Tuesday Quickies.

Sorry, I'm busier than a nest of ants who've broken into a honey factory. Just want to mention a few items....

DPP politico Hsiao Bi-khim just broke the news on Facebook that three protesters protesting a rail line in Taoyuan were given a total of 21 years for their heinous use of freedom of expression. More on that tomorrow, I hope.

Harvard Prof blasts Taiwan academics. It's much worse than that; the system actively discriminates against interdisciplinary research, rewarding profs only for publications in what is designated as their field. It also downplays the importance of books and forces profs to attempt to publish in top journals. I could go on all day about how counterproductive the Taiwan system is.....but since its purpose is to accrue status to the university, not knowledge.....

Asia Times has a piece on the recent Open Letter to Ma Ying-jeou on the charges against Lee Teng-hui. The government's response this time has been quite different. As the article notes, last time they went on the offensive, saying some surpassingly stupid things in response. They also contacted many of the signatories privately. This time neither of those things is occurring. I think the government has hit upon the right move: ignore them and they'll go away. Only this time there were a lot more signatories than last time.

Taipei Times runs article headlined Jason Hu's disapproval rating tops 40%. If you read the text, his approval rating is over 50%. This smacks of spin. We're the good guys, TT, no need to indulge in that. Correctly note that Hu has majority approval.

Finally, this great commentary in the Taipei Times today highlights an important bit of history....

The reception given to the project at the originally planned location in the Lize (利澤) area of Yilan County’s Wujie Township (五結) was very different from what happened later in Mailiao. In December 1987, then-FPG chairman Wang Yung-ching (王永慶) took part in a televised debate with then-Yilan County commissioner Chen Ding-nan (陳定南).

Wang said that if Chen gave the go-ahead for the plant to be built in Yilan, it would be a highly ethical decision that would bring great benefits to the county. Chen, however, responded by saying that if he allowed the complex to be built in Yilan he would be blamed for generations to come for what he called a “criminal error.”

In view of the seven fires in one year at the plant in Yunlin, and the protests that have followed, one can well imagine how thankful Yilan residents must feel today about Chen’s decision not to let FPG build the plant in their county.

In the two decades since it was built, the sixth naptha cracker plant has not brought the promised prosperity to the area. Instead, it has brought the threat of cancer and other illnesses, as well as the menace of fires that can and have broken out at any time. However, over on the other side of the Jhuoshui River (濁水溪), in Changhua County’s Dacheng Township (大城), the government was until the beginning of this year still offering the same old lures of “jobs and prosperity” to try and persuade local residents to support the construction of an eighth naphtha cracker plant.

....imagine what Yilan would be like if that hopeless naptha cracker had been built there. Formosa Plastics appears to have reneged on its promises to Yunlin, if the county gov'ts claims are correct.
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150 kms through Yunghe - Pinglin -Toucheng - Keelung

Yesterday I did a long one from Yungho, the suburb of Taipei, along Rte 9 to Pinglin in the tea district, then to Toucheng, and then finally to Keelung. I thought it was over 160 kms yesterday but I checked the map more carefully today for this post, and it was only 150 kms. A near century. Argh. But parts of the ride were lovely, and it was the first sustained climbing I had done since my toe had returned to something like normal. A good ride regardless.

Yungho just waking up on a Saturday.

The bike paths near a large park.

Hordes of retirees conduct exercises in the morning shade.

Coming out of Taipei the clouds to the south looked great.....

...., but over the mountains to the east they presaged a day of rain. Another cyclist crosses the bridge on 106 into Hsintien.

The sun lights up structures on the river.

I haven't been in Hsintien in years, so I was delighted to discover Betel Nut Rd there.

Like many roads through the mountains, Route 9 through the hills to Toucheng in Yilan parallels a river for much of its route.

Looking back as the climbing begins.

A moment when the road was empty. In the morning there were dozens of cyclists out, along with the usual quota of cars and trucks.

A light rain fell intermittently, so one passed between periods of getting soaked and then enduring a steam bath.

One great thing about the ride was stopping to chat with other cyclists. This group had people follow in vehicles and was doing full on BBQ when they called me over to share.

There are some lovely views in the section between Hsintien and Pinglin.

This drinks shop offered free water and air pump for cyclists, and kept a sheaf of tools as well.

Lovely landscapes. Of the shots I took yesterday, this one is my favorite.

The road flirted with 600 meters in altitude but didn't quite make it. The grade is easy, easier than any of the climbs I normally do in Miaoli and Taichung.

A panorama of the area.

At this little park groups of cyclists stopped to fix tires.

One of the most serious problems with biking in Taiwan: passing on blind curves and in illegal passing zones.

The stunning Feitsui Reservoir and nearby farms.

The area around the reservoir is a protected water conservation area.

Abandoned buildings, eyesores found along every major tourist road.

Taking a breather.

As I drew closer to Pinglin, farms started appearing along the river.

I stopped here for lunch. As the clouds suggest, as soon as I left Pinglin it began pouring.

Slowly I discovered why everyone was stopping in Pinglin. On the stretch between Pinglin and Toucheng in Yilan I took only one photo, partly because it was raining so much, but also because the entire 20 kms looked like this, both sides of the road hemmed in either by ridge or vegetation. Dull beyond belief. It was also utterly demoralizing to ride kilometer after kilometer of identical curves and identical incline, rounding each curve hoping that at last the end had come, only to find myself in exactly the same place that I had just left.

The coast mountains were shrouded in fog.

Finally: I left the Slough of Despond and arrived at the escarpment. The views of the Yilan plain from 400 meters above Toucheng are stirring. I was especially excited because I hadn't been to this spot in nearly 15 years.

Most of the descent is unvegetated and there were great views all the way down.

The interchange for highway 5 and the Huashan Tunnel.

Taking a break again.

A group of cyclists on their way up fixes a flat.

Agriculture shapes Yilan.

Flooded fields.

From there it was about 75 kms up the coast to Keelung, a route I love and have shot many times before, here and here, for example.

My bike in the train station in Keelung, ready for shipping. Although it lacked the stunning scenery and heights that make for awesome cycling, it nevertheless was immensely satisfying. Why? Because I did it alone, the first time I had done a ride of such length on my own.
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Yilan Children's Festival, KMT largesse, Local Government

Taiwan News thwacks the Ma Administration for breaking promises:

However, after restoring KMT governance to Yilan after 24 years of Democratic Progressive Party administration, then KMT Yilan County Commissioner Lu Kuo-hua claimed that the annual festival, which had regularly turned in sizable profits, was "financially infeasible" and cancelled the Yilan Children's Festival in 2007 despite intense protests from Yilan community groups, the local tourist industry and thousands of citizens.

After DPP candidate and Lotung City mayor Lin Tsung-hsien made its revival the core symbol of his campaign slogan "Restore Yilan's Pride" last fall, Lu publicly recanted and proposed to merge the international children's festival with his own "Blue Water" Exhibition " and received Ma's public promise of "full support" of the central government.

However, the president and KMT chairman's vow failed to rescue the hapless Lu from being thrashed by Lin by a margin of 133,394 to 112,469 in the Dec. 5 poll and the president and KMT chairman, KMT Premier Wu Den-yi and KMT Yilan County assembly members have evidently "forgotten" Ma's promise.

Instead, the Executive Yuan agreed to provide only NT$2 million of NT$55 million requested by the Yilan County government to restore the cancelled festival, while the KMT majority in the Yilan County Assembly sliced NT$80 million from the county government's proposed NT$180 million budget on May 19.

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The failure of the Ma government to fulfill such a public commitment will unavoidably fuel doubts about the credibility of its other commitments to Taiwan citizens as well as spark suspicion that the KMT government's actions in regard to the Yilan International Children's Festival reflect a a narrow-minded partisanship, if not a juvenile vengefulness.

This Taiwan Journal piece from '05 offers a compelling description of the popular festival:

The 2005 Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival is being held July 2-Aug. 14 at the Cinshuei Park in Yilan County's Wujie Township. Now in its ninth year since its inception in 1996--discounting 2003 when it was cancelled due to the SARS outbreak--it has become northern Taiwan's most popular summer holiday destination designed to delight children and the young at heart.

Every day, special trains shuttle thousands of families and school-organized student groups back and forth between Taipei and Cinshuei Park. Even in its first year, the festival drew about 100,000 visitors, and in 2001, an overflow of 800,000 people descended upon the park. This year, with many more destinations to choose from in Taiwan, attendance is expected to range between 200,000 and 300,000.

In 2002 the Yilan Children's festival attracted 970,000 visitors. This 2007 China Post article discusses its cancellation.

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[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!