The 2007 ING Taipei International Marathon was held in the streets of Taipei yesterday, December 16th. A record 110 000 runners took part in the various races, with 22 000 running in the full marathon. Kenya's Hillary Bett won the international mens division in a time of 2:17:01, finishing ahead of Tanzania's Disdery Hombo (2:17:35) and fellow Kenyan Elijah Chemwolo (2:18:03). Zimbabwe's Tabitha Tsatsa took the womens prize with a time of 2:33:01, with Kenya's Anne Chelagat at 2:38:19 and Merima Benboba, also from Zimbabwe, at 2:49:14.

As mentioned in part 2 of Wandering in Lugang, the area around the Tian Ho temple is mainly a street market. Food vendors, tea shops, restaurants and the like abound, all thronged by tourists and day trippers.

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In Wandering in Lugang part 1, we left off at the Yangciao Park. Close by, on Cingyun Rd, is the Di Zang Wang Temple. Built in 1815, this temple is dedicated to the Di Zang Wang Boddhisattva, who is worshipped as the rescuer of the dead who are suffering in hell. Di Zang Wang is better known as the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, although the Japanese call him Jizo and the Tibetans, Sai Nyingpo.

From major city to small, sleepy tourist town, Lugang (鹿港) is situated in Changhua county, Central Taiwan, a major rice growing area. Lugang literally means "Deer Harbor", and Lugang was once blessed with a natural, deep water harbor. Historical records show that central Taiwan was once heavily populated with deer, and the port of Lugang was used by the Dutch colonizers in their trade in deer pelts and venison.

Tucked away on Weixin Rd, Jiayi (嘉義) is the old Jiayi prison. Of the five Japanese style prisons that were built in Taiwan, Jiayi prison is the only one still standing today, although the last inmates were moved out in 1998. Construction began in 1919, and the prison was opened in 1922. Built of cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana) sourced from Alishan (Mt Ali 阿里山), it features a central control hub with three long cell blocks radiating from it.

The Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) is held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.