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 ...
: ;
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'' o ...
: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;''
Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally writte ...
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.
:* ...
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 befo ...
. 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 Leicestershire ...
, 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 W ...
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 ...
Hoklo 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 ...
, 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.
Bi ...
, 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 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 ...
.
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 ...
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
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
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 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 imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
admiral Shen You-rong's expedition to rid the waters around Taiwan and Penghu of pirates. In his report on the "Eastern Barbarian Lands" (Dong Fan Ji), Chen Di referred to a Ta-kau Isle:
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 ...
Ming
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...
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 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 derives from the ...
) 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 distinctiv ...
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 cap ...
, 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-spea ...
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.
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 opposing ...
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 an ...
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 surrou ...
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.
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 (; PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal administrative division of the Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but the province is no lo ...
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'' o ...
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, 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 ...
Yancheng
Yancheng () is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu 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, Yangzhou and Taiz ...
, 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 opposing ...
, was restored. It also became a fishing port for boats sailing to Filipino and Indonesian waters. Largely because of its climate, Kaohsiung overtook Keelung 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 on 1 July 1979, by the Executive 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.
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 ( ...
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 ...
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.
On 25 December 2010, Kaohsiung City merged with Kaohsiung County to form a larger special municipality 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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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
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 ...
, 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 his ...
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 ...
and Nantou County to the northwest, Taitung County to its northeast and Pingtung County 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 Tham ...
(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 mo ...
.
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 tow ...
, 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, bor ...
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 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 special municipality by area, b ...
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 Ta ...
, 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 distinctiv ...
. The Chinese are divided into 3 subgroups: Hoklo,
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. 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 ...
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 worke ...
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, with the other half being workers from other Southeast Asian 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 b ...
.
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 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 ...
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 so ...
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 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 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 th ...
of 473 km2, which accounts to 16% of the total area of the municipality. Kaohsiung has the highest production of guava,
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 and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the soapberry family, ''Sapindaceae''.
It is a tropical tree native to Southeast and Southwest China (the Guangdong, Fujian, Yun ...
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 ...
,
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 re ...
, 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, capsule ...
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 ...
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
...
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 Tham ...
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 ...
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, 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 Phi ...
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 colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.
Co ...
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 mo ...
,
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,
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 ...
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 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 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 ...
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 ...
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 and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
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, H ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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, whic ...
, 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 ...
and Standard Chinese. 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 aroun ...
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 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 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 physically acce ...
, and city architecture, from MRT stations and city space to art galleries. The "Dome light" in the concourse of Formosa Boulevard Station 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,
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 ...
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'' (Χρ ...
( Catholics and Protestants). , Kaohsiung City has 1,481 temples, the second highest in Taiwan after
Tainan
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 his ...
. 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, H ...
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 ...
Hong Fa Temple
The Hong Fa Temple () is a temple in Xinxing, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Transportation
The temple is accessible within walking distance North West from Sinyi Elementary School Station of Kaohsiung MRT.
See also
* Buddhism in Taiwan
* List of tem ...
.
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
''Xian'' () refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal. The concept of ''xian'' has different implications dependent upon the specific context: philosophical, religious, mythological, or other symbolic or cultural ...
or embodiment of the
bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood.
In the Early Buddhist schools ...
Guanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
Gushan Daitian Temple
The Gushan Daitian Temple () or Hamasen Temple is a temple in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The temple was built in 1951 and used as the Kaohsiung City Government office. It was the original location of Shuangye Elementary School ...
dedicated to
Wang Ye worship
Wang Ye worship () is a Fujianese and Taiwanese folk religion, frequently considered an aspect of the Taoist belief system. Wang Ye is particularly worshipped in Southern Taiwan and also among Minnan speaking communities worldwide.
The customary ...
.
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
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 ...
. During the
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, 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
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
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 b ...
, whom are mostly descendants of
Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
soldiers who fled
Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...
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 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
The pan-Blue coalition, pan-Blue force or pan-Blue groups is a political coalition in the Republic of China (Taiwan) consisting of the Kuomintang (KMT), People First Party (PFP), New Party (CNP), Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU), and You ...
in the state-level elections, southern Taiwan, including Kaohsiung, leaned towards the
Pan-Green Coalition
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 ...
since the late 1990s.
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting (; born May 18, 1946) is a Taiwanese politician and former defense attorney. A cofounder of the Democratic Progressive Party, he has served on the Taipei City Council, the Legislative Yuan, as the mayor of Kaohsiung Cit ...
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
The Premier of the Republic of China, officially the President of the Executive Yuan ( Chinese: 行政院院長), is the head of the government of the Republic of China of Taiwan and leader of the Executive Yuan. The premier is nominally the ...
Chen Chu
Chen Chu or Kiku Chen (; born 10 June 1950) is the current President of the Control Yuan and Chair of the National Human Rights Commission. Before assuming her current post, Chen had served as Secretary-General to the President from 2018 to ...
, the first elected female mayor of 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
Chen Chi-mai (; born December 23, 1964) is a Taiwanese politician and the current Mayor of Kaoshiung since August 24, 2020. He has served as spokesperson of the Democratic Progressive Party and the chief executive officer of its Policy Research ...
.
File:Kaohsiung City Hall (Dec 2010).JPG, alt=Kaohsiung City Hall,
Kaohsiung City Government
The Kaohsiung City Government is the municipal government of Kaohsiung. It was formed after the merger of Kaohsiung County and Kaohsiung City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
History
In ...
– Sihwei Administration Center
File:Fongshan Administration Center, Kaohsiung City Government 20140720.jpg, alt=Kaohsiung City Hall,
Kaohsiung City Government
The Kaohsiung City Government is the municipal government of Kaohsiung. It was formed after the merger of Kaohsiung County and Kaohsiung City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
History
In ...
– Fongshan Administration Center
File:Hall of Kaohsiung City Council.JPG, alt=Kaohsiung City Council,
Kaohsiung City Council
Kaohsiung City Council () is the city council of Kaohsiung City, Republic of China. It is currently composed of 65 councilors, each serving a four-year term, elected using the single non-transferable vote system. Speaker and deputy speaker of ...
File:高雄地方法院.JPG, alt=Kaohsiung District Court, Kaohsiung District Court
Subdivisions
Kaohsiung is divided into 38 districts, three of which are mountain indigenous districts. There are a total of 651
villages
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in which each village is subdivided into
neighborhoods
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
(鄰). There are 18,584 neighborhoods in Kaohsiung City. Lingya and
Fongshan
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. ...
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 municipalities in Taiwan.
:Note: There are several romanization systems used in Taiwan. This table contains both Hanyu Pinyin (the official standard of the
central government
A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or dele ...
), and
Tongyong Pinyin
Tongyong Pinyin () was the official romanization of Mandarin in Taiwan between 2002 and 2008. The system was unofficially used between 2000 and 2002, when a new romanization system for Taiwan was being evaluated for adoption. Taiwan's Ministry ...
(the official standard of the
Kaohsiung City Government
The Kaohsiung City Government is the municipal government of Kaohsiung. It was formed after the merger of Kaohsiung County and Kaohsiung City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
History
In ...
). 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
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water tax ...
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
A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example train ...
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 fins
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimor ...
, 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
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Airbus studies started in 1988, and the project was annou ...
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
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 2 ...
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 and 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 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
Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...
Pingtung Line
The Pingtung Line () is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration West Coast line in Taiwan.
It is long, of which is double track.
The section between Nanzhou and Linbian railway stations will be upgraded from a single-track railway ...
.
Kaohsiung Main Station
Kaohsiung Main Station () is a railway and metro station in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan served by the Taiwan Railways and Kaohsiung Rapid Transit. It is one of four ''special class'' stations, the highest class with the most services. It ...
is an underground station, replacing the old ground level station.
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is the high-speed railway of Taiwan consisting of one line that runs approximately along the west coast, from the capital Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung. With construction and operations managed by a pri ...
also serves Kaohsiung City at Zuoying Station in northern Kaohsiung City.
Sports
Kaohsiung is home to Taiwan's largest international-class stadium, the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
, 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
The 2009 World Games () the eighth edition of the World Games, were an international multi-sport event held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan (under the name Chinese Taipei) from 16 July 2009 to 26 July 2009. The games featured sports that are not conteste ...
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
The Kaohsiung Truth were a professional basketball team based in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The Truth played one season in the ASEAN Basketball League.
History
Kaohsiung Truth was founded in 2016 as the first professional basketball team to play in Kao ...
of the
ASEAN Basketball League
The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) is a professional men's basketball league in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong/Macau, which includes six teams from Southeast Asian nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), one tea ...
. 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
The 2001 Asian Cycling Championships took place at Kaohsiung and Taichung, Taiwan from 8 to 15 July 2001.
Medal summary
Road
Men
Women
Track
Men
Women
Medal table
References
Road ResultsTrack Results
{{Asian Cycling Championship ...
*
2005 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
The 2005 WPA World Nine-ball Championship was the 16th edition of the WPA World Nine-ball Championship, WPA World Championship for 9-Ball Pool. It took place from July 2 to 10, 2005 in the Taiwanese city, Kaohsiung.
Taiwanese Wu Jiaqing, Wu Chia ...
2013 World Modern Pentathlon Championships
The 2013 World Modern Pentathlon Championships was held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from August 19 to August 28, 2013. The event includes pistol shooting, fencing, 200m swimming, show jumping and a 3 km run.
Medal summary Men's events
Women's eve ...
*
2016 Asian Men's U20 Volleyball Championship
The 2016 Asian Men's U20 Volleyball Championship was held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan from 9 to 17 July 2016. The top two teams qualified for the 2017 U21 World Championship.
Pools composition
Teams were seeded in the first two positions of each poo ...
2019 U-19 Asia Rugby Championship
The 2019 U-19 Asia Rugby Championship is an international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams in Asia. The winners in Asia Rugby U19 Championship secured a berth at the 2020 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy.
Top division
The top divisio ...
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
An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...
and eight national military schools, including the three major military academies of the country, the
Republic of China Military Academy
The Republic of China Military Academy () is the service academy for the army of the Republic of China, located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung. Previously known as the the military academy produced commanders who fought in many of China' ...
,
Republic of China Naval Academy
The Republic of China Naval Academy (CNA; ) is the service academy for the navy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is located at Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The academy was originally established as the Chinese Naval Academ ...
and
Republic of China Air Force Academy
The Republic of China Air Force Academy (CAFA; ) is the service academy for the air force of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is located in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
Mainland China
The Republic of China Air Force Academ ...
.
Universities
*
I-Shou University
Formerly known as Kaohsiung Polytechnic Institute (KPI), I-Shou University (ISU; ) is a private university in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. ISU was established in 1986 by I-Shou Lin, the founder of E United Group ( 義联集團), to commemor ...
*
Kaohsiung Medical University
The Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU; ) is a private medical school located in Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The university was originally established as Kaohsiung Medical College in 1954 by the former mayor of Kaohsiung City, ...
*
National Kaohsiung Normal University
The National Kaohsiung Normal University (NKNU; Kaohsiung Normal University),The name of the university is translated using Chinese word order. By English grammar rules, it is National Normal University of Kaohsiung. founded in 1967, is a public ...
*
National Sun Yat-sen University
National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU; ) is a public research-intensive university renowned as an official think tank scholars' community, located in Sizihwan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. NSYSU is listed as one of six national research universities, ...
*
National University of Kaohsiung
The National University of Kaohsiung (NUK; ) is a public university located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and a member of the National University System of Taiwan.
History
NUK was founded in February 2000, aims to narrow the gap in education between ...
Technical and vocational universities
*
Cheng Shiu University
Cheng Shiu University (CSU; ) is a private university located in Niaosong District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
Established in 1965, it was founded by three friends, Lee Cheng-Sheng (李金盛), Gong Junke, and Zheng Junyuan. It was initially ...
National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism
The National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT; ) is a public university located in Siaogang District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the only public university specializing in hospitality and tourism in Taiwan.
The total amount ...
Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages (WZU; ) is the only university devoted to language education in Taiwan. It awards A.A., B.A., B.B.A. degrees, and offers a master's degree program conferring M.A., M.B.A., and M.F.A. degrees. Student ...
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 City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Girls' Senior High School
Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Girls' Senior High School () abbreviated as KGHS is an all-girls high school located in Cianjin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
Japanese rule:
* 1924:Founded officially.
* 1928: The first graduation ceremony w ...
* 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 Nanzih Senior High School(NTHS, Chinese: 高雄市立楠梓高級中學) is a comprehensive high school in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Kaohsiung City Government planning to set up the first comprehensive high school.
Departments of Na ...
* 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
Tsoying Senior High School (TYHS; ) is a senior high school in Zuoying 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 the nor ...
National FongShan Senior Commercial & Industrial Vocational School
National Fongshan Senior Commercial & Industrial Vocational School (FSVS) is a National vocational high school with departments ranging from machine, design to business management. It also opens PE departments and comprehensive vocational depart ...
* 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
The I-Shou International School (), a bilingual school, is an international school in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South Ch ...
*
Kaohsiung American School
The Kaohsiung American School (KAS; ) is a private, Pre-K through grade 12 college preparatory school located in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The school was established in 1989 and it is accredited by the Western Association of Schools ...
Morrison Academy Kaohsiung
Morrison Academy Kaohsiung (MAK) is a K–12 Christian International school in Dashe District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the southern satellite school of the Morrison Academy school system.
The school is jointly accredited by the Western Assoc ...
Military schools
*
*
Republic of China Air Force Academy
The Republic of China Air Force Academy (CAFA; ) is the service academy for the air force of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is located in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
Mainland China
The Republic of China Air Force Academ ...
*
*
*
*
Republic of China Military Academy
The Republic of China Military Academy () is the service academy for the army of the Republic of China, located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung. Previously known as the the military academy produced commanders who fought in many of China' ...
*
Republic of China Naval Academy
The Republic of China Naval Academy (CNA; ) is the service academy for the navy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is located at Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
The academy was originally established as the Chinese Naval Academ ...
Kaohsiung City Government
The Kaohsiung City Government is the municipal government of Kaohsiung. It was formed after the merger of Kaohsiung County and Kaohsiung City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
History
In ...
, 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
The International Convention Center Kaohsiung (ICCK; ) is a convention center in Yancheng District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
History
In early 1991, Kaohsiung City Government started a plan to build a convention center in Yancheng District. In 2000, ...
in 2013.
Sister cities and twin towns
Kaohsiung is twinned with the following locations.
* Barranquilla, Colombia
*
Belize City
Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, w ...
, Belize
*
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, establishe ...
, Australia
*
Blantyre
Blantyre () is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with an enumerated 800,264 inhabitants . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, L ...
, Malawi
*
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, ...
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...
,
Central Visayas
Central Visayas ( ceb, Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an; tl, Gitnang Kabisayaan) is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. It consists of four provinces: (Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor) and thr ...
Dipolog
Dipolog, officially the City of Dipolog ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dipolog; Subanen: ''Gembagel G'benwa Dipuleg/Bagbenwa Dipuleg''; Chavacano: ''Ciudad de Dipolog''; fil, Lungsod ng Dipolog), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province ...
,
Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga Peninsula ( tl, Tangway ng Zamboanga; cbk, Peninsula de Zamboanga; ceb, Lawis sa Zamboanga) is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IX. It consists of three provinces (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibu ...
, Philippines
*
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, South Africa
*
Erzgebirgskreis
Erzgebirgskreis is a district ('' Kreis'') in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Erzgebirge ("Ore Mountains"), a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republic border. I ...
,
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...
, United States
*
Kumamoto, Kumamoto
is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2.
had a population of 1,461 ...
, Japan
*
Little Rock, Arkansas
( The "Little Rock")
, government_type = Council-manager
, leader_title = Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_party = D
, leader_title2 = Council
, leader_name2 ...
Malé
Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...
, Maldives
*
Matsumoto, Nagano
is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto is designated as a core city since 1 April 2021. , the city had a population of 239,466 in 105,207 households and a population density of 240 persons per km2. The total area of the city ...
, Japan
*
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
Panama City
Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...
Plains, Georgia
Plains is a town in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. The population was 776 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area. Plains is best known as the birthplace and home of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president ...
, United States
*
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
, United States
*
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, Brazil
*
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, Russia
*
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
, Texas, United States
*
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, United States
*
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
East Java
East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
, Mexico
*
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, United States
See also
*
Administrative divisions of Taiwan
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is divided into multi-layered statutory subdivisions. Due to the complex political status of Taiwan, there is a significant difference in the ''de jure'' system set out in the original constitution and the ''de ...