Most of what visitors want is in a band along the harbor, from Hamasen and Yancheng in the west to Asia New Bay in the south, all on the light rail. Zuoying in the north has the HSR, Lotus Pond and the old city walls; Fongshan in the east has Weiwuying. Here's what each is like and how to get there.
Yancheng
Yancheng (鹽埕) was a triangle of salt-drying flats about 200 years ago; the Japanese turned it into a shipping hub, and it's now Kaohsiung's arty old town. Its inland streets and covered arcades are largely intact, the restored old market is the centre of a revival of young businesses, and the city held its first Yancheng Arts Festival in 2026. Pier-2's 25 old warehouses are on its waterfront, and the Love River runs along its eastern edge, past the old city hall, now the Museum of History.
Stations: MRT Yanchengpu (O2); light rail Dayi Pier-2 (C12) and Penglai Pier-2 (C13).
Gushan and Hamasen
Hamasen (哈瑪星) grew on land reclaimed from the sea south of Takao Station; the city dates the reclamation to 1908 to 1912 and calls it Taiwan's first city on reclaimed land: it had Takao's first modern streets, piped water and electric lights. Its harbor station, once Taiwan's busiest freight station, is now the Takao Railway Museum. Above it are the British Consulate, Shoushan and its monkeys, and Sizihwan bay.
Stations: MRT Hamasen (O1); light rail Hamasen (C14). → The harbor · Shoushan
Cijin
Cijin (旗津), once called Qihou, is the long, thin island across the harbor mouth, reached by ferry from Hamasen. It has the Tianhou Temple, the lighthouse and fort, the seafood street, a beach, and a shell gallery with more than 2,000 kinds of shell. → Cijin and the ferry
Zuoying
Zuoying (左營) was the seat of Qing Fongshan County from 1684, and its walls were Taiwan's first. Today it's Kaohsiung's HSR hub and an important navy base, with Lotus Pond, the pagodas, the largest Confucius temple in Taiwan, and Ruifeng Night Market near the Kaohsiung Arena.
Stations: MRT Zuoying (R16), Ecological District (R15), Kaohsiung Arena (R14); TRA Zuoying for Lotus Pond. → Lotus Pond
Asia New Bay
The new waterfront of Qianzhen and Lingya is where the city has put its flagship projects: the Exhibition Center, the Cruise Terminal, the Music Center, the Main Public Library and the light rail. → The harbor The 85 Sky Tower and Dream Mall are here too.
Stations: light rail Dream Mall (C5) to Love Pier (C11); MRT Sanduo Shopping District (R8).
Lingya and Xinxing
The busy centre of town: Formosa Boulevard Station and its Dome of Light, Liuhe Night Market, which grew out of street stalls around 1950, Central Park, Shinkujiang's shops, and the Kaohsiung Cultural Center (高雄市文化中心), opened in 1981, one of the city's oldest arts venues. It began seismic repairs in March 2026, and bookings for the second half of 2026 have been moved, so check before you go.
Stations: MRT Formosa Boulevard (R10 / O5), Central Park (R9), Cultural Center (O7).
Fongshan
Fongshan (鳳山) became the county seat after 1787. It has Taiwan's second-oldest Longshan Temple (鳳山龍山寺) and the Fongyi Academy (鳳儀書院), a Qing academy built in 1814, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 (closed Mondays). Weiwuying and its park are on the edge of the district.
Stations: MRT Fongshan (O12), Weiwuying (O10).
→ Where to stay · Things to do
Sources: Yancheng: Taipei Times and Taipei Times; Pier-2: Taiwan Tourism Administration. Hamasen: Kaohsiung City Government and Gushan District Office. Cijin: Taiwan Tourism Administration. Zuoying: Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau. Asia New Bay: Kaohsiung City Government. Cultural Center repairs: Commercial Times. Liuhe and the Cultural Center: Taiwan Tourism Administration. Fongshan: Taipei Times and Fongyi Academy. Checked October 2026.