Read about the Formosa Boulevard subway station in Kaohsiung (Taiwan) one of the most beautiful in the world.
One of the first things you’ll realize when visiting Taiwan is that the best way to move around is by scooter. Having a car is expensive and it’s almost impossible to find a place to park it. On the other hand, driving a scooter will give you a sense of freedom and it will also be way easier to park.
But if you happen to visit Kaohsiung I suggest you park your scooter for a while and take the subway, or how they call it to Taiwan MRT: Mass Rapid Transit. In Taiwan, only two cities have the metro: Taipei and Kaohsiung, and being one of the most seismic countries in the world it’s not difficult to see why.
Every now and then I have read articles about the most beautiful metro stations in the world and Formosa Boulevard is often mentioned. It is not difficult to understand why.
The MRT in Kaohsiung was opened in 2008. At the moment there are only two lines but a third is under construction. The first thing that will probably notice someone who comes from a “developed” country is how clean the metro is.
After some time in Asia though you’ll notice that this is the standard pretty much everywhere: quite a stark contrast with the metro system we have in Italy.
Some info about the Formosa Boulevard subway station
The Formosa Boulevard station was inaugurated in 2009 right before the World Games held there started.
The station is famous for the “Dome of Light”, the world’s largest glass artwork. It was designed by the Italian Narcissus Quagliata. It has a diameter of 30 meters and an area of 2180 square meters with a total of 4500 glass panels.
Currently, it is the largest circular-shaped station in the world
There are not many words to describe it: really a piece of art
The panels depict the history of human life, with sections dedicated to water, earth, light, and fire. The main message, according to the architect, is love and tolerance.
Some of the other things I suggest to do in Kaohsiung are:
If you happen to visit Kaohsiung, don’t forget to visit the “Dome of light” on Formosa Boulevard!
Here are more pictures I took in Taiwan and here is my guide to the Top things to do in Taiwan.
