Models, Dogs, and Lobster: The Breeze Center in Taipei Welcomes Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year

A Valentine's Day promotion at the Qsquare shopping mall in Taipei left me wondering if the Lunar New Year, another potential holiday for a promotion, falling close to Valentine's Day this year influenced the decision to start the promotion nearly a month before February 14. Yesterday I saw that the Breeze Center, a luxury shopping mall in Taipei, had also began a Valentine's Day promotion on January 18. But it marked the start of their Lunar New Year promotions as well.

A series of banners with "Happy Chinese New Year & Valentine's Day" were easy to spot

Although the holidays are mentioned together, the text size on the banners highlights the Lunar New Year holiday more. And at one entrance, while the Lunar New Year theme was clear, including that it will be Year of the Dog, there was nothing specifically indicating Valentine's Day.

On Breeze's website for all of its shopping centers in Taipei portions of four images are currently featured, one appearing at a time and all with holiday promotions. One, like the banners at the mall, mentions both holidays.

Another only mentions Valentine's Day.

And another only mentions the Lunar New Year.

All of the previous banners include female models. One other, which only mentions the Lunar New Year, does not. It has a cooked lobster instead.

The promotions are a sign of how Breeze is handling the proximity of the holidays. Perhaps they will convince some people there is nothing like new shoes for celebrating Valentine's Day and lobster for the starting of the Year of the Dog — all purchased at Breeze, of course.

Getting a Head Start on Showing Love: A Valentine's Month Sale at Qsquare in Taipei

Yesterday, January 18, I didn't expect to be thinking about Valentine's Day, which isn't until February 14. However, sale signs at the Qsquare shopping mall in Taipei changed that.

The mall's website now prominently features its Valentine's Day themed winter sale as well.

I don't know whether it is typical for Qsquare to start a Valentine's Day promotion nearly four weeks before the holiday. Qsquare may have chosen the timing because another holiday with sales potential — the Lunar New Year — falls on February 16 this year. However, I have seen similarly early starts to holiday sales elsewhere. So I wouldn't be shocked if Valentine's Day signs would now be up even if the Lunar New Year fell on a later date.

In any case, the Chinese message on the banner indicates the sale will be an opportunity for couples to show evidence of their love. It doesn't mention that depending on your significant other it may or may not be beneficial to mention you bought their gift on sale.

Guidance at Two Temples in Taipei

Learning . . .

Ling-Xing Gate at the Taipei Confucius Temple

and directions . . .

Taipei Baoan Temple

weren't in short supply today at two nearby historic temples in Taipei.

The Elevator That Lifts You Up While Taking You Down

Parking lot elevator at Qixing Park in Beitou, Taipei City

Watching Out for Snakes in Taipei

When today at the edge of the Shuangxi Riverside Park in Taipei I saw a sign warning of snakes, admittedly I doubted any would cause me a problem.

But later at the nearby Huiji Temple (惠濟宮) I realized perhaps I got lucky.

Consider yourself warned.

A Friendship Through Bars for Two Pigeons in Taipei

Today near the Taipei Metro Shuanglian Station, I saw a man with two pigeons in rather different states of confinement. One pigeon was in a cage while the other walked around next to the cage.

Soon the man became aware of my interest, and I asked about the pigeons. He explained that the smaller pigeon outside of the cage has a home at the top of a building just across the road. The larger pigeon in the cage was his. He said the pigeons were friends and this was not their first meeting.

Even when I approached very near, the freely roaming pigeon didn't leave. However, I worried my presence might be making it nervous, which would be a shame since the man was setting out food. So I refrained from asking more questions and left the pigeon friends alone to do whatever it is pigeons do under such conditions.

Falun Gong Brings Out the Drums in Taipei

"Lively" may not be the best choice for describing "Organ Harvesting" demonstrations by Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, at the Ximending shopping district in Taipei. But I would feel much safer using the word to describe something else Falun Gong does at Ximending.

One intended message of the drum performance appeared to be expressed on a sign behind them with the familiar message "Falun Dafa Is Good". This is partly to respond to accusations from China that Falun Gong is evil.

Like the claims of organ harvesting, drum performances by Falun Gong adherents are nothing new. One website "dedicated to reporting on the Falun Gong community worldwide" shares examples from places as far away as Philadelphia and Melbourne.

But you won't find them drumming in mainland China.

Mobile Organ Harvesting Displays at a Shopping District in Taipei

I posted about Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, when I was in Taiwan over six years ago. I was about to start this post with "Falun Gong was helping to keep things lively today at the trendy Ximending shopping district in Taipei". But then I noticed it included a rather unintended bad pun.

Today at Ximending

Today at Ximending

I have previously Falun Gong's displays like those today with claims that China has harvested human organs. In a Sinosphere piece with some details about these claims, China's response, and how the tactics of many Falun Gong adherents may hurting their own goals, a year and a half ago Didi Kirsten Tatlow wrote about her experience around similar displays in Hong Kong:

Eyes flashing, lips curled in operatic scorn, a middle-aged woman holding a placard reading “Evil Cult Falun Gong!” ordered me off the sidewalk outside Hong Kong’s convention center, where organ transplant specialists from around the world were gathered.

“Go away!” she shouted. “You’re no good!”

My crime? After interviewing her as she stood with a group called the Anti-Cult Association, she had spotted me interviewing a woman at a competing demonstration of practitioners of Falun Gong, a meditation and exercise-based spiritual practice that the Chinese government outlawed as a cult in 1999, jailing many practitioners. The Anti-Cult Association says it is a civil society organization, but its aims closely reflect the Chinese government’s.

I didn't see any competing demonstration today, though I have seen them on other occasions in Taiwan and Hong Kong. And while two people were quick to approach me offering pamphlets, informational cards, and a petition regarding the demonstration, the term "lively" would better apply to many other aspects of Ximending.

Still, Falun Gong added a type of life which I don't see, and can't see, at shopping districts in mainland China.

A Colorful Dragon Above Civic Boulevard

At the Zhonglun Fucheng Temple (中崙福成宮) in Taipei

Shengming Temple in Taiwan

I had something else planned for here today. Planned. But instead of that, here are two photos of Shengming Temple (聖眀宫) in Jiufen, a historic town on the oceanside mountains of eastern New Taipei City:

An Ephemeral Creation Floating in Taipei

A New Year Holiday in Taipei

Although I am belated in posting for the first time since 2018 began, I wasn't belated in celebrating it. Thanks to some matters not deserving much mention here I spent the holiday in Taipei for the first time. Thanks to good friends who have access to the top of a well-located building, I had a splendid view when midnight arrived.

I was familiar with Taipei 101's fireworks displays, but seeing it in person is something else. My friends felt otherwise. Apparently after watching fireworks shoot out of a skyscraper more than a few times the experience can become mundane for some people. Anyway, I had a grand time. Later, one of the friends shared a photo taken by Kent Chuang from a location very close to where we watched but at ground level:

I don't have a long story to share about the night like I did for my very different New Year's experience last year in Xiapu, a county with numerous fishing villages in Fujian province. The most remarkable thing this year other than the fireworks was later stumbling upon a large gathering of young people from a variety of places in Latin America who were celebrating in Da'an Forest Park.

So . . . ¡Feliz año nuevo!