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Itinerary No. 2: Seashore Frolic
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| Ferries run between Gushan and Chichin Island about once every ten minutes.
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Afternoon: Santuo shopping district
Evening: Night view from an 85-floor skyscraper
Overnight: Grand Formosa Kaohsiung Hotel
2nd day: Day trip to Chichin Island
The international-class Grand Formosa Kaohsiung is located in the 85-story T&C Tower, the tallest building in Taiwan. Guests in this soaring structure leave the ground so far behind, they might be forgiven if they forget that they're even in Kaohsiung! Starting out from the Grand Formosa, the first stop is the shopping district along Santuo Road, where you'll find the very cosmopolitan Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, SOGO, FE21 Mega, and Chien Tai Department Store. We recommend an evening dinner at Grand Formosa's 85th-floor restaurant, followed by drinks at the bar, all the while enjoying a spectacular view of Kaohsiung Harbor and the city. Spend all the next day frolicking on Chichin Island. This a perfect itinerary for active young adults who love the water.
Santuo shopping district
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| FE21 Mega, which opened in 2000, has added an extra jolt of vitality to the Santuo shopping district. |
Santuo shopping district is the newest and fastest-growing shopping district in Kaohsiung. SOGO and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, located near the traffic circle at the intersection of Santuo No. 3 Road and Chungshan No. 2 Road, are the first foreign department stores in Kaohsiung. It was the opening of these two stores that spurred a subsequent commercial renaissance in the district. Later saw the opening of Chien Tai Department Store in T&C Tower and FE21 Mega on Chungshan Road. FE21 Mega, home to the Kaohsiung branch of Warner Village Cinemas, is the biggest outlet of the Far East Department Store chain, which in turn is the biggest-selling department store franchise in Taiwan.
It's about a ten-minute walk from one end of the shopping district to the other. In addition to the department stores, there are also many avant-garde hair salons, specialty shops, and cosmetics franchises. The shopping experience here is every bit as good as in Taipei's toney east side. The department stores, in a bid to attract customers, often host outdoor performances or invite singing stars and big-name athletes to come for autograph sessions on weekends and holidays. The crowds get pretty big, and it generally takes an entire afternoon to cruise the whole district. If you're not interested in shopping, you might find it fun to just sit in a chair on the plaza and do some people watching.
Liu Hsiang, a Taipei resident who often goes shopping in Kaohsiung, notes that sales there are slower than in Taipei, yet the shops still provide a full selection of name brand clothes and accessories. These factors make Kaohsiung an excellent place to shop during price cutting season.
Night view from the T&C Tower
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| One can look out over the entire city from the Grand Formosa Kaohsiung Hotel's coffee shop, which is often full to capacity. |
T&C Tower, the tallest building in Taiwan, has a 360-degree observation deck on the 75th floor. Visitors arrive on a direct elevator that zings along at speeds of up to 600 meters per minute. The trip from the ground floor to the 75th only takes 43 seconds, and feels a lot like a ride at an amusement park. The cost is NT$200 per person.
T&C Tower abounds with restaurants, all of which offer an outstanding view of the city, especially by night. There are also a hotel, a department store, entertainment facilities, and more. Due to flawed planning, however, the building's first-floor department store has already changed owners once, and the building as a whole doesn't have the lively, bustling atmosphere you find at other highrise buildings in Kaohsiung.
Other places to enjoy Kaohsiung's skyline include the Chang-Gu World Trade Center, the Linden Hotel, and the Asia Pacific Financial Plaza. The observation deck at the Grand Hanlai Hotel is an excellent spot to see the harbor and all of the city.
Chichin Scenic Area
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| The pedicabs near the ferry pier on Chichin Island are a rare sight in Taiwan.
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Chichin Island runs northwest to southeast, parallel to the southern edge of Kaohsiung. Measuring 8.5 kilometers long and 400 to 500 meters wide, no spot on the island is far from the water. Noting the pleasant atmosphere of the island, the Kaohsiung City Government has recently proposed to build a hospital there to give troubled people a natural environment in which to recover from the emotional maladies of modern life.
Most visitors to Chichin Island come here to enjoy the sea. The long coastline offers a variety of charming seascapes, Kaohsiung Harbor, sunrises, and sunsets. The island also features a swimming beach, a seashore park, a ferry terminal, a tunnel to the other side of the harbor, old Chihou Battery, and historic Matsu Shrine. Most visitors just play in the sand and sea, overlooking the historical nuggets entirely, which seems a shame.
Ferry and Harbor Tunnel
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| The streets of Chichin Island are lined by a succession of seafood restaurants beckoning to the hungry passerby. The well-known Laifa Seafood Restaurant relies on freshness and clearly stated prices to attract budget-conscious customers. |
There are two ways to get to Chichin Island. Most visitors like to go over on the ferry, which cuts across Kaohsiung Harbor, but the ferry only carries passengers and motorcycles. Those traveling by car must take the Harbor Tunnel.
The ferry terminal on the Kaohsiung side is located at Gushan. Boat depart about once every ten minutes, and a ticket only costs NT$10. On Chichin Island, the busiest spot is at the northern tip of the island, near the ferry terminal. Located right nearby are the swimming beach,
 Seashore Park, and a warren of seafood restaurants across the street from Matsu Shrine, not to mention a swarm of street vendors every weekend. For those who want to get around slow and easy, three-wheeled pedicabs await near the ferry terminal. The seafood here is delicious, with just about every kind of fish and shell food imaginable. Visitors are advised to compare prices and check to see whether the seafood is fresh before selecting a restaurant. The cooking style doesn't vary much from one establishment to the next; it's all down-home Taiwanese cuisine.
The 1550-meter Harbor Tunnel connects to the southern tip of the island, farther away from the city center. Crossing under Kaohsiung Harbor, the tunnel was opened amidst considerable fanfare in 1984. It's about 30 minutes by car from downtown Kaohsiung to Seashore Park.
Chichin Seashore Park
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Deepfried breaded
grunion, steamed and barbecued seafood, crabs. . . the flavor of
Kaohsiung Harbor!
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Measuring some three kilometers in length, the park includes a swimming beach, a seaside nature path, a mountain-biking area, and a nature preserve. The swimming beach features crystal-clear water and soft sand that's a joy to walk on. The seaside nature path passes by a non-lifeguarded beach that is preferred by many visitors who don't care for crowds, but due to safety concerns, swimming here is not gen er ally recommended.
Vegetation abounds along the seaside nature path, the mountain-biking area, and the nature preserve. Even in bright sunshine, there's a cool feeling amidst the verdure. Don't forget to breathe deep and take in the abundant phytoncides generated by the lush greenery of southern Taiwan!
Chihou Matsu Shrine
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| Chihhou Matsu Shrine, a Class 3 Historical site, bears clear signs of its fishing port origins. |
Chichin was the first part of Kaohsiung to be settled by early Chinese immigrants. It used to be called Chihou ("behind Chi" because of it's location relative to Mount Chi. Chichin is home to the oldest place of worship in Kaohsiung, Chihou Matsu Shrine. Originally built in 1673, it has been designated a Class 3 historic site.
Built in the style of temples in southern Fujian and Taiwan, the shrine features a model of the type of ship that is burnt every year in religious ceremonies in fishing villages in southern
Fujian.
Chihou Battery
Chichin Island's Mt. Chihou commands the entrance to Kaohsiung Harbor, and once played an important defensive role. The first battery there was built during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722). Kaohsiung's importance grew in the latter decades of the Qing dynasty, and Taiwan's provincial governor Shen Baozhen hired a British engineer to install modern batteries at the northern and southern entrances to Kaohsiung Harbor. The cannon were removed during the Japanese colonial period, and the only thing left completely preserved today are the defense works of the southern battery on Mt. Chihou.
Old Chichin is just one part of historical Kaohsiung. If a visit to Chichin Island fails to quench your appetite for signs of the past, you might consider our next itinerary, which focuses on cultural and historical sites.
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