The Kaohsiung City Government is to close off some streets to traffic during “Kaohsiunghenge” on Nov. 11 for residents and visitors to admire the striking view, the city’s Tourism Bureau said.
Twice a year in Kaohsiung, the sun sets where it aligns with the city’s east-west streets, Tourism Bureau Director Tseng Tzu-wen (曾姿雯) said, adding that a similar effect in Manhattan, New York City — which also has a grid layout — has been nicknamed “Manhattanhenge.”
According to Central Weather Bureau forecasts, “Kaohsiung-henge” is to take place at 5:15pm on Nov. 11, she said.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
The city government is to close Section 1 of Cingnian Road between Mincyuan 1st Road and Weiren Street to all vehicles, including Route 11 buses, so that visitors and residents can enjoy the sight safely, she said.
People planning to view the spectacle are advised to use public transportation or to leave their vehicles in the Mincyuan Bridge parking lot or the Sihwei garage facility on Lingya 1st Road, she said.
Under an agreement with the city, the Howard, Ambassador, Han Hsien, 85 Sky Tower and Grand Han-Lai hotels are to charge lower rates for rooms, dining facilities and transportation services from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11, the bureau said.
Guide book publisher Lonely Planet this year recommended Kaohsiung as the fifth-nicest city to visit, she said.
There are other sights to see in the city, including the Baolai Flower Park and Hot Springs in Liouguei (六龜), pleasure cruises down the Love River (愛河) or the Lotus Pond (蓮池潭) in Zuoying (左營), she added.
Foreign tourists who purchase a seven-day Taiwan Pass are to get a second one free of charge as part of a government bid to boost tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. A pair of Taiwan Passes is priced at NT$5,000 (US$156.44), an agency staff member said, adding that the passes can be used separately. The pass can be used in many of Taiwan’s major cities and to travel to several tourist resorts. It expires seven days after it is first used. The pass is a three-in-one package covering the high-speed rail system, mass rapid transport (MRT) services and the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle services,
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