The Hidden Taipei tours are designed to give participants a fresh look at the city’s Wanhua District from the perspective of the homeless, who have many stories to tell about living in the nooks and crannies of Taipei.
Starting trial operations in June, the two-hour tours involve no elements of fashion or luxury normally found in regular travel packages, HT co-organizer Li Ying-tzu said.
“The tours feature colorful stories told by such people as former gang members,” Li said. “They also include lively 30-minute Q&A sessions at the end to help fill in the blanks.”
According to Li, the tour guides have received six months’ training on local history and culture. “They are also offered psychological counseling to help address homeless-related emotional issues and improve their interactions with tour participants,” she said.
HT co-organizer Tseng Wen-chin said the initiative is inspired by U.K.-based social enterprise Unseen Tours. She said her experience of joining a UT-organized London tour in May 2013 transformed her perception of the homeless.
“These people are not people idling around on the streets without seeking jobs,” she said. “Most of them want to make a valuable contribution to society.”
Tseng said her London tour guide was a college graduate forced on to the streets after being laid off. “My experience with this person motivated me to do something to help the homeless in Taipei.” (DF-JSM)
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