Our Significant Places in and Around Taichung, Taiwan

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time in Taiwan, being married to Mei-O, a native born Taiwanese. After our trip there in July of 2008 to attend Mei-O's father's funeral and be with her mom in her time of grief, I went out to Google Earth to try to find the pagoda where Mei-O's father's ashes are interred. As I looked around the Taichung area on Google Earth, I created this map with several significant (to us) places marked:

Mei-O's family's home where several generations of her family lived right up until the 90s (see this). It was in this old house that Mei-O and I were married and where we lived while I was attending Tunghai University. It was this house that we brought Chris home to when he was born in Changhua, Taiwan.

Mei-O's younger brother Mingshun's house in Taiping, Taiwan, just east of Taichung. Mei-O's mom and dad have always lived there with them, so we always stay there during our visits to Taichung.

The Wuhuyuan Pagoda, a beautiful Buddhist pagoda nestled in a peaceful setting in the foothills just east of Taichung. It is here where Mei-O's father's's ashes are interred. Unfortunately, it is located right on the boundary of a very low-resolution Google map section.

Taichung Park where Mei-O and her sister Mei-yu played a lot when they were growing up in Taichung. I frequently visited the park during the many years I spent in Taiwan.

Mingshun's house on the 8^th floor of a downtown high-rise (owned by Meihui's husband's family) where Mingshun and his family and Mei-O's mother and father lived prior to moving to Taiping sometime in the 90s. We stayed there several times during our visits to Taichung. I especially liked its close proximity to Taichung Park, which we always visit whenever we return to Taichung.

If you move the map to the right so you can view farther west, you can see Tunghai University where I spent my senior year of college studying Chinese Language an Literature. While we were there, living with Mei-O's parents in their original old house, Chris was born in Changhua, Taiwan (see the marker, below.)

Just north of Tunghai University, northwest of Taichung on a high plateau, is what is now Taichung Airport. Back in the 60s, it was Ch'ing Ch'uan Kang Air Force Base, where I spent three years working on airplanes. It was while I was stationed there that I met Mei-O.

About 15 miles southwest of Taichung is Changhua, the city where Chris was born in the Changhua Christian Hospital. The marker is on the Changhua Christian Healthcare System's Chunghua Road Campus, where the Jean Landsborough Memorial Hospice Ward is, located on the site of the old hospital where Chris was born. Dr. Jean Landsborough, an English doctor who spent many years working at the CCH, was Mei-O's OB/GYN who delivered Chris. Being English, and with Chris being born on the Ides of March, she wanted us to name him Julius Ceasar!

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To view a larger version of this map, click here.

You can move the map around by clicking on it and dragging it around while holding the mouse button down, or clicking on any of the arrow buttons in the upper left corner. You can zoom in and out to get a closer look by clicking on the + or - buttons. It's especially nice to get a bird's-eye view of the pagoda and the winding road leading to it by centering it () on the map and zooming way in.

	Mei-O's family's home where several generations of her family lived right up until the 90s (see this). It was in this old house that Mei-O and I were married and where we lived while I was attending Tunghai University. It was this house that we brought Chris home to when he was born in Changhua, Taiwan.
	Mei-O's younger brother Mingshun's house in Taiping, Taiwan, just east of Taichung. Mei-O's mom and dad have always lived there with them, so we always stay there during our visits to Taichung.
	The Wuhuyuan Pagoda, a beautiful Buddhist pagoda nestled in a peaceful setting in the foothills just east of Taichung. It is here where Mei-O's father's's ashes are interred. Unfortunately, it is located right on the boundary of a very low-resolution Google map section.
	Taichung Park where Mei-O and her sister Mei-yu played a lot when they were growing up in Taichung. I frequently visited the park during the many years I spent in Taiwan.
	Mingshun's house on the 8^th floor of a downtown high-rise (owned by Meihui's husband's family) where Mingshun and his family and Mei-O's mother and father lived prior to moving to Taiping sometime in the 90s. We stayed there several times during our visits to Taichung. I especially liked its close proximity to Taichung Park, which we always visit whenever we return to Taichung.
	If you move the map to the right so you can view farther west, you can see Tunghai University where I spent my senior year of college studying Chinese Language an Literature. While we were there, living with Mei-O's parents in their original old house, Chris was born in Changhua, Taiwan (see the marker, below.)
	Just north of Tunghai University, northwest of Taichung on a high plateau, is what is now Taichung Airport. Back in the 60s, it was Ch'ing Ch'uan Kang Air Force Base, where I spent three years working on airplanes. It was while I was stationed there that I met Mei-O.
	About 15 miles southwest of Taichung is Changhua, the city where Chris was born in the Changhua Christian Hospital. The marker is on the Changhua Christian Healthcare System's Chunghua Road Campus, where the Jean Landsborough Memorial Hospice Ward is, located on the site of the old hospital where Chris was born. Dr. Jean Landsborough, an English doctor who spent many years working at the CCH, was Mei-O's OB/GYN who delivered Chris. Being English, and with Chris being born on the Ides of March, she wanted us to name him Julius Ceasar!