Wow!  This is one of the world’s largest (3rd) container ports. 

Today is New Year’s Day. Richard Lee is our guide. 

Dream Mall… biggest mall in Asia. Kaohsiung ….expo production economic exhibitions. Semiconductor are its wealth

Population of Taiwan is 24 Million with Taohsiung having 2.6 million. It’s  the 3rd largest city in Taiwan. Semi conductors and new harbour in city, Taichung, mid way to Taipei has replaced Taohsiung as 2nd largest city. Surprisingly the traffic, is light on this 1st day of New Years. 

ROC (Republic of China)… is Taiwan. PRC is mainland China. 1945 Mao and Chaing Kai Chek butted heads so Chaing took to Taiwan. 

Solar panels and water tanks on roofs  supplied from underground river.  

Petrochemical plants in one area we drive through. 

Only 3-4 cruise ships per month in this port… not many. 

Bananas and lychee trees, eel farms (unagi means eel in Japanese).

Meilong village … paper umbrellas

Taiwanese…60%, Hakka people …(sub group of northern Han Chinese) 15%…wealthy people. Originally came from China in 1949 are called mainlanders….comprise 30% of population. Most language taught Mandarin but Taiwanese at home. 

Finland most safe country in world, Taiwan is 2nd. 

There is so much flood irrigation. The water table must be very close to the surface. At the same time they are water deprived as shown in the totally dry river beds.

2 kinds of Indigenous groups. 16 tribes.  Largest indigenous outdoor park but a big disappoint overall. 

60% of the population is Daoust….