Wyoming Breezes

Taipei countryside Taipei, Taiwan December 1979

Holiday display Taipei, Taiwan December 1979

Taipei, Taiwan Grand Hotel in upper right corner December 1979

view from the balcony of the National Museum Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 An earlier post at the museum can be seen here .

National Palace Museum Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 This museum was massive and filled with beautiful items. Our tour did not stay there long enough to even see a fraction of the displays. (no photos allowed inside the building) See the archway at the top of the stairs? The photo below shows the other side. National Palace Museum Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 Here's more information about the museum  and to get a perspective at the size of the building.

close-up of the Taiwan newspaper flag 1981 shown below in the upper right corner of the front page I loved looking at the local newspapers wherever I travelled in Asia. The layout of the Taiwan newspaper was very different to "western" newspapers. Note the paper is read from right to left in columns. front page of Taiwan newspaper note paper flag in the upper right corner 1981 back page of Taiwan newspaper 1981

Scooter/motor bike garages Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 Scooters and motor bikes are plentiful in Asia. Note there are 14 "garages" shown in this photo, which was taken from my hotel window in Taipei.

Chinese Pottery Factory Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 I can't begin to imagine the confidence and balance that it took to carry those huge pots on a slim board while maneuvering through a group of gawking tourists. Doesn't it make you wonder how many were broken before he mastered the technique. Other posts about the Pottery Factory can be seen here .

One of many kilns at the Chinese Pottery Factory Taipei , Taiwan December 1979 Remember all the photos I posted of the Pottery Factory in Taiwan ?  This is one of many kilns used to fire the pottery. They were massive.

Artist creating a cutwork vase Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 I loved these cutwork vases and was very tempted to purchase one; however, it was not feasible at the time. Several earlier posts featured other pottery at the pottery factory.

Advertisement from a  newspaper December 1979 I don't know what this advertisement is trying to sell, but I find the image interesting. The children's heads strangely do not match the bodies, which I find a bit unsettling. What are your thoughts? Update : my friend Sheila sent the image to a family member who said the following: It's in Japanese, so I can only understand bits of it. Looks like an ad for Children's Day (national holiday that was Boy's Day). Mothers' Day is mentioned in one of the boxes on the right. Oh, I just noticed the date, May 5 , which is definitely Children's Day. So that mystery is solved, partially.

Chinese artisan Taipei, Taiwan December 1979

Chinese artisan Taipei, Taiwan December 1979

Chinese artisan Taipei, Taiwan December 1979

Chinese artisan Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 None of the pieces of pottery in this factory were mass produced : each piece was painstakingly, hand-painted. Note the book in front of the artist being used as a reference to the design.

Chinese Artisan Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 On December 29, 1979, my group toured the Chinese Pottery Factory, and I took many photos. I was amazed by the sheer volume of pottery being produced and all the intricate handwork of the individual artisans. I would have liked to spend more time in this area, but when touring with a group, that is simply not possible. Unfortunately, I cannot find a link to this factory online and my travel journal does not say specifically where it was located in Taipei, but my research revealed that the city of  Yingge is the pottery capital of Taiwan; perhaps, that is where these photos were taken. More photos of the pottery in the weeks ahead.

Cartoon from a Taiwan newspaper December 1979 This cartoon from a Taiwanese newspaper illustrates that  Rubik's cube  was popular in 1979. I don't have a clue what the caption says. source Even though I spent hours twisting this way and that, I never could solve the cube: could you?