See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

Nestled in a quiet neighborhood dotted with farms on the outskirts of TaiChung City (臺中市) proper, this small complex of buildings is a neat little attraction if you're looking for a great place to take some photos. Its called 黃永阜 and comes up on any map software. The story goes that an old man was at risk of losing his house because it had not been maintained properly. In a bid to prevent the government from tearing down his place he set to work painting the facades, sidewalks, and even the pipes around his home. Due to his creative use of colors, characters, and photogenic slogans his place became a bit of a tourist attraction. Then a small park got built next door and his house, which despite being somewhat ill kept, has survived to this day.  Visiting the house is free and there is free parking on the streets nearby and in a lot which connects to the playground. Many of the designs from the house have been turned into postcards and stickers which can ...

On a recent mission to back up all of the old photos on my phone I came across this photo which still made me laugh. It's the sort of classic photo mash up that quietly works its way into Taiwanese society, and you'd miss it if you weren't taking your time to enjoy the little things. The caption loosely translates to "clean up after your pet. Don't leave s**t on the ground". Considering the punishment is can be as steep as 6,000 NT I'm surprised there aren't more tickets about dog poop. But then again, when you consider how many dogs run around without owners or just roaming the neighborhood till they are let back into the house, it's a miracle there isn't a ton more gold lying in wait along the streets of Taiwan. Found the picture at JiuFen 九份 near a wooden ocean overlook. The following photo was also taken from the same spot, just 180 degrees in the other direction. Not "Spirited Away" worthy, but a very nice sigh...