Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023) - Tainan Shennong Street

 

I had one last full day in Tainan, so I decided to drop by Shennong Old Street to check it out before I head into town. According to some of the review from mostly Mat Salleh, it was an amazing beautiful street. I saw some of the videos on youtube and wasn't too impressed. But since it was highly recommended, and since I was already here, might as well pop by and judge for myself.... But first, breakfast!

These are the beautiful free organic mangoes I got for free from Anping Tree House the day before. Aren't they gorgeous? I don't even know if I can finish all of them since I was leaving the next day!

I ate one before I left the hotel. No knife. Just using my teeth to sink into the skin, and tear it up to get to the flesh. I felt so barbaric, so primal. Yet it does get the job done! After this experience, I'm no longer intimidated by a mango! Knowing very well if I can cut it right, I can always bite into it :P

As a respect to the owner of the mango tree, here is an official information about him above. Lol.  I also vowed to take up calligraphy when I am older! I promise! Actually it isn't that hard a promise to keep, I quite like Chinese calligraphy even when I was in school :)

Shennong Street was walking distance from my hotel. Soon you will realise, almost everything is walking distance from my hotel! Hahaha! Actually, anything less than 45mins is considered walking distance for me. And when I got there, it was early morning, so it was pretty empty. Above was one of the houses before turning into Shennong Street. Kinda reminded me of Chew Jetty houses in Penang, right? 

Walking in, it was just a single street, with two rows of houses, and most of the houses were made of wood, and  decorated with paper lanterns in the front. Lots of scooters parked here and there too.

There were also quirky alleys like the one here, with paper lanterns in them. The reviewer did say it looked magical at night. I can imagine. But I am also an early sleeper and hate walking around lost at night in a foreign land. So no thanks! Not this time anyway.

I like a cute cat shop. I didn't know paper lanterns can also be made cat themed! 

There was also this cute house above. I suspect some of the houses here were airbnb lodging, or cafe. 

At the end of the street, there was a tall temple. I suspect it was a mazu temple, as almost all temples are in Taiwan. For some reason, I decided to wander into it. I wanted to go upstairs to take a look. I can hear chanting and bells ringing from above. There were two old uncles seated inside the temple chatting. I asked in hokkien whether it was ok for me to go upstairs. They didn't seems to mind, so up I went! 

Upstairs, a mid hall that looks like a pantry perhaps? Everything here looked old. It reminded me of some of the clan halls in Penang, like the one my Dad used to play badminton in, the Ong Kongsi at Burmah Road. Something like that, but older and more run down. I don't know how to described it, I was fascinated. 

Here is a picture of the stairways, and the toilet. Doesn't it look creepy and old school? Maybe I should have left there and then? I did thought about it, lol, Incantation still fresh in my memory. I was, after all, in the south of Taiwan, unknown temple, not sure what they were worshipping here. But still, up I went, into the halls, and this was what I saw....

Three ladies chanting prayers and praying at the altar. They didn't seemed to care whether I was there or not. I try to be as invisible as I could. For some reason, I felt privilege to have stumbled into this private session. None of that would have happened if I haven't decided that I wanted to go up the temple. My brother once told me that I shouldn't walked into temples like I own them, lol. But I have always been one that have made peace with any religious place. Shouldn't all religious places welcome people in??? Go figure!