Travel like a Kaohsiung local: 7 of the Taiwanese port city’s best for visitors

During last November’s mayoral elections in Taiwan, one of the candidates in Kaohsiung, Han Kuo-yu, referred to the huge port city as “old, ugly and poor”. While his claim is a little exaggerated, Kaohsiung’s economy has certainly suffered as a result of a lack of development, job opportunities and salaries that are lower than those offered in Taipei. Since his victory, Han, 61, has vowed to boost tourism, investment, exports and make Kaohsiung rich and great again for everyone. Han stood as a candidate from the opposition Kuomintang party – part of the “blue” camp, or pan-Blue coalition with other parties, named after the KMT’s party colours – and initially was given no chance in the city regarded as a stronghold of the “green” camp, after nearly two decades under the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s control. Move over, bubble milk tea – meet Taiwanese coffee Having captured the imagination – and votes – of the locals, and with the city continuously in the news since his stunning victory, visitors have been keen to see what all the fuss is about. So now it is the perfect time to check out the city’s many delights. Fu Cheng Shi Mu Yu View this post on Instagram ⓚⓐⓞⓗⓢⓘⓤⓝⓖ ⊷⊚武廟府城虱目魚 ᵂᴴᴱᴿᴱ:高雄市苓雅區武廟路177號 煎虱目魚肚 滷肉飯 綜合湯 滷豆腐 依然排隊的虱目魚～～～ #府城虱目魚 #武廟 #武廟美食 #虱目魚 #虱目魚肚 #虱目魚湯 #煎虱目魚肚 #滷肉飯 #台南口味 #甜甜的 #高雄美食 #高雄 #kaoshiung #kaoshiungfood #taiwanfood #taiwandeliciousfood —— ★더 많은 대만음식 #yenstaiwan 更多台灣好吃 ★더 많은 가오슝음식 #yensKaohsiung 更多高雄好吃 —— 요즘 가오슝시장덕분에 핫한 맛집 루러우판이 타이난이맛이니까 달달해 #대만맛집 #가오슝맛집 #가오슝 #대만음식 #대만요리 #대만 #루러우판 #스무위 A post shared by Yen's Korea / Travel (@foodsssstravel) on Jan 14, 2019 at 7:41pm PST Han began to frequent the Fu Cheng eatery, known for its Southern-style lu rou fan – minced pork rice – and milk fish soup, when he was campaigning during the mayoral election. The locals Kaohsiung were charmed by Han’s down-to-earth attitude and the fact that he enjoyed the simple pleasure of eating lu rou fan in a casual eatery. 5 tasty street foods you should try in Taipei that the locals love This eatery is now busy with many new customers, who come to follow in Han’s footsteps and savour its tasty, bold flavours. Liang Bo Mutton Eatery View this post on Instagram The best kind of lunch - sautéed mutton - greets you on a daily basis when you stay in Fengshan, the administrative centre of former Kaohsiung County, now a district in Kaohsiung (the city). There’s lots of food to keep one entertained and only 7 mrt stops from Formosa station. A post shared by Dennis She (@phattoamano) on Feb 23, 2019 at 7:33am PST Residents of the old Fengshan neighbourhood swear by the restaurant Liang Bo for its pan-fried mutton with scallions. It’s done à la minute, so the wok hei is pretty top-notch. Travel like a Taipei local: 5 of the city's most unexpected surprises for visitors Liang Bo is very creative with its mutton dishes, so you can have the meat prepared in various styles, such as mutton pan-fried with onions or bitter gourd (or bitter melon); it also offers pan-fried bone marrow. You can also wash it all down with the mutton soup, which is also free-flowing, too! Zuoying’s City Gates View this post on Instagram 斑駁歲月：左營（鳳山縣）舊城北門。門的內側是海軍#眷村 的#自助新村。 North gate of Old City walls, Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. #taiwan #kaohsiung #zuoying #iseetaiwan #history #oldcity #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #ig_taiwan #retro #throwback A post shared by Billy (@cgi0911) on Jan 12, 2016 at 5:17pm PST Most travellers overlook Zuoying, the last stop on the high-speed rail, and quickly head to southern Kaohsiung to start their “real” journey. Aside from shopping malls, restaurants and eateries offering good food and a few interesting sights, Zuoying also has three charming historic city gates. When the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) government annexed Taiwan and felt the need to protect its interests in then Fongshan County, it built a city wall around the area to make it defensible. The southern and eastern gates are well-preserved, while the northern gate features a short stretch of walls that are worth climbing. Farewell, 886 View this post on Instagram 眷村文化園區 再見886之編號166入場券 #老屋顏 #老房子 #眷村 #高雄 A post shared by 老屋顏 (@oldhouseface) on Jul 29, 2018 at 6:34am PDT Taipei and northern Taiwan is traditionally regarded as a stronghold of Chinese mainlanders because of the wave of immigrants who arrived there following the KMT’s retreat to Taiwan in 1949. However, southern Taiwan is also home to a great number of them, too. Zuoying district’s strategic location made it an important naval base and nearby villages were populated by veterans of the defeated KMT forces and their dependants. 5 things we know about the US$1 billion Taipei Sky Tower Residents have started moving out of these veterans’ low-rise villages to high-rise residential properties over the years, but the memories remain at Farewell, 886, a cultural park and museum incorporating four village buildings. The museum hints at what it must have been like living within a close-knit melting pot of cultures when people from various provinces congregated in one place. From Shandong accents, Sichuan-inspired beef noodles and Nationalist slogans about recapturing the Chinese mainland … Farewell, 886 is a great starting point for understanding Taiwanese society today. Ambassador Hotel Kaohsiung Love River, which runs through the city of Kaohsiung, has gone through a major clean-up and ever since Han’s inauguration ceremony in December, set on the banks of the river, next to the Ambassador Hotel Kaohsiung, it has become an important place to be. 6 of the best Taipei bars to enjoy the cocktail revolution The Kaohsiung city government and tourism office even chose the river as the spot for the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival 2019 during Lunar New Year. The resort-style Ambassador Hotel Kaohsiung features newly refurbished, well-appointed rooms offering fine views across the river and Shoushan Hill in the distance. Mullet roe Mullet roe is a high priced – and prized – delicacy, which is found in abundance in the waters off the coast of southern Taiwan. The politician and television commentator Chen Wen-qian, Kaohsiung’s tourism ambassador for February 2019 – yes, you read that right, there is one appointed each month – often said to be the most intelligent woman in Taiwan, came up with the brilliant idea of having a mullet roe culinary “face-off”. Chef Chiang Chin-hwa, from the Chateau de Chine Kaohsiung, claimed the Gold award in the competition, with his Italian-style mullet roe spring roll, paired with a mullet roe salad laced with baked milk fish sauce and dates. This dish, available at the hotel’s Harbour Restaurant, is perfect with a glass of white wine. Eat like a local in Bangkok: 5 street foods to try Gangshan Hilltop Observation Deck Head to the northern part of the city, Gangshan, and the striking Gangshan Hilltop Observation Deck – resembling a violin, which supports suspension cables – to enjoy stunning views looking out over the city and – on a good day – as far as neighbouring Pingtung county. 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