Taipai and Keelung, Taiwan

I didn't include Taiwan with the Chinese cities because officially its status is debateable.  After the fall of the Chinese empire, two forces dominated China, the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), and the Communist party.  In 1948-49 the Communists gained control over the KMT and Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, establishing a Nationalist government, taking with him many imperial treasures.  On Oct. 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong pronounced the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing.  The National Museum in Taipai contains those imperial treasures, much to the chagrin of China, who has continually demanded them back.


Taiwan has always been the refuge of Chinese from the southern provinces when political differences forced them to flee.  Taiwan has a large Japanese population and, in fact, the city of Keelung, where we docked,  architecturally looks more Japanese than Chinese.  The U.S. entered into an Agreement to protect Taiwan from the mainland if it should be attacked and has provided equipment, including rockets aimed at the mainland!  However, Taiwan's largest trading partner is China and all the rhetoric  of the Cold War has cooled way down. 


Taiwan considers itself a democracy, and in fact, the Chinese cities of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai kind of do too!  Economically, they are all entrepreneurial but the government in China has made it all too clear that there will be no political changes in China in the foreseeable future.  And the government either owns or is a partner in almost every business.

The first day in Keelung, we went on a bus tour of Taipai, the capital, some 45 minutes from Keelung.  It has its skyscrapers and until 2004 had the tallest building in the world, Taipai 101.  Now Dubai has the tallest building.  We took the elevator from the 5th floor to the 89th floor in 40 seconds and didn't feel a thing, except for our ears popping.  The 360 degree views were great, even though it was cloudy.  But what a fabulous shopping center on the first 5 floors.  Rick and I got lost and were late getting back to meet the guide.  Somehow we had inadvertently crossed over into the office buildings and were politely escorted out.  I don't know who buys all the merchandise from Diors, Tiffanys, Hermes, etc. but they are everywhere.

We visited the Memorial for War Heroes and Chiang Kai-shek memorial and saw the changing of the guards at both places.  Incredible how those soldiers can stand on the pedestals for 1 hour without moving or blinking.  They must be hypnotized.  I had my first taste of getting shoved and elbowed by a Chinese crowd wanting to see the action.  The same man twice, shoved me out of the way, and then on his way back, pushed me out of the way.  Our guide says they are tourists from China.  When he came back again, however, I had my elbow out, which he encountered.  Probably wasn't a smart thing to do.

The next 2 days we were in Keelung.  What a disappointment not to go to Japan.  Taiwan didn't make up for it.  Rick walked through the night markets, a couple of temples but the town itself is depressing.  Looks like nothing had been done to the buildings since the 1950s.  On my birthday, April 1, Rick ordered an ice cream cake for some of our friends and by the time we got to the room to cut it, there were 30 people there.  We had a great time. Good thing we had a big cake.  The next night we had dinner in "fine dining", a 6-course meal provided by the ship's kitchen for special occasions. 


So although China's population is growing, (in spite of the 1 child law) and there has been obvious rapid economic development  - luxury hotels, public transport and excellent restaurants, this has been tempered by the destruction of traditional housing, the construction of highways, soon choked with traffic. As population growth drives a consumer boom, China's energy needs are fast outstripping its capacity.  Tens of millions of Chinese are flocking to the cities, living in poor conditions and running small businesses from shoe-shining to knife-sharpening.  Dissatisfaction is widespread and increasing, particularly with regards to corruption, pollution, environmental degradation and the expensive, rising costs of living.