Top Things to do in Kaohsiung

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 TOP THINGS TO DO IN Kaohsiung, Taiwan

We heard from friends and read on blogs that Kaohsiung is a must-see on a trip around Taiwan, but after checking out the major sites to see on online blogs we decided not to spend too much time here. We simply used Kaohsiung as a “stopover” to break up our trip from Chishang to Taichung. We caught an early train (~8AM) from Chishang to Kaohsiung and then booked another train around 6PM from Kaohsiung to Taichung. That left us about six hours to explore the area.

The one thing we originally really wanted to do was visit the 佛光山西來寺 Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple (Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/8NvGXw2EKUxc91zb8), but we ended up deciding to srcap the plan because the town itself had a few things we wanted to cover and transport to/from Fo Guang Shan would’ve made catching our train a little tight.

Here’s what did end up doing:

> Dragon & Tiger Pagodas @ Lotus Pond - Perhaps the two most reviewed sites in Kaohsiung are the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at the Lotus Pond. They’re pretty well maintained from the outside - the colors are bright and the structures are huge. You’re supposed to walk in through the dragon’s mouth and walk out through the tiger’s mouth for good luck! You can also walk to the top of the pagodas via a narrow staircase, but we opted not to. The surrounding scenery wasn’t all that amazing. However, the lotus flowers in the pond were pretty cool. They’re massive! We saw a couple in relatively full bloom but I can imagine it’d be gorgeous if you’re able to catch the pond at a time with all the flowers in full bloom. One other thing not to miss: there’s a really cool temple right across from the entrance to the two pagodas. It has beautifully intricate carvings. Don’t miss it! Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/i8zdJ1Cof81QLWHR9

> 駁二藝術特區 The Pier-2 Art Center & Art District Warehouses - From the pagodas, we took a bus to the Pier 2 Art Center. The area is filled with big sculptures and a few art exhibitions. They’re fun to walk around and check out, but if it’s a hot day, you’ll get exhausted pretty fast! Luckily a little further inland is a cool set of art and craft shops housed in old brick warehouses (Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/FcmgAaMada9nYMgL8). We had been searching Taiwan for a postcard and we finally found a few reasonable ones in some of the shops here. Personal highlights were a giant transformer-esque sculpture, a water tap made to look like a little boy taking a leak, and a shop with goods made from recycled basketballs! Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/iokdigzQ1GQSP8BC9

> Formosa Art Installation (捷運美麗島站 MRT Formosa Boulevard Station) - Inside the Formosa Boulevard Station is one of Asia’s largest stained glass installations. It’s really a sight to see. From the pictures you might be on the fence, but it really is breathtaking when you get there. Like all sites it’s filled with visitors, but you can still find a quiet space to take in the massive piece of artwork above you. One thing to note is that while the installation is within the station, you will need to go through exit gates to see it before you enter again to take another metro. Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/jS1dJKBhqFBRaLMV7

While we were at Formosa, since we had technically “exited” the station to see the glass installation, we headed to Liuhe Night Market which was just getting set up to grab some food to go. We found this really awesome (and really cheap) vegetarian food stall (Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/pwVfPPXJJXL3F6vB6). As with most vegetarian food places in Taiwan it had a swastika on the sign so it was easy to find. We had some noodles and chinese spinach. Both were perfect snacks to take on the train on our way up to Taichung.

All in all, Kaohsiung was a fun layover on our way from Chishang to Taichung. Being able to store our bags at the station and explore the city with a light backpack was great. It’s hard to say whether more time would’ve been better, but we don’t have any regrets. The amount of time we spent there felt just right. Perhaps another day would’ve made visiting the Fo Guang Shan temple feasible, but that’s just another reason to come back and visit!

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