I've spent a lot of time in Kaohsiung. My grandparents on my mother's side are resident there, as are my Aunt, Uncle, and two little cousins. There's something of a language barrier, but I think we understand each other. At least well enough for them to know that I love their city.
Like most Chinese cities (Taiwan being no different to the mainland in this respect) there is a constant bustle, a continuous sense of urgency, coupled with a relaxed attitude to life. Contradictory, maybe, but somehow the city manages to pull it off. Towering skyscrapers, crammed with apartments and massive department stores sit side by side with corrougated iron shacks; BMWs and Humvees ride alongside mopeds and rickshaws.
The Dim Sum has to be tried to be understood - the melt-in-the-mouth texture of their turnip pancakes or the meaty, juicy explosion of suei jiow bought from one of the numerous markets, or roadside coconut juice drunk through a straw straight into the nut, on the way to one of the numerous beautiful temples or gardens that fill the surrounding countryside.
The nightlife is acceptable, though the city can be confusing, and places to stay are becoming increasingly expensive. But it remains a city where you can find everything. It has to be experienced to be believed.
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