Date of Visit: 13 – 26 July 2019
Kaohsiung (高雄)
Kaohsiung (高雄), with a population of approximately 2.8 million people, is the second-largest city and the largest port in Taiwan.
Kaohsiung and Taiwan’s southern region have tropical weather with an average temperature of 24°C (75 °F) with small seasonal variations. The daily maximum temperature typically exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) in the warmer months from April to November and rarely drops below 10 °C (50 °F) in the cooler months from December to March. You will notice the weather is quite pleasant for travelling in this region all year round.
The tropical weather also makes the southern Taiwan region a major producer of tropical fruits such as pineapples, mangoes, papayas, wax apples, bananas, and dragon fruits.
As a visitor, I would consider the cost of living in Kaohsiung to be inexpensive in 2019. You could have a reasonable lunch or dinner meal for less than 200 NT (~US$7 or ~A$10) at many neighbourhood restaurants, food courts, and local night markets.
Kaohsiung city is well-connected to other major cities by Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR, 台湾高铁), which was opened for service in January 2007. Kaohsiung is the southern terminal stop on the THSR Train line. THSR Trains from Kaohsiung can reach Taipei city (台北市) in the north in 2 hours and costed around 1500 NT (~US$50 or ~A$75), which was relatively inexpensive in 2019.
THSR Trains from Kaohsiung takes less than an hour to reach Taiwan’s other southern cities such as Tainan (台南) and Chiayi (嘉义).
There are regular bus services from Kaohsiung to Kenting (垦丁), a popular holiday resort, and other major attractions in southern Taiwan outside Kaohsiung.
Therefore, it is a good travel option to fly into Kaohsiung and use Kaohsiung as a base to travel in southern Taiwan.
2-week itinerary
A 2-week itinerary can include Kaohsiung’s local and regional tourist attractions such as Kenting, as well as brief day-trips to Tainan and Chiayi on THSR train route without an overnight stay. If you have more than 2 weeks, then consider spending more time in Tainan, Chiayi and Kenting.
Kaohsiung’s Local Transport
Kaohsiung’s local public transport network is well-developed. You can rely solely on local public transport such as Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT, 高雄捷运) trains, Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail Transit (KLRT, 高雄环状轻轨), and local bus services to visit most tourist attractions in Kaohsiung. If you want to cut down on travel time, you can take a taxi.
A very popular form of local transport is the motorcycle. Do you know how many motorcycles are there in the whole of Taiwan? 15 million! That is more than half of Taiwan’s 24 million population.
KMRT (高雄捷运) was opened for service in March 2008 and has two lines (Red North-South and Orange East-West lines) with 37 stations covering a distance of 42.7 km (26.5 mi). KMRT line is very well-designed to link conveniently to Kaohsiung International Airport and Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR, 台湾高铁).
KLRT (高雄环状轻轨) is a light rail line linking the city centre and Kaohsiung port area. KLRT construction is in 2 phases. Phase 1, which consists of 14 stations, has commenced operations since 2016. Phase 2, which consists of additional 23 stations, will be opened in stages. Full operations of all 37 stations for both Phase 1 and 2 are expected in 2023.
The KMRT and KLRT lines are interconnected by 3 interchange stations so passengers can travel from one station to any other station on the KMRT and KLRT lines.
A train ride from Kaohsiung International Airport to Kaohsiung city centre takes only 16 minutes and at 30 NT (~US$1 or A$1.50). The train fare is very affordable and is between 20 NT (~US$0.7 or A$1.0) to 60 NT ((~US$2.1 or A$3.0) on the KMRT and KLRT lines depending on the distance.
Formosa Boulevard Station (美丽岛地铁站)
Being the interchange station of KMRT Red North-South and Orange East-West lines, O5/R10 Formosa Boulevard Station (美丽岛地铁站) is not just a busy train station but is also an important landmark of Kaohsiung city making this station a popular tourist attraction.
Some people even regarded Formosa Boulevard Station as the world’s most beautiful subway station. Why? Because of “The Dome of Light” installed in this subway interchange station.
Dome of Light
“The Dome of Light” is the largest illuminated glass dome in the world created by the renowned Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata, who is considered one of the most significant contemporary artists in glass. Narcissus Quagliata used a total of 4,500 glass panels and took 4.5 years to complete the construction of “The Dome of Light”, which measured 30m in diameter. In addition to glass, he also used painting and light to illustrate the birth, growth, glory, and destruction of the universe. Spend some time at this interchange station to admire “The Dome of Light”.
Being the KMRT interchange station makes Formosa Boulevard Station one of the busiest stations on KMRT Red North-South and Orange East-West lines.
Night markets (夜市) and Taiwan Xiaochi (台湾小吃)
Night markets (夜市) are very common in every city in Taiwan and play a central role in Taiwanese nightlife. They are where locals and visitors find the famous Taiwan Xiaochi (台湾小吃), which is literary translated as Taiwanese small eats, such as Salty Crispy Chicken (盐酥鸡), Pearl Milk Tea (珍珠奶茶), papaya milkshake (木瓜牛奶), seafood porridge (海鮮粥), rice cakes (筒仔米糕), stinky tofu (臭豆腐), and flavoured crushed ice (八宝冰), just to name some.
Every night market has some unique snacks to offer. If you like eating Taiwan Xiaochi, you may want to visit many of these night markets to explore and try their most unique and popular snacks. As well, night markets have other stalls selling souvenirs, clothing, games, handicrafts, and other consumer and household items.
Liouhe Tourist Night Market (六合夜市)
Liouhe Tourist Night Market (六合夜市) is just about 100m from Formosa Boulevard Station so it is very accessible on public transport.
During day time, Liuhe Second Road (六合二 路) is a vehicle road. Starting from 5 pm, a 300m long section of Liuhe Second Road will turn into an open-air and pedestrian-only daily night market with more than 100 stalls.
This night market, one of the most popular night markets in Kaohsiung, is especially popular with tourists because of its accessibility and its wide range of savoury to sweet street food and Taiwan Xiaochi.
Haven’t got enough stomach space to try all your favourite Taiwan Xiaochi in one trip? You may come back again because this night market is so accessible.
Zuoying KMRT Station (左营地铁站), Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站)
Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站) is the terminal station of Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR, 台湾高铁) in Kaohsiung.
Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) is very well integrated with Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT, 高雄捷运). KMRT Red North-South line R16 Zuoying KMRT Station (左营地铁站) is less than 100m from Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station.
On Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR), you can reach Taipei city (台北市) in just 2 hours and Taiwan’s southern cities Tainan (台南) and Chiayi (嘉义) within an hour.
The area around Zuoying KMRT Station and Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station has also become a public transport hub where you can take regional bus services to Southern Taiwan tourist destinations such as Kenting National Park (垦丁国家公园), Siaogangshan Skywalk Park (崗山之眼), Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (佛光山佛陀纪念馆), and Tian Liao Moon World (田寮月世界).
As well, this area is a major commercial centre with plenty of food outlets and retail shops.
Lotus Pond (莲池潭)
Lotus Pond (莲池潭), where Dragon Tiger Pagodas (龙虎塔) are located, is one of the most traditional scenic spots in Kaohsiung. There are more than 20 temples, pavilions, statues, and historical sites – including Spring and Autumn Pavilion (春秋阁) and the largest Confucius Temple (孔庙) in Taiwan, located all around the Lotus Pond, other than Dragon Tiger Pagodas.
If you have one full day, you may want to take your time to walk the walking trail around Lotus Pond to visits all these places, have a better understanding of Chinese and specifically the local Taiwanese culture, and enjoy the beautiful views of the pond. The perimeter distance around the pond is approximately 4 km.
Coincidentally, the shape of Lotus Pond has some resemblance with that of Taiwan Island.
Lotus flowers bloom in the Lotus Pond in summer. If you visit in summer, you can admire the lotus blossoms and smell fragrant of the lotus flowers.
Dragon Tiger Pagodas (龙虎塔)
Dragon Tiger Pagodas (龙虎塔) were built in 1976 in the Lotus Pond. Both pagodas were seven storeys high and are connected by a bridge. The pagodas, each connected to a dragon and a tiger, are accordingly called Dragon Pagoda and Tiger Pagoda. The entrance and exit points are through the mouths of the dragon and tiger. Dragon Pagoda and Tiger Pagoda are connected by bridges to each other and are connected to the shore by the bridge called Nine-Bend Bridge (九曲桥). In the Tiger body and the Dragon body, you will find Chinese murals and pottery artwork illustrating ancient Chinese stories and cultures.
It is believed you have to enter the pagodas through dragon mouth and exit through tiger mouth to avoid bad luck. Walk up to the top of the pagodas to enjoy full panoramic views of Lotus Pond.
If you can find a bicycle to ride, then try to ride on the bicycle lane built around Lotus Pond.
CNN named Lotus Pond and Dragon Tiger Pagodas “10 reasons to love Kaohsiung”.
The nearest KMRT train station is Red Line R15 Ecological District Station (生态园区站). Dragon Tiger Pagodas is 2 km west of Ecological District Station.
Dragon Tiger Pagodas is 2 km west of Ecological District Station.
Love River (愛河)
Love River (愛河) is a 12-km long river that flows through the downtown area of Kaohsiung and joins the sea at Kaohsiung Port (高雄港口).
Love River was originally called “Kaohsiung River” and was highly polluted. Through many years of cleaning up effort and improving riverside scenery, Love River has eventually become a Kaohsiung icon and a tourist attraction. The neatly paved and well-lit riverside promenade lets locals and tourists enjoy walking by the sides of Love River both day and night.
Why “Kaohsiung River” is now called “Love River”? The name Love River was adopted from “Love River Cruise” operated many years ago on the river.
Be sure to visit the Heart of Love River (愛河之心) – the most beautiful part of Love River with well-lit paved walk trails and well-landscaped gardens on both sides of BoAi First Road (博愛一路) connected by a gracefully designed curved bridge built over BoAi First Road.
Heart of Love River is just around 500m north of KMRT Red Line R12 Houyi Station (後驛站) on BoAi First Road.
Tuntex 85 Sky Tower (85大楼) Observation Deck
Tuntex 85 Sky Tower (85大楼) is a 75-storeys tall observation deck, the tallest in southern Taiwan. The observation deck offers breathtaking 360-degree views of Kaohsiung city, including Kaohsiung Port (高雄港口) and Cijin Peninsula (旗津半岛) just outside Kaohsiung Port, acting as a natural breakwater for the harbour. The Tuntex 85 Sky Tower has one of the world’s fastest elevators. It takes just 43 seconds to reach the 75th storey at an incredible speed of 10 m/s.
Tuntex 85 Sky Tower is just around 500m southwest of KMRT Red Line R8 Sanduo Shopping District Station (三多商圈站) on Xinguang Road (新光路).
Sanduo Shopping District (三多商圈) is a major shopping district in Kaohsiung where you will find departmental stores such as Shin Kong Mitsukoshi (新光三越) and Far Eastern Department Store (远东百货).
Kaohsiung Main Public Library (高雄图书馆总馆)
Kaohsiung Main Public Library (高雄图书馆总馆) is just right across Xinguang Road (新光路) from Tuntex 85 Sky Tower, so visit them both. There was no restriction for foreigners to enter this public library and I stayed for 3 hours to read some of its wide selection of more than 700,000 books and magazines in Chinese and English.
This 8-storey public library has a floor area of 37,233 square metres and is designed with sustainability at heart. There are a lot of open spaces with natural light sources, rainwater recycling, efficient air conditioning, and a green landscape balcony with natural shade from the sun. The top floor has a sky garden overlooking the Kaohsiung harbour area.
Cijin Scenic Area (旗津风景区)
Cijin Peninsula (旗津半岛) or Cijin Island (旗津岛)? Well, Cijin is a long and narrow overseas sandbar about 11km long and 200m wide and was originally connected to the main island of Taiwan. In 1967, Kaohsiung Port cut off the peninsula to open a second port, so Cijin became an island. Today, Kaohsiung Port has 2 entry points north and south of Cijin Island, approximately 12 km apart.
Cijin Island is the natural breakwater for Kaohsiung Port, shielding the port from huge waves. The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, opened in 1984, connects Cijin to Kaohsiung.
To get to Cijin Island, visitors can either take a ferry from Gushan Ferry Pier (鼓山轮渡站) or drive through the Cross-Harbour Tunnel.
Gushan Ferry Pier is just 500m west of KMRT Orange Line O1 Sizihwan Station (西子湾站) on BinHai First Road (滨海一路). The ferry services run very frequently every 30 minutes, and the ferry ride takes only 10 minutes to reach Cijin Island. The ferry services operate from 6 am to around midnight every day.
Cijin Island is a popular day-trip destination of locals and tourists where visitors can explore Mount Cihou (旗後山), Kaohsiung or Cijin Lighthouse (高雄/旗津燈塔), Cijin Beach (旗津海水浴場), and some historic sites, and can enjoy eating fresh seafood.
If you take the ferry to Cijin Island, you can walk from the Cijin ferry terminal to Mount Cihou, Kaohsiung or Cijin Lighthouse, and Cijin Beach. They are all within 1 km from Cijin Ferry Terminal.
Mount Cihou is only 48m above sea level on the northern end of Cijin Island, but it is very steep, rising sharply from the water. Kaohsiung or Cijin Lighthouse, was built in the Qing Dynasty (清朝) and was rebuilt in 1918, is on top of Mount Cihou. Cijin Beach is a black sand beach. People who are used to seeing white sand beaches will be surprised to see a black (or grey) sand beach.
Tuntex 85 Sky Tower (85大楼) is a 75-storeys tall observation deck, the tallest in southern Taiwan.
Sizihwan Scenic Area (西子湾风景区)
Sizihwan (西子湾) is just west of Gushan Ferry Pier (鼓山轮渡站). Instead of taking the ferry to Cijin, walk west from Gushan Ferry Pier, cross a footbridge and continue to walk west uphill following a well-signposted walk path and you will arrive at Dagou British Consulate (打狗英国领事馆) cultural park at the hilltop.
Dagou British Consulate (打狗英国领事馆)
Dagou British Consulate was built in 1879, the first foreign consulate building built in the Qing Dynasty.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Dagou was the name in aboriginal dialect given by a tribe of Taiwanese aboriginals to the area where Kaohsiung is located today. Dagou is written as “打狗“ in Chinese. So, Kaohsiung was called Dagou (打狗) in early history.
How did Dagou (打狗) become Kaohsiung (高雄)? During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, Kaohsiung’s old name Dagou was translated to Japanese as “高雄” (pronounced as “Takao” in Japanese, which sounded like “Dagou”). After the Japanese occupation, Taiwanese officials decided to keep “高雄” as its Chinese name.
Dagou British consulate is today a museum with exhibition halls displaying historical documents and pictures of Dagou or Kaohsiung in the past. From the hilltop lookout, visitors can enjoy good views of Kaohsiung Harbour, Cijin Island, and Sizihwan (西子湾).
Take the downhill paths and stairs to the Sizihwan waterfront park. From the waterfront park, you can see Cijin Island in the south and Cijin Lighthouse (高雄/旗津燈塔) on the top of Mount Cihou (旗後山). To get to Sizihwan Beach (西子湾海水浴場), which is around 1 km away, follow the waterfront walk paths in the northern direction. Sizihwan Beach is actually within the National Sun Yat-sen University (国立中山大学) campus so presumably popular among the university students. Sizihwan Beach is a black (or grey) sand beach like Cijin Beach.
Sizihwan Tunnel (西子湾隧道)
Sizihwan Tunnel (西子湾隧道) is 6m wide, 3.6 m high and 260m long pedestrian tunnel connecting Sizihwan and Gushan districts. The tunnel was first built in 1928 by the Japanese and was used as an air-raid shelter during World War 2. The tunnel was modified over years. Today it is not just a pedestrian tunnel but also a popular tourist attraction.
A good way to explore Sizihwan Scenic Area (西子湾风景区) by foot is to start from KMRT Orange Line O1 Sizihwan Station (西子湾站). From here, walk to Gushan Ferry Pier (鼓山轮渡站) and then walk west and cross the footbridge connecting the ferry pier and Sizihwan, and you will first visit Dagou British Consulate (打狗英国领事馆) cultural park on the hilltop, then walk downhill to the Sizihwan waterfront park and follow the waterfront pathways walk north to Sizihwan Beach, then walk through Sizihwan Tunnel underground tunnel which exits at LinHai Second Road (臨海二路). KMRT Orange Line O1 Sizihwan Station is about 500m on LinHai 2nd Road.
Hamasen Railway Cultural District (哈玛星铁道文化园区)
Hamasen (哈玛星) was actually on reclaimed land during the Japanese occupation period. Hamasen was the Taiwanese dialect translation of the Japanese name of one of the railway lines leading to the port terminals at that time. The railway terminal ceased operation and the terminal area was developed into an open field with public art displays.
Hamasen Railway Cultural District is just right next to Kaohsiung Circular Light Rail Transit (KLRT, 高雄环状轻轨) Hamasen Station (哈玛星站).
Right next to Hamasen Railway Cultural District is Pier-2 Art Center (驳二艺术特区).
Pier-2 Art Center (驳二艺术特区)
The Pier-2 Art Center (驳二艺术特区) is an open art zone dedicated for artists and arts students with an environment for experiment, creation, and a showcase of their artwork. This public open space was located at Pier 2 and developed by renovating old vacant warehouse buildings in 2002. The Pier-2 Art Center is now managed by Kaohsiung Municipal Government Cultural Affairs Bureau (高雄市政府文化局). Regular art and cultural exhibitions are held here. To find out more, check out the Pier-2 Art Center website.
As well, there are some interesting shops, cafes and a lookout tower with good views of the harbour area.
From here, if you walk towards Kaohsiung Harbour direction, Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No 2 or KW2 (栈贰库) and Banana Pier (香蕉码头) are just less than 500m, a short walk away.
Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No 2 or KW2 (栈贰库)
KW2 (栈贰库) was previously Kaohsiung Port Fisherman’s Wharf (高雄港渔人码头) which opened in 2004 as a waterfront open-air entertainment precinct with cafes and public performances. It was closed in 2014. KW2 was repurposed and opened in 2018 as a waterfront shopping mall to integrate cultures, creativity, dining, and exhibition spaces within one single venue in a century-old heritage building. Check out KW2 website to learn more about its most recent development.
Banana Pier (香蕉码头)
Banana Pier (香蕉码头) was converted from Kaohsiung Port Pier 3 banana warehouse building, which is another heritage building. The banana warehouse was originally built in 1963 as an open-air open warehouse to cope with the large export of bananas. Banana Pier is located adjacent to KW2.
Banana Pier has been developed into a commercial center with retail shops, eateries, a banquet hall, and an exhibition area with displays of the history of Banana Pier. There is an observation deck upstairs to allow visitors to enjoy the views of Kaohsiung Port, the movement of transport vessels and cruise ships, and the South China Sea.
There is some public artwork between these 2 heritage buildings. Here, visitors will appreciate the beautiful sunset views over the South China Sea.
Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (卫武营国家艺术文化中心)
Conveniently located just next to KMRT Orange line O10 Weiwuying Station (卫武营站), Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (卫武营国家艺术文化中心) is very accessible on public transport.
Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts was opened in 2018 to drive performing arts and music development in the southern Taiwan region. The Center occupies a floor area of 3.3 hectares that includes a 2236-seat opera house, a 1981-seat concert hall, a 1210-seat drama theatre, and a 434-seat performance hall. National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts was designed by Dutch architect Francine Marie Jeanne Houben. The design was inspired by the beauty of the local banyan trees and their iconic canopies of leaves.
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts is located right next to Weiwuying Metropolitan Park (卫武营都会公园), so even if you don’t come here to attend a performance, you can come here to admire the architecture and to enjoy a walk around the Center and Weiwuying Metropolitan Park.
Weiwuying (卫武营) was a historical military training base that is now transformed into a world-class international arts centre. Check out Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center website for the most recent performing arts and music programs.
Cheng Cing Lake (澄清湖)
Cheng Cing Lake (澄清湖) is the largest lake in Kaohsiung. The park around the lake is a popular location for walkers and campers who enjoy the outdoor. The park has 7 km of walk trails around the lake. There are scenic spots all around the lake such as Jiuqu (Nine-Bend) Bridge (九曲桥) and Zhongxing Pagoda (中兴塔). The 230m-long Jiuqu Bridge has 9 turns and is appropriately named Jiuqu Bridge which is translated as a nine-curved bridge. Zhongxing Pagoda is a 7-storey pagoda that stands at 43 m tall. This pagoda is the tallest building in Cheng Cing Lake. Get to the top to enjoy panoramic views of the lake.
Try to walk by the lake and visit Jiuqu Bridge and Zhongxing Pagoda if you don’t intend to go around the lake.
From KMRT Orange line O10 Weiwuying Station (卫武营站), take public bus No 70A on Sanduo First Road (三多一路) will bring you right to Cheng Cing Lake main entrance near the Cheng Cing Lake Tourist Information Centre in 20 minutes.
A good way to explore Sizihwan Scenic Area (西子湾风景区) by foot is to start from KMRT Orange Line O1 Sizihwan Station (西子湾站).
Tian Liao Moon World (田寮月世界)
Moon world looks like seeing the surfaces of the moon. How was this special landscape formed? The landscape can form on lands with highly alkaline limestones and chalk soils. These land surfaces will be bare because grass and plants cannot grow on highly alkaline soils. After many years of intense erosions by rains and river flows, large and small erosion ditches and bare ridges eventually formed, which resemble surfaces on the moon.
There are some similar moon world sites in southern Taiwan, and Tian Liao Moon World is one of them and is located 50 km north of Kaohsiung.
There is an information centre at the main entrance of Tian Liao Moon World explaining the formation of the moon world landscape.
To get to Tian Liao Moon World (田寮月世界), enquire at Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站) on the available regional bus services. You may also take regional bus services from Tainan High-Speed Rail Station (台南高铁站) to Tian Liao Moon World. Enquire at Tainan High-Speed Rail Station customer service for available bus services.
Mud volcano (泥火山)
In addition to the moon world landscape, Tian Liao district has more than 20 mud volcanos of varying sizes. Mud volcanos (泥火山) are “pseudo volcanos (假火山)” where natural gas and mud in the ground are exposed to high pressure and spew out along the cracks in shallow rock masses. Two of these mud volcano sites – Dagunshui (大滾水) and Xiaogunshui (小滾水), are within a 30-minute walk from Tian Liao Moon World’s main entrance. Enquire at the Tian Liao Moon World information centre on how to get to these 2 mud volcano sites.
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (佛光山佛陀纪念馆)
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (佛光山佛陀纪念馆) was completed in 2011 and is a full member of the International Association of Museums. The museum was built to enshrine the Buddha’s Tooth Relic (佛牙舍利), considered a treasure for Buddhists. There are only 3 Buddha’s Tooth Relics that have survived for more than 2500 years in the entire world. The other 2 are in Sri Lanka and Beijing.
Buddha’s Tooth Relic (佛牙舍利)
In 1998, Kunga Dorje Rinpoche entrusted Venerable Master Hsing Yun (星云大师) with the Buddha’s Tooth Relic that he had kept for 30 years with the hope that a memorial could be built in honour of the Buddha’s Tooth Relic and to enhance the spread of Buddhism throughout the world.
Venerable Master Hsing Yun took 9 years to build Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, 100 hectares in size, the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan with the largest and tallest sitting Buddha in the world.
Going through the main entrance, visitors will first arrive at the Front Hall, which is a 2-storey building housing the information centre, retail outlets, restaurants, and cafes. After the Front Hall, visitors will walk through pass the 100-square-metre Bodhi Wisdom Concourse (菩提广场) with the Eight Pagodas (八塔) located by the sides of Bodhi Wisdom Concourse. The Eight Pagodas represent Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism (佛教八正道). Lining the walls on either side of the Bodhi Wisdom Concourse are exhibits of Buddha’s stories and displays of calligraphy work of Venerable Master Hsing Yun.
Fo Guang Big Buddha (佛光大佛)
Bodhi Wisdom Concourse leads to the Main Hall (本馆), above which towers the Fo Guang Big Buddha (佛光大佛). The Main Hall is a majestic structure that is 50 m high and covers an area of 14,190 square meters. The Main Hall has a basement level and 2 storeys above ground. In addition to enshrining the Buddha’s tooth relic, the Main Hall also has an auditorium that can accommodate an audience of up to 2000. There are 48 underground palaces under the Main Hall, one of which will be opened every one hundred years and filled with items containing historical, intellectual, contemporary, and commemorative objects promoting Buddhism studies. Erected on the four corners of Main Hall are the Four Noble Truth Stupas (四聖塔).
Fo Guang Big Buddha is situated behind the Main Hall. The copper-cast Buddha statue measures 50 m and has a total height of 108 m.
Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is approximately 40 km northeast of Kaohsiung. There is direct public bus service to Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum from Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站). Enquire at Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station.
Siaogangshan Skywalk Park (小岗山天空回廊园区 / 岗山之眼)
Siaogangshan Skywalk Park (小岗山天空回廊园区 or 岗山之眼) features a 88m skywalk inspired by music in Siaogangshan (小岗山), located approximately 30 km north of Kaohsiung. The cable-stayed observation bridge looks like a violin with its steel supporting cables that symbolise violin strings.
Standing on the observation bridge, visitors can enjoy beautiful panoramic views of Agongdian Reservoir (阿公店水库), Agongdian Forest Park (阿公店森林公园), and Agongdian River (阿公店溪) and its nearby plains. Siaogangshan Skywalk Park is also appropriately called Eye of Gangshan (岗山之眼).
Siaogangshan Skywalk Park is about 5 km northeast of KMRT Red Line R24 Kangshan Station
(岗山地铁站). Enquire at KMRT Red Line R24 Kangshan Station for public bus service to Siaogangshan Skywalk Park.
Kenting National Park (垦丁国家公园)
Kenting National Park (垦丁国家公园), established in 1982, is located approximately 100 km south of Kaohsiung on the Hengchun Peninsula (恒春半岛). The National Park includes both sea and land areas and is 33,290 hectares in size. Notably, Cape Eluanbi (鹅銮鼻岬角) in the National Park is the southernmost scenic spot in Taiwan. Its tropical monsoon climate with tropical forests and the characteristic limestone terrain makes it a popular holiday destination for both Taiwanese and tourists.
Hengchun (恒春) and ground fire (出火)
Hengchun (恒春) is a small town on the way from Kaohsiung to Kenting National Park (垦丁国家公园), just north of the National Park. The town is a good rest point for visitors Kenting National Park and it has some interesting tourist attractions such as the well-preserved Hengchun Old City Walls (恒春古城) and a special geological phenomenon called ground fire (出火). Hengchun Old City Walls with 4 gates – North (北门), South (南门), East (东门) and West (西门) Gates, were built in the Ching Dynasty in 1879 and are very well-preserved after more than 100 years. The ground fire was caused by natural gas leaking from mudstone to the ground and the ground fire site is just 100m from the East Gate (东门).
There is direct public bus service to Kenting National Park and Hengchun from Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站). Enquire at Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station.
Kenting National Park (垦丁国家公园), established in 1982, is located approximately 100 km south of Kaohsiung on the Hengchun Peninsula (恒春半岛).
Chiayi City (嘉义市)
It is only a 35-minute journey from Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站) to Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station (嘉义高铁站) so it is a suitable day-trip destination from Kaohsiung. From Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station, it is only a short bus ride to Chiayi city centre. As well Chaiyi city, Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station has direct bus services to Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院南部院區), Chiayi Park (嘉义公园), Hinoki Village (檜意森活村), and Lantan Reservoir (兰潭水库). So, why not include all these destinations in a day trip from Kaohsiung?
Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum was opened in 2001. Northern Branch of the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院北部院區) is in Taipei (台北). Visit the museum to understand Taiwan’s history including Taiwan aborigines, Spanish settlement, Dutch colonisation in the 17th century, and Japanese occupation during World War 2. Visit the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum website to find out the most recent programs and exhibits.
Chiayi Park (嘉义公园) is adjacent to Chiayi Municipal Baseball Stadium and Chiayi Botanical Garden (Chiayi Arboretum). The park has some historical sites, has a lot of greenery, and is a good destination for a leisure walk. You will find Chiayi Tower (射日塔), a 62m-high 12-storey tower, that offers good views of Chiayi city from the top of the tower.
Hinoki Village (檜意森活村), restored from 29 Japanese wooden historic building complexes built during the Japanese occupation period, is a retail centre and a popular tourist destination.
Lantan Reservoir (兰潭水库) is today an important source of freshwater for Chiayi city. It is said to be the place where the Dutch trained their water army in the 17th century. Japanese built a dam to convert it to be a reservoir during the Japanese occupation period.
From Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station, it is only a short bus ride to Chiayi city centre.
Tainan City (台南市)
It is only a 15-minute journey on high-speed rail from Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station (左营高铁站) to Tainan High-Speed Rail Station (台南高铁站). Right outside Tainan High-Speed Rail Station is a bus terminal with frequent bus services to Tainan city and major tourist attractions such as Anping Old Fort (安平古堡), Anping Old Street (安平老街), Chihkan Tower (赤嵌楼), and Tainan Confucius Temple (台南孔子庙). The Anping Old Street area today, near Anping Old Fort, was where Taiwan’s first street was built by the Dutch at that time.
Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and has the highest concentration of heritage sites in Taiwan. Anping Old Fort, originally built in 1624 with only red bricks, is the location where the Dutch East India Company established the first ruling regime in the history of the main island of Taiwan. Zheng Chenggong (郑成功), one of the prominent military generals in the Southern Ming Era (南明时期), successfully expelled the Dutch and renamed the site o be Anping (安平). That was how Anping Old Fort was given the name Anping. The Anping Old Street area today, near Anping Old Fort, was where Taiwan’s first street was built by the Dutch at that time. Anping Old Street is today a food and retail street.
Chihkan Tower was originally located in Chihkan Province, somewhere in the central and western district of Tainan city, during the Dutch colonisation in the 17th century. Chihkan Province was once the commercial centre of the whole Island of Taiwan. Chihkan Tower that visitors see today was relocated here in 1960 and is a remnant of the European-style building and a mixture of Confucian and Taoist temples.
Tainan Confucius Temple is one of more than 1,300 Confucius Temples around the world built to commemorate Confucius. Tainan Confucius Temple was built in 1666, the earliest Confucius Temple in Taiwan.
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Right outside Tainan High-Speed Rail Station is a bus terminal with frequent bus services to Tainan city and major tourist attractions such as Anping Old Fort (安平古堡), Anping Old Street (安平老街), Chihkan Tower (赤嵌楼), and Tainan Confucius Temple (台南孔子庙).