Explore South Taiwan
Along the busy coastal highway heading south from Kaohsiung to Kenting National Park are several worthwhile attractions, suitable as stopovers on an extended excursion to the island’s tropical southern tip or as day-trips from Kaohsiung. Much of this region forms part of the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area (大鵬灣國家風景區遊客中心; dàpéngwān guójiā fēngjǐngqū yóukè zhōngxīn), with the fishing town of Donggang boasting some of Taiwan’s finest seafood and Little Liuqiu Island making for a relaxing retreat from city life. Just before the coastal highway reaches Kenting National Park, Sizhongxi Hot Springs and County Route 199 make a worthwhile detour, offering interesting spas and beautiful countryside dotted with Paiwan villages.
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Little Liuqiu Island
Little Liuqiu Island
The gem of the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area, Little Liuqiu Island (小琉球; xiǎo liúqiú) makes for a convenient, relaxing retreat from the din of the west-coast cities. Composed of coral, the 4km-long, 2km-wide island is covered with curious rock formations and caves and offers seemingly endless sea views. Some visitors make it a long day-trip from Kaohsiung, but it’s better to stay overnight and explore at leisure. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and a seaside camping area that could easily win the accolade as Taiwan’s finest.
Little Liuqiu’s original aboriginal settlers were exterminated by the Dutch between 1636 and 1645, and it wasn’t until the 1770s that Fujian fishermen began arriving, establishing small communities. Today, tourism competes with fishing as the island’s biggest industry, but there is still plenty of fresh seafood to be had in the main village next to Baisha Port.
