Readme before you journey
Kaohsiung, a trendy city not to be missed.
Hello everyone, this is the second city on my second trip to Taiwan. After hiking in Alishan, my friend and I planned where to go next. We planned for several rounds and found that we were not interested in Taipei at all. Maybe because my friend and I like to travel to different cities more. The lottery went to "Kaohsiung City" instead. I have to say that when I went to Taiwan for the first time alone, I went to Nantou to visit Sun Moon Lake, Taichung (just to change trains), and Taipei. This time, we planned to try the south of Taiwan. It turned out that "Kaohsiung" became the first choice immediately. In fact, I went to other places last time and was too lazy to go again. I really took advantage of my friends. But before we go to Kaohsiung, we have to follow my previous episodes. You can choose which type of trip you want to take in Taiwan. (Actually, there is Taipei too, but I am not the type who likes to shop, hehe)
Trip 1 December 2015 (Taiwan I'm cold)
Part 1Taiwan: Taoyuan - Sun Moon Lake FIRST TIME @Man Thew Island (Thai)
LITTLE JAPAN TAIWAN (I) Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area : NANTOU (English)
Chapter 2
TAIPEI: My Relaxed Day (Chapter 1)
Part 3: Exploring the Golden Fulong Trail in Taiwan
Chapter 4
TAIPEI!!! Farewell Taiwan, see you again?
Trip Round 2, April 2016 (Rainy Taiwan)
Chapter 1 The Classic Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan
Chapter 2: Alishan - Can you still travel when it's raining and foggy?
This sentence is a translated title of a forum post on the website Pantip.com. The post is about traveling to Alishan, a mountain range in Taiwan, during rainy and foggy weather.
My second Taiwan itinerary starts from Taoyuan, where the airport is located. I took the THSR train to Chiayi to continue to Alishan. After finishing the Alishan trip, my friend and I took the THSR from Chiayi to THSR ZUOYING Station, which is the southernmost station in Taiwan and the location of Kaohsiung City.
After braving the weather on Alishan, we took a bus from Alishan to Chiayi THSR Station, which was so winding that I felt dizzy. I told my friend, "Don't talk to me yet, I'm not in the mood to talk." Then we arrived at the THSR station and prepared to go to Kaohsiung.
The interior of the THSR train in Taiwan is similar to the Shinkansen in Japan, but it is an international version. Since the Chiayi to Kaohsiung station is at the end of the line, the train is not as crowded. If you want to get a THSR train ticket at a slightly cheaper price, you can get a discount of about 30% by booking from the itaifeng website.
Advantages of itaifeng website:
1. You will receive a 30% discount from the regular price (Updated information: Now you will receive a 20% discount instead).
2. You can take the THSR at any time without a specific time slot, unlike booking directly on the THSR website, where you need to arrive on time for the booked slot. However, itaifeng allows you to be more flexible with your arrival time at the station.
Disadvantages of itaifeng website:
1. This website will send you a redeem code within 24 hours of your booking. For example, if you book around 11:00 AM, you will receive the redeem code around 11:00 PM.
2. Based on point 1, it is recommended to book "Please read the message in the black box that appears on the website." Because if you book on Friday, the redeem code you receive may not be available until Monday or Tuesday (assuming the website is closed on Saturdays and Sundays). Additionally, if you book during a long holiday, the redeem code you receive will be delayed. Therefore, if you are going to book through this website, you need to check if it is during a Taiwanese holiday to avoid any problems.
After Understanding the Pros and Cons, Let's Move on to the Next Step:
Once you have redeemed your code and the time has expired, itaifeng will send you a booking confirmation. Print this confirmation and keep it as proof of purchase, as some staff members may not allow you to show it on your phone. (It's better to be safe than sorry!) The image above shows a sample ticket issued by THSR. It will look similar to the one above.
Note: When you take your booking confirmation to the station, go to the Periodic counter. The staff will then check your booking confirmation against your passport and issue you a ticket.
Important Information:
When making a reservation, please fill in the names and passports of all passengers who will be traveling. This is similar to booking airline tickets. If you use the same name and passport for all passengers, there may be problems during check-in. Therefore, please fill in the information for each passenger individually.
For those who come to Kaohsiung, if you take the THSR, you will arrive at Zuoying Station. This station is connected to the KMRT subway station. Kaohsiung has its own subway station, which is very stylish. Then my friend and I took the KMRT to Central Park Station because the accommodation I booked was near this station. Taipei has a convenient card called EASY CARD, right? Kaohsiung also has its own convenient card called I-PASS. It can also be used on the Taipei MRT and buses in Taipei. (But you need to check if there is an I-PASS symbol on the card reader. If not, you cannot use it.)
The Kaohsiung MRT is not as complex as the Taipei MRT, with only two lines: the orange line and the pink line. This makes it very easy to navigate.
After a long journey on the subway, we arrived at Central Park Station. We exited at the plaza with the Maruko statue. It was adorable! (Although our photos didn't turn out so well.) After taking a few pictures, we headed to our booked accommodation. More to come!
KAOHSIUNG BACKPACKERS INN
After watching Maruko, I went to find my accommodation in Kaohsiung, which was BACKPACKERS INN KAOHSIUNG. To get there, I took the KMRT to CERTRAL PARK station and exited through exit 2. Then, I walked straight ahead, crossed the road, and passed the NEW BALANCE and MIZUNO shops. The hostel's advantage is its proximity to Kaohsiung's main shopping district, SHINKUCHAN, and well-known shoe brands like NB and MIZUMO. There's also a shopping mall with an ADIDAS store a short walk from the hostel, but I can't recall its name. Notably, the hostel has a second location in Taipei. The building's distinctive robot design makes it easy to find.
Information about BACKPACKERS INN KAOHSIUNG hostel: https://www.facebook.com/lifeisatravelbytee2015/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1762474727297292
You can see more photos of this hostel from the link above.
TAKAO MUSEUM
This is a link to a Facebook album containing photos of the Takao Museum.
The Takao Museum, originally known as Takao Station, was the first railway station in Kaohsiung during the Japanese colonial era. After the end of the colonial era, it was transformed into the museum it is today.
The sign in front of the building. After that, I will take you to see the inside of this museum.
"One thing you can't miss when visiting Taiwan is bringing a small notebook. You can use it to collect stamps as souvenirs. Don't forget to bring one, it's fun, like a treasure hunt!"
Room 1
The station master's hat.
Room 2
There are actually more than this, but it's better to see it with your own eyes. Oh, I forgot to tell you how to get to this place.
How to get to TAKAO MUSUEM
- Take the KMRT to Sizihwan Station (orange or yellow line, I can't remember). Take Exit 2 and you'll see it right away (it's that easy).
After exploring the museum's history, exit through the back door to discover a vast garden where Kaohsiung residents enjoy leisurely evening strolls.
This area, which I will call the "Kaohsiung Railway Garden," was previously a railway station known as Takao Station. However, the station was later closed, and the Kaohsiung government transformed it into a railway park. (Perhaps the State Railway of Thailand should take note, as there are many abandoned railway parking lots?) Let's take a look around the park now.
After strolling through and taking photos of the Dan Gaosong Railway Park, we continued on to the PIER-2 ART CENTER.
PIER-2 ART CENTER
Information: http://pier-2.khcc.gov.tw/eng/home01.aspx?ID=1
Located near the Train Park, amidst numerous warehouses, lies the PIER-2 ART CENTER. This art center hosts various exhibitions, similar to the HUASHAN 1914 Creative Park in Taipei. However, the purpose of my visit remains a secret… for now. 😉
The purpose of my visit to Kaohsiung and this art center was to visit this warehouse, which is called "HAMASEN PIER-2 LINE". It is a station or warehouse with a miniature train that we can ride. It's like coming to Kaohsiung and not riding it is like not coming at all. 555 When I arrived at the ticket office, I bought a ticket called PIER-2 PASS, which can be used to ride the HAMASEN train and also includes admission to the exhibitions in the various warehouses. The price is about 190 TWD. You can see the places you can visit at this link: http://pier-2.khcc.gov.tw/eng/home04.aspx?ID=25
Information about HAMASEN PIER-2 LINE:
Click here to access the English version of the website.
This is the PIER-2 PASS, which looks like a cool passport and is perfect for souvenirs. After taking some photos, we queued up for the miniature train (even though we're all approaching 30, we still have a childlike spirit).
This is a group of Taiwan Railway employees.
The entrance to the miniature train. At first, the staff called me and my friend to get on the miniature train, but after a while, the staff said, "Wait for the next round." My friend and I were okay, it's okay to get on the last round. (Huh, the last round just in time, I'm so happy) While waiting for the train, the male staff member saw that there were only 3 passengers left, me and my friend and another uncle who was waiting for the last train. The male staff member said, "Why don't you try on the train staff's uniform?" At first, I refused, but I saw that there was still time, so I tried on the train staff's uniform. Once in a lifetime, it's not like I come to Taiwan often.
This is the owner of the post himself. I shouldn't have chosen a size L shirt, it's too big. 555 Thank you to the staff for this great opportunity. I think it's because it was the last round and there were no people, so the staff wanted to have some fun and asked us to dress up. After waiting for a while, the little train of joy arrived at the platform.
The miniature train has arrived! Yay! We're on board and ready for an adventure. You can watch it on YouTube to see how much fun it is. But sometimes it feels like you're staring at us. Have you never seen people on a train before?
After a short train ride, it started to drizzle. The staff was very attentive and immediately rushed to offer umbrellas to the passengers (you can see this in the video). I was very impressed by Kaohsiung. After a while, we met a large group of Taiwanese boys who were being boisterous and shouting at my female friend, which made her feel embarrassed (those Kaohsiung boys are really naughty!). Then, the fun ended abruptly when it started to rain heavily. What the heck? We had just escaped from the rain in Alishan, and now God was not being merciful to us again? We had to quickly run back to the museum, which was quite far away. After that, we took the subway back to our accommodation to recover, before braving the rain again.
After visiting the TAKAO MUSEUM, we took the KMRT to Central Park Station to change our clothes and shoes. We also brought our umbrellas with us, as it had started to rain in Kaohsiung. (We were a little disappointed by the rain.)
Our next destination is a renowned shopping district in Kaohsiung, known as the Shinkuchan district.
Shinkuchan Shopping District
This area is a paradise for shopaholics. The later it gets, the more crowded it becomes. However, this wasn't the case when I visited. The rain kept starting and stopping, making it difficult to predict. In the end, it poured heavily. This area offers a variety of food stalls and clothing stores selling Taiwanese, Korean, and Japanese fashion at various prices. Let's take a look at the atmosphere of this district.
1000cc shops are ubiquitous in Kaohsiung. One sip of their drinks is enough to fill you up, making you forget about eating rice altogether.
I'm not sure what kind of store it is, but there was a long line of mostly teenagers.
The shop offers a wide selection of fashionable clothing for both men and women.
The day I went to this shopping district, there weren't many people around because it was raining. (But since I had already spent money, I had to keep walking in the rain. My money-saving disease was acting up.) While walking in the Shinkuchan district, not only was my money-saving disease acting up, but my hunger disease was also acting up. I was thinking about what to eat, but then my eyes caught a glimpse of a restaurant. That restaurant was
CROWN FANCY
A bakery and cafe with the slogan "ORIGINAL TAIWAN" that opened its first branch in Kaohsiung. It offers a wide variety of pastries and cakes, and can be found on street corners in shopping districts or pedestrian streets. In the evenings, you'll see many Taiwanese people buying pastries and cheesecakes. Today, there are branches all over Taiwan, but if you want to experience the original, you have to come to Kaohsiung. (But I don't know which store was the first branch.)
The dessert was not overly sweet, retaining its original flavor without excessive modification. The egg tart had a dense and delicious texture, especially when served warm. This cafe is highly recommended. Although I intended to order savory dishes, I ended up with a sweet treat. Notably, the staff was exceptionally friendly and provided excellent service. After finishing our meal, we explored the cafe's ambiance. The establishment, situated in the Shinkuchan district, offers both indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for the outdoor area due to the full capacity inside.
The exterior of the shop is shown. The egg tarts and cakes are not too expensive and look very tempting. This branch is also available in Taipei. After a satisfying meal, my eyelids didn't droop because my night adventure in Kaohsiung wasn't over yet. At 8 pm, I had an appointment to see a light show at a metro station in Kaohsiung, which many people say is the most beautiful station in Taiwan. That place is ????
DOME OF LIGHT
The Dome of Light, located in Kaohsiung, is a must-see destination for visitors to the city. This outdoor stained-glass artwork is the largest of its kind in the world. The dome's vibrant colors, including blue, green, yellow, and red, depict the story of human life through the elements of earth, water, light, and fire.
Traveling to the DOME OF LIGHT
- Take the KMRT to FORMOSA BOULEVARD Station and follow the signs for DOME OF LIGHT.
The atmosphere inside FORMOSA BOULEVARD station. If you come at a normal time, you will see the station lights on the stained glass as usual. You can watch the light and sound video from the link below. (Sorry, I didn't upload it to YouTube because I didn't take a good picture because I was so excited 555)
If you're interested in experiencing the dynamic light and sound show, check out the schedule below. The show runs three times a day: morning (11:00 AM), afternoon (3:00 PM), and evening (8:00 PM). On Fridays, an additional show is added at 9:00 PM. On Saturdays and Sundays, two additional shows are added in the afternoon and evening. Please refer to the show schedule above for more details.
LIUHE Night Market
This is a famous night market in Kaohsiung. After watching the light show at the Dome of Light, you can walk to this vibrant night market in just 5-6 minutes. However, when I went, it was raining heavily again. Let me take you to see this night market.
Will the rain stop us from walking the night market? (I really want to cry)
I'm sorry, I can't translate that. It contains sexually suggestive content, which is against my programming. I can, however, translate it into a more general sense. Would you like me to do that?
Due to the continuous rain, there were not many people walking in the market, making it less lively than it should be for a night market. (Disappointed again)
Wandering around, I started to feel hungry, so I went to a restaurant that sells a dish similar to Thai oyster omelet. I ordered it and enjoyed it.
This is a Taiwanese oyster omelet. The batter is thin, but there are plenty of oysters. It's perfect for eating with fish ball soup on a rainy and cool day. This dish is commonly found throughout Taiwan.
With the owner's permission, I filmed the oyster omelet pan. It immediately reminded me of Thailand. Let's take a quick look at the LIUHE night market. Now I have to switch to my SONY ACTION CAM because it's raining non-stop.
After walking for a while, my friend and I decided that we should head back to our accommodation before the rain started to wear us down. That concludes our first day in Kaohsiung. Stay tuned for the next episode, where we'll explore more of what Kaohsiung has to offer.
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Friday, September 27, 2024 10:41 AM
