By RK Shih / Staff
KAOHSIUNG — The Pier‑2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區) remained Kaohsiung’s most visited tourist site last year, drawing 9.74 million visitors, according to statistics released by the Taiwan Tourism Administration.
The ranking of major Kaohsiung tourism destinations placed the Love River Scenic Area second, followed by Cishan Old Street, Kezailiao Fishing Harbor, and the Ruifeng Night Market.
Pier-2 first overtook other attractions in 2024 with 8.89 million visitors and expanded its lead last year, recording 9.74 million visits — a 9.5 percent increase year-on-year. In 2023, the top spot had been held by Cishan Old Street with about 8.17 million visitors.
Originally built during the Japanese colonial period as warehouses for Kaohsiung Harbor, the Pier-2 complex once stored commodities such as fishmeal, sugar, and other cargo tied to Taiwan’s export economy. As the sugar industry declined in the 1970s, the warehouses gradually fell into disuse.
Beginning in 2000, the Kaohsiung City Government and local arts groups launched redevelopment efforts to transform the harbor warehouses into a cultural district. Named “Pier-2” after its location near Kaohsiung Harbor’s second pier, the site has since evolved into southern Taiwan’s best-known arts and cultural park.
Today the district includes three major warehouse clusters — Dayong (大勇倉庫群), Penglai (蓬萊倉庫群), and Dayi (大義倉庫群) — hosting exhibitions, design studios, music performances, and festivals. Nearby landmarks such as Great Harbor Bridge and KW2 Warehouse No.2 further strengthen the area’s appeal, along with easy access via MRT and the Kaohsiung Light Rail.
Tourism officials also noted signs of recovery at the Cijin Scenic Area, which rebounded to 5.149 million visits last year after dropping below five million previously.
City officials say concerts and major events are playing a growing role in tourism. The recently concluded 2026 Kaohsiung Winter Amusement Park, for example, drew 7.31 million visitors over 23 days, while hotel occupancy during the Lunar New Year holiday reached roughly 80 percent, generating an estimated NT$12.6 billion in tourism revenue.
Source: Liberty Times
