Formosa Boulevard metro station

A subway station as art, Formosa Boulevard is the interchange at the heart of the Kaohsiung metro where the Red and Orange lines cross, and it is celebrated worldwide for the extraordinary work of public art that fills its concourse. What could have been a purely functional transport hub is instead one of the city's most photographed sights, drawing visitors who come simply to admire the ceiling above the ticket gates.

The Dome of Light is the reason. Spanning the vast circular concourse overhead is a colossal stained-glass canopy by the Italian-born artist Narcissus Quagliata, ranked among the largest single works of glass art in the world. Composed of thousands of coloured panels, its four themed sections trace a narrative of water, earth, light and fire, of creation, growth, destruction and rebirth, glowing in rich blues, ambers and reds above the passing commuters.

It rewards a proper look. At scheduled times a short light-and-sound show plays across the dome, and the softly coloured glow transforms the everyday space into something closer to a cathedral. The station is named for the boulevard above, itself a landmark in Kaohsiung's modern democratic history, adding a layer of local significance to the artistry below ground.

For a visit, the Dome of Light can be seen for the price of a metro ride or even from the free concourse level, making it one of the most accessible art experiences in Taiwan. It is fully step-free via lifts and escalators. Aim for one of the scheduled illumination shows if you can, and combine the stop with the nearby Liuhe Night Market and the city's other central attractions on the metro network. Craning up at the vast coloured dome as commuters hurry past below is a small, unexpected wonder of a stop.