Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

80, Art Museum Rd (Meishuguan Rd), GuShan District
(07) 555-0331
Tue-Sun 9 am-5 pm
closed to the public on Mondays

The Art Museum is more than just a place to view beautiful sculptures and paintings; it's a vast park full of nice landscaping and relaxing ponds. The grounds have everything from gravel walkways to dirt paths, snaking through the trees. Wide paved bridges, boards laid across creeks, giant ponds, and little green swamps--the Art Museum's got it all. Overlooking expanses of grass, there are giant trees to have picnics under, or more wooded areas for a quiet stroll. If you're more into interacting, you can feed the ducks and geese along the shores of the lake and small river, or watch them pass under the numerous bridges and around the little islands. The large grass fields are great for dogs or watching the numerous kites dancing in the sky. Whatever reason you come for, you will be surrounded by many of the great things we tend to forget in day-to-day life. --Text and photos by Colin Brown, translated by Ann Lee

Jinshihhu Scenic Spot (Golden Lion Lake)

11-2, Lane 114, JinDing Rd,
SanMin District
(07) 347-5317
8 am-5 pm

Welcome to Gold Lion Lake, a place many people don't know about. Simply put, it's a large hill surrounded by a lake. Taking a five to 10 minute ascent along the paved stairs or a twisty dirt path through the trees will lead you to the top of Mt. Shih, which presents you with many great views. The mountain is surrounded by Gold Lion Lake on three sides, and, on the east side, by the freeway and farmland. You can spend some time walking over the cornered bridges or along the lake shore, full of blooming lilies and lily pads. You can also visit the butterfly garden, have a picnic in the various pagodas, or just sit and collect your thoughts under one of the many banyan trees. The best way to find the lake from the Zuoying area is to drive towards the garbage processing plant by the freeway--it is the big building with a tall incinerator stack and a round control room near the top. --Text and photos by Colin Brown, translated by Ann Lee

Monkey Mountain

GuShan District, South West Kaohsiung

While Monkey Mountain has many small trails and sites on it, many of them are riddled with bicyclists, hikers and tourists. However, if you pass Sun Yat-Sen University and follow this road to its end, you will wind up at small cafe that overlooks the sea. With a little exploring you will find a small trail which leads to a cliff. Before you even notice the stunning view, you will first see a rope tied to a tree. Now, the idea is to hold onto this thing for dear life, hope the rope doesn't break, and carefully rappel down. Make no mistake, the view is breathtaking. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks is majestic and down here you are completely and utterly alone. Alone you are, alone with your self, alone with your thoughts and with plenty to think about －like how to get back up! --Text and photos by Evan M. Gioia, translated by Ann Lee

Lotus Lake

1435, TsuiHua Rd, Zouying District

At the time of this writing, Lotus Lake is going through some renovations. Much of the pathway that encompasses the lake is blocked off. Fear not, as there is still an outer sidewalk that circles the lake. In spite of the construction work, many of the lake's sights and attractions are still available for viewing. The restaurant situated inside a Confucius Temple, for instance, still has an unimpeded view of the water. If you walk around the entire lake, you will be sure to notice the foreboding giant statue of Kuan Kong and, on the south end, there's the famous Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. If you visit later in the day, you can watch the lake transform from dark blue to a tranquil black as dusk becomes night. At this time, the surrounding streets aren't as busy and the red lanterns around the pagodas glisten on the water, creating a perfect time for quiet contemplation or even a romantic stroll. --Text and photos by Evan Gioia, translated by Ann Lee