The Zuoying Confucius Temple (aka Kaohsiung Zuoying Confucius Temple) is a large Confucius Temple in Taiwan. It sits near the beautiful Lotus Pond, and is surrounded by countless other temples in the area. Today it is an important place for Confucian learning and a popular tourist attraction in Kaohsiung City. 

Historical Background:
The Zuoying Confucius Temple was completed in 1974 near Lotus Lake.  Covering an area over 6000 cubic meters, it is one of the larger Confucious temples in Taiwan. It was built after the northern Taiwan temple style, resembling the Forbidden City in Beijing. 
Zuoying's Confucius Temple is not the only Confucius temple in Kaohsiung. There is another one in Qishan, so the temples trade years for annual Kaohsiung City Confucius ceremonies. 

TheOld Fengshan City Confucius Temple Chongsheng Shrine dates back to 1685 when the first part of the Confucius Temple was built in Fengshan during the Qing Dynasty. It survived revolts, typhoons, other natural disasters, and was constantly repaired and expanded. 
During the Japanese era in 1914, a new public primary school was built and the Confucius temple was incorporated as part of the school. Later, in order to expand dormitories, the sides of the courtyard, main entrance, and main temple were torn down. The spirit tablets were transferred to the Tainan Confucius Temple. 
During allied air raids in Kaohsiung, what was left of the temple was completely destroyed except one building, which was the Chongsheng Shrine.
After the ROC took over Taiwan, the Chongsheng Shrine acted as Kaohsiung's Confucius temple until the new Zuoying Confucius Temple could be built in 1976, and most of the important shrine artifacts were moved to the new temple. 

Hours:
9 AM to 5 PM (closed on Mondays)

Price:
Free

Accommodation
We have stayed at and recommend Chao She Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) IHI Sanduo Travel Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here), and Mingli Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Hotels.com here) which are three inexpensive and high quality choices in downtown Kaohsiung. I also have stayed at and recommend Kaohsiung Meinong Rabbit Paul Homestay B&B (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here), a quiet B&B in rural Meinong, and Chengching Lakeside Resort​ (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com or Trip.com here)and the Grand Hotel Kaohsiung (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) which both offer breakfast buffet and free entrance into Chenqing Lake Park. I have also stayed at the 85 sky tower which offers great views of the city; you can search for rooms in the 85 sky tower on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here).
Find out more about where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. 

Tours:
You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as Pier 2, Meinong Hakka Museum, Hamasen Railway Museum, Suzuka Circuit Park, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, National Science and Technology Museum , Senya Village Restaruant, Austin Land, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and many more on Klook here or KKday here.

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From central Kaohsiung, go north on provincial highway 17 and then turn north on Xinzhuang 1st Road. The pond is on your left and is hard to miss. There is free and paid parking all around the lake. 
Looking for scooter rental in Kaohsiung? You can check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can check also out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can search Qeeq here, KKday here, or Klook here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Train: From the north you can walk to the pond from Zuoying HSR station, or from the south you can walk there from Zuoying Jiucheng TRA Station.
You can book tickets to travel to Kaohsiung via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Kaohsiung  via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
You can also book a Kaohsiung Travel pass here. 
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map:
Please see below:

Typhoon Krathon was the first Typhoon to make landfall in western Taiwan in over 38 years. So far it has caused at least two deaths in Taiwan, injured hundreds, dumped over a meter of rain in the mountains of Taitung, and caused work and school to close for four days in some areas. In this blog, I will detail some of the major events and overall situation in Taiwan during the Typhoon, as well as my own experience during this typhoon and past typhoons in Taiwan.
Table of Contents

• Basic Summary of the Typhoon 台風凱米大概的狀況
• My Experience in Taipei 我在台北的經驗
• Impact Around Taiwan 台灣其他地區的影響
• Safety Precautions During a Typhoon 颱風天安全措施
• Conclusion 結論

​
Basic Summary of the Typhoon 台風凱米大概的狀況Typhoon Krathon became the second super typhoon to hit Kaohsiung in 47 years, following Typhoon Selma in 1977. It is also the first recorded tropical cyclone to make landfall in Kaohsiung in October. Notably, this is the first moderate typhoon to make landfall on Taiwan’s west coast in 38 years, since Typhoon Wayne in 1986. However, due to its slow movement and the intake of too much dry air, the typhoon weakened from a strong typhoon to a moderate typhoon, and eventually to a mild typhoon.
Typhoon Krathon was the 18th storm of the 2024 Pacific typhoon season and began forming as a tropical depression on September 26th, strengthened to a Category-4 Super Typhoon, and finally made landfall in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on October 3rd, 2024. Its highest winds reached 240 km/h. When it made landfall in Xiaogand District of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, it was a category 1 Typhoon (winds between 74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h). As of the time of writing, the typhoon has caused over 2 fatalities in Taiwan and 400 injuries. A total of 176,506 households lost electricity. All domestic flights and hundreds of international flights in Taiwan were canceled for a time. Most mountain villages in Taiwan were evacuated. Flooding occurred in Kaohsiung, Keelung, and Taitung. As of the time of writing, Taimali District of Taitung received the most rain, with over 1500mm of rain (5 feet) over four days. Keelung also set a daily rain record of over 373 mm in one day.

With over 677 people killed in Taiwan, Typhoon Morakot (also known as the 88 Flood 八八水災) was the most deadly Typhoon ever to hit Taiwan in recorded history. It also broke records for the highest rainfall of any Typhoon in Taiwan’s history, a total of over 3 meters of rain (3060 mm in Alishan), with…Read More

Table of Contents

• Basic Summary of the Typhoon 莫拉克颱風大概的狀況
• Stories of People Who Lived Through It 人們經歷莫拉克颱風的經驗:
  • From X (Twitter):
  • From Facebook:
• Geological Changes 地理的改變
• Safety Precautions During a Typhoon 颱風天安全措施
• Conclusion 結論

Basic Summary of the Typhoon 莫拉克颱風大概的狀況Typhoon Morakot began forming as a tropical depression on August 2nd, 2009, then strengthened to a category 1 Typhoon, and finally made landfall in Taiwan on August 7th, 2009. Its highest winds reached 140 km/h. When it made landfall in central, Taiwan, it had weakened to a tropical storm. It then slowed down and dumped rain on Taiwan for about three days until it exited via the Taiwan Strait and made landfall in China on August 9th, 2009. Over 3 meters of rain (3060 mm) were recorded in Alishan during the three days that the Typhoon affected Taiwan, which is the highest rainfall of any Typhoon to hit Taiwan. Most of Southern Taiwan was flooded. Overall the Typhoon caused over 3 billion dollars in damage.

Ruifeng Night Market (aka Rueifong Night Market) is currently the largest and most crowded night market in Kaohsiung, and in my view the best. It is located right next to the Kaohsiung Arena MRT station, making it a convenient place for tourists to visit. Here you can find every kind of traditional Taiwan night market food you could ask for, such as fried squid, fried octopus balls, papaya milk, milk tea, and chicken and beef steak, as well as games, clothes, and other shopping. 

Background:
Ruifeng Night Market has about 1000 stalls, and includes over 21 rows of stalls. Parking is available next door at the Kaohsiung Arena in Zuoying District of Kaohsiung. 
The name Ruifeng comes from Ruifeng Street in Gushan District of Kaohsiung, where the night market was originally located. After about 10 years there, due to lack of convenient transportation the night market was relocated to its current location near the MRT, where it has remained for about 20 years. 
The night market is near many high schools and universities, so the crowds here are mostly younger. 
The night market is one of the largest in Kaohsiung, and certainly could be the winner of most crowded night market in Sothern Taiwan. 

Hours:
About 8 PM to 2 AM
Closed Mondays and Wednesdays. 

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 17 north to Kaohsiung Arena MRT station and turn left. There is paid car parking nearby and free scooter parking near the night market. Looking for scooter rental in Kaohsiung? You can check out KKday here or Klook here to search for options. You can check also out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can search KKday here or Klook here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By MRT: Take the Kaohsiung Red Line MRT to Kaosiung Arena station. The night market is about a three minute walk from the station. You can book tickets to travel to Kaohsiung via inter-city bus on KKday here.. You can book tickets via high speed rail (HSR)  on KKday here.  

Accommodation
We have stayed at and recommend Chao She Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) IHI Sanduo Travel Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here), and Mingli Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Hotels.com here) which are three inexpensive and high quality choices in downtown Kaohsiung. I also have stayed at and recommend Kaohsiung Meinong Rabbit Paul Homestay B&B (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here), a quiet B&B in rural Meinong, and Chengching Lakeside Resort​ (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com or Trip.com here)and the Grand Hotel Kaohsiung (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) which both offer breakfast buffet and free entrance into Chenqing Lake Park. I have also stayed at the 85 sky tower which offers great views of the city; you can search for rooms in the 85 sky tower on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here).
Find out more about where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.

Tours:
You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as Meinong Hakka Museum, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, Lotus Pond, Shoushan Zoo, former British Consulate, E-Da Theme Park, and many more on KKday here or Klook here.

Map:
Please see below:

The Dragon Boat Festival (aka Double Fifth Festival) is a special time of year, during which Taiwan gets a major holiday vacation and there are Dragon Boat Races. During this time, people also must eat Zongzi. We have created this guide for you to see the official dragon boat races all around Taiwan and understand more about this special cultural festival.

Historical Background:
Originally Dragon Boat Festival may have started during the Qin Dynasty as a day to remove evil spirits and bad luck that were thought to appear on the fifth day of the fifth month.
The best known origin story for the Dragon Boat Festival is that it commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a famous poet and official  of the Chu Dynasty during the Warring States Period. He opposed the Chu Dynasty joining an alliance with the Qin, and therefore was banished. When the Qin Dynasty finally took over the Chu Dynasty, he committed suicide by entering the Miluo River (汨羅江 Mìluójiāng) and drowning himself.
It was said that the local people went looking for him by rowing dragon shaped canoes, and threw sticky rice balls into the water so that the fish would eat the rice and not Qu Yuan's body. Because of this, during Dragon Boat Festival everyone eats stick rice, or Zongzi, and holds dragon boat races to commemorate Qu Yuan's memory. 
Another tradition is for people to balance eggs, which is thought to bring good luck during the "unlucky" holiday. 
Dragon Boat races usually involve a team rowing together, while someone beats a drum to keep rhythm and someone else stands at the front of the boat to catch the flag. 
Dragon Boat Festival is an official holiday in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, and is celebrated by Chinese heritage communities throughout Asia and the world. 

When is Dragon Boat Festival?
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. 

2025: May 31st (national holiday starts May 30th) 
2025: June 19th
2026: June 9th 

Can I go Dragon Boat Racing in Taiwan?
Yes! You can join this Dragon Boat tour on Klook or this one on KKday any time of year. The cost is about 1300 NT per person. 

When are Dragon Boat Races in Taiwan?
Training starts about a month before Dragon Boat Festival.
The actual races begin a few days before or on Dragon Boat Festival, and can last a few days after as well. Races usually start at about 9 or 10 AM and last the whole day (some will end in the afternoon, some will have races at night). 

Where are the 2025 Dragon Boat Races in Taiwan?

Taipei International Dragon Boat Championships: 台北國際龍舟錦標賽
Dates: (June 8-June 10 2024)
Location: Dajia Riverside Park 大佳河濱公園 (under Dazhi Bridge going to Neihu near the airport along the Keelung River. There is parking at the riverside park, but it can get very crowded late in the day). 

New Taipei Dragon Boat Race 新北市龍舟錦標賽
Dates: (June 9-10 2024)
Location: Luzhou Breeze Park 微風運河水域

Keelung Dragon Boat Festival 基隆龍舟競賽
Date: (June 9-10 2024)
Held at Badouzi Harbor 八斗子漁港

Longtan Dragon Boat Races:
June 8th-10th 2024
Held at Longtan Lake 龍潭大池

Hsinchu County Dragon Boat Festival 新竹縣縣長盃龍舟競賽
Dates: (June 10 2024)
Held at No. 93 Xinshi Road Hsinfeng Township.
新豐鄉新市路九十三號

Miaoli Dragon Boat Races 苗栗龍舟賽
Dates: (June 10 2024)
Held at dragon boat ferry dock along the Zhonggang River in Zhunan.
竹南鎮港墘里中港溪畔的龍舟碼頭

Changhua Lukang Night Boat Races 鹿港夜間龍舟賽
Date: (June 8-10 2024)
Location: Lukang, along the FuLu River near Lukang Old Street (彰化福鹿溪水域)

Yunlin Dragon Boat Races  雲林龍舟賽
Dates: (closed in 2024 until further notice)
Location: Kouhu Township, Yiwu Wet Pond at the north pond (本縣口湖鄉宜梧滯洪池北池)

Chiayi Dragon Boat Races 嘉義龍舟比賽
Date: (June 10 2024)
Location: Dongshi Harbor 東石漁港

Tainan International Dragon Boat Championships: 台南市國際龍舟賽
Dates:  (June 6-June 10 2024)
Location: Yunhe River in Tainan Between Anyi Bridge and Chengtian Bridge, near Anping Old Street 臺南市運河（安億橋至承天橋河段）

Kaohsiung Love River Dragon Boat Festival: 高雄愛河端午龍舟嘉年華
Dates: (June 8-June 10 2024)
Location: The Love River between Kaohsiung Bridge and Zhongzheng Bridge (愛河， 高雄橋-中正橋).

Pingtung County Dragon Boat Race 屏東縣端午龍舟競賽
Dates: (June 9-10 2024)
Location: Underneath Donggang Great Bridge in Donggang (東港大橋).

Yilan County Dragon Boat Race 宜蘭縣端午龍舟競賽
Dates: (June 10 2024)
Location: Dongshan River Yicheng Bridge 冬山河義城橋

Hualien County Dragon Boat Race 花蓮縣端午龍舟競賽
Dates: (June 10 2024)
Location: TBA (last year it was Liyu Lake 鯉魚潭)

Penghu County Dragon Boat Festival 澎湖縣龍舟競賽
Dates: (June 10 2024)
Location: Makung No. 3 Harbor (澎湖縣馬公第3漁港).

Kinmen County Dragon Boat Festival 金門縣龍舟競賽
Dates: (June 10 2024)
Location: Shuangli Lake雙鯉湖


Map:
Please see below for a map of dragon boat racing locations.