Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 4: Monga Film Locations

     I found a Taipei travel guide at the Taoyuan International Airport about places I should visit in Taipei.  Apparently, the filming locations of the hit Taiwanese movie, Monga, around the Longshan Temple MRT station is quite popular.  And why not?  The movie stars Ethan Ruan and Mark Zhao as teenage gangsters in the oldest district in Taipei, Wanhua.  The place is also known as Bangka or Monga to the locals, hence the title of the movie.  The film is set somewhere in the 80s, when cheesy Air Supply songs like Making Love Out of Nothing At All ruled.

The lead stars of Monga.

Mark Zhao and Ethan Ruan are second from the left and second from the right, respectively.

     I re-watched Monga before coming to Taiwan because I wanted to familiarize myself with the must-see places.  If I remember correctly, Bopilao, whose architecture dates back to the Qing Dynasty, was restored, and a lot of memorable scenes from Monga were shot there, including the scene at the restaurant.  It's sort of a museum right now.  And it was thanks to Perladipace's blog that I found about the filming locations of Monga.

     So, with enthusiasm, I made my journey to Longshan Temple in search of Monga's filming locatioon.

     I first went to Bopilao. If you're facing the main entrance of the Longshan Temple, it is just on the right side past the shops that litter the streets.  Up ahead you'll find a red brick building with arched passageways at the corner of an intersection.  It's going to be at the left side of the road.  Walk along the building straight ahead until you reach the entrance.  It's free admission, but I was not able to go inside because I went there on a Monday.  And on Mondays, Bopilao is closed.  Dang it.

It may seem familiar to you because it's the Longshan Temple!

Movie screen cap of the huge gang fight scene.

The restored Bopilao area.

     At least I saw some people filming on site; the second one I've witnessed in Taipei.  I guess it's an era-piece because the actors were wearing costumes popular some decades back.  And I have a short video here:

Photos from Bopilao:

     It is a good thing that some of the Monga film locations were shot outside Bopilao.  I found a poster on  Bopilao, a map of Monga's filming locations.   I took a photo of it and I used it as map to find the places mentioned there.  Also, before going to Wanhua, I asked the hostel staff to write down the names, in Chinese, of the temples featured in the movie and gave me directions going there.  Yes, they know the names of the temple as they all have seen Monga.  It's that popular in Taiwan.  After all, Monga was submitted as a nominee for the Oscar's Best Foreign Picture.

The poster I found at Bopilao which I used as my map for

location hunting.  Click on the photo for full resolution.

     So, I tracked down on foot the two other temples, aside from the Longshan Temple, in Monga.  The first one was quite easy to find because Eric from the Hostel gave me directions.  However, if what I found was not the same temple, well, then, I am very unfortunate.  Moreover, I could not remember how I got there; every now and then I'd ask someone to tell me if I'm headed the right direction.  Eric from the Hostel told me that I should only ask directions from store clerks, like in 7-11, the police...you get the drift, but not from passersby because they might be tourists like me who also do not know where to go.  Tee hee.

     This is the first temple.  I think it's called Qingshui Temple, or something.  It was about 15 to 20 minutes on foot from Bopilao.  I was walking really slow because I was afraid I might miss my landmarks.  If I remember correctly, my landmarks were a grade school, a pedestrian overpass, and a gas station.  And yes, the temple was almost deserted, and I felt really weird taking the temple's pictures; like a voyeur.  Hehe.

Compare the photos above with these screen caps from Monga.  It's the same temple, so yay!

     Anyway, the first temple was the one more prominently used throughout the film.  It was present from start to finish.  After all, this is the home turf of the gang.

     The second temple was quite a challenge.  I had to return to Longshan Temple because my directions start from there but I could not find the second temple. I think I was walking farther and farther away from the second temple my first time trying to find it.  I was able to reach a place where there are flyovers on a really big road.  But hey, after 30 minutes or so, I found the second temple. And guess what?  It was really near the Longshan Temple!  I was just stupid.  I was like, OMG!  I wasted energy, walked under the sun and looked like a complete mess.

I got lost here.  Good thing there's a sign pointing to Qingshan Temple.

     Good grief!  But here it is, the second temple and it's called Mengjia Qingshan Temple.  I think this is the more popular temple of the two because, first, they were more people in the Qingshan Temple.  Second, there are a lot of signs pointing to the temple (but I couldn't follow them properly that is why I got a little lost). Third, it was more grandiose from the outside.

     While looking for the Qingshan Temple, I was able to find the Herb Alley.  Lucky me!  It was just behind the Longshan Temple if I am not mistaken.

Drying the herbs on the sidewalk.

Screenshot of the Herb Alley from the movie.

     And of course, I have photos of the Huaxi Night Market where the huge gang fight culminated in the movie.

Yup, this is the gang fight.  These people passed by the Longshan Temple in the screen cap above.

Huaxi Night Market, without the gang fight.

     I was not able to find the Snake Alley and the narrow alley where some of the smaller fights in the movie occurred.  I was too exasperated by the time I got back to Longshan Temple, and it was midday already, so I wrapped-up my Monga movie location hunting.

     If you want a primer or brochure for the Monga filming locations, use this one I just found over the internet.  I think this is the brochure I was looking for but did not find at the Longshan Temple MRT Station.  It's in PDF but here's the link: http://www.taipeitravel.net/UserFiles/File/MONGA_ENG.pdf

     Probably, I would not have gotten lost if I had that brochure when I went to Monga.

         

   

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 3: NTU Education Tour, Part 1

   

     After our Danshui Joyful Life Tour, my tour guides and I rushed to the Beitou MRT station to meet a French male tourist.  But alas!  We ran in late and when we arrived, the French guy apparently joined another tour.  We were just ten minutes late and the French guy thought that the guides bailed out on him.   So, I was the only tourist, too, for the afternoon tour.

     The guides were supposed to bring me to Yangmingshan and to the Calla Lily Festival.  However, another guide told us that she just got out from the mountain and it was really, really traffic.  After all, it was a Sunday, the last weekend before the Flora Festival ends and the last day for the Calla Lily Festival.  So, after much pondering, and not wanting to be stuck in traffic without actually seeing anything, I decided to pick an alternative tour, and I chose the NTU Education tour.  My guides were not really knowledgeable about the tour since their specialty lies with the National Museum and Yangmingshan tours, but what the heck.  I've been to most of the places on the free tours program and really, I have not been to anywhere along the MRT green line where the NTU is located.  So, to NTU we go!

     For most people, National Taiwan University is known as one of Taiwan's best universities.  But for fans of Meteor Garden, NTU provides one of the most recognizable places of the series, the palm-tree lined path leading to the fictional Yingde University, aptly known as the Royal Palm Boulevard.   So, I was more than happy to see the campus.  Teehee.

     The National Taiwan University has sprawling grounds.  You really need to use a bicycle, or a car, to go around the campus.  You can, of course, just walk from the gate to that huge building in the horizon and beyond.  But if you're a student, you might run late getting to your classes.

Multi-level bicycle parkingoutside NTU's gates.

     As to places of interest, the NTU has a lot to offer.  Just to the right from the gates near the MRT exit, you could see a Parthenon-like architecture, or something, which seems unusual, amidst a classical garden. It's really pretty in it's white, marbled glory, at least I think it's made of marble.  But, it's also creepy, too, considering that the structure houses the grave of NTU's First President, Mr. Fu Si-Nian. In short, it's a mausoleum. Anyway, the garden itself is named after Fu Si Nian.

Entrance to the Fu Si-Nian Memorial Garden

     We saw a group of cosplayers having a photoshoot at the grave.  Hehe.  Who can blame them?  The structure provides a perfect backdrop to their costumes.

     When we exited the garden, we saw a new bunch of cosplayers headed down the garden.

     We rounded up a part of the campus grounds from the gates near the MRT exit and I've found out that NTU is a favorite  location for photo shoots.  We've seen a couple having their prenup pictorial, which is hugely popular in Taiwan, there.

     Other places of interest includes the Fu Bell and the Main Library, among others.  Definitely, architecture buffs will be delighted to tour the campus.  And what do you know?  There's a farm on campus and an ecological pond (Liugongjun Pool)!  Although I wasn't able too see it, there's another pond called the Drunken Moon Lake, which despite its crazy name, is reputedly a very lovely and romantic lake, especially at night.

Fu Bell

 Main Library

 Inside the library.  Reminds me of UST Main Library.

I love libraries.  I can live inside one.

 Red bricks and archways of the Main Library.

View of the Royal Palm Blvd. from the Main Library.

The NTU has some sort of a farm, I think, in the campus.  

And this is a fountain a la water system.

Ecological pond.

     Here's a map of NTU for your reference (click on the photo for full resolution):

   

     In part 2 of my NTU tour, I'd show you where to buy two of the most famous treats on campus as well as how to spend a weekend afternoon like a local.

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011: Day 2 in Jinguashi (Part 2) - The Four Joined Japanese-Style Residences

     My story is still about the Gold Ecological Museum and the attractions within the compound.  This time, I'd be taking you around some of the shooting locations of one my my favorite Taiwanese idol dramas, Corner with Love starring Show Luo and Da S, including the Four Joined Japanese-Style Residences

Taiwan Adventure: Day 2 - Miramar Mall and Hwahsi Night Market

     I've been fast-tracking the posting of my Taiwan Adventures considering that I'll be working on my Hong Kong and Shenzhen Adventures soon.  See, I've recently returned from Hong Kong on a four-day trip, and I have to wrap up my Taiwan posts as soon as possible to make way for my new travel adventures.  And, I haven't started on my previous Thailand (March 2010 & 2008), Singapore (October 2008 & 2009), and Hong Kong and Macau (May 2009) Adventures yet.

     So, now, I'll talk about my Miramar Mall and Hwahsi Night Market visits.  Miramar Mall is an out-of-the-way mall located some 15 or so minutes away by cab from the Hello Kitty Sweets cafe.  It can be reached by public transportation, too, via the MRT on the brown line and the free shuttle of the mall.  The only reason why I wanted to go and see the mall, except for the huge ferris wheel on top of it, is my love for Taiwanese drama series.  The Miramar Mall has been featured in Why Why Love starring Rainie Yang and Mike He, both of whom I truly adore.  Though it was so out of the way, it was well worth it.  Heck, if I wasn't too apprehensive of the time (it was almost 9:00 in the evening), and too tired, I would have loved to watch a movie in their IMAX theater and hang out with the young crowd.  Well, let's just say that the mall was teeming with teens and college-aged kids.  I'm 31 already, but well, I think I best relate with people younger than I am and I really get along with them, like my nieces and nephews.  Perhaps because I failed to mature mentally that we're more or less on the same level. Heehee.

     While inside the mall, I saw a poster of the new Meitantei Conan movie and the people were giving me curious stares...what the hell is that woman doing taking pictures of a movie poster like crazy?  See, in the Philippines, anime and other Asian movies are not marketed to be shown on the big screen, save for the influx of horror films some five or so years ago like The Ring.  So, I was so excited to see that Detective Conan poster.

     After a while, I decided to head to the hotel and retire for the night.  Luckily, I saw a free shuttle going to Shilin Night Market.  I hopped on the bus and the ride to Shilin Market was tranquil: the tree-lined streets at night were a sight to behold, plus, it passed by somewhere we could see the Grand Hotel in all its blazing glory.  Really a sight to behold especially at night.

     Considering that the bus stopped at Shilin Night Market, I looked around for a while and after some thirty minutes, I rode the MRT going to Longshan Temple.  Since it was late already, I might as well visit the Hwahsi Night Market.  I know, I was supposed to head directly to the hotel but I might as well maximize my time in Taipei, right?

     From Shilin Night Market, or Jiantan Station, I rode the red line going to the Taipei Main Station, and changed to the blue line going to Longshan Station.  The shops at the underground market at the MRT station in Longshan were already closing and I hurried to the Hwahsi Night Market, which was just across the street from the Longshan Temple.  There were many people, and though it was already late, it was still humid.  I just took a couple of pictures and I hurried back to the station.  I didn't know what time it would close so I ditched my idea to go to Ximenting.  Instead, I went back to my  hotel.  This time, I really retired for the night.

The cast of Why Why Love.
Photographic evidence why I love Rainie Yang and Mike He.
They're too cute for words!

(Wrong spelling; should have been Miramar Mall.  Sorry for the faux pas)

The same background above in the pictures below:

...and here:

This is where some scenes from the series were shot:

I didn't ride the ferris wheel because I'm a wuss.
How many couples do you think were cuddling in there? Hmm...

Hwahsi Night Market