Enjoy the less busy streets and beautiful beaches of this Taiwanese harbour city, writes Nova Renata
TAIWAN has always been one of my favourite holiday destinations. It’s considerably inexpensive compared to the neighbouring Hong Kong and the food selection is superb, especially if you’re a big fan of street food.
While Taipei is renowned for its fastpaced city life and impressive skyscrapers, the quieter and lower-profiled Harbour City of Kaohsiung is often overlooked as a tourism destination.
Nonetheless, as I have recently discovered, Kaohsiung City also has a lot to offer with its more laid-back vibe, less busy streets and beautiful beaches.
The harbour capital of Taiwan, Kaohsiung is located in the south of Taiwan and is the second most populous city on the island after Taipei.
Situated 360km from Taipei City (about four hours’ drive), the cost of living in Kaohsiung is also relatively lower than in Taipei, making it a great budget destination.
As you arrive in Kaohsiung City, you will notice that most of the roads are dominated by scooters moving in a chaotic buzz from all directions.
If you know how to ride a motorcycle, the best way to explore the city is by renting a scooter and “wazing” yourself around. Otherwise, Kaohsiung also has an excellent and uncomplicated public transportation system — the MRT or metro, which only has two lines, Red and Orange, as well as public buses.
ICONIC LANDMARKS
While its landmarks are nowhere as outlandish as the skyscrapers of Taipei, Kaohsiung does boast of several noteworthy architectures that’s worth posting on your Instagram.
One of my personal favourite landmarks, introduced by a local friend and a fellow bookworm, is the Kaohsiung Main Public Library.
Located on Xinguang Road, opposite the Tuntex Sky Tower, the library is one of Taiwan’s exemplary green architectures that combines energy-saving technology with elements of nature and culture.
This eight-storey building was designed by the team led by local architect Ricky Liu and Japanese architect Toyo Ito and incorporates an integrated subtropical garden landscape on its top floor that offers a breathtaking view of the harbour. The library’s interior also contains no columns.
The first floor is dedicated as a semiopen space for public activities and exhi bitions. The library also serves as a great photography subject and is a popular venue for pre-wedding photography sessions.
Another must-see place when visiting Kaohsiung is the Dome of Light at the Formosa Boulevard Metro station.
The dome is an art installation created by Italian artist, Narcissus Quagliata, which is divided into four sections: Water, air, fire and light in a yin and yang symbol. The art installation also happens to be the largest stained glass installation in the world.
If you’d like to know more about the background and history of the Dome of Light artwork, you can listen to an audio guide that is available for borrowing from the KRTC Art Shop at the station. The audio guide narration runs for 30 minutes, giving you an in-depth insight on the art installation and what it represents.
For an artful weekend, make your way to the Pier-2 Art District that features an area of 25 abandoned warehouses from the 1970s, which has been transformed into art galleries, boutiques and entertainment outlets. There are also many cafes and dessert shops in the area, making it popular amongst the younger crowd.
Situated near the Sizihwan Metro station, the sprawling art district spans over the area of a former train station and a shipping pier. Over the years, the district has evolved into a popular place for both locals and tourists to spend a day strolling and picnicking. Pier-2 has also become the headquarters for artistic development in Southern Taiwan.
Pier-2 Art District has also been chosen as the venue to host a series of exhibitions and festivals, such as the Kaohsiung Design Festival and the Chinese Character Exhibition as well as the Kaohsiung International Steel & Iron Sculpture Festival, to name a few.
Under the Kaohsiung City Bureau of Cultural Affairs, the art district is developed to turn Kaohsiung into an attractive cultural and lifestyle hub.
Appealing to families and shopaholics alike, Taroko Park is Taiwan’s latest shopping mall/theme park and the island’s first sports-themed theme park.
If you’re travelling with younger children, or just want to indulge your inner child, you will find a wide range of games and other facilities to enjoy here.
Taroko Park is also the only theme park in Kaohsiung that is accessible via Metro - located just one stop away from the Kaohsiung International Airport — in case you fancy some last minute shopping and amusement session before heading home.
BUSTLING NIGHT MARKETS
Taiwan is generally famous for its vibrant and exciting night markets that are replete with sights, sounds and smells (predominantly of stinky tofu).
The night market is a great place to get any sort of bargains, be it Taiwanese fashion attires and beauty accessories, food and beverages, souvenirs and other knickknacks. The markets usually start operating from late afternoon to past midnight, with some only open on certain days of the week. In Kaohsiung, the three mostfrequented night markets are the Liu He, Rui Feng and Jin Zhuan night markets.
The Rui Feng night market is by far the largest and most popular night market in Kaohsiung. However, if you prefer smaller crowds and a less touristy feel, there are also smaller night markets in each district that are normally only frequented by the locals.
While affordable street food is available at almost every corner of Kaohsiung, the night markets do offer a unique supper experience where you can sample lots and lots of must-try Taiwanese street food ranging from the signature stinky tofu and the Taiwanese sausage (non-halal) to deepfried taro balls and other popular Taiwanese desserts.
PRETTY BEACHES
Kaohsiung has some of the prettiest beaches in Taiwan, thanks to its seaside location. For a day trip or an overnight stay, the Xiaoliuqiu (Little Liuqiu) Island is an excellent option.
Located off the coast of Kaohsiung City, about a 20-minute ferry ride from the Dong Gang Township which is a 30 minute drive from the city, the Qiaoliuqiu Island is fun place for a short beach holiday.
The little island can be easily be explored in a loop on a scooter or a bicycle. Upon arriving at the ferry terminal, you can opt to rent a scooter for a day to explore the island on your own.
You can also go swimming in the shallow water or hang out by the beach if you like, although be warned that the sand is pretty coarse and uncomfortable to step on. For more adventure, you can also rent some snorkelling gear or, even better, go diving in the deeper ends. The Xiaoliuqiu waters is said to offer great turtle-spotting opportunity.
Back on dry land, Xiaoliuqiu Island also has plenty of interesting landmarks for sightseeing, from the many cave formations, jungle trails and natural caves. Surrounded by water and fishing boats, the island also has a wide array of seafood restaurants, all offering fresh seafood at affordable prices. Before leaving the island, do visit the Profond Duty Free Shop for a dose of duty free shopping!
Another island worth visiting is the Cijin island, which is located a mere five-minute ferry ride from Kaohsiung Harbour.
Known for its clean stretch of beach and fresh seafood outlets, Cijin Island makes for a great venue for a family or couple outing. While you’re here, you can also check out other attractions on the island such as the Cihou Lighthouse that was built by British engineers back in 1883.