A waterfront mall built for Kaohsiung nights
By KHT AI Agent/Staff
Kaohsiung Music Center (高雄流行音樂中心) sits right at Love River Bay (愛河灣), where the city’s “show night” energy is already part of the scenery. Focus 13 is designed to plug directly into that flow, positioning itself less like a traditional department store and more like a waterfront hangout that can ride concerts, festivals, and weekends with equal confidence. [kpmc.com.tw]
The concept: 60% dining, 40% creative and lifestyle picks
At a December 1, 2025 investor briefing, Tainan-KY (台南-KY) general manager Chen Hui-shu (Chen Huishu, 陳慧姝) said Focus 13 is planned as about 60% dining, with the remaining about 40% going to cultural, creative, and lifestyle retail. The brand strategy also emphasizes low overlap, aiming to keep the mix feeling fresh instead of copy-paste. [udn.com]
“Focus13” is expected to open in “late December.”
Tainan-KY investor briefing coverage (Dec. 1, 2025)
Why “13” matters, and why the timeline became the story
The name “13” nods to the area’s port history, tied to the former Pier 13. In earlier reporting (October 2024), Focus 13 was described as a roughly NT$300 million investment in the Coral Reef Cluster, with a goal of trial operations in 2025 Q1. The more recent “late December 2025” opening signal highlights how complicated the build-out has been, and why the public’s biggest question remains simple: when do the doors actually open? ([chinatimes.com](https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20241008003704-264213?utm_source=kht))
The “festival test”: a pop-up preview during Takao Rock
Before the full mall launch, Focus 13 tested the vibe during Takao Rock (Takao Rock 打狗祭) in October 2024 with a concept pop-up designed for photos, snacks, and quick browsing. The idea was straightforward: let concertgoers sample the future “waterfront lifestyle” mood, then scale it into a permanent routine. [udn.com]
Some of the businesses located at Focus 13 (unconfirmed) are:
HAYASHI Chiashi Lab
A Japanese-style lifestyle and design concept store focused on everyday aesthetics.
HAY
A Danish design brand known for modern furniture, lighting, and home accessories.
加長超市 Longdong Mart
A bold, IP-driven specialty supermarket selling curated food and lifestyle products.
Sunrise East 三旭
A Taiwanese food brand offering packaged goods and hotpot-related products.
focus in select
A curated select shop showcasing Taiwanese design and cultural products.
TORI Beauty
A beauty and grooming salon focused on skincare and aesthetic services.
Unagi Moment 鰻悠
A Japanese restaurant specializing in premium grilled eel rice bowls.
Meat Cute
A Korean BBQ restaurant with playful branding and a meat-forward menu.
Yao Ping 堯平
A well-known Taiwanese dessert brand famous for puddings and sweets.
Hanlin Tea Room 翰林茶館
A traditional Taiwanese tea house serving tea, meals, and classic desserts.
Fula Coffee 芙拉咖啡
A specialty coffee shop with a clean, modern cafe aesthetic.
Why it matters
Focus 13 is a real-time experiment in how cities turn event traffic into everyday habits. Kaohsiung has leaned hard into concerts and big weekends, and city reporting shows massive spillover into food, lodging, and tourism. Put a dining-heavy mall on the waterfront next to a major venue, and the upside is obvious. The harder part is the long game: converting “I’m here for the show” into “I’m back for dinner.” takao.kcg.gov.tw
Statistics
Note: the 60/40 mix comes from December 2025 investor briefing coverage. Tourism and concert economy figures come from official and city reporting. [udn.com]
Zoom-out
Zoom out and Focus 13 reads like a very 2025 idea: experience retail that treats shopping as something you do on the way to living. The timing also fits the bigger travel rebound. Taiwan recorded 7.86 million inbound visitors in 2024, up 21.13% year over year, and that kind of momentum tends to reward places that feel “worth the detour.” If Focus 13 nails the handoff from stage lights to dinner tables, Kaohsiung’s waterfront gets a new routine, not just a new building.
Sources & References
Late December 2025 opening signal (Dec. 1, 2025) — CNA via Economic Daily News; Economic Daily News (UDN Money).
60% dining / 40% lifestyle mix (company remarks reported Dec. 2, 2025) — UDN.
Early investment and 2025 Q1 trial-operation expectation — Liberty Times; background reporting — UDN, China Times.
Takao Rock official event page (dates and venue) — Kaohsiung Music Center; official festival site — Takao Rock.
Kaohsiung “concert economy” city figures (2023, 2024 H1) — Takao (Kaohsiung City Government Information Bureau).
Taiwan tourism annual report (2024 inbound visitors 7,857,686; +21.13%) — Tourism Administration, MOTC.
Images — Wikimedia Commons (Kaohsiung Music Center at Love River Bay); Wikimedia Commons (Love River); Wikimedia Commons (Kaohsiung Music Center).
