Sunmoon Lake, Fengjia Night Market (Tai Chung)

Sunmoon Lake, Fengjia Night Market

Third day (Thursday, May, 13, 2010)

Wake up in the morning, to catch HSR Train to Taichung.
If we board early in the morning there was discount 35% (fare NT. 455), but if not the discount only 20% (fare NT 595). HSR train fare to all destination, early in the morning and late night is cheaper. Here schedule and fare for HSR Train. HSR Train station open from 06.00 - 24.00.

After packing, we store our luggage at TTH (free, one of TTH facility), and only bring our backpack going to Taichung (we spend one night there). We run to Housanpi MRT station and get off at Taipei Main Station. I didn’t had to get out from the station, the HSR station was there.

Arrived at Taipei Main Station 06.23, and we arrived at in front of HSR ticket gate at 06.30 am, but it’s we already late for 5 minutes and we can’t get the cheap ticket (last cheap ticket was at 06.36), so we had to pay more NT 140 to go to Taichung for next train at 07.00.

Other way to go Taichung was by bus and TRA train, fare was cheaper, but it’s take time longer than HSR. The train was clean, nice, and very comfortable, I get sleep there. 07.49 we arrived at Taichung, our friends pick us up there and planning go to Sunmoon Lake.

I went to toilet at Tai Chung HSR Train, the toilet was clean and there're toilet tissue for the closet. Outside the Station, suddenly, taxi driver (Mr. Lee) came to us, offer us to go to Sunmoon Lake fare NT 4.500, no bargain, each of us NT 900. Below Mr Lee name card.
Other way to go Sun Moon Lake was by bus, ride bus from Taichung to Puli, then take bus to Sunmoon Lake.

To surround the lake there’s bike rental here. But I think it's not comfortable traveling by bike, because the way up and down, it's better traveling by bus.

Traveling by bus is the cheapest way to surround the lake , fare only NT 80 for one hole day. Here Lake surrounding bus timeable.

We not staying there, but if you want to stay there I recommend you to stay at Laurel Villa. You can book by mail.

First we visit Wen Wu temple, it was Kong Zi Temple (Confucius Temple). People around there believe, when they facing final test, they copy student ID test card and pray there hope can pass the test and get good mark. It’s also available card to hang there, just fill : name, address, mail, and your wish. I also hang my name there, wish all will success (I don’t know what should I write). There also small bell (like bell, but not similar), write name and wish there, and then hang it, it’s allow to made every wish. If I not forgot the cost probably was NT. 150 for each.
Inside, there were fortune teller machine, insert NT 10, then doll inside machine will go inside the house and get out with small piece of paper, she'll drop it at the place, just pick it (language in China and English). If you didn't understand, there a person outside will explain.

In front of Kong Zi temple there were Guan Gong (Guan Yu) spear, one of three kingdom hero’s. And there’s short relief about three kingdom there.

After that we visit peacock Garden, there were a lot peacock there, there's also white one. I never see white peacock in Indonesia, at here my camera battery low, so I can take picture, but if I had it from my friend I will post it. It’s beautiful.

Since I visit there at May, so the flower not bloom anymore, the best time to visit there was March - April, but it’s was cold, so we not visit Mei He Garden.

Then we had lunch, ordering vegetarian fried rice, cost NT 60 for each.

After that we visit Shueishe visitors center, we hire boat here. Mr Lee help us book the boat. The boat actually for 20 person, fare NT 1.800 (for 6 person, for 20 person each had to pay NT 200 more, but we had to wait till the boat full). It like ride VIP boat.

We came to Lalu island, but we can’t get off, it’s forbidden to get off. We take picture around the boat, and had fun.

Next destination, we visit Syuanguang & Syuantzang temple, I forgot who was Buddha statue there, Syuantzang temple was so quite, nice place for study, I can hear nature sound here.

Mr. Lee said at the first time only one temple there, Syuanguang, but since it's too small so they built other temple Syuantzang. We only had short visit here.

We also visit Ci En pagoda, but we can’t enter it, since it had earthquake 2 years ago, no visitor allow to go up stair. It’s nice pagoda to visit, very beautiful, but we can’t visit ;( After that I bought Alishan Tea, it’s very expensive for me, since I bought tea at Shenzhen only CNY 50, after my friends help me bargain, I bought Alishan Tea cost NT 700. It’s original green tea, healthy tea. I saw at Airport the cost was NT 800. And also buy snack NT. 100 each, I buy 2, if you want to buy snack ,buy here, because maybe you can’t find it at other place.

It’s already noon, about 15.30 we decide to go to Taichung museum. But it’s not allow to take photograph there. At Taichung, there’s a Temple, I forgot the name, it’s big, giant temple, beside the temple there was museum. My friends said, may rich monk stay there, before they decide to be a monk they used to be rich person, but they left it all behind. In front of the gate, there was Milefo (Smiling Buddha), inside there was 4 face Buddha statue with different look. And there's other Buddha also. Many visitor visit this temple.

Mr Lee charge us NT 500, each add NT 100, because we only made deal to Sunmoon Lake but we ask him to deliver us to Taichung Museum also, but it’s ok with us.

At 17.00 we decide back to Taichung, walk at Fengjia night market.

We stay at minshu near Fengjia Night market (only 2 minutes walk), actually the price was NT 1.100, but our friend bargain for us NT. 750 for one night (breakfast only for one person and we didn't take it), because we only stay from 19.00 and at 06.00 morning we leave Taichung.

We stay at Feng Chia Music House. There were piano inside, you can play it, but only till 21.00 pm For dinner we eat at Fengjia night market, I order vegetarian O Wa Jian, it was Taiwan traditionally food, taste not too good. After that move to other place eat mee soa, also chou tofu (stinky tofu). My friends said, if you want to buy it’s better to buy fried one, because steam one was so stinky. Fried stinky tofu a little bitter, but not to smell. And you know what at Taiwan also had ote-ote, it’s pedestrian food, same like at Indonesia. Other Taiwan biscuit called Tai Yang Bing Gan - Sun biscuit in English. After that back to minshu get rest.