Taiwan
Kaohsiung
Taiwan's sunny southern port, where harbour ferries, warehouse art and night markets set an easier pace than Taipei.
Taiwan's second city and its great southern port is warmer, flatter and easier-going than Taipei, a place of harbour ferries, riverside paths and night markets. Old warehouses on the waterfront have become an arts district, the harbour mouth has a seafood island a few minutes across by ferry, and the lakeside temples of Lotus Pond, with the zigzag bridge into the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, are the city's signature sight. The dry, sunny winter makes it the natural base for Taiwan's tropical south.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Mandarin Chinese
Currency
TWD
Timezone
UTC+8
Why you'll love Kaohsiung
Lotus Pond temples, pagodas and pavilions ring a lake in Zuoying, the old heart of the city
The harbour a short ferry to Cijin Island, sunsets at Sizihwan and a colonial-era consulate on the headland
Warehouse art the Pier-2 district turned disused docks into galleries, sculpture and cycle paths along the water
Night markets every district has one, and southern Taiwanese food runs sweeter and more seafood-led than the north's
Best time to visit
Oct-Mar
Warm & dry · 24-30° days
22.620° N, 120.312° E
UTC+8 · Asia/Taipei
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Weather & when to go to Kaohsiung
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Oct-Mar
Conditions Jan-Feb Warm & dry · Mar Warm spring · Apr Warming up · May Rains start · Jun Heavy rain · Jul Hot & wet · Aug Typhoons · Sep Typhoon risk · Oct Dry returns · Nov Dry & warm · Dec Mild & dry
Watch for Jun-Sep monsoon flooding risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Kaohsiung
May to September is hot and humid, with heavy afternoon downpours, the early-summer plum rains and a real chance of typhoons that can halt ferries and flights. October to March is the season: dry, sunny and warm enough for shirtsleeves.
Top things to do in Kaohsiung
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Lotus Pond - walk into the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
culture arts history 👍 PopularEnter through the dragon's mouth and leave through the tiger's for good fortune, then climb the twin pagodas for views over the lake. The Spring and Autumn Pavilions, a giant statue of Xuantian Shangdi and a string of temples line the rest of the shore.
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Pier-2 Art Center - the harbour's warehouse arts district
culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedFormer port warehouses now hold exhibitions, design shops and large outdoor sculptures, linked by old rail lines turned into cycle and walking paths. The circular light rail runs right past, and the harbourfront is at its best around sunset.
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Cijin Island - ferry across for seafood and the lighthouse
food scenic 👍 PopularA few minutes by ferry from Gushan, this long sandbar island has a seafood street where you pick your catch, a black-sand beach, the hilltop Cihou Fort and the Kaohsiung Lighthouse above the harbour mouth. Rent a bike to ride its coastal path.
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Former British Consulate at Takao - sunset over Sizihwan
history scenicThe red-brick consular residence of the 1870s sits on a headland above the harbour entrance, with a path down to the old consulate offices by the water. Come late in the day for the sunset over Sizihwan Bay.
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Formosa Boulevard Station - the Dome of Light
culture artsThe interchange of the metro's two lines hides one of the largest glass artworks in the world, a vast stained-glass dome by Narcissus Quagliata telling a story of birth, life and rebirth. It costs nothing more than a metro ride to see.
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Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum - the giant seated Buddha
culture arts history 👍 PopularEast of the city, one of Taiwan's largest Buddhist monasteries is fronted by a long avenue of pagodas leading to an enormous bronze seated Buddha. Allow half a day for the museum halls and the monastery grounds, and try the vegetarian food.
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Ruifeng and Liuhe night markets - eat your way through the evening
food ⭐ Highly recommendedRuifeng is the locals' favourite, a dense grid of stalls near Kaohsiung Arena; Liuhe is the central, tourist-friendly one near Formosa Boulevard. Look for papaya milk, grilled seafood, oyster omelettes and milkfish, a southern staple.
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Love River - evening walks and boat rides
scenicThe river that runs through the centre is lined with paths, cafes and lit bridges, and small electric boats cruise it after dark. It is the city's easiest evening stroll, ending near the harbour.
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Shoushan - hike the hill of the macaques
nature wildlife scenicThe forested ridge behind the harbour has trails with city and sea views, and Formosan rock macaques roam the upper paths. Keep food out of sight: the monkeys know what a plastic bag means.
Best areas to stay in Kaohsiung
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Yancheng and Love River
First-time visitors $$Old harbourside district near Pier-2
Explore hotels in Yancheng and Love River →
Sinsing and Cianjin
Transit and food $Central, busy, well-connected downtown
Explore hotels in Sinsing and Cianjin →
Zuoying
Rail travellers $$Northern district by the high-speed rail
Explore hotels in Zuoying →
Gushan and Hamasen
Harbour and history $$Old port quarter below the hills
Explore hotels in Gushan and Hamasen →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Kaohsiung
Getting to & around Kaohsiung
Getting there
Fly into KHH, a few metro stops from the centre, or ride the high-speed rail from Taipei to Zuoying
Flight
Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH)
The airport sits in Siaogang on the southern edge of the city, with its own metro station on the Red Line. Trains reach Formosa Boulevard and the centre in around 20 minutes; taxis wait outside arrivals.
Train
Zuoying (HSR)
The high-speed rail from Taipei takes about 1.5-2 hr; Zuoying connects to the metro and conventional trains
Train
Kaohsiung Main Station
Conventional TRA trains run up the west coast and around to the east coast via Pingtung and Taitung
Coach
Kaohsiung Main Station
Intercity coaches run to Taipei and other western cities, and down to Kenting
Getting around
Metro (KMRT)
Two lines, Red and Orange, crossing at Formosa Boulevard; the Red Line links the airport, the centre and Zuoying
TBC
Circular light rail
Loops past Pier-2, the harbourfront, the Music Center and the exhibition centre
TBC
Ferry
Short crossings from Gushan to Cijin Island run all day, bikes allowed
TBC
Public bike share
Docking stations across the city, ideal for the flat harbourfront and river paths
TBC
Bus and taxi
Buses fill the gaps between metro lines; taxis are plentiful and metered
TBC
Day trips from Kaohsiung
Tainan
Full dayHistoric former capital
Taiwan's oldest city and its food capital: Dutch-era Fort Zeelandia at Anping, Chihkan Tower, hundreds of temples and a snack for every street corner.
Getting there
train
About 15 min by high-speed rail or under an hour by conventional train
Kenting National Park
1-2 daysTropical beaches and reef
Taiwan's southern tip: white beaches, coral coast, the Eluanbi Lighthouse and a lively night-market main street. Better as an overnight than a rushed return.
Getting there
bus | car
About 2-2.5 hr south by express bus or car
Meinong
Full dayHakka farming town
A Hakka town among rice fields and hills, known for hand-painted oil-paper umbrellas, flat rice noodles and old brick family compounds.
Getting there
bus | car
About 1-1.5 hr northeast by bus or car
Xiaoliuqiu
Full dayCoral island, sea turtles
A small coral island where green sea turtles graze in the shallows, easily seen snorkelling off the rocky shore. Scooters are the way to loop it.
Getting there
bus | car | ferry
About 1 hr by bus or car to Donggang, then a short ferry
Fo Guang Shan
Half dayBuddhist monastery
The monastery and Buddha Museum in Dashu, with its giant bronze Buddha and avenue of pagodas, pair well with a morning at Lotus Pond.
Getting there
bus
About 1 hr by bus from Zuoying HSR station
A little history of Kaohsiung
Long before it was a city, the bay was home to Makatao Austronesian communities, and its early name, Takau, is usually traced to them. Chinese fishermen and settlers arrived under the Dutch and then the Kingdom of Tungning, and under Qing rule the walled town of Zuoying, beside Lotus Pond, became the county seat. In the 1860s the harbour was opened to foreign trade, and British merchants and consuls built on the headland above the harbour mouth.
Under Japanese rule from 1895 the harbour was dredged, the Hamasen quarter reclaimed and a rail line built to the port, and in 1920 the name was rewritten as Takao, read in Mandarin as Kaohsiung. After 1945 it grew into Taiwan's heavy-industry centre and one of Asia's busiest container ports. Since the 2000s the city has turned to its waterfront, reshaping old docks and warehouses into parks, arts spaces and cultural venues.
Chinese settlers join Makatao communities around the bay, then known as Takau
The Qing rebuild the walled county town at Zuoying in stone
The harbour opens to foreign trade as a treaty port
The British consular residence is completed on the headland above the harbour
Japanese rule begins; harbour works and the Hamasen reclamation follow
The name is rewritten as Takao, read in Mandarin as Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung becomes a special municipality; in December a human-rights rally becomes known as the Kaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung metro opens
The city merges with Kaohsiung County, stretching its boundaries into the mountains
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Limited
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type A / B
110 V, 60 Hz
Dialing
+886
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Typhoons risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Kaohsiung
▸ When is the best time to visit Kaohsiung?
October to March, when the south is dry, sunny and warm while northern Taiwan is often grey and cool. May to September is hot and humid, with heavy afternoon rain and a typhoon risk that can cancel ferries and flights.
▸ How many days do you need in Kaohsiung?
Two or three days covers Lotus Pond, Pier-2, Cijin Island and a couple of night markets, with a half day for Fo Guang Shan. Add more if you use the city as a base for Tainan, Kenting or Xiaoliuqiu.
▸ Is Kaohsiung a good base for Kenting?
Yes. Express buses run from the city and the high-speed rail station down to Kenting, and many visitors fly into Kaohsiung for exactly that. The trip is long enough that a night or two in Kenting beats a same-day return.
▸ Is Kaohsiung cheaper than Taipei?
Generally, yes. Hotels and everyday food tend to cost less than in the capital, and the night markets make eating well very affordable.
▸ Should I visit Kaohsiung or Tainan?
Both, ideally: they are minutes apart by high-speed rail. Tainan has the deeper history and the temple streets; Kaohsiung has the harbour, the ferries, the arts district and a bigger-city feel. Many travellers stay in one and day-trip to the other.
More in Taiwan
Tainan
Taiwan's oldest city and its food capital - Dutch forts, temple lanes and breakfast beef soup.
✓ best Nov-AprTaipei
Night markets, the imperial Chinese art collection and volcanic hot springs, all inside one exceptionally easy and exceptionally safe capital.
✓ best Apr, Oct-Dec