David on Formosa

The Banqiao and Tucheng line of the MRT opened last week. I was impressed with the way it opened on schedule despite the cynicism of many Taiwanese people and foreign residents that it wouldn’t open on time. New bus routes appeared overnight and the line seems to be running without a hitch. With the high speed rail (HSR) set to open in October (although many also doubt it will open on schedule) Banqiao will become something of a transport hub with the MRT, Taiwan Railway (TRA) and HSR all converging at Banqiao Station.

Entrance to the Fuzhong MRT Station (April 2006)

The photo above shows the entrance to the Fuzhong Station. It is actually in the same location as the Old Banqiao Station which closed in 1999 when the new station and underground railway line. It’s hard to believe that the road in that picture was once a railway line! It’s also worth remembering that there are a total of six railway lines running under that road. Two for the MRT, two for the HSR and two for the TRA.

A small reminder of the past

While I love the convenience and ease of travelling on the MRT I always think there is something of a loss in travelling underground. You go underground in one part of the city and pop up again in another part of the city without any appreciation of what is in between. I think it is worth taking the bus sometimes so you don’t forget the geography and spaces of the city. Also randomly hopping off at a station you have never been to and wandering around the local neighbourhood might lead to some interesting discoveries.

I went out to Haishan Station in Tucheng on the weekend. I used to live very close to this station when I first came to Taiwan in 1999. It was after one o’clock and I wandered along a small alley looking for somewhere to eat. I found a small restaurant and ordered something to eat. I sat there waiting for a long time. I was a bit hungry but I was not in a rush so I just browsed through the Apple Daily while I was waiting. After about half an hour my meal still hadn’t arrived and the owner of the restaurant came to apologise. I said no worries. The owner of the restaurant then asked me where I was from and I told him Australia. He then told me that he had been to Australia and that he used to live in Tonga. He lived there for 13 years and ran a Chinese restaurant there. Eventually my meal arrived and the owner of the restaurant said that he wouldn’t charge me for it.