Kaohsiung, Taiwan (June 10)

Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s third most populous city, is a thriving port of 2.7 million people along Taiwan’s southwest coast nicknamed the “Harbor Capital” because it is one of the largest container ports in the world. Despite its commercial importance, it exudes a laid back vibe, with wide tree-lined boulevards, multiple parks and green spaces, and a conscious effort to attract international tourists with the development of multiple temples and pagodas around the man-made Lotus Pond. Apart from all the signs in Chinese, the city felt like many in the US, except cleaner, more interesting architecture, and better roads!

We took a two hour taxi tour to Lotus Pond to see the temples and pagodas, including the largest Confucian temple in Taiwan, and continued our tour around the city center and modern buildings, including the art museum, conference center, 85 Sky Tower, and shopping malls.