This is a brief information about the beautiful place where I am presently residing now.
Brief History: Hsin-chu has been here for 3 centuries now and it was once the beautiful homeland of the Taokas, one of the tribes of Taiwanese plain origines. Hsin-chu’s old name was "Chuchien", It is a Taokas word that means "seashore". The Taokas lived by the coast around Shiang-shan Wetland. Hsin-Chu is the oldest city in Northern Taiwan. In 1711, a Han Chinese named Wang Shi-jie settled in Chuchien. 1723, bamboo groves were planted to serve as a city wall and 4 gate towers were erected. 1826, during Qing emperor Daoguang’s reign, 47 members, including Zheng Yong-xi, requested the Qing court to erect a city wall made of bricks and stones. The project included a city wall, a moat and 4 gate towers: The Xingyi gate (east gate), the Yishuang gate (West gate), the Gexun gate (South gate), and the Gongchen gate(North gate). Today only the east gate and the section of the moat survived. 1895, the Japanese tear down many traditional buildings and the city walls. 1945, the KMT government came to Taiwan, and it puts focus on industrial development. In 1980, the gov’t established the Hsin-chu Science Park and the high-tech quality, high-tech industry began.
The Windy City
Located in Northwestern Taiwan, Hsin-chu city is sorrounded by mountainson three sides and the sea on one side. Hsin-chu City is also what the Taiwanese says, the Windy city. Shiang-Shan boasts the largest oyster farming operations in northern Taiwan, it has a 200 year history of oyster farming here. Hsin-chu’s unique local specialty is rice noodles, local delicacies should not be missed when visiting Hsin-chu. Hsin-chu’s Science Park is Taiwan’s Silicon Valley, It is the global center of Technological development.
I encouraged my friends and relatives who lives from other part of this world to come and visit Hsin-chu, the windy city and join us explore the beauty of it.
Our first family long trip with our firstborn son Benjamin was splendid. It was a long tiring trip but when we arrived at Heathrow Airport and was asked for 3 mins. by this half smiling, half serious officer at the immigration, we then felt the welcome air of beautiful ENGLAND. Our experiences was a mixture of funs and longings, amazement and adventures, one funny thing happens was that the travel guide book we brought with us was rejected by my brother-in-law, because of some mistakes written in it, especially his hometown "Northamptonshire". "I learned and more keen now on buying travel guide books" :-). GREAT BRITAIN (ENGLAND) is full of HISTORIES, f
rom Historic cities and towns, great Kings, Queens, Prince & princesses, Cathedrals, Churches, Castles, Great Warriors, big houses, beautiful & big gardens, they also have shakespeare 
and you name it… When we got there, most of the time we travelled through car. My sister and her family droved us everywhere from the great city of LONDON to the far part of EDEN PROJECT. There are so many places that we want to visit in Britain but for 17 days we were not able to see all. We are looking forward to go back again & see the places we aren’t able to go. We did not missed of course the famous Stonehenge, stopped at bath(why is it called bath?), we spend 2 nights at Devon and to some other places, we spend a day at cheddar gorge and bought some memorable things from that old beautiful place, then we came back to Northamptonshire at midnight (tiring). We had a glance of London when we were on top of London eye (we viewed the beauty of London when we were on top of that wheel and it’s a marvellous experienced.) My son Benjamin enjoyed the view of small and high hills when we were on our way to the West Country which is The Wessex, Devon & Cornwall. In England we visited some old big houses, that is now a museum’s. After our almost 3 weeks vacation I did longed for the Chinese instant noodles that I saw from one of the small stores at Amsterdam Airport (luckily my cousin brought us a boiled egg on the day of our departure at our hotel, and the result of our chinese instant noodles with boiled egg was yummyyyy….. hahaha) I suggest now bringing boiled eggs and salt when travelling, especially if you have kids Who cares anyway hahaha!!!
AS RICH AS CROESUS
Croesus (560-546 B.C.), king of Lydia in Asia Minor. This story offers important lessons about money and power’s real bearing on happiness.
Croesus, king of Asia. The country he ruled was not very large, but it’s people were prosperous and famed for their wealth. Croesus himself was said to be the richest man in the world, and so well known is his name that, to this day, it is not uncommon to say of a very wealthy person that he is "as rich as Croesus".
King Croesus had everything that could make him happy- lands and houses and slaves, fine clothing to wear, and beautiful things to look at. He could not think of anything that he needed to make him more comfortable or contented. "I am the happiest man in the world," he said.
It happened one summer that a great man from across the sea was travelling in Asia. The name of this man was Solon, and he was lawmaker of Athens in Greece. He was noted for his wisdom and, centuries after his death, the highest praise that could be given to a learned man was to say, "He is as wise as Solon."
Solon has heard of Croesus, and so one day he visited him in his beautiful palace. Croesus was now happier and prouder than ever before, for the wisest man in the world was his guest. He led Solon through his palace and showed him the grand rooms, the fine carpets, the soft couches, the rich furniture, the pictures, the books. Then he invited him out to see his gardens and his orchards and his stables, and he showed him thousands of rare and beautiful things that he had collected from all parts of the world.
In the evening as the wisest of men and the richest of men were dining together, the king said to his guest, "Tell me now, O Solon, who do you think is the happiest of all men?" He expected that Solon would say, "Croesus."
The wise man was silent for a minute, and then he said, " I have in mind a poor man who once lived in Athens and whose name was Tellus. He, I doubt not, was the happiest of all men."
This was not the answer that Croesus wanted, but he hid his dissappointment and asked, "Why do you think so?"
"Because," he answered his guest, " Tellus was an honest man who labored hard for many years to bring up his children and to give them a good education. And when they were grown and able to do for themselves, he joined the Athenian army and gave his life bravely in the defense of his country. Can you think of anyone who is more deserving of happiness?"
"Perhaps not," answered Croesus, half choking with dissappointment. "But who do you think ranks next to Tellus in happiness?" He was quite sure now that Solon would say, "Croesus."
"I have in mind," said Solon, "two young men whom I knew in Greece. Their father died when they were mere children, and they were very poor. But they worked manfully to keep the house together and to support their mother, who was in feeble health. Year after year they toiled, nor thought of anything but their mother’s comfort. When at lenght she died, they gave all their love to Athens, their native city, and nobly served her as long as they lived."
Then Croesus was angry. "Why is it," he asked, "that you make me of no account and think that my wealth and power are nothing? Why is it that you place these poor working people above the richest king of the world?"
"O king," said Solon, "no man can say whether you are happy or not until you die. For no man knows what misfortunes may overtake you, or what misery may be yours in place of all this splendor."
Many years after this there arose in Asia a powerful king whose name was Cyrus. At the head of a great army he marched from one country to another, overthrowing many a kingdom and attaching it to his great empire of Babylon. King Croesus with all his wealth was not able to stand against this mighty warrior. He resisted as long as he could. Then his city was taken, his beautiful palace was burned, his orchards and gardens were destroyed, his treasures were carried away, and he himself was made prisoner.
"The stubbornness of this man Croesus," said king Cyrus, has caused us much trouble and the loss of many good soldiers. Take him and make an example of him for other petty kings who may dare to stand in our way."
Thereupon the soldiers seized Croesus and dragged him to the marketplace, handling him pretty roughly all the time. Then they built up a great pile of dry sticks and timber taken from the ruins of his once beautiful palace. When this was finished they tied the unhappy king in the midst of it, and one run for a torch to set it on fire.
"Now we shall have a merry blaze," said the savage fellows. "What good can all his wealth do him now?"
As poor Croesus, bruised and bleeding, lay upon the pyre without a friend to soothe his misery, he thought of the words that Solon had spoken to him years before: "No man can say whether you are happy or not until you die," and he moaned, "O Solon! O solon! Solon!"
It so happened that Cyrus was riding by at that very moment and heard his moans. "What does he say?" he asked of the soldiers.
"He says, ‘Solon, Solon, Solon!’" answered one.
Then the king rode nearer and asked Croesus, "Why do you call on the name of Solon?"
Croesus was silent at first. But after Cyrus has repeated his question kindly, he told all about Solon’s visit at his palace and what he had said.
The story affected Cyrus deeply. He thought of the words, "No man knows what misfortunes may overtake you, or what misery may be yours in place of all this splendor." And he wondered if sometime he, too, would lose all his power and be helpless in the hands of his enemies.
"After all," said he "ought not men to be merciful and kind to those who are in distress? I will do to Croesus as I would have others do to me." And he caused Croesus to be given his freedom, and ever afterward treated him as one of his most honored friends.
Our first family long trip with our firstborn son Benjamin was splendid. It was a long tiring trip but when we arrived at Heathrow Airport and was asked for 3 mins. by this half smiling, half serious officer at the immigration, we then felt the welcome air of beautiful ENGLAND. Our experiences was a mixture of funs and longings, amazement and adventures, one funny thing happens was that the travel guide book we brought with us was rejected by my brother-in-law, because of some mistakes written in it, especially his hometown "Northamptonshire". "I learned and more keen now on buying travel guide books" :-). GREAT BRITAIN (ENGLAND) is full of HISTORIES, f
rom Historic cities and towns, great Kings, Queens, Prince & princesses, Cathedrals, Churches, Castles, Great Warriors, big houses, beautiful & big gardens, they also have shakespeare 
