Mom said I couldn’t go alone — there’s a “certain street” in Kaohsiung full of pretty girls.

Text & photos / Ji Zihong Excerpted from / How I Love Kaohsiung, Also Snacks, Strolls & Wasting Time, published by Flying Birds Publishing

“You mustn’t go to that street on your own, it’s wild and complicated. If you want to go, Mom will take you!” Warned by my mother since childhood, all sorts of negative impressions about “that street” have lingered in my mind ever since. That street is Xiling Street — actually just a narrow, short alley next to Zuoying Boulevard, lined exclusively with military supply shops.

As a child, I went there with my mom and found that besides lots of soldiers, there were also quite a few pretty girls dressed in revealing clothes. In addition to military supply shops, there were several arcade game stores. To me, a carefree kid, the sights on this street were simply beyond my understanding. “Those things” must have been fun, but not suitable for me — so I’d just think to myself, “When I grow up, I’ll definitely have to check out Xiling Street properly!”

But now, when I revisit, why does the once colorful and lively “that street” from my memories seem so proper and restrained? The military supply shops are still there, but those “more fun” little shops and the pretty girls in stylish outfits are nowhere to be seen. At my current age, even if they were still around, they wouldn’t be the scenery I’d most want to see. Instead, what caught my attention were several nearly dilapidated old houses along the street. Xiling Street, which I was too scared to visit alone as a child, I can now freely stroll through without any strong sense of dissonance. With both people and streets having aged, the view before me has become even more intriguing and charming.

Among the parts that interested me, for example, was the standalone Ronglin Grand Hotel — a long, narrow old building standing tall at the intersection of two small lanes, resembling architecture commonly seen on French streets. This hotel seems to no longer be in business; everything looks old, with dark blue rolling shutters pulled down, yet the beauty of its classic architectural structure still deeply fascinates me. The condition of other buildings on the street isn’t much better either. In terms of atmosphere, unless the weather is sunny and bright, coming here only brings an overwhelming sense of gloom. Among the passersby, aside from elderly men and women, soldiers in camouflage uniforms are the most common. Actually, the military supply shops here are quite fun to browse — buying small arm badges or military-style athletic shorts, compared to typical souvenir gifts, I actually feel these are more representative mementos of the Zuoying vibe.