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China 78 : MeiLing

(June 2nd, 2019)

MeiLing (梅嶺) is a touristic area in the mountains of the district of NanXi, it has several restaurants, temples and footpaths in the countryside. It was nice to go there despite the bad weather of Spring heavy rains.

We also stopped on the way at the LongYin temple with its suspended bridges over the torrent valley that was quite stunning.

There are really many very interesting and beautiful places in Taiwan, although most are quite remote and require a car to go there practically.

Plenty of adventures and travels are still possible on this beautiful island of Taiwan.

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China 77 : ZhuGang

(May 2nd, 2019)

Zhu Gang is this very small country area, in the middle of the fields, about half an hour drive North from Tainan city, in the area of Xi Gang township. This is where my TaiChi teacher has his countryside home and garden. He retreats there on the week end where he has a little house, unpolluted air and a field to grow various kind of vegetables, fruits and flowers. The TaiChi association organised an activity to get away from the city on the Sunday. The banana trees were growing wild so he cut a few and gave plenty of bananas to everyone. We had brunch and tea with plenty of fresh fruits picked from the garden. This place has basically nothing but fields, illegal factories, temples and sky. The loudest sounds there are the wind blowing and the few birds that hide in the roof of temples. Just like every little township in Taïwan, its local temple has many original sculptures, statues, paintings and calligraphy from several local artists, all depicting the many legends and sacred figures of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. It was a very beautiful day for one of my latest trips in countryside Taïwan.

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China 76 : Tokashiki Island

(April 2nd, 2019)

Tokashiki island (渡嘉敷島) is part of the Kerama archipelago not far from Okinawa at the extreme South of the Japanese territory. It takes only about half an hour by boat from Naha to get there, and the contrast between the business of the city and the quietude of the island is stunning and uplifting. It has beautiful beaches with white sand, turquoise clear water, corrals and colorful tropical fish. There are also many paths to walk around with stunning viewpoints over the Pacific.

The nature is perfectly preserved and the area is very well set for tourism with many multilingual maps and signs. It was especially pleasant to go during the low season as the island was very quiet with very few visitors. I was surprised to find such a magnificent and refreshing destination so close to Taïwan, it was a short trip to a Japan beautiful like a dream.

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China 75 : Muang Ngoi Neua

(March 2nd, 2019)

One hour boat trip up the Nam Ou river from Nong Khiaw, which itself is about three hours of bumpy drive from Luang Prabang, Muang Ngoi Neua is this small mountain village that turned into a low key touristic spot in the North of Laos, sort of in the middle of nowhere. There are the necessary guest-houses and restaurants, steep hikes with amazing viewpoints, some caves, rivers and streams, many green paddy fields, buffaloes, pigs, ducks, turkeys, dogs and lots of chickens. It is possible to visit smaller villages in the area where it still seemed like the middle ages less than a decade ago. When staying there it gives a hint of how rural life was like when even electricity wasn’t there. It is somehow in the depths of Laos where the influence of what is called civilisation is still at its beginning. It was a rather challenging journey to reach it but this area was very special and unique, make sure you get there in case you are on an adventure in Northern Laos.

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China 74 : Vang Vieng

(Feb 1st, 2019)

Vang Vieng is a small town in Northern Laos that developed with tourism thanks to its location in an area abounding with karst caves, mountains and river streams. Plenty of outdoor, adventurous, expensive and risky activities are available for those in search of amusement : tubing, caving, kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, trekking, zip-lines, Buggy cars, hot air balloons, motor-boats, motorbikes and blue lagoons. It is true that those steep mountains that surge up from the surrounding low flat plains create a stunning and unique kind of landscape; and the many rice paddy and grazing fields add lots of bright clear green in the scenery. It was beautiful to see many animals domesticated in a rather traditional way, grazing raw organic live wild greens all day and spending their life peacefully with their young’s and fellow farm animals. The centre of town is full of hostels and restaurants, bars, shops and vehicles of all sorts buzzing day and night. However the small farmer villages in the neighbouring area seem like still living in the unhurried and placid rhythm of the middle ages albeit the recent arrival of technology, tourism and economic growth. Despite the dusty air and pressing touristic business it is possible to find quality and affordable food and accommodation, after all, many beautiful memories remain from those first few days in Laos.

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China 73 : Phimai

(Jan 2nd, 2019)

This little township in the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in the Northeastern region of Thailand is special for its ancient Khmer temple ruins that stand right at its centre. Prasat Phimai is one of Thailand's finest surviving Khmer temple complex from the 11th century and is claimed to have been used as a model to build the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It is a unique Buddhist Mahayana and Hindu sanctuary, a rarity from this ancient era of developed art and spirituality. I found that this temple has indeed little to envy to Angkor Wat, it has a unique history and magnificent architecture, its entry fee is reasonable, also the almost total absence of tourists make it a very beautiful and quiet place full of authentic harmony and mysticism. There are in town many other remnants of the ancient Khmer city, such as those large water reservoirs that are surrounded by a paved path boarded by trees. Very nice to walk and exercise by the freshness of the water and vegetation. At a short distance from town lies also Sai Ngam, which allegedly is the largest and oldest banyan tree of Thailand. It is more than 350 years old and spreads over and area of over 35,000 square feet. Footpaths and tables are placed within the intricate webs of trunks and branches making a fresh space to wander and rest under the shade of the tree. The surrounding countryside has nice roads along the curves of the river and between the many green rice fields to explore by bicycle in the clear air of the morning. Animals of the local farms and wild birds are visible in this peaceful pastoral landscape. The Phimai National Museum keeps many fine pieces from Prasat Phimai. The town also has a daily evening market with lots of local affordable foods. I found a quiet and charming guest-house to stay for a few days. I feel happy and grateful to have found this place, it is a good spot to get a feel of Thailand's small town life, I am not ready to leave yet.

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China 72 : Da Gang Shan Scenic Area

(Dec, 2nd, 2018)

In the district of Kaohsiung in the South of Taiwan, this leisure area (大崗山風景區) is set in the sort of mountain that stands near Kaohsiung city. It has many arranged spaces for people to walk and run around, exercise, picnic and enjoy the scenery in a space of nature having some elevation that allows the air to be clean and fresh. We went there with the TaiChi association for a special activity away from Tainan with form practice, tea brunch and additional lunch from the nearby monastery. We wore our training outfits with assorted colours for the event, and everybody brought some outdoor brunch foods to share. The atmosphere was relaxed and the air indeed much more fresh and pure than in Tainan city, the difference was very noticeable. After the long tea break we went to the nearby nun monastery that has a tradition of opening their kitchen for lunch to the local people who are happy to share a vegetarian dinner with their community. This was a beautiful place to discover and a very memorable time shared with my TaiChi teacher and the other students of the association, a special day to be remembered.

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China 71 : Blessed Mother of Strawberry Beach (Đức Mẹ Bãi Dâu)

(Nov. 2nd, 2018)

This is a Christian place of worship and famous pilgrimage site located on the furthest part of the peninsula of Vung Tau in the South of Vietnam. There stands an impressive 25 meters high statue of Mother Mary with Jesus child on the side of the hill overlooking the sea. Slightly below is the Virgin Mary cathedral, high and luminous with its modern architecture, with lots of space to welcome the many Vietnamese believers for regular ceremonies. There is also a calvary with fine sculptures of the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. The last part goes uphill pretty steep but ends with a great panoramic view over the sea from the highest "peak" of Vung Tau. A tough walk up but worth the effort. If you want to buy a souvenir or some Christian item to decorate your hotel room, there is of course a small shop with lots of kitschy stuff to bring back home. At the bottom of the hill there is also a little stone built chapel surrounded by trees and flower bushes that makes it look just like the South of France! Amongst the many Buddhist temples and Daoist shrines, I found this place quite unique and special, inspiring and spiritual; it was worth a visit to this rather remote part of the city also precious for its quiet atmosphere, little picturesque streets and vast views over the sea.

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China 70 : Gosok Kunphen Monastery

(Oct 6th, 2018)

This Buddhist temple (果碩大慈普利寺) from the Tibetan school is located just outside of PingDong city in the South of Taïwan. This weekend the association organised a reunion hosting their Tibetan master leading an offering ceremony to the Tibetan medicine Buddha, Sangye Menla. The temple is built and decorated with beautiful traditional Tibetan paintings, sculpted statues, symbols and offerings of butter, flowers, grains, gold and light. The whole Vajrayana Buddhism atmosphere was there, deep tones mantras in Tibetan language, real Tibetan monks with the red and gold robes, ceremonial cymbals and drums, strong incense, Dalaï Lama pictures, prayer flags, mandalas, khatas, thangkas, and all. It reminded me of the temples and ceremonies from the same school that I had seen in Nepal and India some years ago. It was also an opportunity to visit a bit of PingDong city, see its parks, an indigenous culture museum, and an local Zen Buddhism temple with its attached recycling facility. This was an other eye opening and spiritual trip out of Tainan city, a good treatment for the mind and the soul, which should probably be done more often. Oli

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China 69 : 321 Alley Art Settlement

(Sept 3rd, 2018)

This is a less known tourist attraction in Tainan that I hadn't seen so far. It is an old neighbourhood of Japanese style residential units built in the 1920s that were once used by army officers during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. As part of the city's cultural renovations and developments, the houses were recently refurbished and let to chosen groups of local artists and performers, who display their artwork to the general public; it also has spaces for artistic events and exhibitions. It is an interesting aspect of the modern culture of Tainan and has many unusual and original things to see. It was nice to drop the busy schedule on that bright magnificent day and go visit some new places and walk around the quiet and picturesque corners of town, it reminded me of the time when I first arrived here and was discovering the charm of Taiwan, still present and always there to admire.

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China 68 : Liên Hoa Vietnamese Vegan Restaurant

(Aug 4th, 2018)

For my fifth stay already in Vung Tau, I had the luck to find a fantastic entirely vegan Vietnamese restaurant. I was desperately looking for a place to eat well without industrial animal products and there it appeared, like an oasis in the desert, like a unique gem amongst the tons of grit of junk food laying everywhere around here. There is so much choice on the menu that you have ordered before taking the time to read it all. It offers all the Vietnamese traditional dishes including its famous stars like Pho Bò, Banh Xèo, Bun Rieu, Goi Cuon, Cha Gio, Hu Tieu... All animal foods are replaced by specially textured and seasoned tofu. Dishes are delicious, very affordable and nourishing. The service staff is attentive, quick, well-dressed and well-mannered. The atmosphere puts you in a joyful and light transe with psychedelic colors anime movie picturing the marvelous world of Buddhas, kitsch mantra music on unlimited repeat mode (link below), multicoloured flower lights Buddha shrine, 3D wallpaper 70's disco style, glittering Christmas baubles suspended from the ceiling and soft velvet sofas to have you stay there forever and see you again. The café-restaurant is coupled with a boutique selling all the items for the perfect Buddhist monk's complete set with robes, stone pearls rosaries, candles, incense, bells, lights and Buddha's statues and pictures. There is also a wide array of vegan food articles available such as varied nuts, seeds, whole cereals and legumes, dried algae, mushrooms, rice crackers, whole grain noodles, mixed grains powders, all types and shapes of tofu, oils, sauces and seasoning. All you need to get yourself well-equipped and well-nourished on a sure path to Nirvana! This restaurant is way better than what I was hoping to find. I have been eating there three times a day since I found it. It gives me a lot of hope and positive perspective for the development of veganism and the future of humanity on Earth. If one can find such an amazing vegan restaurant in a country that is supposed to be socially, politically and economically relatively underdeveloped, then this kind of place can be found anywhere. There are many pragmatic and realistic solutions to the current state of the world, a durable change now only depends on our collective effort to make it a reality. Link to the restaurant's official chill-out soundtrack : https://youtu.be/Itmaxd3R4wM For a listing of vegan and vegetarian restaurants around the world check the website : https://www.happycow.net/

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China 67 : WanLuan

(Jul. 4th, 2018)

WanLuan (萬巒) is a little village not very far from PingTung city in the South-West of Taïwan. Most of its inhabitants are Hakka people (客家人), so it was very interesting to hear their dialectic language almost everywhere, and witness their traditional worship of the ancestral lineage still alive. The village is surrounded by betel nut and pineapple fields, it also has a little chocolate factory with its cocoa trees and flock of geese. Amongst it's popular culinary specialities are pork feet and peculiar large shape noodles, very authentic and delicious. There are also very typical little Taoist temples, a Christian church with a piano, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine shop having rare local herbs with hand written boxes, a painted pedestrian suspended bridge, and beautiful views of the neighbouring mountains. I was very grateful that friends took me there and allowed me to see this part of Taiwan, which I otherwise wouldn't been able to find by myself. It was a beautiful time away from the city again and very special to see and experience the rural life of Taiwan, simple, unrushed, quiet, welcoming, colourful and picturesque.

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China 66 : Hue

(June 1st, 2018)

As the ancient imperial capital city of Vietnam, Hue has an abundance of cultural sights such as temples, pagodas, palaces, museums, a biennial international festival (that actually happened during my visit ) as well as an original cuisine that makes it interesting, animated, special and beautiful. Along the Perfume River, the heart of the city is still within the ancient citadel surrounded by its moat which makes the area quiet and picturesque.   It is also a good place for those interested in Buddhism as there are literally hundreds of Buddhist temples in and around the town, the mix of Fujian architecture coupled with many natural elements like flowers and bonsai trees makes of these temple some of the most inspiring and charming I have seen in the world. Going around the citadel or even to the surrounding sites by bicycle is convenient and adds fun and adventure to the exploration. I was also briefly received in the monasteries where monks and nuns study under the spiritual guidance of the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Meeting them and sharing a small part of their daily routines was very appeasing and healing. It is a place I would recommend to see in Vietnam, I had a good time in Hue and would happily go again, as there is still a lot more to see.

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China 65 : Hoi An

(May 2nd, 2018)

Once amongst the most important trading ports in Asia for silk and other Eastern treasures, it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site thanks to the hundreds of historical buildings that sprouted from the cultural diversity which settled there over the centuries. In recent years it has become a booming touristic centre, which means plenty of honeymoon picture setups, hundreds of souvenir shops everywhere, government agents entrance ticket controls, overpriced hotels, overpriced restaurants, overpriced entrance tickets, sand bags beaches, hurried honking motorbikes, hurried honking cars, hurried honking trucks, hurried honking buses, and a vast array of other "sell whatever" to the tourists businesses. Despite those unpleasant aspects, I still enjoyed the very fresh ocean water, some beautiful landscapes, those ancient Fujian Chinese houses and the extraordinary local food. If you end up there anyway, a few places and things are worth it, otherwise I would not recommend going there. Vietnam has other more interesting, pleasant and welcoming places to visit.

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China 64 : Dulan

(April 2nd, 2018)

Dulan (都蘭) is a small village by the seashore on the South East coast of Taiwan, despite its small population and relatively remote location, it has become quite trendy and active especially during the Summer months. Its long sandy beach with nice strong waves made it popular as a surfing destination both in Taiwan and abroad. A modern artistic and musical scene has also developed here due to the recent touristic development. Apart from surfing, you can somehow swim in the ocean, take a walk in the surrounding hills and bathe in fresh mountain stream pools, hitch-hike and go visit the surrounding villages and touristic sites of geological, cultural, botanical, scenic or culinary interest. You can also enjoy the clean fresh air from the pacific and rest in the local laid-back countryside atmosphere. Steep mountains peeks views, dark clouds, lush green fields, fresh rocky streams, coastal cliffs, azure blue vast ocean and roaring waves; the landscapes and environment on the East coast are really natural and wild compared with the West part of Taiwan. It was a very beautiful trip to the East coast where I only went now after two years in Taiwan. It was also the first time I saw the pacific ocean from this side of the planet. The ocean is always very healing and rejuvenating, I am already looking forward to go back.

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China 63 : Tainan Lantern Festival

(March 2nd, 2018)

The Spring lantern festival is a traditional celebration on the first full moon of the year on the 15th day of the Chinese new year. Designated temples and urban areas display colorful lanterns for a few days. Most of them are painted by children with many creative variations of colors and design. When lit in the evening they attract many people who come to enjoy those unusual and beautiful urban views. Seeing creativity, beauty and colors in the city like that was refreshing and cheerful, a clear sign that the Winter is finally over around here, a relief warmly welcome. May this new Spring bring renewal and awakening to all.

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China 62 : Long Hai

(February, 2nd, 2018)

Long Hai is a little village on the seaside in the South of Vietnam, about 20 km East from Vung Tau along the coast. It has a few good guest-houses, hotels, resorts and restaurants to accommodate travellers and tourists, whether wealthy or less wealthy. Its beach although a relatively unremarkable attraction is still very popular on week-ends when local tourists from HoChiMinh city come over for a leisure by the sea. They also seem to be dragging along with them all the roar, rubbish and other derangements of the metropolis for two days, so it is a good idea to avoid this time if possible. On weekdays though the village is quiet, the colourful temples, their beautiful sculptures and bonsai are wonderful to see; the beach is calm and the wind of the sea is fresh and pure. It was lovely to spend a few days there on this second trip to Vietnam, which was very pleasant compared with the cold Winter in Taiwan. Going to Vietnam had again a very regenerating and healing effect and I am already looking forward to go back.