{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan}

By motorcoach the team did travel from Taichung to Taipei, late evening.
Checking in to their hotel Asiaworld Plaza Hotel now Sunworld Dynasty.

The People to People Citizen Ambassador Program team stayed at the Asiaworld Plaza Hotel Taipei

The Asiaworld Plaza Hotel by night, both images are from a post card.

Asiaworld  Plaza had 27 fine restaurants...

Asiaworld Plaza Hotel changed names into Holiday Inn Asia World and is now Sunworld Dynasty Hotel Taipei.

Funny how they wrote 100 Tun Hwa North Road on the post cards and here it is 100 Dun Hua North Road, Taipei...

On Wednesday, April 8 of 1987, the team did visit the National Palace Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of Chinese art treasures of China's nearly 5,000 year history.

Pieter's ticket to the NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Bone and Ivory carvings...

Gates of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan

The brochure that Pieter got is in German but the above link will give you also information.
The day got rounded off with a great dinner at the Landmark Taipei Fortuna Hotel
Sadly, that hotel is also closed down...

The menu card with gold bow...

TAIPEI FORTUNA HOTEL - FORTUNA GRILL - APRIL 8, 1987
MENU
PATE MAISON - CAULIFLOWER CREAM SOUP - SALAD OF THE SEASON - FILET OF SOLE MEUNIERE - BEEF BUTCHER STYLE ROULADE - CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 'SUCHARD' - COFFEE or TEA

While I was shopping with my sister-in-law and afterward having dinner with Pieter's brother and sister-in-law, my Mom had a phone call from Pieter, letting her know that he would arrive a day early from Taiwan!

Indeed, on Thursday, April 9, at the National Taiwan University with Dr. Chen Sun, Pieter did have a luncheon...
Pieter presented again one of his copies of Modern Mushroom Growing.
That was also the day that Pieter flew from Taipei to Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
We got briefly reunited and Pieter started on Monday a tour with his Campbell colleagues, visiting England, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria...

We flew back home to Atlanta, USA, with Mom & Dad in tow for their very first flight and visit with us the coming 4 weeks.

I did fly back to The Netherlands with Mom & Dad and did consulting work in Germany for 2 weeks before returning to the USA.
Pieter meanwhile was in Australia and in Christchurch, New Zealand for Campbell.

A total of 9 weeks on the go... and very much being apart from each other!

*

In March, the following year, Pieter received this letter from one of the participants in this People to People Citizen Ambassador Program, from Judge Robert A. Shoff:

'Dear Pieter,
I was very happy to hear from you, your letter brought fond memories of my trip to china. I found you not only the friendliest person, but the most interesting person in the group, maybe the most interesting person I have ever met. You brightened my trip, and made it worth while. My home life hasn't changed, my relationship with my friend has, I am more content with the way things are.'

Such lines are very valuable!

Related links:
{Part XV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taichung, Taiwan} | previous post by me
{Part XIV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Encore Garden in Taichung, Taiwan} | previous post by me
{Part XIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Part XII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - By Train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Part XI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Impressions of Fuzhou, China} | previous post by me
{Part X of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Ming Tombs near Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part IX of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Jinshanling Great Wall of China} | previous post by me
{Part VIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Countryside North of Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part VII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Lama Temple in Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part VI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China} | previous post by me 

{Part V of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Forbidden City in Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part IV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - City Views of Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part III of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Arrival in Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part II of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Tokyo, Japan to Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{People to People Citizen Ambassador Program - Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{Part XV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taichung, Taiwan}

On Monday, April 6 of 1987, the team went to Nantou County...

A happy husband Pieter as they got to see by far the best about Mushroom Growing from the entire trip so far!
This is at a big mushroom farm near Taichung in Nantou County.
They got to see the cultivation of Lentinus Edodes or Shiitake on Monday April 6, arranged by Dr. J.T. Peng of the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute.
But I will not bore you with all of the mushroom slides...

Beautiful landscaping around the mushroom houses.

Knowing husband Pieter well enough, he always loves to climb up the hill, for getting an over-view photo!
It also shows the mountains in the distance.

Climbing up even higher.

Beautiful landscaping - worthwhile for anyone NOT interested in the cultivation of exotic mushrooms.

This grower even had his own Bonsai display outside.
Look at these beauties!

Even inside his office one could admire such beautiful Bonsai like this Azalea shrub.

Different angle taken...

Funny entrance in the form of two mushrooms!
The team's bus is parked here...
The day ended with dinner at a Shanghai-style restaurant, featuring prawn, eel and duck dishes.

One side of the insulated growing houses, by letting green vines creep over them!
 Grown here are Flammulina velutipes (Enokitake)
This grower was one that has been a student at Pieter's Practical Training College for Mushroom Growing, in Horst, The Netherlands.
Here he is standing on the other side of buildings, seen in the previous photo above...

Some of the growers...
Both smoking a cigarette!
The person on the right is again wearing such sleeves as seen previously in China.

This is what they are growing inside!
Here you see the fructification of the Flammulina velutipes (Enokitake) and especially my Japanese readers will recognize them.
They are now also being grown in the western world as more and more exotics are on the market.
Enokitake does have lots of health benefits!
When both, Pieter and I, did attend the First International Congress on Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products from 23-26 August 1993, in Hong Kong, it mainly was about those exotics.
Enokitake is grown on a sterilized medium, mainly saw dust.

Near one of the growing rooms Pieter spotted a field with pineapple!

Pieter also did notice the next generation of Taiwanese mushroom growers...

Mechanical harvesting of tea leaves in the Nantou County area near Taichung.
The only land locked county within Taiwan.

Yes, United States is ~ 273 times bigger than Taiwan.
This is being shown on top of my state Georgia, USA...

Husband Pieter did spend 3 nights at Hotel National Taichung Kang Rd. Taichung, Taiwan
Just click the above link. 
From the address on the above post card, only the address seems to have changed a bit...
Now it is No.57, Guanqian Road, West Dist., Taichung City 403, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

From Jin-Torng Peng, Ph.D Pieter did receive his copy of the 'stolen' Chinese version of his book about Modern Mushroom Growing! 

This is the back of Jin-Torng Peng's business card in Chinese...
Pieter received the book at the College of Agriculture, National Chung Hsing University on Monday, April 6.
Dr. Jin-Torng Peng wrote an interesting article: Overview and prospects of edible and medicinal mushrooms: production, consumption and marketing in Taiwan - just click the link.

This was an interesting part of the trip and Pieter enjoyed it thoroughly!
The discussion at the National Chung Hsing University, arranged by Dr. Y. H. Han was also very good.

After Tuesday, April 7th visit to the Enokitake Mushroom farm, the team had a late-evening transfer to Taipei via motorcoach - after dinner!

Will continue with Taipei, Taiwan...

Related links:
{Part XIV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Encore Garden in Taichung, Taiwan} | previous post by me
{Part XIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Part XII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - By Train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Part XI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Impressions of Fuzhou, China} | previous post by me
{Part X of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Ming Tombs near Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part IX of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Jinshanling Great Wall of China} | previous post by me
{Part VIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Countryside North of Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part VII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Lama Temple in Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part VI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China} | previous post by me 

{Part V of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Forbidden City in Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part IV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - City Views of Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part III of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Arrival in Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part II of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Tokyo, Japan to Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{People to People Citizen Ambassador Program - Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{Part XIV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Encore Garden in Taichung, Taiwan}

On April 4 of 1987, the team from People to People Citizen Ambassador Program left on Flight Cathay Pacific 450 from Hong Kong to Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l (Taipei) airport at 10:30 AM.

On Sunday, April 5, was Observance of Tomb Sweeping Day, a public holiday in Taiwan. The team got a full day cultural orientation to Taichung, Taiwan's third largest city. The delegates visited the Taichung Martyrs Shrine (commemorating the deaths of Chinese patriots during the final days of the Manchu dynasty in 1911), the Confucian Shrine, and the Taichung Harbor.

They also visited the Encore Garden.

Husband Pieter has been SO LUCKY for having visited Encore Garden!
Before the Tuesday, September 21, 1999 Earthquake, Encore Garden was the most popular theme park in the Taichung Region. It got severely damaged and due to financial problems it closed for good in 2008.

Pieter's ticket for Encore Garden...

There even was a Michael Angelo replica from David!

The gardens were incredible!

Look at that...

This is the brochure that was still in our scrap book, it is the spot from the above photo!
Of course taken on a perfect, sunny day...

Part of the brochure showing paradise like images.

So sad that all this got destroyed...

Even on the Internet there is nothing to be found, other than its ruins...

Don't know if this was also in the area of Encore Garden.
Somebody from Taiwan might know?
A lovely little pagoda with a high rise building under construction in the background.
After all the cultural sight seeing the team did some evening shopping at the colorful night market on San-Min Road...

Pieter did also manage to call around 23:00 Taichung time, for congratulating his Mom in The Netherlands  on her birthday, while all of the family (including me) had come together.

That was often the way we had to do things while having to travel!

See you in Taichung 

Related links:
{Part XIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Part XII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - By Train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong} | previous post by me
{Part XI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Impressions of Fuzhou, China} | previous post by me
{Part X of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Ming Tombs near Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part IX of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Jinshanling Great Wall of China} | previous post by me
{Part VIII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Countryside North of Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part VII of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Lama Temple in Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part VI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China} | previous post by me 

{Part V of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Forbidden City in Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part IV of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - City Views of Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part III of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Arrival in Beijing, China} | previous post by me
{Part II of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Tokyo, Japan to Beijing, China} | previous post by me

{Part I of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me

{People to People Citizen Ambassador Program - Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia} | previous post by me