Exploring the Fusion of Business, Culture, and Religion in Taiwan: The Heart of Asia

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Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Day 13 – June 1, 2025

Today was centered around Taiwan’s historical, philosophical, and political identity. We started our day with a visit to a Confucian temple, which offered a completely different atmosphere from the Buddhist sites we’ve been seeing. The environment was clean, structured, quiet, and formal. You could immediately sense the difference in energy it wasn’t about worship or spiritual transcendence, but about thought, ethics, and personal discipline. Confucianism isn’t really a religion in the traditional sense, but more like a philosophical framework. The design of the temple reflected that. It wasn’t overly ornate. Everything had a purpose and symmetry. No incense, no loud […]

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Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Day 13 in Taiwan

Today we retuned to my favorite city in Taiwan, Taipei. We finally got to travel on the high speed rail at full speed! I think we got up to a little over 260 mph which is super cool! Kyla and I spent a large amount of the ride talking to my sister on the phone until we were kindly asked to be quiet which was a reminder to me that it is important to pay attention to the people around you. We felt bad! But other than that small experience, we had a pretty fun, very hot, and busy day. […]

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Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Day 12 – May 31, 2025

Today we visited Fo Guang Shan, one of the major Buddhist organizations in Taiwan. The main message they emphasized was that Buddhism should be accessible to everyone, and that includes making it easier to approach through modern means like comfort, convenience, and clear communication. The presence of stores and amenities around the grounds wasn’t about commercialization but about creating an environment that invites people in without intimidation. They want people to feel welcomed, not overwhelmed. We walked through the museum, which had multiple exhibits showing how Buddhism has evolved and how Fo Guang Shan presents its teachings to the public. […]

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Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Day 11 – May 30, 2025

Today I woke up around 8:00 a.m., even though our official departure time wasn’t until 10:30. I decided to take advantage of the extra time and go explore a bit on my own. I wandered around the neighborhood and found a small, local café tucked into a side street. It was quiet and cozy the perfect place for a slow morning.Lately, I’ve been doing this thing where I purposely order something random off the Mandarin menu, without translating it first. It’s my way of pushing myself to try new things and also a little language-learning experiment. So far, nothing has […]

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Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Day 10 – May 29, 2025

We started our travel day by making our way to the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts and the museum itself is spacious and thoughtfully curated, with both traditional and contemporary works that really stick with you. One of my favorite parts was a darkened room filled with projectors showing footprints and slow movements. It was Tsai Ming-Liang’s “Walking Meditation” piece, which created such a tranquil and introspective atmosphere. The way the projectors cast each footstep as if in slow motion felt deeply meditative, reminding me how often we forget to simply be present. Another powerful work I saw was Xie […]

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Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

Day 15: Cooking Class

Today as a group we attended a cooking class where me made some classic Taiwanese food. Because over the past weekend it was the dragon boat festival the main dish that we made was Zongzi. Which I could best describe as a rice empanada or dumpling. There is an interesting story as to why this dish is specific to this holiday. Our tour guide had told us before but the cooking instructor told us as well. A long time ago there was a poet who committed suicide by jumping into a river and in order for the fish to not […]

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