By Jed PierreSpring Break, the infamous holiday where college students travel off for a weekend to party like animals then return with memorable stories and unforgettable experiences. Or, at least that’s how it’s portrayed in the movies. Here in Taiwan, two national holidays align with a weekend during the month of April to provide enough time to launch “Spring Break” in Taiwan. However, is Spring Break in Taiwan as outrageous as in the movies?
Depending on whom you ask about Spring Break, the response could differ a great deal. As a curious foreigner I’d often ask my friends and these were the responses I received: “Only brainless people go to Kenting for the Spring Break concert. They get drunk and party all day and all night for three days. Don’t even waste your time and money going.” “Spring Break concert is the biggest concert in taiwan and it’s awesome. Lots of beautiful women in bikinis, lots of drinks and it’s just lots of fun!!” “The concert is a dangerous event. There’s usually lots of alcohol and even illegal drugs like weed and cocaine. Last year someone was tested to have the highest dosage of drugs ever in Taiwan. You should stay away from it.” I also surfed the internet and Facebook for more information about the event and I stumbled upon an advertisement for 2016’s Spring Break concert, which portrayed a naked couple walking around Kenting and Hengchun trying to purchase tickets to attend the festival. Did this mean it’s a nude party? What exactly is it? Which of these views is the correct one? I had knowledge but felt less informed than before. I realized that the only way to answer these questions was to attend this concert myself. After years of postponing, I finally planned my trip to Kenting, eagerly looking forward to the excitement or danger lurking there. After hours of traveling from Taipei, I arrived at my motel in Hengchun, the neighbouring township of Kenting. I quickly settled in and made my way to day one of the concert. On arrival it felt like a very strongly secured event with five or six security checks before entering the concert section. After finally entering the concert ground, the atmosphere felt alive with the sound of loud pop music and lots of cheerful laughter. The further I walked in, the more appealing the concert appeared to be. At first glance I could see a bunch of foreigners splashing around in the warm water pools, crowds of people lining up at the bar, the sea and sand in the background and a bunch of dancers moving in sync with the music. It all seemed fresh and different to any event I had ever attended in Taiwan. Seconds later, I met up with some of my classmates from NTU and I went on to meet many other friends and acquaintances I had made during my time in Taiwan. So far the even felt fresh like no other, and in some ways it was like a reunion with many of my previous friends. However, this honeymoon stage didn’t last very long. After walking through the concert grounds, I soon realized that in my first glance of the concert I saw everything that it had to offer. Within minutes, it suddenly felt like my three days here would be a lot less interesting than I expected and had been led to believe. I then made it my new objective to determine if there was any truth to the stories I had been told about the concert. First off, meeting many of my NTU classmates had already proven to me that this audience wasn’t “a bunch of brainless people” as described by one of my friends. Also, over the course of the three days I was never approached by anyone to purchase alcohol or drugs. All alcohol was sold at the sideline bars and I had seen absolutely no signs of drugs or even smoking. The lines at the bars were also so long that I often wondered if it was truly possible for someone to have gotten drunk during the concert. This concert was completely different than what I originally thought and I soon began to embrace the concert for what it truly was. Meeting with so many friends that I had not seen in a long time was already a great experience. I was able to catch up and even rekindle some old friendships. In some cases, it was also my first time seeing certain friends outside of the classroom environment. The beach sports at the concert were also interesting as it was a great opportunity to have fun and make new friends at the same time, not to mention also impressing many of the spectators. It also goes without saying that Kenting has one of, if not the best, beaches in Taiwan. Spring Break in Kenting naturally attracts a large crowd and the entire area is enhanced for the period of the vacation. Transportation, for example, was significantly increased, which made traversing this usually inaccessible area a lot easier. During this time, The Kenting Dajie (墾丁大街) is also a great part of Kenting. This became my favourite night market because of it’s lack of congestion despite having the large crowds, and the food is delicious, some of the best night market food I’ve had in Taiwan. Also, due to the large influx of tourists in the area, there was also a car show with lots of luxurious cars and race cars driving through the street, revving their engines, burning tires, and kicking off in short sprints to display themselves. Another interesting aspect is the large number of funsports that are available within less than 15 minutes from the concert. I go the opportunity to race in a 420 cc go-kart as well as paint balling. In addition there were other activities like ATV offroad, Horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, and possibly even more that I didn’t discover. Although these activities are always available, during Spring Break each event felt more exciting. Spring Break on the Beach, in Kenting, is not a dangerous or crazy event which will force you to commit a crime or behave differently than you normally would. It’s a time of year where lots of people travel to the Kenting to have fun. For anyone who’s never been to Kenting before, Spring Break is probably the best time to experience the place at its best. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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