Kaohsiung won me over when I stepped in my airbnb.

Beautiful views, fresh air, relaxed vibe.

Adjacent to the waterfront, parts of an industrial pier converted to an art district.

The old railway terminus converted to an art park.

Full of families having picnic and playing kites.

Similar to Chinese cafetaria. Except less chains, more local shops.

Somes places were really good.

Another big crush here in Kaohsiung.

A 10 minute ferry ride takes you to Cijin land strip.

I love the peacefulness here. Feels like a remote country side beach.

Nice discovery: tomatoes with ginger sauce !

The drink of the trip for me.

There is something relaxing and soothing about those old authentic shops. They quietly focus on the right things.

Taiwan was hit by a series of major natural disasters over the past few years (major earthquake in 2024 and major typhoons in 2024 and 2025).

For this Chinese New Year, the local governement decided to honour the "shovel superheroes", the rescue workers and volunteers who helped reconstruction through those disasters.

The choice of Ultraman, who grows to a giant size to face overwhelming threats, is a metaphor for the way local communities had to rise up to meet these disasters.

Also, in Japan, Ultra man has always been a symbol of hope following national trauma. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the "Ultraman Foundation" was created to support children in disaster zones.

The 15-meter tall statues are meant to look like they are guarding the harbor, sending a message that the city is safe and protected.