Kaohsiung

Understand

thumb|300px|right|Dragon and Tiger temple in Lotus Lake Kaohsiung has got Taiwan's largest port. Although the ranking has declined, Kaohsiung is still the world's 14th largest cargo-container seaport as of 2018. The city has high concentrations of heavy industry, including steel production, shipbuilding, and other exports that have led to Kaohsiung's relatively high levels of air pollution (though the situation has improved substantially). Unlike Taipei, Kaohsiung is a planned city with wide streets and slightly less traffic congestion than the capital. The city has made great strides in transforming itself from a primarily industrial city into a modern Asian metropolis, and several areas of the city, such as along the banks of the Love River (Ai He, ), have benefited from major beautification projects under the tenure of former mayor Frank Hsieh. The city is often known as Taiwan's Harbor Capital () because of its close connection and heavy reliance on the ocean and maritime transportation.

Kaohsiung began in the 17th century as a small fishing village named "Takao" (), derived from the local aboriginal name meaning "bamboo forest". The name was changed to "" (meaning: "high hero") by the Japanese in 1895, also pronounced "Takao" in Japanese, as they found the original name of ("beating the dog") to be vulgar. After the island was incorporated into the Republic of China following World War II, the Nationalist government kept the Chinese characters but adopted their Mandarin…

Get in

thumb|Kaohsiung International Airport

Get around

A great way of getting around is to use the cheap city bicycles – see below.

Eat

There are numerous seafood restaurants dotting the main street in Cijin Island, all offering the same fresh seafood for about NT$100-200 per dish. It is a great idea to go in a small group and order a few dishes to try, probably one more dish than the number of people in your group. In the evening, a night bazaar goes into full swing. There are lots of little eats to eat as per Taiwan's night markets, BBQ squid, mochi to name a few are particularly good.

DanDan Burger, No. 224號, Qixian 2nd Rd, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City +886 7 241 0928

Drink

Two local beer companies, Tsingtao and Taiwan Beer, are ubiquitous throughout the island and can be purchased by visitors cheaply with little hassle about age restrictions. Most major soft drinks are available, and tea stands on almost every corner offer concoctions of fruit, yogurt, green tea, the Taiwanese specialty "bubble tea," and a variety of other flavors.

While tap water is most certainly not potable, good reverse osmosis filtration will remove bacteria and heavy metals, and is considered safe for consumption. Water dispensers, which resemble gas stations, are present throughout the city. However, they, along with many of the bottled water brands, are suspect. Both have been found, in the past, to simply bottle or distribute tap water. To avoid ingesting non-potable water, only purchase bottles that are sealed with an expiration date clearly printed on the bottle. Often, it is easier to simply purchase green tea at a stand or a convenience store, or a soft drink. Restaurant water is safe, with the exception of some lunchbox eateries and stands on the street.

Stay safe

Kaohsiung has a reputation among the Taiwanese for being crime-ridden, but its crime rate is still much lower than any Western city of comparable size, so tourists need not be too worried. Violent crime is very rare, and you should have a trouble-free visit so long as you take the usual precautions. Theft tends to be the most common crime encountered by foreigners, and expensive bikes and scooters are frequent targets.

As a major seaport, organized crime has long been a problem in the city, and a fair number of businesses are nothing more than a front for local triads. That said, the triads generally do not target the average person in the street. Do not provoke them (such as by borrowing money from loan sharks and failing to repay) and they will not bother you.

Go next

Tainan is to the north. It can easily be accessed by train or car. There is a regular train service from Kaohsiung Central Train Station. The journey takes around 30 minutes, which makes Tainan an attractive day-trip or even half-day destination. Pingtung County is to the south. All the way to its southern end is Kenting. Taitung County is to the east. However, the Southern Cross-Island Highway (20px Provincial Highway Number 20) has been closed mid-way since 2009 due to the Typhoon Morakot, so you have to take a very long detour via the South-Link Highway (20px Provincial Highway Number 9) if going by road. Penghu – An outlying island archipelago, with a saturated turquoise sea around and coral sand, so pack beach wear.