The British Consulate at Takow (打狗英國領事館文化園區) sits on a hill above the harbor mouth: a red-brick residence with a veranda, an old stone trail down to the office by the water, and one of the best views in Kaohsiung. Tickets are NT$99 and include a voucher for a drink or food on site. It's closed on Wednesdays.
- Hours Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10:00 to 19:00; Sat, Sun and holidays 09:00 to 19:00; last entry 18:30
- Closed Wednesdays (open if a holiday) and declared typhoon days
- Entry NT$99, with a food and drink voucher; NT$39 ages 1 to 5 and 65+
- Address No. 20 Lianhai Rd., Gushan District
- Station A walk or short taxi from Hamasen (O1 / C14)
The story
Britain upgraded its vice-consulate here to a consulate in February 1865, the first official British consulate in Taiwan, working at first from a ship and then a rented house on Cijin. Building started at Shaochuantou in 1876, and the consulate was completed and in service in 1879. It closed in 1910 and passed to the Japanese in 1925. After damage in a 1977 typhoon, restoration began in 1985, and the restored site opened in November 2013. In 2019 it was upgraded to a national historic site, and the hilltop residence reopened in July 2026 after its latest repairs.
What's there
- The residence, on the hilltop: the consul's home and reception rooms, with an arched veranda added in 1900.
- The office, down by the old customs house, with a gaol and a constables' room.
- The trail between them, built in 1879: about 200 metres and 127 steps of granite, coral stone and brick.
- Afternoon tea by Rose House, in the residence lounges and on the sea-view veranda.
→ Sizihwan and the sunset spots below · The harbor
Sources: British Consulate at Takow history, buildings, hours, tickets and tea; national listing: Ministry of Culture. Checked October 2026.