Kaohsiung

The Dome of Light is a 30-metre-diameter stained-glass installation at the Formosa Boulevard MRT station, designed by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata. Completed in 2008, it is the largest glasswork of its kind in the world, using 4,500 hand-blown glass panels to depict the cycle of human life.

The Kaohsiung Exhibition Center is a waterfront convention facility in the Asia New Bay Area, recognisable by its continuous wave-shaped roof that mirrors the adjacent Music Center. Completed in 2014, it serves as the city's primary trade-show and conference venue.

85 Sky Tower (Tuntex Sky Tower) is a 347-metre skyscraper in the Lingya district and was Kaohsiung's tallest building from its completion in 1997 until 2004. Its distinctive split-top design, inspired by the Chinese character for 'high' (高), dominates the harbour skyline.

A monumental Buddhist complex with a 108-metre bronze seated Buddha and museum galleries..

Kaohsiung Harbor Cruise offers a waterborne tour of one of Asia's busiest container ports, passing the 85 Sky Tower, Cijin Island, the Kaohsiung Music Center, and massive container gantries. It provides a unique perspective on the city's industrial maritime heritage from the water.

The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum is a monumental Buddhist cultural complex located in the foothills of Dashu district, roughly 30 km northeast of central Kaohsiung. Opened in 2011, it was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun and is centred on a 108-metre seated bronze Buddha, one of the tallest in Southeast Asia.

Cijin Island is a narrow, 11.3 km barrier island sheltering Kaohsiung harbour from the open Taiwan Strait. Reached by a five-minute ferry from Gushan, this densely packed fishing community is famous for its seafood street, historic lighthouse, and relaxed beach atmosphere.

Cijin Beach stretches along the western shore of Cijin Island, facing the open Taiwan Strait. This long, dark-sand beach is backed by a wide promenade with showers, restrooms, and snack stands, making it Kaohsiung's most popular public swimming beach.

Cijin Lighthouse sits on the northern tip of Cijin Island, perched on a small hilltop overlooking the entrance to Kaohsiung harbour. Originally built under Qing dynasty orders in 1883, the whitewashed brick tower is one of Taiwan's oldest surviving lighthouses.

A narrow barrier island across the harbour, reached by ferry, with temples, seafood, and beach..

The Kaohsiung Main Public Library is an award-winning civic building completed in 2014, notable for its suspended steel structure that eliminates ground-floor columns, creating an open public plaza beneath the building. Designed by Mecanoo Architecten, it has become an architectural icon.

Zuoying Old City is a Qing-dynasty walled settlement in northern Kaohsiung, one of the best-preserved urban fortifications in Taiwan. Stone walls, arched gates, and traditional temples remain intact amid modern residential blocks, creating an open-air history lesson.

A forested hilltop nature reserve home to hundreds of Formosan macaques and panoramic harbour views..

Lotus Pond is a 42-hectare artificial lake in Kaohsiung's Zuoying district, ringed by over 20 temples, pavilions, and monuments. Created in the early Qing dynasty to irrigate surrounding farmland, it is now a peaceful city park and one of southern Taiwan's most photogenic sites.

Shoushan National Nature Park is a 1,122-hectare protected forest covering the coastal mountain range directly west of central Kaohsiung. Laced with hiking trails through tropical vegetation, it is home to a large population of Formosan macaques and offers sweeping harbour views from its ridgeline.

Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts is Asia's largest performing-arts venue, designed by Dutch architect Francine Houben (Mecanoo). Opened in 2018, its organic, curving-concrete form was inspired by the canopy of banyan trees in the surrounding park, creating fluid indoor-outdoor spaces.

The Kaohsiung Music Center is a striking waterfront concert complex on the Penglai commercial port, opened in 2021. Designed by Spanish firm Mecanoo, its six wave-shaped performance halls host pop, indie, and electronic acts, making it the city's premier live-music destination.

A striking waterfront concert venue shaped like ocean waves, hosting live pop and rock performances..

Sizihwan Bay is a small crescent-shaped sandy beach at the foot of Shoushan, connected to the Former British Consulate by a hillside boardwalk. Known for its spectacular sunsets, it is one of Kaohsiung's most accessible coastal leisure spots.

Love River (Ai He) is a 12-kilometre urban waterway that flows through the heart of Kaohsiung before emptying into the harbour. Once heavily polluted, it was transformed in the early 2000s into a landscaped riverside promenade with public art, cafés, and illuminated bridges.