Today I woke up around 8:00 a.m., even though our official departure time wasn’t until 10:30. I decided to take advantage of the extra time and go explore a bit on my own. I wandered around the neighborhood and found a small, local café tucked into a side street. It was quiet and cozy the perfect place for a slow morning.Lately, I’ve been doing this thing where I purposely order something random off the Mandarin menu, without translating it first. It’s my way of pushing myself to try new things and also a little language-learning experiment. So far, nothing has been objectively bad, just occasionally surprising. One time I ended up with a fruity boba in my coffee which was not terrible, just a flavor combo I wasn’t mentally prepared for at 9 a.m. Today’s mystery pick ended up being a strawberry matcha latte, and it was insanely good. I’ve never had one before but it was so refreshing and I will be ordering again. For food, I lucked out again with a grilled cheese sandwich that had the perfect balance of crispy edges and melty cheese. As part of my little routine, I wrote down the Mandarin characters for each item I ordered. I’ve started doing this to help myself recognize certain words the next time I’m staring down a menu. That way, it’s not a total guessing game I’m slowly learning what I like and what to look for.
At 10:30, our group headed out to visit two temples the Zuoying Xinzhuang Temple and the Zuoying Yuandi Temple The sight of the temple is stunning on its own but when you walk through the mouth of the dragin in the Zuoying Xinzhuang Temple it feals surreal. These two towering pagodas sit right on the edge of the Lotus Pond. They are connected to the shore by a zig-zag bridge, which is said to ward off evil spirits (because, according to tradition, spirits can only travel in straight lines). What’s really unique about this experience is that you enter through the mouth of the dragon and exit through the mouth of the tiger. It’s more than just a fun photo opportunity this path represents a symbolic journey. Entering through the dragon and leaving through the tiger is believed to bring good fortune and drive away bad luck.
Inside the dragon’s body, the walls are lined with colorful paintings and scenes from Buddhist and Taoist stories. It felt like walking through a living comic book, with messages of morality, respect, and harmony depicted in bold colors and intricate detail. The tiger’s interior had a similar vibe, though it felt slightly more intense maybe just because tigers have that fierce energy. Climbing to the top of the pagodas gave us an amazing view of the entire Lotus Pond area, the surrounding temples, and the city beyond. The combination of natural beauty and spiritual symbolism made it a really powerful place to reflect.
Next we went to Zuoying Yuandi Temple, located near the Lotus Pond. This temple is dedicated to the Dark Warrior deity, also known as Xuánwǔ (玄武), a powerful Taoist figure often associated with protection and strength. The architecture was bold and vibrant, with huge statues, steep staircases, and colorful rooftops that seemed to reach for the sky. The temple overlooks the pond, adding to the peaceful yet majestic atmosphere. One of the most impressive features was the large statue of Xuánwǔ himself, towering over the temple grounds. The scale of it was incredible standing beneath it made you feel small in the best kind of way, like being part of something much older and bigger than yourself.
On the way, we also passed by the Confucius Temple, but unfortunately it was closed. Still, just seeing it from the outside gave me a sense of its grandeur and design. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to go back and visit it properly. Overall, it was a peaceful morning that turned into a culturally rich afternoon. These kinds of days where small personal adventures mix with bigger cultural experiences are quickly becoming my favorite part of the trip. Later on in the day during our free time we went to Sizihwan Beach on the coast of Kaohsiung and it was beautiful. The sand was black from a volcano that had errupted thousands of years ago and left fragments of rock that accumulated on the beach over time. The water was salty but warm and we all had a really good time after a long day. We then hopped on the train and went to the night market near the hotel and got dinner. I got steak which i’ve actually gotten five times because I like seeing them cook it in person.