Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dog Pig Art Cafe
CAFE
(Dòupí Wényì Kāfēiguǎn; 521 2422; 2nd fl, 131 Wufu-4th Rd; coffee NT$90-150; 5-11pm Tue-
Fri, 2-11pm Sat & Sun)
This is a long-running cafe and art space in Kaohsiung. Document-
ary movies and alternative theatre can be watched on the 3rd floor on weekends. The
cafe serves good curries and has a decent foreign-beer selection.
Brickyard Beer Garden
BAR
MAP
(cnr Jhongshan-1 & Wufu-3rd Rd; 5-11pm Mon-Sun)
Inside Central Park, this beer garden
enjoys a popular reputation among locals and expats alike. It also serves sandwiches,
burgers and Chinatown-style Chinese food.
Lighthouse Bar & Grill
BAR
MAP
(Dēngtǎ Měishì Jiǔguǎn; 239 Fuguo-1st Rd; 6pm-late)
A popular hangout in the Tsoying
District, with good service, live sports broadcasts and a wide selection of bar favourites
such as pizza and sandwiches.
WORTH A TRIP
TEMPLE TOURING ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST
The southwest coast contains some of the most ancient temples in Taiwan. In most
cases these centre on the stars of southern folk faith: Matsu and the Wang Yeh (the
Royal Lords, general protectors).
At Luermen, look for the massive
Luermen Matsu Temple
(Lùěrmén Tiān-
hòugōng), which is near where Koxinga is said to have landed during his campaign
against the Dutch. Close by is the
Orthodox Luermen Matsu Temple
(Shèngmǔ
Miào), which reached its outlandish size after a battle for spiritual (and funding)
supremacy with the Luermen Matsu Temple in the 1980s. Both temples are near
the Sihcao Dazhong Temple and can be reached by bike.
Two temples off Provincial Hwy 19 are well worth the effort to find if you have any
interest in traditional temple arts. The
Zhenxing Temple
(Zhènxīng Gōng) in Jiali,
just past the Km119 mark, contains some fantastic tableaux of figures injiǎnniàn
(mosaic-like temple decoration). However, these figures are not on the roof, as is
usual, but on the sides of the entrance portico.
At the front of the temple, check out the unique cochin (brightly coloured, glazed
ceramic) figures of an old man and woman crouching as if to support crossbeams.
