Because Day1 we were on the plane so we start our trip officially on day 2
First site of the day, the...Meinong Hakka Cultural Museum
Located in the southern area of Taiwan, the Meinong Hakka Cultural Museum features stories of Meinong. It also showcases the well-preserved Hakka culture, which is known to be the best in Taiwan. :)
Oil umbrella display
The moment we stepped into the museum, we were greeted with traditional items and decorations which fully represent the Hakka culture. With the vintage-based environment and well-maintained exhibits :) such as the clothes and housing, the Hakka culture certainly left a deep impression on our minds.
Although the museum itself was indeed satisfying, what we felt that could be improved was the guide that took us around the museum. Though the guide explained the Hakka culture in detail, the guide's accent and speed of verbal explanation made it challenging for us to understand what he was explaining. :(
Following that, we visited the...
Meinong Folk Village
The Meinong Folk Village is located in the southern region of Taiwan represented by people of the Hakka culture . It showcases a variety of local culture and arts.
A portion of the street
Our lunch at one of the shops in the village
Musical instrument made out of simple daily appliances
Rating: 4.0 stars ★★★★☆
A unique place offering a diversity of items, souvenirs, titbits and appetizing local dishes! Who wouldn't resist to this temptation? We can also find entertaining places here, such as the drums where visitors have the opportunity to experience the locals’ daily activities and understand their way of life. Through visiting this site, we were...
1) introduced to the historical background of the village :)
2) encountered the hospitability of the Hakka people. :)
However, the cleanliness of the place was not as good as we thought. :(They could improve on this area to provide a more conducive and suitable environment for the people in live in. For example, the toilets were rather unhygienic or even insanitary. Despite the toilets' cleanliness, we felt that it was a place that we definitely have to go!
Up next, we have the..
Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum
This museum is Taiwan's biggest museum dedicated to Hakka culture! It displays a wide variety of the features of the Hakka culture, such as the artifacts, traditions, customs, and many more.
Some farming equipment displayed
Children's section showcasing songs with pin yin to teach the children how to pronounce in Hakka
Rating: 4.0 stars ★★★★☆
Museums are not just about displaying historical things or preserving it till the future. With the advanced technology, this museum has a brand new way to tell us the Hakka culture, unlike other museums. :) Interested to know what ways they use?
Unlike many of the museums we have been, this museum has a very special section. :) This section was specially designed for the children so as to arouse their interest in Hakka culture. For instance, there were interactive cooking games regarding some of the Hakka delicacies, where children would have fun pretending to whip up dishes of delectable Hakka treats. This was an interesting hands-on activity indeed. Other than that, there was also a video showcase which not only DISPLAYS some Hakka songs, but PLAYS out the songs as well. This left us a deeper impression of the Hakka culture. After learning about these features of the museum , don't you have an urge to try out those hands-on activities? This museum is a great opportunity for everyone to get to know the Hakka culture better!
It's time to know more about the history of Taiwan, so here we are at the...
Kaohsiung Museum of History
Located next to the Love River, Kaohsiung City, this museum has a long history, and was also used as the Kaohsiung City Hall after World War 2. Thus, this building is significant as a landmark and also in Kaohsiung's history, and later was rebuilt as a history museum, preserving historical objects and moments.
Majestic-looking stairway
Rating: 4.0 stars ★★★★☆
When we stepped foot into the museum, it gave us a totally different "feel" as compared to other museums. Being influenced by the Japanese and European, this museum was built in the imperial crown style. It is rarely seen these days. Walking up the majestic-looking stairway, we entered one of their on-going exhibitions showcasing the 228 incident. Having a tour guide leading the way and explaining every part of the exhibition, we had a clearer and deeper understanding about this 228 incident. The guide's verbal clarity made it easy for us to understand the historical details.:) Also, besides purely displaying historical materials, this museum made use of miniature scenes to create a virtual representation of the incident. :) This is a good way for us to relate to the past and understand the situation back then.
Want to know more about the interesting history of Kaohsiung? If you do, come down here to take a look! There are 4 permanent exhibition rooms and 1 exhibition room in which the displays changed every 6 months.
After going to so many museums, it's time to go to some other places.
Former British Consulate
Built in 1865, this consulate has more than a hundred years of history. Due to its age, the Former British Consulate is now the most antique western building preserved in Taiwan! Other than that, it is also the most meaningful ancient building of Chinese modern history with graceful and elegant proportion.
Built in 1865, this consulate has more than a hundred years of history. Due to its age, the Former British Consulate is now the most antique western building preserved in Taiwan! Other than that, it is also the most meaningful ancient building of Chinese modern history with graceful and elegant proportion.
Former British Consulate
Rating: 3.0 stars ★★★☆☆
Climbing up a long flight of stairs, we finally arrived at the consulate. Being rather high up above the ground where we came from, we could view a breath-taking scenery :), which allowed us to take our minds off our preoccupies for a short moment. After enjoying the brilliant sight, we then toured around the historical site, with the guide leading the way and explaining its history in detail. The guide's clarity and verbal engagement caught our attention, and also allowed us to have a full understanding of the consulate.
Despite the engaging description of the place, the place itself did not really satisfy us. The small area of the site clashed with the huge number of people touring the area, making us feel really stuffy and uncomfortable. :( The place was cramped with MANY people, and we had to squeeze our way through when inside the consulate.
But if you happen to come during the evening (maybe around 5pm) , you might have a chance to see the sunset! It's very beautiful!
Visiting so many museums and sites, it must be tiring... So here we are at our last stop of the day.
Liuhe Night Market
The Liuhe night market located in Kaohsiung is well-known for its local delicacies. It is one of the most popular markets in Taiwan where seafood, handicrafts and other local dishes are sold.
a portion of the market street
香酥鸡 sold at one of the stalls
Rating: 4 stars ★★★★☆
What comes into your mind when you see these two words 'night market'? Yepp, it's food! Time to replenish your energy with Taiwan's famous street snacks. It offers a variety of local food and items such as the famous papaya milk, fascinating live seafood, delectable dessert, fruits, noodles and bread :)The Liuhe Night Market is rather clean :) with few litters on the ground as it is well-equipped with dustbins that brings convenience to customers. It is definitely not easy to keep the area 100% clean with all the customers having food packaging, waiting to be disposed of. Through these local delights, we learnt about the different types of food of each culture. The prices were reasonable :) except for the fruits. The fruits sold here were of a higher price, almost doubled! :( We also felt that the traffic conditions within the night market could be improved. :( Enabling vehicles to drive through the place makes it considerably dangerous for the people, especially with large crowds.
Day 2 ended with a blink of an eye. Do check out our trip advisor for Day 3!
