Kaohsiung (高雄) spans nearly 3,000 square kilometers, making it Taiwan’s largest city by land area. With a population of about 2.7 million, it is the island’s largest city in the south and the economic heart of the region. Once defined by steel, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals, Kaohsiung has become a modern center of culture, tourism, and high-tech industry. The Port of Kaohsiung was once among the world’s busiest container ports and remains Taiwan’s largest harbor, continuing to play a vital role in regional and global trade.
Kaohsiung Heritage Highlights explores the landmarks, neighborhoods, and traditions that shaped this southern capital. From the days when bananas carried the name of Kaohsiung overseas, to sampans that ferried families across the lagoon, to temples, cathedrals, and mosques that reveal the city’s diversity, the series connects past and present. These stories show how Kaohsiung’s history remains a foundation for its future.
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Kaohsiung Heritage Highlights
1.
The Rise and Fall of Kaohsiung’s “Banana Kingdom”
Bananas have been grown in southern Taiwan for centuries, but it wasn’t until after Taiwan came under Japanese rule in 1895 that the fruit became a true export powerhouse. By 1939, Taiwan was the world’s third-largest exporter of bananas, and most of them passed through the port of Kaohsiung (高雄港).
Qishan and Meinong: Banana Heartlands
To the northeast of downtown Kaohsiung lie the districts of Qishan (旗山) and Meinong (美濃). These fertile areas, already known for sugarcane cultivation, became vital centers of banana production during the Japanese colonial era.
Qishan’s old street, still lined with elegant colonial-era shop houses, tells the story. Many were built by wealthy merchants whose fortunes came from shipping bananas to Japan’s “home islands.” Even the crops were linked: dried sugarcane leaves were burned and used as fertilizer for banana plantations.
Rails of Sugar and Bananas
The Japanese built narrow-gauge railways connecting sugarcane fields and banana groves to refineries and, ultimately, Kaohsiung Harbor. Small steam locomotives hauled loads of sugarcane, sacks of sugar, and baskets of bananas from Meinong and Qishan to Jiuqutang Station (九曲堂車站). There, cargo was transferred to full-sized trains for the trip to Kaohsiung’s port warehouses, awaiting export.
The Nationalist Era and the Economic Miracle
When the Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan after World War II, it inherited this thriving industry. During the island’s economic boom of the 1960s, bananas remained one of Taiwan’s top exports—alongside sporting goods, zippers, screws, and eventually electronics.
But the work was grueling. Each bamboo basket of bananas weighed nearly 48 kilograms. Dockworkers at Kaohsiung Port carried them by hand until the heavy baskets were eventually replaced by lighter cardboard boxes. In 1963, a modern warehouse with improved ventilation was built at Wharf No. 3 (第三號碼頭), designed to keep bananas fresh before shipment.
Decline of the “Banana Kingdom”
By the 1970s, Taiwan’s rising wealth led to a sharp decline in agricultural exports. The Philippines soon overtook Taiwan as the world’s top banana supplier, offering fruit at lower prices. Kaohsiung’s banana growers shifted their focus from bulk production to premium quality, a strategy that still pays off: Taiwanese bananas today command some of the highest prices in Japan, their primary export market.
Banana Pier Today
In 2010, the Kaohsiung City Government renamed Wharf No. 3 as Banana Pier (香蕉碼頭), honoring the port’s role in Taiwan’s banana trade. The former warehouse now houses an exhibition showcasing the journey from plantation to port, along with large-scale artworks paying tribute to the dockworkers who labored through Kaohsiung’s “Banana Kingdom” years.
From plantation fields in Qishan and Meinong to the bustling docks of Banana Pier, bananas helped put Kaohsiung on the global map. The city’s “golden fruit” may no longer dominate export charts, but it remains an enduring symbol of Kaohsiung’s role in Taiwan’s economic rise.
2.
The Story of Hamasen (哈瑪星): Kaohsiung’s First “Downtown”
Hamasen (哈瑪星) was one of the first districts to take shape in what would become modern Kaohsiung. Long before high-rises and port cranes, the area was little more than sandbars and shallow shoals at the foot of a hill the Dutch once called “Apes’ Hill” (猿猴山).
From Apes’ Hill to Shoushan
Sailors from near and far anchored here to collect fresh spring water flowing down from the hillsides. The Dutch name came from the troops of Formosan macaques (台灣獼猴)that thrived, and still thrive, in the area. Note: Macaques are monkeys, not apes; it’s unknown why the Dutch used the name Apes’ Hill.
Today that same hill is known as Chaishan (柴山) or Shoushan (壽山), home to Kaohsiung Zoo, hiking trails, and National Sun Yat-sen University (國立中山大學).
The British Consulate and Early Foreigners
In 1879, the British built a consulate near the shore and soon after rented a plot of land as a cemetery for foreigners. While tucked away and difficult to find, some of the weathered tombstones remain, quietly telling the story of Kaohsiung’s earliest foreign residents.
Japanese Era: Rails, Reclamation, and a New City
After Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895, Kaohsiung underwent rapid change. By 1904, Japanese engineers began expanding Takao Port (打狗港), today’s Kaohsiung Harbor (高雄港), by dredging, deepening, and removing rocks at its entrance. At the same time, they reclaimed new land between the rail line and Apes’ Hill, creating space for streets, homes, and a station.
The railway tracks along the waterfront were nicknamed “Hamasen” (濱線), meaning “coastal line.” Locals pronounced it “Hamaseng,” which later became transliterated into Mandarin as Hamaxing (哈瑪星).
By 1920, Takao had officially been designated a city, and Hamasen became its beating heart. The new city hall, the first modern post office, and the first police station were all built there, establishing the district as Kaohsiung’s original downtown.
Cultural Center of Colonial Takao
Hamasen wasn’t just about business. It became a stage for Japan’s cultural influence. The Takao Shinto Shrine (高雄神社) was erected on Shoushan, while at its base the Japanese built a butokuden (武德殿), a martial arts training hall for police to practice judo and kendo. The butokuden building, an elegant relic of the era, still stands today.
War, Ruin, and Renewal
World War II brought devastation. Allied bombing campaigns heavily damaged the port and much of Hamasen. Yet, under the postwar Nationalist government, the area was quickly rebuilt. As Kaohsiung Harbor surged back to life, Hamasen once again thrived with warehouses, shipping companies, and trade offices.
Hamasen Today
In recent decades, Hamasen has taken on a new role. Rather than Kaohsiung’s downtown, it is now a place where residents and visitors can reconnect with the city’s past. From colonial-era buildings and temples to its coastal setting beside Shoushan, Hamasen remains a living archive of Kaohsiung’s journey from fishing shoals to international port city.
3.
From Sampans to Electric Ferries: Crossing to Cijin (旗津)
Cijin (旗津) today is an island just a short ferry ride from downtown Kaohsiung (高雄). But it wasn’t always so. Until 1967, its southern end was connected to the mainland by a natural land bridge. That connection was severed when the government cleared the area to build a second container port—turning Cijin into the island we know now.
Sampans: The Original Cijin Ferry
Long before modern ferries, the easiest way to reach Cijin was by crossing the Takao Lagoon (打狗潟湖), the sheltered body of water that later became Kaohsiung Harbor (高雄港). Han migrants from southeastern China brought with them a flat-bottomed wooden boat common in their hometowns: the sampan, known in Mandarin as shānbǎn (舢舨).
Some were simple, built with just three planks of wood, but most Cijin sampans were sturdier and rowed with paired oars. Locals nicknamed them “Two Oars”—siang-tsiúnn-á (雙槳仔) in Taiwanese.
For decades, these boats filled the waterways. Day and night, seven days a week, sampans carried both people and cargo across the lagoon.
Colonial Modernization
In 1927, the Japanese introduced the first modern ferry service. Operated by a private company, the tickets were too expensive for most travelers. Sampans remained the vessel of choice, and by the late 1930s, more than 100 sampans were crisscrossing between Cijin and Kaohsiung.
Just before the end of World War II, Japanese authorities launched three larger wooden ferries for the public. After 1945, the new Republic of China (ROC) government repaired and returned them to service.
By 1955, ferries with steel hulls began operating. Yet the humble sampan remained indispensable—especially since it was cheap, available at all hours, and, unlike the ferries, could be hired in emergencies.
Kaohsiung’s Lifeline
For Cijin residents, sampans were more than convenience—they were a lifeline. The district had limited medical facilities, and when emergencies struck at night, sampan owners stood ready to carry patients across the water to Kaohsiung.
Even after the launch of the Shoushan (壽山) ferry in 1996 – the first double-decked boat familiar to today’s Kaohsiung residents – motorized sampans were still common. They carried passengers and scooters across the channel well into the 1990s.
Tragedy and Transition
Sampans were officially legal, licensed, and regulated. But concerns about safety grew after a tragic sinking in 1973 claimed 25 lives. Ironically, the boat that sank wasn’t a sampan, but the disaster fueled calls for stricter oversight of small vessels.
By the late 1990s, sampans were gradually phased out. In 2009, the city revoked the licenses of the last 23 sampans, ending an era that had lasted for over a century.
The Electric Age
Kaohsiung’s ferry service has continued to evolve. In 2018, the city introduced Asia’s first electric passenger ferry, gliding silently across the same waters once churned by oars and wooden hulls. One by one, Kaohsiung’s older ferries are being retired, and soon, all crossings to Cijin will be electric.
From hand-rowed sampans to battery-powered ferries, the short but vital journey across Kaohsiung Harbor reflects the city’s broader story – rooted in tradition, reshaped by modernization, and always moving forward.
4.
Temples, Cathedrals, and Mosques: Kaohsiung’s Religious Landmarks
Kaohsiung (高雄) is one of Taiwan’s most diverse cities. It is home to Han Chinese, Hakka, Indigenous peoples, and communities from across the globe. That diversity is reflected in its places of worship, which span almost every major religious tradition.
Cihou Matsu Temple (旗後天后宮)
For many Taiwanese, religion blends Daoism, Buddhism, and folk belief. One of the most important deities is Matsu (媽祖), the sea goddess. Migrants from Fujian (福建) often carried small statues of Matsu with them across the Taiwan Strait. Once safely ashore, they enshrined these statues in homes or temples.
Among the many temples that claim to be Kaohsiung’s oldest, the strongest case belongs to the Cihou Matsu Temple (旗後天后宮) in Cijin (旗津), first built in 1673. What began as a small hut was expanded during the 1700s, and by 1887 the temple had taken on the form it still holds today. Remarkably, it survived Allied bombing in World War II with little damage.
Holy Rosary Cathedral (高雄玫瑰聖母聖殿主教座堂)
Christianity first arrived in southern Taiwan with Dutch missionaries in the 1600s, but the city’s most enduring Christian landmark is the Holy Rosary Cathedral). It is both Kaohsiung’s oldest church and Taiwan’s first major Catholic house of worship.
After the Treaty of Tientsin (天津條約) in 1858 allowed foreign missionaries to preach across China and Taiwan, Spanish Catholic monks and local believers purchased land near the Love River (愛河). Their first chapel was a straw hut, but by 1863 a permanent brick and coral church was complete. That same year, a statue of the Lady of the Holy Rosary (玫瑰聖母) was brought from Spain and placed in the sanctuary, where it remains today. In 1948, the church was elevated to cathedral status.
Kaohsiung Mosque (高雄清真寺)
Islam has been present in China for centuries, but there were few Muslims in Taiwan until after 1949, when thousands of Nationalist soldiers and civilians fled the mainland. Among them were Muslim families who established Kaohsiung’s first musalla, or prayer room, in a Japanese-era building on Wufu 4th Road (五福四路) in Yancheng District (鹽埕區).
That space soon proved too small, and in 1951 worship shifted to a slightly larger wooden building on Linsen 1st Road (林森一路). By the 1980s, the growing community needed a new space. In 1988, the old site was sold, and with donations and proceeds from the sale, construction began on a purpose-built mosque. The current Kaohsiung Mosque opened in 1992 and remains the city’s center for Islamic worship and culture.
A Mosaic of Faith
From the Cihou Matsu Temple to the Holy Rosary Cathedral, and the Kaohsiung Mosque, the city’s sacred landmarks reflect migration, colonial influence, and cultural exchange. Together they tell a story of how Kaohsiung’s identity has been shaped not only by trade and industry, but also by the enduring faiths of its people.
5.
Lotus Pond
Lotus Pond Origins and Ecology
Lotus Pond (蓮池潭) has long been central to the development of Kaohsiung. Once a sprawling wetland filled with birds and wildlife, a smaller section of the area was cultivated for lotus flowers so fragrant they were said to carry on the wind for miles. Beyond their beauty, lotus seeds proved valuable as a source of nutrition and were ground into pastes used in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine.
Qing-Era Importance
After the Qing Dynasty took control of southwest Taiwan in the late 1600s, Lotus Pond became an important source of irrigation, supplementing local groundwater for the growing settlement of Zuoying. The pond originally connected naturally to the sea, but during the Qing era in the 1700s, the waterway was reshaped into a canal. That canal is now underground and no longer visible. In 1705, Taiwan governor Song Yong-qing (宋永清) ordered the pond drained to clear centuries of accumulated mud, a process that has been repeated many times since, most recently in 2008, when Kaohsiung hosted the World Games.
Colonial and Military Development
The Japanese colonial period brought new changes. In the early 20th century, rail lines linked Zuoying to the Port of Kaohsiung, and in 1937, the Japanese military developed a naval base at Zuoying. Just three years later, engineers cut a new route through Turtle Mountain, the hill overlooking Lotus Pond, to create a faster connection between the naval base and Zuoying Train Station. Today that route is Sheng Li Road (勝利路). At the time, however, the project sparked local unease, with some believing the construction disrupted the pond’s feng shui.
Temples and Pagodas
In 1951, the Nationalist government designated Lotus Pond as a reservoir. Two years later, the Spring and Autumn Pavilions were built as part of Chi Ming Palace (啟明堂) on the pond’s west side. By 1976, in part to counter lingering concerns about bad feng shui, the striking Dragon and Tiger Pagodas were erected, along with a nine-turn bridge that soon became a landmark in its own right.
A Spiritual Hub
Today the area around Lotus Pond is crowded with temples—more than twenty in a half-kilometer stretch—each dedicated to a range of traditional deities. Some are quite old. Jhen Fu Shrine (鎮福社), for example, traces its history back to 1661. With its blend of religious architecture, natural beauty, and layered history, Lotus Pond remains one of Kaohsiung’s most distinctive cultural landscapes.
6.
Cihou Lighthouse
Dangerous Waters
Sailing into Kaohsiung (高雄) in the past was perilous. Coral reefs dotted the shoreline, and some were hidden directly at the mouth of the harbor. Shipwrecks were common, and nighttime only increased the danger. Local fishermen relied on the outlines of Takao Mountain (打狗山) and Cihou Mountain (旗後山) to find their way.
In 1855, American merchants set up a wooden pole with oil lamps to mark a safe passage. This improvised beacon is thought to be the first artificial light used to guide ships into Kaohsiung Harbor.
The First Lighthouses
When Takao was declared an open port for foreign trade in 1864, larger ships with deeper drafts began to arrive, making nighttime navigation even riskier. Two shipwrecks in the late 1800s turned into international incidents involving Britain, the United States, and Japan, finally pushing the Qing authorities to act.
In 1883, the Qing government built Taiwan’s first lighthouse at Eluanbi (鵝鑾鼻) in today’s Kenting National Park, and in the same year, Takao Lighthouse (打狗燈塔) was constructed on Cihou Mountain. The original Cihou Lighthouse was a simple one-story tower, but it dramatically improved safety at the harbor entrance.
Japanese Expansion
After Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895, colonial planners saw Kaohsiung’s potential as a major port. During the second phase of harbor expansion in 1912, they designed a new, modern lighthouse. Completed in 1918, it still stands today: a white octagonal tower topped with a black roof and weathercock marked with Chinese directional characters, a rare feature for a lighthouse.
The original lighthouse was not abandoned. In 1926, the growing port required additional lighting, so the old Qing-era tower was rebuilt as a two-story structure. Japanese authorities borrowed naval searchlights and mounted them there to illuminate the breakwaters between 1927 and 1930, greatly aiding harbor construction. That “old-new” lighthouse still stands next to the 1918 tower.
War and Aftermath
Cihou Lighthouse survived World War II with only minor damage despite heavy Allied bombing of Kaohsiung Port. After 1945, when the Nationalist government took control of Taiwan, it was renamed Kaohsiung Lighthouse (高雄燈塔), but is still also known as Cihou Lighthouse or Cijin Lighthouse.
Today the lighthouse remains active, continuing its role as guardian of the harbor while also welcoming visitors. It is the only lighthouse in Taiwan open late into the evening, giving the public a chance to see its beacon sweep across the night sky, just as it has done for more than a century.
7.
The Old City Walls of “Fengshan County” at Zuoying
No Stone Walls Allowed
When the Qing Dynasty (清朝) took control of western Taiwan in 1683, rebellions flared up all the time. To defend their towns, people in the south built bamboo fences or rammed-earth walls. But stone walls were forbidden. The Qing worried that if rebels ever took a city with stone fortifications, it could be very hard to retake.
Rebels Over the Hill
In Zuoying (左營), the main settlement was Xinglong Village (興隆莊). Its residents built earthen walls around their village, but in 1787 thousands of rebels found an easy way in: they simply climbed over Turtle Mountain (龜山), which wasn’t enclosed by the defenses. The rebels poured into the settlement and smashed sections of the walls. Qing forces eventually crushed the uprising and executed its leaders, but the damage was done.
A Change of Heart
That disaster forced officials to rethink the rules. In 1825 they finally approved real stone walls, this time making sure Turtle Mountain and the other hills were safely inside. Amazingly, the fortifications went up in just one year. Local work teams even raced each other for prizes to see who could finish their section fastest.
The builders had no quarry nearby, so they hauled dead coral from Chai Mountain (柴山). Craftsmen chiseled the coral blocks into shape, then set them in mortar made from oyster shells, sticky rice, and brown sugar. Odd as it sounds, this mixture turned out to be incredibly strong.
Cuts and Cracks
After Japan took Taiwan in 1895, the walls faced new troubles. To build what is now Zuoying Avenue, the colonial authorities blasted openings through them. In 1939 the West Gate and nearby walls were demolished to expand the Zuoying naval base. Luckily, the north, south, and east gates survived.
Typhoons and erosion later wore down other sections, but long stretches between the North Gate and South Gate, including the East Gate, still remain.
Ghosts from the North
When the Nationalist government arrived in 1945, the walls slowly decayed. Finally, in 2016, restoration work began. Visitors today can still walk along the Old City Walls of Fengshan County (鳳山縣舊城) and imagine what life was like two centuries ago.
Look closely near the North Gate and you’ll spot a metal circle in the road. That marks the site of an old well, once used by travelers to wash away bad spirits. The saying went that “ghosts come from the north,” so people would cleanse themselves before stepping through the gate. Right behind the well stands a tiny temple that has been there since 1661, a quiet reminder of just how deep Zuoying’s history runs.
8.
Cheng Cing Lake
From Pond to Reservoir
Despite common rumors, Cheng Cing Lake (澄清湖) is not man-made. It began as a natural pond, around which Han Chinese settlers established farms in the 1600s. In 1837, Taiwan governor Cao Jin (曹謹) initiated an irrigation project, and by 1842 the pond had become a reservoir supplying water to rice paddies and fields throughout the area.
An Industrial Backbone
During the Japanese colonial period, Kaohsiung (then called Takao) emerged as an industrial hub. In 1940, engineers pumped water from the Gaoping River (高屏溪) into the lake, building a water plant to deliver stable piped water to new industrial zones in what is now Cianjhen District (前鎮區). This made Cheng Cing Taiwan’s first industrial reservoir.
The water plant was badly damaged during Allied air raids in World War II, but it was repaired by 1947 under the new Nationalist (KMT) government.
Names and Memorials
In 1954, the government renamed the site Da Bei Hu (大貝湖), or “Big Clam Lake,” after the clams that thrived there. The following year, workers built Fuguo Island (富國島) in the center of the lake to honor 30,000 ROC soldiers evacuated from Vietnam in 1953 after being stranded there following the Chinese Civil War.
Tourism and Symbolism
The lake opened to tourists in 1960, quickly becoming one of Kaohsiung’s most popular destinations. That same year, the 230-meter “Bridge of Nine Turns” was completed. Besides giving visitors shifting perspectives of the scenery, the winding bridge was believed by some to block evil spirits, which were thought to be unable to follow sharp turns.
Presidential Retreat
The lake became a personal favorite of Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek. In around 1960, a chateau was built for him and his family, complete with a nuclear-blast-resistant underground command bunker. On his first visit in 1963, Chiang admired the lake’s clear waters and ordered its new name: Cheng Cing, meaning “Clear Lake.”
First Lady Soong Mei-ling later advocated for a hospitality center nearby, and in 1971 the Kaohsiung Grand Hotel (高雄圓山大飯店) opened. Modeled after the Grand Hotel in Taipei, it remains a local landmark.
Changing Roles
By 1982, Cheng Cing Lake transitioned from industrial use to providing drinking water for Kaohsiung residents, a role it still plays today. Visitors continue to enjoy its serene landscape, temples, pavilions, and shaded walking paths.
A Different Kind of Memory
Yet for many Kaohsiung locals, one of the lake’s most memorable features had nothing to do with its natural beauty. A McDonald’s once operated at the entrance, and in 1990 it set a world record by serving 1,389 customers in a single hour. For a generation of residents, that fast-food frenzy became just as much a part of Cheng Cing Lake’s story as its waters and bridges.
9.
Military Dependents’ Villages (眷村): Kaohsiung’s Legacy of Refuge and Resettlement
Arrival of Refugees
After the last major defeats in the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan in December 1949. The KMT leader arrived along with Nationalist soldiers, officials, and masses of ordinary Chinese fleeing the victorious communists. Estimates vary, but at least one million people, including soldiers and their families, settled in Taiwan between 1945 and 1950. They all needed shelter. Fortunately, the Japanese military had already built many barracks, dorms, and storehouses across Formosa, which had been a key Japanese stronghold during the Second World War.
Early Housing Struggles
Higher-ranked Nationalist officers and their families were given Japanese-style military houses. Most arrivals, however, were squeezed into small, hastily-constructed dwellings. In some cases, as many as ten families shared one slightly larger building – such as a former storehouse – their living areas separated only by thin boards or pieces of cloth. Conditions were crowded and basic, but it was a start.
Building the Villages
The ROC government soon came to the decision that large numbers of simple homes to house soldiers and their families would have to be constructed. Between 1957 and 1967, around 38,000 additional homes were built with funds donated by First Lady Soong Mei-ling (宋美齡) and her National Women’s League of the ROC (婦聯會). These settlements became known as Military Dependents’ Villages (眷村). According to the Ministry of Defense, there were once 886 such villages across Taiwan.
Kaohsiung as a Military Hub
Kaohsiung played a central role in this story. The first site designated as a Military Dependents’ Village was the Army’s Huangpu New Village (黃埔新村) in today’s Fengshan District. The city also hosted the largest cluster of naval dependents’ villages, more than 22 near the Navy Base at Zuoying. Air Force villages were built in Gangshan District, making Kaohsiung unique in housing dependents’ communities linked to all three branches of the military.
The Guomao Community
From 1981 to 1985, Kaohsiung City and the ROC Navy constructed the Guomao Community (果貿社區) in Zuoying. This massive housing complex, built to rehouse residents of decaying dependents’ villages, consists of 13 buildings, with two semi-circular tower-shaped buildings at its center. Some say the unusual design allowed better lighting, while others believe it was to block residents’ views of the nearby military port. The No. 1 Building, directly facing the port, was reserved for officers of colonel rank or higher. Residents often claim that because of military construction methods, the walls are “bunker-like” – so solid they are nearly impossible to drill through.
Preservation and Reinvention
By the mid-1990s, most Military Dependents’ Villages in Taiwan’s major cities had been demolished. In Kaohsiung, however, several officer-level villages were preserved, renovated, and given new life. Today, some of the old homes have been transformed into hostels, cafes, or art spaces. Others remain residential. Remarkably, as late as 2023, people were still living in some of the original settlements that had survived Taiwan’s postwar modernization.
Military Dependents’ Villages are more than relics of Taiwan’s Cold War past. In Kaohsiung, they continue to evolve as living communities and cultural spaces, keeping alive the memory of one of the most dramatic migrations in modern Chinese history.
10.
The Museum of History (Formerly Kaohsiung City Hall)
From Colony to City
After Japan took Taiwan as a colony in 1895, the authorities began building public infrastructure across the island, including schools, post offices, and hospitals. By the 1910s, their focus turned to constructing government buildings such as prefectural offices and city halls. Much of modern Kaohsiung (then called Takao, 打狗) was built on newly reclaimed land in the Hamasen (哈瑪星) area, which quickly became a political and financial center.
When Takao was officially upgraded to city status in 1924, it needed a proper city hall. At first, officials simply expropriated a private company’s dormitory building in Hamasen to serve as the seat of government. But the city grew rapidly, its population nearly doubling between 1924 and 1933. The makeshift hall could no longer handle the expanding bureaucracy.
A New City Hall
In 1931, Japanese officials decided to build a new city hall in Yancheng District (鹽埕區). Completed in 1939, the hall blended Japanese and Western architectural elements, featuring wide corridors and marble staircases. Remarkably, the building survived World War II Allied bombings intact.
Site of Tragedy
In 1945, after Japan’s defeat, Taiwan came under the control of Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist (KMT) government, and the hall was renamed Kaohsiung City Hall (高雄市政府). Just two years later, during the February 28 Incident of 1947, the building became the site of violent confrontation. On March 6, ROC troops opened fire on protesters gathered outside, killing some 60 people. Today, a permanent exhibition inside the building commemorates this tragedy.
From Governance to Memory
As Kaohsiung continued to grow, city leaders once again needed a larger building. In 1992, a new Kaohsiung City Hall was completed in Lingya District (苓雅區). Six years later, the historic old city hall was transformed into the Kaohsiung Museum of History (高雄市立歷史博物館).
Since 1998, the museum has curated exhibits on many aspects of Kaohsiung’s past, from its early fishing settlements and colonial transformations to modern-day industry and culture. It features both permanent displays and rotating exhibitions, helping residents and visitors alike connect with the city’s layered story.
Living History
Today, the old city hall continues to serve the people of Kaohsiung, not as a seat of power but as a guardian of memory. As Kaohsiung grows and changes in the 21st century, the building remains a witness to the city’s transformation—from colony to industrial powerhouse to global port city.