Day 5 - In Kaohsiung - 28 March 2024

The main program for the day was to visit Cijin (pronounced cee-jeen) Island. Hence, the day started leisurely after breakfast of sticky rice, boiled veggies, stir fried Brinjal and a few pieces of watermelon. It is not as if the breakfast was sparse; my Lenten diet didn't consist of any non-vegetarian food, sugar or bakery products. The Nescafe Americano has become a habit in Taiwan. The hotel was full of tourists from neighboring mainland China, it seemed like. Mostly family tour groups. I wondered how they managed a lean frame despite the quantity of food they ingested.

I walked to the MRT station and took a ride to Sizihwan, from where the Gushan Ferry Pier was less than a km away by foot. The waterfront looked beautiful and not too busy. Between 8 and 10 am there is a ferry every 7-10 minutes between Gushan and Cijin.

The ferry takes two wheelers and most of the passengers were on bikes. As the crossing takes less than 10 minutes, they do not get off their bikes and ride out as if in a symphony - just as they boarded. There is no rush, no one makes any noise and the activity is achieved efficiently and without fuss. There are ferries with top decks too, which visitors prefer to enjoy spectacular and panoramic views of the Kaoshuing port and its neighborhood.

I got on to the ferry after tapping the EasyCard at the ferry entrance gate - the EasyCard is truly a great facilitator for using multi-modal public transport. As I got off at Cijin I saw a church spire and walked towards it. Being Maundy Thursday I wished to visit a church. The Ki-Au Presbyterian Church of Taiwan, very close to the ferry pier, was closed.

I walked further ahead and reached the black sandy Cijin beach, mostly deserted at that time of the day. A few tourists were swimming in the calm waters. The beach was evidently kept clean by a set of handymen on makeshift bikes.

There is a monument on the beach dedicated to five youngsters who sacrificed their lives to save others who were struggling to stay afloat in the waters in 1993. The art work symbolizes the courage of those who put their lives at risk trying to save others and the dangers of the sea.

The Cijin Star Tunnel is almost an extension of the beach. The tunnel was excavated during the Japanese Colonial Era and through the Cihou Mountain. It was originally meant to service military needs. However, now a wooden plank path has been laid in the tunnel and its roof has been decorated with glow-in-the-dark paintings of 12 constellations and materials such as driftwood and luminous stones. Cool sea breeze passes through the cave giving a feeling of being beneath the stars.

Immediately after exiting the tunnel one can see the Cijin Sound beneath the Cihou Mountain; the ocean spray batters the towering, precipitous green limestone walls. The relentless splash of ocean water against the staid cliff creates a repetitive ocean scene.

My next destination on Cijin Island was the lighthouse. The weather had turned quite hot and the humidity made me sweat profusely. Every step was becoming laborious. The climb to the lighthouse beyond the welcome marker of Kaoshuing Port was quite steep. The 250 meters from the base was done with many stoppages to catch my breath. It is in times like this that I realise how unfit I have become because of a sedentary life style and lazy mind.

Instead of going directly to the lighthouse I took the short deviation to the Cihou Fort or Cihou Battery. It is a historic fort in Cijin District. It was the guardian of the northern entrance to Kaohsiung Harbour. The first fortifications here was built in the 18th century when the Qing dynasty ruled over Taiwan. Japanese occupation of Taiwan saw the fort changing hands in the late 19th century. Post WWII the Chinese fortified the fort yet again. The fort had three main components, namely, fortified barracks, a central command post and the main rectangular battery. A walk within the remnants of the fort can bring alive a bygone era.

The Kaoshuing lighthouse is also known as the Cijin or Cihou lighthouse. The 15-meter tall masonry structure was built originally in 1883 to facilitate safe passage of ships in the aftermath of increased trade following the Peking convention of 1863. It is an octagonal tower with a balcony and lantern. The Japanese rebuilt the lighthouse in 1916 and it attained its present style and form in 1918. The lighthouse is a good place to go for panoramic views of the waterfront and landmarks of the city.

By the time I was done with the lighthouse, the lights in my body almost shut down. I dragged myself to the ferry pier for the journey back to the hotel. It had become insufferably hot and humid. It was no wonder that it rained in the early afternoon.

Once the rain abated, I made a call to Subin. He told me that he was free and could meet me in the hotel in about a half hour. Hailing from Cannanore in Kerala, Subin is on the verge of clinching a job in Kaoshuing. He recalled the help and assistance he has received from friends in Taiwan. He told me of the characteristics that defined a Taiwanese such as hard working, honesty, integrity, helpful nature, family oriented, closely knit, God fearing and cleanliness being a religion. There are just over 200 Malayalees in Taiwan, who mostly lived near Taipei. Less than 10 of them lived in Kaoshuing, mostly students.

From Subin I learnt of the Holy Rosary Church close to the hotel, where I could go for a few minutes of prayer. It was a short walk from the hotel to the Basilica Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is the oldest Roman Catholic church and Minor Basilica in whole of Republic of China.

The shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the seat of the Bishop of Kaoshuing. The original cathedral was first established in 1860 by the Kingdom of Spain, based in the Philippines. The Cathedral attained its present status in 1928. The image of the Madonna and child enshrined within the high wooden altar of the Basilica dates back to 1863. A few believers were in church at the time of my visit. The original interior of the church is supposed to be loosely based on the Manila Cathedral in the Philippines. Photography is prohibited within the church.

The Gloria Pier LRT was a short walk from the Cathedral. I took that to go to the Kaoshuing exhibition centre and 85 Sky Tower. The convention centre, which is in the heart of the Bay Area, was designed by an Australian architect and was opened in 2014. The eye-catching centre continually strives to serve the requirements of stakeholders. It consistently upgrades to develop it into a state-of-the-art facility to enhance performance and ensure the success of the exhibition centre. It has transformed into a 5G smart venue to deliver 5G MICE technology and applications.

Within a stone's throw away from the exhibition centre is the iconic 85 Sky Tower. The 85 storey, 1240 feet, prong shaped tower was constructed in 1997. It is the second tallest building in Taiwan, after Taipei 101. When the building first opened, it housed a department store, indoor amusement park, five-star hotel, observatory, restaurants, club, spa, condos and offices. The building is largely unoccupied now and it has become rundown and dirty. The structure stands tall and proud facing the Bay though it is temporarily closed to the visiting public.

I took a circular ride on the light rail along the 38 stations of the 22 km stretch once the sightseeing program was completed. The LRT has made use of the defunct Kaoshuing Harbor tracks to link the circular loop rail. The services are operated by the Kaoshuing Rapid Transport Corporation. The EasyCard that I purchased in Taipei is accepted in the Kaoshuing MRT, ferry and LRT. It is extremely convenient for visitors - I keep topping it up at stations, for which vending machines and staff are available. Reportedly, more than 10,000 commuters use the LRT every day. The first phase of the circular rail started services in 2015 and gives connections to the Taiwan train service, MRT and Ferry.

It was quite dark by the time I finished the circular ride. While walking back to the hotel from the Love Pier I came across an Indian restaurant, the Doon Valley Restaurant and Bar. It was busy and the locals seemed to relish the food in there. A couple of boys from India serve in the restaurant. I was quite fascinated to hear them speak Mandarin. Though it started small, I learnt that they have three outlets in the city, all doing well. I had a feast of Naan, Veg Pulav and Rajmaa Raseela. It was wholesome and tasty. That drew the curtains on the brief visit to Kaoshuing and it is time to head back to Taipei for the last day in Taiwan.