After exploring Taichung for two days and having a lovely day out on Sun Moon Lake, I decided to ride the MRT south and explore Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. This city is famous for its art murals, the Tiger Dragon Pagoda, and its ferry terminal that leads to the popular destination Cijin Island. Historically Kaohsiung was used as a port town during the Qing Dynasty, and much of its culture has been preserved because you can still ride boats and find night markets here. However, artists have transformed Pier 2 into a gathering spot with murals, pop-up stores, galleries, and cafes. I rented a bike from my hostel at Legend Hotel Pier 2 for 100 TWD and biked 10 minutes to explore the area. Pier 2 stretches for about a mile and has an abundance of things to see!
I enjoyed seeing all of the painted dragon murals that reflect the symbol of the town’s prized pagoda, and even the electrical boxes had faces on them! They had some kind of dinosaur exhibit aimed at children going on as well (this place was very family-friendly). I laughed at the name of the “CHIN CHIN perfume” place (Google the Japanese meaning of “chin chin” but don’t look at the images). I truly had a fun time here. I also loved that there was a park where you could rent kites and roam around. This place had a more relaxed and open feel than Taipei and was the perfect getaway from the city:
After roaming around here for a while, I decided to buy a ferry ticket to Cijin Island at the ferry terminal. Cijin Island is only 5 minutes away so it’s a very hassle-free trip and only costs 25 TWD. What’s also cool is you can bring your bike on-board for free because the boat is huge (you also have the option of bike rental at Cijin). Cijin is a long rectangular strip, so you can bike the entire island within an hour and 30 minutes. The main sightseeing spots are the Rainbow Church and the Windmill Park by the beach. There are also temples and and street food galore so you will never go hungry no matter how far you bike.
Though I had a fun time here, I will issue a word of warning: When I set my purse down to take pictures of the Rainbow Church (which is a series of rainbow pillars actually used in wedding photography), someone opened my wallet and stole all of my cash. I won’t say how much I lost, but it was a considerable amount. I reported it to the police station on Cijin Island and they checked the security cameras, but unfortunately they were unable to find the thief. I acknowledge that this was fully my fault, but at the same time I am sad that this happened. Previously I had gone swimming and left my personal belongings on the beach in other countries without any occurrences of theft, but now I know I should be a lot more careful. Fortunately the thief did not steal my credit cards, or else I would be in real trouble. However, I do not want this incident to reflect badly on Cijin Island or Taiwan. Taiwan is still what I would consider to be a very safe country, and I hope my articles inspire people to visit it!
Look forward to Part 2 of my Kaohsiung journey where I visit the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and more of the city!