We explored a new spot in the city today - the old Sugar Factory Museum.

We took the MRT further north than we'd been before. As an aside, when the subway was first built about ten years ago someone had a brain burp and named the northern terminus of the red line "Gangshan South." It's confusing when you know you want to head north to get on the train going to the station labeled south. Duh.

Anyway, we went one station south of Gangshan South and wandered around the grounds of the old factory. It feels like they just shut down a few weeks ago and opened it up to the public the next day. In fact, it shut down in 1999 after 100 years of operation. Apparently sugar making was a big business for awhile, especially when the Japanese took over the country. It was interesting to wander through this big empty factory, even if we couldn't read much of the signage.

There are touristy spots that have sprung up around the grounds, including the required koi pond with lotus flowers.

There were also sculptures scattered all around. There was one sculpture that was made up of faces that people from the community made. The rest of the sculptures were made from factory pieces.

We bought popsicles at the snack bar and listened to a woman performing great classics like Grandfather's Clock (see the post from a couple weeks ago - I heard this in the subway too) and Simon and Garfunkel's El Condor Pasa on an ocarina. 

There's always such a mix of familiar and uniquely Asian when we go on expeditions like this. This place reminded me of a park I visited with my dad, sister and niece when we were in China fourteen years ago. There was also a koi pond, although it was much bigger, and the park had the same sort of shabby but funky happy feel to it. Families having a good time together but everything a bit run-down and unkempt. There is no Disney, squeaky-clean-ness to tourist spots around here. Some might call it more "authentic," less sanitized. I think there's just a different sense of beauty.