阳光 ，沙滩，海浪，仙人掌。。。 I was introduced to Penghu at a young age through 潘安邦’s (Pan An Bang) jovial remembrance of his grandmother in his hit song 外婆的澎湖湾 (Maternal Grandma’s Penghu Bay). Being young and innocent, I’ve always thought that Penghu is a figment of the singer’s imagination, a non-existent place beaming with sunshine, beaches, ocean waves, and cactus.
That was until I visited Taiwan recently and went to the place the song talked about… and oh boy, what a fascinating group of islands Penghu has! Here’s a glimpse of the places I went to today…
Stayed at the beautiful 5-star Yentai Hotel (元泰大飯店), a 15-minutes walk from Penghu city centre.
The rooms are generous in size and service was excellent! I left a bottle of perfume behind and the hotel kept it for me till I went back to collect.
Yentai Hotel’s Presidential Suite gets a nod for style, space and substance.
A group photo with the Director of Penghu’s tourism board.
Behind me is a mural of the popular Shawei (沙尾) beach at Jibei Island (吉贝岛). Jibei Island is one of Penghu’s collection of about 100 islets.
This mural of Penghu’s Old Street at Penghu Visitor Centre provided a perfect backdrop to start getting acquainted with the island’s colourful heritage.
This photo taken at the Penghu DFS shop is very meaningful for me because today is Qi Xi Jie (七夕节), also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day! And Penghu is famous for its double heart stone weir (双心石沪), which was the design inspiration for the blue LED hearts above us.
My version of Arc de Triomphe at the entrance of Penghu’s Kua Hai Da Qiao (澎湖跨海大桥).
One of the best ways to explore Penghu is through cycling. We didn’t get to cycle lah, just posing with a bike at Er Kan (二坎), a living museum that preserved the architecture and lifestyle of early Penghu.
Do you notice anything interesting in this photo? Hint : Look at the lower left wall. Still can’t see it? Mouseover the photo for the answer.
Eken, my trip coordinator from Yusan PR, striking a dashing pose on the picturesque old street of Er Kan.
Er Kan Village kept olden days’ design and elements in tact for visitors to immerse themselves in a different world.
Old days new ways… Took this photo because of the contrast between the historical bench and the modern technology in Haruka’s hands.
Penghu has a colourful military history and various old forts have been converted into attractions on the island. Behind me is an upcoming fort attraction slated to be completed by early 2013. We got to preview it first before its public opening.
This is just a brief browse of a few sights and attractions. It is only the tip of the iceberg. More details and info will be posted in Explore Life Lah!. Penghu is definitely as beautiful and poetic as Pan An Bang’s song makes it out to be!
Celebrate Life Lah! 