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Hooray finally Taiwan will be liberated from the imperialists! Go CCP go! https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-02/china-announces-military-drills-encircling-taiwan-from-aug-4-7-l6cc5ljn China Plans Four Days of Military Drills in Areas Encircling Taiwan - Beijing declares provocative show of force after Pelosi lands - Taiwan’s ruling party calls on China to be ‘responsible power’ By Sarah Zheng, 2 August 2022 at 22:29 GMT+7Updated on3 August 2022 at 00:12 GMT+7 China will conduct large-scale military drills and missile tests around Taiwan in a defiant show of force after House speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking US politician to land on the island in a quarter century. Beijing announced six exclusion zones encircling Taiwan to facilitate live-fire military drills from Thursday to Sunday, with some of the areas crossing into the island’s territorial waters. The size and scope of the areas could set the stage for the Chinese military’s most provocative actions near Taiwan in decades. An aircraft carrying US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taipei, Aug. 2. Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg Separately, the People’s Liberation Army said exercises could start as soon as Tuesday, leaving open the possibility of military activities around Taiwan while Pelosi was visiting. The operations include “long-range live firing in the Taiwan Strait” and “regular-guided fire testing in the eastern waters” off Taiwan from Tuesday evening, the PLA said. “This action is targeted at the US’s shocking recent major escalation on the Taiwan issue, and serves as a serious warning to Taiwanese independence forces or those seeking independence,” Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement. A map released by the Xinhua news agency in China details areas that will be used for military drills encircling Taiwan from Aug. 4-7. Source: Xinhua. During the military drills, “relevant ships and aircraft should not enter the above sea areas and airspaces during this period,” the official Xinhua News Agency said in a report late Tuesday, which gave coordinates for the exercises. The exercises highlight the risk that Taiwan tensions could exacerbate existing supply chain woes. The Taiwan Strait is the primary route for ships passing from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to points west. Almost half of the global container fleet and 88% of the world’s largest ships by tonnage passed through the waterway this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Taiwan’s defense ministry said 21 Chinese military aircraft entered its air-defense identification zone Tuesday, compared to four the day before. The PLA has stepped up its flights near Taiwan in recent months, and ramps ups the show of force around key events, including visits by US poltiicians. Pelosi became the first US House speaker to visit the island in 25 years when her military aircraft arrived at Songshan Airport shortly before 11 p.m. local time. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and protests diplomatic visits to the democratic island. The planned drills would be the most serious show of force by China around Taiwan since at least 1995, when Beijing test-fired missiles into the sea near the island. That move was part of China’s protests against President Bill Clinton’s decision to let Taiwan’s first democratically elected president, Lee Teng-hui, visit the US. Back then, China also declared exclusion zones around target areas during the tests, disrupting shipping and air traffic. Pelosi plans to hold a joint press briefing with President Tsai Ing-wen at about 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, the Taiwan leader’s office said in a statement. She is expected to depart the island later that day to continue her Asia tour visiting US allies South Korea and Japan. Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party called on China to exercise restraint and stop acts of military and political intimidation. China should “demonstrate the demeanor of a responsible power,” DPP spokeswoman Hsieh Pei-fen said in a statement late Tuesday. “No threatening remarks or provocative actions can reduce even slightly the determination of Taiwan and its international friends to defend democracy and freedom,” she added.

Its been 3 years since my last visit to Taiwan. Used to visit Taiwan twice a year for work visiting suppliers. Now that they are fully opened its time to go again. Monday morning 6.15am at the Suvarnabhumi Airport Had breakfast at the Singapore Airlines lounge At the gate My ride Many mothballed aircraft still on ground Brunch on flight Arriving Taoyuan Airport

HuaLien had 7.4 mag earthquakes 30 minutes ago

Was planning to go Shilin Night Market @ Turf Club tmr night. Then I saw this report https://mothership.sg/2019/04/shilin-night-market-singapore-crowds/. The q looks terribly long. Wonder anyone went there tdy? Maybe can give some comments whether worth going anot.

Hey guys, planning a driving holiday to taiwan end oct. anyone done a driving trip with an itenary to share? 6d 5 night thanks! Starting city is taipei

I am not a strong fan of WU BAI, but he gotta be one of the best mandarin / hokkien rock stars....

Haiz.. all of us will return to the source, no matter rich or poor, rip LWZ 😔.. https://tw.news.yahoo.com/「一代巨星」劉文正過世享壽70歲！-好友夏玉順證實-064012239.html

🙏 https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20230205-1360056 台媒：佛光山开山宗长星云大师离世享年96岁 发布 / 26 分钟前 台湾媒体报道，台湾佛光山开山宗长、国际佛光会的创办人星云大师星期天（2月5日）下午安详离世，享年96岁，但佛光山还没有公布。 联合新闻网报道，佛光山还没有宣布，佛光山与医疗团队预计星期一（6日）对外说明。 报道称，有身边的弟子哀痛说：“不便多说”，间接证实星云大师离世。 地方人士称，这两天佛光山本来预计要放天灯，但在活动前几天喊卡，也没有说明原因。 中时新闻网和壹苹新闻网也证实星云法师5日圆寂。中时新闻网报道，他晚年仰赖洗肾维持健康，但多次出入医院，近期因血压过低、入住高雄长庚医院加护病房，星期六（4日）还一度喘到无法进食，惊动医护人员紧急为他洗肾，才得以舒缓。 星云法师1927年8月19日生于江苏省江都县，1949年迁居台湾，1967年创办佛光山，逐渐发展为台湾佛教四大名山之一，与法鼓山、中台山、慈济齐名。 星云大师中风后身体状况走下坡，每两天要进高雄长庚医院洗肾。星云意志力强韧，他曾告诉医疗团医师：“出家人不怕死。” 国际佛光会中华总会总会长赵怡说，星云大师近年身体状况时好时坏，需要洗肾。重要会议上，弟子们会先预录好大师的影片在场播放，就是避免他身体劳累。 赵怡说，星云大师晚年腿部不良于行，但遇到主持会议、接待访宾等重要场合，还是会坚持站起来，让旁人感受到他强韧的意志力。

Ma is leading at this time with a slim lead

Anyone has experiences with driving around Taiwan? And tips to provide for left hand drive countries, car rental company etc. Generally public transport such as the Metro is far more convenient than a car (no need to find parking etc) but if we're talking about going out of Taipei, would you recommend driving or just taking the bullet train?

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/powerful-earthquake-hits-southeast-taiwan-2022-09-18/

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwan-tensions/Taiwan-report-sounds-alarm-over-China-hybrid-warfare-capabilities?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220901123000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Taiwan report sounds alarm over China hybrid warfare capabilities Taipei warns it will counterattack if Chinese forces enter territorial waters or airspace This Taiwanese air base on the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait is on high alert amid China's ongoing provocations. (Photo by Yu Nakamura) YU NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 1, 2022 00:09 JST TAIPEI -- China plans to use hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks and disinformation along with conventional armed forces, in its efforts to unify Taiwan with the mainland, the Taiwanese defense ministry warns in a new report. The annual report on Chinese military capabilities finds that Beijing is already capable of using electronic warfare to damage Taiwanese infrastructure and cut off some military communications. It also expresses concern over military buildup around the Taiwan Strait and notes that China has been expanding military airfields along the coast within its Eastern Theater Command, which covers Taiwan, and the Southern Theater Command, which includes the South China Sea. The report was submitted Wednesday to the Legislative Yuan. In a news conference that day, the ministry discussed the recent state of so-called gray zone operations by China -- tactics that aim to harm Taiwan without going as far as an armed attack. It confirmed that Chinese drones have repeatedly flown near areas including the Kinmen Islands -- Taiwan-controlled islets near the Chinese mainland. If Chinese military aircraft or ships come within 12 nautical miles of Taiwan, Taipei will "exercise the right of self-defense," said Maj. Gen. Lin Wen-huang, head of planning at the defense ministry. Taiwan fired warning shots Tuesday at Chinese drones flying near the Kinmen Islands -- a first for Taipei in this context. Amid mounting pressure from Beijing, Taiwan's government proposed Aug. 25 a record defense budget of 586.3 billion New Taiwan dollars ($19.3 billion) for 2023, a 13.9% increase from this year.

TAIPEI (REUTERS) - Taiwan raised its Covid-19 alert level on Saturday (May 15) for the capital, Taipei, and New Taipei City, ushering in a two-week clampdown on gatherings as well as the closure of many venues, while announcing 180 new domestic infections. Separately, major universities in northern Taiwan are shifting to online learning and some museums will shut as the island grapples with a rare spike in domestic Covid-19 infections, taking urgent measures to stop the spread. The new rules will not mean offices, schools or restaurants have to close, but will cause the shutdown of cinemas and other entertainment spots, while limiting family get-togethers to five people indoors and 10 outdoors. Taipei’s government has already ordered bars, nightclubs and similar venues to shut. Since the pandemic began, Taiwan has reported fewer than 1,500 cases among a population of about 24 million, most of them imported from abroad, but a recent rise in community transmissions has spooked residents. The island has never gone into a full lockdown and its people are used to life carrying on near normal, despite the pandemic ranging in many other parts of the world. Although Taiwan has just 1,290 cases, most of them imported from abroad, among a population of about 24 million, a recent small rise in community transmissions has spooked residents used to life carrying on as normal, despite the global pandemic. Late on Friday, several universities, including the elite National Taiwan University, said they would immediately switch to remote learning, telling students to stay away from campuses. "As Covid-19 is still wreaking havoc, please be reminded to wear a mask at all times when you go out, wash hands frequently, and keep appropriate social distancing," National Taiwan University said in a statement. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum, where people have queued for a hugely popular exhibition by Japanese artist Shiota Chiharu opened this month, said it would close from Saturday to comply with the city's prevention rules. "The re-opening date will be announced according to the epidemic situation and city regulations," it said. Taipei's National Palace Museum, home to one of the world's best and most extensive collections of Chinese art, said it too would close from Saturday. The current cluster of infections has centred on the north and Taipei, but cases have also cropped up elsewhere, such as the major southern port city of Kaohsiung. Its mayor, Chen Chi-mai, said authorities would disinfect wide range of public spaces, including the night markets that are usually a big draw for hungry tourists. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/taiwan-universities-shift-online-museums-shut-in-battle-with-covid-19

I find taiwanese car products to be inferior or a knock off of something established. My friend has a 4 Piston D1 Spec brake caliper. He recently got ripped off the the local dealer of D1 Spec products when he had to change his brake pads. 300 bucks for supposedly good quality D1 Spec pads. That's just nonsense. I decided to get him to remove the brake pads and get it measured. I searched the internet high and low for pads that would meet those measurements. Turns out that you can use brake pads meant for Brembo Calipers. You can easily get original brembo pads for that application for less than 100 sgd if you order it online. Heck you can even get dixcel pads for around 170 sgd if you prefer that brand. Don't believe that you cannot use anything other than D1 Spec Brake pads in a D1 Spec Brake Caliper. Most of these taiwanese brake companies copy the design from other established brake companies. If you own a D1 Spec BBK, please note that you have options when it comes to what brake pads. You just need to measure your existing brake pads and use the internet to search. The dealer of D1 spec BBK will definitely say you cannot use anything other than their pad so that they can hold you ransom. But f**k them!

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Dalai-Lama-says-China-can-learn-a-lot-from-Taiwan?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20211110190000&seq_num=14&si=44594 Dalai Lama says China can learn a lot from Taiwan Relations between Beijing and Taipei 'delicate,' spiritual leader says Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama speaks from his home in India during an online press conference on Wednesday. (Screenshot from FCCJ Youtube) ANDREW SHARP, Nikkei Asia deputy politics and economics editorNovember 10, 2021 16:50 JST TOKYO -- The Dalai Lama said that China can learn a lot from Taiwan and described relations between Beijing and Taipei as "delicate." Speaking in a sometimes rambling online press conference to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, the Buddhist monk mostly discussed spiritual matters but was steered by questions into political affairs. When asked if Taiwan could become the next Tibet -- a Chinese territory since 1951 -- the 86-year-old said that the democratic island has a lot that China can learn from. "I really find that the true Chinese heritage and traditions are in Taiwan. Taiwan has kept a 1,000-year-old Chinese tradition and culture," he said from his home in Dharamsala, India. "Economically, Taiwan gets a lot of help from Mainland China. But Chinese culture, including Buddhism, many Chinese brothers and sisters can learn a lot from Taiwanese brothers and sisters." "I really pray that Taiwan and mainland China are unified peacefully," he said, without clarifying whether that should be under the government in Beijing or Taipei. Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have grown increasingly fraught since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016. Beijing frequently flies warplanes near the island, and Taiwan's defense minister recently warned that China already has the ability to invade and will be capable of mounting a "full scale" invasion by 2025. The Dalai Lama said he had no plans to visit Taiwan. "The relations between Taiwan and China are quite delicate. I don't want to cause local political difficulties," he said. "I can communicate with people in Taiwan like I am talking to you now [online]." The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in northern India since he fled his Chinese-ruled homeland in 1959. China considers him a separatist even though he long ago abandoned the goal of Tibetan independence in favor of it gaining greater autonomy. At least 130,000 Tibetans live in exile, including 85,000 in India. But most of the world's 6 million Tibetans live in the autonomous Tibetan region of western China and regard the Dalai Lama as their spiritual leader. Asked if he wanted to return to Tibet one day, the Dalai Lama said he is happy to remain in exile in India. "I'm very happy in India. We see snow mountains, lakes, forests. I love this place," he said. "India has complete freedom and religious harmony... The followers of all religious traditions exist in India. It has very good harmony." His word could be interpreted that the Dalai Lama wants Indian government of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party to continue supporting Tibetan refugees. New Delhi has been offering citizenship to Tibetans in India instead of abandoning refugee status. In 2017, at the behest of the Indian government, the Tibetan government-in-exile changed the English name for its political leader from "prime minister" to "president." The Dalai Lama said he was willing to travel to Beijing to meet with Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping. "China itself is changing," he said. "[Chinese leaders] are sometimes too extreme. They try to control [people]." On spiritual matters, the Dalai Lama said "religion is too politicized, that's a problem." "Your enemy is your best teacher. With an enemy, you can practice patience. That is one of the important factors for peace of mind," he said. "Tibetans generally have a peaceful mind. Inside Tibet also, you can see they are very faithful and often have a smiling face."

Going to Taiwan next week for free & easy. Identified 2 cities to go, Taipei and Tainan. Other cities visit next year. Apart from the norm (night markets, temples, sceneries, 101 & shopping) anything exciting in Taipei or Tainan not mention in tour companies itineraries. Thanks.

After yakun whats their next target? Capitaland? DBS? SQ? JJ lin? 😂 https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/chinese-netizens-flame-ya-kun-kaya-toast-for-listing-taiwan-as-a-country?utm_campaign=stfb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3EymBW92Qrx_HXoVUykG_2xVrq5YYIReFNxbGZaPaMlOCQOsW3MybjTpM “ BEIJING - China's cyber warriors - known infamously as Little Pinks - have targeted Singapore coffee-and-toast chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast for listing Taiwan as a country in its promotional material. The attacks quickly gained traction on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Wednesday (Oct 20) after a news outlet posted a clip showing a promotional video played at one of Ya Kun's outlets in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. In the Ya Kun video, a graphic showing the chain's international operations can be seen, and it lists Taiwan among 10 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea and Myanmar. The accompanying Chinese subtitles said: "Our over 40 retail stores in 10 countries overseas have all been warmly welcomed." Since news outlet btime.com released its news clip on Tuesday night, the hashtag - Singapore's food and beverage shop in Nanjing lists Taiwan as a country - has drawn more than 90 million views on Weibo. It has also sparked 2,500 discussions on the microblogging site. State media Beijing Radio and Television Station owns btime.com, which shares bite-sized videos online. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and has punished corporations and chastised governments for referring to Taiwan as a country. In the 44-second news clip, which has attracted 3.9 million views, btime.com interviewed a mall employee, who said that the shop has been closed for at least two days after the mall received notification that it had "inappropriate advertising". "We are awaiting instructions from the state on follow-up actions," the employee was heard saying in the clip. When reached by The Straits Times, Ya Kun branding and market development director Jesher Loi said that the chain is working with the authorities on the issue. He declined to comment further. A staff member at another of Ya Kun's outlets in Nanjing told The Straits Times that the one singled out in the news clip was closed, without elaborating. Ya Kun has 16 outlets in China in cities such as Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hangzhou, according to online marketplace Anxingjiameng. A search on Ya Kun's website returned an error message after clicking on its overseas locations tab. Netizens called for Ya Kun's closure, and urged Chinese consumers not to patronise businesses that promote "Taiwan separatism". "Ya Kun doesn't even have basic respect for China's sovereignty, but still wants to make money off Chinese citizens? Classic case of breaking the bowl after eating the rice!" user Fengmintianxia said, referring to a Chinese proverb. Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun was also dragged into the fray, with some Little Pinks accusing her of having made comments referring to Taiwan as a country in the past. In an interview, Ms Sun was asked to list the places where she had held concerts, and she said: "Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China". The Little Pinks felt that she should have used "nei di" (mainland) instead of "zhong guo" (China) when referring to China. In 2018, Japanese retailer Muji was fined 200,000 yuan (S$42,077) in Shanghai for using packaging that listed Taiwan as a country. Swedish furniture giant Ikea also came under fire that year for listing Taiwan and Hong Kong separately from China on its packaging. Netizens felt that Ikea should have used "China-Hong Kong" and "China-Taiwan" instead, of Hong Kong and Taiwan. The controversy died down later. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were made to remove references to Taiwan as a separate country on their websites after the Civil Aviation Administration of China demanded the changes.

Poor folks, hope those alive get rescued. they are in deformed train carriages stuck inside the tunnel. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/taiwan-train-carrying-350-people-derails-truck-rescue-tunnel-14543694

the bully has replied. https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/actor-patrick-lee-hits-back-at-bullying-allegations-by-co-star-elvin-ng?utm_campaign=stfb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2p_jRwO2Q78JW3JAkg7Jz23D9HOMWlHtXlejYhTJF6LbIgrOmaAw77bns

TAIPEI: A Taiwanese air force pilot was killed and another was missing on Monday (Mar 22) after their fighter jets disappeared in a suspected mid-air collision off the island's southern coast, officials said. The two F-5E jets disappeared from radar around 3pm (0700 GMT) around 2.6km off the coast of rural Pingtung county, the National Rescue Command Centre said. They were among four F-5Es that took off around 30 minutes earlier for a routine training mission, the centre said, adding helicopters and coastguard ships had joined the search. One of the pilots was found unconscious in the sea but could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at hospital. Rescuers were still searching for the remaining pilot. Police confirmed they found a seat with parachute attached on a local highway. The apparent collision was the third such incident in the past half year, at a time when the Beijing-claimed island's armed forced are under increasing pressure to intercept Chinese aircraft on an almost daily basis. While Taiwan's air force is well-trained and well-equipped, mostly with US-made equipment, it is dwarfed by China's. Beijing views the democratic island as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control. The official Central News Agency said the air force had now grounded the F-5 fleet that operates from the Chihhang air base, where the aircraft are based. The US-built F-5 fighters first entered service in Taiwan in the late 1970s and have been mostly been retired from front-line activities, though some are still used for training and as a back-up for the main fleet. Another F-5 crashed in October, killing the pilot. The following month a much more modern F-16 crashed off Taiwan's east coast, whose pilot also died. In January of last year, Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei. The incidents have raised concern about both training and maintenance, but also the pressure the air force is under to respond to repeated Chinese flights near the island. Taiwan's Defence Ministry has warned Chinese aircraft, including drones, are flying repeatedly in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, seeking to wear out Taiwan's air force.

Taiwan reports first locally transmitted coronavirus case since April source: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/taiwan-reports-first-locally-transmitted-coronavirus-case-since-april TAIPEI (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Taiwan's government on Tuesday (Dec 22) reported its first locally transmitted case of Covid-19 since April 12. The individual who tested positive for Covid-19 was a friend of a person who had already been confirmed to have been infected with the virus, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told a news conference. The announcement ends what was the world's longest stretch without a domestic infection and providing a reminder of the virus's ability to outfox even the most successful efforts to contain it. The re-emergence of a local outbreak threatens to derail one of the standout success stories in the global fight against the pandemic. Taiwan has managed to keep its total number of cases to 766, with just seven deaths, through a combination of restricting travel into the island early in the outbreak and implementing a strict quarantine and contact tracing strategy. Taiwan currently holds the No. 2 spot in Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking, a measure of the best places to be in the Covid-19 era. The continued spread of the coronavirus worldwide, however, has meant Taiwan's authorities have had to remain on their guard. Since the last case of domestic transmission in April, more than 300 cases have been brought in by people returning from overseas.

Breakfast was not bad, had chunky red snapper porridge for main course but started with some fruits and a fritter So my trip will be starting from the south of Taiwan in the city of Kaohsiung then will move to Taipei Friday evening. So, when I arrive at Taoyuan Airport (near to Taipei) I have to take their High Speed Rail (HSR) to the Kaohsiung in the south. But before that I need to get to the Taoyuan HSR Station, by bus Follow the sign to go to the bus station at B1 level, just outside the glass door go to number 12 kiosk for bus number 705 and pay just $30 Inside the bus Train ticket $1,980 (non-reserve seat cost $1290, standard reserve seat costs $1330) from Taoyuan station to Zuoying Station (this is the name of the HSR station for Kaohsiung) Here comes the train https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vKVaVpHMl0 Inside the train

A week-ish after my Bali trip, I traveled to Taipei! During that period Taiwan had about 40ish COVID-19 cases and Singapore probably had double that. So here's my Taiwan travelog for everyone stuck in Singapore now! 🤩 Bought 4 bottles of Lifebuoy hand sanitizers from Changi Airport just because I wanted the red and blue bottle bottle. Lots of stock here. This was during the period Singapore had a shortage of hand sanitizers. Now it's mostly back in stores. Took a Scoot flight, maybe about 60% to 70% filled? 4 hours of uneventful flight time, thankfully. Arrived in Taoyuan Airport at around 5.30am. Immediately you are reminded of COVID-19. You feel the seriousness in the air as compared to Bali Airport. There's three stations to pass. First one, you are required to hand in your COVID-19 Declaration form to the CDC staff. Visitors are also reminded to put on a mask at all times for the next 14 days and monitor your health condition. There is also a police officer stationed there. Not sure why but he seem like he was looking out for potential COVID-19 symptoms. Right after this will be temperature taking. Third station will be thermal screening. Right up till this stage, you feel like the Taiwanese are taking this a little more serious than our measures in Changi Airport, although thermal screening is still the primary defence. Temperature was a cool 20 degrees then. After luggage collection, realised that Feigo Bus is no longer in service!? Change of plan took the train to Taipei Main Station and to Ximending. Stayed at Hotel Puri Ximending. Super convenient location at it's just right across Exit 6 of XMD. Spent the next two hours catching toys on the claw machines. Not me. My friends. 😤 Finally some street stalls at 9am ish! My favorite to have whenever I'm in Taiwan! Poor them had to push their carts away when the police came. Although you really gotta give it to the Taiwanese police. They gave ample warning to these food cart owners. Ending my update here. Will update when I have time.

Don't see any Kaohsiung thread so starting one. Anyone been there recently? Any recommendations? Hotels? Can take the MRT from airport to town? Thanks.