And now for a look at a quirk of Kaohsiung culture. A team of volunteers carries huge pails of tea up Mount Shoushan every day. The tea is offered to hikers at tea pavilions on the popular hiking trails. At the grand opening of a new trailhead on the mountain, hundreds of hikers were out in force. They needed lots of tea to quench their thirst on the peak! And a representative of Kaohsiung City government took a turn in the tea-carrying team. He said it’s a way people show their love for Kaohsiung in action.

The new trailhead on Kaohsiung’s Shoushan is officially opened. It’s just a short stroll from the nearby light rail Gushan Station, and has a large parking lot. Its opening attracted lots of curious hikers.

Hiker
I haven’t been here before. I always go from the zoo trailhead, so it’s my first time here.

Hiker
It used to be hard to park the car if you came up here. But just now, the place we came up was very wide with lots of space to park.

Hikers familiar with Shoushan all have strong memories of its tea pavilions. These large pails of water are brewed into a variety of teas thanks to the care of hikers. It makes a refreshing picnic spot.

The tea doesn’t grow on trees, of course. It’s carried up the mountain by volunteers, in pails of 20 or 30 liters apiece. Legends abound about the Shoushan Tea Team. Even the head of Kaohsiung City Sports Development Bureau had a go at carrying one of the tea caddies up the mountain.

Hou Tzun-yao
Kaohsiung City Sports Development head
It’s not easy, it’s tough. But it’s a good experience. The Shoushan Tea Team carries love up the mountain every day. They’re putting their love for Kaohsiung out there with their feet.

Hiker
I admire them. It takes strength, but also passion, I think. It must be quite a big sacrifice.

The Shoushan Tea Team has been going for decades, but they still hold to their mission with as much enthusiasm as they had on the first day. For any visitor to Kaohsiung, it’s a distinctive sight to watch out for.

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