Day 5

Our day of culture started at the Palace Museum which houses a collection of over 650,000 pieces. We started with the the Neolithic Age and proceeded through the various dynasties spanning the years from 206 B.C.E. to 1911 A.D. The jade carvings and pottery were exquisite in both design and craftsman's ship. A favorite piece of the team was a jade carving that looked like pork fatback.

After a tasty lunch at one of the museum's restaurants, we are went to the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. We viewed artifacts from the various indigenous tribes of Taiwan. We learned about 1. the people & their natural environment, 2. livelihoods, utensils and dwellings, 3. clothing, decoration and culture and 4. beliefs and rituals. The costumes, ornaments, tools and crafts were similar to those of the Mayans, and a delight to see.

We drove up the mountain and had sweet potato soup and a steamed flavorful bread called Manto at a backwoods kitchen cafe. The cafe was in the middle of an extensive calla lily farm where we purchased lilies for $3.00 a dozen to give to our host families. A lovely end to a relaxing and information filled day.