This road is one of the many routes from the NCCU International Housing to the NCCU main campus. While there were many ways of getting from our lodging to our learning, this path was lined with fruit stands, which my friends and I would pass by each morning and each afternoon. Beginning your day with fresh, Taiwanese pineapple, or heading home from class with a delicious mango in hand was one of my favorite “small things” from this trip.
The trip up to MaoKong was an adventure that I never expected. To get to the top of the tea-shop mountain, students rode in gondolas for half of an hour, seeing the most beautiful view of Taiwan’s rural life, while at the same time, appreciating the breathtaking architecture that Taipei and New Taipei City held. This excursion was one of the first that our group went on, and on the ride to the top of the mountain, my friends and I played music on our phones and sang together, which was a great bonding experience.
During one weekend of the trip, students were visitors to the Atayal aboriginal tribe of Taiwan, who were gracious enough to host us on a multitude of experiences. We hiked in their sacred, ancestral-filled mountains, ate their delicious foods, and danced in the moonlight in the spirit of budding friendships and comradery. This picture was taken during one of the hikes that the students took, a view that was sure to provide peace to one’s soul.
Program: Tradition and Modernity in Taiwan
Term: Summer 2018