Kaohsiung

Metropolitan

The second biggest city after Taipei, Kaohsiung was my next destination in my Taiwan trip. As usual, I researched about how the place is and what are the things to look out for. The thing that caught me by surprise is about the pollution in the area that was mentioned. Kaohsiung used to be a vast industrial area and has since been transformed into a metropolitan city with cafes, cultural venues and many areas to call their own. Polluted it definitely wasn’t. Here’s my story on the beautiful Kaohsiung.

Streets and sounds

There was something different from the roads from Kaohsiung and Taipei. Taipei seemed a little more relaxed compared to Kaohsiung. But, it definitely added life to the streets. We arrived at Kaohsiung City after a 2 and a half hour journey on a bullet train from Taipei. It was the best train ride I ever had (even though I was asleep for a while) and it was smooth with little disruption. Once we settled in to our Airbnb, we decided to head to Ruifeng Night Market for a night of fun and feasting! And of course, with some friendly competition in between.

Lotus pond

Located in the Zuoying District, this was a place on the tour guides that said it was a must go. It definitely brought back memories of a certain place called Haw Par Villa in Singapore. It definitely felt the same but the view here from the above is amazing as the pictures that you see here. The towers at the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas are seven stories high and both of them have intricate carvings on them. It is said you have to enter the dragon and then exit through the tiger. It symbolises turning bad luck into good and of course we did the same. A very scenic place I must say and of course beautiful for picturesque shots.

fo guang shan Buddha memorial center

We were welcomed by a very huge gate and not knowing what to expect in this place. The center of the temple is home to one of the tooth relics of Buddha which was gifted by a Tibetan Lama. The visitor centre is very much like a shopping centre which has the usual touristy shops and even a Starbucks. Yes you read right, a Starbucks in a Buddhist Temple. Once we got out of the centre, we were simply awed. The Majestic Buddha was 108 metres tall and surrounded by 4 stupas which symbolize the Four Noble Truths. One thing that remained constant while we were walking around was the peaceful serenity that no money can buy. I really hope the pictures do a great deal of justice to this beautiful place.

再见 or goodbye

This Taiwan trip has thought me that even if language is a barrier, people around you can still be nice to you. Even a greeting that you don’t understand brings a smile. Will I be back to venture the other parts of Taiwan?

Definitely.

And thank you from the bottom of my heart Shah for being a great travel buddy and teaching me on how to enjoy life without worries. And yes, there is a solution for every problem.

Till the next post,

Ashok Kumar