Kaohsiung has more than just E-Da Theme Park and Love River — don’t miss these six must-do food, drink, and fun spots

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Though known for its scenic port city charm, Kaohsiung offers many attractions beyond famous landmarks like Love River and E-Da Theme Park. Here are six great places in Kaohsiung for food, fun, and entertainment — including arts and culture districts, film locations, and world-class wonders — that visitors might want to consider on their next trip.

1. Arts & Culture Spot - #Pier-2 Art Center
This popular hipster hangout, Pier-2 Art Center, transforms old warehouse buildings by the docks into a new hub for arts and culture. It frequently hosts exciting large-scale exhibitions, and its public spaces feature numerous art installations, making it a uniquely distinctive cultural venue.

2. Film Location – #Qiaotou Sugar Refinery
The Taiwanese film “The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful” (血觀音) shone brightly at the Golden Horse Awards. Not only did lead actress Annie Wu, who played “Madam Tang,” win Best Actress, but up to two-thirds of the movie was also filmed in Kaohsiung. This helped boost the city’s tourism alongside the film’s popularity.

The most filmed location in “The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful” — the “Tang Residence” — is set in the old dormitories of the Qiaotou Sugar Refinery. It’s not only Taiwan’s first modern mechanized sugar factory but also a site of deep historical significance from the Japanese colonial era. Movie fans visiting Kaohsiung to trace filming spots gain a richer experience when they learn the background stories behind the locations.

3. Monster Building Wonder – Zuoying Guomao Community
Located in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, the Guomao Community features dense, sprawling buildings that give off the illusion of Hong Kong’s famous Sea View Estate “monster buildings.” The community consists of 13 buildings, renovated from decades-old Navy family housing. The architecture is specially designed as an onion-like concentric circle community. Two semi-circular buildings encircle a central space, creating a unique visual aesthetic.