Qijin Island (aka Cijin Island or Chijin Island) has one of the most accessible sandy beaches in any urban area in Taiwan. Besides the nearly 10 Km stretch of sandy shores, the island also has an old street with tasty snacks, a seafood market, a lighthouse, an ancient fort, a star tunnel, a shell museum, and much more. It is one of the most popular destinations in Kaohsiung and definitely worth a trip.
🏖️ Planning your trip to Kaohsiung? 🐒
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Summer when air and water temperatures are warm
- How to get there: Taiwan High Speed Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best places to stay: Mingli Hotel or IHI Sandup Hotel which are great value choices located downtown.
- Book tours and activities in Kaohsiung on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Background:
Qijin Island was first settled by a Chinese fisherman named Hsu Ah-hua (徐阿華) in the 1600’s, discovered after he took shelter there during a typhoon. He brought many families with him from Fujian to settle there. They created the first Mazu temple there, Chi Jin Mazu Temple in 1673.
The lighthouse dates from 1883 and was built in the English style.
The fort on the hill to the north of the Island was completed in 1875 during the Qing dynasty.
After WWII, Qijin was made a district of Kaohsiung City. In 1979, Taiping Island and Dongsha Island were added under the district’s administration.
Qijin Island used to be a sandbar peninsula but was separated from mainland Taiwan at its southern tip to make a second entrance into Kaohsiung Harbor in 1967.
There were plans for a cross-harbor gondola but they were scrapped due to the height needed to cover the harbor.
Please note there are at least three spellings of the island on signage around Kaohsiung (Qijin, Cijin, or Chijin) so try not to get confused.
How to Get to Cijin/Qijin Island:
By Passenger Ferry: Ferries leave from Gushan near Xiziwan MRT station about every 10 minutes 24/7 (last boat leaves Qijin at 2 AM) or there is also another passenger ferry in Qianzhen that connects with Zhong Zhou Ferry Terminal, or the ferry between KM2 and Cijin, mentioned in greater detail below.
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 Car/Scooter: Take the underwater tunnel on the south side of the island. Scooters can cross, but not bicycles. 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.
Price:
Gushan Ferry Pier or Qianzhen Ferry Pier to Cijin Ferry Pier
The following prices are the same from either ferry pier:
Passenger ferry crossing: 30 NT
Bicycle ferry crossing: 40 NT
Motorcycle ferry crossing: 60 NT
Showers: Free!
Please note that the above prices have actually gone down as Kaohsiung has moved to electric ferries.
The last ferry back to the city is at 2am daily.
KW2 Ferry Pier to Cijin Ferry Pier
Passenger ferry crossing: 80 NT
Bikes and scooters are not allowed. Please use the Gushan or Qianzhen Ferry instead, or scooters can also use the tunnel.
Ferry Route Summary:
There are three ferry lines and a road tunnel that connects Qijin Island to Kaohsiung City. Gushan Ferry Terminal is the one that most tourists will want to take.
Gushan Ferry Pier 鼓山渡船頭 to/from Cijin Ferry Pier 旗津渡輪碼頭
The Gushan Ferry Pier is the busiest, with 90% of ferry traffic coming through this port thanks to the convenience of Xiziwan MRT Station. It is the same price as the Qianzhen Ferry.
Qianzhen Ferry 前鎮渡輪碼頭 to/from Zhongzhou Ferry 中州渡輪碼頭
This Ferry is used less and connects to Zhongzhou which is not a tourist area. This ferry is mostly used by work commuters who live on Qijin Island.
KW2 棧貳庫海上巴士 to/from Cijin Ferry Pier 旗津渡輪碼頭
This ferry is a convenient transportation route from Pier 2 in Kaohsiung but it is more expensive than the Gushan Ferry Route and you cannot bring bicycles or scooters on the ferry.
Hours:
Qijin Island: 24/7
The last ferry back to Kaohsiung City is at 2am daily
Activities and Tours:
The beach is open to swimming, surfing & SUP year-round before dark when there are no dangerous wave conditions.
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.
Where to Stay in Kaohsiung
We have stayed at and recommend Chao She Hotel (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here) IHI Sanduo Travel Hotel (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), and Mingli Hotel (you can book on Agoda here or Klook 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, 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 or Booking.com 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, or Booking.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 island.
Map:
Drone Footage
Our Journey:
I have been to Qijin (Cijin) Island over 30 times, and I still wish I could go back every day. There was a time when my Visa-free 90 days were winding down and I did go to Qijin Beach every day. Those were good times.
Ferry Ride 旗津渡輪
Qijin Old Street 旗津老街
Qijin Main Swimming Area 旗津海水浴場
Qijin Star Tunnel 旗津星空隧道
Qijin Lighthouse 旗津燈塔
Cihou Fort 旗後炮臺
Municipal Historic Site: Cihou Fort
During the final years of the Cing (Qing) Dynasty, three forts were built along the height of the terrain at Dapingding, Shaochuantou, and Mt. Cihou on Mt. Dagou to defend the Dagou Harbor area. The oldest one, Dapingding Fort, had been buried underground. Cihou Fort was the second highest, and that of the Syonjing North Gate at Shaochuantou, meaning “defending the harbor with mighty force,” was the lowest one. Together, the three forts constituted triangular crossfire for coastal defense and formed a basis for battery construction. Mt. Cihou was noted in the “Fongshan Sian Jhih” (History of Fongshan County of 1720, 59th Year of Kangxi Emperor): “A large battery, smoke tower, and a watch tower were built near the shoreline of Cihou.”
After the Mudan Tribe Incident in 1874 (the 13th Year of Tongjhih Emperor), the Cing administration sent Shen, Bao-Jhen, the Minister of Naval Affairs, to Taiwan for coastal defense preparation. The Minister invited the commander of the Anhuei Army, Tang, Ding-Kuei, and the commander of the Fukien Army, Wang, Fu-Lu to carry out the task. They hired an English engineer named J. W. Harwood as the fourth-class director general to design the fort. The construction of this Chinese and Western combined style started in 1875 (1st Year of the Guangsy Emperor) and was finished in the following year.
The foundation of Cihou Fort is large at the bottom and top and is divided into three sections: the north section is barracks, the middle section is ammunition depots, and the south one is the ammunition area. Two for Britain-made 6.5-ton Armstrong cannons are installed. The main entrance of Cihou Fort is designed as an archway, and the door frame is engraved with the Chinese character “喜” (double happiness) arranged by red bricks on each side of the entrance walls.
During the Battle of Yihwei in 1895 (21st Year of Guangsy Emperor), on the afternoon of October 15, the Japanese cruiser Yoshino led cruiser Akitsushima and other modern sea vessels to attack Cihou and destroy the entrance to Cihou Fort. Prior to the bombardment, Commander Liu, Cheng-Liang escaped alone and left his troops without command. By five rounds of shelling, the fort became battered. The Japanese army landed at 14:30 and the unmanned Cihou Fort was quickly occupied. By the end of the Japanese occupation period in Taiwan, the cannons were disarmed, and melted, and the Cihou Fort became a ruin.
After the Kuomintang Administration took over Taiwan, led by the Ministry of the Interior, and now a municipal historic site under Kaohsiung in 1985, Cihou Fort was designated a second-class historic site. In 1991, the City Government commenced a three-year restoration project and the Fort was reopened on January 1, 1995.
“威震天南” A Brief History of “Wei Jhen Tian Nan”
The entrance transom of Cihou Fort was destroyed by the Japanese Navy bombardment in the Battle Yihwei of 1895, and only “Tian” (meaning sky) and “Nan” (meaning southern), the last two of the four Chinese characters inscribed on the board, were recognizable from a historical photograph. When the Kaohsiung City Government began restoration in 1991, the historical photograph was magnified and used as a reference in the making of the replica of “Tian” and “Nan,” while the other two missing characters were substituted by “Wei” and “Jhen,” respectively.
There are two sources of information concerning the two missing characters on the inscribed board of the entrance. In 1915, Liu, Fan-hsing, and Sie, Ming-He mentioned in their A Journey to Taiwan that the four characters inscribed on the board were “Di Jhu Tian Nan” (meaning the great stone holds the southern sky). The other source is from Ci Shanji (A prose collection by Master Chen, Si-Rui in 1927). In this article, we read, “An inscribed board is hung on the top of the barracks, and the board says Wei Jhen Tian Nan.” Both of these sources about the inscribed board of the entrance are listed here for reference purposes.
Sand Sculptures 沙雕
Qijin Shell Museum 貝殼博物館
Southern Qijin Beach 旗津沙灘南邊
Qijin Windmill Park 旗津風車公園
Kuangchi Palace Beach 中洲廣濟宮沙灘
There are free showers behind the temple, as well as the best oyster omelet stand in Taiwan. It is the best because all of their omelets are super crispy.
Axia Oyster Omelette 阿霞蚵仔煎
See above for a photo of the oyster omelet. This oyster omelet is the best because it is so crispy. The dough is fried super crispy and dry like you are eating the hard-shelled taco of oyster omelets.
Cijin Sunset Bar 旗津沙灘吧
Cijin Sunset Bar offers food, drinks, music, and ocean views. There are also often dances and events held here, and discounts during happy hour. Overall it is a relaxing spot to enjoy the sunset.
View from inside the Star Tunnel in Qijin at night which is lit up. The tunnel was originally made by the Japanese for military purposes but was rebuilt in 2005 as a tourist destination, and has recently been renovated.
View from Qijin Beach in Kaohsiung, which now lights up purple at night.
Thanks for reading! Now you know a little bit more about what there is to do in Qjin. But this Island has a lot more to discover if you just go exploring there yourself! You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as wake boarding, water skiing, SUP paddle boarding, Pier 2, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and more on Klook here or KKday here.
You can check out our full travel guide to Kaohsiung here.
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.
