Marion, shooting her wedding
pictures at the Confucius
Temple in Taichung

Chinese Calligraphy as
presents for friends

Engagement party with friends

Weedend hiking and spa at
Dakeng

Love Spreading in Taichung

Words and photos by Taichung City Government
Translated by Naomi Lai

Marion is a Frenchwoman who lived in Beijing for a year before coming to Taiwan. After experiencing the passionate nature of the Taiwanese people and Taichung's wonderful scenic and cultural beauty, she made up her mind to root the next phase of her life right here.

"People in Taichung are very friendly!" she notes. "A lot of times, I just can't find where I am going. I'll be walking around with my foreigner's face and a map in my hand. People will start coming up to me to give me a hand. Once there were as many as five passersby who stopped to assist me."

After studying Mandarin for a year at Tunghai University's Chinese Language Center, Marion successfully found a job at a Taichung-based bio-medical company as Executive Secretary of the President, in September, 2009.

When she first arrived in Taichung, she took time to travel around the country with friends, visiting different scenic spots in various cities and counties. Although she now knows all of them like the back of her hand, she found that the mild and comfortable weather of Taichung beat them all. Adding the city's internationalization efforts and various cultural events to that makes it a great place to live in. In fact, the National Museum of Fine Arts is Marion's favorite place in the city!

Other than the wonderful weather and cultural activities, she is also in love with Taichung cuisine, such as pork chop noodles, dumplings, and kumquat (small tangerine) tea. Taichung's abundance of great eateries and night markets across the city (including the Feng Jia Night Market) also solve the problem of cooking for Marion. When traveling abroad, a taste of home always warms the heart and mind. For this, Marion recommends dining at Gulu's House restaurant near "Tea Street" (JingMing 1st Road Commercial District), or Tonton Philou restaurant in the city's Dakeng Scenic Area for some authentic French cuisine.

When it comes to outdoor activities, Marion describes her admiration for the beauty of Dakeng with her fluent Chinese. On weekends she enjoys hiking or taking a spa in Dakeng, and these connections with nature remind her of life in the mountains of France.

In order to adapt and enjoy more of the Taichung way of life, Marion and her French boyfriend, Sebastien Martinotti, joined in matrimony in August, 2009 and had their wedding photos taken in traditional Chinese clothing at the Confucius Temple, following Taiwanese engagement traditions. They also wrote Chinese calligraphy for their friends. Getting married in Taichung now practically makes them a part of the city.

Not all Frenchmen are romantic or run around with Louis Vuitton bags, jokes Marion. She is glad that she has been able to connect, understand and grow more with her French background in Taichung, thanks to the help of friendly local residents, allowing her love story to continue even in this foreign land.