Kaohsiung City (
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
: ;
Wade–Giles
Wade–Giles () is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Francis Wade, during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert A. Giles's '' Chinese–English Dictionary'' of ...
: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;''
Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...
: ''Gāoxióng'') is a
special municipality Special municipality may refer to:
* Special municipality (Netherlands)
There are twelve provinces of the Netherlands (), representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local municipalities, with responsibility fo ...
located in southern
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural
Yushan Range
The Yushan Range, formerly the and also known as the JadeMountain Range, is a mountain range in the central-southern region of Taiwan Island. It spans Chiayi County, Kaohsiung City, and Nantou County. It faces the Central Mountain Range on the ...
with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.72 million people as of May 2022 and is Taiwan's third most populous city and largest city in
southern Taiwan The regions of Taiwan are based on the historical administrative divisions. However, most of the definitions are not precise.
Division into two regions
* Eastern and Western Taiwan: the Central Mountain Range separates Taiwan into east and west.
:* ...
.
Since founding in the
17th century
The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 ( MDCI), to December 31, 1700 ( MDCC). It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized by the Baroque cultural moveme ...
, Kaohsiung has grown from a small trading village into the political and economic centre of
southern Taiwan The regions of Taiwan are based on the historical administrative divisions. However, most of the definitions are not precise.
Division into two regions
* Eastern and Western Taiwan: the Central Mountain Range separates Taiwan into east and west.
:* ...
, with key industries such as manufacturing,
steel-making,
oil refining
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, liquefie ...
,
freight transport
Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been e ...
and
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
. It is classified as a "Gamma −" level
global city by the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network
The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leicestershi ...
, with some of the most prominent infrastructures in Taiwan. The
Port of Kaohsiung
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by t ...
is the largest and busiest harbor in Taiwan while
Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport () is a medium-sized civil airport in Siaogang District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also known as Siaogang Airport (). With nearly seven million passengers in 2018, it is the second busiest airport in Taiwan, after T ...
is the second busiest airport in number of passengers. The city is well-connected to other major cities by
high speed and
conventional rail, as well as several national freeways. It also hosts the
Republic of China Navy
The Republic of China Navy (ROCN; ), also called the ROC Navy and colloquially the Taiwan Navy, is the maritime branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces (ROCAF).
The service was formerly commonly just called the Chinese Navy during World Wa ...
fleet headquarters and its
naval academy
A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers.
See also
* Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...
. More recent public works such as
Pier-2 Art Center
The Pier-2 Art Center () is an art center in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The arts center was originally an abandoned warehouse site due to Kaohsiung's shift from industrial city to service city. The warehouses were built in 1 ...
,
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, also known as Weiwuying, (), is located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan and has been acknowledged as the largest performance arts center under one roof in the world while owning the largest pipe org ...
and
Kaohsiung Music Center
The Kaohsiung Music Center (KMC; ) is a music hall in Yancheng District and Lingya District in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
In 2009, the Executive Yuan recognized the need to establish a music center in Kaohsiung. The Council for Cultural Af ...
have been aimed at growing the tourism and
cultural industries of the city.
Etymology
Hoklo
The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such a ...
immigrants to the area during the 16th and 17th centuries called the region ''Takau'' (). The surface meaning of the associated
Chinese characters
Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...
was "beat the dog". According to one theory, the name Takau originates from the aboriginal
Siraya language
Siraya is a Formosan language spoken until the end of the 19th century by the indigenous Siraya people of Taiwan, derived from Proto-Siraya. Some scholars believe Taivoan and Makatao are two dialects of Siraya, but now more evidence shows that ...
and translates as "bamboo forest". According to another theory, the name evolved via
metathesis from the name of the
Makatao tribe, who inhabited the area at the time of European and Hoklo settlement. The Makatao is considered by some to be part of the
Siraya tribe.
During the
Dutch colonization of southern Taiwan, the area was known as ''Tancoia'' to Europeans for a period of about three decades. In 1662, the Dutch were expelled by the
Kingdom of Tungning
The Kingdom of Tungning (), also known as Tywan by the British at the time, was a dynastic maritime state that ruled part of southwestern Taiwan and the Penghu islands between 1661 and 1683. It is the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Ta ...
, founded by Ming loyalists of
Koxinga
Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
. His son,
Zheng Jing
Zheng Jing, Prince of Yanping (; 25 October 1642 – 17 March 1681), courtesy names Xianzhi () and Yuanzhi (), pseudonym Shitian (), was a 17th-century Chinese warlord, Ming dynasty loyalist and ruler of the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan.
Bio ...
, renamed the village ''Banlian-chiu'' () in 1664.
The name of "Takau" was restored in the late 1670s, when the town expanded drastically with immigrants from
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
and was kept through Taiwan's cession to the Japanese Empire in 1895. In his 1903 general history of Taiwan, US Consul to Formosa
James W. Davidson
James Wheeler Davidson (14 June 1872 – 18 July 1933) was an American-born Canadian businessman, diplomat, explorer, journalist, and philanthropist. He is remembered for writing ''The Island of Formosa, Past and Present'' (1903), a book on th ...
relates that "Takow" was already a well-known name in English. In 1920, the name was changed to and administered the area under
Takao Prefecture
was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County.
Population
Administrative divisions
Cities and districts
In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), the ...
. While the new name had quite a different surface meaning, its pronunciation in Japanese sounded more or less the same as the old name spoken in
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages in ...
.
After Taiwan was handed to the Republic of China, the name did not change, but the official romanization became Kaohsiung (), derived from the
Wade-Giles romanization of the
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
pronunciation for .
The name ''Takau'' remains the official name of the city in
Austronesian languages of Taiwan such as
Rukai, although these are not widely spoken in the city. The name also remains popular locally in the naming of businesses, associations, and events.
History
![Harbor Takao](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Harbor_Takao.jpg)
The written history of Kaohsiung can be traced back to the early 17th century, through archaeological studies have found signs of human activity in the region from as long as 7,000 years ago. Prior to the 17th century, the region was inhabited by the
Makatao people of the
Siraya tribe, who settled on what they named Takau Isle (translated to 打狗嶼 by Ming Chinese explorers); "Takau" meaning "bamboo forest" in the aboriginal language.
Early history
![Makatao](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Makatao.jpg)
The earliest evidence of human activity in the Kaohsiung area dates back to roughly 4,700–5,200 years ago. Most of the discovered remnants were located in the hills surrounding
Kaohsiung Harbor
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by t ...
. Artifacts were found at
Shoushan, Longquan Temple, Taoziyuan,
Zuoying, Houjing, Fudingjin and
Fengbitou. The prehistoric
Dapenkeng, Niuchouzi,
Dahu, and
Niaosong
Niaosong District () is a rural district of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
History
After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, Niaosong was organized as a rural township of Kaohsiung County. On 25 December 2010, Kaohs ...
civilizations were known to inhabit the region. Studies of the prehistoric ruins at Longquan Temple have shown that that civilization occurred at roughly the same times as the beginnings of the aboriginal
Makatao civilization, suggesting a possible origin for the latter. Unlike some other archaeological sites in the area, the Longquan Temple ruins are relatively well preserved. Prehistoric artifacts discovered have suggested that the ancient Kaohsiung Harbor was originally a lagoon, with early civilizations functioning primarily as
Hunter-gatherer
A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...
societies. Some agricultural tools have also been discovered, suggesting that some agricultural activity was also present. The pronunciation of Kaohsiung (Takao) in Japanese is similar to Takau (Takau), so the local flavor of Takao was renamed Kaohsiung.
The first Chinese records of the region were written in 1603 by
Chen Di
Chen Di / Chʻen Ti () (1541–1617), courtesy name: Jili (), was a Chinese philologist, strategist, and traveler of the Ming dynasty. A native of Lianjiang County, Fuzhou, Fujian, China, he was versed in both pen and sword. As a strategist, he s ...
, a member of
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
admiral Shen You-rong's expedition to rid the waters around Taiwan and
Penghu
The Penghu (, Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately west from the main island of Taiwan, covering an area ...
of pirates. In his report on the "Eastern Barbarian Lands" (Dong Fan Ji), Chen Di referred to a Ta-kau Isle:
Dutch Formosa
Taiwan became a
Dutch colony in 1624, after the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
was ejected from
Penghu
The Penghu (, Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, located approximately west from the main island of Taiwan, covering an area ...
by
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
forces. At the time, Takau was already one of the most important fishing ports in southern Taiwan. The Dutch named the place ''Tankoya'', and the harbor ''Tancoia''. The Dutch missionary
François Valentijn
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters"
* Francis II of France, King o ...
named Takau Mountain "Ape Berg", a name that would find its way onto European navigational charts well into the 18th century. ''Tankoia'' was located north of Ape's Hill and a few hours south from Tayouan (modern-day
Anping, Tainan
Anping District is a District (Taiwan), district of Tainan, Taiwan. In March 2012, it was named one of the ''Top 10 Small Tourist Towns'' by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan. It is home to 67,263 people.
Name
The older place name of Tayouan ...
) by sail. At the time, a wide shallow bay existed there, sufficient for small vessels. However, constant
silting
Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary or ...
changed the coastline.
During this time, Taiwan was divided into five administrative districts, with Takau belonging to the southernmost district. In 1630, the first large scale immigration of
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
to Taiwan began due to famine in
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
, with merchants and traders from China seeking to purchase hunting licenses from the Dutch or hide out in aboriginal villages to escape authorities in China.
Qing Dynasty
In 1684, the
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
annexed
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and renamed the town Fongshan County (), considering it a part of
Taiwan Prefecture
Taiwan Prefecture or Taiwanfu was a prefecture of Taiwan during the Qing dynasty. The prefecture was established by the Qing government in 1684, after the island came under Qing dynasty rule in 1683 following its conquest of the Kingdom of Tungnin ...
. It was first opened as a port during the 1680s and subsequently prospered fairly for generations.
Japanese rule
In 1895, Taiwan was ceded to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
as part of the
Treaty of Shimonoseki
The , also known as the Treaty of Maguan () in China and in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was a treaty signed at the , Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the Firs ...
. Administrative control of the city was moved from New Fongshan Castle to the Fongshan Sub-District of . In November 1901, twenty ''chō'' were established in total; was established nearby. In 1909, Hōzan Chō was abolished, and Takow was merged into Tainan Chō.
In 1920, during the tenure of 8th Governor-General
Den Kenjirō
Baron was a Japanese politician and cabinet minister in the pre-war government of the Empire of Japan. He was also the 8th Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan from October 1919 to September 1923, and the first civilian to hold that position. De ...
, districts were abolished in favor of prefectures. Thus the city was administered as under
Takao Prefecture
was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County.
Population
Administrative divisions
Cities and districts
In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), the ...
.
The Japanese developed Takao, especially the harbor that became the foundation of Kaohsiung to be a port city. Takao was then systematically modernized and connected to the end of
North-South Railway. Forming a north–south regional economic corridor from Taipei to Kaohsiung in the 1930s, Japan's Southward Policy set Kaohsiung to become an industrial center.
Kaohsiung Harbor
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by t ...
was also developed starting from 1894. The city center was relocated several times during the period due to the government's development strategy. Development was initially centered on ''Ki-au'' () region but the government began laying railways, upgrading the harbor, and passing new urban plans. New industries such as refinery, machinery, shipbuilding and cementing were also introduced.
Before and during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
it handled a growing share of Taiwan's agricultural exports to Japan, and was also a major base for Japan's campaigns in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Extremely ambitious plans for the construction of a massive modern port were drawn up. Toward the end of the war, the Japanese promoted some industrial development at Kaohsiung, establishing an aluminum industry based on the abundant
hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
produced by the
Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake (; Thao: ''Zintun'') is a lake in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan. It is the largest body of water in Taiwan. The area around the lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes of Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake surround ...
project in the mountains.
The city was heavily bombed by
Task Force 38
The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38 when assigned to Third Fleet, TF 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet), was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific War from January 1944 through the end of the war in August 1945. The tas ...
and
FEAF during World War II between 1944 and 1945.
Republic of China
After control of Taiwan was
handed over from Japan to the government of the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
on 25 October 1945, Kaohsiung City and
Kaohsiung County
Kaohsiung County was a county in southern Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was located in Fongshan City.
History
Kaohsiung County was established on 6 December 1945 on the territory of Takao Prefecture () shortly after the end of W ...
were established as a
provincial city and a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
of
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ, PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal Administrative divisions of Taiwan, administrative division of the Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constit ...
respectively on 25 December 1945. The official romanization of the name came to be "Kaohsiung", based on the
Wade–Giles
Wade–Giles () is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Francis Wade, during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert A. Giles's '' Chinese–English Dictionary'' of ...
romanization of the
Mandarin
Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to:
Language
* Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country
** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China
** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
reading of the
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
name. Kaohsiung City then consisted of 10
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, which were
Gushan,
Lianya (renamed "Lingya" in 1952),
Nanzih
Nanzih District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (also spelled Nanzi; ) is a district located in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. It was the northernmost district of Kaohsiung City until Kaohsiung County was merged into the municipa ...
,
Cianjin,
Cianjhen,
Cijin
Cijin District (; Hokkien POJ: ''Kî-tin-khu'') is a district of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, covering Cijin Island () and islands in the South China Sea. It is the second smallest district in Kaohsiung City after Yancheng District, with an area of ...
,
Sanmin
Sanmin District () is a district of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
During the Ming dynasty, the Wang, Tsai, and Cheng families built houses in the area to farm the land. The area was thus named ''Sankuaicu'' (). After the handover of Taiwan from ...
,
Sinsing,
Yancheng
Yancheng () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province of China, province, People's Republic of China. As the city with the largest jurisdictional area in Jiangsu, Yancheng borders Lianyungang to the north, Huai'an to the west, ...
, and
Zuoying.
During this time, Kaohsiung developed rapidly. The port, badly damaged in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, was restored. It also became a fishing port for boats sailing to Filipino and Indonesian waters. Largely because of its climate, Kaohsiung overtook
Keelung
Keelung () or Jilong () (; Hokkien POJ: '), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. The city is a part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with its neighbors, New Taipe ...
as Taiwan's major port. Kaohsiung also surpassed Tainan to become the second largest city of Taiwan in the late 1970s and Kaohsiung City was upgraded from a
provincial city to
special municipality Special municipality may refer to:
* Special municipality (Netherlands)
There are twelve provinces of the Netherlands (), representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local municipalities, with responsibility fo ...
on 1 July 1979, by the
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan () is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Its leader is the Premier, who is appointed by the President of the Republic of China, and requires confirmation by the Legislative Yuan.
...
with a total of 11 districts. The additional district is
Siaogang District
Siaogang District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is a district of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. Before the merging of Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in 2010, Siaogang was the southernmost district in Kaohsiung ...
, which was annexed from Siaogang Township of
Kaohsiung County
Kaohsiung County was a county in southern Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was located in Fongshan City.
History
Kaohsiung County was established on 6 December 1945 on the territory of Takao Prefecture () shortly after the end of W ...
.
The
Kaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung Incident, also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident, or the ''Formosa Magazine'' incident,tang was a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 10 December 1979 during Taiwan's ...
, where the government suppressed a commemoration of International
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year.
The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Right ...
, occurred on 10 December 1979. Since then, Kaohsiung gradually grew into a political center of the
Pan-Green
The pan-Green coalition, pan-Green force or pan-Green groups is a nationalist political coalition in Taiwan (Republic of China), consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP), Taiwan Solidarity Union (T ...
population of Taiwan, in opposition to
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
where the majority population is
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
supporters.
![Kaohsiung-Tainan before and after 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Kaohsiung-Tainan_before_and_after_2010.svg)
On 25 December 2010, Kaohsiung City merged with
Kaohsiung County
Kaohsiung County was a county in southern Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was located in Fongshan City.
History
Kaohsiung County was established on 6 December 1945 on the territory of Takao Prefecture () shortly after the end of W ...
to form a larger
special municipality Special municipality may refer to:
* Special municipality (Netherlands)
There are twelve provinces of the Netherlands (), representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local municipalities, with responsibility fo ...
with administrative centers in
Lingya District
Lingya District () is a district of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The 85 Sky Tower and the Kaohsiung City Hall are located here. Lingya District is the administrative center of Kaohsiung City along with Fongshan District. Its population is around 162,3 ...
and
Fongshan District
Fongshan District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is a district located in southern Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Fongshan is one of the administrative centers of Kaohsiung and is home to the Republic of China Military Academy. ...
.
On 31 July 2014, a series of
gas explosions
A gas explosion is an explosion resulting from mixing a gas, typically from a gas leak, with air in the presence of an ignition source. In household accidents, the principal explosive gases are those used for heating or cooking purposes such as na ...
occurred in the
Cianjhen and
Lingya District
Lingya District () is a district of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The 85 Sky Tower and the Kaohsiung City Hall are located here. Lingya District is the administrative center of Kaohsiung City along with Fongshan District. Its population is around 162,3 ...
s of the city, killing 31 and injuring more than 300. Five roads were destroyed in an area of nearly near the city center. It was the largest gas explosion in Taiwan's modern history.
Geography
![JadeMountainSouthernPeak](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/JadeMountainSouthernPeak.jpg)
The city sits on the southwestern coast of Taiwan facing the
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide.
The Taiwan Strait is itself a s ...
, bordering
Tainan City
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of hist ...
to the north,
Chiayi
Chiayi (, Taigi POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late Qing dynasty and ''Kagi'' during the Japanese era (), its historical name i ...
and
Nantou County
Nantou County (; Hokkien POJ: ''Lâm-tâu-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Nàm-thèu-yen'') is the second largest county of Taiwan by area, located in the central part of the country. It is also the only non-coastal county in Taiwan. Its name derives fro ...
to the northwest,
Taitung County
Taitung County (; Mandarin pinyin: ''Táidōng Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Tâi-tang-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Thòi-tûng-yen''; Paiwan: ''Valangaw'';lit:Eastern part of Taiwan) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island' ...
to its northeast and
Pingtung County
Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pin ...
to the south and southeast. The downtown areas are centered on Kaohsiung Harbor with
Cijin Island on the other side of the harbor acting as a natural
breakwater
Breakwater may refer to:
* Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour
Places
* Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
* Breakwater Island
Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...
. The
Love River
The Love River or Ai River () is a river (canal) in southern Taiwan. It originates in Renwu District, Kaohsiung City, and flows through Kaohsiung to Kaohsiung Harbor. Love River is the spine of Kaohsiung, playing a similar role to the River Thame ...
(Ai River) flows into the harbor through the Old City and downtown. Zuoying Military Harbor lies to the north of Kaohsiung Harbor and the city center. Kaohsiung's natural landmarks include
Ape Hill
Shoushan (, also commonly known in English as Monkey Mountain or Apes' Hill, in Japanese as Kotobuki-yama) is a mountain in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, north of the main entrance to Kaohsiung Harbor. It was named Ape Hill by the Dutch ...
and
Mount Banping
Mount Banping () is a mountain in Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Name
The name ''Banping'' means half screen, named so because of the mountain steep side resembles a painted screen.
History
During the Qing Dynasty rule of Taiwan, the mou ...
.
Climate
Located about a degree south of the
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...
, Kaohsiung has a
tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Aw''), with monthly mean temperatures between and relative humidity ranging between 71 and 81%.
Kaohsiung's warm climate is very much dictated by its low latitude and its exposure to warm sea temperatures year-round, with the
Kuroshio Current
The , also known as the Black or or the is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...
passing by the coast of southern Taiwan, and the
Central Mountain Range
The Central Mountain Range is the principal mountain range on the island of Taiwan. It runs from the north of the island to the south. Due to this separation, connecting between the west and east is not very convenient. The tallest peak of th ...
on the northeast blocking out the cool northeastern winds during the winter. The city, therefore, has a noticeably warmer climate than nearby cities located at similar latitudes such as Hong Kong,
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
as well as various cities further south in northern
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, such as
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
. Although the climate is classified as tropical, Kaohsiung has a defined cooler season unlike most other cities in Asia classified with this climate but located closer to the equator such as
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
or
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
. Daily maximum temperature typically exceeds during the warmer season (April to November) and during the cooler season (December to March), with the exception when cold fronts strikes during the winter months, when the daily mean temperature of the city can drop between 10 and 12 °C depending on the strength of the cold front. Also, besides the high temperatures occurring during the usual summer months, daytime temperatures of inland districts of the city can often exceed from mid-March to late April before the onset of the
monsoon season, with clear skies and southwesterly airflows. Average annual rainfall is around , focused primarily from June to August. At more than 2,210 hours of bright sunshine, the city is one of the sunniest areas in Taiwan.
[
The sea temperature of ]Kaohsiung Harbor
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by t ...
remains above year-round, the second highest of Southern Taiwan after Liuqiu Island
Liuqiu, also known by #Names, several other names, is a coral island in the Taiwan Strait about southwest of the main island of Taiwan. It has an area of and approximately 13,000 residents, the vast majority of whom share only 10 Chinese s ...
. According to recent records, the average temperature of the city has risen around 1 degree Celsius over the past three decades, from about in 1983 to around by 2012.
Cityscape
Demographics
As of December 2018, Kaohsiung city has a population of 2,773,533 people, making it the third-largest city after New Taipei
New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest s ...
and Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Taiw ...
, and a population density of 939.59 people per square kilometer. Within the city, Fongshan District
Fongshan District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is a district located in southern Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Fongshan is one of the administrative centers of Kaohsiung and is home to the Republic of China Military Academy. ...
is the most populated district with a population of 359,519 people, while Sinsing District
Sinsing District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is a downtown district of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
Name
Sinsing means ''new prosperity'' in Mandarin Chinese.
History
Sinsing used to be called Tāi-káng-po͘ () in ear ...
is the most densely populated district with a population density of 25,820 people per square kilometer.
Ethnic composition
Han Chinese
As in most Taiwanese cities or counties, the majority of the population are Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
. The Chinese are divided into 3 subgroups: Hoklo
The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such a ...
, Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
, and Waishengren
''Waishengren'' (), sometimes called mainlanders, are a group of migrants who arrived in Taiwan from mainland China between the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, and Kuomintang retreat and the end of the Chinese Civil War i ...
. The Hoklo and Waishengren mostly live in flatland townships and the city centre, while the majority of the Hakka population lives in the suburbs or rural townships of the northeastern hills.
Indigenous peoples
The indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of Kaohsiung, who belong to various ethnic groups that speak languages belonging to the Austronesian language family, live mostly in the mountain indigenous district such as Taoyuan or Namasia
Namasia District ( Kanakanavu language, Bunun language: ''Namasia''; ), formerly Sanmin Township (), is a mountain indigenous district located in the northeastern part of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second largest district in Kaohsiung after T ...
. The main indigenous groups in the city include the Bunun, Rukai, Saaroa and the Kanakanavu.
Other ethnicities
As of December 2010, Kaohsiung hosts around 21,000 foreign spouses. Around 12,353 are Mainland Chinese, 4,244 are Vietnamese, around 800 are Japanese and Indonesians, and around 4,000 are other Asians or foreigners from Europe or America.
As of April 2013, Kaohsiung hosts 35,074 foreign workers
Foreign workers or guest workers are people who work in a country other than one of which they are a citizen. Some foreign workers use a guest worker program in a country with more preferred job prospects than in their home country. Guest worker ...
who mainly work as factory workers or foreign maids (not including foreign specialists such as teachers and other professionals). About half of them are Indonesians
Indonesians (Indonesian: ''orang Indonesia'') are citizens or people originally from Indonesia, regardless of their ethnic or religious background. There are more than 1,300 ethnicities in Indonesia, making it a multicultural archipelagic coun ...
, with the other half being workers from other Southeast Asian
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
countries, mainly from Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
or Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
Economy
Kaohsiung is a major international port and industrial city in the southwest of Taiwan. As an exporting center, Kaohsiung serves the agricultural interior of southern Taiwan, as well as the mountains of the southeast. Major raw material
A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feedst ...
exports include rice, sugar, bananas, pineapple
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...
s, peanuts (groundnuts) and citrus fruit
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to So ...
s. The Linhai Industrial Park, on the waterfront, was completed in the mid-1970s and includes a steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...
, shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
, petrochemical
Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sou ...
complex, and other industries. The city has an oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...
, aluminum and cement works, fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
factories, sugar refineries, brick and tile works, canning factories, salt-manufacturing factories, and papermaking
Papermaking is the manufacture of paper and cardboard, which are used widely for printing, writing, and packaging, among many other purposes. Today almost all paper is made using industrial machinery, while handmade paper survives as a speciali ...
plants. Designated an export-processing zone in the late 1970s, Kaohsiung also attracted foreign investment to process locally purchased raw materials for export.
In 2020, Kaohsiung's land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...
project in the Port of Kaohsiung was completed, equivalent to 16 of Taipei's Dean Forest Parks.
The Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau plans to buy 49 hectares of the reclaimed land to establish a solar energy industrial district that would be in the harbor's free trade zone.
The gross domestic product (GDP) in nominal terms of Kaohsiung City is estimated to be around US$45 billion, and US$90 billion for the metropolitan region. , the GDP per capita in nominal terms was approximately US$24,000.
Despite early success and heavy governmental investment, the city suffers from the economic North–South divide in Taiwan
In Taiwan, the North–South divide () refers to the uneven distribution of resources in regard to political, wealth, medical, economic development, education and other aspects across the country over past decades that has drawn the social and c ...
, which continues to be the center of political debate. There has been public aims to shift the local economy towards tourism and cultural industries, with projects such as Pier-2 Art Center
The Pier-2 Art Center () is an art center in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The arts center was originally an abandoned warehouse site due to Kaohsiung's shift from industrial city to service city. The warehouses were built in 1 ...
, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, also known as Weiwuying, (), is located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan and has been acknowledged as the largest performance arts center under one roof in the world while owning the largest pipe org ...
and Kaohsiung Music Center
The Kaohsiung Music Center (KMC; ) is a music hall in Yancheng District and Lingya District in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
In 2009, the Executive Yuan recognized the need to establish a music center in Kaohsiung. The Council for Cultural Af ...
.
Agriculture
The main agricultural produce
Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables (grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fresh and g ...
in Kaohsiung are vegetables, fruits and rice with a total arable land
Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...
of 473 km2, which accounts to 16% of the total area of the municipality. Kaohsiung has the highest production of guava
Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...
, jujube
Jujube (), sometimes jujuba, known by the scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'' and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus ''Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae.
Description
It is a smal ...
and lychee
Lychee (US: ; UK: ; ''Litchi chinensis''; ) is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the Sapindus, soapberry family, ''Sapindaceae''.
It is a tropical tree native to Southeast and Southwest China (t ...
in Taiwan. The main animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
are chicken, dairy cattle
Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species ''Bos taurus''.
Historically, little distinction was mad ...
, deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
, duck, goose, pigs and sheep. The total annual agricultural outcome in Kaohsiung is NT$24.15 billion.
Future investment
Culture
Tourism
Main landmarks of Kaohsiung city include the 85 Sky Tower
85 Sky Tower, formerly known as the T & C Tower or Tuntex Sky Tower (), is an 85-story skyscraper in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is high. An antenna increases the pinnacle height to . Constructed from 1994 to 1997, it is th ...
, the Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
of the Kaohsiung Dream Mall
Dream Mall (), located in Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is the largest shopping mall in Taiwan and the 15th largest in East Asia (formerly the largest). It is built and operated by Tungcheng Development Corporation (), a subsidiary of U ...
, the Kaohsiung Arena
The Kaohsiung Arena () is an indoor sporting arena located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is used to host indoor sporting events. It was used as a host to some of the indoor sporting events during the 2009 World Games.
Name
Loca ...
and Port of Kaohsiung
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by t ...
. The newly developed city is also known for having a large number of shopping streets, organized night markets and newly developed leisure parks such as the Pier-2 Art Center
The Pier-2 Art Center () is an art center in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The arts center was originally an abandoned warehouse site due to Kaohsiung's shift from industrial city to service city. The warehouses were built in 1 ...
, E-DA Theme Park, Metropolitan Park
Metropolitan Park is a urban waterfront park and concert venue located on the north bank of the St. Johns River in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida. It is projected to be the eastern terminus of the northbank Jacksonville Riverwalk.
Facility
...
, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA; ) is located in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was founded by the Kaohsiung City Government and has been administrated by the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs since 2003. It occupies about a ...
and Taroko Park
The SKM Park is an amusement park and outlet in Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is owned by Shin Kong Mitsukoshi. SKM Park is positioned as an "international lifestyle complex" with restaurants, lifestyle theme stores, and entertain ...
.
Natural attractions of the city include Shoushan (Monkey mountain), the Love River
The Love River or Ai River () is a river (canal) in southern Taiwan. It originates in Renwu District, Kaohsiung City, and flows through Kaohsiung to Kaohsiung Harbor. Love River is the spine of Kaohsiung, playing a similar role to the River Thame ...
, Cijin Island, Sizihwan
Sizihwan () is a community and sightseeing spot in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, named for the adjacent bay of the Taiwan Strait, also called Sizihwan.
Names
The name ''Sizih'' () can also refer to Xi Shi, an alternative name used by the ...
, the Dapingding Tropical Botanical Garden and Yushan National Park
Yushan National Park () is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan and was named after the summit Yushan, the highest peak of the park.[Old City of Zuoying
The Old City of Zuoying (), also known as the Old City of Fongshan County (), is a walled city located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was built during the Qing rule period and is one of the first Taiwanese cities fortified by a de ...](_blank)
, a historical town built during the early 17th century, the Former British Consulate at Takao
The British Consulate at Takao (or Ta-kau; ) is a former British consulate built in 1865 in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It has been designated a historic site by the Ministry of Culture.
It lies on the peak of Shaochuantou (哨船頭) ...
built during the late 19th century, and various sugar and crop factories built under Japanese rule.
Natural attractions
Kaohsiung city includes a wide range of different natural attractions due to its large size and geographical variation, as it is bordered by the Central Mountain Range
The Central Mountain Range is the principal mountain range on the island of Taiwan. It runs from the north of the island to the south. Due to this separation, connecting between the west and east is not very convenient. The tallest peak of th ...
in the northeast and the warm South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
to the west and southwest. The year-round warm climate allows coral reefs
A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of Colony (biology), colonies of coral polyp (zoology), polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, wh ...
to grow along the coasts around Kaohsiung Harbor
The Port of Kaohsiung (POK; ) is the largest harbor in Taiwan, handling approximately 10.26 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) worth of cargo in 2015. The port is located in southern Taiwan, adjacent to Kaohsiung City, and surrounded by t ...
, with Shoushan Mountain being a small mountain completely made up of coral reefs and calcium carbonate, while the mountainous districts in the northeast include Taiwan's highest mountain, Yushan. Other notable natural attractions include the Mount Banping
Mount Banping () is a mountain in Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Name
The name ''Banping'' means half screen, named so because of the mountain steep side resembles a painted screen.
History
During the Qing Dynasty rule of Taiwan, the mou ...
, Lotus Pond
Lotus Pond is a small water body Inside MLA Colony, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, India. The pond is surrounded by lush green flora and a 1.2 kilometer path.
Lotus Pond is home to more than 20 species of birds. A few of them are pied kingfisher, ...
, and Dongsha Atoll National Park, which is currently inaccessible by the public due to military occupation.
Historical sites
A large number of historical sites and monuments were left in the city after the colonization of the Dutch in the 17th century, the Qing dynasty during the 18th and 19th century and the Japanese empire from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century. The city government has protected various sites and monuments from further damage and many have been opened to the public since the early 1980s. Notable historical sites include the Cemetery of Zhenghaijun, Fengshan Longshan Temple
The Fengshan Longshan Temple () is a Chinese temple in Fongshan District, Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The temple is predicted to be constructed in the early years of Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty. It is the second oldest am ...
, Former British Consulate at Takao
The British Consulate at Takao (or Ta-kau; ) is a former British consulate built in 1865 in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It has been designated a historic site by the Ministry of Culture.
It lies on the peak of Shaochuantou (哨船頭) ...
, Former Dinglinzihbian Police Station
The Former Dinglinzihbian Police Station () is a historical building in Linyuan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The police station building was originally built in February 1898 as Yuan Dinglinzibian Police Station at Fusing Street. Soon, ...
, Meinong Cultural and Creative Center
The Meinong Cultural and Creative Center () is a multi-purpose park in Meinong District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in ...
, Former Sanhe Bank
The Former Sanhe Bank () is a historical bank building in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The bank building was the branch of Sanjushi-Ginko Bank set up in 1921. In 1933, the bank was changed to Sanwa Bank after series of merging neg ...
, and the Kaohsiung Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses of the city.
Museums
Kaohsiung is home to many museums, including the Chung Li-he Museum, Cijin Shell Museum
The Cijin Shell Museum () is a museum in Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The original Cijin Shell Museum opened on September 11, 2000, on the second floor of the Cijin Seaside Park administration building. After the original museum b ...
, Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (), formerly known as the Buddha Memorial Center, is a Mahāyāna Buddhist cultural, religious, and educational museum located in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The museum is affiliated with Fo Guang Shan ...
, Jiasian Petrified Fossil Museum
The Jiasian Petrified Fossil Museum () is a museum in He'an Village, Jiasian District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in February 1991. It was built by Jiasian Township Government.
Architecture
The museum was built near ...
, Kaohsiung Astronomical Museum
The Kaohsiung Astronomical Museum () is an astronomical museum in Siaogang District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in 2000.
Features
The museum has a 2-meter-diameter constellation map, which is the largest ever created ...
, Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum
The Kaohsiung Hakka Cultural Museum () is a cultural museum in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
In 1995, Kaohsiung Mayor Wu Den-yih proposed the construction of the museum to preserve the Hakka culture. The construction of museum bu ...
, Kaohsiung Harbor Museum, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA; ) is located in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was founded by the Kaohsiung City Government and has been administrated by the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs since 2003. It occupies about a ...
, Kaohsiung Museum of History
The Kaohsiung Museum of History () is a museum located in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is administered by the Kaohsiung City Government.
History
The building of the museum was originally the Kaohsiung City Hall. It was designed by ...
, Kaohsiung Museum of Labor
The Kaohsiung Museum of Labor () is a museum about labor in Cianjin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum was originally officially opened in conjunction with the International Workers' Day on 1 May 2010 in Pier-2 Art Center. Howeve ...
, Kaohsiung Vision Museum
The Kaohsiung Vision Museum () is a museum in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum building was constructed in 1941 in the Imperial Crown Style by Shimizu Corporation and served as the Kaohsiung Main Station building until ...
, Meinong Hakka Culture Museum
The Meinong Hakka Culture Museum () is a cultural museum in Meinong District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
During the opening ceremony speech on 28 April 2001, President Chen Shui-bian emphasized the effort by the central government to preserve H ...
, National Science and Technology Museum
The National Science and Technology Museum (NSTM; ) is a museum of applied science and technology in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in November 1997.
Architecture
The museum covers an area of 19 hectares ...
, Republic of China Air Force Museum
The Republic of China Air Force Museum () is an air force open-air museum in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum building was completed on 14 August 1987 to accommodate the Republic of China Air Force Academy campus plannin ...
, Soya-Mixed Meat Museum
The Soya-Mixed Meat Museum () is a food museum in Benjhou Industrial Park, Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Exhibitions
The museum offers detailed information to the history and culture of marinated food, sea food and agriculture produces ...
, Taiwan Pineapple Museum
The Taiwan Pineapple Museum () is a museum of pineapple in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum is housed in a refurbished factory constructed in 1925 called Jioucyutang Taifang Company, a factory that canned pineapples produc ...
, Taiwan Sugar Museum, Takao Railway Museum
The Takao Railway Museum () is a museum in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum was formerly the Kaohsiung Harbor Station, built during the Japanese period. Then called the , the station was the first railway station in Ka ...
, Xiaolin Pingpu Cultural Museum
The Xiaolin Pingpu Cultural Museum () is a museum in Jiaxian District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The museum was officially opened in 1996. In August 2009, it was destroyed by Typhoon Morakot. It was then rebuilt afterwards with a cost of NT$2 ...
and YM Museum of Marine Exploration Kaohsiung
The YM Museum of Marine Exploration Kaohsiung (MOME; ) is a museum about marine exploration in Cijin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
After its rental tenure was approved by the Marine Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government on 18 January ...
.
Parks and zoos
As the largest municipality in Taiwan, Kaohsiung has a number of newly built leisure areas and parks. Notable parks or pavilions in the city include the Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
, Siaogangshan Skywalk Park, Fo Guang Shan Monastery
Fo Guang Shan Monastery ( is a Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist monastery in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan international organization and the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan.
History
In 1967, Hs ...
, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas () is a temple located at Lotus Lake in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The temple was built in 1976. One of the towers is the ''Tiger'' Tower, the other one being the ''Dragon'' tower.
Both towers are seven ...
, Spring and Autumn Pavilions
The Spring and Autumn Pavilions () are a Taoist temple complex located on Lotus Lake in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Like the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, the temple is special and unique. It was built in 1953 by Chi Ming palace, were tw ...
, the Love Pier, Singuang Ferry Wharf
The Singuang Ferry Wharf () is a wharf in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the 22nd pier of Port of Kaohsiung.
Architecture
The wharf features the Seaboard Park and Shinkong Avenue. It has a ring-shaped walkway that provides a great vi ...
and Kaohsiung Fisherman's Wharf
The Kaohsiung Fisherman's Wharf (also Fishermen's Wharf, ) was a wharf in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Today it is Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 (KW2), a multi-functional space combining cultural creative industries, exhibitions and dini ...
. Notable zoo in the city includes the Kaohsiung City Shousan Zoo.
Other
Kaohsiung is home to many night markets, such as Jin-Zuan Night Market
The Jin-Zuan Night Market () is a night market in Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Together with the adjacent Kaisyuan Night Market, they form the largest night market in Taiwan.
History
The night market was opened in July 2013.
Feature ...
, Liuhe Night Market
The Liuhe Night Market () is a tourist night market in Sinsing District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is one of the most popular markets in Taiwan where seafood, handicrafts, clothing, knives, cameras and live animals are sold.
History
In the 1950s, t ...
Ruifeng Night Market
Ruifeng Night Market () is in the Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, located between the Yucheng and Nanping Road (close to the Kaohsiung Municipal Sanmin Home Economics and Commerce Vocational High School), and is nowadays considered to be ...
and Zhonghua Street Night Market, and the Kaisyuan Night Market
The Kaisyuan Night Market () is a night market in Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Together with the adjacent Jin-Zuan Night Market, they form the largest night market in Taiwan.
History
The night market was opened on 29 July 2013.
Arch ...
. Other attractions include the Cijin Tianhou Temple, Dome of Light of Kaohsiung MRT's Formosa Boulevard Station, the Kaohsiung Mosque
The Kaohsiung Mosque () is a mosque in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second mosque to be built in Taiwan after Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei.
History
First building
Kaohsiung Mosque was built in 1949 in Taiwan by Muslim nation ...
and the Tower of Light
The Tower of Light () is a former transmission tower in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The tower was originally used by Taipower as high voltage transmission tower. With the construction of underground power cable, the tower was ...
of Sanmin District
Sanmin District () is a district of Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
During the Ming dynasty, the Wang, Tsai, and Cheng families built houses in the area to farm the land. The area was thus named ''Sankuaicu'' (). After the handover of Taiwan fro ...
.
Traditional "wet" markets have long been the source of meat, fish, and produce for many residents. With the arrival of Western-style supermarkets
A supermarket is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more limit ...
in the 1980s and 1990s, such markets have encountered fierce competition. In 1989, the global leader in hypermarkets, Carrefour
Carrefour () is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, France. The eighth-largest retailer in the world by revenue, it operates a chain of hypermarkets, groceries stores and convenience stores, which ...
, entered Asia, opening its first store in Kaohsiung. Due to the success of its Taiwan operation, the French retailer expanded throughout the country and Asia. Jean-Luc Chéreau, the general manager in Taiwan from 1993 to 1999, used this newfound understanding of Chinese culture and ways of doing business with Chinese customers to lead its China expansion starting in 1999. As of February 2020, Carrefour has opened 137 hypermarkets and supermarkets in Taiwan. Despite the fierce competition from "Westernized" supermarkets, Taiwan's traditional markets and mom-and-pop stores remain "one of the most popular retail formats for many Asian families when they purchase daily food items and basic household goods."
Coffee cafes have become famous and numerous in the city. With the arrival of Western-style chains many new local cafes have opened in the recent years.
Languages
The majority of those living in Kaohsiung can communicate in both Taiwanese Hokkien
Taiwanese Hokkien () (; Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-uân-uē''), also known as Taigi/Taigu (; Pe̍h-ōe-jī/Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-gí / Tâi-gú''), Taiwanese, Taiwanese Minnan, Hoklo and Holo, is a variety of the Hokkien language spoken natively by about 70% ...
and Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese ()—in linguistics Standard Northern Mandarin or Standard Beijing Mandarin, in common speech simply Mandarin, better qualified as Standard Mandarin, Modern Standard Mandarin or Standard Mandarin Chinese—is a modern Standar ...
. Some of the elderly who grew up during the Japanese colonization of Taiwan can communicate in Japanese, while most of the younger population has basic English skills.
Since the spread of Standard Chinese after the Nationalist Government retreated to Taiwan in 1949, Hakka Chinese
Hakka (, , ) forms a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people throughout Southern China and Taiwan and throughout the diaspora areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia and in overseas Chinese communities around th ...
and various Formosan languages
The Formosan languages are a geographic grouping comprising the languages of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, all of which are Austronesian. They do not form a single subfamily of Austronesian but rather nine separate subfamilies. The Taiwa ...
are gradually no longer spoken with the new generation and many Formosan languages are therefore classified as moribund
Moribund refers to a literal or figurative state near death.
Moribund may refer to:
* ''Moribund'' (album), a 2006 album by the Norwegian black metal band Koldbrann
* " Le Moribond", a song by Jacques Brel known in English as "Seasons in the Sun ...
or endangered languages
An endangered language or moribund language is a language that is at risk of disappearing as its speakers die out or shift to speaking other languages. Language loss occurs when the language has no more native speakers and becomes a "dead langu ...
by the United Nations. Nowadays, only elder Hakka people mostly living in Meinong, Liouguei, Shanlin and Jiasian districts can communicate in Hakka and elder Taiwanese aborigines living mostly in the rural districts of Namasia
Namasia District ( Kanakanavu language, Bunun language: ''Namasia''; ), formerly Sanmin Township (), is a mountain indigenous district located in the northeastern part of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second largest district in Kaohsiung after T ...
and Taoyuan can communicate with the aboriginal languages. The Taiwanese government has established special affairs committees for both the Aboriginals and the Hakkas to protect their language, culture, and minority rights.
Arts
Kaohsiung has rich resources of ocean, mountains and forests which shape a unique and active multi-faceted art and cultural aesthetic in public infrastructure and transport, public art
Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...
, and city architecture, from MRT stations and city space to art galleries. The "Dome light" in the concourse of Formosa Boulevard Station
Formosa Boulevard () is a station of Kaohsiung Metro located in Sinsing District, Kaohsiung. It is currently the sole interchange station between metro lines in Kaohsiung.
Formosa Boulevard station is named after the Formosa Boulevard project, ...
of Kaohsiung MRT
Kaohsiung Metro () is a rapid transit and light rail system covering the metropolitan area of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Its rapid transit network is known as Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit or Kaohsiung MRT. Construction of the MRT started in October 200 ...
is one of the world's largest public glass works
Glass production involves two main methods – the float glass process that produces sheet glass, and glassblowing that produces bottles and other containers. It has been done in a variety of ways during the history of glass.
Glass container ...
of art. The city also has the Urban Spotlight Arcade
The Urban Spotlight Arcade () is located at Central Park, Cianjin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It spans from the roundabout of Wu-Fu 3rd Road and Chung-Hua Road to the intersection of Wu-Fu 3rd Road and Chung-Shan road. It is famous for its ligh ...
spanning along the street in Cianjin District
Cianjin District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is an urban district of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. It is the third smallest district in Kaohsiung City, with a land area of 1.8573 square kilometers, or 0.7171 square miles. ...
. In October 2018, Weiwuying (the National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts), designed by Mecanoo
Mecanoo is an architecture firm based in Delft, Netherlands. Mecanoo was founded in 1984 by Francine Houben, Henk Döll, Roelf Steenhuis, Erick van Egeraat and Chris de Weijer.
Foundation
Houben, Döll and Steenhuis won a competition to desig ...
, opened.
Religion
The religious population of Kaohsiung is mainly divided into five main religious groups: Buddhists
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, Taoists
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao ...
, Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
and Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
(Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
). , Kaohsiung City has 1,481 temples, the second highest in Taiwan after Tainan. Kaohsiung also has 306 churches.
Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the major religions in Taiwan, with over 35% of Taiwan's population identifying as Buddhists. The same applies to Kaohsiung city. Kaohsiung also hosts the largest Buddhist temple in Taiwan, the Fo Guang Shan Monastery
Fo Guang Shan Monastery ( is a Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist monastery in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan international organization and the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan.
History
In 1967, Hs ...
with its Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum (), formerly known as the Buddha Memorial Center, is a Mahāyāna Buddhist cultural, religious, and educational museum located in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The museum is affiliated with Fo Guang Shan ...
. There are also other famous Buddhist temples such as Fengshan Longshan Temple
The Fengshan Longshan Temple () is a Chinese temple in Fongshan District, Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The temple is predicted to be constructed in the early years of Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty. It is the second oldest am ...
and Hong Fa Temple.
Taoism
Around 33% of the Taiwanese population are Taoists, making it the second largest religion of Taiwan. Most people who believe in Taoism also ascribe to Buddhism at the same time, as the differences and boundaries between the two religions are not always clear. Many residents of the area also worship the sea goddess known as Tian Shang Sheng Mu () or Mazu, who is variously syncretized as a Taoist immortal or embodiment of the bodhisattva Guanyin. Her temple on Cijin Island, Chi Jin Mazu Temple, is the oldest in the city, with its original bamboo-and-thatch structure first opened in 1673. The area surrounding it formed the center of the city's early settlement.[. & ] There are also other prominent Taoist temples such as Fengshan Tiangong Temple, dedicated to the Jade Emperor, Cih Ji Palace, dedicated to Baosheng Dadi, Bao Sheng Da Di, Zhouzi Qingshui Temple, Qing Shui Temple, dedicated to Qingshui (monk), Qing Shui Zu Shi and Gushan Daitian Temple dedicated to Wang Ye worship.
Christianity
Christianity is a minority religion in Taiwan. It was first brought onto the island when the Dutch and Spanish colonized Taiwan during the 17th century, mostly to the aboriginals. Kaohsiung currently hosts around 56,000 Christians.
Islam
Besides the majority population of Buddhists and Taoists, Kaohsiung also includes a rather tiny population of Muslims. During the Chinese Civil War, some 20,000 Muslims, mostly soldiers and civil servants, fled mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
with the Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
government to Taiwan. During the 1980s, another few thousand Muslims from Myanmar and Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, whom are mostly descendants of Nationalist Chinese, Nationalist soldiers who fled Yunnan as a result of the communist takeover, migrated to Taiwan in search of a better life, resulting in an increase of Muslim population within the country. More recently, with the rise of Indonesian workers working in Taiwan, an estimated number of 88,000 Indonesian Muslims currently live in the country, in addition to the existing 53,000 Taiwanese Muslims. Combining all demographics, Taiwan hosts around 140,000 Muslims, with around 25,000 living in Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung Mosque
The Kaohsiung Mosque () is a mosque in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second mosque to be built in Taiwan after Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei.
History
First building
Kaohsiung Mosque was built in 1949 in Taiwan by Muslim nation ...
is the largest mosque in Kaohsiung and the main gathering site of Muslims within the city.
Fo Guang Shan.jpg, Foguangshan Temple
旗後天后宮.jpg, Cijing Tianhou Temple
玫瑰聖母主教座堂.JPG, Holy Rosary Cathedral, Kaohsiung, Holy Rosary Cathedral
Kaohsiung Mosque.JPG, Kaohsiung Mosque
The Kaohsiung Mosque () is a mosque in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the second mosque to be built in Taiwan after Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei.
History
First building
Kaohsiung Mosque was built in 1949 in Taiwan by Muslim nation ...
Politics
Government
Sometimes Kaohsiung used to be seen as the political opposite of Taipei. While northern Taiwan leans towards the Pan-Blue Coalition in the state-level elections, southern Taiwan, including Kaohsiung, leaned towards the Pan-Green Coalition since the late 1990s. Frank Hsieh of the Democratic Progressive Party was reelected twice as Mayor of Kaohsiung, where he was widely credited for transforming the city from an industrial sprawl into an attractive modern metropolis. Hsieh resigned from the office of mayor to take up the office of Premier of the Republic of China in 2005. The 2005–06 Taiwanese local elections, municipal election, held on 9 December 2006, resulted in a victory for the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate Chen Chu, the first elected female mayor of Special municipality of Taiwan, special municipality in Taiwan, defeating her Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
rival and former deputy mayor, Huang Chun-ying. As of 12 June 2020, the mayor of Kaohsiung City is Chen Chi-mai.
File:Kaohsiung City Hall (Dec 2010).JPG, alt=Kaohsiung City Hall, Kaohsiung City Government – Sihwei Administration Center
File:Fongshan Administration Center, Kaohsiung City Government 20140720.jpg, alt=Kaohsiung City Hall, Kaohsiung City Government – Fongshan Administration Center
File:Hall of Kaohsiung City Council.JPG, alt=Kaohsiung City Council, Kaohsiung City Council
File:高雄地方法院.JPG, alt=Kaohsiung District Court, Kaohsiung District Courts (Republic of China), District Court
Subdivisions
Kaohsiung is divided into 38 districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, three of which are mountain indigenous districts. There are a total of 651 Village (Taiwan), villages in which each village is subdivided into neighborhoods (鄰). There are 18,584 neighborhoods in Kaohsiung City. Lingya District, Lingya and Fongshan District, Fongshan districts are the administrative centers of the city while Lingya and Sinsing Districts are the two most densely populated districts of the city. Kaohsiung has the most numbers of districts among other Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipalities in Taiwan.
:Note: There are several Romanization of Chinese in Taiwan, romanization systems used in Taiwan. This table contains both Hanyu Pinyin (the official standard of the Government of the Republic of China, central government), and Tongyong Pinyin (the official standard of the Kaohsiung City Government). The major order of districts referred to the code of administrative area.
Notable people
* Eddy Chen (1993–), Taiwanese-Australian violinist and Member of TwoSet Violin
* Wu Kuo-chu (1970–2006), Taiwanese choreographer
* Brett Yang (1992–), Taiwanese-Australian violinist and Member of TwoSet Violin
Transportation
Port of Kaohsiung
A major port, through which pass most of Taiwan's marine imports and exports, is located in the city but is not managed by the city government. Instead, it is administrated by Kaohsiung Port Authority, under the Ministry of Transportation. There is a push for Kaohsiung City to annex the Port of Kaohsiung to facilitate better regional planning.
Also known as the "Harbour Capital" of Taiwan, Kaohsiung has always had a strong link with the ocean and maritime transportation. Ferries play a key role in everyday transportation, especially for transportation across the harbor. With five terminals and 23 berths, the ''Port of Kaohsiung'' is Taiwan's largest container port and the 13th largest in the world. In 2007 the port reached its handling capacity with a record trade volume of . A new container terminal is under construction, increasing future handling capacity by by 2013.
Kaohsiung is one of the biggest ports in the world for importing Shark finning, shark fins, sold at high prices in the restaurants and shops of Taiwan and China. They are brought in from overseas and are placed out to dry in the sun on residential rooftops near the port.
Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung City is also home to Taiwan's second-largest international airport, the Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport () is a medium-sized civil airport in Siaogang District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, also known as Siaogang Airport (). With nearly seven million passengers in 2018, it is the second busiest airport in Taiwan, after T ...
, located in Siaogang District
Siaogang District, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency () is a district of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. Before the merging of Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in 2010, Siaogang was the southernmost district in Kaohsiung ...
near the city's center. It is one of the three major international airports of Taiwan, serving passengers of the entire southern and southeastern part of the country. However, the size of the airport is relatively small, with short runways compared to other major airports of Taiwan due to its age and its location near the city center, making it impossible for large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 to land at the airport. As a result, plans for runway expansion or building a new airport in replacement have been proposed.
Rapid transit
Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit opened for service in March 2008. The MRT is made up of two lines with 37 stations covering a distance of .
Two of Kaohsiung's MRT stations, Formosa Boulevard Station
Formosa Boulevard () is a station of Kaohsiung Metro located in Sinsing District, Kaohsiung. It is currently the sole interchange station between metro lines in Kaohsiung.
Formosa Boulevard station is named after the Formosa Boulevard project, ...
and Central Park metro station (Taiwan), Central Park Station, were ranked among the top 50 most beautiful subway systems in the world by Metrobits.org in 2011. In 2012, the two stations respectively are ranked as the 2nd and the 4th among the top 15 most beautiful subway stops in the world by BootsnAll.
Circular Light Rail
The Circular Line (KMRT), Circular Light Rail Line (also known as the Kaohsiung LRT, Kaohsiung Tram) for Kaohsiung City is a light rail line. Construction of Phase 1, known as the Waterside Light Rail began in June 2013 and is in full operation since September 2017. To combat air pollution, usage of the light rail, was well as buses, was made free of charge for electronic ticket holders from December to February, when air pollution is at its peak.
Railway
The city is served by the Taiwan Railways Administration's West Coast line (Taiwan), Western Line and Pingtung Line. Kaohsiung Main Station is an underground station, replacing the old ground level station. Taiwan High Speed Rail also serves Kaohsiung City at Zuoying HSR station, Zuoying Station in northern Kaohsiung City.
Sports
Kaohsiung is home to Taiwan's largest international-class stadium, the National Stadium (Kaohsiung), National Stadium, with a maximum capacity of 55,000 seats, as well as Kaohsiung Arena
The Kaohsiung Arena () is an indoor sporting arena located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is used to host indoor sporting events. It was used as a host to some of the indoor sporting events during the 2009 World Games.
Name
Loca ...
.
Kaohsiung hosted the 2009 World Games at the National Stadium. Nearly 6,000 athletes, officials, coaches, referees and others from 103 countries participated in the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games.
Kaohsiung was also home to the Kaohsiung Truth of the ASEAN Basketball League. They were the first team in the history of the league that was based outside Southeast Asia. The team folded in 2017.
Other recent major sporting events held by Kaohsiung include:
* 2001 Asian Cycling Championships
* 2005 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
* 2011 AFC President's Cup
* 2013 World Modern Pentathlon Championships
* 2016 Asian Men's U20 Volleyball Championship
* WTA Taiwan Open (2016)
* 2019 U-19 Asia Rugby Championship
Education
Kaohsiung has a number of colleges and junior colleges offering training in commerce, education, maritime technology, medicine, modern languages, nursing, and technology, as well as various international schools and eight national military schools, including the three major military academies of the country, the Republic of China Military Academy, Republic of China Naval Academy and Republic of China Air Force Academy.
Universities
* I-Shou University
* Kaohsiung Medical University
* National Kaohsiung Normal University
* National Sun Yat-sen University
* National University of Kaohsiung
Technical and vocational universities
* Cheng Shiu University
* Fooyin University
* National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism
* National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology
* Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
High schools and junior high schools
* The Affiliated Hospitality Senior High School of National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism
* The Affiliated Senior High School of National Kaohsiung Normal University
* Cheng Yi Senior High School
* Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School
* Chung Shan Industrial & Commercial School
* Chung-Hwa School of Arts
* FUHWA Senior High School
* Guoguang Laboratory School, National Sun Yat-sen University
* Kao-Feng Vocational High School
* Kaohsiung Dah Yung Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Chung-Cheng Industrial High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Chungshan Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Cianjhen Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Fu Cheng High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Gushan Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Haiching Vocational High School of Technology and Commerce
* Kaohsiung Municipal Jhong-Jheng Senior High School, Kaohsiung Municipal Jhongjheng Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Girls' Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Industrial High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Vocational High School of Commerce
* Kaohsiung Municipal Lujhu Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Nanzih Comprehensive Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Renwu Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Rueisiang High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Sanmin Home Economics & Commerce Vocational High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Sanmin Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Sinsing Senior High School
* Kaohsiung Municipal Tsoying Senior High School
* Kaohsiung MunicipalHsin Chuang Senior High School
* Lichih Senior High School
* National FengHsin Senior High School, National Feng-Hsin Senior High School
* National Fengshan Senior High School, National Feng-Shan Senior High School
* National FongShan Senior Commercial & Industrial Vocational School
* National Kangshan Agricultural & Industrial Vocational Senior High School
* National Kangshan Senior High School
* Saint Dominic's Catholic High School
* Sansin High School of Commerce And Home Economics Kaohsiung
* Shu-Te Home economics&Commercial High School
* Sin-Guang Senior High School
* Taiwan Kaohsiung St. Paul's High School
International schools
* Dominican International School Kaohsiung
* I-Shou International School
* Kaohsiung American School
* Kivam Junior High School
* Morrison Academy Kaohsiung
Military schools
*
* Republic of China Air Force Academy
*
*
*
* Republic of China Military Academy
* Republic of China Naval Academy
(Note: The lists above are not comprehensive.)
Conferences and events
The Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, built by the Kaohsiung City Government, was opened on 14 April 2014. It includes an exhibition space for 1,500 booths, and a convention hall for 2,000 people.
The center hosted the Taiwan International Boat Show in May 2014. Another conference and event-related venue is the newly renovated International Convention Center Kaohsiung in 2013.
Sister cities and twin towns
Kaohsiung is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with the following locations.
* Barranquilla, Colombia
* Belize City, Belize
* Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
* Blantyre, Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
* Busan, South Korea
* Cartago, Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
* Cebu City, Cebu, Central Visayas, Philippines
* Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
* Da Nang, Vietnam
* Dipolog, Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines
* Durban, South Africa
* Erzgebirgskreis, Saxony, Germany
* George Town, Penang, Malaysia
* Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan
* Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
* Istanbul, Turkey
* Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
* Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan
* Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
* Macon, Georgia, United States
* Malé, Maldives
* Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
* Miami, Florida, United States
* Mobile, Alabama, United States
* Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
* Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
* Panama City, Panama
* Pensacola, Florida, United States
* Plains, Georgia, United States
* Portland, Oregon, United States
* Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
* Saint Petersburg, Russia
* San Antonio, Texas, United States
* San Diego, California, United States
* Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States
* Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
* Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
* Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
See also
* Administrative divisions of Taiwan
* List of cities in Taiwan
Explanatory notes
Words in native languages
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Kaohsiung,
1620s establishments in the Dutch Empire
1662 establishments in Asia
Municipalities of Taiwan
Populated coastal places in Taiwan
Populated places established by the Dutch East India Company
Populated places established in 1662
Port cities and towns in Taiwan