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    Kaohsiung

    Taiwan

    Kaohsiung

    CityCultureCulinary

    Kaohsiung is a major port city in southern Taiwan and the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei.

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    9. Kaohsiung
    Kaohsiung is a major port city in southern Taiwan and the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei. The city boasts a revamped harbor district filled with art, colorful pagodas on Lotus Lake, and a short ferry ride to Cijin Island, home to beaches and seafood restaurants.Near Zuoying Station on Lotus Lake stand the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, which, according to tradition, you enter through the Dragon's mouth and exit through the Tiger's. In the former warehouse district by the harbor, the Pier-2 Art Center has established itself with galleries, installations, and cafes. Formosa Boulevard Metro Station is renowned for its glass dome, the Dome of Light, and the Liuhe Night Market is located nearby.
    Kaohsiung is the largest city in southern Taiwan and a key port. Two metro lines and a ring tram (closed since 2024) link the airport, high-speed rail, and port, so you get around well without a car. North is Zuoying with Lotus Lake and its temples; the center has the Formosa Boulevard Metro area and Liuhe Night Market. At the harbor, find the Pier-2 Art Center and Love River; from Gushan, a ferry goes to Cijin Island. The old Yancheng district hosts many traditional eateries.

    Sights in Kaohsiung

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
    Place of Worship

    1Dragon and Tiger Pagodas

    The two brightly painted pagodas stand in Lotus Lake and are accessible via bridges that lead through the mouths of a dragon and a tiger. According to tradition, you enter the complex through the Dragon and exit through the Tiger, which is said to bring good fortune.
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    Pier-2 Art Center
    Attraction

    2Pier-2 Art Center

    The harbor's former warehouse district is home to galleries with changing exhibitions, outdoor sculptures, bookstores, and cafés. The light rail stops at several stations here, and ferries to Cijin depart nearby.
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    Dome of Light
    Attraction

    3Dome of Light

    The colorful glass dome spans the hall of Formosa Boulevard Metro Station and is one of the largest glass artworks in the world. You can see it without admission, simply while changing trains or on your way to the nearby Liuhe Night Market.
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    Liuhe Night Market
    Market

    4Liuhe Night Market

    The downtown night market, which dates back to the 1940s, boasts over 100 stalls, most of them serving food. It is just steps from Formosa Boulevard Metro Station.
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    Cijin Old Street
    Historic Landmark

    5Cijin Old Street

    You can reach Cijin Island's main street in minutes by ferry from Gushan Pier, and pay with your EasyCard. Snack stalls and fish restaurants line the road, leading to the dark sand beach, best explored by rental bike.
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    Restaurants in Kaohsiung

    1

    At Gang Tsai Rice Tube

    The third-generation family business, founded in 1956, holds a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand. Its specialty is sticky rice, steamed with braised minced pork in small metal cups and served with sauce; a soy-sauce-cooked egg pairs well with it. Closed on Wednesdays.
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    2

    Duck Zhen

    This long-established eatery in Yancheng District has had loyal guests for over 60 years, famed for its smoked duck. It holds a Bib Gourmand, and next door, Cheng's Noodles is another Bib Gourmand spot. Yanchengpu is the nearest metro station.
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    3

    Hung Chi Rice Shop

    This Bib Gourmand Michelin Guide restaurant in Zuoying District specializes in rice with braised minced pork. Convenient if you arrive in Zuoying by high-speed rail or visit Lotus Lake.
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    4

    Cianjin Braised Pork Rice (前金肉燥飯)

    This popular, affordable Bib Gourmand spot serves braised minced pork with rice from breakfast. Open Monday to Friday only, the kitchen is closed on weekends.
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    5

    Caizong Li

    Only one dish here: rice dumplings, for which the Guide Michelin awards a Bib Gourmand. This spot in Lingya District opens early and is ideal for a quick breakfast.
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    Food and Drink in Kaohsiung

    Kaohsiung is known for seafood and a lively night market culture. The Michelin Guide features here, in addition to several starred restaurants, many simpler eateries with Bib Gourmand, especially in the old Yancheng district.

    Ocean Delicacies on Cijin

    Along Cijin Old Street and on the island's beach, restaurants serve fresh fish and seafood.

    Sticky rice from the cup

    Sticky rice with braised minced pork is steamed in small metal cups, a specialty of traditional eateries in Yancheng.

    Rice with minced pork

    Several Bib Gourmand establishments have specialized in the simple dish, some even serving it for breakfast.

    Liuhe Night Market

    The Night Market near Formosa Boulevard Metro Station dates back to the 1940s and has over 100 stalls.

    Temples, Port, and Art

    Temples and pagodas, such as the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and Kaohsiung's Confucius Temple, line Lotus Lake in Zuoying. The custom of entering the pagodas through the dragon's mouth and exiting through the tiger's is a must-do for every visit.The former warehouse area by the harbor is now a cultural district: The Pier-2 Art Center features exhibitions, concerts, and street art, and the Dome of Light at Formosa Boulevard Metro Station is among the world's largest glass artworks. Every September, the city hosts Kaohsiung Cocktail Day by the Love River, with booths from famous bars.

    Nightlife

    1

    Maltail

    The bar in Qianjin District focuses on single malt whisky cocktails and debuted at No. 75 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2025. It's Kaohsiung's most renowned cocktail bar.
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    2

    La Face Bar

    The downtown bar combines cocktails, live music, and karaoke and, with over 2,400 Google reviews and a 4.9 rating, is one of the most popular places for an evening in Kaohsiung.
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    3

    A FEWdrink

    A small bar just a few minutes' walk from Maltail, highly praised on Google with over 1,300 reviews and a 4.9 rating.
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    Exploring Kaohsiung

    The High-Speed Rail from Taipei ends in Zuoying, where you directly transfer to the Red Metro Line. This same line also goes to Kaohsiung Airport.Metro: Red and Orange Lines, operational since 2008. The transfer point is Formosa Boulevard.Circular Light Rail: Since January 2024, the Circular Light Rail fully encircles the city center, stopping at 38 stations, including the Pier-2 Art Center and Hamasen Station.Ferry to Cijin: The ferry from Gushan Pier takes only a few minutes, and you can pay with an EasyCard. On the island, a rented bicycle is a great way to get around.Kenting: Buses to the National Park at the southern tip depart from Kaohsiung; the route is approximately 90 kilometers long.

    Accommodations in Kaohsiung

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    Nearby

    South Taiwan

    South Taiwan

    The south is warmer, more leisurely, and for many, the culinary heart of Taiwan. Tainan, the island's oldest city, the port city of Kaohsiung, and the beaches in Kenting National Park are only a few hours apart.In Tainan, the Dutch founded Fort Zeelandia in 1624; later, the city was long the island's capital. Kaohsiung is the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei and the starting point for buses to the southern tip. There lies the Kenting National Park, founded in 1984, Taiwan's oldest national park.
    Tainan

    Tainan

    Tainan in the southwest is Taiwan's oldest city and was its political center for centuries. Those interested in history, temples, and traditional street food will find more here in a compact area than anywhere else on the island.The Dutch East India Company erected Fort Zeelandia in 1624 in today's Anping district; its remains are now known as Anping Fort. After Koxinga expelled the Dutch in 1662, the city served as the seat of his kingdom and later, under the Qing, as the capital of Taiwan Prefecture. The Confucian Temple, built in 1665, is considered the island's first Confucian academy, and the city boasts more Buddhist and Daoist temples than any other in Taiwan.
    Hengchun

    Hengchun

    Hengchun is the small capital of the peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan and the practical gateway to Kenting National Park. A part of the old city wall is preserved. The Kenting Express from Zuoying stops here, local shuttle lines depart from the bus station, and you'll find most scooter rentals nearby.
    Kenting National Park

    Kenting National Park

    Kenting National Park encompasses the southernmost tip of Taiwan on the Hengchun Peninsula, about 90 kilometers south of Kaohsiung. It marks the island's tropical end with beaches, coral limestone cliffs, and forests, perfect for a few days by the sea.Founded in 1984, the park is Taiwan's oldest national park and covers land and marine areas between the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan Strait, and Bashi Channel. Its landmark is the Eluanbi Lighthouse from 1883; not far from it, a monument marks the island's southernmost point. The park is an important resting place for migratory birds, and the Formosan sika deer, extinct in the wild, was reintroduced to the park starting in 1994.
    Luye

    Luye

    Luye, located in the East Rift Valley north of Taitung, is accessible by train and especially known for its hot air balloon festival, which attracts thousands of visitors in summer. The high plateau Luye Gaotai offers expansive views over the valley. Like Chishang, Luye is well suited as a quiet base in the east.