Longgang Mosque (龍岡清真寺)

View fullsize

This post is the second part of a long-planned three part series on Longgang (龍岡), a culturally and historically significant area of Zhongli, the city I’ve called home for the past decade.

In the first post I introduced and listed the reasons  why it stands apart from your average Taiwanese community. 

This post will focus on the beautiful and historic mosque that serves the people of that unique community.  

If you missed the first post, which focuses more on the history of the area and more importantly answers the question as to why the area has a mosque, I’d recommend taking some time to go back and read that one before moving on with this one.

View fullsize

When I first arrived in Taiwan over a decade ago, an expat sighting around town was still something that was considered a rare experience.

Whenever someone saw myself or my friends, they were likely to stare for a bit and then suddenly shout “American!” or “so handsome!”.

Neither are actually true statements.

Over the years however I’ve come to accept these kinds of things as part of the friendly and welcoming nature of the people of Taiwan.

In recent years though, there has been a noticeable shift in the way some people, especially the younger generation react to the sight of a foreigner.

While most are still quite hospitable and friendly, it is becoming common to hear the experiences of some expats who are randomly approached on the streets and told to “go back to America”.

There are of course a myriad of reasons for this.

View fullsize

That being said, a group of foul-mouthed kids was probably just what the doctor ordered to ease a bit of the ‘weirdness’ I felt while visiting the local Mosque.

I had known about the Longgang mosque for a while and that it was an important cultural and historic building here in Zhongli - But I truthfully always felt a bit apprehensive to visit (especially with my camera) as I’ve leanred in my travels that mosques aren’t the easiest places to photograph. 

Normally in Taiwan I walk around temples and take photos and have never once felt unwelcome or that I was doing something wrong. Taiwanese people love sharing their culture with foreigners and no matter what you believe in, you are free to walk around and appreciate all the art and culture that is put on display.

I feel like churches and mosques are a bit different. When in Taiwan though, do as the Taiwanese do! 

View fullsize

When I approached the mosque I took quite a few photos of the beautiful gate and the exterior (trying not to be noticed) and saw a bunch of young boys hanging out on a picnic table in the shade nearby.

They were having a loud conversation with a woman in a hijab and the conversation seemed lighthearted - save for the fact that the kids had a penchant for using foul language. 

I decided that the lightheartedness and lack of formality was probably evidence that while I was visiting a mosque, it was a mosque in Taiwan and probably very much like every other temple or religious place I’ve visited. 

After a few minutes of banter between the teenage boys, the lady walked over to me and said very plainly in Mandarin: “Hey handsome, what brings you here?” I replied that I was studying the history of the area and learned that the mosque had quite a bit of historic significance to the area.

That was enough to earn myself a guided tour!

View fullsize

The Longgang Mosque dates back to the 1960s and shares an interesting history that coincides with the political and military history of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

With this blog I won’t be focusing on the religious aspects of the mosque but will instead spend more time on its historical importance and the reason why it exists in a country with a very small Muslim population.

Islam in Taiwan

View fullsize

You’d probably also be surprised to find out that the history of Islam in Taiwan dates back to 1683. Walking around the streets of Taiwan, you’re not likely to ever notice anything Islamic in nature. 

Even though there is a three century history of Islam in Taiwan, the Islamic population makes up only 0.2 percent of the total population today. 

These days the Taiwanese government does a pretty good job promoting religious freedoms and over the past few years has done quite a bit to ensure that Taiwan is a safe and inclusive place for Islamic tourists to visit.

Taipei City in particular has done quite a bit to identify and promote Halal-friendly restaurants and has committed to constructing more Mosques and prayer rooms in public spaces. 

It is probably safe to say though that when most locals think about Islam, they are likely to associate the religion with foreign labourers from Indonesia.

I’m sure few people really have no idea how, where or when Muslims worship. It just isn’t something that people notice in their everyday life. 

1. Islam in Taiwan: Lost in Tradition (Al Jazeera) 
2. Taiwanese Muslim: The History of Islam in Taiwan 
3. The Future Faces South (New Bloom)

There are currently seven large mosques in Taiwan that serve not only the religious needs of the foreign labourer population (and tourists) but also the people who came to Taiwan from the Yunnan-Burma region in the 1950s and 1960s.

Prior to the 1950s it was unlikely that you’d find many Muslims in Taiwan. When the Kuomintang was forced to relocate thousands of guerrillas and their dependents from the Yunnan-Burma border region in the 1950s-1960s, the nation was suddenly faced with a population of Muslims who had no place to worship.

To solve that problem the government and religious organizations worked together to construct five mosques between 1947 and 1967 in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Zhongli.

Longgang Mosque (龍岡清真寺)

View fullsize

In 1967, the Zhongli Mosque was built in the Longgang area of the city where there was not only a high population of evacuees from the Yunnan-Burma region but also several military bases and military villages. 

The Mosque that we see today is the result of several periods of construction, expansion and renovation throughout the fifty years of its existence.

When the mosque was originally constructed in 1967 it was considerably smaller than it is now and was hastily built (much like the military housing in the villages nearby) using materials and construction techniques that weren’t suitable for Taiwan’s humid environment.

After joining the Chinese Muslim Association (中國回教協會) and receiving funds from Saudi Arabia the group was able to reconstruct and renovate the existing building as well as purchase land adjacent to the mosque in order to construct dormitories, shower rooms and a kitchen.

View fullsize

View fullsize

The mosque complex we see today was completed in 1995 and consists of the main building and a larger one next to it that serves as the official residence of the Mosque’s Imam (Abdullah Liu - 柳根榮) and where the administrative staff offers classes to the public.

I’m not as well versed in the design techniques of Islamic Mosques as I am with East Asian Temple design but what I can say is that the mosque is quite a bit different than what you’re probably used to in Taiwan and is very minimalistic in design.

The exterior and interior of the building are a dark shade of green (which symbolizes freedom) with plain white walls on the inside.

View fullsize

As is custom, the Mosque is gender segregated with separate entrances for both men and women - Men worship on the top floor while women are relegated to the first floor.

I would typically complain that this type of segregation is a terrible thing but in the case of this mosque, I’d say the women are the winners due to the fact that the heat on the top floor of the Mosque was almost unbearable while I was touring it.

The Mosque is open every day and is available for the daily call to prayer.

The busiest day of the week is on Fridays when the Imam offers services to the public. 

The atmosphere at this mosque is quite laid back and considering the historical importance it has in the area, it is also attracts a few curious people who stop by to check it out.

Travellers shouldn’t worry that they are intruding on sacred space, that they won’t be welcome to visit or that they will have religious pushed on them - The people who run the mosque are welcoming and there are signs in Chinese, English, Arabic and a few other languages that explain the history of the mosque to visitors. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

Getting There

If you are coming from another area of the country and want to visit the Mosque, the best way to get there via public transportation is to take a train or bus into Zhongli (中壢) and then from the bus station (next to the train station) take a bus (#112) headed toward “Zhong Zheng” (忠貞) getting off at Longdong Road (龍東路).

Address: No. 216, Longdong Rd. Zhongli District, Taoyuan City. (桃園市中壢區龍東路216號)

 

---

Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots)

Longgang (龍岡)

View fullsize

This post is going to serve as an introduction to a long-planned three part series on a culturally and historically significant section of Zhongli - the city I’ve called home for the past decade. The posts are going to focus on different aspects of the area, which in a lot of ways is unlike almost any other in Taiwan.

With this post I intent to introduce the complex history of the area with some photos of the neighbourhood and some of its residents. The second part will be about the historic Longgang Mosque (龍岡清真寺) and finally Mazu Art Village (馬祖新村), a beautifully restored Military Village that has now become a tourist attraction and an art space for the youth of Taiwan.

Culturally-speaking, when people think about Zhongli, what comes to mind is that the city prides itself on being the “Hakka Capital of Taiwan.” - The city is certainly home to a predominately ethnic Hakka population and you don’t have to look far to see evidence of that.

What may surprise you however is that Zhongli is also home to a large ethnic Yunnanese-Burmese community who brought with them not only their culture, but their cuisine and have in the process made Zhongli a much more vibrant city because of it!

To explain the history of Longgang, I’m going to have to delve into a bit of a largely forgotten backstory of events that took place in the years after the Chinese Nationalists fled to Taiwan.

The story is one that isn’t often told in history books and is one that the Taiwanese government would probably rather forget, but what happened was extremely significant to the people who make Longgang the special place that it is. 

View fullsize

Taiwan became a ‘home away from home’ for a few million refugees when the Nationalist government in Nanjing orchestrated a mass retreat from Mainland China between 1948 and 1949.

The government at the time would explain that the retreat was just a minor set back and fleeing to Taiwan was necessary in order for the armed forces to regroup and retake China from the Communists. 

One of the lesser known stories that not a lot of people learn about in history books is that in 1949 when the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan with two million refugees, several hundred thousand military personnel and most of China’s gold reserves and treasure, they ended up leaving quite a few people behind who were forced to fend for themselves.

For those left behind a choice had to be made as to whether they’d simply just lay down their arms or keep up the struggle against the communists. Faced with a lack or funds, resources or leadership, quite a few of them laid down their arms and started familiarizing with the new reality of living in the People’s Republic of China.

Others however formed pockets of resistance and continued fighting the Communists until there was no other option but to surrender.

The KMT in Burma

View fullsize

One of those pockets of resistance was in the Sino-Burmese region of China’s Yunnan Province (雲南省) where the Yunnan Anti-Communist Salvation Army (雲南反共救國軍) kept the fight alive several years after the large-scale retreat to Taiwan.

In 1949, shortly after the formal establishment of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, the People’s Liberation Army entered Yunnan Province to assume territorial control of China’s southern border. In response to the arrival of the massive army, the small resistance force under the leadership of General Li Mi (李彌) escaped into Burma and set up shop near the border in order to lead incursions into China. 

Shortly after the People’s Liberation Army took control of Yunnan Province, people loyal to the Republic of China started to flee across the border as refugees and joined up with the KMT forces there. The fighting force swelled from around 1,500 to the tens of thousands allowing them to become somewhat of a serious threat to the People’s Liberation Army as well as to the newly independent nation of Burma, which was seeking to enforce control over its sovereign territory.

View fullsize

The KMT forces strategically set up shop in Burma’s north-eastern region in an area between Kentung (ကျိုင်းတုံ) and Tachilek (တာချီလိတ်မြို့). The area was significant because it was not only close to the Chinese border but also the border with Thailand and a safe distance from Yangon, the capital of Burma.

Once set up in Burma, the group started to receive support from not only the KMT in Taiwan but also the Thai government and the American CIA which helped to ensure its survival. The army however ensured its self-sufficiency thanks to its production and control of the opium trade in the region.

In 1951, a relatively successful offensive was launched by the army into Yunnan province with a 10,000 strong force but after less than a month they were forced to retreat back into Burma by the much larger PLA. The army tried again on two separate occasions to invade China but were repelled both times and suffered heavy losses.

After several military failures the army decided not to bother attempting an invasion again and instead would permanently entrench itself along the border region, continue its involvement in the opium trade and gather intelligence for not only the KMT but for the CIA.

By 1953, after several failed attempts to vacate the army from Burmese territory by force, the Burmese government had enough and appealed to the United Nations to force the government in Taipei to withdraw its troops from the region.

View fullsize

With international pressure on Taipei mounting, the issue also became an embarrassment for the United States which was complicit in offering support to the troops. Washington decided that enough was enough and put even more pressure on Taipei to leave the area. The KMT was otherwise uninterested in the idea of losing its strategic control over the region but without the support of the US and Thailand they were forced to withdraw.

In 1954, General Li Mi announced that the army was to be dissolved and evacuations commenced with an estimated 7000 troops and their dependents left Burma and were flown to Taiwan via Chiang-Rai in Thailand.

The Burmese government however insisted that the evacuations were nothing more than a charade and that when all was said and done, the majority of the fighting force remained in the country and the only people that left were women, children and those too old to fight.

In truth despite international pressure and instructions from Washington, the KMT left a force of around 6000 troops in the region and they continued their illegal occupation despite the protests of the Burmese government.

The government in Taiwan responded that the ‘guerrillas’ who remained were beyond its control and were ‘rogues’ acting independently to continue their role in the Opium trade.

Fighting between the two sides lasted for the next seven years until the Burmese army got the proof it needed when it shot down a plane carrying supplies for the army.  The wreckage was damning proof that of the KMT's lies and their continued involvement in the destabilization of the region.

The diplomatic crisis that ensued was nothing short of a complete embarrassment for Taipei and resulted in the KMT finally agreeing to evacuate the remaining guerrillas and their dependents.

Article: In Taiwan, the legacy of the KMT’s Burma retreat

Article: Taipei’s Little Burma and the Legacy of the KMT ‘Jungle Generals’

Upon arrival in Taiwan, the staunchly loyal KMT supporters were sent to a few different locations around the island. The most well-known of those today is probably Taipei’s Little Burma (華新街) near Nanshijiao (南勢角) where locals as well as expats often visit for a taste of Yunnan and South-East Asian cuisine. The majority however were brought to Zhongli where there was already a large military presence that could easily integrate the new arrivals.

Culturally speaking, Yunnan is a special place in China that has a very high level of ethnic diversity. In the case of those who fled to Taiwan from Yunnan-Burma, a large majority were ethnic Hui people (回族) or as the Burmese referred to them: “Panthays” (ပန်းသေးလူမျိုး / 潘泰) which more or less meant Chinese Muslims. 

Its important to note that the “Hui” people are not necessarily an ethnic minority, but are China’s way of classifying people of the Muslim faith. Islam in Chinese is “Hui-Jiao” (回教) and therefore Muslims are known as “Hui” (回族) people.

The “Hui” people of Yunnan have a long history of integration and moving back and forth between Yunnan and Burma and are quite close culturally with the Burmese. So close actually that it is difficult to classify them as a distinct group anymore. 

They are considerably much better off today than the Rohingya Muslim population of Burma which has been denied citizenship and persecuted by the government forcing an exodus of almost a million people and international condemnation of the Burmese government.

This is why you’ll not only find Muslims and a beautiful mosque in Longgang but also delicious food from Yunnan and the rest of South East Asia!  

Longgang (龍岡)

View fullsize

While not officially a district of Zhongli, locals often refer to “Longgang” as the area that surrounds the several military bases and training centres belonging to the Republic of China Armed Forces bordering Ping Chen (平鎮區) and Daxi (大溪區) districts. 

Considering that the area has been predominately occupied by the military for the last seven decades it has a distinctly different cultural vibe with an urban planning design completely different than the rest of Zhongli. 

The reason for this is actually quite simple - The Hakka people who live in Zhongli have been here and have helped to develop the city for hundreds of years make up what is the downtown core and dominating cultural affairs. The Hakka’s are considered “locals” (本省人) while the community of “Mainlanders” (外省人) who live in Longgang were transplants that were considered “different” in culture and language.

Suffice to say, both sides have often been at odds with each other over the years.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Even though the military area was established much earlier by other Chinese refugees, the sudden influx of the resistance army and their dependents created a massive shift in its make up.

Initially a hodge-podge of people hailing from various regions of China, the sudden influx of the resistance army and their dependents - who all hailed from Yunnan Province (雲南省) and Burma (Myanmar) - completely changed the cultural dynamic.   

This means that if you’re a fan of South East Asian Cuisine, you’ve come to the right place as you can find a mixture of Yunnanese and various South East Asian cuisines.

View fullsize

View fullsize

As the military presence in the area has declined over the years and the population has aged, the area has lost a bit of its historic appeal. Many of the original military villages that were constructed to house the refugees have in recent years been torn down and alternative modern public housing has been offered.

An unfortunate aspect of the aging of the population is that the culture, language and cuisine of the Yunnan people was starting to become as ‘rundown’ as the neighbourhood around it. Making things worse the younger generation (which was born here in Taiwan) chose to move to other areas of the country for better opportunities leaving the community full of retirees. 

Thankfully the Taoyuan City Government has taken the initiative to preserve and promote the area and its distinct culture - Over the past few years the local government and has done a considerable job redeveloping and restoring the area focusing not only on beautification and improving infratructure but promoting the culture through annual cultural festivals. 

Longgang is also an important place for South-East Asians who come to Taiwan to work to congregate with each other, worship in the mosque or the churches and also enjoy cuisine from home. The area is home not only to Yunnanese-Burmese food but also many Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Filipino and Indian restaurants that serve up delicious food. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

While most people in Taiwan may be somewhat unaware of Longgang’s history, one thing that they’re likely to know is that the area is famous for a specific dish.

Longgang’s claim-to-fame is its storied rice noodle dish which has become so popular that the Taoyuan City Government has started to organize the yearly “Longgang Rice Noodle Festival” (龍岡米干節) in its honour. The festival celebrates the dish that has become synonymous with the area but also the culture of the people who brought it with them with performances and cultural activities.

Now that the local government has done such a great job redeveloping the area, making the roads wider (and safer) and promoting it as a tourist destination it has become a popular weekend stop. In my first decade of living in Taiwan I can honestly say that I spent very little time in the area, but over the past year or two I’ve come to love learning about its history and also enjoy visiting for delicious South-East Asian food! 

It’s often said that there isn’t much to see or do in Taoyuan but the area is becoming more and more attractive both as a place to live and as a tourist destination.

Longgang is one of those places that you’ll want to visit not just for some great food but also a history lesson!

---

Gallery

Archbasilica of St. John Lateran

View fullsize

Rome is a city like no other - You could spend months, even years there and not even scratch the surface of everything the city has to offer.

Very few travellers however can afford to spend that much time in a city while on vacation. So if you've only got a week or two in the city, you're going to have to plan your trip wisely, right?

When planning my Roma vacation I spent quite a bit of time mapping out where I was going, when I was going and buying all the appropriate tickets.

While planning the itinerary, I made sure to add a few extra stops as 'possibilities' in case we ended up having extra time or if the weather wasn’t cooperating. 

On our last day in the city, I planned for a half-day excursion to the Roman neighbourhood of Trastevere which is just across the Tiber river and away from the main touristy areas of the city.

Trastevere is known for its nightlife, fine dining and bustling atmosphere while also being a bit more laid back and less hectic than other parts of Rome.

Admittedly, one of the main reasons I wanted to visit the area was to visit the restaurant “Roma Sparita” which was gained world-wide attention thanks to Anthony Bourdain’s praise for their unique take on Rome’s favourite pasta “Cacio e Pepe”.

Unfortunately I wasn’t really paying attention to the time, nor the restaurant’s hours of operation and we missed out on lunch service while exploring the area.

Instead we visited a random Trattoria in the area and had yet another amazing meal.

I think every meal I had in Rome was amazing though.

View fullsize

My original plan was to stick around Trastevere all afternoon and then head over to take some night photos of the historic Ponte Sisto bridge before heading back to our hotel.

My girlfriend however had a better idea - Looking at the list of possible places to visit, she thought that time would be better spent checking out the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. 

Oddly enough, the Archbasillica, which happens to be one of the most important cathedrals in the world as well as also the oldest public church in Rome only happens to be a minor tourist attraction compared to other destinations in the city. 

Which I'm sure you'll agree after reading this blog is a shame. 

History

View fullsize

Dating back to the 4th Century, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran is the oldest church in Rome and is also the highest ranking of the four papal basilicas. Home of the “cathedra” (throne) of the Roman Bishop, the church acts as the primary cathedral of the Catholic religion and you might be surprised to learn that it outranks St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Situated four kilometres away from the Vatican, the archbasilica’s status can be a bit confusing for non-Catholics - It is currently property of the Holy See and enjoys 'extra-territorial' status from Italy but also serves as the “Cathedral of Rome.”

To put it a bit more simply: Due to a mixture of history and politics, the church is not currently home to the pope but is still owned by the Holy See but also shared with the people of Rome.

Today it is considered the “mother church” of the Roman Catholic religion and even though the Pope rarely visits, it is still the most important of the four major catholic basilicas and oddly enough its administration falls to whomever is currently the President of the French Republic.

Confused yet?

I guess to sum things up easily we can just agree that when politics and religion get involved with each other, things can be a bit messy.

View fullsize

The land where the archbasilica was constructed was once owned by a powerful family known as the "Laterani's" who were well-known for their service to the Roman Empire with members of the family serving under several different emperors.

Unfortunately for the family, Plautius Lateranus, was accused by Emperor Nero (who was a bit insane) for conspiracy against the empire and all of their property, which included the Lateran Palace was confiscated by the state.

Around the year 312, Emperor Constantine commissioned the construction of a basilica on a plot of land next to the Lateran palace and donated all of it to the Bishop of Rome with the intention of the palace becoming the home of the church and the clergy where they would live for more than a thousand years! 

Over that period of time the basilica has survived several fires and earthquakes and has had to be repaired and renovated on several occasions. Despite a thousand years of fixing leaks and scraping fire damage off the walls, the basilica today remains almost the same as it did when it was originally constructed. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Two fires in the 1300s in particular though caused an extreme amount of damage to the basilica and the palace next door - The fires forced the popes, who at the time had already taken up residence in Avignon, France to make plans to move to the Vatican.

If you are unaware of the events which forced the Popes out of Rome for most of the 14th Century, you might want to read about the “Avignon Papacy”, the “Western Schism” and the “Anti-Popes”.

When the pope returned from France in 1377, Rome was a ghost town and most of the churches were in ruins. Pope Martin V and his successors started a process of restoration at the basilica which transformed the interior and remodelled the church into what we see today.

Seeing as how the leadership of the church was now living in the Vatican, they found alternate uses for the Latern Palace over the years which included a hospice for orphans, a museum for religious art and later as as storage space for overflow from the Vatican Museum Galleries. During the Second World War, the Lateran became a safe haven for Jewish refugees.

Today the archbasilica continues to play an important ceremonial role within the Roman Catholic Church and also serves as both the Cathedral of Rome and a tourist destination making it a busy place all day and night.

Visitors would do well to take notice of the giant bronze doors of the basilica which were previously used at Curia Julia (The Roman Senate) in the Roman Forum.

You’ll also want to take notice of the statues, mosaics and frescoes which decorate the walls all over the church.

You might also be interested in checking out the 'Altar of the Holy Sacrament' which contains a cedar table that is thought to have been the table used during the Last Supper.

In truth, there’s a lot to see when you visit this basilica - Make sure you have ample amount of time to enjoy your visit

View fullsize

Getting There

 

As I mentioned above, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran isn’t as popular as some of Rome’s other tourist hot spots. I'm guessing the reason is because of its distance from the city centre.

In truth, its only a 10-20 minute walk from Roma Termini Station, but for some tourists, that might be a bit too much. Personally, I found Rome much more enjoyable as a walking city, so I walked over from Trastevere and then walked back to my hotel.  

If you aren't interested in walking and want to get there quicker, the best way to do that is to take the Rome Metro to ‘San Giovanni’ Metro station. The basilica is more or less across the street. 

There is also a Hop On/Hop Off bus that will take you there, but it’s important to note that not all of the buses go that way, so you’re going to have to check at the bus stop to make sure which bus goes there.

Entrance to the basilica is free of charge and is open to tourists everyday before six.

It is also worth mentioning that before being admitted to the basilica you’re going to have to pass through a security check point. You may not want to bring too much with you when you visit in order to save time!

View fullsize

Like a lot of tourists who visit Rome, I listed St. John Lateran as a “possibility” in case I had some extra time. In retrospect, I think that the it should have been much higher on my list of places to visit. It is a beautiful church that is full of history and is coincidentally the only church on my trip where I actually saw church-related things happening.

If you’ve already finished visiting the Colosseum, the Vatican and Trevi Fountain, I recommend a stop at this beautiful basilica. The history and architecture on display at the Catholic Church’s most important basilica is something I think all tourists should enjoy. 

---

Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)