New Mayor Han Kuo-yu Takes Office: Six Major Tourism Topics in Kaohsiung

By MOOK Scenic Spots’ Liao Weiren
 
Tourism in Kaohsiung has been a hot topic long before the mayoral election, and it has become even more widely discussed since Mayor Han Kuo-yu took office. From the tourism director to brand ambassadors, from the Ferris wheel to Golden Galaxy, everything has been influenced by the “Han wave.” The following are six major tourism topics in Kaohsiung that are currently in the spotlight.

1. Love River Renamed as Golden Galaxy

To align with the Love River tourism industry chain, the Kaohsiung Lantern Festival, originally scheduled to be held at Pier 2-10 of Kaohsiung Harbor, will be moved back to the Love River and renamed “Golden Galaxy.” The festival duration will also be shortened from the original 16 days to 9 days. However, this means there will be no lantern festival during the Lantern Festival, and the matter is still under discussion.

2.Return of Crowds to Liuhe Night Market

Since Mayor Han took office, the once bustling Liuhe Night Market has gradually seen a return of visitors. Even taxi drivers have noted the change, saying they haven’t had so many fares to Liuhe Night Market in a long time.

3.Bai Bingbing Becomes First Monthly Tourism Ambassador

Kaohsiung plans to invite a new tourism ambassador each month to promote the city. The ambassador for January is Bai Bingbing. Not only did she offer her services for free, but she also personally funded 500,000 NTD for a promotional video. While the video received mixed reviews, it nonetheless increased Kaohsiung’s visibility.

4.Chen Wenqi Appointed as February Tourism Ambassador

The tourism ambassador for February is Chen Wenqi, who has over one million fans across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. She has already begun brainstorming ways to leverage her influence to help and promote Kaohsiung.