Rail art (Silkroad)

Kaohsiung isn't often thought of as a place where manmade beauty touches everyday life. The Taiwanese city has long been associated with heavy industry; it's a place where ships, chips and fortunes are made, rather than the location of cultural landmarks.

Now, however, the city's 1.5 million inhabitants can be proud of an underground train system that's not only clean and convenient but also rich in architecture and public art.

The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) was opened to the public in March with a 29-kilometer Red Line running from north to south. In mid-September, the east-to-west Orange Line, running over 14 kilometers, began operations. This has provided the city with a slick transportation system - but it's the work of world-renowned architects and artists in the stations that will move travelers the most...

Silkroad is the inflight magazine of Dragonair, and this article appears in the December issue. It isn't online. The photo here (provided by the KMRT) shows the ceiling in the O5/R10 station.