First-time foreign flyer visits Kaohsiung: Taiwan’s next tiger city

Though Taiwan is a compact nation, its sites and awesome governance are bigger than life, as seen in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second biggest city next to its capital, Taipei.

Known as the city of ports and famous for its emblem Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, the sometimes cold and humid weather of Taiwan’s Southern City, its magnificent sites, such as Love River, Shoushan (Mt. Shou), Sizihwan Bay, Lotus Pond, Qijin and the Old City of Zuoying, are fit for all kinds of tourists, as well as investors. 

Coming from the Philippines, what mesmerized me, as a first-time foreign flyer, was the traffic-free state of Kaohsiung’s highways and streets, where road congestion is not a problem. 

I was part of the Philippine delegation for the Taiwan-Philippines Smart Port Development Forum from 9 to 11 December, aiming to promote cooperation between the southern Taiwan harbor, the Port of Subic Bay and the local government of Ilocos Norte.

Aside from sea connectivity, the local government of Ilocos Norte, headed by Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marco, was in talks with the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office and Taiwan tourism officials regarding the revival of Kaohsiung-Laoag charter flights.

As of October 2024, the Philippines recorded 371,593 Filipino tourist arrivals in Taiwan — up 35 percent from the previous year and expected to reach half a million by 2025 due to Taiwan’s strong tourism offerings.

Kaohsiung, on the other hand, is home to thousands of Filipino migrant workers, mostly working in manufacturing firms in its ecozones.

Worthwhile visit

Our three-day exploration of Kaohsiung was tight, packing in many of its sites and attending worthwhile forums to understand how Taiwan and the Philippines may collaborate further. 

We had a gala night after our arrival, in which we heard Chen Ming Chi, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the Grand Hi-Lai Hotel, saying their country is banking on the Philippines, the United States and Japan’s Global Economic Corridor, which had been announced and sealed in April 2025.

“This is to strengthen the Philippines’ core infrastructure. Taiwan welcomes this initiative. Taiwan aims to align with the strategic objectives of our like-minded partners and deepen our bilateral economic ties with the Philippines,” Chi said.

Together, the US, Philippines and Japan will accelerate coordinated investments in high-impact infrastructure projects, including rail, ports modernization, clean energy and semiconductor supply chains and deployments and agribusiness to further connect and drive economic growth in each hub.

Before that, the Philippine delegation was taken on a tour of the Evergreen Marine Terminal 7, one of the most advanced and iconic automated terminals in Kaohsiung Port.

At night, we were mesmerized by the Love River Bay-Waterfront Promenade and Marina, a formerly restricted industrial harbor zone. 

Through waterfront regeneration and urban revitalization, it has transformed into an open public waterfront shared by residents, visitors and international guests. 

The area includes a yacht marina, pedestrian promenades, cultural venues and scenic waterfront spaces, symbolizing Kaohsiung’s vision of coexistence between harbor and city. 

As a core demonstration site of the Asia New Bay Area project, it reflects Kaohsiung’s transition from an industrial port to a vibrant waterfront city.

Also, delegates had a tour of the recently completed Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, which serves as a key processing hub for foreign cruise passengers, including check-in, security and immigration procedures.

Designed with a wave-inspired architectural concept, the terminal reinforces Taiwan’s southern city’s position as a competitive homeport in the Asia Pacific cruise market.

The delegation also made a trip to Kaohsiung Harbor, where we were able to see the various manufacturing sites scattered in Kaohsiung’s more than 130 vessel terminals, earning its moniker as a city of ports.

Kaohsiung, touted as Taiwan’s next tiger city, was an inspiration one hopes to see here and in other places around the region.