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Taipei (/ˌtaɪˈpeɪ/), officially known as Taipei City, is the capital city and a special municipality of Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China, "ROC"). Sitting at the northern tip of the island, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City. It is about 25 km (16 mi) southwest of the northern port city Keelung. Most of the city is located on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed bounded by the two relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers, which join to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border.[5] Formerly known as Taipeh-fu during Qing era and Taihoku under Japanese rule, Taipei became the capital of the Taiwan Province as part of the Republic of China in 1945 and recently has been the capital[a] of the ROC since 1949, when the Kuomintang lost the mainland to the Communists in the Chinese Civil War.
The city proper is home to an estimated population of 2,704,810 in 2015,[6] forming the core part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area which includes the nearby cities of New Taipei and Keelung with a population of 7,047,559,[6][7] the 40th most-populous urban area in the world—roughly one-third of Taiwanese citizens live in the metro district. The name "Taipei" can refer either to the whole metropolitan area or the city proper.
Taipei is the political, economic, educational, and cultural center of Taiwan island, and one of the major hubs of Greater China. Considered to be a global city,[8] Taipei is part of a major high-tech industrial area.[9] Railways, high-speed rail, highways, airports, and bus lines connect Taipei with all parts of the island. The city is served by two airports – Taipei Songshan and Taiwan Taoyuan. Taipei is home to various world-famous architectural or cultural landmarks which include Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Hsing Tian Kong, Lungshan Temple of Manka, National Palace Museum, Presidential Office Building, Taipei Guest House, Ximending, and several night markets dispersing over the city. Its natural features such as Maokong, Yangmingshan, and hot springs are also well known to international visitors.
As the capital city, "Taipei" is sometimes used as a synecdoche for the Republic of China. Due to the ongoing controversy over the political status of Taiwan, the name Chinese Taipei is designated for official use when Taiwanese governmental representatives or national teams participate in some international organizations or international sporting events (which may require UN statehood) in order to avoid extensive political controversy by using other names.
Contents
1 History
1.1 First settlements
1.2 Empire of Japan
1.3 Republic of China
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
2.2 Air quality
2.3 Cityscape
3 Demographics
4 Economy
5 Culture
5.1 Tourism
5.1.1 Commemorative sites and museums
5.1.2 Taipei 101
5.1.3 Performing arts
5.1.4 Shopping and recreation
5.1.5 Temples
5.2 Festivals and events
5.3 Taipei in films
6 Romanization
7 Government
7.1 Garbage recycling
7.2 Administrative divisions
7.3 City planning
8 Transportation
8.1 Metro
8.2 Rail
8.3 Bus
8.4 Airports
8.5 Ticketing
9 Education
9.1 Chinese language program for foreigners
10 Sports
10.1 Major sporting events
10.2 Youth baseball
11 Media
11.1 Television
11.2 Newspapers
12 International relations
12.1 Twin towns and sister cities
12.2 Partner cities
12.3 Friendship cities
13 Gallery
14 See also
15 Notes
16 References
17 External links
History
Main article: History of Taipei
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument and tourist attraction in Taipei.
Prior to the significant influx of Han Chinese immigrants, the region of Taipei Basin was mainly inhabited by the Ketagalan plains aborigines. The number of Han immigrants gradually increased in the early 18th century under Qing Dynasty rule after the government began permitting development in the area.[10] In 1875, the northern part of the island was incorporated into the new Taipeh Prefecture.
The Qing dynasty of China made Taipeh the temporary capital of Fujian-Taiwan Province in 1886 when Taiwan was separated from Fujian Province.[11][12] Taipeh was formally made the provincial capital in 1894.
Japan acquired Taiwan in 1895 under the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the First Sino-Japanese War. Taiwan became a colony of Imperial Japan with Taihoku (formerly Taipeh) as its capital, in which the city was administered under Taihoku Prefecture. Taiwan's Japanese rulers embarked on an extensive program of advanced urban planning that featured extensive railroad links. A number of Taipei landmarks and cultural institutions date from this period.[13]
Following the Japanese surrender of 1945, control of Taiwan was handed to the Republic of China (ROC) (see Retrocession Day). After losing mainland China to the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War, the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) relocated the ROC government to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of the ROC in December 1949.[14][15] In 1990 Taipei provided the backdrop for the Wild Lily student rallies that moved Taiwanese society from one-party rule to multi-party democracy. The city is today home to Taiwan's democratically elected national government.
First settlements
The region known as the Taipei Basin was home to Ketagalan tribes before the eighteenth century.[16] Han Chinese mainly from Fujian Province of Qing dynasty China began to settle in the Taipei Basin in 1709.[17][18]
In the late 19th century, the Taipei area, where the major Han Chinese settlements in northern Taiwan and one of the designated overseas trade ports, Tamsui, were located, gained economic importance due to the booming overseas trade, especially that of tea export. In 1875, the northern part of Taiwan was separated from Taiwan Prefecture and incorporated into the new Taipeh Prefecture as a new administrative entity of the Qing dynasty.[13] Having been established adjoining the flourishing townships of Bangka, Dalongdong, and Twatutia, the new prefectural capital was known as Chengnei (Chinese: 城內; pinyin: chéngnèi; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: siâⁿ-lāi), "the inner city", and government buildings were erected there. From 1875 (still Qing era) until the beginning of Japanese rule in 1895, Taipei was part of Tamsui County of Taipeh Prefecture and the prefectural capital.
In 1885, work commenced to create an independent Taiwan Province, and Taipei City was temporarily made the provincial capital. Taipei officially became the capital of Taiwan in 1894.[citation needed] All that remains from the Qing era is the north gate. The west gate and city walls were demolished by the Japanese while the south gate, little south gate, and east gate were extensively modified by the Kuomintang (KMT) and have lost much of their original character.[19]
Empire of Japan
The Taihoku Prefecture government building in the 1910s (now the Control Yuan)
As settlement for losing the First Sino-Japanese War, China ceded the island of Taiwan to the Empire of Japan in 1895 as part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki. After the Japanese take-over, Taipei, called Taihoku in Japanese, was retained as the capital and emerged as the political center of the Japanese Colonial Government.[13] During that time the city acquired the characteristics of an administrative center, including many new public buildings and housing for civil servants. Much of the architecture of Taipei dates from the period of Japanese rule, including the Presidential Building which was the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan.
During Japanese rule, Taihoku was incorporated in 1920 as part of Taihoku Prefecture. It included Bangka, Twatutia, and Jōnai (城內) among other small settlements. The eastern village of Matsuyama (松山庄, modern-day Songshan District, Taipei) was annexed into Taihoku City in 1938. Upon the Japanese defeat in the Pacific War and its consequent surrender in August 1945, the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) assumed control of Taiwan. Subsequently, a temporary Office of the Taiwan Province Administrative Governor was established in Taipei City.[20]
Republic of China
With President Chiang Kai-shek, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower waved to a crowd during his visit to Taipei in June 1960.
In 1947 the KMT government under Chiang Kai-shek declared island-wide martial law in Taiwan as a result of the February 28 Incident, which began with incidents in Taipei but led to an island-wide crackdown on the local population by forces loyal to Chiang. Two years later, on December 7, 1949, Chiang and the Kuomintang were forced to flee mainland China by the Communists near the end of the Chinese Civil War. The refugees declared Taipei to be the provisional capital of a continuing Republic of China, with the official capital at Nanjing (Nanking) even though that city was under Communist control.[14][15]
Taipei expanded greatly in the decades after 1949, and as approved on December 30, 1966 by the Executive Yuan, Taipei was declared a special centrally administered municipality on July 1, 1967 and given the administrative status of a province.[18] In the following year, Taipei City expanded again by annexing Shilin, Beitou, Neihu, Nangang, Jingmei, and Muzha. At that time, the city's total area increased fourfold through absorbing several outlying towns and villages and the population increased to 1.56 million people.[18]
The city's population, which had reached one million in the early 1960s, also expanded rapidly after 1967, exceeding two million by the mid-1970s. Although growth within the city itself gradually slowed thereafter[20] — its population had become relatively stable by the mid-1990s — Taipei remained one of the world's most densely populated urban areas, and the population continued to increase in the region surrounding the city, notably along the corridor between Taipei and Keelung.
In 1990 Taipei's 16 districts were consolidated into the current 12 districts.[21] Mass democracy rallies that year in the plaza around Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall led to an island-wide transition to multi-party democracy, where legislators are chosen via regularly scheduled popular elections, during the presidency of Lee Teng-Hui.
Geography
The city of Taipei, as seen from Maokong.
Taipei City is located in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan.[22] It is bordered by the Xindian River on the south and the Tamsui River on the west. The generally low-lying terrain of the central areas on the western side of the municipality slopes upward to the south and east and especially to the north,[5] where it reaches 1,120 metres (3,675 ft) at Qixing Mountain, the highest (inactive) volcano in Taiwan in Yangmingshan National Park. The northern districts of Shilin and Beitou extend north of the Keelung River and are bordered by Yangmingshan National Park. The Taipei city limits cover an area of 271.7997 km2,[23] ranking sixteenth of twenty-five among all counties and cities in Taiwan.
Two peaks, Qixing Mountain and Mt. Datun, rise to the northeast of the city.[24] Qixing Mountain is located on the Tatun Volcano Group and the tallest mountain at the rim of the Taipei Basin, with its main peak at 1,120 metres (3,670 ft). Mt. Datun's main peak is 1,092 metres (3,583 ft). These former volcanoes make up the western section of Yangmingshan National Park, extending from Mt. Datun northward to Mt. Caigongkeng (菜公坑山). Located on a broad saddle between two mountains, the area also contains the marshy Datun Pond.
To the southeast of the city lie the Songshan Hills and the Qingshui Ravine, which form a barrier of lush woods.[24]
Climate
Taipei has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate[25][26][27] (Köppen: Cfa).[28] Summers are long-lasting, hot and humid, and accompanied by occasional heavy rainstorms and typhoons, while winters are short, generally warm and generally very foggy due to the northeasterly winds from the vast Siberian High being intensified by the pooling of this cooler air in the Taipei Basin. As in the rest of Northern Taiwan, daytime temperatures of Taipei can often peak above 26 degrees Celsius during a warm winter day, while they can dip below 26 degrees Celsius during a rainy summer's afternoon. Occasional cold fronts during the winter months can drop the daily temperature by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius, though temperatures rarely drop below 10 degrees Celsius.[29] Extreme temperatures ranged from −0.2 °C (31.6 °F) on February 13, 1901 to 39.3 °C (102.7 °F) on August 8, 2013, while snow has never been recorded in the city besides on mountains located within the city limit such as Mount Yangmingshan. Due to Taiwan's location in the Pacific Ocean, it is affected by the Pacific typhoon season, which occurs between June and October.
Air quality
When compared to other Asian cities, Taipei has "excellent" capabilities for managing air quality in the city.[31] Its rainy climate, location near the coast, and strong environmental regulations have prevented air pollution from becoming a substantial health issue, at least compared to cities in southeast Asia and industrial China. However, smog is extremely common and there is poor visibility throughout the city after rain-less days.
Motor vehicle engine exhaust, particularly from motor scooters, is a source of air pollution in Taipei. There are higher levels of fine particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the mornings because of less air movement; sunlight reduces some pollution.[32] Occasionally, dust storms from Mainland China can temporarily bring extremely poor air quality to the city.[33]
Cityscape
Taipei viewed from Tiger Mountain, with Taipei 101 on the left.
Demographics
Taipei City is home to 2,704,810 people (2015), while the metropolitan area has a population of 7,047,559 people.[6] The population of the city has been decreasing in recent years while the population of the adjacent New Taipei has been increasing. The population loss, while rapid in its early years, has been stabilized by new lower density development and campaigns designed to increase birthrate in the city. The population has begun to rise since 2010.[6][34][35]
Due to Taipei's geography and location in the Taipei Basin as well as differing times of economic development of its districts, Taipei's population is not evenly distributed. The districts of Daan, Songshan, and Datong are the most densely populated. These districts, along with adjacent communities such as Yonghe and Zhonghe contain some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the world.[34]
In 2008, the crude birth rate stood at 7.88% while the mortality rate stood at 5.94%. A decreasing and rapidly aging population is an important issue for the city.[34] By the end of 2009, one in ten people in Taipei was over 65 years of age.[36] Residents who had obtained a college education or higher accounted for 43.48% of the population, and the literacy rate stood at 99.18%.[34]
Like the rest of Taiwan, Taipei is composed of four major ethnic groups: Hoklos, Mainlanders, Hakkas, and aborigines.[34] Although Hoklos and Mainlanders form the majority of the population of the city, in recent decades many Hakkas have moved into the city. The aboriginal population in the city stands at 12,862 (<0.5%), concentrated mostly in the suburban districts. Foreigners (mainly from Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines) numbered 52,426 at the end of 2008.[34]
Economy
As the center of Taiwan's largest conurbation, Taipei has been at the center of rapid economic development in the country and has now become one of the global cities in the production of high technology and its components.[37] This is part of the so-called Taiwan Miracle which has seen dramatic growth in the city following foreign direct investment in the 1960s. Taiwan is now a creditor economy, holding one of the world's largest foreign exchange reserves of over US$403 billion as of December 2012.[38]
Despite the Asian financial crisis, the economy continues to expand at about 5% per year, with virtually full employment and low inflation. As of 2013, the nominal GDP per capita in Taipei city is lower than that in Hong Kong by a narrow margin according to The Economist(Nominal GDP per capita in HK is US$38181 in 2013 from IMF).[39] Furthermore, according to Financial times, GDP per capita based on Purchasing Power Parity(PPP) in Taipei in 2015 is 44173 USD, behind that in Singapore(US$48900 from IMF) and Hong Kong(US$56689 from IMF).[40]
Taipei and its environs have long been the foremost industrial area of Taiwan, consisting of industries of the secondary and tertiary sectors.[41] Most of the country's important factories producing textiles and apparel are located there; other industries include the manufacture of electronic products and components, electrical machinery and equipment, printed materials, precision equipment, and foods and beverages. Such companies include Shihlin Electric, CipherLab and Insyde Software. Shipbuilding, including yachts and other pleasure craft, is done in the port of Keelung northeast of the city.
Services, including those related to commerce, transportation, and banking, have become increasingly important. Tourism is a small but significant component of the local economy[42][43] with international visitors totaling almost 3 million in 2008.[44] Taipei has many top tourist attractions and contributes a significant amount to the US$6.8 billion tourism industry in Taiwan.[45] National brands such as ASUS,[46] Chunghwa Telecom,[47] Mandarin Airlines,[48] Tatung,[49] and Uni Air,[50][51] D-Link [52] are headquartered in Taipei City.
Culture
Tourism
See also: List of tourist attractions in Taipei
Tourism is a major part of Taipei's economy. In 2013, over 6.3 million overseas visitors visited Taipei, making the city the 15th most visited globally.[53] The influx of visitors contributed $10.8 billion USD to the city's economy in 2013, the 9th highest in the world and the most of any city in the Chinese-speaking world.[54]
Commemorative sites and museums
The National Palace Museum
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attraction that was erected in memory of General Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China.[55] The structure stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square, site of the National Concert Hall and National Theater and their adjacent parks as well as the memorial. The landmarks of Liberty Square stand within sight of Taiwan's Presidential Building in Taipei's Zhongzheng District.
The National Taiwan Museum
The National Taiwan Museum sits nearby in what is now 228 Peace Memorial Park and has worn its present name since 1999. The museum is Taiwan's oldest, founded on October 24, 1908 by Taiwan's Japanese colonial government (1895-1945) as the Taiwan Governor's Museum. It was launched with a collection of 10,000 items to celebrate the opening of the island's North-South Railway.[56] In 1915 a new museum building opened its doors in what is now 228 Peace Memorial Park. This structure and the adjacent governor's office (now Presidential Office Building), served as the two most recognizable public buildings in Taiwan during its period of Japanese rule.[56]
Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines
The National Palace Museum is a vast art gallery and museum built around a permanent collection centered on ancient Chinese artifacts. It should not be confused with the Palace Museum in Beijing (which it is named after); both institutions trace their origins to the same institution. The collections were divided in the 1940s as a result of the Chinese Civil War.[57][58] The National Palace Museum in Taipei now boasts a truly international collection while housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China.[58]
The Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines stands just 200 metres across the road from the National Palace Museum. The museum offers displays of art and historical items by Taiwanese aborigines along with a range of multimedia displays.
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum was established in 1983 as the first museum in Taiwan dedicated to modern art. The museum is housed in a building designed for the purpose that takes inspiration from Japanese designs. Most art in the collection is by Taiwanese artists since 1940. Over 3,000 art works are organized into 13 groups.
The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall near Taipei 101 in Xinyi District is named in honor of a founding father of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen. The hall, completed on May 16, 1972, originally featured exhibits that depicted revolutionary events in China at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Today it functions as multi-purpose social, educational, concert and cultural center for Taiwan's citizens.[59]
Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, aka "old city hall"
In 2001 a new museum opened as Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei. The museum is housed in a building that formerly housed Taipei City government offices.[60]
Night view of a fully lit Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of world's tallest building when it opened in 2004, a title it held for six years before relinquishing it to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture, Taipei 101 measures 509 m (1,670 ft) from ground to top, making it the first skyscraper in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height. Built to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors, its design incorporates many engineering innovations and has won numerous international awards. Taipei 101 remains one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world and holds LEED's certification as the world's largest "green" building. Its shopping mall and its indoor and outdoor observatories draw visitors from all over the world. Taipei 101's New Year's Eve fireworks display is a regular feature of international broadcasts.
Performing arts
Taiwan's National Concert Hall at night
The National Theater and Concert Hall stand at Taipei's Liberty Square and host events by foreign and domestic performers. Other leading concert venues include Zhongshan Hall at Ximending and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall near Taipei 101.
A new venue, the Taipei Performing Arts Center, is under construction and slated to open in 2015.[61][62] The venue will stand near the Shilin Night Market[63] and will house three theaters for events with multi-week runs. The architectural design, by Rem Koolhaas and OMA, was determined in 2009 in an international competition.[64] The same design process is also in place for a new Taipei Center for Popular Music and Taipei City Museum.[65]
Shopping and recreation
Main article: Shopping in Taipei
Taipei is known for its many night markets, the most famous of which is the Shilin Night Market in the Shilin District. The surrounding streets by Shilin Night Market are extremely crowded during the evening, usually opening late afternoon and operating well past midnight. Most night markets feature individual stalls selling a mixture of food, clothing, and consumer goods.
The busy streets of Ximending at night
Ximending has been a famous area for shopping and entertainment since the 1930s. Historic structures include a concert hall, a historic cinema, and the Red House Theater. Modern structures house karaoke businesses, art film cinemas, wide-release movie cinemas, electronic stores, and a wide variety of restaurants and fashion clothing stores.[66] The pedestrian area is especially popular with teens and has been called the "Harajuku" of Taipei.[67]
Eastern district at night
The newly developed Xinyi District is popular with tourists and locals alike for its many entertainment and shopping venues, as well as being the home of Taipei 101, a prime tourist attraction. Malls in the area include the sprawling Shin Kong Mitsukoshi complex, Breeze Center, Bellavita, Taipei 101 mall, Eslite Bookstore's flagship store (which includes a boutique mall), The Living Mall, ATT shopping mall, and the Vieshow Cinemas (formerly known as Warner Village). The Xinyi district also serves as the center of Taipei's active nightlife, with several popular lounge bars and nightclubs concentrated in a relatively small area around the Neo19, ATT 4 FUN and Taipei 101 buildings. Lounge bars such as Barcode and nightclubs such as Spark and Myst are among the most-visited places here.
Eslite Bookstore in Xinyi District
The thriving shopping area around Taipei Main Station includes the Taipei Underground Market and the original Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store at Shin Kong Life Tower. Other popular shopping destinations include the Zhongshan Metro Mall, Dihua Street, the Guang Hua Digital Plaza, and the Core Pacific City. The Miramar Entertainment Park is known for its large Ferris wheel and IMAX theater.
Taipei maintains an extensive system of parks, green spaces, and nature preserves. Parks and forestry areas of note in and around the city include Yangmingshan National Park, Taipei Zoo and Da-an Forest Park. Yangmingshan National Park (located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the central city) is famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, and sulfur deposits. It is the home of famous writer Lin Yutang, the summer residence of Chiang Kai-shek, residences of foreign diplomats, the Chinese Culture University, the meeting place of the now defunct National Assembly of the Republic of China, and the Kuomintang Party Archives. The Taipei Zoo was founded in 1914 and covers an area of 165 hectares for animal sanctuary.
Bitan is known for boating and water sports. Tamsui is a popular sea-side resort town. Ocean beaches are accessible in several directions from Taipei.
Temples
Built in 1738, Longshan Temple is one of the oldest temples in the city.
Street corner shrine, Taipei 2013
Taipei is rich in beautiful, ornate temples housing Buddhist, Taoist, and Chinese folk religion deities. The Longshan Temple, built in 1738 and located in the Wanhua District, demonstrates an example of architecture with southern Chinese influences commonly seen on older buildings in Taiwan.
Xinsheng South Road is known as the "Road to Heaven" due to its high concentration of temples, shrines, churches, and mosques.[68][69] Other famous temples include Baoan Temple located in historic Dalongdong, a national historical site, and Xiahai City God Temple, located in the old Dadaocheng community, constructed with architecture similar to temples in southern Fujian.[70] The Taipei Confucius Temple traces its history back to 1879 during the Qing Dynasty and also incorporates southern Fujian-style architecture.[71]
Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common and can be spotted on road sides, parks, and neighborhoods. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to the Kitchen god for success in a restaurant business.[72]
New Year's Eve fireworks at Taipei 101
Festivals and events
Many yearly festivals are held in Taipei. In recent years some festivals, such as the Double Ten Day fireworks and concerts, are increasingly hosted on a rotating basis by a number of cities around Taiwan.
When New Year's Eve arrives on the solar calendar, thousands of people converge on Taipei's Xinyi District for parades, outdoor concerts by popular artists, street shows, round-the clock nightlife. The high point is of course the countdown to midnight, when Taipei 101 assumes the role of the world's largest fireworks platform.
The Taipei Lantern Festival concludes the Lunar New Year holiday. The timing of the city's lantern exhibit coincides with the national festival in Pingxi, when thousands of fire lanterns are released into the sky.[73] The city's lantern exhibit rotates among different downtown locales from year to year, including Liberty Square, Taipei 101, and Zhongshan Hall in Ximending.
On Double Ten Day, patriotic celebrations are held in front of the Presidential Building. Other annual festivals include Ancestors Day (Tomb-Sweeping Day), the Dragon Boat Festival, the Ghost Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival).[73]
Taipei regularly hosts its share of international events. The city recently hosted the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.[74] This event was followed by the Taipei International Flora Exposition, a garden festival hosted from November 2010 to April 2011. The Floral Expo was the first of its kind to take place in Taiwan and only the seventh hosted in Asia; the expo admitted 110,000 visitors on February 27, 2011.
Taipei in films
Romanization
The spelling "Taipei" derives from the Wade–Giles romanization T'ai-pei.[75] The name could be also romanized as Táiběi according to Hanyu Pinyin and Tongyong Pinyin.[76][77]
Government
Taipei City is a special municipality which is directly under the Executive Yuan (Central Government) of ROC. The mayor of Taipei City had been an appointed position since Taipei's conversion to a centrally administered municipality in 1967 until the first public election was held in 1994.[78] The position has a four-year term and is elected by direct popular vote. The first elected mayor was Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party. Ma Ying-jeou took office in 1998 for two terms, before handing it over to Hau Lung-pin who won the 2006 mayoral election on December 9, 2006.[79] Both Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-Jeou went on to become President of the Republic of China. The incumbent mayor, Ko Wen-je, was elected on November 29, 2014 and took office on December 25, 2014.[80]
Based on the outcomes of previous elections in the past decade, the vote of the overall constituency of Taipei City shows a slight inclination towards the pro-KMT camp (the Pan-Blue Coalition);[81] however, the pro-DPP camp (the Pan-Green Coalition) also has considerable support.[82]
Ketagalan Boulevard, where the Presidential Office Building and other government structures are situated, is often the site of mass gatherings such as inauguration and national holiday parades, receptions for visiting dignitaries, political demonstrations,[83][84] and public festivals.[85]
Garbage recycling
Taipei City is also famous for its effort in garbage recycling, which has become such a good international precedent that other countries have sent teams to study the recycling system. After the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) established a program in 1998 combining the efforts of communities, a financial resource named the Recycling Fund was made available to recycling companies and waste collectors. Manufacturers, vendors and importers of recyclable waste pay fees to the Fund, which uses the money to set firm prices for recyclables and subsidize local recycling efforts. Between 1998 and 2008, the recycling rate increased from 6 percent to 32 percent.[86] This improvement enabled the government of Taipei to demonstrate its recycling system to the world at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
Administrative divisions
Taipei City is divided up into 12 administrative districts (區 qu).[87] Each district is further divided up into urban villages (里), which are further sub-divided up into neighborhoods (鄰).
Map District Population
(Jan. 2016) Area
(km2) Postal
code
Beitou 北投區 Běitóu Pei-t'ou Pak-tâu 257,922 56.8216 112
Da'an 大安區 Dà'ān Ta-an Tāi-an 312,909 11.3614 106
Datong 大同區 Dàtóng Ta-t'ung Tāi-tông 131,029 5.6815 103
Nangang 南港區 Nángǎng Nan-kang Lâm-káng 122,296 21.8424 115
Neihu 內湖區 Nèihú Nei-hu Lāi-ô͘ 287,726 31.5787 114
Shilin 士林區 Shìlín Shih-lin Sū-lîm 290,682 62.3682 111
Songshan 松山區 Sōngshān Sung-shan Siông-san 209,689 9.2878 105
Wanhua 萬華區 Wànhuá Wan-hua Báng-kah 194,314 8.8522 108
Wenshan 文山區 Wénshān Wen-shan Bûn-san 275,433 31.5090 116
Xinyi 信義區 Xìnyì Hsin-yi Sìn-gī 229,139 11.2077 110
Zhongshan 中山區 Zhōngshān Chung-shan Tiong-san 231,286 13.6821 104
Zhongzheng 中正區 Zhōngzhèng Chung-cheng Tiong-chèng 162,549 7.6071 100
City planning
The city is characterized by straight roads and public buildings of grand Western architectural styles.[88] The city is built on a square grid configuration, however these blocks are huge by international standards with 500 m (1,640.42 ft) sides. The area in between these blocks are infilled with lanes and alleys, which provide access to quieter residential or mixed-use development. Other than a citywide 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) speed limit, there is little uniform planning within this "hidden" area; therefore lanes (perpendicular to streets) and alleys (parallel with street, or conceptually, perpendicular to the lane) spill out from the main throughways. These minor roads are not always perpendicular and sometimes cut through the block diagonally.
Although development began in the western districts (still considered the cultural heart of the city) of the city due to trade, the eastern districts of the city have become the focus of recent development projects. Many of the western districts, already in decline, have become targets of new urban renewal initiatives.[88]
Transportation
Platform of Wende Station on the Taipei Metro system.
Public transport accounts for a substantial portion of different modes of transport in Taiwan, with Taipei residents having the highest utilization rate at 34.1%.[89] Private transport consists of motor scooters, private cars, and bicycles. Motor-scooters often weave between cars and occasionally through oncoming traffic. Respect for traffic laws, once scant, has improved with deployment of traffic cameras and increasing numbers of police roadblocks checking riders for alcohol consumption and other offenses.
Taipei Station serves as the comprehensive hub for the subway, bus, conventional rail, and high-speed rail.[41] A contactless smartcard, known as EasyCard, can be used for all modes of public transit as well as several retail outlets. It contains credits that are deducted each time a ride is taken.[90] The EasyCard is read via proximity sensory panels on buses and in MRT stations, and it does not need to be removed from one's wallet or purse.
Metro
Main article: Taipei Metro
Taipei's public transport system, the Taipei Metro (commonly referred to as the MRT), incorporates a metro and light rail system based on advanced VAL and Bombardier technology. There are currently five metro lines that are labelled in three ways: color, line number and depot station name. In addition to the rapid transit system itself, the Taipei Metro also includes several public facilities such as the Maokong Gondola, underground shopping malls, parks, and public squares. Modifications to existing railway lines to integrate them into the metro system are underway.
In 2017 a rapid transit line was opened to connect Taipei with Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taoyuan City. The new line is part of the new Taoyuan Metro system.
Taipei Railway Station front
Rail
Main articles: Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railway Administration
Beginning in 1983, surface rail lines in the city were moved underground as part of the Taipei Railway Underground Project.[91] The Taiwan High Speed Rail system opened in 2007. The bullet trains connect Taipei with the west coast cities of New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, and Tainan before terminating at Zuoying (Kaohsiung) at speeds that cut travel times by 60% or more from what they normally are on a bus or conventional train.[92] The Taiwan Railway Administration also runs passenger and freight services throughout the entire island.
Bus
An extensive city bus system serves metropolitan areas not covered by the metro, with exclusive bus lanes to facilitate transportation.[41] Riders of the city metro system are able to use the EasyCard for discounted fares on buses, and vice versa. Several major intercity bus terminals are located throughout the city, including the Taipei Bus Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station.[93]
Taipei Songshan Airport
Airports
Main articles: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport
Most scheduled international flights are served by Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in nearby Taoyuan City. Songshan Airport at the heart of the city in the Songshan District serves domestic flights and scheduled flights to Tokyo International Airport (also known as Haneda Airport), Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, and about 15 destinations in the People's Republic of China. Songshan Airport is accessible by the Taipei Metro Neihu Line; Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is accessible by the Taoyuan International Airport MRT system.
Ticketing
In 1994, with the rapid development of Taipei, a white paper for transport policies expressed the strong objective to "create a civilised transport system for the people of Taipei." In 1999, they chose Mitac consortium, which Thales-Transportation Systems is part of. Thales was then selected again in 2005 to deploy an upgrade of Taipei's public transport network with an end-to-end and fully contactless automatic fare collection solution that integrates 116 metro stations, 5,000 buses and 92 car parks.[citation needed]
Education
West Site of National Taiwan University Hospital
24 universities have campuses located in Taipei:
National Taiwan University (1928)
National Chengchi University (1927)
National Defense Medical Center (1902)
National Defense University (1906)
National Taipei University (1949)
National Taipei University of Business (1917)
National Taipei University of Education (1895)
National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science (1947)
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (1974)
National Taipei University of Technology (1912)
National Taiwan College of Performing Arts (1957)
National Taiwan Normal University (1946)
National Yang-Ming University (1975)
Taipei National University of the Arts (1982)
University of Taipei (2013)
Tamkang University (1950)
Soochow University (1900)
Chinese Culture University (1962)
Ming Chuan University (1957)
Shih Hsin University (1956)
Shih Chien University (1958)
Taipei Medical University (1960)
Tatung University (1956)
China University of Technology (1965)
National Taiwan University (NTU) was established in 1928 during the period of Japanese colonial rule. NTU has produced many political and social leaders in Taiwan. Both pan-blue and pan-green movements in Taiwan are rooted on the NTU campus. The university has six campuses in the greater Taipei region (including New Taipei) and two additional campuses in Nantou County. The university governs farms, forests, and hospitals for educational and research purposes. The main campus is in Taipei's Da-An district, where most department buildings and all the administrative buildings are located. The College of Law and the College of Medicine are located near the Presidential Building. The National Taiwan University Hospital is a leading international center of medical research.[94]
National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU or Shida) likewise traces its origins to the Japanese colonial period. Originally a teacher training institution, NTNU has developed into a comprehensive international university with demanding entrance requirements. The university boasts especially strong programs in the humanities and international education. Worldwide it is perhaps best known as home of the Mandarin Training Center, a program that offers Mandarin language training each year to over a thousand students from dozens of countries throughout the world. The main campus in Taipei's Da-An district, near MRT Guting Station, is known for its historic architecture and giving its name to the Shida Night Market, one of the most popular among the numerous night markets in Taipei.
Chinese language program for foreigners
Taiwan Mandarin Institute (TMI) (福爾摩莎)
International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) (國際華語研習所) of National Taiwan University
Mandarin Training Center (MTC) (國語教學中心) of National Taiwan Normal University
Taipei Language Institute (中華語文研習所)
52044 now resplendent in br black livery is seen heading for Ingrow with a shuttle from keighley on the 12th of March 2022
Ah the days of First when anything could turn up on anything!
This superb Duple 425 turned up in Penzance on the 18 from Camborne (not that you could tell no visible blinds, good job I noted the working in a note book after checking with the driver!)
Found even more of my old snap earlier on a CD that I had misplaced, taken ages sifting through them, exciting way to spend a Sunday afternoon! :-)
CSXT 8357 and 5233 lead a K train loaded with stone that will be interchanged to the AVR at Glenwood yard. The train consisted of a lot of former Algoma Central hoppers.
I've been told that I draw "like a five year old". I don't think that those people get that I choose to draw that way. I *could* draw in this style all the time, if I wanted to, but I don't (although I do enjoy it now and then.)
This was a v. quick drawing because Mr P. kept moving.
Two horizontal compositions of this male quail in Tennessee Valley last May. They are such remarkably beautiful birds, and I love it when they give me a chance to take some portraits.
When I posted a vertical composition of this bird previously, there was a comment about how I was able to get such a clean background at only f/8. The secret to this shot is that the backdrop is a hillside on the other side of the the valley, perhaps a few hundred yards away!
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Haven't taken any photos recently but thought I would upload this photoshopped version of an earlier shot. Given it a proper watercolour effect. Not pure photography I know, but think the processing suits the picture. Barden Lake, Tonbridge, Kent.
During the summer you can only do the Overland Track heading south and only after booking. But while the masses head south I headed north. I could get away with it because I wasn't doing the complete Overland Track although I had a few comments and strange looks from people who obviously though I was a criminal ;)
After heading North for a day I peeled off the track and endured some of the toughest hiking conditions to date getting up and then traversing the DuCane Range. Weather and terrain all played their part.
When I finally emerged back onto a proper track some days later I was treated to this view. Fine weather and a fine looking scene. It was so good to feel warm again and great to be able to dry the sleeping bag. And best of all I had it all to myself. A little selfish maybe but such a great moment.
Minolta CLE | Minolta M-Rokkor 40 mm | Ilford FP4+ 125
Digitized with Canon EOS 6D | Lighttable | Digitazia
Home developed in Adox FX39II 1/14 | 8 min / 20 deg C
Negative Lab Pro v2.2.0 | Color Model: B+W | Pre-Sat: 3 | Tone Profile: LAB - Standard | WB: None | LUT: None
My affinity for pumps is not what it once was, I'm drawn more to strappy open toe sandals with a little pizzazz these days. This pair of classic pencil thin 5 inch stilettos are an exception. These were sent to me by a friend in Europe over the Winter and I've been looking forward to some warmer weather to break them out.
None of this 599 Milarky.
Great to see one on the street in the middle of London...What was wierd was the other classic icon the other side 10 mins later. Yellow Lamborghini Miura!
The folks that live in this community definitely don't need any help when it comes to decorating! They go all out for holidays and especially the 4th of July! After the dinner/dance they start marshaling up the golf carts in the front parking lot, getting ready for the parade. It wouldn't do just to have your ride pimped out, you need to be dressed the part as well!
This is from our community party/dance/parade. The folks that live here are pretty patriotic, it comes with the generation.
Had to do some serious crop on this shot to avoid clutter.
I found Sally (formerly known as Kali, She Who Is Black in Sanskrit) at a vet's office where I was living. According to the vet someone had brought her into the office, told the vet they did not want her and to put her down. The vet agreed and the person left. Once the person was gone the vet said there was no way he was putting down a healthy dog and so her journey began.
She was a long hair Chihuahua, dark chocolate brown with just a hint of grey. The vet wasn't sure of her age, guessing it
to be between 8-10 years old. She was a small girl, grossly overweight (4.5 kilos), had a heart murmur and only 3 working legs. Her fourth leg had been injured because of her weight and healed incorrectly, causing her to carry it up all the time.
When a friend of mine saw her he immediately thought of me, knowing my heart has always fell for the little old ladies that no one else wanted. He told me about her, I went to the vets and she came home with me that day. The funny part was when I arrived home. Walking in the door I called to my wife in the kitchen and said "guess what I found at work today?" She replied "Oh, I don't know, probably another broken dog". The look on her face when I walked into the kitchen with Sally was priceless!
It took a good year to get Sally down to her proper weight (2.25 kilos). Once she was shed of the extra pounds her personality really started to come out. It was quite obvious that I was her hero and she would do anything to be where I was. My wife and our other dogs she tolerated, anyone else she did not like at all.
I named her Sally in part because of her bark. She had the voice of that old lady who sits at the end of the bar, the one that's smoked too many cigarettes and drank too many whiskeys. It was a rough and tough sort of gravelly sound, and she wound up being a rough and tough little girl.
Her voice reminded me of Rose Marie and that's where the name Sally came from. She wasn't what most would call a good looking dog but I'm sure she thought she was the prettiest girl in the room.
Sally came home in 2011 and lived with us until 2018. We spent much time together out working in my garage shop. I would work, she would sit by the door and keep watch. Taking the garbage out to the bin was always an adventure, she would race to the can with her three legs pumping as fast as they could.
If anything, Sally certainly taught me perseverance. She never did give up and she never did quit right up to the end. She was my little girl and I still miss her to this day.
SD-244 to Mount Rushmore National Memorial - almost there!
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Red/Cyan (not red/blue) glasses of the proper density must be used to view 3D effect without ghosting.
After two days of tough hike on a steep ascent; at last we reached to Sirkhata Lake. In this hike, we also have crossed an unnamed mountain pass which was above 4300 meter in height. This pass located in north-east direction of Sirkhata Lake.
The next question for us was to decide which route we should opt for returning back. We got three options; first, was to be choosing the same trek from which, we had descended down the earlier day to this valley; i.e. the north east mountain pass but that doesn’t end up at Supat Pass and we wanted to see that as well. Also that trek was quite tough and the last portion of this pass was too steep, it was difficult to climb this portion in snow without having proper gear.
Second option was to trek up to Shames village and then hike on jeep road up to Supat top. According to locals it is a lengthier route and would take a full day to reach Supat top. Even reaching Shames village would take three to four hours from Sirkhata Lake. Before going to this trek I have checked Shames village altitude on Google Earth, it was around 3400 meter and from there going to Supat top was something a hike of 9 km in which we again have to gain an altitude of 1000 meter. So we left the idea of going on this route as well.
Locals insist us to choose a third option a shorter route for our return, that was a mountain pass run in North West direction of upstream of Sirkhata Lake. We were little afraid for choosing this ‘mountain route pass’ at first, because earlier day the mountain pass which we have crossed in north-west direction was full covered in snow and there were portions where snow was very hard and unfortunately because of not having proper snow gear, I slipped there four times.
We came to know that a day before our arrival a villager have crossed this pass to enter in valley. He was the first one to do so in this season, he told us though the pass is totally covered in snow but the condition of snow was not hard. So his words gave us confidence to choose this route.
Next day we got up early in the morning, we started our trek around 6:30 a.m., The weather was clear in the morning. Kohastani’s have interesting and hospitable customs. Before leaving everybody again came to meet with us. Earlier night Salman distribute candies among children’s. Every Children eye was glittering with expression of thanks. Also some Villagers hold our luggage and came with us for some distance and then say goodbye to us this is there tradition. We don’t have words of thanks for love and care shown to us by Sirkhata villagers.
We started hiking upstream of Sirkhata Lake along the small glacial streams. After hiking for one hour, a never ending glacier has started, initially for next 30 minutes the slope on glacier was gradual, than again the tough steep ascent started that was also all covered in snow. We reached at first ridge the height there was around 4300 meter. Still there was no sign of pass, we again started hiking and reached another mountain top but was also not pass. We were standing in different world it was vast mountain pasture all covered in snow. There was feeling in the mind at that time that we were standing in Antarctica, because the white was the only color we could see in all four directions.
Now we could see a mountain series running in west direction, but still our porters were not sure about the actual direction of pass. It was almost five hours that we have left Sirkhata Lake. We did not meet any other human in our way, a panic start creeping, both Salman and me watching each other faces and asked the porters in nervousness where is the pass? The answer was of more desperation, “Sir, I will not tell a lie with you, I am not from this area, I am not sure about the Pass.”
We could see a mountain range running on our west side, but it is almost impossible to cross this in this season without proper maintaining gear. Among this series there was a ridge which was of lower height. Salman GPS knowledge helped at that time, he confirmed that only this could be the respective mountain pass. It looks almost a straight wall of more than 30 meter height covered in snow. We sent one of our porters first at top; he asked us to wait, He still was not confirmed at last he saw a human some 200 meters down on other side and he started shouting, “Come up”. It was moment of relief. It was a straight climb, thanks to our porters that we able to reach at top without having any proper maintaining gear.
The scene from top were amazing, we could see a snow covered Supat & Maheen top from there.
Our journey still not end, we have to descend down from this pass and have to trek on snow againto reach Supat top. I will share that detail in next chapter.
Here is a nice, but small (5.5 mm / .2") beetle called Bembidion litorale which I found on a sand bank in the Mjällån river running through the Mjällådalen nature reserve near Härnösand, Sweden.
It doesn't have a common English name but the Swedish name confused me a bit when I found it the first time the year before this. It's called "brokig spegellöpare" where "spegel" means mirror and is referencing the foure shiny squares on it's back which makes sense, but "brokig" means mottled and when you see the others I found (like here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53194027546/) it doesn't look very "mottled".
This one however had a decidedly more mottled look, right?
With frost still adorning the fields 67025 passes Wistanstow (north of Craven Arms) with the 0830 Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff Central, 1V37, nice to still be loco hauled. This is a version close to 16x9, taken a tickle earlier than my original posting.
This story actually happened a very long time ago.
Claire is not, or ever was, the girl in this story’s name. Other than that, the skeleton of the tale is accurately depicted as it occurred.
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Now, to start off, let us talk cemeteries.
To me, a proper cemetery has been around for several hundred years. With long, looming old headstones with eroded lettering that have been there so long, they appear to be part of the landscape. We grew up within walking distance to one like that. Full of history, stories, and suspected hauntings.
Like the witches' circle located in a secluded corner of what we at the time called the forgotten Cemetery...
The witches' circle was a circle of old tall slabs that contained the remains of a suspected dark magic practitioner and his followers. Their remains were laid to rest inside the circle.
My brother’s wife Ginny as a young girl had visited this area. With her was a young mother with her infant. The infant was sleeping peacefully in her mother’s arms until they passed through the circle. While inside the baby started fussing. Once out of the circle the baby was fine. Out of curiosity, the circle was entered again. This time the infant started crying until the outside was reached. Figuring that was quite enough, the group left the cemetery.
This particular evening We had been sitting (drinking) and telling ghost stories behind the forgotten cemetery that was located off of the wooded part of Abbot’s chase lane. We were within sight of the witches' circle, which that evening behaved.
Now Abbot’s Chase lane ends in town, stopping at a T in the road where our local pub, the Poet and Peasant is. The pub itself, with the skull of a 14th-century poet named Erik, sits upon a balustrade. So the pub can be a pretty spooky place in its own right...
But I transgress...
Claire’s story was told to a group of us that October evening by my twin Brother as his contribution to the evenings' ghost telling.
After he told it, we challenged him over it not being a proper ghost tale, more like Twilight Zone fodder actually.
But whether it is a spooky ghost story or not, I will leave it up to you, the readers to decide…
Enjoy
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Claire, an only child, received an antique ring from her Grandmother on her sixteenth birthday. It was a pretty thing, a large square sapphire stone surrounded by twinkling diamonds.
Claire truly felt blessed by this, for even though she loved her Grandmother, the old lady could be a mean and vindictive soul, who only did nice things in a begrudgingly way.
Her neighbors referred to her as ‘the witch’ for that reason. And for all Claire knew, so did her parents!
Claire knew about the witch label from a girlfriend whose family lived in that neighborhood. She also knew that her Grandmother’s favorite horse, Flitchrune was, when gossiping, referred to as witchbroom.
Just two months after receiving the gift, Claire’s 85-year-old Grandmother passed away unexpectedly.
After taking Flitchrune out for a bit of exercise, the 85-year-old lady had felt faint and went far a ly down. There they found her in bed, where she had died peacefully in her sleep of a heart attack.
Claire was out of the country at the time studying. Her parents, not wishing for her to cut her studies short, did not inform their daughter of her grandmother’s passing until she came back, two weeks after the funeral.
Claire understood completely, but she felt down deep that she had let her Grandmother down by not being at the service. So much so that she could not bring herself to visit her grave.
From the Grandmother’s estate, her parents gave Claire a small end cabinet that her Great, Great Uncle, a warden level Free Mason, a carpenter by trade, had made. On the backside of the cabinet(where it would be against the wall) was a secret drawer.
The drawer was empty, but Claire liked to imagine the secrets it once held.
It was inside here that Clair kept her case of good pearls, and the antique ring when not being worn for Church or some formal dress occasion.
One such formal dress occasion was the gala held for student’s graduation from university. This was event was coincidently held on the 1st month anniversary of her Grandmother’s passing.
For the occasion, she wore a long blue taffeta dress with a plunging neckline. She borrowed her Mum’s expensive diamond rhinestone necklace with matching earrings. She also was wearing her Grandmother’s ring.
Claire had a brilliant time there. Dancing and drinking the evening away. So much fun in fact that when the time came to be put out, a group of her friends decided to party on and Claire followed in their wake.
They started dancing at a dockside pub, the Poet and Peasant, where the ladies in Claire’s circle found themselves the centre of attention. Helped by the pretty way they were all attired.
in fact, Clare had such a good time, that she did not remember how she got home or putting herself to bed even.
That night she had some very strange dreams.
A riderless horse appearing in front of her as she walked through the heather by her Grandmother’s manor. She followed the horse as it led her through a ballroom, crowded with dancers. From there she found herself outside again, with the horse standing on the far bank of a river. She tried to find a way across but got lost in a cemetery. Off to one side was a building lit up by candles. Going inside she found herself in a room filled with men wearing bloomers, ruffled shirts, and sashes with strange metal symbols attached. They were not paying her any head, instead Looking at something in the centre of the room. She moved up close and saw it was her Great, Great Uncle’s cabinet, the secret door open.
Claire found herself being jostled over to it. Curiously she looked inside. Seeing something glittering she tried reaching in, only to be pulled back as the object was grabbed by a male hand. The drawer then slammed shut. The masons were angry with her. Yelling as she tried to free herself
From their grasp. She felt hands pulling and clawing at her. She felt her mum’s necklace being twisted around her throat as….
She awoke, realizing she was in her bed, still dressed, and wrapped in her comforter. It was 5:00 in the morning.
Strange, though, she never usually used the comforter like a blanket.
She, unsteadily, got up to survey the damage in the bathroom mirror. Deciding as she did that a cold shower was in order. She began by removing her Mum’s rhinestones.
She then gasped in real horror.
Her mothers’ jewelry was still all there, but not her Grandmother’s ring. It was gone from her finger.
She began a frantic search in and around the bed. Not finding the ring.
Sitting on the bed she tried to calm herself and think rationally.
She then began to methodically search the room, several times. Including the secret cabinet drawer, which she looked inside at least 3 different times. But to no avail.
She called her twin brother and he came over to help in the search.
He also searched the ancient cabinet, removing the secret drawer, and explored all its nooks and crannies, finding nothing but cobwebs and an old farthing.
They retraced her steps that evening, going to the dance hall and then to the pub. But again. To no avail. The ring simply had vanished.
A lost ad was even placed in the local paper. With no response.
A man had come forward at the pub and said he had run into her and her friends there last night. He admitted he had seen her home, along with a friend, walking both to the door from the cab.
She admitted to not remembering him at all. He chuckled, teasingly saying he remembered her very well. Then added. and Luv, you were still wearing the pretty ring as you so abruptly left me standing at the closed door.
She liked his manner of speaking, and apologized for not remembering much of last evening, then daringly gave him a peck on the cheek for seeing her home.
But sadly, No word or trace of the ring could be found, nor its disappearance explained.
A week later, still feeling tearful over the loss of the ring, she finally went to visit her grandmother’s grave. Apologizing profusely for not being there for her.
Someone had placed a stuffed small animal of a horse, and she petted it as she wept real tears, glad she was alone there.
But Claire felt no comfort, and the dead silence surrounding her was a bit disconcerting like she was being chastised and scolded by someone or something.
She looked down at the stuffed toy horse and thought….’Witchbroom?’
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Now for the ‘spooky’ bit
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Two months later
Taking a job in a city off the coast, Claire moved from her apartment and took a flat overlooking the ocean. With her went the antique cabinet with its secret drawer
Nine months later an invite came for the university alumni to attend the annual graduation gala. She contacted several of her classmates and they agreed to meet up and have a reunion there.
On a lark, Claire decided to wear the same blue taffeta gown she had worn to last year's Gala for her graduating class.
When the day before the evening dance came, she stopped at her parents to again borrowed her Mother’s rhinestones.
But sadly, there would be no lovely antique ring to wear.
With this thought in mind, Claire felt compelled to stop by her Grandmother’s gravesite.
Nothing had changed there, including the lack of fellow visitors. She hated being alone in a cemetery!
Still, she made her way to the grave and after laying down a single lily, sat on a nearby bench in silent prayer. She apologized in her mind, to her grandmother for carelessly losing the ring. And again for not being there when she passed on.
A crisp breeze came across the graveyard, chilling Claire who was not wearing a wrap. She rose and left the eerily silent cemetery.
That evening Claire partied deep into the night, with her group, again ending up at the Poet & Peasant Pub for nightcaps.
There she ran into the same charming lad who had seen her home after last year's gala evening.
This time she remembered him and was sober enough to actually quite enjoy his company.
After the last call, he again saw her back to her hotel. And this time Claire boldly gave him a proper hug and kiss goodnight.
She finally collapsed onto her bed and soon fell into a deep sleep, and into another nightmare.
Claire dreamed of her being back at the cemetery. It was a moonless night, yet shadows crept in towards her from every angle as she walked in and out of the ancient moss-covered tombstones,
She abruptly stopped and saw her Lilly laying upon a heap of black earth. But no tombstone. Instead, the ancient cabinet her Ancestor had built stood silent guard. She went over to it and searching, found the secret drawer. She began to pull it open, seeing something glittery in its dark depths.
But before she can properly reach inside, Claire was pulled away from behind. She is turned around and comes to face a looming stranger, his features hidden in shadows.
He begins to dance with her, briskly, powerfully.
Claire finds herself overwhelmed, struggling to get free from the towering terror.
She felt he wanted something from her.
She became aware of wearing her Mother’s rhinestones and tearfully hoped they would not disappear as her ring had.
Then, from behind she hears the stern voice of her Grandmother crystal clear.
“It’s ok dear..,”
Claire struggles to look back as her Grandmother continues ..,
“….let my Granddaughter go, I’ve forgiven the wretch and so leave us now, and make it right.”
Claire suddenly startled herself awake… panting and sweating. But she is alone. No one or no thing is in the room with her.
Suddenly a creeping chill ran up along her spine, freezing her on the spot.
“Make what right?”
She pondered this last bit from her nightmare.
Claire feels an overwhelming urge to go back to her flat right then and there. To again have a proper look inside the cabinets’ secret door.
But she decided to complete her visit home. For surely it was mere whimsey to think the lost ring would be there after all this time.
The rest of the weekend seemed to move slowly for Claire. Though she did enjoy her time with her brother and parents.
But when Sunday evening came and she found herself on the road, Claire lost no time in dashing back her ocean side flat.
When she got in the door Claire dropped her bags just inside the door and bolted to her bedroom.
Pulling the cabinet from the wall she opened the secret drawer and looked inside, heart pounding.
She froze in shock...
There, inside, was the antique ring belonging to her grandmother that had disappeared mysteriously 11 months prior. Sitting right next to her black satin pearl case as it had never left.
Claire picked up the sparkling ring and examined it, her hands shaking so bad she nearly dropped it. It was her Grandmothers ring, no doubt of that.
As Claire put it on her finger, once again mesmerized by its glitter, she could offer no credible explanation for the reappearance of the ring!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Over ten years have since passed. The ring, when not worn by Claire on special occasions, still spends its time inside the secret drawer, next to the satin pearl case that holds her good pearls.
It has never shown any sign of going back to wherever it had disappeared to...