lea pof travels: Kaoshiung, Taiwan - 10 Things to Do About Sizihwan

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Kaoshiung, Taiwan - 10 Things to Do About Sizihwan

After visiting Cijin, we hung around the Sizihwan area to complete our maritime adventure. At the end of the NSYSU (read on to find out what this stands for) tunnel, get your fortune delivered by the tiniest lady (she's not real) at Mazhu Temple or visit the Former British Consulate Residence (and not the Consulate's office as previously thought).

10 Things to Do About Sizihwan area in Kaoshiung:

P.S. Cheat tip: Attractions are highlighted in the vicinity map in every train station, so you can just plan your trip from there.

1. Have some food along the area. Iced Dessert especially in summer!

2. Walk across the National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU) Tunnel to get to where else by NSYSU for the usual "light at the end of the tunnel" emo shots

3. Wander around the university campus and the shoreline

4. Climb up to get great shots (especially that of the setting sun)

5. Where you can also find Mazhu Temple. Get your fortune told by a rather cool machine.

Fortune Telling - She'll go in and bring your fortune out! And you can read more about your fortune from the book. In Chinese.

6. Beside the temple is the the Former British Consulate Residence at Dagou which was still being renovated the last I visited. It'd cost you 30NT to get in. You can admire the building or visit the maritime exhibits (and there's the gift and ice-cream shop). I was told once that the Temple and the Residence had alternating fortunes, one would be popular and the other out of favor, well, as I see it now, both are packing in the crowds! (especially from the tour buses)

The Kaoshiung City historical British Consulate at Dagou comprises of two buildings, the consul's residence and an office. The residence is a standalone red brick building that functioned as the official domicile of the consul, which was completed in 1879, and was designed and built by the Royal Army Engineering Corps. The office, which includes a police station and a jail, was built on the Shanchuantou waterfront and is connected to the residence by a mountain path.

After the 1858 Treaty of Tianjin and the 1860 Treaty of Beijing were signed, Taiwan was forced to gradually open up trading ports, which included Dagou. The consulate office was built in order to expand British economic interests in Taiwan. Its other main purposes were to protect British nationals, exercise consulate jurisdiction, and conduct local negotiations. The consul's residence is where he lived and received diplomats and guests.

From 1895 Taiwan was under Japanese rule and the consul's residence was converted into the Kaoshiung Weather Service Office. In 1945 after the Nationalist government took over Taiwan, the residence became the Weather Meteorological Institute. In 1977, the building was damaged by Typhoon Theima and was renovated in 1987 because of its cultural significance. At that time it was also designated as an historical monument.

Due to a lack of historical information, the British Consulate residence was for a long time thought to be the British Consulate office. Through detailed investigations of data in the British National Archives, it has been proved that the consulate office was in a separate building in the Shaochuantou waterfront. This led to the Bureau of Cultural Affairs Kaoshiung City Government renaming the monument.