member. When the group's Taipei trip was being organized several months ago, club management graciously consented to allow them to tour the facility and to gather there for a meal. Individuals visiting Taipei in the future should not expect to be granted access.

John and Kent tell me that the interior of the place has been completely remodeled and looks almost nothing like it did back in the day. I understand that the stag bar building that was located across the parking lot from the main entrance (when I was there) is gone.

Another Pedicab

I've received and posted several photos of pedicabs here. By the time I arrived in Taipei, I don't think they were any longer used in the city, but when guys like Sarj and Stev were there in the late fifties and early sixties, they were apparently pretty common.

A few U.S. cities still issue permits for pedicab drivers who cater mostly to tourists, but they're pretty much a novelty in most places today as far as I know.

Taipeimarc recently alerted me to this old pedicab that was listed for sale on Craig's List. It has since been sold, but I contacted the woman who took the photos to see what I could find out about it. You can see all the rest of those photos here.

It turns out that a friend of hers participated in an auction for the contents of an unpaid storage unit. When they opened it up, this pedicab was inside. They're guessing that it might be one of the pedicabs that were imported for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. I'm not sure about that because the style -- especially the enclosed wheels -- looks older than that to me. I'm thinking it was built sometime in the 1950s. I'd guess even earlier than that, except that the nameplate is in English. The headlight that runs on a small generator is definitely an add-on.

I did a quick search for the Victory Company in Taipei but came up empty.

If you can help solve the puzzle of when this thing was built, or whether it was one of the Seattle World's Fair pedicabs from 1962, please let me know.

Returning to Taiwan -- Update

I just learned that the Taiwan vets who are planning to return there in September have received permission to tour The American Club In China, the private club that moved to the old Club 63 (China Seas) building after the U.S. withdrawal.

I'm sure that those who enjoyed many hours in that beautiful facility back in the day would like to see what it looks like today. If you're interested -- even if you think you might be interested -- drop Kent Mathieu a note as soon as possible.

Though I will be unable to make the trip, I recently checked the price for a round-trip ticket from Chicago to Taipei and saw that it was in the $1200 range -- not cheap, but not outrageous either. You may be able to do a lot better. Adding hotels (off-season in Taiwan), meals and incidentals, you could probably do the whole trip for less than about $2500. Maybe quite a bit less, depending on your location and tastes.

Kent's GIs Returning To Taiwan site is here and the trip details are here. His email address is as pictured here:

Returning to Taiwan

I want to put in another plug for the Taiwan trip being prepared by Kent Mathieu and Bill Kling. If you have ever considered returning to Taiwan for a visit, this may be your best opportunity.

The details are still being worked out, but here's what they have in mind at this point:

• Depart from the west coast, probably on China Air Lines on Wednesday, September 9th and arriving in Taipei on Friday, September 11th. The rest of the day will consist of the usual arrival routine, checking in at the hotel, exchanging cell phone numbers, etc.
• Saturday will be spent visiting Taipei Air Station, National Taiwan University, the former HSA east and west compound areas, Taipei 101, and various other spots.
• On Sunday, the schedule includes visits to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, the Presidential Office Building, the 228 Peace Park and other locations in the area.
• Monday will include a visit to Keelung, then on to the artist town of Jioufen. Next will be a visit to a gold mine and a World War II POW camp at Chinghuashii. After that will be a trip through the longest tunnel in Asia to Hualien to visit a marble factory and other places, then check into a local hotel for the night.
• Tuesday will include Taroko Gorge, Sun Moon Lake and other area sights.
• On Wednesday the group will travel to Alishan, which is about 7,250 feet above sea level. There will be plenty of time for hiking the well marked nature trails before heading to a local hotel for the night.
• On Thursday the group will return to Taipei with free time for the remainder of the day.
• Friday is a free day where you can visit (or revisit) all the other places you'd like to see in Taipei.
• Saturday will be for farewells and return to the airport for the flight home.

There is still much planning to be done, but if you're at all interested in this trip, visit this page at Kent's Taipei Air Station website for more details. If you don't have a current passport, you'll need to get the paperwork moving on that also. Kent tells me that he'll have a better handle on prices in the next few weeks, so be sure and let him know if you're interested so he can better estimate group prices for all events.

Transportation in Taiwan - 1973

American servicemen who were being assigned to USTDC and other Taipei area units had much to learn about transportation in and around the city. Chapter 10 of The Taiwan Report provided a pretty decent summary of information, including such things as licensing and insurance requirements, maintenance and repair issues and the use of public transportation. Helpful tips for "Space-A" travel were also included.

Because I was unaccompanied, living in the hostel, and didn't own a car or motorcycle, my primary mode of transportation was taxi. I knew people who routinely rode buses (at very inexpensive rates, as I recall) but watching people being crammed into those fumes-spewing beasts was enough for me to either walk or take a taxi wherever I needed to go.

I do regret not exploring more of the city and the surrounding countryside during my 1973-74 tour. For that matter, I've learned quite a lot about places in the compound itself that I didn't know when I was there. I have a grandson who is in the Air Force in Japan and the last thing I told him before he headed overseas was to see everything he could, learn at least a little bit of the language, and take lots of pictures!

Climate, Housing and Furnishings - Part 4

These are the final five pages from the Climate, Housing and Furnishings section of "Taiwan Report."

Climate, Housing and Furnishings - Part 3

Four more pages from "Taiwan Report"

...to be continued.

Climate, Housing and Furnishings - Part 2

Here are the next four pages from Chapter 4 of the "Taiwan Report." More tomorrow.

...to be continued.

Climate, Housing and Furnishings - Part 1

Les Duffin has been scanning pages from "Taiwan Report," the publication that was mailed to military personnel being assigned to USTDC and other Taipei area organizations. I've really enjoyed seeing these pages again because they're really a snapshot in time. This book was published shortly before I arrived at USTDC in 1973.

Chapter 4 of the publication, as the title suggests, describes things that newcomers should know about the climate of Taiwan, the ins-and-outs of finding housing, and which items should be brought and which could be purchased after arrival.

There are several pages in this chapter, so I'm publishing four pages today and the rest over the next three or four days. Click on any page to expand its size.

...to be continued tomorrow.

Up the Yangtze

Last night my wife and I watched an excellent film on PBS, one of their "P.O.V." series. The film was called "Up the Yangtzee" by filmmaker Yung Chang.

"Up the Yangtze" explores the impact of China's Three Gorges Dam project by following two Chinese teenagers who work on a Yangtze River cruise ship. One is the daughter of an impoverished farmer, the other is a son of China's new middle class.

We thoroughly enjoyed this film and highly recommend it. You can check with your local PBS station to find out when it's being shown again. The website for the film can be found here.

Trains and Boats and Planes

Okay, so nobody ever rode the train from the States to Taiwan, but Sarj describes his trip back to the States by ship:

This is the ship , the USS General W. A. Mann (AP-112), that my wife and I returned to the States on. We had quite a trip that took almost a month.

We stopped in Guam and my wife insisted that we go on a tour that the Navy was giving for a small price. I told her there is nothing on Guam to see except Gooney Birds (They caused a lot of problems there and are a story themselves). But as a good husband, I agreed.

The tour was conducted by a young Seaman and we rode on an old Navy bus (no A/C of course). We ended up visiting every bar around the island in order to get relief from the heat by means of a few beers.

The tour included a box lunch. You all know what that is -- an apple and a day-old bologna sandwich. Remember how good they tasted on midwatch? Ugh!

Anyway all the wives got upset and were in revolt and the trip ended sooner than planned. We returned to the EM Club at the base where all the smart people stayed in a nice A/C restaurant and lounge.

The night we left we went through a bad storm and had a fire on board. That was quite an experience.

I sent this thinking that maybe others, especially families traveled by this ship or another one to or from Taiwan. I know there were a lot of families returning on the ship we took.

I believe there were two ships that provided transport to and from Taiwan. Maybe someone knows what the other ship's name was.

It was exciting to travel under the Golden Gate Bridge on that big ship. You felt like you could almost reach up and touch it

Good story, Sarj. What about the rest of you? Did anyone else travel to or from Taiwan by ship? We Air Force guys flew most everywhere, of course, but the rules allowed you to request a ship for overseas travel. I never met anyone who took that option, but I'm sure there were some who did, especially in the 50s and 60s.

Sung Shan (Songshan) Airport

Les Duffin took several photos of Sung Shan Airport back in 1965-1966. All of us were familiar with the place because it was where we began and ended our tours in Taipei.

Some have described the new sights, smells, heat and humidity that they experienced as they stepped off the plane here. I said goodbye to a number of good friends here and said goodbye to other friends when it was my turn to leave.

I understand that the airport handles only domestic flights today. The airport's website can be found here.