Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung, now Taiwan’s third-largest city and a major port, started as a small fishing village named Takao (or Dagou) during the 17th century, originally inhabited by the Makatao indigenous people. During the Dutch colonial period (1624–1662), it began to develop due to its natural harbor. After the Dutch, the Ming loyalist Koxinga briefly controlled it, followed by the Qing Dynasty, which ruled Taiwan from 1683.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, under Japanese rule (1895–1945), Kaohsiung underwent significant modernization, including port expansion, industrial development, and the establishment of railways. The Japanese renamed it “Takao” (a Japanese reading of the original name) and laid the foundation for its future as a major industrial hub.
After World War II, Taiwan was handed over to the Republic of China, and the city was renamed Kaohsiung. During the late 20th century, it became a key center of heavy industry and shipping, playing a crucial role in Taiwan’s economic rise.
💡Kaohsiung: Good to Know
🛂 Visa: most European countries plus Canada, Australia, the US, Korea, and Japan are visa-exempt for a stay of up to 90 days; an online arrival card can be filled out here
✈️ Closest Airport: Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH)
💬 Language: Standard Chinese, but English is also spoken; street signs, announcements, and signage on trains and buses are in English
🏷️ Price Level: While more expensive than other Asian countries, Taiwan is about 30% cheaper than the US and European countries
🍔 Big Mac Index: US: US$5.69 / Taiwan US$ 2.39
💰 Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$, TWD)| 1 USD = ca. 33 TWD)
☀️ Best Times to Visit: spring (March to May) and fall (October and November); Kaohsiung’s climate is classified as tropical with dry winters and wet summers, and falls
🚘 Transportation: Light rail, Kaohsiung MRT, city buses, and taxis, with options of bike rental
🔌 Adapter: Taiwan uses type A and B plugs. No adapter is needed if you are from the US, but it is needed when coming from Europe
🛜 WiFi: widely available; iTaiwan is a free, government-provided public WiFi service that can be accessed
🏧💰ATM and “Cash or Card”: While small food stalls take only cash, payments with cards are generally accepted; ATMs are available throughout the city
💸 Tipping: Tipping is not expected or common, as service charges are often included. Small tips for exceptional service in hotels or on tours are appreciated.
🚢 Cruise Terminal Address: No. 5號, Haibian Rd, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (docked)
✈️ 🚇🚕 Getting There and Around
🎟️ The Easycard and iPass are both rechargeable cards used for public transportation across Taiwan that can also be used to pay in convenience stores, etc. Cards can be purchased at all MRT stations and stores like 7-11 and Family Mart. Since it is similar to a pre-paid card, value can only be added with cash. There is a 100 TWD non-refundable deposit when first getting the card
✈️ Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) is located around 10 miles (16 km) south of the city center and can be reached through the Red Line of the Kaohsiung MRT. Trains take around 15 minutes to reach Kaohsiung Main Station (fare 35 TWD).
🚇 The Circular Light Rail stops at the cruise terminal and provides access to all major sights in Kaohsiung (day pass for light rail and MRT - 180 TWD). Stations on the light rail and metro have designated numbers and letters, making getting around more convenient than remembering the station name.
⛴️ Cijin Island, a popular day trip destination, can easily be reached by a quick 10-minute ferry ride from Gushan Pier (a 10-minute walk from Hamasen Station on the light rail) (fare 30 TWD).
🚲 The public bike sharing service in Kaohsiung is called Youbike (Bikes), and bikes can easily be rented with the EasyCard or iPass cards and used to ride between the different locations.
⭐️ Top Sights in Kaohsiung
"67% of the nation's exports and imports container throughput goes through Kaohsiung."
📸 Lotus Pond with Dragon and Tiger Pagodas: The Lotus Pond area is one of Kaohsiung's most traditional scenic spots and was recognized as one of the "Eight Sights of Fongshan" during the Qing Dynasty. The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas rise seven stories high and are built on the lake's surface. Each tower features a dragon and a tiger statue at its entrance. Visitors enter the towers through the bodies of these statues.
📸 Cijin Island: The charming island, famous for its sandy beaches, historic sites, and vibrant street food, is just a short ferry ride from the city center, making it a perfect excursion destination. The hike to the Cijin Lighthouse offers stunning views of the city. Other attractions worth visiting include Tianhou Temple, Rainbow Church, and the Cajun Shell Museum.
📸 Pier 2 Art Center: The arts center was originally an abandoned warehouse that was transformed due to Kaohsiung's transition from an industrial city to a service-oriented city. It has now become a unique open art space, featuring numerous shops, exhibitions, and restaurants waiting to be explored. You can easily walk there from the cruise terminal via the beautifully designed Kaohsiung Music Center.
📸 The British Consulate at Takow: Located on a hilltop overlooking the city on one side and the ocean on the other, the Former British Consulate was built in 1865 with red-bricked archways, displaying unique, old British colonial style architecture. This 145-year-old building is now the oldest Western building preserved in Taiwan. On the way up through small neighborhood streets, monkeys can be seen in the trees.
🍽️😋 Regional Specialties
Kaohsiung’s food scene is as vibrant and diverse as its people, blending traditional Taiwanese flavors with influences from Hokkien, Japanese, and Southeast Asian cuisines. As Taiwan’s largest southern city and a bustling port, it offers everything from street food delicacies like beef noodle soup and seafood snacks to modern fusion restaurants and innovative cafés. Bustling night markets, riverside eateries, trendy coffee shops, and high-end dining all thrive side by side, showcasing the city’s creativity and passion for fresh, local ingredients. With its rich culinary heritage, coastal abundance, and contemporary food culture, Kaohsiung is a paradise for food lovers and promises a delicious journey that’s both authentic and globally inspired.
🍽️ Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵): Most Taiwanese people have a local favorite spot where a bowl of beef noodles typically costs no more than 185 TWD (around USD 6). The dish features tender, slowly braised beef served with a tangle of slurpable noodles and is usually recognized as the national dish of Taiwan.
🍽️ Hot Pot (火鍋): Hot Pot is a cherished culinary tradition in Taiwan, making it a popular choice year-round. With nearly 5,000 hot pot restaurants across the country, diners can choose from various styles, including shabu-shabu, Sichuan mala, and Taiwanese stinky tofu. At these restaurants, Taiwanese people enjoy dipping a variety of ingredients—such as seafood, thinly sliced meat, leafy vegetables, dumplings, wontons, mushrooms, and various types of tofu—into large pots of simmering broth, which is often made from pork bones, jujube, or pickled cabbage. Diners retrieve their selected items from the pot using chopsticks or tongs and dip them into a savory sauce that they can customize with ingredients like sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and freshly chopped herbs.
🍽️ Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐): Despite its name, this dish is a beloved Taiwanese delicacy, known for its pungent aroma and crispy exterior, and soft interior.
🍽️ Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings): (小籠包) A staple in the Taiwanese cuisine, soup dumplings are known for their thin, translucent skin, savory filling (often pork and broth), and the delicious soup that's released when you bite into them.
🍽️ Scallion Pancake (蔥油餅): They are made from a wet, unleavened dough rather than a batter, they are often eaten for breakfast but can be enjoyed at any time of the day. Fried fresh for each customer, vendors usually roll them up and pop them into a paper bag with the top sticking out, ready to eat.
🍽️ Braised Pork Rice (滷肉飯): Braised pork rice is a comforting dish that represents how Taiwan finds solace in food. Like many comfort foods around the world, it is simple and unpretentious: tender pieces of fatty, soy-braised pork belly served over freshly steamed white rice.
🥤Boba Tea: Also known as bubble tea, is a Taiwanese drink featuring tea (often milk tea) with small, chewy tapioca pearls (boba) at the bottom, offering a unique textural and flavor experience
🥤Papaya Milk: The island’s most famous fruit “milkshake” has only two ingredients- papaya and milk. It’s found freshly made at night markets, but also pre-packaged at convenience stores.
📍🗺️ Maps, Apps & Links
🚕 Uber