Painted Animation Lane (動漫彩繪巷) @ Taichung in Taiwan

Before video streaming gained traction in my life, a lot of my precious time was spent on books; specifically comic books that were highlights of my growing-up years.

I was therefore quite excited when the tour guide for my recent Taiwan trip mentioned we would be visiting a lane that was filled with drawings of comic characters! It would no doubt be a nostalgic walk down memory lane! 

Known in English as the Painted Animation Lane, this attraction wouldn't take too much of your time as it wasn't very long. Even for us, it was only a 15-minute stopover. 

First thing that greeted us was this mini bus stop that reminded me of a scene in the anime film, Totoro! Aside from comic books, I am a fan of anime films by Studio Ghibli! p.s. would love to visit its theme park in Japan if there is an opportunity! 

Old Master Q; these should be the earliest comic characters I remember as the comic books were always present in barber shops, where we can indulge in the comic series while the barbers cut our hair. 

The artist made full use of the surroundings to work his magic; it could be an empty wall, a shop shutter or even the zinc protection for a building! By the way, do you know that Painted Animation Lane is the work of just one man!?

SpongeBob SquarePants and The Simpsons; both are American cartoon / animated series that I don't really follow, even though I am aware of their existence! 

I am more acquainted with Super Mario; a game that got me fixated on video games unless my poor skill forced me to decide that I just didn't have the knack for it, and go back to reading comic books. How come there wasn't any Princess Peach?

My favorite comic, higher in ranker than Old Master Q, would be Crayon Shin-chan! From the first time I heard of this five year kid who was sexually mature in thinking, his comics brought a dose of sunshine whenever I am feeling sad. Even though I don't read Japanese, I had more than 40 books of the Chinese translated version. 

Deadpool; more an English comic but I guess most people know of unconventional hero from the movies, rather than the comics. 

How many comic characters can you identify from the above?! I counted Hamtaro, Astroboy, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, Ranma ½, Yi Xiu Monk, Bow Wow etc.

Likely from the hentai series. 

Supposed to be the most classic scene from One-Piece! Interestingly, I watched a few of its movies but never its comic books. A few friends actually recommended me to check out its animated TV series instead. 

I actually recognized the character on the right although I don't remember her name. I did recall she was in the most popular comic series in the 80/90's, Dragon Ball. 

Rockman - another video game that I failed miserably. 

Garfield and Popeye The Sailor Man; the former comic strips were classic whereas the latter was a cartoon which I eventually lost interest in as the storyline was always about the same.

Nostalgic scene from the Street Fighter Arcade Game! Those were the times where friends would share secret moves to win the match! Again, such games were not my forte. I am actually lousy in video games, preferring to play RPG instead.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Back in those days, I didn't have the money to buy comic books and it's much more economical to rent. Given my poor memory, I would usually rent an entire set when the series had completed, and read them over a few days / weeks. 

Naruto kindled the fantasy of ninjas but the books came out so slowly; I eventually gave up at about book 50 or so! Turned out the run was almost 15 long years! 

Humongous mural of One-Piece. The comic first started in 1997 and although it had been more than 25 years; do you know that the story has not ended?! Maybe I should buy this once it ends its run so that I can slowly indulge in its story after I stop working.

An impressive painting of Dragon Ball, with many notable characters! I can actually read traditional Chinese characters due to my appetite for comic books; many of which were translated in Taiwan / Hongkong, where traditional Chinese is used. 

The Painted Animation Lane came about because the owner of the above motorcycle store found that the exterior wall of his shop was too dull and decided to paint over it! The result was good enough to draw comments that encourage him to paint more! Obviously can see he is a fan boy for comics! 

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Address

Lane 100, Linsen Rd, West District, 

Taichung City, Taiwan 403

Map

As above. 

Location Map

As above.

Click HERE for the Summarized Itinerary for Our 8 Days 7 Nights See Iconic Taiwan Anew Tour Package via Chan Brothers

Family Mart Taiwan - Mystery Bag for the Year of the Dragon!

Back when I was a kid, a lot of mama shops would sell small black bags that had a picture of a question mark. Known as mystery bags, I would buy just for the excitement of wanting to be surprised although many a times; the items inside were absolutely useless!

Fast forward to a few decades later; right ahead of me before I stepped into a family mart branch at Taipei was an eye-watering display of red paper bags that were known as prosperity bags even though their function was similar to the mystery bags of my childhood. 

I purchased a bag for 249 Taiwan dollars (about S$10.68) and brought it back to Singapore! p.s. the lady who collected my money did warn me that inside would mainly be snacks, with maybe some coupons which I could only use in Taiwan!

Excitement of tearing apart the paper bag and peering to see what "treasures" I would be bestowed with! Time to unpack everything to the table for a closer look.

The full glory - a bottle of drink, two packs of kinder bueno, one bowl of instant noodle, three packs of snacks, one postcard, a pack of wet tissue, and two tiny black bags of don't know what. p.s. Alex loved the cheeze bits whereas I preferred the squid biscuits. 

Not pinning too much hope on these mini mystery bags.

Turned out to be two key chains of what appeared to be a tapir? Don't think I would be using them given my penchant for losing key chains. Who knows if they could fetch a fortune in the future!? Neh. 

Behind the postcard was a redemption coupon for two bottles of drinks worth 38 Taiwan dollars each! I would have to miss out on the deal since I wouldn't be returning to Taiwan until maybe a year later. My travel calendar is already quite full. 

Almost threw away the emptied bag when I noticed this envelope stapled to the inside of the bag. Would this be the biggest gift for the entire mystery bag?! Let's tear along the dotted line! 

A lucky draw coupon with more discount vouchers, including a 68% discount voucher for Pizza Hut! I was more attracted by the million dollar (I guess) lucky draw and happily scanned the QR code.

Okay, sure, I will download the Family Mart app.

Sadly, I am unable to do so as it is currently not available in my region / country! Oh well, not that it matters as the whole point of buying the mystery bag was born out of an excitement and curiosity to find out what's really inside. 

Terminal 21 Rama 3 @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Shopping centers are all the same right? Generally they are but there's a particular shopping mall chain that stands out from the rest; the Terminal 21 malls in Thailand! 

After a few hours at Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, the true blue Singaporean soul with me was craving for a place with air-conditioning. Since there's a terminal 21 nearby at Rama 3, which was opened in October 2022 (the newest), we decided to GRAB there.

It's not unexpected to alight at the entrance with such a themed facade. I actually blogged about Terminal 21 Asok, its original flagship mall, in 2015 and cant' wait to be captivated by its latest mall. 

As with the rest of Terminal 21 malls, each level is themed by countries, cities or regions, and I can't wait to show you the decorations on every level.

First thing first, Alex and my Thai friend opted to dine at Boon Tong Kee (a Singapore brand) so that I have a free rein of time to take as many photographs as I would want. p.s. Alex claimed this Boon Tong Kee is better than its original shop in Singapore. 

Ground Floor - England

The thing that caught my attention was the ceiling; flushed with flowers, lightbulbs hanging amidst greenery and gigantic strawberries that had me craving for strawberries! 

Not to also mention the number of photo spots showcasing icons of England; the red telephone booth, the Paddington bear lookalike, Thames river etc. To be frank, the decorations itself would be the main draw factor, whereas the retailers and dining establishments complement it.

Another big draw for me would be its themed washrooms, which I had shared previously in greater details. Click here for the Uniquely Themed Toilets @ Terminal 21 Rama 3

There was a Valentine's event when I visited in February 2023; hence, the pop-ups. Yes, you did read correctly, this post was delayed for eight months. 

A large structure on the upper floors.

Similar yet different from the Golden Gate Bridge at Asok.

HOKA shoes for sale at 40% off! 

First Floor - Italy

What would be the icons of Italy? I haven't been there but Venice, with its waterways, is definitely one of them, including pasta and pizzas! If only there's a replica of the leaning tower of Pisa. 

Vespa, the brand of motorbike, is considered a Italian style icon! Although I don't have a motorbike license yet, I ever told myself I would buy a Vespa if cars get too expensive. Problem now is that COE for motorbikes isn't that cheap either.

Mesmerizing glass terrariums and coloured glass balls adorned this section. 

Again, the themed toilets; honestly, I am unsure if these were the correct floor for which the toilets were situated and I can't find more details of the toilets in Terminal 21 website! There should be a special section on the webpage for interesting facts and information. 

Free phone charging with USB ports! 

Wait, isn't KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken?! 

Quite cool to wear that jacket into KFC, and order a zinger meal. 

Second Floor - France

Known as French loaf in Singapore, these humongous loafs shall kick start the many photos of France. Its two most famous icons, Eiffel Tower and Mona Lisa, were missing but there were still plenty to charm your eyes. 

A replica of a Citroën branded motor vehicle, driven by a poodle, the cyclists, the circus, the carnival etc etc. I guess I am not the only one tempted to ride on the carousel horse or pull down the "balloons".

I think there's a mascot animal on some levels. London should be bear, whereas for France, dogs, specifically poodles, seem to be on display every now and then.

Tintin and Snowy, its doggy sidekick, were also featured via a "hot air balloon" that crossed about three floors! Even though Tintin first appeared in Belgian, it was in French and he was well known in France as a cultural icon. 

A go-kart track right outside the mall.

I am confused; is this track on top of a carpark? 

Toilets again!

Third Floor - Japan 

Fox would be the mascot animal for this level. They were every where and in greater quantity than the poodles. I wonder how much they spend on maintaining these decorations. p.s. don't you just love the one of a fox sleeping on a class Honda motorbike?

This is funny! 

Cultural icons for the land of the rising sun; life sized rickshaw puller, the sumo players and the red post box (latter of which is quite iconic for the world in the past). I can just imagine the children being tired out by other parents for the non-stop phototaking! 

Seasonal changes, from summer, to autumn and then spring with the sakura flowers. People are always surprised that even though I travel quite often, I have only been to Japan once, and that's to Hokkaido, which isn't top on the list for most people. 

Top of the biggest decorative structure for Terminal 21 Rama 3. It seemed more like a church than a link bridge like London Bridge. Can anyone share the insights? 

This level toilets were the most amazing with Japanese onsen and ramen themes! My Thai friend who is half Japanese, was horrified by the large strands of ramen noodle! 

Even though this wasn't Japanese, the area surrounding the escalator going up to the fourth and fifth floors has a small Hollywood theme with an Oscar statue, and setting of interview segment before an award ceremony. 

Fourth and Fifth Floors - San Francisco

Proceeding up to the fifth floor from the escalator. There's no missing fourth floor, which was mainly carpark and and extension of spa salon that had its main entrance on the fifth floor.

Personally, I would have termed this movie zone instead of San Francisco since what appeared in front of us were replicas of a movie icon; the popcorn! Even the seats were in the shape and design of it!

I rest my case.

Only elements of San Francisco would likely be limited to the pier 21 food court. Terminal 21 Asok actually had a food court of the same name and I was obsessed with its food for one period of time, when it had this unforgettable Thai egg omelette with rice. 

Alex finally allowing me to take a photo of him.

He had become too difficult as a model! I need a new model.

A chandelier in the toilet!?! 

The other one was neon themed.

Not ending the post yet as we had another level that had yet to be cleared. On lower ground, which is known as basement in the Singapore's context, would be a theme for the children.

Lower Ground - Caribbean

There's even a lighthouse spanning three floors!

p.s. don't think people can climb up from inside though.

Elements of the Caribbean flamingos, which is "a chain of islands surrounding the Caribbean Sea". Just in case you are wondering why there were flamingos; there's indeed a species known as Caribbean flamingos.

Most memorable about the Caribbean would be the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and the games I played in the past known as Sid Meier's Pirates! Those were great times in my youth, where I didn't have to care about working and earning money for my life. 

Just wondering, would the rope be able to handle the constant tugging of the "dead shark"? Given my work, I often had to grapple with the risk of safety, damage and housekeeping. 

Ongoing storytelling session at this cute whale. Obviously, the language was Thai and I didn't understand a single word. The kids did appear to be enjoying and that's the most important. 

Loving the designs of these kiosks! I noticed one of them was Nam Dao Huu; a soya milk, beancurd store that I visited at Bangkok chinatown on the same trip. 

Ending this post with, yes, toilets on the level. 

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Address

356 Rama III Rd, Bang Khlo, Bang Kho Laem, 

Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10120, Thailand

Map 

As above.

Website

https://www.terminal21.co.th/rama3/en/home-en/