Things to do in Southern Taiwan
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Formosa Boulevard KMRT Station
Stop to see the resplendent Dome of Light (光之穹頂; Guāng Zhī Qióng Dǐng), by Italian glass artist Narcissus Quagliata. Formosa Blvd is south of the main train station.
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Former Tait & Co Merchant House and Anping Tree House
The merchant house was built in 1867 and holds a permanent exhibit of household artefacts from the 17th century, donated by the Dutch government. Through a series of decorated rooms, the exhibit highlights the lifestyle of Dutch, Chinese and aboriginal families.
But nobody comes for that. Instead, it's the Anping Tree House (Ānpíng Shùwū) that draws in the curious with its massive banyan strangling the gutted roofless walls of the back quarters.
Both houses are up Gubao St and behind the primary-school grounds.
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Former Julius Mannich Merchant House
The first Opium War between the British Empire and China led to the opening of ports in Taiwan to European trade. This fine old wood and brick structure is mildly interesting to tour as a site but is also highly enjoyable as a place to hang out. The garden restaurant serves good German beer and sausage plates under the shade of spreading banyan trees.
The merchant house is just a few minutes' walk from the Tree House, and just behind a row of houses across from Anping Fort.
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Escape 41
Did you catch that address? This place is on the mountain, or, rather, just down the slopes of it, a few metres above the blue sea. With good attention to food, Escape is worth the effort to get here. Pizza is the best dish but there are good vegie options, and a broad cocktail and wine selection if you want to hang out in the evenings on a hot summer night after sunset.
Taxis from Sizihwan station will cost about NT$150 to NT$200. Escape is the last house down a winding road through the little fishing village.
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Dog Pig Art Cafe
This is a long-running cafe and alternative art space at the heart of the scene in Kaohsiung. Documentary movies and alternative theatre are shown on the 3rd floor on weekends. As owner Leo Liu says, 'We show things that are interesting to us, not necessarily what is commercially successful'.
The cafe serves good curries and has a decent foreign-beer selection.
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Ciji Temple Museum
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Ciji Temple
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Cijin Island Lighthouse
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Cijin Island
This thin island, almost a sandbar really, acts as a buffer to the harbour and extends down the city coastline. It's a popular day trip from the mainland, with its frenetic seafood street (Hǎichǎn Jiē), beach, lighthouse and biking routes being the main attractions. The oldest temple in the Kaohsiung area is Cijin's Matsu Temple (天后宮; Tiānhoù Gōng), the origins of which go back to the late 17th century when the area was the first commercial centre in Kaohsiung. Much of the excellent stone relief and pillar carvings go back to the 18th century.
As on the mainland, you can rent bikes on Cijin or take your bike over on the ferry (NT$15, 10 minutes), which runs…
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Ciaotou Sugar Factory
In 1902 the flat, fertile strip of land in Ciaotou Township (to the north of Kaohsiung) saw the start of industrial development in Taiwan with the opening of a modern sugar factory. Now the opening of the KMRT has been instrumental in breathing life back into this charming bit of old Taiwan.
Ciaotou (橋頭糖廠; Qiáotóu Tángchǎng) consists of a defunct yellow factory (which you can walk into, and explore the old mechanisms and vats) and an old village that retains most of its early-20th-century flavour. In addition to clumps of common red-brick residences, there are a number of handsome old offices in what is called the Japanese Dutch Colonial style.
The sugar factory…
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C-bike
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Barking Deer Adventures
Offers hiking trips outside the city, birdwatching tours, and kayaking in the mangrove swamps.
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BARK
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Bagel-Bagel 3
One branch of a long-running Kaohsiung restaurant chain serving a fix of Western staples such as bagel sandwiches, pasta, pizza and soups. There's a useful information board on the premises.
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Anping Old Streets
Anping has some of the oldest streets in Taiwan, including Siaojhong Street (效忠街; Xiàozhōngjiē), and Yenping Street (延平街; Yánpíngjiē), both of which are to the right of Anping Fort as you face the entrance. Siaojhong St is the more interesting and leads to a number of back alleys with restored brick buildings. Yenping St, site of the first market in Taiwan, has been turned into a dull tourist lane, although it's worth a visit to sample traditional Tainan foods.
As you wander about, look for stone lion masks (劍獅; jiànshī) with swords across the mouth. These were once used to both protect a house against evil and to identify it. There are a few dozen…
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An-Ping Gui Ji Local Cuisine Cultural Restaurant
Set in the Yang family's ancestral home on Yenping St, this restaurant offers a host of traditional Tainan snacks at low prices. The shop features a big photo display of traditional foods and a multilanguage brochure to help visitors. The restaurant also sells Chou family shrimp rolls (周氏蝦捲; Zhōushì Xiājuǎn; NT$50), an Anping staple.
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Anping Fort
The fort was a stronghold of Dutch power until captured by Koxinga in 1661 after a nine-month battle. Though most of the structure has been reconstructed, it's still an impressive site. A small museum on the grounds highlights the history of the Dutch occupation of Taiwan.
The fort sits behind the Matsu temple.
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