By Zhou Liming
(Zhou is now an exchange student studying in Taiwan.)

You can see her earlier dairies: 

Love at "Sun Moon Lake"
First Glance at Taipei
Chihkan Tower - Epitome of Taiwan History
Kaohsiung, a City Pulsating with Life(1)
Kaohsiung, a City Pulsating with Life (2)

The author poses at Sun Yat-Sen University, which was regularly visited by Mr. Chiang Kai-shek. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

Tourists are always attracted to skyscrapers and shopping malls when they first arrive in Kaohsiung city. However, the most fascinating scenery is located in the western area of the city, known as Cijin island and Hsitzuwan scenic area.

Cijin Island

Located on the west side of Kaohsiung, Cijin island is essentially a long, thin sandbar measuring 11 kilometers in length and merely 200 meters wide. The island is an important location for the city's residents. Transportation became better after links to the main city were established. From then on it developed into a popular destination for citizens looking for a little beachside relaxation close at hand.

We had to queue for the ship because there were so many tourists, but we finally boarded at 12:00am. Although there were many seats inside the ship, people preferred to stand outside to admire the beautiful seascape. This was the beginning of the activity for us.

When we arrived at Cijin island, we found several stores renting bicycles at a price of 100 New Taiwan dollars. We rented two bicycles and began our journey. The small island is famous for fresh, cheap seafood, which could be found on Seafood Street. Visitors could treat themselves to a huge meal on the island as a plate of seafood costs just 100 New Taiwan dollars. The broiled cuttlefish, which smelt delicious and tasted tender, was the most delicious I've ever eaten.

The snack stalls are concentrated around Tianhou temple at Cihou, which is a Taoist temple built to fete Goddess Tianhou, the queen of heaven. It is the first temple of this kind to be built in Kaohsiung area. Many creative snacks are on offer, many of which I hadn't seen before. One snack was made of green tomatoes mixed with special sauces. I had always thought that green tomatoes were inedible but this time I couldn't help but treat myself to a second portion: delicious!

[Special]