Taiwan Travel Guide – Kaohsiung and Cijin Island

Taiwan 2023 12 09 20 32 13 1024x824 - Taiwan Travel Guide - Kaohsiung and Cijin Island

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung (高雄; Ko-hiông in Taiwanese, Gāoxióng in Mandarin), with 2.7 million inhabitants, is the third most populated city in Taiwan after New Taipei and Taichung. It is located in the south of the island on the west coast. Kaohsiung is known for its harbor, although more for commercial than tourism reasons. Its year-round fine weather and the low cost of living makes Kaohsiung a good place to visit.

Unlike Taipei, Kaohsiung is a planned city with wide streets and slightly less traffic congestion than the capital. The city has made great strides in transforming itself from a primarily industrial city into a modern Asian metropolis, and several areas of the city, such as along the banks of the Love River (Ai He, 愛河), have benefited from major beautification projects. The city is often known as Taiwan’s Harbor Capital (港都) because of its close connection and heavy reliance on the ocean and maritime transportation.

Kaohsiung began in the 17th century as a small fishing village named “Takao” (打狗), derived from the local aboriginal name meaning “bamboo forest”. The name was changed to “高雄” (meaning: “high hero”) by the Japanese in 1895, also pronounced “Takao” in Japanese.

Getting There: Transportation Options

Many visitors coming from the north will arrive by high-speed train at the Zuoying High Speed Train Station, which is far to the north of the city. The fastest high speed trains from Taipei cover the distance in just 1½ hr on the Taiwan High Speed Rail line (THSR). There are 3 types of tickets: Business Reserved, General Reserved, and Non-Reserved. Reserved are approx. NT$1,500 and non-reserved slightly cheaper at NT$1400. Get Designated Seats if you are traveling with luggage, they are less than NT$100 more expensive.

Kaohsiung Station is the city’s main station for regular TRA trains, located in the city center. It is connected to THSR Zuoying Station both by regular trains, the Red Line of the Metro (MRT; approximately NT$20–25), bus, or taxi (approximately NT$250–350). It also serves trains to the East Coast cities of Taitung and Hualien.

Another common point of entry is the Kaohsiung International Airport, which is comparatively close to the city. The airport is on the MRT’s red line (see system map), and the central area of town is a 20 minutes MRT ride away.

Buses feature fully reclining seats, baggage transportation and, on most, video game consoles or televisions for each seat. Prices run around NT$1,000 per trip, give or take, depending on the initial and final destination. Most major bus companies have their office and stops close to the train station. They are located on the same road as the train station, about half a block down the street.

Getting Around Kaohsiung

The long-delayed Kaohsiung MRT has two lines. The Red Line runs from north to south, offering a handy route from the THSR Zuoying station and the airport into the downtown core, while the Orange Line runs across the city from the Port of Kaohsiung in the west to the eastern suburb of Daliao. The Metro Line is very clean and offers a convenient way to quickly move within the city. However, as the metro is rather young the network is yet not very dense and often you have to walk a few minutes to the next station. Operation of the MRT stops at about 23:30 for the orange line and as late as 00:30 for the red line. Ask at the information desk to be sure.

Feeder buses are available to bridge network gaps and provide better access to the metro lines. The MRT stations are all well connected to the city bus lines for further transfers. Stations and trains are wheelchair-friendly, but note that when there are multiple exits from a single station, usually only one of these is equipped with a lift.

The K-MRT’s ticket gates accept iPass, EasyCard, contactless MasterCard debit and credit cards, UnionPay credit cards, and QR codes from LINE Pay (if you set up your LINE Pay account outside Taiwan, make sure to set the QR code screen to Taiwan to generate a code valid for local use). There are two separate contactless readers: the lower one is for iPass and EasyCard and the new upper one is for bank cards.

Kaohsiung has a well-developed bus network, with services generally running frequently. Bus fares can be paid with iPass, EasyCard, or by cash.

As the sidewalks double as scooter parking areas, caution and awareness are a must when walking through unfamiliar areas off of main streets. Generally, it is best to walk between the scooter parking row and store fronts, rather than between parked scooters and the road. Pedestrians should be especially aware when crossing a road as cars and motorbikes often run red lights. Exploring Kaohsiung on foot is highly recommended, as many of the distances between sites of interest are not far.

Things to See and Do in Kaohsiung

The Western districts

The area to the west of the Love River (愛河; pinyin: Ài Hé) includes the Gushan (鼓山) and Yancheng (鹽埕) districts. The main attractions in Gushan are:

  • The British consulate (British Consulate at Takao) sits atop a hill with the red brick building offering beautiful views over the Kaohsiung harbor and the sea. While a nice structure representative of the era in which it was built, it is now thought to have been the official residence of the British Consul, and not the consulate proper. 
  • The Takao Railway Museum, launched in 2010, was Kaohsiung’s first railway station. There are exhibition rooms, a railway document archive and a platform and track area. 
  • The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts hosts a permanent collection and temporary exhibits, mainly of paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries.

While all three attractions are within Gushan, the Museum of Fine Arts is located at the Northern end of the district. The first two attractions are better visited together with the Yancheng district.

Yancheng, once a largely sodden, marshy land, was drained in imperial times for salt production. It became part of the modern harbor front. Many of the warehouses there, long abandoned, have been renovated and refurbished as part of the Pier-2 Art Center.

  • The Pier-2 Art Center. The centre occupies several warehouses that were artfully converted into exhibition space and cafes. Many contemporary art exhibitions are held there, as well as occasional live music events. It is on the bicycle path that borders the harbor front. 

Zuoying (左營區)

  • Lotus Lake, Zuoying District. Take a walk or bike around Lotus Lake. The lake is surrounded by temples, some of which have built out onto the lake. Of note are the Dragon-Tiger Pavilion and Spring Autumn Pavilion, as well as Taiwan’s largest Confucius temple. During the day the lake is surrounded with stalls selling food, drinks and trinkets. Across the street from the Dragon-Tiger Pavilion is a Taiwanese puppet shop that’s worth checking out. Just south of the lake is one of the restored gates of the Old Wall of Fongshan, built in 1826. A few blocks down on Shengli Road is the North Gate, the best-preserved of the three. On the other side of the gate is a new park and the Military Dependents’ Museum, which features many vintage Taiwanese household items. 
  • Pei Chi Pavilion (北極亭), On Lotus Lake in Zuoying District. This large statue of Beiji sits on Lotus Lake. The plank connecting the statue to the shore is lined with a series of beautiful sculptures of animals. The statue is hollow and contains a temple within. Although relatively modern, this statue is colorful, colossal, and well worth a visit.
  • Spring & Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣), On Lotus Lake in Zuoying District. This Taoist temple complex contains a large dragon that you can enter. The inside of the dragon is beautifully painted with murals. Once you are done sightseeing within the dragon, you can exit out its opposite end. The nearby Dragon-Tiger Pavilion is also worth seeing, and features two pagodas you can visit as well.
  • Kaohsiung City Temple of Confucius (左營孔子廟). 09:00–17:00, closed Monday. Free.

Elsewhere

  • The Dome of Light (光之穹頂 / Guāng zhī qióngdǐng), Formosa Boulevard MRT Station. A public artwork in the concourse area of Formosa Boulevard station. Created by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata, it is the world’s largest stained glass installation. The dome is divided into four sections: water, earth, light and fire. It also takes the form of a yin and yang symbol. An audio guide (available in several languages) can be borrowed from the KRTC Art Shop inside the station. It costs NT$30 and gives a half-hour narration of the key features of the artwork. Don’t miss the audiovisual show at 11:00, 15:00 or 20:00. Free.
  • Fishermen’s Wharf / Banana Pier, Near Sihzihwan Metro Station. This tourist area features a number of restaurants with live performers and seaside seating. There is also a free exhibit within Banana Pier about Taiwan’s banana industry.
  • i-Ride Experience Center(i-Ride 體驗中心) (5 minutes on foot from Software Technology Park light rail station). 10:00-17:00. Panoramic flying attraction in Kaohsiung Software Technology Park. The ride brings you an amazing soaring experience across the Kaohsiung skyline with immersive 4D effect.
  • Shoushan (壽山 / Shòu shān). Also known as Monkey Mountain, is on the west coast, across the harbor from Cijin. All along the mountain, it is possible to see monkeys looking for a snack. Although there are signs posted forbidding feeding the monkeys, some of the locals don’t hesitate to do so. Some monkeys are nice, but some can be nasty and attack as soon as they see some food.
  • Central Park (中央公園 / Zhōngyāng gōngyuán) (get off the MRT at Central Park Station and go out exit 1). The park has a small hedge maze in the middle, a pond with some bridges and fish, clay tennis courts, and “Urban Spotlight,” a café with a stage to display local talent. 
  • Urban Spotlight. Located at the corner of Central Park, Urban Spotlight is a cafe with a stage where local live bands perform in the evening. Take a walk around Central Park then stop at the cafe to cool off. 
  • Night Markets. The Liuho Night Market (六合夜市) (MRT Formosa Boulevard) is the most popular and touristy night market, full of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese tourists. Lots of seafood, some local dishes but more stuff for tourists, from Turkish doner to “Thai” banana pancakes. Don’t expect the food to be particularly good—the practice seems to be to display a tank of live prawns to prove how fresh they are, all the while sticking frozen ones on the grill. Open pretty much every day after 17:00/18:00. It’s fun if you’ve never experienced a Taiwanese night market before, but in the end it’s basically a tourist trap. For real local eats, turn right at the western end of the market and head north up Zili Road (自立路).
    A more local, food-oriented night market is Rueifong (Ruifeng) Night Market (瑞豐夜市), straight outside exit 1 of MRT Kaohsiung Arena. It is open Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday, but if you are uncomfortable in crowds you should avoid the weekends. A similar night market is 青年夜市 near MRT Da-Dong.
  • Take a nighttime stroll along the promenade of the Love River and enjoy the live music, a coffee or an ice cream in one of the cafes.
  • Go to the top of the 85 Tower, the second tallest building in Taiwan.
  • Dream Mall (夢時代購物中心 / Mèng shídài gòuwù zhòng xīn). A large mall that is a bit out of the way, but worth it to visit the Hello Kitty Ferris Wheel on the roof.
  • Republic of China Air Force Museum (about NT$200 by taxi from Gangshan South station). The overall exhibition area of the museum spans over an area of 3 hectares, which consists of various collections of artifacts, archives, weapons and airplanes.
  • Kaohsiung Mosque (高雄清真寺) (walk north from KMRT Weiwuying Station). The 2nd mosque to be built in Taiwan.
  • National Science and Technology Museum (國立科學工藝博物館) (Take the Pingtung line to Science and Technology Museum station). An enormous science museum, one of Asia’s largest. It can easily keep kids entertained for a day. NT$100 adults, NT$70 students with ID.

Cijin Island

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The Cijin District (旗津; Qijin) is a slender island in front of Kaohsiung which serves as a natural breakwater for the harbor. The district is filled with seafood restaurants selling freshly caught seafood which can be prepared right after you pick it. If you have only a brief period in Kaohsiung, skip Cijin. If you have more than a day, you will find the island to be a pleasant and relaxing place to take a break. Most of the major sites can be seen within two hours. Cijin is connected to the rest of Kaohsiung City by tunnels, but the transportation of choice is one of the many ferries that traverse the harbor. Fare for the ride is NT$30 per person. Bikes and scooters can be brought aboard, but the fee is higher with a scooter (no extra fee for bicycles). Make sure you use Gushan ferry pier and not the one in front of Warehouse No. 2, as that one is less frequently served and is only for pedestrians. The ferries are wheelchair accessible.

Getting to and from Cijin Island

If you want to get to Cijin District:

  • Take bus No. 1 at the Kaohsiung Train Station or take bus No. 31 at the Zhuo Iing Bus Station to the Ferry Pier.
  • Take bus No. 35 at the Ciang Zhen Bus Station to Cijin Peninsula.
  • Take Bus No. 12 at the Kaohsiung International Airport to Shiaugang and take Bus No. 14 to ChiangZhen Ferry Station.

Or, you may take a ferry:

  • Gushan ferry terminal (from which one can take the ferry to Cijin island) is an easy 10 min walk from Sizihwan MRT station (you may have to ask for directions though as the route is not that straightforward, but signboards are pretty clear nowadays)

Things to See and Do on Cijin Island

Upon exiting the ferry, turn right and head for the lighthouse and the fort, which are located on a hill with great views of the city, the harbor, and the ocean. From there, continue south towards the beach (maybe visit the Star Tunnel) until you get to the plaza with a fountain. Here you can decide: either go into the street that goes back to the ferry and has about two blocks of snack stands, as well as some good seafood restaurants. Or (especially if you rent a bike from a rental from a shop in Lisyong Street next to Sizihwan station), there is a nice coastal path that goes south along the beach through Cijin Coast Park.

  • Chihou Lighthouse was built by English technicians during the rule of the Ching Dynasty (1883). In 1916, the Japanese remodeled it into Baroque style and painted it white. This renovation was made as part of the expansion of Dagao port. The lighthouse has played a crucial role in guiding ships since 1918 during night sailing.
  • Chihou Fort is a battery which was designed by an English engineer. It was after the Ching (Qing) government took over Taiwan that the fort became a military base. The fort stationed a naval commander and one hundred soldiers. The fort was occupied by the Japanese army in 1895. Subsequently, the cannons in the fort were dismantled and melted. Meanwhile, the battery was abandoned. In 1988, Kaohsiung city government started to restore the battery and it was completed in 1992.
  • Cijin Coast Park (Cijin Seaside park). The Cijin Seaside Park is a long area of picturesque terrain along the west coast of Cijin Island. Take a leisurely stroll or cycle past intriguing architectural designs with a constant view of the Taiwan Strait. The park incorporates a long path for walking and cycling as well as an ecological area and Cijin Beach.
  • TianHou Temple. Chihou area is the area in Kaohsiung where many fishermen live. This temple was built about three hundreds years ago and dedicated to the Goddess of Sailors, Matzu. People believe that Matzu can protect every fisherman who is going to sea. The temple is crafted with charming yet authentic folk art. TianHou temple is also regarded as the oldest temple in Kaohsiung.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed my visit to Kaohsiung and Cijin Island. I thought the British Consulate at Takao was a bit underwhelming but it did have a nice view and was easy walking distance from the pier to Cijin. Depending on how much time you want to spend on Cijin Island, I think you can easily combine these two in a day.

I read special notices that tap water is not potable in Kaohsiung. I’m not sure why that is/would be different than other places, but I never really drank the tap water anywhere so it wasn’t an issue for me.

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