9 December 2018
From Fo Guang Shan, we head towards Cijin Island (旗津島). Have heard this is a MUST-GO if you are in Kaohsiung (高雄) and we definitely will not give it a miss since we have traveled this far.
Kaohsiung is known to be a 'port city' because it has beautiful port views.
We hired a private car to take us around on our first day in Kaohsiung. Hence we drove into Cijin via a underwater tunnel (the one and only in Taiwan) that connects Cijin island to the mainland.
By Public Transport
Cijing Island is a 5 minutes ferry ride from Gushan Ferry Terminal which is near Sizihwan MRT Station (About 7 - 8 minutes walk). Take the Orange Line and alight at R01 - Sizihwan. Take Exit 1, turn left and walk to the end of the street. Make a right turn and you will reach Gushan Ferry Terminal.
Click on the below link for more information of the Ferry ticket price and timing.
Kaohsiung City Ferry Service - https://kcs.kcg.gov.tw/Content_List.aspx?n=2EDF685BBC9D2857
It will be NT40 if you pay by cash but only NT20 if you use Easycard (悠遊卡) or I-pass (一卡通) for an adult ferry ticket.
I would love to try to take the ferry ride if we are visiting Kaohsiung again.
Cijin Old Street (旗津老街) is only a few minutes walk away from Gushan ferry terminal. You will find several food vendors selling a variety of local street food along the old bustling streets. Reputed for its fresh seafood, Cijin is one of the best place to savour the delicacy in Kaohsiung. Hence, seafood lovers are in for a treat as the old street is lined with many seafood restaurants.
I have seen in Taiwan variety show showcasing black mullet 乌鱼子. Yunlin is the main producing area of the mullet and it is a local delicacy not to be missed in Cijin. The mullet roe is rich in protein and lipids and its unique flavour makes it a popular dish.
The price for black mullet is also not cheap. One box of mullet strips is NT200 (~SGD9). We bought a box to try and it has an assorted flavour. Apart from the salty fishy taste, it is also a little sticky to the teeth. Our kiddos do not fancy the mullet roe but I thought it was delicious!
At the remote side of the old street, we actually spotted a crowd around this stall that sells sweet potato balls (番薯碰). We were surprised that there were so many orders that you need to wait at least 30 minutes! Check out the orders written on the small cards at the side of the table and it keeps on increasing! Each golden crispy potato ball is selling at only NT10 and there are many good reviews of the crispy snack. We placed our order too but unfortunately did not have the opportunity to collect our orders as the waiting time was really too long and we had to leave.
After snacking, we made a climb up to Cihou Fort. First fortifications were built in 1720 in the Qihou Mountain. Kaohsiung government made restoration works in the late 1980s and it was then opened to the public. Cihou Fort is a national second-class monument and many come to admire the architecture as well as the captivating view of Cijin and Kaohsiung.
From Cihou Fort, we spotted a beautiful black sandy beach beneath. Unlike the other beaches we have been to, the sand here is much darker. Beautiful sea waters sparkling against the sun rays reflection and the little white shells on the beach also shine out against the dark sand.
We left the beach and head towards the carpark. Our guide shared with us that there is a tunnel ahead and when we cross through, we will be in for a beautiful view.
So, we made our way to Cijin star tunnel (星空隧道) which passes through Cihou Mountain. Excavated in the Japanese Colonial Era, it was originally a military tunnel. Now, there is a wooden plank path and the insides of the tunnel are lighted. Take a good look of the walls within the tunnel and you can find many markings left behind by visitors.
5) Cijin Secret View (后山密境)
At the end of the tunnel is Cijin Secret View (后山密境). Enjoy the cool sea breeze and listen to the sound of the ocean waves beating against the huge boulders.
Awesome ocean view
There are much more that you can explore on Cijin but we only had about 3 hours on the island. Due to time constraint, we missed out a couple of interesting places. You may like to allocate at least half a day on Cijin Island to cycle and explore the different areas.
1) Cihou Lighthouse
2) Cijin Windmill Park
3) Cijin Seaside Park
4) Cijin Rainbow Arch
5) Cijin Shell Gallery
6) Cijin Tianhou Temple
Part 3 of Day 9 on our next post.
More photos at BPDGTravels Facebook Page
Kaohsiung is known to be a 'port city' because it has beautiful port views.
HOW TO GET TO CIJIN ISLAND
By CarWe hired a private car to take us around on our first day in Kaohsiung. Hence we drove into Cijin via a underwater tunnel (the one and only in Taiwan) that connects Cijin island to the mainland.
By Public Transport
Cijing Island is a 5 minutes ferry ride from Gushan Ferry Terminal which is near Sizihwan MRT Station (About 7 - 8 minutes walk). Take the Orange Line and alight at R01 - Sizihwan. Take Exit 1, turn left and walk to the end of the street. Make a right turn and you will reach Gushan Ferry Terminal.
Click on the below link for more information of the Ferry ticket price and timing.
Kaohsiung City Ferry Service - https://kcs.kcg.gov.tw/Content_List.aspx?n=2EDF685BBC9D2857
It will be NT40 if you pay by cash but only NT20 if you use Easycard (悠遊卡) or I-pass (一卡通) for an adult ferry ticket.
I would love to try to take the ferry ride if we are visiting Kaohsiung again.
THINGS TO DO IN CIJIN ISLAND
1) Seafood & street food @ Cijin Old Street (旗津老街)
Cijin Old Street (旗津老街) is only a few minutes walk away from Gushan ferry terminal. You will find several food vendors selling a variety of local street food along the old bustling streets. Reputed for its fresh seafood, Cijin is one of the best place to savour the delicacy in Kaohsiung. Hence, seafood lovers are in for a treat as the old street is lined with many seafood restaurants.
The taste of Ai-yu Jelly in Taiwan is definitely NOT the same as the ones we have locally. This is how real ai-yu looks like :)
I have seen in Taiwan variety show showcasing black mullet 乌鱼子. Yunlin is the main producing area of the mullet and it is a local delicacy not to be missed in Cijin. The mullet roe is rich in protein and lipids and its unique flavour makes it a popular dish.
The price for black mullet is also not cheap. One box of mullet strips is NT200 (~SGD9). We bought a box to try and it has an assorted flavour. Apart from the salty fishy taste, it is also a little sticky to the teeth. Our kiddos do not fancy the mullet roe but I thought it was delicious!
We were attracted by the delicious Boston Cream Cake (波士顿蛋糕) displayed at 正家興蛋糕店. There was a crowd and we could not resist and also joined in the queue and bought some to try.
Each slice is at NT25. The children LOVE the soft and delicious Boston Cake and we re-queued and bought more cakes.
At the remote side of the old street, we actually spotted a crowd around this stall that sells sweet potato balls (番薯碰). We were surprised that there were so many orders that you need to wait at least 30 minutes! Check out the orders written on the small cards at the side of the table and it keeps on increasing! Each golden crispy potato ball is selling at only NT10 and there are many good reviews of the crispy snack. We placed our order too but unfortunately did not have the opportunity to collect our orders as the waiting time was really too long and we had to leave.
椪嫂蕃薯椪 has been in business for many years and now it has been handed down to the next generation to manage. Hope to have the opportunity to be back again to try.
Deep frying in process
We walked away from the old streets towards the coastal area and there are more food street vendors along both sides of the road.
Hubby is always very keen to try assorted delicacies like Pig's Blood Cake (豬血糕). A local street food made with pork blood, sticky rice and coated with peanut flour. Do you dare to try?
Kiddos and I prefer the tastier fried snacks instead
2) Cihou Fort (旗後砲臺)
After snacking, we made a climb up to Cihou Fort. First fortifications were built in 1720 in the Qihou Mountain. Kaohsiung government made restoration works in the late 1980s and it was then opened to the public. Cihou Fort is a national second-class monument and many come to admire the architecture as well as the captivating view of Cijin and Kaohsiung.
It felt like a little maze to me as there are different passageways and stairways to the top. Pretty fun for the children though to make a quick climb to the top.
What is most amazing is the breath-taking view of Cijin from the top of Cihou Fort. It feels good to just sit down and admire the scenery.
This should be the best view from the top! Did I spot 85 Sky Tower at the very end?
3) Cijin Beach
From Cihou Fort, we spotted a beautiful black sandy beach beneath. Unlike the other beaches we have been to, the sand here is much darker. Beautiful sea waters sparkling against the sun rays reflection and the little white shells on the beach also shine out against the dark sand.
Marking our footprints here.
The waves pound strongly against the shore. No wonder the life guards have to ride along the beach to alert the public to stay clear from the coast for safety reasons.
Even though it was December, the weather is really hot!
A beautiful beach with a long coastal shore.
4) Cijin Star Tunnel (旗津星空隧道)
We left the beach and head towards the carpark. Our guide shared with us that there is a tunnel ahead and when we cross through, we will be in for a beautiful view.
So, we made our way to Cijin star tunnel (星空隧道) which passes through Cihou Mountain. Excavated in the Japanese Colonial Era, it was originally a military tunnel. Now, there is a wooden plank path and the insides of the tunnel are lighted. Take a good look of the walls within the tunnel and you can find many markings left behind by visitors.
5) Cijin Secret View (后山密境)
At the end of the tunnel is Cijin Secret View (后山密境). Enjoy the cool sea breeze and listen to the sound of the ocean waves beating against the huge boulders.
Awesome ocean view
There are much more that you can explore on Cijin but we only had about 3 hours on the island. Due to time constraint, we missed out a couple of interesting places. You may like to allocate at least half a day on Cijin Island to cycle and explore the different areas.
1) Cihou Lighthouse
2) Cijin Windmill Park
3) Cijin Seaside Park
4) Cijin Rainbow Arch
5) Cijin Shell Gallery
6) Cijin Tianhou Temple
Image source credit : https://khh.travel/
Part 3 of Day 9 on our next post.
More photos at BPDGTravels Facebook Page
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