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Photo: 黃明寶, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Also known as Chaishan (柴山), this mountain sits at the westernmost point of Gushan, and boasts scenic view of the sea, the city, or both, depending on your location. It is full of macaque monkeys that is very sneaky and cheeky, so make sure to keep your food and drinks away. As a side note, try not to store them in plastic bags because the sound of plastic bags reminds them of food. There are hiking trails across the mountains, and plenty of rest stations. There is a small hillside village overlooking the sea, with plenty of cafes to choose from.
Shoushan is a mountain in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, north of the main entrance to Kaohsiung Harbor. It was named Ape Hill by the Dutch in the 17th century to describe many Formosan rock macaques on this mountain. It is also called Chaishan (柴山) and includes the Snake Hill in its northern part, and Long Life Hill (壽山) – named by Japanese in 1911-1915 for the crown-prince Hirohito – in the southern part. In some old maps, the peak of the hill is called Saracen's Head. Now it is a nature park where biological diversity can be seen.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The museum hosts a permanent collection and temporary exhibits, mainly of paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries.
西子灣海水浴場
A curved beach south of Shoushan, developed as a tourist attraction since Japanese colonial times. You can get beautiful views of Shoushan and the red-brick university buildings that perched right next to it. The beach comes with a parking space for bikes, scooters and cars (parking fees apply per use), and on the other side of the carpark is a concrete barrier that has become a ledge for people to sit down and enjoy views of Cijin, over snacks and beers with friends. Best visited during sunset because of its location, when tourists, locals and nearby university students come to wind down. During non-winter days, you can see people windsurfing, partly because the university offer such courses and has a club for it. Alternatively, there is an observation deck just outside of the university entrance, complete with benches, and a busking performance if you're lucky.
Turned into a museum in 2010, this was Kaohsiung's first railway station. There are exhibition rooms, a railway document archive and a platform and track area.
British Consulate at Takao
Sitting atop a hill, the red brick building offers beautiful views over the Kaohsiung harbor and the sea. While a nice structure representative of the era in which it was built, it is now thought to have been the official residence of the British Consul, and not the consulate proper.
駁二藝術特區
This former warehouse district has been converted into a series of contemporary art galleries. As these are commercial galleries and not museums, admission tends to be free. Between the warehouses there are numerous outdoor sculptures. The district is near Fishermen's Wharf, which can serve as a great place to grab a meal after a day looking at art.
雄鎮北門
This fort is built by the Qing dynasty to protect the harbor. It underwent renovation during 2018 and re-opened to the public in 2022. A small and quiet place to enjoy views of the sea and Cijin lighthouse. Nearby is the Former British Consulate, which sits right in front of the bus stop. From here, you can descend to the observatory deck of Sizihwan beach.