Kaohsiung’s High-Speed Rail Literary & Arts Slow Travel: Pier-2 Art Center & Shiyi Drum Sugar Refinery Cultural Park Are Super Popular

The Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau recently launched an online meet-up on the “Kaohsiung Tourism Network Fan Page,” inviting literary youth enthusiasts of all ages—seniors, middle-aged, and young people—to join the “Literary Youth Kaohsiung Journey.” Participants took green public transportation to the historic “Shiyi Drum Sugar Refinery Cultural Park,” where they enjoyed a fixed theatrical performance by the internationally invited Shiyi Drum Percussion Group at the water theater. On the return trip, they rode the MRT and immersed themselves in the beauty of “Kaohsiung MRT Public Art.” The literary youths who gathered at the meet-up were also happy to share their firsthand experiences on Facebook. Through word-of-mouth and collective sharing, they provided others with a refined cultural tourism experience in Kaohsiung.

 

The Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau pointed out that there are an increasing number of emerging “literary youth spots” in Kaohsiung. For example, the “Shiyi Drum Sugar Refinery Cultural Park” pioneered Taiwan’s first chimney water theater, focusing on drum music art. In addition to long-term fixed theatrical performances, it is also a cultural tourism spot rich in human history and natural ecology. The Kaohsiung MRT integrates public art into its station architecture. R23 Qiaotou Railway Station is an elevated station designed with the concept of sugar crystal formations, incorporating the history of the sugar refinery. It features a large-scale ceramic wall public artwork, “Nature’s Creations,” created by Dr. Zhu Bangxiong. Within its geometric patterns, the artwork deconstructs trains carrying sugarcane traveling across fields, symbolizing how Taiwan’s sugar industry drove industrial and economic development. R17 World Games Station was a filming location for the movie “Black & White.” Its appearance resembles a battleship riding the waves, and its public art is based on the concept of the “Spirit of Banpingshan.” The station is covered in digitally printed glass art created by an internationally renowned team, showcasing insects and plants from southern Taiwan. Through light refraction, it feels as if you’re in a rainforest. Kaohsiung MRT’s Formosa Boulevard Station and Central Park Station have even been rated by a U.S. travel website as among the most beautiful stations in the world. Each Kaohsiung MRT station has its own uniqueness and cultural identity, making the entire system a large-scale living art museum. Every station is a great spot for photography and street snaps.

Additionally, the long-popular literary youth spot, Pier-2 Art Center, radiates the vitality of experimental creation within its harbor warehouses. It frequently hosts exciting large-scale exhibitions and is a favorite leisure destination for locals, as well as an important hub for the development of southern Taiwan’s art scene. The second-class historic site, Takao British Consulate, is located on a hillside near Qijin Bay. Visitors climb Z-shaped stairs to reach Taiwan’s first Western-style building. It now combines dining and leisure, where literary youths can enjoy meals and tea while taking in the view of Kaohsiung Harbor. The third-class historic site, Kaohsiung Lighthouse (Qihou Lighthouse), is a pure white building exuding fresh elegance. As the second oldest lighthouse in Taiwan, it stands on Qihou Mountain, witnessing Kaohsiung Harbor’s transformation from a small fishing village into an international commercial port. Other must-visit spots for literary youths include Qihou Fort, Love River, Kaohsiung Film Archive, Dadong Art Center, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Zuoying Old City, Zhongdu Tangrong Brick Kiln Factory, Lotus Pond Dragon and Tiger Towers, the top 10 tourist town Meinong, and the lunar-like landscape of Yehliu Geopark.

 

 

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