Taiwan’s largest port city, as the south’s largest city, has often played second fiddle to the capital Taipei. While not as bustling as Taipei, Kaohsiung is more laidback, less congested, has more temperate weather and is located by the sea.

I first went there with family many years ago on a daytrip, then returned in 2018 for a longer visit. The city briefly made global news for its then-newly opened Weiwuying or National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, which is supposedly the world’s largest performing arts complex. On the opposite side of the city by the harbor is Pier-Two Art Centre, a complex of former warehouses that have been converted into art galleries, museums and stores.

At first sight, the Weiwuying’s sleek white exterior makes it resemble a spaceship out of Star Trek. Its cavernous size actually holds five performing venues in one – an opera house, a theatre hall, a recital hall and a playhouse, as well as an outdoor theatre built onto the exterior which dips into the ground. The open spaces on the ground floor are open to the public so there are always old people exercising, teenagers hanging out, and dance classes going on.

Located by the city’s harborfront, Pier-Two Art Centre features art galleries, boutique stores, and museums. Outdoors, there are murals, contemporary artworks, and a park featuring art made of twisted steel on unused former railway lines.

Back at the Weiwuying, there is a residential neighborhood just north of the complex where many of the multi-storied buildings feature resplendent and colorful murals.

Kaohsiung’s Museum of Fine Arts features paintings, contemporary art and special exhibits, with a great collection of oil paintings of Taiwanese scenery.

However, the city’s most famous artwork is not in a museum or gallery, but in a subway station. In the underground concourse of Formosa Boulevard Station, the ceiling is filled by the Dome of Light, a spectacular artwork of cosmic figures made up of 4,500 glass panels designed by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata.

Artwork at the fine arts museum
Kaohsiung’s train station


Kaohsiung, as most Taiwan cities, also has its fair share of night markets such as this one.