Fifth stop: Yangmingshuwu Visitor Center
Once we got back down from the high areas of Yangmingshan, it seemed that the weather has greatly improved. Sun was out, and clouds above were favorable-looking. Finally! I gleefully tucked my jacket back into my bag, likely not to be used for a while. Time to let some loose.
Our tour guide parked the car on a nondescript parking spot, and led us to cross the road towards a nice-looking gate with a visitor center nearby, with a sign saying it was the “Yangmingshuwu Visitor Center”.
So Xiao Hei briefly had us near the gates, where he explained that the place was previously called the “Zhongxing Guesthouse”, basically the summer house and visitor reception for their late President Chiang Kai-shek. So, it was deemed a building of historical significance to the nation, was preserved and maintained well by the government (and later by a designated parks authority), renamed as “Yangmingshuwu” and later opened to the public with proper security in place and a visitor center to pair with for tourists to see.
Our tour guide then led us inside the visitor center, and asked one of the staff to play one of the main videos they show to tourists on the screen above a diorama of the entire park.
Once that was over, our tour guide allowed us around 20 minutes to either use the facility’s restroom to refresh ourselves or go around and view the various displays in the visitor center. For me, I chose to go around. I got one of the visitor pamphlets for tourists as well, just as a souvenir.
Place was well-maintained, I’d say. I had a swell time going around and looking at stuff.
Once we all got together and was satisfied with the place and what it had to show, Xiao Hei led us back on the road and to the parking lot, reboarded the car, and soon we were off to the next stop. He did reassure us after the stop that the next place is one of the top tourist-y places in the tour, and given that the sun was out in full force, we will enjoy it. Nice!
Briathrail // Albert 2MNG 
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