E&C week

Vanessa

Reflection of E&C week --- Vanessa =]
I did not go for the class OELP trip to Taiwan, so I joined in with the Year 1s' E&C week. There were highlights and suckish moments, and here is a very detailed account of what i did during that week.

Day 1: Chinese Cultural Appreciation Programme: Chinese Paper Cutting (剪纸) 
Chinese Cultural Talk (王德远讲座)
Mrs Teo delivered a long speech to some Year 3 boy that died due to leukaemia during morning assembly and praised him for his fighting sprit. We mourned for him even though most of us did not know him. 
We did paper cutting in the morning in 5N. But instead of using scissors, pencil, red paper, and other stuff related to traditional paper cutting, we used coloured paper, construction paper, cutting boards and art knives. The template of what we were to cut was printed on a piece of coloured paper. Different groups (groups were based on where we sat in class) were given different templates. I got the template of a giant panda. There was no specific way to cut out the template, and we can hold the art knife however we want, and all we had to do was to turn the paper so that we would always cut the paper vertically. Then, we had to paste the cut-out template onto a piece of construction paper with glue sticks. I was done really quick, but it was kind of messy as I was not really sure on how to use a art knife properly. 
We then had lunch. On our way there, we lost sight of the rest of our level mates, and bumped into Mrs Look. From the way she looked at Wee Hung and I, that look of disapproval, she assumed that both of us were dating. I tried to give her the trust-me-you're-not-being-practical look, before bowing to her, but failed. (Face-palm myself)
In the afternoon, we listened to a motivational talk by an ex-RV pupil named 王德远. I know what it says on our timetable, but there was nothing much about Chinese culture in it. It was more like a I-did-badly-in-school-but-my-results-improved-so-don't-worry-if-you're-failing-your-subjects-now lecture. Being a well known Chinese singer and composer in your mum's time, he also let us try our hand at composing a song based on the School Song. When I mean "let us try", I actually meant that he just let us sit there and watch him brainstorm and come up with the lyrics. There was not much educational value in that talk, but I saw it as a good way to relief ourselves from stressful school life 5 days before the school holidays.

Day 2: Chinese Cultural Appreciation Programme: Chinese Calligraphy (书法) and Chinese Fan Painting (扇画) 
We did calligraphy in the morning. It was harder than I had imagine, so you people out there looking at someone write Chinese calligraphy, don't be fooled. We learnt about how Chinese characters evolved over the last couple of millennia, so it kind of paved the way for what we were about to learn during HCL lessons, you know, the 《汉字的演变》topic. Besides needing ink, brushes and calligraphy paper, you'll need a stable hand, some foreign techniques of breathing that I couldn't master which is similar to qi, and a calm mind and body. The amount of preparation that went into a piece of Chinese calligraphy was ridiculous, and the way to do it weirder still. We were supposed to open our legs shoulder width apart, feet flat on the ground, a certain way of holding the brush that looked very similar to a vulgar sign, our arms and elbows positioned in a certain way, etc. Every step was full of smaller steps, like a certain amount of ink to have on your brush, how you position your brush when you write. We even had to look at the brush with our right eye so good luck to everyone who's almost half blind in your right eye. Every stroke ends with a flourish and I couldn't do the flourish, so my Chinese characters end up looking drastically different from the instructor's. In the end, my paper was so f****d up that I had to paint on the template given and write in my untidy handwriting on subsequent pieces of paper given.
Then we did fan painting. Because of the fact that we had done 水墨画 during our RV Lit lessons, it was much easier for us to understand what the instructor was saying and I screwed up less. The only problem was that we had to paint on the actual fan itself, the corrugated ends made the paint drip into the folds on the paper fan. Luckily, the instructor was a pro at fixing poorly painted stuff, and with a few strokes, he fixed up mine. 

Day 3: Story Challenge (故事擂台) 
Learning Journey to Chinese Clan Associations (琼州会馆)
In my opinion, the story challenge was just lame. It was more of a showcase of skill by some outdoor vendors than a challenge. What they were supposed to do was to use words and scenarios given by the students to construct a story that took more than 3 minutes but less than 4 minutes. I confess that I simply didn't have any vested interest in this at all and did not really pay much attention. The story plot was not logical and didn't even make sense. 
Because there was a big time gap between our learning journey and the time we ended the performance, Mr Lam quizzed the Year 1s on things we learnt during RV Lit last year, about Chinese culture and traditions. Some of the information presented were not learnt before so we could also learn something from it.
We then went to our respective clan associations. Wee Hung and I followed class 1I to the 琼州会馆 (also known as 海南会馆) at Beach Road. There, the members of the Huiguan explained to us the history of the Huiguan. The Huiguan has a rich history, so rich that the lecture notes provided were 2 and a half pages long, with a font size 9 and 1.15 spacing. Basically, it was a place for people of the same dialect group to come together. The members of the Huiguan then led us to the 天后宫, a Chinese temple that roughly meant "the palace of Tian Hou" when translated into English, and talked about the rituals of the Hainanese people. We then had catered Hainanese chicken rice for lunch, while the member of the Huiguan told us about Hainanese specialities in the F&B industry. The Huiguan is rather small compared to the Huiguan I visited last year, with 2 rooms - the hall that we attended the lecture and the Tian Hou Gong. I learnt a lot about the Hainan culture there.

Day 4: BSP Camp (双文化营): Movie Appreciation - A Unique Schooling《上学路上》and Chinese Masks (传统手艺面具创作) 
We had our first day of the BSP Camp and I spent the bulk of my day trying to get to know 1K better, the class Wee Hung and I were attached to spend the rest of E&C week with. I had a junior from 1K, but that was all I know about that class. The boys in that class, generally, are more well behaved than the boys in our class. 
We first had a movie appreciation of the Chinese movie A Unique Schooling in the auditorium. It was about this fifteen-year-old girl's life on the desert plains of China. From there, we also gained new insights on the income gap between Singapore and that part of China, the almost inhabitable environment there, folklore and traditions of the people living there, the male chauvinistic mindset of Chinese, and about the education in that part of China where child marriages are common and not unheard of. Even a small piece of candy dropped into the desert sand would be picked up and eaten again. Money was a luxury to these people. I feel that we should treasure the things we have, because the people in those rural parts of China cannot even afford a good education, but they learnt how to treasure things more than we do. It is ironic how we, the more developed people, have to learn life lessons from a less developed people. Appreciation, literally. Apart from that, it served as very good recap on what we learnt for geography. 
In the afternoon, we painted Chinese masks. The masks were not of high quality; one can be gotten at a old art shop for a couple of dollars. The paint was also not very good. I could not really identify what sort of paint it was, because it was not really soluble in water and left a residue. We also had no special coaching from anybody on how to paint such a mask, instead, we relied heavily on a few types of masks in the handout given and on our imagination. Facts and mathematical equations now clogged up my mind, leaving no space for that trickle of creativity. I tried to copy what was given in the handout, but because I was not an art type of person, I ended up screwing my mask up due to the fact that it was really asymmetrical. Not the can't-really-tell type of asymmetrical, but the obvious right in your face type. I threw it away the first chance I got. 
Wee Hung and I had to clean up the class all by ourselves according to Mrs Look's standards. Half of a Year 1 class was supposed to help the corresponding Year 2 class clean their classrooms. All the Year 2s have to join in as well. But because we had no direct juniors, we had to do it ourselves for fear of punishment. Not trying to wallow in self-pity, but poor me :(

Day 5: BSP Camp (双文化营): History of the Chinese Dynasties (历朝穿越)
Business China Talk (通商中国 - 傅琼花女士讲座)
We had some games all around the school to get to know how life was like during the different dynasties in China. There was nothing special about the games, the information was in the handout given. What we learnt was roughly what we had covered in RV Lit last year, just more detailed. There was three games that I remember best. 1) We had to pass down a 4-word phrase using only hand signals, sort of like charades. The class was split into 4 teams, and the team that got the most points wins. Our chance of getting the correct answer from the last person was about 50%, and we tied with another team. 2) A pair had to go through a maze of raffia string and chairs to pick up some pebbles. One was blindfolded and the other had to guide him or her. Each pair can only pick up a pebble. The class with the most pebbles wins. As there was a lack of space and time, my pair and I did not get to play. 3) A few representatives of the class had to be blindfolded and draw the features of a face guided by their classmates. The class with the more accurate features wins. Through simple games like these, I learnt about teamwork, cooperation and understanding. It takes skills like these to be efficient and successful in group work. This may end up helping me in CID more than I know it. In addition, the facilitators were also very efficient in their jobs and the game masters were very knowledgable too.
In the afternoon, we had a talk by a representative from a group called Business China. The speaker looked flustered and did not really speak as well as I had expected. She wanted to convince us about the importance of bilingualism and biculturalism in this century, but by the end of her lecture, I did not feel convinced at all. Also, by paying attention to her hand gestures, tone, language, eye contact, etc, I was able, more or less, to point out certain areas in the way she spoke that was lacking. This, I hope, will be a guide to how I should not speak during presentations for any subject, not just for the upcoming one for CID. 
Furthermore, I got back my result slip. My CID results are not that good so I've decided to pull it up with this post. 

In conclusion, I have learnt a lot from E&C week, and I feel that it is almost equivalent to what my classmates have gained from OELP. They gained knowledge on Taiwan and Taiwanese culture, forged friendships with their counterparts and bonded with the rest of the class, and brought back memorable memories. I gained numerous and invaluable insights on China and Chinese tradition and culture, learnt skills that I can apply in my life, and bonded with my juniors. Just as it was memorable for them, it was for me as well. Had fun during the whole of E&C week, yes, I did.  

RV Trip Advisor

Lin Xu:

Hotels:

Howard Plaza Hotel, Hsinchu

Rating: 5/5 

Firstly, it is located in an extremely convenient place with access to 7/11 with mere walking. The hotel room was specklessly clean, spacious and smell fresh. The facilities were modern and complete. The room has a restroom which has everything except a bath tub which doesn't really affect the overall experience. The wireless was remarkable, being able to access social media sites like facebook and whatsapp. The speed was above average and acceptable for even gaming( if you decided to play black shot). The common area was big enough to fit 30 students+3 teachers with space to spare. Well designed hotel with complete and modern facilities located near stores. The feeling is just homely. A definite recommendation for whoever that wants to visit Hsinchu.

Talmud Business Hotel:

Rating:2/5

Room is not exactly spacious as it only has space for a makeup table and two single beds but sufficient for two people. Acceptable for people who just want to have a good sleep for a single night.

Ferrary Hotel

Rating:3/5

Looks really old and crumbling from the outside but I say, dont judge a hotel by its outer appearance. The hotel was an old building that underwent renovation which ultimately converted this into a hotel. Being a renovated building, the rooms vary greatly in sizes and facilities, with some rooms having jacuzzi or a sauna. Fairly good sleep however the room key was an ancient and heavy manual key, unlike the modern cards used by many hotels currently. Thankfully, the hotel keeps the keys safe when you leave the hotel so you won't have to carry that burden around. Wonderful bathrooms complete with bathtubs. However, this is not for the faint hearted as our fellow classmates complained about weird and disturbing sounds at night. I would describe them as pure creepy. If you like a feel of the supernatural, this hotel is definitely made for you.

Places of interest:

Fengjia night market:

Rating: 6/5(oopsie its over the max;)

 Fengjia night market is located in Xitun Diestric, Taichung, Taiwan. The market is located next to Feng Chia university. It claims to be the largest night market in Taiwan. And indeed it is. You name it, you got it. It has everything ranging from milk tea to trendy fashion stores. So my favourite food are the milk tea( really cheap at about $2.50 for 1000cc and as a similar taste to koi's) and the chicken fillet( cheap and mouth watering delicious. A piece of heaven right in your mouth.) Sadly a few hours are just not sufficient for the endless market. However try the chicken fillet and milk tea at least. Please. 

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts:

Rating:4/5

A museum in West District, Taichung, Taiwan. Established in 1988, it's the first and only national grade fine arts museum in Taiwan. Having a rich history of 26 years  help. With collections by Taiwanese artists, covering both modern and contemporary  Taiwanese arts. With the building area of 37,953 sqm and outdoor courtyard of 102,000 sqm, the National Taiwan Musuean of FinanaArts composed a total exhibition of 13,525sqm. Thus making it one of the largest art museums in Asia and even the world!it has every form of art, from sculptured to portraits, each drawn and designed with a hidden and deep meaning. Without a guide, you will not understand anything that is exhibited, unless you are Leonardo Da Vinci.( but i doubt he will understand Asian art though).

National Palace museum

Rating:5/5( outstanding artifacts)

The National Palace Museum (国立故宫博物院) is an antique museum in Taipei, Taiwan. It is one of the national museums of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of more than 696,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic age to the late Qing Dynasty. Most of the collection are high quality pieces collected by China's ancient emperors. The most impressive work was that of windows, humans and chess board, hand carved into a single walnut. The intricacy of this delicate piece of art demonstrated our ancestors' astounding intelligence and ability. Technology cannot, and never will replicate these works as traditions are sometimes not replaceable. Beware of the crowd and noise due to the many enthusiastic tourists who wants to view all there simply marvelous artifacts from the ancient Chinese dynastic period.

Shih-Fen Old Street

Rating: 5/5

Famous for the sky lanterns, Shih-Fen Old Street is a tourist rail line with souvenir shops and an up-close look at the early days of train travel. Trains occasionally travel along the railway and listen for the piercing whistle to get out of the railway before the train arrives~ With provided black ink, visitors write their well wishes on the lantern (either single/multi colored). Each colour signifies a different meaning. We wrote on purple due to the fact that we are students as purple signifies academic success  Before the lantern is released, instructions are given out by the shop attendants and pictures will be taken to commemorate the unforgettable moment. There are many souvenir shops where mini sky lanterns with different designs are sold. Highly recommened by me.

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

Rating: 5/5

Established in 1986; total area of 62 hectares. The culture village features aboriginal cultures, combining tourism, culture and educational functions. It is located in Yuchi, Nantou County, near Sun Moon Lake. A must-try is the Air Cable Car. It's the first loop air cable car in Taiwan and during the approximately 15mins ride, visitors can admire the beauty of the mountains from the birds' eye view. Another not to be missed would be the UFO Gyro Drop, a.k.a Free Fall.(PRIORITISE IT NOW)  As it ascends to about 85 meters above ground, get to enjoy the view as the culture village lays out underneath you. And in less than a minute, you'll experience the sudden gut wrenching drop from 280ft. If you never try this attraction, you my friend, didn't experience Formosa aboriginal cultural village. Oh and not to forget, the spectacular performance out up by the aborigines there. You even get to join in their simple dance to have a feel of the magical dance.

Transport 

High Speed Rail and Bus

Rating: 5/5

The high speed rail was the only public transportation we took, and it no doubt left a great impression on me. Firstly, the seats were extremely comfortable. They were almost like one of those on planes and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Secondly, seats are allocated and passengers won't have to worry about not having a seat like in Singapore. Thirdly, the exterior looks classy and sleek, much like an elongated jaguar XJ;) the interior doesn't fare too bad either, clean and spacious you could easily fall asleep. 

Bus

The bus rides were always fun filled. Try to opt for a private bus transporting you so you can bond during the long rides. The bus we took was clean and tidy and looks well conditioned. The bus driver was an expert in this trade and managed to drive us anywhere.

And lastly,

The tour guide:

Sorry the meter just broke due to the marvelousness of the guide.

Uncle Jeff was our tour guide since day 1 and he is the best I've ever had. Do try to request for him if you were to visit Taiwan. His detailed explanation and history telling taught us many things outside of the typical history module offered by Singapore as he includes recounts and experience. The humourous uncle Jeff always manged to brighten up our mood and keep us from falling asleep during the lengthy rides. To top it off, my class just LOVE him cause he is just so awesome.

Hongyang:

Trip advisory

Hotels/ accommodation:

No.1: Howard plaza hotel, hsinchu

Howard plaza hotel is a 5 star hotel, it is still undergoing renovation, hence we were unable to see how grand it would be. The hotel has rooms are very broad, especially ours because we had three beds, there was still a lot of space for movement. The hotel is located close to shops, so it is very convenient for us to purchase snacks. It has many wonderful facilities, such as an indoor pool and a gym. The food they serve is very good and nutritious. The toilets are great, with a bath tub and even a tv inside. However, the toilet doors of the rooms cannot be locked so we feel vulnerable inside. This hotel did not feel like a 5 star hotel despite all these good services,I would give it a 4 star.

4/5

No. 2:Ferrary hotel, Taipei

The Ferrary hotel was one of my favorites because of the rooms. Our room was 3 persons so there was a master bed and a small bed. There was a big screen tv, hence we could entertain ourselves by watching shows. Even though there was lesser moving space. The furniture was arranged in a way so that the space usage could be maximized. Not to mention that our toilet had a mini sauna and it was much bigger than the previous hotels. The door could be locked but it was hard and there was this well polished marble which allowed people to see from outside. The buffet breakfast is scrumptious and it was quite big. An interesting experience for us because there was eerie music playing in the middle of the night, stirring our vivid imagination, causing many of the girls to cry.do not worry, because no murders were committed in there and neither was it a cemetery before, so it is quite safe.

4/5

No. 3: Talmud business hotel, Taichung

The Talmud business hotel was a nice hotel. With decent facilities and the rooms were quite clean, the floor was speckless. The room was large and the beds were soft and comfortable. The tv was locate right in front of us and definitely appealing to us potato couches. However the alarm sounded like rats and it had us confused and annoyed. The toilet was easily lockable but the flushing was terrible and our food waste haunted our noses. The toilet is bare and white but spotless so we are appreciative. The buffet lacked variety and taste and food is such a key importance that I have to drop it to a 3 star.

3/5

Transportation:

Bus:

The bus is quite fast and the seats are very comfortable. I have motion sickness but on this trip I felt nothing. The bus driver handles the wheel with top notch skills and abides to the traffic rules, ensuring our safety. It has large storage spaces underneath the seats so big groups of tourists could transport their things with ease. However, the seats may experience problems sometime and it is not very spacious on top.

4/5

High speed railway:

The high speed railway is fast, efficient and very comfortable to ride on. It has 5 seats per aisle for the economy class but it is still very comfortable and spacious. We were able to get to places quickly, without any delay and at the same time we could admire the scenery. The seat is adjustable and it has it's own table tray. There are many well built facilities so that we could have a carefree journey on the train.

5/5

Places of interest:

No. 1: Fengjia night market

Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市), is a night market in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. The market is located next to Feng Jia University. It is the largest night market in Taiwan. As big as it is the streets seem narrower because so many people flood the place making the place seem smaller. The lights are bright even in the late hours in the night, filled with activity. The smells of delicacies diffuse into the air and you might find yourself following the scent of smelly tofu or chicken cutlet. The things there are extremely cheap so it is a definite must go for consumers. I recommend visitors to go on an empty stomach because you will need the space for food and drinks. Not only is there food but also fashionable clothing and accessories, possibilities limitless, so come with full pockets and leave no penny behind. It will take a very long time to walk the whole street so the ultimate consumers should pay a visit to the night market.

5/5

No. 2: Ximending

Ximending (西门町）is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first pedestrian zone in Taiwan. Ximending is popular for its shops. Many Taiwanese and tourist go there to consume tantalizing delicacies or shop for clothes. The streets are vibrant with life, bustling with people. During our trip there we experienced sighted an endless trail of shops, each with unique sales and features. I would suggest that people should have one whole free day to browse the streets because there are countless possibilities with every turn and definitely you will find your favorite things there, so bring some extra cash because you will need it. 

5/5

No. 3: Formosan aboriginal cultural village

The Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is an amusement park in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan which has been in operation since 1986. It is distinctive for its Formosan aboriginal culture theme. It has a large theme park and cable cars which cross the moon and sun lake (日月潭). It makes learning the culture fun and interesting by having a extremely modern theme park in a traditional village. The free fall stands over 85 meters tall, looming over the theme park. It is really thrilling but it is important too that we are educated about the importance of the culture and it pleases to see that this cunning, calculative method has thought us to appreciate its culture. The several exciting rides are also strongly attractive to the young and carefree who would like to enjoy some theme park fun. So grab your friends and head there, not only is it educational, it bonds people through fun.

5/5

No. 4: 921 earthquake sight and museum

The 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan (國立自然科學博物館九二一地震教育園區) opened on 13 February 2001,is located on the site of the former Guangfu Junior High School and the shell of the building forms the exterior walls of the museum and the Museum's Chelungpu Fault Gallery crosses the actual fault line on which the earthquake struck. The earthquake had a devastating affect, but it was the after shock which caused buildings to collapse, taking away 2000 lives. The museum preserved many of its debris and we got to see first hand how destructive it was. The museum aims to spread awareness of earthquakes and prepare them if disaster really strikes. All the content in our geography text books came alive in front of our eyes, all we have heard in class, the beauty and terror of an earthquake. The museum has many educational components, eg. Interesting seismic readers and interactive stimulators,each parting knowledge into us about earthquakes. Definitely worth visiting if you want to learn how to survive an earthquake.

5/5

No. 5: glass museum

The Glass Museum of Hsinchu City (新竹市立玻璃工藝博物館) used to be the residence of the Japanese governed when taiwan was the colony of japan. The museum building retains its European style of oriental modern architecture through the standing bricks on the southeast corner of the building and the classical image of the foyer. The glass museum aims to combine cultural and sightseeing resources to help promoting the glass industry of Hsinchu. In our visit there we got to see first hand how exquisite the glass figures were carved. It is a significant part of taiwan and it is a must to buy souvenirs from there. However other than that there is not much to learn so it might be boring.

4/5

Regina

Hotels

Howard Plaza Hotel, Hsinchu

Rating: 4/5

Convinience stores in approximately five minutes walk from hotel. The rooms were really well equiped. The beds were really comfortable and the restroom has almost everything! From shampoo to shower caps and even razors... Wifi connection was consistent throughout and service was great too. Thus, I would recommend tourists to this hotel! (:

 (Cr: Google)

Talmud Business Hotel, Taichung

Rating: 3/5

The first impression of the rooms were that it was spacious. However, being said that, the restroom was smaller than expected and soap was given in big bottles that doesn't seem new to us. The TV was placed at an awkward position for our room. Despite that, the beds were really comfy and the view was beautiful! :D

 (Cr: Google)

Ferrary Hotel, Taipei

Rating: 3/5

The hotel looked really old from the outside, however, the rooms were renovated and some restrooms even have a Jacuzzi! The beds were comfortable too and the view was also amazing. However, during the second night (also the last night), my classmates mentioned about hearing weird things and all from their rooms so it was one chaotic night. But since I hadn't experienced anything and had a good sleep, I think the hotel is good for tourists who like to shop because Ximending is near the hotel! (;

 (Cr: Google)

Places of Interest

Feng Jia Night Market

Rating: 3/5 

Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市) is a night market in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan. The market is located next to Feng Chia University. It was claimed to be the largest night market in Taiwan. Stores are brightly lit and not to mention the delicious delicacies sold. Highly recommended food: milk tea!! Milk tea is sold at a low price and it is simply amazing!! (: Indeed, it seems like we will never finish walking the entire night market in just one evening! Friendly shop owners, delicious delicacies, beautiful accessories, the night market has almost all of them! 

 (Cr: Google)

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

Rating: 3.5/5

The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (国立台湾美术馆) is a museum in West District, Taichung, Taiwan. Established in 1988, it is the first and the only national-grade fine arts museum in Taiwan. The major collections are works by by Taiwanese artists, covering modern and contemporary Taiwanese arts. With the building area of 37,953 square meters and outdoor courtyard area of 102,000 square meters, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts composed a total exhibition area of 13,525 square meters, marking it as one of the largest art museum in Asia. It is mind blowing as one explores the abstract art exhibited. Various forms, ranging from sculptures to portraits, each is drawn and designed with a profound meaning of its own. However, one may find it a little difficult to understand certain art forms without a guide... No doubt, it indirectly presents about the different opinions individuals have of the current society. 

National Palace Museum

Rating: 4/5

The National Palace Museum (国立故宫博物院) is an antique museum in Taipei, Taiwan. It is one of the national museums of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of more than 696,000 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic age to the late Qing Dynasty. Most of the collection are high quality pieces collected by China's ancient emperors. Artifacts are astonishing, all carved with 100% precision. One example would be the Carved Olive Boat. It is an artifact that remains fresh in my mind. With the movable windows, humans and even a chess board, it is intriguing how the artist had managed to carve it all in one walnut, moreover, hand-carved. The 300+ characters carved beneath the boat only seems to add on to the already long list of questions about the skill the past had possessed to have the ability to carve out such a delicate art piece. Definitely a must-see place, however, watch out for crowds because there would be queues at the exhibitions that can slow you down...

 (Cr: Google)

Shih-Fen Old Street

Rating: 5/5

Famous for the sky lanterns, Shih-Fen Old Street is a tourist rail line with souvenir shops and an up-close look at the early days of train travel. Trains occasionally travel along the railway and listen for the piercing whistle to get out of the railway before the train arrives~ With provided black ink, visitors write their well wishes on the lantern (either single/multi colored). Before the lantern is released, instructions are given out by the shop attendants and pictures will be taken to commemorate the unforgettable moment. There are many souvenir shops where mini sky lanterns with different designs are sold. It will be a truly refreshing experience and definitely a must-see place whenever in Taiwan~ (: 

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

Rating: 5/5

Established in 1986; total area of 62 hectares. The culture village features aboriginal cultures, combining tourism, culture and educational functions. It is located in Yuchi, Nantou County, near Sun Moon Lake. A must-try is the Air Cable Car. It's the first loop air cable car in Taiwan and during the approximately 15mins ride, visitors can admire the beauty of the mountains from the birds' eye view. Another not to be missed would be the UFO Gyro Drop, a.k.a Free Fall. As it ascends to about 85 meters above ground, get to enjoy the view as the culture village lays out underneath you. And in less than a minute, you'll experience the sudden drop from 280ft. Absolutely breathtaking, and awesome~

   

  

  (Views from Cable Car ride)

Transport 

High Speed Rail

Rating: 5/5

The high speed rail was the only public transportation we took, and it no doubt left a great impression on me. Firstly, the seats were extremely comfortable. They were almost like one of those on planes and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Secondly, seats are allocated and passengers won't have to worry about not having a seat like in Singapore. Thirdly, the whole interior was really clean and it looks high-classy from the outside(: In conclusion, the high speed rail gets five thumbs up for excellent facilities! 

 

(Cr: Google)

Sin Re

CID Trip Advisory 

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts: 

The museum does a great job in presenting Taiwanese contemporary art as well as art pieces from other countries. The guides there are also very clear of the art pieces and can explain them to us in detail allowing us to understand what led the artist to create such a art piece. They are also very thoughtful to the tourists who may not understand Chinese by providing booklets introducing the art pieces in both Chinese and English. The environment and atmosphere of the museum itself is also great with simple and clean designs. The museum and the museum grounds are very well kept and overall it is a good place to relax and understand more about art.

Rating: 4/5 

Shih-Fen Old Street

Releasing a lantern from Shih-Fen Old Street is a must-do while in Taiwan as the astounding beauty of the sky lantern rising higher and higher into the sky is breathtaking. The special part about the street is how the trains there are still functioning and while we can walk on the train tracks, we would have to move away when the train slowly heads toward us. This place is also full of sky lantern shops and all their prices are similar so tourists would not have to go around comparing prices of various items. The street gives off an old and calming atmosphere and being there, you will slow down your footsteps to appreciate the scene in front of our eyes--- shops with a olden theme and a train tracks with sky lanterns floating in the sky. 

Rating: 5/5

National Palace Museum

The National Place Museum is a fascinating adventure through Chinese history and treasures. I have learnt a lot about the differences in art during each Chinese dynasty through all the art pieces. The museum is also different by providing the tourists with a earpiece to allow them to hear the guide explain the art pieces. This is unique as mostly in museums, people would be urged to maintain silence while in the National Palace Museum, we can be more comfortable and chat normally at our normal voice volume instead of awkward whispers. 

Rating: 4/5

Howard Plaza Hotel at Hsinchu 

The appearance of the lobby is simple with the reception giving guests a cosy feeling. The bell girl is very friendly and always with a smile. At the reception, the staff are just as friendly. The hotel although does not look new but it is maintained relatively well. Guests are also provided with the basics and is kept clean and simple. The hotel is also in a convenient location with convenience shops nearby. Would recommend this hotel~!

Rating: 4/5 

High Speed Rail

What impressed me most was the clear signage on the platform that makes the ride easy even for first time users. It is very user friendly as the exact spot to board the train is clearly marked on the platform - not just the carriage number but also the seat number. The service is good with staff stationed at the boarding gates to guide commuters and all are helpful with great knowledge of the trains as they answered our doubts with no hesitation. The rail itself reminded me of the high speed rail I took in Japan as they have similar designs. What I liked about the train was how food was allowed on the train and how the train is on time. The train is also kept very clean and comfortable. 

Rating:5/5

Vanessa
RV Trip Advisor
Place visited: Qiongzhou Huiguan (琼州会馆)
Rating: 4 out of 5
I followed class 1I to the Qiongzhou Huiguan (also known as Hainan Huiguan) at Beach Road. There, the members of the Huiguan explained to us the history of the Huiguan. They then led us to the Tian Hou Gong, a Chinese temple and talked about the rituals of the Hainanese people. We then had catered Hainanese chicken rice for lunch, while the member of the Huiguan told us about Hainanese specialities in the F&B industry. The Huiguan is rather small compared to the Huiguan I visited with the rest of the class last year, with 2 rooms - the hall that we attended the lecture and the Tian Hou Gong. But because notes of the lecture were provided so that I can learn more and not have to copy like xiao like what I did last year; the fact that the chicken rice was nice, therefore I rate it 4 out of 5. 

Douglas 

RV trip advisor 

1) Howard Plaza Hotel ( 4/5 ) 

Howard Plaza Hotel is the best hotel amongst the three hotel we lived in. There were 2 7-11 nearby the hotel with a mere 3 mins walk. The hotel was spacious and clean. The staffs were friendly too. The wifi was rather strong thoroughout. I am really happy to spend my 3 days in Taiwan at this hotel. It certainly was a good place to rest in after a long tiring day. I would recommend this hotel to tourists in Hsinchu. 

2) Ferrari Hotel ( 3/5 )

Ferrari hotel looked really old on the outside. However , fortunately the inside of the hotel was quite new. The room was rather big but my room was isolated at a corner so it's quite scary to be staying there. Furthermore, sounds could be heard coming from no where which lead to us believing in the supernatural. That's y I gave it a 3 star. However I have to say it was a scary but good experience. 

3) Feng Jia Night Market

IT WAS AWESOME HAHAHA! There was a huge variety of food selling at really cheap prices. The food was delicious. It is soooo much then Singapore's pasa malam. I really enjoyed myself there getting to try Taiwan's delicacies. There were also a lot of shops along the side where I bought clothes. It is certainly a great place to hang out with friends. The vendors were very friendly. One even offered to throw the rubbish I was holding to for me. The atmosphere was really lively. However, I think that the traffic is quite dangerous as cars were moving everywhere and my friend almost of knocked by a car. Nevertheless, I would still rate is a ( 4/5). 

4) Shifen Old Street (5/5)

IT WAS SUCH A FUN EXPERIENCE. It was my first time letting a sky latern. As I saw my wishes float higher and higher up into the clear blue sky, I felt really excited hahaha. It is certainly a must visit place. The sight of my sky latern in the sky was breathtaking. I really enjoyed myself there. Haha walking on the railway track was another fun experience as I don't get to do it in Singapore. There was also a giant bridge there were my and my fellow friends took an awesome grp pic together. Shi-fen Old Street is a place which left great memories that I would never forget. If I could go to Taiwan again I would definitely revisit Shi-fen Old Street. It absolutely deserves a 5 STAR!!

5) Formusan Aboriginal Culture Village (6/5)

LALALALA It was a great place to visit. The cable car gave me a birds eye view on the entire village. It was really high. I also learnt a lot more bout the aborigines. They even showcased their dance and I joined in the dance too. It was fun. I even got a souvenir from them. Haha it's not only a culture village but also a THEME PARK. I had so much fun at the booths and the Viking. It was my first time visiting a theme park with my friends. The most AWESOME ride was the FREE FALL. I overcamed my fear of heights. The gondola dropped down from 85m at neck breaking speed. Haha I would never forget how I feel there and then.

OELP reflection---Hong Yang(:

LDay 1:

It was an exciting day, because it was the first time I went to taiwan. All that filled my mind was the rich modernized society, top notch fashion, a rare learning opportunity and it was about time we kept up with the Jonas's. The plane ride was a pleasant one, there were comfortable seats in china airlines, however there were many technical problems faced when we used the entertainment system. We took the high speed railway and as we did i observed Taiwan was a crossbreed of china and singapore, with some parts like china and high rise buildings like singapore. We bought food from the mini marts there and especially enjoyed the meatballs which stood up a lot in taste. We took the high speed railway to tsinchu and that evening we ate at a prestaurant serving the best of tsinchu signature dishes, noodles and pork meat balls. After the scrumptious meal we headed to our hotel, it was very grand and was unlike any I've seen before. The rooms are spacious and for the first time i actually complimented the hotel service for having good washroom facilities. It was a fruitful eye-opener and makes me look forward to 5 more days here.

Day 2: 

I was woke up by the screeching alarm clock at 6 in the morning and it annoyed me that my roommates were still in comatose. Today, was the first day in the Taiwanese school. I cannot help but feel nervous but at the same time excited. The school was old and dull in colour, lacking vibrancy aesthetically. We were received by a staff, she was very friendly and made us feel welcomed. We were lead to a conference room, the room was occupied by a small stage and well carved wooden tables and chairs, this school was not short of finance. We were given timetables and headed to our assigned classes. We went to the Chinese side, where the students spoke Chinese fluently. I entered the class, looking around the class was in a mess, students ran about and laughed aloud all the while the teacher stood there giving instructions to them. However, they complied and carried out the instructions without flaw. I was puzzled and I sat at the closest table I could find. A boy came up to me, he was around my height and seemed to have a tint of red in his hair. We introduced ourselves and became acquainted quickly. I could now tick off my bucket list for the trip as I made a friend. After school we went to the science industrial park and saw many new modern technological devices. I was intrigued by how new they were and got to learn more about Taiwan's economy as those were products produced abundantly there. We commenced the day with the traditional hsinchu food and we were satisfied from our day.

Day 3: 

I fell asleep instantly when I entered my room instead of rehearsing my speech, I owe an apology to miss Swee as I was foreign to the speech but I'll familiarize it on the bus no worries. It was our second day in the huge school but this time we went to the bilingual classes. I looked forward to that more as I could converse with the students in English instead of Chinese, which eased the barrier between cultural connection. However, we were assigned to a class of 15 year olds, who dwarfed us and secondly the first lesson was math. I face palmed myself repeatedly as the day was not filled with the exciting lessons. Math lesson was queer and awkward in a way, first of all we were surrounded by anxious 15 year olds whose chatters are louder than the teachers, secondly the teacher had a weird personality and seemed feminine, basically it's math. The lesson was hell, not that it wasn't interesting but because we had no clue what the teacher was saying, half of the time I was beckoning to my classmates asking them what was going on. We moved on the world geography which was in my opinion a lot more interesting as the teacher was extremely interactive with the students and used flexible learning to teach them, by giving projects which I would enjoy very much to do. Such learning methods can recycle what we learned and we could use the knowledge practically. At lunch we did our performance and I got to say my speech with Minhui, it was a tense moment . Physical education after a hearty meal was very well scheduled as it gave us enough energy to run about the basketball court. Biology was my favorite as the 15 year olds presented about their biology tank and even let us place our hands in, if only lessons were this fun for us. We said our good byes to our buddies and we hugged with them, took pictures and even left addresses. In the afternoon, we went to the glass museum and I bought a gift for my mother and she must be ecstatic right now. It thought us how taiwan treasures it's glass and thought us about Taiwan's flourishing economy. That evening we had the most scrumptious bowl of beef noodles at a restaurant called iNoodle, so modernized, but yet so cultural. I enjoy it very much so far and would especially look forward to an exciting day tomorrow.

Day 4:

Today was a day I looked forward to, the day we presented on during CID lesson. We packed our bags and headed off to Taichung and we visited the national museum of fine arts. The museum was the largest of Asia for displaying fine arts and it fascinated me as the whole building had a very artistic design. The whole museum housed a few thousands pieces of fine arts by Taiwanese and international artists. As the tour guide introduced us to the art pieces I could not help but admire the energy that lived with every stroke wishing the paintings. It really showed how taiwan prides on it's fine arts and appreciates it very much. We took off again, to the Formosa aboriginal culture village, where 9 of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes reside. It was a thriller as there was a huge them park with exciting rides. However, it dawned on me that they would use such means to get people to learn about their culture, it is disappointing to know that nobody seems interested in the culture and resulting to these means to educate them about it. It provides job opportunities for the less educated aboriginals and preserves their culture. I enjoyed thoroughly the dizzying rides, making our adrenaline levels soar. To be honest, i focused more on the rides, so it made me feel really guilty. In the evening, Feng jia night market was bustling with activity. We visited many stalls and bought famous foods which tasted heavenly and shopped for clothing. The services there were very good, stall owners were friendly and shop owners provided many discounts, it was worth the money to experience a night market and I definitely look forward to going to such night markets not found in singapore. In my opinion, today was my favorite day as I had never learned culture in such a fun way and tasted the stars within a plastic packet. This is a fantastic way for Taiwanese to make cash and maybe singapore should adopt similar ideas to give another burst to the economy.

Day 5:

It was sad that we stayed in Taichung for only a day but we were going to Taipei so it was not that bad. We began our day by going to the 921 earthquake site, there were many interesting ways they thought us to be prepared for earthquakes, by watching shows and looking at the collateral damage caused in the museum which was once a school. Right after lunch we went to lugang old street, the tour guide explained to us it's historical significance and showed us around what used to be a port. The old street houses were taxed by the width of its door, thus many houses were built long and narrow, it was an interesting way to reduce taxes and surely made the houses look strange. By preserving this old street, Taiwanese would have an identity and be different in a way as their ancestors lived in a unique way. We caught the 3.30 train from Taichung to Taipei and just like day 1 it was fascinating. But this time we also took the public transport to ximending where we shopped again. It was raining but I relished the shopping and culture aspects there. It was a day filled with humanities, geography ,history and economics were all involved and hopefully the skills and knowledge I gained can bring me far. 

Day 6:

We were given extra time to sleep so we treasured and as savoured that time by hiding under thick layers of bed covers. We went to shifen up in the mountains to release lanterns with well wishes. I could not help but feel it should have been at night but it was still a very heart warming moment to watch our wishes drift off into the sky. Lunch was decent and afterwards we went to the sun yat sen memorial museum, housing all important things of the founding father of the Kuomintang, it was history lessons coming to live in front of our eyes. The national palace museum made my eyes pop, it was gargantuan and there was so many pieces of precious findings depicting the past and fine pieces of arts. 2 hours was not enough for us to finish walking around the museum as it was a sea of tourists and we even had to wear earphones to listen to the tour guide in all the commotion. Admiring art requires time and patience, not rushing consistently and briefly looking at them, we cannot appreciate it's value if we do not stop and stare long and hard enough.

Day 7:

Today was our last day in taiwan, I cannot help but feel sad that we are leaving the country, it's culture and people whom we have forged bonds with but we did our last few sightseeings before leaving. We were cheered up a little as we visited the Eslite book store and were bewildered at the choices of books there were. It was another aspect of morderm taiwan which was appealing to tourists and definitely had us intrigued. However, the visit was short and we proceeded to the chiang Kai shek memorial which we got to witness first hand many artifacts we only thought were part of history text books. I enjoyed it there immensely as history being my favorite subject evoked a sense of interest in me this trip.