There’s a place called Cijin Island in Kaohsiung that’s a very quick ferry ride away from the city, and it makes for a perfect day tip (or even a semi-day-trip — it’s so quick and easy to get there that you really don’t have to carve out a full day).
The ferry that gets there is relatively cheap, runs every few minutes, and gets to the island in about five minutes.
It’s an interesting place to visit. It’s part of Kaohsiung, but it has a very different vibe from the rest of the city. It’s much more relaxed, and feels more like a small town.
There’s some interesting stuff to see. There’s the Cijin Star Tunnel, which was originally built for the military, and which leads to a pier with some impressive ocean views.
There’s the beach, of course.
There’s a place called the Rainbow Church, which is super popular as a backdrop for Instagram selfies.
And of course, I’m not going to go a whole post without talking about food — there’s Cijin Old Street, where there are several vendors selling a variety of street food. The ocean is right there, so of course, a lot of it is seafood.
The most popular stall seemed to this one, specializing in sailfish tempura.
I assumed this was going to be a whole piece of fish, but it was actually fishball-esque, and was stuffed with a piece of egg.
It’s lightly crispy on the outside, well seasoned, and has a clean seafoody flavour. It’s good.
Ferry to Cijin Island: 804, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Gushan District
Cijin Star Tunnel: Lane 1, Miaoqian Road, Qijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 805
Rainbow Church: No. 990, Qijin 3rd Road, Qijin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 805
How to find it: Just hop on the ferry and then wander around (there’s only one ferry and it only goes to one place, so it’s an exceptionally easy trip to make). I walked around the island, but bikes and scooters are available to rent as soon as you get off the ferry.