When you think of Kaohsiung Shoushan (formerly known as Chaishan), a mountain in Gushan District, some vibrant monkeys, a spectacular rocky shore and cave scenery immediately come to mind.
Why not plan a nature trip up and down the mountain and enjoy the sea view this weekend? Here are four #Instaworthy spots you should to visit.
The west coast of Taiwan is mostly sandy terrains, but only Kaohsiung Gushan’s coast is dominated by a rocky shore with beautiful scenery of natural caves, coral reefs and limestone rocks.
Therefore, the section of the coast is often compared to the “A-Lang-Yi Historical Trail” that has retained complete and rich ecological resources in eastern Taiwan.
Among them, the “Chaishan Sea Cave” located in the northern part of the coast, featuring a spectacular sea view, has become a must-visit scenic spot for tourists in recent years.
▲柴山秘境——海蝕洞 | Chaishan coastline sea cave (Courtesy of IG/@leeli.life/@tries.216)只要從柴山海角咖啡前方小徑走約5分鐘，即可抵達石灰岩洞穴。洞口中央正好有一顆大石，成為絕佳的拍照舞台。除此之外，海蝕洞左側有一處洞口，出去後有一處「小海灣」，可以坐在這聽海，享受夏日海岸風情。
The limestone cave is a 5-minute walk away from the trail in front of the Ocean Corner Café (海角咖啡). As you arrive, you will see a large rock in the middle of the cave, making it an excellent photo stage.
In addition, there is a small cave entrance on the left side of the cave. When you go through the small cave, there is a “small bay” where you can sit and listen to the sea and enjoy the summer coastal scenery.
Walking 30 meters from the banyan tree sitting next to the parking lot in front of the Ocean Corner Café, you will arrive at the Chaishan natural Banyan garden.
The Banyan Garden, also known as “Chaishan Nature” and “Banyan Tree Terrace,” is a magnificent sight with several large old banyan trees filtering out the harsh sunlight.
The banyan trees grow on the limestone rocks, creating breath-taking natural scenery. When you reach the edge of the cliff, you can see the sea in full view, and the pressure is suddenly relieved.
▲柴山大自然百榕園 | Chaishan natural Banyan Garden (Courtesy of @samil_shoot)停車場時常有獼猴出沒，騎機車的民眾務必把物品放入置物箱，以免被猴子撿走。
There are monkeys in the car park, so motorcyclists must put their belongings in the lockers to avoid being picked up by the monkeys.
Chaishan, a mountain of limestones, boasts large and small gorges and caves. There are many trail entrances in Shoushan. After walking up the wooden trail by the Longquan Temple (龍泉寺) for 30 minutes, you will see a sign which indicates the way to Lotus Cave (蓮花洞).
There are two consecutive 90-degree turns in the wooden trail, and you can see a road branched off from the main trail on your left, which leads you to the Tianyu Cave.
Due to its formation of limestone, the cave has countless stalactites inside that took decades or centuries to form. To protect the ecology, do not touch the stalactites when visiting the cave.
▲柴山天雨洞 | Chaishan Tianyu Cave (Courtesy of IG/@wla24524046s/@hosihane0925)洞口狹小，必須手腳並用下洞口，攀爬時務必小心。
Besides, the entrance of the cave is narrow, so you must use both hands and feet to get down, so be careful when climbing.
Go back to the main trail and head towards the sign of Yazuoting, after passing it, you will reach Taiguogu first.
At the Taiguogu, you can see a rope on the right side, follow the rope up about 30 meters, you will see a small gap on the right side, that is the entrance of the “curtain of love dreams.”
The red and yellow aerial roots of the hanging seasonvines form a dream-like scene like a beaded curtain. When the sunlight streams through, the red and yellow aerial roots are staggered, giving people a feeling of being in a dreamy space and tranquility.
▲拼圖，柴山天雨洞(左)、一簾幽夢 | The collages shows Chaishan Tianyu Cave (left) and a curtain of love dreams (right) (Courtesy of IG/@melissaxhiker/@jamiekao917)原文自 《The China Post》