Tag: Dragon Tiger Pagoda

Visiting Dragon-Tiger Pagodas, Kaohsiung.

travelingpersecond

My trip when going back from Fo Guang Shan ended at Kaohsiung Main Station and was greeted by little drizzle which began to fall.

My time began to be counted down during 2 hours from that time because the next destination would close precisely at 5 pm.

I took my KPP Taiwan Pass out. I got it at Kaohsiung International Airport MRT Station a day before. I immediately moved towards Ecological District Station.

KPP Pass is a cloud-based pass card which used in three regions i.e Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Penghu (three major cities in southern Taiwan)

Finding a bus shelter and waiting for bus no. R35A to get access towards Lotus Lake would be my next step. I waved my hand when bus was fastly running at Bo’ai 3rd Road towards me. Maybe the driver thought that there wasn’t passenger at bus shelter. Nimbly stepping aside, finally bus stopped in front of me.

Apparently the driver was a woman, asking me about where is my destination in Taiwan language made me speechless.

I: “Dragon-Tiger Pagodas, Mam”

Driver: shake her head, her eyes were closed and raised her hand as surrender sign that she didn’t understand my words.

I: “Hahahaha …….”

Driver: looked like a little annoyed when I laugh.

I: “Wait … wait”. I took my smartphone out, I looked for the pagoda image which I meant and I showed it to her.

Driver: “A little shouted excitedly….yeah….yeah….while thumbing up.

After paying USD 0,5 by entering my coin into the fare box, I stood behind.

It took 10 minutes only to arrive at Lotus Lake and finally the twin pagodas were clearly visible.

Kaohsiung bear doll like its image in my KPP Taiwan Pass

Panda is an iconic animal in Taiwan, so you will often meet its profile in public places. I found it at this pagoda also.

If you want buy souvenirs, enter that building!

Visitor Souvenir Center

Entering pagodas area, clearly seen the Dragon statue and the Tiger one:

According to the myth, I must enter from dragon mouth and come out from tiger mouth….And I would luck.

This seven-story pagodas with yellow floors and red pillars emit a solemn aura in the middle of Lotus Lake.

Lotus Lake as far as eye can see.

Opposite in front of Pagodas stand the magnificent Tzu Chi Palace

I left Lotus Lake on 16:45 to looking for dinner at Kaisyuan Night Market.

My confusion was started here, I didn’t know which bus number must I take and where I must go. At that time, I just used map and compass when traveling there, I didn’t use Google Maps just for save my budget because I didn’t need to buy internet quota. So as long as I don’t get WiFi, then my presence in a country willn’t be detected … It’s cool, I am like CIA agent….Hahaha

If I am confused, I will randomly take a city bus….wherever. Then I will stop near famous spots which I’ve learned before visiting that country. Finally, I randomly took a bus that afternoon. And in confusion, I finally saw Kaohsiung Arena (the biggest soccer stadium in Kaohsiung). I stopped at its nearest bus stop. Either it was free or driver didn’t know, I never tap my KPP pass on automatic fare machine.

There is Kaohsiung Arena MRT Station near it.

From this station, I finally managed to find Kaisyuan Night Market.

It was a little crazy adventure, bro …

Wisata Dragon-Tiger Pagodas, Kaohsiung.

travelingpersecond

Perjalananku kembali dari Fo Guang Shan berakhir di Kaohsiung Main Station dan disambut dengan gerimis kecil yang mulai turun.

Waktuku mulai dihitung mundur 2 jam dari saat itu karena destinasi berikutnya akan ditutup tepat pukul 5 sore.

Kukeluarkan KPP Taiwan Pass yang kudapatkan di Kaohsiung International Airport MRT Station sehari sebelumnya. Aku segera bergerak menuju Ecological District Station.

KPP Pass adalah kartu pass berbasis cloud yg digunakan didaerah Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Penghu (Tiga kota besar di selatan Taiwan)

Menemukan halte dan menunggu bus bernomor R35A untuk mendapatkan akses menuju Lotus Lake menjadi tahapan berikutnya. Kulambaikan tangan ketika bus itu berjalan lumayan kencang di Bo’ai 3rd Road menuju kearahku. Mungkin si sopir mengira di halte tak ada penumpang. Menepi dengan gesit, akhirnya bus berhenti sedikit melewatiku.

Ternyata sopir itu perempuan, menanyakan tujuanku dalam bahasa Taiwan membuatku menjadi speechless.

Aku: “Dragon-Tiger Pagodas, Mam”

Doi: geleng-geleng kepala, matanya terpejam dan sembari mengangkat tangah pertanda menyerah tak mengerti dengan ucapanku.

Aku: “hahahaha…….”

Doi : terlihat sedikit sebal ketika Aku tertawa.

Aku : “Wait….wait”

Kukeluarkan smartphone, kucari gambar pagoda yang kumaksud dan kutunjukkan ke doi.

Doi : “Sedikit teriak girang…..ya…ya..ya…sambil mengacungkan jempol.

Setelah membayar TWD 15 (Rp. 6.000) dengan memasukkan koinku ke fare box, Aku berdiri di belakang.

Hanya perlu waktu 10 menit untuk sampai di Lotus Lake dan akhirnya pagoda kembar itu terlihat dengan jelasnya.

Kaohsiung bear seperti yang ada dalam gambar KKP Taiwan Pass ku

Panda adalah hewan ikonik di Taiwan, jadi Kamu akan sering menemui profilnya di tempat-tempat umum. Aku menemukannya di pagoda ini.

Jika Kamu mau membeli kenang-kenangan masuklah ke bangunan itu:

Visitor Souvenir Center

Memasuki area pagoda, terlihat sangat jelas si Naga dan Si Harimau:

Katanya Aku harus masuk dari mulut Naga dan keluar dari mulut Harimau….biar lucky.

Pagoda tujuh lantai berwarna kuning dan berpilar merah ini memang memancarkan aura kekhusyukan tersendiri di tengah luasnya Lotus Lake.

Lotus Lake sejauh mata memandang.

Diseberang depan Pagoda berdiri megah Istana Tzu Chi

Jam 16:45 Aku meninggalkan Lotus Lake untuk mencari makan malam di Kaisyuan Night Market.

Disinilah kebingungan dimulai, Aku tak tahu harus naik bus nomor berapa dan menuju kemana. Zaman itu, Aku keliling hanya bermodalkan peta dan kompas, paling anti menggunakan google maps. Apalagi kalau tidak untuk berhemat. Jadi selama tak mendapatkan WiFi, maka keberadaanku di sebuah negara tak akan terdeteksi…..Keren kan kaya agen CIA.

Jika sudah bingung begitu, Aku biasanya akan sembarang naik bus kota….kemanapun. Lalu akan berhenti di dekat spot-spot terkenal yang sudah kupelajari sebelum berangkat ke negara itu. Nah kebetulan Aku naik bus secara acak sore itu dan dalam kebingungan akhirnya Aku melihat Kaohsiung Arena (stadion sepakbola terbesar di Kaohsiung). Aku pun berhenti di halte terdekat dan entah waktu itu memang gratis atau sopir yang tidak tahu, Aku tak pernah menempelkan KPP pass-ku di automatic fare machine.

Nah didekat stadium ini terdapat Stasiun MRT Kaohsiung Arena.

Dari stasiun inilah akhirnya Aku berhasil menemukan Kaisyuan Night Market.

Seru sedikit gila ini mah….