missional:
- Life is a Journey
- Taipei 101
- The Aroma of Christ
- Beauty & Pain
- Antiquity
- 安息日
- 所属之处就是家
- Taiwan in Perspective
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Antiquity
It was another wet day for the peacemakers when we arrived at the historic city of Tainan in Southern Taiwan. Wandering into the city, one feels as if time had come to a standstill. The buildings appeared tired, worn-out and dated. Perhaps, there are more temples than the 7-eleven convenience stores spread out in the city. Despite the rain, groups of Taiwanese travellers with their guides were sighted making their pilgrimage from one temple to another.
Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and the site of the main Dutch colony. To learn more about its history, we visited Anping Old Fort that is built on the foundations of the Dutch stonghold, Fort Zeelandia. It was fascinating to learn that Tainan became the capital of the island in 1662 under the Chinese Supervision following the defeat of the Dutch until 1887 when the capital moved to Taichung and finally settling in Taipei. Coincidentally, these were the three cities the peacemakers are covering in their journey.
The rain made it difficult to move about but we were able to explore the historical fort. We climbed the Watch Tower for an overview of the city and spotted the cross of a tall Presbyterian Church building prominently displayed in the cityscape. Notably, we also spotted a number of churches in the city.
The peacemakers also took time to explore some of the back alleys and had some fun too when we came across a makeshift toy stall that sold toys we used to play as a child. The friendly shop owner took time to demonstrate to us some of his impressive collection of antique robots that were still in working condition.
However, if you do visit Tainan, do bring along some anti-mosquitoes patches or sprays, as there were lots of mosquitoes all over perhaps due to the agricultural farmlands in and surrounding the city. We had a wonderful day exploring the old town and the antiquity of the place certainly added flavour to our journey as the peacemakers get to experience and encounter a different side of Taiwan.
