A Day Trip To Taiwan City & Other Places in Johor on November 6, 2016

On Sunday, November 6, 2016, my wife Soh Ai and I joined a day trip by coach organized by Soh Ai’s friend Kuai Lan (桂兰) of Cheras Hokkien Association, with a total of about 40 passengers comprising mostly of elderly folks (up to the age of 79).  Our group was led by a 64-year-old woman tour guide and the coach was driven by a 28-year-old Indian man by the name of Kumar who can speak fluently Cantonese and Mandarin.  The tour fare was RM 89 inclusive of a Dai Pau (大包) breakfast and lunch (changed from dinner) at a restaurant in Seremban.

We left home at 5.30 am to pick up our friends staying next road Terry Yip and Jenny Lee to go to the pick-up point at Batu 11 Cheras new village.  The coach left at about 6.30am to fetch some passengers at Balakong / Taman Sungai Besi Indah before starting our journey to the south of Peninsular Malaysia.

First stop was a visit to the factory of Besfomec Industries S/B at Kawasan Perindustrian Alor Gajah, Melaka where Fomec’s (丰美氏) bird nest series and other health drinks were promoted for sale.  I bought a bottle of prune extract that came with a gift of 6 bottles of chicken essence for RM 85.

Second stop was a visit to the factory of Everlasting Food Industries S/B (永恒食物工业) at Kawasan Perindustrian Tangkak, Johor.  I bought instant oat milk, chocomillet, light-roasted pumpkin seeds and buckwheat cookies with seaweed for a total cost of RM 102.20.

Third stop was a visit to a tourist resort called “Taiwan City” (台湾城) managed by Mal Tai Holdings S/B.   It is located at Jalan Muar , MK Tg Sembrong of Yong Peng, Johor and it is said to offer more than 1000 types of Taiwan and Malaysia special products.  However, due to poor businessm many stalls have been closed down and the food court (台湾美食广场) is deserted now.  

Anyway there are still some stalls at the Taiwan Special Products zone (台湾特产区) as well as Medan Selera Malayia selling Malaysian products.  I bought triplet flavour mochi (三味麻薯), Mung bean pastry (绿豆凸), egg yolk puff (蛋黄酥) and sesame yam oolong (东方养生麻薯) totaling RM 62.90.

Next we stopped at Restoran Hock Hwa (富华冷气酒家) at Yong Peng for a sumptuous lunch with 8 courses of dishes.

After lunch, we visited Yong Peng Moral Uplifting Society (永平德教会紫安阁) where there is a gigantic 351-foot long Fortune Dragon sculpture (转运祥龙塑像) which is said to be officially opened by the Sultan of Johor on the coming Saturday, November 12, 2016.  A tour inside the stomach of the Dragon to view the decor and paintings would cost an entrance fee of RM 20 later.

Our sixth stop was a visit to Yong Peng Tian Bao Gong (永平天保宫) where there is a 68-foot tall Ji Gong Living Buddha statue (济公活佛圣像) as the main attraction.

Our last stop was a visit to the factory of Phoenix Nutraceuticals S/B (凤凰营养有限公司) at Yong Peng.  A slide presentation of health cum sales talk of the products offered was held for cordyceps, grape seed extract, sea cucumber gamat extract and other health supplement products.

We had our individual dinner at a hawker centre in Seremban before returning to Batu 11 Cheras at 9.15 pm.  We reached home at about 9.30 pm.  

First stop at Besformec Industries, Alor Gajah, Melaka

Second stop at Everlasting Food Industries, Tangkak, Johor

Taiwan City at Yong Peng, Johor

Deserted Food Court due to unsustainable business

Main entrance of Taiwan City

A pose with co-traveler buddy Terry Yip

Jenny Lee (pic right) and Soh Ai (next to her) 

A pose with Soh Ai inside Taiwan Special Products zone

Many stalls are closed down

Taiwan food and beverage

Tasty Taiwan style "green tea ice kacang"

Products that I bought

Restaurant for lunch

Houses with very tall antennas to receive Singapore TV channels

Fortune Dragon in the background

Terry Yip and Jenny Lee

Yong Peng Moral Uplifting Society

351 ft long Fortune Dragon

Inside the building of Moral Uplifting Society

Soh Ai and Jenny posed for a photo

Tian Bao Gong temple

68 ft tall Ji Gong Living Buddha statue

Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) statue

Tian Bao Gong temple entrance