The Public Transportation of Meinong
As a backpacker, public transportation is one of the most important things I have to survey in advance.This article is going to mention how to take public transportation to Meinong and how to move inside Meinong.
To Meinong
Meinong is located in the north-east Kaohsiung and distances from the downtown of Kaohsiung around 50KM. Without railway passing by, the only public transportation from nearby cities to Meinong is the shuttle bus that takes people commuting between the city centre and the countryside.
- From Kaohsiung city centre to Meinong, there are two bus stops.
1) From Zuoying station(HSR/MRT) / Xinzuoying station (Railway)
(Tip: I suggest preparing iPass smartcard when travelling in Kaohsiung since there is a discount to take the shuttle bus and city bus.)
- From Tainan city to Meinong
In Meinong
- Walk
There are some tourist attractions at Meinong downtown, so walking is possible during Meinong visit.
Conditions:
It is quite lovely to take a bike passing through the fields in Meinong. There are free and charged options of bicycling.
When I visit a city, the local transportation I would like to experience most is the city bus whose target passengers are locals and that deeply penetrates the streets and alleys that few tourists visit. Moreover, I can observe how locals behaviour on the bus. Meinong, a countryside with the population of nearly 50,000, cannot support a complete bus system like cities can, owning its particular Village Bus that I recommend it worthy to try if you are interested in exploring where residents live.
As a countryside focusing on agriculture, Meinong has had the problem of declining youth population. The elders (over 65 years-old) takes 23% of the total population in Meinong. To satisfy the demands of commuting of the seniors who live in remote villages, the Village Bus was launched in 2015 with the purpose of picking up the elders to buy daily supplies, to see the doctors, or do anything in the downtown. The hop-on-hop-off bus enables its primary audience convenient so the elders, usually not good at walking for a long distance, can get on and off in front of their houses. Each journey takes less than one hour based on its timetable but gets delayed in some cases that the whole bus waits for the elder passengers slowly getting on.
Wandering through local villages and particular landscapes like irrigation channels and nearby fields, the bus with air-condition inside is the comfortable transportation especially in summer. There are two routes, three times daily running through villages to serve locals for FREE. The both journeys of the Village Bus start and end at Meinong Farmer Association (美濃農會) that is just next to the bus station. Therefore, the Village Bus is recommended for tourists who like to explore Meinong more than tourist attractions and have to rely on public transportation.
To Meinong
Meinong is located in the north-east Kaohsiung and distances from the downtown of Kaohsiung around 50KM. Without railway passing by, the only public transportation from nearby cities to Meinong is the shuttle bus that takes people commuting between the city centre and the countryside.
- From Kaohsiung city centre to Meinong, there are two bus stops.
1) From Zuoying station(HSR/MRT) / Xinzuoying station (Railway)
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| The express bus to Meinong |
Go to the Platform 4 outside the station building where there is the shuttle bus stop to Meinong. The destinations of the buses at platform 4 include Meinong and its neighbour district Cishan so confirm its destination in advance.
Moreover, there are two kinds of coaches you can take to Meinong: ChiMei express bus(旗美快捷; as the photo above) and the shuttle bus No. 8025. The duration of the journey from the station to Meinong is about 1 hour. No ticket counter in this stop so prepares cash or cards in advance. Bus fare differs from NTD 60, 88 to 109 depending on the bus type. I will list the fare and the payment later.
Moreover, there are two kinds of coaches you can take to Meinong: ChiMei express bus(旗美快捷; as the photo above) and the shuttle bus No. 8025. The duration of the journey from the station to Meinong is about 1 hour. No ticket counter in this stop so prepares cash or cards in advance. Bus fare differs from NTD 60, 88 to 109 depending on the bus type. I will list the fare and the payment later.
(Tip: I suggest preparing iPass smartcard when travelling in Kaohsiung since there is a discount to take the shuttle bus and city bus.)
2) From Kaohsiung station (Railway/ MRT)
In the east of Kaohsiung station is located Kaohsiung Bus Station building (not city bus station that is in front of the Kaohsiung station) where assembles most of the routes of shuttle buses to every district in Kaohsiung including Meinong. Here No. 8028 and No. 8025 can drive passengers to Meinong and take about 1.5 hours. Inside the building, there are waiting chairs, air condition and the counter. The cash fare is NTD 109 while swiping smartcard only takes you NTD 60.
| Departure | Bus Name/ No. | Duration | Price |
| Zuoying Station | Express Bus (旗美快捷公車) | 60 mins | NTD 88 |
| Zuoying Station | 8025 (Kaohsiung to Liugui via Meinong) | 60 mins | NTD 60 (with iPass) NTD 109 (by cash) |
| Kaohsiung Main Station | 8028 (Kaohsiung to Meinong) 8025 (Kaohsiung to Liugui via Meinong) | 90 mins | NTD 60 (with iPass) NTD 136(by cash) |
- From Tainan city to Meinong
No direct bus from Tainan to Meinong, so people have to switch bus in Cishan transit station.
1st step: Take No. 8050 in front of Tainan train station and get off at Cishan station. It takes about 1.5 hours. (8050: Tainan - Cishan - FoGuanShan)
2nd step: Take any bus to Meinong (ChiMei express bus, 8025, 8028). The duration is about 15 to 20 minutes.
- From Pintung city to Meinong
There is direct bus No. 8220 in front of Pintung train station to Meinong.
1st step: Take No. 8050 in front of Tainan train station and get off at Cishan station. It takes about 1.5 hours. (8050: Tainan - Cishan - FoGuanShan)
2nd step: Take any bus to Meinong (ChiMei express bus, 8025, 8028). The duration is about 15 to 20 minutes.
- From Pintung city to Meinong
There is direct bus No. 8220 in front of Pintung train station to Meinong.
In Meinong
The area of Meinong is about 120km², while each tourist attractions are distant, not within walking distance so it can be difficult to move point to point without own vehicles.
Then I will talk about the available transportation ways within Meinong. The starting point is Meinong bus station that is the first stop visitors come to Meinong by bus.
Then I will talk about the available transportation ways within Meinong. The starting point is Meinong bus station that is the first stop visitors come to Meinong by bus.
- Walk
There are some tourist attractions at Meinong downtown, so walking is possible during Meinong visit.
- Have short time (1-2 hours) staying in Meinong
- Within 30 minutes walking: can visit Meinong Cultural and Creative Centre, Meinong old street, East Gate Tower, the First theatre
- Over 30 minutes walking for those are capable of walking for long distance: Meinong Hakka Cultural Museum, Meinong Lake
It is quite lovely to take a bike passing through the fields in Meinong. There are free and charged options of bicycling.
- Free: the bus station provides six bicycles for passengers who take the bus to Meinong for free. Deposit or ID should be left in the office of the station for borrowing the bike. However, the bike has to be returned before 4 pm.
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| The free bikes at Meinong bus station |
- Rent from local bicycle vendors that are nearby the bus station.
- Obike: The stationless bicycle-sharing platform Obike has released its bikes in Meinong. Users have to download its app, paying the deposit by credit card, then able to unlock and use the bike.
- Meinong Village Bus (庄頭巴士)
When I visit a city, the local transportation I would like to experience most is the city bus whose target passengers are locals and that deeply penetrates the streets and alleys that few tourists visit. Moreover, I can observe how locals behaviour on the bus. Meinong, a countryside with the population of nearly 50,000, cannot support a complete bus system like cities can, owning its particular Village Bus that I recommend it worthy to try if you are interested in exploring where residents live.
As a countryside focusing on agriculture, Meinong has had the problem of declining youth population. The elders (over 65 years-old) takes 23% of the total population in Meinong. To satisfy the demands of commuting of the seniors who live in remote villages, the Village Bus was launched in 2015 with the purpose of picking up the elders to buy daily supplies, to see the doctors, or do anything in the downtown. The hop-on-hop-off bus enables its primary audience convenient so the elders, usually not good at walking for a long distance, can get on and off in front of their houses. Each journey takes less than one hour based on its timetable but gets delayed in some cases that the whole bus waits for the elder passengers slowly getting on.
Wandering through local villages and particular landscapes like irrigation channels and nearby fields, the bus with air-condition inside is the comfortable transportation especially in summer. There are two routes, three times daily running through villages to serve locals for FREE. The both journeys of the Village Bus start and end at Meinong Farmer Association (美濃農會) that is just next to the bus station. Therefore, the Village Bus is recommended for tourists who like to explore Meinong more than tourist attractions and have to rely on public transportation.
When I visit a city, the local transportation I would like to experience most is the city bus whose target passengers are locals and that deeply penetrates the streets and alleys that few tourists visit. Moreover, I can observe how locals behaviour on the bus. Meinong, a countryside with the population of nearly 50,000, cannot support a complete bus system like cities can, owning its particular Village Bus that I recommend it worthy to try if you are interested in exploring where residents live: waiting-chair
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