History and Heights - written by Ray

I enjoy finding places that allow me to time travel, to stand in a spot, look around, and imagine that what I'm seeing is exactly what someone standing in the same spot would have seen hundreds of years ago. This post is about two such places we visited recently.

The first is our trip to Lukang. Lukang was a major port in Taiwan a long time ago before the harbor filled with silt and was closed. Then when the railway was being constructed the city refused to let the tracks come close. The city was quickly passed over by progress and became a backwater piece of the past.

This however is a blessing, the city is now a preserved part of the history of this Isla Formosa. Much like Old Town in San Diego the streets of Lukang are filled with old buildings, rustic shops, market stalls, and artisans.

It was while exploring one such street that I stepped into a dim shop, lit only by the sunlight reaching in from the old wooden door. Instead of flashy souvenirs and knickknacks, this store sold authentic tea, dried and wrapped not in plastic, but in ink marked sheathes of what I think was bamboo. There was no artificial light; I could see no electronics, steel, or plastic; and the modern sounds of the bustling world outside were muffled and distant. As I walked around I imagined that this shop could have existed exactly the same two hundred years ago, and I was no longer an American teaching English in Taiwan; but an inhabitant of old Formosa on an errand to pick up tea for my family on the way home from working at the harbor. As I stepped out the door, back into the loud colors and noise of the street it felt like I was stepping through two hundred years and returning to the life I know.

Our other favorite part of Lukang was our trip to a fan painter famous among members of the Church here. For years missionaries have been bringing him pictures of their favorite temples and he paints the temple in the traditional style onto the fan. Luckily, he had a picture of the San Diego temple and Kailin and I are now proud owners of our favorite souvenir.

All of his work is so beautiful and he was very kind and gracious. We're planning another trip to see him soon.

The Chinese says: Families are Eternal

October Tenth is a national holiday in Taiwan (Double Ten Day) and as everyone had the day off work, our branch organized a bus ride up to Alishan; a national park 2,490 meters above sea level in the beautiful mountains of Taiwan. The air was crisp and clean, the sights verdant and vast, and the hikes relaxing and rejuvenating. Tourists love to come here for the dazzling view of the sunrise and the healing qualities of the mountains mists.
 

This is called the three generation tree and is one of my favorite natural wonders. About 1500 years ago a tree fell in the forest, years passed and a new tree grew out of its trunk and in time passed away. You can see a third tree growing out of its remains at the top of the picture. I love the symbolism of this phenomenon. We saw many grandparents posing with their children and grandchildren in front of its trunk.

This is the Sacred Tree. It's one of many giant, thousand year old cypress trees growing in the park. Its diameter was something like 12.5 meters!

Looking into the forest and enjoying a bit of time travel.

Although there are many bright and colorful temples in Taiwan, this was my favorite. Perhaps the clash of color against the soft sky and green forest endeared it to me.

By the time we made it to this crystal lake a fog had engulfed the mountain, but you can still see the perfect reflection and imagine how beautiful it is in the bright sun.

The roots of these two trees grew together to create "Love Forever"

After hiking up the mountain, this historic train was waiting to take us back down the mountain, providing all the scenery without any sweating. :)