The view of Kaohsiung’s central business district from the ferry to Cijin Island
Imagine a city by the sea, prone to the occasionally destructive forces of nature, be it strong gusts or crushing waves. Now picture a small island separating the city from the ocean, providing a natural barrier from the same elements, as if it was a brave child trying to protect his family behind. In the southwestern corner of Taiwan, right across the city of Kaohsiung lies such an island called Cijin. This sliver of land, however, was for a long time connected to the main island, leaving a narrow opening at its northern end as the sole access for ocean-bound ships to enter the port of Kaohsiung. It was only in 1967 that the southern part of Cijin was cut out to create a second entrance to the harbor, effectively making it an island. But its history goes far beyond the rapid industrialization of Taiwan in the second half of the 20th century.
Following the multiple defeats the Qing dynasty suffered during the Opium Wars in the 19th century, China was forced to open many of its ports to foreign trade – mostly to Western powers. Across the strait in Taiwan, the port of Takao (what Kaohsiung was called back then) was also made available for merchants from the West, particularly the British who in 1883 built a lighthouse on the highest point of Cijin. In the early 20th century during the Japanese colonial period, the strategically located structure was then renovated. Today, while it remains actively used, the lighthouse has become an attraction on its own, for its grounds provide a great vantage point of the modern city of Kaohsiung and its ever-changing skyline.
One only has to take the short ferry ride from Gushan at the western end of Hamasen, Kaohsiung’s former Japanese colonial district, to get to Cijin Island. And that was exactly what we and many local tourists did in the sweltering heat of early October 2023. When we arrived at our destination, as soon as we disembarked from the double-decked ferry and walked away from the pier, it was immediately clear why this island was very popular. With a good amount of black sand beaches, a lively night market, and lush hiking paths, it provided an easy escape for city dwellers who wanted a brief change of pace from their daily grind. James and I, of course, headed straight to the lighthouse via a path that took us through a Japanese-era tunnel, a small forest, and a seaside promenade with fishing enthusiasts before it turned to a steep walkway that went up the hill. Although the lighthouse is situated merely about 58 meters above sea level, the heat and humidity had us drenched in sweat by the time we reached it.
Continuing the hike further south of the hill brought us to the 18th-century Cihou Fort which was first built when Taiwan was under the control of the Qing dynasty. Renovated toward the end of the 19th century, the man-made fortification was curiously not used by the Japanese. Then, when the Kuomintang fled China to Taiwan following their defeat at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party forces, the nationalist government saw the strategic importance of the fort and decided to further fortify it. Luckily, it’s a time of relative peace these days. So, when we arrived at the compound, the sound that emanated from its walls was not one of war, but rather friendly banter among visitors who were either wowed by the structure itself, or by the views of the city, or both.
We lingered for quite some time and explored the fort’s many nooks and crannies, before going down to check out the night market. How refreshing it would be to have the bubble tea (also known as boba) after sweating it out, wouldn’t it? We stopped by one of the many stalls selling this famous Taiwanese drink, and I can confirm to you one thing: bubble tea does taste better in Taiwan. With our bodies rehydrated, we made a beeline to the pier to catch the ferry back to town before dark. Even after visiting many parts of Kaohsiung, we were thrilled that the city just kept giving, as evinced by the many things to see on Cijin Island. It’s definitely a place not to be missed.
Taking the ferry from Gushan
A sculpture of a lifesaver and his dog near a beach on Cijin Island
An interesting artwork found along the way to the lighthouse
Walking through a Japanese-era tunnel
On the western slopes of the hill
This was like a walk in the park
Fishing with a view
The narrow channel that was once the only access to the port of Kaohsiung
The residential buildings on Cijin Island viewed from the top of the hill
The Kaohsiung Lighthouse, one of the biggest draws on the island
The short hike was worth the sweat
Black sand beaches on the western side of the island
A well-maintained and functioning lighthouse
The picturesque Cihou Fort
You can explore almost every part of this fort
A structure built to protect the island, which itself protects the harbor behind it
The southern entrance to the fort
The eastern gate to the compound with the words “mighty blow to the south” once emblazoned above the entranceway (today only the “to the south” part remains)
An old building tucked away behind the cacophony of the night market
We were there a little too early, but the atmosphere was already quite festive
A very satisfying bubble tea
Another old-style building hidden from the main street
Back to the pier
What an Amazing World! 
That walk up to the lighthouse looks lovely, Bama. Taiwan wins hands-down where it comes to the humid places I’ve experienced in my life, so just the mention of it makes me break out in a sweat. 😅 That Bubble Tea must have been the perfect antidote.
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Haha.. Well, you know I come from a place that is hot and humid all year round. But even for me Kaohsiung was something else. Later I was told that it’s more comfortable going there in December. You know, I drank so much bubble tea in Taiwan they made me struggle with sleep because of the caffeine. 😅
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That says a lot about the intensity of the humidity! The yin and yang of humid weather: bubble tea and sleepless nights. That makes me laugh, although I’m sure it wasn’t exactly funny tossing and turning in bed.
The apartment I lived in had no air-conditioning, so the only way I could fall asleep in summer was to take a cold shower, not drying off, and lying with a portable fan blowing over me.
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I was so exhausted, but I was confused why it took me hours to fall asleep at most nights. Then I remembered all the tea-based drinks I had. 😅
Wow, even I never do what you did to try to sleep in such high humidity. But I do remember when I went to Jakarta for my first job interview, I realized just how hot and humid the city was, so much so I thought to myself, do I really want to live here?
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And there you are, living in a very humid city! Oh, the twist and turns of life. I suspect your tolerance for humidity is much higher than mine, Bama. These days I am not sure what I prefer, but living with the joys of underfloor heating, I think I am definitely leaning towards winter, instead of the intense heat of summer.
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To be honest, I used to hate the heat and humidity of coastal cities on Java. But I guess since I’ve been living in Jakarta for almost two decades, now I get used to it — as long as there is an air-conditioned room I can escape to!
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There’s so much history related to this little island. I don’t know Taiwan’s history that well, so I appreciate the details. The lighthouse is lovely, with a stately look about it, but the fort looks even more interesting. Maggie
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Taiwan’s history is often overshadowed by that of its more powerful neighbors, and the island itself was (and still is) hotly contested among great powers. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fort. It was indeed such an interesting relic from the past.
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Cijin Island looks like a lovely spot to escape the city. The black sand beaches and lighthouse are beautiful. The heat and humidity doesn’t sound so nice, but it seems like a great excuse to drink some bubble tea.
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I think you would find the heat and humidity too much to handle, Linda, especially compared to the freezing winter of Canada. However, if you ever plan to go to this part of Taiwan, I highly recommend visiting in December.
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What a great hike. I was imagining an island with only the fort and lighthouse until I reached the compact residential area photo taken from the hill.
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The island is actually quite densely populated. But it certainly had a different vibe from what you would find in the city center across the harbor.
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I’ve never heard of Cijin Island, but to be fair, I’ve not explore Kaohsiung, let alone that part of Taiwan (which is a shame, as I have family in the country)! It looks absolutely stunning, and I definitely agree that boba tastes a lot better in Taiwan, not only due to high quality, but it’s also a lot more affordable than the ones I get in the US! Thanks for sharing your time there, Bama– I’ll need to return to Taiwan to explore more of the country!
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One suggestion from me if you plan to visit Kaohsiung: don’t go in September/October! A local friend told me that the city is usually quite cool in December. Although I have to admit that the weather was mostly perfect when I was there.
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Another great post Bama!
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Thanks Anna!
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Oh, this was a nice travelogue to read. Your photos of your and James’ tour in Cijin really made me feel like I was with you both. It was nice learning more about this place.
Coincidentally enough, I also had a roasted milk tea boba today but probably nowhere near as nice as yours! We have Taiwanese night markets here on weekends in the summertime and I love perusing the aisles, except the stinky tofu, and I can only imagine the delectable treats in the real Taiwan!
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How nice that you have Taiwanese night markets every year! Do they usually have papaya milk too? That’s one of my favorite drinks in Taiwan. Speaking of stinky tofu, the first time I smelled it was in Guangzhou, China back in 2012. At first I thought the smell came from the sewage. But then James told me it was actually stinky tofu! 😆
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I don’t remember the papaya milk, as it’s not a common fruit over here. But I’ll have to keep an eye out next time! When we were in Mexico, I had plates and plates of papaya for breakfast. 😋
Sewage is a great way to describe the stench of stinky tofu!
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Oh I had no idea about this island. I’ll have to add this to my place to visit! The heat and humidity is something I remember about Kaohsiung. But I seem the be the only one drenched in sweat while the locals are walking around in relative comfort.
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The locals must have devised a way to deal with the oppressive heat and humidity. I hope you’ll get the chance to visit Kaohsiung again, Matt.
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I’m craving bubble tea now! 😁 Thanks for taking with us on your exploration of Cijin island. It does seem like a very quiet and peaceful place compared to the city that stands in front of it! I don’t know if it compares but the heat and humidity you mentioned reminded me of a very difficult hike we did in South Korea with almost 100% humidity and around 30°C – you are drenched even just by walking!
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Cijin Island was actually quite popular, especially among the locals. It offered a much slower pace of life compared to what one will find in the city center. I can’t believe you went hiking in such high humidity levels! I can imagine how hard it must have been. For me, a cold water shower is always perfect to end a day like that.
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Beautifully done…as usual.
Thank you Bama
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Much appreciated, Flo.
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What an interesting island, with so much history despite being so small. I can only imagine the heat on your walk; that humidity is like nothing else. I really want to visit Taiwan and explore more of this region one day soon – thank you for taking me on this tour, Bama!
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If you intend to visit this part of Taiwan during its hottest months, I recommend bringing a bottle of water everywhere you go. Thanks for reading, Hannah.
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Cijin Island sounds like a place worth the visit. Enjoyed reading its history as a port and today, and of the lighthouse. It sounds like quite a lot to see en route to the lighthouse. The Japanese-era tunnel looks stunning. It looks so modern. I like humidity and it doesn’t bother me, so I think I would enjoy this hike very much 😄 Beautiful photos all round and looked like a wonderful day. Really like the photo of the markets and the pink vehicle thing that just so happened to be passing by. Good timing 😊
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Ha! I find it amusing that you like humidity. But I can see what you mean. Every time I go back to Jakarta after traveling abroad, especially to places that are much drier than the Indonesian capital, I always like the fact how humid the city is which makes the skin less dry. Thanks for reading, Mabel.
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Being able to return to Cijin Island and see more of it with you was a lot of fun, Bama! A short five-minute ferry ride across Kaohsiung Harbor is all that separates it from the rest of the city, but Cijin feels so different — it really does have a laidback charm all its own. I should have ordered the same bubble tea drink you did; on two occasions I was almost choking on the smaller boba in mine because I just wasn’t used to their size. One thing we didn’t get to try there though was a meal of local seafood. Maybe next time!
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I almost forgot that you’ve been there twice. The next time we go, we should definitely try a local seafood dish. And to drink, just a normal size boba will do.
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