The first thing I experienced was a good long nap. Haha! But really, was Liouhe Night Market. The street was blocked off for hundreds of people to cram in there and buy their favorite late night snacks. This night market is different than others, as it is the most famous in Kaohsiung, but also that it stays open for 12 hours: 5pm to 5 am. Wow. I had stinky tofu for the first time there, and let me tell you... well, you can guess. Haha.
A few blocks away from Liouhe Night Market is the famous "Love River" (愛河) illuminated with purple and blue lights, the lights of the city, boats, and small restaurants on the sides. Local musicians would come out in the late hours and play soft music. Couples were sitting in benches on the river, listening to the music while enjoying a drink as well. It was really nice.
One hour north of Kaohsiung is a place called "Buddha Mountain" or Foguangshan. It is a large monastery in the Buddhist philosophy that has received much academic success, and therefore, many funds to support it. The place was quiet, perfect for meditation. Learning about buddhism is never the same than actually going to see it. It was amazing, with thousands of buddhas decorating the place, all surrounding one large one, ruling over Kaohsiung. Fantastic! I would love to go there once again.
Not far from Kaohsiung is a place called Monkey Mountain, where wild living Macaques rule the mountain. They will come out of nowhere and watch you. Some will interact! The hiking trails lead high into the mountain, with many twists and turns. Some paths will take you up very difficult cliffs. One cliff was aptly named: "Tough guy mountain." You can probably think of why it was called that. Took a while to get up... But the view from the very top was spectacular! Although, getting lost was an often past time of mine, I enjoyed it very very much. Haha.
Tainan is a very famous city northwest of Kaohsiung, deemed the oldest city in Taiwan. It is filled with many historical places and landmarks. Everywhere you go, something was either built during the Dutch occupation, the Japanese, or the Spanish, etc. But all of the thanks goes to the first mayor of Tainan, who saw the importance of keeping the historical sights in good order, trying to save them from deterioration and destruction. Thanks to the mayor, Tainan is what it is day, making it a great historical experience and tourist attraction.
Tainan has many historical artifacts that are symbolistic of uniting cultures. What I'm talking about is the Chikan towers. Although the towers have great historical significance, there was one piece that really stood out to me. It is a collection of turtle steles that have inscriptions of the story of Chikan towers, however, in several different languages. I think that that aspect of the steles brings together a uniqueness of culture in Taiwan, and that unity is still active today. Tainan is a city that needs several days to fully explore. I can't wait to go back and see all of it!
No comments:
Post a Comment