歡迎光臨高雄市新聞局

Five Paths to Cycling Heaven　　　
Text by Ya-Hui Chen　Photos by Jung-Hui Pao

　　Kaohsiung's network of bicycle paths totals 70 kilometers, and as far as the residents of this sunny metropolis are concerned, any excuse to go cycling in the warm winter sunshine is something to celebrate.
　　The Taiwan Cycling Federation and the Information Office of Kaohsiung City Government recently identified five routes that were best suited for cycling tourism, and organized an event to publicize them. On January 22nd, Kaohsiung hosted the "The 2006 Port City Cycling Routes Convergence."

　　More than 3,000 enthusiastic participants turned out for the event-some with their entire family in tow. Cyclists, wearing T-shirts of pink, blue, yellow, green and orange, set out separately from five locations: the city Hall plaza, Shaochuantou Park, Jinshih Lake, Lotus Lake and the Siaogang Swimming Pool. All of the riders, however, would meet up at the terminus, the Kaohsiung Music Center.
　　The five bike itineraries were named "Water," "Shoreline," "Flower," "Language" and "Fragrance," because each of the routes featured a different theme.
 
　　The "Water" cycling route wends along Mincyuan1st Road, Minsheng Road, Hedong Road, and then crosses Jhongjheng Bridge to the terminus. Cyclists traveling this bike path saw Kaohsiung's most beautiful tree-lined streets as well as the scenic Love River. The roadside coffee stands bustled as they prepared to welcome their first customers of the day, and the cyclists were likewise invigorated by the energy of the morning.

　　The "Shoreline" cycling route, appropriately, hugs the seashore. It originates from Shaochuantou Park and proceeds down Shaochuan Street, Binhai Road, Gushan1st Road and Gungyuan Road, and it too finishes up via Hedong Road. This route has been baptized by the sea. As one passes the open-air coffee stands, ships entering the port sound their whistles in the distance. The wind on one's face carries the taste of salt. It is the breath of the Ocean Capital.

　　The bike path known as "Flower" starts from the tourist square at Jinshih Lake. It travels through the carefully planned Heti community and the park by Kuangtiao Bridge, which is filled with early-risers doing morning exercises. This is Kaohsiung's first dedicated bicycle path, one in which cyclists do not have to compete with cars. The route continues down zihyou Road to Tongmeng Road and takes Hedong Road to the end. At 10 kilometers, this route was one of the longer ones, but it was a fun opportunity for participants to get to know their fellow cyclists.

　　The "Language" itinerary, which started at the Lotus Lake Administrative Center, allowed its cyclists to savor the unique character of the Zuoying District. They rode past the hazy beauty of the deep pools filled with lotus flowers, the dignified Confucian Temple, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, the stately Spring and Autumn Pavilions, and the melancholy solitude of the Zuoying Old Castle's East Gate.

　　Lastly, the "Fragrance" route cyclists set off from the Siaogang Swimming Pool entrance. Siaogang is Kaohsiung's gateway to the outside world, and this is where many newcomers to Kaohsiung get their first impression of the city. Usually, it is clogged with traffic, but on the day of the bike ride, the watchful supervision of the traffic police made it possible for the cyclists to pedal down the broad street to their hearts' content. Their route allowed them to see an increasingly cosmopolitan Kaohsiung and to admire how much this city has changed.