Tainan

The next day we took a train to Tainan, 48 km and 30 min north of Kaohsiung. Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and was the capital for over 200 years from 1683 to 1887. It is known as Taiwan's Spiritual Capital, with over 1600 temples.

Temples are scattered throughout the city. Take a look at the roof, some intricately carved and full of color. Enter through the right (the dragon door) and exit through the left (the tiger door).

There is usually an urn full of incense just outside the temple.

Upon entering the temple, step over the raised platform (not on it). Inside, you'll find statues of the gods who are worshipped within the temple, along with offerings of flowers and fresh food. Most temples are free to visit. Just be respectful of those who are there to pray.

Tainan's most famous sight is Chikhan Tower, also known as Fort Provintia . It costs NT50 ($1.67) to visit. It was built by the Dutch in 1653 when the Dutch occupied Taiwan.

On the grounds is a Statue of Koxinga, the Prince of Yanping, accepting the surrender of the Dutch.

Inside you'll find a Portrait of Koxinga.

The windows reminded me of Gaudi's works in Barcelona.

Celebrations and parades are common in Taiwan and we came upon one when we left the Chikhan Tower. We weren't sure what this parade was all about.

There were children dressed in traditional costumes.

And there were scantily clad women on top of cars.

The lion dance is ubiquitous.

We purchased an all-day bus pass from 7-Eleven for NT80 ($2.67) and took bus #88 to the Eternal Golden Castle. This was built in 1876 to defend the island from the Japanese. Admission is NT50 ($1.67).

A moat surrounds the castle and you can paddle around the castle.

The center of the fort.

The Eternal Golden Castle is near Anping, the oldest section of Tainan.

Wander the streets, some covered, and sample various delicacies.

Continuing north across the river, you'll come upon Fort Zeelandia. Admission is NT50 ($1.67). Fort Zeelandia was built by the Dutch East India Company in the 1620-30s to control trade in Asia.

Statue of Koxinga, who laid siege to the fortress in 1661 and returned it to Formosa (former Taiwan).

You'll find these Sword Lions decorating buildings in Tainan. They ward off evil spirits, bring good fortune and protect the home.

2013 12 01

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a port city in southwest Taiwan.

From the Hotel Kingdom, it was a 5-minute walk to the Love Pier.

We took a ferry to Cijin Island. It was a 15-minute ride and cost NT40.

We passed 85 Sky Tower, a building with 2 legs, symbolizing the Chinese character gao (high). It was the highest building in Taiwan from 1997 to 2003, when Taipei 101 took over the top spot.

Tianhou Temple on Cijin Island is the oldest temple in Kaohsiung. It worships Matsu.

Nearby was a pedestrian street with plenty of food stalls.

We tried fried fish wrapped around egg--NT50 for 5.

We also had a peanut-stuffed dessert for NT10.

We saw a line and got in it. Turned out to be noodle soup with pork. Delicious and only NT50 ($1.67).

At the end of the street, we ended up on the beach.

Giant crab sculpture on the beach.

The Cihou lighthouse was closed by the time we got there.

We took the ferry back to Gushan Pier. There was a long line and it took 3 ferries before we got on. The ferries run every 5-7 minutes and cost NT15 for an adult, NT12 for students and NT8 for children and seniors.

We grabbed dinner near Gushan Pier. We had pig's ear, seawood and bamboo shoots.

Soup dumplings were okay but not as good as Din Tai Fung.

Green onion pancakes were too thick.

Water dumplings were good though. The skin was just the right thickness and they were filled with flavorful ground pork.

Beef noodle soup. All this for NT335 ($11).

2013 11 30

Hotel Kingdom

We stayed at the Hotel Kingdom in Kaohsiung.

From the High Speed Rail station in Zuoying, we took the Red Line to Formosa Boulevard Station, transferred to the Orange Line and got off at Yanchengpu Station. It was a 6 minute walk to the hotel.

Room 1014 had a partial view of the river.

The toilet was a fancy one that included a bidet.

We found Pineapple Cakes in our room as a welcome treat. They were good but not as good as Chia Te in Taipei.

Breakfast was included--it was a mix of Chinese and American. Fried noodles, turnip cake, salted egg, bacon and sausage. The best of both worlds.

I love the porridge, topped with pork floss.

2013 11 30

En Route to Kaohsiung

The next day, we took the bullet train to Kaohsiung. From the Shangri-La, we walked to the Technology Park station and took the subway to the Taipei Main Station. We had purchased tickets online and needed to exchange the reservation for a paper ticket. There was a long line but we found a guard who exchanged the ticket for us. Apparently, we could have also gotten a paper ticket at any 7-Eleven.

Be sure to buy your bento lunch boxes before getting to the platform.

The bullet trains are sleek. There is assigned seating with seats arranged 5 across--3 on the left and 2 on the right. The train travels at 330 km/hour and it took 90 minutes to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung in the southern part of the island. Cost was NT1465 ($38).

2013 11 30

Danshui (aka Tamsui)

I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel and finishing up on posts that I didn't finish. In 2013, we went to Taiwan and I left off posting in the middle of the trip. Now that COVID is wreaking havoc on travel, I thought it was a good time to finish off on my posts.

I left off at the Yehliu GeoPark. The sea has carved the rocks into interesting formations, the most famous of which is the Queen's Head.

Our next stop was Danshui (otherwise spelled Tamsui), a port city 20 km and 35 minutes north of Taipei. It's easy to get to via the MRT.

Old Market Street is a popular street with souvenir shops and food stops.

Some of the shops are a little kitschy but it does attract a crowd.

One of the most popular snacks in Danshui are Iron Eggs--NT65 ($2). I love these. 

These are eggs (in this case quail eggs) that have been stewed in soy sauce and spices and air dried multiple times to create a dried egg. It's chewy, dense and has such concentrated egg flavor.

Fuyou Temple, Danshui's oldest temple, worships Matsu, the goddess who protects sailors and fishermen from the sea. Since Taiwan is an island, Matsu is a very important goddess.

Fort San Domingo was originally a wooden fortress built in 1628 by the Spanish. It was destroyed by the Spanish in 1642 when they lost the 2nd Battle of San Salvador to the Dutch. The Dutch built another fortress in 1644. It was taken over by the Qing government in 1724. From 1868, it was leased to the British for use as their consulate, briefly occupied by the Japanese during the Pacific War and resumed as the British Embassy until 1972. It was managed by Australia then the US until it was turned over to Taiwan as a historical site in 1980. What a history!

The former British consul's residence.

It's furnished with period pieces.

On the way back to the train station, we walked along the waterfront.

We found more street food. This is dried squid.

Pork floss is another good snack.

2013 11 29