Don’t Miss These Fun Things to Do in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

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For visitors to Taiwan, the southern city of Kaohsiung is a must-visit destination. As one of the major metropolises on the island, the city is jam-packed with things to do. What’s more, sightseeing in Kaohsiung takes you right across the city, venturing into lots of different districts.

Each corner of Kaohsiung has its own appeal, with plenty of things to do that reveal another facet of the city. This means that if you only stick to one part of the city, you’ll miss a great deal.

To help you explore, I’ve put together a guide of things to do in Kaohsiung, broken down by district. This list covers four key areas of the city that will keep you more than busy, without even getting to doing a day trip out to Cijin Island. So buckle in.

 

How to get around Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a large city, so how do you get around it?

The simple answer is the Kaohsiung MRT, which is kind of great, actually. The system is quite intuitive as you figure out where you’re going, the map says how much it will cost, and you get a little token. I got between each of the above districts with the MRT, often for as little as $20 NTD, roughly USD 0.65.

Another way to use the system is with an Unlimited MRT Travel Pass. Look at the options available, do the math, and see if it’ll be right for you.

 

Where to stay in Kaohsiung

As for where to stay in Kaohsiung, the MRT makes location slightly less worrying, but downtown is a safe choice. My time in Kaohsiung was at Single Inn Kaohsiung Station, which is designed for solo travellers. Even though they have small rooms that are almost like pods, the level of comfort and service is fantastic, and you even get your own pyjamas!

If that doesn’t suit you or if you’re travelling as a couple or group, then you’ll find plenty of hotels and guesthouses to accommodate your needs.

 

Tips for Kaohsiung Sightseeing

Most visitors aren’t prepared to find so many Kaohsiung attractions that they can visit. They don’t realize how many parts of the city have attractions worth visiting or that you need more than two days in Kaohsiung to explore the city.

Another tip for visiting Kaohsiung is to consider a sightseeing pass. The Kaohsiung Klook Pass includes a huge range of attractions and could potentially save you money. Plus, it’s an easy way to get more sightseeing ideas.

 

Downtown Kaohsiung

As it’s your most likely starting point for your Kaohsiung visit, let’s begin with downtown. Technically a combination of Qianjin District and Xinxing District, the downtown area is the city’s urban core. There are some similarities to other major cities like Taichung or Taipei, but Kaohsiung never feels too claustrophobic. This is in part because the city has only expanded to its current size in the second half of the 20th century.

 

Liuhe Night Market

Probably the most popular attraction in this part of the city, the Liuhe Night Market has become the night market for most tourists. Stretching out for several blocks along Liuhe 2nd Road every night, the Liuhe Night Market is an institution.

Some say that the market is too touristy now, understandable with the large tour groups of Chinese tourists. But I’d argue the market is still just as enjoyable and the food just as tasty.

While some of the stalls bear English translations of what they sell, often it’s a matter of guessing. Simply point at what you want and indicate how many and you’re good to go. Common items include Taiwanese sausages, chicken feet, various fruit juices and a lot of seafood, like squid. With some things, I’m still not sure what I ate, but enjoyed it all the same.

 

Formosa Boulevard Station

It may seem like including a metro station on this list is a strange choice, but c’mon, look at it! Descending from the street into the Formosa Boulevard MRT, you’re presented with a kaleidoscope of colour. People come down here and just take a seat so that they can fully take it in. I can’t say I blame them.

 

Sanfeng Temple

No matter where you go in Taiwan, you’re going to find temples and Kaohsiung is no different. To see an awesome temple and personal favourite, make your way to the Sanfeng Temple. Sitting in Sanmin District, Sanfeng Temple is still basically downtown so I’m counting it. The temple’s name translates to the “Three Phoenix Temple” and is notable for its northern style of design.

Although it may look rather ordinary from the outside, this centuries-old temple to Niza has quite the interior. The photo below is actually from inside the temple and may well be my favourite shot from all of Taiwan.

It’s a perfect example of the lengths that builders and artists go to for detail in these temples. Once you get onto the balconies, above the rows of lanterns, all of the elements come together in quite a visual overload.

 

Ta Kang Creek

Just near the Sanfeng Temple, you’ll find one of Kaohsiung’s picturesque waterfronts in the Ta Kang Creek. Despite its understated nature, the creek holds some historical significance. During the Qing Dynasty, junks would use the creek to dock closer to the old city centre when trading. Now a minor waterway, I still thought it gave a burst of life to the downtown area.

 

Other Downtown Temples

As I said earlier, there are countless temples throughout Taiwan and Kaohsiung. Beside Sanfeng Temple, one of the other temples I quite liked was the Dagangpu Mazu Temple. Dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, the temple was built in the 1850s.

It certainly stands out from its modern surroundings and has quite an elaborate interior. Since finding English information on it is so tough, you’ll find the temple on the corner of Minsheng 1st Road and Wenheng 1st Road.

 

Dagangpu Night Market

Not all night markets in Kaohsiung focus on food, as can be seen with the likes of the Dagangpu Night Market on Nanhua Road. At these markets, you’ll find countless clothing stores and all sorts of other retailers. These places can be bustling with people well into the evening, which makes sense given the heat during the day. Lots of good bargains can be found here.

 

Central Park

Kaohsiung has plenty of interesting sights and things to do, but I have to admit that Central Park isn’t one. Simply put, it wasn’t much of a park and had very little worth seeing, so skip it and enjoy all the other far better spots.

 

Love River

A major feature of the landscape that has shaped Kaohsiung over the centuries is the Love River. The Ai River in Taiwanese, this river acts as a border of sorts around much of downtown Kaohsiung. Beyond a couple of parks, the most notable thing about the Love River is its beautiful riverfront. If the concrete jungle is getting to you, a stroll here may help.

 

Neon Lights

Much like other cities in eastern Asia, Kaohsiung likes its neon signs, which makes walking about at night such a fun experience. Taiwan in general is a super-safe place to walk around at night, so you can allow yourself to get caught up in the lights. The city looks markedly different under the multi-coloured neon glow and it’s quite fun to see downtown in such a different light.

 

Lotus Lake

Besides downtown, Zuoying District and more specifically Lotus Lake is where visitors will find many of the top things to do in Kaohsiung. Rather than focusing on the whole of Zuoying District, tourists are mostly interested in the sights around the impressive Lotus Lake.

Describing the lake and its attractions is tricky, as it is the beautiful nature of the artificial lake with religious sites that somehow give it almost the atmosphere of a theme park rather than a solemn, holy one.

 

Dragon and Tiger Temples

The Dragon and Tiger Temples are probably the ultimate tourist attraction in Kaohsiung. Typically, Kaohsiung is often represented by these iconic twin temples as they’ve become quite a symbol of the city and they’re a big focus of city tours. Pretty easy to understand why at first glance though, right?

Not particularly historic, the temples were only built in 1976 but still echo the local culture and hold religious significance. For visitors though, these twin temples are simply visually fascinating. And yes, you enter and exit through the mouths of the dragon and tiger, while staircases take you up to the higher levels of each tower.

 

Spring and Autumn Pavilions

The Dragon and Tiger Temples are just the beginning though. A short walk away you’ll find the equally artistic visage of the Spring and Autumn Pavilions. Built 20 years earlier than its more popular neighbour, these pavilions are also reached by a network of bridges out onto the lake. Before you reach the vibrant statues seen above, you’ll find a small pond full of turtles that call the lake home.

 

Zuoying Yuan Di Temple

Further along comes one of the more surprising temples of Lotus Lake, at least to me. The Zuoying Yuan Di Temple sits separate from the other temples and feels a little more serious perhaps. After passing under an archway, you cross a bridge lined with warriors before reaching the figure of Xuandi. Here, the Taoist deity is seen holding the Seven Star Sword. The actual shrine here is at the base of the colossal statue.

 

Lotus Lake Night Market

During my visit to Lotus Lake, there was a great big night market occurring between all these temples. Now, it’s a little unclear to me if this is a regular thing or was for a special festival or holiday. Often getting those answers can be tricky unless you know someone local. I decided to roll with it anyway, trying a whole bunch more things that I couldn’t identify.

 

Yancheng District

Yancheng district is rather a curious one these days since it’s the city’s smallest and least populated. But it’s also possibly the one with the greatest potential to one day be a major hub of tourism in the city. One of the oldest parts of the city, over time the neighbourhood faded in importance. Modern gentrification efforts have already seen some drastic changes to the area, from the brand-new light rail line to its many creative installations.

 

Pier 2 Art Centre

Truly the heart of the transformation efforts around Yancheng is the Pier 2 Art Centre. Once a series of derelict warehouses surrounded Pier 2, the area is now the scene of a vast creative project. Home to several festivals and exhibitions through various parts of the year, the art centre has begun to thrive.

Scattered about the area you’ll find intricately painted statues, not to mention looming figures from Transformers. Between some of the buildings there even runs a miniature railway. Then some installations are a bit more abstract, but best of all …

 

Street Art

Beyond the central parts of the Pier 2 Art Centre, the creativity doesn’t stop, with cool street art taking over several of the surrounding buildings. These fun additions not only give the area a playful and colourful look but encourage visitors to fully explore Yancheng to find them all. Well worth visiting Yancheng for these alone I think.

 

Hamasen Neighbourhood

Ok, so again Hamasen isn’t a district but a neighbourhood within the larger Gushan District. However, much of that is taken up by Shoushan National Nature Park and I felt like including it anyway. I would have loved to hike around Shoushan but the heat and humidity were just too much for that kind of exertion.

Anyway, the main reason to visit Hamasen is to take the ferry from Gushan Ferry Pier Station over to Cijin Island, but there’s no harm in seeing the neighbourhood as well.

 

Hamasen Railway Cultural Park

The neighbourhood of Hamasen centres on the old railway station that once serviced Kaohsiung Harbor. Today though, this area has been converted into the Hamasen Railway Culture Park much like that in Taitung.

Scattered across the abandoned train tracks are various large metalwork sculptures that encourage you to wander the culture park. The Hamasen Railway Culture Park is also home to the Takao Railway Museum inside the old station.

 

Houses of Hamasen

The main thing I liked about Hamasen though was the quaint atmosphere of its small residential streets. Built by the former railway station, Hamasen dates back to the Japanese period of occupation in Taiwan.

As such, the look of buildings and the neighbourhood in general, more obviously reflects its Japanese roots. Interestingly, this is also where many Japanese tourists choose to stay, based on what I observed walking about.

 

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Have you ever spent time visiting Kaohsiung, Taiwan? Where would you start with these things to do in Kaohsiung? Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.