Visit the lively Yancheng District while in downtown Kaohsiung. Yancheng sits by the Love River, with the Kaohsiung Harbor just to the south, The district is overlooked by Shoushan, the “Longevity Mountain.”

Yancheng is translated to “Salt City” so named for the salt fields. During the Qing Dynasty, salt winning was the main industry in the coastal Yancheng District. When the Japanese arrived, they developed what they called the “Takao” area and made Yancheng the administrative center of Kaohsiung. After the Republic of China (Taiwan) was formed, Yancheng became a shopping district with big department stores. Despite this, there are still many traditional artisan shops, restaurants and book stores to be found here.

The highlight of any visit to downtown Kaohsiung is a stroll or bike ride along the Love Pier in the Yancheng District. During the annual Kaohsiung Lantern Festival, atmospheric lights and lanterns make the river look like something from a fairy tale.

Check out the Dragon Sculpture by the river, at the end of Minsheng Road, which was used in an earlier festival and was kept as a public artwork. To explore the Ai River, or Love River, and admire the city skyline from the water, rent a solar-powered duck boat from the pier.

If you’d rather stay on land, check out the Hamasen Museum of Taiwan Railway with its fascinating miniature city with train models. The museum, which also provides an immersive virtual reality show, is housed in a converted warehouse behind the Takao Railway Museum where real trains are on display.

Both railway museums are part of the Pier-2 Art Center, one of the most popular attractions in Kaohsiung City. Housed in a once abandoned industrial estate, the art center has several big exhibit spaces in disused warehouses. Huge murals and public artworks, along with regular festivals, keep the area colorful and buzzing year-round.

You can also visit the Kaohsiung City Music Hall, Film Archive and National Museum of History on the banks of the Love River.

Yancheng has many hotels and other visitor facilities because it’s home to the International Convention Center Kaohsiung. To get to the district, disembark at the Yanchengpu MRT Station. There are many cycling paths and walking trails that connect the main attractions, making it easy to get around once there.